Meditating Under the Moon (Open)

[Tess McCartney]

The wind was chillier than she expected, but she continued to trek. She simply held her cloak over her head and continued to walk. She was getting used to breaking the rules more and more, but it didn't matter now. Now it was for a good cause, at least a cause that was convenient to her.

It was a full moon, and from what she read from the book Professor Romaine gave her, it was a good time for meditation. She had read the book from cover to cover and she was ready to begin meditation on her own.

So finding a clearing, near the water, but save enough from any creatures, was harder than expected, but she did and she immediately sat down on the ground. She didn't remove her cloak that covered her head, and she looked at the moon. It was so beautiful and bright and she felt her magic coarsing through her.

'Breathe in and out repeatedly and relax all of yourself to reach your magical core' she remembered the book saying.

She closed her eyes and began to take deep and slow breaths.

[Corinne Girard]

Corinne had never cared for the rules, never really noticed them. They were what the others followed, whilst she did whatever she felt like. Tonight, she had not returned to her dorm whilst everyone else left the Great Hall, but had actually crept outside the open doors and hidden. She knew the others in her dorm would not care that she had gone missing, they wouldn't even notice.

And if they did, she did not care. The voices in her head were getting stronger every day, every time she walked past someone or did something. Smile and nod in greeting, walk like everybody else does not as if you are superior, just let yourself be happy, one would chant over and over, every single time she saw someone. If they dare to look at you, glare back. Walk with your back straight, walk like a Queen, walk like a Girard. You are the superior, the other would tell her. She could feel it, every day... The glass containing her sanity had a leak, and every day more drops of sanity fell to the floor.

Corinne was losing her mind, slowly spiralling down to the blackness below that was insanity. What scared her most was that she was not scared of falling. She was not scared of death anymore, either. Death was a welcome retreat for her, a way to escape the voices. She was losing sleep as the days went by, haunted by the voices as they scolded her for what she had done that had not pleased them during the day.

The moon shone on the surface of the Black Lake, twinkling and sparkling. Everything was so peaceful, the gentle breeze twirling her locks of hair around her face. Walk like a Queen! The voice of her past chanted, but the other one said otherwise. She tried to ignore them, but they were always there. Always telling her what to do, always reminding her of what they expected. They would never go away, never. "I'm losing my mind!" Corinne cried out, standing near a clearing by the water. She did not notice the Slytherin girl meditating there, for she had fallen to the ground.

She began to laugh madly, her eyes slowly losing the life they once held, her face becoming a mask of frightening madness, her laughter echoing throughout the silen air as she clawed at her chest, trying to rip herself apart. "Mad, mad, mad," she chanted, her voice echoing eerily through the silence. "Zatt's what zey'll call me," she cackled, clawing at her chest faster now, breaking skin and drawing blood as she did so. "Ze mad one! Zey'll call me ze mad one," she choked out after ceasing her laughter.

She pulled up into a sitting position, her eyes still full of the madness and turmoil from inside. "Ze one that went crazy, ze one zat couldn't cope. Remember zat girl?" She said the last part in a poor imitation of Pxyis. "Ze one that lzat it?" She continued in Pxyis' voice. "Oh oui! Zey shipped 'er off to ze Insane Asylum!" Corinne cried out in Charlotte's voice and burst into a fit of giggles. "My sister, ze mad one," she said in a voice like her own, but more Salina's. "Our sister, ze mad one. Heard voices in 'er head she did," Corinne mimicked Jaqui's voice.

She jumped up and began to skip around in circles, still laughing. "Mad, mad, mad, zey found her by ze Black Lake!" Corinne spotted Tess and shouted this at her, running over to her and circling around her. "She killed zat girl, what was her name? Tess McCartney! Zat's right," Corinne cackled, before suddenly her breathing stopped. "I 'ave gon' mad," Corinne's voice had returned to normal, but it was full of fear. The life entered her eyes and she stumbled backwards, tripping over a rock and falling into the Black Lake.

[Tess McCartney]

Breathe in and out, in and out. she chanted over. Clear your mind, find it, find it.

Soon her mind disappeared and she found herself surrounded by the forest.

Everything looked so big, and everything smelled so clear. She smelled the oaks that covered most of the lake, she sniffled the air smelling the creatures around her. She found herself being smaller than the rocks she once sat on.

"What am I?" she asked.

She shook her head and found that she could not hear her voice, rather heard a growl and so she decided to look down towards her feet. She saw...paws?

She ran towards the lake trying to see her reflection, but before she heard:

"She killed zat girl, what was her name? Tess McCartney! Zat's right,"

That was soon followed by a splash

She opened her eyes immediately. She saw someone falling into the lake. She was wide eyed and threw her cloak aside, along with her shoes, then dove in.

She knew that mermaids would not like someone barging into their home so she needed to find the person fast.

"Who is it?!" she thought frantically.

The night was not helping her at all, for her vision was blinded. Still she dove further trying to grasp something, anything that felt like a human.

[Corinne Girard]

Corinne felt the water envelope her like a cold blanket as it welcomed her into its depths. She hadn't realised how deep the lake was, until she began to fall downwards and downwards. Some people floated- some sink, she was obviously one of the groups of people that sank. She attempted to fight the water off, but it was like a hand that had gripped her tightly and was tugging her downwards. Her eyes were open and they stung as the salty water pounded against them, everything a blur except for the light of the moon above her.

Corinne could still see the surface, if only she could get to it. She struggled and struggled against the water, already beginning to become faint from the lack of oxygen. Bubbles drifted out of her mouth and she could see something else drifting towards her, groping blindly in the water. Fearing the worst, Corinne began to battle the hand of the Black Lake to escape, but it was no use. She had used up a majority of the oxygen stored in her lungs and could feel herself becoming weaker and weaker.

She stopped battling the water, and realised that she should be welcoming death with open arms. The voices raged inside her head, shouting that she was a disappointment, that she should be fighting, that she should try to stay alive. The closer she got to death, the softer they became. She let her eyes shut in the water, and the pain of her lungs burning for oxygen filled her entire being with comfort.

Corinne smiled as she sank down and down, for she was going to die, and she was happy with her fate. The voices were gone, they had abandoned her, and she could feel herself succumbing to un-consciousness. But she didn't want to go just yet. Opening her eyes again, she found herself face to face with the thing that had been groping for her, yet things were blurry so she could not make our whether it was human or mermaid.

[Tess McCartney]

She winced as the cold water prickled her skin. It was colder than she thought but it did at matter she needed to help the person. What aided her was the fact that she was a great swimmer, and water being her element, she was swimming down gracefully.

Why isn't that person moving?! she thought angrily.

Deeper into the water she went, and before she could attempt to reach the individual she was scratched. She cried out in pain as a thin gash was on her thigh. A mermaid she could tell and as she felt blood slipping out of the gash she felt like a failure. She was no hero, she was a cowardly Slytherin who was out past curfew.

She felt scales brushing on her legs as the skirts buoyancy was not helping her at all. Still she knew how they were , very territorial at that. So she decided to continue for if she was losing air so would the person in danger. She curved her back and quickly moved her legs to reach the weeds that were around her.

She groped around and grabbed and arm. She groaned and began to move up towards he surface. Her lungs burned as she swam, her body begging her to breathe. Nonetheless the moon's shine told her she was close.

[Corinne Girard]

She felt the weeds brush against her skin and she realised that the person above her was Tess. Tess was attempting to save her? She was thoroughly confused, but as Tess reached for her arm she held it out so she could grab it. She could see something moving beside Tess, and with her last bit of strength she swiped her leg and and clipped the creature in the face, before allowing Tess to drag her to the surface, a bemused smile on her face as she felt darkness surround her and the water log her lungs.

She was in a white room, it was warm in there. She turned her head and came face to face with her twin and her older sister. "We're so disappointed in you," Salina's voice echoed around the empty room and Corinne's eyes watered. "We're happier without you," Jaqui advanced on her with Salina right beside her.

"Mother was so grateful for your death, you know that I was always the favourite," Salina laughed and it was the laugh that had haunted Corinne's dreams. "Mother loves me again now, because you're gone," said Jaqui. "Go on, go through the door," Jaqui pointed her hand at a golden door.

"I don't want to do yet, the voices, they went. They left me, I don't want to die!" Corinne wailed desperately. Jaqui and Salina looked hurt as they turned away. "We'd be better off without you, Corinne. Leave," Salina said in a heartless tone. Corinne turned to the door and sucked in a deep breath, taking a step towards it...

[Tess McCartney]

The moment she reached the surface she gasped a big gulp of air that her lungs begged for. Everything was a blur, but she managed to reach the shore and push the individual on the surface. 

She could barely make it herself as her body cried out in pain as she begged her muscles to work for her. She grasped the grass and roots growing by the lake as a way to pull herself up and she barely managed. She simply laid there for a few minutes having hot tears rolling down her cheeks. 

Her body was on survival mode as she get herself trembling all the more.   Her skin was paler than usual, a lifeless color even, and her hair hung limply down her back, still collecting the water from the lake. Her clothes were soaking wet an uncomfortable, and the only real color on her seemed to be the dirt he collected on her shirt,  and the blood that slid down her outer thigh.

She crawled  weakly towards the body, and while her vision was still blurry, she managed to see it was Corinne. 

"Corinne" she rasped out, her throat aching. 

She nudged her slightly, but not seeing her move nor really breathing she found herself to be frantic. 

"Please wake up Corinne" she rasped out once more "Please?" her voice cracked.

Her mind was reeling with ideas and despite her own weakness began to push against Corinne's chest trying to get her to breathe again. 

She looked out at the unforgiving night, no longer beautiful but now deadly. 

"Help!" she cried out her voice cracking from the cold. " Anybody please!" 

More tears slid down her cheek, se didn't notice them till she taste the saltiness on her lips as she continued to cry out and push against the girl's chest. She couldn't let her die, she just couldn't.

[Corinne Girard]

Corinne was suddenly very sharply yanked away from the door by an invisible force, and she felt herself falling...

Water poured out of Corinne's lungs and mouth and she rolled onto her side to let it out. Once it had all escaped, she began to cough hysterically and take in deep gulps of air, her eyes blinking away the water. "Tess," she rasped, her voice crackly and horrible.

She began to cough and hack, making a dreadful sound as more water spurted out of her mouth. Her eyes found Tess' as she continued to cough, and finally managed to stop, her breath rasping as it came in and out and rattling like the breath of a dementor's. She coughed once and managed to clear the phlegm, meaning she could breath normally.

"Tess," she gasped, placing a hand on the top of her own head as if she could feel if the voies were still there, but the fact that they weren't shouting at her meant they were gone- and hopefully for good. "Ze voices, zey're gone," she mumbled, her voice coming out scratchy and high pitched. "Hospital wing, please," Corinne choked out, before succumbing to un-consciousness and relishing in the blackness as she passed out.

[Tess McCartney]

She heard her breathe. Breathing, she was alive. She wiped her tears like a normal child would and sniffled slightly seeing her alright.

Her body was still trembling, her muscles crying, her body seeking unconsciousness. 

She heard her say something about voices being gone, but her vision was deteriorating. 

Hospital Wing. Oh they definitely needed to go to a hospital wing, but she didn't have the energy to take Corinne, let alone herself to the infirmary. 

She got up and soon fell thereafter. Her body was succumbing to the cold. She tried once more but again her body failed her. 

She crawled over to her cloak and picked it up and wrapped it around herself, and crawled over towards Corinne once more. Her knees were pink from the crawling and her body failing on her. 

"Please I-I can't take us there alone"

But it was no use...she wouldn't wake up. Her magical core was weakening and she found her only choice was to use a spell she wasn't sure would work.

She lifted her hand as it trembled and murmured 

"Accio Firebolt" 

Nothing happened. She lowered her head and sobbed, not caring who heard. It was over, they were do close. Her sobs quieted as she heard something zooming and  she saw her broom. 

She grabbed it and it helped her get up. She weakly straddled it and pulled an unconscious Corinne to lay leaning against her. She had trouble and her head was throbbing, but she needed to do this. Placing her trembling legs on the paddles she jumped up and the broom was flying. 

She soon forced herself to remain conscious and try to make the trip back to Hogwarts Castle.

[Corinne Girard]

Corinne was awakened rather soon after passing out by something she had been dreading, sort of but not really. She wasn't sure if it was them again, but they had the same tone of voice, just know they were talking directly to her. As if they knew it would drive her mad. She let her eyes flutter open and found herself on a broomstick with a weak looking Tess guiding them back to Hogwart's.

Awake are we? One of the voices asked. That's good, we were worried we'd lost you, the voice said maliciously. Corinne whimpered lightly. Please don't hurt me! Please just leave me alone! She whispered to the voice, and felt a searing pain in her head.

Don't fight us love, we promise we won't hurt you. Just calm down and relax- there's a good girl. I am Ellie, and the other one is Angel. Don't fight us! There we go, nice and calm, it's all alright, The other voice whispered to Corinne. Corinne whimpered again, and began to battle the voices in her head. She knew she could defeat them- if only she had more energy.

She thinks she can beat us! Angel whispered in her head, and laughter filled it up. It was cold and she wanted the blackness again so much. She felt a searing pain all over her body as she attempted to shut the voices out. ENOUGH! We'll give you the blackness, there's a good girl. Just shut your eyes and we'll do the rest, Ellie told her, but Corinne was not weak.

I won't give in, not now not ever, get out of my HEAD! Corinne began to battle voices, but she realized to truly defeat the invaders she must be in the land of the non-conscious, so she succumbed to their will and began the battle that would decide her fate.

[Briony Romain]

Briony was doing a small check of the outer ground perimeter, hoping to catch any students that were up past their curfew not that she thought she would ever catch any, however, when she heard a commotion by the lake Briony's ears pricked up.

Hearing the familiar whoosh of the accio summoning charm Briony looked around for the students in question seeing two Slytherin students begin to mount one broom, one unconscious, the other hurt quite badly judging by the gash on her leg.

'Thats not a good idea girl.' she thought as she watched them take off.

Briony sighed and closed her eyes, using the familiar flying technique that the Death Eaters had used she flew up to the same level as the students, grabbing the two of them and steering them almost roughly to the nearest level of Hogwarts.

Once they had touched the ground Briony set the unconscious girl on the floor in the recovery position before turning to the girl, Tess, she remembered from her class.

"What has been going on here? Both of you up after hours? Both of you hurt? Since you're the only one concious you had best tell me as much as possible." Briony said quickly and coldly before softening her stern gaze "Here, let me help with that."

Briony tapped the girls leg and performed a minor healing charm, it would serve until further treatment. Levitating the other girl in the same position Briony motioned for Tess to walk with her.

"To the hospital wing. I will fix you up properly then."

[Tess McCartney]

Her eyes were growing heavy and she felt her muscles tightening, but she had to get her grip on Corinne. And the fact that it was her first time flying a broom alone, this was what scared her the most. They were almost towards the castle, she saw it, it was almost tangible, but as a figure rose up from the sky she let out a scream and pulled her broom up trying to fly upwards. It was no use though, as she felt someone grabbing her.

She fought slightly but it was no use, and as she hit the Hogwarts Castle's floor, she no longer cared. She laid there simply panting and thanking Merlin she was there. Looking up at what used to be the dark figure was the Headmistress. She was so grateful and her eyes filled with tears of relief.

She sniffled and wiped her tears as she tried to answer her questions.

"I-I was meditating Headmistress. I know it was past curfew but I'd read a full moon is when your magic is at it's strongest. A-and I read the moon is controlled by the sea, and water being our element...I-I just thought that it was a perfect opportunity, considering full moons don't come that often."

She was grateful that her leg was healed, the blood had stained her left leg and had been soaked by her already wet skirt.

"Thank you" she whispered.

She got up, and grabbed her broom to use it for support. As she walked alongside her, she continued.

" I was seeing it....smelling it..I felt like I was so close, but I heard her say something about a girl being killed called..my name" she whispered "I immediately removed myself from a state of meditation and saw Corinne falling into the lake. I didn't know what to do, so I jumped."

She wrapped her cloak tighter around her.

"Mermaids attacked me, because she'd fallen into their territory, and I cried for help when we'd reached the surface, but no one came. She wasn't breathing"

She trembled and looked at her once more needing help. She knew that her classmate was close to dying, she felt it.

[Corinne Girard]

Corinne's eyes opened with a gasp and she found herself levitating in the air. She only remembered awakening then blacking out again, nothing else. Where the voices gone? She hoped they were. She looked up and saw Tess, talking to the headmistress. She felt weak, and something was attacking her body. Her body spasmed as something shocked her heart and made it clench painfully.

She clutched her chest and began to pant as she felt random points of her body targeted by the pain. Have you learnt your lesson yet? One of the voices rang out. They were back. You can't defeat us, we're always here. We are you, the dark sides of you. The cruelty you inflicted on others is being returned to you, Angel whispered to her, and she began to whimper. "Tess," her voice croaked as she reached out a wildly shaking hand for the girl.

[Tess McCartney]

Tess was confused, and she looked up at the Headmistress frantically. She held her hand out and grabbed Corinne's hand immediately and bit her bottom lip scared.

"Headmistress!" she said as she gripped Corinne's hand.

Why did she say her name though? That was something she didn't understand.

[Jacqueline Girard]

Jaqui had left her room to wander around- and mostly to check that no students were again out of hours on the fifth floor. She walked along with her head bowed and her shoulders slumped. She was so worried about her little sister, Corinne. Salina had taken to Hogwart's with such excitement and a new view on life, and Jaqui was so proud of her. Salina had become the angel that Jaqui had always known she would be if she let go of her snooty attitude, and she was eternally grateful to Leshia for changing her sister.

Corinne, on the other hand, was another story.

Corinne was still the same old rude, cruel, nasty, snobby girl that she had always been. She seemed to try to be nicer nowadays, but she still knew that she was un-necessarily cruel to the other girls. You could see it in the way she walked, like she had it all figured out with her snobbish facial expression and her straight back. Her head was always held high like Maman had taught them, but Jaqui was not a fool. She saw the struggle in her sister's eyes, like she internally battling herself as to whether she should be nice or horrible.

Jaqui knew that Corinne was strong-willed, so she would not easily give up her old ways of life like Salina had. She knew that even if Corinne was aware of the fact that she was quite wrong, it would take a lot more than realising that to change the way she acted. It was both a good and a bad trait, depending on what the situation was. Jaqui looked up when she heard a loud sound and voices. She rounded the corner onto the fifth floor and immediately her eyes widened.

Corinne.

"Oh lá lá!" Jaqui gasped, her hands flying to her mouth before she ran for her little sister. She saw her sister's hand linked with some other Slytherin girls, but her sister looked so weak. She stared into her eyes and could see the madness within her. Not just madness as in she was a strange girl, but she was truly going mad. She could see it there, the struggle, the fight that she was slowly losing and the madness.

"Oh ma sœur stupide! S'il vous plaît ne pas céder Corinne, vous êtes forts. Vous ne perdrez pas le combat! Vous n'irez pas fou, je vous le promets. Corinne, qu'avez-vous fait? Pourquoi êtes-vous si têtu?" Jaqui placed a tender hand on the side of Corinne's face and began to talk to her in fluent French, the word's spilling out so fast that only those native to France could possibly understand half of what she said. She turned eyes to the headmistress, panicked.

"What 'appened? What ees wrong with 'er? Ees she sick?"

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