So, a certain someone on tumblr told me that I had to write some more Michael/Lisa, and so here it is. Should be noted that my chapter in 'and we'll paint a rainbow in the sky' comes in the middle of this piece, so definitely go and check that out if you are confused about what's happened. :)
I'll dedicate this to the wonderful Kas Irons (Angelica), who is the queen of Michael/Lisa in my opinion, and got me to start shipping it.
disclaimer disclaimer disclaimer
Michael doesn't know why he does it.
They're hiding in the Ravenclaw tower the majority of the time now, and Terry and Anthony are trying to keep the mood light, but when there are terrorised first years, and beaten up fifth and sixth years, it's a little difficult.
And Su Li is crying every night, Mandy is holed up in her room half the time and no one ever sees Padma anymore.
Lisa is the only thing that hasn't changed. She still calls Michael out on all his shit and fights with him constantly and glares at him, and not for the first time, Michael wonders what he did to deserve the wrath of Lisa Turpin.
He's sitting in a chair in the Common Room, opposite her and she's reading some Muggle book and Michael decides he wants to wind her up.
"Alright, Turpin?" She looks up from her book and rolls her eyes before returning back to her book.
"What do you want now, Corner?"
"Nothing. I was merely making a friendly hello."
She looks up at him, her wide eyes seeing straight into his soul, something that has always unnverved him, and blows out a gust of air.
"We're not friends, Michael."
Michael smirks. He knows what's coming, and can't wait. They've always been a bit destructive when they're around each other. Fighting fire with fire, until the whole thing is a raging inferno no one can control, least of all them.
It's dangerous and toxic for both of them, but for some unknown reason neither of them wants to, or can, stop.
He's not stupid. He tries to deny his feelings whenever Anthony or Terry bring them up, pushing them as far down into his chest as possible, blocking out his thoughts about her until all his frustration has bottled up and he's ready to explode.
Like now.
"I wouldn't want to be friends with such a slag anyway. How many people have you slept with now?"
This isn't unfamiliar territory to either of them. They've used far worse words, even hit each other before but Michael can't resist digging into her skin, tearing wounds with his fashioned weapons of words, watching her soul bleed out. Maybe it's because she has ripped him to shreds too many times before, no remorse in any of her words and Michael is sick of it.
"You're such an idiot, Corner. You don't even deserve to be in Ravenclaw."
"Like you do, Turpin? What is it your family do for a living? Oh that's right. They're fucking Death Eaters. So shouldn't you be in Slytherin, since you're a Death Eater like them?"
Right there he knows he's crossed a line. She doesn't move, doesn't speak, and doesn't breathe.
And then she gets up and walks out of the room and if Michael wasn't glaring holes into the ground and shoving Terry away as he comes up to him, he might have seen something slip down her cheek.
Now, Michael is standing in front of a door. It is a plain, black, wooden door with a rusting old handle, no gaps near the ground or around any of the edges.
It is a door that was once designed to be impenetrable. It is a door that everyone in the castle fears and it is a door that is going to change Michael Corner's life.
He doesn't know why he's going to do it, maybe because he made up with Lisa, maybe because they actually had a conversation in which they weren't rude or nasty, maybe it's because he's goddamn sick of the Death Eaters in the castle.
There are young kids behind the door, young kids who have been tortured for days now, young kids who do not deserve this life.
Maybe that's the real reason he's doing this.
So he takes out his wand, points it at the door and whispers.
Through the now open doorway he can see four or five kids in chains around the room and they're looking at him as though he's some kind of hero.
He is to them, and for a moment he smiles, because he's finally something other than an arrogant bastard, he's a hero, he's better than Harry Potter – to these kids at least.
He helps them out, and Terry's waiting on the next corridor up to take them to the Room of Requirement to get patched up and Michael stands in the middle of the room for a moment.
He looks around, exhales and lets his wand clatter to the floor.
They're out, but how long will it be until a new batch of children are back in here, being tortured so older students can practice their Unforgivable Curses.
Suddenly, he's crying.
The next thing he can remember is feeling a burning up his back, round his legs, burning into his chest and it feels like his whole body is going to disintegrate. He's writhing around, trying not to move but failing as his body loses control and responds to the pain.
Amycus Carrow is standing over him and there is no respite from the Cruciatus.
Knives are going into his back, stomach, face even, and he just wants it to stop, please stop.
He remembers trying not to scream, but it's no use and then he's screaming at the top of his lungs, paralysed and trying to think of something happy, anything to stop the pain.
Michael just wants to die.
He thinks this, maybe even says it out loud, and at that moment he hears Lisa.
"Corner, if you die on me, I'll slit your throat and cut your balls off."
He doesn't know what's real anymore, but it sure sounds like her and Michael grins despite the pain breathing her name just before everything goes black.
The Room of Requirement is bright when he finally opens his eyes and for a moment he doesn't feel the residual pain. He tries to sit up, but a bolt of sharp pain shoots up his whole body.
"Don't be an idiot, Michael. Stay still."
It's her.
"Good to see you too, Lisa."
She tries to hide a smile, and ducks her head, looking down at her hands.
"Why'd you do it?" She asks after a while, leaning back and regarding him soberly.
"Why, to seduce you of course, Turpin."
She laughs, a full belly laugh, and it occurs to Michael that he has never heard her laugh before. He wants to hear it again.
"I was worried about you, you know."
Michael smiles and closes his eyes.
"I know. After all, who wouldn't be worried about me?" His words are light, but there is an undercurrent telling her that he worries about her too and he doesn't want anything bad to happen to her.
In reply, Lisa grabs his hand lightly and lies down on the hammock next to his and he listens to her breathing as she falls asleep, finding peace in the way her breathing slows in time with his.
Maybe they've turned a page and maybe everything will be alright.