ursa marsden

Everett smirked pushing his cake around. “Oh yeah? What’re some things I should be doing then? I just wanna play hooky and get out of the castle for a little bit.”

Charlie held his hands up in surrender. “As you wish.” She was oddly intimidating. “I’m not just leaving this here. That’s just asking for it.” Once all his things were safe in his bag he threw it over his shoulder looking to her to lead the way. “Black Lake? Edge of the Forrest? Quidditch Pitch?”

Ursa smiled widely and pulled her sweater’s sleeves over her hands and swung them back and forth while she thought it over. “Hmmmm, I’m thinking Greenhouse. I wanna visit some of the sentient plants and plants make me happy.”

“Did you know veela are legally required to state their blood status on all official forms? Including on things like rental applications, even job applications? Where it’s not even relevant? It means so many veela families are forced into bad housing or unemployment just because of their blood status. The Ministry’s response has just been to make registration for other beings even stricter. Could you sign our petition for the Ministry to make laws safer and fairer for veela, and all our community?”

Ursa listened distractedly, she heard everything Dona was saying but the thing that convinced her was her aura. As she spoke her aura fluctuated between all the warm colors- yellow for positivity, orange for enthusiasm and red for passion. It was bloody beautiful. “Yeah, I’m in. How many more signatures do you need?”

Everett smirked his fork halfway to his lips before waving it like a wand at her. “Yes definitely, we’re all very lucky it’s my birthday.” He finally took that bite and went in for more. “My mother would bite my head off if I ate my cake like that.”

Ursa smirked. “I don’t see any mothers around, do you? Sometimes it’s best not to act your age. Especially on your birthday.”

“Don’t panic, who’s panicking? I’m cool, I’m good. I have a quill now.” She rolled her eyes. “Now I just gotta find my books and bag. Summoning it would probably be dangerous, yeah?”

Ursa bit her lip to hold back a giggle. “I mean, it could be potentially dangerous. Surely we’re in a library, let’s see if we can find the books you need here and you can barrow my parchment paper.”

Charlie watched her start to pack up. “If I leave this library I will never finish my work that needs to be done.”

Ursa sighed. “You need a break. We will come back into the library after we get some air.” She raised an eyebrow to see if he’d argue with her.

Everett has always liked his birthday. In the morning his mother’s owl delivered her gifts to him as well as some biscuits she’d told him he had to share. Now though, it was dinner and the elves had been nice enough to put together a chocolate cake for his birthday. The cake was just sitting in the middle of his table, glancing around he raised an eyebrow and gestured to the cake. “Wanna slice?”

Charlie tapped his quill on the blank sheet of parchment though it wasn’t as satisfying his muggle pens. “It’s the sanctity of a library that’s being violated. Libraries are for studying and research and homework not flirting with the librarian. It’s not the noise, it’s fact that the rules are being bent.” Normally this wouldn’t bother him, what really was bothering him was how unprepared he was feeling for his upcoming DADA exam.

“Where in the world did I put that book? My quill? Is this my seat?” She glanced around the desk she’d chosen to work on her essays in Runes and Defense against the Dark Arts. Everything was right here before she’d gone to use the restroom now that she was back either she was at the wrong desk or her stuff had been moved.

Ursa rushed back over to Dahlia’s table waving the quill around. “Please don’t panic, I have your quill.” She held it out proudly. “I just borrowed it real quick but it’s back.” She set it down on the table and then hopped up as well. “I don’t know about the rest though.”

“Shhhh….this is a library.” He whispered before turning back to his Herbology assignment. “Can you believe that? No wonder they’re not gonna get kicked out, they’re flirting with Xiao.”

Ursa giggled under her breath, “Oh relax Charlie. Do you wanna move to another table?”

Tami held the Prophet and her hands were shaking. Her expression was caught somewhere between bewilderment and awe. She couldn’t believe this was happening. In London. Right now. She was practically bouncing down the corridor as she reached the end of the article, satchel swinging as she began folding he paper up, mind reeling. She needed to call her mum, like right now.

Ursa’s eyes went wide as she rounded a corner and almost ran right into Tami. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. I was actually coming looking for you. I saw the article and was wondering what you thought of it?”

“So it’s properly Thanksgiving season now. Then it’ll be Christmas, and then bam- A new year. So crazy. Why has this year felt so fast?”

Ursa actually felt that when she wanted a class to go faster, it went slower but then the weekends went by too quickly. “Has it just felt fast or maybe someone is messing with time-space continuum and making the weeks faster and faster.”

The mention of Everett earned an automatic roll of her eyes. “Trust him to never follow the rules, even at occasions such as this.” She took everything Everett said with a pinch of salt, largely because it was so often smothered with sarcasm or flattery that she could hardly take it seriously anyway. Though, on this rare occasion, she would have to agree that she’d happily sit where she pleased rather than where she might be placed. “Yes, a drink is a good idea! I think there’s meant to be a bar in the ballroom, or at the very least people are coming in and out of there with drinks in hand.”

Ursa giggled at the eye roll. “Good catch,” She offered Tami her arm. “Do you think they’d look at me funny if I ordered a butterbeer? I feel like it’s not fancy enough of a drink for an event like this.”

She was definitely trying her best, it was a bittersweet night for many reasons, all this positivity was possibly only temporary. “You usually overshadow me in that department,” Tami gave a soft laugh. “But the night is young, my positivity may not last, depending on who we’re seated near. On the other hand, it might be better than we’re both expecting.” Tami gave a little tug on Ursa’s arm to set them off towards the dining area, at the very least they could take a peak and make sure they were seated appropriately. 

Ursa pouted somewhat, seating arrangements would definitely put a damper on the evening. “Everett’s already told me he won’t be regulated to some table, I’m sure we won’t have to sit somewhere we’re uncomfortable. Though Everett’s been acting a bit cagey, trusting him might not be very wise.” Right about now she was wishing she had packed some sweets with her to cheer her up a bit. “Let’s find a drink, then maybe a table with the rest of our class?”

Everett rolled his eyes and disillusioned himself. “Alright, fine, let’s go.”

Urg. Ministry Official. Tami really wasn’t in the mood to be sat by anyone who thought they were doing a decent job of running the magical community. She glanced about as Ursa spoke, just to make sure none were nearby, before her brows furrowed and she tilted her head at the other’s deduction of the situation. “I think we only feel insignificant because they don’t allow us to have any real power, but in truth we can make plenty more changes than they ever could.” While the night was hardly a cheerful one, Tami did think they had to remember their friends with some form of positivity, but Ursa was quite clearly in a different head-space. Tami sighed, and linked an arm around Ursa’s, pulling her close and giving her an encouraging squeeze. “We’ll definitely sit together then, I dare them to try and sit us apart.”

Ursa brought her free hand up to squeeze her hand over her arm as well. “You paint a pretty picture, I appreciate it. I don’t know why everything feels heavy in here. I’m used to being as positive as you.”

“Don’t just go barreling out there.” He said grasping her elbow to slow her down. “Stealthy.”

Ursa smirked pulling her elbow from his grasp. “You just flat out asked me to lie and ignore the rules as a prefect. That wasn’t very stealthy Everett.”