A/N: This is set before Dark Dreams and is what happens before the things
in Charisma's dream. This is set after fourth year where the group is
spending the summer at Charisma's house.
A salty cool breeze assaulted the group of friends as they chatted happily down the narrow sidewalk. Charlie and Charisma walked comfortably around their hometown and the others followed their lead. Night had fallen and the usually busy coastal town was nearly empty. Small restaurants were the focal point of nightly gathering and the five friends were just returning from dinner at a popular diner, Milligan's Family Pub, three blocks from Charisma's house.
The summer warmth still permeated the evening air and the teens were tanned from the no longer present sun. They smelled of salt from the day they had spent enjoying the chilly ocean. It seemed to be all they did lately, enjoy the sun and avoiding the darkness.
This of course had been for Harry's sake. The past months had left him somewhat broody and quiet. What he needed, as Hermione had stated at the end of term, what rest, relaxation, and a diversion.
His friends had risen to the challenge magnificently. Ron, Charlie, and Charisma made him play games of Quidditch at the local pitch park, and showed him the local Quidditch shop, Finch's Snitches. Hermione was always scorekeeper at the matches, where sometimes some of Charlie and Charisma's old friends would join in, making the game even more exciting.
Charisma had taken on the Operation Cheering Harry as a personal goal. She began, with Charlie's help, to teach Ron and Harry about Muggle American Football. Being a fanatic of anything Muggle American, Charisma was fully obsessed with the almighty game of football. Gathering a bunch of guys and girls from the neighborhood she staged rough games on the side of her house. Hermione refused to include herself in the games but stood on the sidelines, laughing and watching.
But now, after a long day of beach football and Frisbee, the teens were beat and ready to call it a day. Charisma lagged behind with Harry, engaging him in a Quidditch conversation. He had become much more talkative in the last few days and was now entertaining her with a new play he'd invented.
Charlie was leading the group, joking with Ron in a loud, enthusiastic voice about nothing in particular. Suddenly he took a sharp turn into a dark alleyway without breaking stride. Hermione, who was behind the two, hesitated.
"Charlie? Where are we going?" She asked, eyeing the dark passage uncertainly.
"Shortcut, m'lady," Charlie replied gallantly, sweeping his arm in a large arc. This seemed to comfort Hermione because she began following him, Charisma and Harry in tow.
Charisma's breath caught. It seemed as if suddenly the earth had gone silent, not even the breeze made a sound. Stillness fell around them like a shadow and Charisma faltered. Her mind screamed in agony for her to turn and run but her feet stayed rooted to the spot, her muscles tightening in sudden fear. She glanced at Harry who had gone rigid, his wand had appeared in his hand and his face had a grim look of unnerving confirmation.
He knew what was coming.
She barely had time to register that the others had stopped walking, and each now had a look of apprehension on their face. Terror seemed to grip Charisma like a vice, though her rational mind debated that there was nothing happening to be worried about.
Just as she was forcing herself to relax, shapes began emerging from the darkness. A sharp stinging hit her in the chest before the earth began to scream and chaos emerged.
A salty cool breeze assaulted the group of friends as they chatted happily down the narrow sidewalk. Charlie and Charisma walked comfortably around their hometown and the others followed their lead. Night had fallen and the usually busy coastal town was nearly empty. Small restaurants were the focal point of nightly gathering and the five friends were just returning from dinner at a popular diner, Milligan's Family Pub, three blocks from Charisma's house.
The summer warmth still permeated the evening air and the teens were tanned from the no longer present sun. They smelled of salt from the day they had spent enjoying the chilly ocean. It seemed to be all they did lately, enjoy the sun and avoiding the darkness.
This of course had been for Harry's sake. The past months had left him somewhat broody and quiet. What he needed, as Hermione had stated at the end of term, what rest, relaxation, and a diversion.
His friends had risen to the challenge magnificently. Ron, Charlie, and Charisma made him play games of Quidditch at the local pitch park, and showed him the local Quidditch shop, Finch's Snitches. Hermione was always scorekeeper at the matches, where sometimes some of Charlie and Charisma's old friends would join in, making the game even more exciting.
Charisma had taken on the Operation Cheering Harry as a personal goal. She began, with Charlie's help, to teach Ron and Harry about Muggle American Football. Being a fanatic of anything Muggle American, Charisma was fully obsessed with the almighty game of football. Gathering a bunch of guys and girls from the neighborhood she staged rough games on the side of her house. Hermione refused to include herself in the games but stood on the sidelines, laughing and watching.
But now, after a long day of beach football and Frisbee, the teens were beat and ready to call it a day. Charisma lagged behind with Harry, engaging him in a Quidditch conversation. He had become much more talkative in the last few days and was now entertaining her with a new play he'd invented.
Charlie was leading the group, joking with Ron in a loud, enthusiastic voice about nothing in particular. Suddenly he took a sharp turn into a dark alleyway without breaking stride. Hermione, who was behind the two, hesitated.
"Charlie? Where are we going?" She asked, eyeing the dark passage uncertainly.
"Shortcut, m'lady," Charlie replied gallantly, sweeping his arm in a large arc. This seemed to comfort Hermione because she began following him, Charisma and Harry in tow.
Charisma's breath caught. It seemed as if suddenly the earth had gone silent, not even the breeze made a sound. Stillness fell around them like a shadow and Charisma faltered. Her mind screamed in agony for her to turn and run but her feet stayed rooted to the spot, her muscles tightening in sudden fear. She glanced at Harry who had gone rigid, his wand had appeared in his hand and his face had a grim look of unnerving confirmation.
He knew what was coming.
She barely had time to register that the others had stopped walking, and each now had a look of apprehension on their face. Terror seemed to grip Charisma like a vice, though her rational mind debated that there was nothing happening to be worried about.
Just as she was forcing herself to relax, shapes began emerging from the darkness. A sharp stinging hit her in the chest before the earth began to scream and chaos emerged.