Boys Will Be Bugs

Chapter 45: Myfanwy

"You've been hanging out with Owain a lot lately," remarked Sirius on a lazy Saturday afternoon after Remus joined him and James and Peter in the courtyard outside. He'd been spending some time in the greenhouses with Owain.

"Sorry. But he is my friend."

"No I don't care or anything, but you could bring him round sometimes. He's our friend too." Remus nodded and sat down on the wall underneath the archway. He and Owain had been talking a lot, with Owain still trying to figure things out and Remus doing what he could to help. Owain was starting to experiment, privately, with female pronouns mostly, but she was also starting to grow out her hair like she said. It had only been a week, so it wasn't exactly long, but she was trying to tie it up in more feminine styles to see how she felt.

She wasn't able to do much experimentation-wise. What she wanted to do was change her appearance, her style. She admitted to Remus that she was starting to feel trapped in a way she hadn't realised feeling until now.

"I can't really explain it," she began quietly in the greenhouse, before Remus had left to meet up with the others. She was snipping at the leaves of a baby Alihotsy plant. "It's like... I just feel disconnected from the male gender. Does that make sense? I don't know if it makes sense."

"I think it makes sense."

"I don't hate it, I just... it's not me. And I think that's why I didn't really realise, because I wasn't uncomfortable, I just didn't know who I was. I still don't, but at least I can start working it out."

It was eight o'clock now, and everyone was in their dorm rooms. Most of them were sitting around chatting, or getting undressed or brushing their teeth. Owain was rummaging around in her trunk looking for a textbook when she pulled something out, and stared at it.

"How did this get in here?" she voiced, mostly to herself, but the others heard clearly enough to turn around and look.

"A skirt?" said James.

"Must be Anwen's," concluded Owain and shoved it back inside. "Accidentally packed it before holidays ended or something."

"Put it on," said James, grinning. "I dare you." Owain looked taken aback and didn't reply right away. Remus could guess that she was trying not to consider it.

"Yeah go on," continued Remus, joining in, but for reasons far more different than James'. "You can't back down from a dare." Owain stared at him, and the two shared a look. This is your chance, Remus was thinking. You can try it on and no one'll think anything of it. It's just a dare.

"Alright," replied Owain. "You're on." She took her trousers off and pulled the skirt on.

"Suits you," laughed Sirius. "Give us a twirl." Owain obliged, and began to joke around with the others, making a statement and acting over the top for laughs. But Remus could see in her eyes that she was delighted. He could tell by the fact that she couldn't stop smiling, even for a second. It was a struggle for her to eventually take it off.

Once she did, not wanting to look as if she was comfortable in a skirt in front of the boys, it was passed round through the room. The dare started to spread, and James was dared to put it on next. He obliged with as much confidence as he always had when given a dare, and he curtseyed to the entire room. He passed the dare onto Sirius who became slightly mesmerised by the way the skirt twirled around and ended up holding himself up on the bed frame from dizziness.

Peter refused to put it on and passed it over to Jethro instead.

"Goes with my eyes," Jethro said jokily, his hand under his chin like the pose of a film actress. He took off the skirt and threw it over to Remus.