29th of December
Sunday
Afternoon

Lucinda groaned as she went up the steps to the headmasters office. spiral stairs were never nice. why can't they just install a lift? It was 2011 surely they could save her poor legs the effort now. But would it fit into the school budget? She thought to herself. Does this school have a budget to begin with? Was another thought that followed shortly, surely they must to get new books and teachers. In this her conclusion came to. They must be able to afford a lift.

After Lucinda's letters with Zeta she was coming to the idea that with Greer now supposedly returning to the school, and the big spectacle around them due to the papers. It might be a good idea to have it announced that she is also a Werewolf. They can already find out, its not a private thing One half of her said. And it could help take pressure away from them. Besides people will obviously know when me, Greer and the Headmaster vanish on the full moon. But her other half still revolted, although ultimately futile against her. What if they react negatively to it. What if you become an outcast. There will be more howlers. It was an argument she has had going in her mind for the past few days. Although she's stayed with the fact she should do it...the longer it takes for her to do so the less sure she is of herself.

At somepoint in the morning she had heard that the Headmaster was about on the school, but even with her senses she's not been able to find him by hunting and prowling the grounds. She's wandered all over the school and even had a sneak into a prefect bathroom on the off chance he would of been in there. Trying to justify to herself that he isn't on the school campus, deliberately going about and avoiding the obvious place of where the Headmaster would be, his office. Technically searching so she can justify putting it off and leaving the encounter as, she obviously tried but couldn't find him. But knowing at the same time she had to eventually go there.

As she got up to the top of the staircase, Lucinda moved towards the large door and braced a fist, with a gentle rap on the door she moved her hand back. Please do not be in. He obviously isn't in. I just knocked on the door and there is no response. He obviously isn't in Hogwarts. She finished her knocking and took a step back from the door, incase somehow it would hit her if it opened, and because if he was really in she would need some distance so she can see the head of the man without craning her neck too far. He obviously isn't in. I gave it a knock and he hasn't replied, I wasted my day searching, I can go back to bed now. Yet even with the treacherous thoughts in her head, she stood her ground and waited. 15 minutes and I'm allowed to leave.

There was only the weekend before Hogwarts was back in session and, after an eventful holiday, there was more than ever to get done in preparation. He was still negotiating class schedules with the professors, there was a supply issue with the potions stores, something had gotten into the greenhouses, the owls from parents were coming in asking questions that were already answered elsewhere. That was all routine, all the tasks he was accostomed to. There were other things on his mind.

For one, it was only two days ago that Kurby Bagnold revealed[1] he had evidence of Knox's activities supplying Wolfsbane Potion to whoever needed it.[2] He'd admitted nothing, but hardly made anything go away. That, plus everything to do with Feliks Spectre and the tenacious twine. And now, Greer Grant who'd been torn from her family was being returned to Hogwarts whether anyone liked it or not.[3]

Knox did want her here, of course. He felt thoroughly equipped to be what a teacher could and should be in this situation. But he wasn't her parent. He was just an old bear who was everybody's boss and shared one of her problems.

He sighed as he flipped through the class timetables which seemed to be rearranging themselves to spite him. But there! A knock at his door. Thank Merlin, a human.

"Enter!" he bellowed across the large cluttered office tower. "You've saved me, whoever you are. Oh, Miss Temple, how are you?"

Lucinda Temple. Knox was glad to see her. He was glad to see her because that meant that she wasn't somewhere else making good on her promise to make her own lunar arrangements.

"It's good to have you here," he smiled. "Come sit."

1.	27 Dec 2011 - Hardly Routine
2.	Savvina Katopodis, for one. 21 Dec 2011 - Unnatural Habitat
3.	17 Dec 2011 - Grants Sentenced

With a slight groan at the voice Lucinda enter the room, pushing the door to walk in and muttering in an attempt to be quiet but with an obvious slight annoyance in her voice. "15 minutes and I could of gone back to bed." As she complained at the woes of not getting away with being lazy and avoiding Knox she took a look around the room, she swallowed to clear her throat a bit and then questioned the amount of saving she was doing. "Saving you from what? You're not under attack. Or do you mean from work?"

Lucinda did as told and went up to the seat infront of the desk, with a scraping sound as she dragged it away from the work place and then hopped onto it so she had a bit of distance, better for her as less strain on the neck. "I know that its good I'm here, but why do you think its good that I am here?" She asked in an attempt to avoid talking about why she came here. If I drag out the conversation, perhaps I can forget about why I am here. Her negative side told herself. Though she knew it wouldn't work.

She took glances at the things on the desk, taking them in as she can, she crossed her arms over eachother to try to find something to do with them, her feet gently swayed across the floor, kicking forwards and backwards but making sure she did not hit anything as she did so. Despite having moved her chair back so she could look up at his face, Lucinda did her best to not look up at the Headmaster. Avoid looking up, if he sees your eyes he will know you want to ask something. Its the only giveaway. Her mind mocked her.

"If you're here then you're not anywhere else. I won't lie to you, Miss Temple," the Headmaster said and shifted back in the chair, making good on distraction from paperwork. But if was honest, the school business was the distraction from his real problems.

"I do dread the day when no one will know where you are.  Forgive me, but you strike me as a runner. No judgement, dear."

Indeed, Knox didn't seem at all perturbed or disturbed. He thought that discussing this sort of thing with Lucinda was as apporpriate as the weather.

"I just find myself wondering, how I do convince you not to disappear? Because I feel like you might. I'm no Seer..."

The headmaster tapped the nib of a quill on the blotter and looked to Lucinda to make some sense of it all.

Lucinda let off a disgruntled groan, like a rebellious teen getting scolded by her parents about how she may sneak out at night to meet that boy Thomas down the road who your parents don't like cause he rides a motorbike and wears sunglasses indoors. And not even good sunglasses! Cheap ones! From Poundland! Great She thought to herself. We're onto that topic. Just act calm an- "Why the hell would I run? There's a trained hit squad who are out there ready to hunt down and capture or kill any dog that is slightly bigger then a Poodle!" She cut off her train of thought.

She shifted in her seat, gripping her arms tighter with her nails. "Besides, its not like I can run off to another country!" This, she wasn't fully sure on, its not like they can keep her locked in the country..right? "If I did try to run, where would I go? Its not like there are many underground groups and its not like I'll be able to find them!" She was pretty sure of this. "And god! You're not my dad!" She was 99% on this fact, the 1% is only due to the perceived nagging.

She let out the remains of her breath then took in a deep one to calm herself, she looked down at her feet that were pressed firmly on the floor, she loosened her arms and relaxed her shoulders. "Sorry..." She said softly, not even looking at the headmaster now. "I just...Christmas was not happy and...I had something to ask." With a small sigh as she tried to release her pent up frustration she reached into a pocket to pull out a piece of a newspaper. Its pretty crumpled up from being in her pocket all day, plus Lucinda does not seem to understand what folding is when it comes to newspapers.

She placed the piece of the newspaper on the desk and smoothed it down before sliding it over towards the headmaster. The piece would read.

Jane Grant has already been enrolled with the Werewolf Registry and will return to Hogwarts in January. The Grants may petition custody in three years.

And for the first time since arriving in the room, inbetween her trying to dodge subjects and her sudden outburst she looked up towards Knox Greyfriar, her eyes looking conflicted over what she should do, she wants to ask but she feels much safer to not even bring it up. "I wanted to ask...about this..."

Knox laughed at Lucinda's summarization of their mutual predicament: national borders, not having a father at hand, and, how did she put it, a 'trained hit squad'. He'd never forget that one. Once Lucinda got going it was better to keep hands and feet away while she finished her thought or came across a new one. Despite her clear resentment of the whole situation it did put his mind somewhat at ease. At least Lucinda was on some level cognizant of the realities. If she went missing and the rules weren't followed, the Werewolf Capture Unit would be looking for her.

An apology came but it wasn't necessary; Knox waved it away and settled into a smile. When Lucinda presented a news clipping, Knox leaned forward and slipped on his reading glasses. It was a clipping from the paper and knew immediately which article it was from. Dear Merlin. The article had been all over the castle on the days before term came to a close. Almost no one knew Greer and he'd had discussions with the stuff just the same as he'd had about Lucinda. He'd just failed to consider how this article would impact her.

He sighed. It was his turn to apologize.

"I should have spoken with you sooner. Her name is Greer and her life's in some chaos right now. For better or for worse, we'll be three starting in January."

Lucinda relaxed herself a little as she wasn't scolded for her outburst, she had a slight feeling of relief around her at being able to vent a bit, or to atleast vent more then just running circuits around the castle, something she's not been fond of doing though due to the weather, rain wasn't fun to run in to start with, let alone with the wind blowing through. As she waited for the Headmaster to put on his glasses. Does it always take this long? She thought, despite the fact it probably took only a couple of seconds.

Lucinda nodded to what the Headmaster had to say. And then looked down at her feet again, moving her hands from her arms down to flat on her lap she braced herself. Do not. You will regret doing it. Her thoughts came, momentarily paralyzing what she was to say as her mouth opened, but suddenly she managed to blurt out. "I think you should announce I am a werewolf during the term diner." She froze in place for a moment as her brain tried to understand what she just did, then with a gentle breath leaving through her lips that she didn't realize she was holding, her brain scolded her. Now you've done it, might aswell now.

As she came to terms with having said it she looked up to face the giant of a man again and then said in a slightly more calculated tone. "All of the attention...will be on Greer...I've been talking to..." She shook her head, not wanting to really talk about who she is in contact with, not that she's ashamed, but theres no reason to make that a topic. "They knew it was Greer, to be honest I didn't really know but remembered hearing a Grant in the common room..." She gave a small cough into the back of her hand and resumed the staring at her feet. You can still run. "If I have my status announced, it may move some attention off Greer." You know people will find out eventually. This just suits you for timing. You just want attention. Her mind tries to drag her down.

Knox lifted his thick black eyebrows. As expected, Lucinda Temple was unexpected. She wanted him to what? He found himself feeling somehow exposed, that he should ever stand before the entire school and using the full authority of his position to, what, lay bare a most vulnerable fact? Even if it was requested and consented to, it still felt wrong. Privacy was deeply important to Knox and it seemed like wielding another's wand to share something so personal in such a public way, along with class schedule changes and reminders about Hogsmeade permission slips.

"If you'll allow me, Miss Temple, I'm taken quite by surprise. Have you thought this through? I hope you know that I support you and your business is your own, but really, is that how you want to approach this?"

For Greer's sake? Did Lucinda really feel that way?

Lucinda sighed and nodded slowly. "I have thought about it and...it needs to come out properly some point right? I mean sure I got told it is confidential but..." She rested her head back. You just want attention, you shouldn't of struggled, should of let yourself fa- She accidentally started the next bit of what she wanted to say in a louder tone, trying to remove the negative thoughts. "My family already knows, my grandmother is...very vocal. And it would be better if it was known then..."

She straightened up in her seat a bit. "Its better then rumours, like if it doesn't come out, and someone says something, I'm often sat there wondering if they've figured me out. I'd rather if people had a problem with it to straight up tell me, instead of probing around it to see for reactions." Lucinda's knuckles turned white as her fingers gripped into her legs tightly. You can still walk away without this. He gave a way out. She returned to looking at her feet as she relaxed her hands slowly. "I don't know if anyone even guesses at me being one. But its just, constant overthinking of it and I'd rather be upfront."

She started to slump in the seat and looked back up at the Headmaster. "Besides, it going to get fairly obvious where on the fullmoon, both you disappear, Greer who is now known to be a werewolf disappears, and I'm nowhere to be found. And as I said...it could possibly move some attention off of them after coming back to school." Lucinda started to seem lighter, getting the ideas off her chest and being able to confide in Knox a bit more, but she still seemed a little tense.

"Of course...you still decide if to do so at the dinner. But its going to come out soon likely either due to people putting things together, or from SAW-" She cut herself short and sat upright. You can think of something quick . Her brain thought, despite the fact that there shouldn't be any reason for her to not tell the Headmaster, Lucinda came out with the best lie of her life. "Sawing me and Greer going to the dungeons." Good save.

Knox leaned forward and folded his hands on the desk. He nodded along with what Lucinda was saying, just finding her words as she was going.

"I see. I think I understand. If you can just be out with it then you don't have to keep wondering who knows and who doesn't and what they think. I suppose I was lucky that way. My revelations are in the Daily Prophet for all to see."

He hadn't felt lucky, not at all. It was such a horrible thing to happen, he barely had time to process before it seemed like the whole world was focused on him. But Lucinda's situation wasn't his. She'd had a little time. She wasn't a public figure. She was just Lucinda Temple trying to make it through school and thinking about what little Greer was going through.

"But I'm sorry, Lucinda. I can't stand in front of the school and tell them all you're a werewolf. None of the other students would ever trust me again. Even though you'd asked me to do it on your behalf, they'd never be able to forget that the Headmaster of Hogwarts made a student's secret public. It can't be me."

Knox regretted having to say no to Lucinda once again. He tried to think of a time where he'd granted any request from her since she'd arrived back at Hogwarts. No, he wouldn't speak for her, but he did have another idea. But maybe Lucinda would suggest her own.

This, was very clearly not the response Lucinda wanted, as the headmaster finished she started muttering and as she looked at her hands, some bits could be made out, revolving around a female dog at one point, changing to being around even having it being told being restricted and some mentions of...dubious sizes. Leave, you can just leave. You're free.  Her body tensed as if she was ready to storm out of the room, possibly even to flip something. By Merlin and apparently his lingerie collection, how she wanted to break something.

As much as she wished she could break something, surprisingly she held on, although in this state if she was to leave then the poor door will likely echo through half the castle. "SO WHAT THEN?" Nearly hitting an eleven out of ten in the shouting Olympics. "I have to follow all these stupid rules. I have to be locked in a cage monthly.I don't get a say in where that cage is. I have to drink poison and I'm on a list like a bloody[1] criminal!" Her body shuddered and in her anger she didn't realize that her hands were gripping on her wand.

"If an entire floor of the main government, and the American branch and the staff here know. Its not a secret! My grandmother is right. If I had known I wouldn't be allowed to do anything ever I might aswell of let myself die!" Her eyes watered up and at the final word her voice hitched, her form started to curl up as her legs raised off the floor, placing her feet on the chair and her back arching over her body. Pathetic. Her mind scolded her as she buried her head into her knees, arms still holding her wand wrapping around the legs to finish the ball.

1.	I really wanted to use Fething here but she wouldn't know the word, its such a good made up curse though.

Oh dear, oh dear. That's not what Knox wanted. As Lucinda exploded with all the pent up anxiety and hurt, Knox's face fell and his heart sank. This poor girl. There was more on her shoulders than anyone should have to deal with. He saw very clearly how trapped she must feel. He himself hated feeling so seen, that existential crisis of being known when even at his age it was difficult to know himself.

He didn't shy away from her emotions, he didn't try to calm her down. He let her say what she was going to say how she needed to say it. He let her feel what she was going to feel. Knox regretted that she felt this way, and his part in it.

Knox took a deep breath and said in his kindest, quietest voice, "I understand. I'm sorry."

He nudged a box of tissues to the edge of his desk and continued.

"It's important for you to control your truth. Is that correct?"

Lucinda took a good while to reply, staying in her curled up ball as she tried to calm herself down and relax, besides some heavy breathing she didn't make a noise, slowly her grip on her wand relaxed and she loosened her body. "I just..." She said in a weak and slightly raspy voice. With a cough to clear it she restarted her attempt. "I would rather people know. I would rather know I am being bullied, then overthinking things, where I can take an actual genuine question, and not suddenly leap to me believing they know I am a werewolf and are questioning it."

With a shake of her head as her back slowly sat upright, still hugging her knees to her chest however. She added on. "I'm not saying I am, I don't think I am. But its just constant, over thinking of if I am or not. Its just easier to not hide things. And eventually it will slip, and if I keep trying to hide except for a few people, it will be worse." She looked towards her wand, her eyes are relatively dry but they look red. "If it also has the benefit of distracting from someone who has it worse..."

Lucinda started rotating her wand, trying to concentrate on something else then the doubts, concerns and the voices of some..vocal family members in her head. "If you really...can't..." She took a small gulp and froze at the idea of it. "Atleast...let me do it. Infront of every-" She cut herself off and shook her head, resuming to rotate her wand in her grasp.

In an attempt for herself to try to change the conversation before she gets herself worked up again or worse, she asked. "Has there been anything on if theres somewhere else for...transforming..then the ministry?" Lucinda gently took a hand off her wand and started doing little lines in a potentially worrying spell if the paper needed to readable, seeming to be practicing the spell despite being a couple years before she will learn it. In an attempt to occupy her usual fidgeting with something productive.

It was becoming clearer. Knox still wasn't convinced that he should be the one to tell Lucinda's story, and he was still concerned that she didn't know what she was getting into, trusting so many people with something so personal. She was right of course - everyone would eventually find out. Just, doing it all at once and have the fall out wash out all at once? Knox shook his head with some regret.

He had an idea and would have offered it up, but Lucinda did as Lucinda was prone to do and steered the conversation away to a new topic. And even though it wasn't the cheeriest of concerns, it was something Knox had a clear answer to. In his opinion, it would be an improvement for her. Well, he hoped that, at least. As much as he was getting to know Lucinda, he still didn't have a great sense for how she'd react to things.

"Well, yes and no, actually," he said and sat up. He'd circle back around to Lucinda's Great Announcement later.

"Since there will be three of us come January, and with what's been going on,[1] I think we shall all stick together. We'll all go to the Ministry together. They're serving a nice breakfast now."

He lifted his eyebrows as if to ask, 'what do you think?'

1.	He's thinking of the Cold Moon attacks from December

At the mention of the three of them. All three. Not just her and Greer Grant. But having to go with the Headmaster aswell. Like she was going to a doctors appointment with her teacher, except the doctor is a cold dark cell. And the appointment is the giant big ball of cheese in the sky. It was at this, that Lucinda's face, decided it was time to enter into a personal, and intimate relationship. With the Headmasters desk.

He'll hear what you're like. Her thoughts started to race. You're not on your...best behavior. You are a bad girl. Her thoughts teased. "Ow." Was all Lucinda let out after a good few seconds between lift off and the sudden collision. And after a few more moments she slowly groaned out a very moody. "Why." She slinked back her head from the desk. "Why can't I just have a shack or something in the forest? Wouldn't it be easier? Wouldn't it also be safer? Won't need to travel, like alot of dogs I get travel sick. And besides on returning to the castle what meal I had for breakfast doesn't even matter as I'm not fond of tasting it the second time."

She looked up towards the Headmaster, her face appearing a little red from her sudden romance with the hard wooden furnishings. "Besides, what if I get into trouble for what I say, you could deduct points from Gryffindor for if I swear. And why do I have to go to the ministry? You have a safehouse here, why is it impossible for more?" Her voice turning more and more into a teenage temper tantrum whine, like it was so unfair she couldn't stay up partying with Thomas, of course the parents are right, he buys sunglasses from Poundland! But that won't stop the whining.

"Besides you don't need to babysit me, I go as I'm told, I get into the same cell I'm told to go into and I scream in agony until suddenly all my summer beach body shaving is gone and I desperately try anything to escape and then its morning and I wish my head was smashed against the wall repeatedly as it would be better." She then sits on the edge of her seat and leans backwards, face staring upwards. "I don't need a babysitter." Think of some other way to get out of it. She kept repeating in her head. Then it hit her, what would make any adult uncomfortable. "Besides, what if you wake first and look in. Or the other way around? And I don't want to see you in a bathrobe, I imagine you've never heard of a razor blade. Those legs must be where Tarzan lives."