* - - shh... it's a secret (theresa)

[ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER]

Albus stood up and brushed himself off just as he heard another soft ‘thump’ behind him and he knew that it was Theresa that was behind him. He turned around and smiled at her. “Sorry, but I didn’t make the tunnel. Perhaps I’ll think of laying pillows there for the next time we come down here,” he chuckled with his warm smile before he turned to look down to the other end of the tunnel. It was a long tunnel and they couldn’t see the end just yet. But then again it was hard to even see the end of the tunnel when you got close to the end as there was a door at the end that opened up to the infamous shrieking shack.

“If I told you it would spoil the surprise,” Albus joked before he held his wand up before him. “Lumos” he spoke softly and a light appeared at the tip of his wand. Lumos was another nifty spell that Albus had learned to love. Sure he had been up and down this path at least a hundred times in his years at Hogwarts while under the veil of his Invisibility cloak, but he still liked using his wand light to guide him so that he didn’t accidently trip over something. “It’s going to be kind of a long walk as we’ll be going off of the school grounds,” he told her before he began to start walking down the tunnel.

He was actually quite glad that his mother had told him of this place. It was a way that he could get away from James secretly without anyone else knowing. There had been a couple of times that he and Scorpius had gone down this very path together to just plot of ways to get James back for all he had done to the two of them. This was the first time that he was bringing Thersea to the shrieking shack. Well in reality it was his first time bringing someone else other than Scorpius out to the shrieking shack. He just hoped that Theresa thought it was pretty neat as well.

[THERESA JAY KELSEY]

theia stood carefully, using the wall as guidence in the dim light. she drew her wand form her pocket and quickly dusted herself off, shifting her skirt down slightly after it had annoying risen from her fall. see that was the problem with wearing clothes innapropriate for adventure - though at least she wasn't wearing heels today. now that would have caused problems.

“Sorry, but I didn’t make the tunnel. Perhaps I’ll think of laying pillows there for the next time we come down here,” theia glanced at albus as he spoke and rolled her eyes lightly, grinning back and lighting her own wand tip to add to the illumination of the slightly cramped tunnel. "yeah i think that's a good idea." she said, half teasing as her gaze lingered on the tunnel ahead, where it dissapeared into sullen silence. “If I told you it would spoil the surprise,”

theia pulled a pouting face, playfully acting sorrowful as she turned her chocolate gaze on him now. "awe you're so mean to me, alb..." she joked, half smiling, lips turning up at the corners as she dropped the pout. "come on then mr. mysterious. let's go!" theia said lightly, stepping forward to move beside him, curiosity still raging as she looked to the onward tunnel with a sense of new adventure. it'd been a while since she'd done anything like this - you know, gone off on her own thing with a friend in complete disregard for school rules.

“It’s going to be kind of a long walk as we’ll be going off of the school grounds,” theia raised her eyebrows slightly and glanced at him, walking forwards as he did and raising her wand so the light bounced higher off the walls of the tunnel and provided better illumination. " when you say 'long walk' ... you don't mean, 'so long that it's going to make my feet hurt' do you? .. because in that case i will be demanding a piggy-back." she grinned lightly, with a small shake of her head. she was joking...kinda. she did hope it wasn't toooo far. she wasn't built for long walks, but still, she was curious as to where they were going and what she'd encounter when they got there. and besides, she was in good company with albus, so she was perfectly happy to walk a far way.

[ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER]

Albus couldn’t help but smile when Theia called him Mr. Mysterious. Theia had always been one of the few to actually be able to make him smile. Scorpius was probably the only other person with the exception of his family, at least the ones he got along with. Albus continued to lead the way as she went on about saying that she would want him to give her a piggy-back if it was an extremely long walk. “I promise it won’t be that long. It’s a length of a walk that you should be used to,” he smirked as he waved his wand in front of them making sure that there wasn’t anything to trip along the tunnel. He was sure that he was one of the few that new about this secret passageway, but then again his family members probably knew about it as well and he wasn’t sure if any of them ever came down here.

“Why don’t you try to guess where this tunnel will lead us?” he smiled again as he looked back at her for just a moment before facing forward again. After all, he didn’t want to accidently end up tripping and causing Theia to fall over him as well. That would be quite rude of him and he never wanted to be rude towards one of his best friends.

[THERESA JAY KELSEY]

theia continued to walk, following slightly behind albus so that he could direct them both just incase he suddenly ducked to another passageway that theia might not see without albus' direction. as it happened, they continued onwards anyway, and theia tripped over some sort of root, catching herself on the wall quickly to avoid face-planting the floor. frowning and glancing back to glare at the root with personal dislike, she heard albus say, “I promise it won’t be that long. It’s a length of a walk that you should be used to,”

theia looked at him and smiled lightly. "awe no piggy back?" she joked and shook her head, peering into the darkness. she wished she was in her animagus form. as a tirgress the dark was much more of a friend; her senses were much more acute...particulary her sense of sight. “Why don’t you try to guess where this tunnel will lead us?”
theia glanced at albus and grinned lightly. "ooh a guessing game? alright .. uhm .. " she paused and tilted her head in thought for a moment. "hogsemad?" she asked, knowing there were several secret tunnels that lead to hogsmead.. not that she'd managed to find any yet. "or ... maybe its a trick and you're leading me in circles?" she teased, frowning as she stumbled a second time. "damn it!" she muttered and sighed, looking at albus. "i've got a better idea.." she grinned, and suddenly, she lept forward onto the ground before her. as she landed..she landed on all fours, transformed into a great, magnificent snow white tigress.

she didn't often transform into her animgaus shape, she never really felt the need. but at times like this it was useful. she back came just above albus's knees and she gave a teasing low growl, looking up at him with an expression easily described as a grin. her eyes had lightened to an amber-like colour in this form and she made to butt her head against albus' knee lightly before taking off into the dark. her light eyes easily picking up the smooth shape of the tunnel, feeling the compact earth beneath her thick, powerful paws as she dug her claws into it to pull herself faster. it felt fluid, the motion of this body, and she lengthened out into the long stride of the great cat until she came upon the end of the tunnel.

she recoiled slightly from the suddenl shock of bright light and paused at the edge of the tunnel; leaning forward on her shoulders to peer into the room the tunnel had ended in. huh. she wasn't really sure where she was, but it definetly looked like a house...and from the scent of the musty place .. there was a stiring of memory. she recognised it, but not the look of the place. hmm ...

turning on her paws, having sprinted to catch a look at the place, she headed back to albus, curiousity burning within her gaze. she had her wand clamped lightly in her teeth, the wand tip still alight, bobbing as she'd moved back to him. hardly pausing as he drew herself up onto her hind legs and transformed back in one fluid motion, face slightly flushed from the transformation and the running and all, but she was steady on her feet as always. she'd figured out the hard way that sometimes transforming quickly could be disoreintating...or that being in her animgaus form for long could cause her to be a little 'off' when she returned to human form. but now she was fine.

"okay so seriously...where the heck are you taking me?" she asked with a small grin. "i recognised the room buuut .. i don't know why. smelt old...and werid." she was puzzled and curious, and she took her wand in her right hand once more, figured she'd stay around as a human even if she did stumble again; firstly it would be rude and secondly she wanted to be able to talk to albus, and she fell back into step beside albus, wondering if he's explain now that she'd seen where they were.

[ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER]

Albus should’ve figured that Theia would transform into her animagus form, something he rarely saw her do, yet he always thought her form looked magnificiant. He watched as she took off, wand in her mouth and even her white cloak gleamed in the wand light. He often wondered what his form would be if he were to become an animagus, though he wasn’t sure if he wanted to try anytime soon, perhaps after school once he’s finally decided what he wants to be.

And then he saw the bobbing light disappear, Albus smiled as he continued walking figuring that she found the door to the shrieking shack. He wandered if she would actually know what the place is. Then he saw the bobbing light once again as she made her way back and soon she was back beside him in her human form. “You know I really do like your animagus form, I wonder what mine would be,” he said softly to her once she was by his side once more. He couldn’t figure out why, but he really did like it when Theia was by his side.

Albus chuckled as she went on saying that she wanted him to tell here where they were going. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was quite curious, and he was glad that she had ran back to walk the rest of the way with him. “Well, it’s the shrieking shack, and don’t worry it isn’t actually haunted,” he smiled just as they got to the door that lead to the shrieking shack. “I like to come here whenever I want to just think, only a few people know of this place,” he said lightly as he opened the door to let Theia in first.

[THERESA JAY KELSEY]

theia transformed back into her human form and caught albus' words. “You know I really do like your animagus form, I wonder what mine would be,” she blushed faintly; something theresa didn't often do, and she smiled. "thanks," she said lightly, hoping the gloom of the passageway would hide the rose tinge to her cheeks. she didn't know why she had blushed at that anyway. perhaps because she hardly ever showed off her animgaus form to anyone - it felt like something private in honesty, and when she was the lioness, it was just her essence, who she was inside. she always felt more free in her animagus form and therefore like it was a private thing to her. she didn't like people who went off transforming just to show off. "you're one of the lucky few to see it." she grinned lightly, blush long forgotten.

"if you were an animagus you'd totally be a duck billed platypus..." she glanced at him and grinned, laughing lightly and shaking her head. "nope can't even joke about that .. i can think of only a few people who would be low enough to deserve that .. you i think.. would be a ... " she paused to honestly consider it and titled her head slightly, smiling lightly. "..dog." she looked at him. "you know ... you're loyal, dependable, good-hearted, intelligent... " she nodded and glanced at him again. ".. like a gold lab or something." she shrugged and bit her lip, looking down the tunnel and hoping he hadn't been offended by that. a lot of guys would altomatically think 'lion', 'tiger' or 'coyote' .. or something powerful along those lines. "like i know maybe that sounds stupid but you didn't need to have claws or big built to be powerful - powerful could come from a good heart and a kindred spirit. from intelligence. like you." she felt the need to defend her opinion and wondered if she'd gone too far. she didn't know where that had all come from but it had, and now she wondered if she'd spewed out a little too much.

she glanced at him wrly after a few moments. "you know, if you'd like . . . i could teach you someday... on being an animagus. doesn't have to be this year, maybe after our NEWTs or something. " theia shrugged lightly, leaving it up to him. she wouldn't offer that to anyone. she didn't really like to help people out unless there was something she could have in return. but when it came to her friends there was no limit in honesty. she didn't mind giving up her time and patience or whatnot to help albus out. "it'd be nice to have someone to run with... and being an animagus, well .. it's freedom." she grinned lightly. she didn't really have much chance to go running in her form with anyone. company would be a nice change.

after theia asked where they were going agian, she wondered if he'd tell her to shush and wait and see, but instead he caved and she grinned lightly. " Well, it’s the shrieking shack, and don’t worry it isn’t actually haunted,” theia raised her eyebrows in surprise. "it's the shrieking shack? huh .. didn't look anything like i thought it would.." she smiled and looked at him. "it's not? shame, i was hoping to make friends with some ghosties and goulies." she grinned jokingly and shook her head. “I like to come here whenever I want to just think, only a few people know of this place,”

"thanks" theia said gently as he opened the door for her, ducking in as her human form this time and looking about. her gaze fell on scratches torn into the wood, and she wondered if they linked to the scent she'd smelt before was linked to it. "it's quiet .. i can imagine why you picked here. " she smiled lightly with a small nod and turned to face him. "thanks for showing it to me." she said, and her gaze flickered about the place once more in curiousity, wondering on it's history and what else over the years had been in her and albus' place.

[ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER]

IF it wasn’t for the fact that they were in a dark tunnel underground, Albus would’ve tried harder to hide his blush as Theia made a joke saying that he would be a platypus. He sure hoped that it would never turn out to be that way if that were true. But he knew that she was joking even before she said she couldn’t joke like that to him, and he couldn’t help but smile. “A dog eh? Well My patronus is a dog, as to the breed of dog, I think it might be a Labrador, I’m not sure,” he thought for a moment. He almost thought about taking his wand out and casting his patronus. He’s actually been working on making his patronus taught, something he thought would be useful in the future. “You know I think it would be kind of neat to be an animagus, and I feel honored to be one of the few to see your form,” he smirked lightly.

He stepped inside of the shrieking shack and looked around. It wasn’t as bad as it had been when he had first came to Hogwarts. Him and Scorpius had fixed up the place some, it was their secret hideout after all, even if James knew about it. However, Albus had charmed the upstairs so that his brother or any of his ignorant friends could get up there. He needed a place to go to from time to time, after all. “Come one let’s head upstairs and I’ll tell you the story behind the shrieking shack,” he smiled lightly as he took a hold of her hand, his heart skipped but he ignored it at the moment not really knowing why it did.

[THERESA JAY KELSEY]

“A dog eh? Well My patronus is a dog, as to the breed of dog, I think it might be a Labrador, I’m not sure,” theia glanced at albus and grinned lightly. "it is? huh i don't think i've ever seen your patronus.." theia tilted her head slightly, thinking back then shrugging lightly. "well, my patronus is a tigress, so i guess it works like that...?" theia pondered aloud, shrugging a second time and thinking for a few moments. hmm well it made sense really - patronus' were forms of your soul or personality or whatever, and wasn't your animagus form the same? so, in essense, if you already knew your patronus, you could figure out what your animagus would be.

“You know I think it would be kind of neat to be an animagus, and I feel honored to be one of the few to see your form,” theia grinned and made to nudge him lightly. "yeah it is neat. you can go all tigress on peoples asses if they annoy you." she joked, only having done that once or twice... "you should be honoured.." she teased, only joking. of course, a couple of people had seen her form before, but not really intentionally like just now.

she headed into the shrieking shack beside him, glancing about, never having been inside here before. it was different from inside, the whole building creaked omminously, shaking slightly and theia bit her lip, wondering if the whole thing was going to collapse on them. she hoped not, it would be a shame to die at the hand of a building.. and humiliating. “Come on let’s head upstairs and I’ll tell you the story behind the shrieking shack,” theia looked at albus, heart suddenly jumping as he took her hand, and she hid the blush that accompanied it, taking his hand and moving with him.

"ooh a story?" she grinned lightly, heading for the stairs with him, still looking about in curiousity. she hung back a little to allow albus to lead the way, and though she'd just teased she generally was interesting in hearing the tale of the shrieking shack. after all, it was supposed to be haunted and yet, clearly it wasn't. but the gouges and marks of the wall clearly told of some sort of creature having stired within the walls, and obviously, somehow it must have created the rumour of it being 'haunted'.

[ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER]

“it is? huh i don't think i've ever seen your patronus.. well, my patronus is a tigress, so i guess it works like that...?” Albus nodded in agreement with her. He remembered his parents telling him that once before as well. He knew that the patronus and animagus form is pretty much what kind of animal you are similar to. But he had also heard that some people have changed their patronuses, and not because of personality changes, but for other reasons.

“yeah it is neat. you can go all tigress on peoples asses if they annoy you. you should be honoured..” Albus chuckled lightly at her comment knowing that she was just joking around a bit. He had been around Thiea for six years now and they had always been close. Him, Scorpius and Theia had always been close and the whole school knew pretty much knew that the three of them were a trio.

For some reason he held a bit tighter and when he realized that he did, he quickly hid his blush before letting go and disappearing upstairs. “ooh a story?” he heard her say just before he disappeared around the corner of the stairs. He knew that she wouldn’t take long heading on up there.

The upstairs was decorated quite nicely for it being two boys that had decorated it. It had the Slytherin’s colors everywhere, banners and all. Albus wanted it to represent his house, so that if James were to ever break through the charm he had placed on the stairs he would be instantly revolted by the look of everything and just leave anyways, especially when he finds out that everything was hung up with permanent sticking charms.

He decided to sit on one of the nice black leather couches they had up there and got comfortable just as he saw Theresa walk up from the stairs. “So have you ever heard of an old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher named Remus Lupin?” he asked her with a light smile. He first wanted to know if she had heard of him before he even went on with the story.

[THERESA JAY KELSEY]

theia felt albus' grip tighten slightly and she glanced at him in faint surprise, more surprised at herself for likely the contact, and the sense of security his grip gave to her. she followed him up the stairs, chocolate gaze caught by the wonders of the slytherin decorations and she grinned, glancing at him. "i like what you've done with the place..." she said honestly, smiling as she ran her hand over the bright emerald of a slytherin flag, their blazing silver seperpant shining as ever forboding. she hoped noone else managed to get up here and destroy the place - for sure a gryffindor would if they could. it had a homely feel to it, a sense of peace and seperation from the rest of the world.

she paused and watched albus as he headed over to a black leather couch and sprawled onto it, grinning theia headed after him and dropped onto the soft of the leather beside him, curling her legs up comfortably under her, regardless of the shoes, and looking at albus expectantly. “So have you ever heard of an old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher named Remus Lupin?” theia frowned slightly in thought, then after a small pause shook her head slightly. "uhm ... no .. should i have done?" she asked, wondering perhaps if he was important to the story and she was supposed to know of him. she didn't always pay full attention in class but she didn't remember the name...

[ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER]

“i like what you've done with the place...” Albus smirked lightly as she complimented on the room. Al of course liked what he had done with the place as well. He really did like how well the place showed off the Slytherin Glory. “Thanks,” he said lightly as he smiled at her once more before relaxing into the couch a bit more. He really did enjoy how the black leather couches were so comfy. It was nice that he managed to get some in here, with some help of his parents of course. “uhm ... no .. should i have done?” Albus couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought. There was nothing wrong with her not knowing about Remus Lupin. He highly doubted that in History of Magic he was mentioned, if he was it was only a quick thing. He knew how most of the world felt about werewolves.

“Well Remus Lupin is Teddy Lupin’s Father. I think you’ve met Teddy at our house once. He’s my father’s godson, well one of his godson’s,” he started off. He knew that his father had several godchildren. Apparently his father was quite a hero back in the day, well he knew his father definitely was as he was the one to defeat Lord Voldemort. But it didn’t really matter to him what happened in the past that made his father a hero. He just wasn’t close to his father right now anyways. “Well you see he had became an werewolf before he went to school. And of course, his parents were fearful he wouldn’t be allowed because of his, condition. And this was before someone invented Wolfsbane. But well you of course know of Albus Dumbledore. Apparently he was a bit of a softy according to many, and he placed a whomping willow on the school grounds to guard this passageway. Well Remus would take this passageway every full moon and tear the furniture apart here to his heart’s content. Of course we got rid of that furniture a long time ago,” he smiled again before looking over at Theia, wondering what she thought of the story.

[THERESA JAY KELSEY]

“Thanks,” she smiled at him lightly and shook her head. "no problem." and settled into the couch. odd how albus seemed to bring out all the niceties within theia. ordinarily she did not go around complimenting people on their decorative skills and such, but it came naturally to her with albus -praising him, needing to compliment him. she didn't wonder why - guessing it was due to how close friends they were and leaving the thoughts at that.

“Well Remus Lupin is Teddy Lupin’s Father. I think you’ve met Teddy at our house once. He’s my father’s godson, well one of his godson’s,” theia watched albus as he spoke and nodded slightly. "yeah i remember him." she said quietly, having been to albus' house on numerous occasions over the years since her, alb and scorp had prety much velcroed to each other. she'd met a large volley of albus' family and close friends, a little overwhelmed herself but mostly managing to puts faces to names incase she ever met them again.

“Well you see he had became an werewolf before he went to school. And of course, his parents were fearful he wouldn’t be allowed because of his, condition. And this was before someone invented Wolfsbane. But well you of course know of Albus Dumbledore. Apparently he was a bit of a softy according to many, and he placed a whomping willow on the school grounds to guard this passageway. Well Remus would take this passageway every full moon and tear the furniture apart here to his heart’s content. Of course we got rid of that furniture a long time ago,” she was riveted as he spoke, caught in the story. maybe it was the story itself, or perhaps just how albus told it but whatever it was it took a few seconds for her to realise he'd finished.

"oh wow.." she said, blinking and pushing back her hair which had fallen forward. "so the shack has quite a history.." she said quietly, glancing about the room with interest. it felt like the place was full of secrets - things it could never and would never share, so quiet and eerie. but theia found it fascinating that the place had a history...she may have been brought up to believe in status but she loved a house with character.