Tera "woke up" at that moment before they got back to the castle.
"I'm fine..." she murmered. James quickly put her down, but Lily looked at her as if she wasn't so sure she believed that. Tom will be back... and when that time comes he might not take me...
Dalyce walked back to the common room and went straight to her bed. She hadn't learned about the three curses yet, and did not know how to fight the Imperious curse. The intruder in her mind, Lucious, knew very well how to use the curse so even if she could fight back her chances wern't likely of succeeding.
"Go to sleep... I'll instruct you further in the morning..."
"Alright..." and Dalyce did just that.
They ended up going back to the Head's room without a word. Tera felt so guilty inside... so bad. How could she do this? She really did love Sirius... and now she had to push him away. She took a deep breath as they came back in. Sirius instantly came rushing up. God this was going to hurt... Her muscles instantly froze up and her body went rigid.
"Sirius..." she started. He looked at her. "I-" her words couldn't seem to come out right. "I have to-" Damn! This was soo hard. "Break up!" she managed to choke out. Tears were already formed in her eyes and prepared to fall. Then she backed out of the room and ran. She wasn't sure where... but she had to run. Tears whipped off of her face. She only stopped running when she came to a dark corner, very far from everywhere. Oh my God... What have I done?! Tom... I swear I will kill you or die trying!!! Her tears continued to fall. Sirius... Oh God please forgive me... wait... don't. Don't you dare forgive me in the least. Hate me.... hate me forever. Forget my existance. Forget... everything...
Sirius looked at Tera's receding back. He looked past her.....past everything. He was stupid. He felt that he had been an idiot. To trust her. She was a Slytherin. Always a Slytherin. He turned away and charged out of the room. He walked in the opposite direction of Tera. James and Lily looked at each other worried.
"Tera?"
"Sirius." Said James
The two set of in different directions. Lily qickly found Tera who was sitting in the Astronomy Tower. She was staring out the window.
"Tera? Are you ok?"
Of course I am I just broke up with my boyfriend
"Yeah I......I'm ok."
"Wanna tell me why you broke up?"
Tera gulped. She told a lie. She was already hurting so she couldn't feel the pain of the curse.
"He was cheating on me..."
"That ass!" exclaimed Lily
Lily comforted Tera. Meanwhile James was sitting with Sirius.
"Pad why'd she break up?"
"How should I know?!"
James fell silent. Sirius sighed
"I still love her."
James looked at his friend.
"I WILL get the turth."
James walked back to the Heads Room. He was mad at Lily for choosing her friends so badly. Lily was also heading back. She was furious. She should have known. Sirius was a player. They collided. James gave Lily a glare while Lily stared back icily.
"Nice friends you have Potter."
"It's your friend that broke up."
"Do you think thats her fault?"
"Yes as a matter of fact. It was her fault."
Lily turned around glaring frostily and looked at the wall.
"Potter I can bet you that my friends and I can beat you at finding costumes."
"Yeah sure. Like a bunch of amateur girls can beat us?"
"We could. In fact lets make a bet."
"FINE! What are the stakes?"
"If we win girls get the map for a week. If you win you get control over us girls for a week."
"Deal." James stuck out his hand. It had begun. The Girls vs. Boys
Tera continued to stare out of the window. Her brother was out there some where... But despite all that he had done she still loved him. He was her brother. And there had indeed been a time when they had acted like civil siblings. A memory came out of the fog of her brain...
Flashback
Tera had accidently burned her hand on the stove at the orphanage. She cried out in pain.
"Tera!! Are you o.k.?" asked her brother, concerned.
"It burns!" she squealed between sobs. His eyes widened as he saw her hand. She was four years old and he was twelve.
"It's.. it's gonna be o.k. Tera! I promise!" She bit her tongue trying to ignore the pain. He whipped out his wand. Students still in school were NOT alowed to use magic outside of school, he knew this. But his sister was in pain- he had to do somthing! He cried an incantation and her hand cooled off.
"I- it doesn't hurt anymore!! Thank you Tom!" she screamed while hugging him tightly. He hugged her back. She'd scared him for a moment there... he loved her and never wanted any thing to happen to her.
End FlashBack
What had happened? She just wanted to know. Had Tom really hurt her all those times? Was he still the same protective big brother on the inside?
"Where are you Tom?" she whispered, "I need to find you..." more tears fell down her face. Would she ever see Tom again? The Tom that she had known for so many years? Would she ever be able to declare outright again that she loved Sirius? So many questions... And no answers came to her. Not a single one. For a moment the drop from the tower looked appealing... but she couldn't turn down a challenge. Not this time. Before she would she would have to know the answers to her questions. She looked out at the sky. The stars twinkled happily, blissfully unaware of her current problems. "Good-bye Sirius..." she whispered, "My heart will always look out for you..."
Lily sat on her bed. She had woken up Kal and told her all the events of the night. They were talking about Tera.
"Poor Sirius." Said Kal
"Poor Sirius? He's the one who cheated on her!" exclaimed Lily
"But he loved her....he made that clear."
Lily shook her head and said
"The jerk threw all that away....hey Kal do yuo think Tera might be lying to us?"
"Why?"
"She was terrified. That thing that took her...maybe she was trying to protect Sirius."
"Maybe."
"Tera's always been sentimental and when she gets sad usually she tries to kill herself but I'm always there.....oh my god Kal! She going to jump!"
Kal and Lily jumped up and ran down the stairs. Remus chased them to find out what was so urgent. They whizzed past James and Sirius who were standing out beside the door.
"WHAT'S WRONG?" yelled James
"She's gonna jump!" yelled Kal back
"Who's going to jump? Lily and Kal just passed us...they couldn't care less about Lexi....they must mean...." said Remus
"TERA!" exclaimed Sirius and ran after Lily and Kal
Tera looked down. It was such a long way down. Such an appealing sight. Then she heard footsteps thundering down the hall. She quickly looked down. She didn't want to face any of them. She never, ever wanted to. Ever. She looked down and felt her self leaning. Leaning... she started to fall. But something kept her up. One of her hands was clinging to the sill of the window. She wanted to fall... but she had to stop Tom. This wouldn't get her anywhere. She stayed there, with one hand keeping her from plumetting to her sure doom. Oh Tom! Where are you? I think that you're dead... I can't see you clearly anymore... Only him... Only Lord Voldemort... why did you leave me Tom, why? How could you leave me with him? She started to cry. By now she could hear voices in the room she had just about left. Tom... I love you Tom... my brother. Even after everything...
"Tom... please come back," she whispered. Her plea floated off on the breeze and no answer came back.
Lily charged into the room. She cried out, Tera was hanging onto the window. Before Lily could react Sirius had strided across the room and was hoisting Tera up.
"Tera! Are you ok?"
"Fine...almost dead but fine." Said Tera with a tiny smile
Lily grinned and hugged Tera.
"Now lets get back to the Heads Room."
Tera allowed herslef to be steered towards the room. She found herself thinking Sirius came with them.....he still loves me.....but it'll never work.... They walked along numerous passages. They arrived at the room and the guys and girls parted ways. Tera only allowed herself one glance back. She met Sirius' eyes and hurried up the stairs.
"Uh Tera I have something to tell you.." started Lily
"Yes?"
"We are uh sorta in a contest with the guys to find out who can sorta get the best costume...." said Lily nervously
"And...."
"Thats all"
"Oh big deal. Do they have the fantastic drawer with them? Aka ME?" said Tera quickly trying to recover from her last near death experiance.
Lily grinned.
"Lets show them what we can do."
Lily grabbed 3 pencils and 3 pads of paper. The next half hour was spent drawing dresses. The room was full of crumpled peices of paper.
MEANWHILE in the boys dorm....
"She wouldn't even look at me..." said Sirius
"She's a Slytherin Pad...what can you expect?" said James
"Still...she could have at least thanked me for saving her life."
"Talk to her AFTER the dance."
"Why?"
James told Sirius about the contest. "....so we get control over them..."
Tera tried drawing dress after dress... nothing worked out.
"Guys? Can you keep a secret?" she asked. She was staring at her paper. They both nodded.
"What is it Tera?" Lily asked.
"Well... I have a brother. And..." Kal seemed to catch on quickly.
"He did all that to you?"
"Yeah," Tera replied reluctantly. "Anyways, I need to tell you guys what really happened. My mother was a witch and she fell in love with a muggle named Tom. She married him, but when he found out about her he abandoned all of us before my brother and I were born. My brother and I were supposed to be twins but I was dying before my birth. My mom really wanted both of us to live so she asked her elf-friend to help. He tried doing a spell. In the end my brother was born at the time he was supposed to be but I would be born some years later. He couldn't look after Tom however because he died shortly after doing the spell. Some of his magic left him and went into me, his last source of magic. I became an elf when I came into existance and was raised in the same orphanage as my brother. He always looked out for me. He loved me. Mom died giving birth to him and he felt like she'd abandoned him. He didn't want me to be abandoned. When I was a year or two old he killed our muggle father who'd left us. He started to go... bad when he went to school. He started beating me. I don't know why. But I don't think that you'll know him by his name Tom. He changed it to.... Voldemort." She finally stopped. It hurt so much to speak of the past.
