A/N: Some portions of this story are borrowed directly from the game, which I do not own. With that said, enjoy!
Arah strode briskly down the hall, footsteps echoing through the dark corridor as she made her way toward the library. Her body felt as if it was hit with a jelly-leg curse, limbs heavy and delayed. She urged it to carry her just a little farther. What she would give for just a little more Wide-Eye potion to get her through this long night.
The solitary silence carried unwelcomed thoughts of her brother. Horrific images played in her head; his lifeless charred body, burying him in a grave, her mum grieving for Jacob like she once had all those years ago. Arah couldn't seem to stop her imagination from running, plaguing her mind with worry. Sounds of footsteps resonated behind her as she whirled around- ripping out her wand to see a disheveled Barnaby, halfway through pulling a jumper over his head. In all honesty, she was thankful for the distraction. Being left alone in her thoughts was unnerving.
"Whoa, whoa. It's just me." He lifted his arms up defensively- one sleeve of his jumper still hanging loosely off his neck.
"What are you doing here?" Arah whispered, sheathing her wand back into her robe.
"I'm coming with you."
Arah sighed in frustration, "You don't - "
"I don't want to hear it." Barnaby huffed, pulling the rest of his jumper over him. "If your brother is in trouble- you don't need Filch getting in the way of that. Let me keep a lookout." he argued.
He had a point. She didn't even think of Filch- she wasn't thinking at all, really. "Alright," Arah surrendered, too tired to protest. "let's crack on then."
They traveled down the hall and up the stairs to the first floor. Luckily the library wasn't too far from here. Arah cast a swift glance at Barnaby, catching him staring at her as he quickly looked away. He seemed to be wrestling with himself as they walked in silence.
"How did Merula know where to point you?" he finally spoke up.
"It's... complicated."
"Do you trust her?"
Arah had to think for a moment before being able to answer him. "I don't think I do, but this is the best lead I've got. I don't have much of a choice."
He frowned to himself- confusion and anger evident as he battled his own thoughts. "You mentioned 'R'... are they really back?"
Guess Chiara hadn't passed along the news yet. Arah wasn't sure how pointed she should be, it was a bit of a touchy subject to say the least. In truth, she was hurt. Deeply. At the beginning of the school year, she had gathered the Circle of Khanna to express her concerns on R's return - but no one listened to her. Everyone was ready to move on and enjoy their last year together without the threat of R looming over them.
"Arah, 'R' is gone." Penny had said to her. "I know this has followed you since your 1st year, but it's over now. You don't need to fight anymore."
"But - "
"I'm tired of fighting, aren't you? You can't keep chasing threat after threat," Penny said gently. "I think I speak for all of us when I say that we feel unburdened and want to keep it that way. Let the Circle of Khanna rest. Let's just be friends and classmates again rather than working against a dark evil cabal. I just want to enjoy our last year at Hogwarts together. We all do. Rowan would want you too."
Arah looked pleadingly at her group of friends- their silence spoke volumes. Even Barnaby had remained quiet- that particularly stung more than she had realized. Eventually, she played along- agreeing they were right and there was nothing to worry about. She couldn't blame them. And maybe that was for the best. She didn't want anyone else getting hurt because of 'R', and what better way to protect her friends than leaving them out of it.
The silence stretched longer than Arah had meant for as she got lost in the painful memory.
"They never left," she confessed- eyes glued to the stone floor.
Barnaby froze. Arah turned to see him gaping at her, realization washing over him. Arah wasn't sure what she expected. Relief? A weight off her chest? But none came... now a different reservation set in. Her friends were involved. Again. 'R's existence seemed to grow more ominous and mysterious than Arah ever could have imagined. An uncomfortable thought flitted her mind- a feeling she was only scratching the surface.
Barnaby's gaze shifted to something behind her- eyes going wide as he suddenly dove for her, shoving them into a small opening along the hallway where a statue of armor resided. He pressed his body firmly against hers- pinning her against the wall. Her breath hitched as the glow of a lantern lit up the hallway.
"Who's there?!" Filch crowed into the night.
They looked at one another in panic, holding their breaths- noses barely touching. Her heart raced faster- not sure if it was because of Filch anymore. Blimey, get a grip of yourself. Her emotions were all over the place tonight.
"I know your in here." He sang- the soft meow of Mrs. Norris echoing behind him. Barnaby pushed against her harder- trying to conceal himself from view as Filch paced the hallway. His hot breath blew her dull silver hair back- the scent of his toothpaste still lingering. Her heart pounded against her chest- she was almost certain he could feel it too. How could he not?
They looked anywhere but each other in their awkward embrace. A warmth radiated from him, chasing away the permanent chill she had from her damp clothes. She melted into the comfort of their closeness- fatigue tugging heavily at her limbs. If he wasn't practically holding her, her body would surely have collapsed. They stood there like that- waiting for the lantern glow to disappear. Sleep coaxed her as she leaned her head back against the cool brick, closing her eyes for a moment as her energy drained.
"You okay?" he whispered in her ear- lips barely brushing against her hair. She wanted to lean closer into him.
"Yeah, just tired is all." she managed a small nod.
He scanned her face- a sadness pierced his green eyes. "I owe you an apology, Arah."
She looked away- not sure what to say to him.
"You tried to tell us. Months ago. Merlin, I'm such a git." Barnaby cursed to himself. "I understand now, why you became so distant. At first, I thought it was because of your new Head Girl duties, then I thought it was Quidditch, or the work studies program- but then you and Corey became so close..." he shifted uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact.
Corey? What did Corey Hayden have to do with this? He wasn't... jealous? Surely not. Barnaby and her were just good mates. Besides, anyone with two eyes and a wand could see girls were not exactly Corey's type. At least, Arah thought that was pretty bloody clear.
"I wanted so badly to believe 'R' was gone. I wanted you to believe it too. So that maybe we could finally focus on other things- things that normal teenagers are supposed to worry about."
"Like what?" Arah blurted.
"I don't know. Stupid stuff. Like homework or revising, or sneaking out late to parties, or... or fancying someone." Barnaby stole a glance at her lips. The words stuck in his throat as his face flushed, looking away. "Stupid stuff" he muttered to himself once more.
The sound of Filch's grumbles continued to echo down the hall - the lantern light growing dimmer.
"Anyways, I just wanted to say I'm sorry. More than you know."
She would have hugged him if they weren't already practically embracing, so she settled with giving his arm a little squeeze. "For what it's worth, I forgave you a long time ago. You and everyone else."
"I don't deserve it, Arah." He shook his head in denial.
"Well, good thing you don't get to decide that, do you?" His eyes met hers in the shadows, the ghost of a smile meeting his lips.
"Show yourself!" Filch barked down the hall. Barnaby leaned back, peeking behind the corner.
"Sod it, we're going to be here all night if Filch doesn't leave," Barnaby swore in frustration. "I'll distract him while you run for the library."
"You sure? He might hang you upside down with his shackles- or worst. Detention with Pitts." She forced the corner of her lips into a smile.
"I can think of a lot worst ways to spend my time than making sandwiches with Jae and a bunch of House Elfs." Barnaby smirked. "Consider this one favor out of the many I owe you to make things right. 'Sides, you've got to get back to your brother. Just promise me something."
"Anything."
"You'll take a nice long kip after this." he smiled softly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Arah's cheeks went hot at such a rare intimate gesture. "And tell your brother I say hi."
In an instant, he pushed away from her. Coldness filled the empty void he had left behind- the warmth of his body and touch still lingering like a ghost.
"Hey! Squib! I've got a dungbomb with your name on it!" Barnaby taunted as Filch growled. Arah found herself smiling as the sound of their footsteps and Filch's empty threats echoed down the hallways- fading into nothing. The hall was dark and quiet as Arah snuck around the corner - the coast finally clear making her way through the library's entrance.
It was not the first time Arah had found herself at the library in the middle of the night. It always took her by surprise at how spooky it was in the darkness- shadows seemed to flit in her vision. A shudder wracked down her spine - it always put her on edge. Griffindor's bravery be damned.
She lurked to the forbidden restricted section. Hundreds of books lined the shelves, but there was only one in particular she needed. History of the Mahoutokoro School of Magic. Arah's finger scanned over the dusty letters and labels that Madam Pince often obsessed over. H...H...H... She muttered madly to herself. For once, Arah was grateful for how uptight their overly-strict librarian was. Everything was so perfectly organized. Arah made a mental note to be nicer to her next time.
There! A History of the Mahoutokoro School of Magic. Arah pulled out the ancient-looking book, blowing the dust off the front to see flames dancing on its cover. Arah stifled a cough as she flipped through its pages.
Find the chapter on Dai Ryusaki.
Bathilda Bagshot's Hogwarts: A History could be found on any 1st year's bookshelf. So why would a book on the history of Japan's wizarding school be kept here in the restricted section? Even more so, on a shelf reserved for the topic of Dark Spells. Maybe it was a mistake?... but Madam Pinch makes no mistakes when it comes to her books. The White-Robed Wizard, Kazuhiro Shiratori, was a student at Mahoutokoro before he had been expelled all those years ago. It was either a huge coincidence or it was all connected somehow.
Arah's heart skipped as she found the chapter titled "The Legend of Dai Ryusaki and the Dark Scrolls". Her eyes scanned the words frantically, devouring the words on the page.
"Hundreds of years ago, there was a professor at the Mahoutokoro School known by the name of Dai Ryusaki. Ryusaki was a powerful wizard with vast knowledge and was known as one of the greatest innovators of all time. Legend has it that Dai Ryusaki created a mind-enhancing potion that was extremely potent. The potion was deemed so dangerous, that Ryusaki was arrested and the potion destroyed. It is rumored that before his arrest, Ryusaki was able to hide a Dark Scroll that contained the potion ingredients. To this day, no one knows if the Dark Scrolls actually exists or what its contents may be. Many have sought out the scrolls for hundreds of years, but no one has ever found it.
It is also believed that Ryusaki created a powerful weapon, but was stopped before it could ever be used. The weapon is unknown as the information died with its creator.
Ryusaki was especially known for his profound knowledge in protective spells. He is famously recognized for creating a very dark and powerful charm, 'Protego Diabolica'. The spell creates a ring of black fire that harms the enemies of the caster. This protective spell is incredibly dangerous and often times fatal."
Arah blinked, reading the passage again. Then again. It was hard to believe that after so many witches and wizards who have tried and failed to find the Dark Scrolls, her brother may have been the one to finally have found it. It made perfect sense; the burns, the artifact, the visions in Jacob's memories- it all added up. With a silent apology to Madam Pinch, Arah ripped the page out of the book, shoving it in her robe. It was time to pay a visit to St. Mungo's and tell Madam Strout everything she knew. It was time to save her brother.
A/N: hope you Barnaby shippers enjoyed that little moment 3 I couldn't help myself.