count on me // hogwarts au

seven...ashes, ashes they all fall down

"What do you mean? We're just kids who came here to have a meal-" I tried to deflect, hoping she'd just obliviate us and let us go.

She did not do that.

"Shut up. We all know that isn't true. Now, you all can go back to Hogwarts and we can all forget this happened. Or we can do it the hard way." She said, narrowing her eyes at us, seeming to somehow single each of us out individually all at once. It was so erie that she could look at the group and make it feel like she was looking directly at you.

"I don't know what you're talking abou-" And then her hand came down as she smacked me and Brandon stood up furiously. I blinked back the tears that were stinging my eyes, this was all going to send me into a flashback faster than I could control or do a spell to prevent. 

"I see, little Brandon wants to save his young love. I wonder why Ben didn't jump up to protect his best friend..." She sighed, taking a knife out of her pocket, which seemed unnecessary considering her wand. 

"Now. Get out or I'll be forced to take action."

"Who are you?" I muttered, looking up at her through my hair, that had fallen in my face. 

"Me?" She rolled her eyes, moving my hair so she could look me straight into the eyes, "I'm the granddaughter of someone who should've risen to power a long time ago. My family name is Lestrange."

Shit. Fuck. Shit shit shit fuck shit fuck. We're totally fucked.

"We're not," I looked into her eyes, trying to swallow my fear, "Going anywhere, Lestrange."

"Oh if you only know how hard you just made things for yourself..." She sighed, "Aaron, Levi. Bring the others to the back. Gabi and I need to have a little... Alone time." She smirked at me, and then glanced back at Brandon. "Actually. Tie him up and leave him over there. Let's see what he thinks of this."

------

To say the least, I was crying pretty quickly. With every spell I slipped deeper into my sobbing. And there was nothing stoping her from just going and going and going. And to the outside you could barely tell she was doing anything, but my insides twisted and I wanted to vomit all over the ground. Everything ached from the inside out, and I couldn't stop trembling.

She seemed to enjoy it. Brandon did not. Through my fog of pain and sobbing, I could faintly hear him yelling in the background everytime a new pain wave washed over me.

And suddenly there was a huge red flash. And the sound of Ben yelling "STUPEFY!" at the top of his lungs.

My wrists were suddenly no longer bound, but my wand was accross the room. Brandon was standing now, trying his best to run towards me through the messy battle scene. I could barely focus on anything, and I couldn't stand. I felt my body going limp really quickly, and my vision looked like when you can't quite get TV signal. And with an image of my best friends fighting for their lives, and my boyfriend fighting to get to me- everything was black as I hit the floor.

------

When I woke up we were on some sort of bus. I don't know why I'm here, where here really is, or what happened before that caused me to be here. All I know is that my head is pounding and the light is not helping at all.

Suddenly a face appeared above me, smiling widely. "Thank God, you're awake. I was starting to worry." Carolyn said, handing me a waterbottle, "Take some ibuprofen, it'll help with your head. Here." She then handed me two liquid gels of what I assumed was the aformentioned medication, but it didn't matter to me anymore. If it would help me feel better, then give it to me.

"Where are we? Where's Brandon? And Ben? And Stef and Anela?" I took a long drink from the waterbottle, then handing it back to her, looking down at my body for the first time.

Wow. I was covered- covered in bruises. I mean I bruise like a peach but this... This was new. I felt sore everywhere. And then there was my right wrist. God. In awful writing, someone had carved "leader" into my skin. Which seemed like a sick, sick joke. I got my friends into an awful situation. I felt awful.

"Gabi..." Carolyn sighed, putting a hand on top of the word, as if she could hide it from me and I'd forget about it, "They're all somewhere else on the bus, I think. Everyone is just fine, no one got as hurt as you did. I'm sorry we let you... I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Carolyn. It's my own fault."

I stood, stumbling a bit before steadying myself on the sink. We were apparently in the buses bathroom. Carolyn tried to help me but I refused to let her- because I'm dumb and prideful sometimes.

When Brandon saw me, he immediately ran up to me and hugged me super tightly, even picking me up. "Thank Merlin, you're okay," He whispered into my hair, and I smiled, but winced.

"Oh, sorry. Are you..."

"Covered in bruises, I'll heal eventually." I lied, hoping no one had told him  about my wrist yet. He didn't need that emotion right now... I just hid it behind my back and put on a smile.

Ben stepped up next, actually more shuffling. "Hey. I'm... I'm sorry I didn't protect you. I should've. I'm a bad friend and you deserve so much-"

And then I crushed him in a hug. "I love you so much Ben. You saved me, and I can't thank you enough. You shouldn't feel so guilty over what that bitch said, okay? I love you and know you love me and would protect me if you needed to."

Ben nodded, "O- okay. I do love you Gabi. You're the best Mum ever."

I sighed, looking at everyone else, "Thank you all for getting me out of a situation I got us all into. I'm so sorry for putting myself above the team, and I won't let it happen again. I," My eyes started to water and I would soon be full on crying, "I am so lucky to have all of you on my side. I don't know what I'd do without you. Just... Thank you so much for saving my life."

And suddenly I was in a giant group hug lead by Anela and Carolyn, with everyone telling me to shut the fuck up and just get better.

"Wait, are we on the Knight Bus?"