early morning [aura]

[zara celeste o'riley]

September was not her favourite time of year. It was a month that felt like it could not make up its mind. At times it was warm and then it would rain. This early morning it was crisp and cold. Sleep was eluding her and so Zara had pulled on some jeans and a jumper before heading out of the dorm and through the castle. It was eerily quite and Zara was surprised that she had not even seen any of the house ghosts around. By the time she had reached the entrance hall Zara was hit by the gust of cold from the open door. She braced herself and walked out onto the lawns. 

Zara wrapped her arms around herself and walked out towards the lake. The mass of black water had always been one of her favourite parts of the castle. Dropping to the floor she sat on the bank and watched the ripples across the surface of the water due to the breeze. She had wanted to speak to Tyson about her meeting with Aura but for now had kept it to herself. After all, he had spoken about going to see Dumbledore to postpone his staying here and if that was the case there was no need to raise the issue with anyone else. Quietly she laid herself down on the grass and closed her eyes taking in some deep breaths.

[auraquinn collins]

Aura walked around the lake, skipping rocks as he contemplated the position he had been put in. He had spoken to Albus about the issue that he was facing only to be countered with the position of the DADA instructor. He groaned and sighed, knowing his safety was bound to his being here in one way or another. The signs of the coming onslaught were clear as day to him now and he was getting Rory's help on that issue, but for now he had to deal with this one.

The wind gushed at him and carried the scent of roses and spring rain. A groan rose to his throat as he stopped. Zara had to be nearby or his mind was twisting his sanity. Either option was plausible at this point, but the latter would have happened well before now. Spotting the girl in the distance, he let out a soft low whistle which would soon bring out an owl white as snow with underlying tones of gold.

He whispered something to Marquis before walking over towards Zara. His body made no sound as it connected with the icy grass during his movement or when he sat by her side. "For someone who hates cold, you picked a bad place to be." He smirked and looked out on the water. His eyes danced with an ice blue flecked in silver, his longish hair styled to highlight the red that it was with the hints of purple that steaked through it.

[zara celeste o'riley]

Her lungs stung as she took in the deep breaths of cold air and she could feel her clothing getting damp from the dew on the grass however she didn’t mind too much. She would warm up over breakfast with the rest of the castle. Zara kept her eyes closed and took in how quiet it was early in the morning. The occasional splash from the lake made her smile knowing that creatures in there were going about their daily activities.

When a voice joined her she jumped. Sitting up slightly and eyes wide open she tried to calm down her heart. ”Merlin! You could give someone more warning you’re around.” Zara told him sternly. However she was glad to see him. ”You’re still around? I’m surprised, I thought you were going to be glad to see the back of this place.” She sat up properly again and crossed her legs, picking at blades of grass around her.

She looked at him again and said, ”What are you doing around so early?” A pile of ripped grass was starting to pile up in front of her.

[auraquinn collins]

Aura smirked as she freaked out. He leaned back on his palms, letting her go on beforr grinning completely. "Whoops." That was as close as he was going to get to an apology. The more he thought about, the more he realized that since sitting next to her, his mind was clearer than it had been since the other night.

"It was pointed out to me that due to prior arrangements, I can't leave." He shrugged as he heard wingbeats overhead in the distance. He lifted a hand and caught the cloak as it fell, handing it over to Zara as Marquis turned in a wide arc and headed back to the warmth of the owlery. His eyes locked onto the water as it moved from the wind. To him, it felt like a warm breeze, but the ice coating on the grass keyed him into the actual temperature.

He laughed at her question, trying to decide whether or not to tell her what was on his mind. "Oh, you know. Trying to solbe the mysteries of the universe, figure out wandless casting, contemplating turning Minerva's robes into jello. Those sorts of things." He winked over at Zara before realizing which cloak she had. It was not only large and lined with the pelt of a polar bear, but Aura now hoped like hell he took all the knives and throwing daggers from it.

[zara celeste o'riley]

He couldn’t leave? ”Sorry to hear you can’t do what you want.” And she meant it. Being stuck somewhere you didn’t want to particularly be wasn’t pleasant. An owl came towards them and dropped a cloak to Aura which he then handed to her. ”Thanks,” Zara said to him quietly. She put the cloak around her. It was lined heavily on the inside and she could feel herself warming up. ”Was that your owl? It’s beautiful.”

She smiled, ”You’ve been around for a while and you still haven’t solved the mysteries of the universe yet? I expected more from you.” She tutted and laughed. ”I see that you obviously think rather deeply with that brain of yours.” She pulled the cloak tighter around her and her hand hit something hard. Zara rummaged inside and pulled on the hilt of a knife. ”You carry this stuff around all the time?”

[auraquinn collins]

Aura smirked as she pointed out Marquis. "Don't let him hear you. He is in the process of getting an ego check." He shrugged and laughed slightly. That bird had a mind of it's own most of the time. He knew it was sentient, but sometimes it felt almost human with the defiance he got. Aura tried to avoid taking stock in it as best he could, but sometimes it felt like Orion was watching over him.

He finally decided to respond to the comments about being stuck and sighed. "It's not that I don't want to be here. I just fear history, if that makes sense." He took a deep breath and exhaled out into the cold September air. "So, please, don't ever think I am here against my will." He looked over at her and grinned.

When she mentioned the knives, he grinned like a child. "It happens when you're hunted for lifetimes. Firearms seem too impersonal." He nodded slowly and smirked. "Also, I don't need paperwork for bladed weapons. Makes keeping out of the public eye easier." He grinned again and nodded. It was the truth and that was all there was to it.

[zara celeste o'riley]

”I shall purposely seek him out later and tell him how handsome I think he is and ask why on earth he is sticking around with you.” Zara loved animals and owls were one of her favourite types of animals. Zara looked back out onto the lake wondering if they would catch sight of any of the creatures that lived there. She knew there were rumours of merpeople living in the waters and she would have loved to had caught a glimpse of those.

”The other night you seemed kind of adamant to leave.” Zara told him quietly. ”I just wondered whether you felt obliged to with the ministry and all.” It had been a logical thought process. ”I understand that you’d fear history but maybe try to worry about it a little less. You might find you enjoy yourself more that way.” She really didn’t want to head back into this conversation with him. She wanted to leave it in the depths of the other night.

Zara laid back down on the grass, carefully, with the cloak wrapped around her. She looked up at the sky contemplating her life over the past few days. ”Here’s to you never getting caught.” Zara said in response to him talking about being hunted.

[auraquinn collins]

"I will throw you in the lake." Aura had the first genuine laugh that he had had in years. He seemed lighter than he had since their first encounter. He stood and began to bounce, his mind starting to work for the first time in what felt like forever. His eyes turned a deep chocolate brown as his hair returned to the brown and gold it had been the other night as he took in his surroundings.

He looked down at Zara and scrunched his face. "Me calm down? This is coming from the girl that told me I should crucify Tom Riddle when he was 11. " Aura laughed for a moment before twisting his lips slightly. "Actually, probably should have listened to that one. Meh. Hindsight tends to be a bitch." He shrugged and looked out onto the water.

He heard her comment and bust out laughing again. "Yeah. Right. Who's gonna defend me if they do catch me? You and Rory? I'm sorry, but you haven't had a good run of that luck and I tend to try to keep the Pirate away from things that involve murder." He laughed again before offering his hand to help her up. "Come on. You need food."

[zara celeste o'riley]

”I’d like to see you try.” Zara protested. This was the type of conversation she preferred. Light hearted and actually like a friendship. Though this was one friendship she had not seen coming and made her feel out of her depth, spending time with him was beginning to be something she enjoyed. Zara shifted her head to watch him as he stood up and bounced. His hair shifted in colour and Zara smiled broadly. ”You’re a metamorphagus?” It was more of a statement than a question. ”I thought as much but I wasn’t entirely sure.” She sat up to look at him properly. ”How fascinating!”

Zara laughed. ”I said that?” Zara asked him. She then shook her head. ”Someone will do it.” Zara was sure. Jason was training up as an A
auror. She prayed this was one war that would be over quick. The thought of it made her skin go bumpy and she felt nervous for Jay.


”Hey stop judging me on past me.” Zara said to him, annoyed. If she had been herself in the past it didn’t mean she wasn’t different now and it would be hard to spend time with him if he kept comparing her to, well, herself. ”Oh, so the Ravenclaw pirate is called Rory.” She took his hand and got up from the ground much like she had the other night. ”What about you?” Zara asked him tentatively as he brought up food.

[auraquinn collins]

Aura listened to everything and then pulled her to her feet. He thought about it for a moment and figured it would be best to keep his memories to himself unless she asked. He shrugged and let the metamorphagus comment register. He held a finger up and grinned. This was one he had gotten good at and he knew from experience that she would not be too pleased.

"I need this for a second." He took his cloak from her for a second and wrapped himself in it. The hood covered the entirety of his head making him just a large black figure standing there. When the cloak revealed a person a moment later, Zara would see an almost perfect mirror of herself. The only issue was hard to spot, but it was the bite scar on his neck from when he was turned.

Aura looked himself over and grinned before handing the cloak back. "So, breakfast?" His voice came out identical to hers, though it was a hair to high if someone was actually paying attention. He winked and mocked her stance as if she were looking into a mirror.

[zara celeste o'riley]

She stood with him on the edge of the lake with the breeze blowing. The sun was starting to make an appearance properly. ”Oh yeah, sure.” Zara said when he took the cloak. She wondered what he would need from it and felt momentary panic at the fact there was a knife in there and she had just happily handed it back over. As fun as he could be he was still a stranger and she was making some stupid mistakes.

When he took the cloak off again, Zara stood with her jaw open. A mirror image of herself stood in front of her. And then he spoke. ”That’s not funny!” Zara said. ”Actually, I think that’s identity theft. Get out of my body! Or whatever you’re doing, it’s weird.” Zara told him. But her eyes were bright with curiosity and interest. ”And I don’t stand like that.” Zara told him, shifting her weight slightly and starting to feel a little self conscious.

She took the cloak back off him. ”You better not have been doing that often.” Zara told him. She was a little cautious about how much trouble he could get her into. ”I won’t think twice about hexing you if I see me wandering around the halls.”

[auraquinn collins]

Aura laughed and grew back to his normal height. His clothing filled out and his hair receded only to be brushed out of his face. "Actually, that one is rare. It takes too long to do a full body shift." He brushed the hair from his face, his chocolate eyes locking onto hers. "Plus, feminine forms are a bit confining when you're not used to them."

He sighed and started for the castle, though he tended to veer more towards the closest enterence to the Ravenclaw tower. "Go get some food. I can't eat the stuff, so don't mind my absence." He tried to be reassuring, but it was more of the fact that as a sixth year that had just shown up, he was sure his presence wouldn't be widely accepted. He grinned and pointed at the cloak. "Just don't lose that. The potions professor would love what is hidden in there."

[zara celeste o'riley]

”I think I rather you in the masculine form.” Zara told him with a small laugh. She was happy to hear that he didn’t shift into her that often. Zara made a mental note to pick up some books from the library dealing with metamorphagi. She had skimmed over a few things but had not really looked into it. Maybe Tai could recommend her some things, he always had his head in a book doing above and beyond assignments.

He started to move towards the castle and she followed him. ”And where are you going to be whilst I get food?” Zara asked him. She wasn’t even going to ask what else was in the cloak she was wearing. Perhaps that was a policy between her and Aura, that she would simply never ask. But even thinking of that now she knew she wouldn’t be able to stick to it. She had always been curious.

[auraquinn collins]

Aura shrugged at her comment. He really had no retort for that one and really didn't want to delay the conversation by trying to come up with one. He just kept walking as she asked her question. That one, however, he had several smart ass comments for. "Oh, you know, feed on some orphans. Really fat ones. They taste like bacon." He knew it would test her sense of humor, but then again, he had been this morbid as a human.

As they neared the castle, he thought a moment before holding his hand out. "On second thought, you should probably give me the cloak. You don't need to get caught with that many weapons at breakfast." He waited for a moment to see which way this would go. The way he saw it, she would do one of two things. Hand over the cloak or drag him to breakfast for being morbid. Either one was likely and he waited to see which won out.

[zara celeste o'riley]

Zara looked at him as he spoke. ”Yeah I thought the fat kids probably are the most appealing but what about all the cholesterol?” Zara asked him with a wicked grin. If they were going to be friends she needed to accept the fact that he was a vampire. His life was different to hers in a variety of ways and she needed to try and not let it bother her. She was an accepting person but this was just a little more to absorb than she had expected.

She shook her head. ”Nope I’m not giving it back. If you don’t want me to get in trouble you can come to breakfast with me.” Zara gave him a smile and drew the cloak around her tighter. ”Plus you’ll have plenty of people to pick from at breakfast. I’ll even help you choose. What more could you ask for?” Zara asked him, looking as if butter wouldn’t melt. She wasn’t going to allow him to keep dipping in and out as he pleased.