With the capture of Verandi Farley and several high-ranking Trossach members, the British wizarding world has finally caught a break. The rate of rogue werewolf attacks have started dropping at a steady rate and, hopefully, things will stay that way. The Ministry is starting to loosen some restrictions, like not arresting werewolves standing on the street for loitering, however there’s still an obvious power imbalance between wizardfolk and werewolves.
The Cotswolds pack are continuing to advocate for the rights of werewolves and petitioning to change the legislation that has been set in motion by the current Minister for Magic, whilst the remaining Trossachs members are trying to stay out of the spotlight and keep a low profile… for now.
Whilst the British wizarding world seems to have calmed down, the same cannot be said for over in Northern Europe where a rebellion of magical creatures has risen. The state of things has gotten so bad that the European Ministry has enacted protocols to protect those under eighteen whilst their adult witches and wizards fight to keep control of their countries.
Students from Durmstrang have been sent to Hogwarts to keep them safe and those not old enough to attend school have been sent to live with relatives or designated British Ministry officials outside of Europe for the time being.
Will the low rates of werewolf attacks in Britain continue? How long will Durmstrang students stay at Hogwarts? Will the creatures usurp the wizardfolk in Northern Europe? Only time will tell.
SEPTEMBER 2019 It's been a very long, eventful summer in the wizarding world. A baby was stolen, several high ranking Trossach members were imprisoned, and werewolf attacks have drastically dropped as a result. What will happen now school has returned?
MAY 2019 An attempt to capture the beta of the Trossachs has been launched. Were the Aurors successful in their mission? Go read more here!
The Gryffindor common room was uncharacteristically silent -- the only sounds were the crackling of pine logs, filling the room with a deep orange veil of light, and the sorrowful howling of the January wind.
It was the kind of evening that called for a pot of hot tea, warm sweaters and a melancholic lullaby played on the lower strings of a guitar. It was the kind of evening that called for a lover's touch and sweet nothings whispered into the dusk. It was an evening for hopeless romantics like Rodrik.
To his great dismay, he didn't have a lover to whom he could read poetry in front of the fire. What he did have was a stack of unfinished homework, a dried out ink pot and a broken quill. Once again, he was wrecking his head over yet another assignment for Ancient Runes, and, once again, he was trying to figure out what pushed him to take it for his N.E.W.T.S.. There was no going back though, and he had to power through. His father had suggested he take the subject and try to become a curse breaker -- it was a lucrative position, say, if the arranged marriage didn't work out. (Rodrik knew it wouldn't work out, but his parents didn't need to know that. Not yet.)
Dipping his quill into the ink pot, he cursed under his breath and scraped the last drops onto the parchment. He was going to have to ask someone to share, at least for one day, and then he had to make time to go to Hogsmeade to buy supplies... Goodbye, pocket money.
The crackling of fire, the howling of wind and the scratching of a quill were the sounds filling the common room, making a romantic evening into a mundane one.
a charming young woman... ...capable of being terrible
GRYFFINDOR
16
SIXTH YEAR
1/2 VEELA
we're not running when the world's on fire/we'll be dancing in the smoke
73 posts
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Post by LYUBOV KAREVA on Sept 18, 2019 1:23:19 GMT
It was cold outside, but this didn't faze Lyuba in the slightest. She had a cozy warm bathrobe and cozy warm slippers and all the warmth of Gryffindor Tower around her. Everyone else seemed to want to go to bed and snuggle under their own blankets, but for whatever reason, she still had energy coursing through her. Logically, she knew it would be terrible in class tomorrow if she hadn't slept, but she also knew she wasn't going to be able to for a while yet. It happened that way sometimes. That was why coffee existed!
At least, as she descended the stairs from her dormitory--she wasn't going to begrudge the rest of her roommates their sleep--she wasn't alone with the shadows that the fire cast around the room. Her friend Rodrik was still awake, and with all the sneakiness she could muster (not much; she always seemed to have her volume up to eleven) she padded across the common room toward him, flinging her arms around his shoulders from behind his chair. "What're you scribbling about at this hour?" she asked, but with cheerfulness in her voice, knowing just how many times she'd scrambled to do homework at midnight after holding her Remembrall. "Runes? You should come chat with me instead," she said, plucking the feather out of his hand and setting it down on the table. She'd never considered taking a class like that; she figured reading in two alphabets already was definitely enough. And at N.E.W.T. level? What he was going to do with that knowledge, she didn't know. Looking at where the words trailed off on the parchment, she shook her head good-naturedly. "If you've run out of ink, I think it's a sign that you don't need to write any more," she added, smiling as she rested her chin on top of his head.
Algiz...Hagalaz.. and that was, uh, Gebo. So that would make it...
Rodrik scrunched his eyebrows, looking at the ink blot that had formed underneath the tip of his quill. Nothing made sense anymore, not even Yuri Blishen and his "Advanced Rune Translation" could save him now. The boy sighed, rubbing his forehead. Gather your thoughts, Rodrik. Gebo, Gebo...
Tap. Tap. Tap.
A pair of delicate arms wrapped around his shoulders, the pale palms locking above his chest. A gentle breeze of warm air tickled his left ear. Then, his captor identified themselves, and Rodrik felt his stomach do a flip. Must have startled me.
It was none other than Lyubov, or Lyuba, how she insisted on being called. It hadn't mattered to her several years ago that Rodrik was a year higher - she'd once perched next to him at the breakfast table, and now he found it hard to imagine his day without so much as greeting the girl. Lyuba had the habit of giving him surprise hugs, which always brought a smile to the boys face. Why? Because hugs were good and comforting. Everyone needs a hug now and then!
"I, uh," he began, rubbing the bridge of his nose and the inner corners of his eyes with his left thumb and index finger, "Trying to finish translating this assignment. Don't think Odin has blessed me tonight, though."
Lyuba nicked the quill out of his hand, and, while any other time he would have laughed and tried to get it back, tonight he was just too tired. He let out a chuckle, admiting his defeat.
"I guess you're right, yeah. Can we move to the couch? I think I've got an imprint of this chair on my butt by now." Rodrik said, stretching his arms high up and yawning. His back let out a loud crack, which made him pull a face. That didn't sound good at all.
"Could you lend me an ink pot for tomorrow, though? I'll return it as soon as I get back from Hogsmeade."
a charming young woman... ...capable of being terrible
GRYFFINDOR
16
SIXTH YEAR
1/2 VEELA
we're not running when the world's on fire/we'll be dancing in the smoke
73 posts
0 likes
Post by LYUBOV KAREVA on Sept 19, 2019 3:57:25 GMT
Rodrik was clearly exhausted, even though Lyuba felt like she could be awake all night. "Go to the couch before you sleep on your parchment, silly," she said, releasing her arms from his neck and leaning against the table. "Odin and crew can wait." He was barely thinking when he was speaking, that much she could tell. In reality, she knew she should send him up to his dormitory, essay and all, but then she'd be bored while she was awake. "You can't go to Hogsmeade. They still said no this term. I'll give you some ink if you catch me in the morning before class and remind me. You can't do anything without ink." Even Lyuba knew it'd be bad to run out of something that important right when they'd come back to school. He wouldn't be able to go anywhere until Easter.
"Alright. Up it is." Shoving playfully at her friend's shoulders, she managed to get him out of the chair and settle him on the couch in front of the fire, where she promptly squished right up next to him. Lyuba was glad she'd made friends with the boy; he was really fun to hang around. The kind of person who actually liked her energy, who accepted her hugs instead of just enduring them. "You gotta sleep better, or else you'll just crash in class or something. I know I'm not sleeping, but I still know what I'm talking about."
He blinked a few times, his dormant brain trying to follow along with Lyuba's words. Slowly, it dawned upon him that going to Hogsmeade was impossible and had already been for the last month or so. All he managed to answer was a great big sigh. She was right about Rodrik falling asleep on the parchment. Half an hour more and he'd wake up with several rows of runes smudged on his forehead.
Taking this into account he didn't resist even in the slightest as the younger girl poked and prodded until she'd gotten Rodrik out of his seat and into the corner of the couch by the fire. He pulled his legs up and wrapped his arm around Lyubov, pulling her a bit closer. Her bathrobe was fluffy and soft, and she was warm, and the boy felt as if there was no better place in the world to be...
This is so cozy... And she looks so nice like this. How did I never notice before? Thoughts rolled through his brain at a snail's pace as he hummed softly, his eyes trying to focus on Lyubov. I guess...We were younger and didn't care for looks...
"Your hair looks so soft," he whispered, not even registering that it hadn't been a silent thought. He had the overwhelming urge to lean forward and stick his nose into her hair, but that required effort and the throw pillows were so comfortable... All he needed was a blanket and he'd be content with his life.
a charming young woman... ...capable of being terrible
GRYFFINDOR
16
SIXTH YEAR
1/2 VEELA
we're not running when the world's on fire/we'll be dancing in the smoke
73 posts
0 likes
Post by LYUBOV KAREVA on Sept 20, 2019 16:32:48 GMT
"That's 'cause I use good shampoo," Lyuba said, grinning. "You--" and here she ruffled a hand through Rodrik's hair-- "should borrow it sometime if you want softer hair. But I've gotta warn you, it's got coconut stuff in it, so then you'll smell all tropical. I think that's a good thing, though." Lyuba loved how good her hair smelled when she washed it. She would never do it in front of people in general, but she loved pulling a few of the strands toward her face and feeling like summer was right there, even when it was as cold and dark as it was at the moment.
She stared into the fire for a second, letting the warmth and light wash over her. So often fire was a source of stress for her--she felt so awful every time she accidentally set something on fire. At least it didn't remind her anymore of the time she'd set herself on fire--she'd never have been able to live normally if she was always afraid of that. "What do you think the house-elves would do if you fell asleep on the couch?" she mused, blue eyes turning to look at her companion. "Would they wake you up? Or just leave you to sleep? Or do you think they could levitate you to bed?" She leaned back against the couch and Rodrik's arm. "Don't worry, though. I'll poke you if you sleep."
Her fingers rubbing against Rodrik's scalp made the boy shiver a bit. It was a nice, relaxing feeling, one that sent his earlier tension towards a road less traveled -- out of his system.
"Coconut?" he muttered, trying to recall how the fruit smelled. Yet the cogs in his brain couldn't even achieve that, so he did what was the most obvious and shifted so that he could put his nose right into Lyubov's hair.
"You're right, that does smell good. I might have to take you up on that offer. Though I..." a large yawn interrupted his sentence, "I prefer my citrus."
With that, he sunk back into his corner of the couch, tucking a pillow underneath himself. Lyuba started talking about house elves, amd he had to pinch himself to stay awake.
"I've fallen asleep here a few times doing homework, and I always wake up with a blanket on me." he said. The elves did a good job caring not only for the school, but the students that were absolutely wiped out by it. "I could go for a nice, cozy blanket right now. Like your bathrobe. I don't think I could fit underneath it, though." The boy pouted and pulled Lyuba a bit closer to him, taking in the warmth of both the clothing and its wearer. His yawning was becoming more and more frequent, and his eyelids became heavier as the seconds passed. Not even Lyuba's energetic talking could keep him up forever in this state.
a charming young woman... ...capable of being terrible
GRYFFINDOR
16
SIXTH YEAR
1/2 VEELA
we're not running when the world's on fire/we'll be dancing in the smoke
73 posts
0 likes
Post by LYUBOV KAREVA on Sept 21, 2019 4:10:05 GMT
Lyuba looked over, amused, as Rodrik's eyelids got lower and lower even as he continued to talk. "My bathrobe would probably be too small, yeah." She was used to being one of the tallest girls around, had been for years, but next to Rodrik, she was definitely smaller. Even if the bathrobe fit him around the shoulders, which it probably wouldn't, it wouldn't keep his legs quite as warm either. "I got mine somewhere in London, I know. You're not from around there, though, right? You've got that Scottish accent."
When no reply was forthcoming, she poked his arm gently, seeing if he'd heard her. No response--he seemed fast asleep. That was quick, so even though she had wanted him to keep her company while she was awake, she had to admit it was probably good. Maybe she could levitate him up to the dormitory like she'd been talking about just a few minutes ago. It seemed like a brilliant idea, but she forced herself to resist. All she was likely to do was run him into a stone wall in the dark.
For a moment, she considered using her bathrobe as a blanket to tuck him in, but as soon as she started to untie it, she remembered she needed it for herself. Instead, she extracted herself carefully from Rodrik, running up the stairs to the girls' side of the tower with quick little tiptoes. Her dormitory was dark, but she knew it well enough that she could make her way to her trunk, digging through it until she found one of her extra blankets--Papa always thought they never had enough, even when the school provided warm down blankets. Heading back downstairs, she checked to make sure Rodrik was still asleep before tossing the blanket over him. She'd ask for it back in the morning.
RODRIK BELANGER (note: Leo has allowed me to godmod and say he really did fall asleep in the last post)
kasia's girl on fire // 5'9" // single (future: rodrik belanger) // born in russia // lives in london
