random muggle killings

[Jake Moore]

I walk up to my parents' house, but I don't ring the doorbell or walk in.
I can't.
There is no doorbell... and no door.
Oh, god....
I freeze, feeling sick, then lean heavily against the mailbox a few yards in front of the pile of rubble, hearing something shift inside it. Swallowing painfully, I reach inside. A bill, two letters from prolific Aunt Becky, and my mother's favorite cooking magazine. A sob forces its way out, and my eyes burn with sudden tears.
Bastards.
I shake my head and look around, dropping the mail to the ground. It’s unnaturally silent for this kid-filled neighborhood on a Saturday afternoon….
Where the hell is everybody? Me and Lacey, we’re the freaks…. No one came to help our parents? Not even point and laugh?
I shake my head again, unwilling to approach and dig around. I don’t want to see their bodies.

[Ophelia Christentine]

I walk around the muggle London a little bored. "Where are people when you need them?" I ask myself quietly. I stop when I see someone standing outside a house. A house with no door. I remember it being in the news a few days ago. "H-hey," I say softly, walking up to him. "I'm so sorry. I'm here if you need me, you know. I know we've never met before but I'm here if you need to cry. A shoulder to cry on and all that crap. No questions asked!"

[Jake Moore]

I jump a little and reach for my wand when someone speaks to me, relaxing only a little as her words sink in... and I don't let go of my wand.
"How do you have any idea who I am?" I ask her quietly, then gesture to the house. "How in the hell do you know I didn't do this?"
I swallow and shake my head once, quickly. "And how do I know that you didn't do this?"
I look around the neighborhood again. Where the hell is Amber? Where are all the silly Muggles? Are they still so afraid of my family that they can't even come and look?

[Ophelia Christentine]

"I don't know who you are and I don't know that you didn't do this," I whisper. "And you have no idea whether I did this or not but if you want someone to talk to or cry on or something then I'm here. I trust you even though I don't know you. I don't know if that's wise or not, but I do."

[Jake Moore]

I look at her a minute. "No it's not," I say slowly, then shake my head and snort. "I could curse you to oblivion... I could've twenty times by now...."
I shrug, then laugh bitterly. "So... you are a witch, right? 'Cause if not I think I said too much, and might have to Obliviate you."
I turn back to the house without waiting for an answer.
I was pretty stupid too.... Oh God, I hope this isn't 'cause of me, I think as my heart constricts.

((What year and house are you, by the way, and have you been at Hogwarts the whole time? I'm a seventh year and I have....))

[Ophelia Christentine]

I nod. "Yeah, I'm a witch. Seventh year Gryffindor at Hogwarts. Only been there about a week though. I've seen you around which is why I thought I'd come up and just ask if you need help or something."

[ooc - 7th year Gryffindor, been there about a week though. ]

[Jake Moore]

"Mmm." I nod, not taking in a lot of what she says except that she's a witch.
I shouldn't have walked in and interrupted.... God, I wish I'd never crucioed him. All this is my fault if it was him. I look out at the house again, fists suddenly clenching. And even more despicable if it was someone else.
"You ought to be more careful," I say to the girl, still quietly and with very little inflection, as I move toward the house and close my eyes.
I'm so sorry... you were right I shouldn't practice things like that....

[Ophelia Christentine]

"And why should I be more careful?" I ask, watching him move closer to the house.

[Jake Moore]

I startle slightly again and turn around.
"So that this kind of thing doesn't happen," I say, jerking my head back towards the house. "Although sometimes it can anyway."
I shake my head and resume walking toward the house, feeling worse with every step.
Lacey, where the hell are you? You should be here. And I should've left you well enough alone... kept the locked door locked instead of letting my arrogant curiosity get the better of me.... Locked doors were a challenge.... Damn bastard.
I shake my head harder, cursing myself.

[Ophelia Christentine]

I sigh a little and follow him towards the house. "This kind of thing won't happen anyway. Everyone I know is back home in Canada. Everyone except my friends in Hogwarts that is."

[Jake Moore]

I look at her again for a few seconds, then I shake my head.
"Hogwarts isn't really all that safe," I say. "Don't make the mistake of walking in on the wrong person."
I sigh and let out a deep breath that doesn't make me feel any less nauseous or costricted.
Damn them....
I sit down in the grass, not sure who I'm referring to, and hold my head in my hands.

((Gotta go.))

[Ophelia Christentine]

"I know it isn't," I say quietly. "My friend, Angel, got tortured three times there by three different people. I just keep away from one's who appear life threatening in any way." I sit next to him silently. "It's okay if you want to talk to someone or cry or something, I'm here and not about to leave you."

[Jake Moore]

I shake my head, feeling hyper-aware of the fact that my parents' dead bodies are just a few yards away.
"You can't always tell, you know," I say, no longer having much interest in the conversation but still driven by some need to make her see sense and be more careful. "You can't always tell who's life-threatening."
Take Saphire, for example. She's my friend, I guess. Seems all right. But even she believes that people like me and like my parents are not quite people at all. Isn't that right, Jake? You're friends with a death eater? How in the fuck do you know that she has never done things like this?
I shake my head. It wasn't one of my friends.... It may have been one of my roommates, but never one of my friends.
I swallow, feeling sick, and can't ignore the voice in my head.
How do you know that?

[Ophelia Christentine]

"I know," I say quietly. "You can never tell, not ever. Logan Andrews for example. Or even Saphire."

[Jake Moore]

I look up quickly when she mentions Saphire, and I shake my head, unable to speak for a moment until I swallow hard.
"I don't know Logan Andrews," I say. "But Saphire's a friend. She... she didn't do this."
Please, god, she didn't do this. She didn't kill anyone.

[Saphire Amy Lynn]

((Lol. K))

[Ophelia Christentine]

"I know Saphire didn't," I smile. "She's one of my best friends' friends."

[Jake Moore]

I nod. I hope not.
Then I shrug and swallow painfully, still sitting on the ground.
So what do I do now? Just get up and leave it all like this, as if I never came here?

[Ophelia Christentine]

"Do you want to go in or just stay here and look?" I ask softly.

[Jake Moore]

I shake my head. "I don't know."
I squeeze my eyes shut. I just want to vanish it. To wipe it all out in one clean sweep, as if it were never here. I don't want to look for pictures and mementos to salvage, or find and bury their bodies. But I know that I'll regret it if I don't.
"I don't know," I say again, opening my eyes to stare into my hands. "Nothing at the moment, but I can't just... leave it like this."

[Ophelia Christentine]

I nod. "I understand. Would you like me to go in with you, for support and all?"

[Jake Moore]

I shake my head. "No... I should find my sister. I... thank you for your help and all..." I swallow hard. "But I really just need to find my sister, let her know...."

[Ophelia Christentine]

"It's perfectly fine. Really, it is. Go on. Get out of here. I'll be around if you need to talk to someone. Anyone."

[Jake Moore]

"Thanks." I manage a smile, but can't think of anything else to say, so I just disapparate out.

[Ophelia Christentine]

"Au revoir," I say, waving to nothing and walking away from the scene.