The Third Floor Coriddor

Bleeding and gloating he simply replied. "Would you like to attend Professor?"

"A moment please, Mr. Casillas." Eglantine sighed deeply. "First of all, what is your relationship to Miss Diana Casillas and secondly, you should both feel ashamed for fighting. You are both students that the younger children no doubt would look to as examples."

"Well I hope they don't all buy flying horses." Darien remarked. "Hogwarts'll turn into a bloomin' stud farm."

Eglantine glared at Mr. Vaight, daring him to comment again.

Darien smiled innocently at the Professor, directing a snide glare at Nick out of the corner of his eye.

"Well after tonight," Nicolas said snidely. "We are going to be engaged."

Eglantine paled. "Engaged. Ah I see." Darien Vaight had been rather passionately snogging Diana Casillas...and now she was engaged or going to be engaged to the other boy, a cousin most likely...and it was small wonder that the two boys were fighting.
"Then this fight would be over Miss Casillas, wouldn't it?" She raised an eyebrow. Was there anything that did not go on in the school?

"There is no fight," Nicolas said arrogantly. "I already have her. I was merely protecting myself from Vaight's advances."

"Well then..." Eglantine was too tired to argue with the boys. "You will each have 20 points taken from your houses and a detention..." she froze. Mr. Vaight was already suppose to have a detention with her from his animagus mishap with Viper. "Very well, Mr. Vaight will report for his animagi detention and Mr. Casillas will be joining us."

"I'll right Professor." Nicolas said. Then he turned to Darien, "When you see me next Darien, I'll be engaged to Diana." He then bowed to the Professor, turned his heel and walk away.

Darien snarled.
"That little-" his words became a steadily increasing growl.
The wolf was rising.
Kill...kill...kill...tear him apart...make him pay...
Darien fought to keep up his wall. This wouldn't help anything.
He needed to talk to Diana about this.
"When is that detention, professor?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, as soon as classes are finished." Eglantine responded, not liking the student's obvious inability to completely control himself. "Mr. Vaight, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course Professor."
Darien had to remember that detention...

"Who assisted you when you became an animagi?" she asked, curious as to who might have failed so miserably to instruct the boy on how to control himself. Of course she was aware of the fact that he might have had no formal training.

Darien winced inwardly. Yup, time to become known as a freak again... He sighed.
"No-one. I have had no training, haven't passed any tests and didn't even ask to be an animagi. I am an accident." He was almost bitter.
"A huge dog was attacking Ana... My magic just exploded out of me, it changed me... I don't know how, but I became an animagus. I was eight." He snorted. "And don't worry, the Headmistress knows all about it. I don't have full control over my transformations, as Nick knows full well..."
His eyes blazed. "It's ridiculous! The second I get angry, I turn into some giant wolf that wants to attack everyone! I might as well be a werewolf, at least they only transform once a month! It's so frustrating!"
Everyone was always treating him like a freak...everyone! He saves a life and what's his reward? A lifetime of frustration. And what made it worse was the fact he knew he'd get into more trouble and have to explain this a lot more than he wished to.
He turned and lashed out a wall to let his frustration out. It was then he noticed his foot was a paw.
He flopped on the ground and put his head on his paws, changing back his vocal chords to allow him to speak.
"Like now." His voice was flat and dejected.

Eglantine stared at Mr. Vaight. He reminded her greatly of her nephew, Severus. Of course she had been able to help Severus overcome his frustrations at a younger age, but she was still willing to try again.

"Mr. Vaight, your abilities are not an accident." she stated gently. "You are very talented. Now get up." Eglantine felt no pity for the student, he had tremendous potential. "If you are willing, I can help you learn to control yourself."

Darien rolled his eyes and heaved himself to his feet.
Talented. Yeah, right. That's what that insane professor had said when he roped him into his schemes. End result: Voldemort back and his best friend dead.
And the occlumency thing...
But she was an animagus too, maybe she knew something the twins didn't...
"Okay Professor, I'll give it a shot." He knew he was being rude but turning into a very frustrated wolf had done nothing to boost his mood.
Nick had hell to pay...
And he still needed to confront Diana about all that...
How could one teenager cope with all this?! He had a sudden desire to run, turn his back on everything and everyone and just run.

Eglantine ignored the rather casual tone he was using with her, and turned her wheelchair.
"Come. We will go to the room of requirement." She knew just enough about the room to know that they would not be bothered there.

Darien struggled to become human again, but couldn't.
"Um...professor...bit of a problem..."
Had he been human, his cheeks wouldbe burning with shame. Well, they wouldn't because there wouldn't be a problem.
"I kinda...can't change back..."

Eglantine looked back at him, wishing she was not in the bloody wheelchair.
"I see." she muttered. "Well then, if you are willing, I will begin your training right here." She was looking for permission to enter his mind and she believed he was intelligent enough to either figure that out or simply trust her.

Darien flinched backwards.
"Uh...couldn't I just walk to the room like this?"
The last time he'd allowed someone into his mind, it'd had serious consequences... and a death. He swore inwardly again.
Stop linking everything to Jake! Get over it! He snarled at himself, still struggling to recapture the wolf and return to a human state.

Eglantine nodded, silently and then continued down the hallway.

((Continued in the Room of Requirement...))

Darien breathed a sigh of relief and began to walk quickly to the Room of Requirement.

Helena and Diana walked across the coriddor.

"Can you believe him?" Diana said in a huff. "Honestly! Why can't they just get along? Or at least try not and eat each other's head off!"

"Well what do you expect? Your families don't get along, they're just mirroring what they're doing." Helena said wisely.

"Having family trouble, Casillas?" Bella stated, smirking. Her friend, Raven stood beside her.