Little Memories

“Now…does anyone know what the Cruciatus Curse can do to someone?” Amycus Carrow asked as he paced in front of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, know known secretly as just “Dark Arts” to the students. His eyes landed on Charlotte, who was sitting on one side of the room, closest to the door beside Jackson. “How about we ask someone who’s both been the recipient and caster of such a curse?” He asked in a crazed sort of tone. “Miss. Goyle, would you explain what it’s like to be under the effects of a Cruciatus Curse?”

Charlotte turned her expressionless eyes to the Professor and just stared at him for a moment before drawing in a deep breath of air through her nose.

“It’s one of the worst pains a person can even endure,” she said softly and stoically, not letting the madman know how much this question affected her.

“And…to cast the spell on someone, how does that feel?” He asked, obviously trying to feel out her reaction and loyalty to their cause with that one word. Charlotte paused even longer to answer that question, as she knew exactly his reasons for asking her.

“There are more drastic and more effective ways to get answers from people, Professor Carrow,” she replied simply, knowing that by now the entire class had focused their attention on her, silently evaluating how much evil she must have done in her life. Carrow merely grinned a crooked smile at her before stalking off to the opposite side of the classroom. All eyes seemed to follow him around, as if the rest of the students saw him as more of a threat than Charlotte. She gave a sigh and closed her eyes, feeling Jackson’s eyes on her profile for a moment as the class continued on.

When the bell rang to dismiss students from the class, they nearly tripped over themselves to leave the room and to get away from the crazed man that taught the class. Charlotte and Jackson were of the last to leave the room, and fortunately Professor Carrow didn’t say anything to either of them on the way out.

Jackson didn’t have to look at Charlotte to tell that she was upset with the questions she had been asked and he knew it must be because of the vivid memories it brought up in her mind. He was well aware that she didn’t like the things she had to do, but she coped with it as well as she could.

“He’s stupid, Charlotte,” he murmured in her ear as they made their way to the Slytherin Common Room before lunch. She didn’t reply to him, nor make any inclination that she had heard a word he had said. As they reached the staircases, they passed by a group of sixth year Gryffindors coming up from Potions class with Slughorn. Ginny Weasley looked up and saw Charlotte slinking past them. Just as they were shoulder to shoulder, Charlotte’s eyes shot to Ginny’s before she looked ahead without so much of another word. Ginny watched her back as far as she possibly could before another student got in her way. Jackson noticed that too, but chose not to say anything about it, at least not out in the open.

They put away their books and joined up with Theodore as they were making the ascent from the Slytherin dungeons. It didn’t take him very long to realize that something was wrong with Charlotte.

“What’s happened?” He asked her softly as they finally emerged from the long flight of stairs up from the dungeons. Charlotte let out a sigh and looked over at him with a shaky smile.

“It’s nothing really,” she said softly, “just something Professor Carrow said.” Theodore nodded as they walked; he was on one side of Charlotte and Jackson was on the other side, as if they were her bodyguards. However, they knew she didn’t need bodyguards, they liked to think that they would make people think twice before giving her any problems or making snide remarks.

“Which one?” Theodore asked as a group of first and second year Hufflepuff students parted to make way for the group of older, intimidating Slytherin with bad reputations.

“Amycus,” she replied simply. Theodore let out a hiss and shook his head a bit.

“Don’t listen to him, Charlie,” he said, his face curling into what almost appeared to be a sneer. “He’s a crazy bastard who doesn’t realize who he’s messing with.” Charlotte merely let out a bored sigh and shook her head, tucking a wayward curl behind her ear.

“As if I would attack a Professor, Theodore,” she murmured, shoot him a look as they stepped into the Great Hall. “Honestly…I shouldn’t have let it get to me,” she added, but only she would know the duel meaning to her words. Amycus Carrow would undoubtedly let someone know about her almost remorseful replies and demeanor in his class.

The three sat down at the Slytherin table and pulled a few lunch items onto their plates. Charlotte didn’t have much of an appetite after that weasel Carrow made her so upset, but she’d eat. She had Quidditch practice later on and knew she’d need the strength the food would provide if she was going to stay grounded on her broom. Both Theodore and Jackson remained quiet as they ate and Charlotte wished they weren’t. She wanted a distraction from the thoughts running through her head. Instead, she looked up and down the table until her eyes landed on her brother.

They hadn’t spoken in so long and it was killing Charlotte. She knew that they would eventually talk again, but she didn’t know under what circumstances. Her transparent blue eyes then darted to the girl at his side that was the divider between the siblings. An intense bitterness radiated through her and she let out a heavy sigh, clenching her hands on the table. That girl sat there, so oblivious to the world around her, so undeserving of her brother. Her eyes then moved to the strikingly handsome blonde boy that sat beside them and her heart gave a very uneasy jolt. His steely blue-grey eyes shot up to hers, as if he knew that she had been watching.

Their eyes connected like magnets and their gazes held onto each other. Charlotte drew in a sharp breath of air as her lips parted slightly. She was the first to look away, but she felt his eyes on her for a few seconds after that. Then, the sensation of being watched faded away as something else took his attention away from her. Deciding she had eaten enough, she grabbed a ripe, green apple and stood.

“I need some fresh air,” she breathed before she quickly maneuvered over the bench and quickly walked out of the Great Hall. It seemed like this was becoming a habit of hers; having some sort of verbal or nonverbal confrontation with Draco and ending up leaving because she couldn’t take seeing his face or hearing his comments. This time, she didn’t think anyone was going to follow her. For one, she didn’t have any friends that were girls and would understand her situation. As charming and caring Jackson and Theodore were, they were guys and completely clueless to the complex inner workings of a teenage girl. Especially a teenage girl that had been to Azkaban and back.

She nearly raced out into the Entrance Courtyard and sat down on one of the benches, staring blankly ahead. Her heart was still hammering uneasily against her ribcage and she closed her eyes, placing a hand over her sternum to try and calm it. She knew that where ever Draco was at the moment, he would know just exactly how he made her feel with a single look. But she was still very mad at him and he knew better than to approach her anytime soon. He had hurt her and the sting of his words were still fresh in her mind.

The sky above her was dark and it looked like it would only be a matter of time before the rain came and forced any lingering students insides where it was dry. Charlotte had Care of Magical Creatures next, so she’d be forced outside regardless. A bitterly cold wind swept past her and she gave a slight shiver from it. She barely noticed someone taking a seat next to her, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off their body.

“Charlotte,” a soft voice pulled her attention away from the cobblestone and she looked over at the gentle, brown-haired, brown-eyed boy beside her. They remained silent as she looked over his features slowly. Jackson was still so much like a boy, so unlike Draco in coloring and looks. She found herself comparing more and more guys to the only Malfoy child, and she knew it was an unhealthy habit. “He’s an idiot,” he said just as softly, tentatively taking her hand in his. His palms were surprisingly soft and his fingers gently as they curled around her skeletal, yet dainty and feminine hand. His thumb brushed soothingly over her knuckles over and over again, the simple movement willing away her anxiety, if just for the moment.

“I know,” she finally replied in a whisper, giving Jackson a watery smile and laugh. She sniffled slightly, the wind whipping around them causing her nose to become tinged pink. Her eyes burned on the brink of tears that she had held off for too long and Jackson’s features suddenly turned very concerned as he watched her closely.

“Nott doesn’t think I should follow you around as much,” he said in his naturally soft voice and crisp accent. “But I don’t really want to listen to him,” he added with a shake of his head and a small smile, a smile that slowly fell before he continued to speak. “I can tell you’re hurting, Charlotte. Not just from things Draco has done and said to you, not just from your brother ignoring you for his girlfriend, but from the things you’ve had to do and see,” he said as tears continuously trickled down Charlotte’s cheeks. He gave a small sigh and lifted his free hand and gently brushed the tears away in what was a simple, friendly motion. “I know Nott and I only wanted to be your friends because of what you are…but now that I know you, I see just how much of a good person you are and how you hate what you do,” he whispered, as if he knew that certain people would disapprove of what they were saying. “Carrow was trying to make you feel guilty, but you shouldn’t let him do that,” he said strongly, “he obvious is jealous of you for some reason and he feels like taking it out by turning your classmates against you.”

Charlotte was suddenly thankful for the poor weather keeping many of the students inside, because that meant there were fewer people to watch her breaking down. They both knew that it was almost time for them to go to class and the Courtyard would be flooded with students, but all Jackson cared about was making sure that Charlotte felt better about things.

“Just know that he will never turn me against you,” he said, gripping her hand a bit tighter than he had before. She looked up at him through tear-filled eyes and sniffled softly as he brushed her tears away once more.

“That means a lot to me, Jackson,” she said in a quivering voice as she nodded. She offered him a small, strained smile, thankful that he had gone out of his way to set things straight and make her feel cared for. “It really does.” Jackson merely smiled a charming smile, nodding a bit in return and Charlotte couldn’t help but to feel her smile stabilize itself.

“It’s what true friends are supposed to do and say,” he said just before the bells rang. He stood up, still holding Charlotte’s hand in his and asked, “Do you want me to walk with you to Care of Magical Creatures?” Charlotte wiped the last of her tears away from her face as she stood, nodding once more. The two of them then began to walk, hand-in-hand, to Hagrid’s Hut, knowing they wouldn’t need books for their next class. They could have cared less about the students that whispered about the simple gesture of them holding hands. It didn’t mean anything more than friendship to them.