Everything around the school had become disgustingly pink for Valentine's Day and Mels hated it. She was recently having some trouble concentrating but couldn't figure out why. Just strange little lapses in memory that she couldn't quite account for.
"What is it about the Forbidden Forest that's so forbidden exactly?" Melody asked Matthew one afternoon as she walked with him and Amy down the hall.
"Well, there's unicorns in there. It's not legal go near them." Matt replied.
"And centaurs. They can be really unpredictable" Amy added.
"I say we should go investigate." Mels raised a mischievous eyebrow. "That is unless you're all too scared."
"I'm not scared" Amy scoffed.
"I mean... I guess there's no harm in trying to get a glimpse of the unicorns. Not like we're going to catch one or hurt it, right? Just curious."Matthew made excuses for himself.
"Ok! Tonight we meet at the edge of the forest. With me?" Melody whispered excitedly.
Matt and Amy shook their heads yes in agreement. Mels felt compelled to lead Matt and Amy into the forest. She wasn't sure why yet be she knew she just had to.
They weren't the only ones with plans to sneak out. Mary had lead Toshiko back to the clock tower that very night. She'd brought two small goblets with her and with the flick of her wand filled them with wine.
"Mary, we can't drink this!" Tosh whispered surprised.
"Oh, come on, Tosh. Stop being so innocent. I thought you wanted to have fun tonight" Mary smiled. Tosh took a swig. "At a girl." Mary ran her hand up Tosh's tight as she took another sip.
"Um.. Mary?" Tosh bit her lip nervously. "I was wondering.. I saw you walking out of the restricted section the other day. You had a book in your hand.."
"Want to know what it was?" Mary leaned in close. "I've been looking into legilimency... and, don't judge me for it.. but I've been looking into other forms of mind controlling spells as well."
"You haven't been studying anything... unforgivable, have you?" Tosh whispered. "Should I start practicing occlumency to protect myself from you?" She smiled.
"Nothing can protect you from me, sweetheart." Mary went in for a kiss.
Down by the forest's edge Amy, Mels and Matthew held each others hands as they walked into the darkness. They soon found a faint light underneath a bush and investigated to find bright fairy cocoons clinging to the underside of a dark green leaf.
"Don't move!" Matthew grabbed Amy's shoulder as he looked up to see a unicorn standing no more than 20 feet away. The moonlight streaming in through the holes of the forest canopy lit up the creature.
"Can we get closer?" Amy began to walk slowly towards it. She heard a rustling of bushes behind her and when she turned around she saw that Matthew and Melody had disappeared. The unicorn heard the movement in the trees and ran off. It was then that she felt the cold scaly hands of Alaya grab her from behind and cover her mouth.
"Your little Slytherin friend lead me to you. Not that she knew she was doing it." Alaya chuckled. "Quit moving!" She threw a struggling Amy to the ground. Alaya straddled her and covered her mouth again when Amy attempted to scream. "Have they taught you about unforgivable curses yet? I know you're only a second year muggle born but I don't think I need to explain to you how much this is going to hurt. Crucio..." Alaya is thrown off Amy by a heavy blow from an unknown voice.
"Stupify!" The voice cast a spell that sent Alaya flying into a tree trunk. Her body hit the ground with a thud.
Amy quickly got up and took out her wand. "I'm warning you! Whoever you are!" She watched as a young boy came out of the darkness.
"Hello, Amy" Rory smiled. Amy looked confused as she slowly lowered her wand. Before she could ask what he'd done to her friends she grew faint and passed out cold.
Rory caught her in his arms as she fell. "Amy" He whispered as he brushed her hair out of her face.
"Rory!" Matthew ran up to them. "Melody, she was under the imperius curse. Alaya... When did you get out of Mungo's?" He paused.
"Nice to see you too" Rory joked as he picked up Amy and began walking back to the school. "She needs to go to the infirmary and we need to get the ministry down here to arrest you're crazed lizard godmother before she wakes up."
The way Rory suddenly sounded like he was in charge made Matthew step back for a moment. It wasn't Rory's usual behaviour. He didn't even seem to need any help carrying Amy. "Welcome back, Rory Williams" Matthew chuckled as they walked back to the school.
Madame Pomfrey was always very strict about who she let hang about the infirmary but she didn't mind Rory coming by every day to check on Amy and Mels. He seemed to have a knack for healing magic and even stuck around to help other kids who came in besides his own friends.
"Even given any thought to becoming a healer, Rory?" Pomfrey smiled.
"I had thought about it" Rory smiled shyly. "Do you think I'd really be any good? I'm just wrapping bandages and mixing simple antidotes."
"You're a second year, Rory" She chuckled. "You can't be expected to do anymore than that at 12 years old. But you have the potential."
When Melody came to she was cleared to go back to classes as soon as possible. Sometimes the curse could leave a victim with permanent damage but it seemed Mels had all her wits about her.
"What was it like?" Mary asked her fellow Slytherin about the curse.
"It was strange. I wanted to do it but I didn't know why." Melody looked out the opaque green stained glass window.
"Did it hurt?" Mary was intrigued.
"Not exactly. But I got sort of dizzy and confused." Melody shrugged. "I'm just worried now that Matthew and Amy won't forgive me." Mels had spoken to Rory and he seemed to understand but Amy hadn't woken up yet and Matthew hadn't come to visit so she didn't know if they understood.