disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does

Chapter 24: In Hiding

With permission from Dumbledore, Selena was allowed to visit Alina in the US. Oliver graciously offered to go with her, and together they took a flight to her home.

It had been three weeks since she had last seen Alina. January was coming to a close and she was anxious to see her, eager to see that she was healthy and recovering and that she had been alright. Oliver rubbed her shoulder in reassurance that Alina would be fine.

There was nowhere to apparate safely so they took a taxi. They puled up in front of the house and Lilith, Andrew, Mike, and her parents came streaming out of the house. Selena's eyes began to fill up with tears of joy upon seeing her family for the first time in seven months. While Selena embraced her mother and the rest of her family, Oliver greeted Mr. Thomas, who thanked him for escorting Selena. Looking around Selena noticed Alina wasn't present. Mrs. Thomas noticed her confusion and nodded towards the direction of the house.

Pulling her little brother and sister off of her she walked quickly into the house, fearing that the worst had happened to her on Christmas. She found her sitting at her desk, sketching absentmindedly, with her headphones on. Pulling them off she got Alina's attention and smiled, expecting a warm greeting. Instead, Alina faked a smile and hugged her awkwardly and asked her how she was.

"Who cares how I am? What about you? What happened? Are you alright? What happened to David?" Her questions poured out in one continuous flow.

"I'm fine- getting better. David erased my memory only.. kept me at his house. David's suspended temporarily." Alina answered, like a robot.

"Only suspended? What? He temporarily paralyzed you and took you to a hidden house and erased your memory and keeps you hostage and that's all he gets?"

"That's kind of exaggerating Selena,"

"How are you taking his side Alina?"

"I'm not," Alina said it so forcefully and darkly that Selena reeled back a little. More calmly she added "They said that he's still a minor... he's not yet eighteen and that he did it out of extreme passion for me. Although they admit it was reckless and a bit overboard."

"Overboard? It was idiotic and wrong-"

"Selena- just stop. I don't want to hear any more of it than I have to,"

"Sorry, it's just that- you know he could've done so much to you. It's good that he didn't otherwise I swear I would've-" Selena saw Alina's warning glance. "Nevermind. But are you sure you're alright? You don't look well at all. Jeez- how much weight have you lost?" Selena moved to hold up Alina's arm. She pulled away instantly in defense.

"I'm fine," she repeated and stood up. Selena looked her over and rolled her eyes in defeat.

"Whatever- but Draco's given us some money so that Mom and Dad can survive for now without your help."

"And what if I don't want to go back?" Alina said. Selena looked at her, her mouth agape.

"Are you kidding?" she almost screeched.

"What if I'd rather stay here, where I'm invisible to everyone but my family and where I can just stay the rest of my life in peace? What if I want to stay and help Mom and Dad so they aren't constantly busy and so that they don't neglect Lilith, Andrew, and Mike? So that I can just stop having to worry about how they're doing? What if I don't want to go to school anymore- I'm old enough, I can quit school-"

"Alina, just shut up." Selena stood up as well, her gaze unwavering. "Listen to what you're saying," Alina looked away. "Are you willing just to throw all your life away for them? They'll do fine without you Alina, I promise. You'd be wasting your life by staying here- and what about your scholarship? Are you just going to throw that away too? And Draco? He means nothing to you, you can just live here without any regrets or thoughts of him?" Selena shook her head. "What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing has. I've just realized that my time is better spent here than there,"

"You have to be out of your mind- you can do so much more for Mom and Dad by going back to school. Can't you see that? You could get a better job, live your own life, and help support them all at the same time. You can't honestly say that you want to stay here." Selena looked at her, her eyes boring into her body.

"Is this how you've been spending the last three weeks?" She continued. "Moping around and pitying yourself? Look at you, you've hardly taken care of yourself-" she gestured towards the rest of the room, where laundry was spread across the room, trash from the bin was spilling out onto the floor, her bed was unmade (which was VERY uncharacteristic of Alina), and her hair was unwashed, unbrushed, and her clothes dirty from cleaning the store. She really had become a lot skinnier and looked somewhat gangly, since she was fairly tall. "I hope that's not how your're planning to act for the few days that I'm here," she added and strode out of the room.

Alina merely ignored her and layed down her bed and fell asleep. And the next few days that Selena stayed, Alina refused to talk to her, more bitter than she had been before. She ate only cereal in the morning and a sandwich at night for dinner. Selena regretted how she had reacted, but there was no way she could take it back- and no way that she would take it back.

The day that Selena was to leave to go back to Hogwarts she knocked on Alina's door. Receiving no response she entered on her own and saw Alina on the floor, reading.

Her clothes at least were clean and the trash gone, but things seemed to have been thrown around and her hair was still a mess, as well as her bed.

"I'm leaving." No answer. Sighing, she closed the door and walked further into the room.

"You really have been acting pathetic and childish, you know that right?"

"Have I now?" Alina said, looking up from her book. "If I'm correct, I remember that you were the one with endless boy issues, and you were the one who was so desperate as to kiss your friend's boyfriend, and oh yes, you were the one to come crying to me about being so immature and idiotic."

Selena bit her lip in fury, on the brink of shouting and crying.

"So don't tell me that I'm acting pathetic." Alina looked back at her book.

"At least I've grown out of it." Selena retorted.

"Have you really?" Alina, looking up again, glaring.

"Yes, I have. If you knew anything or if you even spent some time with me during the past few days that I've been here, visiting, to see you, you'd realize that I have a boyfriend,"

"See- can't live without some time of male in your life,"

"And what about you? You're the one who can't seem to let go of your ex-boyfriend that you broke up with in the first place when you have a boyfriend and don't even appreciate him." She spat.

"Don't tell me that I don't appreciate him," Alina said quietly, furious. Her eyes were piercing into Selena's body.

"Well I'm sick of it. Sick of how you think you're the poor, pitiful, sad, depressed, unfortunate child," Selena said fiercely.

"So am I," she said quietly in response.

"Than why don't you stop? Afraid that you won't get as much attentino anymore?"

"Easy for you to say, when you've got it so lucky," Alina scoffed.

She shoved a box ungraciously in her direction and replied:

"When you're done being so self-absorbed and ungrateful, let me know." With that, Selena stormed out of the room, and left with Oliver to go back to Hogwarts. Leaving Alina in despair and regret.

A/N: sorry this chapter is so depressing.. the next one is kind of too, but it also gets cheerier in the next chapter as well.. which is almost done :)

yay progress!