𝒮𝓉𝑜𝓇𝓂'𝓈 𝒜 𝐵𝓇𝑒𝓌𝒾𝓃'

September 4th, 1994

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒯𝓌𝑒𝓁𝓋𝑒

Iris Blackwell had a lot of moods. The year before, it was just down to her just being her... the days where she seemed more energetic were marked down as a good night's rest. Days where she seemed quieter just shrugged away as her not feeling up for anything. The everything in between was just her normal state.

Now... with the knowledge she was... well, some different species of werewolf than the monster that kids were told as bedtime stories... things made more sense. At least if you could recognize the patterns. But first, you would have to know there were patterns.

And well, Valeria finally caught on. She was studying her moon charts for some extra credit assignment in Divination while waiting for her turn in the bathroom. And in the middle of writing, something struck her. Something that had her gaze turned to Iris, who was having one of her mornings where she seemed to want to sleep in as she clung to her bed... something very unlike her most days.

"Are you affected by the entire moon cycle?"

Sally-Ann briefly glanced up from where she was tying her shoes, not as intrigued as Valeria but willing to hear the answer as well.

Iris didn't find it an interesting topic to explain, not even caring enough to open her eyes, just humming before she slurred through her mumbles, "Mm-hmm, full moons make us go grr, and new moons make us go...." She faded off, getting her point across with an example as she pretended to fall back to sleep.

"Why is that?"

Iris sighed, rolling onto her back to stretch and actually make something of herself. And she humored Valeria some more, "Full moons are when we most connected to ourselves as wolves. Most Shifters are advised to stay away from people. Doesn't affect the original lines as intensely, but we get irritable, more authoritative, senses are on overdrive. Anyone with a gift is stronger or experiencing it more intensely."

She sat up to take in a deep breath, "New moons are the opposite, when we are most disconnected. It actually makes for a strange feeling... your senses aren't as in tune, your energy feels to have been sucked out of you. You aren't so much calm... just too tired to be quite as hotheaded or do much of anything. Anyone who can tends to just sleep the entire day. Again the original bloodlines fare better. The before and the day after can be a bit troublesome for both phases... but everything in-between is normal enough."

Valeria looked satisfied enough with the answers she had been given. And as she looked back down to her book proudly announced, "Tomorrow is a New Moon."

Iris blandly turned to her, an easy "No shit" flying from her mouth. Quickly she followed up with a question, "Is it my turn or yours in the bathroom after Tracey?"

"Mine."

And that was all Iris needed to fall back onto her bed, postponing the whole making something of herself thing. Her face twisted as something else struck her mind, "Now eclipses are pretty crazy."

~~~~~~

"Snape needs to deal with whatever stick he has shoved up his ass."

So far, that seemed to be a shared thought for the entire student body. Severus Snape seemed to be starting off the new school year worse than ever. Had the poor nervous boy Neville Longbottom spend a detention disemboweling toads... just for simply burning through a cauldron.

Luckily Iris started off this year in potions without a detention. She and Snape were still on all levels tense with one another... but she wasn't looking to pick a fight with the New Moon approaching.