1430 hours, edge of the Forbidden Forest


The sun was not in a favourable position, not for the purposes that had driven the Gryffindor out of the library and onto the castle grounds. In fact there was nothing favourable at all about being outdoors today; a faint snowfall was settling across the highlands. Enchanting silhouettes and shadows[1]... well, it required better light than the gloom allowed.

Raine was visibly irate.

"Of course it would snow today," she grumbled partly to herself, partly to the black cat who'd already lost himself on one of the branches ahead. "I'm lucky like that, aren't I?" she continued to Maurice. Hands in pockets and blonde locks braided back, the witch was a minuscule figure beneath towering trees.

A soft mewl echoed above and she glanced up inquiringly. Two yellow eyes stared  down- in a different direction. Raine turned, looking over her shoulder with the trademark Almasy scowl.

"Oh," her brow cleared. "It's just you."

1.	Manipulation of light and shadow, Nightshades.

What an utter waste of time.  The potion he'd been working on as a side project had failed again, only producing a rather useless, if spectacular, shower of purple sparks.  It was a delicate balance of ingredients that would hopefully turn into something more but at this point the project had nothing more than potential.  The infernal thing was why he was even out here in the first place.  In the cold and the snow.  Some aspects of the project weren't necessarily illegal but they were certainly against school rules. 

One more year to go and then he could be free from the restrictions of school.  Until then, he'd have to do better finding things to occupy himself.

Hello.  Who was that, then?  A figure moving across the grounds towards the forest.  Ezra pulled back and hid himself around the edge of a tree to watch them get closer.  A student for sure, even from a distance.  It wasn't until he moved silently through the trees to get closer that he knew it was Almasy.  He grinned wickedly.  Riling a Gryfindor was always mildly entertaining.  Luckily it was Bevans, who would've been boring, and pity it wasn't Philip.  Ah well, Raine could be fun even without her sword.

He came closer, playing a game to see how close he could get to her before she noticed.  He stepped quietly and managed to get within a few arm lengths before Raine noticed him.  Even then it was only thanks to her cat.

"Oh, it's just you," she said, relaxing marginally.  Apparently she thought him less frightening than the various creatures in the forest. 

He cocked his head and gave her a reserved smile.  "Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about you," he teased without offering further explanation.  He licked his lips and approached slowly.  He circled around her and flicked the tail of her braid.  "I don't think I've told you just how much I like what you've done with your hair."

There was a look in Inkwood's eye, she thought, that ensured Raine did not let the Slytherin leave her sight.

"I don't think I've told you just how much I like what you've done with your hair."

That had been a point in his favour up until this moment. Narrowing her gaze, she followed his movement and smiled grimly. This wasn't the sort of mood she wanted to be caught in by a vexing classmate. They weren't hostile or anything distasteful like that but a fencing duel can leave behind more than just scars.

"Oh?" Raine raised a brow. "I've heard you better enjoyed snakes of the brunette variety." While she wouldn't admit it out loud, ever, the red curls were sorely missed. If she had known that ever wizard and witch was going to have an opinion about her hair she might have given the change more consideration.

Or worn a hat.

"Slithering all the way out here just to pull on my tail, Inkwood..." she turned to face him properly as her hand curled around the wand in her pocket. "Should I feel flattered or suspicious?"

Weak.  Unimaginative as well.  Surely a Gryfindor could do better than that.  He tilted his head forward and gave her a look that asked silently, Really?  That's the best you can do? 

"If I didn't know better, Almasy, I 'd think you have a bit of crush on me.  Hoping  I'd come all the way out to the forest in the snow to tease you about your hair?  I could do that at breakfast if that was the case.  No... I'm here for the same reason as you.  Practicing my wand work." 

With a suggestive flourish, he flicked his wand and it emitted a bright yellow light, warm and comforting.  He began walking deeper into the forest then paused and looked over his shoulder.  His eyebrow twitched up in silent challenge.  "Well, are coming?  Unless you'd like someone to see us from the castle.  I don't know about you but I can never get enough of detention; it's just too much fun."

A deep, guttural growl threatened to fracture the calm that typically conquered her countenance.

Raine glanced around - at the castle - as she followed the Slytherin in his arrogant stride, beneath the cover of trees and falling snow. When she looked back they were well into the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest: territory she had covered in animagus form. Her wand was drawn.

"No witnesses to your murder, then?" she commented when she could trust herself to say something in a civilised tone. Snow crunched beneath her boots. "Or are you just afraid to be seen when I trounce your arse?"

Smirking, Raine flicked her wand at Ezra's back and pulled it away in a fluid gesture. "Mulciberus!" A brilliant leash of fire blazed past his shoulder, curving and then snapping straight with an audible  CRACK! Snow sizzled, melted.

That was a warning shot.

The moment the flame of her spell whip passed his shoulder, Ezra turned from it in a tight spin.  In one move he brandished his wand towards the Gryfiindor and shouted, "Infligo."  He didn't put his full weight behind it, only because this, like Raine's spell, was a warning.  It did nothing more than send her stumbling back a few paces. 

He stood up straight and eyed her hard.  His lip quirked in a delightful grin while his eyes sparked with danger.  "Never took you for a coward, Almasy."  He licked his lips and his voice turned cold.  "Casting spells at someone's back, tsk tsk."

With slow, extreme care, he squared off and prepared for a fight.  He didn't drop into a dueling stance, giving her one last opportunity to change her mind or back off now that they'd both fired a shot.  Held out both hands in a sort of shrug.  "I'm not even certain what that was for," he insisted innocently.  "I was just going to help you with the spell you practicing." 

Hell!

Raine caught her balance gracefully, recovering from the stumble as she glared across the clearing. He did not just call her a coward. He did not. Any possibility of Ezra's intentions being innocent fell away with that singular accusation.

"The day I need your help at spell-casting will be a grim one," she dropped into duelling stance, baring her teeth in a catlike grin. "But I could give pointers on healing when we're through, if you'd like?"

It wouldn't break her heart if Inkwood was in dire need of some Skele-gro by the end of the day.

"Obsurdesco!" Raine flung the curse forward, a pair of purple bolts following instantly with a Concusso before she made a run for the closest tree. Natural cover, one reasoned, being the best.

He was ready for her spell, but had hoped she'd at least yell at him a bit before continuing on with her attack.  Ah well, in the grand scheme of things, a fight between a Slytherin and a Gryifindor was like exercise.  It was expected, sometimes encouraged, and kept everyone involved in top shape.  Ezra typically avoided it whenever possible, just because he didn't need to get into trouble with the professors and give them fuel for their doubt in his character.

Perhaps it was that avoidance of it lately that left his deflection a little sloppy.  He didn't go completely deaf but his ears rang and he was too disoriented to dodge the invisible concussive shock-wave.   He was thrown back into the trunk of a tree.  Pain flared up and down his spine from the impact.  He shook his head and aimed a blasting hex at the tree branches of Almasy's cover. 

With a shower of red sparks, broken branches fell down all around the base of the tree.  Startled birds immediately took flight with indignant squawks.  "Don't start something you can't finish, Almasy," he called out in warning while rubbing one ear to clear it of the last of the ringing.

Raine flinched at the hail of red sparks and branches, missing by inches. Better the tree than her.

Peeking past her cover was enough to see that she had disoriented him and she ducked low, sprinting to the next tree as Ezra yelled out. He wasn't going to let this one go. The Gryffindor pushed her back against the trunk and grinned, thriving recklessly on the adrenaline rush.

"I always finish," she muttered to nobody in particular, wand brought to eye level. "Repercutio vox~[1]" her lips tingled with magic and she took a deep breath.

The laughter that erupted was feminine, malicious. Raine indicated her wand with a snap of the wrist and sent her cackle spiralling around Ezra. Her voice still echoed amongst the trees of the Forbidden Forest even as the charm dropped. Not wasting time, she stepped out into the clearing with a hex in her throat.

"Angustio!"

1.	Charm, used to throw its user's voice in a resonating echo.

Almasy fool mouth was going to get them killed.  Her laughter blared through the clearing and echoed out into the forest through the trees.  He swore and sliced at the spell sizzling through the air towards him in a wide ark.  He managed to diffuse it easily enough and then glared at Almasy.  "You could at least keep your voice down," he snapped.  "We're not the only ones out her you know."

He barely paused before sending a Jelly-Legs Jinx, followed quickly by the Dancing Hex and following with a cry of "Astomos!"  It was an effort to shut the blonde up before someone or something heard her.  At least the coward was no longer hiding behind a tree.

How in Merlin's name did he suppose her to be a coward with that niffler of an attitude?

Raine deflected the first two of the charging hexes but was forced to drop to one knee, letting the sealing charm's black light cut through the air above. That had been much too close for comfort.  Seething, she stood and shook the snow that had gathered in her braids.

"Not the only ones?" she mimicked derisively. "Afraid of the Bugbears, Inkwood? I thought you were made of something stronger than that." Her eyes held an impetuous glimmer as she stepped backwards slowly. "Of course... there's opportunity to prove me wrong."

Bravado was getting the better of her- she had only been further than this with her animagus form and a nearly full-fledged witch was significantly more threatening than a lithe wildcat.

"Ustulo!" Without warning, she flung the curse at Ezra's feet and turned on her heels. He would avert it without problem but that wasn't the point. "Follow if you can!" Raine was already darting in the opposite direction.

Deeper into the forest.

Ezra stepped back to easily avoid the burning hex.  His gaze switched irritably between the burnt spot on the ground and the sight of Almasy disappearing into the forest.  Damn it, he'd been so close to disabling her spellcasting for a brief moment but she was moving quickly and clearly reacting more on instinct than thought.  Although what instinct would take her deep into the Forbidden Forest at night was beyond him. 

He was no stranger to the forest or its dangers but somethings were beyond foolish, especially given the way they were flinging spells back and forth.  He swore and took off at a trot, following the sounds of Almasy's disappearing footsteps.  If she died out here he'd be in big trouble. 

He scanned the shadows constantly with sharp eyes, not making a sound.  Finally he paused and listened hard to find Raine's exact location.  Life would be so much easier if he could light the area but he would not call attention to himself.  Almasy was as likely to hurt him on purpose as she was to get herself killed.  Bloody Gryfindors.  No sense whatsoever. 

Admittedly, she was relieved to know that he followed.

It didn't take long to lose him. They were in a different quarter of the forest now- where the foliage grew dense and cast a grey, murky light. Raine could barely make out the falling snow or the sound of owls soaring overhead. Where was Ezra? Finally she stopped and listened for footsteps.

"Inkwood?"

Nothing but her heartbeat for a little while; it was rapid, sinking. Instinct told her not to move and that perhaps she was being watched. There was the possibility of being studied by eyes not human and she quickly debated transfiguring into animagus form. That would be stupid, she reasoned, not to mention cowardly.

Raine raised her wand cautiously. "Inkwood?" she hissed into the dark, not wanting to raise her voice any louder. Sanity was settling in again. "Stop slithering around and come get me, you idiot."

Ezra's eyes snapped to the sound of his name being called.  He moved forward in a half-crouch still to remain out of sight.  He came up behind a bush and saw her standing beyond its branches., looking frightened.  He smirk spread across his face at the open, scared look on her face as she searched the shadows around her for him.  For him or something worse.

He waited.  Let her understand the consequences of her foolish actions. 

"Stop slithering around and come get me, you idiot."

Ah, the poor kitten.  She probably didn't know herself whether she was asking him to attack her or save her.  What an interesting and delicious position to be in.  He stepped into the clearing with his wand by his side but ready to defend himself if she decided to attack before knowing what was approaching her.  "What's the matter, Almasy?  Did you get lost?"  He tactfully chose not to mention her fear.  He'd rather not spend all night in the forest fighting with her.

It was difficult to tell if he was civil or stupid for not taking the chance to hex her but Raine wasn't one to complain about such things. Her shoulders slackened in posture, reassured that nothing had been out hunting- or rather nothing any worse than your average Slytherin.

"Thought I had lost you actually," she picked up easily. "Shame I wasn't right."

A half truth that Raine reluctantly acknowledged: it was effortless to slink into the forest alone, when she risked only her own skin. Coming here with Ezra was a mistake. Raine brought him too far, she wasn't even sure if she recognized where they were anymore.

Some creatures in this forest ate little cats.

"We should leave." Raine dropped the bravado, her countenance softening. "Soon. I think... I'm almost sure I felt something before you appeared. It was-" she stopped abruptly and stared past the wizard; over his shoulder.

It was nothing remarkable at first sight but she recognized the greyish snout, glowing red eyes that stood stark in shadow. They often heard howls on the full moon. Wolves travelled in packs.

"Don't-" she cautioned Ezra not to turn around. "- don't look. Run."