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“Alright, send in the unlicensed animagus and everyone pretend you didn’t see shit,” Bull says, gesturing for Maxwell to go on ahead. “In our reports we’re just going to write down that we saw the weirdest thing ever, and that we saw a this really annoying bird fly into the charmed and enchanted warehouse in order to drag out some fraudulent charmers as a distraction. Since apparently someone tipped them off and they’re now on alert for anything on two legs and generally upright in position.”

Everyone is looking expectantly and Maxwell and Maxwell is looking at himself expectantly because his soul has just left his body and is now watching the proceedings like it has nothing to do with this situation and it’s happening to someone else entirely.

“Being unlicensed animagus is a very serious crime and,” Maxwell starts. He doesn’t finish because the Iron Bull rolls his one eye so hard that Maxwell feels it in his brain.

“Relax greenhorn,” Krem says, “No one’s going to snitch on you. The Ministry doesn’t give a fuck. Lots of things can slide under the radar. Also? We’ve got loads of experience finding animagi and various other unregistered special people.”

Krem points at Dalish.

Dalish points at Grim.

Grim gestures in the direction of where Hawke’s team is waiting for the sign to move in.

Maxwell makes a face, “How did you know what it is anyway?”

Bull shrugs one shoulder. “Am I wrong?”

It wasn’t even Maxwell’s idea. This entire ordeal of being an unlicensed animagus was no Maxwell’s idea and he can’t stress that further.

It wasn’t even Ellana’s.

It was Kaaras’.

It was the summer before their seventh year and they were bored out of their skulls. Kaaras had wanted to do something risky, something dangerous, something exciting. Something, Maxwell has a lingering suspicion of, that would help shake off the lingering effects of almost dying multiple times at school for sport and other people’s entertainment. That had been just after their fifth year but Maxwell knows now that that sort of thing never really leaves you. It was only nine months and altogether counted perhaps maybe not even twelve hours. But Maxwell still feels the heat from the second trial as the magical dimension space filled with fire closed in around him.

He can still feel Ellana’s sweat-slicked skin slipping from his grasp.

Ellana had, for once, been incredibly reasonable and suggested that they attempt to create a Philosopher’s stone. It would have been a fun mental exercise.

Maxwell, for once, had been incredibly practical and suggested they attempt legilimency.  That would have been a literal mental exercise.

And then Kaaras shot straight out of the unexpected and said, let’s try to become animagi.

Needless to say, it did not take Ellana and Maxwell much convincing to say yes.

(“It can’t be harder than truth potions,” Ellana had said, causing Maxwell and Kaaras to exchange silent looks of concern over why Ellana had reason to be brewing truth potions to start with.)

At the end of it there were much surprises to be had and if they hadn’t been the best of friends before they certainly were then.

Kaaras surprised everyone by coming out of it a strong shouldered, boldly colored tiger with large paws, a piercing gaze, and dizzying stripes. Big, obvious, dangerous and attention demanding.

Maxwell also surprised everyone by emerging much smaller than they all thought he’d be, and with an incredible degree of mobility and versatility. Unobtrusive, common, ominous, and slightly unnerving.

(“Of course,” Kaaras has mused, “You would still be something with the ability to talk.”

“I tried,” Maxwell says, “Talking is hard in that form. Also thoughts and words are weird in general.”

“You can be your own mail carrier,” Ellana said, “Think of how great an excuse that can be when used right. Also, you can now probably talk to Chipper. Go ask him right now why he always takes so long with my parcels from home. I know he’s detouring somewhere. I just can’t figure out where.”)

Ellana surprised no one as she slid between them, scales matte and gray and hypnotic in their repetition. Her gums when she opened her mouth were as black as Kaaras’ stripes, as black as Maxwell’s feathers.

Ellana has always been the most honest, of the three of them. However strange that would seem to outsiders to their circle of three. There’s no one in the world more honest than a Slytherin looking to make a point.

All three of them different sorts of danger, wound up together.

Maxwell remembers them curling into each other. Kaaras huge in Maxwell’s shifted form, world-swallowing. And Ellana a sinuous line of not-quite matching black that twisted over Kaaras’ belly and back as she curled herself around him. And Maxwell over both of them, flapping his wings for balance before giving up and just rolling down until he was cradled in the curl of Kaaras’ body as the three of them settled into each other and themselves, basking in the thing they had just accomplished.

“Relax, newbie, no one is judging. Go do your thing and mess with their heads until they come away from the warehouse of dangerous charmed materials,” Rocky says, punching Maxwell’s hip. “And then get the fuck out of dodge, because I’m going to wreck this place so bad – “

“We need evidence,” Bull says.

“So…gently that the paperwork will only be a touch singed?”

“Better,” Bull says, “Get a move on before Hawke’s team gets ansty. I heard Carver’s off of medial leave and that brat is probably just spoiling to get this started. And given the fact that Hawke has the unfair advantage of being friends with this section’s main officer I don’t want to give them an excuse to take over. ”

“You heard the Chief.”

Maxwell shrugs and shrugs again. He shrugs off the shape of Trevelyan and shrugs into the shape of Maxwell. There’s a moment of lurching where Maxwell’s body does not keep up with his mind and he is weightless and falling.

But his body remembers and he’s flapping his wings, the world large before him, and full of possibility for anything he can think of.

Maxwell caws out once, considers pecking at Krem’s head – mussing his hair up – but decides not to. The thought of going over to where Ellana is right now also strikes him but he decides against that, too.

The revelation that the Iron Bull and the rest of them probably know that they’re illegal animagi can wait for after this. Ellana most likely would not want to be told right now, out in the open.

Maxwell caws out again and Dalish waves him off but he’s already beyond her, beyond their reach, bleeding darkness out into the night sky.

I really this Dragon Age Harry Potter AU, based on two series I haven’t read. It’s about FRIENDS. Platonic relationships! It’s just SO GOOD.