Jack, not Jackson

Chapter 58: Kindred

Pitch's POV:
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Jack be nimble.
Jack be swift.
Jack jumped over the candlestick.
Jack did stumble.
Jack did quake.
Jack didn't know the strength of the flames.
-
Even now your barriers are strong boy, and I cannot see all I wish to. I want to be sure that when I take everything from you, there are no pillars left for you to stand on.

I see flashes of fires.
People. and buildings, and places all burning. If I had a heart, I might care to find out why.
I don't.

So, boy. You fear fire do you?
Afraid you won't stop it in time?
Afraid of it burning away all you love again?
Hmmm..
Then let's find out.

Run little Jacky boy.
Let's see if you're fast enough.

Jack Frost's POV:
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We were in my classroom.
As far as I was concerned, what Lupin and I were doing was an utter waste of time but I needed to keep the pretense of having some form of magic.

I'd told Lupin I was an elemental.
That most of my magic had a natural form that came before any words were necessary and that's why I didn't need a wand. It was the only lie I could come up with on such short notice when he started questioning me.

He wanted to see my magic in its "natural form" but I had made him wait. Now here we are, spending more time in a classroom when everyone else is eating a nice five course dinner prepared by Martin and the House elves.

I let myself ignore Lupin as I checked the protection barrier like I did every evening. Most thought it was unnecessary since Hogwarts already had a protective barrier in place. I ignored them too.

Finally I was done and Lupin was still here. Leaning against my desk as if he had all the time in the world.
I sighed.
"Lupin, why do you care about this so much anyway? It's just like any element spell."

"Because-" He said, not moving from his place propped against my desk.
"-you said understanding magic meant it didn't matter what form it took and yet yours takes a different form than any I've ever seen before. So.."
He gestured wildly in a sweeping motion.
"I wanna see it."

I sighed at my friend, smiling internally  at his persistence. He was so inquisitive, like he'd never lost that little boy curiosity when he'd grown up. It was one of the things I liked about him.

"Fine. Prepare yourself for glorious disappointment."
I walked closer to the windows and placed my hand on the first one on the right, letting the frost trail across the windows in an intricate design just like the protection barrier had.

"I'm a Snow elemental."
I said, explaining as we watched the windows cloud.
"I can lower the temperature and make pretty much everything I touch freeze if I'm not careful. I can also withstand strong temperatures, both hot and cold."

I gestured to the now entirely frozen windows.
"Is this good enough or do you need to see more?"

Lupin approaches the window cautiously, like it's a wild animal.  After he studied the pattern for a moment, he tries clearing it away with his breath.

I just raise an eyebrow at him.
"Really? An ancient type of magic you say. Hasn't been seen in recorded history and your reaction is to huff at it?"

Lupin looks sheepish and shrugs. "I was trying to see if the heat from my lungs could melt it."
I put my hand back on the window and let the swirling patterns disappear.

Lupin is so busy watching it go that I'm the first to notice that something is very, very wrong.

"Lupin."
I say, and my tone must have changed because the instant I spoke, Lupin's head snaps up to look out the window.
He mouth falls open but I'm too busy running for the door to tell him to shut it.