A Skirmish at Nightfall

It was heat that woke Cohen up. A burning sensation in the palm of his hand that shocked his mind out of its unconscious state. Instinctively, he opened his fist and heard a cling as whatever he had been holding hit the floor. The Gryffindor sat up and squinted at his hand, a round red mark was lightly puckered on his skin but there was no serious damage. Still groggy, he rubbed his eyes and checked that his roommates were asleep, the last thing he needed was a tired argument. He bent down and patted the floor until his fingers grazed a warm, smooth item which he picked up. The memory of how he had fallen asleep, rolling the sickle over his fingers absentmindedly, flooded back to him as he examined it.

He was awake the moment he'd realized what had burned him and he grabbed his wand from his bedside table. Lighting the tip he read the silver coin, 'Meet me in the courtyard now'. It had to be from Dominique, meaning something was wrong, she never wandered around this late at night. Worry prickling in his chest Cohen sprang from his bed and pulled on a jumper and trousers, not paying much attention. Ramona must have the same message but if she was asleep she may not have seen it. Boys weren't allowed up the stairs to the girls dormitory and he had no other way of contacting her.

There was no way Cohen would leave without Ramona and tried to think of a way to warn her. Wand in hand, he jogged down the stairs and stopped at the bottom, staring up at the girls dormitory. Merlin, he hoped Ramona was up.

Dom turned when she felt someone embrace her from behind. She stiffened in alarm, still clutching her sickle and pivoting to glance over her shoulder at her two best friends. "What happened?" Asked Romona, slightly out of breathe in her haste to meet her. Her blue eyes flickered to Cohen and then back as she addressed each of them. "There's no time, I'll explain along the way, hurry." She told them, her tone pleading and laced with fear and worry for her dad. She set off across the grounds running into a full out sprint, knowing her friends could keep up being a surfer and a Beater, she was the least athletic of the three.

The dark leaves of the Forbidden Forest rustled ominously, a symphony that sounded like the roar of a mighty lion. She couldn't see where she was stepping, it was too dark, the moon waning and skies cloudy leaving her surroundings only faintly visible but she didn't want to draw her wand and light her path just yet, at least not until the woods concealed them so as not to draw attention from any professors or prefects that might so happen to glance out a window at that exact moment.

Dominique pushed a thorny branch aside, venturing cautiously into the woods and disappearing through the tense treeline, trudging her way through thick foliage before finally drawing her Rowan wand. She concentrated with all her might on a happy memory swimming in her head, they seemed so distant now, just a hairs-width out of reach for she struggled to fight against the fear and panic clouding her thoughts but soon she found it, grasping to it desperately and letting herself drown in it, fully submersed. It was the first time she had rode a broom, she was six or seven and her tiny arms were wrapped around her Aunt Ginny's slender waist, holding on tightly as they ascended to what had seemed like the heavens at such a young age, she swore they were soaring through the clouds. Oh, how glorious it had been to see her grandmum's tiny burrow looking like a freckle against the lush, green, rolling hills of the English countryside. She felt free and liberated, like a bird and it had been awesome, simply brilliant and pretty much indescribable. Dom opened her blue eyes, having not even been aware that she had closed them in the first place as she had concentrated so hard on the distant, childhood memory and then she bellowed out firmly, daring her magic not to cooperate with her now in her time of great need and wisely it listened. "Expecto Patronum!" Said Dom, watching as a silvery, blue light emitted from the tip of her wand, at first resembling a shield charm but then morphing into the silhouette of an animal, a leaping goat to be exact. It pranced around her, weaving in between Cohen and Romona playfully before scampering off in front of the trio, illuminating their path and offering them protection from any wild dementors.

"I had a dream only this time it was different." Dom finally began to explain, setting off behind the goat, mindful of twigs and rocks. "He spoke, the dark figure, said he had my dad, I saw him tied up on the ground and told me to meet him here, somewhere in these woods. I don't know how I know where I'm going, I don't but I just do. It's difficult to explain, intuition I suppose?" She theorized, desperately seeking to find reason in all of this madness. Her logical mind did not like meddling in things that she could not explain, could not physically analyze like a book, hence why she'd never been one for mysticism and its abstract notions. Ironic now that she'd find herself going against all logic and following her heart, which told her that her dream had been real, that something dangerous was about to take place, looming on the edge of the horizon, waiting for them. She could feel it, the darkness they were headed towards. She could feel it in her gut.

"I don't know who he is or what he wants with my family but I'm ready." Said Dom firmly, determination strengthening her normally mellow voice as her fists clenched angrily at her side and more tightly around her wand. "I'm ready to finally face this bastard. I want to see his cowardly face."

Dom set off with no explanation practically as soon as Ramona had wrapped her arms around the clearly shaken friend claiming there was no time to explain. Ramona felt her heart and stomach clench simultaneously in the beginning twist of fear as her sense went into high alert. Ramona spared Cohen a look of concern for their friend before they followed close behind. The grounds were eerily silent as if even the cold winds were at a stall, waiting eagerly to see what would happen to the trio. The sound of boots and worn sneakers smacking against hardened ground were the only sound to be heard as they made for the Forbidden Forest. Ramona then feared more for Dom than herself, this was so unusual, so unlike the intelligent, logical, detail oriented girl that Ramona couldn't help but worry for her friend.

They slowed down in the forest, hardly being able to see where they were going. The surrounding trees were so thick that moonlight was barely able to seep through, all they could really see was each other and immediate surroundings. Dom hadn't lit her wand so neither did Ramona or Cohen, though Ramona was itching too, her tan hand clenched around the familiar wood. Ramona's worry was growing into panic, so far there had been no explanation, no destination revealed, just the insistence of an explanation to be revealed later on but Ramona desperately wanted one now. Dom then lifted her wand and while Ramona hers to ready to summon the light when Dom cast a patronus charm. The misty whimsical form of a goat jumped out from the tip of Dom's wand and danced about them before taking off into the woods ahead, Dom following close behind.

Finally the Ravenclaw began to explain, about how she had seen this all in a dream and how whatever dark figure that had been showing up not only in her subconscious but in that charmed mirror she had bought was in the woods and ad her father. The tawny haired Weasley was resolute in the fact she would try to save her father and discover who ever it was that was doing this. Ramona clenched her jaw, not saying anything but followed. Part of Ramona was proud to see her friend taking the lead, following her heart and instincts more than that logical brain of hers. The other part of Ramona was terrified that something could go wrong, that their was a great wealth of information they didn't know that their enemy might. Cohen voiced Ramona's concern but soon agreed with Dom and continued on as Ramona did. Even if the brunette thought they should have planned more, thought about this all a little more, she knew what they were doing was right, and while time wasn't necessarily on their side, nor age or experience, they had each other and in times like this, number and trustworthy mates were all one could ask for.

The forest was incredibly dark, and if it wasn't for Dominique's Patronus he would have tripped over a thousand roots poking from the earth before they paused. Cohen's fist was coiled tightly around his wand as they stopped in the woods and listened to the two figures. His stomach was hollow and tight, warning him that this had been a bad idea. What could three students accomplish against fully grown witches and wizards? If something happened to Dominique or Ramona he'd never be able to forgive himself for letting them go. He watched as Dom turned, her eyes flashing at Ramona as she raised her wand.

Cohen's eyes darted to their Gryffindor friend and the man looming over her. He raised his wand, but Dom had got their first and blasted Stupefy at him. The spell hit its target but before Cohen could react a pair of hands wrapped around him. His arms were locked in place and he wasn't able to point his wand at the attacker. He grumbled and struggled to get free, seeing his friends in a similar situation. Dominique had been disarmed but Ramona had yet to be captured by the wizard. Cohen felt helpless and stopped moving to watch the fiery brunette battle with the wizard. He stared at her unblinkingly, feeling nauseous at the concept of her being hurt. Dom and himself were already caught, and for the moment they were safe enough, but one stray spell could mean Ramona getting injured. He had ceased breathing and moving, and if it hadn't of been for his heart thumping a manic rhythm, Cohen may have wondered if he'd died already. Godric, he hoped she'd win.