The Girl Who Vanished

Chapter 31: Chocolate Wrappings and Morning Dew

It was the end of the month. Aeron and Calista had finished soaking their Mandrake leaves in saliva, making it the perfect time to execute the beginning plans towards becoming Animagi.

Quickly and quietly, Ana downed her medicine before she and Calista pulled on their thick cotton sweatpants and any winter gear they had. They shuffled about, knocking into each other as they refused to turn on a light, trying their hardest to not wake up their roommate at a mere three o'clock in the morning. Swears and chuckles bounced off the walls as sweaters were put on backwards and shoes were placed on the wrong foot.

"Do you think she'll even be awake by the time we're back?" Callie questioned as she pulled her hair into a quick fluffy bun, looking effortless yet chic at the same time.

Ana, with her pilling mittens and thick cashmere sweater snickered at the redhead who laid with drool on her pillow, her blanket pulled up just below her chin.

"No, I highly doubt she'd even turned to her side by the time we step foot in this room again," Ana replied as she dropped a few crystal vials into the pockets of her long tweed coat.

The only sound they heard before they exited was the sound of Alex's snores and the occasional groaning sounds coming from the Black Lake. A tiny little click of the door was the last disturbance the two made before they tiptoed down the stairs.

At the foot of the wooden doors, sitting upright, was Aeron. He had his wool hat dipped below his eyes, keeping the harsh light out of them. His limbs, though long and willowy were pulled into him so tight, he was half his size.

"If the boy fell asleep, now would be the time to take his lot for your own potion," Callie joked as she swayed her weight between both feet.

"I'm not asleep, you nosy bird," Aeron clambered to his feet ungracefully before pulling the wool literally from his eyes. "Besides, if you listened, you'd know that Ana, for some probably boring and pointless reason, doesn't want to become an Animagus."

Ana rolled her eyes, pushing her way past the boy to open the large doors to the dungeons.

"My reason is my own. You don't need to know everything, Wright," her eyes turned to slits as she stared him down with a smile. "Besides, it's his saliva that's going into the potion, not mine. And I do not look to interact with his spit in anyway."

Aeron snickered at her comment, "that makes two of us."

The three of them ran down the corridors, stopping at every corner to peer around them carefully, only to then rush the corner and continue running again until they made it to the castle grounds near the greenhouse. Only a few prefects had been patrolling that night, and none of them were doing their jobs well. Most of them were probably out snogging in a broom closet or asleep for all that matters.

"Okay, now. Keep that Mandrake leaf in your mouths a little bit longer. We need to find a good spot so it catches the moonlight."

The two followed Ana around the grounds, watching as she checked for light and shadows. Being that it was a perfect full moon, the light it produced was strong and bright, allowing her to find an open patch for them to use.

"Alright," she grabbed a few vials from her coat and crouched down, placing them within the brush of greenery growing behind the greenhouses. "Stand behind the vials, and place your leaves in. Make sure you're out of the way of the moonlight."

The two got down on their knees and fished the leaves out of their mouths. It had broken down into a pile of dredge held together by the stem after having been chewed and mixed with food for four whole weeks.