Alone{Fitzy}

[Riley Pearson]

I walked into the Entrance Hall and looked around. It was empty like it usually was, all except Filch's cat, who seemed to be looking at me like I was doing something wrong. I sat down against the wall and stared back at it, "Does it look like I'm doing anything?" I said to the cat with a small sigh, glad to see it turn away and stalk off down another hallway.
I leaned my head against the wall behind me, trying to make myself feel better.

[Fitzy Patricks]

I shake my head in annoyance, as well as in an attempt to get the snow out of my hair, as I walk into the Entrance Hall from outside. No wonder no one wanted to be out there....
I notice someone sitting against the wall and frown slightly, my annoyance at the weather transferring to him before I notice who it is.
Riley Something... friend of Arden's.
And the guilt leaps back up from wherever it's been hibernating. I hesitate a moment, wondering whether to quickly walk past him or talk like nothing's wrong... throw off suspicion.
Nothing's more suspicious than Fitzy Patricks initiating a conversation, moron.
But I still don't move.

[Riley Pearson]

I heard the door open and shut again, so I looked up, feeling a cold breeze from outside. I saw Fitzy standing there, not moving just kind of looking in my direction. I raised my eyebrows slightly, wondering why he was just standing there and nodded slightly toward him. "Hey.."

[Fitzy Patricks]

All right... now he's talked to you. Talking would be normal now.
"Hey...." I nod back, looking at him cautiously, wondering if he knows and if so if he suspects me. This is ridiculous, of course, but a guilty conscience does that to you.

[Riley Pearson]

"How've you been?" I asked him, after a few moments, trying to be pleasant, even though I really wasn't in the mood to be.

[Fitzy Patricks]

I pause, trying to decide how to answer, still wondering if he knows and standing there absurdly stiffly as a result. "... All right," I say slowly, immediately wondering if that's the wrong thing to say, if I should say I feel awful instead because of Arden. But it's a normal sort of lie to tell anyway, so I move on. "You?"

[Riley Pearson]

I nod my head slightly and then shrug a bit, ".. N-Not too well.." I say quietly, just assuming that he knew what had happend.

[Fitzy Patricks]

Damn. Maybe he does know....
I decide to pretend ignorance, frowning slightly. "What happened?"

[Riley Pearson]

Okay.. maybe he didn't hear... I thought to myself, not wanting to say it all again.
"Riyann.. d-died." I say pausing slightly, trying to get used to the word, but still having some problems with it.

[Fitzy Patricks]

I suck in a breath in surprise, backtracking rapidly in my head. Not Arden... Riyann. The crazy girl who called you Zee and deafened you continually....
"I... didn't hear that," I say, still stunned. "I'm... sorry."

[Riley Pearson]

I nod my head faintly, hugging my knees slightly against my chest, "t-thanks.." I say silently, "so am I.."

[Fitzy Patricks]

I nod, hesitating as I contemplate whether to tell him that Arden is dead too. Didn't he call her one of his best friends? And clearly he's a bit of a mess.... If you knowingly instigate a suicide, is that murder too? I wonder, frowning slightly. Then I wonder why I'm not more bothered that Riyann is dead, when she was something of a friend of mine.

[Riley Pearson]

"Y-you said you were friends with her didn't you?" I asked him, in the silence, not liking it.

[Fitzy Patricks]

I nod, looking at the ground. Or something like friends, at any rate. Maybe I would have cared more a week ago, but now? Then I remember her laughing and yelling again that day by the lake, and I come to the conclusion that I'm still not heartless yet.
"What happened?" I ask. "Do you know?"

[Riley Pearson]

I feel an aching pain in my chest and nod my head, feeling tears burning at my eyes. "A d-death eater... slit her throat..." I said slowly, wiping the tears away as they fell from my eyes, almost not believing that I actually said it outloud.

[Fitzy Patricks]

I flinch inwardly at that and have to stop my hand from moving toward my arm.
"What the hell did she do?" I ask, shaking my head. "Unless it was just for fun," I add bitterly, knowing some of my 'fellows' would do that.

[Riley Pearson]

I looked at him, feeling kind of angry at how causually he seemed to be talking about it. "... She was a spy... She stopped answering Orders..." I said slowly.

[Fitzy Patricks]

I wince a little, nodding. That would certainly explain it, I think, having difficulty somehow imagining Riyann as a deatheater at all.
"I'm sorry," I say again, shaking my head, unable to put into words what I would actually like to say any better than that.

[Riley Pearson]

I nod my head slightly, not knowing what to say, and just kept sitting there, shifting my stare down to the floor.

[Fitzy Patricks]

I look down at the floor a moment, wondering if now is really the best time to break more bad news to him. I could just not tell him at all....
But that feels suspicious, so I shrug. "I really hate to tell you this, but... Riyann isn't the only one, recently," I say carefully.

[Riley Pearson]

I look up at him, with a slightly worried look on my face. "W-what'd you mean?" I asked him, getting a sick feeling in my stomach. "Who?"

[Fitzy Patricks]

I pause, wondering more than ever if it's a good idea to tell him. But what the hell can I say? 'Oh, no one... never mind.' I shake my head, taking a deep breath.
"Arden."

[Riley Pearson]

I looked up to him in surprise and think I stopped breathing for a few seconds, feeling a large knot form in my throat. "N-n-no.. S-she can't be." I choke out shaking my head, feeling tears form in my eyes.

[Fitzy Patricks]

I look at the floor again. "Sorry. But she definitely is." As I would know better than anyone, since I watched her fall after saying the words that killed her....

[Riley Pearson]

I shook my head more and felt tears pour out of my eyes, my chest and throat aching painly. I couldn't believe this was happening. I had just seen her the other day, talked to her. I rested my head down on my knees and shook my head a little more, still crying, feeling the most alone I had ever felt in my life. Just when I thought I couldn't feel any more pain, I lose the best friend that I had left.

[Fitzy Patricks]

I continue to stare at the floor as I realize with a horrified sort of chill that he's actually crying. I think somewhere in my head I was able to justify her murder with the idea that she's never been very social, friendly, or nice to be around anyway, so not many people should miss her. I thought I would likely be the one who cared the most that she was gone... I had no idea I'd be hurting anyone else.
Suddenly I have the strangest, stupidest urge... to tell him that I'm the reason he's like that, that I'm the one who killed her. Seeing as I don't especially have a death wish this is obviously not a good idea, but it's hard to shake off.

[Riley Pearson]

"How?" I asked him quietly, with a pained look on my face, not really sure I wanted to know, but found myself asking anyway. I wiped my eyes, even though I was still crying, and leaned my head in my hands, "Who did this?" I asked him a few moments, looking up at him, feeling a mixture or anger and sadness, not knowing which one I should show.

[Fitzy Patricks]

I go a little pale when he asks me that, realizing I probably should have had an answer prepared. Or maybe not have told him in the first place. "I... I don't know." I shake my head a little too quickly, then seize on a scapegoat. "Logan Andrews maybe... why, I've no idea. I don't know."

[Riley Pearson]

I get the aching feeling in my throat again and I shook my head, still not believing this was actually happening. Feeling anger to whoever Logan Andrews was.

[Fitzy Patricks]

There. Don't you feel happy now? You pinned it on somebody else.
I keep my eyes on the ground, trying to fight back the renewed surge of guilt that makes me want to yell, 'Actually, it was me! I killed her!' That would be very stupid.