Late for the Bell (Ava/Open)

[Andy James]

Andy blazed through the hallways, clearing a path from the remaining students. Most were late for class, others were hurrying to another teacher with a note. The bell gave another drinnnnnngggggg, and the hallways cleared within seconds. Students disappeared in all directions. She was just glad she had this period off.

Andy was dressed in a flowing black silk skirt that reached to her calves, and a white long-sleeved button down blouse. She wore simply black high-heeled boots that reached barely past her ankles and were button on the inside. She carried a thick manila folder under her right arm and Arisa was at her side as always.

She whacked a student on the head that was making out with his girlfriend. "Get to class, or don't you have anything better to do?" Arisa snarled, showing her fangs as her 'lips' pulled back over the rest of her teeth. Hackles rose on the back of her neck and partially on her back, her claws gripping the floor.

With muttered apologies, the students ran off into two different directions. Andrea watched with a satisfied smile. Short, yes. Impressive, usually not. Intimidating, when she wanted to be. She also just loved the fact that her Guardian just happened to be a Bengal Tiger, the largest cat on Earth.

Yes. She liked Arisa for her size as well. Too bad the kitten's heart didn't match. But Andy watched with slight fascination as Arisa transformed into a cub and jumped into her arms. Andy carried the cat without strain as she continued walking, a bit more slowly, through the empty halls.

She was 'patrolling'. Even though it was not an official job, she liked doing it anyway during her free periods. It let her explore the school and sometimes meet people. She was trying to come out of her shy attitude, although it sometimes worked better not to be. She just hoped she would not meet any of the male teachers. besides, it was relatively new for her to be the Head of Lionclaw.

But she was glad that she had become the new Lionclaw Head. It was her old house, and she wanted to do something for the student group that she used to be part of. She believed that bravery was important, as well as truthfulness.

The thing was, she did not want just the Lionclaw students to succeed. In fact, she worked them the hardest. She wanted all the houses to do well, and she was fair when she handed out points. Not that she did so often. You had to do VERY well to earn a few points in her class, and punishments were not too severe.

Sometimes Andy knew exactly why her students liked her so much.

[Melody Baker]

Melody walked out of the classroom with some of her classmates. She was temting to tell them that she wanted to walk alone but she kept her mouth shut. The day had gone wrong since she got up from bed earlier the same morning and if she had gotten the oportunity she would have stayed there. Her cothes was a mess and her hair looked like a crows nest.

They walked down the hall and turned a corner before going down a spiral staircase, she could hear two of the girls giggeling aout a cute guy they saw and she rolled her eyes. If it was a usual day she have smiled and peraps just shook her head but right now she just wanted to scream.

"See you around guys."

She gave the girls a small wave and waked down the main hall, she knew they would walk another way he had to admit that it suited her fine but she was not completely alone, there were still two that walked in her direction one of them a Lonclaw she had met suprisingly often lately.

[Ava Lancaster]

Ava briskly walked down the hallway then turned a corner before she made her way down the spiral stair case. Her arm supported her books as she leaned them against her waist. Her cloak floated along with each step. Ava could hear the rustling of students herding their way into class. It was quite amusing to watch the professor in action. The clicking of her boots reverberated throughout the hall. Gabriel steadily kept up by her side.

She glanced over to her classmate with a concerned expression. Ava didn’t need to read her mind to realize that she was having a bad day. If she let herself be receptive to that kind of energy then it would affect her in return. She slowed down to let Melody catch up. Care to share? she telepathically asked. Ava stayed silent until they neared the professor.

"Good Afternoon Ms. James, Arisa." she said making her presence known. Her eyes trailed down at the teacher then the cub with a smile. When Ms. James was patrolling the halls, it was like clockwork. Nothing could get passed her.

[Andy James]

Andy was watching a sixth year boy from Dragoni hurry down the hall. So even the prideful and the selfish could be afraid, or just afraid of her. It was nice to know, reassuring. Or maybe ti was just her status as head of Lionclaw and teacher of Polymorph.

"Good Afternoon Ms. James, Arisa." A familiar voice greeted suddenly.

Andy turned around, a bit surprised. She had been so caught up in her own thinking that she had not noticed the two girls come up to her. At least she knew one of them. Ava was her favorite student, although she did her best to treat the girl the same as everyone else. The other girl she knew vaguely from her classes, but Andy could not remember her name for the life of her.

Arisa jumped down from Andy's arm and padded over to Ava. She twirled between the girl's legs, nuzzling her ankles. Arisa was purring quietly, but Andy felt the tiger's satisfaction in the back of her mind. She was not the only one that liked Ava.

Arisa gently nuzzled the panther's side, playfully though. She hissed quietly, but the pretense was obvious on her 'face'. She jumped back and forth. The tiger wanted to play. Andrea could not help but laugh.

"Hello, Ava," She greeted, smiling sincerely and nodding her head in acknowledgment. She looked at Ava's companion with a curious gaze. Raised eyebrows and a slightly mischievous smile played on her face, friendly. "Hello. I remember you from my classes, but I can not honestly say that I remember your name."

Arisa was playing with Gabriell's tale by now, batting at it with her paw. She was on her elbows with her behind sticking in the air, natural pose for a tiger that wanted to play. She watching the panther's tail with utmost fascination.

"I apologize for Arisa, she doe snot usually act like this," Andy said with a laugh. "Although..." She watched for a moment longer, then grinned at the girls. "I must admit I like the playful side of her."

[Melody Baker]

Melody was listening to music when Ava's voice entered her mind. She looked over at the Lionclaw and sighed. A part of her wanted to tell her to mind her own business but she knew to much already. She lifted her hands an moved her headset down to the usual place around her neck and looked at Ava again.

"I'm afraid they are going to kick me out of Arcane. Even though I didn't mean it I did attack and hurt a teacher. If the Headmaster gets to know I dead meat, especially when my mother finds out. She is going to kill me."

Melody kept her voice down to make sure that no one heard it than Ava before she shrugged her shoulders and closed her moth. She knew all to well that it were few things her mother did not get to know about and she remembered the letter she got last time she had gotten detention. Brian would just freak completely out together with the rest of her family.

She stopped together with Ava when they met Ms. James and her guardian. She was patrolling the hallways again, as usual.

"Hello. I remember you from my classes, but I can not honestly say that I remember your name."

Melody met her gaze and she returned the smile the best she could.

"Melody. Melody Baker."

It was not that she did not like Ms. James because she did but she just did not like that she had picked her favorites and even if she tried to hide it sometimes she didn't do it well enough. But she was not the first teacher to put a student from her/his own house as a favorite and she guessed she would not be the last.

She had to smile a little when the professors Guardian, if she remembered right the name was Arisa started to play with Gabriel's tail and she turned her head and looked at piper that was sitting on her shoulder, unsure if he should join the two felines or not.

"I apologize for Arisa, she doe snot usually act like this. Although... I must admit I like the playful side of her."

Melody smiled again and this time it was easier than the first time, she had right and Melody knew that it had been long days without the fun things Piper did.

[Ava Lancaster]

"I'm afraid they are going to kick me out of Arcane. Even though I didn't mean it I did attack and hurt a teacher. If the Headmaster gets to know I dead meat, especially when my mother finds out. She is going to kill me."

"It wasn't your fault, and besides it's not like you killed him." she said using her ability. Ava's eyebrow subtly rose at the last part.

Ava giggled when she felt the tiger brush up against her. She gently knelt to pet the cub in return then watched as she scurried away. Gabriel curiously watched her attempt to get him to play. He could feel her paw playing with his tail then slowly swung it. Gabriel quickly turned as he lowered his head and body to met her gaze. He tip toed towards Arisa then gently rolled the cub onto her back with his nose. Gabriel began to tickle her belly.

"I apologize for Arisa, she does not usually act like this, Although...I must admit I like the playful side of her."

"It's quite alright." she replied. Deep down she knew Gabriel couldn't resist.

[Andy James]

"Melody. Melody Baker."

Melody? Andy screwed up her eyes slightly, thinking. The name Melody rang a bell. But why...? Andy was tapping her fingers on the folder in her arm when she suddenly glanced down at it. Melody Baker....

"Baker, Melody," She muttered, riffling through the folder. Last week's essays.... she ahd to hand those back in her next period. They were the only ones that hadn't gotten their essays back... But she was getting off-track... "Baker... Where is it?" She groaned in frustration. She thought she had marked it because it had been so excellent. Goddess, where was it?

And there it was. She rolled her eyes as she took the essay from the back f the folder. She hadn't marked it, that much was true. But she had put it at the extreme very back of the folder so se wouldn't lose it. She had lsot it. Sort of. SHe was just mad at herself for not remebering. How scatterbrained could she get?

She pulled the paper from the folder and handed it to Meldoy with a smile. She snapped her figners with realization and laughed shortly. "I finally know why your name is so familair! Yours was the best essay I've had the honor of reading so far this year. Amazing job, Melody."

Her gaze strayed to Arisa, who was being tickled by Ava's guardian. The tiger was obviously enjoying herself, purring and meowing a bit loudly and rolling around. She was like a turtle. Once she was on her back, it took ages to get her back up again. but she liked it, so no big deal.

She smiled sadly at Ava, shrugging. "I'm sad to hear that you won't be taking my class anymore. if you want, though, you could come in and I could teach you some more advanced things."

She glanced around briefly, re-orientating herself. She could see the main doors farther down the hall, the spiral staircase behind her. She checked her watch. Twenty minutes past first bell.

Oops.

"I'm holding you guys up," She said apologetically. She folded her folder closed again and held it at her side, waving towards the hallway. "Where are you girls supposed to be? I'll walk you there so you don't get in trouble."

[Melody Baker]

Melody watched while Prof. James looked through her folder while she muttered Melody's name. She had to admit that she was curious but she kept her mouth shut and waited for her to find what she was looking after.

She was surprised when she handed her a paper. Melody looked down on it, was the grade really correct? And another fact was that she had delivered this last year.

"I finally know why your name is so familiar! Yours was the best essay I've had the honor of reading so far this year. Amazing job, Melody."

She smiled, the easiest thing was to pretend like nothing.

"Thanks. I have to admit that I will miss your classes Prof. James."

But it was life, she was now in the fifth year and Polymorph was not one of her subjects anymore even though she had at least one class she easily could switch with the Polymorph class.

Se giggled a little when she saw Piper slowly walk closer to Gabriel and Arisa, he wanted to play so bad but was still unsure about how to do it.


"I'm holding you guys up.Where are you girls supposed to be? I'll walk you there so you don't get in trouble."

Melody remembered that the next class was music and her smile grew, was it something that could remove any dark cloud over her head it was music.

"I don't know about you Ava but I'm off to music with Prof. Wolf."
She started to walk down the hallway together with Ava and Prof. James.

"I think I have to run. See you around Ava. Prof. James."

Melody lifted her hand in a greeting before she started to run down the hallway with Piper beside her.

*exit melody*

[Ava Lancaster]

Ava watched as the professor shuffled through her papers. Some things never changed, although it was good in this case. Gabriel laughed at Arisa's position as she rocked back and forth like a turtle. He carefully helped her to back on her feet. He scooted her forward then moved ahead of the cub. She smiled at the silverwolf then turned her attention back to Ms. James.

"I'm sad to hear that you won't be taking my class anymore. if you want, though, you could come in and I could teach you some more advanced things."

"That would be wonderful, thank you." she replied. Ava was grateful to have the opportunity to learn more advanced skills from one of her favorite professors. Gabriel grinned at Piper as they followed the group down the hall.

"I'm holding you guys up, where are you girls supposed to be? I'll walk you there so you don't get in trouble."

"I don't know about you Ava but I'm off to music with Prof. Wolf. I think I have to run. See you around Ava. Prof. James."

"Bye Melody."

"Actually I'm on break, so I better get going myself. How about I come by tommrow and we can get started, sound good?" she said.

Ava waited a few seconds for her response then nodded before leaving. Gabriel lightly treaded along afterwards.

*exit Ava*