brainiest | timeskip logging.

That would be wonderful. I'd appreciate it.

[ She knows she can take care of herself. Still, she goes and opens the door and smiles as Padfoot races inside, shaking to get the cold away from his fur. ]

That was the hope. It's under a special charm from my world - it makes it so that no one can tell anyone about this place except me and once you know you can't tell anyone. It's part of the magic, so... Sorry. You'll be able to mention me having a house, but not it's location or what it's like.

[Waver follows in right after Padfoot, at perhaps only a fraction of a slower speed. Once in, the sheer warmth of being inside feels like stepping onto a beach during summer.]

That's a hell of a charm, and honestly, no hard feelings on the not being able to talk about it. With the spire where it is, I'm actually glad for something like this.

I'm sure if you needed help with anything Harry could do the spell for you. He did it for me.

[ She trips a little over the mention of Harry but shrugs it off, taking off her hat and her scarf. Rather than her long, bushy hair she reveals something a bit shorter. ]

Hot chocolate, then? Not tea?

If it comes to it at the new place, I'll have to ask him. But for now, we remain open, if only because spaces for everyone to meet are starting to disappear.

[The hair cut causes Waver's eyebrows to lift, but in approval.]

For once, not tea! And your hair looks good like that, by the way.

Well, that's why I'm glad I have this. It's getting a bit of a worry now and it's not going to get much easier.

[ It's enough to make her think even as, self-consciously, her hand goes to her hair. ]

Hot chocolate it is. [ A pause and, well. She smiles. ] You'll be disappointed that I'm growing it back.

I can let you know if it looks like you need to clear out for a while. I don't know what'll come of this place, but--

[He waves the thought aside.]

What prompted the cut in the first place?

But it's something for now, and as safe as we're going to get, considering.

[ Hermione steps to the little kitchen, using her wand to light a fire so she can start with the drinks. A cat walks into the room, gives Waver a wary look, then hops onto a chair, watching him with a curled tail.

(At least Waver has passed the Crookshanks test). ]

It wasn't voluntary, really. [ Her nose wrinkles. ] The Jabberwock wasn't friendly.

[Waver gives Crookshanks a polite nod before he settles down into one of the kitchen chairs. It's quite comfortable, and as always, he has to note how the brand of magic Harry and Hermione use seems like a shortcut for almost everything. Practical, practical, practical, not the academic magecraft of home.]

I'm so sorry that you had an encounter with it. I've only heard reports out of Caer Glaem, Cothromach, and the Station, but everything's been--

[He lets the silence fill in the rest.]

[ She shakes her head, turning to look at him. Would it matter if she told him she almost died? That her skin had rotted off around her and that's why she lost her hair? That the only thing that had been on her mind was how tortured the poor creature had seemed, that she had been willing to give her life to protect her family?

(Would it matter, she wonders, absently, if he knew that she kept fighting because the guilt of Caer Scima settled on her like a lead weight, suffocating her from the inside out?) ]

I was at Caer Glaem. We managed to get most of the natives out and a few of us stayed back to distract it while we evacuated.

[ She tries to manage a smile, or something of the sort. ]

It just... Seemed afraid. I didn't want to hurt it, not really.

From everything I've come to understand, she wasn't even supposed to be out and about yet. Just a young thing that couldn't be controlled yet, and definitely not something that anyone anticipated being used in this fight.

[Waver knew, because Kayneth had been fool enough to broadcast the Jabberwock's escape to the entire damn network, that it had gotten out only because of the Seelie attack. But there was no need to bring that up, because more guilt wasn't really useful right now.]

I had people create evacuation plans back in January in case the Station came under fire. It worked well enough for this, at least. Sometimes all you can take pride in is mitigating damage.

No, I... I think I knew it was coming, but I didn't realise. I had a vision about it coming through the towers at Caer Scima, about something coming up and screaming, but I didn't put two and two together until it was too late.

[ Another thing to be irritated at herself for. They're brushing the topic of the sigil and Caer Scima at a distance and she know is, turning back to the pot before she sighs, shaking her head and focussing, instead, on pouring their drinks. Thank goodness for her beaded bag and she amount she could shove in there; it makes brewing (potions or a hot drink) a thousand times easier. ]

It reminded me of the Battle of Hogwarts - the school at home. Getting people out, fighting...

[ Death. She shakes her head and offers Waver his drink before she stands back, deciding she might change the topic back over again. Just for now. ]

I promised you a bit of a show, didn't I?

Look, everything's going to be clear in hindsight. You'd think that we might've know it in May, back when Morla demanded we raid Caer Glaem for the tooth. The monarchs play the long game, after all.

[The longest game, really.]

I've heard a little back home about your school, but I've never heard much about there being a battle there. Although it's probably a better outcome than what would happen at Clock Tower.

[Fighting each other, Waver knows it. Magi. He accepts the hot cocoa happily though, wrapping his hands around it and basking in the warmth.]

That you did.

Oh, I know. I've lived my life realising that things are only obvious now because we have more information. It all makes sense when everything is written out in front of us.

[ And Hermione's heard pieces, here and there, about Waver's, but she offers a smile. ]

It was the final battle of the Second Wizarding War. I can tell you all about it when you have a few hours to spare.

[ She steps back, though, focussed, instead, on the new buzz of power inside of her. Bag and wand set to one side she moves, closing her eyes and letting herself shift, transform into a white lion, wings fluttering around her body. ]

[Waver's all ready to start talking about having all information possible before doing anything, but he stops at the transformation.

The Drabwurld, in many ways, has stopped surprising Waver. Things are weird, then they go from bad to worse. That's just how it is.

Sometimes, it's nice to be surprised by something that is simply beautiful.

Silence sets in for a few moments. Finally, there's a low whistle, and Waver is beaming.]

That is amazing.

[ She laughs a little, the sound coming out as a strange rumble before she stands. Padfoot, obviously smelling the difference, comes rushing in and almost barrels into Hermione's side, her head shaking before she stands.

Slowly, carefully, she shifts over and puts her face on Waver's lap.

She isn't a real lion, but she wants to flex her wings and she can't do that sitting down, can she? ]

I have never had to rub a person behind the ears before. Forgive me the novelty of this.

[And, very carefully, he does just that, laughing at the absurdity of it all, along with Padfoot's reaction.]

You know if the White Heart ever gets you stuck in this mode during Yule, I think you'll have a good, long week of relaxation.

[ Padfoot just keeps trying to shove himself under Hermione, who ends up allowing herself a moment of fake feline happiness (how many people can say they've had their ears scratched?) before she leans back and nudges his hand as a thanks, a little bit of instinct before she settles back.

The dog at her side is already whining a little, as if he knows what's coming, and then with a bit of magic Hermione has turned back into herself, cheeks a little bit pink. ]

I think I've probably earned a week or two off, don't you?

[ At least she didn't beg for belly rubs. ]

Oh, I think everyone's earned it, but I don't know if anyone's going to get it.

[His hand is now, rather amusingly, covered with thick lion fur. Waver takes a beat to try and get most of it off, but it instead clumps onto the leg of his trousers, and he decides it isn't worth the fight anymore.]

Magic back home would never allow for this kind of thing.

[ She bites back her laughter, biting at the inside of her cheek before she grabs her wand - a quick spell later and his clothes are hairless. You get used to magic like that when you have a dog and a cat around. ]

It'd be a nice thought. Maybe at Samhain?

[ Because there's going to be one this year, surely. ]

At home we would call something like that an Animagus. Wizards and witches can learn, through a lot of patience and study, to transform into an animal that reflects who they are, their personality.

We might have to settle for it. Although if I don't have a naked beach adventure again, that'll be for the better.

[Thank you Brucolac, Harry, and Voljin.]

That's incredibly useful. Forgive me for never having mentioned it before - I've found the element of surprise helps me here - but the way magecraft works for us back home, such work would be seen as sort of frivolous.

... I don't think I want to know, do I?

[ Definitely not. She doesn't want to picture Waver without his clothes -- no offence, of course, she's just pink enough already. ]

I can understand that. A lot of the magic in my world feels very easy and quick for us - like our teleporting, Floo powder, animagus, Portkeys... It's strange to see magic that's not as simple.

You really, really don't.

[They were so drunk, Hermione.]

I'm jealous, in many ways. What we do is a lot more scientific in how it's approached. Studies are done over years, families do experiments from one generation to the next, that sort of thing. I actually appreciate the simplicity of what your system's like.

Oh!

[ Hermione leans forward, almost instantly. ]

Wait, um. Magic Crests? Things that have the knowledge of previous generations?

Ah, Kayneth told you?

We had a bit of a discussion about it, yes.

[ There's a bit of pride, knowing something, and she takes a sip of her drink before she leans on the counter. ]

We decided that the Crests were a bit like having the formula for a mathematical problem but never being taught exactly how to use it.

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