The Princess and the Frog [Evelyn]

[Deleted]

It was nice being on his own, all the tugs to be this or that or the other dissolved and almost floating through the long dew damp grass. In truth he was not truly alone the sleek shape of Hisspitt was a little grey shadow dappled as the early sun passing through the trees edging the forbidden forest. She was better than being alone, sometimes she felt more like a part of him than a separate being the best part of him sometimes he wished he could slip into her share that perfect feline soul. She had been his closest companion for the past five years he couldn’t consider her a pet, little lithe lovely Hisspitt was a true familiar.

The hems of his black school robes had taken on water and their rise and fall with his movement was beginning to damp his black regulation socks. These were the things that had he been in company he would have worried about, worried that he was being judged and found lacking for having wet socks, this might sound silly but really it isn’t. Appearance Regulus knows is everything, still in the lonely dawn light wet socks cannot bother him.

Their walk talk the along the border of the forest allowing the little queen to hunt amongst the undergrowth.Tail high she trotted purposefully and he followed her at a slower pace, ahead he saw her dart away into the trees and spotting a convenient fallen branch drew out his willow wood wand. Approaching it he produced the formuleric flicks and flourishes to attempt to transfigure the branch into a worthy bench. The first attempt was shameful, the structure still mostly looked like a branch although somewhat flattered at the centre of his intent. Frustrating, still if it was easy it would be pointless the activity would at least keep him entertained until Hisspit returned from hunting the forest.

The transformation from felled withy bow to elegant willowy bench was nearly complete when he heard the scream, it sounded like a women’s scream but more ethereal, inhuman. He hated screaming, it made his skin scrawl and his eyes sting but he pushed it aside, screaming was part of life. Probably, possible, maybe just fairies fighting? He hoped it wouldn’t concern him… Unfortunately it did. Hisspitt his bright beauty was returning and she held the screaming creature by one extended web-ended leg, not a fairy, oh no worse than a fairy. A toad, toads belonged to people and people were far scarier than any snub nosed fairy however enraged. He would have to free a toad like this probably had an owner, trust his luck, although from the self-satified expression on the little mogs face the one this Toad belonged to was Hisspitt.

[Deleted]

Evelyn, for once, was starting to get concerned about the future. It actually begun because of a task, were she merely had done as her aunt instructed and started to brows the school's library, picking up random books about famous wizards and witches, because apparently she needed to find an inspiration and a path in life. Not knowing what she wanted to do when she grows up was, as it turned out, very un-McKeown like and totally unacceptable. It wasn't that she didn't think about it at all, it just that she simply wasn't as talented as her fellow students, not to mention her older brothers. Besides, Evie generally thought that first of all she needed to catch up with her fellow classmates when it came to wand skills, but that hadn't been very successful so far, so maybe Maggie was right after all, and it was time to get a bit creative and try something else. It certainly wouldn't hurt.

If she had to be completely honest, Evelyn didn't think that she wouldn't be able to find a job period, or have many difficulties with it, only... that it might not be something that her family would approve of. For the worst she could end up as a Welcome Witch in St. Mungo's, or maybe a shop assistant in Diagon Alley. As far as she knew they didn't require many N.E.W.T.s or high grades. Besides, Evie was very good with people and she was cheerful most of the time and she liked to offer her help and her assistant whenever possible. The witches that she had seen always looked presentable and very pretty, true, but if she would practice hard enough and develop her metamorphmagus skills, surely she would be able to do it as well. It could be quite a nice job, actually! Fun and relaxing, where she would be able to meet a lot of people every day... But her aunt was still expecting more from her, and Evie didn't want to disappoint.

Although when the Hufflepuff started to read books her research, the task which seemed pretty easy at first, suddenly become nearly impossible. Because how could she compete with any of those wizards? They all made a difference for the wizarding world and were simply amazing! Okay, maybe Barnabas the Barmy wasn't completely successful with the whole ballet thing, but at least he tried and it was creative. They all accomplished so much with their lives! It was absolutely fascinating, almost made her brothers look like they did very little, and as for her... well, maybe it was a good time to start to search for something she was good at indeed.

So when Evelyn read about Cliodna she felt like she finally found her calling, because that was perfect. They were both Irish and Evie's best class was transfiguration and while she wasn't an Animagus she was a metamorphmagus, which was pretty much not the same thing! And so the second year soon found herself outside again, searching - or rather investigating - the grounds in a search for for all kind of signs and symbols to start her self-invented training on her way to become a proper and true druidess.

"Patrick, look here, what do you think?" Evie asked when she found a weird-looking footprints trail and reached down to have a better look, the mud dirtying her clock as the cloth brush into it. She waited a few minutes to see if her toad would do anything other than stare at her, before she nodded in understanding, her gaze returning to the trail. It was for her to figure out by herself, without help. Even if Patrick would join and be a druid too, they can't just be teammates. Each needs to figure the way by his own and then they can team up again.

The Hufflepuff followed the trail of footprints slowly, inspecting their shapes and textures as she went, all the while spoiling her clothes even more. She got so into it that she nearly missed the small, nearly chocked sound that her best friend and partner made. Evie looked up, alarmed and her eyes widened almost comically at the sight of her beloved toad in the mouth of a grey, unfamiliar cat. The Hufflepuff was on her feet in less than a heartbeat, before she started to run after the little creature, screaming her lungs out for it to stop.

[Deleted]

He was still stood, no action taken, when then ragtag girl arrived on to the scene chasing after his cat and her dangling prize. It was only seeing this dirty wild girl face the mouth open making those desperate noises for the cat to drop her pet that he realised that the toad had not been screaming. Stupid really, stupid to think a toad could make a noise so human. It was perhaps the desperation in the little girl’s face that finally stirred him to move. Tipping the balance between knowing that he couldn’t let his cat eat a fellow student’s pet to his distaste at the thought of touching a toad.


Stepping closer to girl and cat he called out “Hisspitt come here, come now.” He knelt disregarding the damp grass and how it would wet his robes. He was rewarded by the cat in a unusual display of obedience coming straight to dropping the toad almost into his lap, he only just resisted recoiling and instead picked up the toad before the little cat changed her mind.


Straightening up hurriedly he proffered the toad to the girl trying to put a name to the anxious face. ”Here have it but don’t let it down or she’ll have him again.” His voice was slightly softer than his words but he held the toad well away from the body, focusing on the girl not the feel of moist clammy feeling of amphibian skin. He thought the girl was a Mckeown, a girl of good blood and family and as a result forced a degree of responsibility for the situation on himself. ”I’m sorry my cat got your toad, do you want me to take him to be checked over.” The offer was slightly grudging the thought of bothering the care of magical creatures teacher, a man he much admired, with a slightly chewed toad did not appeal to him especially if he had to admit his cat had done the chewing.

[Deleted]

"PATRICK!" The wind was hitting Evelyn's face in a violent force. Someone was trying to eat her best friend, and that just wouldn't do. The Hufflepuff only hoped that when she would manage to catch up with the cat, it wouldn't be too late. Running as fast as she could, Evelyn didn't even noticed how close to the Forbidden Forest she was getting. She ran numbly between the trees, not feeling or noticing when the branches that she passed in her rush left scratches and leaves all over her. But the cat finally came into a stop, and Evelyn nearly slipped on the muddy ground as she tried to halt too quickly.

Someone was there, and someone was lifting Patrick, but her eyes were fixed on her toad, not comprehending anything until Patrick was finally secured between her hands once again. The same person that returned her toad spoke, but the Hufflepuff was only aware of the last part, when the volume of the ringing in her head toned down a bit. Evelyn shock her head, "I think that Patrick is okay." She lifted him from her chest, looking for any scratches or wounds, but it seemed like the little cat didn't use much force. Or teeth. She glanced at the cat, before she hugged Patrick closely again. "He is just scared. No one tried to eat him before." And good thing that they didn't. While Patrick was very adventurous, Evelyn was pretty sure that those kind of experiences were too much even for him. She smiled fondly at her toad.

It was only when Evelyn's heart beats started to slow down to their original pace and Patrick was definitely safe, that she finally shifted her attention to older student, and her mouthed slightly opened as she took the sight of him for the first time. "Hey, I know you!" Evelyn exclaimed, the surprise plastered all over her face, because that certainly didn't happen a lot. "Haven't you been in my house once?" She should have probably recognize him from quidditch, but at most times she didn't recognize her own house mates, so it wasn't a wonder that she didn't. They mostly saw each other as little dots in the sky anyway, so it wasn't like anyone could have blamed her. Especially when she was supposed to concentrate on the little golden flying ball.

[Deleted]

Patrick? Regulus gazed down at the grubby girl surely she not named her pet a name so devoid of magical resonance or mystique? Then again when he considered the dull amphibian clutched in the girls arms he felt that the name was a fitting one. Despite his antipathy towards the toad he still felt relieved when it’s, or he realised considering the name, ‘his’ owner declared him unharmed. ”Good I’m glad” He spoke slightly gruffly, relief tempted by his guilty thoughts over the ugly pet. Sure in Regulus’ opinion toads were a bizarre and pointless form of pet but then he was well aware his father felt the same way about his cat, owls of course being the universally agreed useful pet but birds for all their sultry sleekness didn’t offer the affection of a little mammal and affection though he might be loathed to admit it was what he craved.

The little cat who as ever was not far from his thoughts peered up at the girl leaning back on its grey quarters to stare at the prey to consider the toad who had allegedly never faced the threat of becoming breakfast before. Regulus watched on warily in case the little cat had a change of heart and attempted to reclaim her plump prize. Silently regarding their own pets Regulus was almost startled by the girls sudden outburst almost expecting it to be an accusation but know she merely recognised him.

He wasn’t that surprised she recognised him, a son of the noble house of black, he should be recognised he had the handsome haughty feautures of his house and although he was uncomfortable aware his socks were damp as was the hem of his robes which might also be contaminated with paw prints the fine tailoring still spoke of old money. It was only then he looked at the girl properly her muddly clothes although they appeared good quality hardly complemented the girl, rather than old money they just looked old fashioned but then the girl herself was plain herself maybe they’d be picked to avoid making her coarseness stand out.

He tried to remember what he knew of the McKeown’s he probably had been to their house, he had been round most of the respectable pureblood homes and although McKeown’s lines were not of course as renown as his own, there were few enough good houses so an association was unsurprising . ”Yes that sounds right, nice house in Ireland isn’t it? You’re the littlelest McKeown, Adrian’s younger sister aren’t you, Hufflepuff’s teeny tiny seeker?” His voice had switched into a tone of friendliness that he reserved for children and a chattiness he hoped might smooth over the attempt on her pets life as he strove to cover over any awkwardness of the attempt on the toads life.