An Ode to the Sun (open)

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The dark forest loomed next to Eva, while the sun was slowly sinking below the trees. The red light of sunset touched and bathed the world in a red hue. This was Eva’s favourite time of day. She could feel the full moon approaching and it made her weary. Her eyes shifted up to the faint moon that was starting to rise. A few more days should see it full. Instinctively, a rush of panic enclosed her before she took a deep breath. She had wolf’s bane which turned her into a meek wolf that confined itself to her office. Those days she made sure the door was firmly locked. Indeed she also did not make an appearance for a few days, and when she did she looked a little haggard. However, she attempted to keep up appearances. There were very few people that knew about her … condition, as it were. The headmaster was required to know as well as the school nurse so that she could acquire her wolf’s bane quietly. For much else, she kept to herself. Generally, she was friendly with the other professors, while she kept a professional distance. The ground beneath her was soft and gave way a little under the pressure of her steps. She envied the animagus who could turn at will. The dark of the forest was infinite, and Eva wished to run wild. However, the body that she transformed into was mindless. Perhaps that was the fear in it. She feared the emptiness of its mind. Eva shook the heavy thoughts from her mind, and wrapped her arms tightly around herself. The air was growing colder as the winter evening pressed aggressively in. Steam left her mouth as she quickly paced the edge of the forest. The castle fell behind her and the signs of inheritance grew sparser. Finally, Eva found herself a large rock which she sat upon. She waited in silence for a few moments, taking in the signs and sounds of life. A deep breath found her and all tension that had resided there melted away. Foolishly, she grinned to herself. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs, before letting out a very human wolf like howl.

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Nigel watched the sun set as he slowly trudged towards the Forbidden Forest. His inner wolf, surprisngly, was craving for him to go and take a few runs, and more than probably hunt for game. It wasn't unusual for Nigel Ravenhearst to do this each month. The professor knew why his inner was wolf craving for a release, it was the full moon soon. The full moon was usually the best time in the month for Nigel. His inner wolf, growing stronger and stronger with its influence over his manerisms, made him much more wild and active in public. He was usually much more lively in class, as well as more flirty with the staff. Of course, not everyone appreciated this, but most do.

The man started to slowly walk along the path. He sniffed the air and caught the scent of another wolf, a female one. Taking a whiff once more, he grinned. He knew who this she-wolf was, it was the ever vivacious and sexy Professor Eva Pauw. He slowly crept behind the woman before staring at her beauty. She was one of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, aside from his mother of course, but that was biased to say the least. Her curvacious form just seemed to be much more detailed in the moonlight that bathed her from top to bottom. Nigel unconsciously licked his lips, only to shake himself. It would not do well to embarrass himself in front of this she-wolf, and he was determined to not have another scene that ended up with him hurt very badly.

Grinning, he suddenly spoke, "Eva, how nice of you to join me this fine evening!"

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The solitude was wonderful. Every aspect of Eva’s life held an aspect of solitude. She had taken over the gamekeepers hut so that she could transform in peace. The forest was never silent though. The roar of crickets lit up the undergrowth and owls cried overhead. In the distance there were more disconcerting sounds. Yet, once a lunar cycle she joined the beasts. The morbid thoughts started to creep in again. Shadows, they were, that incessantly crossed her mind in moments of solitude. However, she sensed the presence of another. Alertness replaced the quiet contemplation. She felt the tension rising, and she had to refrain from curling her lip into a snarl. Yet, she was ultimately human – fallible and weak until her body changed form and she lost her mind. She quickly felt for her wand. The voice, however, was a recognisable one. She snapped her head around quickly to regard the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor with a level of incredulity. The man certainly possessed natural charm and excellent facial structure, and torso. However, she was well aware of his ability to seduce women. She would probably assume men too if he tried. However, she refrained to being overtly rude. “I cannot seem to escape you,” she said mildly, regarding him suspiciously. Ravenhearst certainly seemed far too jovial to be genuine. She doubted that below the surface was simply a verbose and seductive being. However, Eva had not put in the time to look. A little guilt crept in. She was greatly for not judging a person by their external behaviour. However, she doubted his intentions. To put it simply, Eva was not one to do brief intimate encounters… or long ones at that. Her lips pull tight as she remained inert, her eyes firmly fixated upon him. “What are you doing out here?” she questioned softly, knowing the possible array of options. The he-wolf was certainly vivacious around this time of the lunar cycle. Eva was the opposite. She became increasingly sullen and restless. She stood up slowly and faced the looming figure. Her arms folded defensively across her chest, and she remained hesitant.

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Nigel Ravenhearst saw the guarded expression of the she-wolf in front of him and frowned a little. Quickly though, he immediately masked it with a smile. The woman, he knew, was irritated and probably angry. From the scent, as well as his own knowledge, it was about time for her to transform, and he knew how much she hated it. Of course, anybody would hate it. Unlike Animagus' like him, Werewolf transformations were very difficult, and most times, painful. He knew a few werewolves from his old hometown and they had been kind enough to share their experiences for his own research.

The professor looked at the woman's guarded gesture of crossing her arms. She was definitely moody. But, like always, she was polite. Polite enough to entertain him when she was definitely not in the mood to even talk to him. He knew what her problems were, and he was determined to help, if only she would let him.

"It's almost the full moon again, Eva. Are you going to be fine?" Asked Nigel very morosely as he ran his hand through his hair. He knew it was a touchy subject, but he was willing to go forward and try and help her, if she was willing. Only if she was willing.

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Surprise formed upon her face for a brief moment at his words. The genuineness of it caught her a little off guard. She was used to verbal sparring with him that bordered on flirtation with a hint of aggression. She hesitated, a little uncertain as to how to respond. “Umm,” she mumbled in articulately. “It’s only two days or so. I generally just hide in my hut.” A frowned creased upon her brow. It seemed something strange to ask of her. “I am always fine.” She hesitated, waiting for the flirtations to return. Eva was quite capable of holding her own in a verbal joust. She dropped her eyes for a moment and returned to her sitting place upon the rock. After a moment, she looked up again, a little unsure of what to offer in him in terms of a response. “Thanks,” she started. “…for asking, I mean.” She was certainly perplexed. In addition, she was completely uncertain of how to respond to him further. Her arms, that she had had tightly wound across her chest, loosened and folded neatly on her lap. Curiosity entered her expression, and she tilted her head to regard him. During transformation, she often met up with Taylor, the young werewolf. Eva had a grown to love the young feisty woman. Perhaps Taylor would be the closest thing to a daughter Eva would ever have. “What’s it like?” she asked suddenly. “To transform at will.” Her eyes were earnest, although still guarded. She slid down to the base of the large rock and gestured for him to come sit by her (perhaps against her better judgement). Don’t let people close; her mother had always warned her.

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Nigel smiled softly at the woman as she answered his question. It seems that she was doing fine, if not already used to the lifestyle of having to hide for a few days. The routine seemed to already be in place for her that she just got used to it. The professor, shockingly, saw that the woman who almost always chased him away with threats invite him to sit beside her.

The man slowly walked towards her position before sitting beside her. He had to be on guard if it was a trap, but it seems it wasn't and so he relaxed a bit, taking in the feeling of being in close proximity with the woman who is said to hate his guts.

Watching her lovely face in the shadow of the early night, he started, "It is almost the same as your transformation, except that it is painless and I can change at anytime I want. In terms of my mind, I mostly have my consciousness in tact, but my inner wolf makes an appearance every time I transform so it is still quite hard to maintain full control over my actions."

Smiling lightly, he then asked, "How about you? Do you ever get lonely in that cabin of yours? I mean, a few days of no company seems a little harsh, don't you think?"

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Eva remained a little pensive while Ravenhearst spoke. It seemed a little nicer than the deal she had going. Perhaps she just desired the ability to choose not to turn. It was not so long ago that werewolves were viewed to have a lesser existence to wizards. The tales of Remus Lupin had wound their way into her mind. After his big reveal, he had left the school. While she was aware that times had changed, she knew people’s apprehension at having a werewolf as a professor. That’s why only some of the staff knew about her condition and none of the students. His next question made her uncomfortable. She dipped her eyes and shifted a little. Of course she got lonely. However, that was very much self-inflicted. The professors at Hogwarts were wonderful, it seemed. Fairbourne was a genuinely decent man and Eshae, the school nurse, was wonderfully kind. She had not really gotten to know the others – other than the occasional snarky response to Ravenhearst. “Of course it’s lonely,” she replied honestly. “But it’s not terrible. I have had worse transformations.” The briefest of sad smiles touched her lips as she remembered the initial years of growing up with lycanthropy. Her parents could not afford wolf’s bane. Her father had come from a rich pureblood family that had disowned him when he had chosen to marry a muggle woman. Of course, he had done so back before the battle of Hogwarts when such acts had harsh consequences. They had eloped to Romania for a while until a few years after the Battle of Hogwarts. Eva rarely spoke of those years. In fact, she had only told Taylor when she was going through a rough time. “Harsh? Maybe a little but that’s my own fault,” she said grinning a little. “But, who would keep a crazy lady company? After all, I bite.” She managed to find a little humour in the question. In honesty, she had never thought that company would be possible or probable. Besides, it's hardly fair to subject someone to the worst of her.

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Nigel chuckled at her comment about her biting. It was, of course, literal that wolves bite and scratch, but with her on wolfsbane, it wasn't so. He knew how lonely it was to be alone for a few days. Truth be told, he had once experienced that when he went on a mission in Egypt. He had to cross the borders to stay near the pyramids, alone. The experience was an eye opener since from that day on, he vowed not to take anymore solo missions. The fact that he almost went insane because of being alone inside the Great Pyramids of Giza was enough for him to realize how important human contact meant for everyone.

The professor brought out a dusty old journal before dusting its cover. He had been on the prowl for some book earlier in the library and this on had been a kind of Holy Grail for him. Inside the tome was the summary of the life of Remus Lupin when he was suffering from Lycanthropy.

"Remus Lupin, I am sure you might have heard of him, wrote down a passage that struck me the most interesting."

Flipping towards the bookmarked page, Nigel continued, "It seems that when he transformed, he was accompanied by his friends, who were all Animagus. If what he is saying is true, then maybe you would need not be alone in this cabin of yours whilst you transform. If this passage is right, then theoretically, I could be there to accompany you in my Wolf form."

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A wry smile found her as Nigel brought out a book and offered her to stay with her during her transformation. She absolutely did not understand this man. She shook her head gravely at his offer. While she did appreciate the kindness of his offer, the motivation behind it escaped her. She hardly knew the man. Yet here he was, ready to be her knight in shining armour. The first problem with this image was that werewolves are the beasts the knights conquer to win admiration from the lowly people and the fair maiden. The second image that was problematic was that knights were aristocratic bastards. “Nigel,” she said patiently, with a twitch of an exasperated smile. “I don’t need rescuing. I am no victim.” Perhaps he had a misplaced hero complex. Eva was certainly not the right target. In fact, if Eva believed in anything it would be that heroes did not exist. She lowered her eyes. She knew that only good intentions came from a decent place. However, they were lost on her. Eva had stepped out the place where she needed someone to aid her with her issues. “Perhaps when I can call you a friend I will consider it,” she mused. “But even then, it’s something of me that I don’t share.”

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Nigel mock glared at the woman before registering what she said. It seems, even though she was willing to talk to him civilly, she still had her armor on. The impenetrable armor that most individuals who had traumatic experiences held. Of course, Nigel knew this just because he had one as well. There was a reason he was exhuming and portraying the cool, calm, collected professor. It was his armor, an armor so that most, if not all, would not see his true self. His self that would probably traumatize anyone if they started to uncover who he was and what he did. His horrors, his traumas, and his shattered consciousness was held within him, in a shell where no one would be able to find them.

The professor sighed before saying, "This is no pity party, Eva. This is a colleague, if not a friend, who actually cares for another. The Were-strain is one of the most repulsive disease for most people, this I know. But you must understand that I am not like anybody else. As a Wolf animagus, and as a professor of Defense, I want to do this. If Remus Lupin's writings are true, then it could change the way most Werewolve's lives would be lived! It could basically lessen the stress for Werewolves when they turn if they can be accompanied by a person, if not their loved ones, when they have to face their change!"

Nigel sighed before shaking himself, he needed to calm down. If he didn't, he might just divulge the real reason why he was so interested in helping her. The times he heard her moans and groans while he was running aorund the forest was heart shattering, and he wanted to alleviate her pain.

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Exasperated – that was certainly the word that described what Eva was feeling. The young wizard seemed determined to be there for her. The whole notion baffled her. A frown settled firmly into her brow. Eva had known of Nigel during her schooling career at Hogwarts. However, she could not describe them as best friends. Well, she was not quite sure what they were. There was a glimmer of discomfort in her eyes. However, if she conceded perhaps he would lose interest and find a new project to save. She was sure someone more interesting would come around. “Fine…Fine!” she said irritably. “We can try, just once. But… don’t think that this will become a permanent thing. Once chance!”

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Nigel smiled at his fellow prfessor before replying, "Thank you. And I promise that this won't become a permanent thing, if you don;t want it to be."

The professor knew that at least he had a chance. A chance to be able to be with his fellow professor as she transformed. It was past time that Eva should be isolated, and boxed inside the cabin to edure her pain alone. No, Nigel was determined to change that.

People often see the charming Professor Ravenhearst, and think that he was only a womanizer. But Nigek had something buried deep in him. Something that he did not want anybody to see. He saw first hand how minorities were treated when he was tasked in Egypt a few years ago. He even tried helping most of them, only for the majority of the population to be wiped into inexistence by a horde of Dark Witches and Wizards. Nigel wasn't able to do anything but watch from his vatage point as the village was burnt to the ground. His roders were to stay put, and he regret that decision to obey those orders until today.

Nigel smiled at Eva before asking, "When shall we do it?"

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Eva quickly regretted her yes. She had no idea why this man wanted to be so extraordinarily helpful. Frankly, she did not enjoy it. She was fairly certain it would not become a permanent thing, let alone a frequent thing. However, if she humoured him just this once he would realise that the whole thing was rather boring and he would lose interest. The Wolf’s Bane made Eva curl up into a motionless ball of fluff for most of the night. Besides, she was not completely alone. Her little niffler often caused a little havoc before sleeping next to her. One chance… one chance that she dreaded occurring. It was a very intrusive thing to ask. Even though she had Wolf’s Bane, it did not make her completely safe. It made the transformation infinitely less painful and reduced her urge to rip things apart. She, may, however, bite because she was just as sassy and impulsive in her werewolf form as in her human form. “In two days is the next full moon,” she said tiredly.

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Nigel smiled before getting up. He needed to do more research for this new development and he was going to do it immediately, while his passion was still burning at all time high. He knew that this was probably a hard thing to do for Eva, to let someone in while she was transforming, but he would keep his promise. Truthfully, he cared for the woman, and he wanted to make her transformation not as lonely as she would have been before Nigel met her. No,h he was definitely going to try this out and who knows, if its effective, then he might just release this research to the public and he would no doubt help more than a handful of Werewolves.

The Defense Professor looked towards Eva before offering his hand to hoist her up as well. He then said, "Then I shall be ready when the time comes. I believe we should be getting back, it would no doubt cause trouble if two professors are seen breaking the rules and going into the Forbidden Forest after curfew!"

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-Thread close- Continued at the grounds keeper's hut