Sorry about the wait, but here you go!
In the short span of years Laurie had lived, she had never seen a sight that made her stomach drop and made her muscles freeze quite like what happened at that moment. It made her hair stand on end and a horrified scream get stuck in her throat, making her stomach roil like a wind tossed sea. She wasn't a screamer, usually. It had to really be a dire situation to make her shriek like a banshee, but she thought this was the proper time. If only it would escape from her clogged throat.
She froze in her footsteps and jerked Sirius to a stop. She felt him look at her and then up and thankfully he had the presence of mind to do what needed to be done.
"DEATHEATERS! RUN!"
Chaos erupted. Adults who could, either apparated to safety or stood to fight as spells went flying while Professor McGonagall herded the students as best she could toward the direction of the pub. Sirius had to tug Laurie along, so much in shock was she. They darted behind a Mini with Lily and saw the others of their class dart behind a sedan parked in front of the Mini. Professor McGonagall hovered over them, checking the sky for any deatheaters that may have seen them. There were several in the sky hovering over the cemetery firing off spells in the direction of both unsuspecting muggles and a few brave wizards who decided to stay and fight back. But there were also flashes of others who weaved in and out of the clouds on their broomsticks.
Sirius peeked above the hood of the car and looked for any sight of them. It was difficult since they kept retreating into the clouds. But one kept circling around the cemetery as if he was on a carousel. Professor McGonagall shot a spell at the circling deatheater and he abruptly froze and fell off his broomstick to the ground.
Laurie shook herself out of her shock, concentrating on what had to be done. She couldn't let her fear paralyze her and endanger her classmates. She took a deep breath and grabbed her wand from inside her sleeve. She peered over the hood of the Mini next to Sirius and he gave her a relieved smile. Laurie slipped back down and looked around. They still had to make it down the street to the pub with very little cover in which to hide in. There were very few vehicles on the road because of the harsh weather. The only option was to fight their way out of their corner.
She saw Professor McGonagall determining options of escape, her concentration was intense and then, suddenly, Laurie saw a shot of blue head off in the direction of England, and hopefully Hogwarts. With any luck that was some sort of S.O.S. that would reach someone helpful.
Laurie turned back around and jumped about a foot. She rubbed her eyes and blinked slowly.
"Casey?"
The ghost smiled sadly and nodded. At the sound of Laurie's voice everyone had turned around and saw their transparent classmate kneeling beside them looking grim.
"You guys were always such trouble," she said, her Irish lilt pronounced.
"Was this where they…" Laurie couldn't bear to say the words.
"Killed me? No, not here. But it's rather unsettling that they knew so many wizards would be here, isn't it?"
"Indeed Miss Mitchell," McGonagall said, "But it would be more prudent to figure out a way to escape this unfortunate situation."
"Too true, Professor." Casey frowned as she thought.
Laurie was trying to come to terms that her friend was a ghost. She didn't dare look at Nancy, knowing she was probably trying to wrap her head around it too. Laurie focused on the sidewalk behind them and saw a shadow move at the corner of the building.
"Bombarda!" Laurie yelled and part of the brick façade blew off and hit the figure creeping up on them.
Everyone turned to see the prone figure on the sidewalk and looked back at Laurie. She just shrugged and turned to Professor McGonagall.
"I don't think we have too much time left."
The McGonagall nodded and looked around. "Miss Mitchell I am happy to see you, whatever your form may be, and I do apologize for this brief reunion, but I need you to create a distraction. The rest of us shall make a run for the pub. Is everyone listening?"
All the fifth years nodded and looked at Casey.
"Hey, don't worry. I'll come and visit in a few days, but I need to do this," she said, making eye contact with Nancy.
Nancy nodded and Casey quickly stood up and raced ten feet in the opposite direction of the street the students needed to go.
"Come on, you bugger!" she yelled at the last man on his broom. "Come and get me!"
Laurie jumped up with the rest of her classmates and took off toward the street where the pub was. She'd never run as hard in her life though she cursed the impractical clothing she wore. Her shoes were definitely not made for running and definitely not running through snow. Sirius ran alongside her, clutching her elbow in an effort to help her not sprawl on her face because of the uneven roadway. James was doing the same for Lily ahead and everyone repeatedly turned around, knowing Casey's distraction would only last a moment. Sirius and James as well as Remus and a few others shot spells over their shoulders at the last remaining deatheaters and winged one of them, causing his grip on the broom to be faulty. Laurie felt the heat of some of the spells skim past her cheeks and knew they were becoming painfully erratic because of their injuries. Laurie saw one's broom dip in the sky before she slid behind a car ten feet away from the pub's back door. Sirius almost fell on top of her at her sudden stop, catching himself on the bumper of the car and quickly looked up to see another deatheater standing in their way. Laurie scooted back until she ran into Sirius's legs, skinning her palms on the rough pavement under the snow. Just as the deatheater raised her wand to cast some sort of spell, Lily popped up beside her and caught her in the full body bind spell.
"Well done, Lily," James said coming up next to her and picking up the witch's wand, moving quickly into the back door of the pub. Professor McGonagall gathered them into the pub's back room. No one came away with more than a bump and bruises, which was a relief.
McGonagall made quick work of sending everyone through the floo network two at a time and they all huddled in Dumbledore's office until the last person was accounted for. They all checked each other over, taking the time to do damage control in the safety of the headmaster's office while McGonagall reported to Dumbledore about what had occurred.
Cynthia took off her shoes and looked over her broken heel. Nancy fingered a singe mark one of the deatheater's spell's made glancing off her dress. Amber brushed singed hair from Remus's head and James checked a cut on Lily's arm.
Laurie felt Sirius's hands in her hair and turned to look at him. He had a few streaks of dirt and embers on his cheeks, but nothing was irrevocably damaged. He was safe. Merlin's beard, he was safe.
She felt her knees shake before they gave out completely. Sirius caught her before she hit the floor and she clung to him. She wouldn't cry - she'd done enough of that the past several days - but she didn't think her brain could process any more stress. She wasn't made to handle this sort of pressure. Sirius adjusted her in his arms and waited for Professor McGonagall to dismiss them.
"Best get them to the hospital wing, Professor," Dumbledore said looking over the rag-tag group. "They may not need physical healing, but they might need something to soothe their minds."
It was thirty minutes and several sleeping potions later that they actually headed out and returned to their dormitory. Laurie didn't know if her legs could hold her, but she needed to take a shower. Partly to feel clean again, mostly to get warm again. She was freezing. She didn't think she'd ever been this cold in her entire life. And it wasn't just a physical cold. Her very being felt cold with the knowledge that they had all been moments away from death. She didn't think she'd ever be warm again.
She emerged forty-five minutes later from her shower, her skin pink from a vigorous scrubbing and the warmth of the water. She sank down on her bed and brushed out her hair, muttering a spell to dry it, then setting her wand on the nightstand. She stared at the message box her sister gave her and knew she needed to write a note so her family knew she was safe. She lethargically moved her head to her trunk where her parchment was, but couldn't gather enough energy to do anything but stare at it. Despite the fact that it was the middle of the day, she pulled the curtains on her bed, shutting out the world, and curled into a ball. Within seconds she was asleep.
A soft snuffling noise woke her a few hours later. She turned toward something warm and curled around it, throwing her arm around the soft object. It felt like silky fur beneath her fingers and she snuggled closer. A wet tongue abruptly stopped the cuddling and she sat straight up, looking into the dimness to figure out what the heck just touched her.
She expelled a relieved sigh when she saw the familiar black dog. She collapsed back onto her bed and absently pet Snuffles' head. Laurie felt more than saw him change; the hair on his head became longer and there was an electrifying feel to the air. She felt him kiss her palm and turned her head to face him.
"I was worried when you didn't come back down," he said, leaning his forehead against hers. "Don't worry, I used Muffliato on the curtains, no one can hear us."
Laurie nodded wearily, her eyelids too heavy to lift. "How can you be up here? Isn't there a spell on the staircase?" she whispered, still wary of anyone hearing them.
"It doesn't include animals. Only humans."
"Oh. I would have never thought of that."
Sirius smirked. "Well, then I'm glad I did then." He paused for a few moments and drew Laurie into his arms. "How are you? You really did worry me when you didn't reappear."
"I'm sorry. I was just so very exhausted. And I couldn't even move to get parchment to write my family. So I couldn't very well go downstairs. And I just fell asleep," she rambled. "I'm so very glad you're here. I…I was so scared."
Sirius nodded and kissed her temple. "So was I. You'll never know how hard my heart pounded when we faced that deatheater outside the pub door. I thought we were dead for certain. And all I could think about was how I didn't have enough time."
"Enough time?" she frowned.
"Yes, enough time with you. There are so many things I want to do with you, and I'm afraid we will never have enough time to do everything."
Laurie tightened her arms around him and she kissed his chin. "I was so sure I would lose you when she appeared out of nowhere. I just didn't know what to do. I knew I couldn't react fast enough to save either one of us." She could feel tears in her eyes and she was disgusted with herself. All week she'd been a weeping mess, she didn't want to continue in that vein any longer. She swallowed and pushed back the tears.
"I had the same thoughts," he murmured into her hair. "Can I stay here tonight? Just hold you?"
Laurie snuggled deeper into his arms and he tightened his grip. "Of course. If you hadn't asked, I would've."
She felt him kiss the top of her head, then her forehead, before he turned her around so they could spoon on her small bed. She quickly fell back asleep with Sirius's warmth cocooning her in comfort and reassurance. And Sirius fell asleep soon after.
Laurie woke several times during the night, but every time Sirius was there to comfort her. And she did the same for him when he awoke. With their back-and-forth waking up, they both got little sleep and unsurprisingly they both felt horrible in the morning. But Sirius had to sneak out of the girls' dorm before anyone found him there and started asking questions.
"You're gonna hafta switch into Snuffles," Laurie groaned groggily, finding herself half covered by Sirius, feeling his weight on top of her. She found it rather comforting in an I-can't-breathe kind of way. "Otherwise the staircase is gonna alert everyone."
Sirius groaned into her hair before he kissed the back of her head. "I know, I know." He paused and scooted closer to her, embracing her for a moment before he had to move. "But can I stay with you for five more minutes?"
Laurie turned her head to look at him. "Five more minutes. But we can't push it longer than that. You don't want everyone knowing your secret."
"True. But it's dawn. No one's going to be awake yet."
Laurie turned over, struggling with Sirius's bodyweight on top of her but he wasn't moving. She finally turned to face him and kissed him gently on the lips. "Good morning."
He returned the kiss eagerly. "Good morning, love. How are you?"
"Probably the same as you. I feel horrible. And I'm sure I look it."
"You're beautiful. Look a bit knackered, but beautiful," he said, gently skimming his fingers gently beneath her eyes, tracing the dark circles.
"Sweet talker," Laurie murmured, tracing Sirius's dark circles too. "Unfortunately, we can't sleep more today. Well, maybe during class."
Sirius groaned. "Not today. We've got Defense Against the Dark Arts first. Maybe we can grab a short nap in the break after."
"Perhaps. We may need somewhere to crash though. I don't think we'll be able to head up here with all the sixth and seventh years in the common room during their breaks as well."
"Hmmm. Well, we'll think on it." He brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her one last time. "I'll meet you downstairs."
Laurie nodded and watched him turn into the big black dog. He gave her face one last lick before easing out of the bed curtains and padding toward to the door. Laurie heard the distinct hiss of a cat, most likely Amber's, and Sirius's answering growl. He was in no mood to deal with a stupid feline. Especially this early in the morning.
Laurie stretched on her bed and wondered how they both fit on this single mattress. It was beyond cramped. Though she had to admit with Sirius it didn't feel all that cramped, even when he was half on top of her. It felt…intimate, safe. She rolled her eyes at herself and opened the other curtains. She slipped on her slippers and robe and walked to the window.
The sun was just high enough to shine on the lake and cast gold on the slow rolling waves. It was a nice start to the morning, promising almost. Though recently she wasn't sure if she could even talk herself into believing that. But, with the sun came warmth, something that she still couldn't believe she didn't feel. February in Florida was in the sixties, not the forties, or even the dreaded thirties. Laurie didn't think she could ever get used to the cold.
She tightened her robe before going into the bathroom and getting ready for the day before the rest of the girls were up. She quickly spelled her hair dry and decided on wearing her hair down, just in case any of the teachers saw her napping in class she had one extra barrier. Perhaps breakfast would help her fatigue. It wouldn't be a cure-all, but perhaps it would help somewhat.
She wrapped herself in a Gryffindor scarf that was probably Amber's and her thick robes. She'd had to dig in her trunk to find her last pair of clean wool socks. She wondered when the house elves did laundry. Maybe she could ask Sirius. She finished her outfit with her shaboots and grabbed her bag, making sure she had the correct books for the day. She studiously ignored the empty bed and area that had been Casey's as she left.
When she made it down the stairs to the common room, Sirius was waiting on the arm of a chair, watching the fire's embers. She walked over to him, making sure he heard her. It would be a while before their nerves wouldn't jump at every little thing.
"Do you think the great hall is open for breakfast?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his shoulders from behind. He grabbed her hands and kissed them before turning around.
"I've never gone down this early. Did you want to check?"
"Sure."
He grabbed his bag and Laurie's hand and went out through the portrait hole. The Fat Lady was snoring loudly as they exited, and Laurie noticed several portraits looked to have cotton or some sort of substance in their ears. They made their way down the corridors and staircases, skipping the trick stair and avoiding the one staircase that was closed on Thursdays.
They made it to the great hall and pushed open the doors. It was completely empty aside from the table settings that were ready for the students and staff members to use when they came down to break their fast. Laurie looked up at the ceiling trying to gauge when the food might appear.
"Do you think it will be ready in an hour?" she asked Sirius who was also looking at the ceiling.
"Probably. I know some of the professors eat earlier than the rest so they can get a head start on their lectures." He paused and looked at her. "Can you wait an hour?"
She smiled and nodded. "You?"
He started to nod but was interrupted by his stomach growling ferociously. "Maybe not," he said, grinning self-deprecatingly. "Let's head to the kitchens and see if we can grab a little something while we wait."
Laurie shrugged and followed him as he led the way to the kitchens. She wondered how many of the house elves were awake at this time. Probably most of them, she decided. She'd never known a house elf to not be on the job.
Sirius led the way to the kitchens quickly, dodging the few people who were up and about. Laurie saw a bunch of barrels piled up down the hall from the kitchen's painting door but before she could ask Sirius why they were there, he tickled the fruit and the painting door swung open.
The kitchens were busy as usual when the walked in. House elves scurried from fireplace to fireplace and from table to table trying to make everything ready for breakfast. Laurie saw Grimby just setting a hot dish of kippers on the table when he noticed them in the doorway!
"Miss and Master!" he said as he rushed over and bowed. "You are up very early, yes? Do you require something?"
"We were just a bit hungry, Grimby. And it seems a bit early for breakfast to be ready. We didn't mean to intrude," Laurie said to the grinning house elf.
"No bother, not at all!" he said and practically ran to a side table and loaded a tray with whatever he could lay his hands on. It was piled like a small mountain by the time he came back and ushered them to a small table off to the side of the kitchen.
They both thanked Grimby profusely and dug in as soon as he resumed his breakfast duties for the great hall.
"When did you meet Grimby?" Sirius asked, swallowing a huge bite of scrambled eggs.
"A few weeks ago. We were looking for you and the boys and someone said you were down here. We checked, but you were gone. Grimby was very helpful, however," Laurie replied, thinking on the Come and Go Room.
Sirius nodded. "We come here all the time when we're hungry between classes. All of them are quite adamant about giving you food, even if you don't want it."
Laurie chuckled. "Yes, I remember."
They ate in comfortable silence as they watched the house elves finish setting up the four long tables and the professors' table for breakfast. Laurie was fascinated by how seamlessly they all worked. Everyone had a task and they did it very happily. Laurie wished she could be so happy doing a menial job.
"What do you think Professor Wickley will say about the attack yesterday?" Laurie said, shivering a bit when she thought about it.
Sirius laid his hand over hers. "He'll probably go into the logistical details. Why they appeared, the reason for their number, all that stuff. He won't condone it at all, but he'll give all the logical reasons why they came. He might even go into the defensive spells that we all used to keep them back while we made our escape. Wickley probably won't approve of our measly spells, but it got the job done, love. We're fine. That's all that matters."
Laurie nodded. "I just have to keep reminding myself of that."
Sirius squeezed her hand and resumed eating, finishing off the pile of food. They thanked Grimby again as he came and took the tray away and they left the kitchens.
Sirius started down the hall but Laurie pulled him to a stop.
"Why are those barrels stacked there?"
"Oh, that's the Hufflepuff common room's entrance. You have to tap the right one," he replied and tugged her down the hall.
"Did you find that out on one of your late night adventures?" she asked, looking back at the stacks.
"Of course," he replied and draped his arm around her shoulder. "And did you know it is the only entrance that actually defends itself against intruders?"
"Really?"
"Yep. You have to tap on the right barrel in order to gain entrance. If you tap the wrong one it squirts vinegar at you. Not very pleasant. Although I don't want to have to crawl through a tunnel in order to get to my common room either."
Laurie made a face and grimaced. "No, I'd rather not crawl. Thank goodness the girls where robes." They walked a little further down the hall. "What about the Slythering common room?"
"They don't have anything guarding their door. I mean, who wants to be surrounded by a bunch of angry, stupid Slytherins anyway? Not worth it. Though I heard Reg say that the common room has windows that are underneath the lake. The giant squid apparently likes to swim by too."
"Well that would be kind of cool, except it has to be dark in there all the time, and I prefer light. Plus it must get a few angry mermaids too."
"I don't know, I've never heard."
They walked into the entrance hall and looked at the House points. Ravenclaw was in the lead with Gryffindor close behind. Slytherin was on their tail while Hufflepuff lagged a bit behind.
"And Ravenclaw has an enchanted door knocker, don't they?" Laurie asked.
"Yep. I'd hate to forget a book and have to face that eagle. There was one time that at least twenty of them were outside the door trying to figure out the answer to one of its riddles. They were almost all late for class."
"That's awful. I'd have to triple check my bag every time."
"Yes, you'd have to." Sirius laughed and Laurie blushed at his warm chuckle then elbowed him in the ribs.
They were about to head outside for a bit when they heard footsteps on the stairs. They both turned around and saw Amber and Remus coming toward them.
"Good morning," Remus said, helping Amber down the last few stairs as she rubbed her eyes to vanish the last bit of sleep.
"Good morning," Siruis and Laurie replied.
"Ravenclaw in the lead again?" Amber asked, looking at the house points.
"Yep, but we're not too far away from them. How are you feeling?" Laurie asked her friend, noting the circles under her eyes.
"Overwhelmed. Tired. Same as you, probably."
Laurie nodded and they all turned to go into the Great Hall. It had to be ready soon, so they figured they might as well just sit while they waited. Amber and Remus sat across from them as they seated themselves at their table.
The Ancient Runes teacher and Madame Pomfrey were the first professors to join them. They nodded their hellos and moved on to the teacher's table without stopping. Remus turned to Laurie, running his fingers through his hair.
"Have you finished the Runes homework for this week?" he asked.
Laurie groaned. "No, I had completely forgotten about it. What's it on again?"
"I think it's on useful runes, protective ones and stuff like that."
Laurie blinked. "Protective runes?" she asked, leaning forward. She didn't realize she was squeezing Sirius's right hand until he covered it with his left. She released her death grip on it, but continued to focus on Remus.
"Yes, I believe so. Something about protecting objects from harm…"
Laurie had an idea forming in her brain, but she would have to look in her runes book to see if it was possible. They were stopped from saying more when students started entering the hall. James and Peter shuffled in before the girls made their appearances, looking worn and bruised. Everyone collapsed onto the benches in a state of mental exhaustion, and O.W.L.s preparations hadn't even started yet. This was going to be a long few months.
Hope you enjoyed.
Ever yours.
