The Calm After the Storm PV Farron Horne ReOpen

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Interacting | @June Selwyn
Date | 13 June, 2022
Hex Color | #A13330

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Coded by Rafael D'Spacito

Farron didn't often get to spend time in her animagus form, especially at school. There was rarely a time for it, and she didn't feel the need to Power Rangers Morph into it all that often. But today, the sun was shining, it was a Monday, and her classes would be starting and a few hours. So she decided to take a little stroll as a quokka in the courtyard. Her animagus form was quite fun, especially because it was a little animal that was native to Australia. It always felt like there was a part of her first home within her, no matter where she was or how long she had been in London.

As soon as her feet left the castle she transformed, a small little marsupial now where the astronomy professor once stood. She shook herself out, sometimes transforming after not doing so for a while felt unfamiliar. The nuisance of her form though was the hair. The long patch of curl hair draped in her eyes and she wished she had the opposable thumbs to put up her hair. Instead, her front arms were very short just about long enough to rub her ears but that was it. She began her little outing, back legs coming up to propel her forward most of the way and the front arms closing the distance.

There was truly nothing like skittering around the Courtyard as a small marsupial. Non-animagi were missing out. Quokka's luckily had the ability to look like they were smiling, and Farron's was about as wide as it could go. She needed this freedom, the wind through her short fur. As she ran along, she saw a rather large leaf detach from a tree and start floating down through the wind. Exhilaration raced down her spine as she turned tail and started chasing it. But when she skittered to a stop, leaf in hand, she realized she was in front of a crying child. More specifically, a very kind one that had given her a book and flowers. Forgetting that in this form she couldn't speak, a small combination of a squeak and hiss came out of her. Her little paws gestured wildly as she vocalized, plopping itself down with a concerned look and an ever-present smile.

It must have been confusing for June to watch the non-native animal shake its head before dropping the leaf and turning into the Astronomy Professor before her very eyes but wizard school was crazy and this was, for all intents and purposes, a fairly normal occurrence. "Bugger that form, not being able to talk. Little peach, what's going on?" She sat in front of June, eyes filled with concern. She did a quick scan of the area, trying to make sure no one did this to June. But she couldn't be quite sure. So instead, she waited and hoped she would be able to help.

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June wasn't quite sure how much time had passed. In all honesty, she didn't care. She stared at nothing as tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision. She took quiet gasps as to not alert others to her presence. This was a terrible idea, she should be taking time to revise instead of doing whatever this was. But as much as she tried to will herself, June didn't move. At least, not until she had the absolute life scared out of her.

It wasn't the small smiling creature that had frightened her (at least, not technically). In fact, it had brought a small smile to June's face as she watched it chasing a leaf across the stone ground. A small comfort in this moment. And then it looked at her. And it began to... Well, it began to do what June could only describe as try to talk to her. It was quite the distraction, actually, as June peered closer, the creature gesturing around and making noises, its eyes intently on June. Was it.. comforting her? June wiped her eyes, her tears briefly stopped. What was it, anyways? This adorable smiling creature certainly wasn't native to this part of-

And then June had the absolute life scared out of her, as the form of the creature turned into Professor Horne. June's face dropped, she could have sworn her heart had stopped beating. She hadn't even processed what the professor had said, but the look on her face brought tears back into June's eyes. Without even thinking, June threw her arms around the professor and began to cry again.

"Professor - I - just," June gasped for air between her words, "I just don't know what I'm doing anymore!" June sniffed, now becoming aware that she was embracing her but too exhausted to pull away just yet. "I hate this, I hate this! I should be trying to revise for end-of-terms but instead I'm here just crying to myself, alone. Again!" She wiped her eyes, finally pulling away. "I just... I just want this year to be over."

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Interacting | @June Selwyn
Hex Color | #A13330

🌑︎ 🌒︎ 🌓︎ 🌔︎ 🌕︎ 🌖︎ 🌗︎ 🌘︎

Coded by Rafael D'Spacito

Well, at the very least June wasn't terrified of Farron's presence as a quokka. A muggle student might be terrified out of their skin, but perhaps it was more normal for those with wizard heritage to see strange animals running around. Maybe there was an assumption that they were magical, or animagi in general. It made Farron less worried about turning-

Ah, she talked too soon. She was definitely terrified as she switched from animal to human. It took her a moment to even realize that the fear had turned to desperate sadness once more, arms thrown around her midsection searching for comfort. To be honest, Farron wasn't exactly sure about the rules on if this was allowed, but she'd rather get in trouble for it later than abandon what little comfort it seemed like June needed. Besides, she didn't initiate it. She gently rubbed her shoulders, laying her other hand on the top of June's head and smoothing down any crazy fly aways that seemed to appear when sobbing.

As June pulled away, she kept one hand on her arm trying to gently rub the stress away. Her dad would do the same thing when she was stressed out. The physical touch was grounding, comforting. For someone that felt lonely she hoped it would help, but if she showed any sign of discomfort or shrugging her off Farron would move her hands to being folded up in her lap. "June, you're eleven. What do you mean you don't know what you're doing? There isn't much for you to do to be honest, except be a kid and learn cool magic stuff." Farron purposefully poorly aimed the blindfolding spell into her hand, handing June the blindfold to wipe away her tears.

"You seem like you're carrying a lot of weight for someone so small. And you know there is a such as thing as too much revising? I don't want you frying your brilliant brain up." She tried to provide an encouraging smile. "You're almost at the end, you just gave to get through a couple more weeks. Think about what cool astronomy stuff you can learn in this last month. I have some fun things planned you know." She nudged the girl gently, Farron knew that astronomy wasn't everyone's jam but June seemed to like it. Not that... more school working would feel particularly inviting but she wanted to try and make it a positive feeling rather than a negative one. "Is there anything else going on? Maybe friend troubles? Family troubles? You don't have to talk about them of course, but if you do I'm here."

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Tears rolled down June's cheek as she sniffed, trying to regain her composure. Her chest felt compressed, as if a hippogriff had decided to sit right on it. Professor Farron was gently rubbing her arm, the rhythmic movement pulling June closer to reality. She accepted the blindfold-slash-handkerchief, wiping her eyes and blowing her nose as she listened to the red-headed professor.

A smile crept onto June's face as Professor Farron mentioned her class. "That does sound nice..." June mused quietly to herself. But as soon as the smile had just begun to settle, it disappeared at the mention of 'friend troubles'. Friend troubles... more like lack of friend troubles. More like I just humiliated an upperclassman on accident troubles. June bit back another round of tears. She hadn't exactly talked to anyone about what had happened in that classroom only a few days ago. But perhaps it would be good to say something, to process. Maybe. Only one way to find out.

June took a deep breath, looking her professor in the eye. "Just... Promise you won't think I'm a terrible person, will you?" She began to fiddle with the handkerchief, a deep sigh escaping her. "I haven't really had any friends all year, professor. Just two, and one of them isn't exactly speaking to me anymore. I thought I'd made a friend, but then he tricked me and sent me flying into the lake and then he got detention and then I tried to get back at him, which was a stupid idea, and I asked him a question that was very personal but I didn't think it was because I didn't know the whole story and now most of my classmates probably think I'm a terrible person who goes out of her way to make others feel bad and I don't think I can be friends with this person now because they probably hate me."

A swath of silence washed over June after her stream-of-consciousness. Hopefully she wouldn't regret sharing that.