“Was I not going to answer your question?” Asked Leo as he let go of the stone. Almost immediately, the door began to slide silently shut. Tristan waited for it all to close before turning back to Danica. He walked past her and stood in the window. There was still no sight of the moon. It would be hours before it p*censored*ed the window. “A fourth-year died in here,” He said. “Hufflepuff, nearly 50 years ago; He didn’t know that the wall reopened by magic, and spent days tring to push it back out before anybody found him. By then it was too late. He wasn’t daring enough to break this window to get fresh air.”

Ho stood in silence for a moment before turning back to Danica in the center of the room. He sighed and turned back to the window. “You’re afraid,” he said in a low voice. “Your afraid I’ll hurt you. You question our trust. It happens a lot before I tell somebody.”

His eyes where down cast, sad. Maybe he shouldn’t have done this. Maybe he should have invited her. It was easy for somebody to misunderstand. But, he had a good opposing argument. He could tell that Danica was hiding something too, something she didn’t want the world top know. Maybe they weren’t so different.

Leo forced himself to smile at the stars. He looked at Danica, this time keeping his mouth open this time. He knew that the starlight would glint off his fangs if stood at the right angle. “But, Danica,” his smile faded. “I don’t think we’re all that different, you and I.”

He tried to smile, but Tristan’s attempt fail. With a sigh he turned slightly away from her and slipped off his robes. He was wearing some simple muggle clothes underneath, like many of the students did. Immediately, one could see hundreds, maybe thousands of scars criss-crossing and countering eachother. Some where very old, almost matching with his skin. Many others where newer, pinker. His eyes glinted golden yellow in the starlight as he turned slightly back to her. Unhidden from his robes, his tail swished behind him casually, a side effect of being a half- breed. It was dark silver, tipped with a similar blonde to his hair.

Many werewolves lost their hair in fights, others where naturally bald, taking a slightly more human characteristic. But not Leo, and not his father. When they had changed, it was always far more wolf than human, and fur grew thick over scars.

After a minute he crossed his arms over his chest and turned back to the window. His eyes still downcast, he had lost the exitment that had raged through him earlier. What would Danica do?

“Will you scream?” He said calmly. “That’s what most people do when they see a wolf. They scream and cry murder.”

((Sorry I was gone. I was sick and my laptop crashed.))

Leo gave a faded smile, leaning the back of his head against the window. For a few seconds, he was pleasantly content. He gave a sigh of relief, and turned his head to that he could see a few faded stars out the window. “I’m only a half-breed, ya’ know…”

Leo’s eyes fell. “My mother was Ravenclaw, and she showed me how I could live in both worlds.” He slid down to the floor, never breaking his gaze with the star. “Then my father… he was a nutcase, to say the least. I was born with this condition, he was bitten. For years he refused to see eye to eye, changing on different cycles, always wanting to rip out the other’s throat.”

Tristan tore his eyes away from the window, staring at the stone floor. “Our first year I pleaded for the sorting hat to place me where I belonged, if only to show my father I was better than he ever was- that I had control. Because of this I was placed in Slytherin. …Because of this, I’m shuned by all houses. I question my faith with every minute, every hour hating more of myself…”

HE paused to shiver, though the chamber was very warm. The silent seconds he sat there felt like hours, days if not weeks. Finally he turned back to Danica. His smile was warm, his eyes a bright with optimism. “So what of you?” He finally asked. “A wolf knows a certain number of things. What are you hiding?”

There, he had asked it. No more curious burning in the back of his skull, no more paranoia. Once she told him, they could be honest with eachother. No more secrets… That’s all Tristan had ever really wanted.

Danica released the breath she was holding in. She gave Leo a sad smile.

"Turns out that you and I have something in common, Leo," she said. "Not that I'm a half-breed werewolf, but you and I both have something that we are ashamed of, something that we can't control, something that we've kept to ourselves for thirteen years."

She looked straight into his eyes, though he was a little taller than her. "Being different is an incredible thing, and not in nesscessairly a good way. I understand you. It's hard to explain, so I'll show you."

Danica closed her eyes and thought. Her once-golden curled hair changed to a vivid pink cut that brushed her shoulders. When she opened her eyes they were amber-colored. She gave him a small smile.

"I can change my appearence at any given time," She said. "It sounds amazing, but I can't always control it. I could shrink or grow even if I didn't want to, or my hair could turn green and stay that way, my eyes turn red and someone would think I was a demon and have me executed immediately." She looked at him again.

"My mother was the same way. She died because of this gift-or curse. As she was reading a book about vampires, her eyes became black, her skin pale and ice-cold, and she grew two very sharp canines. She didn't realize it until she stepped out and a Wizard saw her. He called the Ministry, who executed her at her porchstep. This was only two years after she had given birth to me."

Danica gave him a small smile. "It's nice to have someone who understands."

Danica looked at Leo. "You seem anxious," She told him. "What's wrong?"

((Ahhh. Fail. x_x))

((I don’t see why not. XD))

Leo turned back to her. “I’m fine,” He said with a curious smile. “You havn’t done anything wrong,” HE said. “I don’t want you to get in trouble for staying up after hours.” It was the truth, and Tristan hoped that Danica didn’t expect any less. He held the corridor p*censored*age mostly shut. “You ready?”

The trip back to Gryffendor Tower was uneventful, Leo’s keene ears leading him and Danica away from the many teachers and back to the portrait of the Pink Lady, which Leo had only seen twice during p*censored*erby. This third time he paused and listened. If the portrait saw a Slytherin returning with a Gryffendor in the middle of the night… Leo shivered.

He paused, slid off his Slytherin scarf and continued down the hall as he shoved the garment into a pocket. When the portrait was clear at the end of the hall, Leo straitened was walked calmly forward, Danica at his side. It was a voice that came to his ears, young and female from beyond the portrait, who was deep in slumber.

Tristan froze. Maybe he shouldn’t have come after all. Beneth his robes, Fang coiled in discomfort.

Danica whispered, "Leo, stay back. The Fat Lady'll go mad if she sees you." She walked up to the Fat Lady, who scolded, "Young girl! You shouldn't be out this late! I should get Dumbel-" Danica cut her off. "Tigerlilly," she said. The Fat Lady graoned and the portrait swung open. Danica looked behind her shoulder, waved and motuhed "Good-bye" to Leo, and crawled inside.