Georgiana had been the Trolley Witch for a while now; if she had to take a guess, she would say it had been roughly 150 years, give or take a few. She had watched many people over the years, from their tentative first steps onto the train, to the generation of witches and wizards many were today. It was truly a gift to have this respected position, to see them all make friends and new families as they took the Express every year. But she had to admit that she was growing weary of watching everyone else having their happily-ever-afters and her remaining alone, year after year.
So she finally took the dive. The kids these days were all going on about the new matchmaking service, and she didn't know where else to turn to. So, with a tentative heart, she sent off all her details to be matched with a random stranger.
Over the next few months, she didn't hear anything back. She accepted it and moved on; afterall, it was the middle of summer, she needed to stock up the rations for her trolley. But then, all of a sudden, there was an owl for her. She never received owls, she had no one to send them to her. With shaking hands, she managed to open the letter.
My dearest,
Although you may not know me yet, I have already fallen in love with your smile. The scant profile of information I know has already pulled me into your open arms and you are my shining beacon in the darkness.
I know that this may seem a shock, but you are truly my everything and I wish to know everything about you.
Please owl me back, I will be awaiting it with all my heart.
Your hopefully beloved,
Peter
From that moment onwards, she was smitten. They exchanged letters everyday, and she couldn't imagine a life without him, although that first letter was still the one she treasured the most. But then came the shocking revelation: he was the Peter. The one who had framed Sirius Black for murder before escaping. That had obviously been a shock, but the course of true love never did run smooth, so she took it all in her stride. The next letter sent to him, she offered up her quarters on the Express to hide with her, so they could finally be together.
She had awaited his owl with excited anticipation, and it was a yes.
He was coming to her.
When he arrived, she felt like she was fifty-three all over again; her knees went weak and there were butterflies in her stomach. She hadn't expected him to have such a strong physique or such wispy hair. She had already been head over heels in love with him, but seeing him, being able to touch him, had sealed the deal.
They agreed to stay hidden for the meantime, spending hours upon hours in just each other's company, learning absolutely everything there was to know about one another, from the way they liked their tea to the way they best liked to be snogged passionately.
Except, even if they were more than enough for one another, duty eventually called. Georgiana had still been stocking the trolley dutifully throughout the summer, but now she was running low on supplies and knew she needed to buy some more.
So with a well-laid plan, they went to Diagon Alley. She had a list and Peter had clear instructions to stay well away from everyone—which was much more easily said than done. It was absolutely heaving in town as they tried to make their way through, with kids running amok everywhere with no school to keep them inside and contained.
But needs must, so she bid Peter farewell and went to Sugarplum's Sweet Shop. Inside, she managed to find just about everything on her list: jelly beans; blood lollies; and of course, the crowd favourites: chocolate frogs. She tried to branch out a bit as well and bought some acid pops, as well as some of the muggle sweets they had on offer. She did frown at the total price but her expression smoothed when she remembered it would all go on the Hogwarts' business account at the end of the day.
She had just paid for it all when she heard a commotion outside. As quickly as she could, she had all her purchases gathered and rushed out to see what was happening.
There were people rushing to and fro, spells being fired, people yelling and screaming. Finally amidst all the noise, she heard one clear sentence. "He robbed my shop! Get him!" She paled, hoping that it wasn't anything to do with her Peter, but that was a wishful thought. Through the crowd, she could see Peter locked in a fierce duel with a shopkeeper she didn't recognise. Her mouth dropped open in shock and horror at the sight. With all the spells flying about, she had to duck back into the sweetshop she had just left, but all she knew was that she had to get Peter out of there.
She took in a deep breath, made sure all her sweets were secured, then entered the fray.
It was chaos. There were spells flying everywhere, but that wasn't her priority: she had to make her way to Peter.
Over her many years of life, she did manage to pick up a skill or two when it came to crowds and quickly made her way through the masses to him. She shot spells at anyone who dared to try and get close to him, whether that be shopkeepers or aurors.
Nobody is taking him from me.
But too many people were now ganging up on them, and she knew they couldn't keep fighting them all off. Taking his hand in hers, she aimed a particularly vicious blasting spell at a group of onlookers to clear a path. Hand in hand, they ran for the apparition point, their chests heaving and pulses racing as they sprinted away from anyone trying to apprehend them.
It was a close call; she had to drag him up close to her for them both to apparate away from the hands that were flying out, still trying to grab them.
They hit the ground still running. She had managed to get them to King's Cross, but they still needed to get to the safety of the Express. Both of them were out of breath but, knowing the trouble they could both be in, continued running to the wall.
Smack.
They hit it. Hard.
She stared at the wall between platforms nine and ten that rightfully led them through to platform nine and three quarters. Pushing forwards with her hand, she was again met with resistance. She pushed harder but to no avail, she felt Peter grow more agitated beside her.
"Peter, what can we do?" It's not letting me through," she hissed. She couldn't understand why it wasn't working. She was keyed to the wall, it was her Express on the other side of it.
"I'm so sorry, Georgiana. This is all my fault. I'm sorry."
"Peter! Get a grip! We need to get through." She tried leaning on it, but she didn't fall through no matter how much she wished to. "You try." She tugged on Peter's hand that she was still holding.
He tried, too, yet nothing happened. They both stared at it, stumped.
"What were you even doing, Peter? I asked you to stay quiet so we wouldn't get caught. I can't have them taking you away from me."
"I'm sorry, my love. I just couldn't resist. I saw it and immediately thought of you and my heart couldn't tell my mind no."
She twisted to ask what he was going on about, but her jaw dropped as she saw what he was holding.
"Georgiana, you are the love of my life. I couldn't just look away from this marvelous diamond ring that matched so perfectly with your eyes. Will you marry me?"
She was shocked. She hadn't realised that he was so unconditionally and irrevocably in love with her as she was with him.
"Peter, though I have only known you for a month and a half, you would make me the happiest witch in England if you were to marry me. Of course! Yes!"
The world was suddenly in a high definition and she could see everything in brighter colours with the joy she was feeling, however she soon had to dampen that down.
"Peter, we need to get through if we want to do this. We know everyone will be hunting for you after that affair and it won't take long for them to figure out where we've apparated to. What can we do?"
She watched in silence as he too tried to push against the wall, but it was in vain as it didn't let him past either.
"Maybe they blocked off all transport because of us?"
She sighed. "That may be, but it doesn't help us if we can't get through. We won't be safe until we are on the other side of that wall away from prying eyes."
She kept pushing against it, trying to see if there was any give at all, only to be distracted when Peter let out a joyful shout.
"Shh! We can't attract attention!"
"Sorry, but it's good news. I always keep my old copy of Hogwarts: A History on me against my chest, it helps to block any stray spells that could get me. It might have something to help in it, always worth a look, my love."
Both of them abandoned the wall momentarily to pour through the pages of the book, hoping for any small note or spell that might possibly help them. Then finally, there it was, the glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. A tiny footnote as if added in as an afterthought, a simple spell that claimed it would transport anybody to the castle—it was perfect.
Georgiana took a few paces back as Peter said the incantation quietly to avoid anybody else from overhearing.
"So we just step though as if normal?" she questioned.
"Should do."
She nodded, taking his hand once more. As one, they stepped through the wall and towards the castle.
They both fell in a heap onto the ground. She looked around desperately hoping to recognise anything, but all she saw was sand and the deep-purple sky. She couldn't understand why they were not at the castle. They should have been at the castle, but instead they were at this unknown location. She picked herself up and dusted herself off, pulling out her wand to try and attempt a spell to locate themselves. As she was in the process of doing so, she turned to ask if Peter had any idea but couldn't help herself and burst out laughing.
He stared at her from where he still remained kneeling down on the floor, bewildered. "What?"
She managed to speak between her guffaws. "I'm so sorry, my love. It's just that—" She stopped again, laughing. "You've got dirt on your nose."
She tried to muffle her laughs, but the disgruntled look on his face didn't help.
"It's not funny! Stop laughing at me!" He tried to brush it off to no avail.
"Come here, I'll get it off." She finally managed to get a grip of herself and turned back to the spell as he came over.
She muttered the spell and watched as the words appeared in front of her "Marea Rezervație a Dragonului București" she frowned trying to make sense of the words and repeated the spell only to have it come up the same. Huffing, she dismissed the words and put her wand back in her pocket before turning to Peter.
"Peter!" She couldn't help but scream as she saw what was happening. A large snake had wrapped itself tightly around his legs and was long enough that now the snake's head with its beady black eyes were staring directly at her even as it continued to twist and wrap around Peter. Its body twisted and pulsated with every move as she stared on in horror, her body frozen to the spot. After all her years of trolley service, she had never seen such a big boa constrictor. She had dealt with the smaller ones and all manner of little venomous things, but this one was gigantic and currently had her fiancé crushed in its tightening grip.
Her breath stuttered as she tried to draw one in to calm down, but she couldn't do this now, she didn't have the time to panic. She shakily patted down her pocket to reach her wand before drawing it out and pointing it towards the creature. Then she hesitated, a new emotion for her, as thoughts swirled through her mind. What if I hit Peter? What can I do?
She managed to fire off a stunner, which halted the snake's movements, and watched on in shock as Peter turned into his animagus form before wriggling out.
She all but collapsed to her knees before the rat that was her most beloved. "Peter, my love? Are you okay? What can I do?" She tried to question him as he turned back into his human form.
Georgiana did not expect the strength that Peter then showed; in one quick motion, he was on his feet and had shot off a spell at the snake. She watched in silence as its head fell clean off. She tried to stand, but her hands were shaking as she tried to push up. But then Peter all but picked her up, pulling her against his bold chest; she nearly swooned at the romance of it all. Her trying to defend him before he made a valiant comeback to save her.
But sadly, the moment couldn't last. She pulled herself away no matter how much she wanted to remain in that position.
"Peter, we need to move and find people. I don't know where we are and I don't like the look of this place." She motioned upwards to the deep-purple sky which remained its ominous colour.
Hand in hand, they ran away from the snake. Away from where they had come through, away from everything.
They ran and didn't look back.
They ran and ran until they ran smack bang into a wall. Georgiana took a proper look and she wished it had been a wall. Crouching in front of them was a seven-meter tall dragon, its scales a deep-black colour that seemed to draw in all the light from the sun. In muted horror, she realised it was facing them directly and she could see its sharp teeth glinting in the deep purple light.
Whimpering, she tugged at Peter, trying to get them back away from it, but could only stare on as it inched slowly forward, following them with its piercing eyes. She tried to look away, but she kept refocusing on the dangerous teeth. Upon a closer look, she all but shuddered when she realised just why such a deep-purple sky distorted the land, for it was the smoke that was beginning to billow out of the dragon's mouth and up around its face, casting eerie shadows and making its eyes glow.
Peter and Georgiana kept inching backwards, but there was nowhere to go. The dragon was like a cat with a canary, mockingly taunting them with a go of freedom knowing full well that they wouldn't survive.
She stopped moving, pulling Peter in close to her and giving him a big kiss.
"I'm sorry this had to be the end," she cried.
He pulled her tight to his chest, kissing the top of her head as he held her hand tightly between them. The ring he had gone through so much to get her now firmly on her finger, he squeezed her hand.
"I'm sorry as well."
Georgiana cried out as Peter shoved her to the side, where she landed roughly on the hot sand, and she shuddered in shock as she felt her wand snap beneath her.
Dazed, she gazed upwards at the dragon approaching her. Eyes ablaze and mouth open, ready to spew out flames. She ducked her head and cried, waiting for the blaze to destroy her.
"Hey! Over here!"
She gasped, looking over.
It was Peter. He was screaming and shouting.
She had noticed, and so had the dragon.
She was left in the dust as the dragon swung around to focus on the more lively target. She remembered from a class all those years ago that dragons liked to play with their food. She couldn't do anything but watch in vain as Peter baited the dragon, throwing spells and drawing the dragon away from her. She managed to stand, but with her wand broken, she was all but stranded. She backed away from the fight, but she could still see her true love battling the dragon for her.
But she could see him tiring. Then in one quick swoop of the dragon's tail, she saw him fall.
She gasped and dropped to her knees, unable to take her eyes off the scene she was watching.
"Peter! Please! Please, get up!"
The dragon roared. Peter did not get up. The dragon blew fire.
Her scream was drowned out by the roar of the fire and the sudden commotion around her.
"Domnișoară? Esti bine? Română? Engleză? What are you doing here? Come on! Trebuie să plecăm! We need to move!"
All around her were dragon handlers trying to pull her away and get her to safety.
They dragged her away, saying how they would get her to a hospital and check her over. But she remained silent, they were too late, her soul had died with Peter's in the fire.
THC/The Houses Competition.
Round 1 - Standard
House - Ravenclaw
Class - Potions
Prompt(s) chosen -
[Action] Running
[Animals] Boa Constrictor
[Character] Trolley Witch
[Character] Scabbers/Peter Pettigrew
[Dialogue] "You've got dirt on your nose."
[Dialogue] "It's not funny!"
[Event] Shopping
[Event] Robbery
[Location] Platform nine and three quarters, with a focus on the barrier/wall between nine and ten.
[Location] Dragon Reserve in Romania
[Object] Letter
[Object] Hogwarts: A History
[Season] Summer
[Word] Deep-Purple Sky
[Word] Castle
2987 words (wordcounter .net)