She could hear Ron and Harry's footsteps behind her, punctuated by an
occasional not-so-quiet whisper. From what she could hear, they seemed to
be talking about the Spring Ball again. How could they think of a dance at
a time like this??
She shook her head and massaged her scar. She shouldn't have lost it like that, and she knew it. She knew that Harry and Ron were worried about Hermione, but they certainly weren't showing it. It was different for them, though. They knew other people at this school. Jessica had lost the one person who she really knew…Amanda. Yet, there was something inside Jessica that said Amanda wasn't gone for good. She'd get her back. She had to.
"Just go with Ginny!" Ron exploded somewhere behind her.
She whipped around. Harry and Ron were standing a foot apart, yelling at eachother.
"Ya! I'll go with her…When you go with Millicent Bulstrode!" Harry screamed back.
"You stupid…!" Ron dove at Harry.
Jessica felt a lump rise in her throat. If someone heard them arguing…Before she knew it, she was racing back down the corridor and pulling them apart.
"What are you two doing?!" she hissed.
"He started it!" Harry said, straightening his glasses.
"I did not!" Ron said through a brand-new nosebleed.
"Oh that's really mature, you guys!" Jessica snapped, taking a handkerchief out of her pocket and handing it to Ron, "What if someone would have heard you?!"
Harry and Ron just continued to glare at eachother. Jessica cast a quick glance around.
"I think we're safe," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper, "But don't pull something like that again! Wait till we're back in the Common Room to settle your stupid arguments!" She turned back around, fuming. Deciding it would be best not to leave them alone again, she hung back and walked along beside them.
After a few minutes of silence, Harry and Ron began to talk in civil tones again. Jessica let out the breath she had been holding. She had overdone it again. Learning how to control her temper was going to be harder than she'd thought.
Getting to the Common Room seemed to take forever. Harry and Ron were still fighting about something.
"I really don't think that's a good idea…"
"Oh, what do you know?!"
"I know that that's a bad idea!"
"Alright, guys," Jessica sighed, "I'm going to bed."
"Oh do you?!"
"Yes I do!"
"Good night!" Jessica said loudly, leaning toward Harry.
"Well, you want to hear what I know? I know you're a stupid, lazy…"
"GOOD NIGHT!" Jessica screamed. Harry and Ron stopped dead again, looking at her with a mixture of shock and fear.
"Sorry," Ron said meekly.
"Right…sorry," Harry said, looking down at the floor.
There was a long silence.
"Well…'night!" they called, starting up the stairs. Which left her standing alone in front of the fire, breathing hard and flexing and unflexing her hands into fists.
"Those two are such morons," she grumbled to herself, slamming her door shut behind her.
The Common Room was dark and deserted. She moved slowly and silently, feeling her way around. More than once, she stumbled on a stray piece of furniture. The dying embers in the fireplace cast a very small amount of light over a portion of the objects in her way. When she had gone about twelve paces, she suddenly felt her foot come down on something large and soft. There was a loud hiss and something huge and ginger flew past her legs.
She smacked her forehead. "Sorry, Crookshanks!" she whispered as the cat crawled resentfully in to the opposite corner.
Feeling like she was blind, she stuck her arms out, groping for something to hold on to. After a full minute, her fingers connected with the hard, cold doorknob. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open slowly.
Jessica lay restless in bed, turning agitatedly every few seconds. She had not been able to fall asleep all night, although she did not know why. Sighing, she sat up and fluffed her pillow. Jessica suddenly grew very depressed, realizing that if she was home, she could merely read a book and fall asleep immediately. But no, she thought wryly, that just wasn't enough…I have to actually live the books.
She flopped back down and forced herself to close her eyes. After a few minutes, the familiar pictures began to play in her mind's eye.
She was standing in her bedroom, staring at her bookshelf. Suddenly the phone rang, but as she turned to answer it, every light went out. Frightened, she turned back to the bookshelf, but now, it was empty except for one book. One book, that was giving off a bright red glow. The ringing was still there, but was growing steadily louder. She stuck her fingers in her ears, trying to get rid of the noise that was ringing in her eardrums. Before she realized what she was doing, she had stuck out her hand and grabbed the book. It suddenly began to glow green. The phone's incessant ringing suddenly started to fade. The book was expanding. She tried to pull her hand away, but she couldn't. Jessica began to sob hysterically, turning around, straining her ears for the ever fading sound of the ringing.
"Wait!" she called between sobs, "Wait, please! Don't take me! I want to stay here! It's not fair!"
Jessica's eyes snapped open. A cold sweat was covering her face. Breathing hard, she sat up. After taking a few seconds to regain herself, she reached up and found that it was not a cold sweat on her face, it was tears. She had been crying in her sleep again. She leaned forward, placing her head in her hands, and began to rock back and forth slowly. What was she going to do? She had been having that nightmare for quite some time now. Perhaps there was a message in it that she was not understanding.
A soft creaking over by the door caught her attention. She lifted her head. Peering through the darkness, she saw that her door was open a crack. Pushing her covers aside, she stood up and walked over to it. Jessica paused for a moment, considering all of the things that had gone wrong whenever she opened that door. She figured it couldn't really get any worse, so, shrugging, she pulled open the door. Standing in the doorway, with her hand upon the knob, was the last person Jessica ever expected to see.
"Amanda!" she cried, running forward to hug her.
"Jess!" Amanda said, crying.
"Where have you been? What happened? Oh my goodness, so much has happened since you've been gone!" Jessica said very quickly.
"Jess, Jess," Amanda said, sounding a little alarmed, "I'll explain everything. Can we go inside, though?"
"Right…of course…come in," Jessica said, standing back, and pulling Amanda inside. Before she shut the door, she cast a quick glance around the room to see if anyone had saw. Much to her relief, there wasn't anyone even in the room.
"Thanks," Amanda said, walking over to her bed. With a deep sigh, she sat down and looked around. "I missed this place so much. Where I was…well…I don't even want to think about it," she said, shuddering.
"Amanda," Jessica said gently, sitting down on her own bed, "What happened?"
Amanda played with a fray on the end of her blanket.
"I saw them," she said quietly.
"Who?" Jessica prodded.
"The Aurors…"
"I did too," Jessica said quickly, "But why didn't I see you?"
"You saw them too?" Amanda asked, somewhat alarmed, "And it didn't bother you at all?"
"Well, I guess it worried it me that Dumbledore was keeping them on the grounds…" Jessica began slowly.
"What?" Amanda asked, shocked, "On the grounds? If I were on the grounds I would have known how to get away! I was on the grounds?"
"Well, sure. Didn't you see the castle in the background?" Jessica asked slowly.
Amanda shook her head.
"Wait a minute," she said softly, "Which Aurors are you talking about, Jess?"
Jessica was bewildered.
"The six Aurors that they contacted…" she said.
Amanda shook her head again, looking down at her knees.
Jessica felt her stomach turn as the realization of what Amanda was saying dawned upon her.
"You don't mean the…?"
"Yes," Amanda interrupted, "The ones that were killed."
"Oh, god," Jessica said, lowering her head to her hands.
"It's worse than you think," Amanda continued, studying Jessica's reaction carefully, "I've spent the last few weeks in a graveyard, under the watch of these…things…that wouldn't take off their hoods…Meaning that," she continued, seeing that Jessica didn't get the point, "I don't know who kidnapped me…But I do know why."
She shook her head and massaged her scar. She shouldn't have lost it like that, and she knew it. She knew that Harry and Ron were worried about Hermione, but they certainly weren't showing it. It was different for them, though. They knew other people at this school. Jessica had lost the one person who she really knew…Amanda. Yet, there was something inside Jessica that said Amanda wasn't gone for good. She'd get her back. She had to.
"Just go with Ginny!" Ron exploded somewhere behind her.
She whipped around. Harry and Ron were standing a foot apart, yelling at eachother.
"Ya! I'll go with her…When you go with Millicent Bulstrode!" Harry screamed back.
"You stupid…!" Ron dove at Harry.
Jessica felt a lump rise in her throat. If someone heard them arguing…Before she knew it, she was racing back down the corridor and pulling them apart.
"What are you two doing?!" she hissed.
"He started it!" Harry said, straightening his glasses.
"I did not!" Ron said through a brand-new nosebleed.
"Oh that's really mature, you guys!" Jessica snapped, taking a handkerchief out of her pocket and handing it to Ron, "What if someone would have heard you?!"
Harry and Ron just continued to glare at eachother. Jessica cast a quick glance around.
"I think we're safe," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper, "But don't pull something like that again! Wait till we're back in the Common Room to settle your stupid arguments!" She turned back around, fuming. Deciding it would be best not to leave them alone again, she hung back and walked along beside them.
After a few minutes of silence, Harry and Ron began to talk in civil tones again. Jessica let out the breath she had been holding. She had overdone it again. Learning how to control her temper was going to be harder than she'd thought.
Getting to the Common Room seemed to take forever. Harry and Ron were still fighting about something.
"I really don't think that's a good idea…"
"Oh, what do you know?!"
"I know that that's a bad idea!"
"Alright, guys," Jessica sighed, "I'm going to bed."
"Oh do you?!"
"Yes I do!"
"Good night!" Jessica said loudly, leaning toward Harry.
"Well, you want to hear what I know? I know you're a stupid, lazy…"
"GOOD NIGHT!" Jessica screamed. Harry and Ron stopped dead again, looking at her with a mixture of shock and fear.
"Sorry," Ron said meekly.
"Right…sorry," Harry said, looking down at the floor.
There was a long silence.
"Well…'night!" they called, starting up the stairs. Which left her standing alone in front of the fire, breathing hard and flexing and unflexing her hands into fists.
"Those two are such morons," she grumbled to herself, slamming her door shut behind her.
The Common Room was dark and deserted. She moved slowly and silently, feeling her way around. More than once, she stumbled on a stray piece of furniture. The dying embers in the fireplace cast a very small amount of light over a portion of the objects in her way. When she had gone about twelve paces, she suddenly felt her foot come down on something large and soft. There was a loud hiss and something huge and ginger flew past her legs.
She smacked her forehead. "Sorry, Crookshanks!" she whispered as the cat crawled resentfully in to the opposite corner.
Feeling like she was blind, she stuck her arms out, groping for something to hold on to. After a full minute, her fingers connected with the hard, cold doorknob. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open slowly.
Jessica lay restless in bed, turning agitatedly every few seconds. She had not been able to fall asleep all night, although she did not know why. Sighing, she sat up and fluffed her pillow. Jessica suddenly grew very depressed, realizing that if she was home, she could merely read a book and fall asleep immediately. But no, she thought wryly, that just wasn't enough…I have to actually live the books.
She flopped back down and forced herself to close her eyes. After a few minutes, the familiar pictures began to play in her mind's eye.
She was standing in her bedroom, staring at her bookshelf. Suddenly the phone rang, but as she turned to answer it, every light went out. Frightened, she turned back to the bookshelf, but now, it was empty except for one book. One book, that was giving off a bright red glow. The ringing was still there, but was growing steadily louder. She stuck her fingers in her ears, trying to get rid of the noise that was ringing in her eardrums. Before she realized what she was doing, she had stuck out her hand and grabbed the book. It suddenly began to glow green. The phone's incessant ringing suddenly started to fade. The book was expanding. She tried to pull her hand away, but she couldn't. Jessica began to sob hysterically, turning around, straining her ears for the ever fading sound of the ringing.
"Wait!" she called between sobs, "Wait, please! Don't take me! I want to stay here! It's not fair!"
Jessica's eyes snapped open. A cold sweat was covering her face. Breathing hard, she sat up. After taking a few seconds to regain herself, she reached up and found that it was not a cold sweat on her face, it was tears. She had been crying in her sleep again. She leaned forward, placing her head in her hands, and began to rock back and forth slowly. What was she going to do? She had been having that nightmare for quite some time now. Perhaps there was a message in it that she was not understanding.
A soft creaking over by the door caught her attention. She lifted her head. Peering through the darkness, she saw that her door was open a crack. Pushing her covers aside, she stood up and walked over to it. Jessica paused for a moment, considering all of the things that had gone wrong whenever she opened that door. She figured it couldn't really get any worse, so, shrugging, she pulled open the door. Standing in the doorway, with her hand upon the knob, was the last person Jessica ever expected to see.
"Amanda!" she cried, running forward to hug her.
"Jess!" Amanda said, crying.
"Where have you been? What happened? Oh my goodness, so much has happened since you've been gone!" Jessica said very quickly.
"Jess, Jess," Amanda said, sounding a little alarmed, "I'll explain everything. Can we go inside, though?"
"Right…of course…come in," Jessica said, standing back, and pulling Amanda inside. Before she shut the door, she cast a quick glance around the room to see if anyone had saw. Much to her relief, there wasn't anyone even in the room.
"Thanks," Amanda said, walking over to her bed. With a deep sigh, she sat down and looked around. "I missed this place so much. Where I was…well…I don't even want to think about it," she said, shuddering.
"Amanda," Jessica said gently, sitting down on her own bed, "What happened?"
Amanda played with a fray on the end of her blanket.
"I saw them," she said quietly.
"Who?" Jessica prodded.
"The Aurors…"
"I did too," Jessica said quickly, "But why didn't I see you?"
"You saw them too?" Amanda asked, somewhat alarmed, "And it didn't bother you at all?"
"Well, I guess it worried it me that Dumbledore was keeping them on the grounds…" Jessica began slowly.
"What?" Amanda asked, shocked, "On the grounds? If I were on the grounds I would have known how to get away! I was on the grounds?"
"Well, sure. Didn't you see the castle in the background?" Jessica asked slowly.
Amanda shook her head.
"Wait a minute," she said softly, "Which Aurors are you talking about, Jess?"
Jessica was bewildered.
"The six Aurors that they contacted…" she said.
Amanda shook her head again, looking down at her knees.
Jessica felt her stomach turn as the realization of what Amanda was saying dawned upon her.
"You don't mean the…?"
"Yes," Amanda interrupted, "The ones that were killed."
"Oh, god," Jessica said, lowering her head to her hands.
"It's worse than you think," Amanda continued, studying Jessica's reaction carefully, "I've spent the last few weeks in a graveyard, under the watch of these…things…that wouldn't take off their hoods…Meaning that," she continued, seeing that Jessica didn't get the point, "I don't know who kidnapped me…But I do know why."