Touched

Tale of Corvus and Anne - Chapter Eight

Corvus POV

"Lana asked you!?" Anne screeched. "That's great! Why, she's the one you make the goo goo eyes at all day every day! She's why your potions are terrible."

Corvus managed a smile and shook his head at Anne's excitement. "Yeah. It's great."

"You don't seem so excited!?"

"I don't have dress robes," Corvus lied.

"Oh that's fine," Anne waved him off. "Dad might have some, otherwise ask Ominis. He surely has some spare somewhere. His side of the family is rich."

Corvus ignored that.

"A Slytherin going with a Hufflepuff is unheard of!" Anne kept going on, and Corvus tried to block her out, but Thomas joined in.

"Much less a Gaunt!"

"My surname is Reyes," Corvus said, through gritted teeth. He still didn't like to be compared to the Gaunt's, and neither did his father. It brought attention to them. Not good attention either.

Anne shot a look of disapproval towards Thomas, who rolled his eyes.

"And who are you going with, Thomas?" her voice was shrill now.

"You'd see me dead before you saw me in dress robes, Sallow," Thomas snarled. "Can you imagine?"

"Course you wouldn't want yourself looking decent for once," Anne scoffed. The two of them rarely had a joke together, instead poked at each other like they were five years old.

"I don't know," said a familiar voice, and Corvus' head snapped around to look. He internally slapped himself for not being more discreet, but no one noticed his excitement.

Aleks was playfully punching around with another Gryffindor boy, who had long blonde hair tied into a bun at the nape of his neck. Corvus unintentionally shivered.

"Suka!" Aleks exclaimed when the other boy pushed him a bit too hard. "I hope no one asks you to that ball."

The other boy laughed, and Corvus could tell that would be impossible. These two boys must have every girl falling at their feet. Aleks, with his immaculate good looks, and the other boy, with his surprisingly feminine looking sharp jawline, and perfectly slicked back hair with small bits framing his face. He had sparkling blue eyes, unlike Aleks' deep brown ones.

Again, Corvus had caught himself staring for too long. Involuntarily he ran a hand through his black hair. He shook his head again, and then Thomas nudged him.

"What's up with you?" Thomas asked.

"Nikt nie będzie cię pytał!" Corvus heard the blue eyed boy respond to Aleks in Polish, and it made sense. They either transferred from the same school last year, or they were related. Corvus couldn't understand what they were saying. Thanks to Ominis, he knew a bit of French, and a bit of off Parseltongue, but no Polish.

"Oi," Thomas nudged him again, concerned this time. "Are you even there?"

"Yes," Corvus replied. "Quit hitting me."

"Quit staring into the abyss," Thomas shot back. "You look like a creep."

"I think I need a butterbeer," Corvus sighed, and neither Anne or Thomas were going to argue with that.

——————

An old woman named Sirona Ryan owned the Three Broomsticks, and she had done for a long while now. Corvus was sure his mum and dad had been here when they were students, and Sirona had been here. It was packed full of people, why, classes were over and the students had nothing to do for the rest of the day. Why study when you could venture to Hogsmeade and waste money. At least, that's what Anne called it. She sat at the old rickety table next to Arn sipping her butterbeer like it was liquid gold. Thomas had already downed his by the time he'd ordered it, and Corvus and Arn both sat in awe of his speed.

"Did you taste it?" Arn asked, and Thomas shrugged.

"I've tasted it before."

"Well that's the idea," Arn protested. "You're supposed to."

Thomas shrugged. "I was thirsty."

All at once, the lights went out and there were multiple crashes, of glass and off wood on metal. A bright green flash rose into the air and Corvus heard a scream. Instinctively, he and the others had ducked under the table. Corvus covered his ears and looked around the corner. He took his wand from his pocket and pointed it into the dark.

"Who's there!?" Sirona shouted into the darkness. Students whimpered and whistled and screeched. The sound died down listening for a response. The door swung open and shut, open and shut as brave students decided to take their chances and dive for the exit. Nothing happened.

"Anne," Corvus hissed. "Where are you?"

No reply.

"Anne! I'm not kidding! Answer me right now!"

Still no answer. Instead, a hiss in another voice hit his ear.

"Who is that?" A familiar accent. Even in these conditions, Corvus' stomach jumped.

"Corvus Reyes," he whispered back. And then, as if he didn't already know, he whispered "who's that?"

"My name is Aleksander. I think I see a way out. Can you see me?"

Corvus squinted very hard, but no. He couldn't see anything. "No."

"I can just make out your outline. Here," a hand grasped his shoulder and he jumped. "Sorry," Aleks whispered. "Let's go for the exit."

"We're on the other side of the pub," Corvus hissed. "We can't get out without whoever attacked seeing us!"

Another green flash into the air and Corvus heard an array of shrieks. He hoped Anne and Thomas had gotten out. He tagged Arn on to the bottom of his list. He hoped to Merlin that thick boy had gotten Anne out of this.

"Just follow me. I'll leave my hand on your shoulder." Corvus could barely understand what Aleks was saying, he was whispering so fast his accent got in the way. "Oh, pierdolić. Here," he gripped onto Corvus' shirt and pulled him towards the exit. They broke light just as the pub went up in green flames. People poured out of it, screaming and tripping over their own feet.

The light hit Corvus' eyes almost blinding him. He couldn't see what was going on, just flashes of white and green until his eyes adjusted. "Merlin," he whispered. There were bodies.

"Anne!" He shouted, but it didn't come out very loud. "Anne!?"

"Come here," Aleks cried. "I'm sure they're fine, your friends. We need to go."

Corvus just made out someone disapparate and wondered who caused this riot. And why?