Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2020 15:53:42 GMT -7
August, 2012
The thing was, JJ could have sworn she just got over the moodiness and exhaustion of shark week, and yet. She'd snapped at Jesse for no discernable reason. None that actually made logical sense, anyway. He's been putting his smelly leftover fish in the fridge for years, and might complain every so often, but she hadn't ever actually yelled at him about it. Jesse is perfectly entitled to eat whatever he likes and put it in the fridge to keep, even if JJ doesn't like the way it smells sometimes. It's still there, mocking her, and she doesn't know if she should go apologize right away or let him be alone for a bit. He'd gotten that terrified look in his eyes, the one he used to get when they were kids and the older ones had gotten louder and rougher than Jesse liked. He'd always been the most sensitive of them all. JJ sighed and closed the fridge door, resting her forehead against the outside and wondering what was happening to her, that she'd be so needlessly mean to her own brother.
Things became clearer the next night. Or rather, they escalated until there was only one conclusion to draw. JJ continued to become increasingly more aggressive, until she growled--growled--at Jesse. Not some human approximation of the sound, no. A full throated and vicious sound straight from the core of her being. They'd both paled so fast they nearly fainted. Jesse, being the self-sacrificing idiot he was, refused to leave for his own safety. Said he'd stay, because at least then he'd be able to sort of contain her, even if he got injured in the process. Said if he was there, then she would be less inclined to go after the other tenants in their building. Which, fair point.
"I hate when you're right," she'd growled, pacing the length of their sitting room and wondering just how she was going to hide this. "We should go outside."
Jesse looked like he wanted to argue the point, but the same reasoning that JJ had considered, must have occurred to him too. "Safer for the statute that way, I suppose. Can't have muggles hearing you howling fit to wake the dead."
Which, rude, but true. They had a few hours still until sunset, thank Merlin for long summer days. Jesse offered to apparate them both as close to the nearest forest as he could, and while JJ wanted to protest that she could do it herself, she still had enough sense to know she was likely to splinch herself in the process. Her new instincts wanted to tear off running when he gripped her arm, but she tamped them down through sheer force of will.
They landed and only stumbled slightly, a line of trees could be seen about 30 meters away, a park with children playing at it was only 10 meters away in the other direction. "We're going as deep as we can get into that forest, Jess, and then you're going to run away as fast as you can."
She could tell he wanted to fight her on that front too, but there was a marked difference in him staying nearby when they were already close to other humans, versus being miles deep into a forest only inhabited by wild animals. He nodded wordlessly. And then they ran.
JJ could feel the pull of the moon the closer it got to sunset, could feel her skin getting too tight and an itch in her bones. They were nearly 5 miles in when the sun light was barely reaching them and Jesse broke off; JJ wanted to follow him, wanted to give chase, but she held firm and let him go. It was safer for everyone if he wasn't there when it happened.
Truthfully, JJ would like to say she remembered the shift, remembered what it felt like. But she didn't. She remembers looking at the night sky and feeling like she would split in two, and then nothing. JJ woke on the ground, scratches and bruises littered her body but nothing very severe. She almost thought she managed it, a shift without hurting someone. Until she looked to her left and saw Jesse, unconscious and bloody. He didn't get far enough away, apparently. Still, JJ could feel a pulse when she reached over to check, frantic and panicked that she'd killed her own brother. Of course, he would still die if she didn't treat the wound.
It took a few minutes of frantic searching in his pockets, but JJ found a solution of powdered silver and dittany--bless her brother's foresight and planning for the worst possibility. She dumped the whole thing over his shoulder, sobbing as she smeared it into the wound and prayed to the gods that she made it in time. She collapsed in relief when the bleeding stopped, the adrenaline fading away to exhaustion, and didn't wake again until hours later when Jesse was also conscious.
The thing was, JJ could have sworn she just got over the moodiness and exhaustion of shark week, and yet. She'd snapped at Jesse for no discernable reason. None that actually made logical sense, anyway. He's been putting his smelly leftover fish in the fridge for years, and might complain every so often, but she hadn't ever actually yelled at him about it. Jesse is perfectly entitled to eat whatever he likes and put it in the fridge to keep, even if JJ doesn't like the way it smells sometimes. It's still there, mocking her, and she doesn't know if she should go apologize right away or let him be alone for a bit. He'd gotten that terrified look in his eyes, the one he used to get when they were kids and the older ones had gotten louder and rougher than Jesse liked. He'd always been the most sensitive of them all. JJ sighed and closed the fridge door, resting her forehead against the outside and wondering what was happening to her, that she'd be so needlessly mean to her own brother.
Things became clearer the next night. Or rather, they escalated until there was only one conclusion to draw. JJ continued to become increasingly more aggressive, until she growled--growled--at Jesse. Not some human approximation of the sound, no. A full throated and vicious sound straight from the core of her being. They'd both paled so fast they nearly fainted. Jesse, being the self-sacrificing idiot he was, refused to leave for his own safety. Said he'd stay, because at least then he'd be able to sort of contain her, even if he got injured in the process. Said if he was there, then she would be less inclined to go after the other tenants in their building. Which, fair point.
"I hate when you're right," she'd growled, pacing the length of their sitting room and wondering just how she was going to hide this. "We should go outside."
Jesse looked like he wanted to argue the point, but the same reasoning that JJ had considered, must have occurred to him too. "Safer for the statute that way, I suppose. Can't have muggles hearing you howling fit to wake the dead."
Which, rude, but true. They had a few hours still until sunset, thank Merlin for long summer days. Jesse offered to apparate them both as close to the nearest forest as he could, and while JJ wanted to protest that she could do it herself, she still had enough sense to know she was likely to splinch herself in the process. Her new instincts wanted to tear off running when he gripped her arm, but she tamped them down through sheer force of will.
They landed and only stumbled slightly, a line of trees could be seen about 30 meters away, a park with children playing at it was only 10 meters away in the other direction. "We're going as deep as we can get into that forest, Jess, and then you're going to run away as fast as you can."
She could tell he wanted to fight her on that front too, but there was a marked difference in him staying nearby when they were already close to other humans, versus being miles deep into a forest only inhabited by wild animals. He nodded wordlessly. And then they ran.
JJ could feel the pull of the moon the closer it got to sunset, could feel her skin getting too tight and an itch in her bones. They were nearly 5 miles in when the sun light was barely reaching them and Jesse broke off; JJ wanted to follow him, wanted to give chase, but she held firm and let him go. It was safer for everyone if he wasn't there when it happened.
Truthfully, JJ would like to say she remembered the shift, remembered what it felt like. But she didn't. She remembers looking at the night sky and feeling like she would split in two, and then nothing. JJ woke on the ground, scratches and bruises littered her body but nothing very severe. She almost thought she managed it, a shift without hurting someone. Until she looked to her left and saw Jesse, unconscious and bloody. He didn't get far enough away, apparently. Still, JJ could feel a pulse when she reached over to check, frantic and panicked that she'd killed her own brother. Of course, he would still die if she didn't treat the wound.
It took a few minutes of frantic searching in his pockets, but JJ found a solution of powdered silver and dittany--bless her brother's foresight and planning for the worst possibility. She dumped the whole thing over his shoulder, sobbing as she smeared it into the wound and prayed to the gods that she made it in time. She collapsed in relief when the bleeding stopped, the adrenaline fading away to exhaustion, and didn't wake again until hours later when Jesse was also conscious.
