Escaping ((Jacob McElliot))

Elsei stifled a laugh as she flopped down into one of the several couches inside the common room. She and Jacob had been ordered to goto the infirmiry though it was clear to her he boy had all but wanted to go to that dreaded place. Elsei glanced over at the painting as she waited for him to come through as well, summoning a chocolate frog from her belongings as she waited.

(Oh gosh. SO Sorry for the PM. I sent it before I saw this. Ignore that. XD)

Jacob followed the older Hufflepuff into the common room, completely ignoring the Hospital Wing. He stepped in after her and flashed her a grateful smile. His skin had returned to a healthier hue by now, though still not quite normal. The haunted look in his eyes had faded along with the details of last night's occurrences. Now they were once again shining brightly. He felt almost completely normal, especially after escaping a visit to the infirmary. "Thanks for getting me out of that fix." He said, looking directly at the pretty blond-haired girl.

(( lol xD alright ))

Elsei giggled a bit as she cracked the box open, the frog croaked and lunged out of its container and onto Elsei's nose. The girl squealed and nearly fell backwards as he couch tipped from the sudden movement. She went crosseyed staring at the candy as it croaked again and just sat there. She picked it off and set it in her hand, almost feeling bad that she was going to eat it. As the boy spoke she looked up at him, her cheeks flushing a light hue of magenta as she realized he'd probly witnissed her freaking out. "Er, your welcome." She smiled sweetly, licking the frogs head. The candy croaked and looked up at her, cocking its chocolatey head to the side. "S'what house mates are for." she chuckled a bit, licking the frog again. She felt bad biting it though she knew it didnt hurt. It just took the enchantment off of it faster.

Jacob grinned as she watched her interaction with the enchanted frog. He sat down on a couch that was positioned perpendicular to hers, but the two ends closest to each other were separated by an end table. He remembered the first time he had eaten a chocolate frog. His parents had 'forgotten' to tell him that it moved, and when it croaked right before he bit its head off, he was so startled that he dropped it and his first magical moment happened. The frog snapped in two right before it hit the ground. He recalled fondly that he had been just as upset that he had 'killed' the creature as he was finding out that it was 'alive'. "Is that your new pet?" He teased as she refrained from biting into it.

Elsei's face flushed a darker shade as the boy teased her. Her chocolate friend croaked and wiggled in her hand. "Maybe, though then I'd have to name him. I certainly cant do that, I'd never eat him then." her eyes widened at the thought of getting attatched to the piece of candy. She squeaked quietly and quickly picked the frog up, biting into it as it solidified in her mouth. Her brow furrowed as she stared at the remainder of the chocolate. She shook the little sadness she was feeling off and plopped the rest into her mouth, settling in the couch comfortably. She quite liked the couches in the common room, she even remembered sleeping on the very couch she sat on now in her first year at Hogwarts. She let out a content sigh and flopped over, resting her head on the arm of he chair. Today was actually exhausting for a number of reasons.

Jacob shrugged as she quickly popped the chocolate into her mouth. As she relaxed, he couldn't ignore the feeling that he knew who she was. He glanced around the common room. A few third years were studying in a corner far away from the couches, and a second year penning a letter by the window. Nobody was within earshot, but even so, he lowered his voice. "Although I'm sure you have a heart of gold, I'm also sure you didn't go by the Willow with the intention of rescuing a housemate from the infirmary. So what were you doing?" He said in a joking tone. He figured that she would ask him the same thing, which was why he had checked for possible eavesdroppers before posing his question. He placed his cheek on his hand with his elbow resting on a fluffy cushion, previously by the arm of his couch and now laying across his lap.

Her face flushed bright pink as his question sunk in. A small squeak escaped her frame before she spoke. "Well...I was waiting for, a friend." she licked her bottom lip nervously and raised a brow before continuing. She had picked that damned habit up from spending so much time with Draco. "He's a werewolf..but I've no idea who he is. Must sound rather silly.." She laced her fingers in her hair, stroking it and braiding sections as she rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. Up until now the visits had been a secret. Though something made her want to tell him, what it was she didnt know but she would figure it out eventually.

Jacob was about to reply from the red-faced girl when she continued her explanation. He felt his breath catch in his throat, and for a terrifying moment, he couldn't breathe. Werewolf... Luckily, she had turned her gaze to the ceiling and missed his reaction. He didn't speak for a few moment, unsure how to voice what he wanted to tell her. When he was in his alternate state and under the influence of the Wolfsbane Potion, he was not as dangerous, but whatever interactions he made with other beings immediately faded to almost nothing when he returned to human form. He scoured his mind, trying to pull up loose threads, but the only thing he found was the sound of a girl laughing. "A werewolf? Well, I don't blame him for hiding his identity." He said, managing to say it with only the least bit of shakiness. "And it's not that silly. Sometimes I don't know who I'm hanging out with either. For example, you." He said in a light tone, hoping to get her to laugh. He had his theories, but he needed confirmation to avoid spilling his darkest secret to a near stranger.

Elsei giggled a bit, rolling her eyes as she flipped onto her stomach to smile at the boy. "I suppose I am a stranger. My name's Elsei, Elsei Wolffe. And as you found out earlier I'm an Animagi." she laughed for just a moment, running a hand through her hair. Not many people knew of her ability, and she was lucky her chosen animal was a hippogriff. That certainly got her out of more than a few binds through the years. Elsei stared at the boy for a food minute, particularly at his eyes. For what could have been hours she found herself entranced. They looked, firmiliar. After awhile she realized she was staring and her breath hitched, quickly glancing down and fumbling with her hair. She bit her lip nervously, so hard it pierced the skin and began to bleed just a tad. She of course didn't notice and kept tangling her fingers in the blonde strands that hung over the arm of the couch.

Jacob's heartbeat quickened as she revealed her name, then laughed. His mind reeled as he realized that he had found his mystery friend. He didn't have to pretend anymore, didn't have to hide. And she just so happened to by Hufflepuff as well! His slightly altered nose caught the faintest whiff of blood and it brought him back to the present. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, similar to when he and Elsei had first met, and began their monthly meetings. "Elsei... I believe I know who your friend is." He said, a slight tremor invading his voice. He rolled up his sleeve as high as it would go, about half-way up his bicep. There, whitened with age, was a curved scar that, unlike the others that criss-crossed his arm, was one smooth line. A centaur's hoofmark. He moved his arm closer to his friend so she could see. His fingers brushed against the hair laying over the couch arm and he couldn't help but think how soft and silky it was.

Elsei glanced up again as he spoke. Her eyes widened as he mentioned knowing her friend and before she could reply he had moved his arm before her. She sat up slowly, hunching over and taking his arm in her hands to stare at the clear hoofprint on it. Her thumb ran across the slightly paler skin and her heartbeat sped up rappidly. She glanced up at the boy, eyes widened with shock. "Youre...." She trailed off, staring back down at the marking. She stared at it for several minutes, studying it as if her life depended on it. A small squeal of joy erupted from her as she launched herself at him, smiling as she tackle-hugged him. Her eyes lightened a shade as she landed atop him, squeezing the living daylights out of the poor bloke. "My friend!" She squeaked out, burrying her face in the younger boys chest. Truth be told he was her only friend aside from Draco. Though the slytherin was more like a brother to her.

As Elsei stared at his arm for an agonizing amount of time, Jacob felt like his heart had stopped beating. Doubts suddenly poured into his brain. What if she was the wrong girl? What if that laugh had just been one he had heard during his time here? She seemed to be staring at the scar for an abnormally long amount of time. Just when he thought that he had found the wrong person, and was about to pull his arm back, a sudden, joyful cry burst out of the Hufflepuff Prefect's mouth. Then everything happened so fast, Jacob couldn't keep up with it. His first thought was happiness as his friend's identity was confirmed. The next thing he knew, he was being squeezed in a very tight embrace and a weight pressed down on his body. He grunted in surprise, at the sudden contact. Elsei mumbled something that was lost as she pressed against his chest. Jacob grinned, just as excited. He wrapped his scarred arms around her tightly, almost afraid that if he let her go, he would never find her again. Of course, this was completely illogical, but his brain seldom agreed with his heart. He realized with a start that he had yet to tell her his name. "This is waaayy long overdue, but better late than never, right?" He laughed a bit sheepishly. "My name is Jacob. Jacob McElliot."

Elsei was completly overjoyed. She clung to the boy for dear life, nuzzling happily into his neck. She giggled happily as he mentioned his name, lifting up a bit to smile down at him. "Lovely name sir." her face flushed a bright magenta as she realized she was laying on him. She squeaked and tried to pull away slowly but his arms were wrapped rather tight around her which just made her blush even harder. "S-sorry Im.. Uhm.. On top of you." The blush spread to her ears as she stared down at him, unable to look away for some reason. "Sorry for tackling you, that is."

Jacob chuckled as strands of long blond hair tickled his neck. Elsei looked up at him with bright, joyous eyes. She seemed to realize how close they were to each other a split second before Jacob did. He could feel the blood roaring through his ears as they turned bright red. He felt her push against his arms, and he realized how tight he was holding her. He immediately whipped them away from her, his left arm hanging over the edge of the couch. He could feel his face redden, and though he could not see, he guessed that his face looked more or less like a tomato. He stammered incoherently in reply to her apology, his heart was beating so heard it threatened to burst out of his chest. "It's fine." He managed to take control of his voice and mask the sudden awkwardness he felt. He looked up at her red face that probably mirrored his own, and after what seemed like hours of awkward silence, he tore his gaze away looked at the couch back. He didn't want to see if anyone else had witnessed their strange reactions.

Elsei giggled nervously, almost reluctant to get up. He was so warm, it felt brilliant. "Can I..er..stay here?" she questioned nervously, biting down on her lower lip as she glanced away. Before he could respond she tucked her head back against his neck, curling up atop him. He was surprisingly comfortable, she really hoped he would let her stay there. She sighed quietly, curling her arms back around his torso. ((Sorry its so short Dx ))

(You're good. (: )

Jacob snapped his gaze back onto the girl laying on top him. He didn't believe what his ears had just told him. Surely she must have meant that she wanted him to leave? After all, they had created an awkward situation, with their uncontainable excitement and now their bright red faces. He had just made up his mind to get up, apologize, and hurry up to the dorms when she lay her head back down. He felt her arm wrap around his body once more, her grip firm but not even close to her earlier squeeze. Jacob didn't know what to think. He had never been this close to a girl before. Well, why not. School hasn't officially started yet. I doubt anyone's going to come over here. He reasoned. "I-If you really want to." He replied softly. He moved his arm tentatively back towards Elsei. Now that his initial joy in finding his friend had faded, he lacked the impulsive energy that had led him to embrace her before. He lay his arm gently across her side, somewhat stiff with nervous tension.

Elsei smiled a bit as the boy laid a stiff hand over her. She wondered if he had ever cuddled with a girl before. Deciding he probly hadn't she scooted off of him and laid down beside him on the couch instead. She faced him and curled her arms yet again around his torso, smiling sweetly as she became more comfortable around him. Her shyness faded away and she glanced up at him, raising a brow. "Have you, ever cuddled a girl before?" She giggled a bit, nibbling gently on her lower lip. She didnt really mean to embarass him, she was just overly curious.

Jacob shifted his body to make more room as she moved off him. He was starting to relax as it became apparent that neither one of them really minded how things had turned out. Her arms wrapped around him again, bringing them closer. The common room wasn't cold to begin with, but their combined body heat created a comfortable, lazy, brilliant warmth. He moved his left arm from behind his head and placed it against her back, sort of like a railing to stop her from falling. Jacob met her gaze as she spoke. The blush that had nearly faded away flared up again. "Not... Not like this." He mumbled, hoping she wouldn't mind. Of course, he had had a few girlfriends he had cuddled with before, but the majority consisted of playful summer flings. He had never had to worry about hiding his secret; summer only had so many full moons that didn't last very long anyway. He hadn't known the other girls as well either. Sometimes, he wished that he could've stayed with one of them, but compared with what he knew about Elsei, and what she knew about him, his summer loves seemed so insubstantial, like it was just the outside layer of who he was, interacting with another outside layer. In short, he had never been so nervous around a girl before.

Elsei smiled sweetly, burrying her face in his chest again. She squeaked a bit, hugging him tight. "Well. I hope you dont mind is then, your really comfy." she smiled into his chest as her eyes fluttered shut. She had dated her fair share of boys though the relationships never lasted long. Her face flushed at the numerous horrible relationships and she shuddered. Just thinking about them upset her. She sighed, gripping her friends shirt as she wriggled just a bit closer. Something about this boy made her feel comfortable, like she didnt have to hide, didnt have to be ashamed of anything. She felt that he would allways accept her no matter what happened. She bit her lower lip again, enough to draw blood. She squeaked as the pain coursed through her lip causing her to flinch a bit. Her eyes watered as she slid her hand over to her lip, rubbing it gently.

If it were possible, then Jacob's face reddened even more, and he didn't say anything. He felt her body shudder for some unknown reason, and she snuggled into him. He wrapped both his arms around her, keeping her close in a comforting manner. Suddenly, she squeaked and flinched. "What's wrong?" Jacob asked, loosening his grip a little to get a better look at her. He saw a few drops of blood smear on her lip, and realized what she had accidentally done. He shook his head and said in a joking tone, "Bad habit you have there." He was not yet advanced enough in his studies to perform wandless magic, so he reached for his wand. He pointed it at her lip and whispered a healing spell. "Episky."

"I know, I picked it up from Draco when we were kids." She smiled a bit as her lip healed. She remembered trying to mend a broken toe once and failed miserably at it, thats why her uncle Geran was missing a toe. She was more experienced with potions work and charms. She smiled sheepishly, planting a petite kiss on the tip of the boy's nose. "Thankyou for healing me Doctor Jacob." she chuckled, teasing him as her eyes seemed to sparkle and widen. Her hands flew to her friends side, smiling innocently. "Are you ticklish?" She began to lightly prod at his sides, giggling quietly.

Jacob returned the smile, but a shiver of doubt slipped into his mind. He knew of Elsei's longtime friendship with Draco Malfoy, from the snippets of conversation he was able to remember from a full moon night. However, he was also aware of her infatuation with him at one point. He wasn't sure if she still harbored such an affection for the Slytherin Prefect, since she hadn't talked about him the same way the last couple moons. He found it nearly impossible to imagine such a thing with her lying so close to him, but the thought refused to leave his mind. She kissed him lightly on the nose and thanked him for his healing. His heartbeat quickened, it felt like a butterfly's wings. "I've had lots of practice." He replied with a grimace. Suddenly, her fingers pressed lightly on his side, just hard enough for him to feel it. He grinned and shook his head. "Nope." That was partially true. He was ticklish only on his neck, where a wolf was most vulnerable.

Elsei poited a bit and stuck her tongue out, moving her hands down to her own sides. "I am, very much ticklish." she smiled a bit before moving her arms back around his torso. It was true, she was extremly ticklish, likely to spazz out and fall off the couch from a single poke. "So your not ticklish anywhere at all?" She raised a brow, nibbling on her lower lip as a soft smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Elsei sat up slowly, staring down with a sort of 'If you are I will find it' sort of look plastered onto her face. The prefect shoved her hands down into her lap, hunching over him a bit as she waited for an answer or a clue of some sort.

Jacob chuckled at raised his eyebrow. "Really? I'll remember that if I ever have to get you to do something." He threatened with mock severity. She continued to try anyway, prodding at his sides. He didn't react, but offered her a slight smirk as she sat up with a determined look on her face. His chest was suddenly chilled by one the many, light drafts that blew through the old castle. Many of the holes had been magicked closed, but new ones were found too often to keep up. He looked up at the blond-haired girl and shrugged a little. "Could you tell if I'm lying?" He asked with a lopsided grin on his face. He knew she would find out eventually, but he wanted to see how long it would take.

"Maybe." Elsei giggled a bit, resting her chin on her knees as she pulled them up to her chest. She really did think he was ticklish. Eeryones ticklish somewhere right? She nibbled on her lip, twirling a finger through her hair. She rather quickly zoned out, thinking of ways she could crack him, make him tell. She sighed quietly as her eyes narrowed, studying the boy.