 *declones* Follow us to the Entrance Hall! Rhibear ~ Madam Solo ~ Dark Brooding Girl ~ Accio Jedi ~ Gryffinclaw ~ Just a doll
Gaston blinked in disbelief at Dorian's question, but he would leave it to one of the students to fill him in. Right now, he had bigger things to worry about like getting as many students back to the castle as possible before whatever they were facing attacked... and trying to convince a certain Hufflepuff to come to her senses and join them. He gave Maddie an extremely grateful look as she decided to go with him, hoping that would be enough to get Emmalyn to come too, and speaking of the older Hufflepuff...
He was waiting for the headmistress's response to the girl's theory when he saw them... skeletal creatures rising from the lake. The color drained from his face as he immediately realized what they were. Inferi. He mumbled something in French under his breath. Use fire spells only. Of course. It had to be fire!
Suddenly, his thoughts took a turn as dark as the creatures themselves. He hadn't allowed himself to think about the possibility that he might die tonight, but now the thought refused to stay buried in the back of his mind where it belonged. It wasn't so much that he was afraid of dying, more of what would become of the family he left behind. Rose would be heartbroken... Desiree would grow up with out her father, and the worst part was she wouldn't remember just how much he loved her! Thinking quickly, he cast a flame freezing spell on the black book he kept in his pocket, hoping it would survive and get back to them if he did not.
The onslaught of emotion lasted no more than a split second. Wand drawn. he moved in front of Vivian, Isa, Maddie, and the rest of the kids who'd joined the group heading back. "Everyone going back, get behind me NOW!" There was no time to wait on anyone else! He raised his wand, casting a nonverbal Firestorm, and a lasso of fire erupted from its tip. He'd completely forgotten about his fear of fire until that moment. Now he was angry! Those things had threatened his family,his family at home and the people here at Hogwarts who he considered family!
Out of the corner of his eye, Gaston saw Dorian running toward the castle, and the thought crossed his mind to tell him to stay with the group. Taking off alone could make him an easy target for the Inferi! Thankfully, the boy came back on his own before that happened! He saw Nettie and a wandless Chloe had joined them; he gave the girls a quick sympathetic look. It broke his heart to see poor Chloe cry! He wanted to give her a hug, but he had to keep the fire lasso going. "It'll be alright," he assured her. "I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you."
For a moment, he thought Emmalyn was going to come with them as well, and he breathed a silent sigh of relief. But it was not to be. It was all he could do to hold back his own tears as he heard her parting words, and he shot a pleading look at Kay, silently begging her not to let anything happen to her. He turned back to the group. "Everybody, stick close to me! RUN, and don't stop until we get back to the castle! The fire will move with us." And with that, he led the group away as fast as his legs could carry him.
__________________ Old voices I had thought long since dead whisper of another life I might have led
If I could take that second chance, If I could make my life anew, If only dreams came true... |