All You Wish For and All You Need

Arabella watched Anne beadily as they sat down for dinner. Anne made sure she was facing the Slytherin table and Arabella sat beside her. Her gaze flicked over the Slytherin table. Marcus had not arrived yet.

Beside her Anne was studying her nails closely, but every few moments her eyes would conduct a sweep of the Slytherin table, from the end nearest the teachers to the end nearest the door. She continued this until Marcus finally walked into the hall infront of Arnold and Richard. Arnold said something to Marcus and he nodded absently.

Anne continued fiddling with her hands, but her eyes followed the trio as they sat down. Marcus glanced over at Anne and his gaze was intense. His eyes flicked sideways to Arabella who was also staring. Her eyes narrowed and his head tilted slightly as if he were trying to read something in her expression. After a few moments he looked back at Anne and then down at his plate. Anne sighed quietly, as if some worry had been removed.

Arabella looked back at her and watched as her lips moved slightly. Anne was oblivious to the scrutiny under which she was held. But Marcus wasn’t. He watched Arabella as she observed Anne. His lips parted slightly and his forehead creased as he wondered what was happening between those two. They had once been so close, yet now they seemed to be drifting apart. Richard nudged him and he turned away from the two girls to listen to what Richard had to say.

All through the feast Arabella watched as Anne picked through her food. She did not eat much, just pushed it from side to side, making it seem as though she had eaten more.

“Did you want something?”

It was a few moments before Arabella even registered that Anne had asked her a question. She shook herself mentally and focussed her attention on what Anne was saying.

“What?” She asked to give herself time to think.

Anne frowned and sighed a little impatiently, “I asked if you wanted something. You’ve been staring for the last five minutes.” She raised her eyebrows waiting for a response.

“I was just noticing how little you are eating tonight.” She smiled sweetly and warmly as if concern for her friend’s well-being was the only thing on her mind. “Are you feeling ill?”

Anne blinked quickly and looked slightly startled. She bit her lip and shook her head minutely. “No,” she said, regaining some composure, “I am feeling slightly ill today actually.” Anne let her eyes fall to her plate as she placed the fork down. She was very experienced when it came to feigning sickness. It was something she had done quite often as a child to get out of things she didn’t want to go to.

Arabella nodded slowly, looking sympathetic but seeing straight through her friend’s act. They had been friends ever since they had started at Hogwarts and had always told each other everything.

Until he came along. Arabella thought nastily.

She pushed the thought aside and smiled again at Anne. “Would you like me to take you to the Hospital Wing?” She asked, placing her hand on Anne’s shoulder.

Anne looked at her and Arabella saw the confusion there. Anne couldn’t tell if Arabella was being genuine or whether she could see straight through her. She paused for a moments before nodding silently. Arabella stood and waited for Anne to stand also. Anne however, remained where she was as she looked over at Marcus. He was listening to what Arnold and Richard was discussing intently and he didn’t look up at her. Arabella nudged Anne lightly and Anne turned and smiled weakly up.

“Sorry,” she murmured and pushed herself up from the seat.

Arabella smiled as she linked arms with Anne and basically pulled her out of the hall. Marcus saw the movement from the corner of his eye and whipped his head around to see them walking out together. He stared at the door through which they had just disappeared and bit his lip hard. He could already feel her absence. The voices around him started to fade and he clenched his fists hard. Nothing would happen here. No-one would see what was going on in his mind. He was determined to hide it all.

Arnold watched him closely and quirked his eyebrow at Richard who shrugged his large shoulders. They both saw him tense as soon as Anne left the hall with Arabella. They were both slightly amused by the effect Anne seemed to have on him, but also startled and puzzled.

Marcus turned back to talk to them, his expression set and stony, and his eyes black and hard. Arnold leaned away involuntarily and couldn’t repress a shiver. Right now, more than any other time, Marcus scared him.

Arabella kept up a constant quite babble to talk as they walked up the flights of stairs to the Hospital Wing. “I really don’t understand why they didn’t put in on the ground floor.” She was currently musing. “What if someone broke their leg or something and couldn’t walk up all of these horrid stairs?”

“Levitation Arry.” Anne spoke wearily. “This is a school of magic after all.”

Arabella laughed as if Anne had just told her the world’s funniest joke. “Oh of course.” She giggled and hit Anne lightly on the shoulder. “I should have thought of that.”

Anne stared at her friend, completely lost. She had never seen Arabella acting like this and she was desperate to know why.

“Are you okay Arry?” She asked and stopped walking.

Arabella pulled away slightly. “Of course I am. You’re the one who’s feeling ill.” There was an underlying sneer in the last words and Anne stepped backwards.

“Look, I’ll take myself to the Hospital Wing. See you later.” Anne turned and walked up another flight of stairs and then through the doors into the Hospital Wing.

Arabella glowered at the paintings nearby. They watched her nervously and whispered among themselves, frightened that she might do something to them. She heard the shouted laughter of the other students coming up after dinner had finished. She breathed in deeply and then exhaled quickly before hurrying up to the Gryffindor common room.

Marcus walked through the cold dungeons to the Slytherin common room and Richard and Arnold just a step behind him. This was how it used to be. This was how everything was until Anne came along. He had been in charge; everyone had respected him out of some sort of fear. But now, people stared and whispered about him for entirely different reasons. He could see it in the eyes of the people in the common room; they didn’t know what to think of him anymore.

He slumped down onto one of the hard green sofas. Richard sat beside him whilst Arnold sat in the chair opposite. They continued their conversation from dinner. Marcus would join in occasionally, always watching the reactions of the people around him. He could feel the tension building in his mind; feel everything around him slipping away. He stood abruptly, muttered a quick word to Richard and Arnold then nearly ran to his bed.

Marcus drew the curtains around him and closed his eyes. Not even the thought of Anne would help him now. He was losing the meagre control he had and soon he would be invaded by those dark beings. He grabbed at the bedcovers and squeezed them until his knuckles turned white. He forced his eyes open and stared at the darkness around him.

There would be no sleeping tonight. Of that he was certain.