~ROAC~ (incomplete)

~FORTY-TWO~

"You're the one I want to hold.
I won't let another minute go to waste.
I want you and your beautiful soul."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It abruptly came to Bell's attention that Professor Dumbledore was now standing in the midst of it all, his hands raised in a call for silence, and the clamor died down quickly as Professor McGonagall patted Peter on the shoulder, though subtly, as if she didn't approve of his friends' actions today but still understood the reason behind this exploit. Dumbledore lowered his weathered hands and Bell's frown lightened into a look of concern. The Headmaster's opinion on this matter was the be-all, end-all, and she was genuinely worried he would reproach her and her friends terribly for the stunt they'd pulled this afternoon.

"The antagonism between your friends, Mister Potter, including yourself, and Mister Snape are undeniably consequential ones." The wizened professor's eyes did not twinkle as they usually did behind his half-moon spectacles, and Bell could tell he was dead serious. He looked to McGonagall, who now was offering a hand up to Snape, a kindness Bell did not think the sniveling boy deserved. "Minerva, would you bring Severus to his dormitory room and, following such, send Professor Slughorn to my office? I have little doubt his counsel in this matter will prove invaluable."

Professor McGonagall nodded and ushered an utterly-beaten-looking Snape out of her classroom, her usually-poised self held as if she'd been shaken by what she'd seen today. Bell almost felt bad for having had to involve her in this- she and her friends had taken drastic measures, for certain, and though McGonagall logically understand they were not children anymore, this had to be a rather rude awakening for her into the measures these young adults would go to in order to protect their friends in an ever-darkening world.

Dumbledore now turned to the remaining students. Persephone was standing hand-in-hand with Remus, and Bell noticed from the corner of her eye when the Hufflepuff wiped gently at the blood stemming from her boyfriend's lip with her sleeve. She might have smiled, had she not been so worried that all of the group's tenure at Hogwarts was about to be quite shortened. Peter shuffled his feet against the ground nervously and Marlene patted his shoulder, a gesture of reassurance, as James tucked his hands in his pockets in a motion that was somehow aggressive despite its ordinary nature.

"You have broken at least two dozen school rules today." Dumbledore looked at each of them, grievously solemn. "You have not only kidnapped a fellow classmate, but used upon him a potion forbidden to be utilized against a student by the Ministry of Magic itself." A long pause fell. Not one among the younger folk said a word, each bearing expressions of varying degrees of mixed remorse and stoic understanding of the severity of what they had carried out this afternoon. Dumbledore gave a long sigh- at least eight seconds, likely longer, Bell guessed in the back of her mind -and finally unclasped his hands from where he'd been holding them stiffly in front of him as he thought.

"Detention for all of you," he declared, "for four weeks, after classes, including weekends." He blinked at them, waiting for reactions, and seemed mildly surprised when none of them protested (Bell could only tell by the little huff of air he gave at their silence). "Thirty points will be taken from Gryffindor for each of you, as well as thirty from Hufflepuff for Miss Vidal. Your Quidditch practices will have to go on without you," he went on, and paused again; still, there were no objections or groans. Bell might have been able to gauge his reaction to their silence if Sirius had not ever-so-absentmindedly slipped his hand under her robes and just slightly under her shirt, his thumb and pointer finger brushing against her bare skin just above her hip.

"Professor?"

Dumbledore turned his gaze toward Remus, who hesitated a beat before going on.

"Have you heard anything from St. Mungo's? How's Lily?"