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!
And while you are sitting indoors waiting for the storm to pass I will be outside dancing in the rain
❧
Cassidy needed to get some air, walk and clear her head. The blonde ran a hand through her hair, releasing the curls into a blonde mass and sighed as she flopped down somewhere on the grass, her hands in her lap.
For once she wasn't even carrying her camera around, she was just tired and in need of some time for herself. Stress had been a big part of her life and she needed a release, any release from it.
With a yawn she fell back and closed her eyes as she soaked in some sun.
Rowena knew that it would get colder in the coming months and the brunette decided to take advantage of the remaining sunlight that was still warming the Hogwarts grounds. Seeing quite a few couples walking around the grounds as she made her way to one of the more remote areas, seeing as she was more comfortable there herself. Not to mention not getting the foul looks from people she had either flirted with, or had flirted with the partner. Not even on purpose for that matter, but she seemed to have the charm offensive down so bad that some of the more insecure ones were sure she’d steal their partner.
Which is for a secretly insecure girl was both a confidence boost for it seemed that her tactics worked and felt trodden on as she had no intention of ever doing so. Nor had she any intention of hurting people. Finally when she thought she was alone she had started to sing in her own mind, or so she thought in fact she had started out loud with a song from the muggle Demi Lovato, called Skyscraper. How the skies were crying in the song, which was basically just rain she smiled a bit sadly. The chorus had hit her very hard the summer previous to that current school year.
Softly singing the chorus, but with every emotion she felt she walked in the sun, only to not pay attention where she was walking and quite literally stumbling over another student. ’’Oh biscuits..... why didn’t I pay some bloody attention....and I’m speaking out loud great.’’ Thinking that when she spoke out loud she might have well been singing out loud, there went what was left of her reputation.
And while you are sitting indoors waiting for the storm to pass I will be outside dancing in the rain
❧
Cassidy's skin type wasn't one to easily burn into the sun. The blonde ran a hand over her warm feeling face and squealed when she felt someone trip over her. Obviously between the sun bathing students, Cassidy was the one who became a roadbump.
Cassidy sat up to look at the other girl and blushed a deep red shade on her cheeks. Well fantastic! Soon there would be yelling and Cassidy running off in tears like every single day in her life. Where was Casey when she needed her? Her best friend and body guard, or Raouf?
Cassidy looked the girl over hoping not to find blood and blushed even more. "I am so so sorry." She said, jumping on her feet and reaching out to help Rowena.
"I would've said something if I knew people could trip over me, I mean..." She looked around and bit her lip.
Rowena knew she was proverbial toast the moment she had realised that she had tripped not over something, but someone. Her reputation dead, chances of being accepted zilch and in her mind absolutely dead. Taking the offered hand anyway to get up she found herself replying automatically to a cute blonde girl. ’’No, don’t be sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going....quite literally at that.’’ Looking around when she saw the other girl do so, who was continuing on her apology. Which was in Rowena’s mind rather cute, but beside the point.
’’I don’t think people would trip over you here, I mostly come here to be out of the way from people an....no I’m not hurt. Are you hurt though? I mean I am not the lightest thing to fall on you, most likely beautiful.’’ Mentally Rowena was trying to put the mask back into place, hoping that the girl hadn’t heard or whatever. Which made her realise something else. ‘’Forgive me for being rude, well more rude than literally tripping over you. My name’s Rowena and yours? I can hardly keep calling you beautiful now can I?’’
Berating herself over perhaps being too obvious in covering it up, not really having an better option for herself though she kept trying. Probably failing to put the social mask properly into place she gave the blonde a shy smile.
And while you are sitting indoors waiting for the storm to pass I will be outside dancing in the rain
❧
Word vomit. The worst kind of vomit if it was up to Cassidy. The physical one was actually something no one could apologize for because it was something she couldn't help, the word vomit however was dreadful and Cassidy felt so ashamed. People always seemed to pick on her, she had few friends and the one she had were not really the types to get into fights... well except for maybe Casey.
"No I shouldn't be lying here I mean you could've gotten seriously hurt and I hate to see anyone hurt." she said and her cheeks flushed red of shame. "M-my mother works here, maybe she can help." She offered but there wasn't much that could be done.
"B-beautiful? Me?" she adjusted her glasses nervously. "N-no you must have hit your head if you think that." she smiled a bit and nodded. Cassidy blushed some more and bit her lip a bit. "I'm Cassidy, it is nice to meet you however awkwardly it happened to be." she smiled a bit more, thank god this girl wasn't mad!
Rowena was looking at the blonde before her who was spouting words left, right and centre. In the brunette’s mind she only paid half attention to what she was saying, not because it probably wasn’t important, but more because she enjoyed listening more. Noticing the glasses on the other girl, trying to think how they accentuate her cheek bones and finally she tuned in for the last words, only to realise that she heard every word she said. Shaking her head a bit, trying to avoid a chuckle. Not managing to fully suppress it and started apologise immediately. ’’I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’m not mad at all.’’
She looked at Cassidy and gave her a true genuine smile. ’’I’m very sorry Cassidy, I really should have been paying more attention and you have each and every right to lie down there. We’re both fine, no need for staff members. I probably hit my head, but I stick with what I said you are beautiful and once again I’m not mad at you. In fact I hope you’re not mad at me for tripping over you?’’ Not being able to decide to let the mask slip, or keep it plastered on, or even halfway there.
It wasn’t exactly everyday that she meant other people outside of a carefully scripted scene in her head. ’’I’m sorry for the overdose of words there Cassidy, look at me apologising over and over about everything. I just hope I didn’t ruin your ears by singing. I try to avoid people hearing it if I can help it...’’ For the love of magic she was doing it, keeping the mask from being stuck and acting somewhat like herself. Now if only she wouldn’t mess it up.
And while you are sitting indoors waiting for the storm to pass I will be outside dancing in the rain
❧
Being bullied more often than not, it was hard to not expect anyone else to explode on her. Whether it be for merely existing or anything other than that. She would not feel safe or appreciated and it caused Cassidy to hide. The girl didn't really know Rowena which was sad because she seemed sweet.
"Oh good." she believed her, if the girl was mad she would act differently anyway. Cassidy had to regain herself, manage her own attitude again and bit her lip as she cleaned her own outfit from the grass on her skirt.
"Me? Beautiful?" she still didn't think it made sense and just shook her head. "I am not mad, really it was just bad luck." she added. Cassidy smiled a bit and looked around. She didn't see anyone else.
"Your singing wasn't that bad.. I didn't really pay attention either so I didn't hear it." she said softly and chuckled a bit. "Do you sing for a hobby?" Cassidy asked curiously, she could at least try to get to know Rowena a little.
Rowena wanted to what was it the muggles called it, face palm about the blonde still not getting it, but that was for later, Cassidy was beautiful and Rowena would get it through to her. One way or another Before she was able to reply to the silly questions she heard that Cassidy wasn’t mad about her tripping over her, which made Rowena smile if a bit relieves. She followed it up by making Rowena blush a bit by saying her singing wasn’t bad even though she hadn’t heard much of it. Only to ask if it was a hobby of hers to which she found herself nodding without words before being able to give a reaction. She wanted to know more about the bespectacled girl.
’’ Okay let’s get a few things very clear. Stop being so insecure and silly about you not being beautiful. Have you seen your blonde locks, the glasses that line out your cheek bones and those eyes I mean dayum girl. Blue pools of water that one can drown in, not to mention a rocking body.’’ Trying to get herself a bit under control as she was just rattling off what she found attractive at a first glance with Cassidy. She didn’t know her nearly well enough to know if the personality matched, but from how timid she acted Rowena guessed it did.
’’Now as a response to you asking if singing was my hobby, well you could say that singing and dancing both are and I am glad it didn’t disturb you…What about you Cassidy, what are you hobbies? Though if I am allowed a guess I’d go for having a nice read out in the sun, out of the wind?’’ No clue why she thought that, she knew it wasn’t because of the glasses, too many people had those.
And while you are sitting indoors waiting for the storm to pass I will be outside dancing in the rain
❧
Rowena talked.. a lot. Sure she didn't judge but Cassidy was so confused about this treatment. She didn't know her well but they weren't really friends were they? She had very little friends in her life and Cassidy was not quite sure if this was a person who would want to be her friend in the first place.
Cassidy cocked her head to the side a bit and smiled at Rowena. She wanted to be nice to her as much as Rowena was so nice to Cassidy. She looked at herself as Rowena basically demanded that Cassidy shouldn't be so insecure about herself. That was easier said than done.
"O-okay.." she said with a small frown. Where was this coming from? Then the girl asked about her hobbies after telling her her own and it was confusing.
"I ehm, I draw.. paint.. write.. I have a lot of hobbies really."
Rowena knew she was gushing or rather word vomiting over the poor blonde in front of her, not that she could really help it. It wasn’t every day for her that the mask refused to fully work, let alone with someone she actually thought of as attractive, instead of just pretending to have them act in a way she could deal with. No at the moment she was blushing and not really knowing what to do, one of the things that she probably would be doing was apologizing for the enormous amount of words that had come from her mouth.
Slightly fascinated she heard what the actual hobbies were of Cassidy and she tried to get some semblance of calm about herself. ’’Those all sound like interesting hobbies if you’d ask me. Though I do have to ask what kind of things would you draw or paint Cassidy? Also would you please let me apologize for the word vomit of just now and now again. I mean we just met, I must seem like an idiot.’’ Rowena honestly did think she acted like an idiot, or perhaps a firstie with a first crush to boot. It would simply not do.
Slowly sitting down in a more fashionable manner she smoothed over her skirt and looked at the blonde again. ’’I mean this could be the start of a friendship? Just talk or something I don’t know, not really great about this normally’’ Nor did the brunette have any idea of what she was doing, or did her mind make sense at that moment for that matter about her words.
Word vomit. Something Cassidy was quite familiar with actually. She often got nervous enough and just vomit her own words which never made sense. Before she knew it she'd be talking about kitten videos and then having to explain what videos are because not many people here knew even what Youtube was. The blonde bit her lip and watched Rowena who kept apologizing and yet there was no reason to do so.
"If I can't apologize neither can you don't you agree?" Cass asked her and smiled a bit. She made room beside her and tapped on the grass. "It's okay, when I get nervous I do the same thing actually but I try not to.. I really try." she said and bit her lip. The blonde wasn't sure why the other girl was nervous, she seemed so much tougher than Cassidy.
"You're not an idiot, I know what idiots look like and usually they look like me." she said and shrugged. "I draw mostly whatever comes to mind. I can draw people, areas, shapes or even objects." she said and smiled a bit more. "Animals are my favorite though." she added and bit her lip. Then Rowena offered a friendship and Cassidy wasn't opposed to having more friends besides being who she was.. she was lucky to have friends.
"I like that idea." she said and smiled a bit. "What do you want to talk about?"
Blushing as she realised Cassidy was most likely right. ’’Fair enough on the apologizing I guess and you are right, nervousness is a big trigger for that.’’ Rowena admitted as she scooted over and settled down next to Cassidy. Knowing her own toughness was much a mask that had fallen in front of Cassidy when she literally fell down. Shaking her head when Cassidy said that idiots most of the time looked like her, willing to go in against that statement, but knowing that it would be an uphill battle at the very least. As she reflected that that was what it would be when someone disagreed with her as she said something similar.
Very glad when Cassidy elaborated on her hobby of drawing, explaining what she liked to draw most. Rowena found herself agreeing that if she was gifted in the art of drawing that it would be one of the things she’d enjoy most too, that or loads of flowers in a mountain vale, but trying to keep her words to a minimum she sighed a little dreamily. ’’I disagree on idiots looking like you, but I know I won’t win that argument, I’m very glad you’re open to a friendship between the two of us.’’
Thinking a bit on what she liked to talk about and what would be a normal to good thing to talk about she chewed on her bottom lip for a bit. ’’I think I would like to discuss our hobbies a bit more to be fair, I started thinking on what you said you like to draw most. I would agree on animals would be great, or a field of flowers in a mountain vale…if I was gifted in the art of drawing, but alas I am not. What I do like is singing as I told you before, but recently I started writing my own lyrics too. Something else came to mind, what subject do you like most here at Hogwarts?’’ A slight blush colouring her cheeks as she knew she had unloaded another stream of words again she looked at Cassidy with a smile.
