Too much happiness leads to disaster

It was a good week for Bea. She saw James and caught up on what her old classmate was doing and she got a rather beautiful deal at the Hogsmeade bookshop. Five new books on Tranfiguration, three on Potions and a few she could lock up in the Restricted Section. Merlin, she loved those. It wasn't necessarily dark magic, just magic that little children shouldn't read about. But that didn't mean the Professors and older students couldn't.

She was walking from Hogsmeade back to the castle with a grin on her face and she was only vaguely aware it was getting dark. Normally, she would have returned to Hogwarts before the sun went down because she didn't have a particular wish to get attacked or something, but tonight, she was in her own happy bubble.

That, of course, didn't mean that the happy bubble would protect her from any harm. It just made her oblivious to anything suspicious happening around her. It also meant that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and suddenly, she was in an unknown, abandoned alleyway.

Katia had just finished in the Hogs Head, having spent the time mostly dancing around the bar and trying to get Cecily to join her. Honestly, for someone who walked around with no shoes on, the Frenchwoman could be boring. But now she was off dancing in the streets, thoroughly enjoying herself. It had been a good week. She had made a new friend in the Forbidden Forest, and she had found the blond haired boy from the Ministry. Things couldn't get worse.

In fact, she thought she deserved a celebration of how good her week had been. A celebration that came in the form of a dair haired girl wandering through Hogsmeade. Katia began walking in the same direction as her, wondering where she was going. She couldn't quite tell where they were going. Wherever it was, she hoped it was an adventure.

Katia whipped out her wand as they went down one of the abandoned alleyways, casting the fog-like spell that they had used at the ministry to hide herself, conjuring a mask to cover her face. Time to set off some fireworks.

"Where are you going? I've been trying to figure it out, but I just can't tell where this is supposed to lead to!" Katia said with a playful tone. "Do you need a little help with your directions, sweetheart?"

Just as Bea had finally realized she wasn't in the right place, a horribly familiar fog started rising up all around her. She froze in place and tried not to panic. It was just a little fog, that's all. ...Then she heard a horribly familiar voice behind her. It has been long since the Ministry incident and she might not have remembered all the details, but that woman's voice haunted her nightmares.

She turned around, breathing quickly as she was getting scared. "N-no. I don't need your help, I can get home by myself just fine." she was trying to keep her voice steady and not let that wretched woman know she was scared as hell.

All Bea wanted at that moment was to get out of there, but it seemed fear had her paralysed. 'No, come on, not now. You have to get out,' she tried to make herself move. But somehow, she didn't think she could just walk away from this, especially because the insane witch was standing between her and escape.

It was like when the boy stood up to her, even though he was clearly scared. Oh, people. They were such wonderous creatures. Trying to act all strong when they weren't. She had to give them some credit for it. Though she was really up for a chase, if she was honest.

"Are you sure? You seem to be a little lost, how about you tell me where you're going, and we'll see if we can get you there?" Katia suggested, slowly walking up towards the girl, twirling her wand in her hand. "I'm sure I'd be able to get you there safely. Though I was looking for someone to keep me company, perhaps I should take you back to my place, so we can have a little fun?"

Katia scrapped her wand along the girl's neckline, putting both hands on her shoulders, standing behind her now, looking towards the exit as she whispered into her ear. "There's your path to freedom. Why don't you take it? It's in your grasp," a smirk pulled at her lips, prodding the end of her wand into the blonde's cheek. "Or you could stay and keep me company. I do need to see if my new wand works, after it was broken at the Ministry," a sickly icy tone crept into her voice. "You didn't have a hand to play in that, did you? I seem to remember it being redheads, but someone must have called them to help. I'm a little bit sour about it."

Watching as the woman slowly closed the distance between them, Bea cursed herself over and over again for her own stupidity. If she hadn't taken a wrong turn, if she had heard the woman come up behind her, she wouldn't be in this situation. She knew she was trapped, there was no question about it, but if she could just get a hold of her wand...

"Yes, I'm sure. Thank you." said Bea, feeling anger flow through her veins along with fear; she despised the female as much as she feared her. As she felt a shiver on the back of her neck, she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to regain her courage and drown her fear. Instead of answering, she just shook her head with her yes still closed. Drowning fear was easier said than done.

Bea let out a whimper when she felt a wand on her neck and she wished for nothing else than to be safe at Hogwarts. "And I suppose you'd just let me walk away?" she asked with a small chuckle that sounded more like she was choking than chuckling.

She winced at the mention of the Ministry, the memory fresh before her eyes. "You know, a lot of people are sour about what happened there." Memories of Kiva and that poor boy Tommy almost dying, all because of the woman standing behind her. Slowly, she reached in her pocket and took a hold of her wand. As relief came over her, she hoped to all gods she could think of that the woman didn't notice.

There was something more than the fear. Katia wasn't sure how she felt about that. Why wasn't there just the fear? When did people feel more than just fear around her? Especially around her when she was hidden like this. You always feared what you couldn't see. But this didn't change the game, not that much. So long as it was still there. This might even make it more fun.

A whimper. That was a sound that was sweet to her ears. "Who's to say I wouldn't? Maybe I've decided to be merciful on the pretty little girl. You won't know until you try, surely?" Katia put her chin on the woman's shoulder. "Though I won't complain if you stay here with me. It's whether you think you're fast enough."

So that's what was there, other than the fear. The things that had happened. Though Katia wasn't sure she quite understood. Fear was simple. Fear was something she knew. She knew well. The other things she left forgotten.

"I'm sure they are. Are you, sour? Did people you know get hurt?" her wand pressed further. "Did your friends suffer? Your family? Do they love you, care for you?" she hissed, smile still on her face despite her tone. "Will they hurt when you do?"

It was not a question of if.

Bea snorted despite being scared to hell. "Please. If you would have decided that, your wand wouldn't be on my throat, would it." She felt the woman's head on her shoulder and a shiver ran through her body. The woman threatening her was one thing, but for them to be actually touching... well, it made Bea disgusted beyond her imagination.

Now that she had a hold of her wand, she felt a bit safer and she was trying to think of every useful spell she's ever read about or learnt in school.

"Lots of people I know got hurt and I wasn't able to do anything else than get a few of them to safety. It wasn't enough." she winced as the wand pressed against her neck, but didn't stop talking, although she wasn't exactly sure why she was telling all of that to the woman. Some sort of hysteria came over her and she wanted to buy herself as much time as she was able to.

"I should tell you I don't have many friends, so you won't hurt much people if you hurt me." Bea was staying optimistic and was hoping on if she got hurt. "See, you might as well just let me go." she let out a slight chuckle. She knew that there was no chance in hell that the woman would just let her go.

"Ohoho! So you're smart too?" there was an edge to Katia's voice as she spoke, glancing at the woman out the corner of her eyes. Smart. More like killjoy. How was she supposed to have her fun if the girl wasn't supposed to play along? She hated it when people didn't play along. When they didn't want to play her games.

Katia had to admit she was surprised when the woman started using her as some sort of confessional. Though people had very different reactions when they thought their life was on the line. Like that one woman who told her entire life story in about thirty words while Katia was dancing with her in fire.

"I'm not aiming on hurting many people, so you won't have to worry about feeling helpless" Katia murmured, though she did so with a slightly reluctant sigh. "Though that is a shame. I would've liked to. But I don't want to hurt people, really," she kicked the woman's knees to force her to the floor. "I just want to play a game!"

It seemed to Bea that she's reached a point where the woman was getting impatient and while she wanted to scream at the woman and call her names, she knew better. So, she didn't say anything in reply as she valued her life more than to trade it for a few smartass comments or insults. She wasn't that good at insults, anyway.

What did that mean? If she didn't want to hurt Bea, then why was she threatening her and practically holding her captive? Nothing made sense to her anymore and for that one minute of confusion, she forgot all about her wand and her need to defend herself. "You don't-ah!" she fell on her knees and braced herself with her wandless hand so she wouldn't hurt her head as well.

"A game? All of this is a game to you?" Bea said in disgust before she could stop herself. Now that she was in such a humiliating and inferior position, she was so much more scared, but she also felt disgusted by the woman. Before the librarian thought her tormentor-to-be enjoyed hurting people, causing chaos, but.. a game? That was just sick.

Katia felt a rush of power when the girl fell, her grin stretching from cheek to cheek, wand still trained on the girl. This is how it should be. Her standing over her toys, nothing standing in her way. Nothing at all. She loved to feel the most powerful, because she was. Never again would she be reduced to anything less by people who were under her. Never.

She giggled slightly at the words. "Of course it is! I am the Puppet master, and you are my toys," her grin became slightly more sinister, the edge coming back to her voice. "And I don't appreciate it when my toys don't do what I tell them. When I want to play cat and mouse, we play cat and mouse. But you just wanted to be clever about it."

She'd show what happened to people who were clever about things.

"If we're not going to play chases, then I want you to dance!" she hissed, eyes flashing. "Dance for me! Imperio!" let's start with something light. Something that'll make them both happy. "Let's dance! Let's fly!"

Bea really wanted to stop being so damn afraid, wanted to stop shivering and do something. But she couldn't, as fear had overcome her and paralysed her. She was angry at herself and at the woman, but she really didn't want to die, so she didn't dare to say anything. The woman said it was all a game and she seemed like a sore loser. If Bea lets her win, then maybe she would live. She just hoped the woman's idea of winning isn't a murder.

"Please," she whimpered, not really sure what she was asking for. Freedom? Or perhaps her wish was simply less pain than she was expecting.

Her mind went blank.

There was fog all around her, inside of her and there was no escape. But she didn't want escape, anyway. She was just waiting for orders. There was no other way but to obey them.

Fly

Her body jerked upwards until she was in the air, hanging there like a bizarre puppet on a string. The wand she was holding slipped through her fingers and fell on the floor. Not that she would need it, not now, when all she had to do was obey the voice in her head.

It was so funny when they went from being angry to begging. It was her favourite thing. Though she wasn't sure if she didn't just prefer it when they played along from the beginning. It was the fear that she came for, after all. But surprises could be nice sometimes.

Katia giggled when the woman began flying, brows rising when something dropped to the floor. Her wand. Well wasn't this interesting? Her fingers tightened around her own wand, remembering what had happened at the Ministry. All that talk about it had he wanting her revenge. And this would do for now. This would satisfy her for the moment.

Picking the wand up, Katia ran it under her nose, smelling the wood, and releasing her hold on the girl in front of her. She began giggling, slowly moving from a childlike noise to something more hysterical, a grin on her face as she pointed the girl's wand at her. "Let's see what it's like using something that isn't mine. Confundo."

At best it wouldn't be very powerful. But it was an adventure none the less.

Suddenly, Bea wasn't under the spell anymore and before she could do anything or even think, she fell back on the floor. She felt searing pain shoot through her left ankle and she yelped in pain. Everything hurt from the fall, but the pain in her ankle was different. It was as if though it was broken or at least twisted.

Pushing her thoughts aside, Bea made an attempt to stand up, ignoring the woman's giggles. Her attempt failed; as soon as she put her weight on her ankle, it gave in and she fell again, crying out as she did. She heard woman talking and looked up to see her pointing Bea's own wand at her.

She heard the spell, but didn't feel any consequences. Bea has been under that particular spell before and she knew how she should have felt. Now, however, she felt perfectly fine, considering. Looking up at the woman again, Bea managed a grin. "Having trouble?" She knew perfectly well that that will only make the woman angrier, but she couldn't resist.

It didn't take much to ruin the happiness that was in Katia's heart. Only little things, like the colour brown, turtles, or things not going her way. And this had not gone her way more than once tonight. And she was having none of it. Anger boiled in her blood, her smile twisting into a snarl, forgetting herself and allowing the red to take over, bluring her vision as she snapped the wood in her hand in half, crying out with a scream of anger and she plunged it down, aiming for the girl's hand.

She would not be the only one with a broken wand.

Katia pointed her own wand at the girl, hissing out a curse to make her sink boil, before speaking out the Unforgivable, intending to cause the girl pain, followed with a scream of her own that made her face go red. The Crucio wouldn't end until she ran out of breath.

No one mocked her. How dare they think they could mock her? She was the Game Master here. She would be the one to decide who was in charge and who would be mocked. And she did not give permission for that.

The grin faded from her lips the very next second, when the woman broke her wand and threw it on the ground. Bea was in mortal danger and she was very well aware of it, but for a moment, all she could feel was outrage and she was lying there, gaping at the woman.

That bitch!

Before she could think anything else, she was hit with unbelievable pain. Her whole body was burning up, it was like she was cooking in boiling water and she heard someone screaming blood-curdling screams somewhere near her. Or maybe it was her that was screaming. She couldn't tell, the pain was much too intense to tell anything.

Then another curse hit her, and Bea screamed and screamed, not being able to do anything else. She couldn't remember who she was, or where she was, or anything, she just knew she was unbearable pain, going through all of her body. So she screamed for help and wished for nothing but death. Oh, the sweet release of death would be so welcome.

But the pain wasn't ending, death wasn't there to take away the burden of life. She would have to live. She kept screaming, because the pain that took over her body and mind wouldn't let her do anything else. Then the darkness started calling her and just as she was about to give in, the curse was lifted off of her.

Yes, the curse wasn't on her anymore, but Bea still felt pain. It was in lesser quantities, but it was still present and the girl still wished for death. She curled up on herself on the floor, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing rapidly; her body was trying to keep her alive, even though she wouldn't have made that decision herself.

Katia could listen to them all day. Those sweet, delicious screams. If she could eat screams, she would. If she could survive only on the screams of others, she wouldn't hesitate. There was something magical and melodious to screams, something that touched the very inner most corners of her soul, that made her hair stand up on end and goose-bumps errupt on her skin. It was like a drug. One she never wanted to give up.

Watching the girl curl up on the floor, tears marring her face, chest heaving and eyes closed, like she was trying to shut herself off from the world, Katia wanted to coo and coddle her. She was so sweet, being all broken and bent. Like a little stray puppy that needed some tender loving care, wanted to be taken in from the storm and looked after till it was better.

Dropping onto her knees next to the girl, Katia began to make noises of sympathy, brushing her hand over the girl's hair, out of her pale face, up and down her arm in a comforting motion. So sweet, she looked, so innocent. Katia lent down, trailing her tongue along the girl's cheek, tasting the tears that were there. If only she could bottle up this sweet innocence for herself.

Her eyes glinted, fingers tightening round her wand. Now there was an idea.

With one short spell, Katia had a flask in her hand and a cut on the girl's hand, raising it to allow the blood to pool down into the flask, watching it drop bit by bit. "It's so beautiful, your blood. You must be so pleased with it. I'll be able to keep it with me forever, have a part of you with me for always. That way, when we meet again, I'll know it's you. And you'll know it's me. Because you'll find it."

She wouldn't let this sweet puppy ever leave her. Not completely.


((It's totally tomorrow now. And not a few days ago. And I hope I didn't go overboard.))

As she was lying there on the floor, all curled up together, Bea tried to shut off everything around her, after all, nothing mattered anymore. She was experiencing the aftermath of torture and the pain was still present, although it had lessened. Tears were still streaming down her face, but she didn't notice them anymore. She didn't notice anything.

Until she felt a hand brushing her hair off her face in a comforting manner. She let herself hope that the wretched woman was gone and that somebody had found her. For a moment, she hoped it would be Lucy who had found her and was now caressing her. She didn't dare open her eyes, just in case she had imagined it all, or worse, it wasn't Lucy taking care of her. Then she felt a tongue on her cheek and she flinched away from it, her face pulling itself into a grimace. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw the masked woman kneeling beside her.

Bea drew in a shaky breath and watched as the woman got herself a flask. She desperately wanted to get away, but it was like she had been paralysed; she couldn't move at all. She thought of apparating away, but then she saw her broken wand lying a few feet away from her.

Bitch broke my wand

A searing pain on her arm brought her back from her thoughts and she inhaled sharply. The woman was beyond mental and Bea shook with fear (Or was it the shock? She didn't know nor care) as she watched her blood drip into a flask and listened to the woman's words.

Something woke in Bea and she pulled her arm back to herself, gripping it tightly. Her somewhat defensive gaze never left the woman's masked face and even though she was terrified, she wouldn't let the woman have her way with everything.