fire on f i r e

His brows knitted together as she walked away from him, his expression growing even more concerned as she cried. “Chlo-” He began, before the words came out. “What are you talking about?” His voice was hoarse as her words echoed in his mind. He knew his brother had been cursed, and he’d always wondered how… “You-You fucking did this? You’re the fucking reason my brother is dead?”

“I didn’t know!” she repeated, though the more she said it, the more it sounded like she was just trying to convince herself. His reaction was what she expected, but seeing him so hurt, so confused, so angry, it was too overwhelming. “I’m sorry I —” she couldn’t face him, couldn’t explain to him how sorry she was. “I’m so sorry,” were her last words as she exited his dorm, not sure how she could face Cain again, knowing she could have handled the situation better, to try to explain better, but she couldn’t. So she ran, leaving him alone with her empty words.

He looked at her with concern as the words fell through his lips. Chloe rarely showed weakness and it scared him when she did because it usually meant something really bad had happened. “Fucked up with what?” he asked her. “What do you mean?” 

Chloe couldn’t get the words out. Admitting it herself was hard, and admitting to one of her closests friends felt even harder. She hated it, this helpless feeling, and she was stuck between not wanting him to view her any differently, but also needing his comfort. She knew she didn’t deserve it, b ut If it was anyone she would tell, it was him, and while she wasn’t normally one to do it, she hugged him again, needing the physical contact, as if she needed someone to hold her up or else she’d crumble. “I...” she began, finally ready to explain, until they were interrupted. ( @youngmacdonald​ )

Once, Alina would’ve been worried about her clothes smelling smoke, but she knew she wouldn’t be going home anytime soon and her mother couldn’t chastise her for it if she never knew. “I know,” she said softly, eyes watching the wall across from them. “It’s not something I’ll forget anytime soon, seeing people that hurt. Everyone expects us to be fine and act like it never happened.”

Chloe nodded at her words. “I couldn’t better say it myself,” she replied. “The world is fucked up and we’re suppose to be safe in this castle and we’re not.” She ran her hand over her face in frustration. “I can’t go back to class now.”

Since he had been back from Azkaban at the start of the term, Stefan was having trouble sleeping and the events of what happened on Valentine’s Day and the weeks following it had helped nothing. When he spent a long time in bed tossing and turning, he decided to go down to the quidditch pitch and run some laps – excessive exercise was always a reliable way to tire himself out. It was rather late and he hadn’t expected to meet anyone on the way but he couldn’t miss the silhouetted figure not far away. “Who is there?” he called, half-wondering if he should be giving the other detention despite him being out late as well. 

Chloe hadn’t gone for a run for a long time. It was something she often did to calm her mind, everything now lead to either doing drugs or alcohol, but today her body craved another release and a run was the perfect way to do it. Normally she was good at sneaking out this late, Sirius had taught her some tricks around the castle, but she stopped in her tracks when she heard someone call out. She turned around, and as the other approached her, she could better see who it was - Stefan. “Oh, uh, hey,” she greeted him. She hadn’t seen him since he helped her get away from Elijah. It wasn’t like they talked anyway, not with whatever beef their families had. “What’s...up?” Her awkwardness was clear in the air.

“Well then, we are both fucked.” She grabbed at the papers only you make a bigger mess. “This is useless. Did you by any chance copy any of mine? Anything at all?” she asked her, hoping for the best.

“Story of our lives,” Chloe let out a sigh. She tried to get her own paper organized, and lifted up one sheet of parchment that only had a few lines. “That is all I got,” she told her before placing it back on the table. “I give up. This is all starting to look like gibberish to me and I need a break.”

“Chlo, you’re kinda freaking me out,” He admitted, frowning as the other paced. That was, until she mentioned his brother. Wordlessly, he sat, turning to face her. “What about him?”

She thought it would be easier to explain to him if they were seated together, but having Cain be close to her, even if they weren’t touching, was painful enough without having said anything yet. She stood back up to step a bit farther away from him, and it took her several more moments before she turned to face him, finally looking into his face with eyes brimmed with tears, as the words flowed out. “It’s all my fault. I - I’m the one who found the cursed amulet that th-they used on him. I found it and I gave it them,” even through her sobs, she was still keeping her father our of her explanation, knowing that she couldn’t say who in fear of getting Cain more involved. She dropped to kneel in front of Cain. “But I swear I didn’t know what they were going to use it for. I swear. I - I’m s-so sorry.”

It required Molly one glance in the Gryffindor common room to spot Chloe, and almost immediately turned back to go in her dorm, coming back out a few moments later. “I wouldn’t count on that if I wear you.” She said, dropping the sweater - which she’d gone back to her dorm for - on the other girl. She wouldn’t ask what happened, it was rather obvious she’d been drinking, but Molly wasn’t going to leave her alone.

Chloe came very close at yelling at Molly to leave her alone, she wans’t in the mood for company, but her eyes squinted open to looked at what Molly dropped on her. She wasn’t use to being mothered, and she knew that she was trying to be helpful so she bite back any bad words. “Thanks,” she said awkwardly, running her hands over the sweater to feel how soft it felt before she attempted to sit up, grimancing at how her head throbbed when she did. “What time is it?”

rita chuckled lightly at that, agreeing silently. chloe was probably right - these poor birds deserved a break once in a while. at her question she snorted with a shake of her head, making her way around the owlry and giving a few of the choice birds a nice pet, that would let her. “no, unfortunately. paxley only delivers family business.” she explained as she saw the bird disappear in the distance completely. “i reckon you got the better end of the stick, no? macdonald was asking for it, if you ask me.” 

She didn’t pry into whatever family business Rita mentioned, she wouldn’t want someone to do it to her. She snorted back at her at her last comment. “Maybe so,” she said, not feeling any need to defend Mary. “What do you have against her?”

Cain frowned at her tone, slipping past her to enter the room before he turned back to face her. “Chlo, is everything okay?” He asked, concern lacing his features. “Why, what’s happened?”

Chloe paced a little when he came into the room, her hand rubbing her arm as she tried to think of how to to tell him, to explain. She couldn’t look at him straight on, and she made her way over to the bed and sat down. “You should... sit. It’s... it’s about Emrys.”

He didn’t miss how she winced at his touch and when she pulled back his brows knitted together. “What’s with you?” he asked her and his tone made it clear that he won’t take a bullshit excuse for an answer. “I’m better now.” he shrugged, seeing no point in hiding how things really were at home. She knew anyway.

“Nothing,” she was quick to answer, knowing full well that the answer wouldn’t satisfy him. But a moment later, she could feel her emotions boiling up, and she tried her best to hold back the tears that began to well up in her eyes. But she finally had enough of holding it in, unable to any longer, “I fucked up. I fucked up real bad and I- I don’t know what to do.”

“Now why would I lie about something like this? I won’t give you the credit unless you deserve it.” he sneered. “Besides, I hear you are shagging the older Abbott, what a perfect ruse. Nobody is ever going to suspect you. I applaud your grand plan.” Elijah was well aware the girl had barely anything to do with what truly went on but seeing her get so distressed only made him want to direct more blame on her. He wasn’t however too pleased to see her cry – she was beginning to bore him. “Well, that’s not an answer, love, will you pass on the message or do I have to go find them myself?” 

The more Elijah taunted her, the more she felt herself coming undone. But soon, her grief switched to a blind rage, looking up at him through her watered eyes. “I am going to kill you!” she screamed, grasping for her wand and raising it towards him, a spell beginning to leave her lips, as coherant as she possible could through the sobs that threatened to escape.

Alina sat down next to her friend, taking a deep breath and let the weight of the events settle on her shoulders. “I’m okay,” she said with a nod. “A few small cuts and bruises, but I came out okay.” She thought back to Winnie and her family. “I came out better than others. Are you okay?”

“Good,” Chloe said, a small breath of air releasing out at the news. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to handle hearing another one of her friends having been hurt. “I’m...” she began, her words getting caught in her throat for a moment, her heart picking up speed as she thought of what she had caused. She took the pause to take another drag from joint and letting out the smoke in an uneasy breathe. “I’m fine.” The words came out unconvincing. “Just... shaken up, you know?” She was hoping that would be enough to satisfy her.