Silent Year

Please forgive me for taking so long to upload chapter eight! *bows* As there are no questions, I have only to give my thanks to you wonderful reviewers! Thank you so much!

Now, without further ado, I give you chapter eight! WEWT!!
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Chapter Eight: Stone Withdrawal


The library doors slammed open, and Hazelton ran in. His eyes were wide with fear, and he was bleeding again. “Please…” he whispered, slamming the doors behind him, Quiari stared at him for a moment before she snapped awake. She dropped the book and dashed forward, grabbing Hazelton by the hand and dashing to the back of the library with him. The library doors burst open. “Oh, lover boy, come out and play!” that voice! It belonged to the bully! To the boy who had made Hazelton bleed before. She put her hand against the stone and the stone slid to the side, revealing a small room. Quiari shoved Hazelton into the room and the stone closed after him. He landed on a pillow and a ragged blanket. Nothing else adorned the room, just an unlit torch. The room was small, so very small, and snow fell through a hole in the ceiling. The room was so cold. Hazelton heard the three chasing him walking forward, speaking to Quiari. “You’re hiding him.” Hazelton could see Quiari looking to the floor. His mind’s eyes was giving him all the visual he could handle. Surprisingly, the leader of the pack didn’t sound angry. Amused was more his tone of voice.

“Come on, baby, you can tell me anything.” Silence was the answer.
On the other side of the stone wall Quiari stood with her back against the wall, a book held over her chest. Her knuckles were white, and she was staring at the ground. The leader of the three boys who’d been chasing Hazelton had her trapped, and the smirk on his face said that he knew it. He had one arm against the wall beside Quiari’s head, and he was smirking at her, but she wouldn’t show him her face. “Come on, babe, let’s see that pretty face of yours.” He said, Quiari didn’t look up, she gripped the book harder. The leader’s smirk vanished and he grabbed Quiari’s chin, turning her face harshly to face his. Her eyes stared into his, but they were distant, as if she weren’t seeing his face. “Look at me when I’m talking to you!” Quiari’s eyes snapped to the present, staring the bully in the face.

“Where is Hazelton?” Quiari said nothing. “Fine.” The leader grabbed her wrists, and pinned her to the stone wall. The book fell to the ground and the leader’s hand instantly went to her sweater-vest. Quiari’s eyes were again distant, and she didn’t struggle. Suddenly, the leader drew back and screamed, clutching a hand covered in ice. The dragon, awakened from her sleep by the leader’s actions, had frozen his hand. Quiari took this moment and ran, her heels clicking on the stone. “Get her!” she kept running, dashing out of the library and down the stairs, just running. She bolted into an empty classroom and slammed the door shut behind her. She backed away and the three boys dashed past the door. She let out a breathy, it was so shaky. “Little one…” she whispered, looking down at the dragon peering out of her ripped sweater vest, and the dragon yawned widely. Quiari breathed relief, and smiled slightly at the little dragon, as if relieved she was all right.

She caught her breath, leaning heavily against a desk, and she held her head. The dragon made a small squeak. “I…I know, little one. That was…too close…” she breathed, and then she opened the door slightly and peered out into the hall, seeing no one around. She closed the door quietly and then dashed back to the library. She ran to the back corner, slamming the library doors behind her and locking them, and she opened the stone. Hazelton was on the floor, still bleeding.

She rushed to his side and put her hands on his chest. Green flames erupted from her fingertips and delved into Hazelton’s body, the cuts slowly healed, and the blood stopped pouring from his body. Still he slept. He’d suffered too much lost blood, but he was alive. Quiari closed the stone and laid out the pillow and blanket, tucking Hazelton in gently and she put her hand into his blood and it vanished to be replaced by a solid stone of blood red. She looked at the tear drop shape of the stone, running her fingers gently over the smooth stone, and she brushed her hand over the dragon’s head. “Little one, would you please use your breath?” she asked, holding the stone up, and the dragon sneezed. The ice sank onto the stone, also getting Quiari’s slender fingers, but the ice melted off of her fingers. The stone, however, was left with the lace-like carvings the ice had left behind.

“It is beautiful, little one.” She said, and then the library doors burst open. Quiari stood up instantly and left the stone room, closing the stone behind her. “You, girl!” shouted Karkaroff, storming through the bookshelves and finding Quiari shelving a book. She jumped and faced Karkaroff’s angry face. “What’s this I hear about you attacking my students?!” Quiari looked to the ground. Her hands clenched into fists. “Tomorrow, you are to take a few books to Hogwarts, for Albus Dumbledore. You are to walk, not to run, not to apparate, walk.” Said Karkaroff, and he turned and swept out of the library. Quiari stood quietly, hands clenching and unclenching. “See, babe?” she looked up to face the lead bully. He had a satisfied smirk on his face.

“That’s what you get when you deny me.” He said, and Quiari glared at him before turning her back and walking away. The leader didn’t give up. He walked after her instead, unafraid. “I know you’re hiding him.” Said the leader, Quiari kept walking. “Impendimenta!” She froze suddenly, and the leader smirked and put his wand back up his sleeve. He walked forward and stood in front of Quiari, she just glared at him. He kissed her. “That was for me.” He said, and then punched her, sending her flying into a wall. Her glasses flew off and clattered across the floor. “And that,” he said, turning to leave, “Was for earlier.” He said, and then left Quiari crumpled in a heap on the floor.

She pushed herself up, the dragon scurrying out of her sweater vest, and Quiari stood up shakily, one hand on the stone wall, supporting herself. She was shaky on her heels. “Little one…” she whispered, and then the library doors slammed shut. She jumped and snatched up the little dragon, running to the stone wall and entering the secret room quickly. The stone slid shut behind her and she put a hand to her collarbone, breathing deeply. She looked over at Hazelton, who was still out like a light. Her cheek was swelling and turning red. “Are you hurt, little one?” she whispered, but the dragon gave off a small squeak and crawled back under her shirt. She sighed and sat down, curling up in the corner and lying down. “I’m so tired…little one…so afraid…” The dragon merely yawned, blew out a bit of ice, and then snuggled deeper into Quiari’s chest.

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There you have it. Chapter Nine coming soon! I'm too tired to really say anything else, and now I'm going to sleep. Good night to all of you, thank you for reading this far, and please leave reviews! ^_^. ~Nezumi-kun~