Sasha's English Home, 4:30pm. Thread will move to the WCU's cells as it progresses.

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He didn't think he'd spent this much time preparing for a full moon before his whole life - not even where a werewolf had lived next door when he was 7. Aside from Sasha going to the Ministry, and the prospect of an entire night in that dark depressing place, he'd worked out plans with the girls and Ryan to ensure their safety. Georgiana and Cyhirae would be at Ryan's with his family until tomorrow afternoon, when Tapendra returned. If he came home without Sasha, he'd have to stay at Ryan's as well - his own house was locked and selectively warded. Besides, the girls had taken most of his entertainment with them, though he did have the option of his PC, of course. And Ryan had been bugging him to grind honor while he had the chance...

Tapendra's own attire was casual, unsurprisingly. He'd simply rather not have to wear stuffy clothing if he was going to be asleep on a bench or have to run for his life from a werewolf. Behind him on the back seat sat a small messenger bag, filled with his essentials - the Foundation Trilogy, a few Mars bars and a small pillow and blanket.

The sun was still relatively high when he pulled up to the front of Sasha's home. Sasha's home was deserted in appearance, again - he supposed that was normal. It was just odd; the place seemed to demand servants bustling about the place, or at least a house elf.

Parking his car, he hopped out, running a hand through his hair as he headed for the door and adjusting to the subtle shock of his  loud music being replaced by the muted sounds of the property. He was running a bit behind - helping the girls pack up the Wii had taken longer than he'd assumed it would, mostly due to the secondary Wiimote being nowhere to be found.

He knocked on the door sharply, fancying he could hear movement inside the house.

It was probably for the best that Sasha had accepted Professor Trishna's offer to escort him to the Ministry.  Several times during the day yesterday, Sasha had been filled with such trepidation about the visit to the Ministry and all the unknowns that came with it that he'd felt a strong urge to run. 

Strong enough that reason had abandoned him long enough to formulate a thorough plan: he'd catch an overnight train to Munich and be locked safe and secure in the family's cabin long before moonrise.  A video camera would confirm for him in the morning whether or not he'd ... changed. He'd be miles away from anyone as long as there were not wayward hikers.  And, he'd hundreds of miles from the Ministry and all the werewolves he knew would be transforming there.  And, if things didn't go as he was hoping - if he was no longer normal, he wouldn't have to learn it from some Ministry official.  And, he could...

Logic and reason hadn't actually caught up with him.  The larger packed suitcase that still stood on the stairs by the front door had been a testament to that.  It had been the sense of obligation to meeting Professor Trishna that had forced him to hesitate until he knew it was too late. 

He'd been in the barn, double checking that everything was closed and secure for the night when Baldur heard the knocking at the front door from across the yard.  The shepherd loped around the side of the house to greet the now-familiar guest as Sasha closed and locked the main barn door. 

"Allo," he offered quietly as he approached the man.  "I - uh ... let me just get my things," he said, pushing the door open and grabbed the small overnight bag slumped on the floor next to the larger suitcase and Baldur's collar and leash from a hook next to the door.  Hopefully, Professor Trishna wouldn't notice the second piece of luggage as he punched the code into the alarm and closed the door behind him.   He turned to lock the door but hesitated a moment, the key just resting in the keyhole. 

"They won't let me back," he said quietly, his hand still on the key.  "If I- I'm ... not normal, they won't let me back to school."  With a sigh, he shouldered his bag and shrugged.  "I ... you know, thank you.  For this." 

Baldur greeted him with a wagging tail, surprising Tappy as he popped up from around the back of the house. Glad to see the dog wasn't cautious of him now,  he reached down, petting the dog and scratching him behind the ears. Sasha followed after a few moments, and Tapendra greeted him with his usual smile.

"'ello," He echoed, stepping aside to let Sasha through to the front door. He didn't see the larger suitcase, perhaps luckily - he was too busy softly cooing at Baldur, who cocked his ears and gave him a 'Really?' look.

Tapendra straightened up as Sasha went to lock the door and paused, frowning at the boy's back.

"I know," He said quietly, looking down at Baldur again. What could you say to that? It had crossed his mind plenty - though from the sound of it, it had all but ridden Sasha's for the past few days. All they could do was hope, but that wasn't what Sasha likely wanted to hear.

Of course, what he likely wanted to hear was that he could stay home and have this have not happened at all. But he couldn't; in the long run, having the Ministry kick Sasha's door down would be worse than the cells. At least after one night they'd let him go - no matter the result. If they had to come get him, however...

"Any time, Sasha. Any time," he said, as cheerfully as he could, standing up from where he'd been leaning. "Are you ready?"

 Sasha turned away from the door only to see the curious ... interaction going on between the Professor and the dog.  Professor Trishna was making the type of noises that Baldur probably would have only ever heard from Sasha's younger sister, Anna.  They certainly wouldn't have ever come from him.  But, Baldur was sitting next to the man, watching the man's mouth intently, his ears pricked forward to catch every nonsensical sound.  Even in light of the gravity of the current situation, the image was amusing. 

"He's making sure he doesn't miss you saying anything about food," Sasha said with a slight though somewhat strained grin. 

Sasha had known there wasn't much Professor Trishna could say.  It was just the acknowledgment and acceptance of reality.  It wasn't like saying anything would change reality.  What's done was done.  Now, only time would tell whether he'd lost even more than he already had.  Hogwarts wasn't the only thing he stood to lose this time.  If he had been infected, who would chose to cut him out of their lives?  Kronos, certainly.  But, what about Dreogan?  Or Fergie?   

Worst of all, perhaps, was the idea of losing his humanity.  But, - if God or fate or whatever might be out there could offer him just a bit of luck this year, let it be this one. 

"No," he admitted, quietly, even as he shouldered his bag.  But, he reminded himself yet again: "the sooner we start this, the sooner it'll be over." 

After another moment's hesitation, Sasha willed himself to start towards the car.  He tugged open the back hatch and gestured for Baldur to hop in and then took his seat in the passenger seat.  He actually was finding himself quite grateful to Professor Trishna for not only taking him to the Ministry but for taking him by automobile.  The more muggle he could make his journey there and back, the better. 

"So...if something, you know, does happen ... they'll just keep me locked up.  Until morning?  And, I won't remember it?"  Why did this have to be done in a public place?  The last thing he wanted was for this whole ... transition ... to be public, if it happened.  And, he certainly didn't want to watch anyone around him transform.  And, he definitely didn't want to run into Fauna Blake. 

"Have you ever, you know, hurt someone?"  Sasha asked quietly. 

He nodded glumly to Sasha's response, and they piled into the car. With Baldur in the back, Tapendra started the engine; jumping at the sudden blast of music, having forgotten to pause the stereo before he turned the car off. With a mutter and a flush, he turned it down quickly, rendering the Beatles nearly inaudible.

"That's how it goes, yes. They'll let you out after the moon rises, otherwise," he added, sincerely hoping it would be that simple. There were supposed to be a lot of people there, however; he hoped that didn't mean they were just going to leave everyone in the cells overnight. As for the loss of memory...well, that was true, too.

Sasha's next question made him pause; he glanced at Sasha while trying to keep his eyes on the road. He got an excuse to think, pausing at the end of Sasha's long driveway to pull his GPS towards him and punch in the address for the cafe across the street from the Ministry entrance.

"I, well. Yes. Both physically and physiologically," he said, simply - figuring that with Sasha it was best to be frank. "I've had parts of my life I wish I could do over," he said, setting the GPS up and moving it aside on its mount slightly as he turned onto the main road. As he thought, he pressed his lips together; thinking of Prideaux. "And some that, honestly, I'd do it all again. Why do you ask?"

Sasha's eyes tracked Professor Trishna's hand as it started inputing the data into the GPS though his gaze had slid out of focus.  He'd, purposefully, not given the whole ... endeavor much thought but, now, his mind had firmly settled on the question: what was it like?  What was it really like?  When did one ... well, lose themselves?  Did one's consciousness vanish at the first sign of the full moon?  Did they remember the pain of ... changing after the fact?  Would coming to the next morning feel like getting up after a fainting spell?  Would he know before someone told him?  When ... when would he know for sure? 

He shook his head and redirected his thoughts by tugging the gate remote from his backpack and clicking it at the control box.  "So, you don't buy the paranoia?"  Sasha asked, nodding towards the GPS.  "That people in government track our movements through those?  My father- stepfather- refused to get one.  Of course, it was always up to Wilhelm or Edith to know where we were going." 

The gate slid shut behind them and Sasha leaned over to stow it back in his backpack.  On second thought, though, he took it back out and slipped it in the glove box.  He didn't want to forget it and accidentally bring it into the Ministry - no telling what the place would do to the thing's antenna.  He seemed to give no indication that he'd heard either Professor Trishna's answer or question.  The first few notes of George Harrison's voice in Here Comes The Sun drifted through the speakers and Sasha edged the volume up.  It was eerily fitting. 

He hadn't really told anyone about his 'discussion' with Fauna.  Or, the events leading up to it.  He assumed Professor Trishna had, at least, heard the rumors and, maybe, even who had started them.  But, of course, Sasha had assumed he'd known about the Valentine's Day ball as well.  Sasha shifted uncomfortably in his seat and turned the volume back down as the last strummed chord faded and finally spoke. 

"Fauna Blake's probably going to be there, sir," he offered, tentatively.  He glanced sideways at Professor Trishna, trying to gauge the man's response to that one, lone statement.  If the professor was 'in' on that gossip, he figured it'd be pretty obvious.  He fully expected the man to ask, tersely, 'and we all know why, don't we?' 

He shook his head to Sasha's question, blowing air through his bangs as the car sped up, heading towards the tollway. The boy seemed to want to avoid the subject he'd just asked about; he wasn't sure what to make of that, nervous that his admission might have scared the boy off a bit.

He couldn't help but hum along with the song though, as Sasha turned it up. Though Sasha did get a surprised glance and a raised eyebrow from Tappy. He wouldn't have marked the boy as a fan of anything but, say, classical. He seemed a bit too aristocratic for much else.

"Blake? Yes. Along with Eveline Chancelier, Georg, and a few others," he said, in response to Sasha's quiet question. He glanced at Sasha, expression neutral. "She'll have been there twice, apparently. She was attacked by the same 'wolf that got the Flickwick's mother, from what I've been told." He shook his head, sadly.

"Baxter told me about the...rumors," he clarified, tapping a finger on the steering wheel. "I can't say I approve, Sasha, but in general I can see your reasons, from what Baxter said." He shrugged, and then sighed, looking above the road to the sky. "If we're lucky, she won't be anywhere near us in line or in the cells. There's supposed to be quite a crowd."

Eveline Chancelier.  Sasha recognized that name.  She was a seventh year and, if Sasha was remembering correctly, was somehow connected with SAWS.  He thought he remembered seeing her at that first meeting though he didn't remember her being one of the exceptionally foolishly enthusiastic participants. 

The other name, though, didn't stir any memories.  Perfectly content to embrace the momentary distraction, Sasha glanced briefly at Professor Trishna.  "I don't think I know Georg.  Is he another seventh year?  That had been the wolf found around Hogwarts?  Do you know if they ever found out who it was?" 

So, Professor Trishna had heard.  Did that actually mean the rumors about Fauna were more widespread than the ones about him and Fergie?  Sasha glanced needlessly back over his shoulders at the shepherd.  Baldur was sitting at the very back of the car, looking out the back window with his ears silhouetted against the light of the window.  "I just-" he started to say, then grew quiet.  His lips parted, briefly, as if about to say something before he shook his head and changed tactics.  "Do you know how, you know, badly she was hurt?"  Even if the question would have occurred to him back at St. Mungo's, he wasn't sure he would have had the guts to ask. 

"Are they ... is tonight just a formality for her?" 

"Georg is Georg Kirchlehner, sorry. He's the new Charms Professor? He came on a week after you left," he said, patting his hand on the wheel in an odd apologetic gesture. "He's from Durmstang. He's pretty capable, but very, ah...well, he's not Fleetfoot. He's like Ignan; he thinks the soft touch with students makes them lazy. You'll meet him, maybe." He smirked. "The man an drink enough whiskey to drown a bear and still throw a good hex."

He paused, trying to remember; then shook his head. "Enough to be hospitalized. I don't think it's a formality, exactly. They're bringing in anyone who got hurt. That's why we had to leave so early," he added, nodding to the still high sun. "They moved the check in time to earlier so everyone could check in before...you know."

He wasn't sure what to say to the formality comment; but his own curiosity, and a perhaps foolish thought that it might help, made him ask, his tone light and casual. "Do you and Blake have a history, Sasha?"

Sasha did recognize the full name.  One of Fergie's letters had mentioned the new charms professor though he hadn't used the man's given name.  "That's right," Sasha confirmed with a slight nod.  "It'd be my luck, wouldn't it?"  He mused aloud with a slight chuckle though there wasn't much humor in the noise.  "I'd meet my new professor while locked in the Ministry."  First impressions were always so important; this was not quite the first impression Sasha would have gone for. 

"He's the other German, isn't he?"  Sasha asked as a slight distraction.  At least, that was what Sasha had garnered from those letters. 

Despite what most might assume, given their recent interactions, Sasha really did hope things went well for Fauna overnight.  And, not just because he wanted to avoid the weight of knowing she'd been cursed being added to the already sizable dose of guilt.  He was content to find out through the grapevine, though, how things went.  If given the choice, he'd much rather avoid her for the time being. 

Sasha glanced at Professor Trishna and considered him a moment before shrugging his shoulders and refolding his hands in his lap.  "I don't know."  What did that mean, anyway?  Having history?  "I guess so.  I mean, I used to look up to her.  She was smart and seemed popular and was in the art club and all.  This year,- I don't know.  She got different.  She kept purposefully looking for trouble - she started dating Devlin, started that club, was sneaking out and ... she went looking for trouble and everything just seemed to work out for her.  I tried to follow the rules and everything just-"  He shook his head. "And, yet, she's the one Professor Greyfriar was proud of.  It just-" 

Bottom line was, it wasn't fair.  But, Sasha knew better than to complain about such things.  Doing so was useless, immature.  It was ... whatever.  He didn't care.  She could do whatever she wanted and everyone could praise her for it.  But, despite what everyone seemed to assume, that wasn't why Sasha had done what he'd done.  "I didn't write the Ministry out of spite.  I thought I was doing what I was supposed to."

"Austrian, I think," Tapendra said. "But yes. I don't think he'd think ill of you if he saw you there, though," he added. "And even if he does, buy him some imported brandy and he'll get over it. He's easy to please, in that respect."

Sitting back into the soft seat of the car, he frowned, thinking over what he'd heard from Baxter and his first talk with Sasha. "I see," he said, as he thought. "Greyfriar approves of SAWs, then?" It was more a question of confirmation. Tapendra himself still wasn't sure what to make of the group. They seemed to have fairly good intentions, for the most part, but...well...he wasn't sure what to think of them. Under Dumbledore, having student werewolves would have been - and had been - somewhat safe and containable. He didn't trust Snark not to try and set one loose on the sly just to prove she was right.

"You were doing the correct thing," he assured him. "But, well, Blake is popular, isn't she? Calling the WCU on her might be the legally correct thing to do, I agree with that." Though he wouldn't have done it himself, he had to admit. "But your classmates and her friends wouldn't see it that way, especially with SAWs backing her."

He almost ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "You said you hadn't talked to Greyfriar in some time?"

"Wouldn't he?"  Sasha's answer was both faster and coarser than he'd been intending.  He scowled apologetically and shook his head.  "He's cursed.  We were there, you know,- Blake and I were there when Professor Greyfriar was infected.  He certainly seemed to approve of Blake starting the club and it seems obvious why."  One couldn't deny the man would have some personal motivations for the group's agenda.  "He knew Foley had been a werewolf when he'd been Headmaster.  He hadn't expelled her." 

The professor's choice of words wasn't lost on Sasha.  There was plenty of difference between 'correct' and 'right.'  Sasha was well aware that part of what had angered Blake so much at St. Mungo's was Sasha's reluctance to come out and say he'd been wrong.  But, he wasn't sure he could have done so - not truthfully, at least.  Professor Trishna was right - he had done the correct thing.  Had it been the right thing, though? 

"I'd rather have done too much than not enough," he concluded with a false level of conviction, perhaps more for his own benefit than the man sitting next to him.  As long as today turned out alright for Fauna then Sasha could be even more confident about that perspective. 

Sasha shook his head.  "Professor Greyfriar doesn't want to talk to me.  I'm a disappointment."  And, after all of this, Sasha was sure that'd be the case.  He shook his head, though, tagging on an answer to the man's question.  "Not since I visited him back in October." 

"I see," he said said, mulling that over. It certainly made approval of SAWs make sense outside of encouraging student togetherness and anti-Snark and so on. Being fine with werewolves previous to his attack simply reinforced that idea, of course.

"Mm," and he couldn't help but wonder, like everyone else had, how much of Sasha's history with Blake - and Greyfriar - had fueled that. "Keep that turn of phrase in mind, Sasha," he said, tone amicable and reasonable. "There are times when Mercy serves your goals better than Justice. Especially in sensitive matters," he added. "The law serves Justice, yes, but ignores circumstance and the people involved. It punishes equally, and sometimes that's not morally right." He smiled slightly. "And that's why I'd made a ruddy awful Auror. Hah."

He looked at Sasha, given the chance to turn to him as the car stopped at a traffic light. "If you don't mind me asking, you said that before, too. About being a disappointment to him. What happened?"

"Wait, no!"  Sasha looked over towards Professor Trishna and shook his head.  "I didn't-"  Again, Sasha's intentions had been misunderstood.  Why didn't anyone understand?  It hadn't been about spite or ... or justice?  True, Sasha had helped mediate his guilt by reminding himself that when one goes looking for trouble it often, eventually, catches up to them.  But, he hadn't written the Ministry to ... teach Blake a lesson or something.  If that was what he was thinking.

The change in Sasha's tone drew the shepherd from the rear of the vehicle.  Baldur weaseled his way up just behind Sasha's seat and reached his head around, licking briefly at Sasha's cheek.  Sasha understood how the whole situation might look like what Professor Trishna and everyone assumed, but, "It wasn't like that." 

"You don't understand!  What if I'd ignored Ava's insistence and wrote the Ministry and asked them to investigate?  She would have hated me, but she might - she might still - someone might have been able to do something!  I know it's my fault she's dead, so how could I just sit there and do nothing, again!  I'd rather the whole school be angry with me for having someone double check than regret not doing enough."  Sasha was confident - convinced that it could have been anyone else and he'd have done the same thing.  Of course, it was unlikely anyone else would have found themselves in such a position.  But, regardless of what people think, it hadn't been about punishing Blake. 

Color rose in Sasha's cheeks and he looked down at his hands, his shoulders hunching up in a dismissive shrug.  "Until this year, he'd been the only one that knew, you know, that my parents didn't know I was a wizard.  I guess he was disappointed that I never told them.  He thought I was worrying too much about what people thought.  I wasn't throwing caution to the wind and starting a rebellion like Blake.  That I was worrying about keeping Snark from expelling me.  He thought I should just take charge and leave school, anyway.  I don't know-"  Sasha shrugged again and looked out the side window.  "And, you know, I'd stood up for him.  Spoken out of turn in his defense against Snark.  That's why she hates me.  My little rebellion got me pegged before she was even Headmistress and it didn't even count for anything." 

"Relax, Sasha," he said, tone as gentle as he could make it. "I was speaking generally. And, as I said, it doesn't apply all the time." The boy was right about Ava, after all; and looking back on it, if someone had said anything, anything, she might still be alive. Even if it was to a teacher, or to Madam Nadge....

But, put in the context of Ava, Sasha's actions made sense, and a non-vindictive sense. He frowned. "You're right," he said, deciding to be honest and feeling rather a heel for setting the boy off. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking in the context of what you've been through, which I should have been. I apologize, Sasha. If that's what fueled you to become concerned report Blake, then you were right to do so," he said, the word right said firmly. He didn't really have time to look at his feet like he would have, as they turned to merge onto the crowded tollway.

"He wanted you to leave school?" That was...a mystifying idea. Even before he'd been suspended? That was...odd. And if...what he'd guessed and learned from Sasha was true, then telling his parents was a bad idea. His mother and sister, maybe; Jacoba, obviously. But his father...Tapendra's hands tightened on the wheel. Just look what had come of that.

Though frankly, if Greyfriar had expected to make a rebel out of Sasha, he'd picked the wrong kid. Administrative overhaul was as close to rebellion as he could see Sasha coming...

Aside from the dating other boys thing.

Moving on.

"What did he want you to do?" He asked, finally. "If he wanted you to leave school...did he want you to snap your wand and go to muggle schools like Hogwarts never happened, or go to a different magical school...?"