Star Crossed

Chapter Forty Four- The game has begun.

The wind stopped leaving me in a narrow hedged corridor stepped in darkness the rain still showering down heavily drenching my clothes, dripping from my hair down onto my face. Silence, stillness I pulled out my wand looking around me suddenly a scream made me whirl around on the spot to face behind me, my breath hitched in my throat as I saw the hedges quickly closing together coming closer and closer. Eyes wide I began to run as fast a could leaping over branches and twine upon the floor beneath my feet, my boots slipping and sliding over the wet mud I could hear them closing in on me and so I leaped forwards with a yell landing on my hands and knees within a muddy puddle breathing hard. I turned around to see that the hedges had closed and formed a new stretch of foliage, catching my breath I pulled myself back to my feet. 
"Get away from me!" somebody screamed, a girl. 
"Hello!" I yelled back into the emptiness, "Are you okay!? Where are you?" 

I regretted my decision not to remain silent as the ground beneath my feet began to rumble and shake. I backed away leaning against one of the hedgerows as the ground parted and out crawled a dwarf-like creature with a wizened old face holding onto a large spiked bat. It pelted at me swinging its weapon, I readied myself and managed to dodge the first attack by darting to the side it took another swing and this time grazed the side of my leg I winced and struck my wand towards it.

"Stupify!" I cried my spell hit the creature square in the chest causing it drop its bat and topple over, a red cap... I decided that the best tactic was to keep moving I walked down the hedgerows keeping my wand out in front of me. 
"Lumos." I whispered causing my wand tip to illuminate the way before me. I was very much alone for at least the next ten minutes wondering through row after row of hedges I could hearing screaming and shouting but could see no one. Suddenly the air around me chilled causing me to shiver I felt the overwhelming feeling of despair... dementors! Dementors in a game! 
I cast my patronus causing a proud looking Lion to burst forth from the tip of my wand and begin to walk beside me, a patronus had always been one of my strongest spells and one in which I surpassed each of the heirs even after I had helped Tom with his... Tom.... thank Merlin I had. I looked to the black expanse of sky above me to see the creatures gliding just ahead, they did not seem to be able to enter the maze perhaps they were just there to increase the feeling of fear and despair in the maze's players. 
Voices... people!? "Nox" I whispered extinguishing my wand light so as to remain unnoticed for the time being. Excited of the prospect of finally seeing another human being I followed the whispered tones as I turned the hedge corner I could just make out two dark figures standing down the middle of the next row. I readied myself but as my eyes adjusted to the lack of light I could tell that they were human. 
"This is out of our control Tom. This is not what I agreed to, there are people bleeding out there! I saw that prefect Florian sat rocking on the floor holding his head completely unresponsive!  I can't cope in here!" The boy was crying out now, begging almost. 

"Enough." Tom hissed quietly, "Pull yourself together Rosier, I did not think you so weak... perhaps I have made a mistake." 
"I'm not weak!" Rosier groaned desperately.
"Then prove it." Tom snapped. 
"I... this is my name on this! When the Professors find out what this really is I'm finished!"
"You didn't really think I would put my name on this did you?" Tom chuckled darkly, "You have a choice Rosier stand by me and I will protect you in return or betray me, but know this you will then stand alone and you have far to fall." Tom's voice was so quiet it was dangerous. 
"I... yes." Rosier stutterd. 
"You believe this is a game Rosier and you may be right. But if you think you can play it better than me, think again. Complete the game." Tom leered, "and do not let me down."
The figure of Rosier backed away,
"Oh and Rosier," Tom added, "Make sure they get out." who are they I thought forrowing my brow in confusion. 
"But..." Rosier began but quickly stopped himself from continuing.
"All. of. them." Tom punctuated. Rosier set off at a run down towards the next row of hedges. So focused was I on their conversation that I did not realise something take a hold of my ankle, suddenly I felt myself being tugged backwards forcibly causing me to yell out and drop my wand. 
"No!" I yelled as I desperately tried to reach for it falling to my knees but it was no use it was just out of my grasp. I looked to my patronus which faded away into the blackness, I looked up panicked to see a pair of black mudded leather boots in front of me, I trailed my eyes up a pair of black pants, a black overcoat not unlike my own billowing in the wind and rain and a pale face illuminated only by the occasional flash of lightning.
"Tom!" I yelled relief flooding me, as a vine twisted itself around my neck causing me to gasp for my breath. For a moment I thought Tom was not going to help me as he stood motionless watching. Suddenly there was a flash of blinding white light, a shrill shriek and the vines retracted themselves into the depth of the hedges from where they came. Taking deep lungfuls of air I put one hand upon my throbbing neck and groped around the wet floor for my wand I started to get more frantic as I could not feel it anywhere. Then there was a curt cough making me look up towards a pale thin hand holding out my wand towards me. 
"Thank you," I breathed shakily getting to my feet and taking the wand gently from his outstretched hand. I looked into his face all thoughts of what I had just witnessed fleeing from my mind, taken over by the thought that he had just rescued me. His dark hair was hung upon his pale skin dripping in rain, his clothes just as sodden as my own. 
"Chin up Princess or the crown slips." He smirked reaching his hand towards my face and wiping away some of the splattered mud, my skin burned under his touch. 
"I am not a Princess Riddle, I am a Queen." I whispered. A scream pierced the silence as a blur of robes passed behind us across the intersection of hedges, recognising the scream my breath caught in my throat.
"Lazarus!" I shouted and took off at a run after him. 
"Don't be a fool Grisha! Finish your own game." Tom shouted after me.
"You may choose to go it alone but you can't stop me!" I shouted back over my shoulder as I continued to run, I heard him growl behind me in frustration as I left him behind, Tom could look after himself but Lazarus...
"Lazarus..." I whispered as I entered a clearing, "Lazarus..." 
"Reducto!" I heard him shout as I spotted him shooting off spell after spell, he managed to hit a few of them causing them to drop to the ground but there was a flurry of them, small winged creatures with four spindly legs, Doxy's! 
"Baubillious!" I shouted joining the fight falling a few of the aggressive creatures with yellow-white bolts of lightning. Eventually all of the creatures lay defeated unmoving upon the muddy floor. 
"Grisha!" Lazarus called running towards me and throwing his arms around me. 
"Don't mind me." A familiar voice drawled, I pulled out of the hug and turned around to face him.
"Riddle," Lazarus greeted.
"What don't I get a hug too Lazarus? Or are you not quiet so happy to see me alive and well." Tom smirked.
"If you insist." Lazarus smirked back and approached Tom arms stretched wide causing Tom's eyes to bulge as he put his arms out protectively. 
"Don't you dare." He said bluntly causing Lazarus to stop and drop his arms defeatedly. 
"Make your mind up Tom, playing hard to get doesn't look good on you." Lazarus smirked. 
"I thought I saw you run this way Grisha," I low voice called from the shadows.
"Wiglaf!" Myself and Lazarus both shouted in chorus, Tom however remained silent and merely looked at Wiglaf, he to was wet through and had a slight cut above his eyebrow. 
"What happened to your eyebrow?" I asked concerned reaching a hand towards it. 
"An Erkling,"he said gravely. 
"An Erkling!?" Lazarus repeated stunned. "There are Erklings in here!?"  
"There are more than Erklings in here." Wiglaf stared at Tom his eyes narrowed, silence drew out between the four of us as Wiglaf and Tom continued to stare at each other. 
"Ok..." Lazarus said awkwardly. "If anyone needs me I'll be in the corner having an existential crisis. Follow the left path they said- the damn thing tried to eat me!"
"No." Wiglaf said firmly. "We are completing this game together." 
"I think you have forgotten that this is a competition Wiglaf," Tom smirked raising an eyebrow. "We are all in seperate teams..." 
"This is far beyond point scoring now Riddle. This is a game of survival." Wiglaf snapped. 
"And it is a game I shall be playing alone." He smirked before disappearing into the darkness.
"No Tom! Come back!" I shouted desperately.