Chapter 19: Raven, Fly Away
Cho's POV
I'm going to be starving after this since I'm completely missing lunch. It's a good thing Mrs. Weasley always makes big, steaming hot meals for every dinner, or I'd probably just leave this alone and go eat. But no, this has to be done for Retina's safety - our safety.
I just finished writing the small message into my diary when I heard the door down the hall open and close what the person thought was quietly. Maybe it was quietly done to keep everyone downstairs from hearing it, but not me, who is upstairs.
I heard someone tip-toeing quietly down the hall away from my direction. Good, I can follow them without waiting long to be able to see when I can exit my blue clad room. So, I slowly opened my oddly colored door, and, glancing down to both ends of the hall, I stepped out.
Following Trinity was definitely easier than I thought it would be. Because of the plush green carpeting extending from wall to wall, I was able to walk in the dark shadows and keep my feet quiet. Feet have a tendency to give themselves away when trying to sneak around, so the carpet helped by muffling my steps.
Every now and then Trinity would glance over her shoulder, and I would duck behind a shining suit of armor or a candelabra. I would just barely get completely blocked by one and I wonder why Trinity hasn't noticed me yet. I mean, I am a Ravenclaw, and we aren't known for being sneaky and cunning. Smarts we may have, but being able to spy is something our great Rowena Ravenclaw didn't pass down to us.
Before long though, after having to crouch down farther than I can go and becoming sore, Trinity reached a low-rise balcony and jumped over the edge. At first, I was shocked, for it appeared to hang over the Malfoys' boundaries, but upon closer inspection I found it lead into the garden Retina described from her vision where she saw Selene and Genevieve Slytherin kill themselves.
I debated on whether I should just leave it all alone or continue, for looking out on the hidden garden I realized there was only one way in and out. This balcony.
High rising trees grew on either side of the balcony, and though it was winter, the garden was as full of life and color as in the springtime. The grass was so green it could rival the Slytherin emblem, the flowers so colorful that it rivaled the rainbows that fill the skies after a nice rain. And the garden was so vast that it stretched for much farther than the boundaries that is thought to be the bounds of Malfoy Manor. I'm guessing Malfoy Manor possesses much more land than most believe since just this garden stretched for about 2 acres.
Well, if I'm going to do this I best jump now or else I'll lose Trinity in the vast maze that was once tamed by Genevieve. Perhaps Trinity and Briant have found a path and cleared it away. That would help immensely with this.
I quickly swung my legs over the banister, ignoring the fact that I was in a dress (Do not ask. At the Malfoys' it is very formal, and we always get dressed up. Though a peasant styled dress is barely 'dressed up', but still.). I pushed myself away from the ledge and toward the ground, landing in a soft pile of flowers; the honey scented pollen flying into my face.
"What was that?" I hear Briant ask franticly. I then hear feet moving around, heading towards my landing spot. The slow footsteps get closer to my place in the flowers, and I thank the Lord that my spot is behind a bush. I had no idea they had been so close!
"Have you found anything?" whispered Trinity, suspicion filling her voice.
As the footsteps stop in front of my hiding spot, I'm surprised they haven't yet found me here for my heartbeat was so loud. It was so loud it rang in my ears, and a horrid taste filled my mouth: the taste of fear.
Finally, as I knew it would happen, the bushes in front of me are pushed down slightly. Briant looks behind them, his eyes going wide when he notices me.
Briant's POV
When I pushed down the bush, it was a sight to behold, but also one to keep secret.
Sitting behind the bush, was Cho. I smiled to myself at knowing she had been the one to figure out something was wrong with Trinity. I nearly laughed out loud as well, for through her nearly black hair, flowers were tangled. Yellow polled graced the top of her head and covered her face while she sat in a now crushed pile of flower. Her dark blue, peasant dress was twisted all about her, and her shoes had come off when she had jumped.
"Briant?" she whispered urgently, "What is going on?!"
"Briant! Have you found anything?" Trinity called.
I put my finger up to my lips, "Shh." Then I turned away from Cho, "No, Leona, nothing was there. It may have been a rabbit or a snake or something."
"Probably."
Trinity's POV
He's lying. I can tell, I can sense it.
Who or what is behind that bush will get a surprise soon enough though. When it's least expected, I'll turn from Briant to the bush and pounce. No one keeps secrets from me, and no one betrays me. Oh, yeah, I'll betray others, but they can never betray me unless they wish to regret it. Retina should've known that, but oh well. I can have my fun for the moment.
"All right, then, Briant. Why don't you come sit back down with me? We need to finish chatting about your Orientation into the Order." I smirked as I heard a muffled gasp come from the bush.
Briant's eyes shifted towards it slightly before nodding at me and coming to sit down.
"You've been ever so helpful to the Order, Briant," I said, grabbing his hand gently, "We really appreciate it."
"You've still never told me," started Briant, "why you joined them and decided to turn on Retina."
I smiled a feral smile as I laughed maniacally in my head, "My dear friend, isn't it obvious? I'm a Gryffindor, so I obviously have to have some respect or liking of muggle-borns. I wasn't going to change that just because our dear Retina decided not to like them."
"That's not all, is it?"
"Never."
"Then continue."
"Let's just say that I began getting sick of her attitude after awhile. I knew she fancied my brother, so I thought I'd teach her a lesson, you know? Let her know people weren't going to put up with it for awhile. Do you remember that little incident around her birthday? Us finding Retina in the hidden corridor in the Dungeons? I put her there. I disguised myself as Harry and beat her, hiding her in there and then playing the role of the little sister of Draco Malfoy.
"When the next day I learned that that stupid Luna, and oddly, Millicent had a connection with Retina that would lead her anywhere Retina was, I acted out the concerned friend, and you all believed it.
"Let's not forget either how much I tried to keep Retina and my brother apart. I tried everything to get them to avoid each other. Humiliating them, implying things, hurting, I even sent hate-mail to them saying it was from the other. I don't like being betrayed, Briant, and they betrayed me."
"How, Leona?" he asked quietly.
I glared, hatred rolling off me in waves as I though of my "sister". "She ignored me! He ignored me! Our precious Dragon broke his promise to me! He swore he would be there, always with me and that I would be the only girl in his life besides Mother! Then she came along. Her, with her perfect figure, her perfect black hair, her perfect mood eyes! She ruined everything! I knew she would just by her display towards the Slytherins on the train to school.
"I thought maybe I wouldn't have to worry about her when I heard she was in Gryffindor, and when she was friendly towards me when no one else was, but she broke her promise too! She promised she would be my friend!" I knew I was losing control by how bright white flames erupted in my hands, engulfing my arms in a burst of fire. "She HURT me by ignoring me for my BROTHER! If he hadn't been there to protect her, she'd be dead by now thanks to me and Hermione!"
"Leona, --"
"Don't call me that! I despise that name, and the only reason I use it with the Order is so that Father and Voldemort don't know I've turned!" Now, he was distracted!
I turned toward the bush hiding whoever was spying and blasted it with flames. A scream echoed through the gardens, and I pulled the flames from the bush and wrapped them tightly around the form that had fallen backwards in surprise.
Cho. Fair skinned, dark haired, beautiful Cho Chang.
"Trinity!" she cried, "What are you doing?"
I sneered, "The right thing! You'd do well to follow my lead and join back with the Order."
"Leona! Stop it, this isn't the right way to do things!" Briant jumped up and somehow broke my powerful flames and vines rose from the ground, wrapping around my body. "I'm sorry, Leona."
The vines yanked me backwards, slamming my head off of a stone pillar, and my vision faded to black.
Cho's POV
I can't breathe. I can't breathe.
I can't focus on anything as the white flames from Trinity's hands engulf me, suffocating and burning me. There was no smoke, just a hard compression on my lungs and a blockage in my airways. I felt like I was dying a slow and painful death. I probably was before Briant stepped in.
The ground shook as Briant spoke some odd language beside me. A scream of pain and terror escaped Trinity's lips as her flame was broken, releasing me. I just got a glimpse of green vines wrenching her backwards toward the stone pillar holding up part of the balcony.
"Briant," I croaked, astonished at what only a minute engulfed in white flames did to me.
"Sh," he cooed, "I'm here, Cho. Don't worry, everything's going to be fine."
My vision went hazy as my legs started to go numb. A prickling started moving up from my legs to my stomach, into my arms, towards my heart. The closer the feeling got to where I know my heart lays, the hazier my vision got and the more pain I felt.
"I can't…" My voice is fading! What's going on?
"No, Cho, hold on." Briant sounded like he was crying as he yelled, "Help! Somebody, help, please!"
Again, I tried to speak, "What's hap…" Cough. "…ening?" My vision turned completely black, but not before I heard people screaming and crying my name in grief…
Briant's POV
"No!" I heard the voice of Damion behind me as I felt Cho go limp in my arms.
Tears rolled down my cheeks, landing on her now paler face, and I clung her to my chest.
"Cho?" Retina whispered as she bent down beside me and Cho. She choked as she tried to speak, "Cho, please…please wake up! Cho please! Don't leave me. You can't leave me!" Retina pulled Cho out of my arms and hugged her to herself. She cried into Cho's hair, making it look like her hair sparkled in the sunlight.
Luna knelt down beside Retina and I, "You guys, let go. Let her go. She wouldn't want us to hurt over her." I nodded and stood up while Luna tried to pry Retina's arms from around Cho.
"No!" Retina cried, "No…"
Damion, who rarely shows affection, was crying worse than Retina when I glanced up. We all were crying… Except Trinity and Luna. Luna wouldn't cry, we know that for she's strong and knows that people wouldn't want us to cry over them. And Trinity…
White hot anger coursed through me as I thought of Trinity. The lioness of the Malfoy line, the third child of the First Prophecy, and who we thought was our friend. She betrayed us, even after she ranted on about people betraying her. She had mentioned that she would betray others though they couldn't betray me, but this was low. Killing a member of a Light family just because she was in the wrong place?!
I think Retina was having the same thoughts since she let out a growl through her tears, passed Cho to Damion, and ran towards Trinity, who was waking up.
"You bitch!" Retina slapped Trinity across the face as the Dark Lord and Lady, along with many Death Eaters appeared beside our group. Retina was crying harder as she glared at her, "Why would you do this?!"
Trinity laughed, not pained by what she had done, "Because you all betrayed me! I just thought I'd return the favor, sis."
Pansy stepped forward grabbing Retina's arm lightly, "La Rétine, partent de lui. Il n'y a rien davantage que nous pouvons faire pour Cho, et la Trinité sera punie pour ceci. Svp, la Rétine, a juste laissé aller pour maintenant."
Retina spoke quietly, "Je ne peux pas, Pensée ! Comment vous m'attendez avez laissé aller quand elle a juste assassiné mon meilleur ami ? !"
"Vous devez. Nous pouvons obtenir notre vengeance bientôt, mais maintenant écoutons Luna."
"Bien, mais aucun de eux partira avec ceci." Retina let Pansy slowly guide her away from the insane female Malfoy.
Retina knelt down next to Cho again and lightly kissed her forehead, "Je t'aime, Cho, et toujours volonté. Veuillez ne pas oublier cela."
A/N: Okay, for your benefits, here are the translations of the French language I used in this chapter...
"La Rétine, partent de lui. Il n'y a rien davantage que nous pouvons faire pour Cho, et la Trinité sera punie pour ceci. Svp, la Rétine, a juste laissé aller pour maintenant."... means... "Retina, just leave it. There is nothing more that we can do for Cho, and Trinity will be punished for this. Please, retina, just let go for now."
"Je ne peux pas, Pensée ! Comment vous m'attendez avez laissé aller quand elle a juste assassiné mon meilleur ami ? !"... means... "I can't, Pansy! How do you expect me to when she just murdered our friend?!"
"Vous devez. Nous pouvons obtenir notre vengeance bientôt, mais maintenant écoutons Luna."... means... "You have to. We can get our revenge soon, but for now liten to Luna."
"Bien, mais aucun de eux partira avec ceci."... means... "Alright, but none of them will get away with this."
"Je t'aime, Cho, et toujours volonté. Veuillez ne pas oublier cela"... means... "I love you, Cho, and always will. Please don't forget that."
Please remember that I am not french, so the translations may be a bit off, but those are generally what they mean.
Cho: How could you kill me, Amanda?! I'm your favorite character!
Me: Sorry, Cho, it goes along with my new idea for the plot...*looks apologetic*
Ginny: And so far, we're winning in the vote for the Greek characters from Amanda's story to come into this one! HAHA!
Me: *grumbles about no good characters teaming up*
Draco: *smirks*
Blaise: I do believe actually that the vote is tied thanks to Amanda's latest reviewer voting against it.
Me: Speaking of reviewers! Let's list our reviewers... Pansy, who is this chapter dedicated to?
Pansy: This chapter is dedicated to Ncy555...
Zalen: And tha---
Me: ZALEN! Get out of here!
Hades: That's rude. *puts hand over Amanda's mouth* Continue, Z.
Zalen: Thank you, now...Thanks to BackbiterReader...
Ginny: And we do mean THANK YOU, Backbiter, for voting for Zalen and Hades and others to join our wonderful story!
Me: *breaks free* HELP ME! THE VOICES ARE TAKING OVER MY MIND! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!
Hades: *grabs Amanda* *puts hand over Amanda's mouth* *ties Amanda up* Continue, Z...again.
Draco: *snickers* I'll tell the rest...Thanks to BlueSunsetWaters, Oxymororn8, and CSIMiamiLuver2012...
Me: *breaks free* *knocks characters away from the computer* I REALLY want to thank CSIMiamiLuver2012 cuz they sided against the characters and tied the vote! (Though a tie isn't a good thing) So, HA! Unless someone else says they want new characters, me and the voices (of the ever annoying characters) are tied, and they are NOT winning! BOOHYA, BABY!
Luna: *raises eyebrow* Not going to ask, oh mighty Amanda, the Oldest Crazy One...
Me: HEY! *pouts*
ANYWAYZ, REVIEW PLEASE!!!
Luv Yas!
SlytherinLuver (...Cho, Ginny, Draco, Blaise, Pansy, Zalen, Hades, and Luna)