Char stared at Aly's face with sadness. He was sitting on her bed in his house.
It always hurts to see her like this. She's so fragile.
He sighed. Then he smiled when Aly's eye flickered open slowly.
"Wha' happened?" she groaned.
"You happened," Char said ruffling her hair. Aly yawned slightly and pushed herself up against the pillows slowly.
Aly stared at Char unblinkingly. "I saw your brother."
Char's jaw dropped.
He stared at her in disbelief. "You're making fun of me."
Aly sighed tiredly. "Why would I be joking about something like this?"
"I don't know."
Aly looked out the window. They were in Char's room. "He was one of the death eaters."
Char stared at her.
"I told him to take off the mask, and it was John. He looked exactly like Damien. He was the one who you stupefied and he was the one who took me away."
"Why didn't he take me? Or Damien?"
"I'm the muggle, remember?"
Char fell silent.
"He started raging about your parents never understood and how when they're dead, it'll be their fault."
Char said nothing.
"I told him that his family loved him and that now his brothers are ashamed to have him as a relative. He started yelling again, so I used the Diffindo curse."
"Aly..."
"Don't you see? He needed to feel some of the pain that you and Damien are feeling now. Now he can walk around, doing whatever, and knowing that the scar on his face is the pain that you feel."
Char looked away. "Aly, that was mean."
"Char. It was necessary."
"But you hurt my brother."
"He's hurt you and Damien more times than you hurt him," Aly reminded him softly.
"After that, he threw me to the ground and used the Crucio curse."
Char's eyes glinted angrily. "He can't do that. It's illegal."
"Death eaters could care less," Aly spat. She sighed. "It felt like thousands of hot knives plunging into me."
"I'm sorry," Char whispered. His eyes looked glassy. "I am."
"Don't be. It's not your fault." She sighed. "Then he disapparated when that sign..."
"You-Know-Who's mark."
"Oh. That's what he meant."
"About what?"
"He said that he master will be coming at the end of this year."
"Screw that. It's just death eater crap." He slid into the bed next to Aly. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm just really sore." Aly's muscles winced in response.
"You don't even look emotionally shocked," Char said wryly.
"Oh, I'm shocked alright," she grinned. "I'm just not showing it."
"Why?"
"I prefer to not show tears around other people."
"Why?" he repeated.
"I'm not weak," she said defiantly.
At least...I try not to be. Out of nowhere a few traitor tears slipped down her cheek.
"I told you," Char said softly, reaching over to wipe them away.
"Yeah," Aly sighed shakily, staring at her hands as Char wiped the last of the tears away. "When do we go back?"
"A few weeks."
"Really?" Aly sighed.
"Yeah."
"What happened when I was out?" Aly asked curiously.
"After the death eaters disapparated, we found Dad and he sent ministry friends out to find you. They did, of course, and Dad carried you back home. He set you down in my room, and you've been sleeping ever since."
"This is your bed?" Aly grinned. "Sorry."
"No problem," Char joked. "You've taken loads of my stuff before; why not now?"
Aly pushed him.
