Maledictus

Ch. 9 - Carrows

"Oi Eric, you seen Blake around?"

"No sorry Alice, haven't seen him all day"

"Neither have I"

Alice sat alone in a room of people, each one of them chatting and laughing. She longed for her friend to talk to.

She was afraid to be alone with her thoughts.

McGonagall hadn't said anything about her note, the note that contained the secrets she had hiden for the past three years. Secrets that could change the Wizarding world.

"Hey Alice, walk to potions?" asked Eric, clearing off his breakfast plate. "You've got Slughorn now, haven't you?"

"I'm not giving you my homework Eric" chuckled Alice, gathering her many books.

"Oi, I don't use people for homework Adair, walk with me to potions?"

"Sure, if I must"

As they begun walking, Eric watched her feet take steps across the glossy tiles, her bare feet next to the shined pointed-toe leather shoes of passing students.

"Not even socks Alice?" he chuckled.

"Zip it asshole, McGonagall will have my head"

"Rebellious, never thought I'd see the day"

"Well you have now so shut it"

Alice loved the busy morning hallways. She loved the way people walked, roughly in one direction, weaving a little, chatting as they go.

She watched some of them, their heads down, lost in thought and wonder about things in their own private lives - each of them viewing that same place, that same day from a unique perspective.

"Nice to see your hairs back to normal" Alice commented kindly.

"Yeah, no thanks to you" Eric joked.

"Well, you demanded to be an asshole"

Eric stopped walking and turned to the girl beside him, regret glazed over his eyes.

"I really am sorry Alice, for what I did, it was cruel and unkind. I don't even know why I did it, but I have nothing to blame but myself and I am truly, truly sorry"

Alice smiled sadly, but it disappeared quickly as the events from the previous year flashed through her mind.

"You know Alice, it's hard to believe someone when all they do is lie to you"

"Alice can't be trusted Ron"

"Well I mean, no one can trust me, can they? I lied and lied and lied, I can't blame anyone"

Alice became flustered, she began to walk faster and faster until she was almost running. Not looking where she was going, she tripped, cutting her ankle and her books scattered across the floor.

"Shit"

"Alice-"

"I'm sorry, you head off-"

"Alice-"

"- I'll just meet you there and then I'll-"

"Alice" Eric's voice was stern and commanding. The Gryffindor stopped what she was doing and fell silent.

"You lied to survive, you lied so you could educate yourself, so you could escape. You lied so you could have a better life"

Alice stayed quiet, pulling her books tight to her chest and getting to her feet.

She hated how someone had to look after her, to say everything was alright, to let her know that she'll get through it. It made her feel awful.

"You alright Alice?"