AN: Thank you everyone for reading this fanfiction. I know it's long, maybe longer than most but to those who have glanced at it or managed to get through the whole thing or read a chapter or two I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. If anyone is interested I'll be starting the next one soon and hopefully have the first chapter posted by February 1st. Again, thank you for your time!
Last Train
"You girls okay?" He asked as he waved his wand and Professor Burnner fell backward, her body still rigid.
"Yes" Melinda said as she hurriedly went over to Professor Barrass.
"Tammie?" He asked but I didn't reply. "C'mon, you're safe" he said holding out his hand but I just looked at him.
"How much did you know?" I asked as Melinda looked at me like I was crazy. "How did you find us?"
"We can talk about it when we get back to he school" he said, his voice almost pleading. "You can trust me" he added.
"It was you, you messed up my memories?" I asked still not moving. If he had spent this entire year with Professor Burnner I couldn't say he was blinded. Which meant he either put us in harm's way on purpose or he didn't take Professor Burnner seriously. Either way, it was hard to say he was innocent.
"Let me get you two out of here and I'll explain everything" he replied but again I couldn't bring myself to move. "Tammie, I swear to you you can trust me, please, I need you to come on" he said.
"She wanted to kidnap us" I said, my voice breaking as he nodded.
"I thought she let the anger go, I was wrong, I shouldn't have let her out of my sight, I should've warned you guys" he admitted as Melinda looked at him with shock. "I don't know the whole story, but I know she's had a strong hate in her heart, I just never knew who it was directed at until recently—"
"Us? But why us?" I asked with shock.
"How does she even know us enough to hate us?" Melinda asked, taking a step away from him.
"Listen to me, I promise to explain everything I know, I just need you both to come back with me now, before" he glanced behind him, doing a double take. "Where did she go?" He asked with fright as we looked around; I didn't think talking this much would let her escape, I thought maybe the professor had a sure fire spell going. "Now!" He shouted as he grabbed my forearm and Melinda's arm and ran, us behind him like rag dolls. We had jus moved out of the way when a spell flew out to oblivion. Professor Burnner stepping into view.
"Bill, I honestly thought you got through to me, I really did, but I can't, I can't get pass this, I need them" she said as Professor Barrass shook his head.
"No," he said pushing us behind him.
"I don't want hurt you, don't pick them" she whispered, her voice catching. She was hurt and I didn't know how I knew but this wasn't the first time. "You know I can't take you in their place, so just make this easier for everyone" she continued whispering. I noticed she didn't hold her wand again, did she actually not want to hurt the professor? Did she honestly care about him?
"Stacey, we can work through this again, but I can't let you take them, you know that" he told her as she licked her lips.
"I loved you, Bill..." she said as she raised her wand. Melinda must have been on the same mindwave because we both pushed Professor Barrass down at the same time. He crawled away, Melinda too, I reached back to grab his wand and just when I did Professor Burnner grabbed me, but instinctively I throw back my head, knocking her in the nose. She stumbled backwards and fell, just as she grabbed my ankle, pulling me backwards with her.
"Tammie!" Melinda shouted as I loss all words, an image of a boy flashing in my mind. A dark basement, a bed, two beds, generic, but the boy, he was sitting on the bed and something about him looked so inviting and warm but dangerous and warning at the same time. His back was to me, he had dark hair, fair skin, and even though I couldn't see his face I could feel him. Like I had known him my whole life, like he was rock I didn't know was holding me down until now.
My eyes sprang open just as I felt the presence of a hand putting my hand on the ledge and then eyes. Beautiful memorizing bright blue eyes. You're not going anywhere. The air seemed to say as I clung on with all my might. "Help!" I called as I felt Professor Burnner beneath me, pulling me down.
"You won't leave without feeling pain" she said and then I felt it. A white hot pain in my thigh, I looked down to see Professor Burnner had stabbed me with her wand and it hurt. Badly.
"Tammie!" Professor Barrass reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me up, Professor Burnner along with me. "I won't let you hurt them" he told as she gave an off laugh.
"So that's how it is?" She asked as he swallowed, he looked sad to be saying it. "Then you get to live with that" she told him as she pulled her wand out of thigh and then unexpectedly let go.
"NO!" All three of us shouted as Melinda reached out to grab her but knew it was already too late. Professor Barrass pulled me up, taking out a bandage out from somewhere and wrapping it around my thigh. "Hold on, Melinda, you too, now, now" he said as Melinda grabbed onto his shoulder and he picked me up.
As we started to apparate from the scene I could a bright orange light coming from below and it was rising, quickly. Thankfully we didn't have to stick around to watch anymore and suddenly we were outside the bridge to Hogwarts, the closest place you could apparate from. "Tammie? Melinda?" Professor Barrass asked as he looked over Melinda who nodded.
"My leg, I can't feel my leg" I told him as he looked down, blood leaking through the bandages.
"Okay, relax, c'mon" he said in a rushed voice as he hurried inside the castle, everything quiet and dark. I hadn't realized it outside but it was after midnight, everyone was sleep. At least almost everyone. Up in the hospital wing was a completely different story. All the heads of houses were gathered around talking to people dressed fancier than them, Headmaster Dumbledore was trying to calm down someone with a black pointed hat.
"I got them" Professor Barrass said, his voice relieved and out of breathe. "They're safe," he said as a figure whizzed past me and over to Melinda. It took a second to realize it was Melinda's mom and before I could ask my mom was standing in front of me, her arms outstretched, ready to take me from Professor Barrass. "Her leg, Madam Pomfrey, her leg, she can't feel her leg" he said as I suddenly remembered.
He laid me on the bed as the nurse came over, unwrapping the bandages. "I need space, I need space!" She shouted as everyone backed up. "Tammie, how much does it hurt?" She asked as I felt the throbbing again.
"A lot" I replied as she felt the spot, the pain shooting through my body. "There's splinters in here, I think they're covered in..." she trailed off to hold up a piece of splinter, Professor Snape coming over to examine it.
"We need to take it out, now" he said, his voice making me worry. "Tammie, this is going to hurt, but we need to get pieces out of the wound otherwise you'll blood vessels will start clotting and you'll suffer a horrible fate" he said as my eyes widened, it scared me more that he didn't say death.
"What?" I exclaimed as Madam Pomfrey laid me back.
"This is going to hurt, I'm so sorry!" She said as she shoved a metal piece of shard in the wound. I screamed, immediately trying to sit-up, but my mom and Professor Barrass were holding me down. "Almost done" she said as she moved the shard, another scream escaping. "Okay, that should be it, just try to relax Tammie" again I screamed as she pulled the shard out. This time though I felt myself drift into unconsciousness. Been a busy morning, I guess you deserve a nap. The air said as I thought I caught a glimpse of a dark haired, black eyed face leaning over me.
I awoke with a start, my nightmare terrifying me but I couldn't remember what it was when I opened my eyes. In the chair next to my bed was my mom's purse, I looked around, excited and a little anxious about her being here. I knew she'd be upset when she learned of the news, but to be fair, I hadn't gone off by myself looking for trouble, I was just trying to find my friend. She just happened to be in trouble. "Tammie?" I started to sit up, but the pain radiated up my entire leg, forcing me to lay back. "Tammie?" Melinda pulled back the curtain, she didn't look nearly as bad as I thought.
"Hey, you look good all things considered" I told her as she half laughed, moving my mom's purse and taking a seat. "How much trouble are we in?" I asked as she shook her head.
"Not as much as you think, Professor Barrass on the other hand..." she started, glancing over her shoulder.
"He didn't get fired, did he?" I asked with worry as Melinda raised an eyebrow.
"No, but he resigned even though Professor Dumbledore explained how if it wasn't for him Professor Burnner probably would've killed us way sooner" she said as I shook my head, not understanding how any of this happened.
"I told you I had a bad feeling about her" I mumbled as the curtain opened again, this time Professor Barrass poking his head around.
"You're awake" he said with a relieved sigh.
"What happened?" I asked him as he looked down at his feet in shame and then sat on the end of the bed.
"To be completely honest, I'm not sure. I met Professor Burnner when I was doing some vacationing in Germany, she was dealing with some personal loss, didn't want to talk about it. She had this hatred in her heart that I've never seen and I was determined to help her cope with it. No one needs to be that angry or hurt. I wanted to help her. So I did, we traveled together, we learned, we settled, we helped other people. We ended up developing feelings and became romantic" he paused, his face going a bit pink. "She said she was in a better place, we still didn't talk about what set off such anger. But I promised I'd get her a job, so we talked to Professor Dumbledore and cleared the whole thing." I pulled myself up and leaned against the headboard.
"You believed her then?" I asked as he nodded.
"She was completely different when I met her" he explained.
"Could've fooled me, when I first met her I remember thinking I didn't know how someone could look at me with such...hatred, but it was only for a second, I thought maybe I had imagined it" I told them.
"The first day I met her, after class, I remember she was at the door, she was saying bye to each of us individually; I thought that was really nice and personal. She stopped me and said my name sounded familiar, maybe my parents went here, I told her only my grandparents attended Hogwarts" Melinda said as I nodded.
"Did she ask you their name?" I asked Melinda.
"How did you know?" Melinda replied with astonishment.
"Because hate like that doesn't come from actually knowing someone, just their family..." I told her as we exchanged looks. I never would've thought my assumptions and dislike toward the Malfoys would actually come in handy.
"Do you think she knew your dad?" Melinda asked.
"That would make the most sense" I answered.
"No, she didn't grow up around here, I don't know what it was about your guys or your families but I tried to keep her away and I tried to keep you both from asking questions or getting suspicious. Melinda, you really weren't that difficult, you tend to stay out of other people's business" he said as he glanced at me but I just shrugged, not ready to apologize. "I don't completely blame you, I know you were having visions and then the whole deal with your mom being gone" he explained as I picked my fingers. "Again I'm sorry about the memory charm."
"Professor Burnner knew about that before you did" I recalled.
"I know, I don't know how she knew, I don't know how she knew any of this" he said as I looked at Melinda.
"Who's grave?" Melinda asked but Professor Barrass just shook his head.
"I don't know" again I just stared at my hands.
"I'm sorry I didn't catch this sooner, I thought for sure she wouldn't fly off the handle, I thought things were under control." I wanted to ask more, there a thousand questions swirling in my mind.
"Oh thank heavens you're awake" mom's arms were around me before I could respond. "I'm so sorry this happened!" She cried as I patted her back.
"It's okay, I'm okay, everyone is okay" I told her as she stiffed and let go.
"I never wanted something like this to happen you, maybe I should homeschool you?" She said stroking my cheek; Professor Barrass interrupted by clearing his throat.
"As much as I'd love to see that happen..." he trailed off, all of us already knowing the rules.
"I know" mom said wiping her eyes.
"I'm in good hands though" I told her; as much as I hated living at the Malfoys because of their reputation they were good to me, they were safe and I was only so far away from the Burrow. And my dad made a promise, if I broke that, there could be a lot more happening to not just me but everyone and after facing Professor Burnner I wasn't ready to deal with those repercussions.
"You're so brave" she said as I half smiled, the curtain pulling back even more as Fred stood there looking handsome as ever.
"Bill, would you mind showing me the hourglasses in the great hall?" She asked as Professor Barrass quickly agreed, nudging Melinda.
"Why do I have to go too?" She asked getting up anyway.
"I think Draco is waiting for you" Fred told her as the three of them left, Fred taking my mom's seat.
"I'm sorry if I had you worried" I told him as he put his feet on the bed.
"Nah, knew you could handle yourself" he teased. "Just next time, maybe give me some sort of warning, you don't know the scenarios I was making up in my head" he said. "Draco and I actually talked for a long time, made me a realize a lot." I raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Oh yeah?"
"Mmhmm, we both want the same thing, to make sure you're safe and protected. We can't do that if we're always butting heads. I still don't like the guy and I'm afraid I never will. But I care about you, a lot, and sometimes we have to bite our tongue in order to make it work. And I want this to work" he explained.
"Me too" I half whispered. "Thank you for talking to him, and just know over the summer I do plan to visit very frequently" I informed him as he pretended to look surprised.
"Really?" I nodded as he moved closer to kiss me. "Well, that shall make summer very good" he cheered as I kissed him back.
Almost two weeks later I was up and moving, my leg completely healed. I was unfortunately unable to join the Quidditch team in time for our last game; Oliver swore it wasn't a big deal and my recovery was more important. I wondered if the twins had bribed him. We had a long conversation about our feelings and where we stood. It ended with wishing each other the best and promising to stay in contact.
I tried talking with George and his group but the only person I could get to even give the time of day was a girl named Savannah I hadn't met before. She was a Hufflepuff seventh year apparently but didn't hang out with the twins unless they were alone. From what Lavender said she had history with George but Lavender wasn't the most creditable of resources. Charity said Savannah was her friend and hated me and that was why I never saw her but Savannah assured me it wasn't personal and said between the drama and making me feel overwhelmed she didn't want to bother me too much. She did promise to try and talk to George.
I spent my last few days of school with Draco. Seeing him later that first night when we returned was more emotionally than I expected. I held back all urges to hug him and he seemed to be doing the same. He explained how when he realized I had disappeared after telling me about Melinda he thought about reporting it, but figured I'd just show up at dinner. When he didn't see me he asked around, no one had really seen me long enough to hold me down, but it didn't seem to worry Draco. It was only when Fred asked him if I was around before bed did he worry. By then I knew it was close to midnight and I had been kidnapped. The two of them had gone off to alert their heads of houses, who then alerted Professor Dumbledore. Professor Barrass happened to be close and heard the news. He explained everything to the other professors and then went off to find us, saying he had a vague idea of where Professor Burnner might have taken us. No one knew why though.
As I boarded the train I wondered what this meant for us, would there be more? Were we safe? Why did she take us in the first place? I had to remain optimistic though, more than that, I had to be prepared. I had to find out whatever spell my father was involved in, I had to get answers, to find a way out of this, if this women knew about my family and wanted to hurt me I was sure there were others and they knew not just about the past but the present. I sat down and looked around at my friends. If there were more like Professor Burnner they'd know about my friends. "What are you thinking about?" Fred asked as I shook my head, trying to ward off the bad thoughts.
"I had a vision," I recalled, taking a moment to process the word. "Right before Professor Burnner stabbed me, I got one" the others paused to look at me. "I don't know what it was or where but it was cold and dark" I told them.
"Like a basement?" Melinda asked. I nodded. "Whose?"
"I don't know, but," I stopped, wondering if I should've told them about the eyes, the voice. Was that too much? Had I imagined that part? "We were both about to die, maybe I was seeing what she saw at some point" I suggested.
"You think she was a Seer too?" Ron asked, his mouth hanging open. "Or maybe that was where she was going to take you guys" he suggested.
"Yeah, I guess I didn't think about that, but, I don't know, it felt different, like, used almost, like someone had been there" I told him.
"Well whatever it is, we'll be ready" Fred cheered as I nodded and squeezed his hand.
"Definitely" Melinda said as Hermione, Ron and Harry nodded. "Now come on, I wanna show you the picture of everyone holding the Quidditch Cup" Melinda teased as I hung my head.
"At least we won the house cup though" Ron mumbled back though he had to be honest with himself, winning the Quidditch cup would've looked much better.
"Don't worry, we'll make our comeback next year" I told them as Harry beamed at me.
"Sounds like a plan" Melinda said with a laugh as we all gathered around to look at a box of pictures Melinda had pulled out, just as the train was pulling out of the station. I glanced up, Draco looking into the compartment. I nodded and he nodded back, a mutual understanding and agreement. I only wished the same could be said for George, but as he came in and dragged his brother out I shrugged, I had all summer to work on him.