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!
Conflicted was the one word to describe Rowena with at the moment. To drop the mask and allow everyone to see what’s underneath. Keep it at the level it was at that moment, or even play it up more? The brunette simply had no answer, on one hand she liked the way it was now. On the other she got completely mad when people didn’t get the hint of flirting but nothing more. There were also the times that she herself was saddened by what she portrayed. So many shots across the bow and yet none hit home, not even with people she kinda liked.
There had been the off chance that someone looked past the façade she put up, but so far it had only failed once and rather spectacularly at that. Cassidy had been the only one see her without her mask fully plastered on and it had been liberating for the Gryffindor. To have someone carry a conversation and even agree to being friends. Which was also the reason why she was sitting on the windowsill. She had asked Cassidy to come to that abandoned classroom so they could talk. She needed the opinion of someone else, who was a friend. A friend who deserved to know why she could react so differently every now and again.
She had send a Christmas gift of a little silver bracelet that she had come across in Hogsmeade and just thought it fit well with Cassidy. Surely it wasn’t because of the charms that were in the middle of the chain, a combination of brushes on one side, pencils of the other and a small stone in the middle that reminded her of Cassidy’s eyes. Okay so maybe Rowena had picked it for that reason, but she knew that they weren’t dating or anything. Even though people had said she liked the other girl. She didn’t date anyone, but she had figured out she liked both genders. Which in turn made it easier to keep the mask in place. Flirting with one and all, just to be liked, what had she been thinking. A small teardrop sliding down her cheek as she looked across the snow covered grounds from behind glass.
Cassidy wasn't from a rich family even when she was supported by the Avery's she truly didn't feel like they were her family. Did she tell them that? No. They made it quite clear she didn't belong in their family tree and Cassidy had made her peace with it. She wasn't going to try and fit in somewhere she doesn't. The blonde woke up to an owl bringing her a gift from someone she didn't expect a gift from.
Cassidy loved the silver bracelet, it reflected her so well and the gem with the pretty blue really stood out. She didn't understand what she did to deserve a gift like this and just grabbed her things, rushed to get dressed and decided to meet Rowena like the note said. Her heart was pounding in her chest because of nerves suddenly coming to her out of nowhere.
Would Rowena be mad that she hasn't carried any presents with her personally? Cassidy would find out soon enough and walked into the classroom, heading for the window she saw Rowena sitting at. Was that a tear? Was she crying? upset? Cassidy ran a hand through her blonde locks before walking closer to her, hoping the tear was just a reflection from the light.
"Rowena? Are you okay?" she asked softly as she approached her carefully. "Did someone hurt you?" that was her first instinct. Being bullied a lot came with the everlasting question, did someone hurt her? "Do you need help?"
Not having hear the door, or even the footsteps of someone entering the classroom she had been sitting in as she was thinking about the shit she had said and done to herself was new to Rowena. Normally she was more aware and only the softly asking of her name, followed by if she was okay or not made her snap out of it. The voice that had asked it triggering the more unforgiving thoughts she had had. The shrug that had started to be made was cancelled halfway and left her with her shoulders raised and her head down, with a slight wince on her face as the next question landed. Trying to get her breathing under control and blinking water from her eyes she looked at the vision of blonde beauty that was Cassidy.
Her voice more unsteady than she’d like she started to answer. ’’I don’t really think that I am okay Cassi. I have been hurt, in more ways than one and not all by others. Help is probably what I need as I don’t think I can do it all by myself anymore, even though I bloody well should.’’ Since when had she been open, she asked herself. The answer was she wasn’t and that her answers had still been dodging most of the shit going on in her mind was a sore point. She couldn’t tell the epitome of calm and friendliness that was Cassidy what was going on. She finally made a friend, if she did that she’d scare her faster than a dementor could clear a room.
’’I know you must have seen me in class and other places and the way I act? Lies, all lies. The one moment I didn’t was talking to you..’’ Hoping she hadn’t said too much she bit her lip. Baby steps was probably the way forward, if Cassidy wouldn’t throw her a disgusted look and walk away right then and there.
Cassidy personally had a large case of anxiety and PTSD. Not everyone knew that but it was one of the reasons why she had been so quiet in general to everyone around her. She only had a handful of friends and those friends were the sweetest people she'd ever meet. There was Casey who she grew up with, Archie and Leander the sweetest boys she'd ever meet. She never really felt like she came up short when it came down to friends because the people she had were close to her heart.
The blonde looked at Rowena who seemed quite upset and she cocked her head a bit. "What happened? How are you hurt?" she was confused, didn't understand a single word Rowena was saying. "Did you get bullied?" she asked thinking that was the most logical reason. Her blue eyes looked at Rowena with confusion. "W-why would you act like someone else and lie?" she didn't understand.
Cassidy never lied about who she is, no matter how bad she had it.
Keeping her head steady, even though her eyes kept watering she looked into Cassidy’s blue eyes. ’’I didn’t exactly get hurt physically Cassi, more like emotionally. The utter fear of rejection from every possible side and not just romantically. Only two people have really accepted me as I was before you, my mum who passed when I was ten years old and my grandmother.’’ Looking back out the window her eyes gliding over the ice covered grounds, finding it easier to go on answering Cassi’s questions when not looking at her. ’’Yes I did get bullied, but I deflected it by flirting with anyone and everyone, laughing it off and they thought it didn’t affect me anymore. Giving me a reprieve, which made me adept the mask full time..so basically why I wouldn’t be who I am is…I felt safer I guess.’’
The actual reason for why she did that was lost to her over time. It basically became second nature, only dropping the mask with her grandmother or when she was on her own. Not even with her father she dropped it more than marginally. Of course she wouldn’t flirt with her own father, that was just gross, she would laugh more than she thought was okay. More like the daughter she ought to be to him, instead of the daughter she actually was. ’’I have almost forgotten why, or what it feels like to be without that mask. That was until I tripped while singing. One of the few things I do just for me and you, being you kept me off balance, in a good way. Flowers and creatures they get me, not humans, aside from gran and nowadays the other girl I can be me with, you….I know it’s a bit much to hear, but it’s what’s going through my head this moment, sorry Cassidy.’’ The tears flowing a bit more freely as she looked out the window, fearing the same rejection she had felt so many times before. Best not face it and keep on going.
See here was the deal. Cassidy was not one for romance, truth be told it freaked her out. So she wasn't one to see romance in situations where romance was applied. The blonde ran a hand through her hair as she stood there, almost frozen in her tracks because what was she supposed to do? She didn't know Rowena that well and yet it seemed like Rowena had an attachment that Cassidy never really realized until now. Cassidy cocked her head to the side a bit as Rowena explained her situation. She did talk a lot which was also a lot to process for Cassidy herself.
"But who hurt you?" she didn't really understand how she could get emotionally hurt so bad she was hiding here in fear. "Did someone reject you?" she heard heartbreak was a big thing and Cassidy wasn't sure about it but it seemed painful. She remembered when her best friend was too scared to ask her crush out, afraid she'd be rejected. "Why wouldn't people accept you for who you are? Seems like a lot of nonsense to me." she said softly and leaned against the wall.
"I mean sure I get bullied but even I have friends who accept me anyway." She explained and frowned. "But why would you pretend to be someone else? That way no one can accept you for who you truly are because they don't know that part of you exists." to her that sounded logical. Why hide your true self when you wanna be accepted for that true self. "Maybe you should just stop applying the mask. Of course there is the risk of getting hurt but at least people can see the real you and appreciate the real you along with it." she told her and bit her lip.
On one hand the brunette was frustrated beyond words, with Cassi, with herself and the entire situation. On the other hand she knew she sprung this all on someone who didn’t know her very well and yet again there was something about Cassi that Rowena just couldn’t deny. ’’Who hurt me Cassi that have been me, myself and I, my dad, family members and people at school. I didn’t get rejected by someone I was interested in sexually. I got rejected for being who I was by my dad. Which is why I spend almost all of my time with my grandmother when I am not in school.’’
Rowena was thinking about why people wouldn’t accept me for who she was and came to a few conclusions from that. Her dad blamed her for the disease her mother had had. Even though it was in no way related to Rowena, her grandmother said it might be because she looked so much like her mother, but couldn’t put her finger on it exactly either. The things she liked had been things he labeled as useless and a waste of time. Which was why she was trying to be good at other things and make him proud, but wasn’t exactly easy. When she had tried making friends with people from outside of the magical world they had looked at her like she was a mentally challenged individual and their parents had warned them away.
When she had gotten on the train she had met so many more new people she didn’t even know what to do anymore and retreated in a shell of shyness and observing others it had seemed to her that flirting with one and all had been the key to being accepted. ’’For that I am very glad Cassidy, that you still have friends that accept you. I won’t ask you to name the bullies as I would be likely to curse them, or slip a potion in their pumpkin juice, but why I would pretend to be someone I am not. It’s not that easy, to not apply the mask. I know it seems like the simple and logical solution, but it just doesn’t work that way. Because even if I drop the mask I would just be looking to be accepted in a different way.’’
Rocking back and forward a bit she tried to organize her mind and make a bit more sense with less words.’’I know that makes no sense, but habit is one of the hardest things to break through, thanks for listening to my rambling by the way. More and longer than my dad ever did.’’ Slamming her hand on her mouth she realized she had said that out loud, even though she hadn’t meant to. In her mind she was so darn screwed.