Stella had arrived home promptly 10 minutes after her last class ended- she was always anxious to get home on weekends, of course, but this Friday more than most. After hearing of the attack on Draco Malfoy she had been on edge about the transformation all week, and spent nearly an hour making sure that all the wards around the house were still strong.
It was not so much that she was worried about herself- Stella had enough confidence to know that she was a capable witch, and knew she could defend herself. No, the person she was worried about was Caleb- especially since he'd been talking about going outside once he'd transformed.
"Are you sure you want to do this, love?" Stella asked as they were curled up together in their bed, waiting as the clock ticked towards the time of the transformation.
Caleb had to keep the majority of his body away from Stella, just because his skin was particularly raw, but he liked being able to be close to her before the transformation. It helped keep him calmer, and less agitated.
"Yeah, I'm sure, but if its going to worry you, I don't have to." He was a bit nervous about it himself, but he'd gotten it into his head, and it was about the only thing he could look forward to in all of this. Being outside for a few hours, being able to run and work out all of the pent of energy and emotion that came with each transformation.
"If you'd rather, I can just come back up after I transform and curl up in front of the fireplace until morning."
"Well-" Stella began, frowning a bit. She hated to take away something that Caleb had been looking forward to, but at the same time she was afraid something would happen.
"No, it's alright," she finally said, sighing a little. "You just have to remember not to go too far away from the house-" they'd set the wards for transformed werewolves about 200 yards away from the house in all directions, leaving a good deal of running room (at least as far as Stella thought) but were still protected. There were more specific wards on the house, of course, but doing any more wards over such a large area would take an enormous amount of effort.
Something Caleb had said bothered her, though, and she looked at him questioningly.
"What did you mean, 'come back up' and sit by the fireplace? Up from where?" Stella had been fully expecting Caleb to transform right here, in their bedroom, as he had back when they lived in the flat.
"I promise, I won't go any further than the yard. I just want to be outside, you know?"
He could tell she didn't like the idea, and a part of him thought he should just forget the idea altogether. But he couldn't, not now. The wolf wanted out, and he wasn't inclined to fight the matter.
"The basement. Where else would I be talking about?" he asked, frowning slightly. "It's the perfect place to transform. You won't have to hear so much, and it's a good place for me to be if something goes wrong. You can ward the door and I won't be able to get to you."
Caleb dozed next to Stella, his head occasionally lifting at a strange sound from outside. His wolf senses still hadn't adjusted to the different sounds around their new home, the noises of small animals and insects he didn't have to deal with in the city.
His skin began to prickle and itch and he knew it was almost time for sunrise. Caleb nudged Stella gently awake, nuzzling her hand before jumping from the bed. He went downstairs, then down to the basement, pacing in agitated circles as he waited for the inevitable rush of pain.
Stella hadn't really wanted to sleep- she wanted to keep Caleb company. However, it was Friday night, and after a full week of school, she really did need the rest.
However, she was wide awake after Caleb nudged her, sitting up and watching him run from the room. Steeling herself for what she knew was coming, Stella put on her dressing gown and made her way down to the den to wait for the howls and screams that would signal Caleb's transformation.
After the screams had stopped, Stella nearly ran down the basement stairs, not in the least concerned that tears were still rolling down her face. Instead, she focused all of her energy on floating Caleb up two flights of stairs and into their bed, collapsing beside him once she was done.
"You are transforming up here next month," she panted, exhausted again. It was one thing to float Caleb up just from the floor onto the bed. It was quite another to have to carefully maneuver him up two flights of stairs! "I'll wait in the guest room or something."
"Did you get the rabbit?" he managed to ask as he curled up on the bed, waiting for the pain to go away. It hurt to move, hurt to breathe, and he couldn't wait for sleep to overcome him so he could escape it.
His world went black, and when it came into focus again, time had obviously passed. Stella was lying on the bed next to him, a book in her lap. "What time is it?" he rasped, his throat feeling raw.
"Nearly half seven," Stella replied, giving Caleb a gentle smile. "Can you sit up a little?" She asked, glancing towards the potions that she'd picked up from Severus the day before, now on the table beside her. "You need to drink these, love."
Stella set down her book before turning to gently help Caleb sit up a bit. She then got out of bed, collecting the potions and walking around to Caleb's side to help him swallow down the various vials.
"Are you hungry?" Stella sat down beside him, brushing a lock of hair back from his forehead. "We have soup and ice cream. Oh, and-" Stella paused for a moment, undoing the gold chain that hung around her neck and removing Caleb's wedding ring, which had been hanging alongside her sapphire pendant all night. "You can have this back if it won't bother you too much."
"Well, I don't know about 'yelled at'," Stella teased lightly, trying to return his smile. "But definitely rebuked, at the very least."
Stella uncurled her legs, taking a moment to stretch out before she stood up. "Mind if I join you?" she asked, holding out her hand to help him stand as well. "A shower is sounding lovely right about now."
"That'd be brilliant," he said, not wanting to leave her alone quite yet. He wasn't sure why this Full was being so rough on her, but he didn't want her to sit and dwell on it.
They made their way to the bathroom with Caleb leaning on Stella. Due to his raw skin, he wasn't able to have the shower on full blast, but Stella didn't seem to mind, and it was nice being able to lean against her instead of the cold wall.
Showers with Caleb were always nice, regardless of whatever else was going on, and Stella was happy to help him get clean- again, anything that helped him to feel better was a good thing in Stella's mind.
After they got dried off, Stella slipped her nightgown back on and helped Caleb back into his boxers.
"I know we both just woke up, but I wouldn't mind a little nap," Stella suggested, helping him towards the bed. "I didn't really sleep that well, anyway." Because, of course, her mind had been filled with images of people being attacked- first Caleb, then Remus, then her parents, then Draco... so she hadn't so much slept as just tried to keep the nightmares from driving her insane.
Caleb frowned when Stella mentioned not sleeping well. That combined with the crying and some of the other things she'd mentioned finally clicked in his mind. She was still worried, and he needed her to stop.
He waited until they were both on the bed, then turned onto his side, looking at Stella. "Before we go to sleep, I need you to listen to me. On the west side of the property, there is a rabbit warren, with at least five rabbits living inside. Around two in the morning, a family of badgers passed through the back of the property. There is an owl who was hunting and managed to snag a small mouse. Stella, nothing will get near you or me here without my knowing about it long before it gets close. The wards are strong, and no other werewolf can pass through them. I can't protect the rest of the people in your life, but I can and will protect you. We are safe here, I promise." Sighing, he rubbed his tired eyes. "That being said, if you'd feel more comfortable back in town until everything has settled down, we can go back
( ... )
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It was not so much that she was worried about herself- Stella had enough confidence to know that she was a capable witch, and knew she could defend herself. No, the person she was worried about was Caleb- especially since he'd been talking about going outside once he'd transformed.
"Are you sure you want to do this, love?" Stella asked as they were curled up together in their bed, waiting as the clock ticked towards the time of the transformation.
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"Yeah, I'm sure, but if its going to worry you, I don't have to." He was a bit nervous about it himself, but he'd gotten it into his head, and it was about the only thing he could look forward to in all of this. Being outside for a few hours, being able to run and work out all of the pent of energy and emotion that came with each transformation.
"If you'd rather, I can just come back up after I transform and curl up in front of the fireplace until morning."
Reply
"No, it's alright," she finally said, sighing a little. "You just have to remember not to go too far away from the house-" they'd set the wards for transformed werewolves about 200 yards away from the house in all directions, leaving a good deal of running room (at least as far as Stella thought) but were still protected. There were more specific wards on the house, of course, but doing any more wards over such a large area would take an enormous amount of effort.
Something Caleb had said bothered her, though, and she looked at him questioningly.
"What did you mean, 'come back up' and sit by the fireplace? Up from where?" Stella had been fully expecting Caleb to transform right here, in their bedroom, as he had back when they lived in the flat.
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He could tell she didn't like the idea, and a part of him thought he should just forget the idea altogether. But he couldn't, not now. The wolf wanted out, and he wasn't inclined to fight the matter.
"The basement. Where else would I be talking about?" he asked, frowning slightly. "It's the perfect place to transform. You won't have to hear so much, and it's a good place for me to be if something goes wrong. You can ward the door and I won't be able to get to you."
Reply
His skin began to prickle and itch and he knew it was almost time for sunrise. Caleb nudged Stella gently awake, nuzzling her hand before jumping from the bed. He went downstairs, then down to the basement, pacing in agitated circles as he waited for the inevitable rush of pain.
Reply
However, she was wide awake after Caleb nudged her, sitting up and watching him run from the room. Steeling herself for what she knew was coming, Stella put on her dressing gown and made her way down to the den to wait for the howls and screams that would signal Caleb's transformation.
After the screams had stopped, Stella nearly ran down the basement stairs, not in the least concerned that tears were still rolling down her face. Instead, she focused all of her energy on floating Caleb up two flights of stairs and into their bed, collapsing beside him once she was done.
"You are transforming up here next month," she panted, exhausted again. It was one thing to float Caleb up just from the floor onto the bed. It was quite another to have to carefully maneuver him up two flights of stairs! "I'll wait in the guest room or something."
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His world went black, and when it came into focus again, time had obviously passed. Stella was lying on the bed next to him, a book in her lap. "What time is it?" he rasped, his throat feeling raw.
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Stella set down her book before turning to gently help Caleb sit up a bit. She then got out of bed, collecting the potions and walking around to Caleb's side to help him swallow down the various vials.
"Are you hungry?" Stella sat down beside him, brushing a lock of hair back from his forehead. "We have soup and ice cream. Oh, and-" Stella paused for a moment, undoing the gold chain that hung around her neck and removing Caleb's wedding ring, which had been hanging alongside her sapphire pendant all night. "You can have this back if it won't bother you too much."
Reply
Stella uncurled her legs, taking a moment to stretch out before she stood up. "Mind if I join you?" she asked, holding out her hand to help him stand as well. "A shower is sounding lovely right about now."
Reply
They made their way to the bathroom with Caleb leaning on Stella. Due to his raw skin, he wasn't able to have the shower on full blast, but Stella didn't seem to mind, and it was nice being able to lean against her instead of the cold wall.
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After they got dried off, Stella slipped her nightgown back on and helped Caleb back into his boxers.
"I know we both just woke up, but I wouldn't mind a little nap," Stella suggested, helping him towards the bed. "I didn't really sleep that well, anyway." Because, of course, her mind had been filled with images of people being attacked- first Caleb, then Remus, then her parents, then Draco... so she hadn't so much slept as just tried to keep the nightmares from driving her insane.
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He waited until they were both on the bed, then turned onto his side, looking at Stella. "Before we go to sleep, I need you to listen to me. On the west side of the property, there is a rabbit warren, with at least five rabbits living inside. Around two in the morning, a family of badgers passed through the back of the property. There is an owl who was hunting and managed to snag a small mouse. Stella, nothing will get near you or me here without my knowing about it long before it gets close. The wards are strong, and no other werewolf can pass through them. I can't protect the rest of the people in your life, but I can and will protect you. We are safe here, I promise." Sighing, he rubbed his tired eyes. "That being said, if you'd feel more comfortable back in town until everything has settled down, we can go back ( ... )
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