Professor DeLanquar's Personal Chambers (located in Gryffind

Viper raised an eyebrow. "Lovely. Were you close to them?"

Eglantine sighed. "They liked my methods of teaching. If that's what you mean." she smiled.

Viper nodded, although in her head she was screaming "suck-ups!". She fought back a laugh as she decided to steer away from this conversation. "I met your cousin today. She was quite friendly. Not what I expected from a Malfoy."

"Yes, I suppose Esis is rather unique." Eglantine agreed, banishing the case. "You never met her before? Odd..."

Viper raised an eyebrow. "No I have not. Why is that odd?"

"Nevermind..." Eglantine sighed. "I was confused for a moment."

Viper nodded, a bit unneerved by Eglantine's confusion. "No, I've met quite a few Malfoys but Esis was not one of them." she said as she thought of all the tall blonde witches and wizards she had crossed her path. "Professor, how is it that your parents never disowned you for marrying a muggle?" shge asked a question she had always wondered.

Eglantine looked up at Viper. "They had nothing against muggles. My parents assisted Lord Voldemort but not for blood purity. They desired to perfect magical bondings. That and the fact that they did not find my marriage worth their time to look into." She sighed. "They never even met him."

Viper nodded in understanding."I see..." She was suprised at that. She half expected Eglantine's parents, or at the very least her Malfoy mother to have done something about it.

"Would you like to accompany me to the Great Hall? I have not eaten since yesterday." Eglantine offered.

Viper shrugged. "Sure." she said as she stood and walked over to the door, leading the way.

Eglantine hovered after Viper, careful to close the door behind her.

((to the Great Hall))

"Professor?" Diana knocked. "It's Diana Casillas."

((Takes place after Great hall and rose garden))

Esis yawned and leaned back on her couch-transfigured-into-bed. She was exhausted after putting Edwin to bed after a long day of chasing after him and was about ready to retire herself.

Sobbing from the bedroom forced her to rise from the couch and she hurried to see what was wrong.
Eglantine was lying on the floor, blood dripping from a nasty cut on her forehead, having obviously fallen from her wheelchair.
Without saying a word, Esis picked up the smaller woman and helped her back into the chair, carefully muttering odd phrases in French.

"Howd you fall?" she asked finally, after Eglantine's tears had ceased and she had bandaged the cut. Esis had already discovered that magical healing did not work well with Eglantine due to several factors.
"I was trying to reach something." her cousin's voice was almost to soft to hear.

"Call me next time." Esis chuckled. "Can't have you killing yourself."

Hovering the wheel chair out into the sitting room, Esis picked up her book and settled down to begin reading aloud to Eglantine as had become their nightly ritual.
But just then she heard the knock on the door.

"Enter!" she yelled, turning to see the door.

((Esis has taught a class...so Diana would know who she was...))

((Okay))

"Professor DeLanquar, Professor Genses," Diana said curtly entering the room, "Good evening."

"How many times do I have to tell you guys?" Esis stated, pretending to be frustrated. "It's Esis, please. I'm only here to help out...a babysitter really." she winked at Eglantine when she said the last statement, making sure there were no hard feelings.

"May I help you, Miss Casillas?" Eglantine asked, ignoring her exuberant cousin.

"Sorry Esis..." Diana said rather awkwardly. She was very unused to addressing an adult by their first name.

"Yes Professor," Diana turned to DeLanquar, "I was wondering if this Castle's got a lost and found by any chance. I've seemed to have lost my locket." Diana blushed slightly embarassed.

Eglantine smiled. "Again, Miss Casillas? Did you attempt to accio it?" she asked, gently.

"Yes," Diana said. "But it didn't work. Wouldn't the summoning charm only work if I knew where the object was?"

Eglantine shook her head. "Let me try." Wandlessly she accioed Diana Casillas' locket. The item rushed through the door which opened for it and hung itself over her outstretched hand.
Esis chuckled. "A magical lost and found...hilarious."

"Er... Professor?" Diana said looking at the locket. "That isn't mine."

"Also, about my being an animagus... I've read everything you've told me too."

Eglantine vanished the locket and turned her wheelchair to face Diana.
"Really? I'm impressed." she suddenly looked guilty. "I am sorry about not being able to help you very much, due to my injuries."

"It's alright Professor, I understand completely." Diana said nodding her head.

"See, she is such a nice young lady!" Esis beamed. "Have a seat!" she suggested patting the couch cushion beside her.

"You may be ready to try seeing what your form will be. But not transfiguring yet..." Eglantine mused. "Try to concentrate as your reading and I taught you. Isolate what you see until only one form is seen. It will choose you, so you needn't fear failure."

Diana plopped down uncertainly on the couch.

She nodded at the Professor's words and closed her eyes. Form?.... What will be my form?.... Would it be a wolf like Darien's?.... A Leopard like Nicolas'? Stop thinking about that, just focus on your own form... keep your mind blank of other thoughts.... She suddenly felt the sensation of flying. Of the way the wind hit her face when she was on her broomstick. Of freedom she felt when she could go up, down, left, right, back... without being constricted by the ground. But she felt she had no broomstick, it was just her and a pair of wings, like when she rode Persephone, Nicolas' winged-horse. Except, she wasn't riding anything... she was the one who had the wings... she was the one who was flying....

"Professor," Diana said her eyes still closed. "I think I might be a bird."