Whose Side Are You On?

Andrew listened, but couldn't speak, even if he wanted to. What was he supposed to say, or do? He couldn't change anything, even if he wanted to. What was in the past, is in the past, he couldn't say anything otherwise to change it. But he still wished he could say something to help.

"I uh...," he said, trying to think of the right words, and couldn't decide on what to say. "I..." He could say, 'I'm sorry to hear that,' but what would that do? Nothing. "Thanks for the help," he said suddenly, trying to avoid the subject now. He wished he could have said something helpful, at least one.

"So what happens now?" he asked, twisting his arm in a clockwise movement, to help get his muscles warmed up again if there were more bears to avoid.

"I'm sorry.." Chase felt herself saying. "I'm sure you didn't need to know all that.. just like you didn't need to know everything I told you yesterday.." she said looking away from him again. Her hand running along the scar on her stomach through the fabric. She took a deep breath and smiled at him. "But.. I guess the past is in the past though right? I don't even remember the first attack." She said smiling at him, her smile attempting the hide the pain she felt from the memory of the second. "There's nothing we can do now.." She said softly and then looked at him smiling as he stretched his arm again.

"Well.. I suppose.." She glanced around the clearing, and then sighed. "I should probably head back to Sophia's, she's probably worried sick about me right now.." She said softly. "I didn't exactly tell her I planned on staying a night in Hogsmeade, just came up here, but I can't apparate, and I wasn't about to ride the train at night.." She said and rubbed her temples, pulling her knees to her chest.

Chase felt her smile slip off her face, and she rested her chin against her knees. "I'm sorry Andrew.." She said suddenly, her mind far off in other places. "I just met you.. and now.. you know more about me then half of my best friends do..." She said closing her eyes, her hair being tossed around in a light breeze. She kept her eyes closed, as her mind replayed the water crashing in on her and her family. She shuddered again and opened her eyes, taking in the clearing, not her living room door. Breathing deeply she slowly turned her face to look at Andrew. "I should be going.." She said, but made no move to stand up.

"I just don't know what to say," he said, ironically now knowing what to say. He frankly just wanted to leave the forest, wanted to get away from what he had become for only a few seconds. He felt like he had turned into some kind of demon, even though nothing really did change. He would have to be more careful next time, but would like to use what he had learned on Ne'Os one day. For now, Ne'Os was his nemesis, and planned to stop him, if no one else could.

"Yeah," he said, now remembering about what she had said about Sophia and Matt. She was living with them for now, and probably had sent someone out already to try and find her. Hopefully, they wouldn't do that, but Sophia had a heart of gold, and would come looking for her. "We should at least call her or something. Sophia, I mean."

"Hey," he said, a smile strecthed onto his face, but looked very weak "don't apologise. I am glad that I met you. And who knows what the future may hold." He stood up, feeling a sharp sting in his right thigh, where he had been scratched moments ago. "Need any help?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Chase smiled at him lightly, and slowly took his hand. "Yeah... I guess." She said softly, and pulled herself to her feet, stretching her shoulders, feeling the breeze on her back. Her shirt was still torn to shreds over her scar. She smiled at him again and pushed her hair behind her ear, smiling up at him again before looking away, letting his hand fall. "Well, at least we will be in the same internship program!" She said giggling slightly and then looking away. "Yeah.. lets.. get out of here.." She said and without thinking, grabbed his hand and pulled him down the path, the clearing they had been attacked in slowly fading behind them until it disappeared from view completely, and they were almost halfway back to Hogsmeade. "Funny.. to think all that happened so close to town." She said dropping his hand and wiping her eyes quickly, not wanting him to see.

She reached down and pulled out her phone. "I'm going to call Sophia real fast, before we get to town.." She said in an apologizing tone. Dialing a few numbers in it, she waited while it rang, and then frowned when no one answered her. Hanging up she glanced down at the phone and then stuck it into her pocket. "No answer.." she said slowly, her hand running through her hair, before tugging her shirt down, attempting to hide the open spot on her back, even though it was useless. She didn't think she could do the magic right now, and wasn't even sure a simple reparo would work on something like this. There had to be a spell designed to repair clothes, but she couldn't think of one at the moment. Maybe that's why they needed tailors.. Shaking her head she glanced back at him and smiled again. "I should head to the train station, can get a ride back into town before dark.." She said glancing over to where the Hogwarts Express was sitting in the station.

Andrew walked alongside Chase, his thoughts now clear and at peace. He was still troubled by what had just happened, and wondered if he should have killed the bear off. Not because of anger or control, but rather that it could kill another person, while they had a chance to prevent it. He wondered if that would form itself into regret or not, but at the moment, he didn't care. He just wanted to leave, and never see that part of the forest again.

"I'm surprised no one heard us," he said, rather questioning on how far they were. He had shouted a couple of times, and yet no one heard them, or even try to come help. Really showed how helpful people really were during these times. He looked at her back, which was exposed, and blinked a couple of times. "You want to borrow my jacket?" he asked "It's got cuts everywhere, but it should help conceal that nasty scratch.

He turned back to Chase and then said "I could always just apparate us to where you need to go. Sure, it's not the best way, but it is also the quickest." He liked apparating, but didn't like it when you felt like vomiting afterwords, or when he got a nasty headache. He could handle it though.

Chase bit her lip, one part of her wanting to refuse his offer of his jacket, the other yelling at her to, because it was really starting to make her shiver. She scratched her arm and then said "Sure... I'm.. cold." She smiled up at him and glanced back at the town. So quiet and nestled, nothing had happened there, nothing ever happened there. It was just to peaceful for that to happen! Chase felt a smirk flitter across her face and she giggled. "Nasty scratch?" She asked, still giggling. She had never thought of it as a nasty scratch, but that's exactly what it was... wasn't it?

Apparate? She could feel her stomach getting queasy just thinking about it. She shook her head quickly. "I don't want to trouble you or anything! I did just get us into a fight with a bunch of mutant bears, and I'm using your jacket.. I couldn't possibly ask that of you!" She said her eyes wide. Horrified that he'd even suggest helping her more then he already had. She felt lighter then she had in weeks, happier then she had been since that night. She had actually laughed, smiled, and talked with someone, and that was the most she needed. She didn't need to get on his nerves, or anything. She didn't want to sound like she needed that much.

Andrew nodded, and unzipped his jacket, taking it away from his torso. He handed her the jacket, was seemed pretty big for Chase's size, but would work nevertheless. He suddenly felt a sharp cold sensation through his torso, feeling the cold winds hit him. It seemed to him that it was freezing out right now, and it was the middle of summer.

Andrew ignored the cold, to the best of his capibilites, and then said to Chase in a straight voice "Chase, don't be afraid to ask me for anything. I like helping people out, it's in my blood. So really, don't be afaird that you'll be taking too much from me or something, because I'm always here to help."

They had just come up to the first house, when the cold wind suddenly hit them. "I swear, it feels like it's gonna snow.." She muttered glancing up at the skies. "It's the middle of the summer though.. maybe a weather controlling charm went out of whack.." She said glancing at him and seeing him looking rather cold. She suddenly felt horrible taking his jacket, but at least she wasn't flashing her bra strap to the world. She pulled the large jacket around her shoulders better and laced her arms through the sleeves. Pulling it up around her chin, she smiled at the sudden warmth that spread through her body from the simple jacket.

Chase could feel her face becoming more and more red as he spoke. She let her gaze drop to the ground and she glanced up at him, only to look down again. Such an amazing guy... She bit her lip, not wanting to go back yet, but knowing it was getting to cold here in Hogsmeade. "It's really far away.." She said suddenly, glancing up at him. "She lives in Hawaii, are you sure you can go that far?" She looked up at him, hoping he couldn't. Knowing she could take a plane there with just as much ease to it. Hoping he didn't wonder how she had managed to get here in the first place. Not wanting him to take her to Sophia's where she had pretty much run away from for a while, the sun didn't feel right there to her. So she had been staying in a small rented apartment for a few days.

Andrew never minded the cold, but he couldn't understand why the sudden climate change. Then again, he probably wouldn't question it, since it was a magical world after all. The unexplained became explained since magic was there. "Yeah, but I rather like it hot," he said chuckling and stopped next to Chase, having a strong desire now to leave the cold area.

"Yeah I could apparate," he said smiling, his teeth nearly chattering. He kept his eyes steadied out to hers and extended his hand. "You ready?" he asked, trying to prepare himself for apparation. It was embarresing at points, where he would accidently apparate when the other person had not held onto him. Great family reunion that was. "Also, you may want to hold your breath."

Crap... He seriously was going to take her to Sophia's house.. but she decided she would just let him. It would be easier then telling him where she had been. Chase looked at him and then smiled slightly. He was really cold, shivering and what not. It would be good for him to be in Hawaii for a little bit. "Okay." she said looking at his arm, and then up into his eyes. She slowly reached out and held onto his wrist, and looking like she was about to dive into a pool, closed her eyes and held her breath, moving a bit closer to him, feeling his body heat radiating off of him in such cold weather.

She opened her eyes for a moment and glanced at him. Why was he so nice to her? What had she done to deserve friends like the ones she had? She had almost gone over to the Death Eaters side, almost wanted to kill people, because of what someone had said they had done. Almost wanted to kill Sophia's father, and yet.. she had the best of friends that anyone could ask for.. so great, that they would travel almost all the way across the world for her. She closed her eyes again, and kept close to him, her elbow brushing his side in the process.