Mischief not so Managed

15: Lia

George:

"Merlin's beard Andrew" I exclaimed from the stand "hit the bludger, not the chasers" as Andrew barely missed Alicia's head for the second time.

"that's it Gin" I could hear Harry faintly calling to my sister was chasing the training snitch.

"Angelina" Fred yelled "you guys are looking good". Ginny started hollering and yelling down the field.

"I caught it, I caught it" she started flying loop de loops.

"you guys are going to be just fine" I said as Katie and Alicia hovered in front of me "just keep your eyes open, they aren't as tuned in as us, keep half an eye around, or someone's going to end up with a broken neck". They nodded, Katie started rubbing her hands together.

"will you stop, you've only been up and hour" Alicia laughed.

"I'm cold" Katie retorted, sticking her tongue out Alicia.

"they aren't as practiced as you" Angelina said swooping in over Katie.

"you've no other option" I said.

"Don't remind me" she muttered, something had caught her eye. A small kid running across the benches. Harry behind him.

"Nigel" I heard Harry calling "what's wrong?"

"George" Nigel was out of breath, his cheeks rosy "George come quick"

"Nigel, what's wrong?" I said catching the kid as he came running towards us. "did you run from the tower?" he nodded catching his breath.

"It's Lia".

The girls had ditched their brooms and were running across the field. Fred and I had started off like a shot with Harry not far behind us. I made a bee line for the tower, pushing past students and teachers. I thundered up the stairs, towards the Fat Lady. "let us in"

"Password"

"We aren't messing around here" Fred yelled. She opened quickly. The common room had a few people milling around. All with worried expressions.

"where is she?" Then I saw her. Hermione had her wrapped in a blanket in front of the fire. Her face was white, and she was shaking. Her hands sat turned up on her legs, covered in blood. I walked towards her, Hermione held her hand out.

"be careful" she said quietly "I don't know what happened, she didn't react well when I tried to help her". I nodded and dropped down in front of her. Her eyes were wide starting towards the fire. She didn't look at me. I heard Ginny and the other crashing through the door.

"oh Merlin" I heard Angelina gasp. Hermione ushered them out of the room. Silence fell.

"Lia?" I whispered "Lee, it's me". I held out my hand and she flinched away from it. Her eyes snapping to mine. They were wide with fear. My heart broke, shattered. I could feel every part of me aching with pain and anger.

"Dad" her voice was barely there, tears lined her eyes.

"lie down love, I'm not going anywhere"

"Dad" she choked out again.

"Lia, I'm going to help you lie down okay, don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you". She watched me inch closer to her.

"George" she whispered.

"it's me Lee, it's okay, just lie down" she nodded and lay down slowly. Her eyes till wide. I heard the common room door open, Katie was standing there.

"go, I'll keep her company" she said, there were tears in her eyes. I looked down at Lia who was staring into the fire.

"Lee" I said quietly "I'll be back in a second", she just nodded. I barged out of the common room door. "somebody needs to start talking and they need to start right now".

"Hermione found her" Harry said.

"she was wandering around outside the library, there was blood all over her. She just kept mumbling: Dad, Umbridge, Cormac" Hermione ran her fingers through her hair "over and over, that's all she said. I got back here and then when I tried to help her she just shut down"

"has she been hexed?" Angelina looked like she was going to throw up.

"no" Hemione said "it's like someone got into her head and messed with it". There was a scream from inside the common room, we all rushed in. Cormac was standing in the middle of the room, looking with wide eyes at my girlfriend, who was shaking with fear. Pressed as far against the wall as she could get. Tears streaking down her face once more.

"what did you do?" Fred yelled at him.

"stop" Ginny muttered "you're scaring her Fred"

"you did this" Lia choked out, the most words she had spoken "how could you?" she sobbed sliding down the wall.

"Get him out of here now until we figure out what happened" I spat at him "I'm not done with you". Ron and Harry dragged him from the room. Lia had her head between her legs. I noticed for the first time she had marks on her face and that there was blood caked under her nails. I sat in front of her, not to close. "Lia, I'm going to ask you some things, I just need you to say yes or no". she nodded, curling up tighter. "did Cormac do this to you?" she tilted her head to the side, as if she didn't know. "is it his fault?", she nodded. "Did Umbridge do this?". She nodded, tears spilling over. "did she interrogate you?", she nodded again. "did she use magic?", she nodded again and then shut her eye really tight and clenched her fists, as some memory swarmed over her. "It's okay, I'll stop". I felt a hand at my back, it was Hermione.

"It's from Madame Promfrey, it's Harry's, he's supposed to be using it to sleep, but he doesn't" she said softly.

"Take it" I heard Harry re-entering, "it's the only way she'll sleep, especially after someone's been in her head". He said it all too knowingly. Lia shook her head.

"Lia, please" I begged her "it's okay, I'll be here the whole time. I'm not going anywhere". She nodded as I held out the bottle Hermione had handed me. She drunk from it. My tears falling as she did. Then she crawled into my arms and cried, she cried and cried and cried until she fell asleep. I lifted her up and settled her onto the couch. Ginny had tears falling down her cheeks, as did Alicia. Angelina had been to the bathroom to be sick. "Umbridge is going to pay", I looked at each one of them, they all stood up straight and looked fiercely at me, like the army we were meant to be.