The Forbidden Forest

[Rachel]

((Sure))
"Are you ok with going to the hospital wing for better help?" Josie asked as they came close to the exit.

[PlatonicFern]

Jasper nodded.
"Madam Pomfrey wont let me go out to Hogsmeade again until days later, though" he complained.

[Rachel]

"No probably not but I'll still stay with you as long as I can." Josie said.

[PlatonicFern]

Jasper smiled.
"Will you?"

[Rachel]

"I will. Especially since you gave in to going." Josie said, smiling back at him.

[PlatonicFern]

"I really appreciate that" Jasper said. He would have taken her hand, if his hands weren't so dirty and bloody.

[Rachel]

"Well I appreciate you taking that hit in order to help protect me." Josie said.

[PlatonicFern]

Jasper smiled.
"I'd do it any day. Any time" he promised.

[Rachel]

Josie smiled. "That's so sweet."

[PlatonicFern]

Jasper blushed.
"It's the truth..." he said.

[Rachel]

"I know it is," Josie said as the reached the exit of the forest.

[[deleted user]]

Ella walked into the forest with chilton, glad that she hadn't seen rouge on the way. "so what is it you wanted to show me?" she asked him, but she didn't really care. She was having fun just being with him

[Beck (formerly Boo), (Head Mod) Shut up and eat your pears! ;)]

Chilton ran off behind a tree, smiling widely. "Hold on..." he said, excited. He hoped she wouldn't be scared. About three minutes later a large white lion stalked out from behind the tree, its tail waving. It looked at Ella with blue eyes the same as Chilton's. Because, realy, the lion was Chilton. Or his animagus.

[[deleted user]]

Ella stood there looking at him, her face labeled with shock "wow" she said, taking a step closer to him. This was chilton. This gorgeous lion in front of her was chilton. She felt like hugging the lion, but she stopped herself

[Beck (formerly Boo), (Head Mod) Shut up and eat your pears! ;)]

Chilton the lion sniffed her arm with a muzzle that was as big as three of her fists. He sat down, letting his tail drop and occasionally flick around

[[deleted user]]

She sat down next to him, smiling, she ran her fingers trough his mane "your animagus is so cool," she said, thinking about her own "want to see mine?" she asked him

[Beck (formerly Boo), (Head Mod) Shut up and eat your pears! ;)]

The lion's huge head bobbed up and down. A nod. Well, it was suppoed to be a nod. It was actually kind of funny to look at

[[deleted user]]

Ella giggled "okay" she smiled as she popped up and went behind a tree, returning a minute later as a small fennec fox. Chiltons animagus was way better than hers, she thought as fennec fox Ella padded over to chilton and sat in front of him.

[Beck (formerly Boo), (Head Mod) Shut up and eat your pears! ;)]

Chilton leaned forward and sniffed her head, his head bigger than the fox. He laid down with a huff and batted a huge paw next to her. Soon after she switched, he went behind a tree and morphed back, petting the fox between the ears. "Sorry Ella. I was sorta afraid I was gonna smash you or something."

[[deleted user]]

She looked up at him, with her large ears sticking out of her head. She leaped behind a tree and came back as normal Ella. "that's okay" she smiled up at him "I never really understood; I'm the tallest in y family, and I have the smallest animagus"

[Beck (formerly Boo), (Head Mod) Shut up and eat your pears! ;)]

Chilton laughed. "Cool." he said, getting out his lollipop and unwrapping it, putting the trash in his pocket with the cards and one of the chocolate frogs. He smiled at her, enjoying the moment.

[[deleted user]]

She nodded "your animagus was awesome, though" she said, then remembering what she'd said about lions in the three broomsticks, she blushed

[Beck (formerly Boo), (Head Mod) Shut up and eat your pears! ;)]

"I love lions, but you can only stand being that clunky for so long" Chilton said, rememering countless times he'd knocked over things, or broken something, or that one time he backed through a wall....

[[deleted user]]

She smiled "I've always used my smallness to spy on conversations and things at home" she told him "my mum ended up checking under tables and in small places before she had any important conversation" she laughed

[Beck (formerly Boo), (Head Mod) Shut up and eat your pears! ;)]

Chilton laughed at that. He ran a hand through his hair. The ends were still thick and white.

[[deleted user]]

Ella pulled her mass of curls into a ponytail, with a few stray pieces curling around her face. She sat down at the base of a tree, taking in the serenity of being in this peaceful place with chilton

[Beck (formerly Boo), (Head Mod) Shut up and eat your pears! ;)]

Chilton was halfway done with his lollipop when he realizde how quiet it was. It was kinda unnerving, even with Ella there. "Um, hey, do you want to go somewhere else?" he asked, glanceing around.

[[deleted user]]

Ella shrugged "sure, where do you want to go?"

[Beck (formerly Boo), (Head Mod) Shut up and eat your pears! ;)]

Chilton didn't really know the answer so he redirected the question to her. "I don't know. Anywhere you want"

[[deleted user]]

She thought for a moment "we could go to the quidditch pitch" she said, thinking about flying through the night sky

[Beck (formerly Boo), (Head Mod) Shut up and eat your pears! ;)]

Chilton nodded. That would be nice. "Okay"

[Connor]

Athena ran quickly through the forest. Avoiding all the rocks and stumps and loose roots. She hit one and fell straight on her face, landing in the dirt. She laid there for a moment and rolled on her side. She didn't know where else to go, and why there was any more reason to run. She could just lie there until something killed her, or she died herself. Though she knew she would never let anything hurt her, she felt as if she could die. She'd hurt her friends, and herself. She'd hurt Abigail.
Her friend. Her ex-friend after this stunt.
She'd been reckless and stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid! She curled up in a ball, bringing her knees to her chest. She shivered from the cold climate of the Forbidden Forest.
No one would find her. No one cared most likely. She could leave.
She should leave.

[Connor]

The light of morning hit Athena's face. She stood, and wiped the dirt off her herself. She'd fallen asleep in the forest. She started walking out of the forest, to go change her clothes and compose herself.

[Connor]

Athena never knew she could run as fast as she was. Again like the last time she had ran through this blasted forest she tripped, landing face first in the dirt.
She felt that she belonged here. In the dirt.
Athena silently wished for all of this would go away. That she could just go back to the way things were. Back when her and James where still going. Back when her and Shane talked all the time and Abigail was still her friend. They had all been friends.
And she might of well had ruined it all.
She couldn't keep friends. Like she couldn't keep a boyfriend. Maybe she was better off alone in this dark, lonely forest.

[Holly, Former Head Mod, super cool nerd]

Shane was running down a hill. His feet were going faster than his thoughts and he couldn't slow down. He planted his face into a tree, and cried out. "Blasted tree!" He said, embarking further into the forest.
It was familiar territory to him, or else he'd be scared. "Athena?" He called. "Athena?!"

[Connor]

Athena heard the calls of her name.
Shane.
She sat up a bit. He was close, she could tell.
"Shane I'm over here." She said loudly, though her voice was still full of sadness.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him, though she knew good and well what he was doing here and why.
He'd heard the story. He knew what happened and how and when and why.

[Holly, Former Head Mod, super cool nerd]

"Smacking into branches and getting dirt on my new shoes. All to come and see you, beautiful." He said, finally finding her through a patch of heavily leaved trees. "What are you doing here, besides pouting over my no good brother?"

[Connor]

Athena snickered at his 'beautiful' comment. "Hah, beautiful? I don't think someone has called me that in decades." She said.
"Shane, its not just your brother. Its everything. I-I screwed up bad Shane. So bad." She said, almost breaking down again.
"I kissed Abi's boyfriend. I hit her. Now James is getting married! And I'm all alone in this stupid life. I hate this place. Just as much as most of the people hate me." Athena said, her tears getting closer and her voice breaking a lot.
She knew she was being over dramatic, and getting so worked up, but she had a right. She had so much boiling underneath. She still felt terrible for what she did to Abigail.
"And I tried to apologize to her. But then she pissed me off and I ran away. I just don't know what to do Shane." She said, finally standing and running over to him and burying her wet face in his chest.

[Holly, Former Head Mod, super cool nerd]

He was pushed back a small bit by her force, but he managed to catch balance and wrap his arms around one of his best friends.
Sure, Athena was spotty and shady and all-around mostly unreliable, but underneath all the IWon'tKissAndTell-OhWait, she had a heart. One that might have just been bigger than Shane's!
"Yes, beautiful. You know that." He said. Repressing a laugh, he smiled. "You kissed... Xavier? And hit Abi? It's been a long day, huh?" He said, dragging her to the ground gently. "Listen. Xavier is loyal. Abigail is forgiving. James is... Porbably going to divorce her within the next two years. And I'm here. Please don't cry."

[Connor]

Athena laughed a bit, though it was muffled by his shirt. She went down to the ground with him without a fight and moved enough so she was sitting in between his legs, her head in the crook of his neck and her arms wrapped around his neck. Her tears landed on his neck as she cried harder.
"I don't want James. It was just a shock that he was getting married. It only seems like a few months since we-" She said quietly breaking off mid-sentence.
"I just wish I could see Abigail and apologize again. I honestly feel horrible. I just saw what she had, and wanted it for myself. I don't have a guy who loves me and wants to be with me forever and all that mushy crap." She said with a snicker.

Finally her tears stopped and she just sat there with Shane and let him hold her. She knew that she picked the wrong brother, but she was sure glad that Shane would always be her friend. The one person she could count the most on.
Who could hold her.
"I'm so sorry I've been so crying and over-dramatic. It was just all that crap happening at once and it was so overwhelming, you know?" She said. She looked up at Shane, "Thank you, Shane. Do you know possibly how much I love you?" She said smiling. "Because I bet you could never guess the number. Its between one and one hundred thousand. Good luck." She said, laughing more than she'd laughed in the last days.

[Holly, Former Head Mod, super cool nerd]

He only held Athena and tried his best to make her comfortable while he was resting on the ground... It was damp and soaking through his jeans, but he didn't care. Today was only hers.
He smiled as she talked and brushed out her hair with his fingers. "Abigail can find you, if you've already apologized. I'm sure she's dying over it all, just like you are. Well, maybe not the James thing... He kinda let on how... Deep you guys were back then. I know why you're crying. And, really, it's okay to cry.... I pick the number... I don't know." He said, his thick accent coating the words and dripping comfort.

[Connor]

Athena smiled. "That's okay. I don't really want to cry anymore. I just want everything to get better. I want to have somebody who will love me and care for me. And I'll find him. If its the last thing I do. And I know for sure one thing." She said, her voice tired and small.
"It isn't James."
Athena's eyes where closing and opening, and she was trying hard not to fall asleep. But she knew that wasn't going to happen. "Oh, the number was one hundred thousand-" she started, and yawned, "and one."
"I love you Shane. Always." She said simply before she let the sleep take her.
She always fell asleep on Shane. He always made her feel better, and would always be there for her. She always regretted picking the wrong brother. Oh well-she had a best friend, a wonderful loving best friend named Shane.
These thoughts made her smile in her sleep.

[Holly, Former Head Mod, super cool nerd]

Shane shook his head and left his sitting position to a lying one when she finally stopped talking, and with her resting on his chest, he stared up to the sky for a long while before kissing the top of her head. "Goodnight, Athy. You're loved too. By all of us." He whispered letting himself doze off for a moment. All that... Stuff with Kate had worn him out, and he promised someone in his head that he wouldn't sleep long.

[Holly, Former Head Mod, super cool nerd]

Shane shook his head and left his sitting position to a lying one when she finally stopped talking, and with her resting on his chest, he stared up to the sky for a long while before kissing the top of her head. "Goodnight, Athy. You're loved too. By all of us." He whispered letting himself doze off for a moment. All that... Stuff with Kate had worn him out, and he promised someone in his head that he wouldn't sleep long.

[Holly, Former Head Mod, super cool nerd]

Shane shook his head and left his sitting position to a lying one when she finally stopped talking, and with her resting on his chest, he stared up to the sky for a long while before kissing the top of her head. "Goodnight, Athy. You're loved too. By all of us." He whispered letting himself doze off for a moment. All that... Stuff with Kate had worn him out, and he promised someone in his head that he wouldn't sleep long.

[Holly, Former Head Mod, super cool nerd]

-A Few Hours Later-

Shane awoke at the hoot of an owl as it dropped a letter on his face. "Thanks mate." He said sarcastically, his voice tired sounding. He took it off his face and nudged Athena. "Waaaake up, Athena. We've got to be getting back."
His mind was happy and he was excited that Athena was at the castle now. He'd have all his good friends there with him!

[Connor]

Athena smiled, "I'm already up. I just hadn't moved. To comfortable. And you where sleeping, didn't want to be rude." She said softly, and somewhat calmly. The rest had did her good and she felt loads better.
She sat up and ran her hands threw her tangled hair.
"Oh, I guess your right. People will be wondering where we escaped to. I'm sure your girlfriend is concerned. Most are when I'm in the picture." She said, sighing.
She stood and dusted off her clothes. Athena reached out a hand to Shane to help him up.

[Holly, Former Head Mod, super cool nerd]

He smiled and stood, taking her hand and kissing her cheek slightly. "Kate isn't like that. She knows I love her." He said in certainty, brushing dark hair away from her face. "Are you better now?"

[Connor]

Athena smiled, "Yeah, I will be." She smiled.
"Thank you Shane, for coming and finding me and making me feel better. And thank you bunches for spending the night with me. I really needed that." She smiled.
"Come on. Lets go get your girlfriend. I need to make sure she knows what she's getting herself into!" She smiled, nudging him with her shoulder.
"You know how much of a rebel you are, Shane." She giggled.

[Holly, Former Head Mod, super cool nerd]

"That's meeee." He sang happily. "I'm so rebel that I had to ask the first time I kissed her cheek." He said, smiling and squinting at the sun.