Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter Characters, I just write about them…
A/N: This chapter is still awful just like the last one… sorry… I'll get my grove back… school just finished, I just need to lighten up…
Lauretta and Hallie didn't have to wait long at the Infirmary before Madame Pomfrey and Professor Granger showed up. And to the surprise of Lauretta and Hallie, they were not alone. Instead they were accompanied by none other than Harry Potter. Hallie stared at him in awe, but Lauretta wasn't as astonished this time.
"Harry this is Hallie McMillian and Lauretta Tonks." Hermione introduced them quickly.
"Ahh, you're Tonks' daughter." Harry said shaking her hand heartily. Lauretta wished her Mom told her that she knew these people.
"Well, Lauretta, Hallie, I'm afraid we have some bad news." Hermione started, looking between the two of them gravely. Lauretta had known it was coming all along.
"What is it?" Hallie asked, innocent as ever.
"Well…" Hermione started, her tone going soft. "I'm afraid your friend Jack has gone missing."
"Missing?" Hallie asked faintly, her deep brown eyes wide. "You mean like he's hiding missing?" She looked around the room quickly, as if expecting Jack to pop out and yell surprise at the five of them.
"Well, we were hoping maybe you two would know about that." Harry said quickly.
"Why would we know anything?" Lauretta asked quickly, her eyes widening as she looked at the grave faces of the three.
"Well, dear." Madame Pomfrey spoke up, "We were hoping optimistically that maybe Jack had left of his own will."
"How else do you think he would have left?" Hallie asked, still uncertain of what they were trying to imply.
The three of them stared at Hallie glumly, and it was finally Harry that spoke to confirm Laurettta's suspicions. "I'm afraid we think he's been kidnapped."
A thump came at this news, and the group looked over to see Hallie huddled on the floor peacefully. She'd either fainted or fallen asleep.
Lauretta left the hospital wing much more tired than she should have been in the late afternoon. Hallie had thankfully just fallen asleep, but Lauretta almost wished that it had been something more so they wouldn't have had to go through all of the questions asked of them by Harry. She understood that it was for the good of Jack, but she really didn't want to have to go through every conversation she'd ever had with him trying to prod for hidden meanings behind every word. And she still didn't think they'd gotten anywhere with it. Harry had refused to tell her whether or not they knew why Jack had been attacked the first time, and she was overcome with the desire to find out for herself. Her first thoughts were on talking to Carrie. But first she had to get up the courage.
Lauretta headed towards the Great Hall, to get an early start on dinner, in a cloud of thought, not noticing the man that followed her. Granted he was rather far behind and he hung in the many shadows that flitted about the school, some in corners where they should be, and some dancing around the walls, and annoying the paintings. But with so many rambunctious shadows it was easy for her to miss his presence.
The man was waiting for a chance to corner her when no one was in sight, but for being a Hogsmede day and one of the last pretty days of the season, there were an annoying amount of students wandering around the castle and getting in his way. He was just about to pounce on his prey when on of the Weasley triplets appeared to talk to Lauretta. The man watched carefully as they talked, hoping that the conversation would end with them going their separate ways, but he was dismayed when they headed on to the Great Hall together. He decided to give up; he had other business to attend to. He'd get to her later.
Lauretta had no idea that she should have been very grateful to the appearance of Randall Weasley, but since she knew nothing of her stalker, she was slightly dismayed to find him wandering through the castle.
"Hi." He said shyly when they came up to each other.
"Hi." She replied, shifting her feet. She remembered what Giovanni and Lee had said about Randall being miserable, but she still didn't know how to go about things. "How was Hogsmede?" She continued carefully.
"Oh it was all right." He replied glancing down at his shoes.
"You didn't get injured I see?" She added a hint of amusement in her voice.
He finally chuckled. "No, I didn't, thankfully. I was pretty worried with those two."
They smiled at each other. "Do you want to go get something to eat in the Great Hall he asked?"
She nodded happily and the two of them headed off together.
Upon entering the great hall, Lauretta was surprised to see that Harry was still around. He was sitting at the teacher's table talking animatedly with Hermione.
"Look it's Harry!" Randall said turning excitedly to Lauretta when he saw the two of them. He grabbed Lauretta's hand and pulled her towards the table. "I'll introduce you to him." All shyness was gone as they ran towards the table. Lauretta on the other hand had a sick feeling in her stomach, as it would be hard to explain to Randall how she'd already met Harry and spent over an hour with him just that afternoon.
"Hey Randy!" Harry interrupted his own conversation excitedly when he saw who was running towards the front. He'd been greatly frustrated with all of the people who'd been coming towards him within the last half hour who continually asked him if he was really Harry Potter. A friendly and familiar face was quite welcome.
"Hello Harry, what are you doing here?" Randall asked. "And this is my friend Lauretta Tonks."
"Yes we've met." Harry said quickly, smiling at Lauretta. Lauretta beamed back at him because Randy has just called her his friend.
But Randall was caught on those words as Lauretta had feared that he would be. "You've met?" He asked, frowning slightly.
"Oh yes we met just today in fact." Harry explained quickly. "I had to ask Lauretta a few questions about something."
"Oh." Randall said, his frown disappearing. But Lauretta knew that she wouldn't hear the last of it. She knew what happened when you perked the curiosity of a Weasley.
"So what were you talking with Harry about?" Randy asked catching up with her later in the hallway.
Lauretta bit her lip… they hadn't told her that she couldn't tell anyone had they? "Let's go somewhere to talk about it." She said, not wanting just anyone to be able to overhear their conversation in the hall.
Randall looked slightly confused, but nodded his agreement anyway.
They headed over to the library where the found an abandoned corner to talk about it. "The boy who was attacked on the carriage ride over here." She started. "He disappeared yesterday, and since Hallie and I made friends with him he was wondering what we knew."
"Oh." Randall said slowly. She looked away, anticipating his reaction to be the worst. "That's awful! He just disappeared? Any idea why?" He continued.
Lauretta looked up to make sure that Randall wasn't mocking her. "Harry said he thinks that he's been kidnapped." She answered.
"In Hogwarts? How would someone get it?" He glanced around nervously as if worried a kidnapper was going to jump out and attack him. "Wow."
"Take him to the room." The voice instructed.
Demetrius felt cold hands pick him up by his shoulders and he fought his impulse to squirm. He knew how useless it was to fight and it wouldn't do to lose all of his composure just yet. He felt a cold breath on his face and knew that his ex best friends was standing just beside him.
In a few minutes he felt himself be dropped and seconds later another body was dropped next to him. He heard a soft whimper and he knew it really was Claire this time. But he refused to let himself show any emotion towards her. She would be safer if she meant nothing to him. Safer from the pain.
The voice spoke a word and the gag and blindfold that he'd been wearing dropped from his face to the ground.
Demetrius looked around, bidding his time before he would speak, Claire was looking at him wide eyed, tears streaming down her face.
He was standing with his wand pointed directly at her heart.