Stone Cold Crazy (Brody & Kalaira)

[Sasha Sharpe]

Sasha leaned back against the trunk of an old hickory and looked out over the grounds. It was a beautiful day. A slight breeze rippled the grass in waves, undulating over the gentle hills and carrying the scent of wildflowers. The sun shone down, casting dappled shadows through the leaves of the oak that painted shifting shapes onto her. The air was chilly, but her thick robes cut the wind off of her body.

In fact, it was the perfect day to screw with a well-deserving upstart. Sasha had deeply enjoyed all of the ways that she and Brody had planted the seeds of rumors into the heads and mouths of the Hogwarts students over the last few weeks. But they still had more work to do. There were things left undone and unsaid, namely to a young Gryffindor that Sasha knew had been casting dreamy doe-eyed looks at Brody for the last year or so. That simply had to change.

The order of the world was shifting every second, and they were helping it along. She was growing more convinced by the day that Brody could have made a wonderful Slytherin; they were a dynamic duo that orchestrated their cunning play flawlessly in front of the student body. They saw what they wanted, and come hell or high water, they were going to get it. And one little wet-behind-the-ears girl wasn't going to stand in their way.

Kalaira was the last remnant of Brody's brief flight into the land of the misfit toys, his time with the silly group... Revolution or Freedom or some other stupid name. She was wholesome, trusting, naive, empty between the ears, and disgustingly young. She believed that Brody could do no wrong; he was a white knight, a chivalrous prince the likes of which the world had never seen for hundreds of years and likely never would again.

Honestly, it was funny, how little she knew about the boy. She would never appreciate his sharp, sarcastic wit and his acerbic conversation. She would never understand what it was like to spar with him, physically and verbally. For a moment, memories of the day in the Great Hall kissing Brody flashed into her mind. She brushed them away like cobwebs and returned her attention to the field. Brody would be arriving soon.

They had been planning this for a few days, meeting on the grounds and having a 'couple moment,' as they called them, for the students to spot and spread rumors about. Only today they wouldn't have just the usual student audience. Today they would be joined by none other than the little interloper herself.

In what Sasha privately considered a modest stroke of brilliance, she had penned a note in Brody's name to Kalaira. After spending so much time around him, she had noticed his turns of phrase and how he sounded when he spoke. She only had to nick a page of his notes to be able to cast a handwriting forgery spell and write in his characteristic spiky scrawl. She had said only that he had something he wanted to talk to her about, and would she please come and meet him on the grounds at four? Sasha had bribed a friend of a friend to leave it in the Gryffindor common room where she would find it. And now, she thought as she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear against the unruly wind, all she had to do was wait. She smiled wickedly at the thought.

((OOC: It will probably work best if Brody replies first. :) ))

[Hunter Broderick Yorke]

Things had been going rather well for Brody since he and Sasha had become an "item". Not much had changed. Most people had hated him before, despite the fact that he was a decent guy. Now that he was pretending to be a stereotypical Yorke brat, people who were wrong to hate him were patting themselves on the back in congratulations of their excellent ability to see through the smoke and mirrors that had allowed him to somehow end up in Gryffindor. They were fools, all of them. No one knew what Brody had planned except for Jacqueline. She was the only one he could trust. Even his lovely partner-in-crime hadn't a clue what his true motives were. He liked it that way. The more people who knew, the more likely it was that it would slip out, and his entire scheme would fail. And his scheme needed to work.

Brody wasn't too worried about anyone's reactions to his sudden change in behaviour. Most wouldn't even notice. Those that did would understand in time. The temporary loss of their respect was worth it to secure the information from his grandfather. There was only one person whose reaction he feared: Kalaira Darus. She loved him, and it was pretty obvious to anyone who was around the pair of them for more than three seconds. It was bad enough that he was unable to return the feelings she felt for him. He cared about her more than she knew, but he knew she had deeper feelings for him than he could reciprocate at that point in his life. The fact that he had began dating a Slytherin girl would surely crush her. And Sasha's devious and manipulative personality would only add insult to injury. He had tried to avoid as many public displays of affection as possible in order to prevent Kalaira from finding out, but being open with their relationship was important to the plan's success, and Sasha always convinced him to go through with it. How else would it be confirmed that he had switched over to the dark side? Still, the last thing he wanted was to see Kalaira's face when she found out.

For that reason, Brody was reluctant to meet Sasha in the grounds that afternoon. It was a gorgeous day, and he was aware that the majority of Hogwarts students would be outside. That was precisely why Sasha had been able to convince him to go. That and her undeniable charm. Brody shook his head. He hated thinking nice things about Sasha. But sometimes, he unwittingly allowed a thought to traipse into his mind; a thought like "look how hot Sasha looks today" or "wow, she has such pretty eyes" or "I might possibly be slightly enjoying this kiss". They were not welcome in Brody's head, but they came all the same. It was getting harder and harder to imagine what it was like before they began their "relationship", and that scared Brody to his core. Though it was true that he had never met a girl so quick-witted and crafty, that didn't erase the fact that she was pure evil. As the days past, he grudgingly found that pure evil was looking pretty good.

"Why hello there beautiful," he greeted Sasha with a flirtatious wink as he arrived to where she waited. He bent down to her level and gave her a kiss, internally slapping himself when he felt his heart beat faster. Attraction to Sasha was just not going to fly with Brody. Unfortunately, he had no control.

[Sasha Sharpe]

As Sasha waited, she couldn't help but watch the students milling about with a mild amount of interest. One could learn a lot about the social workings of the hive of Hogwarts by careful observation. The small group of young students heading towards the lake was a perfect example. She could easily tell the hierarchy among them; the brunette with the curls was the leader, holding immediate authority over the braided blonde. The mousy girl in glasses didn't agree with the brunette on anything, but she deferred to her.

At one point, Spectacles glanced Sasha's way with a curious look. She raised an eyebrow pointedly at her, and the girl immediately cast her eyes away. She smirked. Children these days weren't raised with any spine. Though part of it was probably the Hufflepuff badge on the girl's chest. It was like a rite of passage to give up any vertebrae you previously possessed to join that house.

She shook her head. That was one thing she respected about Brody. He had a firm sense of willpower. He could stand up for himself. For one thing, it made their verbal sparring that much more entertaining. It was no fun at all to toy with someone who wouldn't fight back. But a willing opponent, that was a glorious thing. And even beyond their spicy interactions, Sasha simply couldn't stand people who didn't even have enough guts to defend themselves.

Once upon a time, she'd thought she couldn't stand Brody, too. Their initial encounter in the library had been disastrous at best. She'd gone away with a first impression of the worst sorts. Of course, parts of her assessment had been entirely accurate - his hotheadedness, his ability to take things for granted, and his political views - but beyond that, as much as she hated to admit, she was wrong. She'd told him at the time that she despised him, and he had wholeheartedly agreed. If the Brody from a few months ago were to ask her now, she would have had to lie.

She didn't hate him anymore. It was rather difficult to hate someone when you enjoyed spending time with them as much as she did. Certainly, there were parts of his personality that drove her crazy, but she was actually looking forward to seeing him today. She was definitely looking forward to kissing him. And there wasn't anything wrong with that, was there? She was allowed to find pleasure in a kiss, especially when the boy in question was rather talented in that arena. She was perfectly capable of delineating physical attraction and the strange, pseudo-friendly arrangement they had. She ignored the tiny, niggling sense of doubt that crept into her mind at that. No. She was very skilled at compartmentalizing.

"Why hello there beautiful."

She looked up. Speak of the devil. He cast her a jaunty wink, and she smirked in response. When he leaned down to kiss her, she returned it, slipping a hand up to his shoulders. She knew the move would look possessive to anyone watching. After relishing the kiss for a moment, she drew back a few scant inches, leaving paltry breathing room between their faces, to smile.

"Mm. Hello to you, too. I hope you don't greet everyone that way," she said with a mischievous quirk of her lips. She spoke loud enough for passerby to hear. Darus ought to be arriving soon. After all, Brody was always punctual, and Sasha had a suspicion that Kalaira was never one to dawdle when he was involved. Best to keep the tableau as picturesque as possible for her eminent arrival. So with another smirk, she tilted her face up and stole his lips again.

[Kalaira Darus]

Kalaira was ecstatic! Today she would get to spend the day with Brody, which she hadn't had a chance to do yet this year. Actually, she hadn't seen him at all this year and the fact that he had left her a letter made her giggle with joy. One of her dorm mates had brought her the letter, stating that Brody had some stuff to do, but wanted the letter delivered directly to Kalaira's hand. The girl acted weird, and Kalaira sensed a lie, but seeing Brody's spiky scrawl had her heart jumping with joy, and she ignored her instincts.

Kalaira dressed carefully for this occasion, she wanted to look her best. She dug out her favorite black shirt with the white kitty with wings on the front, put on a pair of tight blue jeans and a pair of black and dark blue sneakers. Her new female figure stood out nicely in this outfit; the curve of her hips, the growth in her chest, the slenderness of her waist. Kalaira also took the time to style her bright red hair in a slightly messy, spiky style that looked good with the short cut, and a little bit of make up to help emphasis her startling green eyes; she was ready to go. Brody hadn't seen these changes yet and she wanted to look her best.

Realizing she was running a little late Kalaira raced out of the Gryffindor House and quickly hurried out of the school. It didn't specify a specific area where she was to meet Brody, just a general location, so Kalaira slowed to a walk and kept her eyes open for Brody. As she came up on the large hickory tree mentioned in the letter she saw a couple of students making out. Kalaira smiled at the situation, enjoying the love that was in the air. But as she took another quick look in their general direction something about the couple struck her as odd...the guy looked like Brody.

Confused and unsure of the situation Kalaira drew nearer. She didn't want her temper to get the better of her on some innocent sap who just happened to have a similar build as Brody. But there was no denying it, it was Brody. He was snogging a beautiful blond Slytherin. Why a Slytherin! It went against everything he had ever said!

Suddenly her lungs felt like they were collapsing, she had a sharp pain in her chest, it was just so hard to breath. Wrapping her arms tightly around her torso as she tried to hold in the pain Kalaira walked closer still. "Why Brody?! Why?" Kalaira gasped out through the agony; tears started to trail down her cheeks before she even realized she was crying.

"You asked me to come?! To see this?! You wanted to talk to me about this?!" Anger was taking over as Kalaira stood up straight and took a defensive stance taught to her by Professor Freman. Her wand was in hand before she had even thought of a spell to cast.

"Do you hate me that much?!" Wishing she hadn't asked it, Kalaira shook her head in denial. She didn't really want to hear the answer and she knew the Slytherin would get a kick out of her asking. Kalaira just didn't know what to do. Stay and wait for answers or turn and run away. But she had never been one to run. She turned her full attention to Brody and waited for his "explanations".

[Hunter Broderick Yorke]

"Mm. Hello to you, too. I hope you don't greet everyone that way," she said with a mischievous quirk of her lips.

"Oh, of course not," he scoffed jokingly, smirking. "These lips belong to you only, baby." As she brought her lips back to his, he wrapped his arms around her waist in a tight embrace.

Over their time together, it had gotten more and more normal to talk to her like they were really in a relationship. It had become...natural. The feel of her hair, the smell of her shampoo, the touch of her soft lips - it had all become like a second skin to him. He often wondered what it would be like when their little agreement reached it's inevitable end. Would he still dream about her? Would she still have the urge to kiss him when it was no longer part of a plan? He always told his brain to shut up when it brought these questions forward, but they always crept back. He hoped that by the time that moment finally came when they went their separate ways, he would no longer be wondering.

Brody had expected the day to go a certain way, and it certainly did not involve Kalaira. So when he heard her voice ring in his ears as he kissed Sasha, he nearly choked on his tonsils.

"Why Brody?! Why?"

Brody jumped away from Sasha, his heart racing and his mouth gaping open like an idiot.

"Kalaira! I...um...." That was all he was able to get out. He had no idea what to say to her. Why? She couldn't know the real reason. But their fake reason would break her heart. He just stared at her, his eyebrows scrunched as if he was concentrating intensely on something in the distance.

"You asked me to come?! To see this?! You wanted to talk to me about this?!"

Brody looked back and forth between Kalaira and Sasha, wondering what the hell was going on. Invited her? He certainly had not done that. That last thing he wanted was to have to show Kalaira what was going on between he and Sasha. And now it was happening.

"I - what? I didn't - ". He cast a suspicious glance at Sasha. Could she have...? No. It wasn't possible. Kalaira knew his writing. If Sasha had written a letter in his name...but she was more crafty than anyone he knew. If anyone could pull it off, it was her. He gave her a questioning look, knowing she would know what he was inquiring about. If she was guilty, he would know. He knew her pretty well at this point. Being together for twelve hours a day had really helped him learn her tells and quirks.

It was as he interrogated Sasha with his eyes that he noticed Kalaira pulling out her wand. He spun around and stood in between Kalaira and Sasha, not sure which girl to protect. Kalaira didn't stand a chance against Sasha, but it was his small, red-headed friend that was pointing a weapon. He hesitated, moving his hands back and forth between the two, trying to calm the situation.

"Calm down, Kalaira...I - look, I didn't want you to find out this way," he panicked, trying to breathe calmly but failing. "Sasha...is my girlfriend."

"Do you hate me that much?!"

Of course he didn't. How could he? She was an important part of his life. And she would one day understand why he was doing this. As much as he wanted to hug her and tell her the truth, he knew he couldn't. It was too risky. No one could know the plan. It was crucial that his true motives stay secret, no matter the cost. The loss of Kalaira's friendship was just collateral damage. If he wanted to change the world, and he did, with all his heart, he would need to make sacrifices along the way.

"I've...I've just changed, " he stuttered, barely able to look her in the eyes. He turned to look at Sasha, begging her to finish it. He was weak. He needed the Sasha he remembered; the dark, twisted and sadistic one. He needed her to put the nail in the coffin. He just couldn't do it.

[Sasha Sharpe]

"Oh, of course not," he scoffed jokingly, smirking. "These lips belong to you only, baby." As she brought her lips back to his, he wrapped his arms around her waist in a tight embrace.

Sasha smiled faintly into the kiss at Brody's teasing words. He never failed to amuse her. He was surprisingly reliable in that regard, and if she was being honest, in every regard, really. He was dependable; a little predictable, but she found she rather liked that about him.

"Why Brody?! Why?" As Bambi's voice appeared in her ears, she felt Brody freeze and stiffen against her in shock. Only a half instant later, he was stumbling away from her with a horrified expression, like a fish caught out of water, mouth hanging open as he stared in terror. Attractive.

"Kalaira! I...um...." Were she not supposed to be looking surprised, Sasha would have snorted aloud at Brody's moment of eloquence. It was interesting, though, how clever and witty he could be around her, but completely lose sense of his own words around Kalaira. Maybe he just didn't feel comfortable around the little brat. She couldn't blame him for that.

Still, instead of laughing, she put on one of her blase, unamused looks, but raised her eyebrows in quiet surprise. She had to look unhappy at the interruption, as if warding Kalaira off by her glare alone, but surprised at her nonetheless. It was no challenge to convince the child, she was sure.

"You asked me to come?! To see this?! You wanted to talk to me about this?!"

God, but that girl could shriek. She would need to have her eardrums checked after this. It was like a banshee and a toddler had crossed and formed some hideous, mutinous child that could do nothing but scream for what it wanted.

"I - what? I didn't - " He shot Sasha a sharp look. Hm. There were downsides to Brody being intelligent. He got ideas into his head quickly. Well, she would just play it straight. If he figured it out, then she would deal with him after it was over. She knew that Brody wouldn't dare compromise their plan in front of Kalaira.

Then the little Lolita had the brass to actually draw her wand on Sasha - the nerve of her! It was laughable to think that Bambi could actually win a duel against her, but even raising her wand against her was sacrilegious. She was the Head Girl! She didn't have to stand for this! It made her blood boil. Still, she was nothing if not a master at maintaining a polished exterior while she fumed inside. She narrowed her eyes, but beyond that, left her face untouched. The only sign of a reaction would have required a sharp eye to notice - that she had slipped her index finger up towards her wrist to trigger the release mechanism in her wrist holster, allowing her wand to slip down into her hand. She held it to her side, hidden in the folds of her robe.

"Calm down, Kalaira...I - look, I didn't want you to find out this way," Brody interrupted. Sasha refrained from raising her wand. She didn't doubt that she had more experience dueling than Bambi; if it came to it, she could draw and counter Kalaira's hex in time. But if Brody managed to defuse the situation, it might not have to come to that. As much as Sasha despised the sniveling girl screaming at them, she hated getting her hands dirty even more. She wasn't against violence, per se, so much as she was against having to do it herself. She would avoid it if possible, but if the little girl pushed her to it, then there simply wouldn't be a choice.

Fortunately, Brody didn't back down from what he had to say. With only one hesitation, he continued. "Sasha...is my girlfriend." After a second, Sasha slid her wand away back into her sleeve.

It appeared that that was the wrong thing to say. "Do you hate me that much?!"

"I've...I've just changed, " he stuttered, barely able to look her in the eyes. He was guilty, that much was obvious. Still, he was holding his own. Sasha remained silent. This was his battle; she wasn't going to enter it unless he wanted her to. He would only become resentful if she tried too hard to push Kalaira away.

But a moment later, it appeared that that was exactly what he wanted. He turned to cast her a look so sorrowful and pleading that she actually, for just a split second, felt slightly bad for having to arrange things to happen this way. It passed quickly enough, though.

She met his eyes for a moment, then gave the faintest of faint nods, imperceptible to anyone who wasn't standing as close to her as he was. She simply wanted him to know that she was only getting involved because he asked her to.

Turning her attention back to Kalaira, she scowled. "Look at you! Do you have any idea how pathetic you're acting?" She laughed once, humorless and cold. "Really, now. Brody is taken. Very, very taken," she said, and to emphasize her point, she sidled up next to him, slipping her arms around him and melding her body against his. She slid her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck, then turned to fix Kalaira with an icy stare.

"And even if he wasn't, what do you really think would have happened? Hmmm? What are you, twelve?" She snorted lightly and tossed her blonde hair back over one shoulder. "Scamper on off, Bambi. The grownups are busy." With that, she turned her back on the little Gryffindor, put her hand to Brody's cheek, and pulled him down for a kiss, knowing full well that Kalaira would still be watching.

[Kalaira Darus]

"Calm down, Kalaira...I - look, I didn't want you to find out this way," he panicked, trying to breathe calmly but failing. "Sasha...is my girlfriend."

"Wha...?! no! That can't be! Brody, you're better..." Kalaira could think clearly, couldn't put a complete sentence together as she tried to absorb what he was saying. Then she spoke and all Kalaira could do was stare in stark horror at her words.

"Look at you! Do you have any idea how pathetic you're acting?" She laughed once, humorless and cold. "Really, now. Brody is taken. Very, very taken. And even if he wasn't, what do you really think would have happened? Hmmm? What are you, twelve?" She snorted lightly and tossed her blonde hair back over one shoulder. "Scamper on off, Bambi. The grownups are busy."

Kalaira couldn't think, Kalaira couldn't breath, Kalaira couldn't see past the blinding hatred that tore up through her at the evil girls harsh words.
But when the vile bitch turned and started kissing Brody, blatantly flaunting the "relationship" in Kalaira's face, she snapped. Something deep down inside wanted nothing more then to cause this Slytherin immense pain, like nothing she had ever felt before...but something Kalaira had. She knew the incantation; she had heard it enough times through her nine months of captivity. She knew the wand movement like the back of her hand.

Without realizing what she was actually doing, Kalaira's eyes bore into the Slytherin's back and everything happened in slow motion; before her common sense could stop her. Her hands flowed through the motion, and a hateful growl whispered from her lips as she repeated the word she had always feared, "Crucio."

The flow of her hatred through her wand knocked Kalaira off balance a little as the startling realization of what she just attempted hit her full force. She looked up at the Slytherin to see her reaction, then glanced over at Brody. She was afraid to see his anger, his disappointment in her. She hated the fact the she always seemed to be disappointing him. Every time Kalaira was around Brody her emotions got the better of her; and never in a positive light.

As Kalaira stared at Brody tears streamed down her face. She knew she had just attempted a forbidden curse and would be severely punished for it. She wasn't worried about Witchards reaction, well, not as much as she feared Brody's. She begged and pleaded with him for forgiveness, but only with her eyes. The only words she was able to squeeze through her trembling lips was a whispered , "I'm so sorry." The words were only meant for him.

[Sasha Sharpe]

Kalaira didn't seem to want to believe them - well, that in and of itself was unsurprising. The girl was obsessed with Brody. She would much rather believe the pleasant lie that he returned her feelings than face the truth that he was involved in bigger things.

"Wha...?! no! That can't be! Brody, you're better..."

Sasha ignored that insult, letting it slip off of her like oil on water. Of course the little twat didn't think she was good enough. She had very different definitions of 'good enough' than Sasha. As far as Sasha was concerned, Kalaira had it backwards. Sasha needed to climb the social ladder more - that was what she was doing now with Brody, after all - but she was still miles above children like her.

So instead of giving the girl the pleasure of snapping back, she simply ignored her. After all, she had more important things taking up her attention at the moment, like Brody's mouth. She was a talented kisser - one never knew when experience like that could come in handy - but now she was really putting her all into it so it would look as convincing as possible.

She never saw it coming. She hadn't even realized that it would be possible. She had simply assumed that Kalaira, being weak and childish, would throw a temper tantrum, then disappear to cry for the rest of the day. She had misjudged her, which was an unusual experience for Sasha.

So when the curse hit its mark, she wasn't prepared. It hit her square in the middle of her unshielded back. Luckily for Sasha, Kalaira was still young and unpracticed in the dark arts. The Unforgivable was weak, certainly not strong enough to send her writhing in pain on the ground, half-unconscious, as she knew it could, when applied correctly. She would not be forever damaged, left with scars externally and internally.

Still, it was cast in a moment of pure hatred. Sasha could hear it in her voice as she uttered the incantation, voice low and dark. The deep, smoldering malice that was thrust into the spell gave it enough power to cause pain. When it struck, she gasped sharply in shock, eyes flying wide open as she dragged in a breath of cold air. Her fingers dug deep into Brody's shoulders as the curse shot through her like a miniature bolt of lightning.

And then in an instant, it was over. It was quick, merely a second of pain, hardly the excruciating hours that she knew the curse could be. But the moment the curse released her body, her raw nerves still singing, she felt a flood of anger rush in to take its place.

The little bitch had actually cast crucio at her! And she had meant it, too, or she wouldn't have felt what she did. She had the nerve to claim the higher moral ground after that?! Sasha hadn't laid a single hand on her, not touched a hair on her precious little head, and she had cast an Unforgivable on her!

With a snarl, she whirled away from Brody, her wand in her hand in the blink of an eye. "Langlock!" she shouted, aiming straight at Kalaira's head. It wasn't a curse, not really - merely a charm to stick her tongue to the roof of her mouth. It was harmless, but it would prevent her from trying to cast another Unforgivable on her. Advancing towards her with darkening eyes, she continued. "Duro," she hissed, pointing at Kalaira's wand arm. She didn't wait for the telltale creaks that proved the spell had successfully turned her arm into stone. Instead, she raised her wand again.

[Hunter Broderick Yorke]

Sure, Brody had asked her to get it over with; to just rip off the band-aid. But Sasha was being more obnoxious about their relationship than Brody wanted at that moment. Or, perhaps, she was behaving as she always did and he was simply more aware of it now that he knew someone he cared about was watching. He thought of subtly telling her to tone it down, yet still remain obvious enough that Kalaira got the message. But before Brody could think of anything to say that would calm the situation without breaking Kalaira in two or ruining the plan, he felt Sasha slide herself into him and pull him down to kiss her. He couldn't pull away. Even if he had the strength to resist Sasha's kiss, he wouldn't have dared refuse her. It was crucial to the plan that he behave however she commanded; he had to follow her dastardly lead. He jumbled thoughts slowly dissolved. Only Sasha and her surprisingly gentle lips remained. As much as he wanted to focus on what Kalaira was feeling or thinking, his hormones were much more powerful than his rational side. His previously limp arms raised themselves up to Sasha's shoulders; his hands found their way into her hair.

Just as he had lost himself completely, one single word brought him back into reality. His eyes shot open as Sasha was hit by the Unforgivable Curse. Immediately, his arms shot out to balance her if she were to fall. Luckily, Kalaira's abilities in the dark arts were non-existent, and the spell had been unable to knock Sasha off her feet. But it was the mere fact that Kalaira had cast that spell that left Brody dumbfounded. All the time he'd known Kalaira, he'd seen in her a pure and innocent girl. If she had the capacity to cast that spell, she was not the person he thought she was. Seeing that Sasha was shocked but little else, he turned his eyes to Kalaira. His eyes said everything his mouth couldn't. Disappointment and confusion. He didn't know who Kalaira was anymore. He looked and no longer saw the girl he'd sat with all night after she was found beaten outside the school's gates. He saw a stranger; a stranger who cast Unforgivable Curses. Her apology was useless. The deed was done.

He should have expected Sasha to fight back. But, truth be told, he'd been too focused on wrapping his brain around what Kalaira had just tried to do. Before he could stop her, she'd magically gagged Kalaira with a quick charm and turned her arm to stone with another. She looked prepared to strike again, but Brody was quick to come to his senses. He hopped in between the two girls, blocking each from the other's sight.

"Stop!" he yelled, a command which was directed at both duelling parties. "Stop it now!"

He turned his back to Sasha, facing Kalaira. He felt words sliding up his throat and threatening to escape his lips; words which would ruin his plan. He swallowed them in one gulp.

"You need to go," he ordered softly, unable to make eye-contact with her. This was partly out of guilt for his lie, and partly out of disgust for her attempted torture of Sasha. "Before you do something you regret...I really think you should go." He raised his eyes slightly, gazing into hers for the first time since before he'd began his relationship with Sasha. "If there's anything you have to say to me, I suggest you say it now."

[Kalaira Darus]

"Stop!" he yelled, a command which was directed at both dueling parties. "Stop it now!"

Even before Brody had yelled for them to stop, Kalaira had. She was simply standing there taking it. Her wand arm had dropped to her side even before Sasha's first charm had hit her, tears streaming down her face.

Kalaira couldn't believe what she had just attempted. She didn't think she was capable of such harsh feelings; such hatred to pull off such a horrendous spell. She was beyond ashamed of herself, she was disgusted. All the hatred that had been pouring out through her wand towards Sasha was now directed only onto herself. She knew she had ruined everything. Now Brody saw her, the real her. The hateful, angry, abused her. The only love she had felt since Adarian had left was now gone. Her heart was torn to shreds again, though this time by her own hand. And she had no clue what to do.

"You need to go," he ordered softly, unable to make eye-contact with her. This was partly out of guilt for his lie, and partly out of disgust for her attempted torture of Sasha. "Before you do something you regret...I really think you should go." He raised his eyes slightly, gazing into hers for the first time since before he'd began his relationship with Kalaira. "If there's anything you have to say to me, I suggest you say it now."

Knowing Brody was right Kalaira started to turn to leave when his words of regret stopped her short. She stared at him with amazement, confused that there was anything else that she could possibly do that was worse. With one small word she had completely destroyed all her dreams, all of her hopes, and betrayed everyone.

As he stared into her eyes asking her to speak whatever it was that Kalaira needed to say to him the tears rolled down her cheeks as she gagged on her own glued tongue. So, with her eyes she pleaded for his forgiveness, tried to tell him how much she loved him, asked him not to abandon her like so many had done before.

As a sob tore up from her throat Kalaira dropped her gaze. Her eyes fell upon her hands where around one finger rested a delicate, beautiful ring. As carefully as she could she removed it from her finger as she walked towards Brody. Once she was standing right in front of him Kalaira showed him the ring he had given her laying in the palm of her hand. Raising her eyes to look at him Kalaira closed her hand around the ring and held it over her heart. She closed her eyes as the feeling of love for the boy before her washed over her, and the pain of the lose flashed, mingling together, across her face. With another soft sob Kalaira opened her eyes to look upon Brody's face one last time.

Only looking down now, Kalaira watched her stone hand reach out to nudge Brody's hand up. With a sigh of regret and heart ache Kalaira dropped the ring towards where she hoped Brody's hand had risen. The second she let go of the ring she slowly backed away from him. She couldn't face him much longer. Kalaira's desire to run away, and run away fast was making her whole body shake. She didn't want to hear the vile Slytherins taunts anymore, and she couldn't listen to what Brody was telling her either. It hurt too much. Not knowing what else to do Kalaira turned to leave, deciding it was better to go now rather then later.