Could she do her best for Jill, wondered Sparrow, as she followed all but one of her crew into the library. She could certainly try, and there wasn’t exactly a deadline to all of this, or grading or – it was an attempt to be there for someone, not a final exam.

She sat down at the table with everyone else. One thing she was certain of, as she slouched in her chair, was that while she had demanded some manner of counselor for her and her friends and the entire school, what Sparrow had encountered in Jill’s dream could be beyond mere counsel – clearly beyond any sort of Draught of Peace. It might have been healthy for Jill to finally release all the tension she might be feeling, but then Sparrow would definitely have to find a counselor who could actually survive the resulting blast, and Sparrow wasn’t certain she could – she was certain she would try, but it was bound to be a bad idea.

Who, then?

She felt a sudden sharp pain in her earlobe, and she yelped, glaring at Jocasta next to her. "What the hell!"

Jocasta was grinning like a cat. "I have proven it works," she purred.

⋄⋄SAVE THAT FOR THE BEDROOM, IF YOU PLEASE.⋄⋄

††††† ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT ANYONE ELSE TO BE OVERHEARING THAT? †††††

≠≠≠≠ AHEM. ≠≠≠≠

Iphis was looking decidedly annoyed. He had the history textbook laid open on the table before him, but he was glaring at Sparrow. "Distracted, captain?"

"So many distractions these days," said Sparrow. "Just...personal troubles, nothing to bother you. I mean, unless it’s getting in the way of things here…" She looked around. "One of our number has not arrived? We haven’t nailed things down with History yet, we need everyone here."

"Workshop," grumbled Iphis.

"Surely nothing is so important to make that it could not be put aside for a moment?"

"I have given such advice and not been heeded." Iphis sighed, looking down at the book, but his eyes were clearly not reading anything. "Busy busy busy, so many tasks...not different than any of us, I suppose." His expression betrayed a deeper worry than his words let on, but he said nothing more.

"Surely you of all people could convince him to come out of that glorified closet?" said Jocasta.

Iphis looked up, meeting Sparrow’s eyes. Both of them cracked a smile, and Iphis wound up looking down again as he giggled. Jocasta frowned in confusion. "Why are you two laughing? What did I say?"

"Muggle expression," said Miranda. Even she had a faint smile.

Iphis composed himself. "Even I can’t manage to fetch my beloved. I barely even get an answer when I Send."

Jill coughed. "You don’t see him coming to bed?"

"To my bed?" said Iphis. "In my dorm, in my house, which requires a riddle to access, let alone all the other logistical issues? Your experiences of the speed and ease with which one moves in with their loved ones are not universal."

"Does Ravenclaw house not have a Dorm Room of Requirement?" said Sparrow.

"Cormac and I have not sought it," said Iphis. "Yet even if we had, if we had made the decision to move in together...still my bed would have been empty, in the past few days. We have barely seen each other at all."

"What?" Sparrow sprang to her feet, slapping her palms on her table as her chair was scooted a foot backwards. "What the hell could keep someone in their workshop that much? Never mind, I’m going to find the answer myself. I will not be ignored." She gave Jill and Jocasta each a peck on the cheek, then marched out of the library.

All the way to the Great Staircase, she wondered what had been preoccupying Wren these days. They had seemed faintly annoyed with Iphis, they were clearly avoiding the crew, they...had specifically removed themself from any discussions of the Ancient Runes. Was that what it was?

Ancient Runes, the subject that Iphis had been unable to let go of since last November. Which is to say that if Wren was avoiding the runes, they were avoiding Iphis.

That certainly couldn’t feel good.

Sparrow reached the stairs. Instead of climbing or bothering with the Ascendio spell, she waved her wand and cast her shield in a wide flat disc, which she stepped onto. Then she jerked her wand upward, and the disc rose, so swiftly that Sparrow was forced to bend her knees with the acceleration, nearly toppling backwards. Worse, she nearly smacked into the underside of a staircase as it shifted to block her path, and then as she moved her wand to direct the disc to the side, the disc tilted slightly, once again upsetting Sparrow’s balance.

It was only by luck and sheer determination that Sparrow managed to reach the seventh floor without falling. This was what she got for haste.

She hurried through the necessary ritual to find the Room of Requirement, occasionally brushing rudely past the occasional student who was in the way, before at least seeing the door appear before her. She dashed inside – this time it was a small foyer, she’d only been asking for something that would help her reach Wren’s workshop without forcing her to barge in directly.

She politely knocked at the door.

No answer.

⋄⋄WREN, MY FRIEND, MAY I ENTER? ⋄⋄

Still no answer.

⋄⋄WREN, IF YOU’RE DEAD IN THERE, I WILL BE VERY CROSS WITH YOU. ⋄⋄

Still nothing.

Sparrow closed her eyes, and concentrated on her image of Wren. In a few moments, the picture in her mind became more solid, a humanoid shape silhouetted against the glow of a forge. Still moving. Hammering something, in fact. ⋄⋄ WREN?⋄⋄

∫∫∫∫∫∫ OH, SORRY, I WAS A LITTLE DISTRACTED. WHAT DO YOU WANT? ∫∫∫∫∫∫

⋄⋄KISSES FROM MY GIRLFRIENDS, BUT THAT GOES WITHOUT SAYING. MORE IMPORTANTLY I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT YOU’RE WORKING ON IN THERE, IF I MAY. ⋄⋄

∫∫∫∫∫∫ OH...ALRIGHT. I DON’T LIKE SHOWING SOMETHING UNTIL IT’S DONE, BUT COME ON IN. ∫∫∫∫∫∫

The vision in Sparrow’s mind faded. She grabbed the door handle and pulled.

Inside was a workshop worthy of the name – a wide bench covered in bits of wood all lined up, tools hanging neatly on a peg board, buckets and boxes and containers of all sorts, multiple standing cabinets with doors and drawers. The distinctive smell of sawdust in the air, though not a smidge remained on any surface. And sitting at a table, bending over a piece of metal with their wand held delicately in their hand, was Wren.

Looking slightly fancier than just yesterday – some loops of gleaming gold dangled from their earlobes, their school robe appeared to bear a bit of gold embroidery at the lapels, and their hair was even longer, tied in a braid down their back. They looked up, seeming slightly annoyed, but their expression softening when they caught sight of Sparrow. "Hey, buddy ol’ pal, what’s up?"

Sparrow crossed her arms. "How much have you been avoiding Iphis?"

"I’ve been busy!" said Wren, looking annoyed.

"You can’t even let him into your workshop?"

"Very busy," said Wren.

"But you let me come in and interrupt you."

Wren turned back to their work. "You’re not all that distracting. I’ll just keep working here."

"Wren." Sparrow sighed. "Look, I’ve already guessed it has something to do with the Ancient Runes. What’s got you worked up about them? You’re using them, they can’t possibly be that bad."

Wren looked up in alarm. "You should probably leave."

"Wren –"

"No. Go on, get lost. Vamoose. Amscray."

⋄⋄DO I NEED TO ORDER YOU, AS YOUR CAPTAIN, TO TELL ME WHAT’S GOING ON?⋄⋄

∫∫∫∫∫∫ I WILL NOT OBEY THAT ORDER. I CANNOT OBEY THAT ORDER. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FORCE ME. ∫∫∫∫∫∫

Sparrow let out a long and weary sigh. She pulled up a stool and sat upon it, silent for a few moments, only meeting Wren’s gaze, as they too seemed to lose the wind from their sails. They turned back to their work and said not a word.

"It’s really that dangerous?" murmured Sparrow.

Wren looked up again and nodded.

"Then why –"

"Fine in carvings," said Wren. "Carvings can’t slip away from you. It’s...no, I’ve even said too much of that already. Look. I know Iphis, I know he would have told you ages ago if he thought it was safe. But if he kept the matter even from me, he knows it can’t possibly be. He said...he said it was a language he would not utter here. He said he was joking, but I know he wasn’t, because I know what he uttered that – shit. Never mind."

"Back in the library," said Sparrow. "When he told everyone to cover their ears."

Wren’s wand clattered to the table as they slapped their forehead. "Dammit! DAMMIT! This is why I told you to leave! Now we might be screwed! Because now you know what the runes can do, which means it’s not possible to study them out loud without activating them – no, I know what you’re going to say, magic needs intent. The runes don’t. If you’re ignorant of their power they’re clearly fine, but if...if you’ve even guessed correctly what they can do…"

Sparrow caught sight of a bandage on the back of Wren’s hand. "That’s why you’re avoiding Iphis. He would see you’ve been messing with the language too."

"Might be no other way to get this stupid Remember Ball to work," said Wren. They gestured to the piece of metal on the table. "I’ve been trying without it, but…" They gestured to the stone of the walls. Sparrow could see scorch marks, here and there, that had resisted any cleaning spell. "It’s rough work."

"You were supposed to be working on shield charm accessories," said Sparrow.

"That stuff is easy," said Wren. They pointed at their earrings. "Could do it in my sleep. So I’ll have it ready for when Budge needs us. Don’t worry."

Sparrow snorted."You sound like someone who keeps putting off their big essay."

"It’ll be fine," said Wren. "I just...I needed to get this done first."

"For me?"

"And for me," said Wren. "Not...entirely selfish, but...I have my own desires about this thing, I’ll admit that."

Sparrow took a deep breath. "Set it aside, my friend."

"What!"

"We have more immediate priorities." She pointed to Wren’s earrings. "I want some of those. Or any kind of wearable thing, earrings might get snagged. I want you to apply your creativity to those."

"But, Sparrow, your parents…"

"Won’t get killed," said Sparrow. "Necessarily. Just mind-wiped, possibly, maybe. It’s…" She felt tears coming to her eyes. "They’ll be fine. But I want my friends here to be fine too. I want you to be fine. Alright? Don’t – don’t keep getting yourself hurt. I can’t allow that. I literally can’t allow that. You know all about that. Please. Just leave my worries about my parents aside and come back to your Iphis. Please."

Wren sighed. "You know...I was thinking you were the only one who could release me from the obligation I had chosen. Lucky you showed up, eh?" They smiled. "I’m sorry I made you worry. And...I’m sorry I let you know about what the runes could do. I may have just ruined our ability to study them safely, which means if we’re not proficient in them, or if we lose any proficiency...our marks on the OWLs might not come out perfect."

"Wren." Sparrow stood up from her stool, putting a hand on her friend’s shoulder. "You’re anticipating the test by your standards. You know what the exam will actually be like? It will be so boring for us that the biggest danger will be falling asleep."

"No guarantees," said Wren.

"Maybe not." Sparrow let her hand fall. "And anyway, before you bust your brains trying to make that Remember Ball work, you could come up with something that helps us communicate securely with people in London so we can tell if anyone there is in peril. Have you built a Wireless yet?"

Wren reached over and pulled open a drawer. Therein lay many larger pieces of metal, all inscribed with runes. "Haven’t got a proper focusing crystal yet," said Wren. "Not sure how."

"How does one acquire a crystal?" said Sparrow. "Hmm, I bet there’s a book about it in the library. Oh yes, the library, where we are all studying history today. Are you coming then? I’m sure Iphis will be happy to see you."

Wren grimaced. They held up their bandaged hand.

"You need to be honest with him," said Sparrow.

"But –"

"You and Iphis are some of the most clever and productive Wizards I’ve ever seen," said Sparrow. "Your collaboration has already produced things that can make a Wizard wonder. But that’s not going to continue if you two remain separated by resentment and fear. Do you understand?"

"There might be resentment anyway," said Wren. "He’s going to be really mad at me."

"Sure," said Sparrow, "I know someone who’s run from that fear, once she knew there was someone who really cared about her. But I didn’t give her the Silent Treatment when she was away. I didn’t want her to think I didn’t care about her. You know? You’re making Iphis think you only care about your work. Surely you care about him, enough to trust that he wouldn’t hate you?"

"I –"

"He is your partner in all things, Wren. You have found steadfast love. Show me you believe it." She held out her hand.

Wren grumbled, but at last they put their work down and stood, taking Sparrow’s hand. "My own words against me. You fiend."

Sparrow only grinned, as they exited the workshop.

The library drew near. Wren seemed to be slowing down.

"I know you’re nervous," murmured Sparrow. "But you’ll get through it. I know you."

"This isn’t the first time I’ve ever been in a spat," murmured Wren. "Back in November and December, you remember, after you broke Jocasta’s wrist…"

"I know you didn’t hate me even then."

"This is different." Wren sighed. "This is...Iffy’s been with me longer than you have, you know? Not just in terms of who met who first, but I’ve spent summers with him. We’ve been partners for years, even before we understood it. He came to me with his deepest pain, well before anyone else. I know he trusts me. And...I feel like he’s broken my trust, and it’s going to be obvious I’m a hypocrite about being mad at him – Sparrow, this kind of relationship isn’t supposed to break, and I might have broken it. He could hate me."

"But if you’re never honest with him," said Sparrow, "you’ll never be able to get past that fear. I think the only way out here is through the flames."

"No doubt," murmured Wren.

⋄⋄AND FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH – WE ARE BLESSED WITH A MODE OF COMMUNICATION THAT WE KNOW TO BE UTTERLY SINCERE. WHATEVER YOU SAY THIS WAY WILL BE THE TRUTH.⋄⋄

∫∫∫∫∫∫ I FEEL PRETTY FOOLISH LETTING THE MATTER COME TO THAT. ∫∫∫∫∫∫

Jocasta appeared in the hall. "You two! Finally! Come in, you’ll catch your death of cold." There was a small thump of air as she took the form of a fly and disappeared.

Sparrow squeezed Wren’s hand. "Ready?"

"Ready as I’ll ever be," grumbled Wren.

The two of them stepped through the doors.

Down a ways, at the table where they’d been, sat Jill, and Miranda...and Iphis, still poring over the history textbook.

And then there was a tiny buzzing sound past Sparrow’s ear, and a small thump of air as Jocasta appeared once more, sitting cross-legged on top of the table, resting her chin in her hands. She looked amused and intrigued.

But then her eyes flicked to the sight of Wren’s bandaged hand, and her expression became nonplussed. She glanced at Iphis.

Iphis at last looked up, along with everyone else –

And he must have caught sight of Wren’s hand as well, for his eyes suddenly blazed with ultraviolet light. He sprang to his feet, knocking his chair backward. He marched toward Wren –

But Wren had let go of of Sparrow’s hand, and was striding forward to meet Iphis, their eyes glowing orange. The two of them stood there, tall and proud, unblinking, unmoving. Unwilling to yield, it seemed. Wren’s shoulders trembled, but they shed not a tear. At last they nodded their head to the stacks, and took Iphis by the hand, leading him out of sight, orange and ultraviolet eyes alike alight.

While Jocasta looked deeply concerned, and Miranda looked suspicious, Jill was utterly bewildered. "What in the hell was that?" She looked to Sparrow. "Sparrow, what the hell happened in the workshop?"

Sparrow collapsed into a chair, letting out a long breath as the tension from her shoulders finally relaxed. "You know how I said I didn’t want to be doing anymore drama for a while? I think I’m not going to be able to avoid it with this crew."

There had been no further drama that Sparrow encountered that day, although, with Iphis and Wren not returning to the library, there was a tension that hung in the air between the rest of the crew, be they studying or dining.

So it was that, when Miranda asked Sparrow and her girls to wait a moment before departing the library at the day’s very end, Sparrow had reason to worry that there was some conflict about to spill over into open words. Yet Miranda only spoke with a voice of hesitant humbleness, when she asked, "Is it alright if I sleep with you three tonight?"

Jill, Jocasta, and Sparrow exchanged glances. "I am not sure," said Jill. "I might just melt you, ice queen."

Miranda chuckled. "As if you could. But I have been informed that you three share dreams, and I have experienced the same. I find greater peace in someone else’s head than in my own. But those whom I usually turn to will not be available tonight, and I am sorely troubled by a recent discussion with McGonagall. I wonder if I might trouble you to make use of your own dreams."

Jocasta raised her eyebrows. "You think you can find peace in our heads?"

"In our souls mixed all together," said Sparrow. "It seems to work for you at least, Jo."

Jocasta shrugged. "I’m open, then."

"If it offers you some relief," said Jill, "than I will permit it. Captain?"

"I’m not going to bring orders into this," said Sparrow. "I think it’s worth a shot."

Miranda rose from the table, and bowed. "I will meet you when it is time, then. Thank you."

The rest of them rose, and bowed in turn. Then they all departed – Miranda trailing far behind, soon wandering down a side corridor and away.

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