Fandom ✧ Arc 2: All Hallow's Eve ✧

"Should've transfered... Durmstrang is better anyways... fuck this school... fuck this challenge... fuck me I'm lost."

The sight of the high and mighty Belladonna wandering around the forbidden forest muttering madly to herself would have been enough to deter any sane person who happened to pass by. The last few minutes of the challenge had been, for lack of a better word, absolute hell. Aivree had been blinded by the trap they'd set off at the start of the challenge, unfortunate in a task that depended on Aivree's flying skills. Which, if you're not an idiot, you'd know require the person flying to be able to see. Especially considering the fact that the only other person in the team barely knew how to fly herself. What followed was the most terrifying and needlesly dangerous five minutes in both of the girl's lives. Aivree flying as Bella clinged on to her like her life depended on it (which it did) and gave her instructions on where to fly. All while shot at in multiple directions, most likely by professors and faculty members but she wouldn't put it past the old hag to hire actual Aurors to bring down her own students.

And of course, it hadn't stopped there. Because why would it in a place that seemed to thrive off student's suffering? After landing and Bella emptying her stomach of the Halloween dinner that didn't agree with the unexpectedly harsh and rapid broom movements, the girls were faced with a decision. They had collected a small oval shaped gem, which had an inscription with instructions on how to follow and move on to the next task. Bella, being the only one who could read, was thus confronted with the truth she chose to hide from her partner: according to the gem, she could either destroy it and use the dust to cure Aivree's blindness (at the cost of them losing the challenge) or she could use the gem to open the door that would take them to victory. That was it! She was so close to the final price she could basically smell the trophy. The mere thought of the sad faces in all the Gryffindor students when they realized they'd been beaten by a Slytherin in a test of courage. Not to mention the endless bragging rights she was sure to abuse until her deathbed. It was so easy! So simple! Just a quick move and everything would be hers!

But in the end, she'd chosen Aivree. And they were thrown into different parts of the forest, left alone to find their way back to the school.

There were many rational reasons why a person would chose fixing someone else's blindness instead of an artificial and frankly insignificant school price - none of which made any sense to Bella. She'd done good deeds before, of course, but all of them had been influenced by her own greed and ambition. Usually justified by the idea doing nice things was the key to Penelope's heart. Not this time though. The Hufflepuff beauty hadn't even crossed her mind until after she'd made the choice. She'd just done it because... well, she'd wanted to do it. Aivree was annoying and a Gryffindor, but she hadn't done anything to her. And she hadn't judged her as she screamed during the challenge due to her overwhelming fear of heights. She hadn't made fun of her, or used her weaknesses against her when she was most vulnerable (something Bella was sure she would have done had the tables been turned). She'd helped Aivree out of her own volition, because deep down she knew it was the right thing to do. Maybe Seb was right; hanging out with Penelope and her pathetic, spineless Hufflepuff friends was making her soft.

But, regardless, she knew it was better not to dwell much on it. Her attitude had been nothing but a fluke, and certainly nothing that signified a change of heart that very well could put her future career at risk (after all, no one liked a selfless politician). As long as Aivree shut her trap, there was no reason why the others would find out and smear her reputation in Slytherin. All that mattered now, was making sure she could get back home in one piece. Something easier said than done, considering the school had decided it was perfectly fine to leave her in a place known for being so dangerous they were forbidden from entering. And that wasn't her only problem...

It had been bothering her for a while. The itching and scratching and stiff pain in her joints. All tell-tale signs of that time of the month where the moon shined the brightest and forced her to transform. Her lunar phase necklace had been left behind, as to avoid it clashing with her fabulous costume and the clouds and trees made looking at the moon difficult. With all the Halloween preparations, parties, and managing both her relationships with her own friends as well as Penelope, she'd completely forgotten to calculate for the moon - and was now left with nothing but speculation and paranoia to guide her way. It was a blessing to be in the woods, just in case it was a full moon. Or, at least, it would be. Were it not for the fact that she knew there were more people in the Forbidden Forest and its outskirts. Without having taken her potions, there wasn't much that would stop her from attacking others and exposing herself.

Cursing, she held out her empty hand and pointed her want at it with the other. She'd never tried this before, but she was running out of options and frankly, a spell accident sounded better than everything that would happen to her if her secret was exposed. Especially if it was because she hurt a fellow student. She'd only seen this spell being used in battle, but there was no reason why it couldn't work now, or so she hoped. Taking a deep breath, she cast a simple tope tying spell, aggressively tying herself to the trunk of a nearby tree - slamming against it with a heavy thud. It was tight, but not enough that she wasn't able to turn around and press her back to the tree. Would it hold? She doubted it. But tying herself to a tree was better than nothing.

"It's okay, it's okay. Just relax, take a deep breath." She continued, still muttering to herself now with a slight pant. Now the itching was really starting to bother her. Not good. "You're okay, you're okay. You've done this before. Nothing is going to happen. No one will notice. Just relax and - WHO'S THERE?"

It had been faint, but she'd heard it: footsteps. Most likely human, much to her dismay. Someone was close, and there was no way they would be able to escape if she did turn.

"I know you're there!" She screamed, taking out her wand and pointing it in the direction of the footsteps. "Whoever you are, get out of here! Now! Don't make me curse you!"

sebastian