Silent Paws

The Ministry

Finally, another chapter! Thank you for your patience, I hope you enjoy 💜 soon I plan to update more regularly so I can finally send Cita back home 🐈‍⬛.

For the umpteenth time, Cita tried to tuck her tail into her pants, which she wore beneath her robes. It kept curling and flicking on its own accord, which gave her the appearance as if she had a snake stuck to her bottom.

"Just tell it to stop moving," said Rosaly sleepily, stretched out on a large, flat stone. The sun in the forest room had warmed it up, making it a nice place to nap for an elephant baby.

"I can't. It won't listen," said Cita annoyed and narrowed her eyes at her tail. It twitched, as if to annoy her. "Stop moving!"

"I'm not!" squeaked Rosaly and shot into an upright position.

"Sorry, I was talking to my tail," Cita reassured her. She sighed and tied a piece of fabric around her waist, which she'd gotten from Mioha. Her tail was pressed uncomfortably against her bottom, but there was nothing she could do about that.

Rosaly slid back down onto the stone. "Cita?" she asked, her eyes slowly closing again.

"Hmm?"

"When you and Kefir go back to the Pride Lands, can I come too?"

Cita gave her a surprised look. "What makes you think I'm going to the Pride Lands?"

"Well, Kefir's your mate, isn't he?" trumpeted Rosaly softly. "I've watched Mioha and Draco, and it makes sense that if they're mates, then you and Kefir must be too."

Cita felt her face go pink. "I don't know yet," she admitted and pulled her robes over her shoulders. "First, I have to get this breaking into the ministry business over with. And didn't you tell me you're from the zoo?"

Rosaly opened her eyes. They looked a little watery. "I don't have any family anymore."

The young woman stilled. Then she bent down and wrapped her arms around the elephant baby, pressing her cheek against Rosaly's head. "You're my family now."

The elephant gave a happy snort and touched Cita's cheek with her trunk.

Somewhere a door opened.
"Cita? Are you ready?" Mioha called out.

"I'm coming!" said Cita and let go of Rosaly. Her eyes softened. "The next time you wake up,  we're going home."

The elephant blinked happily.

Cita turned around and headed for the door, finding Mioha leaning against the doorframe.
"What happened to your hair?" she asked perplexed. "And your wings?"

Mioha touched a brown lock of hair that dangled by her cheek.
"It's just a glamour. And I hid my wings because the ministry shouldn't know what I am- not yet anyway."

"Can't you hide my tail?" said Cita. "It won't listen to me."

Mioha bit her lip to hide her grin. "Unfortunately, I can't. Only you can do that. But don't worry, I can't see it underneath your robe." She pointed at Cita's hair. "The color suits you by the way."

Cita didn't reply. Her hair was glamoured to look black, so she wouldn't look too similar to Mioha, but Cita thought it looked awful.

"Come."

Mioha led her out of the room. They silently headed for the council room, where the voices of the others could be heard through the opened door.

"Mioha, Cita," Remus Lupin nodded at them when they entered. "Are you ready?"