Night 1; Day 2
The rest of the day saw Marissa waking and sleeping in turns, conversing with Brian about where they could possibly be, then becoming tired again and needing to nap. She felt guilty that she confined him to the bed as she slept, but she didn't have a choice. Her body was making it for her by trying to heal itself.
It was almost eight hours later, when she heard the door open, jarring her from her nap. Brian was dozing next to her and she quickly nudged him as Nott glared at them from his spot in the doorway. Marissa noticed he had yet to enter the room. Was he afraid of them? Afraid that they would do something? Brian and Marissa didn't have their wands so there wasn't much they could do, unless it was to try and overtake him by brute force…and she doubted that they could do that since HE had his wand.
He motioned for them to follow him for their second, and last of the day, bathroom break.
Feeling somewhat better and a bit more refreshed, she walked behind Brian and took note of the torches on the plain white walls. Something about the flame registered deep in her memories stirring up some knowledge and finally with a leap, she wrestled it free. Stifling a gasp as the recollection surfaced, she squeezed Brian's hand causing him to turn and look at her questioningly. But at that moment she couldn't get her message across as Nott opened the bathroom door and ushered Brian inside, forcing him to let go of her hand. Marissa turned and stood with her back to the door, staring at the lamps trying to figure out why they were electric. She had seen these at her Aunt Samantha's parents the few times she had been there, as they lived in a Muggle flat. Personally, she thought they were ugly, which seemed to fit Nott's personality just fine.
"I owl'd your parents, so I'm sure they are beside themselves with worry about their children," Nott said in a snide voice, trying to get Marissa to say something. But, she just flicked her eyes to Nott then let her eyes roam over the narrow hallway.
`He's trying to get a rise out of me. Don't let him. He needs to know he can't turn me into a blubbering, weak witch,' Marissa thought to herself as her icy blue eyes swept over her surroundings, avoiding Nott who was standing to her right, wand at his side.
There were no windows in this hall, just a wooden floor, a bathroom, the spare room and a door to her left that she figured was the way Nott used to come in, or rather down, from what she and Brian had gathered from his previous comments. She figured that they must be in a basement somewhere which in turn caused her to notice that the air was a comfortable temperature. She stepped aside hearing Brian open the door. He brushed her hand, whether on purpose or accident she didn't know; but it sent a jolt up her arm just the same. She hurriedly ducked into the loo and spent a minute longer than before splashing water on her face and looking around the small sink and toilet only room. There was, above the sink, another one of those strange, electric wall torches made to look real. She looked at it more closely and saw that it had one of those flickering flames that moved to make it look real, but it sure enough wasn't. She noticed a drain in the middle of the floor and as she let her gaze run up the wall opposite the door she noticed something that looked like a pipe sticking out of the wall and a knob beneath it. She had no idea what it was and was uncomfortable reaching out and touching it until she talked with Brian, so she resigned herself to keep the investigation of the pipe for tomorrow.
Letting herself out of the bathroom, she felt Brian take her arm and look at her quizzically, remembering her actions from earlier. Nott prodded her in the back with his wand to start them moving up the short hallway not allowing Marissa anytime to point out the fake torches. She shook her head slightly as Brian continued to look at her expectantly and waited until their door was shut behind them and she was sure Nott was gone before telling Brian about the torches on the wall.
"Electric. Well, that can only mean this is Muggle then," Brian said, reaching into his bag and splitting his package of crackers between them. They sat down near the un-used fireplace and shared a few sips of water and the last of his crackers.
"I was thinking the same thing. I wonder why though? I don't think this place is abandoned, it looks to well kept for that," Marissa mused, taking a sip of water and passing it back to Brian.
"Maybe it was the only thing he could afford. I haven't heard anyone else in this house, just him and that house elf," Brian said and banged the back of his head against the wall trying to make sense of everything they had seen and heard. "I'm thinking we're going to have to work on that house elf to get a note out of here. If this house is Muggle, then the fireplace is useless."
"Did you notice that pipe…," Marissa started and he nodded emphatically as he swallowed a bite of his cracker.
"I think it's a shower or something," he looked at Marissa's face, expectant as if waiting for him to say more.
"Muggle showerheads?" he saw a blank expression on Marissa's face as her sharp blue eyes locked with his and he could tell she had no idea what he was talking about. So, he explained quickly what it was, describing his grandparents (Granger's) bathroom. Marissa started nodding about two thirds of the way through his explanation indicating she understood. In the back of her mind, she wondered if they would get a shower. After a few days, they were sure going to start to smell and she would love to have clean clothes…she shook her head to clear the "woe is me" thoughts and concentrated on Brian's comment about their note.
"Do you want to start working on the note? We have a few pieces of parchment we can use." Marissa wiped her hands off on her jeans, feeling a bit re-energized after her snack, their talk and from the multitude of naps she managed to take during most of the day.
Wordlessly, Brian pulled out his backpack from under the cloak, unzipped it and grabbed a piece of parchment and quill, handing them to her.
"You write, your handwriting is neater than mine," he smiled at her as she shook her head and rolled her eyes but happy to see him smile despite their desperate situation..
"Okay, what do we say? Besides "we're fine"?" Marissa asked, writing down precisely that.
"I think we should describe everything about this place, the house elf and if we can, what it looks like out that window," Brian nodded above the bed.
"How're we going to do that? Even you at six feet can't stand on the mattresses and see what's out there," Marissa tapped the quill against the parchment as she spoke, appraising the window then stopped when she felt him staring at her.
"Ohhhh…NONONO! You want to put me on your shoulders?" she said in mock horror. Brian grinned and stood up, brushing his hands off on his jeans.
"Come on, I can hold you." Extending his hand to her, she dropped her letter and let him help her up. They both climbed onto the bed and stood there, looking like two kids who were getting ready to jump on the bed, causing Marissa to dissolve into a fit of giggles.
"What's so funny?" he put his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes a bit. He looked so much like his mother, Marissa continued her silent laughter. Then, hearing him sigh in exasperation at her, she placed a hand over her mouth trying to stifle her laughter at how much he resembled his mother at the moment. Raising any eyebrow at her she just gave him a wide smile, not answering his questioning gaze. He shook his head and shrugged a shoulder, looking so much like his father all of a sudden that she felt a pang of sadness at missing her parents.
"What?" he asked for the third time.
"Nothing…," she sighed clearing her throat, attempting to dislodge the lump that suddenly formed. She turned her mind to other things like trying to figure out how she was going to get on his shoulders without causing them both to fall over.
"Well, let's move before it gets too dark. Now hop up." Brian got down on his knees and braced his hands against the wall. She stood there and stared at him for a moment, then walked over and put a leg over his shoulder, feeling very self conscious about her legs being wrapped around him.
"You ok?" she asked before she moved her other leg, a bit nervous of the prospect of him bearing her weight.
"Fine, just climb up," was the answer and so she leaned forward and placed her hands against the wall, slowly bringing her second leg over his shoulder. Pushing up with his legs and wrapping one arm around her shins he made it to a standing position and Marissa had to duck her head in order not to hit the ceiling.
"Ok, a bit to the right," she said and felt him move, his shoulders shifting under her thighs. Squealing she placed a hand on his head and the other on the ceiling to steady herself. He found his balance and stood still.
"Better?" he asked and Marissa leaned forward a bit placing her hands on the bars, looking out into the early April sunset.
"Yeah. There's a sunset so we're facing west. I see grass beyond this window well. There're a few trees to the left and something that looks like a run down gazebo to the right," Marissa turned her head sideways and looked up.
"Hey! I can see the second floor…it over hangs this window and looks like there's a hole on the underside…perfect for birds or bats to fly into," she said excited that she finally saw something besides the inside of the room.
"Any other houses?" Brian asked, his hand gripping her calf, holding her securely on his shoulders.
"No, not that I can see, though there is a hill that goes down from the house and for some reason it makes me think that there might be a pond or something at the end."
"Why do you say that?" Brian's hand tightened on her legs as she shifted a bit. Marissa felt assured that he wasn't going to drop her so she pulled herself a bit closer, peering out the window in every direction she could.
"There aren't any trees going down that hill and I just get the feeling that there's water there. Hmmm…."
"What?" Brian's interested piqued.
"The trees over to the side actually have a grayish trunk; I haven't seen this kind before at least not near my house, the school or your house."
"Tell me more about the trees," came Brian's voice from below. She had forgotten he had an exceptional knowledge of plants so she tried her best to describe what she saw.
"Well, the few I can see seem to be at the edge of a group of trees, but I can't see that far to see if it truly is a forest. Its trunk is thin and grayish, or maybe off white? The leaves look like they have just started growing in, ummm, they aren't very tall; and around the branches it's darker than the rest of the trunk. It's dusk, so I can't make out much more," Marissa craned her neck but couldn't see anything past the gazebo and for a moment, rested her forehead against the cool bars, half hoping someone would walk by and see her face at the window.
"Sounds like a birch tree," Brian said and made a move causing Marissa to steady herself as he lowered himself to his knees. She clumsily climbed off and felt herself falling onto the bed landing on her back and she quickly pushed herself up, seeing Brian facing her, still on his knees.
"They grow on the edge of forests because other trees shade them out. Or, if they are in the forests, they don't get very tall. You didn't see any trees past that gazebo?"
"Nope, it seemed open. No branches or… anything. And it looked wide open down to the water that might be there," Marissa now noticed how dark the room was becoming. There were no lights, so she guessed they were at the mercy of Mother Nature as to their activities during the day. Not that they could do anything else besides talk.
"I guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow to write anything; it's getting pretty dark," Brian noticed as well and they jumped as Millie's POP announced her presence. Marissa flew up to a sitting position as her heart pounded at the unexpected sound.
"Millie," Marissa sighed and received a little bow.
"Here's a pitcher of water for Master Potter and Miss Malfoy," she set it upon the floor, along with two paper cups and as she straightened up Brian called for her to wait.
"Millie, is there anything you can tell us about where we are?" he asked leaning forward on the bed and Millie seemed torn between telling him and just apparating. She wrung her hands and Marissa held her breath.
"A Muggle house, Master Potter…," Millie started in a strangled whisper then clamped her hands over her mouth.
"Thanks, Millie. It's ok, we won't tell," Marissa said gently and a moment later the house elf
disappeared.
"Merlin, I hope she still has nails on her fingers tomorrow when we see her," Brian noted and then stood up,
looking up at the window. Darkness was falling fast and one last glance at his watch told him it was almost quarter
past seven. Marissa shifted herself to the edge of the bed and kicked off her well worn trainers she refused to get rid
of, sighing as she twisted her ankles and flexed her toes, hearing them crack.
"Not much else we can do now except try and sleep," he told her and sat down a few feet away from her. Marissa turned her head away as he began unbuttoning his school shirt.
`Crap! I am not ready for him to strip, then have to lay with him!' Marissa's inner dialogue screamed. She closed her eyes and bowed her head a bit, her thoughts circling around sleeping with him and how far he was going to get undressed.
Glancing over at her he noticed her body turned away from him, and he felt her uncomfortableness. Brian let his hands fall to his knees as he undid the last button of his shirt and studied her hunched over form. The wall seemed to suddenly be interesting to her and he realized for the first time what the two of them and one bed at night meant. Now that the moment was upon them, he was being forced to realize that bedtime was indeed happening. He certainly wasn't going to attack her or scare the hell out of her, and he knew that the rational Marissa already knew that. But, they both knew that there was an attraction there and being up and moving around during the day, even with his modified sticking charm, was a bit more impersonal than laying in the same bed at night in the dark.
"What?" he asked softly wondering if she would voice what he was thinking.
Marissa shrugged then looked down at her hands, watching her fingers play with the sheet on the bed.
"I have to sleep in my clothes and we get to stay in these for however long we're here…I hate sleeping in my clothes…," she started to complain then stopped.
"Well, it's going to be pitch black in a few unless there's a light outside, you can sleep in whatever you want and I won't see…I can sleep on the floor," Brian offered and Marissa shook her head touched that he would offer.
"No, you're NOT sleeping on the floor. I guess I'll just sleep in my t-shirt…it's pretty long…I'm not worried that you…," Marissa started awkwardly then threw up her hands and finally looked at him in the dim light. "I just don't know what to do, and I hate that," she admitted in a whisper.
He had no idea what to say to her to make her feel any better, because he sure felt out of control of their situation, too. They sat there for a good while each lost in their own muddled thoughts until it was so dark they could barely see their hand in front of their face.
"How's your head?" Brian asked softly and he felt her nod, the bed bouncing slightly as she did so.
"Better actually, the headache is gone," she answered then stood up. "Might as well get in bed."
Brian took that to mean "do it" (having three sisters had taught him to try and read between many lines) and crawled to the opposite side of the bed. He pulled back the blanket and sheet and climbed in, then heard the unmistakable sound of her jeans zipper and the slight scuffing noise of her taking them off and for a moment it unnerved him. He briefly wondered if they wouldn't be better off fully clothed. What if Nott came in and moved them to another room? Or he came in before they were awake? Nott would think all sorts of thoughts about what the two of them were doing (which Brian tried to not think about as he felt her climb in next to him) and he would probably voice those thoughts aloud, being crude about it.
"Do you want this pillow? It sucks," Marissa offered and to Brian it was strange to hear her, but not be able to see her.
"No, thanks," Brian turned on his side, facing her and tucked his arm under his head. He heard her toss it to the floor where it landed with a soft thump.
"What do you think our parents are doing?" she asked, accidentally kicking him and pulling her leg back quickly, after mumbling an apology.
"Searching Hogwarts grounds, or coming up with a game plan to find us; seeing how it's well after midnight there, if our watches are correct," Brian answered, his eyes straining to see her as she shifted around in the bed.
"I think they are all together at one of our houses, with my uncles," Marissa voiced, her eyes roaming the area of the ceiling. She hated not being able to see anything; it was quite unnerving, like she had gone blind and she whispered this thought aloud.
"It's like we're blind; which is probably how our parents feel, trying to find us...," she let her voice trail off as she thought about her family and how worried they were.
"It's unnerving," Brian admitted, turning onto his back and yawning, in turn causing Marissa to yawn.
"I guess it's good night then, not that there is anything good about it," Marissa rolled over onto her side, resting her head on her arms. She could not get comfortable in the firm bed and was a bit anxious that she was in the same bed, locked in a room with the friend she had some strong feelings for.
"Well, we at least have a bed, each other and aren't seriously hurt," Brian said trying to sound positive.
"True," was the soft, drawn out reply. "You know, this is really strange. It's almost like you can't tell if your eyes are open or closed." She blinked a few times and didn't notice a different in light at all. Squinting hard toward Brian she searched for some shape of him, but all she perceived was blackness.
"Weird," Brian agreed after blinking a few times. "Can't say I have ever been anywhere that it's THIS dark or this quiet. Something else to make a note of." She felt him shift and turn in the bed.
"Yeah, good thought." Marissa could sense his face was inches away from hers. He radiated a soft warmth that she could barely feel, but every cell on her body picked up on it and seemed to absorb it, hold it and then slowly release it throughout her body, radiating her with a soft almost melodious feeling. Her heart seemed to pulsate throughout her whole body, anticipating what was to come…a kiss? A caress? Nothing?
"I have them every now and again," he joked about his thoughts and Marissa cracked a smile managing to keep hold of what bit of normalcy she could muster.
"I guess I'll keep you around then."
"Like you have a choice," he retorted with a small laugh.
"You don't either; you're stuck with me, who will probably become unglued soon," Marissa joked back and she flinched in surprise as his hand tentatively touched her cheek as if making sure that it was truly her face in the darkness, then it settled lightly on the side of her head.
"I think that's allowed, given the circumstances," he whispered, and she could feel his breath against her nose and suddenly realized how close they really were.
How her body demanded to be kissed by him, as they lay locked in a room, with no way out and no way to contact the outside world was beyond her. Nevertheless, it did.
She wasn't even sure who made the first move, but one moment they were quiet, his hand on the side of her head; the heel of his hand resting against her cheek. The next moment their lips were touching, almost shyly as if giving the other person a chance to pull away. But, when neither of them did the pressure of his fingers behind her ear told her it was ok to move closer. Slowly, timidly she moved nearer her hand reaching out to support her movement then touching bare skin. It took her a moment to realize it was his side. She could feel his ribs beneath her fingers and tentatively she slid her palm back so it rested on his warm shoulder blade, his shirt a light caress on the top of her hand and she marveled in how right it felt to be kissed by him and at the same time trying to not let her hands run all over his torso. She dug her fingers into his shoulder to make sure she didn't embarrass herself and do just that. Merlin, he felt different than he looked. She could feel the flex of his muscle under her hand as his arm moved and she reveled in the fact that she was touching him in such an intimate way.
A wave of happiness washed over her as his hand ran down her back and pulled her gently closer. She wasn't alone, he was warm, solid and comforting and the gentle movements of his lips against hers lulled her into a sense of security she hadn't felt all day. Simply, their hands touched each other along with their lips, which was way more than Marissa could have even known would happen. His hand gently rubbed circles on her back, causing goose bumps to move up to her scalp then race back down her body. Even though her heart was pounding throughout her body and she thoroughly enjoyed his caress, she gradually pulled away needing to regain some control over the strange sensations in her body. For a moment her mind was blank as she struggled to shift gears. Licking her lips and taking an unsteady breath she said the first thing that came to her mind.
"You should get some sleep; it's like two in the morning back home," she whispered shakily.
"Yeah," he whispered not making any move to take away his arm that was resting over her hip.
Neither of them knew exactly what to say about their situation, both the "location" one and now the "physical" one, and Marissa mulled over the possibilities of why they had just kissed and narrowed it down to a need…and want. `Oh, how that last one is so true!' she told herself, feeling a flush come over her body.
She heard his light breathing become deeper and more intermittent, cluing her into the fact that he was asleep. Her heart was now totally in love with Brian and had been for months. `At least,' she thought to herself gently turning over onto her back enjoying the fact that his arm stayed around her, `I think this is love. But, how can I be thinking about that in a time like this?'
She argued with herself about love and crushes for the next indeterminable amount of minutes. Half her brain was still working on a way to get out and to get word to their parents, the other half was taking in every sensation and sound that had to do with Brian.
As she slowly drifted off, now burrowed under the covers and the weight of Brian's arm heavy against her waist, she thought about Millie and how to try and get her to deliver a letter.
`We're going to have to sweet talk her, or Brian will. She seems to be enthralled with him. Well…what female isn't?' was the last thought floating through her mind as the safety of sleep crept over her.
----
Her father was sitting at their kitchen table, a piece of parchment in front of him framed by his hands. He wasn't moving and if one happened to walk by they could have mistaken him for a statue. Ginny was across from him, the whole of her hand pressed against her face in an emotion of despair. Looking out the window over the sink of the kitchen, Marissa could see it was dark out and from how quiet it was in the house, she could tell everyone else was asleep, or at least trying.
"What're we going to do?" Ginny whispered and for the first time, Marissa realized her mother didn't have all the answers. There was a look of pure terror mixed with anger on Ginny's pale face and her hands trembled as she now had them clasped in front of her, knuckles white.
"We go over what we know and wait for Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall to come to us with any information they have about what they've found," Draco said in a low voice, the only indication that he wasn't a statue. "They need to comb that whole side of the forest, and work their way back to Hagrid's. It'll take awhile. Too many people over there will just interfere with the magical traces."
"But, what do we do? I can't just sit here, Draco, you know that. And neither can you. That's our daughter out there and that's Brian out there, somewhere…," Ginny's voice broke and in one fluid movement Draco was out of his chair and holding Ginny as she clutched his waist, sobbing into him. He smoothed back her hair and gazed out of the window, letting her cry out all the frustration she had felt during the past eight hours.
Marissa could tell what her father was thinking by the look of fortitude on his face and the lines of worry around his steely blue eyes.
"We're alright dad, we're both ok," she was saying, but the words wouldn't form on her lips. They just sat in her head as she tried to shove them out and into her father's head. Anything to help her parents know more. "We're at Nott's in America…somewhere…we're going to try and write you!" She watched her father's eyes flick back to the parchment, then move to Ginny as he crouched down in front of her.
"I need to go to Harry's and see his note and talk strategy," he cupped his wife's face and kissed her. "They're ok, Ginny. I promise."
"How can you know that?" she whispered, her hands on his neck pulling his forehead down to hers.
"I just do. Our daughter is fine; I'd know if she wasn't…please trust me. Also, trust that when I find Nott after I'm done with him he's all yours," he informed Ginny and Marissa said a silent cheer for her father.
"I'll have Hermione come over here, if that's ok?" Draco helped Ginny up and her head fell against his chest trying to regain control of her emotions.
"Fine. Please find something," Ginny took a deep shaky breath and slowly let it out, reluctantly letting go of Draco so he could apparate to the Potter's home two miles away.
Marissa suddenly found herself upstairs staring at Devon from his bedroom door. He was sitting on his desk chair, tilted back and feet up on the furniture. His arms were crossed defiantly over his chest and the look he had while staring out his window was one of utter fury. Marissa could tell he was beyond pissed, and probably a bit scared too. He was sitting like his father, stone like except for the blinking of his eyes and if you could look inside him one would see the synapses firing in every direction as he tried in vain to figure out what happened to his sister and friend.
`Where the hell are you Marissa?' he thought but Marissa heard him clear as day.
`Actually, I'm here now,' Marissa thought sarcastically wondering why she was so calm while her family was in a silent uproar. `But earlier I was in this house…,' and she began to describe everything to him, like they were having an actual conversation. "Oh, and there are these strange electric lamps like Samantha's parents have. Very strange, Devon, and ugly too…though Grandpa Weasley would love them," Marissa concluded her one way conversation and drifted out of his room, but not before seeing him spring up out of his chair, grab some parchment and a pencil and begin scribbling in earnest. She could only hope that he heard something of what she directed at him.
Seeming to glide effortlessly across and down the hall she looked in on her other siblings, surprised to see the three
of them asleep in Erin's double bed. All three were curled on their sides, as much as they could be for three
twelve year olds, facing the same direction but all asleep. Erin was on the edge, her brow furrowed but she slept on
oblivious to Hermione apparating in downstairs.
She floated past the living room, seeing Amy asleep on the sofa, a blanket over top of her. "At least you're
safe," Marissa thought, harboring no ill feelings towards Amy Parkinson, surprising herself with that
one.
Marissa now saw Brian's mother clasping Ginny's hand as they talked about, probably for the hundredth time, when they first realized something was wrong.
"You would think I would know if Brian wasn't ok. So far, I haven't felt that dreaded emotion all mothers fear," Hermione said, her voice shaky and Ginny nodded solemnly.
"Brian's fine…in fact he's sleeping in the same bed with me. Oh, how I'll hear an earful from you, mum, on that one," Marissa thought to herself and found that the kitchen was becoming foggy and soon was nothing but a memory as she slid out of sleep back towards the state of wakefulness.
Blinking quickly Marissa still couldn't see any light and for a moment had a suffocating sense of panic, trying to figure out where she was. She must have thrashed out or moved quickly because she felt Brian stir and stretch behind her.
"You ok?" a voice thick with sleep asked and Marissa couldn't help but to jump and shriek as her brain raced to keep up with what her body knew…it was Brian.
"Merlin!" she let out a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm ok…just a dream and I didn't know where I was for a minute," she said realizing she was now on her side, with her back to him. She felt his arm move as he slid closer so his chest was now touching her back, his legs tucked under hers and Marissa relaxed into his embrace and started telling him about her dream.
"Almost sounds like Divination class," Brian said reaching up, and as if he had been doing it all his life, tenderly lifted up her hair and swept it over her shoulder so it wasn't in his face. Smiling she made a motion with her shoulder as his arm moved back around her.
"Maybe there is some type of Seer in me or something. I saw your mum too," she added hesitantly. His arm tightened for a moment and he made a noise as if to say "and?"
"She said she knew you were ok; that she would know if you weren't." Marissa groped for his hand that she was laying somewhere near her, on the mattress. Her fingers moved slowly and she finally felt the top of his hand and touched it. She felt him turn his hand over and he threaded his fingers through hers.
"She would too," he answered sleepily and felt Marissa nod in reply. She closed her eyes and willed sleep to come so she could escape again, from this place. But there were no more dreams for her that night. She relaxed into a somewhat deep slumber feeling very protected by Brian; and she found that this feeling helped her keep her emotions in check as she woke up occasionally through the night, never moving or turning over lest she would feel the warmth move away that she had quickly come to depend on.
-------
Brian woke up suddenly seeing strange shapes in the dim light and feeling his arm asleep under his head. Blinking slowly as if bringing the shape across from him into focus he remembered where he was, seeing the bedroom door about six feet away from the bed. As his body and brain woke up, he became conscious of Marissa's back pressed up against him and saw her curled into a ball under the covers. The blanket was pulled up to her shoulders and all he could see was her long hair tucked over her shoulder, where he had placed it last night. Moving slowly he lifted his head and moved his arm while rotating his wrist to try and regain some feeling back in his fingers. He glanced at his watch in the dim light and saw it was a few minutes before six in the morning. Given they had fallen asleep well before nine, in what he thought was American time, he wasn't surprised that he woke up early. He had a tendency to wake up before everyone else in his dorm, even his house.
His sisters thought him crazy when they would hear him up and moving around before six in the morning, but he never did need a lot of sleep. Six hours refreshed him just as much as nine, so why waste the time sleeping when he could be up playing Quidditch, reading, getting in extra study time (he made sure he said that one around his mother who kept on top of his studies) and now he used the time, that was just his for a moment, to appraise the curled up body next to him. His arm was safely and warmly tucked under the blanket and was still draped across her, her hand was relaxed under his and he could feel the ring her parents gave her for her twelfth birthday under his palm.
As the light in the room slowly began to become less gray, he thought of Easter. It was in two days, Sunday, and more than likely they were going to miss it. Not unless by some miracle their parents figured out where they were. He thought they would probably look in Australia first since that was the last place Nott was known to have lived; but he knew they definitely weren't there if he could trust his watch. And for the amount of galleons he had paid for it, it better be working correctly.
He felt Marissa jerk then relax under his arm and reflexively he pulled her closer, feeling her squirm further down into the covers, pressing up against him. Propping his head up on his hand he looked down at her, suddenly feeling much older than a month shy of sixteen. From the moment he danced with her in her room, all platonic feelings he had tried to convince himself he had for her went sailing out the window. Studying relentlessly had pushed his thoughts of Marissa to a private corner of his mind. Once in awhile he'd take them out, play with them and try to figure out if there was any way they could date. He had still been thinking that even after their talk months earlier. He tried to figure out some way to study and have Marissa at the same time and all it did was stress him out. Now, he realized that there was more to life than studying and he was going to embrace that full force. Something about the prospect of being an underage wizard for just one more year and now being held hostage with her had made him feel like fifteen was long gone and he was approaching eighteen or nineteen. Hearing Marissa sigh in her sleep drew his attention back to the warm body tucked next to his…perfectly he noticed.
Marissa certainly acted and portrayed herself as older than fifteen…he would have never thought anything of it except he had overheard his mum and Aunt Samantha talking in the kitchen as he was reading the paper over the Christmas holiday. Somehow they had started talking about teenagers and Samantha was comparing the teenage witches and wizards she knew with the Muggle ones she lived near and associated with.
"Muggle teens are so much more immature at this age than our kids. If you put James side by side with fourteen year old Zane that lives down the street and watched them interact, you'd think James was eighteen. Why is that? Did you notice a difference growing up, Hermione?" Brian remembered Samantha asking. He heard his mother place a lid back over the sauce she was making for spaghetti and waited for her reply, silently staring at the paper in front of him.
"I did, actually. I had no interest in what other ten year old girls were doing. Giggling about boys, chasing, catching, kissing them on the playground. Reading books about pre-teens having boy problems, watching TV… I found when I entered Hogwarts that most girls were at my mental and emotional age, though I spent much more time in the library than most. But, of course to balance things out, there were some girls that had that immaturity about them for most of our years at Hogwarts. First year, when I met Harry and Ron and all of the other countless boys and girls, they seemed older. I think because of what we had to deal with… with Voldemort, plus the magic we have. That was something we needed to learn how to harness and control and that required a certain level of maturity." Brian heard the scrape of the chair as his mother sat down to her afternoon tea. In the silence that followed, he guessed they were both sipping away, munching on biscuits.
"I look at Marissa at almost fifteen and think that she is so much older than that. I look at Brian and James and they seem like some of the eighteen year olds I knew back in school. Even Devon seems much more mature than the average thirteen and a half year old," Samantha mused.
"Well, I think with Devon and Brian, they have a certain aura about them. Brian's forced to live in
Harry's shadow and from day one he's learned how to accept and divide up the attention he receives. Learning
whether that interest is a genuine interest in HIM or in his father. More than once he was cornered in Hogsmeade or
Diagon Alley and asked what it's like being Harry Potter's son. He's struggled to make his own name,"
Hermione stopped and took a sip again and Brian was interested to hear how his mother was describing him. So far, she
was right on. "He doesn't want to be known as some shadow of Harry's and we tried to not let him live like
that. Cultivating his own interests…I mean where'd he get that talent for Herbology? Certainly not from me or
Harry…." His mother's voice trailed off and his "aunt's" picked up with her slight French
accent.
"Brian is definitely a mixture of both of you and his own person. Whereas I see so much of Draco in Marissa it's scary sometimes. James will come home during the summer and talk about some of the kids playing Quidditch but he always says that Marissa is the best girl in Quidditch he has ever seen…and then, last summer, he asked me if I think she's a hard person to get to know."
"Why?"
"Apparently one of his friends had a crush on her but said she seems so closed off that when his friend, Kyle I think? Would talk to her, she would be nice and chat back with him, but never gave any indication as to whether or not she wanted to get to know him more… or not."
"Well, there's your Draco right there. Remember how long it took me to accept him as a friend of Ginny's? It took him almost the whole school year, our seventh, to even call me by my first name. For him to do THAT was placing his trust in me that I was a friend. I think Marissa hesitates to trust anyone but herself and a few other close friends. To me Marissa is very warm and friendly and very sure of herself, which might scare some blokes off. She knows what she wants, she wants to do well in everything she does…I think she will have to find a bloke that cares about her, earns her trust and keeps it, understand what her goals are and to not be threatened by her brains…or her beauty," Hermione added as an afterthought. "And Devon, along with his brothers are male Malfoy's and we all know, at least the magical world, how powerful they can be."
"We're guys threatened by your brains?" Samantha asked placing her cup in the sink. Brian turned the page of his paper as he could see Samantha glancing at him through the doorway.
"Ummm, well…Harry and Ron certainly weren't. I think Viktor would've been ok with it if he could have actually talked to me and if I was ACTUALLY deeply interested in him, which I wasn't, but yes, I think some were. Draco seemed to be threatened by them the first few years at school…thought all those brains were wasted on me, until he finally became his own person. I'm glad we managed to keep Brian from living under Harry's stigma."
Brian's musings were interrupted as Marissa suddenly turned onto her back and stared up at him. He knew he was caught red-handed looking at her so he kept still and gave her a small smile.
"How long have you been up?" she asked softly, covering a yawn with her fist, feeling Brian move his arm from her waist. She had been startled at first to see him looking down at her in such an unguarded way and she willed herself to remain calm.
"Not too long. I always get up early…though in England it's like noon already." He pushed himself up into a sitting position and braced himself on his hands, looking over at her. "Did you sleep well?"
"I guess. That dream I had was weird." Marissa sat up and stretched, then remembered she didn't have any jeans on and quickly pulled the sheet tighter over her legs.
"It wouldn't surprise me if you somehow managed to get through to your family." Brian watched her run her hands through her hair, working out tangles. She was silent for a few minutes as she felt the weight of another day rest on her shoulders.
"I hope so…," she whispered, rubbing her neck for a minute then letting her hands fall into her lap. She felt Brian move next to her and saw him stand up on the mattress and look up at the window. Marissa took the distraction, reached down and grabbed her jeans and began to put them on under the covers.
"See anything?" she asked, hoping to keep him occupied for another moment so she could stand up and zip.
"No, just a blue sky. Looks like another nice day to be locked in a spare room in a house in the middle of nowhere." Brian turned around to her tugging down her t-shirt while standing up and looking at the window.
"What're we going to do?" she asked matter-of-factly watching him lean against the wall and run a hand through his mussed up hair. Her eyes flickered to his chest visible between the sides of his unbuttoned shirt and she forced herself to look back out the window…leaving her mind wondering when he had become so finely toned.
"Well, I think after our first bathroom break, which I hope is soon, we sit down and figure out what to write." Brian's hands went to the bottom of his shirt and began buttoning while staring at the opposite wall. "We have a few pieces of parchment, so do you want to write two notes or just one to both sets of parents?"
Marissa sat down on the edge of the bed, bent down and picked up the pillow placing it back on the bed, thinking about his question.
"I think one would be best. If we could manage to convince Millie to somehow deliver it, one would have more of a chance of making it to our parents than two. I don't care who we send it to, just one of our parents."
Brian flopped down next to her, lying on his stomach.
"Sounds good," he said agreeably and they sat there silently, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Come on!" Brian suddenly jumped up causing Marissa too look up at him in astonishment..
"Where?"
"Let's bang on the door. We need to use the bathroom and why should he sleep in?" he had a sneaky little smile on his face and Marissa couldn't help but to smile back at his impish actions. He was acting like they were eight when they went investigating her father's office which was usually off limits (and luckily hadn't gotten caught).
Together they walked over to the door, both in their socks and began pounding on the door.
"Can you imagine if we did this at home?" Marissa practically yelled, laughing and feeling like some of the frustration was leaving her as they took turns banging on the door.
"We'd probably be stupefied," Brian joked and jumped back as Millie appeared next to him.
"Well, hullo Millie," Marissa said in a kind voice.
"Master would like to know why you are making so much noise?"
"Well, we both need to use the bathroom and we were wondering if there is a way to wash up too?" Brian asked politely, receiving a nod from Millie who left with a pop.
"If he knows what's good for him, he'll give us some toothbrushes and let us wash up." Marissa leaned up against the wall and crossed her arms, watching Brian stretch a few feet away from her.
"Our parents are going to be so pissed…," he started but they heard the door down the hall slide open and Brian let his comment hang in the air as he moved protectively towards Marissa.
As Nott swung open the door, they could see he was already dressed and looked like he had been up for awhile.
"Sleep well?" he sneered, not moving from the doorway.
"Wonderful, thanks," Brian said sarcastically, taking Marissa's hand and waiting for him to lead them down the hall.
"Millie tells me that you want to wash up. I figured, being the nice guy that I am," and with that statement he dramatically placed his hand over his heart, "I left you two toothbrushes and some toothpaste, oh, and two washcloths in the bathroom."
"Being the nice guy that you are," Marissa said quietly but with a firm note that Brian picked up instantly, "Why don't you just let us go? You know you won't get Amy this way."
"Oh, I don't think so. I'm not THAT nice. You're father can threaten me all he wants, but he'll move very carefully around his precious daughter and the infamous Potter," Nott spat out, his dark eyes flashing. Marissa thought maybe he said those words to try and believe them, but she knew her father would pull out all the stops to come find her. She thought maybe he knew them too.
"Obviously, you don't know her father or mine very well then…oh wait…you wouldn't after being expelled from Hogwarts," Brian came back with, feeling Marissa's hand tightening around his to try and keep him from saying anything else.
"You!" Nott raised his wand and Marissa flinched but Brian remained steady staring at Nott, with the expression that Marissa had seen on Hermione's face so many times when she was angry. "Do you WANT to be crucioed?"
"That's an unforgivable, you do that and for sure you'll be in Azkaban," Marissa gasped before she could stop herself, hastily grabbing Brian's arm to let him know now was not a good time to get angry.
"I'm well aware of that, if I can be found that is. You don't think I asked your fathers to meet me here to exchange our daughters? I'm not that stupid; chances are they won't find this place until I am long gone."
Marissa realized then that Nott truly wasn't very smart. What was he going to do with Amy, if by some slim chance he got her? Be on the run for the rest of his life? Kidnapping one of the wealthiest and hugest supporters of St. Mungo's daughter and the Boy Who Defeated Voldemort's son wasn't going to get him a slap on the wrist from the Ministry.
"Let's go get your bathroom break over with. Food will be brought around noon or so, so you'll have to deal with your rumbling tummies until then," Nott patronized, poking Brian hard in the back with his wand, causing them to stumble down the hall.
Marissa gave Brian a push ahead of her insisting he go first and she pulled the door shut behind her leaned up against it, letting out a deep breath while trying to ignore Nott staring at her from his position in the corner to her right. As she stared ahead at the sliver of light that indicated their room she gripped the doorknob behind her, feeling more and more uncomfortable as his disgusting little gaze swept over her body. She knew she probably looked a mess; hair all tangled wrinkled white t-shirt and jeans with no shoes…at least she had socks still on.
"You don't look too much like your mother," Nott said in a low voice. Marissa closed her eyes for a second, hearing Brian brush his teeth and she willed him to hurry up. She knew Nott was trying to unnerve her and it was working. "I never thought of Malfoy having children and am amazed that one could turn out so pretty, especially with a Weasley." Marissa felt the door handle turn and she pushed past Brian causing him to jerk back as she shut the door practically in his face. For a moment, Marissa stood with her back to the door taking deep breaths to calm her churning stomach.
`I'm ok, I'm ok. Let's go to the bathroom, wash up and get back to Brian,' she told herself and did just what her mind said. She felt a bit more awake after washing her face with the bar of soap that was left for her and brushing her teeth, but she hesitated in opening the door. She didn't want to look at Nott. Now, he had succeeded in making her feel dirty and part of her wanted to tear after him and kick, punch and scratch the living daylights out him. But, her rational half said there was no way she'd make it that far without her wand. Therefore, she took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and yanked open the door, immediately feeling Brian grab her arm and steer her down the hall almost before Nott knew what was going on. Without a word, the door slammed shut behind them and they stood there hearing the now familiar sliding of the door down the hall open and close.
Turning her around to face him he watched her experience a whole host of emotions. She looked scared then put her hands to her face, causing him to drop his hand as he just stood there watching her struggle with…something. He waited to see if she would say anything but when it became evident she wasn't going to lift up her head to look at him he slid down against the wall and looked up at her.
"What's wrong? What did he say?"
Marissa just shook her head and began pacing as much as she could given the sticking charm didn't give her much room to move. Brian wisely decided to let his question drop for the moment, but continued to watch her pace.
"Let's just start that letter shall we?" she paused, then nudged the invisibility cloak off the schoolbag and pushed it over to Brian, where he busied himself with finding the parchment they had written on the night before and her quill.
"Sit with me and help me figure out what to say," Brian asked and patted the floor next to him. Marissa sank to her knees and refused to meet his eyes as she stared down at the parchment.
"I guess we should start off by saying what our surroundings both in and out look like," she suggested and moved to sit cross legged next to him. She watched him fill the first line with reassurances and feeling the need to be reassured herself, she shyly rested her head on his shoulder as he continued writing in his small, cramped handwriting continuing after Marissa's sentence about them being unharmed.
"Dear Parents,
First, we're ok…truly. Second, this is what we know about where Nott is holding us…."
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