Mitigation

Menoway

Elana watched as Lily studied her nails, evidently lost in thought.

Elana put down the book on werewolves who the redhead was focused on it deeply, as well as the moon phases she was looking at.

"Alright," Elana said as Lily dazedly looked up from her thoughts. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Lily said too quickly, "Just... Thinking about going back home for Christmas, I guess," she shrugged sheepishly.

Elana knew she was only telling the half truth but she let it go. Elana would just have to wait until she trusted her enough to.

"I'm sure it'll be fine with your sister, Lily," Elana reassured her, patting her arm.

"Yeah... Listen, I got to go. Do you mind?" She asked.

"Not at all," Elana replied and Lily practically started running toward the exit. "Lily!" She called. "Your things."

Elana started picking up her things and stopped on the moon phases calendar.

"Huh. Full moon tonight," Elana noted. "Might want to restock on mountain ash."

Lily looked at her blankly as Elana replayed what she just said in her head. She looked back at the confused redhead.

"To be honest, I have no idea what I just said," Elana said, writing down the words 'mountain ash' in her small notebook. She handed Lily her stuff.

"Have fun," she murmured, leaving the room.

~O~

"Mountain ash, mountain ash, mountain ash," Elana murmured on her bed, looking up and trying to remember. She flipped open her notebook and reread the things on there.

Cora- Name? Dream girl.
Talia- name. Mentioned by dream girl.
Shapeshifter- Anamagus?- Talking about werewolves with Remmy
Sheriff- America- talking about Aurors
Stylish Biscotti- called Remus with his scarf that.
Batman- Halloween with Sirius. I don't even read Batman.
Argent- means Silver in French- "Don't stay out too long, or else Argent might get ya."
And the new addition to the group, 'Mountain Ash'.

Elana let out a sigh. She knew these things had to mean something to her, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. She frowned. Surely, it had something to do with werwolves since she was talking about them with Lily.

"Might want to restock on mountain ash."

Maybe it was something that stopped werewolves or protected you against them? That felt right. But what was it?

"Knock knock," said a voice. Elana looked up. Chelsea came in with a tray of food.

"I didn't see you at dinner anywhere, so I thought I'd bring you something to eat," she said, plopping down on Elana's bed.

"Thanks," Elana sighed, taking a bite out of sandwich.

"Trying to crack the code?" Chelsea asked. Elana nodded.

"Any luck?"

"None whatsoever. Every lead leads to a dead end."

"Can I see?" She asked. Elana nodded and she took the notepad.

"Mountain ash," she read. "That's new."

"All I think I know is that it has something to do with werewolves."

"Well, whatever you do, don't go looking for werewolves for help."

"Why not?"

"You don't really know if ones bad until it's too late. Fenrir Greyback, that fart, he attacked my uncle. Now, thanks to him, he has to suffer," her voice went to a whisper, lest someone else might overhear, "And the worse part is that if they can't hurt anyone else, they hurt themselves. It's so sad, my uncle won't even marry because he thinks he's a monster. I tell him he's not, but there's not much anyone can do. Especially not on a full moon," she sighed, looking out the window at the dark outside.

Elana couldn't find what to say, so she reached over and squeezed her arm.

"It's sad too, because there's a woman that loves him to death and he loves her too but he's scared he'll hurt her and she's waiting for him to understand that she doesn't care, she'll do it for him," she said, shaking her head.

"Aww, that's so sweet," Elana gushed slightly, "I hope everything works out."

"Me too," she sighed, climbing into her own bed and pulling out her homework.

"Finished this essay?"

"Yep," she said, passing over notes to the girl, who graciously accepted and began to pool over them.

~O~