Lives and Loves of Ravenclaw Girls
Chapter 26 – From the Clutches of Evil
By: Julie, Megan and Heidi
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Heidi and Will were lounging on his bed Christmas Eve. "My family loved you," Will said, playing with Heidi's hair.
"I'm glad," Heidi said, "I was so nervous when I was trying to think of a reason for showing up on your doorstep days early."
Will shrugged. "I told them it was a family emergency. They're strict sometimes, but they understand."
They remained in silence for a while, content to just lay next to each other. Heidi was nearly asleep when Will's mother, Marie, knocked gently on the door. "Dinner's ready," she said, smiling at the pair. Will and Heidi slowly got up and followed Marie down to the dining room.
Dinner started off well enough. They had talked about trivial things like Quidditch at Hogwarts. Heidi and Will had playfully argued over who would win the Quidditch Cup – Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Afterwards, the conversation turned to Heidi's family.
"You said your last name is Singe?" Will's father, Andrew, asked. Heidi nodded. "I don't recall every hearing of the Singes at any Ministry events."
"Oh, no," Heidi said, "You wouldn't. They're Muggles."
Andrew and Marie froze. "Beg your pardon?" Marie asked with a distasteful look on her face.
Heidi glanced at Will as she said "They're Muggles." Will was pointedly ignoring her gaze, staring intently at his plate.
Andrew and Marie also glared at their son but quickly sent them from the room.
"What was that all about?" Heidi asked when they were back in Will's room.
Will sighed. "I was hoping this wouldn't come up," he said, still avoiding her eyes. "My parents are purebloods and think it's a crime against nature to have anything to do with Muggles or Muggleborns. It's stupid; really, we would have died out if we hadn't-"
"Why didn't you tell me that?" Heidi asked, trying not to lose her temper on him. "That's kind of something I needed to know."
"I'm sorry, Heidi!" Will said, taking her hands. "I just – I was hoping it wouldn't come up."
"Yes, well, it did." Heidi pulled her hands out of his grasp and paced around his room. "I can't believe you Will!"
"You're normally so composed; I didn't think you were going to react at all."
"No, because I can be perfectly normal when your parents think I'm dirt." Heidi said sarcastically as she sat down on the bed, sighing in defeat.
Will sat down next to her. "Look, it'll be fine. They're just going to be weird around you, but that's it. It'll be fine." He gathered Heidi into a hug and kissed her forehead. "I love you and that's all that matters," he said, and tilted her chin up to kiss her gently. His fingers ran through her hair, her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer and closer. They fell back onto the bed. Will gently shifted so he was on top of her and trailed his kisses down her neck. Heidi giggled at the touch and Will couldn't help but grin at how ticklish she was. He stopped for a moment and watched her face. She had the most beautiful gray blue eyes. Heidi rolled her eyes at him as if she knew what he was thinking and pulled his head down to kiss him again, holding back a laugh as his hand found the hem of her shirt and gently slid underneath. His hands worked their way down again toward her pants and began searching for the clasp on her belt. Caught up in the moment, both were oblivious to the bedroom door that had just swung open.
"Will Roberts!" Marie yelled. Will jumped off of Heidi, staring at his parents, his expression a mixture of fear and annoyance.
"What do you think you're doing?" Andrew yelled.
"Miss Singe, I think it's time you return home," Marie said in a tone that suggested she was not at all as impressed with Heidi as she had been when they had first met. Heidi gave a worried glance toward Will and hurried out of the room picking up her broom on the way out.
She did not, however, simply leave. Once she was outside, she flew up to the roof directly above Will's window. The window was closed but she could hear voices shouting though she couldn't understand them. Several words however were understandable, like Mudblood, filth, and disgrace. Heidi sat silently on the roof, knees bent toward her chest, arms wrapped around her knees. The yells seemed to be subsiding so she leaned over the edge of the roof and peeked in the window. Nobody was in sight and the room was dark. Carefully, she opened the window and stepped in. "Will?" she asked quietly. There was no reply. Slowly she walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down, looking around. Heidi wasn't sure how long she sat there, but when Will finally opened the door, it felt like several hours had passed. "Hi," she said quietly when he shut the door.
"Hi," he muttered, collapsing onto the bed. "I thought you really left."
"I wouldn't do that," Heidi said, laying on her side and watching him. "You're pale."
Will shrugged. "Don't worry about it."
"What happened?"
Will didn't say anything for a while but gazed at her instead. "You're so beautiful," he said after a while. "I know you hate hearing it and I don't understand why you don't believe it, but it's true."
Heidi ignored the comment but studied his face instead. She wasn't going to press him; he'd tell her eventually. Will reached over and touched her cheek softly. After kissing her quickly, he said, "You should go. I don't want them to catch you here."
Heidi sighed, said goodbye, and flew out the window to go home.
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Miles away, another person was having a not so merry Christmas Eve. Tag rolled over with much effort, letting a groan escape his cracked and dry lips. He crawled to the hole and hit it gently to get Kyle's attention. Kyle crept to the wall, "Is it time?" Tag asked.
"Yeah, question though," Kyle asked, "How we supposed to get out of this room?"
"Pretty simple," said Tag, standing up against the protests of his aching joints. He walked over to a giant spare desk and after a bit of kicking he ripped off a leg.
"So what are we doing with that?" asked Kyle.
"Attacking the doors of coarse," said Tag simply. "Get ready, once we start this, we can't slow down."
Kyle went over to a desk and broke off a leg. He held it up walking to the door. "On the count of three!" Tag yelled to Kyle. "One, Two, Three!" and the two of them started pounding on the doors. Tag broke off the handle on his door allowing the door to swing open. He opened it and peered outside. Empty.
Tag gripped the leg a little tighter before maneuvering to the door to his left. He started smashing at the lock, before effectively taking it clean off. He swung open the door to see Kyle fully for the first time in a while.
They grinned at each other for half a moment before both taking off down the hall way. The reached the first door and tried the doorknob hastily.
"Locked," hissed Kyle.
"Watch out," Tag said and took a large swing at the handle. It came off and Tag smirked at Kyle.
"Oh, don't be so cocky," Kyle said, peeking into the room and seeing someone crouched on the floor. The two entered the room quietly, approaching the hunched figure.
"Leave me alone," hissed a voice under the blood-matted hair. Kyle reached out and touched the figures shoulders, only to have them recoil violently.
"Marie?" whispered Tag, looking over the crumpled figure. The beady eyed girl looked up to the two towering figures and groaned.
"Not again," she muttered, letting her head fall into her arms.
"Come on Marie, we need to get going! Can you walk?" asked Tag, touching her arm lightly. All he received was a groan and a 'Sleep time' muttered from her.
"Come on, Em! We don't have time to lose!" Kyle grabbed both her arms and lifted her up. She took a staggered step before nodding her head.
"Time to go," she muttered. The three set off across the hall to fetch another. Tag lifted the desk leg again before Kyle's voice stopped him.
"This is taking way to long, we need to split up and cover more rooms." Tag nodded swiftly. "Come on Em, your coming with me." Kyle and Marie set off down the hall to find more rooms.
Tag smashed off yet another lock and kicked open the door. He saw Jamie Naismen sitting quietly in the corner of the room. Jamie met Tags eyes and nodded. He stood up slowly and walked out of the room, as if he had been expecting Tag for a while.
"I knew this would happen," said Jamie, the corner of his mouth raising.
"Am I that predictable?" asked Tag, raising a bloody eyebrow.
"Only to us, Tyler," Jamie replied. Together the two set off down the hall. They walked past three broken doors, with empty rooms. They reached a stairwell, where they spotted the others.
"Someone's missing," whispered Kyle, looking around. "There were eight of us, but only seven locked doors. The other unlocked doors had no one inside them!
"Maybe they're on the next level," said Tag, gripping the splintered Desk leg in his hand. "Everyone stay alert, remember what Dumbledore taught us. Come on," Tag began creeping down the stair case slowly and quietly. He heard Kyle maneuvering through the crowd to walk beside him.
"There's something wrong here," Kyle whispered.
"I get the same feeling," said Tag darkly.
"It makes no sense, why hasn't anyone come yet? We made so much noise, yet no one has come. Even with the ministry gala tonight, someone would be here."
"And why have someone moved to another floor?" asked Tag. "Why them, what did they do?"
"Maybe.." trailed off Kyle.
"What?" asked Tag, eyeing his friend.
"Maybe they went to far torturing someone. What there's just a body."
"No," Tag responded firmly. "They would have told us as much."
"I guess," they fell into silence. They reached the first landing and split the group up to search different rooms. Tag reached the end of his hallway when he came across a locked door. He turned around to face his group.
"Silvia, can you run to Kyle's group, Ii think we have something here," Silvia nodded and took off down the corridor.
Tag twirled the wood in his hand before raising it up over his head. He brought the club down repeatedly on the door, before the loc had fallen out. He rammed his shoulder against the door when it burst open.
He squinted around the dark room before spotting a figure sitting in an armchair. The boy was slumped over. Tag walked over and shook him gently. The boys head snapped up and fearfully looked into Tags eyes.
"Jack?" asked Tag, looking over the scruffy boy.
"Tyler," replied the boy with a nod. He stood up off of the chair and fiddled with a pocket in his robes.
Tag nodded his head towards the door, "Come on, we have overstayed longer than anyone would want to."
The two boys walked back into the hall as Kyle came into view.
"Good, you got him. Let's just go," said Kyle wearily.
The group descended the stairs hurriedly. They were able to reach the main landing and crossed it quietly. They reached what they assumed to be the main doors before stopping. Tag opened the door a crack, waiting for something to happen. He peeked outside but was greeted with a sight of nothing and no one.
Tag looked at Kyle, a dark look crossed between them. Kyle gave a half shrug before Tag opened the door fully. The eight fugitives escaped onto the cold wintry grounds and into the Christmas night.
"What do we do now?" asked Marie, hugging herself for warmth.
"We walk," said Tag, beginning the trek away from the house.
Kyle was the first to catch up to him. "That was easy Ty, way too easy."
"I know Kyle. But what can we do? We have made it this far, let's just keep going."
A few miles later as tensions were eased, the group started to break out into a happy chatter.
"You know what i'm going to do when we get back?" asked Sarah happily. "Take the longest shower known to man."
Several others laughed with her, others nodding their heads in agreement.
"I'm going to eat as much food as I can get my hands on," smiled Jamie.
"How about you Kyle?" asked Marie, looking over to the two boys who had yet to say anything.
Kyle ran a hand through his hair with a small smile on his face. "I'm going to go see my friends, and never leave them alone for a good long time."
"That's a great idea," smiled Kate. "How about you Tyler?"
Tag took a little longer to respond. What he wanted was clear, but as her face swam into his thoughts he bit back his emotions. "Megan," he said hoarsely.
The others smiled sadly at him before continuing on their talks of what they were going to do, not if they got home, but when.
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Sam smiled as Severus brought her a tray of deserts to her in her bed. "I wanted you to have a good night before Christmas tomorrow," he said dipping a strawberry into some chocolate and feeding it to her.
"Yum," Sam said, licking her lips seductively and biting her lower lip. She raised her eyes and batted her lashes. Severus couldn't resist her; he kissed her mouth, letting his tongue lick the chocolate off her lips. Sam smiled against his mouth and draped her arms around his neck. She arched back and let him kiss her neck. He nibbled there, gently sucking as she played with the hair at the base of his neck. His hands explored her, they went from cupping her head to holding her neck to sliding up and down her arms giving her goose bumps. He slipped them between them and slowly unbuttoned her shirt slipping his hands inside. She shivered slightly and pressed herself closer to him, she captured his lips in crushing kiss. She pushed him down onto the bed and straddled him. She kissed his lips and moved down to his already bare chest. She rested her cheek there and listened to his heart beat. Sam closed her eyes and then looked back up at Severus. "I love you," she whispered before closing her eyes and falling asleep again.
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Heidi landed in her room to find her father waiting for her there. "The Roberts flooed us, told me you were on your way home." Heidi nodded, and went to search for clean clothes. "What were you thinking taking off like that?"
Heidi stopped what she was doing and whipped around to face her father, "What was I doing?" she asked pointing to herself. "Daddy, I was blowing off steam before I completely lost it. Before I said something I would regret."
"So you just left!"
"Yes, I just left. You don't understand me! You think I'm some easy wh-ore who will anyone and everyone. I'm still a virgin, Daddy. Take me to the doctor's, do what you have to. Just believe me when I say I'm still a virgin. I'm not going to give myself up to just anyone who comes around. It's going to be someone I love, someone who loves me. And it's not going to be now."
Her father sat there in shock, never in all his life had his little girl talked to him or looked at him the way she was now, with such veracity. She was telling the truth, he realized. She had been telling the truth the whole time, all he had to do was look into her eyes and see it. But he was stubborn and didn't want to believe anything, especially what was right in front of him.
"I – I know, Sweetheart. You would never do that. I – I'm – sorry." Heidi smiled and let the build up of tears slip. She couldn't help it. She was just so glad that her father finally believed her.
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Megan sat on the couch listening as Daniel and Mark had "The Night Before Christmas" read to them. By the end of the story the two boys were fast asleep and Charlotte and Mike had carried them upstairs. Megan sighed and looked at the Christmas tree. It was decorated with delicate crystal balls and handmade do-dads from her childhood. Every year the family made some handmade ornaments and hung them on the tree.
"Hey, Megz," Caleb said, plopping down next to her on the couch.
"Hey," Megan said, plastering on a fake smile.
"So, what's your Christmas wish?"
Megan shook her head. "Tag," she said simply.
"Oh, right, right, right, right, right," Caleb said with a slight smile.
"I want him to be okay. I want to wake up tomorrow and see him, go visit him. Like I used to do on Christmas."
"Well, I hope you do," Caleb said, kissing her forehead and going up to his room.
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The group of eight continued there trek to anywhere but the old house they were held hostage in. The rocky hills grew steeper and steeper, as the seemed to head down what felt like a mountain. They walked long into the night, because they all feared what stopping would bring.
Somewhere between the beginning of the walk and at the moment a light snowfall had begun. They walked in the dancing snowflakes that taunted them with their vigor. Soon the midnight black that had enveloped them became a lighter and lighter blue. They had walked all through the night and had begun to witness the sun rising.
Tag looked around and recognised where he was. He smiled, "Kyle, I know where we are." He smiled and spun around taking in the sites he and Megan had visited.
"Where are we dude?" Kyle asked laughing at him.
"On a path towards Megan's house," he grinned.
"That's plain bull," laughed Kyle, shaking his head. "We can't be."
"We are! I swear we are!" Tag began running from side to side of the path, looking for other familiarities.
"Tag, I know its hard being away from her on Christmas but this is ridiculous."
"No! Wait! Here, see that big boulder? Julie dared Megan to climb it when we were 10. Megan fell and broke her leg, then smacked Walsh."
"Tag –" started Marie.
"Look!" Tag yelled, holding up a green purse. "Her step mom gave this to her, so she decided to chuck it one day!"
Kyle's voice shut down on him as he took the purse in his hands. He savoured the feel of it. He finally let out a choked sigh of relief. "Home..."
The others around him began to smile and some started to cheer. They were finally going back home. Only one person didn't join in the cheering, but his lack of reaction went unnoticed.
Tag, still smiling, pulled Kyle into a joyous hug. "It's Christmas," he said hoarsely, "It's Christmas and i'm going to be with Megan again."
"How far away are we?" asked Kyle to the blonde boy slumped on his shoulder.
"About 40 minutes. We would walk pretty far up here."
"Then let's get going, i'm sure doing downhill will be quicker than you think." Tag nodded against his friend's chest.
The two began to slide down the hill as they hurried to Megan's house. They only came to a stop when Silvia's scream reached their ears.
They both looked to each other and gulped in fear. They hurried as fast as they could up the snowy trail towards the others. They stumbled into view.
Tag held a stitch in his side as he looked around desperately. He spotted five of the group, laying face down in the snow. Silvia's blonde hair was visible closest to them. None of the others moved.
Tag swallowed a lump in his throat, looking around. "What the hell happened?"
"We were gone only two seconds." Kyle went to bend down to Silvia when Tag grabbed his arm.
"Seven," he whispered choked up.
"What?" asked Kyle looking to Tag.
"Seven! Five on the ground, us two, that makes seven. Someone's missing!"
"Wh –" begun Kyle before a mirthless laugh came from behind them.
The sound of clapping came from behind them. They both whirled around to scan the shady trees in the forest. "Well Done Tyler. You too Kyle."
Kyle's mind drew a blank, but Tag seemed to tense beside him. "Jack?"
Indeed, the scruffy eighth group member stepped out of the trees shadows, a dark look in his usual green eyes. "Correct again, Anderson."
"Jack, what happened? What did you do?" asked Kyle, looking at the others.
Jack on the other and drew out his wand and pointed it at the pair.
"Yes, I still have my wand," he said, looking at the two shocked boys.
"You betrayed us, didn't you?" growled Tag. "You sold yourself out to him, that's why you were in a better room, that's why you were on another floor, that's why you have your wand! You caved into them! Didn't you?"
"What did you expect?" Jack retorted in anger. "Not everyone is as powerful as you, Tyler."
"I expected you to stay loyal to Dumbledore. I expected you to stand against him, as you swore to."
"That was then Kyle. The Dark Lord offered me better."
"What?" asked Tag challengingly. "Certain death?"
"You won't understand. But that won't matter. My orders were to let you get far into the bush, then kill you all."
"Jack –" began Kyle, taking a step forward.
"Stop! Don't take another step or else. I may have joined the dark side, but I can't just kill you. I know I can't." Jack nodded his head to the other four lying on the ground.
"There stunned and I erased their memories. That's it." Jack sighed as he raised his wand higher.
Kyle threw himself at Jack, but as Jack had the wand, he levitated Kyle and banished him so he flew straight into a tree. Kyle slumped down, knocked out.
Jack then turned his eyes on Tag. He muttered a small jinx, binding Tag in place.
Jack sighed heavily, bringing his wand up again. "I'm really sorry Tag. I hope you remember Megan."
Tag struggled against his bonds, thrashing wildly and twisting his body to try and escape. Megan! Megz, I'm coming back! I swear! He screamed in his mind.
He gave one last jerk as his blue eyes were washed away, with only a dull blank look in his eyes. He knew nothing more.
Jack stunned Tag, causing him to fall to the ground like the others. Jack then turned and levitated Kyle over with the others. He obliviated Kyle, before placing a warming charm on each of the group members.
Jack sat in the snow a while longer, looking over his old friends and crying slightly. He rubbed his eyes free of tears having come to a decision before turning the wand on himself.
He cast a warming charm on himself, and then took his own memories. He lay down in the snow with the others, just as he would have.
--End Chapter 26
