Kriss hadn't realized how much time had passed in Snape's office, the clock was chiming out for 9 o'clock. Flickering candles burned low in their sconces, sending shadows dancing on to the walls. Sounds echoed down the corridor of other students. 6th and 7th years were allowed out until 10.00. Mostly they went to the great hall where they could meet their friends, hold club meetings or enjoy the drinks and snacks that were on offer. This was a privilege only offered to them and only to those that obeyed the rules and behaved, anyone who did not was banned for a month. There was little else to do, apart from staying in your common room as the rest of the school was pretty much off limits in the evening. Kriss thought thankfully that this would be where her friends were now, as she didn't want to have to explain her lack of shirt.
She turned the corner and headed down the corridor for the common room. As she looked ahead, she thought she saw 3 hooded figures gathered against a wall. Her heart started to pound, but then she reassured herself that it was probably just ghosts floating around.
"No, ghosts don't look black and they don't congregate in corridors" Kriss thought to herself The figures had seemingly disappeared from view. But Kriss knew that there was an alcove along the wall, about where they had stood, which they had probably stepped into. She hurried along not really wanting whoever it was to see her, as their secretiveness made her nervous. She reached for her wand, then realized to her dismay that it was no longer in the back pocket of her denim skirt. "Damn, I must have left it in Professor snape's office" Kriss swore. She walked past the alcove and felt relieved. The figures hadn't seemed to notice her or were ignoring her. The relief was short lived however – as suddenly two of the hooded figures stepped in front of her and the other one behind. Her stomach clenched in fear; there was nowhere to run. The dark figures closed in on her. "Who are you?" She demanded "Why won't you let me past? I just want to get back to the common room - I don't care what you are up to" One of the figures nodded to the rest and they grabbed hold of Kriss's arms. They led her back to the alcove, where it was even darker still than the dimly lit corridor. The one that had nodded stood close in front of her. A voice spoke from within the hood.
" What are you doing on your own at this time of night, I thought you girls always traveled in packs" The voice sounded slightly familiar.
"That's none of your business, now let me go!" Kriss said angrily, as she struggled against the grip on her arms.
"Huh, that's not very polite is it boys? I was only asking because I was concerned, a girl like you shouldn't go around these dark corridors on her own – anything could happen" The voice sounded more sarcastic, more menacing. The other two sniggered at the last statement. Kriss felt the figure move closer to her so they were almost touching. She felt whoever it was put one of their hands on the side of her head. The fear inside her was now so bad she almost felt like crying, but no, she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of letting them see her upset.
"What do you want and why are you wearing those hoods? Kriss asked desperately, trying not to show the fear in her voice.
"Now that would be telling wouldn't it? I know who you are though - Kriss. Always been quite the geeky little bookworm haven't you? But lately, well, you've really changed your image and finally realized you're a woman." As he said this, his hand stroked her hair then he held her face, then he continued "I've noticed the new hairstyle, short skirts and tops that show off your sexy body. If you are trying to get the boys attention, I can assure you it's working" They all sniggered again.
Kriss wanted to fight him off, but all her strength seemed to have left her. "Why couldn't someone come along, please" she thought wishing with all her might. They were students, she knew, by the tone of their voices. Definitely Slytheryn as no one else would want to look like a deatheater, which this lot certainly looked a lot like. But that voice, it sounded familiar, though she just couldn't place it to a face.
The boy's hand trailed down her body and Kriss took a sharp intake of breath to brace her self, as she felt it go under the robe. "Oooh, where's your top sweetheart, did you forget it?" The voice sounded triumphant as he discovered her lack of clothing. Kriss cringed as she felt his smooth hands slide up her belly, then up onto her breasts, over her bra
"I.. I was in my room, I left something somewhere and I just put my robe on over what I had on" Kriss stammered trying to think of a plausible excuse.
"A likely story, I saw you go out of the common room by yourself and you definitely had a shirt on then. Must have been to visit lover boy and in the heat of passion left it behind." Drawled the voice, his hands were now caressing her breasts, almost absently .
"Were you waiting, for me? " Kriss said, shocked, it hadn't occurred to her that she was being watched. She quickly went through her mind as to who had been in the common room as she had left. Kriss had a very good memory for faces. Then suddenly a face came into focus and it matched the voice- Caecius Venfitch – a boy in her year, an arrogant bully who thought he could have any girl he fancied.
The trouble was the girls usually fancied him back, as he was very good looking. With his dark blonde hair, blue eyes and muscular physique,from playing quidditch, he had caught Kriss's attention for a while. That is until she realized what a complete an utter pig he was. Unfortunately he also had strong magical powers so no one got him back very often, he had strong anti hex spells around him and of course his followers to protect him. Kriss was surprised he had gone for her, she wasn't the conventional Slytheryn girl. She'd only been put in after much begging by her to the Hat, as it had wanted to put her in Ravenclaw. Her family expected her to keep to tradition like her two brothers before her and she hadn't wanted to let them down. Kriss had always quite a strong sense of what was right and wrong, so she hadn't always joined in with what the other Slytheryns got up to. She had just been glad to have had found her friends especially Claudette, who understood her and liked her for who she was. Casius however had only recently shown an interest in her and had made it clear he wanted her, coming up to her and giving her compliments, brushing up against her unnecessarily and making suggestive comments. She either ignored or resisted all this attention though, much to his annoyance, he could not believe someone would dare say no to him. After three months of trying Kriss believed he had given up on her, but she had obviously been wrong.
"I've been waiting for YOU, a long time sweetheart" he drawled back "But now my patience has run out, you'll have to tell that boyfriend of yours it's over, because you're mine now. I know somewhere quiet, where we can be alone and no one can disturb us. Then I might tell you who I am"
"I know who you are, Casius Venfitch. You were right, I was going to see my boyfriend and he'll be here any minute with my top and wand. He'll be really angry if he sees that you've been trying it on with me. He's very powerful" At this statement from Kriss, Casius stopped touching her and burst into laughter, joined by his two friends. Kriss felt dissapointed, she thought her saying that might of at least made him stop, to look or listen for someone coming.
"Oooh I'm soo scared" He had stopped laughing now "Well, we'd better hurry before he gets here then. It isn't far. Boys! Lets go and show her the little private place I've found, where no one will disturb us"
With a nod, the two boys holding Kriss's arms started to push her towards a statue of a rather hideous looking old wizard nearby. Kriss was confused as to what they were doing. As she watched, Casius got out his wand from the pocket of his robes and was about to point it at the statue when suddenly "Hey, someone's coming, quick! Sounds like a teacher!" One of the boys holding Kriss's arms hissed.
"Shit! Let's go" Casius ordered, then, just before they ran he turned and said "Don't worry Krisstina there will be a next time I'll make sure of it"
Kriss slumped to the floor, she couldn't believe her lucky escape. It was pretty obvious what he'd intended to do. Even if he had revealed his identity, she'd heard about the use of illegal memory fogging charms and felt certain he would have used one on her. So the chances of her remembering anything properly enough to report him were slim. She heard footsteps approach, and then a shadow fall over her. When she looked up, relief swept over her as she saw who it was.