*Chapter 6,
Terrified
"Ive been told, whats done is done, to let it go
And carry on, and deep inside, I know that's true." ~Unbeautiful by Leslie Roy
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Later that evening, Natalie perched herself up against a window in the library and struggled to complete her Defense Against the Dark Arts essay. Dorcas and Malorie had gone to dinner, promising to save her a seat, while Lily was currently occupied with Head Girl duties.
She looked up from her parchment to gaze out the window at the darkening sky. The day had come and gone, and it had been an absolute disaster. Natalie was still utterly ashamed of losing the duel in front of all her peers. She was a fool; the laughing stock of the class, now, and she doubted anybody would take her seriously anymore.
She had disgraced her name. Her mom had given their family name fame and glory, and now she had gone and slaughtered it to pieces in front of the entire class. No doubt word about her failure had spread all over school by now. That's what happened at a boarding school. One's secrets became another's juicy gossip. She only wished no one would discover her furtive.
"Doge," someone addressed her roughly, and she turned to meet the blonde transfer student strolling through the bookshelves, an evident sneer plastered to his face. "Nice dueling today," he mocked, but Natalie rolled her eyes and ignored him, continuing the parchment in front of her. The boy snatched the notebook off of the table, and held it tightly to his chest.
"Hey!" Natalie snapped, attempting to take it back. "Hand it over, Meliflua." She groaned. She didn't have time for this.
"Or what?" He leered. "Tell your little redhead to take away some points? Big deal."
"What do you want?" she retorted. "Don't tell me you came all the way over here to borrow my Defense essay?"
"I would never," he spat. "I just have a question for you." He faltered a bit.
"And what is that?" she asked irately, folding her arms across her chest.
"Why did you let him win?" he gazed at her cautiously his voice now gentle, albeit wary.
Of all things to pose, she did not expect this. "I beg your pardon?" She snorted. "WHY! In Merlin's name, would I ever let a nasty Slytherin win house pride over me?" she gaped. "I suppose, you believe I take pleasure in humiliating myself in front of the entire class?"
The boy raised his eyes, mystified, and then cleared his throat to stare at her despairingly. "I guess you're right, my mistake." And then he tossed the note-book back into her hands and left without another word.
Natalie watched his retreating back with disdain. What was that about? She began to gather up her belongings. Let a Slytherin win. What an absurd thing to believe!
She leisurely left the library and headed for the Great Hall, her book bag dangling on her shoulder. She was supposed to meet Dorcas nearly an hour ago, but Natalie deliberately took her time, wary of her encounter with the other students.
"There you are," Dorcas groaned from her seat as Natalie approached the table. Blissfully, the Great Hall was empty except for a few of the first year Ravenclaws.
"Sorry," Natalie frowned, but she was honestly relieved no one was here to gossip and poke fun in front of her. "I lost track of time," she slumped down in her seat.
"You think!" Dorcas chuckled. "Ah, well, what's done is done. So, have you completed your essay, yet? I need you to take a look at mine."
"Um," Natalie cringed. "Not quite. I have a few more lines to cover…"
"You haven't finished?" Dorcas gaped.
"I'll do it after dinner." Natalie brushed it off. "I'm starved."
--- --- ---
That night, Natalie drifted to sleep, her previous nightmare continuing its course…
All around her was absolute turmoil. Lights from various curses were zapping passed her so quickly, she had to crawl on the ground to avoid being hit. Corpses were strewn all over the grass while the wizards who were still alive wailed for help.
"Mariel!" someone whimpered nearby. She turned to see Adam Bones lying stiffly on the ground; the bones in his legs shifted awkwardly while fresh blood ran down the sides. "Tell my wife and kids that I love them." He trembled.
"Adam," she whispered. "You're not going to die. It's going to be fine." She said ripping his shirt open to tie around the wound. "You're going to be just fine."
"Please, tell my family I love them and that I'm sorry…" He gulped. "For everything."
"Auror Bones!" She yelled, frustrated. "You are going to make it! That is an order!" Just than a green light whizzed past her, hitting him squarely in the chest, and she jumped back startled as his last breath escaped his lips.
"NO!" she screamed outraged. Mariel stood to fight the death eater who had sent the curse. "Crucio!" She yelled, putting her whole soul into it. If they were going to play dirty, so was she.
"Auror Doge!" Someone yelled in the distance. She turned to see Wesley Vance, a member of her squad, fighting with a large death eater.
"Stupefy!" she yelled, knocking her opponent out. "Wes!" she yelled. "Step back!" The man did so, and she pointed her wand at the death eater, "Grenado!" she yelled blasting his body a hundred feet away.
"Vance!" she huffed. "Find McKinnon, and get yourselves out of here!" The man nodded his head in correspondence, and ran off into the darkness.
Mariel looked around at all the pandemonium, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Why?" she whimpered. Someone had betrayed them. Someone had given away the location, but who? And for what price? Surely so many deaths couldn't possibly be worth the reward the Dark Lord had to offer…
She spotted two people dueling, and she ran to help. "Stupefy!" she hit the death eater just as he aimed his wand to the Auror's throat. The death eater's body fell limp on the ground and the Auror jumped back in shock, terror overcoming her features.
"I thought I was dead," she whispered. It was a member of Stratton's squad. Amelia Prewett, Fabians older sister. "Thank you." She murmured quietly.
"Get out while you can," Mariel spat running up a grassy hill in the direction of another duel.
"Mariel!" a familiar voice yelled. Frederick Abbot scurried towards her, his face covered in scrapes and dust. "We need to leave." He huffed. "There's nothing we can do."
"I'm not going to leave my team here alone!" She yelled, scanning the area for more death eaters. "Someone betrayed us, and we need to find out why."
"Mariel!" Abbot cried. "Think of Natalie. She needs a mother." He said, dodging a curse. "It's hard enough on her not having a father."
Tears sprung into Mariel's eyes once again, and she sniffed as reality set in. "Freddy," she whispered. "If I don't make it. Take care of her for me will you?"
"You will make it!" Abbot yelled, dodging another curse. "If you get out of here NOW!"
Just than a green light shot towards them, heading for Frederick's heart.
"No!" Mariel screamed knocking him out of the way. Just then something hit her so strongly it knocked the breath out of her. Humph. She staggered backwards as silence began to surround her. She waited for her breath to return but was baffled when it didn't. The sky began to grow dim, and soon the colorful lights in the air began to disappear…
"NOO!!!!!!!" Natalie screamed as she awoke. It was all too real. The bodies. The scent of blood. "NOOO!! AHH! Dear Merlin, NO!!!!" She screamed jumping out of bead. Her hands touched the hem of her shirt, and she realized that it was moist. "BLOOD!" she cried. "BLOOD EVERYWHERE!"
"Natalie!" Dorcas jumped out of her bed alarmed. "What's the matter?" She stumbled to her friends' side. "Oh, sweetheart, it was just a dream."
"NO!" Natalie yelled running into the bathroom to rinse her sweat soaked hands. "AHH!" She screamed hysterically. She scrubbed them over and over again, but the scent of blood was still in her nose. "NO!!" She yelled punching the mirror. Shards of glass flew all over the sink, and she yelped in pain as blood truly began to drip from her aching palms.
"Natalie!" Dorcas seized her arms. "Get a hold of yourself! It was just a dream!"
Just then, Lily Evans came sprinting into the room, her wand raised lighting their surroundings. "What is going on in here?" She said in a perfect Head Girl voice.
"Natalie seems to be in frenzy," Malorie said, faltering out of bed.
"It was just a dream!" Dorcas yelled to her. "She gets nightmares sometimes."
"Oh dear Merlin!!" Natalie screamed, the vision fresh in her mind.
"Good gracious!" Lily cried running to her side. "She's bleeding!"
"Yeah, well that's what happens when you smash a mirror!" Dorcas groaned. "Natalie. It's alright. Just calm down. Everything's fine." She whispered, giving her a one-armed hug.
"No," Natalie whimpered pushing her friend aside and running out of the room.
"Natalie!" Lily yelled. "You need to have that cleaned. It could get infected!"
But she didn't listen. The images were far too fresh on her mind. Her mum was dead. Everyone was dead. Bodies were everywhere. Blood was dripping from her hand…
When she reached the common room it was full of bleary eyed students.
"Hey, whaz going on?" Sirius said rubbing his face wearily. "Natalie?"
She pushed passed him running for the fat lady portrait. "Natalie," Someone said softly behind her. She turned around to see Remus standing there, his eyes darkening when he glimpsed her hand. "Are you alright?" He whispered, taken aback by the grief in her eyes.
"NO!" she cried tears pouring down her face as she held her hand painfully. She couldn't stay here. She needed to leave. This wasn't her home, and these people weren't her family. Quickly, she shoved her way past him and ran frantically out the door. There was a sudden force around her waist and she was startled by the strength of the person holding her. Remus had wrapped his arms around her, now holding her still to get a good look at the wound.
"It's alright," he whispered gently into her ear. "What ever the fuss is about, we can help you."
"Let me go!" She staggered, but it was comforting to be in his grasp.
"Not until your hand has been healed." He said evenly. Just then Lily and Dorcas ran to their side.
"Natalie, hold out your palm," Lily ordered, adjusting her wand. "It is my job to look after the welfare of students."
Natalie finally stopped thrashing, and held herself still in shame. The whole Gryffindor tower was probably watching her right now, and she was acting like a complete maniac.
A faint tingling swept through her palm and the wound began to seal itself.
"There," Lily smiled as Remus reluctantly let her go. "Now, what's this all about?"
Natalie leaned against the corridor wall and tried to get herself under control. "Nothing," she whimpered, uncomfortable because of all the Gryffindor students that had shoved their way into the hall to get a good look at the situation.
"That's enough. Get back to bed." James pushed his way to the front of the crowd and paused when he spotted the scene before him.
"Hey," he raised his eyebrows at Natalie. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes," she muttered rubbing her eyes wearily. "Just go back to bed," Natalie murmured and faltered down the hall.
"Natalie wait," Lily sauntered after her. "Potter," she turned around harshly. "Get everyone back to their quarters, now!" and then she tugged Natalie's arm to stop her.
"I demand an explanation," Lily whispered fervently. "Has someone hurt you?"
"No," Natalie protested as James shoved the onlookers back into the common room.
"You heard the Head Girl," he cackled. "Everyone back to bed."
There was a series of groans and moans from the students, but soon the hall was completely clear except for the three girls and Remus.
Dorcas stood at Natalie's side, and she shuffled her feet anxiously. Natalie looked around the room, her head swarming in confusion. She just wanted to be alone!
Dorcas was the first to break the silence. She cleared her throat anxiously. "Natalie sometimes gets really bad nightmares," she murmured quietly.
"Visions," Natalie snapped, finally realizing that there could be more to her nightly furies than she had imagined.
"Whatever they are," Dorcas shrugged. "And sometimes, they seem pretty real."
"It was!" Natalie complained, fury erupting inside her.
"Alright," Dorcas sighed. "Well, what did you see this time?" Dorcas asked, honestly curious.
Natalie fumbled for a moment, but then decided it would probably be best to give her new friends some sort of explanation. "I saw…" she began. "I just witnessed a battle, and I was there as my mum was murdered." It took all her vigor not to cry in front of these people, but oh how she wanted to.
"Nattie," Dorcas embraced her in a profound hug. "It's alright. You're mum is in a place where no one can hurt her now. You know that right?"
"Yes," Natalie sniffed as a new wave of tears threatened to spill. "I'm sorry I woke you all." She grumbled. "The dream seemed so real. It felt like I was really there, fighting, but there was nothing I could do."
"It's alright," Lily patted her shoulder. "We understand."
Remus shuffled awkwardly in the background, uncomfortable to be in a hall full of emotional girls. "We should probably get back to bed, too." He licked his lips nervously and glanced at Natalie. "Or at least try to."
"Yes," Dorcas towed Natalie back into the common room. "Unfortunately, tomorrow is another day of classes, and we should try to get as much sleep as we can before sunrise."
The four Gryffindors shuffled slowly into the common room which was now completely vacant except for James.
"Good evening," he said pleasantly as Lily passed him. "Everyone has gone back to their rooms."
"Get some rest, Potter," she rolled her eyes and proceeded up the stairs to her bedroom. "Goodnight girls," she smiled fondly. "And you, too, Remus." She chuckled at James' frown.
"Yeah, good night Lil's." Remus muttered. "Sweet dreams everybody." He looked anxiously at Natalie.
"Yes, sweet dreams," Dorcas laughed and led the way to their quarters.
Natalie crawled into her bed, careful not to wake the current occupants of the room. Malorie was back in bed fast asleep, and Ophelia had never woken through the whole ordeal.
'Typical,' Natalie mused.
"Night, love," Dorcas snuggled into her blankets and let out a relaxed sigh.
"Good night," Natalie waited silently for a few moments until she could hear Dorcas' light snores. She then quietly climbed out of bed, and crept down the stairs into the now gloomy common room.
DISCLAIMER- Everything recognized does NOT belong to me. We owe it to the great and marvelous Rowling, in fact. ;)
Thank you for taking the time to read. Please remember to review! Chap 7- WIP