"Padfoot! Moony! Get your asses over here!" James came racing down the
steps from Hogwarts, setting off at
a run towards his friends. Remus looked up, being about halfway over
towards Sirius. Deciding to just summon
his book, he did that, setting off towards James.
"Prongs... what's the matter?" He called.
"Uh, yeah, you two may want to see this..." James said, jerking his head back to the castle.
"Wait, what'd I miss?" Sirius asked James, starting over to him. Remus started for the castle, already having a good idea.
"Amy?" He asked, a tone of dread in his voice.
"Yeah, Pad, you may want to get up there, and fast... The boy's mad..." James said, before starting back off at a run. Sirius went pale, half ready to transform to Padfoot just to get there faster, running as fast as he could. Outside the Great Hall, a crowd had gathered.
Amy was standing there, firmly meeting Chris' eyes, though he seemed furious. There was a small trickle of blood on her cheek, evidence he'd hit her already. Despite the possible danger of the situation, no one seemed ready to step in, as Amy and Chris were easily considered the Golden Couple, the ones who never had problems. Chris was screaming at her, calling her a slut, telling her she didn't deserve him, even going so far as to claim she was sleeping with half the school, including Sirius, her adopted brother.
/You can do this, Amy. Just don't look down, don't break eye contact. Don't let him see he still controls you. You can't keep living your life like this, you have to see that. I don't care how badly the hits hurt, you've felt worse. Remember your wrists. You're not a slut, you know that in your heart. Sirius'll know that. James and Remus will follow whatever he says. The people who matter will know that Chris is wrong. Just keep standing here, stay strong, you can do this./
Sirius pushed a few of the people aside, and Chris fell back against the wall, one hand on his cheek where Sirius had punched him. Typical Sirius, he didn't care what had been going on, just that Amy was obviously frightened, though only her eyes showed that.
"Shit," Remus said, placing the book in his bag, following just behind James, eventually passing him up, a bit unsure which of them had gotten there first. It took a minute to get through the students but when he did, he stopped where he was. One glance at Amy and his eyes turned to Chris, Sirius having already hit him. Stepping closer to her he placed his hand on her chin, turning it up to look at her cheek, "You alright?"
/You. You still want to be around me.? But why.? Ahh, Sirius. That's right./
"I'm fine..." She said softly, though her voice and her eyes were saying otherwise. She was too proud though, to let Chris realize how he'd affected her, or to let him win. "I'm fine, this sort of thing has happened before..." James was in the process of pulling Sirius off of Chris. Sirius would probably have beaten him to death, had he been given the opportunity.
Remus' eyes closed for a moment before looking down, grabbing something out of his bag, dabbing the blood off her face. He turned around, standing not quite in front of her, but close enough, now speaking to Chris.
"You're a big man, hitting a girl. How does it feel to be on the other side of the punches?" As calm as Remus normally was, he was furious now. Briget dropped to her knees next to Chris, glaring at Remus, Sirius, and James.
/You're defending me now? But why.? It just doesn't make sense./
"Go away!" She screamed.
"Oh, yeah, now I'm really impressed... Hitting a girl and being defended by one..." Sirius snapped. Chris didn't respond, he just continued to glare at the Marauders, and most of all Amy.
"You'll regret this..." He muttered, his eyes still on Amy as he stood, walking away.
/You're going to kill me, aren't you? You've made that threat so many times. You'll follow through this time, won't you? It won't just be practice, it'll be real. And I won't survive this time. /
"Damn right she will. I'd regret dating your sorry ass too," Remus said as Chris walked away. He turned back to her, wiping the fresh blood away, his eyes staring into hers, "You should have said something..." Amy shook her head with a soft sigh.
"I couldn't..." She had a feeling he'd never understand that. After all, she didn't understand it herself. Remus nodded, his hand moving to the unbruised side of her face, his brows still furrowed as his eyes remained on hers.
"Come on, let's go upstairs. We'll get your brother and we'll all calm down in our dorm room." He said softly. She nodded a bit, biting down on her lip. James was trying to restrain Sirius, who finally calmed himself down to be reasonable, and walk up the stairs. Amy followed her brother silently, blinking back the tears. She felt foolish, weak...
/ Why didn't you leave him 8 months ago, you idiot? When you still had some common sense left. You're his now, don't you understand that? You're his property./
"Nothing left to see," Remus said, shooing people away, "I suggest you leave before you get a detention or lose house points," he said, glaring at someone who appeared to be a friend of Chris'. James sighed, shaking his head.
"Come on you people, listen to the prefect! Leave!" He yelled, for once using Head Boy status for something good. Remus waited until most of the students were gone before starting up after Amy and Sirius, giving James a look of gratitude. James nodded a bit, running a hand through his hair.
"Bloody hell, he hit her...?" He asked to no one in particular, his voice sounding amazed, angry.
"The boy either has balls or no brains. Probably both," he said as they turned the corner to the portrait hole, "This is all my bloody fault too."
"How the hell is it your fault?" James asked, sounding truly confused.
"Well...." he said with a sigh, stopping outside the Fat Lady, "She told me outside on the grounds that he was cheating on her with Briget. I said she deserved better and should break up with him..."
"Aright, for one thing, it's probably the best thing possible that she broke up with him, even if today was rough... I mean, come on, the guy cheated on her, hit her, and I'm willing to bet emotionally abused her too..."
"I know, I know... I just, I should... nevermind. I know it's not really my fault, but I feel bad for her just the same," he said, muttering the password with the wave of a hand, stepping into the commons.
"Yeah, well... So do I..." James said softly. "She'll be terrified every guy'll do this to her from now on..."
"I'm not saying you don't," he said, a bit exasperatedly, "Hell, I even offered to tell you and Sirius so you could take care of it for her. I offered to do it, but also added there was a better chance the guy would look worse if you two got a hold of him, instead of me. Of course, she said no, wanting to do it herself... And I didn't even know he'd hit her..." James shook his head with a sigh.
"C'mon, let's go make sure she's decently alright..." He said, starting up the stairs.
"Prongs... what's the matter?" He called.
"Uh, yeah, you two may want to see this..." James said, jerking his head back to the castle.
"Wait, what'd I miss?" Sirius asked James, starting over to him. Remus started for the castle, already having a good idea.
"Amy?" He asked, a tone of dread in his voice.
"Yeah, Pad, you may want to get up there, and fast... The boy's mad..." James said, before starting back off at a run. Sirius went pale, half ready to transform to Padfoot just to get there faster, running as fast as he could. Outside the Great Hall, a crowd had gathered.
Amy was standing there, firmly meeting Chris' eyes, though he seemed furious. There was a small trickle of blood on her cheek, evidence he'd hit her already. Despite the possible danger of the situation, no one seemed ready to step in, as Amy and Chris were easily considered the Golden Couple, the ones who never had problems. Chris was screaming at her, calling her a slut, telling her she didn't deserve him, even going so far as to claim she was sleeping with half the school, including Sirius, her adopted brother.
/You can do this, Amy. Just don't look down, don't break eye contact. Don't let him see he still controls you. You can't keep living your life like this, you have to see that. I don't care how badly the hits hurt, you've felt worse. Remember your wrists. You're not a slut, you know that in your heart. Sirius'll know that. James and Remus will follow whatever he says. The people who matter will know that Chris is wrong. Just keep standing here, stay strong, you can do this./
Sirius pushed a few of the people aside, and Chris fell back against the wall, one hand on his cheek where Sirius had punched him. Typical Sirius, he didn't care what had been going on, just that Amy was obviously frightened, though only her eyes showed that.
"Shit," Remus said, placing the book in his bag, following just behind James, eventually passing him up, a bit unsure which of them had gotten there first. It took a minute to get through the students but when he did, he stopped where he was. One glance at Amy and his eyes turned to Chris, Sirius having already hit him. Stepping closer to her he placed his hand on her chin, turning it up to look at her cheek, "You alright?"
/You. You still want to be around me.? But why.? Ahh, Sirius. That's right./
"I'm fine..." She said softly, though her voice and her eyes were saying otherwise. She was too proud though, to let Chris realize how he'd affected her, or to let him win. "I'm fine, this sort of thing has happened before..." James was in the process of pulling Sirius off of Chris. Sirius would probably have beaten him to death, had he been given the opportunity.
Remus' eyes closed for a moment before looking down, grabbing something out of his bag, dabbing the blood off her face. He turned around, standing not quite in front of her, but close enough, now speaking to Chris.
"You're a big man, hitting a girl. How does it feel to be on the other side of the punches?" As calm as Remus normally was, he was furious now. Briget dropped to her knees next to Chris, glaring at Remus, Sirius, and James.
/You're defending me now? But why.? It just doesn't make sense./
"Go away!" She screamed.
"Oh, yeah, now I'm really impressed... Hitting a girl and being defended by one..." Sirius snapped. Chris didn't respond, he just continued to glare at the Marauders, and most of all Amy.
"You'll regret this..." He muttered, his eyes still on Amy as he stood, walking away.
/You're going to kill me, aren't you? You've made that threat so many times. You'll follow through this time, won't you? It won't just be practice, it'll be real. And I won't survive this time. /
"Damn right she will. I'd regret dating your sorry ass too," Remus said as Chris walked away. He turned back to her, wiping the fresh blood away, his eyes staring into hers, "You should have said something..." Amy shook her head with a soft sigh.
"I couldn't..." She had a feeling he'd never understand that. After all, she didn't understand it herself. Remus nodded, his hand moving to the unbruised side of her face, his brows still furrowed as his eyes remained on hers.
"Come on, let's go upstairs. We'll get your brother and we'll all calm down in our dorm room." He said softly. She nodded a bit, biting down on her lip. James was trying to restrain Sirius, who finally calmed himself down to be reasonable, and walk up the stairs. Amy followed her brother silently, blinking back the tears. She felt foolish, weak...
/ Why didn't you leave him 8 months ago, you idiot? When you still had some common sense left. You're his now, don't you understand that? You're his property./
"Nothing left to see," Remus said, shooing people away, "I suggest you leave before you get a detention or lose house points," he said, glaring at someone who appeared to be a friend of Chris'. James sighed, shaking his head.
"Come on you people, listen to the prefect! Leave!" He yelled, for once using Head Boy status for something good. Remus waited until most of the students were gone before starting up after Amy and Sirius, giving James a look of gratitude. James nodded a bit, running a hand through his hair.
"Bloody hell, he hit her...?" He asked to no one in particular, his voice sounding amazed, angry.
"The boy either has balls or no brains. Probably both," he said as they turned the corner to the portrait hole, "This is all my bloody fault too."
"How the hell is it your fault?" James asked, sounding truly confused.
"Well...." he said with a sigh, stopping outside the Fat Lady, "She told me outside on the grounds that he was cheating on her with Briget. I said she deserved better and should break up with him..."
"Aright, for one thing, it's probably the best thing possible that she broke up with him, even if today was rough... I mean, come on, the guy cheated on her, hit her, and I'm willing to bet emotionally abused her too..."
"I know, I know... I just, I should... nevermind. I know it's not really my fault, but I feel bad for her just the same," he said, muttering the password with the wave of a hand, stepping into the commons.
"Yeah, well... So do I..." James said softly. "She'll be terrified every guy'll do this to her from now on..."
"I'm not saying you don't," he said, a bit exasperatedly, "Hell, I even offered to tell you and Sirius so you could take care of it for her. I offered to do it, but also added there was a better chance the guy would look worse if you two got a hold of him, instead of me. Of course, she said no, wanting to do it herself... And I didn't even know he'd hit her..." James shook his head with a sigh.
"C'mon, let's go make sure she's decently alright..." He said, starting up the stairs.