Chapter 2
Storm awoke the next morning to an elbow in her ribs and the edge of the bed dangerously close. Her entire body was humming and the ache that spread throughout her limbs was almost unbearable. This had come with every detention she had since the start of the year, the morning after always the same. Her body had been stiff and unable to move as normal, all of her agility had been stunted and through her sleep addled thoughts she was grateful they hadn't got quidditch practice that day.
"Storm, you're such a bed hog!" Came the harsh voice of non other than Ginny Weasley hissed from her side. Another elbow landed in her side causing her to jump a little at it's sharpness, the jump sending her careening out of the small Hogwarts bunk landing on the floor with a heavy thud and groan. Her aching body collapsing into the wooden floor as she rolled her head to peak up at where she had fallen from.
The redhead in question was peering down through the privacy curtains that had been pulled around the bed so hastily the night before. A teasing eyebrow raised as she watched her barely dressed best friend through an amused stare. The sight causing floods of images to assault her mind then as she recalled what exactly had happened. How exactly they had fallen into the bunk, pulled the curtains to and hadn't left again until this very moment. The event having seemed so natural, so normal in the darkness but so entirely bizarre as the light of day shone on them.
"Ouch" she grumbled, rolling her eyes a little as she propped herself up on her elbows to take in the rest of the room. It was a Saturday morning and natural light was flooding through the large arched windows that lined one wall of the dorms. The dorm was entirely empty, save for them. Their only other roommate gone, having made her bed and vacated the room without hardly any noise at all.
"Well are you just going to lay there? Or are you coming back? It's cold" The redhead quipped again, seemingly entirely unfazed by the events of the previous night. Unfazed to be waking up in this predicament. She patted the sliver of vacated mattress, beckoning the taller woman back into the warmth. "You're like a radiator and honestly, I needed that. I feel like heat no longer exists in this bloody castle!" She added happily.
"Since when is Ginny Weasley a cuddler after shagging?" Storm questioned then, a grin tugging at her lips as she moved to right herself once more. "Are you not at all bothered by what we did?" She added, genuine curiosity lacing her tone as she regarded her best friend.
"Why would I be? It's not like either of us are actively in a relationship right now. We could do with something that takes our mind off of the absolute shit show Hogwarts has become" Ginny stated simply, scooting over to make more room for the dark haired witch to climb back under the covers. Lifting the sheets in order to make it easier for Storm to slip back into their embrace.
They'd slept In the same bed many times, so many times. It's not like that was the strange part. As Storm slipped in, it was Ginny's hand that made contact with her bare stomach that was a little startling. It was the way the slightly younger witch moved to rest her head on Storm's chest as soon as she had settled. Fingers splaying out against tense muscles at the taller woman's stomach. The curtains falling shut around them once again, blocking out a good majority of the morning light.
"I guess when you put it that way. It does make sense" Storm smirked, amusement tugging it's way across her face. "I do feel much better than I did last night. Well if I block out the pain shooting through my entire body and the sound of white noise that hasn't gone yet" She quipped lightly, though a deep sigh pulled itself from her chest.
"You're so dramatic, did you know that?" Ginny questioned, teasing once again. Trying her best to keep the atmosphere between them light. As she spoke the redhead pulled back to examine her best friend for a moment, taking in her side profile from where she lay pressed up against the taller woman's side. "We need to figure something else out, we can't keep this up" She spoke with conviction, light hazel eyes alive with determination to right their situation as best as they could.
"I mean, I don't know what else we could possibly do. They hate me, they look for reasons to beat the crap out of me, and I swear he loves using that curse" Storm muttered, moving to run her hand through her dark hair as she pushed the unruly short locks out of her face.
"You literally sat in the middle of class telling them why their ideals are cruel and bullshit. You even said the word 'bullshit' I'm surprised he didn't kill you where you sat" Ginny stated, her own lips tugged down into a frown then. Storm had never been the type to just stay quiet when she disagreed with something, especially when it involved innocent people getting hurt.
That was something they all agreed on, but sometimes she just went about things in the wrong way. She had a short fuse, and never often thought before she spoke. It had always been something to land her in many detentions before hand. But now it was quite literally something that could easily get her killed.
"That'd be too quick. He wants me to suffer" Storm stated with an awkward laugh. She saw the way Ginny was frowning so hard it looked almost painful, she saw the worry in her best friends eyes. They weren't stupid, and anything they did was just a distraction. Only a temporary fix for such an awful problem. "So, is this a one time thing or what?" She questioned then, unable to really gauge their standpoint but wanting to change the topic so desperately.
"I don't think so." Ginny spoke honestly, she didn't feel like there was any reason why it shouldn't happen again. She trusted Storm whole heartedly, she knew Storm was a good person and loyal to a fault. She was attractive and they had a level of care for each other that wasn't often found in friends. "Is that a problem?" She questioned, an eyebrow raised as if daring Storm to argue.
"When have I ever complained about getting laid?" Storm forced a lopsided grin across her face attempting to keep the tone as light as possible. Though she knew she was transparent when it came to the redhead at her side. She couldn't stomach the tension that was growing between them, knowing Ginny was still thinking quite hard about how they could move forward with their defiance without getting killed.
She sat up in order to find some clothes to pull on. It's not like either of them had been short on relationships in the past. "So when Harry, Hermione and Ron get back I'm assuming you go back to Harry, and I go back to having to watch Hermione fawn over your brother until it makes me sick" Storm almost laughed then at their situation, so entirely out of the blue. There was no secret behind her infatuation with the older bookworm, it being the cause for teasing from quite a few people in their year. Especially from the redhead sat still watching her closely.
"Precisely. From one sort of torture to the next" Ginny sighed deeply, as she slipped from the bed finally to rummage through her own trunk for something to wear. "Are you ready to go get breakfast?" She questioned then, her words thrown over her shoulder casually, trying to steer the conversation away from doom as gloom as best as possible.
"How thrilling" Storm stated, her tone dripping with sarcasm. She shrugged a t-shirt on slowly, wincing a little as her body burned from the strain of being put under the curse. Her fingertips bruised black from where she had gripped so hard at the flagstone floor in order to brace herself the night before, making it hard to grab anything properly.
She was grateful for the peace in her mind that had come from the night with the redhead. Surprised to find it had actually soothed much of the internal war that had raged between her ears. At least one half of her remained in tact, something she owed to the redhead and her sudden advances. The act had relaxed her to no end, and it had been the first time since getting back to Hogwarts that she had actually slept the entire night through.
"Your face looks much better this morning, some of the swelling has gone down" Ginny quipped then as Storm pulled her head free of the fabric of her t-shirt finally. She could actually see out of her eye unlike last night. But there was a distinct throbbing that had emanated from the place of the whack. "It makes you look much more rugged, handsome" She laughed then, teasing the taller witch easily as she flopped down on her own disused bed to pull on a pair of trainers.
"Ah, so that's what it was then? You have a weakness for the rugged hard type" Storm spoke then, tugging a hoody down over her body. "I did wonder what had suddenly made me appealing"
"Yep, you're much more attractive after being beaten to a pulp, blood everywhere" Ginny added simply, watching as the dark haired girl struggled with the laces on her own shoes. Her fingertips numb from the bruising causing her to fumble with trying to get them tied. A focussed expression warping her features as she worked on trying to get the strings to do what she needed them to do.
She moved then to kneel in front of her companion, moving to bat away useless hands in order to tie the girl's shoelaces for her. "If we wait for you to do this we'll miss breakfast" She stated dryly, "I don't want to put up with your grumpy guts all day because you're hungry" She added simply, doing up the ties on the taller witch's trainers with ease.
"Show off" Storm quipped quietly, any energy she had conjured up spent on trying to get dressed. "I am absolutely dreading leaving this room. For a second it almost felt normal" She added a little quietly then. The darkness that had crept into her very soul the night before returning at the prospect of coming face to face with the Carrows in the light of day.
Normally they avoided them well, only ever having to deal with them during the classes they ran. Storm figured they probably had important death eater things to be doing on the weekends, and that was something that she was almost grateful for. She couldn't stomach the thought of his face, still etched into her mind every time she closed her eyes. Snarling as she writhed on the floor, pain ripping her apart from the inside out.
"Me too" Ginny sighed, almost sounding far away as she spoke. Her voice pulling Storm out of her own head, away from the thoughts that had started to plague her mind. It was no secret that the entire Hogwarts experience so far this year had been entirely exhausting. It was much different to how things had been previously. There was no warmth at all left in the castle.
The atmosphere around them remained tense as they slowly made their way out of the dorm room. The stairs that led down to the common room the only thing making noise as they creaked under their feet. The common room too seemed quite empty, they guessed most of the students would be at breakfast already. It was quite late in the morning already. Even the colours in the normally bright and bold space seemed entirely muted. They too seemed to be just as drained as the students felt.
"I hate how creepy this place is without all the noise" Ginny quipped as they made their way through, Storm following hot on her heels. Stepping out of the portrait hole into the deserted stairwell. Even the paintings seemed to have disappeared, each of them empty as they passed.
A shrieking noise soon echoed up to them, loud and shrill. The noise sending a chill right down Storm's spine. She watched wide eyed as Ginny stopped in front of her, looking to each other for explanation as the shriek fell silent once again. The absence of noise that followed so very deafening in it's wake. "You had to say something, didn't you" Storm muttered as they continued to move down the stairs a little quicker than before.
Another scream, this time blood curdling and stomach wrenching rung out lasting much longer as it bounced off the walls up towards them. Storm's eyes widened again dark eyes flicking to watch as Ginny took off at a sprint, all but leaping down the stairs. Taking a flight at a time, landing heavily every time. They had done this before, many times when they were much younger and messing around.
She followed quickly, using the rails to steady her as her body burned from use. Her nerves still recovering from the night before still twitching, sending sharp shooting pain throughout her limbs as she forced her body to keep up with the bolting redhead. Ginny might have moaned at her for getting involved and being far too bold when it came to her defiance, but the redhead was not much better herself. She very much had a hero complex, and needed to help wherever it was possible. It seemed in that moment someone definitely needed help.
Storm took note of the shorter woman's wand already drawn as they raced towards the noise ringing out again and again, filling the halls thickly with despair. Their footsteps echoing as they ran in search of the noise. Heavy breathing and hammering hearts burning their lungs and constricted their chests as they finally slid to a stop. Storm almost careening into the redhead as she struggled to halt her own momentum. Her body much larger than Ginny's slim frame, much harder to stop at the drop of a hat.
A large group of students was crowded around in a circle, indicating something was going on. Their first clue that they had happened upon the scene of whatever was happening. The wailing scream much louder, coming from the middle of the group of students. They were all watching as a second year lay on the ground. Blood seeping from between lips open and twisted with a sickening screech. An older Slytherin was stood above her, wand trained on the kid in question. An evil smirk curling his lips up in a snarl.
"I'll take him, you get the kid!" Storm yelled then over the sound of the wails as she wasted no time in fighting her way through the group of kids just standing there watching. Fists grabbing at shoulders and arms to drag immobilised, statuesque students out of her way. Using her large, quidditch worked body as leverage to barge her way past.
She yanked her own wand out of her back pocket quickly "Stupify!" Was screamed at volume, dripping from her tongue with ease as she threw a stunner at the Slytherin in question. The spell sending him reeling back to fall into the stone floor. Shock evident across his face.
He was on his feet again before Storm knew it, her shoulders squared as she prepared for a duel. Her mind racing with what might happen if the Carrows caught her doing this. If they caught her interrupting one of their favourites administering a punishment he clearly deemed necessary.
A spell erupted from the tip of his wand now trained squarely to her chest, she deflected easily and sent a rain of sparks into the air around them. Another spell, and another after that. Each deflected without problem, causing a visible frustration to pull its way across the Slytherins features. Pointed, and shadowed, he almost looked gaunt. His thin lips were twisted down now as he focused hard on not letting her win, focussed hard on proving his worth against someone who could fight back.
More footsteps echoed out in the hallway as Neville and Luna arrived, followed closely by McGonagall and a few other professors. The presence of the teachers putting a stop to the duel that had been pretty much one sided, Storm putting all her efforts into deflecting the attack.
While Storm had been busy, Ginny had slid the kid in question away. Pulling her to the side of the hallway to lean her up against the wall, hoping the cold flagstone would soothe her even just a little. Storm had always responded well to the cold after her detentions. The girl's eyes wide and entirely unfocused, as if she just wasn't really there at all. Her features entirely haunting and pale under the redheads gaze.
Neville had joined Storm in talking to McGonagall in order to figure out what exactly had happened. Luna had moved to kneel by Ginny's side. Her light eyes shrouded with concern for the much younger student. "Should we try to get her to Madam Pomphrey?" She questioned then in her usual airy manor, pulling Ginny's attention to her.
"Let's give it a second, I don't want to move her too much until she's a little more with it" Ginny spoke then, moving to brush the young girls fringe out of her face. Recognising her as one of their own, a Gryffindor that was normally quite quiet and reserved. She wondered how she had ended up in this position, sure she would never really say boo to a ghost.
The redhead turned her attention back towards the dark haired witch now talking to McGonagall and Neville. Her light eyes scanning her best friend for any sign of injury. The crowd that had surrounded the ordeal moving off, leaving the hallway pretty empty save for the few still left. Storm was talking a mile a minute, pointing towards the boy now standing behind a wall of professors. His lip still curled around his teeth in a snarl, arms folded across his gangly frame.
Ginny wondered if they should just resort to using the same sort of curses on them. A simple Stupify was nothing in comparison to Crucio. The curse no longer unforgivable now that Voldemort had the Ministry and Hogwarts under his thumb. A rage burned deep within the pit of her belly as she watched the young girl slowly start to come back, her eyes not so vacant now as she moved a little on her own.
That rage became an ignited hellfire as she considered what Storm had gone through. The taller witch only a halfblood, never spared the same way pure-bloods were. Ginny had experienced her own fair share of detentions, but it seemed almost as if the Carrows were afraid of spilling pure magical blood.
It seemed as if whatever conversation that was being had was over and the Slytherin in question wandered past them. Walking with his head held high as if nothing had happened at all. Not even a slap on the wrist administered for his cruelty. Of course, there wouldn't be. He was part of the elite, certain students the Carrows had a particular fondness for. The fondness allowed these particular students to roam and do whatever it was they pleased.
Storm returned then, hands shoved deep into her pockets as she stood above the redhead dark eyes alight with a visible rage that Ginny could only imagine reflected in her own. McGonagall was hot on her tail as she knelt in front of the young girl slowly coming back around. "Let's get her to the hospital wing." She commanded, "Longbottom, you come with me. Help get her up." She ordered again.
She too seemed barely able to control her own anger. Their hands felt entirely tied, like there was absolutely nothing they could do to prevent the insanity going on inside the school. They just had to hold on for dear life and try their best to keep as much hope alive as absolutely possible.
With people like McGonagall still left, and the other professors they had some help. "Weasley, get Griffin out of here. The Carrows do not need any more excuses in that department" She ordered again. Sparing a moment to give the redhead a tight lipped smiled as she rested her hand just briefly on Storm's shoulder to give it a reassuring squeeze.
With that, the professor and their companions were hustling away. Luna trailing after them as they pulled the young girl off towards the hospital wing. Neville taking most of her weight as he lent down at what looked to be the most awkward angle.
"I don't understand why nobody else feels like they should get involved. They're so happy to just watch a little kid get tortured with that awful curse" Storm muttered, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly. Her broad shoulders drooping as she braced herself against the flagstone wall. Watching as the redhead examined where the act had taken place.
Ginny was shaking her head in disbelief, her light eyes fixed to the floor where the young girl had been laying screaming her heart out as the curse ravaged her small frame. Flicking up to where the Slytherin boy had been standing, grinning as he watched on with thinly veiled amusement. "Are you alright?" The redhead questioned, though she never bothered to look up towards where her best friend was leaning.
"Just peachy" Storm spoke a little tersely, unable to really say much else. She didn't know what she could say exactly, no words really would make any sort of difference in this hell that they were living in. "Shall we go for a walk around the lake later? I could do with a little stretch" She questioned after a moment. Not really hungry at all after seeing such an awful thing.
"I think that sounds decent, I don't think getting out of the castle for a bit will do very much harm" Ginny spoke quietly as she stood from where she was still crouched. "I think it's wise to keep you away from the Carrows after that. Obviously McGonagall does too" She stated simply. "Maybe we should grab some breakfast to go and then make our way out"
"I'll be surprised if I make it out of this year alive" Storm smirked then, though there was no amusement in her tone. She was being deadly serious. Someone was going end up breaking the Carrows already very thin patience. Someone was going to end up dead.
Grief echoed in the pit of her stomach as she considered Storms words, watching as the older witch pushed herself off the wall. "I hate when you say stuff like that. The only way you'll die this year is if I kill you for being so dramatic" She quipped then, trying desperately to stay positive. It was so difficult when they were constantly surrounded by terror.
"Promises, promises." Storm stated with a smirk, holding her hand out to the redhead that was still crouched close to the floor.
Ginny grabbed her hand, squeezing slightly as she allowed Storm to hoist her from her position. The silence that consumed them as they made their way slowly to the Great Hall entirely consuming. Their little sanctuary they had happened upon not far from their minds in that moment. "We should have stayed in bed" Ginny spoke then, as if reading Storm's mind.
"I could not agree more" Storm stated simply, unable to find any fibre in her being that had wanted anything more. Even food could not bring her out of the stupor that she felt as soon as those curtains had opened.