And the only solution is to stand and fight

[Willow Cullen]

it had been an interesting holiday for willow. when she had been off it had been fun, her parents had sprung two huge supprises on the rest of the family in the space of one afternoon. she would soon have another sibling and they had decided to get married.
but she had unfortunatly most of the rest of the break had been spent working the apothecary. was not where she wanted to spend her life working but she liked the money she got from the job. her current job goal was to become an Auror. she knew it was going to be hard but she would work hard to get there.
this afternoon was early in the term and she didn't have any homework so she took her some music and her wand to the duelling chamber. she set up one of the dummies pressed play letting the guitar and beat set a rhythm for the afternoon as she and started to attack the model with a range of whatever spell she had come to mind. she was glad that she had found a room with one of the advanced dummies that was able to dodge and also cast spells back admittedly weak spells but spells none the less. stupify she said waving her wand/ "locamotormortis she said again. "hang on you don't have legs protago she said as the machine tried to disarm her. this was her weak point in duels. she would start talking trying to distract her opponent but only resulted in distracting herself. it was how she had lost the duel last year and she didn't want to repeat it again. but it was more fun duelling when there was a bit of banter between the opponents than just silence and spells even if that wasn't how it worked in the real world when duels could be life or death.

[the title is becausI i am listening to Florence and the machine and that line came one just as i started to write and i felt like it fit]

 

[Alistair Lancaster]

Alistair had needed a holiday after the events in the Great Hall with the Hogwarts Monthly posting their article, but it had gone by far too soon. Stair was still reeling from it all. It was hard to believe it had actually happened, and that someone he thought of as his friend would betray him the way Leda had. He knew he should have known better - it was his biggest fear come to life, and he'd replayed the most likely outcome in his head a hundred times already. Yet, the reality was impossible to prepare for, and had hit him harder than he could have predicted.

There were a lot of emotions still coursing through the young lycanthrope, and only one way he knew of to deal with them. Alistair headed to the Duelling Chamber, his wand already by his side the moment he stepped into the spacious room, but rather than an empty chamber, he was met by music and one of the members of his club. He watched her by the doorway for a few moments, biting his lip when she attempted to use a leg-locking charm on a legless dummy, before he decided to intervene. "Interesting strategy, Willow." He told her with a small smile as he approached the platform. "Did you want to try duelling something with legs?" He offered, keeping an eye on the dummy she was practicing against. The last thing he wanted to do was distract her and give it the upper-hand.​

Florence

 

[Willow Cullen]

Difindp" she said and watched as the dummy exploded before reforming its self with magic. "and it;s hard to dance with a devil on your back so shake him off" she sang along dancing slightly as the model reformed its self. at a noise behind her, she jumped slightly. she hadn't heard anyone come in. but then she hadn't really been listening and the music was fairly loud. "whoa, Alistair I did not hear you come in" she said. before waving her wand at the dummy "Expeliarmus" she said hoping to disarm it before it got her. "are you offering? duelling a proper person would be more fun than a robot. they are too predictable, and you look like you need something a little more challenging than a robot too" she said. She was actually glad that Alistair had found her hear she had been hoping to speak to him. and felt bad about the incident last semester.

 

[Alistair Lancaster]

Alistair wasn't entirely sure what a robot was, it sounded vaguely muggle, but he could deduce that it had something to do with the practice dummy. He'd picked up a couple of things here and there - he knew what a calculator was now, and what televisions were for - but not robots. He made a note to look them up in the libraries textbooks on Muggle Studies. "I could certainly use more of a challenge." He told her. A challenge, and a distraction. The lycanthrope stepped onto the platform and raised himself up, rummaging through his pockets for his wand. "Do you want me to keep it to spells at your level, or do you want to try going against more advanced magic?" He asked, happy to go with either. Thankfully, Willow was old enough to know a wider variety of spells to still keep things interesting either way. "Do you usually practice with music?" He continued conversationally, nodding toward the radio. Whenever he practiced, he had always done so in relative silence. The thought to play music hadn't ever occurred to him, so it was curious to see how other people went about with their own routine.​

 

[Willow Cullen]

Willow nodded as he said that he needed a challenge. "I hope I wont be too much of an easy opponent" she said then as he asked if she wanted him to practice at her level or go full strength she smiled a sly smile. "what's a challenge if the opponent is not fighting properly. let's see some advanced magic" she said it would be good practice to fight against spells she didn't know. she might see something she would be learning in the next two years, she might be able to pick on something she could use to give her an advantage in the tournament this year. She waved her wand at the dummy "Finite" she said to immobilise it. she didn't want that as an added opponent. "It is too quiet down here on your own. so I put music on. but if there are other people then it is can too much of a distraction" she said. explaining her choice as she waved her wand again "finite" to stop the sound. "besides I wanted to talk to you about something." she said. deciding now was as good a time as any to raise the topic. "but first let me know when you are ready." she said bowing to him as was protocol.

 

[Alistair Lancaster]

Alistair nodded. Advanced it was then. He certainly looked forward to seeing if she could hold her own, despite past experiences in watching her duel. The music had been fine, though he wasn't familiar with the song nor its artist, but he did appreciate the girl turning it off all the same. When it came to a duel, he didn't need that kind of a distraction. "You wanted to speak to me?" He asked, returning her bow and readying his wand. A handful of topics raced through his mind, and he was sure he knew which would be brought up. "I'm ready. After you." He told her, raising his wand up to prepare for the defensive. He was eager to hear what she had to say, if he could split his attention between a talk and a duel.​

 

[Willow Cullen]

Willow bit her lip. this would be fun. she would have to pay close attention she had heard that sixth years learned to case magic without having to say the spells. she had also heard that some seventh years could cast sells without using their wands. she had seen her mum do both. while most of the time it was for something small like opening a door or making things move she was sure it could be fairly offputting in a duel. she would have to look out for it. "I wanted to talk about the school paper. and apologise for how i reacted. I should have stood up for you" she said. she hadn't reacted badly like some people, but she hadn't reacted at all which made her feel guilty. she was better than that. should we talk after practising?" she asked not sure how well she would be able to practice on a duel and conversation. "Stupify" she said not really holding much hope that her spell would reach the target.

 

[Alistair Lancaster]

Willow's words surprised Alistair, and the lycanthrope shook his head slowly in response. "Actually, I'm glad you didn't. I don't think I could have dealt with drawing any more attention." He said. The whole situation had been humiliating enough, and he'd felt overwhelmed with the few people who had involved themselves in his private life as it was. Another voice in the mix wouldn't have helped him. He wasn't sure what would have happened had Phoebe not caused enough of a distraction for him to get out of the hall while he could. "I can talk and duel." He continued, flicking his wand to conjure a shield against her incoming stunning spell. Admittedly, his former eagerness to hear what the girl had to say had faded to resignation. Now that he knew what the subject was about, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to continue to talk about it. What more was there to say? All he wanted to do was forget and move on, but he figured he couldn't do that until everyone else had their chance to comment. "Levicorpus." He incanted softly, firing back with his own spell.​

 

[Willow Cullen]

Alistairs responce made sence. "that is what i told myself that morning too. but i sort of just dint want to face leda" she said. maybe a littlem ore honest than she needed to be. she watched as alistar blocked the spell. She almost missed him casting a spell at her. he was so quiet she didnt hear him. "Protago" she said putting up a shield just in time. it wasn't a neat shield but it did its job. "I know what its like. I mean, not personally, you would know if that was the case. but if you watch me closely some people may suspect things. as i inherited quite a few of the non-transforming traits she said. she had inherited a preference for less cooked meat, fluctuating energy throughout the month among other things she waved her wand and cast the incantation of the jelly legs jinx. its wasn't her favourite one but she wanted to keep the conversation going so a jelly brain or silencing hex was not the smartest idea.

 

[Alistair Lancaster]

Alistair chuckled quietly at Willow's comments about Leda. "I don't want to face Leda either." He agreed. He could barely look at her anymore. It had been easier over the holidays, when everyone else had left, but now that she was back he found himself avoiding her at every turn. It still hurt, every time he replayed the things she'd said in his head. "Briar is your mother, isn't she?" Stair asked. He knew of the woman from the Werewolf Support Services, and some of the letters he'd been sent. He hadn't thought much about Willow's connection to her before, and it felt odd to know that there was someone else he could have spoken to all this time. "My dorm-mate is the same. If I hadn't of reacted the way that I did, then who knows. People might have thought it was him instead." He shrugged his shoulders and ducked out of the way of her incoming spell. He didn't wish it on Aciano, but if he had the option to shift the suspicion, he might have taken it rather than deal with the fallout of his condition. "I suppose I just freaked out. It was starting to get obvious anyway. I should've known I couldn't keep it a secret forever, but I really, really wanted to." He frowned, and casted a conjuctivitis curse back at the girl. The genetic traits were something he would have loved to exchange with her, instead of the pain of transforming every month.​

 

[Willow Cullen]

Willow smiled as Alistair said that he didn't want to face leda either. That makes two of us. but damn i am playing against her at quidditch next week." she said. she knew alistair was in the same house and probably wouldnt want her to win but she was going to have a good try anyway. she was glad when alistare alread made the connection between her and her mum. that meant that she had at least been in contact with him at some point. and had been shown that it didn't necessarily stop you from having a good future. "Yes she is. something similar happened to her when she was here, she could have denied the rumours, but instead she decided to make it a key part of her identity. I always wondered why" she said. she had always resented her mum for loving her werewolves more than her but now she was starting to see why she was so outspoken about things, she had tried to explain that it was to give others someone they could talk to if they needed it and to reduce the stigma around werewolves, but that had always confused her she had never faced the stigma. but now she got it was also the fear of the stigma. what many people don't know, and I am letting you in on a big secret here, is that my dad is as well. he and my mum have been together forever. and he has managed to keep it a secret except for those in the family, and well now you" she said. somehow the topic of the newspaper had come up in conversation one day and she had asked her dad if she could tell his secret before she actually did. at the mention of his dorm mate Willow cocked her head slightly she didn't realise there were others like her in the school. "It is easier to take the brunt of a rumour if it isn't true. if it had said a Gryffindor girl I would have been happy to take it in her place" she said. maybe it was her inner Gryffindor coming through "Give it a little while and the next big scandal will be filling the rumour mill, and people will have forgott-oo" she said so distracted that she was saying that she missed the spell coming towards her. suddenly her eyes stung and it was hard to see. she could still see, mainly more light-dark and outlines, but it was less painful to have her eyes closed. a spell came to mind. and shew as tempted to cast it, but no, given the topic of conversation that would be mean. instead, she cast the "Antler growing hex towards where she was pretty sure Alistair was.

 

[Alistair Lancaster]

"Unfortunate for you. Good luck." 'Stair responded. He kept out of Quidditch affairs as much as possible - the sport wasn't exciting to him, and he felt neither way about whichever team won, at the end of the day, his house winning a cup wasn't going to change anything for him. It was interesting to learn more about Briar, and other werewolves in general. He only knew of Marisol's experiences in school, and some bits and pieces from Ellington before she had passed away. Marisol had wanted to be the last werewolf at the school, from memory. Alistair held high hopes it would be him instead.

What was even more shocking was hearing that Willow's father was a werewolf, too. Both of her parents were cursed? And she'd only gotten off with a few symptoms? Alistair fell quiet as he contemplated exactly what it meant, shuffling aside as Willow's antler hex skimmed nearby. Alistair didn't want his lycanthropy to be his whole identity, which was exactly the reason he'd avoided becoming too involved in Ellington, or the Werewolf Support Services. He wanted to lead his own life, but to hear that a werewolf was partnered with another werewolf - it felt like it limited his own options even further. Would any regular person want to have a life with him, or was he trapped only finding comfort from others with his affliction?

He lowered his wand, unable to think of another spell to throw Willow's way, too distracted by his own thoughts. "Thank you, for trusting me." He said after a while. He didn't want to throw another spell her way, not when she couldn't see. Not when they were talking about a topic that was so...heavy in his heart. "What's it been like, growing up with both parents as werewolves?"​

 

[Willow Cullen]

Willow smiled and raised an eyebrow when Alastair wished her good luck. "you should be wishing I get hit by bludgers as I'm playing against your house" she teased. sticking out her tongue. she didn't want to be hit by bludgers. but she knew it was practically a given as the seeker was the biggest point winner which meant the biggest target.
after her mention of her dad, the room went very quiet for a while. she wasn't sure what was going on. she could see Alistair's outline not moving. but had no idea what he was doing. she couldn't even try to read his expression. "Protago" she said tentatively expecting something to come towards her but nothing came. had she hit him? she didn't see antlers forming.
the wait was terrifying. she didn't know what he was going to do or say but she was surprised when there finally was a noise and he thanked her. "you're welcome." she said surprise clear in her tone. "you know most the weight of the secret. and what it means. you probably know even better than me." she said. wishing she could see what was going on. his next question made her think. what was it like to grow up with two werewolves as parents? she really didn't know what else to compare it to. Chante was the person she would be best at comparing things to but her family wasn't particularly normal. while she looked pretty normal her parents were both part giants. "it was fairly normal I guess, not that I know what normal is like. I went to the local primary school. we have a pet, we play outside, we swim and fish in the dam, and sometimes dad would take me out fishing with him in his boat, that was always the best. she paused. when her dad took her fishing with him were always her favourite days. as much as I hated my mum at times I am starting to understand why she did things. she thought. what teenager didnt hate one parent a bit, and she had always resented how she had put her werewolves first but now getting to know Alistair had helped her understand why she did it, hell she was almost doing the same thing. "they are both good parents I guess the only thing different to normal is that every month I would have a sleepover at my aunt or grandmas house. and it was easier to track when is a good time to ask for something, and when it is better to avoid them." she finished. she had learned early on that they were always in a better mood around a new moon, and that she should never as for things that weren't essential in the week around a full moon.