aha here's the update. late enough right? well review, and i'll see what i can do about a 15th chapter ;)
Chapter 14: Leaving
Thankfully they were led astray and walked past me as I hid behind a statue, and I made my way back to my common room. Too close for comfort.
The only people who were still left in the common room were Ginny, Neville, Seamus and Pavarti.
"Hey." I said, plopping myself in the space between Ginny and Neville.
"How'd it go?" Ginny asked. She handed me a chocolate frog and a small bottled pumpkin juice. I tried to focus on easing my breathing.
"Quite well. But I didn't find out much, I suppose." I opted to tell them as little as possible.
"Where's your jacket?" She asked after a while of sitting in front of the fire.
"I, er, actually ripped it by accident." I mussed my hair and tried to appear nonchalant.
"Oh, that sucks. On what?" Everyone leaned in to listen, making me even more uncomfortable with lying.
"My clumsiness. I caught it on a door. But hey, maybe we can make a trip down to Diagon Alley." I proposed. She nodded, I knew she was suspicious, but wouldn't bring anything up in front of everyone else.
We all made our way to bed, and I walked up with Pavarti. I dumped my jacket into the room's hamper and went straight to bed, though my eyes wouldn't close for some time.
The following morning, we all got up earlier than usual to get packed. Ginny followed me closely, but aside from her, around the common room I avoided everyone. Snape must know how guilty the spy must be feeling. Or maybe not, but that's how I am feeling. I should be in Hufflepuff for crying out loud.
"Hey, walk with me to breakfast, will you?" Ginny finally demanded. I was secretly relieved she was so observant; otherwise it would be difficult for me to bring it up. We linked arms and strode downstairs.
At the precise moment that we were turning to enter the Great Hall, Snape made his appearance, walking alongside my potions professor, Slughorn. My stride was compromised and I tried to compensate by walking faster, but I knew from the burn in my back that the headmaster had taken note.
When we sat—and it wasn't for long, because we wanted to get to the train as soon as possible—I told her what had happened.
"So he caught you again?" she asked after I was finished.
"Well, he didn't catch me either times."
"You're lucky you still have a pulse. He might as well have caught you," Ginny said, "So you're the reason for every time we pass him, he's always breathing down our necks." She finished spitefully, as Snape left the Great Hall, passing the length of our table.
I decided not to phase myself by turning to look at him, but he still had the chilling effect, and his breeze from his passing by still moved me.
"No, you're forgetting that we're apart of the most watched group in school."
By ten o'clock, anyone who was leaving had loaded onto the train and we were all packed into our compartment.
I dug through my luggage to find some more comfortable clothes.
"You know, you could have changed at school, Snape's not going to curse you for wearing regular clothes on a holiday." Seamus poked.
"I'm just being careful." I said, though truthfully, this morning I had forgot we were going home. Yes, I was that distracted.
I pulled out a t-shirt, sweater and a pair of jeans, and scaled the train to find an empty compartment.
It was easy enough. Before we had left, the week before school was out, the running debate was that the school was safer than home. Many first years were kept at school either by order of their parents or choice. Though I thought it would be safer at home. But this was a good reason for why I was not being trampled by little bodies, much like my first day on the train. The contrast was amazing.
A couple doors down, I found an empty compartment, glad to rid myself of my skirt and tights. I pulled my jeans on and was pulling my t-shirt when the door slid open. I slid that white t-shirt on for all I was worth, praying the intruder didn't see.
"Oh, sorry." A feminine voice said. I turned to see a dishevelled Slytherin girl and standing behind her was Clive with his arms wrapped around her torso. His eyes lit up with the realization it was me.
"There's a side I've never seen of you, Brand." Clive's snide voice spoke. I indignantly grabbed my sweater and draped in on my forearm, and crossed my arms.
"The only time." I stated, trying to see past them. "Go find another empty compartment."
"With pleasure." Clive said, pulling her away mischievously. He's so slimy.
"Word of advice, girl. He's probably not worth it." The girl looked at me with worry and malice, an odd mixture, but Clive, without looking back pushed her on and scoffed.
"It's not from experience, is it Brand?" He called back. I sneered while his back was turned and hated him for having the last word. Not that he'd offended my pride, for that's not something that defined me, but it was just such an unfair subject to talk about that.
I wrapped myself in my sweater and stomped back to Ginny, Seamus, Neville and Luna, choosing not to mention this to anyone.
Most of us were asleep by lunch. I knew other than me that many didn't sleep a wink because of the excitement. But I was awake. I was thinking of my grandmother again. I was thinking of my dad at work in the ministry, probably stressing. It bugged me that he wasn't the type of person to let on what was bothering him. And my mother was the opposite, an anxious mess. She had to deal with only herself now that I was gone.
A while later, I looked at the watch strapped to Neville's wrist and it read 6 pm. It was dark outside by then. The last bits of sunlight could be seen beyond the hilly area.
Suddenly, the train came to an abrupt halt. I lurched forward into my seat, falling to the feet of Luna. She stirred in her sleep, mumbling something like, "Leave my turnips alone."
I groaned, along with my friends, as they woke.
I looked into the hallway, being the most awake. Mist was seeping along the floor. It seemed fishy enough. The black mist was pushing people out of the way who had also ventured out of their compartments. The mist was quickly running in and out of the compartments, searching. I turned the other way and another trail was encroaching. They were closing in on us. Something felt malevolent about this. Even as this was only my second time on the train, I had a feeling that this wasn't the norm.
Out of the quick thrashing mist, rose a person.
"Move aside, girlie." He said, his teeth were in heavy need of a clean, and were particularly black around the gum. More bodies rose to his sides, dressed in similar black robes.
"Why?" I whispered, probably a bit more threatening than I should have done if I wanted to live. I closed the door enough for just my head to fit through, and slid back. His foot stopped the door in its track.
A hand slid beneath my arm, and I gave it way to the opening of the door.
"STUPEFY!" I heard Neville cry. His spell had blown the door ajar, and bent it, and flung the man into the wall.
"Death Eaters!" Neville shouted. He pulled me to the ground, as a spell flew past me, and everyone else and smashed the window open.
Unbeknownst me, my friends had already posed to duel. I crawled to my seat and latched my hand to my wand, while my friends cursed and held the Death Eaters at bay. A blast sent my wand dangerously close to the range of fire at the door. Everyone was squished, attempting to make hits at such close quarters. I crawled low to the ground; sure I was out of the way and extended my hand for my wand.
"Enough!" shouted a man. The world was still and we couldn't move. "I didn't expect to see this much trouble from a lot of children." The speaker was still invisible to us, until he walked into the compartment. His supporters retreated behind him, giving him full view to us.
Awkwardly, I was still on the ground on a hand and knees, my wand safely pulled to my chest.
I looked up to the best of my ability, as I was head down. He had a tall form and strong voice. He knelt down to my eyelevel, and I could see his harsh Death Eater eyes, dark hair, and stubble face. I searched my memory hard, knowing that I wasn't too familiar with Death Eaters, but tried nonetheless. Anthony something…Dol-dolo… Antonin Dolohov! But this realization did not put my heart at ease.
"Now which one of you is Luna Lovegood?" He said lowly. He rose. Dangerously, he placed his booted foot above my hand. He put light pressure, but then suddenly tramped his foot hard, onto the back of my hand. In blindingly white-hot pain, I heard a bone in my hand snap.
"Is it you?" He asked, pointing his wand, prodding my cheek. I tried my best to say with my eyes that I wasn't.
He strode past me. "I know you're the Weasley girl… tsk." I heard a crack, and a ruthless chuckle. The silence was deafening. "Look at this ridiculous girl. This must be her. Same dim-wittedness."
The Death Eaters set everything as it was before they came.
The spell was released when they had long gone. The train had restarted before that. My muscles were tense from holding position for so long, and my hand was blue from the bruise forming. I tried a mending spell, but it took several tries for the bone to set properly. We hadn't yet learned the full healing spell in Charms. I had to get Seamus to try a half decent spell.
"Don't worry, Seamus, Pompfrey couldn't do a better job." I said through gritted teeth to make him feel better. We were all in shock. Certainly everyone should have heard what had happened in the small quarrel. But no one said a thing. Maybe everyone was too scared to move or speak. In any case, the only other sound that was made was our plotting, and the popping sound of putting Ginny's shoulder back into place.
I could see my hand had healed over with a crooked bump on it, but tried not to mind it. With Death Eaters in that close of proximity, it could have been worse.
We finally arrived, and my parents were waiting. I ran out to hug them.
We took hold of Ginny and her things, and apparated home.
The smell of my mother's cinnamon scented candles filled the room. I dropped my luggage to the hardwood floor. Since we didn't have a house elf, it struck me as odd that there was noise coming from the kitchen. Pots and pans were being moved, dinner being made ready.
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked as I paused.
My grandmother was standing, trying to read the label on the spaghetti box. She turned to look at me with her wise grey eyes that were glinting, and I ran to hug her.
"Early Christmas present!" She said. "And not so close to the stove, dear." She reprimanded me, and I withdrew my assault of hugs.
like i've said many times, REVIEW! :D
-sage94