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!
Leo full out ran through the corridor, away from his dorm where he had just been kissed by a boy. His head was buzzing and he didn't know what had even happened. Let alone how! How had they gone from discussing quidditch to Matheus straddling him and kissing him on the lips? He hurriedly opened the door to the boys' bathroom, checked if the coast was clear, then approached one of the sinks and looked into the mirror. Slowly he touched his own lips. Matheus had been his first real kiss. He had always been ashamed of how little experience he had in these things. Everyone had done more than he had, had more experience. But that was only because it was so very difficult with Ryker. He didn't want anyone else. But now he'd had his first kiss and it hadn't been anything like he had imagined it to be. For once he had imagined that he would even participate in the kiss. Matheus hadn't given him a second's warning to prepare or think about what he would do. The Gryffindor's hands grabbed the edge of the sink harder when he watched his own eyes slowly starting to redden. He had saved himself up for Ryker, because she was the only one on his mind, and always had been. It had all been for nothing now. And it had been another guy! Leo pushed a hand through his short hair. He wasn't even thinking about if he had liked it. Was there anything to 'like' about how this had gone down? He supposed not, and it made him sad. How was it possible that bein 18 years old, he had, until just now, never kissed anyone. Never held hands with anyone? Was he that much of a baby? Slowly his mind was catching up with the situation. Before the kiss Matheus had been talking about brooms, about trying out brooms, trying out Matheus' broom. It dawned on him only now what they really had been speaking about. A lump formed in his throat and he looked away from his own reflection, mortified. Had he been that daft to not understand Matheus' meaning? But how should he have understood? He hadn't really expected to have his dorm mate basically flirt with him! Nobody would be prepared for that! Leo sniffed. The worst part was that he would have to go back there and face Matheus. He wasn't sure if he would ever be able to. He sniffed again, trying his best not to cry now. It was as if he was still in shock about what had happened. He was not going to cry now! There was nothing to cry about! He had not been harmed, had he? But here he sad crying noisily in a bathroom on his own...
Being out and about where she shouldn’t be, not to even mention when was something Rowena was very prone to. It was not like she was a prefect or something, more importantly she’d flirt a bit with the prefect and get away with more than prefects themselves. Which was all she had ever done to be perfectly honest to herself and others. She might have hinted at a lot more and talk a good game, but the overly flirtatious brunette had not even kissed anyone yet, even though she wouldn’t say no to kissing Cassidy, but that was just something she could still put her mind off of.
The fall of the mask had so far been a one time thing, but she did consider dropping it a bit more often if the situation called for it. She was roaming the seventh floor after visiting the room of requirement or the come and go room as some people called it. True a lot more people knew of it these days. One of the rumours having seen to that of the secret dance party of not too long ago, but she could still get in often enough. What Rowena did in there? Simple the girl used it as a way to practise the skills she was too embarrassed to show or sound out to others.
Singing and dancing were two of those things, though that night she had been singing one of the more sensitive songs she knew the words to even far from home. One originally dedicated by the singer to his deceased son she sang it for her grandmother, tears in heaven by Eric Clapton. Passing the boys bathroom she could hear crying coming from beyond the door. Thinking on what to do and how to approach she started going down the lists. ‘Girls, unlikely, Ravenclaw, possible, prefect, I’d be damned, family drama, I know something, love life...oh to hell with it.’
Peeking around to make sure no one saw her entering the boys bathroom she slipped inside and slowly headed for the sound of crying. Seeing the guy who was in tears she swallowed a bit. He was from Gryffindor, two years above her and if Rowena was correct his name was Leo. Being in the same common room for years did things like that. Walking up slowly she tried to think of what to say, knowing this was not the time for her usual flirty self. ’’Leo, please don’t freak out, but what’s wrong?’’ Even if it was just listening and a long hug or whatever, she wouldn’t kick someone when they were down.
Leo gasped and turned around, his back to the person who had just entered the previously empty bathroom, trying to hide his tears. He swallowed against the lump in his throat and turned on the tap, pretending it was water on his face. "Nothing, everything is fine. It's getting late," he babbled, his throat raw and his voice hoarse, more than he had anticipated. Quickly he doused his face in cold water from the tap, trying to mask the traces of his breakdown. Only then did he turn around, on edge, still in panic-mode, to face the intruder, but stopped in his tracks. "What're you doing here?" he blurted out, seeing a girl standing in front of him. Could it get any worse?! Was there any place for him to go if even the boys' bathroom was not safe anymore?
Sighing to herself Rowena completely dropped whatever was left of her usual mask and act to make things very clear to Leo. ’’ Leo, cut the crap, it’s not fooling either of us.’’ It might be considered harsh what she said, but Rowena meant every single word with the care that was laid into them. ’’As to what I am doing here I heard someone crying, which is why I knew you were lying before Leo, you don’t have to hide it you know? Shit happens to everyone including men, they have every right to freak out and not be the immovable stoic rock for a change.’’ Taking a deep breath she took a few more steps forward and locked her chocolate brown eyes on his even darker ones, even though the sclera were rather red from either past tears or held back ones, she didn’t know.
Rowena took her wand out of her pocket and aimed it at the door, muttering a notice me not charm as she did so. ’’No one is going to bother us, or rather you as long as that spell is up. Whether you want to rant, need a hug, sparring partner or whatever really I am here. Our houses are supposed to be our family away from home, which is what I am trying to be here. I hide my shit behind a mask of flirting with anyone as you and others in your year might have noticed, not the best way I can tell you that. So for the love of Merlin let go or tell me something so I might be able to do something.’’
Rowena just hoped that her words were coming through to him or that it might at least trigger some effect as she had been rambling and the brunette usually didn’t do that. Sending a comment here or there. A wink every now and again, non verbal that was what she did well and she hoped for the love that is magic she hoped she had conveyed her desire to help more than anything.
Shocked, Leo took a step back at the rather sharp words thrown at him. He'd been minding his own business and the next moment a girl had come striding into the bathroom and was having a full-blown rant! Instinctively he shielded his torso with his arms, much as if the girl had walked in on him naked in the showers after quidditch. But he felt just as exposed as if he were naked now. So she'd only come in because she'd heard him cry. That was about as humiliating as the fact that he hadn't cottoned on faster to what Matheus had been talking about. Only now he was at a loss for words and just watched the girl with wide eyes, gaping like a fish out of water.
However he took another step back when she took out her wand, even though she aimed it at the door instead of him, which he wasn't sure if it was better or worse. "I... I..." he stuttered after she had ended her tirade, basically demanding answers as to why he'd run off to the bathroom in the first place. "Honestly, it's fine. It's nothing. It was pretty stupid actually. I'll be fine," he quickly said. He wasn't sure if he'd tell anyone what had happened just now, let alone a girl he barely knew, who'd walked in on him. He could as well just write what had happened on the wall of the bathroom stalls himself so people could spread the rumour and ridicule him for it. 'Gryffindor's star chaser crying in the bathrooms after getting his first kiss'. He would never be able to live it down.
Getting the exact opposite reaction from what she had been hoping for and that he would come to her, he took a step backwards, guarding his upper body with his arms at that. Recoiling a bit at the sight herself Rowena took a deep breath before she refocused. He had taken another step backwards when the brunette had cast the notice me not charm, knowing it might have had the wrong effect she couldn’t really blame him for that one. His stammering for words after she had laid all those words on him made her feel a bit guilty. The brunette just wanted to bloody help.
Shaking her head slightly at his trying to convince her everything was fine and that it’d be fine with a few moments she sighed again. ’’I’m sorry I came over aggressive enough that you feel the need to back away and defend yourself, but honestly I’m just trying to help. I know we haven’t interacted much before today...’’ Slowly she inched closer to where Leo was standing, hoping to close the distance slowly but surely. ’’...But I was hoping that it might have been enough to be accepted as listener, or have the offered shoulder accepted. I don’t know what happened before I entered this bathroom, but I don’t like seeing or hearing family members that distraught over anything.’’ Still slowly moving closer she let all tension go from her own body, trying to convey she absolutely had no ill will towards him.
Leo relaxed ever so slightly when the girl backed off a step. To say she had come over a bit aggressive was an understatement in his current state of nervous meltdown. Still, he wasn't simply going to spill all his deepest, darkest secrets to the next best person. Knowing his luck, the girl might even be one of those who was head over heels for Matheus and he definitely didn't want to have that conversation.
When the girl explained that she just wanted to be there and listen, he let his head hang and shook it sadly before sitting down on the ground, his back against the wall. "Uhm, thanks," he felt obliged to say. "But I don't really want to talk about it. I don't even ... I don't even know what happened," he tried to explain, hoping that the girl wouldn't press further. The blind panic was slowly ebbing away and he was just sitting there wide eyed, frozen, looking but not seeing while he tried to figure out what to do now. It felt like that kiss would just change everything.
