The Russian was craving the outdoors, but the foreboding clouds had her avoiding the forest. It seemed storms chased her these days, and every time she wanted to let her inner beast out the weather was there to tell her no. Instead, Sibes found herself in the Transfiguration courtyard, standing on one of the low walls and staring into the storm in the distance. It was moving fast, and she wrapped her arms around her torso as a heavy gust blew through, blowing her hair wildly around her head and body.

Dressed in black slacks and a black sweater, the pale girl looked like an ink stain on the light grey stones. Her hair blending in to the total blackout of her form, it would take a moment for a person to realize that she was actually there and not some dark omen. She might have become a dark omen to some, what with the way she’d been tearing flesh and having intimate moments with half the school. There was someone in particular on the Russian’s mind, however, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he thought of her as some dark omen as well.

Orion Ramellien. He’d saved her from starvation, taught her how to tickle (strange as it sounded), and even showed her a sanctuary where she might care for herself without the fear of someone seeing her insecurities. Of course, neither of them would show that they were affected by the other, but it was still nice to know in her heart, wherever it was buried inside her tightly warded chest. The guy cared, at least a little, which was more than anyone had ever done before. It made her feel special and happy, and it was a strange feeling.

As she looked at the sky, she thought about what it might mean for her to suddenly want to feel wanted, cared about. It might make being more animal than human a bit difficult. Emotions like love weren’t a part of her demeanor, especially as a tiger. She ran on hate and anger and fear. How might feeling something positive change her? It was a scary question, and it made her ache for the forest. She felt her teeth elongating and her ears morphing, shifting up her skull in a deliciously nerve-wracking way. Sibes fought for control, urging her nails back into her fingers, the tail not to sprout, the muscles to stop quivering with the need to change.

She’d finally gotten herself all back to normal when she caught a new scent on the air. Human. She turned around quickly, staring at the intruder with the emerald eyes of a tiger.

It was late afternoon but one couldn't tell with all the clouds covering the sun. The entire day was over forecast, like the Skyler's mood. Things where more complicated than ever in her life and somehow she wished that atleast the weather would provide a ray of light for her. But no such luck.

It made her snort as she sauntered through the castle with no real destination in mind. The brunette was prone to think that was probably one of the unluckiest people around. If they could bottle her luck they would have a weapon of mass destruction on their hands.

The small teen was tired of being cooped up inside, and only got as far as wandering to the transfiguration department before deciding that fresh air would do her good maybe. Thankfully, the department had it's own courtyard, so she atleast didn't have to make her way all the way to the entrance hall of the castle.

Sky headed out into the courtyard with her hood pulled up on her head, having already made the change from idiot school uniform into something more herself. Now the Slytherin was dressed in a pair of dark jeans with a Slytherin green hoodie pulled on over a white tee. Matching green converse completed the look, and her hair was flowing freely down her shoulders and around her face.

Skyler was glad there weren't many people around at the moment. She was tired of dealing with the idiots that surrounded her on a daily basis. Tired of the looks and the whispers that constantly followed her and the never ending teasing comments. The fifth year hated to admit it even to herself but it was all starting to get under her skin. Sooner or later the brunette was going to reach her breaking point and lash out, and it wouldn't be pretty.

On the other hand, she was seriously considering doing it before she reached that point. The brunette had never given it a second thought when Draco had mentioned usurping Parkinson and taking her so called thrown, but now the entire idea had some merit. Skyler was not so unlike the rest of the snakes no matter what they all said. The brunette was ambitious, and enjoyed having power. The teen thrived in it, and currently all thoughts were focused on stripping away all that Parkinson held dear, including her place at the top of the food chain in their house.

These thoughts filled her mind and her violet eyes were darker than normal as she considered the different approaches to achieving her goal. She was looking but wasn't really seeing until a movement caught her almost by surprise. Oh. It was Sid. Well. That was what Sky referred to the tiger girl as. Her hands rested in her hoodie pocket and a smirk curled her lips. "I come in peace?" She remarked easily, eyes taking on a teasing light.

There also wariness in them as well though. The brunette had not forgotten the clawing she had received the last time, and Sky was getting better at approaching certain things with a bit of caution. The teen decided she would never be that great at it though, and didn't really mind. Atleast she hadn't been scarred.

Swiftly and lithely, the fifth year jumped up on the low wall to join the other girl, reaching into her hoodie pocket for some chocolate. Removing the wrapper she broke a piece off and offered it to the other snake. "Look likes it's going to be a big one." She remarked, eyes on the cloudy horizon, but it was clear she meant more than just the weather. There was a storm brewing in the brunette's life as well, and she could feel the threat of it.

She hadn’t smelled the girl’s scent in what felt like ages. Where had the pretty panther been hiding lately? There was a sense of trepidation about the familiar younger girl. It made Sibes worry a bit for her. What all had happened to the American lately that would make her so full of worry that it actually changed her scent? Something big was indeed in the air, but Sibes had a distinct feeling that it wasn’t the storm.

The Russian peered at her violet-eyed friend, her own emerald gaze finally easing back to normal. ”Yes, this whole year feels as though it will be a rather… big one as you say.” Sibes grew silent then, not knowing what to say to this younger girl. They were both away from home, out of their elements, and yet they both persisted on staying so strong. It was but a matter of time before one or both of them broke. No one could stay so strong for so long.

Sibes had only broken once before, and that was when her name really came to be. She had become stronger when she had broken, and so she feared she would revert to a weaker version of herself if she broke again. Sibes simply could not break. It was out of the question. She refused.

”Are you okay, Nyxy?” she purred, taking the offered chocolate and slipping it between her lips. She didn’t know if she was actually ready for the answer, but it was something she had to ask. The girls needed to stick together and keep their strength. It seemed being an outsider was scary in the pit of snakes, and Sibes wasn’t ready for either of them to fall prey to their vicious venom.

A smirk curled Skyler's lips at the Russian's words, and her body lost some of the tenseness it had the habit of carrying lately. It was probably a testament to how incredibly insane either the brunette was or her life had become that she was nearly completely at ease around a girl like the one she stood next to. There weren't many things that the teen was sure of these days, but one thing she was sure of was that Sid would rip your throat out with her teeth at a second's notice. One had to be insane to be so comfortable around such a person right?

And yet, there was something different about the Russian. Side glancing at the other Slytherin, Sky had to ask herself what it was. Maybe a bit of the same that had changed herself over the last few weeks. Life at Hogwarts was not easy for an outsider, and especially not in the snake pit. The brunette cursed herself mentally for not have taking the time to make sure she crossed paths with the tiger girl.

She had been busy, yes, but that was no excuse to neglect someone she considered a friend. And the Slytherin did consider Sid a friend. If she were being honest, Sky could readily admit that the other girl was probably the only one in the castle who could relate to her at the moment. The rumor mill of Hogwarts talked just as much about the Russian, and they weren't exactly nice. Though the teen knew enough about Sid to know that probably the ones about sex were true. The other witch was proud, but seemed to lack any sense of modesty.

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" She finally replied back softly, eyes back on the horizon as she took a bite of the chocolate in her hand, enjoying the taste slipping over her tongue as the sweet melted in her mouth. Sky turned her head to arch a brow in amusement at the name, but otherwise made no comment. Instead, she tucked her hands back into the pocket of her hoodie before responding again. "I'd say that depends on your definition of 'okay' Sid."

A wry grin spread over her lips slowly. If there was anyone in the den of snakes aside from Draco she trusted it was the Russian. From the moment they had met in the forest it had been an even playing field between them. The similarities between them were too coincidental. Both foreign. Both large felines. And both strong in their own rights. Both had no problems being themselves, even when the world judged them on it.

For those reasons alone, Sky respected and looked up to the other girl, and wanted her on her side of whatever battles she would face going forward. "I'm probably about as ok as you are. And for once I understand why you keep the claws. There are a few people I wouldn't mind sinking my own into, and one in particular I wouldn't mind skinning alive." The teen admitted, eyes growing as dark as the undercurrent of her tone.

When she commented about the claws, Sibes felt she could finally work with something. Rage was something she understood. Anger was a friend. The need to control people, to dominate, to hurt was one that Sibes dealt with all the time. Her lips curled up in an evil smile and she purred at the younger girl.

”When you are a small female, you need ways to take care of yourself, Nyxy. A wand is only a stick of wood when you get down to it. Claws… those are real weapons. Like your own personal daggers attached to your very fingers,” she looked at her with a haunting emerald gaze. ”I am never helpless now.”

She sighed as the wind picked up and whipped her hair around her body. If this girl really was as ‘okay’ as the Russian, she had more problems than Sibes had realized. ”That doesn’t sound so good, Nyxy. I haven’t been what most would call ‘okay’ in a very long time. Once you dig your claws, or teeth, into human flesh there is no going back. You should really know that Nyxy. It changes you.”

Sibes didn’t think this girl was as dark as she might be feeling at the moment. How could she be? She had barely connected with the feisty feline inside, and she still had such a spark in those peculiar violet eyes. How was it then that she was suddenly so overcome with the need to hurt another person? ”What happened to you, little panther? What’s darkened your happy soul?”

A shiver crawled up her spine at the older girl's smile and all around look. There was something in that emerald gaze that both bothered and poked at Sky's curiosity. For the first time in a long time, the brunette fought back her curious nature. She wanted to question the other girl, but a warning voice in her head told her that it had to be done carefully. If she really thought about it, the teen could still feel the sting from the clawing she had taken to the face during their last meeting. She wasn't in a hurry to earn another.

Did she fear the older girl? No. And yes. Sid was as dangerous as they came, and that much had always been apparent. But Sky had no reason to believe the older Slytherin would do her bodily harm, and even when she had, it hadn't been permanent damage. And it had been more a lesson than anything else. She toed the wall beneath her absently with one foot. "Tell me about it." The teen replied almost bitterly about the wand thing. Hadn't she learned that one the hard way?

Skyler considered Sid's words, mulling them over in her mind. One of the things that had bothered her so much after the most recent attack she had sustained was how she had failed to defend herself. To be able to defend herself. In hindsight, she realized how idiotic she had been to put all her faith in a stick. Then again, her wand had never failed her before, and the brunette was not in tune enough with Nyx to force transformations when in emotional turmoil, much less as controlled as it would needed to have been in that situation. Maybe with the older girl's help though, it was possible.

Sighing herself, Skyler moved a bit of hair out of her face as she looked at the older Slytherin with a serious expression for once. No longer was there that playful spark or attitude that she was generally known for. The teen had considered and weighed her options, and while she hadn't expected the need for over ways to protect herself, it had been thrust upon her regardless of whether she wanted to or not. "Sometimes change is needed."

The brunette replied, pulling up the sleeve of her left arm to bare the scar that she feared would mark her forever. Sky wasn't afraid to show Sid, because for some reason, she felt like maybe the other girl wouldn't think less of her for it. She really didn't know why. She thought less of herself for it, after all. Every day it reminded her of how her magic had failed her. How she had failed herself. It had broken her. But now that the pieces were coming back together, the brunette was determined to never be that weak again.

"I got caught by someone else's sharp tools. Unfortunately, they aren't as forgiving as you. And this isn't even the worst of it." She admitted softly, looking down for a moment to give her time to collect herself. When she looked back up, purple eyes blazed with a passionate determination. "I never want to feel that helpless again. Even it means getting blood on my own claws." Pulling her sleeve back down, the teen didn't look away, her gaze boring into the emerald one that looked back at her. "But I also have no clue what to expect. Or how to call them forth when needed. I feel that maybe you're the best person to teach me that."

Skyler wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. She wasn't going to try and do everything on her own. And maybe, just maybe, this could help forge a bond between her and the tiger. Something she really did want. "And then maybe at some point, you might let me know why you're not ok either."

Her words and her feelings were so familiar it was painful to the Russian. She looked at the marks on the panther girl’s pretty flesh and snarled. Whoever did that didn’t realize what they were doing. Playing with a ferocious feline never ended well for the one doing the playing, after all. She understood immediately how the girl felt. How the need to feel like she could defend herself was consuming her. IT had been the same back when Sibes had claimed her identity. Her worth.

”It isn’t about bringing forth the claws. The panther. The animal. It’s about bringing out your own self and your own strength, little Nyxy. I learned how to embrace the tiger long before I knew it actually was there. I grew these claws long before I discovered the real ones,” she spoke softly, her accent giving her words a gravelly tone. She had become hardened many years ago, and she had her father to thank for it. She wondered if this girl would understand how she felt about the monster who made her.

The younger girl clearly wanted to keep things good between the two of them, and Sibes found she quite agreed, especially if the darkness was truly ready to claim this one’s soul. It seemed inevitable that anyone in the spotlight was consumed at some point. Maybe not those from the world of light, but someone from such a family as Riddle? Someone who lived with snakes and had to fear for her life on a daily basis? There was no escaping the darkness, so Sibes would help her embrace it.

She smiled at the brunette, deciding to sit on the wall with her legs curled up Indian-style. ”You will be able to bring forth the panther’s claws once we’re done here today, but you won’t need to only rely on them. I will teach you much more than that. When you are too young to wield a wand, yet you are under attack constantly, you figure a lot of things out.” ’You’re just too scared to actually put them to use…’ she added the thought as her eyes clouded with a sadness. If she’d just fought back when she was little. Maybe then she wouldn’t be as ‘not okay’ as she was now.

A sigh slipped from her lips as she shifted to face Nyx. Her face broke into a sad, tortured sort of smile as she looked the girl over. ”I will help you never feel vulnerable again, but you have to know. These people have taken things from you that you will never get back. They’ve taken that last little bit of innocence and childish joy, because now you know real terror. They’ve taken your safety, and now you’ll always feel the need to attack first and listen later. They’ve taken away your lack of aggression. You will need to go running more often now. You’ll feel the need to kill when you shift. You’re going to become more of a predator for fear of being made into prey.”

Her emerald eyes stared into those violet ones, swimming with pain, fear, and desire to learn. ”If you can handle that, then we can begin. And I will tell you why I am who I am. For this story will help you understand what is necessary for you to become all that you can be.” She hoped the girl was ready for a story, because this would be a big one. It would explain just how ‘not okay’ Sibes was, and why she felt the need to prove her status as a strong predator.

”I was never wanted. My father wanted an heir. A son. My mother never wanted a child in the first place. I was ‘wrong’. The wrong sex, the wrong baby, the wrong nuisance. They kept me alive because they had to. Because I was their flesh and blood and they had to raise me. Maybe someday they could get a handsome price for me to wed. I didn’t have to be in a good mental state for that, so my father constantly reminded me just what I was worth.

“When I was still quite young, my mother became pregnant. It was a son. My father was overjoyed and completely ignored me. I nearly starved but for a house elf who took it upon himself to bring me food. The elf is dead now, I assure you. Anyway. She died in labor. Complications unforeseen. My baby brother did not make it either. Ivan had no heir and no wife to try with again. It was the first time he hit me. It was also the last. Accidental magic is a bitch, and the sensation of having boiling water poured over his body discouraged and further physical abuse. The mental… oh, well, that was just beginning…

“My father constantly told me that my only worth would be in finding a rich husband to pay to take me off his hands. He told me that men liked thin women who kept their mouths shut and did as they were told. When I ate, he called me a korova. A cow. By the time I started at Durmstrang I was eating only what I had to in order to survive. I’ve only recently started eating more, thanks to a kind soul in a dark world.”

She let out a great sigh and looked at the angry sky above. ”I grew my claws after he hit me. I was determined to have a way to hurt him without relying on an accidental explosion of energy. I took the name Sibes because just hearing Sibyl makes my skin crawl. It’s all he’s ever called me, all he ever will. In that mocking tone that says I am nothing.” She hadn’t even realized her eyes had begun to leak crystal tears. There were twin trails down her cheeks, but she didn’t care.

”If you let them beat you down, you will lose. You will become a shell of what you could be. I learned it the hard way. I am more than a shell now. And I will kill him. No matter what it takes, I will feast on his heart. But he will never have any power over me again.”

Skyler listened intently to what Sid had to say about everything. About what it all. The brunette had initially been shocked by the reaction to the markings on her arm by the older Slytherin, but at the same time...wouldn't she be just as angry on the other girl's behalf? Of course she would, but the teen was sure she would never have to be, because Sid wasn't so weak as that. The Prefect was willing to bet any amount of galleons that if Parkinson had come across the other girl the way she had come at Sky, Parkinson would be floating at the bottom of the lake. Or maybe decomposing in the forest.

Whatever the case, Skyler knew from the older snake's looks and tones, that this wasn't something to take lightly. The teen looked away again, purple eyes a myriad of emotions as they stared, unseeing at the stormy horizon. Part of her didn't want to believe that she would never get back what had been taken from her that day outside the Prefect's bathroom. But she knew it was true. Bringing forth her own strength was going to be the struggle for her, because after that attack, the brunette didn't feel she really had any strength.

Bringing forth herself? Well that was even tougher, considering she didn't really know who she was anymore. Thinking on it for a moment, the girl she was then was much different from the girl she had been back home. Sky was stronger at Hogwarts than she had ever been before, which was why it had crushed her to not be strong enough. The teen was very curious and intrigued as to what the older could and would teach her, and for those reasons alone she would have agreed. But she had to consider the sort of changes she could and couldn't live with.

Was she afraid to give in to the darkness? No. She was afraid of becoming a monster though. And Skyler was beginning to think that eventually this change would happen anyways. After all, she had agreed to learn from the Dark Lord himself. Something told the Slytherin that the sooner she embraced the dark part of herself and learned to balance it out within herself, the better. But was that even possible? She didn't want to change so much that she wasn't her. The brunette bit her lip, thinking it over. Did she really want to do this?

Yes. Part of her wanted to talk to Harry about it, but the larger part of her had her deciding against it. This couldn't wait anymore. And Sky was positive her Gryffindor would at the very least, support her decision. After all, wasn't he preparing to do nearly the exact same thing, but just with a different teacher? Mind made up, fierce determination lit her gaze. That was the thing with the Slytherin so often. Making the choice was always some painful process with her, but once the choice was made, it was usually smooth sailing, and she never regretted them.

The brunette followed the older girl's lead, sitting down on the wall, in the exact same way. Before she could say much, or anything at all really, the older Slytherin launched into her tale, and whatever respect Sky had had for Sid before, only became more pronounced. Her heart ached for the older girl. To go through all of that, to be treated and told one was nothing for the simple fact that they were female!! Her eyes darkened in fury on the older girl's behalf, but the tears had it quickly dissipating. For a split second, the brunette looked like she might hug the other girl, and though she desperately wanted to, the fifth year thought better of it.

Somehow, she knew Sid would take it as a show of sympathy, and Sky knew if she herself were in the others' place, that would be the last thing she wanted. Because as it was, the last thing she wanted now was sympathy for her own battles lost. And Skyler knew now, that what they both did want, was the same thing. Reaching up and over slowly, the teen used her hoodie sleeve to wipe away Sid's tears. "Then it's settled. We shall feast on the hearts of those who ever thought they could control us. And beat us down." Skyler's tone was soft, but never did it waver. Her words were said with conviction, and that dark gleam was back in her eyes. She was prepared to become the predator that she knew was inside herself, and to help show Sid that it was possible to be ok again.

Normally she’d have taken a swipe at anyone who dared to wipe her tears away, but Sibes knew this girl was only trying to support her. She could sense the understanding radiating from the younger girl, and it calmed her. It made her feel more secure in showing emotions, which was truly rare for the Russian.

With a small smile, she looked over at her companion and lifted a lip, exposing elongated fangs and razor-sharp teeth. Closing her lips for a second, she lifted it again to show her teeth had gone back to normal. ”It’s all a matter of knowing the animal as well as you know the human, Nyxy,” she purred, showing off how she could do the same shift with her nails, turning her already scary claws into lethal weapons. ”Once the animal and human are equals, there is little keeping them from mixing.”

Sibes thought about how easily she could shift now. It had taken a lot of time and hard work to make it so flawless. There was only one kind of transformation that still gave her any kind of trouble. Perhaps she could work on something during the training sessions she had with the pretty panther. ”We will need to train together. In the forest. You will learn more about your animal and I will learn to control mine. I must learn to tame the wild if I want to completely master my skill.”

A strange thought came to her mind then. One she never dreamed she’d have. She needed to tame the tiger inside of herself. Who better to help her achieve that than the one man who had ever actually convinced her to beg? I anyone could get a handle on the wild beast that she was, it was her Adonis. She growled at the very thought of asking for help.

”How do you keep your pride while admitting you are not strong enough, Nyxy? How do you admit such a thing without saying you are weak?” her emerald gaze fell on the girl, full of honest curiosity. Sibes had honestly never known how to need help without feeling utterly at rock bottom.

Skyler watched with a sort of fascination as Sid bared her elongated fangs and razor-sharp teeth to her, only to replace them in the next instant with a set not unlike her own. Clearly, the first pair had belonged to the tiger. The second, to the actual human version of the girl. It was extremely incredible to the younger teen that the older girl was able to perform such controlled shifting, and her awe and respect grew when the other demonstrated again with her claws.

Her fascination faded after a moment to be replaced by a thoughtful look, a frown settling on her lips as her brows furrowed together in slight confusion, something that showed in her purple eyes. "Equals? I always sort of assumed one had to kind of have control over the other..." The teen trailed off uncertainly, not sure if that was an entirely idiotic assumption or not. But the brunette did want to learn, which meant she had to understand. So for better or worse, she would ask the questions that came to mind because she was not willing to fail at this.

She nodded to the words about training together in the forest, which out of everything else made the most sense to Skyler. But she found herself even more confused by the rest than she had been before. Maybe she was just missing one huge piece of the puzzle that was probably obvious to anyone but her. "But if the human and the animal need to be equal, how does taming the animal fit into that exactly?" The brunette knew the answer was there, probably staring her in the face, but she couldn't seem to get a grasp on it for some reason. It was like one of those things that were so obvious you didn't see it.

Her eyes blinked and she looked blankly at the older snake for a moment, caught off guard by the questions that had been directed at her. After a moment, the words sank in enough for her to cock her head, and one could almost see the wheels in her head turning as she struggled to find the right words to answer Sid's questioned both honestly and yet understandably. "Well. I guess because I know I was weaker for not asking for help beforehand."

Her own face had an unsure look upon it, obviously not sure if that really made sense or not, which have her the need to elaborate. "I allowed myself to be weak by not asking for help because I assumed that made me weak. It was only after the attack that I realized my mistake. I was weak for not asking. Not the other way around. And the way I see it now, is that I'm only as weak as I allow myself to be. So I'm not going to make the same mistake twice. I am prouder of myself for being willing to admit that I need help, and that I made a mistake, than I would be of myself if I denied those things and fell prey to others again. To me, pride is more a sense of self, than it is a sense of what others perceive. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. I feel the same way about pride. No one can take your pride unless you allow them too."

Skyler wasn't exactly sure if any of that really made any kind of sense, but it was the most honest answer she could possibly give, so she could only hope Sid had managed to understand it.

”The animal and the human must be equal, but both must be controlled to an extent, Nyxy. You see, we have urges as humans, do we not? Often times we want to kill someone for what they do to us, yet we have the control over ourselves to stop that from happening. In the same way, we must have control over the beast within. It is much harder to deny the animal her dinner, yet sometimes it must be done. Control must be maintained in order to have a flawless relationship between your human and animal selves. Because you are not only one of them. These things are two halves of the whole you,” she said simply, knowing she spoke the truth.

Sibes wasn’t sure if the girl before her would completely understand just yet, but she knew it would make sense once she experienced it. As soon as Nyxy felt the panther and human bonding, she would feel the freedom that came from embracing both parts of who she was. Then she’d definitely understand exactly what it was to be in tune to everything you were.

With understanding clearing her emerald eyes, Sibes nodded her head at the other girl. Yes, it made sense. Admit where your flaws lie and you are being strong, not weak. Asking for help rather than pushing yourself past the point where it will even do any good would be weakness. ”I believe I understand. You are not weak for admitting you need something. You are weak if you cannot find the strength to admit such needs. So if I ask for assistance, I am strong, but if I try to do things stubbornly on my own, I will be weak.”

She nodded at the younger girl, then stood up as the rain started to fall in fat, cold drops. ”Thank you, Nyxy. We’ll meet in the forest soon. I’ll send a message.” With that, she took off toward the castle, intent on finding her Adonis and asking him for a bit of help. She was sure he would be up for the challenge. After all, he’d only seen the tiger once. Most people could never be satisfied with only a single glimpse.