Home, Sweet Home.

[Marcus Drake]

There was a downpour.
The rain was heavy and fast falling, wetting everything over the moors around Hogwarts within seconds of the heavens opening.
The gods themselves were spilling their tears upon the ravaged world below.

The thud of the giant pendulum in the entrance hall echoed oddly with the sound of the rain outside. A small lake was forming from the double doors, both old sentinels stood swung inwards, letting the cold chill from outside seep into the hall.

It had been so long, almost a year now since he'd been gone.
He had no idea what had happened and who would now greet him, was he a friend or would they be a foe? The figure stood in the doorway did not know.

Water had matted his hair to his face beneath his hood. He was attired in a black hoodie beneath his leather and denim jacket. His booted feet were muck covered and muddy boot prints led up the marble stairs.
He was bigger than when he had left, as if over the summer and winter he'd bulked up, grown taller. But for all these changes, something else was very much evident.

He had sallow, haunted eyes.

He'd done things, terrible things that he did not think he was capable of doing. Something a wizard should not do, but he did. He never knew how good it felt, he had always imagined great regret but he did not, using that curse made him feel strong.

New blood was coursing through his viens and he knew not wether it was for the better or the worse? Time would tell, his friends would tell.
He took two steps into the hall and felt a warmth wash over him. The warmth of home.

He was back, finally he was back.

He released the carry all he held in his left hand and let it fall to the ground, he brought his long fingers up and pushed back his hood. His face caught the light and he blinked those shockingly unatural eyes. The icechip blue halos were staring out of a high cheeked pale face, a ragged scar tipping the left side of his features.

He took a deep breath of the air and something passed across his face, a smile.

[Eva Seivert]

It had been a dreary day but sadly, a rather normal day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft of Wizardry. Sometimes Eva thought about how the weather would be like at home in Canada but unfortunately, the rain might be snow at the moment.

Eva sighed as she carefully put on her royal blue hood and made her way from the green houses to the school again. Others were not so wise to bring their cloak and so some had to resort running back through the swampy grass for cover. Eva took her time, careful not to get her mary jane shoes muddy. She could put a mud repelling charm but alas by the time she thought about it, she had already made it back to the castle that had been her home for close to 3 years. Angel would have been disappointed, but no matter. With the tilt of her head, she knocked back her hood and started to make her way back to her common room on the other side of the building.

Rainy days like these made her want to sit by the fire with a good book or even just to cuddle with someone. These days made her think of her Marcus and unfortunately, that were a lot of days she thought about Marcus. She bit her lip lightly as she the wound was opened again as she thought of that name.

The break up was mutual: Marcus was leaving school and he didn't know when he would be back. It was realistic, they both reasoned. It was cruel to make Eva wait for someone that may never return. Nevertheless, she still loved him as much as the day they broke up and thought of him often as she tried to move on. Sure there was her crush on Franz but when she thought of Marcus, the feelings didn't even compare. She wasn't using Franz but she wasn't completely over Marcus, for better or for worse.

She sighed heavily. Why couldn't it be sunny today? A few friends waved as she passed them by and she flashed a brilliant smile to them as she turned the corner to pass through the Entrance hall. It was the quickest way to get to the Ravenclaw tower and she couldn't wait to take off her cloak and shoes....

When Moses stood before the Red Sea, he made it part with his staff ordained by God. As Eva raised her eyes to the mist of people who were walking to their destinations, the sea of people parted and all she could see was the one face, the one body and the one set of eyes she didn't know if she could bear to see again.

Her books dropped from her thin hands to the floor. Her chest heaved rapidly as she stared at her former companion in awe, panic, love and despair all in one moment. He came back. Marcus came back and any feelings that she should move on felt like boulders on her shoulders. She felt guilty, wrong, dirty although she was legitimate in doing so.

"Marcus." She said softly and without another word, reached down to pick up her books. She needed time to process her feelings and thoughts and needed to sort them out. She wasn't prepared for his return although in the deepest part of her irrational mind, she had hoped he would come back. In fact she wished it for more than anything for him to come back.

Her wish came true... but was her wish something to be granted?

[Marcus Drake]

Marcus was a very single minded male.
He prided himself in the fact he was emotional and could steel himself against the more feminine aspects of every day life but try as he did, he could never truly prepare himself for that moment.

The sea of students parted and it was like meeting an angel.
It was like he was seeing her for the first time again.
The feeling that wracked him was of adolescant awkwardness.
The same awkward fumbling that had over taken him that day in the cave behind the water fall.

The day he had plucked up the courage to kiss her.

He felt a choke come unbidden to his throat, it tightened and something hot raged in his face. He couldn't tell, but it felt very much like guilt and shame.
That he'd left her, slipped away with nary a word to the far east.

And now he felt the weight of what he'd done come crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. He'd left, deserted her, abandoned her when she most probaly needed him the most. He had not sent any word to her in an entire year and then suddenly he came back. Who was he to come crashing back into her life? Who was he to ruin her feelings again?

He fixed his eyes upon hers, although there was great distance between them, he could make out every feature of her face, all the freckles and the curves that he liked. The way her eyes sparkled, the way her cheeks dimpled when she smiled. He felt completely and utterly helpless at that moment, and also like he'd had a hippogriff kick him in the chest.

He wanted to go to her.
He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her and cry out to the heavens how sorry he was but all he could manage was two steps forward and a weak murmmer out of his mouth that not even he understood.

[Eva Seivert]

Eva's hands shook as she picked up her books with her legs bent and almost to her chin. She concentrated hard on the covers of her text books and by the time she stood up again, she sheepishly wondered if he was a figment of her imagination. Marcus never told her when he would be back, so why did Eva assume that he was now?

Her royal blue eyes left the floor slowly and settled on the dark figure by the heavy big doors again. She exhaled deeply and quickly when she realized how foolish she was being. You silly thing, she reasoned, that is not a figure of your imagination. You need to face him.

You need to face him. Pulsed echoed through her mind and Eva took a step towards him, unwilling to do so yet couldn't pull away. With each step she took towards him, gut reactions ran in different directions, attempting to take Eva with them. She wanted to run into his arms, hold him close and never let go again, she wanted to turn on her heels and run away to not deal with the turmoil of what Marcus' returned meant to her and finally she wanted to continue walking up to him slowly but surely, to get her bearings and figure out what she wanted to say.

She reached him too soon but not soon enough. She stood before him and her chest heaved visibly to his presence and slightly her hands shook as she clutched her books. "Marcus." She said softly.

"Marcus." She said again her voice stronger and more conviction. She studied him, taking in his presence and his changes. No matter what scars he obtained, he was still handsome to her.

"Oh Marcus." She said softly again with a small smile. She couldn't help herself. "You're back."

[Marcus Drake]

As she walked towards him he felt almost like a rabbit in the headlights.
Here he was, someone who commited the ultimate sin, someone who had gone as far as to actually take a life, scared beyond his wits at the situation unfolding before him.

She reached the ground before him, books stacked in her arms as always, there were subtle changes and a shocking one, the fact she was blonde.
He fallen in love with her fiery red hair and the sparkle of her eyes, but it wasn't nescesarily a bad thing, just something he'd have to get used to.

" Eva.." his voice rumbled out from between his lips like a lions purr. His body had shed all his previous weight while he'd lived in hogwarts, he was bordering on being far too thin than is healthy. He sported new scars and hard lines to his face, which all accented his piercing unatural eyes.

" Eva, i've missed you. "

[Eva Seivert]

Her eyes ran over her former boyfriend slowly, taking in all the changes that had occurred to him since she last saw him. He was actually lanky now instead of normal and the scars on his face were more prominent and more than what she remembered. It was clear that Marcus had been through a lot and though Eva resisted touching his face or grabbing his hand, she secretly wondered what adventures Marcus went through.

"I thought I would never see you again." The mouth escaped her mouth and for a split second, she wished she didn't have to say it. However as she looked into his eyes, she knew that it had to be said. "I thought I lost you forever..."

So many emotions were tugging at her at once, confused on how to act, or if she should act at all. "What happened to you?" She gazed up at him, looking deeply into his eyes without touching him at all. Even those that were walking by knew that this was a very private moment for the two individuals.

[Marcus Drake]

He didn't know what to tell her.
How could he form it into words?
Could he simply just swan in and tell her he'd been on the verge of becoming a Death Eater or their likeness. Could he tell her he'd been summoned by his family to join the family calling. Could he tell her?

His fingers twitched, wanting for all the world to touch her soft skin, to feel the whisper of her lips against his calloused pads. He just wished, silently for that moment, he could hold her again.

But he knew he'd been gone too long.

" I had to see my family Eva. " He knew it was a pathetic excuse but not to him. It was probaly the most pivotal moment in his life, coming to his cousins and uncles and telling them no. Proving he was different, that he wasn't a ravenous, raging beast like all the Drake males. It had ended in disaster.

" I had to prove things, set things straight and to do that, I had to leave without you, so you couldn't follow. You would have been in danger Eva and i'd not be able to live if something happened to you. "

[Eva Seivert]

Marcus never fully discussed his family history with Eva but she knew enough to know the deep meaning of his words. I had to tell them no echoed in her brain over and over again, wondering the weight of that statement meant for Marcus, unable to imagine the magnitude his decision had on his future and his already fragile ties to the Drake clan. His family was former Death Eaters, everyone knew it and many times she heard that it was stupid, even dangerous for Eva to be with Marcus.

But Eva knew Marcus was different. Even if she couldn't explain it to others and therefore seemed like a silly girl to all of them, hoping he would change and defy his destiny, she knew. She knew Marcus was never meant to be evil, to be a Death Eater. He was her Marcus. The sweet boy that took her to dances even though he didn't like crowds. The boy that held her in his arms night after night when she thought she lost her brother. The boy she first loved and the boy that left her heartbroken.

But maybe Marcus wasn't that same boy. Eva had resigned to this fact, as much as it pained her to do so. She hadn't given it thought they could go back to what they use to be, before life corrupted them. It seemed alien to her, though parts of her wanted more than anything. Franz was a boy she had a crush on. Marcus was a boy she loved with her whole body and soul. What she had with Marcus never compared to her desire and lust for Franz.

"I would have gone with you." Eva's lip trembled. "I could have taken care of myself." She naively determined, unable to comprehend the danger Marcus put himself through, the battles he had to endure to sever himself from his family.

I would have taken care of you.. helped you. She thought in her mind, but didn't have the nerve to say it to him. Eva always knew that Marcus had much more experience dueling than she did. Marcus had more life experience than she did. "Anything was better than staying here, wondering if I would ever see you again.. wondering if you found someone better." She whimpered and stared down at her feet, unable to bring herself to look at him. It was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, waiting for a girl to show up after him. A werewolf like himself. They met under the full moon and just been together ever since. Helped him. Protected him. All the things Eva wanted to do but couldn't. It almost made Eva blind with jealously though she knew he was fair game. He wasn't her's anymore.

"Are you back for good?" She asked him after a few seconds pause, holding her breath to calm down but to also hear the answer. She wanted him back, so much. If they never became an item again, it was assuring for Eva to know that Marcus was safe.

[Marcus Drake]

A torrent of emotions smashed into him and he began to feel light headed.
He had no idea what was happening, it all seemed so surreal.
He knew one thing though, that she was real, she was stood here infront of him, the very face that had been at the fore front of his mind his entire journey.

Her words were almost like a bitter knife in the chest, he could feel the weight behind those words and he realised how much stress and pain he must have put her through abandoning her like that.

He reached forward and took her hands in his, his skin cold against her warmth.

" Eva, It is not a matter of wether you would have come or not, I was not going to put you in any danger, your far to precious to me for that. " He let a smile break the ice that was his face, his cheeks raising and revealing his white teeth.

" I am truly sorry to have done this to you, forgive me if you can but if you do not I cannot blame you, I did abandon you. "

He released her hands and placed his own by his sides, letting his finger tips twitch against the fabric of his jeans. The words he spoke were forming a tight knot in his throat and it took a monumental force of will to speak the next words.

" I am back, Eva, and i'm never leaving. "

It felt so good to say them atlast, to finally be back. But at the same time, the guilt of all he'd done smashed into him like a hammer.

[Eva Seivert]

Eva felt the shock of Marcus' hand joined with hers and when he pulled away, she desperately wanted to keep it there but didn't reach for it again. She knew there was a time and a place for everything, and now wasn't the time to hold hands.

She then looked up at him as he smiled and instinctively, she smiled too. She loved it when Marcus smiled. He didn't do it often but when he did, it light up Eva's whole world. She wanted to bicker with him, to tell him that he didn't have a right to decide for her what to do and where to go, she wanted to agree with him and tell him that he did abandon her but all she could do was dumbly smile up at him.

Then when she heard the next words that he was staying, Eva's grin was so big that it almost threatened to move off her face. Totally forgetting herself, she dropped her books, threw her arms around Marcus and held him close to her.

"Good! You better stay here!" She exclaimed girlishly. She wanted to add with me but she didn't. A lot still was on her mind but resisted talking about it with him now. She didn't want to ruin this moment. This was the highlight of her year, having her first love back. She smelled the sweat on his hair and the smell of traveling on his clothes but she didn't care. He was back in her arms and that what mattered.

After a few minutes, she pulled away from him slowly and for a few seconds, their faces were close to each other. Oh! How she missed him and her girl heart beat faster as she landed firmly on her two feet and away from him, though every physical part of her was resisting it.

"Are you hungry?" She gulped unwilling to ruin this moment again. She just wanted to be with him, to just bask in his presence. She forgot about Franz, about the hurt she experienced, the lonely nights she endured. They would come back to her but not now. She didn't want the obvious to come back now.

She looked quickly behind him to make sure he was alone. He seemed wounded that she mentioned anything of someone else but it was an emotional thought. Eva thought about Franz. Marcus was sure to think of another.

She bit her lip momentarily but pushed the thought of the German from her mind. Not now. She didn't want to battle those emotions now.

[Marcus Drake]

When she practically jumped on him he tensed for a moment, not clear on the intention, but a split second after that he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. He could smell the sweetness in her hair, the soft scent she gave off that sent him crazy. Oh, how he'd missed that.

A great man once said; Boys dont cry.

Marcus agree'd with him, but at that very moment he very nearly cried. This was the first happy encounter he'd had in over a year. He wouldn't cry though, not here, not infront of her. He hate himself for it, because it was weak and above all, he despised weakness.

Her words brought on an answer not from his lips but from his stomach, it growled and rumbled as loud as the rain outside. He grinned awkwardly and hefted his duffle bag from the floor and let it hang over his leather clad shoulder.

" I'm starving, i've been living on crap for months. "

He wouldn't tell her he'd hardly eaten a thing, only eaten what he needed to each day. He'd run out of money in the first two months and from there it was relying on his hunting abilities and soup kitchens during the day.

[Eva Seivert]

Eva knew that Marcus was a man's man. He always had been. It was clear in the relationship who was the dominant one though many said that Marcus was like a puppy when it came to Eva. However, labels didn't mean much to Eva and smiled at him again when he said he was hungry. She was too.

"I was going to go back to my tower and put my books away, but I'll wait later. I'm sure everyone will be excited to see you!" She exclaimed, hoping that everyone was just as happy as her to see him. She was like a little girl again, practically skipping with him to the Great Hall for some food.

They certainly were a mismatched pair, even more so now because Marcus had been living in the wild for a long time and Eva always was carefully groomed. As the pair walked into the Great Hall, many people stopped to look at the pair as they took a seat at the Ravenclaw table. They were shocked that he was back and that Eva was all smiles. Didn't he leave her?

Eva was fully aware of the stares they were getting and it made her nervous a bit. She didn't want anything to scare him off now that he was back and that included people. She piled up her plate as she sat down and removed her cloak. She looked over at Marcus and wanted to ask him about his "trip" but didn't want to bombard him with questions.

She also didn't know which one to ask first.

"Where did you go on your journey?" She asked quietly, unsure if this was the easiest question first.

[Marcus Drake]

Marcus stride was full of pride but there was also something cautious about it. As if he was a predator stalking into anothers territory, ready to fight or fly at any given time.

A few people called out to him, some suprised to see him back, others with venom in their words. Marcus wasn't exactly the nicest person. He had those he considered friends, but everyone else was fair game until proven otherwise.

He couldn't help but grin as he sat down opposite Eva. He adored her, loved her so much it hurt him, but he had no love for her house. He looked to his left and saw a first year piling food onto a plate, mounds of sausages and other meats. Marcus grabbed the plate out of the younger students hands and dumped it infront of him.

" Thankyou for your kind donation. " He turned to grin at the first year. The kid began to protest but another student hurried him away, muttering he shouldn't fight a werewolf, they were little better than animals.

Marcus threw a dark look after them then turned back to his food, he removed his gloves and tucked into the mound of food.
Then Eva hit him with the question he'd been waiting for, but reluctant to answer.

He swallowed down his food with a wash of pumpkin juice and wiped the grease off his fingers. He cast his peircing gaze onto her and stayed silent for a moment before answering.

" I went home, to Prechernya, to see my family. There was some truths I had to find out. "

[Eva Seivert]

Eva had no idea that Marcus wasn't very fond of Ravenclaw as she sat down gingerly and started to eat the food she put on her plate. She was use to eating light and watched the scene where Marcus took the food off the first year with a slight giggle. However, same as Marcus, she gave them a dark look after the pair when they mentioned the word "werewolf".

It took him a minute to answer seeing he was busily chomping on some real food instead of the awful food he ate while he was away and when he did, it only prompted Eva to ask him more. She wanted to know where was Prechernya? How many family members were still alive? How did he find them? What truths did he have to find out?

However, she resigned herself to merely nodding at his answer and put her fork full of salad into her mouth to chew thoughtfully. A few minutes went by and Eva couldn't hold it in anymore. She put her fork down and leaned over the table, her chest pressed into the side.

"I know its been a trying day for you, Marcus. I don't mean to bombard you with questions.. but I have so many to ask." She looked at him softly and bit her lip.

"Please tell me everything. Your family, what you had to find out. You never let me in the loop before, which I understand your reasons for doing... but I want to know now. You owe me that to tell me."

[Marcus Drake]

Marcus shovelled food into his maw, relieved to be eating food that wasn't of dubious origin. He gave an involuntary shudder at the soup he'd eaten passing through a halfway house in Germany. The way it had moved of its own free will when he'd probed it with a spoon. He promptly put down his fork at that point, content to let the food settle in his stomach.

He couldn't help fixing his stare upon her face when she questioned him about what he'd been doing. He had silenced himself many times when people had questioned his intent and purpose moving through borders and inns. He told people he was visiting family and in a sense that was true.

He knew there would be no escaping what he'd done, but she didn't have to know exactly what had happened, not yet anyway. So he resigned himself to letting slip some truths. He gave a sigh, adjusted himself upon the bench and played his fingers across the wood of the table, his eyes fixed upon the bench just infront of where she was leant.

" It's no secret that my father was a major supporter of a certain Dark Lord, infact that jepordised my position at Hogwarts for several years, hence my late start. Its some what of a family tradition to sally up with a dark wizard and learn all you can from them....I guess i'm the exception. "

He tapped his fingers twice on the table to remind himself to monitor his words, he didn't think she was ready to find out the whole truth and he wasn't ready to be spurned by the one person he could turn to about the truth.

" Its also another tradition to bring the first born son into a blood line that dates back hundreds of years....my affliction is no freak accident, it was my cousin, Deryk, who turned me. The Drake family kept their watchfull eye on me at the behest of my father and then they contacted me, hoping i'd come into the fold and join their dying breed. "

He fixed his eyes upon hers, the shock of icy blue gazing deep into hers, his voice taking on a touch of stone.

" I told them no. "

[Drachir Nedra-Elxa]

Drachir had just come in from his evening strole with the idiot (Penbwl). It hadn't snowing unfortunatly but the rain would cool the idiot down a bit. He was passing through the the greahall dripping wet hopeing for a cup of tea and maybe a biccy when he noticed Marcus and Eva. He was still unsure about there current situation, but he was very aware of Marcus and Eva's past and rather than let a secound chance role past him, he considered his options decided to grow some balls and put his boot in.

"Marcus your're back, hows things, mind if I sit."

Before they could answar he dropped himself on the table next to Eva, pulled out his favourate mug from his pocket and searched for some tea. Penbwl sat above them in the rafters snapping at spiders.

[Eva Seivert]

It was no secret that Marcus' family was affiliated with Voldemort and the Death Eaters for a long time. They were a typical pureblood family, obsessed with heritage and claiming their rightful spot as above everyone else. When he said that he told his family no, Eva's heart swelled up with pride at Marcus' action. Certainly the easiest thing was to do other.

However, before she could say anything else, someone sat down next to her and she realized it was Drachir. She smiled faintly at him. She had wanted to have some more alone time with Marcus but maybe it was all for the best. Eva continued to search for answers to why Marcus left her and why he hadn't trust her enough to go with him. But her grilling was probably enough for one day. Maybe Marcus didn't want to talk about his horrific experiences anymore.

She didn't realize how strategic Drachir's move was. "Hey Drachir." She said brightly and looked back at Marcus.

[Marcus Drake]

Like a ferret up a drain pipe Drachir was next to Eva, almost lightening quick he'd appeared. Marcus was tired after the long trek back to Hogwarts and he was not in the mood for mind games. If Drachir put a foot out of line, Marcus wasn't going to settle for it.

But he had been gone a long time, so he had to calm his temper.

He gave a nod of curtosy to the welsh lad and tore the crust of a chunk of bread and placed it between his teeth.

" Aye, i'm back. For good this time. "

He turned his eyes back to Eva, the glint that had been there before gone.
He took in the features of her face and swallowed down the bread with increasing difficulty.

" I'll tell you the rest later, whats been going on since I left? "

[Eva Seivert]

Eva didn't catch on to Marcus' displeasure at the sight of Drachir. She took a bite of her bread as Marcus greeted him and then told Eva he would tell her the rest later. She nodded. She knew that Marcus didn't want anyone else to know where he's been. He's always been by nature a private person.

He asked what was going on when he left. Eva looked at Marcus again, thinking about how Eva was struggling to move past him and the arrival of Franz at Hogwarts. Her heart thudded hard in her chest as she decided what was important to tell him. She didn't want to drive him away again.

"Its been pretty boring here. Nothing evil has tried to take over the school so I guess everything else pales in comparison. Let's see... oh, Lucas and Nikki broke up. Lucas kissed Angel and Nikki found out.." Eva rambled on, knowing that Marcus probably could care less about the drama that circled around Hogwarts.

"Thom is still Thom.." Eva said softly, knowing that the two would be roommates together again but maybe now that Marcus was back, he could discourage Thom from being so wild.

"Trall is still giving me trouble. Nothing in large doses, but you know, the usual talking down to me and then asking to help her find her shoes." Eva shook her head at the recall of her roommate. Trall terrified her but Eva in some way, felt pity for her. Maybe it was because Eva was prized on her looks and Trall had no one to show her how to even brush her hair.

"I was thinking on trading some of her ratty shirts for better quality and sturdy dresses. Nothing drastic and easy to get on.. the stuff she wears now is terrible." Eva shook her head as she continued to talk about Trall. She wasn't sure why she was on about the girl but maybe it was because of the tension that came with Drachir to the table that got Eva nervous and began to talk about silly things.

"She'll probably think its charity and scream at me. Its not charity, really. I get free stuff all the time and let girls take what they want. I'll just be giving her what was given to me..." She looked down at her bread again.

"Wow, I really vented. Yeah, boring stuff." She nodded with a smile.

[Marcus Drake]

Marcus nodded along with what Eva was saying, suprisingly interested in the Gossip about heartbreak and betrayal. If he could look down at himself, he'd probaly slap himself too.

He guessed it was the fact he'd not been around company he enjoyed for a long time.

He wasn't too impressed to hear that Thom was still his old self, but he couldn't be blamed. Marcus knew there would be some bad water to cross between them before they became friends again. He just hoped his dissapearance didn't leave too deep a scar.

He cocked his head to the side when she spoke about Trall, he resembled a curious dog watching insects in the back garden. It was quite amusing really.

" Trall's giving you trouble? I could have a word if you want, nothing brash, just civilized. "

He bit his tongue once he'd said it. Had he over stepped his mark?

To ease up the tension he turned to Drachir.

" So, what have you been up to in the last year? How's that gecko of yours doing? "

[Drachir Nedra-Elxa]

Drachir took a slurp from his tea barely listening to the schools break ups and drama.

"Tralls a nutcase she doesn't seem to be able to reason with people. I tend to keep as much distance as possible, why Lucas hangs around with her is a mystery to me."

Drachir plaiced his cup back on the table turned to Marcus and raised an eyebrow sin mild confusion.

"Do you mean Penbwl? He's a swamp dragon and he's fine I think I'm going to send him home soon though he's becoming a bit of a nuisence; but speaking of Gecko's I recently got my provisional licence as an Animagus, besides that nothing much. How about you?"

[Eva Seivert]

Eva looked at Marcus who sweetly paid attention to her ramblings about unimportant things. Marcus probably hadn't slept on a decent bed for months and here she was talking about her troubles with housemates. She stopped momentarily picking at her bread when he offered to talk to the girl for him.

She missed that. She missed being taken care of. To other girls, the thought would have them vomited all over the place. She wasn't sure why she was submissive with Marcus because she could certainly hold her own with her brothers. It was quite possibly due to the fact he was so masculine that automatically made Eva the stereotypical girl. She paused and looked down at her hands. Though he had explained it that he didn't want her to be in harm's way, maybe it was Eva's ways of being the fragile girlfriend that had Marcus decided she wasn't suited to travel with him.

She perched her lips together. She should be stronger.

"Thanks Marcus. Maybe you can come with me if I ever need to confront her." There. She didn't refuse his help but allowed herself to show that she didn't need to be protected. At least, she hoped that's what she came across as.

Eva's head snapped towards Drachir's comment about getting his provisional license to be an animagus. All her thoughts about being stronger turned to envy, perhaps jealously at Drachir's ability.

"You have a license? You can do it?" Eva said with obvious pleading in her voice. She remembered a long time ago that she promised Marcus she would try to change to be with him when the full moon came. She attempted, she sure attempted but alas, it all went horribly wrong. Eva looked back at Marcus. Maybe that's why he didn't take her with him. She couldn't change to keep up with him.

"That's so great. Congratulations." Her voice came out as a monotone and her eyes lost focus for a second. "What is your animal?"

[Drachir Nedra-Elxa]

He poured out a bowl of cereal which was quite unusual for Drachir, he then took out a banana from his pocket and began slicing it into the bowl.

"I'm going to be a Ptychozoon the kuhli variety so I'm told. I can't do it on my own yet and when I do, I only do it for a second or two. If I leave it to long I begin to think I'm a Ptychozoon would forget how to change back."

[Marcus Drake]

Even the little things like Drachir's dragon and the way the combined voices in the hall turned into a low burr were all extremely comforting to Marcus at that moment in time.

Eva's words had him nodding but his nose twitched, something in her manner changed but he couldn't put his finger on it. He shrugged one shoulder and cracked his half smile at her, the left half of his lips rising up while the right stayed in place.

" Well, when ever you feel up to it, just come and find me. "

He swilled the last of his pumpkin juice in his cup before sipping it down.
He began to rummage about pouring a cup of tea.
Drachirs words had him confused.

" Your a what? "

[Drachir Nedra-Elxa]

Drachir looked at Marcus as if he should understand being part wolf and all.

"You know a Ptychozoon. a the flying Gecko, well it glides rather than flies. It's going to be fun I'm looking forward to gliding down the stairwell and off the castle and stuff, but I'm a little worried that I might get trodden on."

[Marcus Drake]

Marcus had a met a good few Animagus in his years but never something as exotic as wanting to be a gecko. The majority had been dogs or various woodland creatures, but a lizard? Marcus would have gone for a crocodile monitor but he guessed a gecko could work.

He flicked a smile across his lips and shrugged his shoulders, rumagging around the table for something to nibble on.

" I'll keep an eye out for you and make sure I dont crush you under my heel. Least I could do to a fellow shape shifter eh ? "

It was meant to be a joke but it was commonly known people barely tolerated his affliction and his aversion to using wolfsbane.