~Chapter 15~
Attack and Escape
"I just think I was meant to stay on the ground," Rayleigh yelled angrily as she stood over her broom. She had been working for weeks, and still the broom hadn't done so much as twitch. There was at least three inches of snow on the ground, and the air was so cold it nearly burned.
"You are not focusing," Professor Krum barked.
"I am too! Do you honestly believe I want to be the only twelve year old who hasn't managed to fly a broom?" Rayleigh yelled back. She stood over the broom, her hand over it. "Up!" The broom didn't move. "UUUUP!" The broom was still. "Up you stupid piece of wood!"
"You are not trying, Rayleigh," Professor Krum barked as he stood inches from her. She could smell his sweat and more so the metallic hue of the blood that seemed to be boiling in his veins. She was tempted, so tempted. She felt very afraid all of a second as she tried to distance herself from her professor. She took off toward the castle. "Where are you going? Your lesson isn't over with!"
"I am done! I am going to the hospital wing!" Rayleigh shot back at him as she remained on course to the school. Professor Krum jogged effortlessly up to her and grabbed her by the arm, swinging her around to look at him. He was down on her level, his eyes level with her own.
"Rayleigh, you get back out there and fly that broom," Professor Krum said. Rayleigh looked at him hungrily; she could feel her heart racing and her tongue brushed the edge of sharpening incisors.
"Let go," Rayleigh begged as she inhaled the scent of blood coursing just below his skin. She could see the vein in his neck pulsating in a rather tempting way.
"Are you ok?" Professor Krum asked as he quickly released her. He was slightly frightened by the way that she was looking at him. Rayleigh shook her head, unable to speak. She knew she would loose control if she opened her mouth again. She pulled away from him and darted into the school, praying she would not need to stop until she made it to the hospital wing. A pair of arms grabbed her and pulled her through a door way.
"Rayleigh, what's the matter?" Albus asked. Rayleigh looked frightened. She tried to pull away from him, knowing that another moment and she would loose control. James stood next to Albus, studying her. He knew that look, even if they weren't the same, all hunger looked the same. Rayleigh was watching the tender vein in Albus' neck, and she lost all sense of her self. She dove for Albus, mouth open, fang's exposed.
"Rayleigh! No!" James screamed diving in between Albus and Rayleigh, knocking Albus aside. Rayleigh had James pinned to the floor, her mouth on his neck. James felt the sting of the bite and the burn of her drawl.
"James!" Albus cried out starting toward them.
"No! Stay away, Albus! Go get help!" James gasped as his hands waved him off. His hands found her body and he struggled to break free of her. Despite her small size, and the three years difference, James was unable to pull himself free of her.
James could feel himself getting dizzy, knowing that she was going to drain him dry long before help arrived. He had to think fast, his heart was pounding so hard. Without a second thought, he growled a deep, throaty growl and sunk his own sharp teeth deep into her shoulder. He felt her flesh tear under the vise-like jaws. He clamped on and bit her as hard as he could, causing her to jerk her head back. She cried out, her head tilted back. Then all went dark.
Rayleigh opened her eyes, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. Rayleigh felt the best she had felt in months, and she also felt the worst. Her hands were strapped down hard and tight with restraints, and the room was dark and cool. She felt refreshed, as if she had slept a long and restful sleep. She was immediately aware that she was not alone in her room and her eyes immediately went to the form standing beside the steel door.
"You have done a really bad thing, Rayleigh," A cold, nearly cruel voice said from the doorway. Rayleigh recognized the red haired woman immediately.
"Mrs. Potter, is James ok?" Rayleigh asked.
"Rayleigh Riddle, as an agent of the ministry and of the Department of the Regulation of Mystical Creatures, I am here by bringing charges against you," Ginny said with a stiff and uncaring voice. "You are being charged with the attack on James Potter, age fifteen and the attempted attack on Albus Potter, age fourteen. You will be remanded to Azkaban to await your trial."
"I didn't mean to hurt him!" Rayleigh cried out. Ginny glared at the girl.
"I told you that you would be a danger if you didn't take the potion every twenty-eight days, and then you went and attacked my sons!" Ginny said coldly.
"I did, I took it more often then that," Rayleigh defended. "I wasn't helping, it didn't help!"
"Save it," Ginny snapped. "I don't want to hear it. In our world, you are the lowest creature on the totem pole and should be eradicated from this world. As it is now, the ministry is recanting all previous rights to creatures such as you, and my son, who is a victim to your attack, is included in that loss of rights."
Ginny turned and left Rayleigh alone in the room while the ministry made arrangements for Rayleigh's transfer from Hogwarts to Azkaban. Rayleigh fought against the restraints weakly, not really wanting to face the horrors that would await her in the prison. Hot tears slipped down her face, and Rayleigh could feel her world crashing down on her.
"Let's go, there isn't much time," Lily whispered as her fingers deftly removed Rayleigh's restraints. Scorpius and James stood in the doorway, glancing out along the corridor as Lily freed Rayleigh.
"What are you doing?" Rayleigh cried out. Lily hushed her and handed Rayleigh a change of muggle street clothes.
"Quickly change, there isn't much time," Lily whispered. Rayleigh's eyes shot to Scorpius and James who had glanced at Rayleigh. She turned her back and quickly changed into the muggle clothes.
"Hurry up," Scorpius whispered. Lily took Rayleigh by the hand and the four headed out of the school through a secret back entrance. Rose was there, standing with three brooms and three rucksacks. Lily forced a rucksack into Rayleigh's hands.
"This is as far as I can go with you," Lily said as she embraced Rayleigh. "I want to come with you but it is too dangerous out there. You three will be safer far away from here."
"I don't understand," Rayleigh said as she slipped the bag on over her head.
"They are rounding up all of the blood-tainted people," Rose said. She hugged Rayleigh and James. "You can't let them catch you, because they aren't giving fair trials. James' own mother has his warrant. No one is safe."
"I can't fly!" Rayleigh protested.
"No, but I can," James said as he climbed on to the broom. Rayleigh slipped on to the back of the broom and held tight to James' waist.
"Stick together and be safe!" Rose warned them. "There are enough potions in there to last you a few months. I brewed it, so I know it will do its job."
"Bye!" Lily cried as Scorpius, James, and Rayleigh disappeared into the night sky.
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