It was cold outside, but refreshing. Rose sucked in several deep breaths, walking a little way away from the Three Broomsticks, and turning left onto the steep track that led up to the Shrieking Shack. The slight incline helped to get her blood pumping, and by the time she reached the top of the slope she was pink-cheeked and huffing, but feeling oddly satisfied.
She had always loved to sit by herself at the Shrieking Shack. For one, the view over Hogsmeade was amazing, especially at this time of year when the cottage roofs were dusted with snow and tendrils of chimney smoke curled sleepily into the clear blue sky. For another, she could almost always guarantee that she would be alone, which was a definite plus when you came from a huge, noisy, chaotic family like her own.
Taking her time, Rose meandered towards the boarded-up Shack, making for a small wooden bench that had been erected in front of it several years ago. There was a plaque nailed to the wall beside it dedicated to Severus Snape, her parents' old Potions teacher and one of the two Headmasters of Hogwarts Albus had been named after. She had come here often over the last few years, just to think. It helped to remind her of the momentous events her parents were involved in, and what the world could have looked like if they had failed. And it certainly put her own issues into perspective.
Rose sighed and sat down on the bench.
She wasn't sure why hearing Charlie talk about Scorpius made her so angry. After all, most of what he'd said had been technically correct. Scorpius was prejudiced – their conversation in the library had all but confirmed this, and it wasn't like he really tried to hide it from anyone. But…it didn't feel as simple as that anymore. Scorpius was proud of his heritage, but that didn't necessarily make him a bad person, did it? And either way, it wasn't fair for Charlie to judge him. The two of them didn't even know each other; he was just speaking out of ignorance.
There was a rustling sound, and Rose leapt to her feet, jerked abruptly out of her reverie. She stared wildly around, her heart pounding, memories of Christmas at the Burrow resurfacing in her mind, before her eyes spotted a small figure clambering up the hill she had just come from. Another Hogwarts' student. A few seconds later and Rose realised it was Charlie.
Annoyance seized her, but she fought it back down. It wasn't unreasonable for him to have followed her, she supposed. He was no doubt wondering about her outburst earlier in the Three Broomsticks, and why she had just up and abandoned him. It was her own fault for allowing this ludicrous date to begin with, when her heart was so clearly in a different place.
"Rose!" Charlie had nearly reached her now; he was red-faced and looked a little put out. "What are you doing up here?"
"Nothing," she said, taking a few steps forward to meet him. "I just came up here to think, that's all."
He was looking at her suspiciously, as though he didn't believe her. His eyes swept around the clearing once, twice. "Oh."
"Sorry for barging out just then," she said awkwardly. "It was…too crowded in there."
Charlie shrugged. "It's okay." He walked over and sat down on the bench, beckoning for her to do the same. "Your cousin's family didn't seem too surprised."
She managed a wry smile. "Yeah, they're probably used to me acting weird by now."
"Hn."
She sat down next to him and scuffed her heel idly on the ground. The wind picked up, making the walls of the Shrieking Shack creak and groan. Rose shivered, and wrapped her jacket more tightly around herself.
"Rose?"
The change in Charlie's tone made her wary. She turned her head to look at him, to see him gazing at her with an almost feverish intensity.
"Umm…" was all she could think to say.
He reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear.
"You're so beautiful," he said softly.
"Charlie…" she began in a warning voice.
"You know we're perfect for each other."
"I think that's very debateable," she said, attempting the ghost of a smile. But he remained as serious as ever.
"I don't."
She sighed. "We've already had this conversation Charlie."
"You didn't mean it," he told her, shaking his head. "I know you didn't mean it."
"I did," she said firmly, frustrated at his stubborn denial. What more did she have to do so that he would get the message?
He took both of her hands in his, squeezing them tightly. "I want you," he told her abruptly. "I know you want me too."
"Listen to me!" She made to pull her hands away, only to find them firmly imprisoned in his own. "I'm not interested."
But he was already leaning towards her, his eyes intent. "Just one kiss," he breathed.
"Charlie, no." She struggled harder but he merely tightened his hold and dragged her closer to him, his breath washing over her. His lips brushed her cheek.
"Just one kiss," he repeated. "Come on…why not?"
"Stop it!" she yanked as hard as she could, and managed to free her right hand from his vice-like grip. Before he could react, she brought her hand up and slapped him as hard as she could across the face. Charlie's head snapped to one side, and he released her as if burned.
Rose jumped up and took several stumbling steps backwards away from him, her whole body shaking.
"What part of 'just friends' didn't you understand?" she asked savagely, retreating even further when he looked up and she saw the expression in his eyes.
"Rose," he stood up and took a step toward her, but she hurried back even more, into the shadow of the trees that marked the beginning of the Forbidden Forest.
"G-get away from me."
"Rose!" he growled, and plunged his hand into his robe pocket as though reaching for his wand.
Losing her head completely, Rose whipped out her own wand and shot a stinging jinx at him, hitting him in the crook of his arm. Charlie cursed and grabbed his arm, and in the momentary confusion Rose turned tail and ran as fast as she could into the shelter of the Forest.
"Fucking bitch!" she heard Charlie yell behind her. "Wait! Rose! Come back!"
But she didn't stop running, not until she was well into the Forest's interior and all sounds of Charlie had died away. Her vision blinded by tears, she ran straight into a large oak tree, whacking herself on the nose and tasting blood, before sinking miserably to the forest floor. Her breath was coming in ragged pants, and her head span sickeningly.
Calm down, she ordered herself, forcing her breathing to slow, sucking in deep breaths of the cold air, counting to ten and then back down again. Calm down, Rose. Gradually, her heart rate returned to normal, and the thumping in her head receded so that she became gradually more conscious of her surroundings.
She was in a sort of semi-clearing, mostly because the oak she had run into was so large that its branches prevented any other trees from growing nearby. They also blocked out most of the light, so that it felt almost like dusk, despite the fact it was barely midday. The ground beneath her was hard, and cold.
With a sigh, Rose clambered awkwardly to her feet, using the great tree to steady herself. Her head was still spinning, and her wrists were beginning to hurt where Charlie had gripped them, but at least her breathing was under control and she had calmed down somewhat, her hysteria replaced by a dull ache and a throbbing anger at Charlie. Her mind ran back over their conversation, trying to remember if there was anything she had said that might have given him the impression that she wasn't serious about her 'just friends' comment. But there was nothing. He had simply refused to believe her, the git. Clearly Albus had been right about him. And Scorpius, she thought hollowly, her chest constricting painfully when she recalled their conversation on Tuesday. She should have listened to him…she should have…
There was the faintest whisper of movement behind her, and she froze instantly.
"Who's there?" she called out loudly, her voice echoing strangely in the enclosed space. There was no answer. Rose wiped a few drops of blood from her nose, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling, her ears straining to pick up a sound she wasn't sure she'd even heard. For just a second, she had been so sure…but everything was quiet now. Probably she was just suffering the aftershocks of her rather painful collision with the oak tree. Nevertheless, she slipped her right hand into her pocket and curled her fingers comfortingly around her wand. Just in case.
A gust of wind blew through the trees, rustling their leafless branches and making the trunks creek eerily. She wasn't sure how far into the forest she had run, except that she couldn't see anything but trees in any direction. Rose rubbed at the back of her neck, and revolved slowly on the spot, her eyes raking the dark, shadowy spaces all around her for any sign of movement. Perhaps Charlie had followed her. Well, thought Rose grimly, there were more stinging jinxes where the first one had come from if he had.
The forest seemed to close in around her, stifling and menacing. Rose had never ventured into the Forbidden Forest before, besides once or twice with Hagrid and the Care of Magical Creatures class to visit Unicorns or Thestrals. Even then, that had only been on the very outskirts, surrounded by other students and well within view of the Hogwarts' Castle. This was an entirely different part of the forest, and it didn't feel particularly friendly. Her mind unwillingly recalled the stories that circulated about the forest and its inhabitants, that it was full of werewolves and trolls and other dangerous creatures. She had always dismissed them as fantasy, made up to scare the younger students and keep them from breaking the rules. Now, she couldn't help but feel there was indeed a sinister air pressing against her. It was too still, too quiet.
"Ridiculous," she muttered to herself, keeping her voice low. "You're being ridiculous, Rose." She brushed herself down with her free hand and took half a step in the direction of Hogsmeade and the Shrieking Shack. Then she heard it, or felt it: movement from behind her.
"Stupefy!"
"Protego!"
Her shield materialised just in time; the stunning spell splintered against the invisible barrier and ricocheted in all directions, illuminating the shadowy darkness with a blood red glow. The force of it shattered her hasty protective shield and knocked her backwards as though she had been physically pushed. Rose stumbled, momentarily losing her footing.
"Petrificus Tota – "
"Expelliarmus!"
The two spells hit each other in mid-air, exploding with a blinding flash of light. Her assailant's wand spiralled into the air, as if caught in a sudden whirlwind, then fell back to the earth in the middle of the clearing. Rose lunged forward to grab it.
"Stupefy!" This time the spell missed her by a hair's breadth as she dodged sideways; she felt the heat of it as it grazed her cheek. Rose threw herself to the ground, her fingers scrabbling in the dirt for the wand, her eyes already scanning the clearing for her attacker. She felt her palm collide with the smooth, polished wood, seized it triumphantly, and jumped back to her feet, both of the wands now clutched in her fist. She squinted through the spell haze, trying to get a clear shot.
"Stupefy!" she yelled, but the beam disappeared uselessly into the trees. There was harsh laughter to her left.
"Bombarda!" this time her spell hit its mark. There was an explosion to her left under the trees followed by a loud curse. Rose smirked and raised her wand again.
"Immobu – "
"Incarcerous," said a lazy voice directly behind her, and before she knew what had happened she found herself bound, from chest to ankle, in tight coils of rope. They cut sharply into her skin, squeezing the breath out of her. Losing her balance, Rose toppled backwards, landing heavily and feeling the back of her skull crack against what felt like a very sharp rock. She lay motionless, her vision swimming, the two wands still clutched in her hand.
Whoever had snuck up behind her now crouched down at her side, his face covered by a black hood. "I'll take those," he drawled, reaching for the two wands. Rose squeezed her hand shut as tightly as possible, refusing to let them go, and after a moment he sighed and stood back up. "Be like that then," he told her, before placing his boot over her hand. A second later and he brought it down, hard. There was a sickening crack as her wrist broke. Rose screamed.
"Shut her up, will you?" said another voice.
"Silencio."
Now she was screaming, but there was no sound coming out. Rose choked, feeling her consciousness slip. Her sight dimmed and she must have blacked out for a few moments, because when she came to her senses again her attackers seemed to be in the middle of a heated argument. Fighting back the nausea of pain, she forced herself to listen to what they were saying.
"…idiotic idea to do it now. Should have waited like we planned."
"Oh yeah? An' how many times d'you think she's gonna come blunderin' into the Forest like this, numbskull? How long 'ave we been waitin'? A pox on the plan – this was too good a chance ter miss. Now shut up an' help me."
"Still…" this was the voice of the man who had laughed at her – by the sounds of it, he was still in pain from her retaliatory spell. Even so, she couldn't help but think he sounded vaguely familiar. She cracked opened her eyes, but whoever they were, they were standing behind her, out of sight. "They're going to notice she's gone, aren't they? Going to come looking for her, straight away? What are we going to do?"
"We're toast if they find us like this," said the first voice, with just a hint of panic. "Might as well Apparate ourselves to Azkaban right now. This was stupid. We should've followed the plan."
"Shut up! It's done, there ain't no point whinin' 'bout it now. You two better shut it an' help me move her, or by all the powers I'll skin you alive when we get outta here." There were footsteps, and a shadow fell over her. Rose shut her eyes again, and forced her breathing to slow. She tried to think of some kind of strategy, but knew it was hopeless. She was wandless and bound, her wrist was broken, and her head was aching and blank. "We on'y need to get her outta this bleedin' Forest, then we can Appa – " he broke off abruptly.
"Did you hear that?" wheezed the third voice, high-pitched and hysterical. In the silence that followed the sound of someone yelling drifted clearly through the trees. Rose's heart leaped – someone was coming for her! Oh please, she thought desperately, let someone have come. If it was Charlie she would forgive him everything.
"Quickly! Get 'er up, we still got time!" Whoever it was grabbed roughly at her torso, half lifting her off of the ground. Her broken wrist dragged along the dirt, and she screamed mutely at the pain.
"Leave it!" hissed the first voice. "Let's just get out of here. Leave her, come on."
There was a string of curses, then Rose felt herself dropped unceremoniously back down. Her head hit the rock in the exact spot as before, and pain lanced through her, accompanying the near unbearable burning in her arm. She groaned inwardly and closed her eyes, listening as the three pairs of footsteps hurried away into the trees, the noise fading quickly into silence while the thundering of running footsteps from the opposite direction grew louder.
Moments later, there was a loud shout from the other side of the clearing, and someone skidded to their knees beside her.
"Rose!" She recognised the voice instantly, and her heart leapt even further, now threatening to come bursting out of her ribcage. Hesitantly, she opened her eyes. "Merlin, what happened? Who – what – where?" Scorpius leapt back to his feet, his wand pointing wildly in all directions, but there was no one besides themselves, and the forest was again deadly quiet.
Rose moved her head experimentally to one side, and a wave of nausea washed over her at the pain in her head and arm; her vision blurred as unconsciousness threatened to overtake her again. Scorpius looked back down at her, swore loudly, and dropped onto his knees once more, his hands going straight to her head.
"Crap, you're – you're bleeding," he muttered, waving his wand and conjuring a piece of cloth, which he promptly pressed against her skull. The throbbing eased a little, but the world continued to spin sickeningly. Her wrist felt like it was on fire. "And your wrist is broken."
No shit, Merlin. But she couldn't say anything, silenced as she was. And she didn't think she could speak, even if she had her voice.
"F-Ferula," stuttered Scorpius, growling in frustration when nothing happened. "Ferula." Still nothing. "Dammit. Ferula." The world was becoming darker – she knew she was blacking out. She could feel something hot and sticky travelling down her neck – was it her blood? Probably it was better that she couldn't scream. She heard Scorpius mutter another spell and the binds around her went limp as they were cut. Now she could breathe a little easier.
Scorpius' face was as pale as a ghost, but his voice was soothing and comforting as he spoke to her. "Just stay still, Rose. Stay still and I'll get help. It's going to be okay. It's all going to be okay..." His voice grew fainter and fainter, as she let her mind sink slowly into oblivion.