Folks I wanted you to know that I've decided to update every Tuesday and
Friday of every week!
Chapter 9: Cold Year
Chanse appeared back in the Great Hall fireplace, just before the students who were leaving town started to file into the hall.
Chanse nodded her head, and dusted her robes off and stepped out of the fireplace. Chanse looked up and saw as the students of Hogwarts, who were leaving town, walked in the Great Hall. Chanse quickly turned around and faced the cold stone wall.
"What are you doing already in the Great Hall so early?" A voice from behind asked.
Chanse slowly pressed her quivering hands against her face, and wiped away her small tears and turned around. She came face-to-face with a dark wall- like thing in front of her. She slowly lifted her head up and saw Hagrid shining face staring down at her, "Chanse?"
"I'm fine Hagrid." Chanse whispered as she pushed her way past Hagrid.
"Chanse I didn't ask if you were ok," Hagrid whispered as he turned around to face Chanse's back.
Chanse stopped walking and looked down at the ground. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, hoping that closing her eyes as hard as she could, would help her from crying.
Hagrid walked behind Chanse and placed his large hand on her shoulder, "Chanse?" He whispered, with worry in his voice.
Chanse let out a sigh, releasing her lip from underneath her teeth, and opened her eyes, "I went to see a friend," Chanse turned around and looked up at Hagrid, "that's all."
Hagrid looked at Chanse in disappointment, "If you don't want to tell me why you were in here so early then tell me so," Hagrid sighed, "don't lie to me." Hagrid turned and walked up to the High Table and sat down, leaving Chanse standing alone, as the other students went to sit down.
"All students that are leaving Hogwarts for their Winter Vacations please finish eating your meals, for we are leaving Hogwarts in thirty minutes!" Dumbledore shouted across the Great Hall.
Chanse took in a deep breath and looked up at the High Table at Dumbledore, who looked over at her and stared into Chanse's eyes almost as if he was piercing her mind with them. Chanse quickly looked away at the stone floor, and then felt her eyes become slowly strange to her. She blinked her eyes, 'I need to get out of here.' Chanse thought.
Chanse quickly walked out of the Great Hall as fast as she could without drawing attention to herself as she tried to get out. Chanse walked in the shadows of the pillars, as the students talked together, until she made her way through to the giant Great Hall side door.
She placed her hands against the doorknob and carefully pulled the door opened and stepped out of the Great Hall. Chanse stepped out and pulled the wooden door behind her, and laid against it. Chanse placed her hands against her face and pushed them over her eyes, "Why?" Chanse whispered.
Chanse felt the door give out behind her, and then her body came tumbling down to the ground...
"Oh Merlin," A voice shrilled, "are you alright, Chanse?"
Chanse looked above her body, which was lying on the ground, and saw Kirstyn and her two best friends, Emily and Liz, hovering over her. "We just needed to go to the bathroom, and you were leaning against the door and..." Kirstyn voices shook.
"I'm alright Kirstyn," Chanse laughed, as she sat up, and quickly Emily and Liz bent down and wrapped their arms around Chanse's arms, and helped Chanse onto her feet, "Thank you girls." Chanse smiled at the three first years.
"Chanse are you ok?" Kirstyn whispered as she stepped towards Chanse.
"I told you Kirstyn...I'm alright." Chanse reassured.
"No," Kirstyn looked Chanse sternly in the eyes, "...you've been crying, haven't you?"
Chanse looked away at the ground and tried not to make eye contact with any of the small first years. "Chanse what's wrong? Why were you crying?" Liz asked.
"All you need to know is two words," Chanse sighed, "Oliver Wood." Chanse whispered.
"What about Oliver?" Emily asked, "What do you mean 'Oliver Wood'?"
"Chanse is Oliver's girlfriend," Liz whispered, "my brother, John told me about their relationship last year..." Liz got a funny look on her face, "come to think of it, their relationship was a pretty damn confusing...according to John."
Chanse stopped walking and turned back around to the three girls, "Oliver's ex." Chanse sternly spoke.
"What?" Liz asked a little shocked along with confused.
Chanse looked down at her feet and sighed, and then looked back up at the girls, "I'm Oliver's ex-girlfriend."
"But Chanse how could that..." Emily was cut off when Chanse quickly walked out of the Great Hall, and away from the girl's questions.
Chanse ran down the hallway and then came to the rotating stairs. She placed her hand on the cold railing, and took in deep breaths.
"Come along students this way!" McGonagall shouted, as she pushed the doors open.
Chanse quickly ran up the rotating stairs, towards the Gryffindor Tower, and away from McGonagall and the other students.
"This way students!" Chanse heard the rumble of hundreds of feet walking down the front stairs, and out of Hogwarts.
She gripped the handle as hard as she could, and closed her eyes, and prayed that no one would see her and point her out. Chanse felt that if anyone tried talking to her that they would be able to see right through her and point out that Oliver had cheated on her, and she was stupid enough to fall for him...that she was actually hurt by him.
"Chanse?" A voice asked, followed by a soft touch on Chanse's left shoulder.
Chanse felt her body become as stiff as a board, and tense up. "Chanse?" The person repeated.
Chanse wanted to push past the person, and run to her room, lock the door, fall on her bed, and cry her eyes out. She didn't want to talk to anyone anymore; she just wanted to be left alone. No matter who it was she wanted to cut herself off from everyone and everything around her...she needed to.
Chanse looked down at the ground and whispered, "Leave me alone."
"What?" The person asked, "What are you talking about Chanse?"
Chanse spoke a little louder, "Leave me alone."
"Chanse what's wrong? It's me, Hermione." Hermione whispered, as she stepped closer to Chanse, placing her hands on both of Chanse's shoulders.
Chanse squeezed her eyes closed as tightly as she could, and pushed Hermione off her, "Leave me alone!" Chanse yelled as tears streamed down her face, as she ran up the stairs, as fast as she could.
"CHANSE!" Hermione screamed, as she watched Chanse ran faster and faster, winding up the staircase until she disappeared.
Chanse ran and ran and whipped around through the stairs, until she disappeared into the Gryffindor hallway, "Password?" The Fat Lady spoke.
"Balderdash!" Chanse panted at the painting.
The Fat Lady swished the painting open, to Chanse, and she ran as fast as she could, praying that the faster she ran the more the blur her body would be, meaning that no one could see her crying...see her hurting.
She sprinted up the stairs, towards the girls dormitories, and then up the girl dormitory stairs, till she reached the seventh year's floor. She ran down the hall, ignoring everyone around her, till she reached her dorm. She gripped the handle and twisted it with all her might, and threw the door open.
Chanse ran as fast as she could to her bed, where she jumped onto it, and right as she hit the cool crisp sheets, of her bed, the door hit the wall with a loud bang. Chanse grabbed her pillow and gripped it tighter, as she felt the tears from her eyes pour out onto her pillow. She heard the door close itself, but she could barely hear the click of the door shutting, over the sound of her tears.
*TAP*TAP*TAP*
Chanse lifted her tear-drenched face from her soaked pillow, and saw a blurred image of an owl fluttering at her window. "Go away." Chanse whispered, at the bird, as she buried her face back into her pillow.
*TAP*TAP*TAP*
Chanse heard again, and realized the small owl wasn't planning on leaving her window, till Chanse opened it...
Chanse rolled to the side of her bed, and sat up, and then walked over to the window, where she placed her hands onto the cold handle, and pushed it down, releasing the window for it to open to the small owl. The owl flew into Chanse's dorm room, and landed on her bed, and dropped a letter onto her bed, and quickly flew out the window.
Chanse stepped aside, so that the owl would not hit her on its way out the window, and then clasped the window shut behind it. She slowly walked over to the side of her bed, where she sat down, and didn't look at the letter, but she looked out the window, where the owl had just flown out of... "Pluto." Chanse whispered.
Chanse's eyes slowly filled with tears; the more she stared at the window. She, finally, closed her eyes and when she opened them she was staring down at the letter. Through her blurring tears, she saw the handwriting on the letter:
To: Chanse Potter
Of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
From: Oliver Wood
Of Durmstrang Institution
Chanse let out a quivering sigh, and stood up and walked over to her closet, where she began searching for something inside of it.
"Chanse what are you looking for?" A voice from the door laughed.
Chanse quickly turned around and saw Angelina standing in the doorway. "I'm looking for a box."
"Why do you want a box?" Angelina laughed, again as she walked into her closet.
"I just do." Chanse whispered.
"Here." Angelina handed Chanse a small little box.
Chanse took the box, without saying thank you, and walked back over to her bed, and set it down. She stared at the letter, and was about to put it in the box, when she saw Angelina staring at her, out of the corner of her eye. Chanse set the box on top of the letter.
"Hermione told me you were upset," Angelina whispered as she started walking towards her, "You ok Chanse? What happened?"
Angelina took one more step towards Chanse's bed, and the floor creaked below her, "Nothing," Chanse whispered, "Just leave me alone."
"Chanse?"
Chanse looked up at Angelina, with discussed, "Right now I don't want to do anything with anyone," Chanse sighed, "so, Angelina, if you want to do something for me, you can...leave." Angelina nodded her head, and started walking out of the dorm, "And Angelina tell everyone else, to leave me the fuck alone too." Chanse whispered.
Chanse stared into the box until she heard the click of the door, and she scooted the box off the letter, and then picked up the letter and dropped it into the box. 'I don't want anything to do with Oliver...or Hogwarts.' Chanse thought.
She quickly walked away from the box, and over to her desk, where she pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill...
When Chanse was done she set down the quill, and read over the letter, and when she was finished she folded the letter up, and slid it into an envelope and address it to her parents, and marked in urgent. She set it down on her desk, 'I'll mail it tomorrow morning.' Chanse thought, as she crawled into bed, skipping dinner, and changing into her pajamas.
~~~~~~~~~
After dinner, Angelina made her way back up to the dorm room. She quietly knocked on the dorm door...
No response.
Angelina gripped the doorknob, and carefully pushed the door open. She peeked her head inside the room, and saw Chanse was asleep in her bed. Angelina quickly pushed pasted the door, and closed it behind her. She walked over to her desk, and started taking off her earrings when she noticed a small envelope on Chanse's desk.
Curiosity got the best of Angelina, and she walked over to the letter, and read the address:
URGENT LETTER
To: Tom and Heather Jackson
From: Foxlin Potter
Angelina looked away from the letter, and over at Chanse, who was sleeping peacefully. Angelina then looked over at Geno, who was staring at Angelina and studying every move she made.
She carefully placed the letter back down on the desk, and then looked back up at Geno who was trying to unlatch his cage.
Angelina ignored the letter, and the bird, and changed into her pajamas and slid into her bed...
All night Angelina tossed and turned, and she just couldn't get comfortable. She felt like something was wrong. Angelina opened her eyes, and faced the wall in front of her and then flipped to her other side, to face Chanse, but instead she came face-to-face with Geno who was holding Chanse's letter. Angelina tensed up and whispered to Geno, "Shoo Geno, and get back in your cage."
Geno dropped the letter on Angelina's bed, and stayed in his place, and stared at her. Angelina looked deep into the small red owl's eyes, and felt he was telling her something, telepathically, "Do you want me to open this?" Angelina whispered, and Geno nodded.
Angelina didn't try to argue with the bird, she stuck her finger in the envelope and slid it through the top of it. She slowly pulled out the letter, watching Chanse out of the corner of her eye.
She began to read it...
Dear Mom and Dad,
I'm sick of Hogwarts! I'm sick of this weird life, I'm sick everything I've gone through because of this life of mine.
Why couldn't we just say that we didn't want to send me here? Why couldn't we just say no to this whole magic thing? Why couldn't we say no to Hogwarts?
I don't want to do this life and world anymore...I want to come home...to Maui, not the farm, back to the Muggle world...the real world!
~Foxlin~
"Chanse wants to leave?" Angelina gasped, as her eyes slowly filled with tears.
She quickly jumped out of her bed, and ran over to her desk and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill, and began to scribble on the parchment...
When Angelina was done she stuffed her letter and Chanse's letter in an envelope and walked out onto the balcony. "Geno come here." Angelina whispered, and Geno came flying over to her, "Take this to Cho, and make sure she read this tonight!" Angelina hissed.
Geno nodded his small head and flew across the courtyard.
"Angelina shut the door." Chanse barked from inside the dorm.
Angelina took one last glance across the courtyard, and then walked back inside. "Sorry Chanse." Angelina whispered as she crawled back into bed, and fell asleep...
Angelina woke into the morning to an empty dorm room and the noise of Geno tapping on the window. "Oh sorry Geno, Chanse wanted me to come back inside last night." Angelina told the bird, as it dropped a thick envelope and the same envelope that Angelina had sent into Angelina's hands.
Angelina opened to the envelope she had sent and read the reply Cho had written to Angelina:
Angelina~
I had no idea Chanse was that unhappy here! I knew she was upset, but I didn't know why...And I still don't know why.
But I like your idea of making a photo-album for Chanse to remind her of all the great times she's had here at Hogwarts. So today I'll ask the entire Ravenclaw house if they have any great Hogwarts pictures, or pictures of Chanse. And you should do the same with Gryffindor.
We can put the album together in the library today (don't worry I have a photo-album), and tonight during dinner we can give it to Chanse.
Cho!
Angelina stuck the thick envelope in her pocket and then went around to all the Gryffindors and asked if they had any pictures, until Angelina has collected enough pictures to create two thick envelopes.
When Angelina was done she rushed off to the library where Cho was waiting for her, with another thick envelope and her photo-album.
The two girls worked vigorously on the photo-album, so that they would have it done by dinner that night, till finally they finished...
Angelina and Cho shut the album and sprinted out of the library and down to the Great Hall. When they got inside they saw Chanse sitting by herself towards the end of the Gryffindor table. "There she is." Cho pointed.
They ran over to Chanse and dropped the photo-album down in front of Chanse, "What's this?"
"Just open it." Angelina smirked.
Chanse sighed as she dropped her spoon back down on her plate, and opened the book to the first page. She saw a picture of her hitting a Quaffle away from the goal, and then below that she saw a picture of her, Angelina, and Cho.
Chanse's mouth, slightly, fell open as she flipped through the photo-album in amazement, "You guys made this for me?" Chanse gasped.
Angelina reached inside her pocket and tossed Chanse's letter to her parents down on the table, "We don't want you to leave."
Chanse stared at the letter, "You read my mail?" Chanse gasped, as she stood up.
"Geno made me." Angelina whispered.
"How can a tiny owl make you read my mail?" Chanse started to look furious.
"I don't know," Angelina looked down at the lonely letter on the table, "it was like Geno was telling me to read it."
Chanse snatched the letter off the table and put it in between the album and her chest, "Angelina that was curiosity talking to you...And I think you knew that was your curiosity talking to you, but you seeing my reaction to reading my mail, made you make up that lie that Geno 'made' you read it." Chanse huffed.
"But Chanse..." Cho started to say but Chanse cut her off.
"Look you guys, it was really sweet of you to make this album for me," Chanse weakly smiled, "and it's great..." Chanse's voice trailed off, as she looked down at the ground.
"But?" Angelina whispered, nervously.
"But I still don't want to stay here."
"Why?!" Cho gasped.
Chanse took a moment to collect herself so that she wouldn't cry, and looked up at her friends, "It's hard to explain." Chanse whispered, as she looked down at the ground.
"Try to." Angelina whispered back.
Chanse looked up at Angelina, "I can't." Chanse sighed, in defeat.
"But Chanse try..." Cho whispered.
"I just can't you guys." Chanse whispered loudly, as she turned and walked out of the Great Hall, leaving Angelina and Cho with open mouths.
"I could have sworn the photo-album would have made her stay." Cho huffed, as she sat down on the bench.
"I'll go talk to her." Angelina whispered, as she walked out of the Great Hall after Chanse.
Angelina walked, as fast as her legs would take her, after Chanse but she always seemed a step behind Chanse. She never called out to Chanse, knowing that if she did Chanse would run as duck into some hallway, and not into the Gryffindor hallway. She followed her up the rotating stairs, down the Gryffindor hallway, passed through the portrait, and up to her room.
When Angelina reached her room door, she tried to open it but Chanse had locked the door. "Chanse open the door." Angelina knocked.
"Go away." Chanse shouted from inside the room.
Angelina sighed, knowing that Chanse was probably going to say that, and she pulled out her wand and pointed it at the door, "Alohomora." Angelina whispered, as the door opened.
Angelina placed her wand back inside her cloak, and stepped into the dark room. The only light inside the dark room was a faint light shining over by Chanse's bed, where Chanse was sitting on the edge, holding her letter. "I knew that wouldn't keep you out." Chanse whispered.
Angelina nodded, and walked over to Chanse's bed, where she sat down next to Chanse and looked down at her own hands. There was a small silence and then Angelina let out a sigh and spoke, "Why don't you want to stay here anymore?" Angelina looked up at Chanse's face, "And don't give me that crap about 'It's hard to explain.'"
"Because," Chanse sighed, "something inside of me is telling me this isn't the life I need."
"Yeah," Angelina turned and faced Chanse, "but sometimes what we want isn't what we need."
"What do you mean?"
"What I'm saying is that you may not need this life, but you want it...but your scared of it."
"But I already have this life, so what's there to be scared of?"
"Because sometimes when you have something you want, you're scared you're going to lose it." Angelina whispered, "You're scared about when you're going to lose it."
"I don't understand." Chanse turned to face Angelina.
"You're scared that you're going to lose it when you still are going to want it," Angelina sighed, "so you're thinking that if you get rid of it now, that you won't have to face the pain of losing it when you're still attached to it."
Chanse looked down at her letter and thought about Angelina said and slowly breathed in and out. "I'm going to leave you to think about what I said," Angelina stood up, and walked to the door and turned back to Chanse, "But Chanse, if you still want to leave you won't be leaving this life...you'll be running from this life." Angelina started to walk out the door.
"I'm just scared." Chanse whispered.
Angelina stopped and turned back to Chanse, "Scared of what?" she gasped, as she walked back over to Chanse.
"I'm scared of one day waking up and everything I've grown attached to being gone...because of me."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm afraid that if I stay in this world and grow to love more people, and they grow to love me more, that because of who I am, they'll all be in danger." Chanse sighed, "I'm afraid that the danger will catch up with them, and they'll all die." Chanse sighed again, "then I'll truly be alone...and I guess that's what I'm scared of." Chanse whispered.
"What?"
"Being alone." Chanse looked up at Angelina.
Angelina opened her mouth to say something but soon closed it; she didn't know what to say back to Chanse's comment. Angelina thought, 'Could this be what Chanse truly was afraid of....being alone, without having a single person there with her.'
"Chanse," Angelina spoke softly, "let's say that danger does catch up with the people that you love in this world, and they do die...they wouldn't be dying because they don't love you," Angelina slightly smiled, "They would be dying BECAUSE they love you!" Angelina slightly laughed. "It's better to have them die because they love you, then live because they don't."
"But I don't want them to die, at all," Chanse looked down at the letter.
"We don't always get what we want," Angelina placed her hand on Chanse's shoulder, "but you have to ask yourself...If I had to choose which one I would want, which one would I choose?"
Angelina slid her hand off Chanse's shoulder while Chanse thought about which one she'd want, and then she looked up at Angelina, "To die because they love me." Chanse whispered.
"And Chanse," Angelina placed her hand on Chanse's shoulder again, "everyone, me included, would gladly die for you...because we love you."
Chanse looked deep into Angelina dark almond eyes, and could feel her own eyes filling with tears, as she watched Angelina's eyes fill with tears. Chanse fell into Angelina's arms, and squeezed Angelina tightly, as she cried on her shoulder, "and I love you too." Chanse whispered, in Angelina's ear.
"Prove it by staying." Angelina whispered back.
Chanse slightly pushed off of Angelina, and looked down at the letter. "I will." Chanse whispered, as she torn the letter in half. Chanse looked up at Angelina, who had a smiled across her, and then Chanse looked back at the letter and shred it into millions of pieces.
When Chanse was finished she tossed the pieces in the air, and hugged Angelina. Then when the first piece fell onto Chanse's head, she pulled away from Angelina and watched as the pieces fell on top of Angelina's head, her head, and the bed. Chanse looked up at Angelina, whose face was slightly colored pink, "You should see yourself," Chanse laughed as she pulled a piece of letter out of Angelina's hair.
"You should be talking," Angelina scoffed.
"Yeah I bet I look terrible," Chanse laughed, as she pulled a piece of letter out of her own hair.
"You look perfect." Angelina smiled.
"I'm not perfect, and I never want to be perfect." Chanse smiled.
"Then you looked fine," Angelina puffed out her chest, "Is that better?"
"Much," Chanse smiled, and then laughed, and Angelina joined in.
Chanse started picked pieces of letter out of her hair, when she looked at Angelina, who was doing the same thing, "Hey Angelina."
"What?"
"I've never cried this much in my life, and we're only through the first half of the year." Chanse laughed.
"Well I wonder if the next half of the year will be better." Angelina smirked.
"I hope so," Chanse sighed, "It would suck ass to go into your life, with the end of your last school year sucking ass."
Both girls grew silent at the thought of this being their last year at Hogwarts.
Chapter 9: Cold Year
Chanse appeared back in the Great Hall fireplace, just before the students who were leaving town started to file into the hall.
Chanse nodded her head, and dusted her robes off and stepped out of the fireplace. Chanse looked up and saw as the students of Hogwarts, who were leaving town, walked in the Great Hall. Chanse quickly turned around and faced the cold stone wall.
"What are you doing already in the Great Hall so early?" A voice from behind asked.
Chanse slowly pressed her quivering hands against her face, and wiped away her small tears and turned around. She came face-to-face with a dark wall- like thing in front of her. She slowly lifted her head up and saw Hagrid shining face staring down at her, "Chanse?"
"I'm fine Hagrid." Chanse whispered as she pushed her way past Hagrid.
"Chanse I didn't ask if you were ok," Hagrid whispered as he turned around to face Chanse's back.
Chanse stopped walking and looked down at the ground. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, hoping that closing her eyes as hard as she could, would help her from crying.
Hagrid walked behind Chanse and placed his large hand on her shoulder, "Chanse?" He whispered, with worry in his voice.
Chanse let out a sigh, releasing her lip from underneath her teeth, and opened her eyes, "I went to see a friend," Chanse turned around and looked up at Hagrid, "that's all."
Hagrid looked at Chanse in disappointment, "If you don't want to tell me why you were in here so early then tell me so," Hagrid sighed, "don't lie to me." Hagrid turned and walked up to the High Table and sat down, leaving Chanse standing alone, as the other students went to sit down.
"All students that are leaving Hogwarts for their Winter Vacations please finish eating your meals, for we are leaving Hogwarts in thirty minutes!" Dumbledore shouted across the Great Hall.
Chanse took in a deep breath and looked up at the High Table at Dumbledore, who looked over at her and stared into Chanse's eyes almost as if he was piercing her mind with them. Chanse quickly looked away at the stone floor, and then felt her eyes become slowly strange to her. She blinked her eyes, 'I need to get out of here.' Chanse thought.
Chanse quickly walked out of the Great Hall as fast as she could without drawing attention to herself as she tried to get out. Chanse walked in the shadows of the pillars, as the students talked together, until she made her way through to the giant Great Hall side door.
She placed her hands against the doorknob and carefully pulled the door opened and stepped out of the Great Hall. Chanse stepped out and pulled the wooden door behind her, and laid against it. Chanse placed her hands against her face and pushed them over her eyes, "Why?" Chanse whispered.
Chanse felt the door give out behind her, and then her body came tumbling down to the ground...
"Oh Merlin," A voice shrilled, "are you alright, Chanse?"
Chanse looked above her body, which was lying on the ground, and saw Kirstyn and her two best friends, Emily and Liz, hovering over her. "We just needed to go to the bathroom, and you were leaning against the door and..." Kirstyn voices shook.
"I'm alright Kirstyn," Chanse laughed, as she sat up, and quickly Emily and Liz bent down and wrapped their arms around Chanse's arms, and helped Chanse onto her feet, "Thank you girls." Chanse smiled at the three first years.
"Chanse are you ok?" Kirstyn whispered as she stepped towards Chanse.
"I told you Kirstyn...I'm alright." Chanse reassured.
"No," Kirstyn looked Chanse sternly in the eyes, "...you've been crying, haven't you?"
Chanse looked away at the ground and tried not to make eye contact with any of the small first years. "Chanse what's wrong? Why were you crying?" Liz asked.
"All you need to know is two words," Chanse sighed, "Oliver Wood." Chanse whispered.
"What about Oliver?" Emily asked, "What do you mean 'Oliver Wood'?"
"Chanse is Oliver's girlfriend," Liz whispered, "my brother, John told me about their relationship last year..." Liz got a funny look on her face, "come to think of it, their relationship was a pretty damn confusing...according to John."
Chanse stopped walking and turned back around to the three girls, "Oliver's ex." Chanse sternly spoke.
"What?" Liz asked a little shocked along with confused.
Chanse looked down at her feet and sighed, and then looked back up at the girls, "I'm Oliver's ex-girlfriend."
"But Chanse how could that..." Emily was cut off when Chanse quickly walked out of the Great Hall, and away from the girl's questions.
Chanse ran down the hallway and then came to the rotating stairs. She placed her hand on the cold railing, and took in deep breaths.
"Come along students this way!" McGonagall shouted, as she pushed the doors open.
Chanse quickly ran up the rotating stairs, towards the Gryffindor Tower, and away from McGonagall and the other students.
"This way students!" Chanse heard the rumble of hundreds of feet walking down the front stairs, and out of Hogwarts.
She gripped the handle as hard as she could, and closed her eyes, and prayed that no one would see her and point her out. Chanse felt that if anyone tried talking to her that they would be able to see right through her and point out that Oliver had cheated on her, and she was stupid enough to fall for him...that she was actually hurt by him.
"Chanse?" A voice asked, followed by a soft touch on Chanse's left shoulder.
Chanse felt her body become as stiff as a board, and tense up. "Chanse?" The person repeated.
Chanse wanted to push past the person, and run to her room, lock the door, fall on her bed, and cry her eyes out. She didn't want to talk to anyone anymore; she just wanted to be left alone. No matter who it was she wanted to cut herself off from everyone and everything around her...she needed to.
Chanse looked down at the ground and whispered, "Leave me alone."
"What?" The person asked, "What are you talking about Chanse?"
Chanse spoke a little louder, "Leave me alone."
"Chanse what's wrong? It's me, Hermione." Hermione whispered, as she stepped closer to Chanse, placing her hands on both of Chanse's shoulders.
Chanse squeezed her eyes closed as tightly as she could, and pushed Hermione off her, "Leave me alone!" Chanse yelled as tears streamed down her face, as she ran up the stairs, as fast as she could.
"CHANSE!" Hermione screamed, as she watched Chanse ran faster and faster, winding up the staircase until she disappeared.
Chanse ran and ran and whipped around through the stairs, until she disappeared into the Gryffindor hallway, "Password?" The Fat Lady spoke.
"Balderdash!" Chanse panted at the painting.
The Fat Lady swished the painting open, to Chanse, and she ran as fast as she could, praying that the faster she ran the more the blur her body would be, meaning that no one could see her crying...see her hurting.
She sprinted up the stairs, towards the girls dormitories, and then up the girl dormitory stairs, till she reached the seventh year's floor. She ran down the hall, ignoring everyone around her, till she reached her dorm. She gripped the handle and twisted it with all her might, and threw the door open.
Chanse ran as fast as she could to her bed, where she jumped onto it, and right as she hit the cool crisp sheets, of her bed, the door hit the wall with a loud bang. Chanse grabbed her pillow and gripped it tighter, as she felt the tears from her eyes pour out onto her pillow. She heard the door close itself, but she could barely hear the click of the door shutting, over the sound of her tears.
*TAP*TAP*TAP*
Chanse lifted her tear-drenched face from her soaked pillow, and saw a blurred image of an owl fluttering at her window. "Go away." Chanse whispered, at the bird, as she buried her face back into her pillow.
*TAP*TAP*TAP*
Chanse heard again, and realized the small owl wasn't planning on leaving her window, till Chanse opened it...
Chanse rolled to the side of her bed, and sat up, and then walked over to the window, where she placed her hands onto the cold handle, and pushed it down, releasing the window for it to open to the small owl. The owl flew into Chanse's dorm room, and landed on her bed, and dropped a letter onto her bed, and quickly flew out the window.
Chanse stepped aside, so that the owl would not hit her on its way out the window, and then clasped the window shut behind it. She slowly walked over to the side of her bed, where she sat down, and didn't look at the letter, but she looked out the window, where the owl had just flown out of... "Pluto." Chanse whispered.
Chanse's eyes slowly filled with tears; the more she stared at the window. She, finally, closed her eyes and when she opened them she was staring down at the letter. Through her blurring tears, she saw the handwriting on the letter:
To: Chanse Potter
Of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
From: Oliver Wood
Of Durmstrang Institution
Chanse let out a quivering sigh, and stood up and walked over to her closet, where she began searching for something inside of it.
"Chanse what are you looking for?" A voice from the door laughed.
Chanse quickly turned around and saw Angelina standing in the doorway. "I'm looking for a box."
"Why do you want a box?" Angelina laughed, again as she walked into her closet.
"I just do." Chanse whispered.
"Here." Angelina handed Chanse a small little box.
Chanse took the box, without saying thank you, and walked back over to her bed, and set it down. She stared at the letter, and was about to put it in the box, when she saw Angelina staring at her, out of the corner of her eye. Chanse set the box on top of the letter.
"Hermione told me you were upset," Angelina whispered as she started walking towards her, "You ok Chanse? What happened?"
Angelina took one more step towards Chanse's bed, and the floor creaked below her, "Nothing," Chanse whispered, "Just leave me alone."
"Chanse?"
Chanse looked up at Angelina, with discussed, "Right now I don't want to do anything with anyone," Chanse sighed, "so, Angelina, if you want to do something for me, you can...leave." Angelina nodded her head, and started walking out of the dorm, "And Angelina tell everyone else, to leave me the fuck alone too." Chanse whispered.
Chanse stared into the box until she heard the click of the door, and she scooted the box off the letter, and then picked up the letter and dropped it into the box. 'I don't want anything to do with Oliver...or Hogwarts.' Chanse thought.
She quickly walked away from the box, and over to her desk, where she pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill...
When Chanse was done she set down the quill, and read over the letter, and when she was finished she folded the letter up, and slid it into an envelope and address it to her parents, and marked in urgent. She set it down on her desk, 'I'll mail it tomorrow morning.' Chanse thought, as she crawled into bed, skipping dinner, and changing into her pajamas.
~~~~~~~~~
After dinner, Angelina made her way back up to the dorm room. She quietly knocked on the dorm door...
No response.
Angelina gripped the doorknob, and carefully pushed the door open. She peeked her head inside the room, and saw Chanse was asleep in her bed. Angelina quickly pushed pasted the door, and closed it behind her. She walked over to her desk, and started taking off her earrings when she noticed a small envelope on Chanse's desk.
Curiosity got the best of Angelina, and she walked over to the letter, and read the address:
URGENT LETTER
To: Tom and Heather Jackson
From: Foxlin Potter
Angelina looked away from the letter, and over at Chanse, who was sleeping peacefully. Angelina then looked over at Geno, who was staring at Angelina and studying every move she made.
She carefully placed the letter back down on the desk, and then looked back up at Geno who was trying to unlatch his cage.
Angelina ignored the letter, and the bird, and changed into her pajamas and slid into her bed...
All night Angelina tossed and turned, and she just couldn't get comfortable. She felt like something was wrong. Angelina opened her eyes, and faced the wall in front of her and then flipped to her other side, to face Chanse, but instead she came face-to-face with Geno who was holding Chanse's letter. Angelina tensed up and whispered to Geno, "Shoo Geno, and get back in your cage."
Geno dropped the letter on Angelina's bed, and stayed in his place, and stared at her. Angelina looked deep into the small red owl's eyes, and felt he was telling her something, telepathically, "Do you want me to open this?" Angelina whispered, and Geno nodded.
Angelina didn't try to argue with the bird, she stuck her finger in the envelope and slid it through the top of it. She slowly pulled out the letter, watching Chanse out of the corner of her eye.
She began to read it...
Dear Mom and Dad,
I'm sick of Hogwarts! I'm sick of this weird life, I'm sick everything I've gone through because of this life of mine.
Why couldn't we just say that we didn't want to send me here? Why couldn't we just say no to this whole magic thing? Why couldn't we say no to Hogwarts?
I don't want to do this life and world anymore...I want to come home...to Maui, not the farm, back to the Muggle world...the real world!
~Foxlin~
"Chanse wants to leave?" Angelina gasped, as her eyes slowly filled with tears.
She quickly jumped out of her bed, and ran over to her desk and pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill, and began to scribble on the parchment...
When Angelina was done she stuffed her letter and Chanse's letter in an envelope and walked out onto the balcony. "Geno come here." Angelina whispered, and Geno came flying over to her, "Take this to Cho, and make sure she read this tonight!" Angelina hissed.
Geno nodded his small head and flew across the courtyard.
"Angelina shut the door." Chanse barked from inside the dorm.
Angelina took one last glance across the courtyard, and then walked back inside. "Sorry Chanse." Angelina whispered as she crawled back into bed, and fell asleep...
Angelina woke into the morning to an empty dorm room and the noise of Geno tapping on the window. "Oh sorry Geno, Chanse wanted me to come back inside last night." Angelina told the bird, as it dropped a thick envelope and the same envelope that Angelina had sent into Angelina's hands.
Angelina opened to the envelope she had sent and read the reply Cho had written to Angelina:
Angelina~
I had no idea Chanse was that unhappy here! I knew she was upset, but I didn't know why...And I still don't know why.
But I like your idea of making a photo-album for Chanse to remind her of all the great times she's had here at Hogwarts. So today I'll ask the entire Ravenclaw house if they have any great Hogwarts pictures, or pictures of Chanse. And you should do the same with Gryffindor.
We can put the album together in the library today (don't worry I have a photo-album), and tonight during dinner we can give it to Chanse.
Cho!
Angelina stuck the thick envelope in her pocket and then went around to all the Gryffindors and asked if they had any pictures, until Angelina has collected enough pictures to create two thick envelopes.
When Angelina was done she rushed off to the library where Cho was waiting for her, with another thick envelope and her photo-album.
The two girls worked vigorously on the photo-album, so that they would have it done by dinner that night, till finally they finished...
Angelina and Cho shut the album and sprinted out of the library and down to the Great Hall. When they got inside they saw Chanse sitting by herself towards the end of the Gryffindor table. "There she is." Cho pointed.
They ran over to Chanse and dropped the photo-album down in front of Chanse, "What's this?"
"Just open it." Angelina smirked.
Chanse sighed as she dropped her spoon back down on her plate, and opened the book to the first page. She saw a picture of her hitting a Quaffle away from the goal, and then below that she saw a picture of her, Angelina, and Cho.
Chanse's mouth, slightly, fell open as she flipped through the photo-album in amazement, "You guys made this for me?" Chanse gasped.
Angelina reached inside her pocket and tossed Chanse's letter to her parents down on the table, "We don't want you to leave."
Chanse stared at the letter, "You read my mail?" Chanse gasped, as she stood up.
"Geno made me." Angelina whispered.
"How can a tiny owl make you read my mail?" Chanse started to look furious.
"I don't know," Angelina looked down at the lonely letter on the table, "it was like Geno was telling me to read it."
Chanse snatched the letter off the table and put it in between the album and her chest, "Angelina that was curiosity talking to you...And I think you knew that was your curiosity talking to you, but you seeing my reaction to reading my mail, made you make up that lie that Geno 'made' you read it." Chanse huffed.
"But Chanse..." Cho started to say but Chanse cut her off.
"Look you guys, it was really sweet of you to make this album for me," Chanse weakly smiled, "and it's great..." Chanse's voice trailed off, as she looked down at the ground.
"But?" Angelina whispered, nervously.
"But I still don't want to stay here."
"Why?!" Cho gasped.
Chanse took a moment to collect herself so that she wouldn't cry, and looked up at her friends, "It's hard to explain." Chanse whispered, as she looked down at the ground.
"Try to." Angelina whispered back.
Chanse looked up at Angelina, "I can't." Chanse sighed, in defeat.
"But Chanse try..." Cho whispered.
"I just can't you guys." Chanse whispered loudly, as she turned and walked out of the Great Hall, leaving Angelina and Cho with open mouths.
"I could have sworn the photo-album would have made her stay." Cho huffed, as she sat down on the bench.
"I'll go talk to her." Angelina whispered, as she walked out of the Great Hall after Chanse.
Angelina walked, as fast as her legs would take her, after Chanse but she always seemed a step behind Chanse. She never called out to Chanse, knowing that if she did Chanse would run as duck into some hallway, and not into the Gryffindor hallway. She followed her up the rotating stairs, down the Gryffindor hallway, passed through the portrait, and up to her room.
When Angelina reached her room door, she tried to open it but Chanse had locked the door. "Chanse open the door." Angelina knocked.
"Go away." Chanse shouted from inside the room.
Angelina sighed, knowing that Chanse was probably going to say that, and she pulled out her wand and pointed it at the door, "Alohomora." Angelina whispered, as the door opened.
Angelina placed her wand back inside her cloak, and stepped into the dark room. The only light inside the dark room was a faint light shining over by Chanse's bed, where Chanse was sitting on the edge, holding her letter. "I knew that wouldn't keep you out." Chanse whispered.
Angelina nodded, and walked over to Chanse's bed, where she sat down next to Chanse and looked down at her own hands. There was a small silence and then Angelina let out a sigh and spoke, "Why don't you want to stay here anymore?" Angelina looked up at Chanse's face, "And don't give me that crap about 'It's hard to explain.'"
"Because," Chanse sighed, "something inside of me is telling me this isn't the life I need."
"Yeah," Angelina turned and faced Chanse, "but sometimes what we want isn't what we need."
"What do you mean?"
"What I'm saying is that you may not need this life, but you want it...but your scared of it."
"But I already have this life, so what's there to be scared of?"
"Because sometimes when you have something you want, you're scared you're going to lose it." Angelina whispered, "You're scared about when you're going to lose it."
"I don't understand." Chanse turned to face Angelina.
"You're scared that you're going to lose it when you still are going to want it," Angelina sighed, "so you're thinking that if you get rid of it now, that you won't have to face the pain of losing it when you're still attached to it."
Chanse looked down at her letter and thought about Angelina said and slowly breathed in and out. "I'm going to leave you to think about what I said," Angelina stood up, and walked to the door and turned back to Chanse, "But Chanse, if you still want to leave you won't be leaving this life...you'll be running from this life." Angelina started to walk out the door.
"I'm just scared." Chanse whispered.
Angelina stopped and turned back to Chanse, "Scared of what?" she gasped, as she walked back over to Chanse.
"I'm scared of one day waking up and everything I've grown attached to being gone...because of me."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm afraid that if I stay in this world and grow to love more people, and they grow to love me more, that because of who I am, they'll all be in danger." Chanse sighed, "I'm afraid that the danger will catch up with them, and they'll all die." Chanse sighed again, "then I'll truly be alone...and I guess that's what I'm scared of." Chanse whispered.
"What?"
"Being alone." Chanse looked up at Angelina.
Angelina opened her mouth to say something but soon closed it; she didn't know what to say back to Chanse's comment. Angelina thought, 'Could this be what Chanse truly was afraid of....being alone, without having a single person there with her.'
"Chanse," Angelina spoke softly, "let's say that danger does catch up with the people that you love in this world, and they do die...they wouldn't be dying because they don't love you," Angelina slightly smiled, "They would be dying BECAUSE they love you!" Angelina slightly laughed. "It's better to have them die because they love you, then live because they don't."
"But I don't want them to die, at all," Chanse looked down at the letter.
"We don't always get what we want," Angelina placed her hand on Chanse's shoulder, "but you have to ask yourself...If I had to choose which one I would want, which one would I choose?"
Angelina slid her hand off Chanse's shoulder while Chanse thought about which one she'd want, and then she looked up at Angelina, "To die because they love me." Chanse whispered.
"And Chanse," Angelina placed her hand on Chanse's shoulder again, "everyone, me included, would gladly die for you...because we love you."
Chanse looked deep into Angelina dark almond eyes, and could feel her own eyes filling with tears, as she watched Angelina's eyes fill with tears. Chanse fell into Angelina's arms, and squeezed Angelina tightly, as she cried on her shoulder, "and I love you too." Chanse whispered, in Angelina's ear.
"Prove it by staying." Angelina whispered back.
Chanse slightly pushed off of Angelina, and looked down at the letter. "I will." Chanse whispered, as she torn the letter in half. Chanse looked up at Angelina, who had a smiled across her, and then Chanse looked back at the letter and shred it into millions of pieces.
When Chanse was finished she tossed the pieces in the air, and hugged Angelina. Then when the first piece fell onto Chanse's head, she pulled away from Angelina and watched as the pieces fell on top of Angelina's head, her head, and the bed. Chanse looked up at Angelina, whose face was slightly colored pink, "You should see yourself," Chanse laughed as she pulled a piece of letter out of Angelina's hair.
"You should be talking," Angelina scoffed.
"Yeah I bet I look terrible," Chanse laughed, as she pulled a piece of letter out of her own hair.
"You look perfect." Angelina smiled.
"I'm not perfect, and I never want to be perfect." Chanse smiled.
"Then you looked fine," Angelina puffed out her chest, "Is that better?"
"Much," Chanse smiled, and then laughed, and Angelina joined in.
Chanse started picked pieces of letter out of her hair, when she looked at Angelina, who was doing the same thing, "Hey Angelina."
"What?"
"I've never cried this much in my life, and we're only through the first half of the year." Chanse laughed.
"Well I wonder if the next half of the year will be better." Angelina smirked.
"I hope so," Chanse sighed, "It would suck ass to go into your life, with the end of your last school year sucking ass."
Both girls grew silent at the thought of this being their last year at Hogwarts.