Forever Young
Hello and Happy Valentines Day to all. I will be celebrating today by cleaning my bedroom. I don't know why but I just have this deep hatred for the holiday. Not because I don't have someone to spend it with, but because I just think it's stupid. We shouldn't have just one day were we celebrate how much we love our friends, family, or any other loved ones. But anyways...This chapter gets pretty intense pretty quickly. I hope you all enjoy and have a fabulous day.
Chapter 32: Save Me, Save Me
Cassidy's POV:
Two weeks later I was up at the crack of dawn getting ready to go.
I showered quickly and began to get ready. I curled my hair into neat curls and applied natural make-up. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved white button up shirt. I grabbed my high-heeled red boots, my bag, my leather jacket, and red scarf then tip-toed out of the dorm room.
I zipped up my boots in the common room and pulled on my jacket and scarf. I then made my way up the boy's steps and into the 7th year dorm room. I walked over to James bed and shook him awake.
"Get up lazy ass," I hissed in his ear. "We need to be ready to go in a few hours." He groaned and began to sit up. He grabbed his glasses and shoved them on his face before heading towards the bathroom. I then heard a loud crash and a string of curses coming from his mouth. I bit back a giggle and began to look around.
I noticed Peter in the far corner of the room on the left and Remus in the bed next to him closest to the bathroom. Across from him was were James bed was and next to James was Sirius. I smiled slyly and tip-toed over to his bed. I sat on the edge of his bed and brushed a stray piece of hair away from his eyes.
He looked so much younger when he was asleep, less worried about the world. I smiled and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.
"That better be Cassidy," he mumbled in his sleep. "We aren't that close Prongs."
"Don't worry," I whispered. "It's just me." Grey eyes meet blue when he woke up. He smiled and reached out to touch my face. He rubbed my cheek and then rested his hand on top of mine.
"Ready to see Spencer," he asked. I shook my head and looked down.
"I'm terrified," I admitted. "I'm scared he's gonna be so far gone we won't be able to help him."
"It's going to be fine Cassidy," he said sitting up and grabbing my hand into his. "It's going to be fine."
I sighed. "I wish people would stop saying that," I told him. "What if it isn't fine? What if we can't help him? What if Ellie's already won?"
"She hasn't won," he said. "And she won't ever win. You are stronger than her. You can beat her, and you can beat this."
"Thanks Sirius," I said smiling. He smiled back and began to get out of bed.
"Ready to go Cass?" James asked coming out of the bathroom.
"Yup," I said jumping up. "Let's go save my brother." He smiled and held out his arm. I grabbed onto it and we left the room. Once we got to the entrance hall we had to wait a few minutes before McGonagall could let us go down to the village.
"You two are quiet eager to get down to the village today," she commented. "It's like you've never been there before."
"Just want to get some shopping in," I smiled at her. "Lily's birthday is on Tuesday and we need to get her something great."
"Well then off you go," she said opening the castle doors. "Be safe."
"Of course Professor," James smiled as we went down the hill and towards the small town of Hogsmeade.
"Do you know what you're doing?" he asked after we passed through the gates.
"I think so," I told him. "I did some research and found the apothecary that Snape was talking about. I sent the clerk a letter and told him to have the things ready for today."
"Ok," he said. "And know on to my second question. Why are we dressed nicer than usual?"
"We have to act like we are people of prominence," I told him. "We can't look like ragamuffin teenagers."
"But we are ragamuffin teenagers," he pointed out.
"That's beside the point," I told him. "We need to look like we belong. And you have to act like it to so act as adultish as you can, got it?"
"Got it," he mumbled. We continued walking to the village a comfortable silence between us. The only sound you could hear was the sound of my boots clacking on the ground and faint voices coming from the town. We made it quickly through the town and up towards the shrieking shack.
"Ok take my hand," I said reaching out to James. "We have to side-apparate." He took my hand and I closed my eyes focusing on the entrance to Knockturn Alley. There was a sharp crack and I felt myself getting pulled away. Soon enough my feet had landed on solid ground. I gasped in as much air as possible my throat burning.
"I hate apparition," I groaned.
"You're not the only one," James said sucking in air as well. Once we had gotten enough air we linked arms and made our way through the alley. Since it was in the dead of winter and it was early not many people were out and about. We kept our heads low and were on the lookout for the apothecary.
"There," I said pointing. An old rickety sign read Mr. Gold's Apothecary in big black lettering. "This is the place."
"Alright," James said. "Let's go."
"Wait," I said placing a hand on his chest keeping him back. "You stay, I'll go."
"No way," he said. "Not gonna happen."
"Yes James," I insisted. "Make sure no one comes in. I'll be two minutes. In and out. I promise."
"Fine," he finally agreed. "But if I hear one sound that sounds threatening I'm coming in."
"Fine," I said. "Do what you have to do." I take a deep breath before opening the door. Immediately I want to exit because then stench in the room is unbearable. It's a mixture or rotting bodies trying to be masked with a rotten pine scent.
"How can I help you dearie?" an eerie voice asks. I jump and turn around. An old man with long stringy hair, rotting teeth, and yellowing skin is standing there in an old white shirt and dress pants with a dark, stained apron.
"Hello," I said shakily. "My name is Cassidy Clark, I'm here to pick up my order."
"Ah, Miss. Clark," he grinned making me shudder. "How lovely to finally meet you. Come, come I'll take you to your package." He turns and makes his way to the front of the store. I hesitantly follow behind him. He goes behind the counter and ducks underneath of it. Things began to get thrown behind him and I stare questionably. I begin to peer over the counter when he pops back up with my package.
"Frog parts, strengthening solution, and a leave of dittany for the lovely lady," he sing-songed placing the bag on the counter. "That'll be 10 galleons dearie."
"10? In your letter you said 5," I said in shock.
"Things change love," he smirks. I roll my eyes and pull ten galleons from my bag and slam them on the counter and grab my package and stuff it into my bag.
"Thank you Mr. Gold," I say giving him a curt nod before hurrying to the exit.
"Have a lovely day dearie!" he calls after me. I leave the store so fast I run into James on my way out.
"What happened are you ok?" he asked. I nod my head and grab his arm pulling him from the alley as fast as I could.
"Cassidy what the hell happened back there," he asked frantically. "Did he hurt you?"
"No," I shouted. "God no, he was just one bloody creepy bloke. Anyways he gave me the stuff so now we just need to get to the hospital now."
"Alright," he said. He grabbed my hand and we were pulled from the ground once more. When we landed it wasn't as bad as the time before. We quickly went into the hospital and I made my way to the front desk.
"Hello," I greeted the lady at the front desk. "I was just wondering when they would be administering the Death-Cap draught to Spencer Clark."
"Shouldn't you be in school?" she asked. "You're his sister right, Cassidy?"
Shit. "No I'm his cousin…Kelly. Yes Kelly Clark."
"Funny," she said. "You look just like his sister. Anyways they aren't administering it until noon so you have a few minutes if you'd like to go up."
"I'd love to," I smiled. I thanked the witch and made my way towards the elevator where James was waiting.
"Room 416," she called after me. I grabbed James' arm and pulling him into the lift hitting the fourth floor. We exited the lift and started making our way down the hall when we heard two very familiar voices.
"She should be here for this Chris," Grace said. "It's her brother."
"She doesn't deserve to watch him die," Chris said back. "She's had too much heartbreak in the last few years to handle that."
"Why don't we talk upstairs while the nurses prep him for the draught," a healer said to them we darted into the first room we saw and waited for them to pass by. Once they were in the lift and on their way up we went to 416. We peered inside but there was already a nurse.
"Shit," I said. "What do we do now?"
"I've got an idea," James said clearing his throat. "NURSE HELP ME!" he called in a feminine voice. The nurse bolted out of the room and we pointed her down the hall. I smiled at James and we high-fived before quickly entering Spencer's room. We shut the door and locked it with a charm that couldn't be broken with a simple unlocking charm.
"We probably have about 30 minutes before someone figures out that we're in here and another 30 before someone gets in," I told him pulling off my jacket and scarf before taking the supplies out of my bag. "We've got to do this now."
"Ok what do we do?" he asked.
"We mix all this stuff together and give it to Spencer," I told him opening the container that held the frog parts. I gagged at the smell and held it away from me.
"We have to make him drink that," James asked skeptically. "I'm sure he'd rather die."
"James!" I exclaimed.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "Wrong time for jokes. But seriously that's pure torture."
"He's barely alive," I told him mixing in the strengthening solution. "He'll barely taste it."
"If you're sure," he said. I placed the leaf of dittany inside it and finished stirring. It began to glow a forest green color.
"Ok," I said picking it up and walking towards Spencer. "Here goes nothing." I sat on the edge of Spencer's bed and opened his mouth. I began to pour the liquid down his throat.
"James massage his throat so it'll go down," I told him. He nodded and began to do as I say. I poured all of it down his throat and once it had all gone down I stepped back and set the glass on the side table.
"Do you think it worked?" James asked. I shrugged my shoulders. Snape said it could take several hours. We only had minutes.
"We just have to wait for a little," I said sitting on the couch across the room. James sat next to me and we waited. But not long after that there was banging on the door. I heard voices shouting and people worrying.
"What do we do?" I asked James standing up.
"I don't know," he said. "Don't you have an escape plan?"
I gave a weak smile and shook my head.
"Cassidy!" he hissed. "How the hell are we supposed to get out of here?"
"I don't know!" I hissed back. I began to pace the room trying to think.
"Can we apparate out?" I asked putting a hand to my forehead.
"No," he said. "There's a spell over the rooms, kinda like the one on Hogwarts."
"Crap," I snapped. I then cleaned up all the things from the antidote and threw them away. Suddenly Spencer started to shake and seize.
"Shit!" I screamed. "What do we do?" I yelled at James.
"How the hell am I supposed to know?" he yelled back. Suddenly he stopped shaking but his chest was no longer moving.
"Spencer," I said trying to wake him up. "Spencer come back to me! Don't you even try dying! Spencer!"
"Cassi," James said. "I think he's gone."
"No," I yelled. "I risked my ass to save him today. The least he could do his freaking live! Damn it Spencer live!" I then brought my fist down on his chest hard. He then began to cough and sputter. His eyes began to flutter open and he was groaning.
"Spencer?" I croaked. "Spencer can you hear me?"
"Cassi?" he groaned. "Cassi is that you?"
"Spencer I'm here," I cried. "It's me."
"What the hell happened," he asked. "Why does it feel like I've been asleep for a year?"
"Not a year," I told him. "Just a month." Suddenly there was even more banging and yelling on the door.
"Cass we have to go," James said grabbing my arm.
"Go what do you mean?" Spencer asked. "Why is the door locked? What did you two do?"
"We saved your life so hush and don't lecture us," I told him grabbing my jacket and bag.
"Wait you said I've been asleep for a month," he said trying to sit up. "Why aren't you two at Hogwarts? What did you-?"
"Silencio!" I said pointing my wand at Spencer. Instantly he stopped talking. I smiled and began to think on how we could get out. Then the room suddenly got much brighter.
"Just the sun coming through the window," James said as I looked up worried. "Now how do we get out?"
"We jump," I said walking towards the window.
"What?!" he hissed. "Are you out of your mind?"
"Man up James," I snapped. "You're a wizard aren't you?" He rolled his eyes and walked over to the window. He sent a spell to cushion our fall and opened the window. He began to step out when he looked back.
"Make sure you unlock the door and unsilence him," he told me. "See ya Spence." And with a quick wave he was gone. I looked out the window and he was at the bottom bouncing up and down. I giggled. And grabbed my bag pulling it over my shoulder. I grabbed my wand and pointed it at Spencer muttering the counter curse.
"Seriously Cass," he said giving me a look.
"I did this for you," I told him. "Please be safe and don't drink anything suspicious. I need you Spence."
"You got it," he said. I began to climb out the window. I hung onto the ledge and pointed my wand at the door saying the counter curse.
"Bye Spencer," I called. "I love you! And don't blab on me and James! We did this to save your ass."
"Bye Cass," he said. "Now go quick!" I smiled and let go of the ledge. I bounced a few times before coming to a halt. I stood up and brushed myself off. And grabbed James hand and we began to run. We into the woods behind the hospital and found a safe place to apparate. We landed in the shrieking shack and took in a deep breath.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"Almost 1 o'clock," he said. "Don't worry. We have time."
"Good," I said adjusting my bag. "Let's go get lunch." I pushed open the door and heard a loud 'thunk' then a groan.
"Bloody hell Clark," Sirius' voice said from behind the door. "How do you hold so much force in such a small body?"
"Sirius," I gasped pushing the door the rest of the way open. He was laying in the snow with Lily, Remus, and Marlene laughing behind him.
"I'm so sorry," I told him helping him up. "I swear I didn't mean too!"
"I know Cass," he said brushing himself off. "I was kidding. Anyways how'd it go?"
"Great," I smiled. "Spencer is alive and talking. Now I can finally sleep at night."
"That's great Cassidy," Lily smiled. "Now let's go get some lunch! I'm sure you to are starved!"
"Great idea!" James and I exclaimed simultaneously. We left the shack and went to the Three Broomsticks. We spent the rest of the afternoon there talking and laughing having a great time. It was great while it lasted because once we got back up to the castle James and I were in a whole load of trouble.
Did anyone recognize Mr. Gold from anywhere? He's in one of my favorite TV shows. First person to guess gets a shout out next chapter! Well Cassidy and James are definitely in a whole ton of trouble next chapter. Things will get pretty heated in the first part of the chapter. Once again Happy Valentines Day to everyone. Spend it with your boo (if you have one) or another loved one of your choice. :)
XOXO,
SophieElizabeth630