APOCALYPTO

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

PLEASE READ FIRST

Spoiler

This plot is after Andromeda has been told the news that her uncle has died, she is distraught and though casting spells she is not out to hurt anyone. Only trying to get them to leave her be. So if you are looking to pm to join just know that there are no heroics here, no one with a gung-ho attitude who wants to come in and cause mayhem. The plot is about grief and a teenagers attempts to deal with it.

Andromeda finally entered the Great Hall and looked about her, there were only a handful of students left. Breakfast was long over now and Lunch was still some time away. She stood just in the door way, not knowing what to do with herself. She had walked like an automaton down the stairs to this spot but now that she was here, she didn't know what else she was to do. Two second year students passed her discussing what they would be wearing for the Halloween Feast and as one giggled saying she was going as an angel, Andy's head snapped up. 'Angel' her uncle Patrick called her that all the time.

Her insides felt as if a hurricane was sweeping through her, she had been angry and deeply upset by the loss of the father but then she had her mother and Esmerelda to help her deal with it and she had been so much younger. Now she was on her own, she had sent Essie away and was now standing here as one memory after another assailed her consciousness. A gasp escaped her as the numbness that had ravaged her before hand began to wear thin.

"Get Out!" she said to no one imparticular. No body moved, no body had really heard her.
"Get Out!" her voice was raised now, she didn't look at anyone but stared directly at the faculty table ahead of her, the fingers on her wand hand itched to reach for it but she relented for now.

"I said GET OUT of here!" she bellowed now startling those that were in the Great Hall. A few first years were up and out of their seats in seconds, nudging each other as they passed her to get out the large wooden doors.

 

[Carmen Peregrin]

Carmen was not easily frightened and she certainly didn't run from the first sign of trouble but as she saw some first years leave when the older girl roared out loud, she thought it was probably best to leave too. She didn't know what was up with this girl and wasn't sure she wanted to know. Grabbing her books she moved from the table keeping her eyes on the girl at all times, so it was not then her fault that her books went crashing to the floor.

"I'm sorry I was just leaving" she called out from the Slytherin table, cursing the fact that she didn't know any spells as of yet or that it would matter considering the older girl would definitely know more.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda could only glare at the girl and stepping back pointed to the open doors.
"Do Not Make Me Repeat Myself!" she shouted, all that flowed through her now was the need to scream. The urgency to hit something or someone. He had left her, he had promised he wouldn't. That it was the two of them now, he was going to settle down in Brightstone and had even met a really nice woman. Did she know? Andromeda stopped herself from thinking anymore, tears had begun to well up and she was not ready for them. She would not fall apart, she couldn't.

There would be no putting her back together again if she broke down now. Very slowly and methodically she removed her wand from its casing and held it tightly in her hand. It was only for show, she was not so far gone in her grief that she would hurt anyone. She just needed them to believe that she would.

 

[Carmen Peregrin]

Carmen hastily gathered her books and frowned when she saw the red haired girl go for her wand.
"Alright I'm gone, I'm gone" she muttered as she made her way to the door and slowly walked around the girl to get out. She felt a pang then, knowing that if she had been meant for Gryffindor she would have stood her ground and braved it out, instead of leaving now to save her own skin. Heading to the dungeons she figured reading in her own dorm might be a saver option.

 

[Aries Centauri]

Aries had his head down on his arms attempting to catch up on sleep that he wasn't getting at night, thoughts of Violet were keeping him awake into the early hours of every morning and only cold showers seemed to be keeping him sane. As he slowly began to drift he heard a voice calling to 'get out' but ignored it.
After a moment the voice got more persistent and much louder, he lifted his head, squinting his tired eyes at the person by the door. Andromeda was standing there not looking at any of the students in the great hall but shouting for them all to leave all the same. Aries sat up and wiped his eyes, watching as a few of the first years decided to leave. What was up with her?

He stood up and began to walk over, allowing a first year to pass him quickly as she told Andromeda that she was gone. Looking at her he frowned, something was seriously up. She had her wand in her hand but that wasn't it. Aries had been one of the students who had witnessed the brutality that she had gone through at the hands of Professor Gouster in Durmstrang, he had seen her whipped, battered and bruised. Strung up and flung against walls, the majority of these being in her werewolf form but there had also been times when the professor had wanted to test the regenerative powers of the werewolf to see if they worked while in human form too. She had been cruelly mistreated, inhumanely tortured and yet he didn't think in all that time that he had seen the look of abject torture that was written all over her now.

Something had happened.
"Andy, you ok?" he held up both of his hands to show her he was wandless, well it was in his robe pocket but the principal was the same thing.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda let the girl go as Aries walked towards her. He asked her if she was alright and she simply couldn't answer. If she said anything other than to tell him to get out, she knew the abyss would swallow her whole. How would she return from that kind of suffocating grief? It was all too much and slowly any moment now she knew she would explode or give in to the need to cry, to scream, to act other than simply standing here waiting for the Great Hall to empty.

"Just leave" her voice was low but the tone was cold. She needed to keep herself detached from her friend or the first tear would fall and the dam would surely break.

"Leave Aries" a higher octave, if she had to repeat herself again her voice would probably crack under the pressure of trying to stay in control.

 

[Aries Centauri]

Aries nodded his head slowly. He didn't know what had happened to her but he was absolutely certain something had.
"Alright Andy I'm gone, I'm gone now" he moved slowly as well out of her way until he was on the other side of the doors.

Had that been the best course of action? He looked about but there was only the one or two other students who had decided to leave as well. Should he send one of them to get a professor? Aries knew he probably should but decided to see what she would do instead.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda turned around as Aries left the hall. With him gone there were no others left inside but herself. She looked at him standing on the other side of the door and flicking her wand cast the locomotor incantation to close the doors before then locking them.

She put her wand back into it's sheath at her side and walked slowly up through the great hall, her feet echoed off the wooden floor as she did so. Her hand brushed against the bench on her right and she sat down on it.

Thoughts whirled about in her head, all those she had loved and had left her skipped in and out as if laughing at her. Was she supposed to be alone? Was Carlisle going to leave her as well? Carlisle. The thought was terrifying and she knew that once she left this room she would need to find him. No one else she cared about would leave her again because she simply would stop caring. She was damned with a cursed soul so surely not caring was right up her street.

Standing up again she looked at the table still cluttered with bowls and plates and cutlery. The house elves were either getting sloppy or students were taking to eating later. A sudden rush whelmed up inside her, a burning anger that wanted release. Leaning forward with her arms outstretched she shoved the table ware infront of her to the ground. It clanged and banged unmercifully. The noise echoing all over the hall. Andy felt the slightest bit better but not much. She moved further down the table and shoved more goblets and plates crashing to the ground.

"I don't need you!" she shouted out, as if the ghosts of her father, sister, grandfather and uncle could hear her, "I don't need any of you".

She ran to the next table and pushed more table ware to the ground. Picking up a large bowl of fruit she threw it forcefully to the ground, fruit rolling everywhere and the bowl splintering into pieces.

 

[Aries Centauri]

Outside the Great Hall​

Aries watched as the doors closed, he took a step towards them but they shut in his face and all he was left with was an image of Andromeda looking dejected. He walked back to the giant doors and tried the handle but it was already locked. Should he even attempt to open it, maybe she needed time alone for some reason but she looked almost crazed... no that wasn't it. She looked empty as if there was nothing there. He didn't know what to do, looking at his watch he knew he was going to be late for class but did that matter now?

He turned from the door and decided to see if there were any Gryffindors around that might know Andy or even if Zuka was about. A few steps away from the hall door and he could hear the faint sounds of crashing. Spinning around he pulled out his wand and pointing it at the door shouted 'alohomora'.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda turned around quickly as she heard the spell and whipping out her own wand and yelling the locomotor incantation at one of the large benches she flung it across the door to block them opening out. Once this was done she shouted 'Colloportus' to seal the door up once more.

"I said leave me alone" she shouted, having seen Aries out side once more. Surely he would leave her alone now. Her head was starting to pound and rubbing her temples she let her wand drop to the floor. Turning to sit down she decided against it at the last moment and kicked at the bench instead. Managing to do more damage to her foot than to the bench. The pain felt good though, it meant that she could feel that she wasn't completely numb or devoid of emotion. She had been trying to supress the rage and pain inside her for so long. Sinking to her knees she picked up her wand again but didn't stand up. Remaining there it appeared as if she were in some catatonic state.

'you promised you wouldn't leave me Patrick. You said you were going to always be there for me. you promised.... you promised'

 

[Aries Centauri]

Aries didn't even have time to get close to the doors as they were about to open, one of the benches was flung at them slamming them closed again and with that he could hear the locks in the doors shutting as well. He shook his head and stepped back.
What was he to do now, he knew he certainly couldn't walk away from here but he also knew that he couldn't simply go blasting the doors open incase Andy was close behind them.

Scratching his head he tried to figure out the best course of action. Surely sending for a professor was the only choice he had now.

 

[Zazuka Getathorn]

Zazuka was heading down to the Great Hall for some food when she spotted Aries in front of the door. She wondered what was going on. It might have been that flash of screaming she got during the birthday gathering but she hoped to god she had been wrong. She always hoped she was wrong when tragety struck one of her friends and she knew about it before they did. She reached for the door and before she grabbed hold of the handel she drew back her hand as if the it burned her. "What's happened?" She asked at Aries, her voice shaking with fright.

Zazuka could fell the anger now. Violent and searing. Mixed with greef. Her friend didn't desearve any of it. It as if fate was angry at her for some reason. Zazuka could scarsly stand to feel what she was feeling. She reached for the door again this time managing to get a hold of it before the emotions took a phsical affect on Zazuka and pushed her back. She looked at her hand expecting it to be blistered but all that happened was that it was a little pink. The hits she was taking was in to aura not her body. It felt like it was though. "Aries what's going on?" She asked biting her lip.

 

[Aries Centauri]

Aries attempted to stop Zuka from going near the door but something else seemed to prevent her from opening it.
"It's Andy... I don't know what's up with her she just doesn't look herself. She came into the hall and yelled at us all to get out, then she closed and locked the doors" he sighed putting his wand away.
"I tried to magically open them but she barred the doors with one of the benches and relocked the doors again" he looked at Zuka, wondering if she knew what was up with Andromeda.
"In all the time I had to see her going through hell and back in Durmstrang, I have never seen her so... so soul destroyed as I witnessed earlier".

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda put her hands up to her ears as if to block out the voice that echoed within.
'He's dead' "No" she muttered in reply.
'He's gone and never coming back' "No" the anguish was ripping through her.
'He lied to you' Shaking her head furiously she repeated over and over again the one word "No".
'He's dead, dead, dead' "No, leave me alone" she called out.
'Don't you see... you are alone. They've all left you'

Andromeda raised her head very slowly and looked about her, still she fought the tears that threatened to engulf her. Soon her emotions would ravage her like a tsunami and there would be nothing she would be able to do to fight it. Her world had capsized and she was sinking fast. In a last ditch effort to keep herself from going under, Andromeda stood up on shaking legs. Her wand hand shook as well.

'He's dead' "I heard you" it was a whisper, her mind though racing also felt as if it were shutting down on her. A loud clang as a plate balancing precariously on a table fell and banged to the floor. Andy's eyes stared blindly ahead, unfocused she simply raised her wand and pointed it at the door. Someone was trying to come in again.

 

[Bruin Dumbledez]

Bruin had been reading quietly in the Gryffindor common room, waiting for Andy to return from her trip to the Headmistresses office when a few first years had entered talking animatedly about one of the older girls going off the rails in the Great Hall. He figured that Andy would come back to Gryffindor after receiving her news, but apparently she had headed back to the Great Hall. From the few details he waited to hear, it didn't sound like the news was good or that Andy was handling it well. He tore down the stairs two at a time, leaping the last 4 or 5 before each landing and brushing past confused students with reckless abandon.

When Bruin arrived in the Entrance Hall, he found Zazuka and a boy that he didn't know standing in front of the doors leading into the Great Hall and a few others milling about and talking in groups. He spoke briefly with the two of them and was left with the impression that Andy had barricaded herself inside. He didn't know what kind of state she was in, but recognized that there probably weren't too many people at the school that knew Andy or her situation better than him. He withdrew his wand, cast Alohomora! on the lock and yelled "Andy! It's Bruin...I'm coming in!".

 

[Zazuka Getathorn]

Zazuka could feel her world shatter around her and she knew it wasn't from her. "Andy's braking. She's crumbling please we have to get inside." She said her voice choked with tears but none streaking down her cheeks. She knew that she would start to cry sooner or later but right now she had to keep her head. For Andy. "Please let me inside Andy." She cryed as close to the door as she could get but forever hovering on the outskirts. She could not go near the door. Not with Andy so angry inside.

She looked around to see if anyone could help. "Don't you have Drumstrang magic that could help us out?" She asked Aries. Zazuka was not too close to Aries because he was a Drumstrang. She was nice to him but she never got beond hi and bye. That and he seemed to be more into spending time with Violet. Though she had her own bies she could see that the two where meant for each other. Zazuka was looking at Aries with wide eyes now. Someone had to help.

 

[Aries Centauri]

Aries shook his head not sure what he should do.
"I didn't pay too much attention to the class that taught how to burst a door open" he told her, regretting his sharp tone. He was simply worried when into the foray came an older boy. Aries explained what was after happening so far and that to the best of his knowledge Andromeda was locked inside there by herself.

Watching intently as the boy went to the door and cast the alohomora on it before then calling out to Andy. Aries wondered why he hadn't done that himself, other than the fact that she had looked like she could quite easily have blown him up or something. Needing to be of some use or help in any way, Aries turned to Zuka.

"Look it looks like he's got it under control for now, you're turning into a basket case so I suggest you go and find the headmaster or deputy headmistress. She's probably your best bet as she knows Andy anyway, I'll go and get her Head of House."

It wasn't telling tales but before things got out of hand, they might as well get nipped in the bud. Aries strode off immediately in search of Professor Fletcher as other students began milling about outside the door.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andy heard him call out and all she could do was shake her head. If Bruin of all people came in she would crumble. She would have to admit it out loud what had happened. Saying it and thinking about it were completely different things. She could still verbally deny that Patrick had left her forever but knew that she could never lie to Bruin. Hadn't she gotten him up out of bed at an ungodly hour of the morning only a few days ago to help her get the news she had received today? Just because it wasn't the news she had wanted to hear didn't mean she could keep it from him.

She closed her eyes, if not Patrick then who? One of her younger cousins, another of her uncles, herself? Just because he had been her favourite didn't mean she would have preferred another of her kin to take his place... she would have preferred herself if they had been the odds. Opening her eyes once more she focused on the door now. Her hand beginning to shake, so she clasped her other hand about it to hold her wand steady.

She had nearly clobbered Bruin the year before, would she be able to do the same now? Highly unlikely, she couldn't and wouldn't wish harm on him no matter how badly she was feeling. She would have to scare him off some other way. The door lock clicked. Any moment he would enter. Andy shook her head as her hands began to shake again. She couldn't even tell him not to come in, to utter any word to Bruin would guarantee her falling apart completely.

 

[Bruin Dumbledez]

Bruin did not hear any response from the other side of the door and so pushed against the door. It barely budged, despite his considerable weight. He smashed his shoulder into it and felt it give a little, the door opening a crack. He could see that Andy had piled benches up against the door and that she was standing on the other side of them with her wand leveled at the door. Bruin had felt the sting of Andy's temper last year, but this was different...much different. First of all, she wasn't angry this time and well, this time he had his wand.

Bruin knew that he could move the benches easily with his wand, but he had no idea how Andy would react. He knew without even having spoken to her that she was hurting, but he had no desire to cause her any more pain, so he wouldn't use his wand unless necessary.

"Andy, listen...this isn't going to help...let me in, please..." Bruin called to her, prepared to duck out of the way if she fired a spell at the doors. "I can move those benches if I need to, but I'd prefer for you to let me in..." There was strength in his voice, strength he wanted to share with Andy, not overpower her with.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andy shook her head, she couldn't let him in. The dam was sure to burst. Attempting to still her hands from shaking, Andy tensed them as hard as she could. The pain shooting up through her arms instantly. It was no good. Her eyes darted about the Great Hall looking for something anything but the most she could come up with was relocking the door. She tried to repeat the locomotor spell to push the bench back against the door again but even now her voice was shaking and the spell wouldn't work.
"Loco..mo..tor benc..ch" her voice and hands were in tandum now, the spell fizzled at the end of her wand. This was useless, slowly she began to walk backwards toward the podium at the other end of the hall. Thinking that maybe with more distance she would be able to successfully perform the spell.

Forgetting completely how magic was tied in to emotions.
'Angel put the wand down' she heard his voice in her head and gasped, shaking her head vigorously. She was imagining things now, going nuts obviously. Andy blinked hard to clear her head so she couldn't hear Patricks voice.
'Romy don't do anything stupid' "you're not here" she whispered, "you're gone. you're not here".

Half way down the hall now Andy stopped, a tear had fallen. Was sliding down her face.
"You're dead" her voice was as dead as the realisation, moving a hand to her face, a shaking finger wiped the tear. She looked at it at the end of the finger tip for a moment before realising another was beginning to fall.

 

[Bruin Dumbledez]

Bruin watched with sadness as Andy attempted to barricade the door once more throught the crack that he had created, failing in her attempt to keep him out of the room. Suddenly, she turned and began to walk away from him. He didn't know whether to take this as a strategic retreat or as an offer of admission for him to follow through on his statement that he would be coming in regardless of her attempts to stop him. Either way, Bruin took advantage of the circumstances, using his wand and concentration to slowly move the benches aside. Bruin turned quickly to Zazuka and whispered quietly. "Just give us a few minutes, alright?"

Bruin pushed the large wooden doors open slowly and stepped into the Great Hall, closing them slowly behind him without taking his eyes off of Andy who was standing with his back to him part way down the hall. He took a few tentative steps toward her, his wand at his side and then spoke in a low, soft voice. "Andy...listen...I don't know what's happened, but I promise you this...you, we...we can get through it... let me help you, please..." Bruin pleaded as he stepped closer to her, wanting to offer her some comfort, but not sure how she would react.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andromeda turned to face him slowly, the hand with the teardrop out at her side. She was still looking at it before finally looking up at Bruin. More tears were beginning to fall, she had been afraid of this. That with one thousands would surely follow.

She heard him but couldn't speak, she watched him take a step closer and instinctively took one back. If he got too close, she didn't know what would happen. She was still struggling to keep it together though that was dwindling fast. She shook her head and took another step back, as her hand came up to wipe away the onslaught of tears. Her wand hand raised pointing at him, but shaking convulsively. She could no more hurt Bruin than she could her own heart but how was he to know that.

Her voice cracked as she attempted to speak.
"Too.... late" how could he help her short of turning back time?

 

[Bruin Dumbledez]

Bruin watched as Andy turned slowly towards him, tears falling freely down her face. He hoped that her turning to face him was a good sign in spite of her pained expression, but then she stepped backwards, away from him, and raised her wand. The expression on her face didn't resemble anything he had ever seen before, there was no intent, only sorrow and despite his better judgement he left his wand at his side.

The two words she spoke fluttered feebly across the room towards him. Too late? Too late for what? He wondered, he sensed that she had lost someone... the Banshee's appearance had pretty much guaranteed that, but did she not realize that she could count on him to help her? He couldn't change the past, but why wouldn't she let him help her in the present?

"I'm sorry Andy..." Bruin offered softly, for he truly was sorry to see his friend in such pain, before taking another tentative step towards her with his empty hand raised slightly, reaching out to her and hoping that she would take it.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

He said the words she knew she couldn't hear. If he was sorry what was she? His sympathy for her overwhelmed her, outstretching his hand to her Andy shook her head again. All she had to do was put her hand into his, how many times had he been there for her already? He had saved her life only the year before, she owed him so much and yet this one tentative action on her part was the hardest to do.

She wanted to so badly but the grief was beginning to take over. Feeling her body almost shudder as it accepted without a doubt that the man who had been like another father figure to her all her life was gone, would never be seen by her again. The broom he had brought for her birthday was back in her room somewhere, the beaters bat with it. Today was her birthday, it had been marred for years by the fact that it was also her twins anniversary. Her parents had mourned her every year, if it had not been for Patrick she wouldn't have enjoyed those birthdays at all. Now she would never celebrate one with him again and now it would be marred forever more by Patricks death. She opened her mouth to speak, to say something, anything to Bruin but she faltered.

Wiping away a fresh set of tears, Andy looked at her wand hand still pointed at him and still visibly shaking. She began to lower it very, very slowly as if it pained her to do so.

 

[Bruin Dumbledez]

Bruin was coming to the grim and inevitable realization that he was out of his element, somewhere so far removed from his comfort zone as the friendly, happy-go-lucky Head Boy that he had absolutely no idea what to do next. He had proven himself to be a good listener, someone who could be trusted and counted upon, but when it came to actual feelings...to real emotions, he was a complete and utter neophyte. He had rarely experienced powerful emotions, either good or bad, and could not begin to comprehend the grief, anguish, and obvious torment that was consuming Andy now. He stood there, frozen, as Andy slowly lowered her wand. Even his ability to speak failed him, it was as if his words were now encased in a shroud of ice, visible yet somehow cloudy and inaccessible.

The two proud Gryffindors remained standing there, alone in the middle of the Great Hall for what seemed like an eternity, although time itself had ground to an almost complete halt. Bruin's gaze drifted to Andy's face and he watched as a solitary tear travelled down the pale skin of her her right cheek, following the glistening jagged path that had been cleared by all of the tears that had already fallen. As the tear inched its way towards her jawline, something inside Bruin told him that it was his duty to not let that particular tear fall and he stepped forward bravely. Bruin brought his hand up to Andy's cheek and gently brushed the tear aside with his fingers before pulling her towards him, trying desperately to shelter her from the source of her great sorrow.