Chapter 120: Playdate

Chapter 120: Playdate

If you want to support me check out my patron at /athassprkr

I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them.

I would like to thank my beta, Lucodarkknight G, for his help in this chapter.

Like I said, I felt like the story is really starting to drag on, and that I haven't been able to get to the arc I really want to do. So, I'm going to try to upload as frequently as I can, to get things moving a bit.

Hope you like this.

---------------

27th February 2006, New York City

(Jean Grey POV)

It's been a few days since Jean had met Wanda properly, and it was surprising how close they are. Wanda was a breath of fresh air; she was funny, but also very socially awkward. She tended to say whatever crossed her mind without a second's thought about who hears her. Jean giggled at the memory of Wanda calling Scott a dickhead to his face because he said that Wanda was too dangerous and that Jean shouldn't hang out with her. She simply tilted her head, insulted him, and just told him to go away. Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

Jean, Wanda and Kitty became a very close knit group, pretty much only hanging out together all day, for the last few days. Jean's popularity had plummeted when she broke up with Duncan and quit all of her extracurricular activities. Apparently, they thought she had a nervous breakdown or something because of her break up with Duncan. Adding in her idiotic ex spreading rumors about her, she was left with practically no friends outside her teammates and the members Brotherhood. Though, does the members of the brotherhood count as friends? Anyway, the redhead kinda gravitated towards Kitty and Wanda, and she couldn't be happier.

Jean forgot how nice it was to have a girlfriend other than Kitty. Don't get her wrong, Kitty is amazing but she's so sheltered that Jean gets exasperated sometimes because of her naivety. Rogue doesn't count, of course. The resident goth seems to dislike her by principle. It was probably her hidden feelings for Scott, who was still infatuated with the redhead.

But Wanda was different, she has seen the dark side of the world. Jean knew that whatever she said wouldn't be judged by the witch. Yes, Jean knew that she was a witch. Ms. Sayre had said that they had similar powers, after all. So, it was logical to deduce that Wanda was a mage as well. However, seeing Dr. Strange keep training, Jean knew that the study of magic and sorcery takes an insane amount of dedication.

Anyway, things have been great. Not perfect, mind you; there was the strained relationship between Wanda and her twin, Pietro. Apparently, the speedster wanted his sister to join the Brotherhood on the order of their father, Magneto. Wanda who hates Magneto with a burning passion, refused. Jean could understand why she utterly loathed her birth father. Apparently, when she had almost hurt him when she was younger, the man had reacted like a cornered animal and sent her to the Vault, a prison that is poorly described as a mental institution, where she was put in solitary confinement for years. Yeah, she was right to keep a grudge. Although, Wanda had confessed to her that while she was hurt by Pietro not visiting her, she was mostly angry because of his actions after she left the Vault, choosing to side with his father, once more, against her.

At least, Jean's situation occurred because the professor was scared of a child with that kind of power. The telepath had the world's best interest at heart, and tried to make sure that she was safe by taking responsibility for her. She still didn't like him, and she sure as hell didn't trust him, but his intentions were pure. The same couldn't be said for Magneto who simply got rid of her, chucked her out like garbage. Out of sight, out of mind. He was her father, for fuck's sake, unlike the Professor who was a stranger to her, when he wronged her.

Anyway, it was lunch and the three girls were siting by their usual table talking about their plans for the night.

"So, what are you guys doing tonight?" Wanda asked.

"Nothing, really. Logan and the Professor are meeting this big shot government agency people in the mansion, so they asked us to make ourselves scarce or stay in our room without making nay noise." Kitty answered.

Jean did find this situation to be quite shady. The professor working with a spy agency made her pretty uncomfortable, although it has probably something to do with Logan's identity, who happens to have been part of the howling commandos, and fought in World War two alongside Captain America. This was so freaking cool.

Jean's frown didn't go unnoticed, "Why the look, Jean?" asked Kitty.

"I don't know. The Professor working with people like that makes me uncomfortable. Makes me think that we're more like soldiers than students. I know we're part of a team and everything, plus we all learn combat training, but that's different. We still have a choice if we want to leave or not. If the government gets involved, then we might be forced to fight for them. I just don't like it."

Jasmine just winked at her, "Sure, you don't."

The history teacher just returned to grading her papers and the girls realized that they were being dismissed, so they chose to leave.

Once the rest of the day had passed, the three teenagers went to the teacher's parking spot and were promptly joined by their teacher. She unlocked her car, a Chevy Impala, who the redhead had often admired from afar. Taking a better look at it now, the car still looked as good as new. Jean was certain that there was magic being involved somehow. It was weird seeing magic to maintain a car; it was usually used in battles and such, not something as banal.

Anyway, they entered the masterpiece of a car, and Ms. Sayre drove them to a car park in the middle of New York city. Where did they live, anyway? She forgot to ask. With that said, Jasmine clicked on a button, and a previously hidden tunnel opened up. When they got through it, they weren't in the dark car park anymore but in front of a mansion that would make the Professor's look like a shed. It was enormous, probably as big as Buckingham palace. It had a classical architecture, which reminded Jean of the Versailles palace in France.

Surrounding the mansion was a giant garden that looked like it was trimmed to perfection. There was also a lake of all things, along with a swimming pool. Jean hadn't realized that she and Kitty were gaping in shock, eyes wide. So, the car park contained some kind of portal to the entrance of the mansion.

Ms. Sayre turned around and looked at them with a mischievous smirk, "So what do you girls think?"

Kitty spluttered, having difficulty putting her feeling into world until she took a deep breath and asked, "How did we get here?"

Ms. Sayre smirked at them once more, "Magic!"

She waved her fingers and tiny sparks formed at their tips.

Kitty reddened at this, "Seriously, how did we get here?"

"I was serious, kiddo. I used magic. Your friend here knows all about it. After all, she's being taught by a wizard so that she could control her powers."

Jean glared at her history teacher. The woman in turn sent her a telepathic message, 'Do not tell her about the magical community, just that there are people that know how to use magic.'

Jean nodded and answered, "Yeah, he's really good at magic. He knows a lot about mind magic so he's teaching how to control it properly so that I don't accidentally hurt someone."

Kitty exclaimed, excited, "Is this how you used the portal thing when the Juggernaut attacked?"

Jean nodded, "Yeah, it was only for emergencies and I'm not that good at magic, really. It took me months to learn how to make a portal properly."

Kitty then looked at Ms. Sayre, "Is Wanda a witch too?"

The history teacher nodded, "If I'm being technical then yes, she is. But her powers are a lot more different that of any magic in the world. She is unique. When I found her, I understood what's wrong with her and decided to teach her how to control her magic."

Kitty nodded, "Can I learn any magic?"

Ms. Sayre shook her head with a sad look on her face, "Sorry, Kiddo. Magic is something you are born with. Although, there is a branch of magic called sorcery that anyone can do, which is what Jean's teacher is specializing in, but it needs a lot of dedication and study, time you do not have. Jean here simply learnt a single spell in months. The journey to become a proper sorcerer is a very long and difficult one. You'll have to leave school, leave the X-men, leave your parents and just focus of magic. Something that I feel you will be pretty reluctant to do. Especially if it turned out that you don't have an affinity for sorcery."

Jean could see it too, Kitty would not jeopardize her future, her friends and family, her education to learn a few magic tricks.

Ms. Sayre continued, "But enough with the depressing stuff, let me show you in!"