The Owlery

[Professor Tahiri]

//WILLIAM RADCLIFFE
THIRD YEAR GRYFFINDOR
QUIDDITCH TEAM KEEPER
AND I AM DEFINITELY A KEEPER!

Will was dragged behind Indala up the stairs and through the hallways. He was aware of the awkward silence and unsure what to make of it. He was still partially convinced that this was a dream, that he was only imagining Indala had returned... and when they reached the top of the stairs, he'd wake in his bed in Gryffindor Tower. However, when she pushed the door open, instead they entered the Owlery. He heard Baron's distinctive squawk immediately and saw the gold locks of his sister's hair. Indala called out to her and pulled him towards his sister.  

[Professor Tahiri]

❤❤ T A M A R A♛R A D C L I F F E

5TH YEAR, GRYFFINDOR ~ PREFECT
￤￤ if you're going through hell, keep on going
xxxxxxxxxx x x

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Tamara was lost in her own thoughts as she watched the rain fall when she heard the door open and Baron squawk. It was common for people to come up here so she ignored it, hoping that the someone here wouldn't mind her in her own little world. Then she heard a familiar voice call her name. She turned her head in surprise, expecting to see someone else. However, it was her. Indala was back. And she was dragging Will behind her. Tammy smiled, a deep and happy smile that seemed to light up her face. "Indala!" Tammy cried out and leapt from the cove to move to hug the girl. Indala was a friend of Tammy's, but more importantly, she was Will's girlfriend and her return meant Will didn't have to endure what she had endured. The bear paw pendant bounced against her chest as she moved to embrace Indala. "So good to see you again!"  

[NarwhalTears]

Indala practically jumped up and down as Tamara spoke to her,
and soon she found herself in her friend's embrace.
She hugged back tightly, nearly pulling Will over as she did not dare let go of his hand.
She winced slightly,but carried on as if it was normal.

"Tammy! I've missed you so much."

The last time she had spoken with Tamara in this room, things had been
so different from what they were now.
That was back before Tammy was kidnapped, before she and Will were dating,
and before she had become so sick.
It made her smile brightly; the fact that their friendship could last through so much.
She had never imagined such a warm welcome back.

"How have you been?"
She took a step back and looked Tammy over.
Playfully she spoke, "Wow, someone's grown up haven't they?"
She giggled happily and then scooted closer to Will, wanting to be near him.

The heaviness she had been experiencing just a while ago was slowly melting away.
Her heart felt lighter than it had in months.

 

[Professor Tahiri]

❤❤ T A M A R A♛R A D C L I F F E

5TH YEAR, GRYFFINDOR ~ PREFECT
￤￤ if you're going through hell, keep on going
xxxxxxxxxx x x

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Tamara's eyes flashed with sorrow and a deep look crossed her face as her eyes connected with Will's, then it melted away. The happy Tammy returned. She smiled at Indala and nodded. "Yeah, look at that. I did." She giggled and smiled again as Indala moved closer to Will. "As for your first question, I've been alright. Seen worse days," she said, smirking. She slipped back towards the window and Baron. "How about you? You mysteriously disappeared and we didn't hear from you. I had to talk Will out of attacking your Dad's."  

[Professor Tahiri]

//WILLIAM RADCLIFFE
THIRD YEAR GRYFFINDOR
QUIDDITCH TEAM KEEPER
AND I AM DEFINITELY A KEEPER!

Will's eyes caught Tamara's and he could see the sadness at Indala's mention of growing up. It was sort of forced on her. He was about to open his mouth and say something when the sorrow melted away and she smiled. He shifted his gaze to Indala to see if she had caught his sister's sorrow. "Yeah, I never did ask."  

[NarwhalTears]

Indala gave a forced laugh as Tammy mentioned stopping Will from confronting Demetrius.
She looked down avoiding either of the siblings' eyes.
"Well, I'm a lot better now then I have been. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to tell you all what was going on.
Apparently, one of the girls in my dorm found me passed out on my bed and called a nurse."
She looked up at Will and continued. "The next thing I knew, I was waking up in a bed at St. Mungo's."

Tired of standing she crossed in front of Will, still holding his hand, and leaned against the stone wall of the Owlery.
The coolness of it eased some of the tension that was rising in her.
" They told me after I came to for a long enough period that I had contracted
one of the worst cases of Spattergroit most of them had ever seen."
She smiled uneasily and gave another forced laugh.

 

[Professor Tahiri]

//WILLIAM RADCLIFFE
THIRD YEAR GRYFFINDOR
QUIDDITCH TEAM KEEPER
AND I AM DEFINITELY A KEEPER!

Will bit his lip and listened as Indala explained where she was. Spattergroit.... that made sense. He nodded and it seemed as if a weight had lifted off his chest. Turning his head to look into Indala's eyes, he smiled. "I'm glad you recovered..." Then a thought hit him. "Wait, if it was spattergroit that kept you away from me, why were you holding your left arm?"  

[Professor Tahiri]

❤❤ T A M A R A♛R A D C L I F F E

5TH YEAR, GRYFFINDOR ~ PREFECT
￤￤ if you're going through hell, keep on going
xxxxxxxxxx x x

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Will had piqued Tammy's interest by asking about her arm. What did he know that she didn't? The spattergroit made sense, after all. That could kill wizards or witches, so it was a dangerous disease. Tammy sighed and leaned close to listen to her explanation.  

[NarwhalTears]

While listening to Will and Tammy,
Indala had been unconsciously messing with the left sleeve of her jumper,
but stopped immediately as Will asked her about it.
She took in the faces of the two most important people in the world, and thought.
"After about a month at St. Mungo's, they released me to go home.
At that point, I was still only able to stay awake for an hour or two at a time."

She took a deep breath and pulled slightly on Will's hand,
signalling him to move closer to her.
" Apparently in all the time I was there, my father had only showed up once,and only for a few minuets late one night.
The second time he came to take me back home to continue recovering."
Indala shifted uneasily, not sure she wanted to continue with her story.
She looked up at Will, taking in his features.

"Will, you have to promise me something."
She stood up, no longer using the wall for support and looked into his eyes.
"Promise me you won't go after my dad...Please..." An intensity filled her blue eyes as she stood looking up into his.
She had nearly forgotten that Tammy was there as well.

 

[Professor Tahiri]

❤❤ T A M A R A♛R A D C L I F F E

5TH YEAR, GRYFFINDOR ~ PREFECT
￤￤ if you're going through hell, keep on going
xxxxxxxxxx x x

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Tammy sat up, alarmed by the tone of her voice. Knowing her brother and herself, she pushed herself back into the conversation. "I promise for him. I'll keep him in check." Truthfully, she felt a hot rage building in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to deal with Indala's father herself, but she'd promise to Indala and keep it.  

[Professor Tahiri]

//WILLIAM RADCLIFFE
THIRD YEAR GRYFFINDOR
QUIDDITCH TEAM KEEPER
AND I AM DEFINITELY A KEEPER!

Will flashed his eyes from Indala to his sister and a defiance shown in his eyes. "I can't promise anything. But Tammy can. Tell me." His hands balled up into to fists and his breathing changed, as if he was trying to keep his calm.  

[NarwhalTears]

Indala jumped at the sound of Tammy's voice, having not expected her to speak.
Of course, this was Tamara, this is who she is; a firm foundation.
Indala and Will had always been the spontaneous irresponsible ones as long as Indala had known the siblings.

She wasn't sure that she liked the fact that Will had left the promise to Tammy, but she took a deep breath and continued anyway.
" When I arrived home, I spent the first few days floating in and out of consciousness.
I vaguely remember house elves coming in to give me water. One night, during one of those times when I was awake,
my father came to see me in my room."

" I should have known that something was up." Indala hung her head in frustration with herself.
" He pointed to the ink and parchment that were set out on my bedside table and asked who I was writing to."
She looked up, and as she spoke tears filled her eyes. " I told him that I was just writing for something to do,
to entertain myself during my lucid moments. He laughed knowing immediately that I was lying."
The tears silently rolled down her cheeks as she took in her friends again.
" And then he asked me if I was writing to you Will." Panic rose up in her and she began to shake.

Doing her best to keep the emotions out of her voice she explained, " Somehow he knows, he knows about you Will.
I've thought for days trying to figure out how he could have learned about you.
The only thing I can come up with is that I was talking in my sleep."

 

[Professor Tahiri]

//WILLIAM RADCLIFFE
THIRD YEAR GRYFFINDOR
QUIDDITCH TEAM KEEPER
AND I AM DEFINITELY A KEEPER!

Will took her arm in his hands and started to ease her sleeve up, ready for whatever he would find. "And your arm..." he asked weakly. He was unsure of what would come next and the only thing that was keeping him from reacting negatively was his sister's eyes on him. After what she had gone through during the summer, he was surprised she was maintaining her cool.  

[Professor Tahiri]

❤❤ T A M A R A♛R A D C L I F F E

5TH YEAR, GRYFFINDOR ~ PREFECT
￤￤ if you're going through hell, keep on going
xxxxxxxxxx x x

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Tammy frowned; she knew what was coming and she was not pleased. She flicked her eyes over to Will and watched him as he slowly eased her sleeve up. She sighed heavily and her mind flashed back to the summer when she fought the dark wizards. Her side ached slightly at the memory and she idly began to finger the amulet again.  

[NarwhalTears]

Reflexively Indala went to pull away as Will started to roll up her sleeve, but stopped herself.
He needed to see this and she knew it.
Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she looked down at her now exposed arm.
There upon it was a scar, still red and newly healed, in the shape of a darkmark.

"When I wouldn't answer him, he exploded.
Before I knew it he was standing at the foot of my bed with Herold in his arms,
using his wand to pluck out the owl's feathers one by one."

The horrible screeches filled Indala's head and sent it whirling.

She gritted her teeth against the memory."He told me that no one really wanted me.
That everyone had deserted me. And then he killed him so that I would not be able to get mail to anyone."

A small sob interrupted her monologue. "He asked if you were in Gryffindor with me,
if perhaps he needed to go find you while I was incapacitated."

Indala's panic broke through her facade and the words cascaded from her. " I couldn't do anything!
If I said something he would have gone looking for you and your family!
He grabbed m-my arm, gave me a reminder about who I am."