Room 308, Wednesday evening

[smartestone]

Hermione returns to the room after a long time handwavily spent in the library, clutching a book and immediately going to sit on her bed. She opens it up, idly reaching over to pet Crookshanks- who hisses at her and darts away, right out through the crack of the door. Well, that was unexpected.

She flips to the page she marked with a piece of notepaper, studying the picture. She doesn't understand why a lichen would bite anyone, let alone why one would just happen to be out there on a tree at the end of February, but that's the only explanation for what happened. She can't really move her hand anymore, but doesn't want to go into the clinic while she could be better off researching. When she pulls off the bandage again to look at it, though, the little green lines that had been spreading out from the wound are now running clear down her arm.

They hadn't been able to find a lot of information on lichenthropes yet, but if they're anything like, well, lycanthropes, she has until the next full moon. Which is Saturday. Hermione decides she'd really better get researching.

[Mostly for Luna or the roomie if they want, but open.]

Comments

[narglette.livejournal.com]

Luna stopped by on her way up to the fourth floor and knocked on Hermione's door. "Hello?"

[smartestone]

Hermione quickly pulls her sleeve down over her hand- ow- and calls, "Come in."

[narglette.livejournal.com]

"Good evening, Hermione." Luna greeted as she came in and took a seat. "It isn't Easter."

[smartestone]

She blinks, and says, "No, not yet." She hasn't quite gotten the hang of Luna yet.

[narglette.livejournal.com]

"I had thought perhaps break would come then instead of in snow." Which was explanatory as Luna sometimes got. "Interesting reading?"

[smartestone]

"You can say that," she says. Pausing, she asks, "Have you ever heard of lichenthropes? Not werewolves, but... lichen?"

[narglette.livejournal.com]

"Are they indigenous to Sweden and Zimbabwe?" Luna asked, tilting her head.

[smartestone]

"No, but there might be one here," she says slowly.

[narglette.livejournal.com]

"Have you seen it?"

[smartestone]

"Not exactly, but I think one bit me," Hermione says, watching for Luna's reaction.

[the_merriest]

Rikku enters nervously, holding Crookshanks in her arms. "He was in the hallway," she explains. "I don't know what's -"

Crookshanks picks that moment to wriggle out of her arms and dash out the door again. "Hey!"

She stares at Hermione. "Is he okay?!"

[smartestone]

"I don't think he likes me that much right now," she says, frowning at the door.

[the_merriest]

Rikku shudders. "I don't like this."

She nods at the book. "Did you find anything?"

[smartestone]

"I think so," Hermione tells her, turning the book towards her. "I think it was a lichenthrope."

[the_merriest]

Rikku looks at her roommate, confused. "A lichen-what?" She takes the book and skims it with concern. "Whoa, this sounds ... not good."

[smartestone]

"No," she agrees, serious. "The bite is getting worse, too. We're getting closer to the full moon."