Finally they emerged with their shopping bags out into the blizzard of snow outside.
"When did this happen?" shouted Marcia over the storm as she pulled up the hood on her cloak.
The others followed suit, bowing their heads against the wind as they continued on to the shops further down. One by one they broke away from each other to continue their shopping.
Tanwen emerged with yet another shopping bag out into the street and paused at the sight of a notice in the window.
BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC
Customers are reminded that until further notice, Dementors will be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade every night after sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety of Hogsmeade residents and will be lifted upon the recapture of Sirius Black. It is therefore advisable that you complete your shopping well before nightfall.
Merry Christmas!
For a long time she just stood there reading the notice over and over. The wind whipped her hood away from her head and swirled her hair around her face. She just couldn't think, her mind seemed too full to hold anything else….they seemed so sure they would recapture him…she didn't want that-but then again, she hated the Dementors too.
She shivered and shook herself mentally, 'get a grip' she told herself. Shaking her head she struggled on to The Three Broomsticks, her hands were too full to fix her cloak.
Outside the pub she bumped into Jon and Alex.
"You look like you've been busy," Jon said as he opened the door for her. She nodded.
"My hands are numb."
"From carrying the bags or the cold?" Alex asked with a smile.
"Both," she replied.
The place was filled with noisy students. Everywhere she looked there were clusters of people laughing and shouting. Over near the far window she spotted Cedric, Will and Lizzie and a couple of Lizzie's year mates she knew from Herbology. The table next to them was occupied by Lou, Dom, Cassie, Marcia and Mark.
Awkwardly the three of them squeezed their way though the crowds over towards them. As they reached the tables Alex slid in next to Lizzie who was next to Jema Devotna, one of Lizzie's best friends, a pretty Indian girl. Jon took up the seat next to Dom while Tanwen squeezed herself in next to Cedric.
"Well this is very cosy," commented Alex as he tried to extricate himself from his cloak.
"It's so hot in here!" Tanwen complained as she followed suit, then removed her jumper too.
"Let me get you a drink," Cedric said getting to his feet, "butterbeer?" Tanwen nodded and he walked away to the bar.
"He's well trained," Will said grinning.
"Cedric just has something you're sadly lacking," Jema told him.
"Yeah, manners," finished Lizzie.
"Ladies, ladies, I'm quite mortified," Will responded, putting his hand over his heart, looking injured.
"Yeah sure you are," replied Tanwen scathingly.
Cedric returned with several drinks, "I thought it best to get a few now, save anyone else from getting up."
"Thanks," said Alex gratefully taking a tankard full of the frothy liquid.
"Yeah thanks, that was a good idea," Tanwen said, scooting along to make room.
Cedric sat himself back down next to Tanwen, "Madam Rosmerta's rushed off her feet! I'm surprised she doesn't hire someone in to help her."
"Yeah," agreed Tanwen as she picked up a tankard herself, "that would be the sensible thing to do when she knows how many people are going to be in here."
"I wonder why she doesn't," mused Jema.
"I dunno," shrugged Will.
Several minutes later Cedric nudged her, "look who just walked in."
It was McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid and-
"Cornelius Fudge!" exclaimed Will in surprise, "What's he doing here?"
"Come for a drink I expect," Alex replied with a grin. Will looked severely at him.
"I expect it's probably because of the Black thing," Jema said astutely.
Tanwen stiffened, 'please don't talk about it,' she willed them.
Fortunately, Will chose that moment to spill some of his drink on Lizzie. As he made a fuss about helping her to clear up and she admonished him, Tanwen watched the three professors and the Minister for Magic make their way to a table not far from them. She knew she was being nosy but she ignored the people sat around her and strained to hear what they were saying.
Try as she might all she could make out was who was speaking when- there was just too much noise around for her to make out the actual words. She stood and muttered something about going to get another drink and walked closer to them.
Reaching the bar she looked distractedly towards them.
"Can I buy you a drink luv?" asked a voice in a strong accent
"Mmm," replied Tanwen automatically, not really hearing what he said, or noticing who he was. She could hear a little better over here. Madam Rosmerta was standing at their table saying,
"So Black was the Potters' Secret Keeper?"
McGonagall's reply was muffled by the sound of that voice talking to her again, pressing a drink into her hand. She glanced down at it, she was holding a wine glass filled with a dark red liquid. Sniffing it she decided it smelt like mulled wine, she liked that. She took a mouthful- it tasted like it too, she drank a bit more.
If she hadn't been so preoccupied she probably wouldn't even have accepted it, far less drunk some of it. She hadn't even bothered to give more than a glance to the person who gave it to her. But all she could think about was finding out what they were saying about Black.
"Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" Hagrid said. It was so loud that most of the bar fell silent and stared at him. Tanwen gripped the glass tightly. Professor McGonagall shushed him and soon people turned back to what they were talking about before, but Tanwen could still hear him. She turned steadily more white as he went on, gripping the glass tighter, her lips set in a thin line.
"-An' yeh know what I did? I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!"
Tanwen's glass shattered into pieces. The remaining liquid mixing with her own blood as it dripped onto the floor. She looked at her hand. Several slivers of glass were stuck in it. She'd squeezed her glass so tightly it had smashed. Wincing she pulled them out; then fished in her pocked for a handkerchief. Finding one she tried to bind the wound, her hands shaking, from a mixture of anger and pain. Giving up she just clenched her bleeding hand around it. Hagrid was still going on about her father.
"Some strength y've got there," the voice told her, handing her another glass identical to the one she'd just smashed. She took if from him automatically, still unwilling to give anything attention other than to conversation nearby. She vaguely heard someone telling her to drink and for some reason she did.
McGonagall was saying something again, only Tanwen couldn't quite make out what it was. Things were starting to become- hazy. She supposed it was because she was so angry. She took deep breaths and clumsily put the half-full glass she had been holding down so she could use it to hold onto the bar.
"Feelin' alright?" the voice asked again.
This time she turned to look; a tall hooded figure sat next to her. Under his hood he had a long crooked nose and a disfiguring scar from a burn over one cheek. And the eyes that looked back at her- black, completely black. She stared and stepped backwards unsteadily.
"Mebbe yeh need a spot of fresh air," he said placing an arm under her elbow and steering her unsteady form towards the door.
Tanwen couldn't hear what he was saying, she had a vague sensation of moving. Things around her seemed to be a bright blur of colour and noise. What had she been doing again? Her hand hurt-why was that?
As the hooded man reached the door Cedric placed a firm hand on his shoulder. The man turned to see him flanked by Will and Alex.
"What do you think you're doing?" Cedric asked in a cold voice.
"None of your business young man," the figure hissed back, stepping towards the door and pushing it open with his spare hand. Tanwen stumbled back with him. A flurry of snowflakes swirled around them as he turned, dragging her out after him.
The three ran out after him.
"Stop right there!" yelled Will, drawing his wand.
Tanwen tripped over a large stone in her way and fell to the ground in the shadows of a tall, now closed, shop. Cursing, the hooded man turned round and grabbed hold of her arm.
Now things were cold, very cold…and quieter…where had all the noise gone…?
"Stupify!" shouted Cedric, his wand pointed straight at the man. He dodged the spell by dropping to the ground. Looking up he saw the three boys silhouetted against a bright light as the door opened and the three professors and Fudge walked out into the blizzard. He snarled and with a last glance at Tanwen ran off into the night.
All three boys ran to Tanwen. Cedric knelt beside her, "Are you alright?"
She looked back dazedly at him, blinking hard.
Behind them the four adults passed their concealed forms and headed back to the castle, unnoticed.
"Tanwen?"
She shivered, "cold."
Standing Cedric pulled her to her feet. She swayed and leant against his chest. He put a protective arm around her.
"What on earth was that all about?" asked Alex in bewilderment, "what is going on?"
"That's just what I want to know," replied Cedric.
"Yeah and who was that?" added Will. He looked at Tanwen, "you do seem to be rather a trouble magnet Miss Gray."
She blinked at him.
"Do you think she's ok?" asked Alex, concerned.
"I-" Cedric was interrupted by about half a dozen people running out of the pub.
The others had gotten worried and come to see what was going on. They were laden with bags and the others' stuff.
"What happened?" Lizzie asked coming to join them.
Tanwen moaned and clutched at her head with her good hand, "my head!"
"What is it?" asked Cedric, tilting her head up towards him.
"I think my head's going to explode!"
"Well at least you're talking again," Will said.
"What?" Tanwen asked confusedly.
"What?" asked Jon, "she wasn't talking?!"
"I want to sit down," Tanwen informed them before promptly dropping to the ground at his feet.
"What is going on? I'm so confused!" demanded Dom.
"And what's wrong with Tanwen?" added Lou.
"Scrud buckets," murmured Tanwen.
Will pulled her to her feet again, "Can you walk?"
"Yes," she retorted pulling away from him. She took two wobbly steps away from him and fell back down.
"No," he corrected wryly.
"Can too!" She protested, pushing herself off the ground and getting to her feet.
The others closed in on her. Feeling wobbly again she grabbed the nearest person, which happened to be Jon, and clung to them. He put a steadying arm round her.
"I'd be just fine if the world would stop spinning," she said stupidly.
"If I didn't know better I'd think you were drunk!" Mark said, "What have you been drinking?"
"Just Butterbeer," Cedric said, "I think…Tanwen?"
"Err…I think I might have drunk some red thingy…"
"Red thingy?!?"
She wrinkled her nose, "I mean nothing, nothing-"
"Tanwen!" he sighed exasperatedly.
She shivered, "let's continue this conversation inside," suggested Alex, "It's really cold!"
"We should be getting back to the castle soon," said Cassie, "shall we just head there instead?"
"Yeah and we can take Miss Tipsy here to Madam Pomfrey," added Will.
"Not tipsy," she informed them, stumbling and causing Jon to take a few steps backwards as he held her upright.
"Right," said Dom unbelieving as he passed Lou her cloak. She walked over and wrapped it round Tanwen's shoulders.
"Who was that guy?" asked Alex.
"What guy?" responded Jon immediately.
"I don't know," Tanwen said, her hands clutching onto the front of Jon's cloak. "he was at the bar."
"Then how did he come to be leading you out the door?" asked Cedric.
"He what?" asked Tanwen, she looked around, "how did I get here?"
"Ah good, confusion all round," drawled Mark.
Lou shivered. Dom lifted his cloak over the top of her, pulling her towards him, "I really think we should go back, before we all freeze."
"Ice cream," muttered Tanwen.
"What?" Jon laughed.
"Ice cream's frozen."
"Err, yes," Will agreed laughing too.
Cedric smiled slightly, as funny as this was he only hoped it was temporary. As far as he could tell she'd drunk some sort of potion, but he had no idea what.
"You're warm," she told Jon, rubbing her nose against the bare skin exposed by his low collar at his neck.
Cedric frowned slightly and looked uncomfortable. Jon was grinning down at Tanwen. He glanced up and caught Cedric's eye and stopped. The two looked at each other for a few long seconds. A look of understanding passed between them as Cedric noticed Jon unconsciously tighten his arm round Tanwen. The whole thing was over in a matter of seconds but neither of the two boys forgot what transpired between them for a long time.
"Right, come on then," Cedric said, walking over to Jon, "come on Tanwen let's go back inside."
"I'm not going to Madam Pomfrey," she said, pouting.
"Ok fine," he grinned, then turned to Jon, "I think you can let go now." Jon saw the challenging look in Cedric's eyes and dropped his arms to his side. Cedric took Tanwen's arm and gently pulled her towards him. She stumbled over and he firmly placed his arm round her waist after lifting his cloak over her. Quiet now, she linked her hands around his waist and the group began to make its way back to the castle. The slightly less clueless informing the completely clueless on what had happened.
In the Entrance Hall Cedric reluctantly handed Tanwen over to the Gryffindors and for the millionth time wished they were in the same house.
"Look after her," he told them unnecessarily.
"Of course," answered Mark, steering her over to them.
"We'll keep an eye on her and take her to the hospital wing if necessary in the morning," Lou said.
"Well ok then," Cedric said still eyeing them dubiously.
"Come on," Will said grabbing his arm, "she'll be fine." He turned to Tanwen, "and no more drink for you," he admonished patronisingly.
"You stupid," she told him.
"Quite right too," Lizzie said grinning as she and Alex headed off through the door that lead to the common room. Will and Cedric followed them.
"Gone," said Tanwen.
"You know I think I like her like this," said Jon grinning as they manoeuvred her to the bottom of the stairs.
"That's because now she's no challenge to your intellect," retorted Marcia.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs Mark bent down and picked Tanwen up, slinging her over his shoulder. She giggled, "this'll be so much faster," he told the others, grinning as he began to mount the stairs.
She leant on her hand, her elbow supported on Mark's back. Jon walked a pace behind, keeping up stupid banter with her,
"Where did you put my hamster, Tanwen?" he asked.
"Hamster?" she looked confused, "What hamster?"
"Hamster? I never said anything about a Hamster," he grinned.
"Who has a hamster?.... Ron has a rat."
"Hamsters are what wizarding people call rat babies."
"Scabbers had babies?"
"Jon," Cassie reproved, "you'll be sorry in the morning if she remembers this!"
"Who's 'she' the cat's mother," piped Tanwen.
Jon grinned again, "she's only drunk, drunk people never remember what they did the next morning."
"And how would you know?" Dom asked.
"I wouldn't of course," Jon replied, his face blandly innocent.
"You're naughty," Tanwen said to him. He grinned suggestively at her.
"Cut it out," Marcia said, pushing him.
"Ok, ok."
A little further along the way Tanwen's handkerchief slipped out her hand, "oopsy."
Cassie stooped to pick it up and exclaimed in horror and dropped it again.
"What?"
"It's covered in blood!"
Jon frowned and picked it up, "She's right, put her down a second Mark."
He deposited her on a conveniently placed table at the side of the corridor. "What is it?"
"Hold out your hands," Jon told Tanwen. She obeyed.
"What happened to your hand?" exclaimed Lou, rushing to her side.
"I got angry," Tanwen said.
"What?" asked Mark, confused.
"Holding a glass- angry…me thinks squeezed too hard. Poof!"
"Right, that's it, you're going to the hospital wing," Jon said.
"No, every time I go there she doesn't let me go for days!" Tanwen protested.
"I promise this visit will be shorter," Mark said.
"Fine," Tanwen conceded, "but if it isn't then I'm going to have to punish you."
He grinned at her then turned back to the others, "you guys go on back, we won't be long. And you've got all that shopping."
"Where's my shopping?" Tanwen demanded.
"I've got it," Cassie said, raising her full hands to prove it.
"Thank you," said Tanwen brightly, "Don't eat it."
"Right, come on then you three," Dom said to the girls.
"Why do you have to be in charge," said Marcia argumentatively.
"I think Tanwen's stupidity is catching," commented Jon. Marcia turned to glare at him then changed her mind.
"Fine, we'll see you later."
Tanwen slid off the table, both boys put an arm out waiting for her to fall but she didn't.
She grinned at them defiantly.
"Ok then we all walk," said Mark, "you were getting pretty heavy anyway."
"Rude!" she stuck her tongue out at him.
Jon grabbed her arm, "let's go."
Leaning on Jon's arm Tanwen made her way to the hospital wing. As they neared there Mark said to her, "Don't say anything if you want to be let go straight away, just let us do the talking ok?"
"Ok,"
Madam Pomfrey was just giving a small Ravenclaw a pepper-up potion as they walked in.
"You again," she said, turning to Tanwen, "what have you done this time?"
"She cut her hand on a glass," Mark said quickly.
"I made her cross and she crushed it," added Jon by means of an explanation. For Madam Pomfrey's standards it was a pretty good one at that compared to the normal drivel students told her, honestly, she couldn't understand why they thought she would believe stories such as 'I accidentally ate my shrivel fig in potions'.
She looked at the three oddly, "ok then come sit over here." Tanwen obeyed.
Thirty seconds later they emerged and headed back to Gryffindor Tower.
"See," Mark told her, "now you don't have to punish me."
"I was going to put worms in your bed," she replied with a smile.
Jon laughed, "good plan!"
It wasn't long before they were at the portrait hole. Inside the others were waiting.
"All better," Tanwen announced, holding up her hand.
"What's that smell?" asked Mark, wrinkling his nose.
"Fred and George let off half-a-dozen stink bombs," Dom replied, "we had to open all the windows."
"You are going straight to bed missy," Marcia told her taking her hand and pulling her towards the dorms.
"Don't we get a goodnight kiss?" asked Jon.
Tanwen turned and made to go back.
"No, you don't," replied Lou, taking Tanwen's other hand and together they marched Tanwen up the stairs before anyone else could notice there was something wrong with her.
***********
A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed last chapter! I don't get that many reviews for this story so it's always extra nice to receive a review for it^__^
So what did you think? Opinions please people!