The Legend Begins... [Audrey]

[Mike Blaze]

Mike Blaze stood near the balcony, overlooking the grounds, hands on both railings. A letter rolled up in his right hand. The hand that held the letter shook a little. On closer inspection and if Mike allowed a closer look, one would discover the letter was addressed to him from his father. The letter began like an normal letter from his parents. His father wrote how much he missed Mike, how much Mike's mother missed him and his two sisters, asked how school was going, asked if he was missing home, and mentioned at how excited he was to see Mike during the holidays and to meet Audrey. Mike had written his parents earlier that week telling them that Audrey was to be coming home with home with him after he stayed in Hogsmeade with her family for a while. The letter made Mike quite happy, until he reached the last paragraph. The last paragraph began, "Son, I do not know if you are aware or not but the Ashton Pack has reformed once again, many of them have joined the new Dark Lord." The worst news ever, the Wolf Pack that his family had founded had returned, now this generally wasn't a bad thing, as most of the pack were freelancers whose loyalties did not lie on either the good side or bad. Then there were those who were loyal to the Dark Side, of course these members could not be kicked out due to being family and true friends of the rest. Mike honestly had nothing worry about except for this, "I think it's time you begin thinking of where your loyalties lie, I can not make the decision for you. But the fact is, you have to help out the Ashton Pack, they're all counting on you." Mike knew this day would come, it wasn't a bad thing, but sometimes, when it came to the pack, even the slightest bad judgment move could cost you your life.

Mike knew he had to tell Audrey one way or the other. She was the love of his life, his soul mate, the woman he would spend the rest of his life with, he could not keep this bit of information from her any longer. Mike would be beginning his help in he pack right after he graduated. His plan was to become an Auror, using the pack could benefit him well. But did he really want to keep his loyalties to the good side, or should he stay a freelancer, or even join his family on the Dark Side? Mike's father stayed a freelancer and also supported the Ministry, no harm there, but what about Mike? Either way, he knew he needed to tell Audrey before anything. He needed her to know, If she didn't wish to see him anymore because of this, he understood, but either way, he couldn't keep this a secret any longer. Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes, bowing his head a little, all the thoughts flying through his head at a million miles an hour.

[Audrey Hitchcock]

Audrey had one day until she and Mike left for her parents' house. She still hadn't sent a letter to her mom and dad warning them. As she raced up the staircases to the Landing, her conversation with Kat replayed in her mind. A new Dark Lord. It was hard for the girl to wrap her mind around. She'd only been six years old when Voldemort had been killed. She had grown up in a safe, care-free world. There were no worries of another Dark Lord coming on the scene. Although Audrey herself had been planning to join the Ministry as an Auror, that prospect was much more real and unpleasant than it had been previously. Every nerve ending was tingling with a strange feeling. Danger. A little belatedly, the thought of Harry Potter himself finally made an appearance in her buzzing brain. What would he think of this? Would he join the fight again? Audrey shook her head, attempting to empty it of the worrisome thoughts as she entered through the door of the Landing.

"Oh." Audrey gasped, stopping as if her feet had gotten stuck in some unseen glue trap on the floor, her body swaying forward a bit. Immediately she'd seen Mike in the balcony, gripping a piece of paper in his hand. "What are you doing up here?"

[Mike Blaze]

Mike closed his eyes, deep in thought. The decision still fighting with him on the inside, who knew joining one simple pack could lead to more decisions? The Ashton Pack was just that complicated, first the decision of whether to join or not, then where to go if you joined. Mike knew he'd be well respected if he joined the Dark Side and continued to help the new Dark Lord rise to power. But if he remained a freelancer, he'd get his opportunity of joining the Auror Office, which had been his dream ever since he was around five years old, around the time his father began working as an Auror. His father had always supported the Ministry and Order of the Phoenix, so shouldn't Mike too? What was more important, respect from his whole family, or being satisfied of the thought he had followed in his father's footsteps? What would Audrey think of him considering the Dark Side? He knew she looked up to Harry Potter and also wanted to become an Auror, what would she say if she knew he wished to take the opposite path? He didn't think she'd ever associate herself with anyone who supported or even their family supported the Dark Side.

Hearing the small, Oh followed by a gasp, he jumped a little bit. Sliding the letter in to his back pocket, turning around to face the person who decided to join him up here, "Oh Audj, it's you." he said, sighing a little bit in relief. Still the sight of her made his stomach turn a little, he figured it'd be easy telling her about the pack, but now... knowing it was finally time, he couldn't get himself to do it. Maybe he could push the thoughts from his head until after the vacation, it'd probably ruin his holidays but he could never live himself for ruining Audrey's. "You seem surprised to see me..." he said laughing, noticing how his voice cracked which signified something was bothering him, clearing his throat he added, "Finish packing yet? I'm one hundred percent excited for this vacation... our first holiday together." he said, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him, leaning his back against the balcony.

[Audrey Hitchcock]

"Finish packing yet? I'm one hundred percent excited for this vacation... our first holiday together." he said, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him, leaning his back against the balcony.

Audrey twisted out of his embrace. "Yeah, I finished. What were you holding when I walked in?" Before the boy could answer she leaned over the edge of the balcony and whistled very loudly. Audrey turned back to look at Mike as she waited on her owl to arrive. The girl was in a very aburpt mood tonight. The stress had definitely gotten to her a bit. As if bringing home the boyfriend for the holidays wasn't enough, there were rumors of a new dark wizard who could've rivaled Voldemort in all aspects. Audrey wasn't in the mood to play games of evasion tonight. Mike had better just come out and tell her what it was he was hiding in his pocket.

[Mike Blaze]

As she pulled out of his arms and asked him what he was holding, his throat started to dry. Maybe it'd be best just to tell her. If she hated him for what he was apart of, it wasn't too late for her to change her plans for the holidays. He wouldn't be a good boyfriend if he didn't tell her the truth. Turning from her, he faced towards the balcony, leaning on it. Putting his hand in his pocket he pulled out the letter, taking a deep breath, he unfolded it, turning to face her. "There's something I need to tell, something I've kept secret since before I met you. First off, you need to know what I am, well not what I am, but what I'm a part of. I believe you know the pack that Fenrir Greyback and Remus Lupin use to be a part of. Well, my family founded the pack, my great great great grandfather to be specific. This letter," Mike held the letter up, "Is from my father, he told me that as a Blaze I must join the pack, and choose what path I want to choose. Whether it be a freelancer or... setting my loyalties to the Dark Side. I'm not a werewolf, but my animagus is a wolf. Which is a lot like most of the men in the pack. Only a few are werewolves." Mike stopped looking down, wondering how crazy this was probably sounding to her, but she had to know. So not to appear as a completely insane moron or something along those lines, he slowly folded the letter back up, not letting his eyes look in to hers just yet, waiting to see how she reacted. "I'm the same person, it's just... my animagus form just makes it a responsibility for me to join my family's clan and help them, just like the Order of the Phoenix." he added, he coughed to clear his throat. He didn't want to lose her over this, far from it, joining the pack was very important to him, but if she refused to let him or didn't want him to, he wouldn't. He would do absolutely anything not to lose her.