A/N: Song above is 'I Know You' by Skylar Grey :)
Image above is of Gwen's Familiar :P
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I sighed as I pulled my bright red hair up into a high ponytail, my short red bangs hanging low in front of my face, and decided to clip them back with one of my mother's old pins. It was in the shape of a fox's head, my mother's favorite animal. I sighed again, and Ash whacked me upside the head with her book bag. "Hey!" I protested, and glared up at her.
She glared back more intensely and I flinched. "Stop worrying, it's only your second day. I have a strong feeling that something good will happen to you today."
I sighed once again. "How can you be so sure?"
Ash shrugged, and threw on her silver-gray cloak over her shoulders. "Call it intuition." I gave her a look, and she sighed. "Okay, fine. I swear on my Magic that something good is going to happen to you today."
I sighed, and she whacked me over the head again. "Will you stop that!?"
Ash crossed her arms. "Then stop acting so depressed! Now come on or we're going to be late."
I nodded and followed her out of the Girls' Dorm. Along the way, I noticed several girl's giving me the evil eye, and frowned at them. "Hey, Ash? Why is everyone glaring at me?" I pulled at her cloak, and she looked around us.
"No idea." With a small shrug, Ash and I went our separate ways since we had different classes, and I sighed as I walked into my classroom. Everyone went deathly silent upon my entrance, and I clutched my book bag tightly to me as a reassurance. Spotting Rian gesturing over at me from the back of the room, I quickly headed towards him when three of my classmates stood blocking my path.
"How could you possibly be Prefect Eli's Buddy?" one of the brunette girls asked, and I stumbled for words.
"H-how do you know that?" I asked fearfully, and they scoffed.
"Everyone knows that," the other brunette voiced.
I gulped. "Well, I'm not entirely sure myself, but class is going to start soon, so I'd like to get to my seat, please."
The three girls giggled. "Right. Sit next to the infected one in the back, since you're obviously infected yourself, what with all those frogs yesterday," the blonde girl with dark green eyes spit out, and her two brunette friends giggled.
I frowned. It was fine if they made fun of me for the frogs yesterday, but involving Rian with their insults? I wouldn't tolerate it. I lowered my arms as I slowly placed my satchel bag down on the desk next to me. Then I glared up at the three girls in front of me, and they all flinched at my gaze. The whole class was quiet, so I was assuming they were waiting to see what would happen next. Well, I would give them a good show.
I took off my cloak and draped it over my arms before crossing them over my chest sternly. "Now, I don't care if you insult me about yesterday because I know my Magic doesn't always work. I know that from experience many times over, and am not afraid to admit it. But for you to bring Rian into it? I just won't allow it." I took a step forward, and they took a step back. I smirked. "Now, look at that. You're just all bark and no bite. Pick on me all you want, but leave my friend out of it." Satisfied with my words, I grabbed my satchel bag off the desk and turned to go around them, when I bumped into a rather sturdy hard chest, and nearly fell back if it wasn't for the hand on my waist. I winced at the contact since my burn was still healing, and looked up.
Prefect Eli stood towering over me, and I stared up into his bright blue eyes that were looking down at me with. . .pride? I winced as his fingers dug into my waist, and he hastily removed his hand, remembering what he had done to me yesterday, and cleared his throat while muttering quietly so only I could hear, "Aqua Clero." A sudden cooling sensation filled my right hip, and I sighed. That felt really good on my burn. I blinked up at Eli in surprise, since he had been the one to cast the spell, and found him smiling softly down at me when his expression turned back into a mask once I had caught him doing so. I frowned. Why would he hide his smile from me? "To your seats. I'll be taking over your class for today," Eli ordered everyone else in the room, including a small glare over my shoulder at the three girls as everyone stumbled to their seats. I grinned. "You, too, Gardens."
I frowned. "It's Gwen," I mumbled, before heading over to my seat beside Rian. I smiled at my friend. "Hey."
Rian smiled over at me gratefully. "Hey. Thanks for defending me back there."
I blushed and draped my cloak over the back of my chair. "You saw that?"
Rian grinned widely. "Everyone saw that." I blushed harder. Rian gestured with his head over at the front of the room. "The Prefect had just walked in when they started talking about me being infected and you with the frogs yesterday." I frowned. Rian shrugged and removed his cloak as well as he draped it over his chair. "They're right, you know." I punched his arm. "Ow!"
"That's not true." I glared at him. "I don't believe a word of it, and neither should you. We've been over this, Rian."
Rian looked down at his desk and nodded. "I know, but when you've had years to deal with it, it kinda becomes a habit." I frowned just as Prefect Eli spoke over us.
"Now today we will be going outside to practice Attack Spells, so please leave your cloaks behind and meet me in the Courtyard." Prefect Eli left the room then, and everyone hurriedly removed their cloaks before heading out the door, wands in hand. I stood up with my teal-blue wand that almost looked silver in my hand, and glanced over to see Rian standing up as well with his navy blue wand in hand.
I grinned and looped my free arm through his. "Let's get going." With a small nod, Rian and I exited the Classroom arm-in-arm as we met everyone else out in the Courtyard as Prefect Eli instructed.
"Now what you're going to do is pair up into groups of two and practice all the Attack Spells you know on each other. No serious injuries will be tolerated by which Spell you use, and if caused a serious injury, you will be sent straight to the Headmaster for punishment. Is that clear?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Then get to work. You have thirty minutes. Go."
Everyone immediately paired off, the three girls from before giving me a sideways glare as they walked past, and I felt Rian drag us off in a different direction, away from the crowds of our classmates until we found a section of Courtyard all to ourselves. I frowned. "Do you know of any Attack Spells?"
Rian shrugged. "Just a few. You?"
I laughed sheepishly. "Not really. Just one, but it's not really an Attack Spell."
Rian chuckled and gestured for me to raise my wand. "Then try it."
I nodded and lifted my light teal-blue wand. "Okay then." Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath before reciting the spell from memory, "With a flitter and a flutter, I ask that you swarm to fly. Beo Flora!" I waved my wand and felt several wings brush against my cheeks, and opened my eyes as I smiled.
"Wow," Rian breathed in awe, and stared up at the several multi-colored butterflies that began to swarm around me, their colored wings forming a rainbow before they all darted over towards Rian. "Woah!" Ducking his head to avoid the swarming butterflies that continued to attack relentlessly--even though they wouldn't do much damage if they did--I started laughing at seeing my friend make a fool of himself by running away from butterflies.
"Gardens! Stop playing around and use an actual attack!" Prefect Eli shouted from behind me, and I jumped as I spun around.
"I-I'm sorry." I lowered my head and folded my hands in front of me. "This is actually an Attack Spell my mother had taught me," I explained, and glanced up at my Buddy only to see his bright blue eyes glaze over and avoided eye contact with me. I gulped.
"Fine. I guess that qualifies," he muttered, and waved his arm with an intricate gold wand held in his right hand as a number appeared above my head. The number 15 shone in bright gold above my head in a misty cloud, and I grinned. Out of twenty, that wasn't bad. In my excitement, I threw myself into Prefect Eli's arms and grinned up at him as he stood stiff beneath my embrace, staring down at me in surprise.
"See? I told you I'd try." I laughed and let go of him then as I turned back around to face Rian, who was smiling over at me. "I did it, Rian!" I looked back over my shoulder at Prefect Eli to see his face turn a bright red, and he coughed.
"Right, then." He looked down at my hip then, and I followed his gaze to where my burn was hidden beneath my uniform. I lowered my gaze to the ground. "Aqua Clero," he muttered again, and lightly touched my right hip with his left fingertips as he turned away to check on the other students. The same cooling sensation from before washed over my hip, and I sighed in relief. That felt really good. I'd have to get him to teach me that Spell for future reference.
"My turn." I looked back at Rian then, all the butterflies having finally disappeared, and smiled.
"Right. Hit me with your best shot."
~+~
I flew back onto the ground for the eighth time, and groaned as I slowly raised myself up on my elbows. "Man, you're tough. Cursed Magic, my ass, Rian." Rian chuckled and hurried to give me a helping hand as he tugged me back up on my feet. I shook myself of any lingering dirt and grass, and sighed up at him. "I feel so useless with only knowing one Attack Spell."
Rian shrugged. "It can't be helped. We were all taught differently." I nodded in agreement just as Prefect Eli called everyone to a halt.
"That'll be all for today. You're excused." Everyone sighed in relief and began to head back inside. "Gardens. You stay behind." I stopped in my tracks and looked back over my shoulder at Prefect Eli, only to find that his back was to me.
I looked back up at Rian for help, and he merely shrugged. "You want me to wait for you?"
I shook my head. "It's fine. Go ahead, I'll meet you back in the classroom." Rian seemed unsure, but after I gave him a push towards the Main Building, he finally relented and went on his way. I turned towards Prefect Eli and crossed my hands behind my back as I slowly walked up to him. "Is it because my score was only 15 out of 20? Because I swear that's the only Attack Spell I've known, since my mother wasn't very keen on violence, and-"
"This isn't about today's class," he cut me off and crossed his arms. Still not turning to face me as he stared out at the vast greenery of the Courtyard, he cleared his throat. "I-I'm-," he broke off, and sighed. "I sincerely apologize for what happened yesterday."
I blinked in astonishment. I've only known the guy for two days, and this is the first time he's apologized to me about something. My burn began to tingle beneath the bandages, and reminded me about what I was going to ask him. "Well, I've already forgiven you. After all, it was an accident, right?" He spun to face me with surprise in his deep blue eyes. I grinned. "You made up for it by using that Spell on me, right?" I saw his upper cheekbones begin to turn a dark red that nearly matched my hair color. I slowly stepped closer to him. "I was wondering if you could probably teach me that Spell?"
"Teach you?" he asked with a frown, surprise lighting up his blue eyes once again. I nodded, and he looked away from me. "I suppose I can do that," he mumbled a while later.
"Really?" I beamed, and he nodded. "Yes! Thank you!" I hugged him once again in my excitement, and he stiffened. I looked up at him since he was so tall, my arms wrapped around his waist as he stared down at me in awe. "You know, you can be a real jerk sometimes, but I think under all those formalities, you're really quite kind at heart, huh?" Prefect Eli looked away in embarrassment at my words, but I slowly felt him lift his arms to wrap themselves around my tiny figure. I felt my face begin to grow hot at the contact.
"I still don't see how you can hold your head so high even after everything that's happened to you," he mumbled, and I blinked thoughtfully. I raised my head to look at him, resting my chin on his chest.
"It's because I promised my parents that I would never look down on myself or anyone else, no matter how different they are, and to always find the good in them." Remembering my parents caused me to lightly touch the fox-head pin in my hair, and Prefect Eli followed my movements.
"Your parents must have been very wise Wizards to tell you that." Prefect Eli raised his hand to finger the pin in my hair, our fingers brushing against each other, and I blushed, before nodding.
"They were." Pulling myself out of his embrace, I smiled up at him. "Well, I guess this means you'll still be my Teacher, huh?"
Prefect Eli snorted. "I suppose it does."
I extended my hand then, and Prefect Eli looked down at it. "To a new start?"
Prefect Eli smiled softly down at me, before shaking my hand. "I shouldn't have been so hard on you at first. You're not so bad after all, amateur." I groaned as he smirked.
"Not again with that!" I exclaimed, glaring up at him as the corners of his lips twitched into a grin. I crossed my arms and opened my mouth to protest more, when something small and fast suddenly collided with my stomach, toppling me over onto the Courtyard grass.
"Gwen!" Prefect Eli cried out, and I didn't miss the fact that he had finally called me by my first name. I groaned and sat up, the little black ball of fur that had attacked me which was now curled up in my lap shivering frantically. I blinked down at it as Prefect Eli knelt beside me. "Are you alright?" He hesitantly reached his hand out to support my back as I slowly raised one hand to stroke the little ball of black fur. It twitched at the contact. "What is that thing?"
"I don't know," I mumbled, and frowned down at the ball of black fur as it whimpered in response to our voices.
"I saw it go that way!"
"After it, then!"
Prefect Eli and I both looked up to see three young boy's race across the Courtyard to where we were at, their uniforms indicating they were from the Academy, even though they looked much younger than us. Then again, Brickstone Academy housed all ages of Wizards. "There it is!" one of the boys shouted, and pointed at the ball of black fur in my lap. "Hey, miss, can we have our pet back?"
"'Pet'?" I frowned down at the ball of fur and gently lifted it up so I could look at it. I blinked in surprise along with Prefect Eli.
The ball of black fur was actually a small fox with tiny black wings. The tips of it's wings were tinged a bright blue-and-white, and small blue rings circled it's pointed ears. There were intricate blue fur designs near it's eyes and around it's back. It's bushy tail was ringed with blue-and-white as well, and a tuft of fluffy white fur coated it's chest and underbelly, it's four paws tipped with white. All in all, it was completely adorable.
"What is this?" I asked curiously, the black-and-blue fox still shivering in my grip, it's bushy tail tucked between it's legs and it's tiny wings folded against it's back tightly.
"It's a Chibi Winged-Fox," Prefect Eli identified, and frowned. "Although it's coat color is an odd rarity."
One of the three boys nodded and stretched out his arms. "Can we have it back now, miss?"
"Oh, sure." I gently extended the Chibi Winged-Fox out to the boy, when it suddenly cried out and buried itself closer to my chest. I frowned. "Is something wrong, little guy?"
The Chibi Fox whimpered and rubbed his black snout against my neck. "They're scary. They kept pulling my tail and throwing me around like a ball, Big Sis," the Chibi Fox hiccuped, and I narrowed my eyes up at the boys.
"You're all lying," I accused, and the boys took a hasty step back. "This Fox isn't your pet. You're just abusing it for fun, aren't you?" I pushed myself up on my feet with some help from Prefect Eli, my arms still cradling the Chibi Fox to my chest.
The boys shook their head. "You have no proof that we were!" one of them exclaimed, and I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Oh? My Magic allows me to speak to animals, and this Chibi Fox told me himself about what you were doing to him. Pulling his tail and throwing him around like a ball?" The three boys flinched and backed up further.
"Let's get out of here!" one of the boy's cried out, and his two friends followed him as they ran inside the Main Building.
I looked down at the Chibi Fox then as he raised his head up at me. I smiled. "You're safe now. They're gone."
The Chibi Winged-Fox yipped happily and fluttered his tiny wings as he floated in front of me. "Thank you, Big Sis!" He began licking my face, and I giggled.
"You can really speak to animals with your Magic?" Prefect Eli asked, and I turned to him only to find his bright blue eyes staring down at me with awe. I blushed and slowly nodded my head.
"That's why my Magic always screws up. For some reason, it only works on or with animals, otherwise, it's useless." I sighed. "I guess I need more practice."
"Then consider yourself lucky." I glanced up at Prefect Eli as he crossed his arms. "Starting from tomorrow on, I will not only be teaching you that water Spell I used on you, but every other Spell I've learned as well." My eyes widened in surprise as I felt the Chibi Fox perch himself quietly on my left shoulder. "I guess instead of being your Teacher, I'll be your personal Tutor."
"Does that mean you're giving me a chance to prove myself as your Buddy?" I asked warily, and he blinked rapidly before looking away.
"I guess you can consider it that way," he mumbled shyly, and I smiled.
"Thank you, Prefect Eli."
Prefect Eli choked on air then, and I frowned worriedly up at him. "He likes you, Big Sis."
My face turned scarlet to match my hair as I looked over at the Chibi Fox that sat on my shoulder. "H-he does not!" I sputtered, and the Fox merely giggled to himself. I sighed.
Prefect Eli coughed roughly. "It's just Eli," he mumbled, and I blushed. Oops. I did it again.
"I'm sorry. I did it again, didn't I?" I asked sheepishly, and he chuckled quietly.
"Yes, you did. But I'd even prefer it if you called me Elliot," he smiled then, and I blinked.
"You mean 'Eli' is just a nickname?" He nodded. I bit my lip thoughtfully, and didn't notice how Prefect Eli was now staring at the action. I grinned then, unknowingly snapping him out of his stupor. "I like Elliot better than 'Eli' any day." Elliot turned beet red then and cleared his throat.
"Tomorrow is a day off, so meet me in the Prefect's Office first thing in the morning to start practicing." With that said, Elliot turned his back on me and headed inside the Main Building.
"He has a crush on you, Big Sis," the Chibi Fox snickered from my shoulder, and I glared at him.
"For the last time, he does not like me!" I shouted, and caught Elliot stumbling mid-stride before quickly walking away. I stared. Had he heard me? I blushed. Oh, Mage, I hope not.
I sighed and stared up at the bright blue sky. It kind of reminded me of Elliot's eyes. I blushed at that thought and smiled. I guess Ash was right after all. Something good did happen to me today.
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