Was It a Dream? (Madison & Finley)

Guest

The morning of Valentine's Day seemed to be a blur to Finley, or at least... it seemed to be a blur now. Panic had set in to Finley when he'd told Naomi about the Valentine's card he'd sent to Madison, the look on her face told him that perhaps he hadn't thought it through completely.

It wasn't that Finley didn't like Madison, it was simply that he knew that no one could ever possibly think of him in that manner and he simply didn't wish to pursue it at all. But after Naomi explained what could have been taken from what he'd written...

Finley had locked himself up in his room, trying to fight the feeling of sickness that had built in his stomach.

Would it be better to pretend it hadn't happened? Or admit to it? Or perhaps throw himself off the Ravenclaw Tower to avoid having to make a decision. No, not even Finley Allen was that cowardly.

But the words he'd written down now seemed... inadequate.

Dear~~est~~ Madison,

I got you this card... to... well to say thank you, really. Belatedly. For the time you followed me out of DADA. And... well, I just wanted to say I appreciated it. That I... appreciate you.

I hope you have a nice day, and that you, uh, get lots of cards, I guess?

I also got you some chocolates, hopefully they're the ones you like, but if they're not, I'm really sorry, I will get you something else.

How are you supposed to sign these off?

Finley?

So far, he'd done a good job of avoiding people, no one had bothered him as he sat reading. Meals had come and gone, and quite honestly, Finley had lost track of time. Until...

"STUDENTS, TO YOUR DORMITORIES IMMEDIATELY. PROFESSORS, THE CASTLE IS UNDER ATTACK, FORTIFY THE CASTLE, AND KEEP THE CHILDREN SAFE."

Jumping at the sound of the Headmaster's voice, Finley jumped from his bed, sending many of his possessions spiraling across the floor. The words of Professor Jameson made sense a few moments later, and Finley turned, grabbing his wand and running down the stairs. Looking for Naomi, Finley noted she was not in the common room and turned towards the girls stairs as a few of them came in to view. A third year shook her head at his questioning look and Finley looked towards the door.

He couldn't go out there, not if the Headmaster had told them they had to come to their dormitories... Professor Ellingston might have said he'd made good progress as of late with his non-verbal magic, but he'd be no match for anyone...

But Naomi was out there...

Sumire...

And what if Madison was caught up in the fight?

Finley stood looking at the door, debating going out and staying in the dormitory for a long while - specifically he didn't know. But after a time of unmeasured length, he stepped towards the door, ignoring those who tried to call him back and pushed it open. Standing in the corridor, Finley could see a few Ravenclaws hurrying back in, and it seemed... well, like chaos.

"W-where would they b-be?" Finley asked himself, moving off down the corridor, and nearly colliding with someone in the process.

Guest

Valentine’s day had come suddenly, dropping upon them like a fog. She woke up and, with a startling reminder from the calendar on her bedside table, realised what day it was, and, with a wrinkle of her nose, sat up in her bed. Her least favourite day, simply because of all the idiots around her. The girls in her dorm were all squeeing over things that they had already received - chocolate, flowers, cards, soft toys, and other things she did not want to think about. Hiding a roll of her eyes, Madison swung her feet over the edge of the bed and stood, intending on going to the bathroom, simply to avoid the others.

And then, she saw it. With a raise of her eyebrows, she glanced around the room, wondering if anyone had placed it there as a joke. A card and a box of what was apparently chocolate sat on her bedside table. It wasn’t that she had never received gifts on that day before - there had been a few guys before who had, apparently, interest in her - but rather, that she saw the day as something stupid. If you liked someone, why only tell them on that day? Romance was never something Maddie believed in to begin with, but if it did exists, then it should exist every day and not just on one day a year.

But there she was, on Valentine’s Day, with something waiting for her that was not the direct result of some asshat that would no doubt hear from her later on. Almost in disbelief, she watched it for a few more seconds, warily, waiting to see if it was a practical joke, and then, with a tiny shrug to herself, snatched it up and opened the card, at once recognising the handwriting.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

She read it once, twice, and then a third time, before finally closing it and pulling open a drawer and placing the card inside a box that would only open for her - charmed, of course, a present her father had gotten her the previous year for her birthday. The box of chocolate she did not bother to look at; whether she liked it or not, she would eat them, simply because… Well, she didn’t know why, if she were to be honest. There was just something about it that she did not want to talk about, a sensation that she could not comprehend.

Things went by fairly dull after that. She tried to seek out Finley, going to all his favourite hang outs. The library proved no luck; the lake was filled with couples, and she was sure he wouldn’t be there, although she did check; she even went around to see Professor Ellingston, but Finley was not with his mentor either. His common room was pretty much the only other place, and she was just on her way over there (it was surprising how easy it was to sneak in there; Melody and her had tried to get into all the different common rooms before she left, just for the fun of it) when the announcement came on.

For the second time that day, a curveball was thrown her way. Raising an eyebrow and muttering a curse - and not of the magical kind, either - under her breath, Maddie let out a sigh. “Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone,” she murmured, a dry smile crossing her features. She didn’t falter in her footsteps despite the panic that erupted all around her. Panic, she knew, did not help anyone. There was only one thing on her mind as people screamed and ran and did all those stupid things that one does in fear, and it was to make sure Finley was okay.

She had her posse, yes, but they weren’t friends. If - when - it came to it, Maddie knew she would abandon them in a heartbeat, and vice versa. Nirek was just some Gryffindor idiot she was manipulating. Josh was a mentor, someone she looked up to and someone from whom she could learn a lot, but he was most definitely not a friend. But Finley? Finley actually cared, and so, in some weird way, she decided that she, too, cared for him.

There was a calm look on her face as she walked, increasing her speed only momentarily. At least it would be easier to sneak into the tower; she could follow some of the Ravenclaws in. But, as she rounded a corner, she saw a flash of familiar brown hair and a pair of worried blue eyes, and the corners of her mouth lifted into a half-smile as Finley barely missed running into her.

Almost out of reflex, she caught hold of his arms, steadying both him and her, so that neither would fall, but also so that he would just stop. “Woah there, Finn,” she said, keeping her tone light. “Aren’t you supposed to be going towards your common room and not away?” There was a tinge of laughter in her voice at the irony of it all; Finley, the one who always followed the rules and hated getting in trouble, was now disobeying direct instructions from the Headmaster. But she didn’t say that, simply letting his shoulders go and crossing her arms.

With a tilt of her head, she smirked just a little. “Where you going?”

Guest

The someone, Finley didn't take in completely to start with. Too busy in trying to think where all of his friends would be now. Where did Madison go? Where would Naomi be if not in the common room? Would Sumire be in the Arts room? The questions were running through his head so quickly that he was barely finishing one before the next came.

So processing someone catching hold of him, and bringing him to a stop without him crashing to the floor was perhaps an achievement if you thought about it, but Finley was too busy getting ready to tell the person to let him go, when the very familiar eyes of Madison Bishop met his. The words died on his lips as he took in the witch, completely unharmed.

“Aren’t you supposed to be going towards your common room and not away?”

Finley shook his head almost immediately at that question. "Naomi isn't in t-the common r-room." He explained, subtly pulling himself free from the witch's grasp because he still wasn't much in to contact, and contact with Madison... He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "And S-Sumire. Y-you." Again, Finley shook his head, looking around the corner with an anxious expression on his features.

He knew he should be staying in the common room, but his best friend was out in the castle somewhere, and he had to know that she was safe.

The question of where he was going made Finley look back towards Madison, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to answer the question directly. "I..." But the Ravenclaw didn't complete the sentence because he didn't wish to say he didn't know. So, instead he went with a "You h-have to help m-me find them, M-Madison." Though he was pleading with her, he couldn't expect the Slytherin to help, they weren't her friends, after all.

Guest

As she watched Finley react to seeing her, Maddie said nothing, instead taking it all in and storing it away for further evaluation later on. Focusing on his answer, she couldn't help but notice a surge of... something... inside her when he mentioned his best friend. She had felt it before, but she couldn't quite place it, and never really heeded it.

The sake of his head combined with the pulling away made her wonder what was going through his head. He wasn't a Gryffindor, that was for sure - he wasn't brave - and yet to disobey a direct order and abandon safety for the sake of one person... The thought intrigued her. It wasn't something she would ever do, except for perhaps her sister. And Finley, an unfamiliar voice at the back of her mind whispered, but it was easily ignored and forgotten.

But then, Finley was continuing, and his last word made no sense to her.

"S-Sumire. Y-you."

Me? she wondered. Me what? And that uninvited voice she did not like answered, He cares. This time, she listened to it, although she did not understand. He wanted to make sure she was safe? Why? Too many questions, too little time to get the answers.

Despite it all, there was one thing that Madison Bishop was certain of, and that was she wasn't going to let the Ravenclaw play hero. Not because he was a Ravenclaw, but because he was her Ravenclaw. My game, she tried to remind herself, but the title just didn't feel quite right. Once again, she pushed aside the feelings and waited for Finley to continue, nodding at his words.

"Naomi is safe, Finn. I saw her entering the Forbidden Forest earlier. She'll be safe there," she said at once. It was a lie. Of course it was - she didn't know where the witch was, nor did she particularly care - but it was a necessary tale to get Finley to go with her, to somewhere safe. Because she needed him safe.

"And Sumire is in her common room. I also saw her entering the kitchens." She paused, realised this was probably not the best thing to have said; she couldn't have been in two places at once. Thinking quickly, she added, "I was outside, by the lake. Just as I came in the announcement came on. That's why I saw them both." It was plausible, and Finley was easily manipulated; he always wanted to have hope, so giving it to him was easy.

Tilting her head a little, she went on, before he had a chance to question her, "Do you trust me, Finley?"

Guest

Finley's features contorted in to confusion as Madison explained that Naomi had gone to the Forbidden Forest. Why? He thought, trying to work that out, and then. "Why?" He asked out loud, but it was rhetorical, Madison wouldn't know if he didn't know. But even if he couldn't fathom why Naomi was in the Forbidden Forest, at this time of day, he believed Madison.

She had no reason to lie to him, and Finley trusted her.

Her safety though, in the Forbidden Forest, Finley didn't believe, but she wasn't in the castle that was under attack. That made anywhere much more safe than here at the moment, and Finley gave a short nod in that moment, giving in to the information he'd been given.

The Ravenclaw didn't blink an eyelid as Madison said she'd seen Sumire too. He hadn't thought to question how she'd seen both of them. He simply believe Madison because there wasn't a single reason why he shouldn't. Not to mention, he could only feel relieved that the three people he cared about most were safe, so that was enough for him.

"Do you trust me, Finley?"

Looking down the hall once more, seeing a number of students hurrying up to the common room, Finley made his decision in that moment. Eyes drifting back to the Slytherin witch, Finley nodded. "Of c-course I do." Finley told her, forcing a small smile on to his lips that forced the worry away, if only momentarily. "W-" Finley paused, wondering if he should ask...

"Why?"

Now didn't seem the time for such questions, and he was confused, but he trusted Madison, rightly or wrongly, he trusted the Slytherin before him.

Guest

Too easy. That was what it was to manipulate Finley, and she wondered how anyone could be that naive, even if he did question her. His tone gave it away that he didn't really mean for her to answer. Still, she shrugged, said, "No clue, but they're attacking the castle and not the forest." Assuring him that his beloved best friend was safe and would come to no danger was easy, although she had to push past that weird thing inside her. And was it weird to wish that Naomi wasn't actually safe?

Time and place, she chided herself mentally. She could worry about her sanity another time; for now, her only goal was to keep Finley safe. There's no point in having a dead game, she told herself.

"Of c-course I do."

Foolish, she thought in reply, but merely smiled outwardly. People trusted her, for whatever reason. It was far too easy to play naive, innocent little girl - a frown of confusion here, a few fake tears there, and a lot of wide eyes did the trick. Child's play, really, but that was exactly what it was, for Madison was still but a young girl.

"I'm going to get you somewhere safe, but you're going to have to do exactly as I say, okay?" she told him. This, for once, was the truth. She had debated multiple places to hide. The common rooms were safe, but there was still a chance of the attackers - whoever they were - breaking in. If she and Melody could do it as first years, surely a bunch of adults could, too.

The Room of Requirement was another option, but she was sure she wasn't the only student to know of its existence, and on the odd chance that someone else was already there, it wouldn't open and she would waste time and risk being spotted by the attackers. No, that was not the wise choice. There didn't seem to be any other location in the castle, and that was when it hit her.

The castle was under attack - so leave! It wasn't as though the double doors at the front of the castle was the only way to get in and out. Merlin knew she knew at least 3 secret passages and was discovering more with each year that passed by. The nearest was only a floor away, and that was where she had decided on taking Finley.

Grabbing his hand, she held it tightly in her own and looked him in the eyes. "Come on," she said, giving him a couple seconds to adjust and process what she had done, and then she took off, running towards the staircase.

Guest

The confirmation that the forest was safe - or at least safer than the castle was enough to bring Finley a little hope. Hope that his best friend would indeed be okay, and he wouldn't have to worry about her too much now. And, Sumire was safe. Which meant.

"W-we have to make sure y-you are safe." Finley told the witch before him, flinching as an explosion came from down below once more, making the castle shake in the aftermath. Or, at least, Finley thought it shook, it might well have been his legs that were shaking, in all honesty.

"I'm going to get you somewhere safe, but you're going to have to do exactly as I say, okay?"

Finley nodded without a thought. He was good at following instructions - usually, anyway, tonight was a little different, but that was not up for discussion. And, safety sounded like the best thing that could possibly happen in that moment. Getting away from the danger until they were told that it was safe once more was something Finley really wanted now his reason for being out of the common room was gone.

Ready to just head back up the corridor he'd come from, Finley had not been expecting to be pulled in the complete opposite direction a moment later. Forget that Madison was holding his hand in that moment, and his body might be processing that in many different ways, Finley's worry started to mount. "W-where are we going?" Finley asked the witch as they ran along the corridor. His anxiety was building, and the trust he'd expressed was wavering, but never once did he try to stop Madison.

He could have, he was definitely stronger than the Slytherin, but he knew better than to tell people no.

The staircases came in to view a moment later, and Finley looked over the banisters, trying to see what was happening below, but they were moving too fast, he couldn't see. So he concentrated on Madison, and where they were going, trying to remember to breath as he ran.

Not get too worked up.

Because that was not going to help right now.

Guest

The boy is more foolish than I first thought, she told herself, ignoring the jolt inside her. It was most likely caused by the explosion, anyway, about which she was mostly nonplussed. After all, it was expected; nobody attacks a place without some form of violence. But Finley had not thought about his safety, instead risking his life for ... what? Friends? It was a stupid idea. Self-preservation was always more important than anyone, and she knew that.

And yet she was here, with Finley, listening to him talk about making sure she was safe. Maddie knew she was not about to let some idiots kill her - no, when she died, it would be on her own terms, how and when she wanted it and not a second before.

"I'm a hundred percent sure I'm not dead," she told the boy, replying him a few moments later. It was too confusing to think about his words; indeed, the concept of caring was far beyond her understanding. If she could ever comprehend it is a fact unknown, although she would say it was something that merely wasted time. Why bother thinking of someone else when one's own well-being already took up so much effort?

That was why, in a sense, Maddie was glad Finley was not a Hufflepuff. Those people - the kind and open-hearted ones - were all idiots and their style of thinking was too pathetic for her to deal with.

As they ran, she was glad that Finley had not faltered, instead following her. It would have been difficult if he had refused to go along with her, for that would have meant she would have had to pull him - something that she knew she could do, but would rather avoid. The question wasn't one that was unexpected. Finley was, after all, a Ravenclaw, and those people tended to ask about things often. How, why, where, when, who... They wanted to learn, as if textbook knowledge was enough.

Maddie always found that idea absurd. You learnt through doing, in trying and in observing others fail, and not through words on a parchment or a verbal statement.

But if it would comfort Finley enough for her to save their lives, she would play along. "Somewhere safe," she replied, curtly, moving down the staircase.

Another explosion shook the school, and she murmured a curse under her breath - they were getting closer. Increasing her speed slightly, she practically flew around the corner, not caring if she had to drag Finley along. Skidding to a stop by a statue in a small alcove, she glanced around, making sure nobody was watching, and then turned to Finley.

"Follow me, and keep quiet. It's not big enough for so many people," she said. Waiting just long enough for him to agree, she flattened herself against the wall, squeezing past the statue. Not once did she let go of his hand, instead just waiting for him to follow behind her.

She knew where it would lead - at first, it would look like they were headed to a dead end behind the statue, but bend forward and tap the base of the statue with one's wand, and a small panel would open up. It was just big enough for one to get through in a seated position, and then it was only a few feet drop to the bottom; the passage was large enough to walk through hunched over, but the downhill slope would eventually even that out. It would lead, she knew, to one of the pubs in Hogsmeade.

Guest

Finley knew Madison wasn't dead, so the comment simply confused the Ravenclaw in that moment. But, he knew better than to question Madison, especially now, not to mention he had way too many other things running through his mind that weird comments like that just weren't worth the breath to ask.

As the ran, it became increasingly apparent to Finley that he needed to get in to sport a little more. Quickly he became out of breath, and his heart (that was already going fast) was now hammering in his chest as his breathing became laboured with each step. But Madison didn't slow down, and the Ravenclaw had no choice but to keep running with her in that moment.

The comment on heading somewhere safe was only something Finley could believe in that moment, because he didn't know where they were heading that would be safer than the common room.

As Madison stopped, Finley just about managed to stop himself from crashing in to her. Taking the moment to bend over, hands on his thighs sucking air in to his lungs, Finley didn't take much notice of where they were, too preoccupied with the moment.

The stop was short lived though, and Finley simply followed Madison without question behind the statue and then in to it. Questions could wait for later as he checked that no one had seen them before following Madison in to the tunnel before him. As he hit the bottom, Finley stood up a little bit too quickly, banging his head in the process and wincing as he realised how low the ceiling was. Grumbling to himself as his free hand moved to soothe the skin, Finley followed Madison carefully, keeping his head low so not to hit it again.

They walked for what seemed like ages, Finley's breathing slowly evening out, though he was growing very tired from the anxiety, from the adrenaline wearing off, and for the hour as it grew later. But he didn't complain. The Ravenclaw simply followed in silence until they had reached the far end of the tunnel. Where it came out, the boy had no idea, but before Madison could reach out to open the hatch, Finley pulled the witch back to him.

His lower lip hand been brought between his teeth, worrying over their next move. "Do you t-think it's safe?" The boy asked, not calling Madison out on not knowing, but just needing some reassurance. "W-would it not be... b-better to wait h-here?" He asked, even though the dark tunnel wasn't pleasant, at least they knew what was in here.

Beyond the tunnel... they wouldn't know anything.

His eyes moved to Madison's searching hers for some sign of what she wanted to do. She, however, was much braver than he could ever be, and he knew that if she wanted something, he would follow her, but he wanted to make sure it was right.

Guest

Stamina wasn't something she lacked, and she knew why, too. All those years of running around with her sister, playing pranks on the meanest and biggest boys in class and taking off before they could even turn around... Well, she had a lot of practice with running away from things, and fast. Hogwarts lessons taught her how to fight, if it called for it, and those lessons in DADA, she knew, didn't just apply to 'Dark Arts'.

Although in this case, whoever was attacking the castle had more than just a slight upper hand, and Maddie knew it was best to run and hide. It wasn't a cowardly thing to do, no; it was self-preservation. She would have left alone, too, if not for the fact that Finley... Well, she wasn't sure what it was about the Ravenclaw that made her change her policy of placing her life above others, but he did, and that in itself confused her more than the current situation.

Who was attacking students, and why they'd want to take on a mere school, she didn't know. She would find out, later, in her own time, but not to satisfy any lingering curiosity. No, Madison Bishop wanted to join the winning side. It didn't matter who it was that would win, nor who lost; if it would mean she lived, she would and could switch sides in a heartbeat.

But Finley... She wasn't quite sure how he would deal with all this, and all she could do was hope that he didn't have a panic attack or get all worried on her. Patience for whining was not her strong suit. Stopping herself from reacting when he hit his head on the ceiling, she simply said, "Careful." But even she wasn't sure what she meant by that: careful not to make too much noise. Careful not to attract attention to where they were. Careful not to hurt himself, because she didn't want him to be hurt. It was all of these things, and at the same time, none of these things. All she knew is she wanted him to be safe.

In silence, they navigated down the tunnel, Madison thankful for the opportunity to just think. She went over the details of the attack, trying to figure out a motive, a cause, but came up blank. She would need to do much more research about it and get to chatting up Professors before she could come to a solid conclusion. But Finley could never find out she was doing that, because he would worry too much.

Somehow, along the way, her thoughts turned to the boy. What was she thinking, taking him into the tunnels? She was giving away one of her main escape routes from the castle, and if he ever told anyone about it, she would be in a load of trouble. Of course, she could always pretend that she had only ever read about it... But he wouldn't tell. He could be trusted. That was why she had brought him in the first place; if she hadn't thought he could be trusted, she would have left him in the castle... Right?

In all honesty, Madison wasn't sure of much anymore, and instead focused on walking and getting somewhere safe. When they reached, she was just about to open the panel above them when Finley's voice stopped her.

She turned towards him, tilted her head slightly in confusion. Hadn't she already said it was safe? But his next words cleared up the uncertainty. He was worried, and she didn't blame him. Of course, worry was unnecessary, an emotion that hindered and didn't do much else, but he was, after all, a Ravenclaw and she could forgive that mistake.

She nodded, answering his first question. "I wouldn't have brought us here if I wasn't sure. In fact, I bet my life on it being safe." She was stating the obvious; Madison wouldn't have even thought of setting foot in a place where her safety wasn't guaranteed.

Glancing around, she shrugged. "We could wait here, if we wanted to. But why not wait out in the fresh air? It's Hogwarts being attacked, not Hogsmeade. And this door leads there. A pub, to be exact." A small sly smile formed on her lips. "Fancy a butterbeer, Finley?"

But she still didn't open the hatch, instead waiting for his reaction, making sure he was okay with it before she would lead them out.

» Well This Was Unexpected (Madison & Finley)
» Sweet Dream or a Beautiful Nightmare? (Jazalea)
» Naomi O'Hare
» Madison Bishop
» Cat and Mouse (Madison)