Chapter 22 - - - So Shall It Be Written...
~ * ~ * ~
"What was that!?" Maria cried, pulling out her wand.
Sirius shook his head. "I dunno. Come on!"
They ran inside the common room, many other students on their heels. Sirius threw out an arm to stop Maria.
"Let me go first."
For once, Maria didn't argue. She held onto the back of Sirius's robes tightly.
Remus appeared in front of them as Sirius gasped slightly. "Maria. Come with me." He grabbed her arm and jerked her back through the crowd before she had a proper view of the room.
"Wha...but - I wanted to see-"
"No."
Meanwhile, Sirius was joined by James, Lily, and Noel.
"Where's Maria?" James asked.
"Remus took her...James, what...?"
"I dunno, Siri..."
Up on the wall, just above the fireplace, was a message written jaggedly in blood - "Watch out, Lupin. Take care of your lovely Ravenwood. You're both next."
~ * ~ * ~
"Remus...what happened? Where are we going?" Maria asked as he steered her along the corridors.
"We're going to see Professor O' Leary." Remus said shortly.
"But - what happened!?"
"It is none of your concern!" Remus shouted.
Maria stopped, tears filling her eyes as she jerked her hand out of her brother's. Remus had never yelled at her before.
Remus halted, too, shocked at his own tone. "Mia, I'm sorry, I didn't mean- "
Maria shook her head, her mascara now leaving streaks of black on her tan face. She turned and ran.
"Maria, wait!"
~ * ~ * ~
The Gryffindor common room had been cleared out when Maria arrived.
'Good...now I'll be able to see what all the commotion was about...'
She scanned the wall, noticing at once the crimson letters shining above the fireplace. Fear knotted her stomach as she read the words and they registered in her mind.
Were the pendants, was being an heir to a founder of Hogwarts really that important, or was there more to this story than any of them knew?
~ * ~ * ~
Professor Dumbledore descended from Headmaster O'Leary's office, so lost in thought that he almost ran into Remus Lupin. Said boy was also lost in thought.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Mr. Lupin...where are your friends?" Usually, when you had one Maurader, you had the rest, too.
"Professor...have you seen Maria?!" Remus asked urgently. "We were on our way to see the headmaster about what happened in the Gryffindor common room, and I...I..." he bowed his head. "I lost my temper with her. I was worried about her! She ran."
Dumbledore nodded. "Go see the headmaster. I'm fairly sure Miss Ravenwood has been retrieved by one of your friends by now. If not, I will find her."
Remus nodded and continued on.
Headmaster O'Leary was expecting him. "Mr. Lupin. Sit down."
Remus shook his head. "No, I...it's alright."
"You had something to discuss with me?"
"The message. Who did it?" Remus asked.
Headmaster O'Leary sighed. "I won't lie to you, Remus. At this point, we do not know. We do know, however, that you, your sister, Noel, James, and Sirius are in danger."
"Why? And in danger of what? And who is in the most danger?" Remus stumbled over his words in his rush to get them out.
"I cannor say...why. Not yet, I'm not sure..." Headmaster O'Leary seemed to be talking to himself. Then his voice raised and he looked at Remus once again. "You and Maria seem to be in immediate danger. But...Mr. Black is on lasting danger."
"Lasting?"
"He is the Heir of Slytherin. Don't you think the Dark Lord would be keen to have Sirius on his side?"
"But...Sirius wouldn't do that to us." Remus protested. "To...Maria."
Headmaster O'Leary surveyed Remus and said abruptly, "It should be safe to go back to Gryffindor Tower by now."
Remus nodded, turning to leave.
"Mr. Lupin...take care of your sister..." Headmaster O'Leary said quietly to himself as Remus left. "She may be in more danger than any other..."
~ * ~ * ~
Sirius walked through the hall, his blue eyes darting around, finally locating his target sitting, back braced against a wall, talking to a portrait.
"...and I don't see why no one told us..." Maria said. "You know what I mean?"
The man in the picture nodded. "Completely. But don't worry - I'm sure everything will be alright."
Sirius stopped in front of Maria, who stood up.
"Thanks for talking to me," she said to the man.
"Anytime. Bye, Maria."
"See ya."
As they started walking, Sirius asked, "So, what were you talking about?"
"Nothing much," Maria responded quietly.
Sirius fidgeted. "...hey, Maria, I..." he stopped. "Nevermind. Let's head back to Gryffindor Tower. We can go in, now."
Maria nodded. "Sure."
When they were inside, Maria stared at the fireplace. "I...I think I'm going to go to bed."
Sirius nodded. After a brief moment's hesitation, he kissed Maria's cheek lightly. "Good night."
She smiled faintly at him and walked off.
Sirius sighed, throwing himself down on the couch. His eyes slipped shut, his breathing became light and slow, and he dreamed...
~ * ~ * ~
Her pulse was slowing. Her breathing became erratic, and her robes were imbrued with blood. He knelt down, gathering her in his arms. "No...what...this can't be..."
Heat was rising in his face, making it hard for him to think Hate and rage bubbled beneath his surface. She wasn't dying, no, not on his watch...
She raised her arm weakly, fingers dancing along his forehead, brushing at his hair.
"Please, no...you can't die. We're supposed to marry...I love you!" he cried desperately, tears falling unchecked from his eyes.
"Don't worry...ours is...a love that transcends life...I will always be with you." She said softly, drawing in one long, deep breath.
He shook his head, crying openly now as the girl before him shut her eyes, releasing her last breath.
~ * ~ * ~
Back in the Gryffindor common room, someone's icy blue eyes shot open. Dazed from the sudden shock back to reality, he stared at the place above the fireplace where the bloody letters had once resided.
"Maria," Sirius whispered.
~ * ~ * ~
a/n: Lovely. I finally updated. Thanks to my new reviewers, especially Caitlin! I'm so glad you like it. I'll try to update on a regular basis now.
Anyway...*gasp*! Such an exciting chapter! What will happen next!? I guess we'll find out when I update next. Haha.
~ * ~ * ~
"What was that!?" Maria cried, pulling out her wand.
Sirius shook his head. "I dunno. Come on!"
They ran inside the common room, many other students on their heels. Sirius threw out an arm to stop Maria.
"Let me go first."
For once, Maria didn't argue. She held onto the back of Sirius's robes tightly.
Remus appeared in front of them as Sirius gasped slightly. "Maria. Come with me." He grabbed her arm and jerked her back through the crowd before she had a proper view of the room.
"Wha...but - I wanted to see-"
"No."
Meanwhile, Sirius was joined by James, Lily, and Noel.
"Where's Maria?" James asked.
"Remus took her...James, what...?"
"I dunno, Siri..."
Up on the wall, just above the fireplace, was a message written jaggedly in blood - "Watch out, Lupin. Take care of your lovely Ravenwood. You're both next."
~ * ~ * ~
"Remus...what happened? Where are we going?" Maria asked as he steered her along the corridors.
"We're going to see Professor O' Leary." Remus said shortly.
"But - what happened!?"
"It is none of your concern!" Remus shouted.
Maria stopped, tears filling her eyes as she jerked her hand out of her brother's. Remus had never yelled at her before.
Remus halted, too, shocked at his own tone. "Mia, I'm sorry, I didn't mean- "
Maria shook her head, her mascara now leaving streaks of black on her tan face. She turned and ran.
"Maria, wait!"
~ * ~ * ~
The Gryffindor common room had been cleared out when Maria arrived.
'Good...now I'll be able to see what all the commotion was about...'
She scanned the wall, noticing at once the crimson letters shining above the fireplace. Fear knotted her stomach as she read the words and they registered in her mind.
Were the pendants, was being an heir to a founder of Hogwarts really that important, or was there more to this story than any of them knew?
~ * ~ * ~
Professor Dumbledore descended from Headmaster O'Leary's office, so lost in thought that he almost ran into Remus Lupin. Said boy was also lost in thought.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Mr. Lupin...where are your friends?" Usually, when you had one Maurader, you had the rest, too.
"Professor...have you seen Maria?!" Remus asked urgently. "We were on our way to see the headmaster about what happened in the Gryffindor common room, and I...I..." he bowed his head. "I lost my temper with her. I was worried about her! She ran."
Dumbledore nodded. "Go see the headmaster. I'm fairly sure Miss Ravenwood has been retrieved by one of your friends by now. If not, I will find her."
Remus nodded and continued on.
Headmaster O'Leary was expecting him. "Mr. Lupin. Sit down."
Remus shook his head. "No, I...it's alright."
"You had something to discuss with me?"
"The message. Who did it?" Remus asked.
Headmaster O'Leary sighed. "I won't lie to you, Remus. At this point, we do not know. We do know, however, that you, your sister, Noel, James, and Sirius are in danger."
"Why? And in danger of what? And who is in the most danger?" Remus stumbled over his words in his rush to get them out.
"I cannor say...why. Not yet, I'm not sure..." Headmaster O'Leary seemed to be talking to himself. Then his voice raised and he looked at Remus once again. "You and Maria seem to be in immediate danger. But...Mr. Black is on lasting danger."
"Lasting?"
"He is the Heir of Slytherin. Don't you think the Dark Lord would be keen to have Sirius on his side?"
"But...Sirius wouldn't do that to us." Remus protested. "To...Maria."
Headmaster O'Leary surveyed Remus and said abruptly, "It should be safe to go back to Gryffindor Tower by now."
Remus nodded, turning to leave.
"Mr. Lupin...take care of your sister..." Headmaster O'Leary said quietly to himself as Remus left. "She may be in more danger than any other..."
~ * ~ * ~
Sirius walked through the hall, his blue eyes darting around, finally locating his target sitting, back braced against a wall, talking to a portrait.
"...and I don't see why no one told us..." Maria said. "You know what I mean?"
The man in the picture nodded. "Completely. But don't worry - I'm sure everything will be alright."
Sirius stopped in front of Maria, who stood up.
"Thanks for talking to me," she said to the man.
"Anytime. Bye, Maria."
"See ya."
As they started walking, Sirius asked, "So, what were you talking about?"
"Nothing much," Maria responded quietly.
Sirius fidgeted. "...hey, Maria, I..." he stopped. "Nevermind. Let's head back to Gryffindor Tower. We can go in, now."
Maria nodded. "Sure."
When they were inside, Maria stared at the fireplace. "I...I think I'm going to go to bed."
Sirius nodded. After a brief moment's hesitation, he kissed Maria's cheek lightly. "Good night."
She smiled faintly at him and walked off.
Sirius sighed, throwing himself down on the couch. His eyes slipped shut, his breathing became light and slow, and he dreamed...
~ * ~ * ~
Her pulse was slowing. Her breathing became erratic, and her robes were imbrued with blood. He knelt down, gathering her in his arms. "No...what...this can't be..."
Heat was rising in his face, making it hard for him to think Hate and rage bubbled beneath his surface. She wasn't dying, no, not on his watch...
She raised her arm weakly, fingers dancing along his forehead, brushing at his hair.
"Please, no...you can't die. We're supposed to marry...I love you!" he cried desperately, tears falling unchecked from his eyes.
"Don't worry...ours is...a love that transcends life...I will always be with you." She said softly, drawing in one long, deep breath.
He shook his head, crying openly now as the girl before him shut her eyes, releasing her last breath.
~ * ~ * ~
Back in the Gryffindor common room, someone's icy blue eyes shot open. Dazed from the sudden shock back to reality, he stared at the place above the fireplace where the bloody letters had once resided.
"Maria," Sirius whispered.
~ * ~ * ~
a/n: Lovely. I finally updated. Thanks to my new reviewers, especially Caitlin! I'm so glad you like it. I'll try to update on a regular basis now.
Anyway...*gasp*! Such an exciting chapter! What will happen next!? I guess we'll find out when I update next. Haha.