Why are we here again.

Sam smiled, a feeling of pride rushing through him as she pulled his shirt over his head - she, Rhys, was wearing his shirt. Oh happy days, judging by the look on her face she was quite happy about it too. Joining in with her laugh he shrugged and continued on to the tree. "I can imagine it got a bit nippy there, walking around in little more than a strip of cloth," he replied.

Finally they grabbed the tree and heard the voice, Sam shot her a smile which quickly faded as Felix continued to talk - this time setting them up for the biggest twist in the game yet, they were being split up.

"No," he said after a brief pause in which he took the information in, being knocked back moments later by a clearly distraught Rhys who seemed intent on pushing his own boundaries of self control and push him into the state she seemed to be in right now.

"Now now," he said, hugging her closer to him, resting his chin on the top of her head, oh what a comfortable position that was, and humming a toneless tune to himself.

"We aren't splitting up, we wont be forced... he can't. we're sticking together," he said his voice regaining its strength with his final statement.

Rhys held onto him as hard as she could, knowing that if she let go... she might just fall over and never get back up. He rested his chin on her head, and she whimpered softly, resting her cheek against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "But he can Sam! He can..." She whispered and hugged tighter, one part of her knowing that his jumper was the only thing separating her from his bare chest. But those thoughts were quickly pushed out of her mind when he sounded stronger, saying he couldn't split them up.

Rhys slowly lifted her tear-stained face to look up at him. "Sam.." She whispered, pressing her palm against his chest and staring up into his eyes. "I can't lose you okay? I Just... I can't! He said he would hurt someone... I don't have any family members who I really... well give a damn about... sure I love my parents.. but... that's not what will cause me the most pain and he knows it." She said shooting a look around the clearing, knowing time was ticking before he would do something to separate them. "He'll go after whatever hurts us the most, you know he will... he says family, I say whatever, how true has he been to his word so far anyway?" She asked frowning as she pressed her other hand to his chest, carefully staring at her fingernails as she spoke.

"Sam... for me at least..." She took in a deep breath and looked up at him. "I know that he would hurt you... Because... I would die if I saw you in pain.. I would.. I swear I would... I would never be the same.. I can't... I don't want to see you with those signs of someone who got a visit from him... I don't want to see you, like the pictures of Chastity Moor on the news... or Khaat Lupin.. or Sophia Granger... I just can't see you like that!" She whimpered and pressed her face against his chest, inhaling deeply, never wanting to let go. "I'm sorry... but we have to separate... or... or... I could never live with myself for putting you in so much danger."

Sam stood their silently for what felt like an age, his arms turning from their embracing hug to more of a strong cage to keep its prey within grasp.

Finally, he broke his own silence.

"Nor I you," he whispered, his voice breaking as he cupped her face with his hands, taking a step back and looking into her eyes.

"I can't lose this, I can't lose you. If I caused you some sort of pain I couldn't live with myself, even if that were to happen simply by letting myself get into a position where I hurt you by being hurt myself.

"You're my best friend," he muttered, his voice suddenly sounding quite thick, "But you mean so much more to me," he whispered, leaning into her and pressing his lips firmly against hers, losing himself in the kiss for just a few seconds before breaking off, his inner turmoil taking hold as he realised what an idiot he was being.

"Good luck," he said, wrapping his arms around her one more time and slipping his wand into her cloak pocket before turning around and running away through the forest, his own anguish taking hold of him as he wished for nothing more than to blend in with the trees around him.

"Check your pocket," he shouted behind him before finally separating himself from her completely.

Rhys couldn't believe how she was feeling. Her stomach was doing somersaults, her heart was pounding, and she felt so safe, even though her knees felt weak, and her mind only had one thing on it, Sam. He had her in a cage with his arms, and she felt safe there, never wanting him to let go of her, and then he spoke, and her heart felt like it may just stop beating because she had to hear every word of his. Suddenly his hands were on her face, holding her gaze, and she felt small tears drip down her cheeks. Then.. he kissed her.

It was like the world stopped, time stopped, her stomach was fluttering around like it had decided to skip having butterflies in it, and just turned itself into a butterfly. His lips... they were so smooth, so warm, and it was like sunshine had broken through the night air and made just where they were shine with golden light. Of course that wasn't true, but it sure felt that way to Rhys, she could have floated away on the spot, taken on Felix Barker, gone back and fought off those Werewolves and Spiders, and fairy thingies, and still been table to come back here and kiss Sam.

Kiss Sam... he was kissing her!

Then it stopped, and she was left breathless and shaky, he pulled her into a hug and she sat there for a few moments in shock, and then he was gone, and the whole world felt cold without his warmth in front of her. And then he shouted at her to check her pocket, and she reached into it, and pulled out his wand. "No.." She whispered and looked after him as the night suddenly became nighttime again, and she was left alone to stare after him.

---------------
Felix:

Felix was smirking as he watched the little scene below him. They had kissed and then he had left her his wand. How sweet. He smirked and flew over Sam and watched him run. Before going back to Rhys and then cast a spell that only he could see. A light came up from where they were each, so that he could tell where they were and wouldn't lose them easily now that they were separate. The first thing on Felix's mind was who to go after first. It seemed that Rhys had broken down already, and he wanted to see this.. Sam character break down. So of course, he knew who he had to go after. Swooping down on his broom, he picked Rhys up and held onto her as she screamed and panicked, seeing the top of the trees.

"See that love.." he whispered, flying and hovering over Sam, holding his hand over her mouth so she wouldn't make a noise. "There is your lover boy... you know... I've seen you break down.. but I'd LOVE to see him cry." He whispered and then flew forward, landing lightly in front of the golden tree that was near Sam. He pressed Rhys's hand to the trunk and hear the announcement that she had found it. He then turned his wand on the girl, and said "Crucio." She fell screaming to the ground, twitching as he let her scream as loudly as she wanted, he didn't care. He wanted to draw Sam in.. so he got on his broom, and kept his wand on the girl, watching her scream in pain, writhing on the ground. "You touch her she dies Sam..." He said his voice magnified, "Just keep moving.."

Sam rued the day he'd ever spoken out in Felix Barker's class. He was cold, wet, sore and physically felt downright awful.

But despite this, his heart was burning bright and he couldn't keep a small smile off his face for he, Samuel Grigori, had just kissed a girl for the first time... and not just any girl, Rhys O'neill.

Now, however, was not the time to dwell on such things, he was alone and wandless in the forest (The latter factor he didn't regret too much) with no one but a homicidal ignorant maniac knowing where he was.

Still, by the looks of it he was about to find another tree, and with half an ounce of luck he might bump into Rhys whilst he was there. Yes, he would, slow steps would ensure that he'd be there whilst she was.

Yes. Walk slow, that was the idea, until he heard screaming from the clearing ahead.

"Rhys?" he called out before snapping into action and sprinting through the forest, surging all his energy into his legs until he reached the tree, and found a most horrible sight before him.

He walked forward, reaching out to grab her and figure out what was wrong, before a voice spoke out.

"Oh hell," he muttered, his heart wrenching at the sight of her writhing in agony on the ground. "Rhys," he shouted, his voice breaking as he struggled to try and maintain his composure - breaking down wouldn't help anyone. "Rhys," he repeated, "Hang on in there, it'll stop," he shouted, taking one last fleeting look at her before turning and running away, smacking the tree as he left the clearing, trying his best to block out the horrible sounds coming from behind.

Sam really hated, in fact loathed Felix Barker, that horrible, horrible bastard.

Felix frowned when Sam just kept going. Any normal boy would have tried to at least save her. Or stopped, or something, the most that happened was a crack of his voice, a horrible look on his face, and then he was gone. Felix's own voice saying that he had gotten another tree. "Dammit." Felix hissed and stopped the spell, lifting the girl up, who was limp now, trying to catch her breath, and soared over the trees again. That's when Felix had an idea.. he pointed his wand around, and smirked. There was no sound, but he knew that Sam would be very, very confused next tree he came to, and not only saw Rhys's wand in the branches, but when he touched the tree, it wouldn't announce he had gotten it, because he already had. Hopefully it would get Sam confused, and he'd get more and more agitated before Felix could break him down.

Felix held onto Rhys as she stirred, but he quickly stupifyed her and she went out like a light, he held onto her lightly, and watched Sam from below, following him through the air, watching as he drew closer to the next tree. Boy would he feel great to know that he was totally lost.. having gone 'backwards' to go back a few trees... Felix couldn't wait to see his face.

Sam pushed through the Forest, the thick undergrowth seeming to try and fight him, keep him from progressing at all costs - his conscience doing much the same to his mind as he surged on, inner turmoil threatening to push him over the edge and leave him as little more than a wreck.

But of course, there was a light on the horizon... oh god what a terrible pun that was, but there was one... in both senses. See, he had two options - continue until morning and leave the forest, empty handed but alive and well with the person he hoped would now be his girlfriend... (Though maybe not after their last encounter) or he would find all ten trees and manage to succeed in their... well, their quest to be freed of any potential.. problems that could arise in the future regarding one Felix Barker.

And of course there was the more literal sense - there was a faint glow coming from up ahead, one which meant only one thing - a golden tree.

Picking up his pace a little by pulling from reserves of strength he didn't even know existed, Sam found himself bursting into the well lit clearing in no time, deciding to cut to the chase and simply touch the tree and run - the sooner the better, he couldn't wait to get out of that godforsaken forest.

Running through the clearing he felt his fingers brush over the tree, giving it little thought as he continued on, until he realised, a second or two later, that something was not right.

There was no voice, no sound to announce that he'd just passed his... what, 5th tree? The halfway mark.

A crease in his brow was the only sign to betray Sam's growing fear as a seed of doubt began to grow in his mind, one he was sure was completely irrational... yet one that was gaining unbelievable levels of prominence in his mind...

Turning on his heels he walked back, his hand trembling slightly as he pressed his full palm against the base of the tree once more...

and nothing

absolutely nothing.

No voice, no feeling of accomplishment. He felt himself losing control, he touched the tree again, and again, and before he knew it he was pummeling the trunk, kicking it and grunting inhumanely.

Then he noticed something. He wasn't sure how he did, but something stood out to him. A piece of wood, on a piece of wood. A wand, to be precise, one which seemed vaguely familiar. "That's..." he muttered, a feeling of absolute panic rushing through him as he clutched at the golden tree for support.

Felix watched with glee, the scene that unfolded below him, and Felix tried to think of what to do with this next opportunity to have him confused and weak. The boy started kicking the tree, waiting for the voice to sound, and then he saw Rhys's wand, and that gave Felix an idea. Felix silently lowered himself to the ground behind Sam as he stared up at the wand, set Rhys down on the ground, unstupifyed her, and then flew back up into the air. Waiting only a second for Rhys to wake up, nothing more, Felix got out of view, pointed his wand at Rhys, and whispered. "Imperio.."

The girl stood up, looked around confused, and then got a really happy smile on her face, moving up behind Sam, she wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered. "Hello." Into his ear, a grin on her face as she flicked her hair over her ear. This was where Felix Came in.

Rhys felt lightheaded, confused, but absolutely blissful, it wasn't like she couldn't see, or hear, she just felt.. happy. When she saw Sam, a rush of happiness flew through her, and she went to him, hugging him from behind. Whispered hello, and grinned at his reaction. Then a voice in the back of her head whispered. "Kiss him." So Rhys did what it said, not caring about it really, just going with it. She moved forward, practically floated forward, and put her hands on his cheeks, and moved herself up to kiss him hard on the lips. A kiss she had no experience to have, but she was doing it anyway. That's when Felix Barkers voice rang out in the clearing.

"You may work together again." He sounded pretty down hearted, as though that was the last thing he wanted them to do, but outside circumstances had made it so they had to. There would be no way to know Rhys was under the Imperius Curse, because he wasn't giving directions yet.. just, letting them go on with the story. Rhys hugged him hard around the middle.. well as hard as her still shaking limbs would allow it.

Sam was just about to fall to pieces... a little more so than he had so far anyway, when he heard felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around his waist, scaring him half to death until he recognised a distinctly familiar smell that seemed to be coming from behind him.

"Rhys?" He asked, turning around to face, his mouth turning up as he realised it was her, his fears disappearing and his caution to avoid her disappearing at once.

But then smiling wasn't the only thing he was doing.

Well, that wasn't expected, that was for sure... the most thought power he could manage was to utter a single word after they broke apart, a slight shortness of breath appearing to affect both of them.
"Whoa," he muttered, smiling at her once more.

Barker sounded quite sad when he spoke, Sam thought to himself. There was a hint of reluctantness in his voice, yet Sam couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive about the turn of events. Maybe it was merely the forest having its effect on him... probably the more likely option... but then again, he recognised the feeling quite well - it was one he got when something wasn't quite right.

With a nearly imperceptible shake of his head he gave her a hug back, resting his chin on the top of her head before, jerking hid head in a direction out of the clearing. "C'mon, 5 to go," he told her.

Rhys stared at Sam, he was smiling. her heart seemed to jump into her throat, and it was like she knew something was wrong. She felt to.. floaty, like there was amazing happiness coming from everywhere at once. Rhys smiled at him and then reached out to touch the tree. As though it had been waiting for her, her wand fell to the ground, and she picked it up, handing Sam back his. "Thank you.." She said softly, smiling at him, and suddenly it was like that was the thing it took to break whatever Barker had done, because it announced that she had gotten the tree.

"Oh, lookie!" She said with a grin, and pointed at the tree. "Touch it again.." she said frowning, though she knew, somewhere in the back of her mind, that it wouldn't call it out for him. Suddenly her vision swam, and she looked at Sam, grinning brightly. "Gain his trust... then get him to the next tree.." Rhys didn't make any move to act as though she had heard anything odd, just grinned at Sam, and looked up at the tree. Barker's voice rung out in the clearing, and let Sam know that he had gotten the tree. "Oh look! That bastard was just being stupid.." She growled out, looking up at the sky. "At least we know how he's watching us now right?"