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Post by ring_junkie on May 31, 2006 9:46:57 GMT -5
Yamir pushed a few raven-black curls out of his dark eyes with a hand, using his other to continue stirring the potion, to which he had added one aconite flower a few seconds ago. It was the week preceding the full moon, and he was adding the finishing touches to the Wolfsbane Potion before he started to drink one gobletful of it each day, up to the night when he would transform. It was a difficult potion to brew, but necessary if he wanted to keep his mind when he became a wolf, to control himself so that no one was hurt. The dragon blood, fluxweed and moonstone had been left to stew since the day after the last full moon; a week ago, he had added hellebore, and powdered root of asphodel, stirred it the corresponding eight times clockwise, twice anti-clockwise, then thirteen more times clockwise. As the aconite flower slowly melted into the potion, he heaved a sigh, dropping a runespoor egg in and watching the glutinous, dark purplish-red liquid give off orange sparks at the surface, before stirring it five more times and adding a bezoar. As expected, the potion had now turned an equally dark green, a silvery-grey smoke shimmering lightly from the cauldron. The Wolfsbane Potion was complete.
Picking up a ladle and the goblet he had ready on his desk, Yamir paused, listening intently. His hearing, always sharper around this time in the lunar cycle, had picked up the sound of someone walking down towards the dungeon classroom. Pouring some of the potion into the goblet, his eyes flicked up to the door as someone knocked. “Enter,” he called, setting the lightly smoking goblet down – it could wait a few moments until he had spoken to whoever it was.
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Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 1, 2006 17:38:21 GMT -5
Mariah winced slightly as she paused outside the door. I guess I have no choice now, she remarked to the black fox cub who sat on her shoulder. Biting the inside of a cheek, she opened the door, entered, and shut it silently behind her. The fact that no sound came from the hinges earned a look of approval.
Her mandatory black robe opened for a moment to show a dress of light blue, with some sort of mixed fur fringing. Few recognized it for what it was, as it was hard to place these days. Last winter's shedding of fur had provided good coving on the days where she required it.
Once inside, she stood directly inside the door and waited, one eye on the Professor while the other remained on the goblet, knowing it held what she sought. At her back, one hand rested on a belt that held the only possession never to leave her side, though it was not revealed in many cases at all.
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Post by ring_junkie on Jun 1, 2006 17:51:41 GMT -5
"Mariah..." Yamir gave her a friendly smile, his eyes darting from the cauldron of potion, to the goblet, and then her. Just at the moment he looked up at her, he caught sight - or thought he caught sight - of... He blinked and looked down at the desk momentarily before flicking his wand at the flames beneath the still smoking cauldron - as was the goblet, still gently smoking - to turn them to a lower heat. It couldn't be what he thought it was. "What is it that you want?" he asked, his voice ever-so-slightly tinted with a light, Hindi accent.
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Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 1, 2006 17:56:51 GMT -5
She smiled slightly. "I have been better Professor. Thank you for asking. And yourself?" She crouched slightly to set the black cub on the floor, and the foxy kit made his way over to the Professor immediately, sniffing him. "Shanik, that's enough. Don't bother him any more than you see the students do." Shanik the kit turned to her and snorted, as if saying that she had lost her mind. She simply shrugged, clearly understanding what had been said.
She finally moved her hands slightly, taking them away from her Fang, only to loosen the clasp on her robe a bit an reveal the fur that covered collar and sleeve of her dress. The hem was unadorned but for beads and rocks strung along it. "Any good grades in the day's work?" She would maintain pleasantries. She would let him find the signs. She would let him ask the questions. Then she would get what she had come for. One way, or the other.
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Post by ring_junkie on Jun 1, 2006 18:23:08 GMT -5
To her inquiry as to how he was he gave a small smile and nodded slightly, his eyes drawn back to the goblet again. He should really drink it if it was to be as effective as he wanted... "Myself also."
He looked down at the little fox cub as it approached him, giving a small smile, though felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle as the wolf side of him snarled inside, wanting to tell the smaller animal to stay out of his way - he would be the dominant male around. But then, why was the fox being so abnormally friendly towards him if it couldn't sense past his human side, to the other mammal? Yamir took a tentative, half-step away from the fox, paranoid that somehow his secret would be revealed. It also raised the question, somewhere in his mind, of how was it that she and the fox seemed to get along so well. Then she removed her cloak, and he was able to look more closely at the fur hemming her dress. For it was fur. Moreover, wolf fur. Could it be that, being the daughter of a were-wolf, she had somehow inherited... No, now he was just being stupid, and jumping to random conclusions that were probably miles from the truth. But the suspicion stayed in his mind nonetheless.
"Good grades... well, my first-year class seems to be getting along excellently, but, of course - as there are in any subject - a few people don't seem to quite have an affinity for Potions." He gave another small smile, but then reached out for the gently smoking goblet. "Sorry, do you mind if...?" He trailed off, meaning 'did she mind if he drank the potion'.
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Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 1, 2006 18:30:44 GMT -5
"Not at all Professor. I understand you should need it."
Suddenly Shanik jumped at the Professor, snarling. He had indeed sensed the wolf, and interpreted it as a threat to his mistress, who was also his "mother." Seeing this, though, she immediately snarled in the fox language, words that made the little cub back off immediately and cower until she went over to pet him. "I'm sorry, he's a little.... jumpy.... at the moment."
Returning the kit to her shoulder, she went back to her post at the door, watching his every move. She knew that, if she concentrated, she should be able to sense the wolf now, provoked by Shanik's mock attack. She subtly reached to the small of her back and carressed her Fang, waiting for the Professor's next move, wondering if he had even bothered to notice her lingual gift.
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Post by ring_junkie on Jun 1, 2006 18:53:17 GMT -5
Yamir raised the goblet to his lips, but then paused, his eyes darting over to her for the briefest moment. It had to be a coincidence that she had said that... she couldn't possibly know... It was an extremely complex potion, and only those who knew it or had seen it before recognised it. Possibly she had seen her father drinking it... but then - if she knew what the potion was - that would mean that she knew he was... that he had been bitten.
A second before the fox jumped at him, he set the goblet quickly down on the desk, sensing that the cub had felt the wolfish presence. Yamir wanted to step out of the way, move away from the fox as it attacked - even though it was a much smaller than him, he still felt a little intimidated by it - but the wolf wouldn't let him. He stood his ground, glaring at the fox, and felt a low growl steadily rising in his throat as the cub backed away. After a few seconds, Yamir realised what he was doing, and swallowed, blinking a few times, looking away from Shanik, then cleared his throat, turning back to the potion.
"No need to apologise," he said quietly, then quickly picked up the goblet and downed the liquid inside it. He could not afford to let that happen again. Making a face against the foul taste of the Wolfsbane potion, Yamir suddenly realised what had made the cub back off - Mariah. She had told it to...
Raising a hand to his chin, he traced the line of his moustache with a finger thoughtfully. "...Being able to talk to foxes - or any animal, in fact - is a gift given to few," he said, not looking at her in case the wolf would again attempt to make sure the fox cub knew where it stood with him. He was prowling, restless... it was too near the full moon.
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Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 1, 2006 19:00:47 GMT -5
She smiled almost wolfishly. Now we're going somewhere, she thought. "Shanik, find Elation. Tell her to meet me outside the Forest fringe." The kit jumped off her shoulder and landed neatly, then faded into the shadow and disappeared.
"Yes, it is somewhat of a unique gift. My father can manage it when he wishes. Not many of my siblings can do better than that either. I, however, seem to have been born with it..... among other traits." To anyone else, this was a mention of traits such as eye or hair color. To another werewolf, though, this could mean the difference between life and death. She certainly hoped for the former, but his questions would determine that. If, that is, he had the sense to ask.
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Post by ring_junkie on Jun 1, 2006 19:16:03 GMT -5
Yamir's eyes followed the fox on its way out, but then his attention was drawn back to Mariah. All the signs were pointing him in a direction he hardly believed possible. But it would be rude to just ask... It wasn't like asking someone what their last name was - this was highly personal. The way some people would react... It could be the choice between his job or unemployment should he ask. But, on the other hand, her father was one - therefore she should not be prejudiced. And seeing as she already seemed to know about him, Yamir saw no harm in asking... as long as he apologised profusely if he had it wrong.
"...Mariah," he began, after a long pause, and the wolf inside him stopped pacing and waited, listening for the answer. "Are you... Forgive me for asking you this." He gave a small, disbelieving laugh at himself. "But, are you... a werewolf...?" He said it very quietly, and couldn't look at her.
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Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 1, 2006 19:24:08 GMT -5
Her grin widened, and gold flecks surged into her eyes for a moment as the wolf strained at its bonds. "Yes. And you are forgiven." The wolf retreated again, content to be acknowledged for the first time by someone outside Mariah's current realm of comfort. "And you might as well look at me. The floor isn't going to tell you anything about me."
She stopped, however, when she heard footsteps outside the door. Stepping away, she maneuvered herself so that she could open the door and still be on her guard. Within seconds she had the door open, and the first year outside ran screaming at the ferocious look on her face. Turning, the look faded and she put the Fang away. "Now, where were we again?" She had long since been able to either explain away her actions or simply ignore them. Long ago.
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Post by ring_junkie on Jun 2, 2006 6:20:08 GMT -5
Yamir felt something, an indescribable feeling, suddenly lift his mood. He was not the only werewolf at the school. He was not alone... Mariah's words brought him quickly back to his senses, and he gave a slight cough, looking up at her with an expression that clearly said 'Hey... I'm still a teacher'. People would have never spoken to Snape like that when he had held the post Yamir did now... But, he supposed, when he was not in lessons, teaching, he was completely different. Outside of class, his shy side came out a little more.
He watched the proceedings with the first-year at the door with some interest, though couldn't help but feel a little reproving of her behaviour.
Yamir motioned to the cauldron full of Wolfsbane Potion with a small smile. "So I take it that you would like some potion, then...?"
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Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 2, 2006 14:14:11 GMT -5
She smiled. "Yes, it would be helpful. If you have some to spare, that is." She didn't move as Shanik came out of the shadow, leapt onto her shoulder, and seemed to whisper in her ear. Suddenly she looked back up at the Professor. "Professor, where do you normally stay during the full moon? The pack doesn't recall seeing you in the Forest before. Then again, they don't pay much attention anyway."
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Post by ring_junkie on Jun 2, 2006 14:45:24 GMT -5
"Of course..." He moved over to the cauldron, conjuring another goblet for her from thin air, and filled it with Wolfsbane potion, handing it to her. "If you come down here after lessons each day I'm sure I can give you some more - there's plenty of the stuff. Or maybe you could drop in whenever you want; the cauldron's always here in this corner - I give you my permission."
He gave a small smile. "That is because they probably wouldn't have - I rarely go to the forest. Usually, I just curl up in my room, but I have been known to wander the grounds from time to time. I think... I am still paranoid I might bite someone - there have been too many close calls."
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Post by Miriam, Rose Child on Jun 2, 2006 14:56:51 GMT -5
She sighed softly. "I understand," she said quietly. "Father used to take me home. Now, though..... He's a little busy." She threw her head back and took the potion in one gulp, wincing at the taste.
"Professor, the wolves believe that you should make yourself known to the pack. If we leave at the right time, we will be in the Forest before moon-fall. I can get my Moonlight, and you can learn more about the Ones and the pack. The Foxes also wish to meet you."
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Post by ring_junkie on Jun 2, 2006 15:09:51 GMT -5
Yamir blinked. "It's days before the full moon, yet," he said uncertainly, not quite sure about what on Earth Mariah was talking about. He felt like he had no authority over the girl whatsoever, despite being her teacher.
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