Hogwarts: The lost Tales [IC/Open]

[Miekzhemy]

Rachel

Well, that had to be the weirdest thing Rachel had heard in a while. When David had finished confessing that to everyone in the room, she fell a little silent.

'Is depression the hip new trend now?' she thought to herself. It wasn't surprising, given the copious amounts of shite that went down in the previous year. Still, David was never a bad guy.

"I'm with Alteran on this one. We're all going through a load of rubbish, but we're all in it together, ay?"

Rachel turned her head to listen to what Adam was whispering to her when suddenly he had kissed her on the cheek. She briefly blushed and put a hand to his chest and gave it a very light push. She whispered back.

"Oi--c'mon, we're in public..."

[The Flutterlands]

Raphael Raymond and Alexander Markus

Raphael, who's brown hair and robes were still somewhat white from the powder of chalk thrown by Peeves which infuriated him, still a greatly disgruntled look on his face. The young boy greatly known for his short fuse and for disappearing to a place of refuge to calm down with ether a book or his pet cat, Snowball. However, when David explained his depression, his stressful eyes softened a bit. "O-oh you got depression?" he asked, remembering his own issues, "Well, I guess I'll be glad to help if you need any and if I'm in the right mood. Perhaps you should speak to one of the teachers about this. They've been great at helping me with the anxiety I've been having..."

Alexander, also covered in chalk smiled weakly, his face showing careness towards David as he approached him."You could always come to me if you want as well." he spoke comfortingly, before nodding at Rachel and Alteran, "I guess I can say that I've been having stress myself too, despite my calm demeanor. There's no telling if or when my parents would ever figure out that I've been lying to them about Raphael's blood status all these years. I shudder at the thought of that, being the bunch of Death Eaters they are. So, yeah, Rachel's right. We all got issues going on in our lives, but we can always help by sticking together and seeing help when needed."

[Skylus]

Derek
After hearing David's explanation, I took a step forwards.
"It may not exactly look like it, but...I'm not exactly...right, either. I mean, remember what happened at the Ball? Out in the forest during our first year? At the rally?
David, if you need anything at all, come and talk to me, alright?"
I glanced at each of the others before asking a question that was probably on everyone's mind.
"Should we sleep up here or try to get back to our Dorms without being caught?"

[New Roman Empire]

Rachel

Well, that had to be the weirdest thing Rachel had heard in a while. When David had finished confessing that to everyone in the room, she fell a little silent.

'Is depression the hip new trend now?' she thought to herself. It wasn't surprising, given the copious amounts of shite that went down in the previous year. Still, David was never a bad guy.

"I'm with Alteran on this one. We're all going through a load of rubbish, but we're all in it together, ay?"

Rachel turned her head to listen to what Adam was whispering to her when suddenly he had kissed her on the cheek. She briefly blushed and put a hand to his chest and gave it a very light push. She whispered back.

"Oi--c'mon, we're in public..."

Adam

Adam rolled his eyes as he felt her push him away, "there are worse places," he whispered as he walked over to an empty chair. He let his head lean against the wall as everyone seemed to bring up more and more issues, "derek, I think we would be fine if we made our way back to the common rooms. Its not like we have been here for several hours or anything, so I suggest we don't spend the night here. But the rest of you can do as you wish," he concluded as he looked at the group. It had been a long day and he was tired and his patience was thinning which wasn't a good thing.

"Besides, I think we should be fine. Last year was chaotic and just intense the whole year, I mean we had a small scale war here. We practically lost the castle and Gleen is no where to be seen so, who knows whets going to happen this year," he added as he stood up from the chair and examined the group in front of him.

[Halonica]

Alteran

At Derek's question, Alteran shrugged, "I wouldn't mind chillin' up here for the night. Beats walking all the way back to the common room." He promptly sat down on the ground, cross-legged.

He shrugged once more, "I can sleep anywhere, really..." a mischievous grin lit up his face, "and our lovebirds here can have a night together." he jerks his head towards Rachel and Adam, then towards Raphael and Alex.

Adelaine

While everything was going on at the tower, Adelaine had snuck into the boys dormitory momentarily. At present, she crept back out, giggling to herself, "When he gets in bed he'll squish about thirty slugs!" The little prankster proceeded to amble over to her own dormitory, settling down for the night.

[Britanania]

Caitie

Caitie hadn't eaten or said a word for the rest of the feast, feeling a mixture of humiliation and frustration with Henry. When she returned to the Slytherin, the young woman made her way to her favourite reading spot and spent most of the rest of the afternoon and evening reading to clear her mind. However, the boiling continued to the point that even engrossing herself in her studies couldn't calm her. Violently she slammed the large tome on the stand and stood up and ran a hand through her silver hair.

How dare he ask me to sleep with him, after my mother and brothers are killed and what he did to me, Henry has the audacity to ask me that? So he gets a bloody basilisk and his father is some important gangster, he thinks he can do whatever he pleases?

Fuming, Caitie marched out of the common room and into the closest washroom to wash her face. After she was finished cleaning up, the Slytherin looked at herself in the slightly cracked mirror, dividing her face diagonally. She moved a hand towards the mirror and touched her reflection. It was the first time, it felt, in a while since she really looked at herself since the incident with James. The pretty young woman who gazed back at her was almost a stranger.

"You don't tell the whole story, do you? You're just a pretty face, aren't you? James, Henry, Marcus, they're all the same. You don't show who I really am, but I pretend because they'll never understand," Caitie said with a frown, before pushing off against the mirror, turning to the stall and punching the door and creating a sizeable crater.

Who am I really? When will my reflection show who I am?, she thought with a sigh, as she walked out of the washroom and rubbed her bruised hand

[Miekzhemy]

Rachel

"You keep up with that and I'll fetch a buff on yer 'ead," Rachel mused while pointing a finger in Alteran's direction. "But anyway, I'm heading back to the common room. I'll roll the dice on the possibility of Filch catching me if it's too late. I'll see you all later."

Without another word she left and proceeded down the halls. She seemed somewhat ticked.

'Mild depression my arse... I waved at a kid and his car went up in flames...'

Rachel paced down the corridors alone while heading to the staircase. Oddly enough, she was brooding over everything lately since that bombing incident - even Adam. While she'd go to any lengths for him, she couldn't help but absolutely hate how touchy-feely he was all the time. In fact, it wasn't even that. It was more so his little public displays of affection that seemed to press her buttons. It felt inappropriate...and weird.

She was also feeling different about those she tried to help. She no longer felt sad or wanted to cry. Instead, she felt angry, and she didn't know why. But she simply did what they said - if they didn't want her help, so be it. She decided to focus on something else - her schoolwork. In fact, with the OWLs coming up, there was no time to waste honing and mastering her abilities.

Rachel was in the middle of planning where she'd practice in private when she looked up and saw Caitie approaching from the other end of the corridor, heading in the opposite direction. Then her thoughts went back to the words she said to her during the summer, and the news from her father. As they passed by, Rachel remained silent, but clearly did a bad job hiding the fact that she was upset about something.

'The murderer herself... I bet she's a vampire bathing in the blood of those gits to make herself look like that...' she briefly thought. She didn't mean it, but couldn't help but remain angry because of Caitie's blatant ignorance of her warning. She was angry at herself too for not pressing the matter further.

[Britanania]

Caitie

Caitie was so busy nursing her hand she almost didn't notice the other person walking down the corridors. She grimaced slightly as she touched the bruised knuckles.

Bloody hell, I think it's broken and I left my wand in my room. That's what I deserve for letting my temper get the best of me, she thought, before looking up to see Rachel. Caitie stopped as she watched the other girl walk past.

Rachel...why is it that we keep running into each other like this? She doesn't look very well

"Rachel," Caitie said suddenly, craning her head as she walked passed her.

It doesn't hurt to ask, at least to be polite

"Is something wrong?"

[Miekzhemy]

Rachel

The sudden uttering of her name made Rachel instantly stop in her tracks.

'Did she just greet me? Is this even Caitie anymore?'

After a pause and a deep breath, Rachel turned to face her, now with a more blank expression on her face. Her voice went unusually hollow.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. But it's nothing you should probably be worrying about. What about you, ay?"

'Yeah, what sort of miracle makeover did you get while having time to slaughter people?'

[Britanania]

Caitie

The young witch raised an eyebrow as she leaned up against a wall, folding her arms across her chest.

"Well, you just seem more out of it than usual, it seems," she muttered, looking down at her feet running her good hand through her hair before crossing them again and intaking sharply. "Rachel, I never had the chance to thank you for last semester, with everything," she murmured.

I'm not used to this type of stuff, after all...

"Anyway," she said, changing the subject, "I'm just a little upset today. It's like no one knows how to deal with me, since, well, you know..." Caitie shook her head.

"But it will be all right, I think"

[Miekzhemy]

Rachel

Rachel was silent throughout the entirety Caitie's words, her face now contorting to that of bewilderment. She was thanking her? Why? She went against what she insisted. The complete change that seemed to have underwent Caitie in both mind and body hit Rachel like a freight train. It was so much to take in that she slumped into a sitting position at the opposite end of the corridor. It almost looked like she was fainting.

"I...I don't understand..." Rachel began before her voice trailed off, and then came back again.

"What's happening to you...?"

[Britanania]

Caitie

Using her right foot, Caitie pushed herself off the wall.

Is she talking about me, or herself?, Caitie wondered as she looked at Rachel closer, noticing the scar on her pretty face, which in many ways added a sense of je ne sai quois to the sporty young woman.

"I just thought you wanted to hear it is all," she mumbled defensively. "No need to be so dramatic about it."

So she's just like the rest of them huh? Caitie's too damaged inside and too pretty outside to talk openly to?

"Anyway," Caitie said, as she looked way at the other end of the hallway with a frown, "I hope your summer was all right", she added, not sure what to say now.

[Miekzhemy]

Rachel

She wanted to explode. Taking several seconds and deep breaths, Rachel managed to seethe and let everything out, and continued with a soft voice. She couldn't even look at her.

"My summer? MY summer?! You've clearly been busy yourself, haven't you?"

Then she looked up, going back to the same blank expression but still unable to bring herself to look Caitie in the eye.

"My father went on an investigation during the summer. A long investigation, for a certain group responsible for a certain incident... He tracked them down, alright..."

She balled up both fists, gripping the pleated fabric of her skirt. She was nearly trembling.

"Corpses - all of them. Every lead led to yet another body, until he reached a dead end. They were cut up by what was identified to be a severing charm. Others, even worse..."

Then Rachel's gaze brought itself to her face, and she stared into her eyes.

"Is it worth it?"

[Britanania]

Caitie

So, she knows then. I should have figured she would, knowing who her father is.

Caitie's face contoured into an equally blank expression, but her sapphire eyes shot lightening into Rachel's dark holes. For a brief moment, her face turned into a snarl before she quickly regained composure.

"For the sake of justice, yes, some things are worth it, yes." Caitie bit her lip, drawing blood which dripped onto her chin. "Oh, you may sit on your high horse all you like, but would you have acted any differently? After everything you and I have been through, can you honestly look at me and tell me that you would not have done the same?"

[Miekzhemy]

Rachel

Rachel's bright green eyes stared unfaltering back into the eyes of the young woman in front of her. She eventually snapped back in a hushed but quick voice.

"Your sense of class and decency masks a vengeful mind that'll corrupt you until there's no heart or soul left in that body of yours! Look at yourself!"

She slowly stood back up, a tear now having escaped the clutches of her eye and running down the contours of her scar. Regardless, her expression was unchanged.

"I'm sorry, Caitie. I just hope you would've remembered what I said that day, because as much as I hate admitting it, it's true. I've seen enough people tear themselves apart...and none have wanted to listen to any warning I give them... But I can't force you to do anything - because it doesn't work that way. I just don't understand how you can willingly accept doing what you did..."

[Britanania]

Caitie

"I accept it because it was necessary," she snapped. Caitie almost spat the words at Rachel while her icy blue eyes chilled the room as she finally turned away from Rachel's gaze, before she down at the ground beneath them and balled her hands before she slammed her bruised fist against the wall.

"After what those bastards did, how could I possibly forgive them or let them live? They took away the only people who..." Caitie gritted her teeth as the final words trailed off into the void, as she shut her eyes. Even as she did so, the images of her brothers flashed before her.

They were 11, and they killed them without a drop of remorse. I saw it in their minds. They didn't give a damn.

Opening her eyes, Caitie looked back at Rachel, her malice replaced with a profound look of loss.

"They were 11," she said with almost a whisper. "They never did anyone any harm, and they took them away from me," Caitie looked down at her hands as if there were still blood on her palms before closing them and meeting Rachel's line of sight. "I couldn't let them get away with it," she admitted, with the look of a girl about to cry.

[Miekzhemy]

Rachel

Rachel closed her eyes and stared down at her shoes. She almost regretted bringing anything up. She should've just said nothing was wrong and been on her way. But that was too late now. At the mention of the boys, her thoughts returned to the moment of the explosion.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. I don't know what I'd do if I lost my own brother the same way."

She sighed. "I won't tell my father, but I have to warn you... The more you kill - the more lives you may take, you make it that much easier to create a habit out of it. Those gits likely had families of their own."

With that, she turned on her heel and started to make her way down the corridor. "Once again, you'll become no better than those same killers that took away what you love."

Should she not be stopped, Rachel would continue on her way to the common room, wiping a tear from her face.

She didn't sleep that night.

[Britanania]

Caitie

Caitie remained silent as Rachel finished her thoughts and moved back towards her own common room. When she was safely out of range, Caitie turned her own away and took a few steps before she pounded at the wall again with her wounded hand.

"Damn, damn, damn!" she swore. "I just can't bloody win, can I?"

Satisfied in her self punishment and completely done with everything, Caitie made her seemingly endless sojourn back to Slytherin Dungeon and straight to bed without a word to anyone, including Womky.

You're wrong, I only kill when it's right. They have no qualms, Caitie thought, as she began another sleepless night--for if she didn't sleep, she couldn't dream.

[Escaterra]

Alice

After the Feast, Alice returned to the Hufflepuff common room. Having a bit of spare time, she dropped into the kitchens on her way past, to thank the house elves for such an amazing meal, and to compliment them on the quality and variety of the food available. The house elves, naturally, swarmed her as she entered, and she left with even more food - as if she wasn't full enough to burst already. Looking down, she could swear her stomach was slightly larger than it had been this morning.

Entering the common room, she looked around for her friends. There was no sign of either Adam or David. Strange, she thought. I wonder where Adam went after the Feast, and if that had something to do with where David is. Looking around, she noticed a small group of nervous-looking first-years, and gently ushered them towards their dormitories, before heading to her own for a good night's rest.

[United Democratic Christian States]

David

The whole conversation made David feel better. 3 years of pressure from holding it in had been released. Soon Alteren, Derek Alex and Raph came up and offered their advice and assistance he quickly thanked them then answer Altman and Derek's question.

"I think we are fine to head back to the dorms. I doubt any teacher will look this far up so we should have a little ways before we have to worry.

And Alteren....

Stop. Let's not embarrass them"

He chuckled a little as he said the last part.

Well i guess that wasn't too too bad

"Anyway y'all can do whatever. I'm heading back to the hufflepuff common room"

[Skylus]

Derek

"I think I'm just going to stay up here. Don't want to get caught by Fitch, you know..."
As everyone started to leave, I walked over to one of the windows and looked out over the grounds, or at least what was visible.
Only then, when everyone had left, did I reached into my jacket pocket and pull out a gently folded letter.
I then opened it.
And for a while, I just stood there, looking down at the only form of communication I had with a certain someone...

After around ten minutes, I put away the letter, summoned a few blankets and pillows, set everything up so that I was comfortable and then it didn't take me long at all to drift off.....

[Halonica]

Alteran

Alteran waves to Rachel, David, and anyone else who decides to leave. He remains sitting cross-legged while Derek walks over to the window and looks out over the grounds. Alteran, in the meantime pulls out his notebook and begins sketching again. Having seen Derek's sword and shield during the Second Battle of Hogwarts, Alteran had grown envious. He hadn't had time to envy Derek over the summer because his father had been rigorously training him to use the Protego and Patronus Charms, as well as a few others. However, now that they had met once again, Alteran's envy flared up. It was childish, he knew, but there was a practical side to the feeling: he didn't want to be utterly defenseless without a wand. Thus, Alteran set to work, sketching out a design and adding details throughout the night, long after Derek went to sleep. So long in fact, that Alteran drifted off, halfway through a note he had been scribbling in the margins of the page. Even though the details hadn't all been added, it wasn't hard to see what his idea had been: a pair of enchanted daggers, the likes of which could be hidden in the sleeves of his robes, or even underneath a shirt.

[The Flutterlands]

Alexander Markus and Raphael Raymond

Alexander smiled and watched as Rachel and some others leave. He gave a great yawn and stretched his legs. "Well it's good that we all got each other's back." he said tiredly to the remaining students as he got up onto his feet, "Though yes I think it's best we all head straight to our common rooms. Besides I about ready to hit the hay. Good night, everyone. Let's have great year this term."

Alex then left the room with Raphael getting up and following him. Raphael was still a bit urked by David's 'confession', even though he did guess that he should feel bad for him. "Well that came out of nowhere." said Raphael as he and Alex walked through the halls to Slytherin Dungeon, "Glad that he's getting help from his parents but still, he didn't seem like one with depression or anyhing like that."

Alexander nodded before shrugging. "Well, I guess that some are better at hiding their emotions than others." he said, comfortingly, "After all, like I've said, despite my calm and kick back attitude, "I've been kind of stressed as well. Not just by the thought of losing you but by these terror attacks as well. They're getting quite too common for any comfort."

Raphael nodded with a growling agreement. Eventually the two boys arrived at Slytherin dungeon that laid the in lower depths of the Great Lake. Raphael smiled and waved at the Giant Squid that swam by the windows from time to time before joining Alex at the dorms. After getting into their sleepware, Raph and Alex shared a kiss on the lips and a hug before tucking into bed for the night. As the two boys slept, with Raphael's white persian cat, Snowball, jumping onto the bed to cuddle with her master, they began dreaming of the possible lessons this fourth year at Hogwarts would give them.

[New Roman Empire]

The Next Day, After classes

Adam walked into the library, there was going to be a potions test tomorrow and it was of course on some incredibly difficult potion to brew like always. The whole day had gone by in a blur and he didn't really seem to care about the whole thing, he was too focused on actually trying to study. A group of second years were talking a few tables down from where he was sitting, "hey did you hear about that girl, what was her name Emilia Carter? I think that was her name, apparently she comes form this super rich family. I saw her a few hours ago and she was a heart breaker, or she will be once she gets older. I heard that from one of the older students," he whispered as he leaned in closer to his friends.

Another student piped up, "I don't know about that, but that Ravenclaw girl, Sabrina Sedaran (Adam's adoptive family's name) she is pretty attractive for a girl her age. Too bad she went to the ball last year with that creep Nathan, she doesn't know what she is missing out on," he chuckled as he looked over and caught Adam's glare and quickly shut up. Adam went back to reading after that and it was some time before he looked up and saw they were gone.

He saw Caitie wonder on by, "Hey Caitlin, or I mean Daenarys. You sure sprouted over this summer, no doubt turning a few heads as you walk yeah?" he asked as he closed his book and looked up at her examining her curves as he looked up and reached her face while waiting for a response.

Sansa Blitzburg

Sansa was sitting in the Ravenclaw common room in her little corner of the room, many of the people tended to go towards the fire place. She didn't like the fire place or well she didn't like how people tended to sit around the fire place, too much touching was involved and too many social courtesies involved that she didn't care about. She was deep in reading when a second year student walked over to her, "do you mind if I sit here and study with you?"

Sansa kept on reading and replied, "I don't really care, do what you want just don't touch me." The coldness in her voice was usually enough to turn most people away, but she heard a thump a few seconds later. She looked up to see the girl plopped down on the floor of the common room.

"The name is Sabrina Sedaran, I have seen you around before, but I never got the pleasure of getting your name," Sabrina informed as she looked up from her book.

"I'm Sansa Blitzburg, now if you don't mind I am trying to study. If you want to talk then you should go find somewhere else to sit with people, I am not much of a talker nor do I understand social courtesies," she replied coldly once again and didn't even lose her spot on the page and flipped to a new page.

[Miekzhemy]

Rachel

It wasn't the first time Rachel hadn't gotten that much sleep before a school day, but it was the first time she didn't sleep at ALL. She just couldn't for some reason. But that definitely didn't help the next day in the slightest. She was lucky enough not to be caught sleeping in half of the classes she went to. She felt like she could lay down in a bed and pass out in seconds.

But there was no time for that. She had work to do - and that's what she was currently doing in a far corner of the library. With her charms and transfiguration textbooks open on the table in front of her, she could be seen going through various advanced spells. After all, she'd have to work hard this year to pass her OWLs next year, and Rachel wasn't planning on flunking any of them now. While she seemed half concentrated, it was clear that she was lacking sleep. Sheer force of will was the only thing keeping her awake right now.

"Come...on..." she whispered to herself with her wand pointed at her quill. "Duro!"

A hardening spell she was casting, designed to turn objects into stone. Unfortunately, her attempt failed again when the quill appeared to crumble into dust. Rachel sighed deeply, and angrily slammed her hand into the tabletop. She heard hasty SHUSH from a nearby prefect, and Rachel slumped into her chair.

'Why did I do that...'