Maledictus

Ch.36 - The Oak Tree

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"WHO ARE YOU?"

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(Edited)

"Draco?" Alice asked, tapping him on the shoulder.
She didn't need to see anything else, Draco knew by the look in her eyes, something had gone wrong.

"Is it your brother?" he asked worridly, taking the note. "You need to tell someone, Alice. It's gone too far"

"I can't!" she protested, taking the note back.

"Why?"

"David knows something. How did he know I'm here?"

Draco didn't know the answer.
Because he knew something she didn't.

"Look, leave it for now, and we'll think about it" he replied, walking away.

"I thought you said you'd help me!" she shouted.

"And I will, just not right now"

"And what happens if he gets here tomorrow, and we could have stopped it?"

Draco stopped and looked at her with a small smile.

"Then I'll come and get you"

He walked off, leaving Alice confused and angry.
She needed help.
She was not going back to the circus, she would rather go back to Malfoy Manor.

"He'll never get you while your here" sneered a voice.

"Who's there!?" Alice asked, shaking.

There was no answer.
She couldn't see anyone.

"I said who's there!?" she shouted again.

"Oh it's only me" said a boy, lifting an invisability charm.
He had black hair, and by the looks of it, he was in Ravenclaw.
He looked evil, like a guy who pretends to be nice, but is a villain.
And that's exactly who he was.
Though Alice didn't realise this until it was too late.

Alice raised her wand and held it tight.

"What do you want?" she asked, trying not to shout.

"Oh I don't want anything" he sneered, coming closer to Alice. "But I know you do"

Alice stayed silent, but urged him to continue.

"You want your brother back, don't you?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then meet me beside the great oak tree and eight" he said before walking away, not letting Alice answer him.

He knew something.
And Alice knew she'd have to meet him.

                             ~*~

"Where are you off to, Alice?" asked Harry, as she got up to leave.

"I'm...I'm just going for a walk" she stuttered.

"Be back soon!" replied Harry, as she left the common room, her wand in her hand.

It was dark and the stars were complemented by the midnight blue sky.
She stared up at them, wanting to just flop on her back and lie there.

But if this meeting went well, maybe she could do it with Henry.

Back when they were together, that's all they did.
Every warm night, they looked at the stars and Henry reminded her that they were like stars.
That's why Alice loves stars so much.

She waited at the tree, waiting anxiously, her heart pounding.

What if he didn't show up?
What if he wasn't who he said he was?
Or what if he could help her?

These were the questions running through her mind.
Her hand was still glued to her wand.
She was ready to hex him at any moment when needed.

But she was too slow.
Because a the boy crept up behind her.

And before she could scream, before she could shout.
His hand covered her mouth, and as much as she struggled and kicked, he was strong.
Much stronger than her.

"Stop" he hissed.

It just made her kick harder.

"STOP!" he shouted, punching her in the stomach.
She gagged, but fell silent and walked with him. "You're going to come with me, and your going to behave"

He let her go and she fell to her knees.

"Who are you?" she asked short of breath.

"I'm James Baxter"

Her face went white.
This was David's son.

Why didn't she see it before?
Why didn't she notice it was him?
Why did she believe him?

She got up and ran.
Ran as if her life depended on it.
And it did.

"You think you can run?" he sneered, catching her by the collar and placing his wand at her temple.

She gulped.

He tied her hands behind her back and shoved her forward as a hint to start walking.
So she did.

Every so often he poked her in the back with his wand and her heart was about to burst out of her chest.

"Where-" She began.

"Shut it!"

"What-"

"Shut IT!"

"Are-"

"SHUT IT!"

He slammed his heavy black boot into her scarred and frail back and she fell face first into a pile of mud.

"Get up!" he shouted, kicking her again.

"I can't!" she shouted back.

"Why not!"

"Mabye because my hands are tied!"

James scoffed, pulling her to her feet by her black braid.

"Walk!" he said, kicking her, making her lead the way.

"Where is my brother?" she said bravely, stopping in her tracks.

"Keep moving"

"Where is my brother!?"

"I said keep moving, twice!" he said angrily.

"And I asked you where my brother is, twice" she shouted, earning another kick, but at least she stayed on her feet.
She fell silent and kept walking.

Once they reached a clearing, he asked her to stop and she did.
He pushed to the ground and placed his wand at her temple, grabbing her hair, digging his long, dirty fingernails deep within her scalp.

And within seconds, she was standing outside the dreaded circus.