last of the wilds [dru]

[brooke izari greyback]

Brooke looked over both her shoulders as a precaution before sneaking her way into the Forbidden Forest. Not too far, really. She could still see Hagrid's old hut from the area she was standing - but it was still not really in her agenda to get caught by any wandering professors. She knew the exact lecture she'd get for coming out here to feed the Aethonan fawns.

You see, she had quite the reputation for hoarding random, abandoned animals from out of the forest. Unfortunately, the horse-like creature was far too big to bring into the Gryffindor common room... and so instead, Brooke came here daily, reenforcing a small area of the forest with charms to protect the growing mammal from predators and bringing it food that would help it grow into a strong stallion. Only then would she feel comfortable letting the Aethonan go out into the wild on its own. It would be such a shame to see a creature this young die, after all.

"Bet you're hungry," she called, opening one of her bags, rummaging through it until she found one of the fruits she'd packed in there. A little treat until she could get the grass and grains for the herbivore.

Taking care of a creature this big was challenging in a school where everyone seemed to have a watchful eye on her. So far, they'd busted her for keeping a Jarvey, a Bowtruckle, a Fire Salamander (she hadn't meant to let it set the common room on fire, honestly!), and even a Crup. They'd let her keep the Kneazle she found abandoned in Diagon Alley, but Brooke couldn't help but want to take care of all the helpless creatures she found. It wasn't as if anyone else was going to do it.

"You're getting pretty strong, boy," she commented, giving the winged-horse-creature a pat on the side of his face. After getting a whinny in response, the Gryffindor turned around left the edge of the forest. She had to go get the rest of his food.

[drucilla estelle noxie]

It was a fairly warm day, something that Dru couldn't help but hate at the moment. It was warm and bright and sunny. The conditions were perfect, and she couldn't book the Quidditch Pitch today. She didn't even want to think about how badly she wanted to practice. Besides, she was sure beating a bludger around some would help relieve tension. She was stressed because studying to keep her grades up and maintaining a Quidditch team was hard work. Not that she minded much. She thoroughly enjoyed Quidditch, and if she wanted to be an Auror she has to keep her grades high. But that didn't mean that she enjoyed the extra studying.

She had hoped that going for a walk on the grounds might help. Besides that, she could just "happen" to take a stroll past the Quidditch pitch to see just how good the other team was. It wasn't really spying if she was just walking by, was it?

She was dressed casually, happy to be out of her uniform and into her regular clothes. The sun beat down on her bare shoulders, making her appreciate the fact that she had decided to wear a tank top. She walked across the grounds, heading in the general direction of the forest. She had always liked the forest, and the creatures in it, but not as much as her friend Brooke did. Come to think of it, that's probably where Brooke was, taking care of her newest creature.

Sure enough there Brooke was, heading back in the direction of the school. "What is it this time?" Dru called to her, turning slightly towards Brooke. "A thestral? Or maybe a hippogriff?"
Dru wasn't nearly as good at naming the creatures off as her friend. She was good with spells and potions, but she was sure that Brooke knew she didn't mean anything bad by her remarks. Hell, Dru understood what it was like to have such a passion for something.

[brooke izari greyback]

As she lugged herself up the small incline on the hill, Brooke mentally cursed for not wearing something a little lighter. It was warm today - not too warm, but she wasn't really one for sunny days. It wasn't as if she hailed from a place where one could casually go out and take a walk on the beach. Brooke was from inland France, and it was hardly ever nice enough to wear a T-Shirt.

Then again, she'd cool off soon enough with her plans for the day.

She halted at the top of the hill when a figure caught her eye. What was Dru doing about? Brooke was sure that on a day like this, her friend would have Quiddich practice. Still, it wasn't unwelcome company. Out of all the people here, Drucilla was probably one of her best friends, even if they did butt heads occasionally.

Her question brought a small, uncharacteristic smile to Brooke's face. The half-werewolf gave a roll of her eyes as she responded, "I wish I could have a pet hippogriff. A threstral would be cool too, though, I've never seen one." At least, she hadn't seen one yet. Soon enough, she figured, it would be inevitable. Her mother's condition back at home wasn't what she would call "good." Her frequent owls from the doctors were enough evidence that the time was coming ever nearer. It was a good thing she was nearly old enough to live on her own.

"It's an Aethonan foal," she explained. Realizing that Dru may not know what they were, she continued, "It's a winged horse. Native to Ireland and Britain. Named after one of the horses that supposedly pulled the chariot of Helios, the sun god."

Stuffing her hands into her pockets, she peered up at the clear skies, "I was sure you'd be out beating the shit out of some bludgers." Brooke gave a cheeky little smirk. She was never one to censor herself - though, neither was Dru. That was probably why they'd gravitated towards each other when they were first years. "Did those asshole Slytherins take your spot?"

[drucilla estelle noxie]

Dru grinned at Brooke's comment. It was just like her to want "dangerous" pets. Not that Dru blamed her. She was good with the creatures, so why shouldn't she want to keep them around. Dru, on the other hand, could barely deal with people, let alone animals. She liked them well enough, but she didn't have an affinity for them like her friend did. Of course, that could be partly attributed to the fact that Brooke was a half werewolf. She had always thought that maybe that's what made Brooke so good with animals.

"I wish I was." Dru said wistfully, allowing her gaze to drift back over to the quidditch pitch. "I swear, all of our practices are doomed to happen in the damn rain. It seems like if I even mention practicing around another house the Pitch is never available to practice." So maybe that wasn't the whole truth, but Dru was frustrated that this perfect day had gone to waste.

"But there's nothing to do about now." She said, turning her gaze back onto her friend. "The pitch is booked. I have it booked for later in the week, but until then I get to sit around and yearn." Quidditch was one of the few things that Dru truly enjoyed, not only because she got to fly, but because she just enjoyed the sport, plain and simple. And she was good at it. She didn't need much more reason beyond that.

[brooke izari greyback]

Brooke could tell Dru was beyond just disappointed with the fact that she wasn't out there playing. She herself wasn't much a fan of Quiddich - she tended to get way too competitive playing sports. When trying out for the team a few years back, she'd gotten in trouble for aiming a bludger to the opposite player's face instead of the goals.

In any case, she certainly wasn't suited for the pitch like Drucilla. Being kept from a passion was basically akin to being stuck in a rut. If Brooke didn't keep finding animals, she was sure she'd have gone crazy by now. She looked over her shoulder and down the hill, where a charm was concealing her new pet from sight. Well... she had been planning to take the young animal on a run today.

Turning back to her friend, an unfamiliar glint appeared in her eye. She wasn't usually one for games, but it seemed like a shame for Dru to not get in some kind of practice, "How are your flying skills?" she asked, her voice taking on an edge of competitiveness. A race seemed like a suitable activity. Her on the Aethonan, Dru on her broom.

[drucilla estelle noxie]

Dru cocked a brow at Brooke, a smirk curving her lips. She was actually asking about her flying skills. She didn't make Quidditch captain for no reason.

"Not to brag," Dru said, though her voice implied that yes, she was bragging, very much so. "but I'm brilliant on a broom."
When she noticed the unusual look in Brooke's eye, she automatically grew suspicious, eyeing her friend warily.

Dru had no problem breaking the rules. Sometimes it just had to be done, but anything that made Brooke get that look in her eye probably wasn't the most acceptable thing to do. Of course, if Dru spent her time doing the "acceptable" thing then she was sure she would be one of those sad, lonely girls sitting in the library studying during every bit of her free time. She certainly didn't want to be that girl.

"What exactly did you have in mind?" Dru asked finally. In all the years that Dru had known Brooke, she had learned many things about her. While they didn't get always get along, Dru was quite sure that Brooke was one of the few people she could trust absolutely. And so she was sure the girl wouldn't do anything that would get her expelled, or banned from Quidditch. Now a few detentions Dru would take in stride. Everybody got detention every so often.

Still, Dru was sure it had something to do with flying, and automatically her competitiveness was coming out. Did she think she could out fly Brooke on a broom? Absolutely. But if Brooke was going to be flying on some animal, Dru wasn't so sure.

[brooke izari greyback]

Brooke couldn't help but sneer as soon as her friend began to "not brag" about her skills. Confidence was good for competition, and Dru had plenty of it... but so did Brooke. Sure, the Aethonan was only still growing, and she'd be riding bareback without a saddle, but the horse-like-creature was growing stronger with each day, and was certainly restless for some flying practice, "Think you can beat me in a race around the grounds?"

The fire in her gaze only grew more intense with each passing second. Yes, it would be glorious. Hogwarts was just big and complex enough to be a challenging race track. She could already see the paths to shortcut through in her mind. It would be a little risky with people all around campus, but since it was an off hour, most of the students and professors would be in class.

"Get your broom and meet me back here. We'll start up at the hut," she announced, deciding that they would be racing even before the confirmation came from Drucilla's mouth. "We'll go around the school, through Hogsmede, and then trek back through the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It'll be one big loop." And without another word exchanged between them, Brooke turned on her heels and had to resist the urge to run down the hill.

This was going to be good.

[drucilla estelle noxie]

To say that Dru was excited was an understatement. She loved to fly. She loved being up in the air and the absolute freedom it gave. If she had it her why, she would spend most of her time on a broom. Flying was one of the reasons she had trouble deciding on a career. She had considered, for the longest time, actually trying to be a professional Quidditch player. But in the end, her desire to make a better name for her family had won out and she had decided to be an Auror instead. Was she happy with her decision? Absolutely. But that didn't mean that she didn't doubt it sometimes.

Dru shook these thoughts away, mentally scolding herself. She would enjoy Quidditch while she could, and that was that. "I'll be back." She told Brooke, before hurrying across the grounds. It was a long way to go, but she made it to her dorm and back in record time, panting slightly when she made it back, her broom slung over one shoulder.

"Give me a moment to catch my breath," She said to Brooke. "And then we'll start." She ran a hand through her hair, before pulling it up into a ponytail, not wanting the blonde strands to go whipping into her face when she got into the air.

[brooke izari greyback]

As soon as Brooke caught the spark in Dru's eye, she knew it was a done deal. Arms crossing and weight shifting to one side, she sneered confidently. Drucilla might have a slight advantage with her experience on a broom, but Brooke had a lot of confidence in her growing magical creature. The Aethonan was raring to go, so this was going to be tough competition - a race worth remembering.

As soon as Dru turned to get her broom, the half-werewolf walked right back down the hell to retrieve the equine, "It's time to really test those flying skills of yours boy. We're going all out today," she announced. The foal reared up on its back legs, outstretched its wings, and stomped on the ground, clearly very excited at the news. It was reactions like this that made Brooke so content to be around animals. She was set in stone with her opinion that human relationships were not nearly as valuable as those with her creatures.

She'd been asked many a time if she actually believed that the animals she spent so much time around had souls, thoughts, and feelings - to which she'd always answer yes. After all, she was part beast herself, wasn't she? That was probably why her connection with the world of magical creatures was so strong. Even so, the amount of joy she felt at such a simple gesture by a young Aethonan was probably a little abnormal.

She pulled herself onto the creature's back and settled her legs under its wings. Tangling her hands into the locks of his still growing mane, she gave the equine a gentle kick to have it move forward. For a few moments, Brooke was hypnotized by the way the animal's muscles moved as it stepped with such assurance and grace. Riding an Aethonan wasn't exactly the safest of ideas - especially without a saddle - but Brooke trusted the horse-like-creature enough to risk her life for a simple racing game.

Soon enough, Drucilla was back, and Brooke's smile darkened back into a competitive sneer. It would be the first time her friend had seen one of these majestic creatures. This Aethonan itself wasn't anything special in looks - it held the usual chestnut brown color of its species - but when Brooke had first seen the abandoned, injured pony, she had been taken by its beauty. What a shame that its previous owner or parents had abandoned it. But what luck that Brooke herself came upon it.

"Last chance to back down," she said at last, her valiant steed beating its wings just once, blowing up dirt and dust. Out of the two of them, it was Brooke that would probably get in the most trouble if they were caught. After all, she had a history of keeping unwanted creatures about. That said, she wasn't going to subject her friend to anything too risky. Dru was going to become an Auror. A tarnished reputation wouldn't do well when applying for that field of work.

[drucilla estelle noxie]

"Last chance to back now."
The words were simple enough, a challenge of sorts that Brooke was posing. Basically it meant, "You can back down, but then you'll be a coward." and a coward was something that Dru had never been in her life. She wouldn't back down, no matter what.
She snorted in contempt, shaking her head as she mounted her broom stick. It felt familiar under her, but then again, she had been riding for years. She was good at flying- had always been good at flying for as long as she could remember. It's part of the reason why she got a place on the Quidditch team in her third year. That was back when she had big dreams of grandeur, where she would end up being a famous Quidditch player. But thirteen, nobody was exactly mature, and those dreams had faded to make way for new ones in her fifth year. Had her head of house been shocked to learn that Dru wanted to be an Auror? Absolutely. But that didn't mean that they weren't supportive. The only person who didn't really support it at all was Dru's father, who was still trying to recover from the shock of losing Dru's mother years before.

Dru kicked off from the ground slightly, hovering in the air and looking at Brooke with a smirk on her face. "You suggested this whole thing. Don't try to get me to back out just because you're too scared." Her words were tough, but looking at the creature Brooke was going to ride a shiver of doubt went up her spine. It was born and built to fly and she was not. it had natural instinct, she was sure, when it came to doing things like this. Granted those instincts probably weren't for racing a girl on a broom, but the principle was still there.

"On the count of three," Dru said, her blue eyes meeting Brooke's brown ones. "One." She turned back to face forward, her body shaking with anticipation. "Two." She gripped the handle of her broomstick tightly, biting the inside of her cheek slightly. "Three!"

She was off, guiding her broomstick up to gain altitude, and leaning forward to gain speed. She didn't want to psyche herself out, thinking about how Brooke and the creature were doing, so she pushed it fro her mind. She was focusing on herself right now.