Binding the Wolf Locked

The boys sat in the huge chair and set their magic moths in motion. They soon became engrossed in the book they held in their hands. Liam had found it, of course! He'd been scoping out an old collection of muggle books and one in particular caught his eye. He'd shown it to Colin before dinner yesterday, and Colin had deftly relieved his twin's pocket of the book as they ran into the Great Hall and to their respective tables. Colin had sat at the Slytherin table reading, whilst Liam was stuck at the Ravenclaw table bookless!

Liam should have known, of course, that Colin could never keep something like this from his twin! And so it was that the boys found themselves in the cosy second floor study room next to each other in the chair reading together. And, naturally, engaged in the running commentary of the twin's shared existence.

"Cail, ye read too slow! Have ye gone Gryffindorque on me?" asked Liam in a hoarse whisper.

Colin bapped his twin's fingers from the corner of the page, as he tried to turn it. "Liam McCoire! A'm no Gryff! Onyway! This bit's important, lad!" Colin interjected.

"A woudne ken, lad! Yer finger's aa in the way!" Liam jabbed Colin's ribs sharply.

"Ow! What's that for, Liam!" Colin kicked Liam's shin.

Greebo looked up at the boys with a disinterested glance. Clearly, since neither treats nor adventures were forthcoming, he would enjoy the comfy rug and an extended nap! He occasionally let one eye slip open just a bit to keep watch on the strange moths flitting around the boys!

"Ah, haud yer whisht, ye bawbee!" Liam smirked.

"A'm no bawbee! Onyway! It's yer finger in the way the noo! I canne read this bit!" Colin complained.

"Ye need glasses, laddie!" quipped Liam, pushing Colin's finger aside and sticking his own on the page. The two boys looked at each other. They were both wearing muggle things called readers they'd found in one of the shops. Thus far, they failed to sort out how the things were supposed to actually work. They clearly didn't actually read anything. For some strange reason, you still had to do that bit yourself? Muggles! They'd have to pester AngleFyre some time! Their noses crinkled as they giggled over how the other looked wearing muggle spectacle things.

"Ye'll need more than glasses, Liam!" He smacked Liam's hand, giggling. "And shove off yer ain finger!"

Liam laughed softly. "Honestly Cail! A dinnae ken how ye get ony werk done!" Liam teased.

"Wi ye Liam, it's no easy task!" Colin managed to turn the page.

And there he saw it. He'd caught a glimpse of it yestereve at dinner, but then that dratted girl and her muggle things overtook his diligent study of the work at hand! It's not that she wasn't cute or anything! Certainly not Emmi cute! But, how could Colin possibly pay attention to anything when some girl had a muggle hand box and a muggle ear shouter!? Actually strapped to her head! Colin was sure that wasn't how ear shouters worked, but for some strange reason, she had it strapped to her head like an ear muffs! Twas surely the strangest sight Colin had seen in a whole fortnight!

"WHOA," Colin said and his eyes widened. One of the moths settled on the edge of the book. The other landed on Liam's head.

Liam tried to sort out what Colin was suddenly so interested in. "Wha is it then laddie?" he asked. He followed Colin's totally unobtrusive finger to where it was pointing. Liam jabbed his own finger onto the text as well. Not for the first time in their fifteen years of life was Colin thankful that his twin was right handed. They'd've been in an awful state if they were both left handed!

Colin put his right arm around Liam's shoulder.

Liam put his left arm around Colin's shoulder.

They read the same words together.

...It is fashioned out of six things:

the noise made by the footfall of cats

the beards of women

"Ew!" the boys said in unison.

the roots of stones

the sinews of bears

the breath of fish

the spittle of birds

Fear not with this to bind the Wolf! For no stronger chain shall be made til the end of the world.

Colin and Liam both sat back in the chair, letting the book fall to their laps. They turned and looked at each other, their mouths agape.

"A---Are ye thinking what I'm thinking...?" Colin whispered at last.

@Emily Shephard | @AngelFyre McCubbin | @Meyra Lancaster | @Jun Mayumi Mochizuki