Violet reached for her wand on the bedside table but Marli was too fast, "Petrificus Totalus! She shouted and Violet's body went stiff, "This is a two person show, room for spectators only."
Clementine sat up, her wand was in her sock, she hadn't changed into pajamas but she knew she had to get it out carefully or Marli would see. She needed to keep her distracted. She sat up slowly in bed, one hand on Violet's rigid arm, "How'd you get out of Azkaban?"
"I know people." Marli smirked, "The same people that wanted your parents gone. That wanted that Everett guy gone."
"Why would anyone want my parents and Lee gone?" Clementine asked, her free hand slowly running down her leg, nearing her sock, "They were muggles."
"You'd have to be stupid to still believe that." Marli laughed, "Your parents and Everett were caught up in the dark wars. They were responsible for rounding up Voldemort's followers after his death. They murdered my parents. Not that I minded a whole lot, they weren't great people, but it made life a lot harder on me. People look down on you when they know your parents were dark wizards, think you're dark too, just because you're their child. Well, they were weak, I'm nothing like them!"
"Yes of course not." Clementine continued to reach, fingers at the edge of her sock, "You don't seem dark at all." She mumbled sarcastically under her breath.
"Shut up!" Marli screamed, wand pointed at Clementine just as the brunette's fingers curled around the handle of her own, "Crucio!"
Pain. Pain like Clementine had never felt before coursed through her entire body. Her hand spasmed, causing her wand to fall onto the bed and roll onto the ground. She fell forward on the mattress, clutching tightly to the green comforter. A scream surged out of her throat and then the pain ended just as quickly as it had begun.
"That was interesting." Marli sneered, circling around the bed like a lioness ready to pounce, "Is there a silencing spell cast on your bed? Naughty, naughty girls." She laughed at her own luck, "It's good for me though, I thought your scream might bring some unwanted company... Guess I don't have to worry about that now. Crucio!"
Having just caught her breath, Clementine seized again. All thoughts leaving her head except for the excruciating pain she was experiencing, there was nothing else.
Violet watched helplessly, her eyes the only thing she could control. Body stiff under the spell she struggled to overcome. Desperate to help her girlfriend and stop Marli's tirade but she couldn't break free. Tears leaked from her eyes at her own helplessness.
Marli dropped her wand arm to her side, breaking the curse. Clementine collapsed into a heap on the bed, body shaking uncontrollably as the spell faded leaving her feeling weak and tired, "W-what do you w-want from me?" Clementine asked in barely a whisper, throat burning from the screams that ripped their way out of her throat.
"I want you to suffer." Marli said simply, "If your parents never found my parents, I could've had a normal life instead being pushed around from house to house, living on the streets, fending for myself. No one wants to raise a child born from evil."
Clementine's chest heaved as she struggled to take in enough oxygen to speak, "Have you tried... not being evil?" The brunette found it amusing, even managing to chuckle lightly, but Marli did not.
"Crucio!" Marli yelled, watching the spell take hold of the Gryffindor girl, causing her to writhe in agony. Violet longed to reach out and hold her but her arms wouldn't budge, "I am not evil! I did what I had to survive. I had to be strong. You don't understand because you're weak." Clementine continued to scream, not even hearing Marli's rant as every sense was occupied with pain.
Marli lowered her arm again and Clementine regained her ability to think about something besides the searing pain. Her eyes darted toward Minerva's curtained bed. She was a heavy sleeper, used to errant noise that came with rooming with other girls, all on their own timetable. She could sleep through Marli's chatter but she wouldn't be able to sleep through Clementine's screams.
Clementine knew what she needed to do, she needed to get off the bed. Leave the area enchanted with her quieting spell and wake Minerva up. Her arms trembled as she attempted to sit up, every muscle exhausted from tensing them during the torture. She needed to slip off the bed but she hardly had the strength to move.
"Keep lying to yourself Marlowe. You hurt people because you like it." Clementine said through gritted teeth, anticipating the spell before it hit her square in the chest, tears streaming unconsciously from her eyes. She used the jolt of pain to propel herself from the end of Violet's four poster bed and onto the floor. She didn't even feel the dull thud as she hit the ground. Her screams from the crucio curse, no longer trapped within the enchanted bed frame, now loudly ricocheted around the room.
"I don't..." Marlowe stopped the curse and stared down at Clementine's crumpled form, "I was trying to help you be strong, but you're just as weak as your parents!" Marlowe's calm demeanor began to crack.
Clementine glanced up from where she laid, barely noticing the wafting of Minerva's bed curtain. The brunette smiled as she lifted her head to meet Marli's face, catching a glint of red behind the crazed girl, Clementine laughed in relief.
"Is crucio driving you mad already? As weak as you are I thought you'd be able to hold out longer than that!" Marli looked down on Clementine with disgust in her eyes, raising her wand. She opened her mouth, instead of a curse, out came a small gasp and she collapsed to the ground in a heap. Minerva stood behind her, glaring at the stupefied form, wand clutched in her hand.
"Violet!" Clementine grabbed her wand from the floor with trembling hands and attempted to stand, she clung onto the frame of the four poster, but her shaking legs couldn't hold her weight and she fell back down onto the hard wooden floors.
Minerva ran to check and see if Clementine was okay, kicking Marli on her way over. "No, help Vi." Clementine insisted, weakly shoving Minerva away as she fell onto her back on the floor feeling like she had just ran a marathon. Out of breath, muscles tired, forehead covered in perspiration.
"Finite Incantatem!" Minerva said, wand pointed at Violet's still rigid body. Immediately the blonde regained movement, stumbling off the bed she fell to the ground beside Clementine, tears glistening on her cheeks.
"Clem, are you alright?" Violet asked desperately, cupping Clementine's sweaty face in her hands.
"I love you." Clementine smiled softly. Violet's tie hung down, tickling Clementine's neck, the brunette grabbed the end of it and gently tugged Violet forward until their lips connected.
Violet returned the kiss for a short moment, too anxious for her question to be answered, "I love you too but do you feel okay?"
Clementine chuckled, hand still wrapped up in her tie she pulled her in for another kiss. Violet made sure it was even shorter than the last, "Clem please, are these final breath kisses or driven insane by the Cruciatus curse kisses?"
"Neither." Clementine smiled, finally releasing Violet's tie. She sat up, feeling the soreness of her arms as she pushed herself off the ground. Violet was quick to assist, making the Gryffindor smile, "I'm okay, just sore from tightening my muscles."
"What are we going to do with her?" Minerva asked, giving Marli another kick with the toe of her shoe.
"Tell McGonagall, have her put back in Azkaban I suppose." Clementine shrugged, wincing at her tender shoulders. Violet reached out instinctively and began to lightly knead her muscles.
"She'll just get out again. The Aurors are a mess right now!" Minerva fumed.
"It's the best we can do." Clementine sighed, leaning back into Violet's soft touch.
Minerva growled as she left the room, slamming and stomping her way out of the dungeons, saying she was going to get the headmaster. Clementine and Violet stayed behind, keeping a close eye on the dark haired girl, still unconscious on the floor.
"She will be dealt with I assure you, I can't apologize enough." McGonagall said, squeezing Clementine's shoulder as she laid on a bed in the infirmary. It had taken a lot of coaxing by a very worried Violet in order to get Clementine up to see Eleanor and now that they were there it was clear by the brunette's nervous fidgeting that she wanted to get out as soon as possible, "David Garcia, is under investigation. He's believed to have helped Ms. Marlowe Costner escape from prison. It seems as though he's got a personal vendetta against Clementine's family. Apparently the Marsh family was very close with the Garcia family. David blames them for his wife Kate leaving him for his younger brother Javier... It's all very complicated... rest assured we'll handle everything, you just rest."
And with that McGonagall left the room. As soon as she was gone Clementine sat up from the bed, legs hanging over the edge, "Lay back down! You need to rest until the rejuvenation potion takes affect." Eleanor came over saying.
"I can rest in my dorm." Clementine stood on shaky legs, Violet quick to wrap an arm around her waist to keep her steady.
"You'll rest here." Eleanor demanded.
"I won't, and I suggest you don't try and stop me." Clementine glared, leaving the room, Violet keeping pace, staying at her side. They both stopped in their tracks when they pulled the door open and almost ran into McGonagall who was trying to come back in.
"Oh! Leaving so soon?" McGonagall halted quickly, looking down at the two before looking up at Eleanor questioningly. The healer shook her head in a frustrated manner.
"I-I'm going to rest in my dorm. Eleanor said there's nothing else to be done and I'd rather rest there." Clementine faltered, less brave standing up to the Headmaster, but McGonagall didn't push her.
"I forgot to give this to you before I left." McGonagall reached into her robe pocket and pulled out a gleaming gold crest with the words 'Head Girl' engraved on it. She held it out for Clementine to take.
"I can't take that from Sarah, she deserves to have it, it wouldn't be fair." Clementine shook her head and politely declined the offer.
"Sarah will remain Head Girl as well, instead of a girl and boy from now on we will simply have the two highest qualifying individuals perform the duties. That would be you and Sarah, if you accept." McGonagall explained.
"Work with Sarah..." Clementine hesitated, gaining an elbow in the ribs and an eye roll from Violet, "I would be happy to work with her. Thank you Headmaster." Clementine took the badge and pinned it onto her breast pocket.
McGonagall turned and started to walk away, only for Clementine to call out for her, "McGonagall!" The older woman slowly turned back, exhaling slowly, clearly it had been a long year for her as well.
"Yes Ms. Marsh?" She said, trying not to sound as exasperated as she felt.
"I want to be an Auror, but I haven't taken potions this year... is there-" Clementine blurted out, only to have McGonagall interrupt her by holding up her hand.
"I don't know why you would want to be an Auror after all the trouble they've caused you this year, but I assure you, they will let you in the program. It's the least they can do for you. I will see to it." McGonagall turned, heading away from the infirmary, "I'll have you moved into Potions, you'll start on Monday." Before Clementine could complain she was gone.
Clementine and Violet walked in silence for a ways, Violet's arm firmly around Clementine's waist even though the strength in the brunette's legs were already returning. She didn't tell Violet that though, wanting to be as close as possible she draped her arm around her shoulders instead. Clementine cut her eyes over at the girl, stumbling slightly on purpose so that Violet would tighten her hold, "You okay Clem?"
"I'm great." Clementine smiled and she meant it.
"You just got crucio'd by a crazy ex-girlfriend-" Violet started.
"She was not my girlfriend." Clementine said firmly.
"Whatever she was, she crucio'd you, and you're great? How?" Violet asked in amazement.
"Because I feel like all this madness is finally over. We still have half the year to enjoy being together and afterwards... afterwards I get to go to the Auror academy with you... if you were still planning on attending that is?" Clementine asked sheepishly, just realizing she should have asked Violet before McGonagall.
"I hope it's over, I really do." Violet didn't look so sure, but she smiled at Clementine as they reached the Gryffindor common room and entered. It was late, only a couple people remained out of their beds, they passed through quickly and climbed up the stairs to Clementine's dorm and her bed. They closed the curtains and cast the quieting spell before snuggling under the blankets and resuming their conversation, "I want to be an Auror even more than I did before. I want to be one of the good ones. Are you sure that's what you want though Clem?"
"I want to. I think we could do some real good. Don't feel like we have to go in together. You may have changed your mind and that's okay. I'm going in even if you don't want to still, but I should have talked to you before I talked to McGonagall. I want you to do what makes you happy. We'll still date, we can still be together even if we have different jobs." Clementine squeezed Violet's hands beneath the covers, they were slightly cold and she held the tighter.
"All this mess with you just makes me certain that it's what I want to do." Violet smiled, eyes starting to drift closed after the long stressful day.
"Yeah." Clementine agreed, her own eyes fluttering shut, feeling happy and warm beside Violet.