A continuation of my Hogwarts AU's, so check those out if you've forgotten!
Into the Lion's Den:
It was in the spring of her third year. Sydney lie awake, staring at the ceiling, just thinking.
'Monstrous creatures born of shadow,' they said. 'A clan of whomping willows that-unlike their cripple relative, who can only whomp-pull up their roots and give chase. Giant, flesh-eating, talking spiders,' they said.
'Foolish,' Sydney had warned, looking right at Rose.
'Fun,' Rose had smiled back.
Too long, Sydney thought in the present. Rose and the others have been gone for too long.
In her 87th sit-up that night, she lifted herself and peered at the darkness on the other side of the window. The tree line of the forbidden forest had spit out no new figures. Just more plumes of mysterious (and possibly poisonous) mist.
She sighed and dropped back onto the bed, making the bedsprings groan. Sydney winced and looked over, praying the noise hadn't woken Lissa.
Lissa, Rose's best friend, who didn't know about tonight's escapade.
Sydney silently and furiously debated waking her up and telling her everything, but the voice instructing her to do so sounded just this side of her fathers'. It wasn't that Sydney didn't trust him, but... he wasn't Gryffindor, and with every piece of his advice that she took to heart, she realized she wasn't a Gryffindor either.
Not a true one. The sorting hat could shout that one word over and over, pronouncing his judgment forever, but that didn't make him right. She wasn't like Rose, who had any kind of nerve you could think of. She wasn't like Mason, who would jump headfirst no matter the odds. No, she was in bed right now. She was just Sydney-practical, studious, rule-following Sydney.
You belong in Ravenclaw, her father's voice whispered to her.
"I know," she whispered back. Then, even quieter, she said, "I wish just this once you weren't right."
Her throat seized up, and she knew she was going to cry. "Stop it, stop it, you're too old to cry. Zoe doesn't even cry!" Not that her sister had anything to cry about. She-much to her father's final pleasure-had been sorted into Slytherin.
She had to get out, or else she was going to rouse Lissa for certain. Lissa would insist on comforting her, and Sydney would push her away, and Lissa would feel hurt. Then, the other girl would realize Rose was gone.
Sydney tiptoed down the stone staircase, her toes freezing on the ends of her feet. She was relieved when she finally made it to the fire in the common room that was always kept at a roar. However, full relief was not to be found there, because three older students slumped asleep at one of the wooden tables.
Sydney eyed the portal out. She couldn't just leave, but she couldn't break down here either. Besides, if anyone saw her, she could just tell them Rose was in danger and she would slide out of focus. Sydney slipped a hand over her mouth, stifling jerky gasps.
You belong in Ravenclaw. Meaning, You don't belong in Gryffindor.
I know, Sydney thought, and made her decision. Godric wouldn't care. She wasn't one of his. Pushing the door open with her one free hand, she plodded out onto cold stone once more.
Loud snores told her the woman in the painting was fast asleep, and although a heavy sleeper by reputation, Sydney knew she could get very messy very fast. She tended to sneeze when she cried.
So, without a wand to light the darkness, she grabbed a rail and fled down seven flights of stairs and out of Gryffindor tower. She kept running, sprinting, and soon found herself with two hands pressed against her face.
What was it Ian had said before the sorting ceremony, just a few short years ago? "Some things you just know...And everybody who knows you knows you're going to get into Ravenclaw."
She gradually slowed and labored through a tight throat, a stuffy nose, and her two hands.
She rounded another corner, her legs burning like fire and her feet burning like ice. This was crazy, she never should have left the tower. She should have just buried her face in her pillow and waited for this sniveling spell to pass. They usually did.
But she so wanted to let it out, because she was tired of just shoving this problem away. It had been shadowing her for years and she wanted rid of it. She wanted to wail so loudly the sorting hat had no choice but to declare her unworthy of her colors. She looked around, displeased to see even more paintings. For such a big, echoey castle, solitude was awfully hard to find.
She rounded another corner and gave a startled, smuggled yelp when she saw she wasn't alone.
"You're going to wake the paintings," Adrian didn't sound at all worried. He put out a cigarette against the wall. "So, what's miss Sage doing out of bed at this hour?"
Of course she would run into him, tonight of all nights. Of course the moon was lighting this hallway, of all hallways. Thank goodness the light was muted, or he'd have already spotted the state she was in.
Sydney shook her head; it was the best response she could give. The only response she could offer without giving ground to a large sob.
Adrian chuckled. "You know, you're probably just making more noise by covering your mouth. I could hear you breathing from around the corner. Hell, I could hear you breathing from around three corners."
He waited for her to say something. "Nothing? Usually you're just full of-Merlin, Sage. Are you," he looked her in the eyes, shocked. "Are you crying?"
Sydney was infuriated to find a tear had escaped. She swiped it away and slapped her hand back into place. Brushing past him, she made to find a hall without observers.
"Wait, Sage, I didn't realize." He caught a hold of her pajama shirt and held tight. She fought for a moment, but stopped when she realized he was leading her into a side corridor. An empty one.
"Go," she let the word past all of her defenses when there were no more potential spectators.
He didn't budge. "You're really torn up about something."
"I... don't want... an a-... audience." She told him, then finally broke.
His shoulder muffled her sobs better than her own hands ever could, and he was much more comforting than a pillow. Still, after about a minute she pushed him away, hating that anyone-especially someone she saw daily-would witness this.
He just tightened his grip and let her blubber.
When she finally pulled away, she was disgusted to see the blob-shaped puddle of residue she left behind. Adrian just smiled nicely and let his robe fall to the ground. "No worries. The house elves will find it and wash it. It will probably be back in my dresser by morning."
Sydney said nothing, just sniffled again. Her eyes felt all puffy and she could barely blink.
"So...what's up?" Adrian asked. "I think you at least owe me that."
"I..." her voice felt scratchy. She cleared her throat, trying to think of what to say. Not the truth. She didn't need another person to agree with her on something she'd rather be done with for the night. "Some of my friends went into the woods earlier. I don't think they've come back."
Adrian didn't buy it, but still bit. "Who?"
Sydney looked around nervously, then quietly rattled off names. "Rose Hathaway, Mason Ashford, and Eddie Castile."
"Ah. The fearsome threesome. Doesn't surprise me." Adrian dug in his pocket and found a fresh cigarette.
"Aren't you concerned?" Sydney wondered.
Adrian shrugged. "They're probably just slapping trees and running back out. Everybody does it."
"No. They went in." Sydney said.
"You saw them go in?" Adrian asked. This fazed him, and that worried Sydney all the more.
"Well, not exactly. I can't see the whole forest from the dorm window, but they'd been gone for 45 minutes by the time I ran into you." Sydney held his gaze, and he slipped the cigarette back into his pocket.
"Alright." He agreed to her unspoken question. "Since we're so close, and I haven't been down there in a while. I miss the doom and gloom."
"Also, it would be a shame if they died." Sydney added to his list of reasons.
"That too," he stepped out of the corridor. "This way." He headed down one end of the hallway.
Sydney pointed down the other. "The doors are that way."
Adrian rolled his eyes. "Yeah, good luck with the 16 million tons of wood and enchantments. How about we try our luck with a window?"
"Oh," Sydney flushed. "Right. Good thinking."
You belong in Ravenclaw.
Sometimes, Sydney swore she didn't belong anywhere. She slammed that metaphorical door and took off after Adrian.
Her heart was beating in her ears, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was crazy when he picked a window on the second floor.
"All the first floor windows are hexed with security spells. This window's a good bet, though. It's not easily seen, and there's a tree right outside. You can climb, right?" He explained.
"Yes, and if I misstep, there's no need to worry. I've got a literal pile of bricks to break my fall." Sydney looked down at the rubble.
"You won't fall. If Avery Lazar can climb this tree drunk, you can do it." Adrian swung the window open.
Sydney sighed. "If Avery Lazar knows about it, then her dad probably knows about it. Aren't you worried it's charmed?"
"Nah. And if it is, it won't be anything fatal." He ducked out onto the tree and shimmied his way down.
Sydney looked over at the stirring portraits and decided she had no choice but to follow.
"So," he said once they were out on the lawn, "which way now?"
Sydney, unable to glean anything from the forest in front of her, turned to the castle. "Well, Gryffindor tower is over there, so that means they went this way." She set out on the grass, slightly damp from a drizzle that morning.
"It also means the Gryffindor dorms are in Gryffindor tower." Adrian said.
"Please," Sydney rolled her eyes after the initial twinge of guilt. "You already knew that. If it wasn't the name, then it was six years of doing...whatever you do in your spare time."
Adrian smirked. "Or maybe you just told me. You're a traitor to your house, Sydney. You don't know what I'll do with this information."
Ouch. The traitor part struck a little too close to home. "You don't even know what you're going to do with it."
She knew he was grinning, despite the chill of the night.
"There!" Sydney jumped and started full tilt across the grounds. A light shone in the woods, and though it soon went out, Sydney kept her pace. Adrian drew up next to her.
"It might not be them." He warned.
"I know, but it could be." She didn't slow down, not even for her own doubts. Not this time. Then, she laughed when she saw two familiar figures dart from the dense foliage. "It is them."
She didn't have time to slow down, but skidded through the mud and barreled into Eddie.
They both went down and Mason screamed, "Something's got Eddie!"
"Calm down," she heard Adrian say, "and stop waving that thing at Sydney."
"Sydney?" Eddie gasped.
She rolled off of him and, also having had the wind knocked out of her upon collision, sounded no better than him when she said, "Eddie."
Rose burst out of the woods. "What is it? Were we caught?"
"You thought we were caught and you come running out like that?" Mason criticized.
"Sydney!" Rose, ignoring Mason's mockery, grinned down at the other girl. "You came."
Sydney tried to summon the anger she knew just had to be there, but in fact all she felt was relief. She gave a half hearted scolding. "Do you know how long it's been? I thought you'd all been eaten or kidnapped or..." She trailed off, still catching her breath.
"It was this one's fault," Mason told her. "Took her a good 15 minutes to find an escape route, and then another 10 to work up the nerve to go in the woods."
"I was waiting on you," Rose said. "Besides, Eddie was supposed to be escape-route guy."
"Have you been crying?" Eddie asked, sitting up.
"I was worried." Sydney reiterated, hoping to leave it at that.
"'Worried' is an understatement," Adrian said. Sydney had almost forgotten he was there. "You should have seen her when I found her."
Sydney didn't want to make them feel guilty for "making her cry", but she just shrugged.
Rose hauled her up and tossed an arm around her shoulders. "Well, we're all here now. It's not as bad with company." Rose said. "Is it?"
"Right." Wrong. The forest was every bit as foreboding up close.
Rose beamed. "Want to see something cool?"
Sydney had a feeling Rose could have said 'Do you want to see something that will give you a heart attack?' and the answer would have been the same. Sydney sighed. "Get it over with."
Rose walked calmly into the forest, brushing trees with her fingertips, and stopped a good ways in.
Eddie leaned in close. "She's acting all cool now, but you should have seen her the first time she went in. I swear she peed her pants."
"Check for us, will you?" Mason grinned and Sydney smiled back.
"Sydney," Rose called from within the murkiness. Rose jerked her head at the tree beside her. "This one's got your name on it."
Sydney bit her lip. Adrian prodded her in the side, "Go on." He encouraged. "I'll save you if anything scary pops out."
Sydney didn't believe for a second that any of them could go against a forbidden-forest dweller, but with the way Rose was grinning...
I want to belong.
Before she could second guess herself, she rushed in. Her fingertips met the moss and bark of the tree, and she giggled elatedly at Rose. She couldn't remember the last time she'd giggled.
"Now you, Ivashkov." Rose called out to Adrian.
Adrian stepped in, careful not to snag his pants on anything, and lounged against Rose's tree. "Child's play, little witch."
They stayed out for a good while longer, never venturing too far from the edge of the woods, but feeling daring nonetheless. Adrian continued to insist he was above all this, and set them to various rites of passage. All of which Sydney was sure he'd made up on the spot.
Sydney estimated it was around 2:00 when they started the trek up to the castle.
Sydney and Adrian let themselves lag behind, and as soon as they could talk without being overheard, Adrian cut right down to the deep stuff.
"As much as I know you like Rose, you weren't crying that hard for her."
"You're right," Sydney said after turning over what to admit. "I was crying for myself. It was just self pity. I'm over it now, it was stupid."
Adrian frowned. He didn't believe her. "Something that can do that to you... you don't get over it in one night."
"Well, I did. Honestly." She tried to reassure him.
He put a hand on her shoulder. "Sage, if you ever want to talk about it-"
"We are talking about-"
"I mean really talk about it... you can always come to me. I'll keep your secrets." Adrian tucked his hands in his pockets.
He was looking at her so sincerely, so open, that she was tempted to take him up on that offer. So, she spoke the truth. "I don't want another person telling me something I already know... I would give anything to change it. I would give anything to be a real Gryffindor."
His eyebrows shot up. "What?"
"Don't look so surprised." She snapped. "Everybody's thinking it. I bet even the founders turned over in their graves when I got sorted."
"You think you aren't Gryffindor?"
"I'm not a Gryffindor." Sydney said, holding her chin up, ignoring the painful squeeze her heart gave. "It's a fact. Look, can we not talk about this?"
"Why?" Adrian asked.
"What?"
"Why do you think you're not a Gryffindor?"
"I'm just... not." Why was he pressing this? Did he want her to break down again?
He didn't take those green eyes off of her. "But why?"
"For one, I'm not brave. I wouldn't have even gotten out of bed if I hadn't wanted to cry in private." Sydney told him.
"I don't believe that." He said. "I think," he cut her off before she could list more reasons, "you would have gone after Rose on your own. And maybe you're not nervy or reckless like some of the others-but that's not why you belong in that tower of yours. You are brave. You are a terrifying mama-bear kind of brave, and I can't believe you don't see that."
Sydney stopped walking. No one had ever complimented her like that before; not even her mother, who felt the need to give twice as much as her father didn't. It was, in all honesty, the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her.
"You're going to make me cry again." She finally said.
"Happy tears, I hope?"
Sydney nodded. "Come on. We're losing the others." The group was already almost to the wall of Hogwarts, while Sydney and Adrian lagged a dozen paces behind them.
"You know, Sage, you are the harshest 14 year old I've ever met. You should take it easier on yourself."
Sydney shrugged uncomfortably. "No promises."
"I know," a worried look stole across his features. "It's like I said, you won't get over this tonight."
No, she definitely wouldn't.
"I left the window open." She remembered suddenly. "I didn't close it before I climbed down the tree."
"I know. How else would we have gotten back in?" Adrian asked. "Now, go and join your friends. Get caught trying to sneak back to Gryffindor tower. Earn a detention. Be a good little Gryffindor."
Hey guys! I've been gone for a while, but I'm back! So... how'd ya like it?