This image doesn't have a ton to do with this chapter, but it does a little. Deal with it.

The first thing I see when I come to is Remus Lupin peering over me with a bar of chocolate clutched in his hand.

My eyelids hurt when they crack open, and my whole body feels like it's been dragged over a bed of knives. Wincing, my hand goes to my head, where my fingers gently probe my temples. My entire being is on fire, and it hurts. Despite all of this, I manage to sit up and look around.

I'm lying on a bed in the infirmary, and it's still dark. Glancing at the clock on the wall opposite me, I realize I've been unconscious for around two and a half hours. As the events of earlier on tonight come back to me, I grow more and more anxious. Ignoring the headache that pounds every time I move, I look frantically around for Allie. "W-where is she?" I say raspily to Lupin, who sits beside my bed. I can't see Julian either, and Madam Pomfrey is gone too.

Lupin gestures over me, and I follow his finger to see Allie. She is fast asleep, and she looks peaceful. This doesn't calm my nerves. Seeing this, Lupin puts his hand on my arm. "She's okay. I don't know what happened, but you healed her. After you passed out, you let go of her hand and she stopped glowing. We used that device Madam Pomfrey had to figure out that she had a brain bleed, and it's gone. Whatever you did to heal her made her really tired so she's sleeping it off now. And before you ask, Julian is with Professor McGonagall explaining why the infirmary started glowing, and why the floor shook and the windows shattered. Hopefully he can think of a good explanation. We used a memory charm on Madam Pomfrey, so not to worry about that."

I say nothing. I just nod and turn my head to look at Allie. I don't want to think about what happened- I just want to be happy that Allie is okay. Lupin places a square of chocolate on top of the sheets, and then he stands and walks away.

**

I don't know what Julian told Professor McGonagall, but whatever he said worked, because she didn't bother us for the rest of the night- she just put two guards outside the door to the infirmary and left us alone. When Julian comes back and sees me awake, he crushes me in a hug. I hug him back, wincing as another jolt of pain shoots through my body. "I'm so glad you're okay," he says.

"I'm glad she's okay," I murmur, looking back at Allie. Wordlessly, we both pull up chairs and sit beside her. Julian takes her hand, and I hesitate before taking the other. I feel no course of energy, and Allie doesn't start to glow, so I relax. Watching Julian with Allie is an interesting experience. When she's awake, it's a whole other story, but when she's unaware, his expression is unguarded. His thumb rubs small circles on the back of her hand, and he looks sheepish when I notice him. "I won't say anything."

"Won't say anything about what?" Allie mumbles, her eyes cracking open sleepily.

I grin widely, and Julian mirrors my expression. "Don't worry about that. How do you feel?"

Allie pauses, wiggling her toes and moving her head around cautiously. "I feel... bloody brilliant."

I laugh, sighing with relief. "You do?"

"Better than I have in ages. I have no idea what kind of voodoo shit you did to me, Vee, but it feels amazing."

"I have no idea what I did either," I tell her honestly.

"I know what you did," Julian interjects, his face serious and full of awe. "You channeled all the energy from around you and put it into Allie. That's what healed her."

"How do you know-" Allie starts to say.

"Is that even possible?" I interrupt. This can't be real.

"Totally," Julian says nonchalantly, leaning back in his chair. "If you're a Kitsune, that is."

"A... Kitsune?" I say slowly.

"Yes," Lupin says from the other side of the room. "Julian and I were talking while you two were unconscious, and we decided that must be the only explanation. Has anyone ever said anything to you that you perceived strange? Perhaps they mentioned you being different?"

A random memory pops into my head from the summer. "Actually, yes... Ollivander said my wand core only joins with 'my kind'. Could that be something?"

Lupin thinks for a moment, and then he nods.

I sigh, rubbing my forehead. "Okay, so what exactly is a Kitsune?"

"A Kitsune is a magical fox, basically. It's a spirit that protects you in a way. They come from Japan, and they're extremely rare. There are thirteen different types of Kitsune, and each one has its own powers specific to that type. You can't see them in fox form , but think of them like a shield or aura around you. Most of the time, they link with you, but sometimes they possess you- that's only Void Kitsune, though. They're evil. In your case, I don't know what type you are, but I know two things: number one, it's powerful, and number two, it's good. My guess is a spirit, celestial or earth Kitsune, but there's really no way to be sure."

I don't know what to say, so I say nothing. It's all too much for me right now.

"Okay," Allie says slowly, looking me deep in the eyes. "So you're telling me she's got some kind of magical fox inside her?"

Lupin pauses, unsure of how to respond. Finally, he sighs. "Basically, yes. But the fox is a part of her, in a way."

"How did she not know this before?" Julian says. "I mean, I think she'd know if she was."

"Most of the time, the fox sleeps until-" Lupin begins to explain but stops himself.

"Until what, Lupin?" I say slowly.

"Until there's great danger to the person and the people they love."

**

"Fucking hell," I say as I stand up, ignoring the waves of nausea as I do so.

No one says anything. Allie stares blankly at Lupin, and Julian examines Allie's hand with such intensity I think for a moment that it's telling him it's secrets. Finally, Julian breathes out heavily and stands up, turning away and pacing before turning back. "Vee. That's two dark omens you've gotten now, and like hell I'm letting you die. So," he says decidedly, turning to Lupin. "What now?"

Lupin sighs. "I- I must admit, I'm not completely sure."

"Bullshit," Julian hisses, walking over two steps and grabbing a fistful of Lupin's jacket. "You know something; I can see it in your eyes!"

Julian is seething, and for a minute it looks like he's about to punch Lupin when something unexpected happens. "Julian," Allie says softly.

It's like he deflates- within a second he's let go of Lupin's jacket and taken a step back.

"I understand, Julian, why you may think that I am lying to you, but I assure you, I'm not," Lupin tells him.

Julian nods, but he isn't sure. "Okay... so what's next?"

No one says anything, because no one is sure.

Finally, I speak. "We go to sleep. In the morning, we tell everyone else- Fred, Angie, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Then we think of a plan. Together. I can't help but feel like Harry is involved in whatever's going to happen."

Allie grins. "He's Harry bloody Potter- of course he's involved."

Lupin eventually leaves us alone, and then the three of us are sitting on Allie's bed talking. "How long have you two known each other?" I ask, lying back beside Allie and shutting my eyes.

"Uh, since our first year at Hogwarts, I think. We actually met on the train," Allie says.

"I couldn't find enough money to pay the Trolley Witch for my chocolate frogs and Allie was getting impatient waiting behind me, so she just pushed me over and paid for my stuff as well as hers."

I laugh. "That sounds about right."

Nori, my owl, suddenly flies through the smashed window and perches on the bed frame. I pull out my wand and cast a quick spell to repair the window, and then I tuck it away and stroke the top of Nori's head gently. She closes her eyes and pushes into my hand a little, and this makes me giggle. Julian and Allie both scoot forward and stroke her too, and the three of us fall asleep in the same bed with Nori watching over us like a guardian angel.

REALLY SHORT CHAPTER BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO WRITE... SORRY!

1) Who was expecting the whole 'Kitsune' thing? What kind of Kitsune do you think Vee is?

2) Do you ship Allie and Julian? I said in one of the first chapter's author's notes that I was thinking of making Allie gay... I'm gonna be honest- I still don't know what I'm doing with that. If I told you that I knew where I was going with  a lot of the subtext plot, I'd be lying.

3) Would you prefer a funnier book? Or more dramatic? In the end I'm going to be making these decisions, but I still want to take your opinions into account!!!

4) OMG OKAY SO A FEW CHAPTERS AGO I WAS TELLING YOU ALL ABOUT MY BITCH OF A DRAMA TEACHER. SO WE'RE DOING HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL FOR OUR SCHOOL PLAY THIS YEAR (*throws up hard in mouth*) AND I GOT CAST AS A THESPIAN (aka chorus with no lines :/) JUST BECAUSE SHE HATES MY BROTHER!!!!

5) It's my brother's birthday on Tuesday and I don't know what to get him... I had money i was gonna use to buy him a present on Amazon but instead I ordered a Morphe eyeshadow palette lol sORRY

SONG: any song from Blackbear's album 'cashmere noose' (deluxe) I love them all but I think rly real or wanderlust r favs... idk how to describe it... he's like rapping/ singing and if you like Chance the rapper/ drake/ sing and rap type shit, listen to it. Plus, Bear is dad.

-Em

**

11.16.2016