Another day, another chapter. As promised, a lot happens! Now, it has come to my attention that some of you may be confused by what happened when the Trio went into the ROR and by Ginny's anger towards Pandora. I feel by explaining myself I have failed you as an author BUT I shall continue stronger than ever! Now, with the ROR scene, Pandora was pounding on the wall, or ROR door, because she heard the scream from inside the Room and simply lost her mind because she thought it was one of them. I TRIED to tie this into what happened with her mother, hence the scream being dramatically cut off. As for Ginny, she never bothered with Pandora because the whole school was already against her and, let's face it, I never really needed her. But after Pandora helps Hermione, everyone sings her praises and this pisses Ginny right off because she believes she shouldn't get off that easy and just snaps. It was supposed to be sudden. I apologize that it that was not clear. I shall hit myself in the head with a lamp shade and stick my fingers in the oven. That being said, Pandora and Ginny's relationship is incredibly odd. It's ok to be confused; you are in Ron's POV atm. Enjoy =)
Disclaimer – Just 'cause it's been awhile, I own Pandora and nothing else...maybe some of the plot.
It all started when Ginny cracked the tiniest of smiles. Pandora caught the same sick little inside joke and tried to muffle a fit of giggles until Ginny finally lost it and burst into manic laughter, soon joined by Pandora. Ron dared not move. He daren't even blink, for fear he may be either dreaming or going mad. In a matter of moments, Pandora was leaning on Ginny's back, hardly able to stand, clutching her ribs as she gasped for breath. The room felt very tense, as if something might explode at any given moment.
So, that's where Ron was now. Studying furiously for the DADA exam next week while Pandora and his sister, Ginny, chatted animatedly over Merlin knows what; he had tuned them out hours ago. A part of him was still rather frightened that the imaginary ticking time bomb that seemed to surround them was going to go off at any time, but he paid that fear no attention. They talked like they were lifelong friends, Ginny about Quidditch and certain Ministry topics and Pandora about Muggle life and some sport called Rugby, which she, he thought, foolishly compared to his wizarding sport. Hermione was buried in a book on a large chair by the entrance, Harry was combining brains with Seamus and Dean in the middle of the room, and for the first time in weeks, the atmosphere felt normal.
:::
"...I was only twelve when we went, but it was so exciting! We had never actually been anywhere for vacation. It was really all dad's idea too, it was brilliant." Ginny finished telling Pandora about her vacation to Egypt with a wistful grin and suddenly looked expectantly at her. "So, what about you? Have you been anywhere fascinating?"
Pandora chuckled. "I went to the fair near my town, once. Now, that was an eventful day. My sister went on so many rides, she upchucked her whole lunch on a poor boy in front of her."
Ginny chuckled. "Where is your sister now, then? At home?"
Pandora swallowed a lump in her throat and tried to grin. "Yeah...too young for this school, she is."
Ginny seemed to accept her response and grinned excitedly. "Are you going home for the holidays next week, or...?"
Pandora drew her eyebrows together in confusion. "Or...?"
Ginny huffed. "What I'm trying to say is you should stay with us for Christmas! Unless, you can't, or some rubbish like that."
Pandora smiled. "I...Ginny, that's too much. I know Harry and Hermione are going, and you have such a large family already. It'd probably give your mum a heart attack-"
"It never stopped her before, trust me! Come on, she'd love to meet you!" Pandora bit her lip. "I know you'd love it." She shifted her eyes uncertainly. "She makes the best food. She'll treat you like her own daughter. You won't even know you're away from home." Pandora raised an eyebrow as Ginny continued to beg. "Please?"
Pandora huffed and grinned at her, which earned a hug from Ginny. She glanced at Ron over Ginny's shoulder and stuck her tongue out at him as he mouthed an apology.
:::
Sunday evening found Ron quite literally buried in books and parchment as he sat cross legged in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. The last week before Christmas holidays started tomorrow and the round room was stuffed with nearly every Gryffindor the school held. A dull murmur filled the space as everyone appeared to be drowning in half the library.
Pandora sat curled up in the large armchair on the other side of the fire place, spell books piled up in front of her and nearly two feet of parchment lay out on her lap. Her black, sleek, wavy hair cascaded across her shoulder and over her face, where she repeatedly tucked it behind her ear. Her sharp green eyes followed her hand back and forth across the parchment and to and from her writing to the text book she was reading from. Her soft lips were slightly parted and they occasionally mouthed the words she was copying. He remembered the evening she arrived at the school, scowling, straight backed and short tempered. Now her expression was slightly relaxed, her back was more curved and natural as she bent over her work, and she was warm and friendly towards those she cared for.
He thought about the last three months. Ron would admit only to himself that he had felt an attraction to her that first night. He thought it an odd sort of obsession, or a desire to figure out exactly who she was and just when he thought he knew all about her, she turned around and surprised him again, enticing him to learn even more about her. He was realizing now he may never learn everything about her and the frightening thing was that he was willing to take the time. He felt...odd around her. Unbelievably happy and incredibly nervous. Brilliantly confident and surprisingly self conscious. Amazingly satisfied yet knowing he could never get enough. He had never felt so much at one time; he hardly thought it possible. Sometimes, he felt he might explode. He had half a mind to ask Harry if this is what he felt when he was around Ginny, but thought better of it until Pandora was on his good side.
He jumped when Pandora looked up from her frivolous studying right into Ron's eyes and he flashed a quick grin and looked down into his lap, blushing. This happened quite a lot lately. He found himself being caught staring too often and was surprised she hadn't told him off yet. It wasn't his fault; he couldn't help it anymore. His eyes betrayed him and just naturally wandered in her direction.
After ten minutes, or it could have been three hours, he was losing track of time, the crowd in the common room dissipated, Harry had come and went, looking exhausted and pained, and he was not surprised to find Pandora and Hermione in the exact same spots, still pouring over more books. He waited until he heard a yawn and muffled 'good night' from Hermione before he stood from his nest of books and stretched, wincing at the cracks and snaps his joints made. Pandora looked up then and smirked.
"Not tired, are you? It's early, yet."
Ron chuckled. "Oh, not tired at all. Let me at tho...oooohhnnggg...those books."
With a wave of her wand, Pandora set the books used by her and Ron on a fair sized table near the opposite corner and laughed at his yawn.
"Right, you look ready to fight a war."
Ron stiffened and avoided her gaze as he pretended to gather his quill and ink from his spot. He set them on the couch and turned to Pandora, gazing blankly at a book in her hand titled One-Hundred Uses of the Unforgivables.
"Pandora?"
She jumped and dropped the book as he startled her out of her reverie. "Hmm?"
Ron hesitated in asking his question as he did not want to bring her back to that day in the room with the pictures on the walls. "That...that day I took you into the Room of Requirement..."
Pandora raised an eyebrow at him and her voice was sharp, like the biting chill of a winter morning. "What about it?"
Ron gulped and looked her straight in the eye. "I-I couldn't help but notice a...hollow, wooden thing with this long handle and some sort of wire or-"
"Guitar." She told him evenly. "What about it?"
Ron blinked. "Gi-tar?"
Pandora features softened as Ron tried to wrap his mouth around the word. "Guitar, Ron. What. About. It?"
For some reason, this seemed to be as equal a touchy subject as her family was. "What does it do? Why was it in there?"
Pandora sighed bent down to pick up the book she dropped. "It plays music. Relaxes me"
"Can you get that anywhere near here?"
Pandora chuckled and replaced the book on the pile she made earlier. "No, not in the wizarding world. Probably the closest place is somewhere in London. Why do you ask?"
Ron shrugged and tried to look nonchalant. ""Just wondering...dunno much about the Muggle world, see."
Pandora nodded and did something he never expected of her: she walked up to him, unable to meet his eye, and wrapped her arm around his waist in a small half-hug. "G'night, Ron."
Before she could leave his side, he wrapped his own arms around her back and pulled her into his chest, her own arms moving uncertainly around his frame. Their chins rested on each other's shoulders and Ron was certain she could feel his heart beat frantically against his rib cage. He even allowed himself to think he could feel her heart beat erratically as well. "'Night, Pandora."
She gently pulled away, looking rather awkward, and headed up the stairs to her dormitory without another word or glance. Once again bursting with odd feelings, Ron felt ecstatic and slightly embarrassed and confused and happy...he needed to get that looked at.
:::
Pandora awoke before the sun the next morning despite her late night of studying with Ron. She shook her head, remembering she had never actually studied with Ron, and contemplated why she would mentally include him in such a meaningless act. Running her hands through her tangled hair, Pandora took the time she had alone to think about the night before and analyze the actions that occurred.
Ron had been caught repeatedly looking in her direction for the last several hours of the night and early into the morning. This, she grudgingly admitted, was an annoyingly regular occurrence in her life and was not one of the many things picking away at her brain, like why, underneath those intense cobalt blue eyes, there lay brash uncertainty and a pittance of self consciousness mixed with a trifle of what could be interpreted as fondness. She had never seen a blend of such emotions directed at her before, and it threw her way of thinking off kilter. Maybe the way her brain felt scattered at that moment could explain her attempt at a hug before she went up to bed, although no one could ever describe clear enough the reason why he wilfully wrapped his arms about her and pulled her against his tall frame. Pandora still remembered how it felt to have Ron's heart trying to beat itself free against her chest while her own heart betrayed her as it reciprocated. She felt frustrated that she couldn't understand what was happening to her own body, as if she was a new and different type of excited when he spoke, or looked into her eyes, or said her name. She huffed in exasperation, cursing her vast vocabulary's failure to articulate one silly emotion.
Mentally beating the portion of the brain that was supposed to control her emotions, Pandora slid out of bed and trudged toward the shower, allowing the hot, somewhat earthy water to wash away the nights' thoughts so as to make way for the days' exams. After changing into her robes and applying the usual dark cover around her eyes, she scooped her heavy bag over her shoulder and staggered down the staircase towards the common room much too early for her fellow house mates.
The morning sunlight scorched the sky, burning it with the deepest of purples and bloodiest of reds. The occasional bird or magical creature of some sort interrupted the autumn morning horizon. As Pandora gazed out the tall window, she found herself caring about the school and the ancient building. It was not like it had anything to offer her, really, besides shelter. But, it was the first place she felt truly happy in so long, a place where she had people who cared about her, a place where she learned new things and gave her a chance for a future beyond her little town. It was also a place where horrors were happening, where people now suffered and hurt and worried about their loved ones while they were being imprisoned in a place of freedom and growth. Pandora was surprised by how angry and distraught she felt, as if the school was Hermione and the Death Eaters were attacking her before everyone's eyes, desperate for help.
Pandora quite nearly jumped out of her skin when a deep voice interrupted her thoughts. "Pretty wicked, eh?"
Ron chuckled at her response and leaned his back against the wall beside the window. "Now, is giving your friends a heart attack the first thing on your to-do list for the morning, or do you simply improvise?"
Her heart beat rather oddly as his lop-sided grin spread across his face. "Nah, I mostly improvise with you. You always muddle up my to-do list, anyways."
Pandora raised her eyebrow at the ginger boy before her. "Is that so?"
Ron nodded confidently and looked her in the eye, amusement etching his face. "It is so. You're impossible to predict. A list would be pointless."
Pandora folded her arms over her chest and rested her shoulder against the stone surrounding the window, her eyes never leaving his. "You aren't exactly as predictable as a puppy, yourself. What I need you to be predictable at you seem to fail me every time."
Ron leaned away from the wall and faced her, that playful grin never leaving his face. "And what do you need me to be predictable at?"
Pandora smirked and slowly shook her head, subconsciously stepping toward him as she whispered. "Can't tell you. I'd have to kill you."
Ron took an almost predatory step toward her as well. "Tell me first, and then I'll fight you off."
Another step. "I'd love to see you try, Weasley."
Another. "I'd love to see you resist, Witte."
"Ahem."
Pandora and Ron's faces both whipped toward the bottom of the stairs to find a black-haired, green-eyed boy staring back at them with slight disgust. With a glance, they realized that their rallying had somehow brought them within inches of each other. Taking what she thought to be a nonchalant step away from the window and towards the fireplace, Pandora unsuccessfully avoided Harry's eye. Ron forcefully cleared his throat and spoke in what he thought to be an uplifting tone.
"So...you off to Hagrid's?"
"Yeah, I am. What about you, are you off?"
Pandora could feel both of their gazes on her back at that moment but chose to ignore them.
"Yeah, maybe I am off."
Silence filled the room and Pandora could not control herself any longer. She whipped around to see them glaring at one another, nearly ten feet apart, unspoken words passing through their eyes.
"Ron, go."
He glanced at her, an unasked question on his face as Harry headed towards the portrait hole. She sighed in exasperation and walked towards him with the intent of pushing him out of the common room.
"Would you just bloody go, you stubborn git?"
Ron gathered his bag and glared at her. "I don't need your permission to-"
"Clearly, you do. Go to this Hagrid with your best mate!"
Ron eyed her oddly before pushing the portrait open and running to catch up with Harry. Pandora let out a breath she was unaware was held. The last thing she needed to do was come in between two people who have known each other for seven years.
:::
It was pandemonium. Rumours flew like wildfire through the corridors about the end of term exams, like questions that asked for the uses of Dementors, potions that turned your marrow into dust, and plants that fed off of human eyes. Pandora shook her head; it was absurd, what the truth could escalate to when fear took control, especially when they had learned no such things in their lessons. The thought flittered through her mind that maybe the professors had held back on certain material and the Death Eaters were maniacal enough to use a certain lack of knowledge as a reason to punish and torture when no one answered correctly on the exams. Like they needed a reason? Maybe she was thinking too much. As if they had such detailed plans in mind.
Early afternoon saw Pandora's first exam, Defence against the Dark Arts. She was disappointed to see Larvil in Anastasia's place, his pointed glare roaming the Great Hall in deep distaste. No words were spoken as the students filed in between the desks and set their things down. A long piece of parchment settled down in front of everyone and the exam was silently started. Pandora looked down and read the first question. Name the six uses of Dementors.
:::
It started when she was asked to perform the cross-eyed hex. It was simple enough. She would perform it on a trembling third-year student. But her lips found the word Pulmopactum and her wand found Larvil, and the pain that would surely follow her disobedience was a grain of rice compared to the satisfaction she felt as he fell to his knees, clutching his throat, and knowing the castor of the spell was the only one to release the spell only increased her mad hysteria and only then did she agree to left the spell as they promised to set the innocent third-year boy free.
It was as if a wall had been broken. Students of any year soon stood their ground and shoved the dark spells down the throats of Voldemort's followers, but not without punishment. They were becoming stronger, Pandora realized. They were becoming immune to the pain, realized the damage they were doing to the power the Death Eaters held was diminishing as they were being tortured for defiance. She was proud of them. Though nothing could prepare her for that night she saw their faces.
Just coming back from her Transfiguration exam, which consisted of her turning the 'professor' into something between a snake and a platypus, she had passed Lavender, barely recognizable underneath her bruises and swollen eye, but walking with a certain spring in her step. An odd girl she heard others call 'Loony' Lovegood was limping, missing a shoe, and had her gooey, red blood caked in her hair, but a small smile that said she knew something that Pandora didn't curved her pale face. The fat lady covering the Gryffindor tower had her frame ripped out and the edges of her painting were torn, but she looked in mighty good spirits as she admitted Pandora into the common room. As her eyes briefly scanned the room, her hands flew to her mouth to stifle a gasp. Dean Thomas was getting his broken fingers repaired by Seamus, who was having his heavily bleeding forehead dabbed at by Parvati, whose slashed leg kept her on one knee. A second year by the name of William Shaw was being consoled by fifth year Melanie Hackson whose sister, Allison, was curled up in the corner of the common room, rocking back and forth.
Pandora's eyes finally settled on Ron, one eye swollen shut, his nose bleeding, and his shoulder bent at an odd angle. His focus was solely on the fire. Hermione was wiping blood from her lips with the sleeve of her ripped jumper. Harry was sitting opposite Ginny in the cushioned seats beside the staircase, torn and bleeding, looking into each other's eyes, some sort of silent conversation being spoken. Shaking her head, Pandora stalked up to the couch and sat down beside Ron, who leaped nearly a foot into the air and grasped his arm.
"Bloody hell, you scared the bollocks outta me."Pandora raised her hands in innocence as he returned to his seat. "Brilliant, eh?"
Pandora nodded as she glanced around the room. "Brings a whole new meaning to being a Gryffindor, doesn't it?" Ron nodded. "You all look like hell."
He snorted. "You don't exactly look fresh as morning dew."
Pandora subconsciously rubbed at the dried blood on her chin and glanced at Ron. "So what the bloody hell did you go and do yourself?"
Ron chuckled humourlessly. "Almost killed one of them, actually. Must have put a bit of fright in them, 'cause they had quite a go at me. Tried laughing just the take the mickey out of them...think it came out more like a yelp."
Pandora sighed. "They dislocated your shoulder, didn't they?"
"Oh, is that what that is? Thought they gave me an extra bone."
"Oh, don't get snarky with me. Let me see."
Ron tentatively released the hold he had on his arm and allowed Pandora to inspect him. With a finger, she gently traced the outside of the socket where his shoulder should have been, and grazed over where his arm now hung, near his chest. Sighing, she glanced at his curious face. "Do you trust me?"
Such a simple question, but it seemed so much weighed on the answer. After a few moments of silence, she looked up into his face and searched the eye that wasn't swollen for an answer. His intense gaze captured her and made it impossible to look away until he spoke. "I trust you."
Pandora flashed a tight smile before gesturing him to stand. "Alright, walk over to that wall." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, I've done this before." He obliged and stood beside the wall near the portrait hole, waiting expectantly. "Face the wall; cover your face with your good arm. Right, turn your head away from me." Ron was flush against the cool wall, his head facing his good shoulder and his other shoulder hanging limp at his side. "Now...this is going to hurt quite a bit. About as much as it hurt when it happened. But I assure you, there is really no painless way. So, I've warned you."
She felt Ron stiffen as stood against his back and pressed her right hand against his chest, carefully searching for his shoulder. Taking a deep breath, subconsciously blowing on his exposed neck, she placed her left hand against his shoulder blade and braced herself as she leaned in and whispered gently in his ear. "Deep breath." She felt his chest expand and immediately pushed as hard as she could against his back while simultaneously pulling his shoulder towards her with her other hand. Ron howled and scrunched his face in pain just as Pandora's hands gently massaged his torn muscles. His breathing evened out and he pulled away from the wall, eyes still scrunched.
"Motherfu-"
:::
Pandora was free of exams until Wednesday morning, but the time in between pained her more than the torture the Death Eaters dished out. Gryffindors walked out of the common room nearly healed and limped back in with fresh injuries by the hour. She spent her afternoon looking after any injured to the best of her abilities alongside a sixth year by the name of Sue – something and Ginny. Some frowned at Pandora's odd Muggle remedies, but most were grateful for the help she offered and it helped her pass the time quickly. By early evening, she was beginning to worry. People were missing, Ron being one of them, and Hermione had snuck out, against the protests of Harry, Ron and Pandora, to find out what was happening to them or where they were being kept. And so Pandora waited, alone in a corner, her leg restless as it tapped the carpeted floor. Moments passed like hours until students began to ascend the steps to their dormitories into the wee hours of the morning, just as Ron limped through the portrait hole leading a small group of first and second years who were flanked by Hermione. Pandora's body jumped into life, her heart pounding against her ribcage and her blood rushing to her face. She leaped from her position against the wall and threw herself against Ron, knocking him back a few steps with the force of her embrace before his arms returned the unexpected hug. Pandora ripped herself away from him before he could enjoy the moment and slapped his chest.
"Don't you ever do that to me again, Weasley! I sit here, worrying my –"
Ron sighed at Pandora's tirade and did something that utterly bewildered her: he took her hand and placed it over his heart, which beat just as frantically as Pandora's under her hand. "I'm fine. I can breath, I can see, I can smell...I can even walk." Her small smile betrayed her dark glare as he spoke. "I was trying to find them –" he gestured to the small children slowly making their way to their beds with Hermione's aid. "- after the exams. Turns out Madam Pomfrey is using the Room of Requirement as the new Hospital 'cause the bloody Death Eaters are controlling the Hospital Wing, corrupting ingredients. It's just for serious injuries, though. Anything that can't be healed in the common room should go there. You walk by it three times and think, 'I need a place to die'."
Pandora blinked. "That sounds a bit morbid."
Ron chuckled darkly. "Yeah, but it's quite hard to find by mistake. Who's gonna walk around thinking that? Especially a Death Eater..."
"I'm going to bed, Ron." Hermione informed. "Get some sleep. For Merlin's sake, be careful. Both of you."
Pandora offered a tight smile before Hermione disappeared up the stairs. "You weren't worried about me, were you?"
She scoffed at Ron's question and attempted to shrug it off. "'Course not. You just get yourself in so many pickles; I was wondering what exactly you had gotten yourself into this time."
Ron nudged Pandora with his elbow. "You were worried."
Without meeting his eye, she wrapped her arms around him once more and stayed in his embrace for a few long moments, feeling his beating heart pound against her chest relax her every muscle. She drew away and looked into his intense blue eyes before following Hermione up the staircase to her dormitories.
:::
Ron was slow to wake Wednesday morning, nearly every muscle in his body aching, although they were a dull throb compared with the muscles torn in his shoulder. Dreading his Herbology exam at noon, Ron went over the plan in his head. Using the wordless levitation spell he learned, Ron and a few others would use that to lift the man-eating baby fir above the heads of the Death Eaters while the rest in the room would hold them still. How far this plan was destined to go, he had no idea, but any show of rebellion weakened the Death Eaters' power.
As if it became some sick part of his daily routine, he thought of Pandora while he readied himself for the day. She was beginning to act differently around him. Almost...affectionately? Not that he'd admit such thoughts to her face; he'd probably lose his bollocks. He couldn't say he minded it, though. He found that every time he hugged her now, all of four times, he really didn't want to let her go, except for the last time, late last night; the look in her eyes made his heart stop. He paused in doing up his trousers as the sudden thought entered his mind of her looking up at him with those eyes as he-
"What exams d'you have today, Ron?"
Ron shook his head violently as Seamus' question interrupted his momentary daydream.
Bloody hell.
"Err...Herbology. You?"
"Bloody Potions with that prick, Esson. Y'know, people are startin' to believe he's a Vampire. I wouldn' put it past him, if you ask me."
Ron nodded distractedly and slipped his worn trainers on before making his way down to the common room. He cursed in his head as he was unable to control the blush that crept up his cheeks to his ears when he saw Pandora pulling her hair back into a ponytail, her back arching with the simple action.
"G'morning, Ron. What do you have for today?"
Ron managed a tight smile before he focussed his eyes on the fireplace. "Herbology. Gonna attack them with man-eating firs today. Wish me luck."
Pandora chuckled. "Luck."
"What about you?"
"Potions today, in about an hour. I'm supposed to make some innocent student try the Matrimonium Pulvis potion, but I'm hoping to create the simple strength potion without their knowledge."
Ron nodded. "I had Potions on Monday. Had to make that...uhh...fire blood one –" "Incendia Cruor." "Right! Well, I shoved it down the Death Eaters' throat. I suppose they expected that, 'cause they came up with an antidote in no time."
Pandora flashed a grin. "Think this will help? What we're doing to Voldemort's army. Or will it make everything worse?"
"They'll let us know soon enough, I expect." Pandora nodded, her eyes distant as she seemed to look without seeing. "What's wrong?"
Her green eyes met his then. "Remember when I told you about...about my father? How I started fighting back?" Ron furrowed his eyebrows in concern. "It got worse, Ron. Everything...got worse..."
Ron placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and squeezed slightly. "It won't get worse. There are more of us than there are of them. What could they possibly do?"
Pandora smirked and shook her head. "I really wish you hadn't said that."
:::
Belladonna, henbane, and cambion rattle through her head incessantly during her Potions exam. At least Pandora knew these things, although she chalked it up to her rumoured 'vampire' professor, as he wasn't being over shadowed by another. She willed her mind to focus and complete the question at hand: Name the three basic ingredients used in every Dark Potion. Pandora sighed at the simple question, wondering if she was doing the correct examination. She dipped her quill into her ink and wrote, Claw of Baku, seed of fanged geranium and hemlock. Nearly all of the questions were like this, asking for definitions of this plant or leaf and how to extract this venom from that creature. As if they were being trained to become their soldiers. The notion was ridiculous, of course. Who would be rubber-brained enough to even consider the possibility for their future? She hoped she never met the person, although it wouldn't surprise her if there were a certain few in a certain House who already considered the silent offer.
Completing the written part of the exam, Pandora walked to the front of the Hall to prepare for the 'Marrow Dust' potion that she was expected to concoct. She had done enough scrounging around the potion cabinet in her early weeks of school to use safe ingredients that looked similar to the ones she was supposed to use. Trying her best for a passive expression as she glanced at the poor Hufflepuff, Pandora set the ingredients into the boiling cauldron in proper order, according to her, as the Death Eater currently grading her was not paying much attention. Stirring this way and that for nearly twenty minutes while simultaneously adding a leaf here and wing there, the potion turned a creamy purple colour and smelled of tree sap. Sneaking a secretive wink at the Hufflepuff, she offered him a goblet of the potion under the now watchful eye of the Death Eater.
She knew he was starting to feel good. It was a strong strength potion, so to speak, but he had to remain as he was until inspected.
"What is this? What did you give him, Mudblood?" Apparently, a nonchalant shrug was not the right answer. "Fill this goblet...and drink."
Just as expected. Pandora took a swig of the potion and felt a sort of regeneration, felt the aching in her muscles lessen. Grinning, she looked straight in the eyes before summoning a tidal wave of the creamy purple substance over the hallway and watched in satisfaction as the Hall full of students began to perk up. Expecting a punishment, his fist was easily stopped by her hand while her other was thrust palm-up into his nose. The inevitable yell that followed did not make her cringe, but the sudden blow to the back of her head did make her unconscious.
:::
"...quiet, this girl needs rest!" hissed a familiar voice.
"She's gonna be okay, though-"
"For the final time, Mr. Weasley, she will be right as rain, but I need time and space to work with."
"'M up...'m up. Don' worry 'bout me, m' all good. Le's go get thoze Death Eaterz, hm?"
"Pandora...you've been unconscious for eleven hours."
Pandora peeked an eye open to see Hermione, Ginny, Harry, Ron, and the Hufflepuff boy she supposed she saved were standing around her, sporting a few injuries themselves. She noticed Hermione biting her lip nervously and forced a grin that was supposed to comfort her.
"I s'pose you're all jealous 'cause 'm well rested now." Ginny shook her head in slight amusement and pinched the bridge of her nose. Harry rolled his eyes. Ron simply looked lost. "Right, can I leave now?"
Madam Pomfrey scoffed. "You're with me for one more hour. Have patience."
Pandora sighed. "Right, I'll meet you all in the common room in a bit then." A sudden exchange of exasperated looks. "All right, all right, one of you can stay."
Flashing tight smiles, Ginny and Hermione made to depart the RoR Hospital, leaving behind an awkward looking Hufflepuff and hesitant looking Harry.
"I – I – I just wanted to th – th – thank you." squeaked the young student before he rushed out of the Room, clearly out of sorts. Pandora exchanged odd looks with Ron and Harry before those sharp green eyes shifted, almost guarded the secrets it held as they searched her own.
"Look, I trust you now, all right? You've done...well enough for...for everyone. Just, be careful now, yeah? You've proven yourself time and time again, and I really don't believe you'll stop until they've killed you. For Merlin's sake, you're making Ron pull out his own hair every time you walk in that common room with a bloody paper cut."
Pandora smirked. "You think I'm doing this just for you?"
The corner of his mouth turned up just slightly. "No, I know why you're doing it. Still...one Pandora is enough, we don't need you scattered all over the school."
"I don't make promises I can't keep, Harry."
"I know."
Ron watched, bewildered, as Harry left the RoR.
:::
The morning was rough. What little food there was left in her stomach had decided to make a hasty escape as soon as she opened her eyes. So it was soon decided that breakfast was out of the question as Pandora staggered down the corridors toward the Great Hall to wait for the morning meal to finish. The school was becoming nearly unrecognizable, with most of the portraits now gone or ripped apart, the clean, cold stone speckled with blood every now and then, and the long hallways ones lit with bright lamps were now illuminated by wands in dark passageways. Passing students, she now realized the school wasn't the only thing that had changed. When she arrived at this place, students were jovial, chatty, and enthusiastic, talking with dear friends and worrying about menial things such as an essay or a relationship. Now, they were reserved and had an air of determination about them, worrying about their family, what type of punishment they were expected to receive, and whether they would be raised in a world where Voldemort ruled.
Charms. Her final exam of the term. Pandora had something special planned for today. The plan would either go beautifully or it would end in complete disaster, and she was prepared for both. Placing the calmest expression she could muster upon her face, she walked through the great oak doors and took a seat near the back of the Hall, setting the few supplies she had brought with her onto the table. Parchment settled silently in front of every student, and, in what seemed a quiet resignation, Pandora filled the answers to each question; how to raise the dead, proper wand movements for each spell, and how to compel one to surrender to you by forcing them on their knees. She thought this spell an odd one to learn, and further raised her suspicions of the entire school body being raised as an army.
This was it. Calm as the ocean breathing on the shore, Pandora walked to a table as its black-cloaked Death Eater eyed her apprehensively. Pandora made sure there were no innocent bystanders near her as she quietly whispered Incendietis. An instant wall of extreme heat erupted behind her, blocking her and the grumpy examiner from everyone else in the room. She knew he realized what was going through her mind before she had a chance to mutter the Dead Atmosphere curse. She knew because the last thing she would remember before releasing a blood-curdling scream, before writhing on the cold floor as if in an epileptic fit, before the students flew to the imaginary wall and cried out in horror as they watched her suffer, before Ron's face found hers twisted in such agony she would surely wish for death, before her muscles must have turned to fire and melted her every bone and nerve, was hearing the curse Crucio leave his snarled lip.
She lay still when he released her, her chest rising and falling in shallow gasps. And Ron would never forget this voice as he spoke "Congratulations. You all pass." and left as the sizzling wall dissipated behind him.
:::
Oh my Rowling...sixty-five hundred words. That's a lot. I realize it took a long time to finally finish this, but between being away from the internet for great periods of time and serious writers block, along with holidays, this one cam a bit late. I hope it was worth it, though =) Please let me know what you think! I hope I didn't disappoint =D
Matrimonium Pulvis – Marrow Dust. Disintegrates bone marrow into...dust!
Incendia Cruor – Fire Blood. Heats up blood at quick rate for a quick painful death.
Incendietis – Firewall. Creates powerful wall of fire broken only when the castor releases the spell, or is unconscious/dead.
Pretty gruesome, I know.