YAAAAAAAY! Do you know how many reviews I got? I GOT TWELVE! YAAAAAAY THANKYOU EVERYBODY! NOW I HAVE THIRTY-TWO WONDERFUL REVIEWS FOR MY STORY!
Thankyou to Blue-Belt, Flatkatsi (lol), Aidyl, Thevil, HGDM-lova, xx, Lauren, Kris, Yellow Monkey, Emma and Nelson for reviewing chapter four! YAY!
Although Nelson, I didn't quite understand what you meant in your review... but thanx anyways!
Reviews are GOOD:-D
Lol I'm hypo today...
Flight of the Snape!
Lunch time at Hogwarts, where many girls and boys sat at their tables happily eating and chattering on with their friends. Well, all but one.
Verity Chambers cowered under the covers of her bed up in the girl's dormitories, curtains drawn around her in the dark room. She'd been hiding in the girl's dormitories for the past week, only leaving to attend class and eat a quick meal every now and then.
Footsteps echoed from the stairwell.
Lily walked quietly to the bed and sat on Verity's trunk. "You still haven't gotten up? Oh dear," she whispered. "Are you alright?"
Verity rolled over and peered through the curtains at her friend. "I'm scared," she said softly.
"Well, I'm sure you don't need to be scared." Lily shrugged. "I mean, not much can happen to you at Hogwarts, can it?" She gave a slight smile, but it soon faded.
"But what about my mum?" Verity stared at the ceiling. "She's all alone in the house with him; he can do anything to her when he wants to."
Lily leant on the bed. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why does he want to kill you and your mum? Like, does your mum have some massive fortune he wants to get his hands on?"
Verity thought for a moment. "No... Mum does alright, but it's not like she's rich or anything."
"Maybe your dad left some money behind when he uh..."
"Died? It's alright; he died when I was only a little baby. I can hardly remember him. But no, he didn't leave any money behind as far as I know." Verity sat up and started to fluff her pillow. "I have no idea why he wants to hurt us, but he will."
"Then tell someone." Lily murmured. "Tell McGonagall or... or even Dumbledore."
Verity looked at her. "I can't. Do you know how mum reacted at the wedding?"
"Well... you had just smashed up her wedding cake by pushing Patrick into it..."
"That's not the point. I was screaming: 'He's going to kill us!' at her and she wouldn't listen. She never listens. Now she's not letting me home for the Christmas holidays. She's not even talking to me - I sent three messages last night with May and she just tore them up and made May bring them back to me. If I go to someone, she's going to kick me out of the house for good and probably I'll never even see her again."
"Well you could get kicked out of the house and have something done to Patrick; or not get kicked out of the house and have your mother die. Your choice." Lily said tartly.
She was right. "Ok then." Verity decided. "I'll go to Professor McGonagall now."
Lily smiled. "Good girl. I'll go with you. And afterwards let's go outside into the sun. It's the weekend after all."
Verity quickly got dressed and scuttled down the stairs, closely followed by Lily. She made her way through the corridors and up to the Professor's office but paused at the door.
"Go on," Lily mouthed.
Reluctantly, Verity knocked on the wooden door. "Come in," she heard.
She pushed at the door and edged into the room. Professor McGonagall looked up from her desk, and set down the quill she had been writing with.
"Ah, Miss Chambers. I am to assume you are here about why you were not present at any classes in the past week?" She arched an eyebrow.
"Oh..." she glanced back at Lily who nodded. "Well... in a way." She explained what had happened with Patrick.
The Professor leaned back in her chair and eyed Verity carefully. "So, Miss Chambers, you believe that your step-father Patrick Malus is indeed trying to kill yourself and your mother?"
Verity shifted awkwardly. "Well he did say so, Professor. That's why I pushed him in the cake. Well, no, I mean, I didn't mean to push him in the cake, that was accidental, but -"
"I understand, Miss Chambers." McGonagall stopped her. Verity blushed and looked at her hands.
"Well, I suppose if you are genuinely concerned, I can contact your mother -"
"No!" Verity cried. "You can't contact her, she'd kill me! Please, isn't there any other way you can do something?"
"Well then, Miss Chambers, what do you want me to do?"
"I don't know," she mumbled. "That's why I came here." She could feel the tears well up again. She shook her head slightly, trying to rid herself of them.
McGonagall sighed. "My dear, there is little you can do. I suggest you allow me to talk with your mother. Perhaps she will then see what you are trying to convey to her. If not... I am sure your mother is aware of what she is doing."
Verity walked out of the office and leant back against the cool rock wall with a sigh.
That afternoon Verity and Lily sat in the library, silently doing homework. Verity moaned and buried her head in her arms. Lily was looked up desperately and patted her on the back, trying to comfort her.
Lily looked apologetically at her. "You never know, Leanne might turn around once a teacher approaches her about it."
Verity didn't reply.
Lily fidgeted. "Verity?"
"I'm falling."
"You're what?"
"I'm falling. I've been pushed off a cliff and I'm starting to fall. I don't know where I'll land or even if I'll survive."
Lily frowned. "Of course you'll survive." She said, trying to cheer Verity up. "And so will your mother. And then you'll spend the rest of your life writing short stories for the Daily Prophet."
"I've been pushed off a cliff and I'm starting to fall," a voice mimicked. Verity looked up and saw Miranda standing nearby, surrounded by a bunch of girls. She laughed shrilly, sweeping her silky blonde hair into a bun and securing it with a clip.
Verity looked with distaste at Miranda. Under her robes, she could clearly see a terribly short mini-skirt and a ripped T-shirt. Good grief.
She forced a smile. "Hello Miranda. You look like crap. Is that in style now?" Lily snorted and giggled behind her hands.
Miranda stopped laughing abruptly and narrowed her eyes at the brunette and the red-head. "I suppose you'd know all about that now, wouldn't you now?"
"Oh yes. I was just thinking; you should slip into something more comfortable... like a coma." She smiled sweetly at the glowering girl before her. "It might be in your best interests."
"Cow." Miranda turned on her heel and walked down the corridor. Just before turning the corner, she looked back over her shoulder. "It might also be in your best interests to check up on that boyfriend of yours, Chambers. You too, Evans." she laughed spitefully and disappeared.
Lily rushed to the window and looked out of it to the grounds below and groaned. "James and Sirius are at it again!"
Verity too went to the window and looked out. She could see five shapes surrounded by a circle of cheering people.
Oh no. She was in no mood for any more things to go wrong. She sighed and half-heartedly followed Lily as she ran down the corridor.
The two made it outside and Lily ran towards to crowd of people. Verity held back staring at James's and Sirius's work.
Snape was flying around the air, occasionally skimming the surface of the lake and hitting a few trees along the way. Flustered, his hair flying his face and bellowing useless curses, he somersaulted and twirled as Sirius directed his wand. James was pointing and laughing, yelling a few instructions. Peter was red and looked awkward as if he didn't know what to do. And Remus was pretending nothing was happening as he buried his head in a book.
The crowd however didn't want to miss anything as they gasped and laughed as the Slytherin flew spectacularly through the air. "Flight of the Snape!" they cheered.
Verity herself could help but laugh, but Lily charged up to James and smacked him hard across the face. Sirius stopped suddenly, staring at the bright mark on James's cheek and momentarily forgetting about Snape at the end of his wand.
Snape, freed of the spell, instantly hurtled down through the air and landed with a splash in the lake.
There was a loud roar of laughter from the crowd as Severus floundered in the water trying to keep himself afloat; weighed down by his robes.
Lily however wasn't laughing. "You git!" she shouted. "You promised you wouldn't do it anymore! And you're head boy for goodness sake!" She stamped her foot and headed down towards the lake where several Slytherins were attempting to haul Snape out of the water.
James was crestfallen. "Wait!" he called. "Does this mean you're not going to come with me to the next Hogsmeade visit?"
Lily glared at him and disappeared into the crowds of cheering students without a word.
James wailed and punched the nearest thing to him. She knew she shouldn't have stood next to him.
Verity screamed as James's fist connected with the side of her head. The world spinning around her, she collapsed to the ground.
"Oh my God!" James yelled. "I'm sorry Verity! I didn't mean to hit you! I thought you were Sirius!"
"You what?" Sirius's brow was furrowed. "Thanks a lot!" He lunged at James and wrapped his arm around his throat. James choked and whacked Sirius in the stomach. A new fight had started now.
Verity groaned and tried to get up. She staggered and almost fell again, but was caught by someone.
"Are you alright?" a voice asked. She shook her head. "Oh, well let me help you. Do you need to go to the hospital wing?"
Verity shut her eyes. Her head was pounding. She nodded.
"Ok then…" the person guided her away from the people rushing about and into the school. She opened her eyes and looked at the boy helping her.
"I know you," she rubbed her head. "You're in my Arithmancy class…"
"Oh yes," the boy helped her up the stairs. "I'm Liam Clemens. You're Verity Chambers, right?" she nodded.
They reached the hospital wing and Liam guided her inside and sat her on a bed. "Ok, here you go; I'll just get Madame Pomfrey out to have a look at you." He vanished into the room up the back of the wing.
Verity groaned and massaged the side of her head. It ached badly. James could certainly hit hard.
Liam re-emerged with Madame Pomfrey who bent down to inspect Verity's head. "Hmm..." she turned Verity's face to the side. "How many fingers am I holding up?" she questioned her, holding up two fingers.
Verity blinked and focused on the nurse's hand. "Four."
"Right." Madame Pomfrey bustled to a cupboard nearby and pulled out a green bottle and poured something into a small cup. "Drink this," she ordered.
Verity gulped down the strange concoction and winced at the bitter taste. Almost immediately her head cleared up.
"I think you had a concussion," Madame Pomfrey held up two fingers again. "How many fingers?"
"Two?"
Pomfrey nodded, satisfied.
"Ok, you can go now." Verity nodded and voiced her thanks to Madame Pomfrey before leaving the room with Liam.
"Uh... thanks." she said to him outside in the corridor.
He blushed slightly. "No problem," he shrugged. "Well... see you next Arithmancy lesson." He waved and left.
Verity returned to the Griffindor common room and made her way up to the dorms, where she found Lily sitting on her bed, working in a book.
"Why are you up here?" Verity asked.
"James," she muttered. "He's a huge idiot," she looked up and gasped. "What happened to your face?" she cried, aghast.
Verity frowned and rummaged through her trunk to find her mirror. Her left temple was black and bruised. Damn. Although Madame Pomfrey had cured her concussion, she had forgotten to do something about Verity's face.
She shrugged. "James accidentally hit me," putting the emphasis on accidentally, as to not aggravate Lily any further. It didn't seem to help.
"WHAT!" Lily exploded. "Why did he hit you?" she burst out angrily.
"Uh... he was upset you dumped him and thought I was Sirius."
Lily jumped up and flew down the stairwell. Uh oh... this was really going to be bad. She followed Lily slowly down the stairs and emerged in the common room just in time to see Lily snatch up a book and bring it heavily down on James's head.
James bellowed in pain and clutched at his head.
"You git!" Lily shouted. "You punched Verity! What the hell did you do that for?"
James moaned and slipped off the chair onto the floor with a bump. "I didn't mean to," he complained. "It was her fault for standing next to me," he grumbled.
"Her fault?" Lily raged. "Oh you're insufferable!" she stormed out of the common room, leaving James scowling on the floor.
"What are you looking at?" he whined at those watching him with amusement.
Lyla Sapientia appeared at the portrait hole suddenly. "Uh, Verity? Professor McGonagall wants you in her office now..."
Verity's heart skipped a beat. "Why?"
"I think it has something to do with your mum. I think she came up to the school or something. But anyway um Professor McGonagall wants you right now."
Verity swore silently. She breathed slowly in and out and walked silently out of the common room up towards the professor's office.
Her mother was reeeeally angry. She hadn't even seen her yet but she could tell she would be. Why else would she be up at the school within the same day Verity had seen Professor McGonagall?
She knocked lightly on the door of the professor's office, and entered the room for the second time that day.
Professor McGonagall sat straight and formidable behind the desk. Before her sat Leanne, with a vulgar looking hat perched upon her head, and the sneering monster that was Patrick Malus.
The Professor nodded curtly at Verity and motioned to a seat which had just appeared at the desk.
Slowly, Verity sat down; her heart sinking. Leanne stared at her, her usually soft eyes sharp and flashing. She cleared her throat.
"I would like to settle this madness at once," she announced. "Patrick is my dear husband and I cannot imagine him even thinking of harming either of us. Verity is simply jealous that she will not be the only one in my life now. She must come to terms with that."
"Come to terms that Patrick is a murder to be?" Verity retorted. "You don't know anything about him! He might already be a murderer!"
Leanne glared harshly at Verity. "Patrick is not a murderer, and I know that he never will be."
"Then you're an idiot!" Verity cried.
Leanne gasped and looked ready to shout something else back at her daughter, but Professor McGonagall interrupted.
"Mrs Chambers -"
"Malus." Leanne corrected.
Professor McGonagall sighed. "Mrs Malus, I have to say that when your daughter saw me earlier this morning, I believe she was genuinely concerned."
Leanne snorted. "She's just being a brat. Being a single parent for most of Verity's life, I must admit that I spoilt her sometimes, but now she is just being completely selfish. Ever since her father left us when she was child - "
"What!" Verity exclaimed. "Dad left us? I thought you said he died!"
Leanne looked startled. "Oh... yes he did," She looked suddenly pale. "I didn't tell you this, but he left the house only a few months before... before he died. But don't change the subject! I want you to stop this selfishness now and let Patrick and myself simply be."
"I'm not being selfish," Verity said quietly. "He's going to kill us. He said so. I'm sorry if you don't believe me, but it's the truth."
Then Patrick spoke up. "Don't start with the sentimental crap now. Your mother's onto you and so am I. Why can't you be happy for us? You're just an ungrateful little mongrel who has never really appreciated her mother and will do anything possible to make her miserable. You are a disgusting..."
She wanted to scream. She wanted to scream and scream and jump upon the Professor's desk and scream and yell and tear Patrick to pieces; to shake her mother into sense; to make her realise who Patrick was. As hard as it was though, she tried to remain calm.
She was never good at controlling her temper.
With a cry of rage, Verity started up from her seat and leapt at Patrick. She had just enough time to register the look of surprise and anger on his face as she tackled him to the floor. She hit at him hard with her fists as she rolled about on the floor; oblivious to the Professor's shouts and orders and her mother's wails.
Verity felt something wrap itself around her waist and felt herself being dragged away from the writhing man on the floor. Professor McGonagall, flustered and ordering, had thrown herself at Verity and dragged her away from Patrick. Leanne tried to help the man up off the floor, but it seemed he didn't want any help.
He pointed at Verity and began shouting curses and roaring obscenities of all sorts at her.
Verity shouted back, trying to free herself from McGonagall's iron grip. Leanne held onto her husband and was also shrieking profanities at her daughter.
"Stop it! Stop it now!" McGonagall bellowed angrily. No-one took any notice.
"How dare you!" Leanne was screaming. "You vulgar, horrid child!"
"Look at him! Look at him! He's the vulgar one!" Verity kicked and squirmed, but still couldn't escape from McGonagall.
"I've put up with seventeen years of you and look what you've done to me!" Leanne swayed and grabbed onto Patrick for support. "I wish you were never born!"
Verity felt like she'd been slapped. "I hate you!" she screamed. "I hate you and I hate him! You deserve one another! I hope he does kill you and while you're dying you can think back to me and know I was right all along!"
"Enough!" McGonagall roared. She whipped out her wand and brought it down suddenly.
Red sparks showered the room. Verity, released from the Professor's grip, flung herself to the floor and covered her head as the sparks rained down on her.
She looked up. Leanne was white and Patrick looked no better. Professor McGonagall was straight and tall, her wand above her head, nostrils flaring in anger.
"Enough," she repeated. "I will not have you people brawling in my office." She pointed to Verity. "You, Miss Chambers, will go back to Griffindor Tower. I expect to see you at our next Transfiguration lesson." She turned to Leanne and Patrick. "And you two, I will talk to further."
Verity fled the room and hastily made her way back to the Griffindor Tower.
She still felt angry at her mother, but embarrassed at her outburst.
I hope he does kill you and while you're dying you can think back to me and know I was right all along…
Little did she know that she would look back on that comment one day and regret it terribly...
Author's Note:
Yay for the end of chapter five! I'll try and post chapter six soon for you all!
Anyways...
Thankyou to Carmen, Linda and Lydia for checking this before I posted!
And thankyou to everyone else who reviewed!
Please review, because reviews are good and happiful!
Little-Kity
