"D-Dead?" I repeated, barley able to get the word out. Maybe I didn't hear him correctly.
"Yes. I'm sorry, Elle. I tried o tell you sooner, but we were never in one place long enought for me to write you."
"Dead?" I said again. Eveyrone's eyes were carsted down again.
"I'm sorry." He looked at me seriiously. I glanced at all of them, looking for sign that they wre joking. They enver broke from their sad expressions; they were telling the truth.
How could that be? I had just spoken to her at Christmas. She was so skilled. How could that happen?
Wveryting flew through my head at once. A feeling much stronger than the smoothered feeling I get when I seemed stressed overtook me. It was like boht Orion and Virgo wer sitting on my chest. I couldn't control my emotions. Before I knew it I burst into tears. Scabior stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. The side of my shoulder pressed into his bruised chest, causing him to wince.
"Shhh...." He shushed. I ignored him.
"What happened?" I sobbed. "How did se die?"
"She..." He sighed and put an arm around me. "Lets go inside and have a sit." He lead me to the door. We all sat down i a sititng roo, not the one the Malfoy's uusally lounged in, but a different one. I scooted really close to Scabior as he kept his arm around me.
"What happened?" I stiffened. He handed me a slightly crumpled hanky from his pocked
"We were after this little twerp. it had just rained, heavily at that, and all the creeks and rivers were up. He had to cross a rivier." At this point, Leeson took over the story.
"We all told her we couldn't safely cross it, and we decided to let the buy go. We could get him later." He stopped, leaning back and closing his eyes.
"She had other idea." Scabior continued. "she thought hse could do it. When she trieid, she fell in. The current was so strong that we couldn't get her. Seh drowned." he stopped to seeh ow I was holding up. I quietly dabbed my eyes. "I really, really am sorry I didn't get to tell you. I wanted to sooner, but I couldn't."
"I know.' I hugged his arm.
The whole story madem ewant ot cry all over again. It made me realize how dangerous Snatching was once more. Scabior, or any of them, could die the next time they went out. this could be my last time speaking ot any of them.
Somehow, I mandaged to hold my tears back.
"Scabior, can you tell me your real name?" I asked. He scrunched his brows at the sudden change of subject.
"Scabior."
"You know what I mean. Your first name. Your full name."
"Ell,e i've told you taht I am not telling you."
"But what if you die? I dont' want to go with out knowing who you really are."
"Will knowing my first name change what you think of me as a person?" He raised an eyebrow.
Well, no, but-"
"No 'buts'. No. You, hopefully, like me for who I am, and therefore, what you call me shouldn't matter."
"I know, but-"
"But?" He repeated. "I respect your wished not to use your middle name because you do not with to have it announced. i do not wish to be known by my first name."
"But you do use my middle name! All the time!"
"Even so." He said smuggley. I could ahve growled. Leeson let out an uncomfortible cough.
