(( MOAR MORE PEOPLE! tackles Sorry you had a rough week, but I hope this one is better.))

Katsumi made a noncommittal noise in response to her friend's praise. Why couldn't she stop being too frightened to cast? She was more than happy to let the others take a turn. She was feeling rather drained by then. "I think I'm ready for that butterbeer," she told Magnus, accepting the offered chocolate. She turned as Millie came in, grimacing as the other girl mentioned that she'd been sick. "Glad you're feeling better now at least," she said. "A lynx, huh? Isn't that like a mountain lion or something?"

"well done, Millie," Paul said, "And a lynx was my old patronous."

Magnus went and got them all a butterbeer, privately glad she wanted a break. He certainly wasn't enjoying the dementors or his lack of progress anyway.

(ooc - Thank you. I hope so too."

Millie ended the charm, causing her lynx to disappear. She looked at Katsumi and responded, "Thanks. I'm glad to be feeling better. Being stuck in the infirmary for 3 days isn't fun.

"Yes, a lynx is a type of mountain lion. They are really pretty. My boyfriend, err friend Emmett's patronus is also a lynx. We're both cat people" she giggled.

"Thanks Paul. That's so awesome. I knew mine was going to be some sort of cat, even before I learned the charm. I just didn't know it would turn out to be a lynx"

She gladly took the bottle of butterbeer from Magnus. "Thanks! Once I rest for a few minutes, I'll try to help you."

"I've always liked cats myself," Paul said, "was rather surprised when it changed to a phoenix."

Magnus' cheeks went red. How had she known he wasn't doing so well with the patronus? "I'm doing pretty well at falling," he said with a laugh that held little humour.

"I love cats. Sometimes I would love to trade places with my cat, Cleo. Wow, a Phoenix. That's amazing"

Millie smiled warmly at Magnus. He seemed concern that she knew he was struggling. She had seen the look in his eyes before he ran off to get the butterbeers.

"You'll get it. It took me a long time to cast. To be honest, I'm still surprised I was able to but Emmett was really helpful and kept pushing me."

(( ARGH had half a post and then refreshed. OOPS.))

Katsumi accepted the butterbeer with a quiet thanks, and took a sip, but then she fell silent, just watching the others. She wasn't sure she would be able to master the Patronus on her own when faced with the dementor before the end of the club session. For that matter, she'd never gotten the Riddikulus spell down properly either a few weeks back. She'd managed a partial change against the boggart, but she wasn't satisfied with partial success. A thoughtful frown creased her forehead. With Magnus occupied talking to Millie, she made her way over to Paul. "Hey...if I don't get it today, is there any way I can keep practicing?" she asked the adult softly, using Japanese. She didn't know how Magnus would feel about it if he realized, but at the same time...if he didn't want to keep pushing at something that clearly caused him pain, she wasn't going to make him feel like he had to. Besides, it wouldn't tell her anything if she summoned a patronus with him right there. She'd done it to defend him already. Kat wanted to master it for herself. She'd worry about what, if anything, to tell her friend after she found out if there was even anything to tell.

((ATTENTION PEOPLE! We have a birthday in the club! ))

Paul gave a small chuckle. "I don't know if I'd really want to trade places with a cat, but talking to them would be a different story."

Paul gave her a smile... he said replied quietly back in Japanese, "Actually, I have an idea. But you have to tell him. Its not like I'm deaf," he gave her a wink, "so how about this... at the ball when someone needs to collect him to transform, we can work on the spells you want to. It won't pain him much as the wolf. But he will remember it. That way you can study and practise and he won't be in pain. I'll get Bart to agree if he alone comes. Now, the kiddo isn't dumb and I'm pretty sure he's realised we are talking about him even though we haven't used his name."

Magus had been watching and his eyes gazed back down. Wondering if they were talking about his dementor problem. He felt like ten shades of a fool for not being able to remain standing. The scars down his back seemed raw from memory alone. Maybe he should ask Paul to put some ditany on them before he left?

(( HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!))

The girl's expression darkened. "...It won't bother him as a wolf? You're sure?" She looked at the tops of her shoes. "I mean...I want to master it, but I don't want him to feel like he /has/ to be there...and while I wouldn't mind him doing it if it's what he wants for himself, he's the sort that would think he needs to because /I/ want it." She glanced over at Magnus, looking guilty. He was watching, and she waved him over with a sigh, switching back to English. "I was asking Paul about doing more practice. He said maybe while I'm keeping you company the night of the ball would be a good time. I don't know how long it will take, and I'm not going to give up until I'm sure I have it down. This is something I need to prove to myself. I just...I didn't want you feeling like you need to help if you're not doing it for you." Kat couldn't quite look at him for the last sentence, her cheeks taking on a pink tint.

Paul nodded and then Magnus was beckoned over, so he also returned to English. "I'm positive I can get your dad to agree to me coming on the night of the ball. I can get you sorted out, and then after you're transformed we could work on Katsumi's patronus. As a wolf, animal's emotions are less complex anyway, so he wouldn't feel as much as he would human. This would make the dementor's less effective on him. I mean it might still bother him, but I have an idea that will allow Magnus to communicate so he can ask us to stop or we can move to another location for a little bit."

That Paul already worked out a way for him and Kat to still talk got a smile from the boy. But he still looked down for a moment. "I get that," he said, "I fink its a good idea. I ain't sayin' I'm giving up on 'em either, but I fink for me, it might be better if I don't 'ave an audience. I mean what wif me passin' out it makes everyone uncomfortable."

"Communicate? Really?" Kat's eyes lit up at the thought. She'd no idea what the man had in mind, but the possibility intrigued her. "If you don't want an audience, I can respect that. But you should know, Magnus, it makes me more angry than uncomfortable. ...I think you understand that, considering the way you jumped in when I was having trouble. Twice." There was a flicker in the girl's eyes that said she might just be teasing, but only gently. "If you want someone there, you have only to ask, alright?"

Paul nodded and gave a wicked smile. He wasn't gonna tell her until the ball. It was going to be a surprise. "I don't get why," Magnus said timidly, thinking she meant she was angry at him. "But I did see it."

Kat blinked at her friend, not sure why he was suddenly timid. "Wha -- no, not at you!" She shook her head emphatically. "Angry that it hurts you like that! ...Well okay, maybe I was a little angry that you just jumped in again when you had gotten hurt the first time, but...but that's entirely understandable and you should think things through better!"

Well he didn’t know. Girls were, well girls were a mystery one he never expected to fully solve.  “Why?  I mean,” he shrugged, “it is what it is.  I ain’t angry about the pain.”

"...I told you, I don't like seeing my friends get hurt." She shifted uncomfortably. "It makes me angry." The amused glitter returned to her eyes, and Kat looked at him again. "Actually, that's how I managed to get myself together enough for a proper patronus. I was angry, and that just made all the fear go away." For someone who didn't express herself openly, the girl's emotions could be seen to shift just as quickly as anyone else's, once a person knew how to read them. The half-smile that crossed her face was somewhere between shy and embarrassed. "That's why I want to practice alone. Anger makes it easy, as odd as that is, but without it I still freeze up. Just like with the boggart."

“That makes sense I guess,” he said agreeable. “Well, looks like Paul’s coming to the ball…”

((@Raven and I may have been busy during the downtime.  ^.^;;  ))

(( thank you guys again! Sorry if this is scattered, I skimmed a bit. n.n; ))

Magnus () and Kat () seemed to be hitting it off, but every time Magnus faltered and Paul stepped in to help, Fade’s heart leapt into his throat. Seeing any of his friends hurt lit a fire inside his belly, even if he knew the dementor wasn’t really real and wouldn’t really suck anyone's soul out. He was incredibly thankful that Paul was there to keep everything under a mild amount of control.

Eventually, Fade wandered over to the table of refreshments and picked up a bit of chocolate to nibble on. Glancing over at Dax () napping in the corner he suddenly wished he would have brought Chase with him. Although the cat probably wouldn’t have appreciated the context of the club lesson in the least. Figuring he should at least try the dementor himself he began practicing the wand movements again, mentally glossing over the memory that gave him the ability to summon his patronus.

Millie () joined the fun and Fade greeted her with a smile. It was cool to see her lynx patronus, a nice medium size compared to the rest of the classes relatively small ones, and of course Paul and Katsumi's larger incarnations.

Magnus took another sip of his butterbeer as he tried to decide if he should try by himself--he'd not done a very good job with Katsumi nearby so was there much point right now? Was he merely embarrassing himself? He pulled his sketch book out and started drawing everyone's patronuses. Handing Fade and Katsumi's theirs. He missed drawing his own though.

Kat kept herself occupied with trying to come up with a costume for the upcoming dance. She had a few vague ideas, but nothing substantial. A paper extended in her direction brought her attention back to the club, and when she saw what it was, her face lit up. "Wow, he's lovely. You did a great job, Magnus." That was right, he liked art too, didn't he? She tended to forget, since she didn't see him at it nearly as often as Fade. "And you did Fade's too? Aw look at those ears."

"Fanks," he said, with a faint blush. He flipped back and showed her his drawing of him holding a letter on the floor saying "my precious." He smiled remembering the incident. "By the way, your supplies should come right after the ball. 'Ad to back order a few things. But then I can start teaching you 'ow to draw."

For a moment it looked like the girl might just crack up, but she didn't quite. "Oh God, you drew that? ...You're never going to let me forget, are you?" Kat didn't seem particularly put out, though. "Actually, as I recall it, you looked considerably flatter. At least from my perspective." The mention of art supplies made her feel self-conscious. She really wasn't artistically talented at all, certainly nothing like the two boys. But she'd agreed to let Magnus have a go at teaching her, and she didn't intend to go back on that.

Magnus' eyes shinned with laughter, "why not? I thought it was fun." He did laugh then, "Certainly thought I felt flatter what with you sittin' on me trying to nab me letter." He caught her small change in demeanor and said, "'Ey, don't get in your 'ead. You might be the next Van Gough, though don't lob off your ear and mail to to someone, okay?" he chuckled and elbowed her playfully. Drawing had really helped calm him and he felt more himself.

Fade grinned down at the drawing Magnus () handed him. “Ah see, that way you draw it. I think I like the little guy more.” But he gave Katsumi () a sideways glance when she awwed. Sure it was cute, but Fade was more interested in it striking fear into the hearts of men, like the rabbit from Monty Python. Now that was an idea. Too bad he left his sketchbook behind for the day.

“Part of making stuff is not worrying about it being perfect, I guess that goes for school too if you think about it.” His forehead creased, that was a bit of a deep thought. Shaking it off he set down his snack before carefully stowing the drawing Magnus had given him in one of his robe pockets.

“Uh, I think I’ll give the reaper a go.” By reaper he meant dementor, but they always reminded him of the grim. Besides, giving it a nickname made it seem less scary to be volunteering to stand in front of the thing. Even if it wasn’t really real, the fears it brought to light were very real indeed.

Taking up the stance, he held his wand at the ready and tried to solidify his happy memory more securely inside his mind.

"Could add fangs, we could 'ave Bunnicula." Magnus gave a twitch of his nose and showed his teeth, "I want to drink your cabbage." He wasn't laughing at the rabbit, more just trying to make his friend laugh.

Paul nodded, "Got your memory then?" When he was sure Fade was ready, he waved his wand at the device and the dementor returned.