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!
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
Mara was getting anxious, they have been a while in the UK and she really was not keen on staying. It could be because she spotted her siblings not long before she got back to the cabin, they were being so normal like she never even existed. Hell did she even exist to them anymore? The girl was upset and maybe unreasonable as she was seated outside of the cabin like usual, packing her bags already to get the hell out of here.
This was a mistake, she was telling herself that. Almost convincing herself about it. The brunette was struggling as she packed her bag and after some cursing both in her head and out loud she finally decided to give the fuck up and just not do this.
"Fuck." she sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, struggling to fight back tears. Why did they not look so upset? Did they not give a damn about her? How would Peter feel if his siblings were the same way? No they were looking for him, thinking he wasn't dead but her own? they didn't care.
Mara wiped her eyes when she heard footsteps and cleared her throat. Nothing to see here.
There were different thoughts going Peter's head as he walked through the woods, wanting to have some fresh air because out here, he felt free. He felt like he can just walk for miles without looking over his shoulder for any sign of danger. Part of him wondered if he should reach out for his family, but the people that held him told him that his family gave up on him. They told him that he was better off making his family think he was dead - they filled his head up with their version of things. Peter doubted every word that's ever been said to him. The only person he would ever believe was his friend turned girlfriend, Mara Young.
The male had let out a sigh, deciding to head back to the cabin and decided to run as fast as he can, jumping over fallen branches. He enjoyed running, and feeling the air run through his hair as he did so. Soon enough, the cabin came into view and he watched Mara for a few moments as he slowed down to a walk, smiling a bit at the sight and eyed what she had been doing.
Was she planning on leaving him?
The male slowly made it out of the woods, appearing in full view and he looked at her. "What were you doing?"
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
Mara loved being here with Dallas and Artemis but she saw her siblings be happy without her and it scared the hell out of her. They seemed to not give a damn that she was gone it broke her heart all over again like the day she was told she couldn't go back to school. The brunette sighed and ran a hand over her face. She wanted to just go home sometimes but her father didn't deserve a daughter like her.
Mara was sobbing quietly when she heard the voice of her boyfriend. She knew how much he loved being in the wods like this. "Hey I ehm." she looked at her bags and shook her head as she let out a sigh. The brunette ran a hand through her hair and looked at Peter with sad eyes.
"I saw Ryker and Elijah.. I know we were supposed to keep our distance but I was getting food supplies and..." she sniffled.
Peter looked at her bags, and then at her as he thought of the worse. Then he had realized that she was crying, and he moved closer to her with a small frown. Paranoia was getting to him, and he was afraid that she was going to leave him here with Dallas and Artemis. He was thankful that they took them in when they had because it was almost storming out and he didn't want to get caught in another rain storm even if it was a romantic setting, something he would enjoy but right now he just needed a warm place to sleep.
He stopped a couple of inches away from her, looking around the area and listened for any signs of other life around them but he had a feeling the other couple was out doing their own thing. "W-were you planning on leaving me here?" he asked as he looked at the bags again and eyed her. "I-I can't let you go alone. It's dangerous." he said as he knelt down in front of her, his knees hitting the bottom step.
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
Mara looked at Peter, his concern and pain making her panic slightly. She loved him, she truly did and she wouldn't leave him like that. The girl took his face in her hands and stroked his cheeks. She wasn't a genius like Ryker and they both knew magic was dangerous so she didn't use any. But this place wasn't safe to her either, she felt unsafe.
"I am not leaving you." She told him and kissed him softly. Of all the things she was sure off, leaving him she would never do to him or herself. "I'm not leaving, I swear." she said and just hugged her boyfriend. She was scared too. She just didn't think they were safe in England either.
"Yours is looking for you Peter, I see them looking for you when I get supplies for us but..." she frowned and sniffled. "They don't even bother looking for me." she said and though she didn't want to be found, no one bothered.
Over the past couple of months, Peter had relied on Mara and let her make all the decisions for the both of them. Let her take the lead, and he'd follow her. Being held against his will had changed him, and it made him paranoid and he had shown episodes of PTSD during stressful times. He didn't want to be left alone, and once Mara had assured him that she was not going to leave him, he hugged her back and let out a breath of relief. He was thankful for her, and he just needed her to know that he was there for her even when he's not the Peter she grew up with during their days at Hogwarts.
"I say write them. Write to...." he paused for a moment as he thought of her siblings names for a moment. "Elijah. I'm sure he'll talk to you and not ignore you. Your family loves you, Mara. They do. You just gotta believe that. " he said and kissed her head. "You told me I gotta believe that my family loves me. Wants me back. I even written Ariella an owl." he said softly.
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
Mara hugged Peter not just for him but also for herself. Back in Hogwarts she didn't think she'd actually be the one dating him, he had so many girls wanting him and now he was hers. Mara looked at Peter and stroked his cheek for a moment. She just wanted to take in his face, take in the view of him, happy.
"You're really happy here aren't you?" she asked and smiled a bit herself. She loved him and if he really wanted to stay she'd stay with him even if it was against her very nature. She was used to running, to getting the hell out when it got too hot under her feet.
"You think so?" she asked and bit her lip. "You're right, both our families care.." she had to believe it or the use of Peter believing his cares wasn't there anymore. Everything she worked on with him, to make him believe would've been a waste.
Being at the Reid cabin made Peter feel free, safe and he didn't want to lose it. They had friends again, and had a warm bed to sleep in and he didn't want to continue living outdoors even if he knew Mara didn't want to stay in one place for far too long. During some of their travels, Peter debated leaving her alone for a few hours while she slept on the ground in a sleeping bag they had stolen, and he'd try to find a place. An abandoned house, or cabin or some building to sleep in. He'd come back before his girlfriend woke up alone. He knew it was completely reckless to go out there alone, but he needed to man up and do what his family would approve of. Providing.
When Mara had asked if he was happy at the cabin, he gave her a small nod and a confuse expression. "I do, yes." he said, putting his hands on her knees, running his thumb against the fabric. It helped him in a way. "But if you want to leave here, we can." he said softly, looking down at his hands.
He remained silent for a moment before he shifted, and moved a hand to the back pocket of his jeans, handing her the first owl his sister had sent back. "She's not happy."
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
If there was anyone who could make her feel better when she was doubting herself so much it's Peter. She loved him with her entire heart and she wasn't ready to let him go, to go anywhere without him. Feeling his hands on her knees calmed her nerves down, she didn't want to leave really, she was just scared that her siblings didn't want to see her.
"I don't.. if you like it here we'll stay." she said and leaned in to kiss him. She loved him and if he really wanted to stay they can stay. He showed her the letter from his sister and she took it to read what Ariella wrote.
"She misses you.." she said and looked at Peter, stroking his cheek. "Do you even remember a time where she wasn't a bitch? This is her showing worry and love for you." she said and kissed him again, being close thim helped.
Peter had no idea how he was going to face his family, or if he was even going to go see them. There was no way he was going to go home, and act like nothing happened to him. He’d be placing everyone in danger, and he didn’t want that. It was already bad that he was already thinking he was putting everyone around him in danger, including Mara. But they had protected each other for months, and she said she was never going to leave his side.
There was a tiny grin on Peter’s face when she kissed him, and he looked at her. There was a time Ariella had her moments of being a nice sister but it’s rare. He barely ever saw it whenever he was around her.
”Mm.” he tried to think of when his sister wasn’t a bitch. But nothing came to mind when his girlfriend kissed him again, and he kissed her back, moving a hand to stroke her cheek.
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
Mara knew families had issues, who didn't? All families had issues like her own father was a man whore before he met her mother, how he and her mom fought whenever she thought he was cheating when he said he wasn't. There wasn't much trust but in the end they were a family and Peter's family was built the same way, with trust.
The brunette ran a hand through her hair and kissed Peter softly. "Now that grin is priceless." she missed his grin. Whenever he got cocky in them playing games he would have that very grin on his face. The girl stroked his cheek and just looked at Peter lovingly. In school they never had the thought of getting together.
So much had changed.
"We should stay here, have a real Christmas.." she said and bit her lip. "with a tree."
Peter smiled a bit as she agreed to stay, and it made him relax a little more - this was something they both had needed. A real Christmas was something he could look forward too, knowing damn well that they were being hunted and they only lived once. He remembered when he’d go home for the Christmas Holidays with his family, and be an actual family. This past summer, all the happiness he had went out the window and a dark cloud took over. He couldn’t spend it with his real family this year, but he had this family. Mara was his family.
”A real tree…” he said and smiled with a nod. ”I remember last year when my now five year old brother tried to climb it, and he knocked it over. And you’d think my father would have been angry but he wasn’t. The man laughed. That was one of the few times we all heard him laugh.” he said, frowning a bit. ”But hey, we have each other. We have Dallas and Artie.” he said, and stood up.
”Let’s go inside and have some hot chocolate. It’s getting chilly out here.”
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
Mara wished she remembered the good thing about Christmas. The older twins would just cause trouble for her mom and it was sort of fun but Mara being the grump she usually is, she didn't enjoy much of it. The brunette ran a hand through Peter's hair and kissed his nose. "Mmm yes a real tree and real presents." she said and bit her lip.
"It will be great." she assured him and got up when he offered to get some hot chocolate. They had been drinking that a lot lately and Mara didn't think she'd ever get sick of it because god it was tasty. The brunette walked with her boyfriend into the cabin.
"Do you think there are still marshmallows?" she asked him with a smile.
Peter had walked inside the cabin, looking around and tilted his head to the side realizing that the other two weren’t anywhere. Not that he minded, they had been left alone a few times and they were told where Dallas and Artie would be at if they ever needed anything. Peter was thankful for them, thankful that they had taken them in instead of turning them away like he expected them too as the Reid family and Tyrell’s had a conflict in the past. Something due to Samuel trying to steal their mom as one of his mistresses. It didn’t happen, thankfully.
”Where’s the other two?” he asked as he headed toward the kitchen, grabbing a couple of packs of hot chocolate to get them ready. ”Knowing Artie, she ate them all. She’s been eating a lot lately…” he said, frowning a bit.
I will tiptoe down that line but I will feel unstable
Mara let out a sigh as she walked into the warm cabin. Honestly sometimes she wondered why they couldn't have a home like this and she knew if she asked she probably could have but she didn't want to be that big of a bother. This cabin was magical, it was huge on the inside and everyone had a room and a home here.
Mara listened to Peter and frowned. "She has been eating that much? No wonder I had to get more food the other day." Mara said with a slight chuckle and cocked her head a bit as she looked around. "I think they went to the store down the road.." she said and sighed.
They were safe for now. The brunette walked into the kitchen and grabbed two mugs.
