Post by ELIZA MARIE CUNNINGHAM on Jun 1, 2012 23:38:23 GMT -5
Vote for the best entry in your opinion, but not your own.
A
As soon as Ron lowered his wand, Eliza pulled him into the shadows with her. She knew that there was probably a big price on his head too, if he was traveling with Harry. At least, Eliza thought he would have been.
She instantly wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. She didn't recall ever doing that before with Ron, but she missed him and a lot of other people a lot. It had been a tough few months for her and she found herself craving company, whether it was her parents or even just her friends. She was scared, tired and alone.
Eliza finally released Ron from the hug. She hoped he didn't mind, but times were so different now. While it wasn't something she would have done normally while they were at school, Eliza didn't even know if she'd ever see him again. Even though they were never the best of friends during school, Eliza was so happy to see him. They were always friends, but Eliza always felt closer to Ginny than anyone in Gryffindor.
"Yeah, I don't think showing my face at the castle would be a very good idea." She laughed, but then her face instantly turned serious once more. "I've been on the run ever since after the wedding. Are you all alone or is Hermione and Harry near-by?" Eliza hoped they were okay. But if Harry was gone, then she was sure that the Death Eaters would announce that to the world with great joy. No, he had to still be okay. At least Eliza hoped he was, just like all of her classmates who she missed.
B
"Hey! Watch where your bloody going!" Ariella shouted as a pack of rambunctious first years sped past her in pursuit of a paper airplane, which didn't appear to be slowing down no matter how many spells they threw at it. Grumbling under her breath and rubbing the sore spot on her arm that the kids had nicely left her, the Slytherin kicked open the front doors of Hogwarts with as much strength as she could muster. It was only until she had taken a few steps past the doorway that she actually felt the pain from the contact of the wood and her foot. Now, arm and toes throbbing, she started her journey across the lawn. She had next to no clue about where she was headed. Ella just wanted to get away from the castle and try to keep her anger from spilling over as it had done with those innocent first years.
The sixth year wasn't exactly the type to blow up over such a little thing, but today just wasn't the day to mess with her. In eight days she would be turning seventeen, and not one of her family members would be coming to see her. Her parents were in Italy for a business trip of some sort and wouldn't be able to make it back in time. As for her siblings, well, they just didn't seem to have the time. Alessia had landed a modeling job in France and, as much as she wished she could, there was just no way she'd be able to up and leave without losing it altogether. Leo on the other hand, was taking care of their youngest sister Anna as well as trying to keep his post at the Ministry. There was just no way any of them could drop what they were doing to travel to Hogwarts, no matter how much it hurt Ariella. Balling up her fists Ella resisted the urge to punch the nearest tree and continued her walking down a small cobblestone pathway that was conveniently leading her farther and farther away from the castle.
After she'd managed to calm down enough, the Slytherin took refuge beneath an old oak and pulled out her wand. She twirled it around in her fingers until the grip felt right, then pointed it at a tree across from where she sat. "Obliterate" she murmured, and watched as the tree split down the middle causing many of it's branches to either fall to the ground or simply hang over to the side. Plucking chips of wood from her black hair a smile spread across her delicate face. It wasn't like Ariella to find humor in an act such as the one she had just demonstrated for all to see, but this day was one for things unorthodox. She had to find a way to cheer up, no matter what. "Calmati, il vostro facendo uno stupido di te stesso." she told herself in her native tongue as she used her wand to cut the small blades of grass and dirt clods that surrounded her in half. She was, after all, feeling like a small child for her foolishness and it seemed that speaking to herself in Italian (more or less so no one could understand her) always helped to bring her stress level back to a more controllable level.
Ella hadn't been there for more than ten minutes when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps from behind her. Closing her eyes she held her breath and hoped like hell that whoever it was didn't see her behind that tree. For all she knew it could be another first year coming to spoil her Ella time, and that just wasn't happening. Before the person could even come within three feet of her she exhaled and gripped her wand even tighter. "If your here to pester me you might as well turn around and head back to wherever you came. Otherwise I'm going to blast you there myself." she spat through gritted teeth, not particularly caring whether it was one of her professor's or an actual first year like she feared. Whoever it was would make themselves known unless she had already scared them off. All she could do is sit there and wait for whatever came next.
C
She was gritting her teeth against the impulse to cry now, to just fall apart in the middle of this near-empty hallway and let herself wallow in misery. Wallowing was such a strong temptation. To let herself sink into that and never emerge, she would never have to worry about anything again. It would just be her and her misery. If only life were that simple. She had envied the reality of adulthood until she experienced it firsthand. At home, surrounded by money, nothing had touched her, and nothing ever would, until she stupidly decided to step out of that safe area and open herself to this new reality. Maybe she didn't want to wallow as much as she wanted to forget.
Ignorance was really bliss, she had learned too late, but now she didn't even deserve that.
"Will you stop that?" she snapped, "The television therapist act is not going to work on me anymore. I'm not stupid."
Sending him flying back into a table might be the way to go to make him see - though he might hit his head and die from blood loss. And that wouldn't help anything at all. She didn't want him dead, she just wanted to make him understand. Why wouldn't he just cooperate? Whatever she might have said after she first met him, whatever complaints she lodged about his rushes to judgement, she had never wanted him actually dead. She really hadn't wanted anyone actually dead, if she was being honest with herself. A rare feat these days. She had wanted him to stop confronting her with truths she didn't want to know, and she had wanted him to stop assuming he knew absolutely everything in the world.
"No, I...I won't quiet down. I don't care who hears me here," she declared. There, that was challenging the safety of the children here, that was sure to get him riled up. He was looking upset already. That was good, that was going on the right track. She was becoming less and less logical as the argument wore on.
He might not be the one accusing her of various crimes anymore, but he was still terrible on the listening front. Lily folded her arms. "And that makes it right? If murder is common, we should just learn to live with that? If that's what you think, you're the one that needs help."
Come on, even by whatever flimsy standards the two of them might manage to come up with, that had to be a bad argument. Other people have had accidents with their powers, other people have killed. What about that made any of it okay? If enough people started killing, it just became acceptable behavior? That was almost worse than anything she'd done, that new standard of behavior he'd adopted.
"I am a what? You and your pop psychology can stuff it. I need to do something about those things, and you already admitted you can't help with that. You're just too arrogant to leave me be," she fumed.
She didn't need his patronizing lectures, that was what. Lily knew what she had done was wrong, she knew, or was beginning to understand, what she really was. But he didn't get it. He kept brushing it off and acting like it was not a problem, like she just needed a bit of therapy or some such nonsense because that would clearly fix everything.
"You know, I've killed plenty of people. Injured people. Ruined them. Maybe I have no plans to stop in the future. Maybe I'm exactly the sort of person you want to keep these kids away from."
Her eyes narrowed to a glare; she was doing everything she could to make herself seem both intimidating and completely unlikable. Potentially threatening the safety of these kids, that had to be a way to get to him, to make him understand. He had reacted strongly about that before. That could get it through his thick head that she wasn't someone to be pitied. She didn't want him to excuse everything she'd done with the wave of a hand. Someone...someone had to hate her already and confirm what she already felt about herself.
"I do not need your help," she retorted, folding her arms and taking a step back from him to physically prove the point and prevent him from attempting to grab her again.
"What does it take with you? What more could I possibly do?" She could have killed him, and she could still kill him now, that pulse was right there for her to seize.
And then he lunged at her, and all she could think to do when she recovered from her shock was shove at him, trying to force him away. He was invading her personal space and he still wouldn't stop with that attitude.
"Get - off! I don't want your pity!" She was dangerously close to tears again. She could feel the heat building behind her eyes. And she did not want to be that stupid crying girl, that useless girl that everyone took advantage of and tricked.
She was not going to be that girl anymore. Any...more.
Because she had always been that, too. Ignorance was bliss because she let herself be used and believed everything everyone said. She...she had only ever wanted to make him proud. And she had done everything wrong.
D
Allowing his silver eyes to continue to stare into the water, Draco did not look at her. He did not look at her, speak to her, or acknowledge the fact she was smiling when he most certainly found it to be an awful time to smile. He ignored her completely, preferring to pretend not to see the odd expression on her face. Pansy would show her intentions soon enough, and with his newfound self control, Draco saw no reason to ruin the day even more then he already had. First he'd allowed her to drag him away from the restaurant, and into this lake. The cold wasn't improving his mood. In fact, at this point it seemed to be sucking the life from him, drawing out what was left of him and leaving it to mix with the dark contents of the water. Then he'd actually managed to somehow gather some sort of thing that could be mistaken for happiness, only to have it yanked away by reacting foolishly to the short lived kiss.
Now he'd done what he was trying so hard not to do- show such weakness! Draco had said things he regretted immediately, even if they were true, and anger at himself and the whole situation had flashed through him like a bolt of lightning, though it didn't do anything to stop the numbing cold from around him poisoning his skin even more. Nor did it warm the coldness deep inside of him, where he was truly chilled. Not from the lake, but from the things he had done, the things he had seen... and the things he imagined day and night. So he ignored her, trying to let himself succumb to the anger. For once, this was an emotion he wanted and needed to get rid of now. Anger could grow to unimaginable heights, and Draco would never be able to cast it off or pretend it didn't exist if it got to that point. So he was forced to allow it to run it's course, ragged breath and clenched fists under the water showed that was what he was allowing to happen.
But it wouldn't leave. Even as he let the anger slit his veins and poor itself into him, thicker then blood as it ran through his heart and pushed to every other part of him, it would not leave. And this left Draco in a more then panicked state. The anger was the worst thing he'd felt, he didn't want it anymore. So he tried even more to ignore Pansy and his surroundings, closing his eyes as his nails dug into his palms. But no matter how hard he tried to pay no mind to her, it would be impossible not to feel her hand finding his marked arm, pulling it above water. Draco allowed this as she spoke his name, the soft and reassuring way she said it placing sudden stillness inside him like a warm calming drought. He felt his heartbeat grow quieter and quieter, his blood slowing, the agonizing noises in his head coming to a rest.
Her cold fingers traced the bare skin of his arm, and it was then he realized he had been shaking. The wavering movements were slowly stilling as her fingers ran the length of his arm, and Draco opened his eyes to watch her blankly. His mind seemed to be moving too slowly, processing at a sluggish pace. But the second her head leaned down and her felt her soft lips touch the same place her fingers had been hovering only moments before, that changed completely. His mind raced, burning heat searing up into his body from the place she had first touched. For a moment, Draco felt himself wishing that her lips were on his mouth instead, warming him from there to the tips of his fingers.
Instead he was greeted by a bright smile from Pansy, one that seemed to have come suddenly and seemed out of context with the sudden flames inside of him, pushing the darkness away and squeezing it together tightly so it remained only as a solid, cold stone resting at the bottom of his heart. The youngest Malfoy stared at her, confused, trying to focus his now racing mind on this sudden change of character. But he couldn't help but find himself thinking about how her eyelashes curled wet with water, and how her bottom lip curved in the exact same manner when she smiled at him. Fortunately, Draco didn't have to wait long before she spoke, and he distracted himself with the words and not the lips they came from. Though then he was struck with how relaxed she sounded, and how different she was behaving from when the first saw each other earlier in the day.
Before he could formulate any sort of thought after she spoke, let alone a reply, Pansy was before him. She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. He automatically wrapped his arms around her waist again, almost in a protective way, holding her in a close embrace. Draco didn't want her to ever leave his arms again, and even though it felt so good to have her body pressed against his, her wet hair rubbing against his cheek, and his arms around her torso... it still felt so wrong. He couldn't do this. What if he was just allowing this to happen because he needed someone, anyone to care about him? Was he really that selfish? He couldn't help but say yes. At least, he used to be that way. But Draco had changed, right? He didn't want this to be like the other times... but that didn't mean he wouldn't do it on accident. As a force of habit, perhaps. But no matter what, Draco didn't want that to be true. More then anything he didn't want that to be it. The former Slytherin didn't want to become that person again. Nor did he want to become so wrecked inside he had to do this to a girl he might consider a friend just so he knew someone would care after his death. Because no matter how amazing he felt at the time, Draco had the sudden realization he probably wasn't going to live all that long.
It wasn't something he hadn't thought of before, but now was the first time it really hit him. But for the moment, Draco just held her close, not trusting himself to think. Not trusting himself to speak. Not even trusting himself to breath, because he was afraid. He was afraid if he moved at all, if he pulled away or tried to say something, he would fall apart into a thousand pieces and sink to the bottom of the lake, where no one would ever be able to find him again.
He wondered if she'd be the only one to care.
E
Ella had been right with her assumption that today was going to be an amazing day as it seemed. With every minute it seemed after all to get better and better. She really enjoyed the bickering with Damien and she noticed now how much she had missed it in the past. Also it had been a long time, since she had heard him laugh and watched him smile as much as today. It really seemed as if he was slowly getting better. Not that Ella minded the new Damien, no she actually liked him a lot, but still it wasn't the Damien that had become her best friend all these years ago and with whom she had fallen in love. She was torn out of her thoughts, when Damien said smirking at her "but i am surprised! you can't expect me to know everything!" Ella laughed and said with an innocent smile on her face "Oh well, but I thought with all that power your senses for other peoples feelings and how to react the right way towards them would have gotten better as well, but seems like I was wrong there..." Of course she was just teasing him again, but Ella simply couldn't help it. She loved to bicker with him and she loved to watch him smile. And since he had been smile more today then on any other day until now, she had to do something the right way, she thought to herself satisfied. Grinning he added a moment later "hmm, i'm gonna go with lunch. you know i love my food." "awh. i think you're right. bambi does sound delicious." what made Ella roll her eyes at him again. Then she said teasingly "You've just had lunch and all you can think about again your already thinking of food, are you kidding me?" "What else besides that is going on in that mind of yours?" "I really would like to know that!"
When Damien told her truthfully "i can't help it. i've gotten used to it." She raised an eyebrow at him as if she wanted to say, careful what you say. But in the next moment she replied grinning "You know, I'm like one of these music tracks that you have to hear a few times, before you can't get enough of it!" and winked at him. A moment later Damien started to mock "how can you not hang out with me?" "i'm the best kind of influence! probably the most legendary vampire you'll ever meet." What made Ella laugh out loud. She let herself fall to the ground and start to roll on the ground laughing. Before saying "Who is the good influence on who here, honestly?" "Without me you were just some sad little vampire with a temper issue, but look at you now, now your a kind of funny and nice guy, not to mention that a lot more girls find you attractive through that, so again who is the good influence now?" she asked him smirking at him challenging. "i'm a great influence on you! i mean, you were so boring without me in your life." he told her laughing a moment later. Ella smirked and said "Partially true, I admit that. But I still wonder sometimes what I was thinking when I decided to hang out with you, but well I always kind of liked bad boys and all the forbidden stuff, since it's more fun, so guess you're no exception there!" before winking at her friend conspiratorially.
"someone's got a crush on me!" Damien laughed in a sing along tone. What made Ella blush even more and her heart start to race even faster. She had to concentrate hardly as she now looked into these beautiful gray blue eyes and answered "No, I haven't!" before sticking her tongue out at him. When he added smirking "awh! you have a soft spot for me. how cute" and poked her playfully. Ella smiled softly at him and admitted "Yeah kind of, I guess..." "I mean you're my best friend, you're such an amazing person, you're funny, clever and really caring if you want to and I just hate to see you hurt, because it makes me feel bad as well and makes me want to protect you, although you probably don't need that.." "Remember that accident with this prank and with the vervain in the dungeon, back then I totally freaked out because you got hurt and you know, that's normally not me, so I it would be true to say I have soft spot for you, in a way your also one of my weaknesses..." Ella simply couldn't lie at least not when she was looking into those stunning eyes of his. Blushing even deeper now, feeling her heart racing even faster, she looked down to the ground for a moment to get a grip on herself. When she looked at him again she smirked lightly and asked "So promise me to always be careful, okay?" before poking him playfully as well.
Rolling his eyes and chuckling Damien said a moment later "let's be realistic. i'd probably end up blaming you for everything" What made Ella chuckle as well, then she nodded and said "The unfair part about this is that you're probably right, you could probably blame me and get through with it as I know you, people just look at you and think you're all innocent and such, plus you have your good looks that dazzle a lot of people, really that's unfair!" before poking him playfully again and starting to giggle. Before rolling her eyes at him a moment later. "huh, you think so?" he asked her smiling a moment later. Ella nodded enthusiastically and said simply "Sure." She watched Damien for a moment as he seemed lost in thoughts, before she looked at the lake for a moment and watched the waves rolling to the shore. "i'm sure there is a possibility that i can throw it farther." Damien told her thoughtfully. "I think there is a huge chance you can do better then this!" Ella said with a challenging smirk on her face. Then she watched him flick the stone and watched it skip eight times over the water. When he said "never said i was nice." Ella rolled her eyes at him and acted as if she had not heard it. "horray!" Damien mocked her as she cheered about her new score. "What? Are you making fun of me?" "Your gonna pay for this sooner or later, you know that don't you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Then punched him once again playfully. When Damien smiled softly at her a moment later, Ella almost forgot again, that she was supposed to act offended. "would you like to try again for a new high score?" he asked and handed her a stone. Nodding Ella replied "Yeah I would love to and this time it's going to get even better, any last tips?" raising her eyebrow at him quizzically, while smiling at him almost expectant.
F
Harmony liked Quidditch. She liked most sports, actually, because they gave her the opportunity to be loud, boisterous, and sometimes mean - and no one said anything to her about it. Every sport she had ever played had always been a very good creative outlet. Quidditch was even more so, mostly because Harmony was a huge fan of flying.
Really, who else could boast that they could fly? Unless you were an animal, or some sort of hybrid with wings... nobody. Death Eaters didn't count in her book, nor did dementors. Their versions of flying were very unnatural, and downright creepy.
But ever since Harmony could walk, she could fly. Her dad had given her a broom for her fourth birthday, and even though she hadn't been allowed to fly it unsupervised at the time (and who says she didn't), she had looked at it with wild blue eyes and dreamt of a day when she could be free to soar around as she pleased, like a beautiful bird.
She hadn't anticipated one of those days being rigidly cold and windy, but you can't always get what you want.
The Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff game hadn't exactly been high on her radar when she saw the gaming schedule at the beginning of term. If there was ever one thing that Harmony found even slightly competitive, it was Quidditch - but she didn't much care for the competition unless it was exciting. Ravenclaws, by definition, were not exciting. They laid around with their noses stuck in books, having friends fix their broken spectacles. Gryffindors were slightly moreso, since they were known to be brave and all that jazz (psh, somebody tell that to Rory). But Slytherin was the game she was really looking forward to. The rumor of Slytherin cheaters was just too much for her little heart to bear, and Harmony was entirely too intrigued by this notion and the opportunity to snuff them out anyway.
Since this game was bound to be anything but exciting, unless somebody got a nosebleed and starting painting the wind red, Harmony had no intention of doing anything but having fun. Oh, of course she was going to shoot some goals at the Ravenclaw posts, but she didn't think there was going to be any real effort to it. She wasn't all wrong, because in no time at all they had already banked five goals and the opposing team had only managed two.
If she were a lesser person, Harmony might have shouted some insults or made mocking gestures or remarks to the other team. But then again, she wasn't a snake, and she had already decided this game was all in good fun. Instead, she decided she would change things up and fly around on her broom backwards.
"Yippee kai-yay!" she screeched, echoing an old Muggle phrase she had heard someone mention before. It came from cowboy pictures, she was told. She still wasn't sure how the Muggles had managed to get their pictures to talk, when wizards only got theirs to move, but one day she would figure that out.
