A Badger and a Snake PV Closed

Rosie remained standing. As Jessica talked, she didn't have to try hard to imagine anything. Having red, curly hair, there was always someone running up to her and asking to touch her hair or remarking about how they wished they had her hair. Of course, one day with her hair would make anyone regret ever wishing for it. She couldn't do anything with it and any humidity made her look like a poodle. But she didn't really have a chance to answer before the girl was gone. She blinked a moment in surprise. "Rhetorical question, I suppose." The comment was uttered practically under her breath and more to herself than to any one else.

Anyway, Aurelia seemed ok. She was glad of that. Suddenly a thought hit her. Where had the girl come from. Glancing back to where the girl had seemingly come out of no where, she suspected Aurelia had perhaps been on the other side of the tree, but she didn't say anything. There was no reason to. Though if the girl had seen her look, she may have seen the realization on her face.

"Its nice to meet you Rosie. Are you a friend of Howie's?"

She looked at Howie for help on this one. They were seriously going to have to talk about whatever this was. Howie could expand on their relationship if he wanted to, but she couldn't expand on something that she honestly didn't know. She looked at Mia uncomfortably, the girl was still sitting against the tree. Mia looked to be assessing the situation, trying to see how she could use it, or them, to her advantage. She was just able to stifle a shiver before turning back to Aurelia. Howie couldn't always save her. "Yes." That was about as good as she could do. It wasn't a lie. But she had to get the attention away from herself. "I've seen you around." She was still talking to Aurelia, "Are you a friend of Howie's too?" Suddenly, Rosie kind of hoped their friendship with Howie was at least slightly different, but she tried to make the question as casual and.. well.. not jealous as possible.

Howie blinked in surprise as Jessica quickly excused herself. Sure, the situation was slightly uncomfortable, but it seemed odd to ask a question and then bolt. Maybe the air was more tense than he thought. Howie shrugged it off. 

His eyes drifted to Mia, who was still sitting down on her spot by the tree. He thought he had spotted her shiver. The wind had picked up a bit, but he still felt comfortable. She seemed to have a somewhat troubled look on her face as she pulled her cloak tighter around her, as if experiencing some internal struggle. This lead to Howie having his own. His parents had always told him to treat others with kindness even if they didn’t treat you the same. He was being cold towards Mia, his pride and protective feelings towards Rosie were getting the best of him. On the other hand, she had been quite rude, and Howie differed from his parents. There seemed no excuse for it, so why tolerate it, why not stand up to someone who was mistreating him or someone he cared about. He softened his expression towards her, but he would not drop his guard just yet. 

Aurelia was brushing her self off, maybe a few bruises and scrapes but she seemed ok. Her gaze landed on Rosie as she asked about her relationship with Howie. He smiled at the thought. Yes, she was his friend, his best friend, his...something. They had yet to talk it through, but it was more than friendship, he wasn’t sure if now was the time to talk to others about it. They had just met Mia, and Aurelia was nice, but they weren’t close. 

He addressed Rosie first, “Rosie, this is Aurelia. I met her on the Express, we shared a compartment together.” He then turned to Aurelia. “Yeah, Rosie’s my friend.” Howie answered her question as well. “She’s my best friend actually. We do everything together.” Howie left it at that for now.

The asian girl had excused herself saying something about her grades. She hurried towards the Scottish castle. It should be partly because she had crashed into her and she had felt uncomfortable with them or maybe she really had to study. Ravenclaws be Ravenclaws, those who were extremely intelligent, but an average at an A made the brunette skeptical. Most Ravenclaws would have averages around E or Os. She decided to brush the thought off.

She turned back to the on going conversation. Rosie answered her question briefly with a single word,"yes". Then almost immediately shooting a question in her direction and claiming that she had seen her around. It was odd, for the whole school year, Aurelia hadn't known that there was another Rosie in the school besides Rosie Parker, another Hufflepuff, not until now. It possible that Rosie had seen her but she had not.

Aurelia opened her mouth to answer her question about her being friends with Howie but she was interrupted by the boy himself. He had answered the question for her. What was he up to? Aurelia could have easily replied herself. Something was up with the two. Howie had claimed for Rosie being his best friend. Aurelia gave almost an unnoticeable smirk. A boy and a girl being best of friend was something that could escalate easily. Especially when Howie emphasised on them 'doing everything together'.

"Mhm, the Hogwarts express on the day school started. We kind of talked about America's history and its witch hunts. Also about blood status and the biology of Muggle Borns like him. The view from the last compartment was great, you could see the hills and lake and all."She said shrugging. Aurelia couldn't believe that was about 8 months ago, time had passed quickly.

"Oh yeah, I also casted Flipendo on Howie once or twice. It was hilarious when his own spell backfired the first time he tried to cast it on me. She laughed slightly. They had also partnered in a DADA and it had went quite well... at least nobody had died.

Mia was still under the tree, she seemed to be shivering, it was quite cold for a late spring day but Aurelia thought the temperature was alright. Some people weren't as resistant as she was but Howie seemed fine with his shirt and shorts. Then Aurelia had a random idea. She was impulsive at times and once she had her mind hung on to an idea or thought, she would not hesitate to do it. She began picking up as many stones and twigs as she could find nearby and made a small mound.

"Incendio," she said pointing her wand at the decent piece of work she created and a flame grew on the twigs. She hoped it would help the other two girls. Sometimes she might be too impulsive for her own goo. But her impulsive trait with a few drops of creativity was a good combination.

he’s my best friend actually. We do everything together.

Mia raised an eyebrow, questioning his statement. They seemed so close-so, so, so close. Their relationship would definitely escalate into something more, maybe even next year.

So. How could she use this to her advantage? She knew that they were close-Oh! She just had to find out something about one, threaten to tell the other, and boom! Easy.

Except why would she use this? And they seemed so pure-well maybe not the Howie boy, but the girl. And she wasn't really that much of a prick, was she?

She contemplated her idea for a bit, weighing the pros and the cons silently. It wasn't a hard dilemma for most people, but she had to figure out the logistics first, and then wether not she would actually execute the plan.

Incendio

While Mia was plotting-no not plotting, thinking, she hadn't noticed what Aurelia was doing. And now it was too late.

The girl lit a contained fire but the end of her robes were right there. Right next to the fire.

In an instant Mia leapt up and away, hoping that her robes were safe. Running across the grounds, she really hoped that they were.

But the feeling in her thighs made her assume that she was wrong.

So she fell.

She could feel the flame running up, going from uncomfortable to painful, her breaths getting shorter. She couldn't think clearly. Everything was a blur.

So she stopped moving.

Rosie grinned and nodded as Howie expanded some on their relationship. He wasn't wrong, but it seemed that they were on the same page, as usual. Rosie had completely missed Aurelia's knowing smirk.

"Mhm, the Hogwarts express on the day school started. We kind of talked about America's history and its witch hunts. Also about blood status and the biology of Muggle Borns like him. The view from the last compartment was great, you could see the hills and lake and all."

She turned her head to Howie. She would have to ask him about the difference in muggle and wizard biology. That sounded interesting. "That sounds like it was really pretty. I kind of just hid in a compartment and didn't talk to anyone." It was true. That first day and much of the school year itself, Rosie's social anxiety had gotten the better of her. She had spent most of the time on her bed studying or reading. As Aurelia continued, she laughed, imagining the two dueling.

Aurelia became a flurry of activity and Rosie's brow rose as she watched her. When the mound took shape, she understood. For a moment, she was glad for it. She wasn't exactly chilly, but having a fire to gather around would hopefully bring color to her cheeks... and give her a reason for any blushing that any conversation turns might induce.

"Incendio"

And then they had fire.

Rosie turned in surprise when Mia jumped up and away from the fire. Then she saw it, there was a flame, probably caught from an ember that had jumped from the fire, lapping up the side of her robes. Rosie racked her brain, but she didn't know any spells to put it out. Didn't these wizards ever learn "Stop, Drop, and Roll?" She took off her robe quickly, revealing the jeans and pink short sleeve shirt underneath. Robe in hand she ran up behind Mia and attempted to tackle her to the ground. "We need to suffocate the flames!" She would sacrifice her own robe to beat the flames out of the other girl's clothes.

"Oh yeah, I also casted Flipendo on Howie once or twice. It was hilarious when his own spell backfired the first time he tried to cast it on me.

“Oh, ha ha ha. Yeah that was really funny.” Howie said with a smile and a laugh. That particular DADA class had lead to bit of a friendly rivalry between them. They had both wiped the floor with each other casting the knock back jinx. “You didnt think it was so funny when I sent ya across the room, did ya?” He said with another chuckle.

I kind of just hid in a compartment and didn't talk to anyone."

Howie looked at Rosie with a smile, that sounded so typically her. Always so shy and bashful, well until you get to know her anyways. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Aurelia moving about. Looking her way he saw that she had put together a small pile of twigs and rock, building a small fire pit. Sounded like a good idea to him, might help make the situation more comfortable. She cast her spell, sending a jet of flame, immediately igniting the pile. 


The next few moments took him by surprise, as soon as the fire was lit, Mia jumped up and dashed away across the grounds. Rosie ran after, he red curls flying behind her as she tore off her robe. Instinctively he took off in a sprint after her. Suddenly Mia fell to the ground, smoke billowing from the bottom of her robes. “Holy s***! She’s on fire!” He yelled out. Rosie reached her first, throwing her robe down over her. Howie came crashing in beside her, he reached out and helped to try and pat out the flames. They seemed to be dwindling, but how much damage had they done, Mia was laying perfectly still. Reaching into the back of his shorts he withdrew his wand, pointing it high towards the castle. He focused on the task at hand, “PERICULUM.” Red sparks shot from the tip of his wand, arching high towards the school.

It worked, there was that comforting warm that emitted from the flames. It was great for a friendly chat around a campfire, she did that sometimes on rare occasions with her parents when they weren't working their butts of. She sat down near it and beckoned the others to come with a wave of her hand.

Mia seemed to have gotten the message as she came running across the field, a bit to enthusiastically, Aurelia wondered what she was so excited about or was she just to cold that she wanted to be near the fire are quickly as possible? Just as she was a distance away, she had lost her footing and tumbled down. She tumbled down right onto the mini campfire.

Aurelia's eyes widened as a part of her robes glowed orange and the fire soon quickly spread across her body. Mia didn't move. Aurelia wanted to help her but she didn't want to risk burning herself too, so instead she screamed at her, "Mia, roll! roll!"

Then she heard a yell.

“Holy s***! She’s on fire!”

It was Howie, he pointed his wand towards the skies and a ball of red light shot up from its tip it wasn't doing anything to help. what was Howie thinking? "No freaking s***, Sherlock! I have eyes! How the flipendo is periculium going to help, huh?" She was raising her voice unintentionally and it came out more aggressive than she had expected. It was likely due to the fact that she was panicking, when it was Mia that was supposed to be screaming her lungs out. Aurelia couldn't think of a solution to stop the flames from cooking Mia alive. The lake was to far to get water to extinguish the flames. Rosie ran down and immediately took of her robes. Wasn't she cold? But then the girl began beating Mia with it.

"We need to suffocate the flames!"

She instructed her. Aurelia did the same, shrugging her robes of and hitting Mia with it. Mia wasn't moving, she laid on the ground as still as a corpse. Mia needed the to roll, didn't she know that? Aurelia whipped out her wand and pointed it towards the girl on fire and shouted,"Rictusempra!" She hoped the tickling spell would get her to move so the flames would die out.

Mia lay on the ground, paralyzed. She needed to do something-quick. This was a life and death situation. But all she could do was lay there.

Smoke billowed around her, and her mouth curved into a smile. A daunting, mirthless smile. Why couldn't she think? She was laying there, while people screamed. A flash of red in the air, and still she lay there, unaware. The sky seemed to get closer. Maybe she was hallucinating.

Maybe she wanted it to happen

Rictusempra!

A flash of silver light was shot towards her, and it just bounced on her. There was no other way to describe it. The charm worked its way into her skin and she began to laugh.

Laughing did nothing. She writhed on the ground, her laughter getting weaker. Shapes started to appear before her eyes, melding into Grandmother. Grandmother and her textbook.



Mia. You mustn't be like the other witches. You must succeed. I see it in you-and I could give it to you, all of it.

Is that hunger in your eyes? I can appease it. All you must do is learn. Learn and succeed. Rise above.

They underestimate you, my granddaughter. They do. They think that I will cave and give it all to the oldest male-Micheal. But no. The oldest male is you father, and then you. And I know that you will not let the kingdom collapse.

So here. Here is my word, your book. Read it, keep it, and dream it. For it will one day become true.

Mia's eyes rolled open and she gasped., trying for air. The charm had woken her up, and she tried to move, to do anything to stop the fire. 5 minutes was all it took, and she didn't want it to last that long.

The actual fire was out. The robes had smothered the flames. Rosie breathed a sigh of relief, but the dread returned as she watched Mia. She shook her head. "Something's wrong. She's not responding." That fire hadn't been that bad. Certainly not bad enough for smoke inhalation. There was more here. Mia's color seemed.. off. Rosie couldn't fully put her finger on it.

She turned to Howie. "Howie, can you lift her? We need to get her to the hospital wing. Now." She looked up at the flare like spell that hung in the air. "We can't wait for someone to come down here." She turned towards Aurelia and inclined her head towards the fire. "Help me put this out?" It was a nice spring day, not overly warm, but a light sheen of sweat started to form on Rosie's forehead from all of this activity.

She looked around for a way to put out the fire. Her eyes settled on the robe that she had used to smother the fire. It was already ruined. She made her way to the lake and submerged her robe. She would ring it out over the fire. It may take a couple trips and if Aurelia or Howie had a better idea, she was all ears.

Howie and Rosie continued to try an suffocate the flames, the smoke stinging his eyes as the fire slowly began to extinguish. Aurelia ran up to the scene.

"No freaking s***, Sherlock! I have eyes! How the flipendo is periculium going to help, huh?"

“I’m signaling for help Aurelia! She’s all burnt up, we need a Professor!” Seriously! She wants to argue about spells now. He repressed the urge to fire another Flipendo at her.

"We need to suffocate the flames!"

Fortunately Rosie was keeping a level head. Aurelia de-robed and began to smack out the flames as well. The technique seemed to be working. Howie resumed patting Mia under the robe, silently praying she wasn’t too badly injured. Out of no where there was a flash of silver. 

"Rictusempra!"

Aurelia fired off a spell directly into Mia’s chest. An odd expression rolled over her face, she began to laugh uncontrollably and convulse. After a few moments, the laughter died, and Mia went completely still. “What the hell was that Aurelia. A damned laughing charm!” He yelled out, not knowing what the actual spell was.

Rosie called out again, and she was right, there was something terribly wrong. Mia seemed unconscious, her color was fading. She asked Howie to pick up Mia, and he agreed. He wasn’t the strongest boy in the world, but he was fit, and Mia was small. Reaching one arm under her shoulders and the other under her knees, Howie hoisted Mia up.

"We can't wait for someone to come down here.”

“Yeah, you’re right, I’ll go now.” He called out and took of with Mia towards the castle, as the other two tried to snuff out the fire pit.