Chapter 236: Ensuring Secrecy The Old Way (2/2)
”I will take it,” said Marietta Edgecombe, straightforwardly. She never wanted to take part in DA. Because of Cho, her best friend's constant instance and nagging, she decided to join DA and participate in this farce. Her dissatisfaction only grew with every session, where she was forced to leave the safety of her dorm and risk getting caught.
”Excellent, you're free to go,” said Quinn and turned to the other three. ”What about you guys? Do you want to take my offer up?”
The three pondered on their decisions silently for a few minutes, and only some contemplation did they decide that they would stay with DA.
”I'm staying,” said Irfan Mushtaq, as chill as a sloth resting on a tress. ”My mum's not a big fan of Umbridge. Plus, she's always complaining about how bad her job is, so she won't mind if she gets canned and my dad makes good money, so no problems there.”
Quinn chuckled. ”Your mum sounds like a fun person.” He turned to Marietta. ”Well, Edgecombe, it seems our time together as fellow DA members have to come to an end.”
Marietta scoffed with her chin held high. ”Good, getting out of this farce is the best thing that could have happened to me.” She noticed the expressions of slight disgust and anger others were giving her, ”Don't look at me like that. What do you think is going to happen? That learning all this will make you top duelers, oh please, don't kid yourself; this is just all of you playing around, pretending that you're doing something great. Defense Against The Dark Arts is just a subject that, it's not if you don't learn it, your life will end. You know what, she might be not pleasant, but Umbridge makes some good points. There's a reason why we have Aurors; they will protect us. We don't need to learn all these spells and charms.” She looked at Ivy, ”Just because her brother says that You-Know-Who's back doesn't mean that he's really back, and I have always thought that Dumbledore was a whacky in the head — no wonder he believed Potter's words so quickly. So, I suggest you all drop the asinine fantasy of defeating the You-Know-Who and come back to reality; he's not back and will never be back. I bet you this: In some days, we will get the news that the Aurors have arrested the escaped prisoners, they will be shipped back to Azkaban where they belong, and everything will go back to normal.”
Quinn, Ivy, along with the other three, watched in struck silence as she rambled on like a locomotive train, piping out word after word as the train did smoke. Even her unusually high-pitched voice sounded like a blaring train whistle going non-stop.
When Marietta finally became silent, Quinn stepped forward and raised his hand for a handshake with her. ”It was a short time, but I thank you for supporting DA, even as unwilling as it was.”
Marietta clasped Quinn's hand and said, ”I thought more of you, Quinn. I thought you would be more realistic and not engage in this sort of farce. But to my surprise, you were here, and not only that, but you also brought in your friends, and more than that, you also brought a whole group of Slytherin into this.”
Quinn stared at Marietta, who seemed to exercise the gift of speech to the limit with a thin-lipped smile. ”It seems I haven't stood up to your expectations for me.”
Marietta let go of Quinn's hand. ”I hope you'd continue to keep DA a secret. While I don't like this, I do care about Cho. It would be sad if she got into trouble. Especially with how good things are going with Cedric. Sometimes I can't understand how did she bag someone like him. Boys can be so superficial, just looking for looks.”
Just when they thought that there might be one good bone in Marietta's body, she took it in her hand and cracked it over, making it as crooked as every other.
”Thank you, Marietta,” said Quinn and gestured towards the door.
Marietta puffed up her chest and walked towards the door with her chin held high. But she had taken a few steps when she felt a jolt hitting her back, sending prickling creeping through her body like a hundred-legged centipede crawling on her skin. She could feel her body, her muscles turn stiff like stone, and before she could even look down, Marietta felt her neck rigid, leaving her looking at a spot a few feet away from her.
She tried to speak something, but her voice had seemed to betray her as not a peep came out of her throat. She pushed harder, tried to yell, screech, and shout, but the result was the same silence, setting a tinge of panic in her, but she couldn't even show it with her entire body that seemed to have gone comatose.
But then she heard. ”I'm sorry, Marietta, but we aren't over with.” She listened to the sound of footsteps moving near her until the figure dressed in Ravenclaw robes stood in front of her, and because she couldn't move her neck or her eyes, she could only stare at the legs and boots. But she knew who it was.
”As much as I trust you, DA simply can't risk its existence get out,” she heard the voice of Quinn speak slow and flat. ”We're going to add just a little something to you to ensure that you will have help if and when someday you decide to make the mistake of betraying the people you love so much.”
A hand entered her sight, and it was holding a wand. She watched with her breathing turning heavier by the second as the wand touched her throat, and she could feel the cold touch of would against her skin and the tip pushing against her larynx.
The cold wand turned warm as a stream entered her body through her neck. It felt like she had gulped down a warm drink quickly, lining her insides with a warm and fuzzy feeling, but she wasn't feeling comfortable; this was sending deeply unsettling shivers down her entire body.
”If you ever decide to betray DA in any form. Speak about it, write about it, walk here to reveal the location, point out members to reveal their involvement or any other way you can think of — remember what I told you about, Intent is an integral part of magic — your eyes will stop seeing the light, your voice will betray you, your skin will steal away your touch, and you'll again turn into stone.
Beware, Mariette; you won't want to turn deaf, mute, and blind because the curse will make that state stay there for a while before you get you to return to normal. If you get misguided again and try to go on the wrong path again, the curse will return to play with you, and this time it will stay for longer. The more times you try, the more you'll be able to enjoy and appreciate life and experience it with your sense of taste and smell.”
Marietta wanted to scream, struggle, free herself of her stone-like state, and hit Quinn with everything she had, but she was helpless as a fish out of her water. Hearing Quinn's word settled a deep sense of pitting despair; it clenched like a hand gripping down on her beating heart.
As this was happening, Ivy watched and heard what had happened. In experiencing so, she was reminded who Quinn West was. She recalled the man who had entombed her into a wall because she impersonated his friend. Ivy was reminded of the man who had bound her and Hermione in his office and threatened to ruin her and her brother's life. This was the same person who had implicated her and Hermione deeper by tricking them into coming along with them back in time.
It reminded her that it might have been because she had become friends with Quinn that he decided not to do something like what he had done to Marietta, or exactly like what he had done to Marietta when she found his secret Cursed Vault.
After that, Quinn sent away a heaving and scared silly Marietta and nervous other three, but not before instilling a good sense of motivation in the minds of Caruso, Romsey, Mushtaq to keep quiet about what had happened her to themselves, leaving only Ivy and him in the room.
”Hey, sorry about that,” said Quinn. ”I didn't mean to ignore you back there, but I had to do it now with only them and you present. It would have not gotten the approval if we had put it to a vote. I had to move quickly and decisively for this to be effective.”
”Will she really suffer all that?”
”Hmm, partially,” said Quinn, making Ivy look at him with confusion. ”She would feel what I said a couple of times. But I'm not capable enough to freeze her entire body and take three out of five senses time after time for eternity. After a few times, the curse will start to wane and eventually fade away. I can, of course, cast it again. But I'm sure the fear would keep her away from violating the rules.”
Ivy once again stared at him, and her heart told her to say it, speak, tell him outright. She had observed him with 'her' today, but both didn't seem much different from what they usually were, which meant it wasn't still late, and she could get in.
Ivy stared at Quinn, but the more she stared at him, the more her thoughts went to the events of Valentine's day. She broke eye contact and hurriedly spoke. ”Yes, I know. I mean, I understand why you did it. I myself would've shot you down if you had put it to vote.”
Quinn chuckled with a refreshing smile. ”I know. I wouldn't want it any other way.”
She once again looked at her, and her heart told her to say it, speak, tell him outright. She had observed him with 'her' today, but both didn't seem much different from what they usually were, which meant it wasn't still late, and she could get in.
Yes, she should do it. She was going to do it. Now, right now.
Ivy opened her mouth. ”It's okay. I don't blame you. We should go back; it's getting late. Everyone must be wondering what are we doing.”
She couldn't say it.
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Quinn West - MC - Sin-Quinn was still at its base, still him.
Ivy Potter - Conflicted - The word of heart stopped by the fear of mind.
Marietta Edgecombe - Cursed - Pretended nothing happened when she went back and went to sleep without saying a word.
FictionOnlyReader - Author - I tried something new. I don't know if it will show up, but if it does. what do you think?
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