The Once and Future Screw-Ups

[starcrossed]

[shadow=lightgray,left,300]The Once and Future Screw-Ups[/shadow]
~::The Roleplay Fanfiction::~

Authors: The posts of each character were written by the individual creators of those characters. So basically, we all wrote this.
Post Collector/Organizer: BB
Editor: starcrossed

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Chapter One: And so it begins...

The sun was shining brightly at The Albus Dumbledore School for Gifted Magical Persons and some students were milling about in the gardens, enjoying the pleasant weather.

One girl sat alone on a stone bench, reading a book. Her pitch black hair fell in soft waves to her waist, starkly contrasting against her pale skin tone.

Nearby a few girls stood gossiping; one pointed at the girl and whispered to her friends something about a "zombie queen". The girl, though, didn't seem to notice. In fact, she seemed perfectly oblivious to everything going on around her, her attention solely on her book, her stone grey gaze fixed on the words printed there.

Not too far away stood another girl, her eyes closed and arms spread as she tried to fly. No, she wasn’t crazy – she was a mage. Slowly she rose off the ground about five feet, then opened her eyes and smiled. She started to move forward, but then lost control and landed hard on the stone bench where the first girl sat.

"Ouch, that hurt!" She yelped.

The first girl jumped, startled out of her little reverie. Looking worried and a bit alarmed she asked, shutting the book, "A-are you alright?"

The second girl brushed herself down. "I think so. I'm Verginia"
With a shy, uncertain smile, the ebony-haired girl held out her hand and said, "My name's Layali. Nice to meet you."

Verginia shook Layali’s hand. "Nice to meet you too." Sitting down she asked, "What you reading?"

"Hmm? Oh, this.." Layali motioned to the book. "Interview With the Vampire. It's by a muggle author, Anne Rice."

There was a small silence. Looking a bit unsure of herself, like she wasn’t used to talking to people and wasn't quite certain what to do in these types of situations, Layali asked, "Do you read much?"

"I read all the time. Have you heard of Jasper Fforde?"

Shaking her head, Layali replied, "I'm afraid I haven't. What has he written?"

"The Next Thursday series, The Eyare Afaire, Lost In a Good Book, The Well of Lost Plots and Something Rotten," Verginia replied.

"They sound interesting; I'll have to check them out sometime."

"So how long have you been at this school?" Verginia asked.

"This is the beginning of my second year here. What about you?"

"Almost my second year"

With a timid smile, Layli said, "Cool.. So.. Have you always known you're a witch? Er, well, I suppose mage is the proper term, but you know what I mean."

Verginia smiled. "Yep, I come from a long line of witches and wizards. I did go to Hogwarts but when I started to float up in the middle of my Charms class I started coming here."

Layali gave a little laugh and said, "Yes, I imagine that would be quite a problem, to be floating around during class.."

"It did not help that we were doing cheering charms and mine was a bit strong."

Layali giggled then said, "I only found out I was a witch a little over a year ago when Professor Blake explained everything to me."

"What is your power?" Verginia asked.

Studying her shoes very intently, Layali seemed to withdraw back into herself as she murmured, "Oh, it's nothing really, I just sort of.. Have this.. Connection to the dead.."

"You’re the girl that can go into dead bodies?"

Quickly Layali said, "N-no, it's nothing like that, I-I just.. I can sort of raise the dead. Like zombies. I-It's only temporary, I can't actually give them real life.. Just artificial life.." Stumbling over her words, Layali winced and braced herself for the disgusted look she had no doubt was coming.

But Verginia just smiled and exclaimed, "That is so cool!"

Layali blinked, looked confused for a moment, and then just surprised. "W-what? Really? You don't think it's.. Weird?"

"Layali, if you haven’t noticed we are all weird here. For example.." Verginia closed her eyes. 'I can talk to your mind.' Verginia’s lips didn’t move and not a sound came from them, yet Layali could hear her as clear as if she’d spoken aloud.

Layali's eyes widened in surprise and then she grinned and said, "Wow, that's so neat." Squinting her eyes in concentration she thought, 'Can you hear what I think?'

Verginia smiled. "Yes I can, and don't concentrate so hard – you’re shouting in my head."

Layali smiled sheepishly and said out loud, "Oops, sorry.."

"That’s ok, everyone does that."

"Is it like everyone is shouting in a crowded room, or can you block it out?"

"It depends on my mood."

Layali nodded in understanding and said, "My magecraft is like that too sometimes. I've started to be able to control it more, but sometimes it still gets away from me, especially when emotions are running high." She smiled wryly and added, "Not the best thing when you're eight years old and your dog has just died."

"That’s not good. Oh, look, I'm bleeding.." Verginia pointed at her arm, which was now covered in blood.

"Oh, dear!" Looking worried, Layali asked, "Do you need to go to the Infirmary?"

"I think so. The problem is, I'm not sure if it was from the fall or the talking with my mind," Verginia replied.

"Has this ever happened before when you use your telepathy?"

"Sometimes."

"Hmm, we should probably get you to the Infirmary so the healers can take a look at you," Layali said while standing up, book in hand.

Verginia stood too. "Okay. Will you walk with me?"

With a smile, Layali replied, "Of course." With that, she began to head in the direction of the Infirmary, Verginia following along behind her.

As Layali and Verginia walked into the Castle they continued to talk.

"So, do you have a boyfriend?" Verginia asked.

Layali shook her head and replied, "No, I don't really know anyone here that well, even though I've been here a year. I've kind of kept to myself. What about you?"

"I do, his name is Wolf."

"How long have you two been going out?"

"Almost a year." Verginia smiled.

Layali smiled as well. "That's so great. You two must be really close."

"We are," Verginia said as they stopped outside the Infirmary.

"Well, this is it," Layali said, coming to a stop outside the doors. "Do you want me to come in with you? I sort of know a couple of the healers.."

"I know most of the healers, but you’re welcome to come in."

Layali smiled and replied, "Alright."

She opened the door and led the way in. There were lots of beds all lined up in rows, with curtains separating them. There were a few doors here and there, presumably leading to offices and rooms for more seriously injured patients. A few healers were bustling about, with one or two students in the beds.

One boy in particular sat on the end of one of the beds, his complexion very pale and looking extremely cold, wrapped up in a lot of clothes.

Verginia headed to the bed at the end of the row and sat down. "My normal bed."

Layali smiled and sat on the end of the next bed over while they waited for one of the nurses to come over. She pointed to a bed near a large window that had a nice view of the nearby forest and said, "That's the one I usually use."

"The only one that doesn't squeak! So, which house are you in?" Verginia asked.

"I'm in Air, what about you?"

"Same"

Layali smiled. "That's neat that we're in the same house." A young healer detached herself from a patient and came over, an exasperated, but friendly expression on her face. "Alright, what have you done to yourself now, Verginia?" She asked, hands on her hips.

“I tried to fly again,” Verginia said.

The healer raised an eyebrow and said with a half smile, "Again? Alright, let's take a look at the damage." She came over and began examining Verginia's arm. "This from your crash landing?"

The frozen-looking boy in the bed opposite them shivered and asked, pointing to the spare blanket at the end of Verginia’s bed, “Can I borrow that blanket please?”
Verginia looked at him, said “Sure”, and handed the blanket over. To the healer she said, “I fell on a stone bench.”

Layali stayed silent and smiled a little nervously at the boy, starting to feel a bit uncomfortable around so many people.

"Th-Th-Th..anks " The boy said, teeth chattering together as he took the blanket and smiled. He then went to look outside the big window as he noticed that Layali was uncomfortable around him

The healer shook her head and ‘tsk’ed quietly as she looked over Verginia’s injury, then took out her wand and conjured a roll of bandages and ‘accio’ed over some ointment. She cleaned up the wound, spread the ointment over it, and then began to wrap it in the bandages.

Layali meanwhile felt a little guilty for having made the boy leave, albeit indirectly, and so left the healer to her work walked over to where he was sitting. "Um, hi. I'm Layali."

The boy replied without looking away from the window, "Hi, I’m Jack. I would shake your hand, but.."

She smiled a little, sitting on the bed next to his. "It's alright." She looked out the window as well. "So, um, are you new here?"

"Yes, just came here. My abilities have just become more apparent, so I came here from Hogwarts. What about yourself?" Jack said while absently swirling his finger in a glass of water on the bedside table.

"It's the beginning of my second year here. Before I came here I didn't know what a witch or wizard let alone a mage was. My ability was brought to the attention of one of the professors here, and I was whisked away." She shrugged.

"So what is it you can do, if you don't mind me asking?" He said, turning to look at her for the first time.

"Oh, um, well, I can sort of raise the dead.." Layali replied. "I-I can't actually give them life, just temporarily animate them."

Jack smiled. "Sounds fun, and hard too..."

Layali shifted her gaze from the window to Jack and smiled as well, glad that he didn't freak out about her power. Today was turning out to be quite a day. Before now even the students here, with strange powers of their own, had regarded her as a freak for dealing with the dead. "It can be troublesome. What's your ability?"

Jack took his finger out of the glass and drank the water, then from nowhere the glass filled up again and the water flew out in the shape of a bird. "I can make and control water."

Layali leaned forward to get a better look at the bird, amazed, and said, "That's so neat. It looks so realistic."

The door of the Infirmary opened and another young man walked in, a cape billowing behind him.

He started looking through the cabinets as a girl entered behind him. She noticed the others there before he did and said, "Logan, I told you to check for people first."

He looked up. "Oh, sorry." He turned to the others. "Sorry, I don't think we know you.."

The bird turned to ice and smashed as it fell to the floor. "Oh, s.. ss.. sorry. Hello," Jack said, shivering again. He then turns to Layali and says, looking very cold now, “It has its drawbacks.”

Layali looked up, startled when two more people walked into the room, then seemed to withdraw back into herself slightly, tensing subconsciously. She'd been doing well lately, but her and people still didn't really mix well.

"I-I'm Layali. Layali Meskhenet." Good job. Only stammered once.

Looking back at Jack, she asked, "D-do you need another blanket?" Okay, twice. Still not as bad as the other day.

Jack shook his head. "I will be fine, thanks."

Autumn chuckled. "Weird name..."

Logan turned to her. "Autumn... Mouth."

"Whoops... Sorry, I'm Autumn Richardson. You can always call me ‘the Mind-Reader’, though. Everyone else seems to think it's amusing." She scoffed and turned away.

"You’ll have to excuse her. She doesn't think before talking." He said the last part slightly louder, looking pointedly at Autumn. "I'm Logan, by the way. Logan Willmington."

Jack looked to Logan and said, "I’m Jack."

Layali tilted her head forward slightly in acknowledgement of the introductions, then said to Logan and Autumn, "Nice to meet you.."

She frowned slightly, looking a bit confused while she studied Logan. After a moment she snapped out of it and looked away, realizing she'd been staring.

Logan simply shrugged off the stare. "Nice to meet you too. Now, if you'll excuse me for a sec.."

He turned to Autumn. "Look, I'm sorry okay. Get some gauze on that before it gets worse and it stains your shirt."

Blood was just starting to seep through Autumn's shirt around her shoulder and she said to him with a short glare, "You're not pulling a trick like that again. I'm not gonna be stupid enough to sit that close to you when you've got a sword in your hand. And how the hell did you end up with six in your hands anyway?"

Logan threw her a roll of gauze. "It only looked like six. It was really just two." He walked over to the window.

Autumn followed him. "When was the last time you washed this thing?" She tugged on his cape. "It looks filthy."

He laughed. "You know I washed it yesterday."

Sitting quietly, Layali let her gaze drift to the window, trying to ignore the strange feeling buzzing in the back of her mind.

Just then, an elderly healer approached her and said, "Hello, Layali. Here for a checkup? We haven't seen you in a while."

Layali looks up and said, "Oh, um, no, I'm just.. visiting."

The healer smiled and replied, "Alright. Have you been doing your physical therapy?"

Wincing, Layali said, "Yes.."

"Can't let those muscles stiffen up, now. That'd be a crying shame, seeing as how you just got 'em back to good health."

"I know.."

Sensing that Layali isn't up for talking about it right now, the healer moved on to other patients.

Jack got up and went to Layali, politely ignoring the exchange between her and the healer, then whispered, "Have you seen those two around before?" He nodded his head slightly towards Logan and Autumn.

Logan tensed up and Autumn noticed. "What is it?"

Logan smiled. "Well, I can't say nothing. I'll tell you later, okay?"

Autumn rolled her eyes. "It's a good thing I have you wrapped around my finger." Then she realized what she said. "No, I didn't mean it.. Logan-"

"It's fine. I know you just need your mouth taped shut sometimes. I may arrange it eventually." He smirked and she stopped herself from saying anything else, knowing he would tell her later.

Layali shook her head in response to Jack's question and replied quietly, "No, I haven't. Then again, I haven't exactly been Ms. Social during my time at ADSGMP. They may have been here the whole time without my noticing."

Autumn overheard what Layali said and piped up, "Two years. After we had a little.... Incident back at the other place." Autumn knew that sounded a little fishy but it was necessary for Logan's protection.

Layali smiled and said in an attempt to be friendly, "It's the beginning of my second year here. Have you guys always known you have magic?"

Jack shrugged. "Yeah, my mum and dad are both magical."

Logan turned toward them and said, "I have. Autumn found out when I told her about four years ago."

Jack took off the five blankets he had wrapped around himself and said to Logan and Autumn, "Can I ask what House you two are in?"

Autumn ignored Layali's attempt to be friendly and turned to Jack. "I'm in Air. Logan's in Fire. He and his destructive tendencies can get a bit carried away."

Logan gave her a look and she backed down, falling silent, knowing it was for more than one reason.

"Oh, damn, not in the same House." He looked outside and then asked them, "So what are your abilities?"

Logan answered hastily, "Quick learning."

Autumn concealed a grin. "Empathy, telepathy, and telekinesis. It can come in handy sometimes; other times, I really wish I didn't know some of the things I've learned."

Jack stepped back a bit. "Wow, mind reading? You haven’t been reading mine have you?"

Autumn chuckled. "Not on purpose. I may have gotten bits and pieces on accident, but they haven't been... processed, so to say."

Logan tried to stifle a sigh, grateful that no one made fun of his quick attempt to come up with a power.

As she quietly listened to the others converse, Layali absently traced a couple of scars on her arms. But when she heard Autumn say "telepathy", she jerked her hand away from her scars as though she'd been burned and immediately tried to think of other things.

"So why are you two up here?" Jack asked Logan and Autumn.

Autumn turned to Jack and said, "Mr. Destructive nicked with his sword. He claims it wasn't his fault and he's apologizing like mad, but it was his sword that connected with my shoulder. Therefore, it was his fault."

Logan looked at Autumn's shoulder. "You should probably change that. Unless you want me to stitch it."

Autumn gave him a stern look as he eyed her wound. "What have I told you? No dealing with the wounds," she hissed, urging him to look away as she grabbed some more gauze.

He shook himself out of the trance. "Right, sorry..."

"Have you washed that cut out?" Jack asked, looking at the wound. "It could get infected."

"Yeah. It'll be fine. It's not the first time this has happened." Autumn pushed back her shirt sleeve, taped the gauze quickly over the cut, and pulled the sleeve back down, hoping they didn't glimpse the tattoo on her upper arm.

Just then, the door to the Infirmary burst open and in walked a girl with flaming red hair, hauling a large fluorescent orange suitcase behind her. Black sunglasses covered her eyes and she'd left her hair down just so she wouldn't have to mess with it. Setting the suitcase down with a thud and planting her hands on her hips, she said to nobody in particular as she scanned the room, "Well. This certainly isn't the Fire Common Room."

Logan looked at the newcomer, his cape twirling around and raising dust as he turned around. "Down the stairs to the right. Last door on the left. You took a wrong turn after the fifth staircase. It does that on Thursdays and Saturdays."

Autumn looked at him. "Even I don't know that and I go there to get you every day."

"You're not in my house. Besides, you did know. I just didn't tell you," Logan said without looking at her.

The redhead focused her gaze on Logan, lifting up her sunglasses to perch them atop her head, exposing her eyes - the irises were a golden-yellow and her pupils feline slits. She replied, "Ah. Thank you. You must be in the Fire house as well, then. I'm Elena."

"Logan. Logan Willmington. I've been dubbed the direction-giver lately. So many newcomers."

Autumn grumbled and checked her injury. "He just can't contain himself," she mumbled so no one would hear.

Jack started to fill a bit uneasy with the amount of unknown people, so he sat on his bed playing with water, turning it into different shapes and sometimes dropping it on the floor.

Layali remained silent after Elena entered, tensing a bit more. She subconsciously began to trace her scars again as she watched the different shapes come to life from the water.

Elena grinned and said, sticking out her hand, "Nice to meet you. Hey, directions-giver is an important job, don't underestimate it."

Logan shook her hand.

"Don't get too close when he's got a sword in his hand. He might nick you," Autumn said more jokingly than threateningly.

Logan brought his hand to his concealed sheath. "Careful, I might just do it on purpose this time."

Elena laughs a little and says to Autumn, "I'll watch my step. What house are you then, if you're not Fire?"

Jack saw that he was been watched by Layali and decided to make a little fountain in his hand. He smiled as he started to look warmer.

Layali smiled at this and said, "It's lovely. It must be nice to be able to create things like that."

Autumn looked from Jack's fountain to Elena. "Me? Air. I'm supposed to be easier to control, but usually the only one who can is Linus here."

Logan grimaced. "How many times do I have to tell you? It's a cape. Not a blanket. And I don't suck my thumb, Lucy."

Elena grinned and said, "I have a feeling we'll get along just fine."

Jack smiled and said to Layali, "It is, but after two years of practice I can only make about two glasses of water and control one and half glasses." He then drops the water all over his bed.

Layali said with a smile of her own, "Well, I imagine every mage ability takes a lot of time and practice to control. At least it's water, not the neighbor's dog.. Two weeks deceased.."

Tilting her head at Layali and Jack, Elena asked them, "What about you two? What houses are you in?"

Jack smiled as he made his bed dry by collecting the water, then said as he played with it, "Take a guess."

"Hmm, wouldn't be Water by any chance, would it?" Elena said wryly, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Jack smiled. "Yeah, it would."

"I'm in the Air house as well.." Layali said quietly.

Autumn looked at Logan. ‘You gonna tell anyone yet?’

Logan jumped. ‘God, warn a guy please. If you're going to talk in my head, don't scare me like that.’

She tried not to laugh. ‘I thought you couldn't be scared.’

He scoffed. ‘The prospect of going 'Hey I'm a vampire. Wanna be my friend?' is pretty damn scary.’

Autumn nodded, also realizing how weird this must look to people who didn't know all that she could do.

She glanced at her shoulder. It was bleeding more than ever. "Logan, can I talk to you outside for a sec?" She walked right outside the door.

Logan followed, knowing what she wanted. He closed the door behind him.

Autumn looked at him. "Just make it quick and don't kill me..." She pulled back her sleeve and the gauze.

"I promise," Logan said. He leaned over and quickly sucked up some of the blood from her wound and patched it up so it wouldn't bleed as much as she looked away in disgust.

"You know, sometimes I think you do it on purpose."

Logan smiled and led the way back into the room.

Layali rubbed at her temples lightly as the faint tingling in her head increased slightly, and then shook her head, utterly baffled by it.

Elena tilted her head and asked, "Hey, you alright there?"

Layali nodded quickly and said, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

Elena nodded as well, letting it go, and said, "What's your name, anyway?"

"Erm, Layali."

"Nice to meet you. And you?" Elena asks, indicating Jack.

"I’m Jack. If you don’t mind me asking, what is your ability?"

Autumn idly poked at her healing wound. "Lemme guess.... It's got something to do with a tail. That's the only thing we don't have in here. I mean we've got the water guy, the mind-reader, the zombie girl, and Linus. To complete it, we need the tail."

Elena grinned at Autumn and said, "You're good. Let's just say that when my emotions run high I get a bit ‘catty’."

"Wow... Total joke." Autumn actually seemed surprised.

"I thought you were too honest to make jokes," Logan teased.

"Haha, very funny. Keep in up and your name will always be Linus," Autumn said with a slight frown.

Elena shrugged and said to Logan and Autumn, "It's like popsicles."

At their blank looks she added, "You know, a great invention that was an accident. So great accidental insight is like popsicles."

Logan looked at Autumn. ‘You say anything, I will personally let you bleed to death. And believe me it'll be worse for me than for you.’

Autumn rolled her eyes. ‘Fine, I would rather not bleed to death anyway.’

Jack got up and went to sit next to Layali, whispering, "I think there’s more to that guy than meets the eye."

Layali frowned slightly and asked quietly, lowering her voice to avoid being overheard by the others, "What do you mean?"

"I saw him look at his friend’s cut as if he needed it, and then he snapped out of it. And who use swords nowadays? Plus, his ability can’t just be quick learning, I know muggles who are quick learners." Jack whispered back, keeping his expression calm. "Why lie if it’s not bad?"

Layali considered this, watching Logan out of the corner of her eye. "There is something.. strange.. about him.."

Elena flopped casually down onto one of the hospital beds, sighing theatrically. "So left out and alone.. Woe is me.."

"Better than being shunned for being the Mind-Reader," Autumn said.

Logan glared at her. ‘Also better than being a vampire.’

Autumn looked at him. ‘Hey, I haven't said anything, have I?’

‘Damn, mind reader..’ Jack thought. ‘Haven't thought this though..’ Then he said a quick "Bye" to everyone and walked out very quickly.

Autumn listened to Jack's thought and didn't reply to his good-bye as he left.

Layali said goodbye to Jack, paused, then stood and began to head toward the large window that looked out at the forest.

Elena, meanwhile, continued to lounge boredly on the bed.

Logan got up to get more bandages for Autumn in case she needed them later, which he knew she wouldn't. His arm brushed against Layali's and he got a sharp pain in the back of his mind.

Layali couldn't stifle a gasp, gray eyes widening, as first a sharp pain lanced through her temples, then a pleasant coolness washed over her, almost like when she raised the dead, but different somehow.

Autumn looked at Logan as she sensed the pain. "Oh crap... I knew something bad would happen..."

Logan just looked dumbfounded. "What just happened?"

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"I-I'm not sure.." Layali said, raising a hand to touch her temples lightly, frowning. "Did you feel that too?"

"Yeah.." Logan looked to Autumn. ‘Ok, you can say if you want to. She'll figure out eventually after that...’

Autumn looked excited. She went over to Layali and looked at Logan. "Did you wonder what the cape was? Put that together with the feeling of the undead and there you have your unveiled secret."

Layali paused for a moment, then realization hit her. "Oh. Ohh.. That.. certainly explains a lot." She took a step closer to Logan, looking him up and down as though he were a fascinating new species she'd just discovered. "You certainly don't look dead."

"Well, as far as I know I am... I don't have to breathe underwater." Logan chuckled slightly. "Though the craving for blood certainly doesn't make things easy."

Elena, still lounging on the bed, raises an eyebrow at all this and says, "So, you're a vamp, huh? Well, that completes it. Telepathic girl, water guy, necromancer, cat girl, vampire. Though you seem to be doing alright for yourself, for a dead guy."

Jack walked back in saying, "He’s undead, not dead, and we have something in common."

Layali smiled a little at Elena’s comment and said, "I wonder.. For raising corpses that have been dead for over a certain period of time, I need to use a blood sacrifice.. Is there some sort of connection? Blood to animate the dead.. Blood to sustain a vampire..? Oh, sorry, I-I'm rambling.. I do that sometimes.."

She looked up as Jack reentered and asked quizzically, "Something in common..?"

Logan shrugged off the rambling. Autumn took Jack's comment. "Oh yeah, the breathing in water thing. I didn't think you could do that though, Jack. I figured it'd be more of a bubble thing."

Jack smiled. "Nope, not that - I still need oxygen. But as for body heat.." Jack went to Logan’s side and held out his hand for a hand shake. "If you take my hand you will see that I'm as cold as you."

"Until Logan feeds, and then the warmth of the ‘donor’ is transferred to him, right?" Layali asked, then blushed a bit at her tactlessness. "Erm, sorry.. I've been reading a book by this muggle author, Anne Rice.."

From where she was sitting, Elena piped up, "Hon, you don't need to apologize for everything you say, you know.."

"I'm sor- erm, I mean.. Y-yes.."

"Well now.. Does anyone have any more secrets to tell?" Jack asked.

Autumn looked around. "I'm pregnant!"

Logan glared at her. "No, you're not. You've never even had a boyfriend. Stop making this a soap opera."

Elena shrugged. "When I was in seventh grade I went to a party when I was supposed to be at a study group, got drunk, and puked on the Persian carpet. But I don't think that's what you meant."

Jack smiled and then went to his bed and filled an empty jug up with water the poured it into a glass.

Autumn took a trip to the window. "Well, this kind of seems like a bonding thing... So, like, are we all friends now or what?"

Elena shrugged. "Seems that way, doesn't it? Like a little ‘fate bringing us together’ thing. Oh, the irony! The drama! The emotions that are evoked in this precious moment!"

Layali gave her a look as though she were mad - and she probably was - then said quietly to herself, "Friends?" Odd. She'd never had friends before.

Jack smiled. “Yeah, you can say that.” He got up and headed to the window. "But I've never believed in fate."

Logan smirked. "Fate has never existed. It's an illusion. I think someone in my family invented it."

Autumn looked at the group again. "No, it was the stupid kid back at the orphanage."

"Oh right... He was convinced that fate didn't want me in my family," Logan said, rolling his eyes.

Elena sat up and said in a dramatic voice, "Ah, fate is a fickle fish! Is it chance or is it design? No mortal man shall ever know!" She glanced at Logan. "Or immortal, as the case may be.."

Layali laughed quietly.

Autumn looked at Elena. "Stop making things sound so dramatic! You make it sound like-"

Logan put his hand over her mouth. "I'll open up the cut again."

Autumn looked shocked. ‘You wouldn't!’

Logan smirked. "Oh, I would."

Jack just kept looking out the window, smiling.

Unphased, Elena simply grinned at Autumn and said, "Like a soap opera? Yes, it does sound like that, doesn't it? Or perhaps a Shakespearean play.. Then fall, Caesar! Oh, happy dagger!"

Layali laughed again at this and commented, "Those aren't even from the same play, Elena.."

Autumn turned to Layali. "Someone's been studying Shakespeare."

Layali smiled tentatively and said, "I just read a lot.."

Logan listened to the silence that followed and mumbled, "A gay baby was just born."

‘Logan, we're not in the muggle world anymore. They won't get it when you say things like that.’ Autumn said in Logan’s mind.

He looked at her. ‘They wouldn't get half the things you say, anyway.’

Elena sat there silently for a moment during this silent exchange, and then said, "I'm bored. Anybody know any spells that are sure to cause a calamity and change the world as we know it forever?"

Autumn sighed. "If I did, I'd have taken over the world already..."

"Mm, pity. I fancied this castle would make a nice summer home," said Elena in an offhanded way.

"Is anyone else starting to get really tired of a room full of beds and needles?" Autumn said, realizing how long they had been in there.

"Yeah, let's find someplace a bit more open." Logan said, heading for the door.

Jack figured that he had been forgotten so he went to his bed and started to read a very tatty spell book.

Elena shrugged, hopping off the bed. "Works for me."

She looked at her bright orange suitcase, which is still sitting in the middle of the floor. "Eh, whatever." She whipped out her wand and muttered an incantation, then pointed it at the suitcase. Shortly afterwards the suitcase vanished. "With any luck, it'll end up in the Fire common room." She said cheerfully, heading for the door.

Turning around, she called to Layali and Jack, "Hey, you two coming or what?"

Layali hesitated for a moment, then with a small smile she stood up as well and joined the group.

Jack got up too and shrunk his book, putting it in his pocket, then followed the others.

As they neared the door to go outside, Logan stepped aside for a second.

Autumn kept going like it was a normal occurrence, which, for her, it was.

Logan pulled up the hood of his cape and quickly caught back up to Autumn.

"Sun still bad? I thought you were getting over that," Autumn said without looking at him.

"It's getting worse again," he said, looking at the ground.

Tilting her head curiously, Elena asked, "Yeah, what's the deal with that anyway? Aren't vamps supposed to go up in flames in sunlight or something to that effect?"

Logan turned to her and said dryly, "Hence the cape and hood."

"Ah, so it's true, then?" Elena couldn’t help a little grin. "You must go through a hell of a lot of sunblock."

Autumn laughed. "No, he refuses it every time I hand him a bottle. He sticks with the cape."

Elena laughed as well and said in a mock scolding tone, "Now, now, you don't want to ruin your complexion, do you? Sunlight causes wrinkles, you know. An ounce of prevention is worth a hell of a lotta cure."

Jack saw a pond and walked to it very slowly, looking deep in thought.

Layali tarried along the edge of the group, silent once again. Spotting Jack separating from the group to approach a pond, she decided to follow. Drawing near, she murmured a "hey" to announce her presence so he wouldn't think she was trying to spy on him.

Jack smiled as he saw some fish in the pond. "Hello. Not going with them?"

With a small smile, Layali shook her head. "I think I'll leave them to their energetic little bubble for now."

" Yeah, too Energetic for my tastes also right now..." Then some water from the pond came to Jack's hand. There was a fish in the water, which he now closely watched.

Layali nodded in agreement. "Mm, it's a bit exhausting at times keeping up with them. It's been a while since I've been around so many lively people that acknowledge me." She laughed softly. "No pun intended on the lively part."

“No pun intended, but it’s a good one. Wait, why don’t they acknowledge you?” As he spoke, Jack let the fish go back into the pond.

Layali shrugged, sitting down at the edge of the pond. "Oh, you know, just people being people. Even mages get freaked out by the girl that deals with the dead. And rumors only blow what I can do way out of proportion. For instance, I cannot turn living people into zombies that do my bidding. But I think you'll find that a clique of Earth students think otherwise."

"If you raise the dead, can you control them?" He asked.

"Sometimes. It usually takes touching them with or having them ingest an amount of my blood. But.. not always. There was this time a couple of years ago.." Layali trailed off, staring at the lake as though she weren’t really seeing it, but instead some past horror replaying in her mind.

"This time a couple of years ago..? When what happened?" Jack looked at her worriedly.

When she lifted her gaze from the lake to look at Jack, there was a haunted look in her stone grey eyes. They were the eyes of a person who had been through too much, far too young. "Remember the neighbor's dog that I mentioned? I.. I didn't intend to raise her. It was sort of just a panicked instinct. I don't remember sending her a command, either, but.. She must have sensed my will or something.."

"What did it do?" He asked.

After a pause, Layali said, "She.. defended me. Probably saved my life. Which is a bit ironic, given her deceased state."

"Oh, well for that I'm grateful since she saved the life of my new best friend." Jack smiled.

Layali smiled and said, "Thanks.. That means a lot to me, after years of solitude."

Jack lay down, looking up at the sky. "I wish I could fly."

Layali tilted her head up to look at the sky and commented, "I met a girl in Air who can. Without a broomstick, that is. It must be nice."

"I cant even fly on a broom... I get very ill if I'm not near a water supply. I would die if I were in a desert."

"That doesn't sound so good.. So you've never flown?" Layali asked.

"Once, then I dropped of the broom about 100 feet in the air because I was feeling light headed and the world was spinning." Jack sighed.

Layali winced and said, "Ouch. I've never been the greatest flier in the world, but it's nice to know I at least have the option. Maybe someday your range will expand, so that you can be farther away from water..?"

Back in Energetic Land, Logan kept walking forward. "I'll stick with the cape, anyway. Much more of a fashion statement."

Her perpetual smirk on her face, Elena saluted Logan and said, "Aye, aye, Dracula."

Logan laughed. "It's Count Dracula to you, missy."

Elena laughed as well. "Of course, of course, I stand corrected, Count D."

Autumn looked hurt. "You've never let me call you that before!"

"That's because you've been the victim to so many of those cuts you hate," Logan said. "Plus, you'd be convinced I'd turn into the real one. That would be bad."

"Yeah, then we'd never be able to get rid of him," Elena said with a broad grin.

Logan smiled, though it was hard to see under the hood. "Who says you can get rid of me now?"

Fighting to keep a straight face, Elena put her hands on her hips, raised her chin arrogantly, and asked, "Is that a threat?"

"I see no reason to be gotten rid of... but I guess you could try."

Autumn looked disgusted. ‘You're flirting with her?’

Logan scoffed. ‘Do you have a problem with that?’

Maintaining her fake high-and-mighty expression, Elena replied, "It suits my purposes to keep you around.. for now."

"Then I'll just have to get rid of myself, won't I?" Logan laughed.

Autumn noticed Logan was starting to slow down. ‘Hey, how much sleep have you gotten lately? And how much food have you been getting? You've been acting weaker.’

Logan shook his head. ‘Not now. This is the most fun we've had in over a year. You should be enjoying it. Don't worry about me.’

"Hm, but that wouldn't be any fun, now would it? I'd have to go through all the trouble of finding myself another hobby," Elena said.

"So, he's your hobby now? Do you know how wrong that sounds?" Autumn stormed off, disgusted with the turn of conversation. ‘If you fall over and the catty bitch can't help you, you might be able to find me.’

Logan turned as she left. ‘Autumn-’

‘I'm not staying near her, Logan. Not if she's naming you her hobby after knowing you for about an hour.’ With that, she was gone, a mental wall effectively cutting Logan off from reaching her.

Looking baffled by Autumn's sudden outburst, Elena raised her eyebrows slightly and asked, "Was it something I said..?"

Logan scoffed. "I've taken to believing she has permanent PMS. I'm not completely sure it's true, but we can believe it anyway." He tripped in a small hole and his hood started to come back. He pulled it forward quickly, not caring about the pain in his leg.

Looking a bit concerned, her teasing tone dropped, Elena asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine..." Logan said, trying to stand up. "I just haven't been feeding enough lately."

Elena offered her hand to help him up. "You mean blood? Do you need a donation?" She asked this as plainly as though she were offering him a glass of water.

He took the proffered hand. "No, I just need to find a nice little rodent or something..." He said, scanning the grounds. "Maybe a rabbit..."

"As appetizing as that sounds," Elena said dryly, "why go through the trouble when you've got a free buffet just sitting here?" She paused. "That just made me sound like a slut, didn't it?"

"Which is why I'm trying not to think of that comment. Thanks for the offer though. Human blood actually doesn't sustain me as much. It's since I've spent so much time of my undead life with humans; it's just not as appealing."

She nodded and said, "Understandable. You'd think that the school would provide you with blood bags or something though. They do know about you being all creature of the night, right?"

Logan sat down, feeling lightheaded. "Yeah, the Headmistress and a few of the teachers know. They let me go hunting in the forest a few times a week. It works better than anything else."

Sitting down as well, Elena said, "Soo, are you on hunger strike or something? 'We won't feed until you meet our needs'?"

Logan laughed. "I couldn't sustain myself through that. It's more of a time commitment and sleep deprivation. I've just been sleeping more and hunting less. It's turning out to be a bad idea."

"No shit," she said with a little laugh. "So, do you need to hunt now?"

"Hell yes. I'm not going to be able to sustain myself through the night otherwise." Logan looked back at the castle. "I just wish Autumn didn't go... She has a keener sense of where the easier catches are..."

"Well, I'm no empath, but.." She pointed to her eyes. "I've got night vision on my side. And when I'm shifted, my hearing and sense of smell is heightened."

Logan smiled. "That might help. Come on... I should probably do this now."

Elena smiled back and nodded, standing up. "What kind of game do you usually find in this forest?"

"Let's see... I've gotten a few deer, rabbits, muskrats, raccoons, and skunks, which, by the way, taste as bad as they smell." Logan chuckled weakly.

Elena laughed and said, heading in the direction of the forest, "I'll take your word for it. Eau d' Skunk is not my favorite scent."