The Great Escape

Andrew walked onto the Hogwarts Express, feeling rather down in his luck. The vacation from school was more like a nightmare and was thrilled to learn that he was heading back to school. Things had gotten very dramatic between his friends, something he didn't really need at that moment. He just wanted some peace and quiet with his girlfriend and his friends, something that had seemed to have eluded him a lot. When he approached the train, some memories flushed back into his head during the beginning of his fifth year. He had vowed that he would at least try to be an awesome friend...and maybe get a girlfriend. One of out two didn't sound so bad.

He stepped into the train compartment, having to elbow his way through the seemingly endless crowds of students trying to find an empty compartment. He was thrilled that no one had asked what had happened to him, realizing that he had a small scar on his face from the battle of Grimmauld Place. It wasn't very noticeable, yet it was something on the lines of a question. After searching for an empty compartment, he found one near the end of the train car, noticing that the room looked halfway decent. He would've sat at the Prefect train car, yet he wanted to see his girlfriend, Chase Moor.

Sitting down near the window, he sighed softly, wishing that his phone would've worked so that he would've texted Chase on where he was at. It was a pain not having muggle technology, yet it made sense. It would just be a distraction during classes. He looked out the window, looking out to the seemingly endless crowds of people saying their goodbyes before the students set off. His parents hadn't come, only on Andrews request, not wanting them to find out about Chase. It wasn't like he was ashamed of it, but they would start asking questions on how he had met her, what blood status she was, when they could meet her parents. It would've been disastrous.

Jack had apparated to her uncle Chip's home early that morning to bid him farewell for the school year. He had given her a hug, some brief advice, and some more money. It was muggle money, but she could find some use for it she was sure. Then she had apparated to Riley's, her brother, and bid him farewell. Then off to Elliot's, who had insisted to accompany her. He had no idea what had been going on in her life and he had known not to ask. Eli was good about that stuff.

He also knew she did not like to feel dependent so he had parted with her outside of King's Cross Station. She entered the train station, looking thoroughly odd with her large trunk that had a broomstick tied to it. She walked for the platform, trying to stay focused on that and that only.

It was not the fact that her parents had once again had a row with her about Hogwarts. It was not the fact that Riley was acting colder. It was not the fact that Chip looked older. It was not the fact that Eli's eyes looked dead. It was not the fact that she would be alone.

It was everything.

For the first time she was not looking forward to Hogwarts. She was glad to be rid of her family, and rid of obligations she could not fulfill, and was glad for the rest from the roller coaster or a summer it had been. But she had nothing to look forward to in her seventh year. Even the comfort of the Gryffindor Quidditch team was not enough.

Jack had never really had too many friends. But she had had Andrew and Chase for awhile...and now... what with the Vito drama, the party, all of that... She did not know who had left on the worst foot... Them or her?

Either way it did not matter. They would probably not stand her presence. Maybe that was better. They were both fairly popular and easily liked and were now a power couple. Jack was the oddball third wheel...

She walked between the barrier casually and looked up at the scarlet steam engine. Without pausing in her step she continued onward, scrambling onto the train, hefting up the trunk that did almost way more than her.

She searched...and searched... Just one empty compartment... Just one. But no...they were full of Slytherins. giggling girls, or were otherwise full. She peeked her head into the last compartment she had checked...

And there was Andrew. Sighing she slipped in, staring at him as though trying to act as if she were a complete stranger. It was better than admitting they were not friends...or whatever. She did not even ask, but instead softly said, "There is nowhere else."

Hogwarts.. what an amazing time of year, her last year, a year full of her normal group of giggling girls, made even more amazing by her boyfriend, Andrew! She was almost late for the train when she managed to get there, half running down the platform as she hoisted her trunk up and jumped into the compartment before the door closed with a soft hiss. Glancing behind her, she took one look at the train and took a deep breath in. It smelt like magic.. it had an cool, light scent to it that sent her nerves on end.

Pulling her trunk down the hall, she searched every compartment. Slytherins.. Slytherins.. Girls her age who all sat swapping rumors.. Gryffindors, Ravenclaws.. Slytherins, Slytherins.. Why did the Slytherins sit in a hundred million compartments? It was like.. they all hated each other, and had to be separated even within their own house. She grumbled loudly and pulled her trunk behind her until she had almost reached the end of the train, when she reached a compartment with two other people. One person had obviously just walked in, and the other... "ANDREW!" She cried out, and barley looking at Jack, she sprang into the compartment, hugging Andrew. "And Jack!" She said laughing happily, though noticeably not hugging her.

"How are you both?" She asked happily as she hoisted her trunk over her seat and sat down extremely close to Andrew. "Sorry I'm late, my phone was turned off, and my stuff didn't seem to want to fit in my trunk!" She said laughing and looking up at Jack. "And this whole train is just FULL to the brim! I can't believe the entire school fits in here!" She laughed happily and grinned, looking from one to the other, as though nothing odd at all were happening between the trio.

Chase. It seemed like that was all he could think about. He could only think about how she had snuck out of the apartment to go and find Vito. When she kissed him. That made his heart feel a little darker just thinking about it. He felt as if someone had hit him in the chest with a pointed sledgehammer, using all of their might to hurt him. And it showed as well. Just seeing Chase enter made him forget about Jack, forgetting their conversation at the tree house which they found together that made him think a little more about their friendship. Everything seemed difficult at that moment, and Andrew just wanted to leave and get off the train.

"Hey..." he said halfheartedly towards Chase when she hugged him, not feeling the strength to try and hug back. The worst thing for him at that moment was to seem emo or anything, so he at least tried to put a smile on his face. It didn't look legitimate though. He looked out the window paralell to him and stared at the wall. Flashbacks ran through his head, consuming his thoughts as explosions rained. His fist tighetened and he used all of his remaining strength to hold back punching the window. Everything seemed like it was a lie, he just wanted to leave. It hurt.

Jack stared between Andrew and Chase, feeling a strange imbalance. Andrew still hated her; she could feel the anger and contempt radiating off of him towards her. He would probably never trust her again, never speak to her unless absolutely, positively necessary, and he would never want to be her friend again.

Hmm. Quidditch should be fun this year, she thought bitterly.

But Chase was taking the opposite approach which frustrated Jack. Chase should hate Jack more than anyone. What could cause someone to ignore everything that had happened?! It was not right, it was not normal, and it hurt Jack to feel forgiven by Chase, because she was yet to forgive herself.

But Chase had not been totally innocent either.

Jack could not stay there. She quickly swung her luggage up onto the luggage rack and said, "I'll be right back." She hurried away, pulling out her money as she elbowed her way through students, almost desperately, looking slightly furious with life.

She had to get out of there or she was going to suffocate.

She ordered a dozen chocolate frogs and began to eat them, one by one, pressing herself against a compartment door. She could not go back and face them yet... Her eyes wandered to an open door... She could walk off that train and never come back. She did not need a Hogwarts education to own a shop of some sort. She could loan some money from Chip and never have to face Hogwarts again...

For a moment she was severely tempted. And then she remembered; she was Jack Dyllan. She was not supposed to give up.

Chase stared out the compartment as Jack just turned and left. She had known something would happen, she had worked very hard on her entrance to seeing Jack and Andrew, it had worked out almost like she had thought it would. She'd get there late, only to discover Jack and Andrew in a compartment alone, she'd walk in, cheerful happy, trying to pretend to be her normal self, and then she'd talk to Jack, tell her what happened, try to explain, except there was no explaining like there was in her head. She had gone over every possible situation that could encounter Chase in that conversation, but the one thing she hadn't expected, of course came true. Jack left.

Chase sat staring at the door for a long moment, before looking back at Andrew, and bursting into tears. She covered her face with her hands, and hid it for a long moment, tears flowing down her cheeks. "She hates me.. you hate me.. why am I even here?" She gasped and stood up, as looking looking for somewhere she could jump. Her eyes found the window and she stared at it for a long moment, before sinking back onto the seat farthest from Andrew. "What am I supposed to do? I mean.. every time you look at me.. it's like you can't stand what you see, I walk in, and Jack practically runs out.." she was sobbing softly into her hands as she pulled her knees to her chest.

"I went over this in my head all night, I would be my old self.. I'd try everything.. I'd act like nothing would happen.." She felt her heart sinking down to somewhere below her toes, and hid her face from Andrew, her voice becoming muffled. "And then I walk in.. and it all goes to pieces.. how am I going to stand my last year at Hogwarts.. with you looking like I'm the most disgusting thing I've ever seen, and Jack acting like she hates me.. I miss my friends, and I want it all to go back!" She sobbed tears flowing freely down her hidden face.

Andrew felt selfish, more than he had ever felt. There was was, sitting and trying to sort out his own life, while Chase, his love, was crying next to him. That snapped him into reality. He quickly turned towards Chase and put his arms around her, trying to help her feel better, ignoring his thoughts of anger. He cared more for her than himself, not even wanting to think his own thoughts. Sure, he would remember what she had done, but at that moment he wouldn't show anger. Nothing good ever came from anger.

"Chase," he said softly, his voice showing traces of kindness "don't cry, please. It's honestly killing me at the moment. I still love you, and I still care about what happened...but we need to get over what happened at Satins and with Vito. Things can be normal again, but we just have to move on." He embraced her a little more, his heart feeling no emotions any more. His head felt lightheaded, as if all his thoughts had just flown out his ears.

All of his thoughts were on Chase.

Chase felt arms around her, and she curled up into a tighter ball, as though those arms might hurt her. He was speaking, and she could barely hear a word he said. It seemed to run straight through her like a dagger, and then leave the other side, leaving a deep wound in it's place. She felt a sob rack her body, and she knew she had lost it right then. There was no way she was going to recover in time for Jack to come back anyway. "Andrew.. I'm so sorry." She whispered and then hugged him.

"I didn't mean to do anything.. I just wanted to talk.. and I didn't even think.. I mean.." Chase was crying harder then ever, her words coming out when they could find an escape between sobs. "And Jack.. I never meant, I didn't mean.. sometimes I don't think, I know this! This is what led me to not being able to remember an entire year of my life!" She said seeming to crumple in on herself. Her entire demeanor gone in a matter of seconds. She had managed to keep herself in as long a possible, until then. She had simply crumpled in on herself and was a mess.

"Andrew.. I'm so sorry, I'm stupid, and I don't deserve someone like you.. please.." She whispered and slowly here eyes found his, and she stared into them for a long moment afraid to break the connection, simply because she didn't know if he would kiss her or not. If he did kiss her.. well she might just start bawling in the middle of the kiss, if he didn't kiss her.. well she'd start bawling anyway, she knew that after that moment, whatever his decision was, she would start to sob.

((Unless you have a specific reason, why shouldn't this be in the main thread?))

((Meh, everything would get crowded...and trust me, things would get VEERRRRY confusing afterwrods.))

Andrew held onto her tightly, listening to her sob. He would've felt a lot worse if it hadn't been for his total block out mode he was stuck in. He was only interested on what she was saying, and didn't even care for his own feelings. He felt his shirt become a little bit more wet, and hugged her a little more, almost as if he were trying to press his forgiveness into her. A sudden flashback raged into his mind as he first met her back in Hogsmeade...it almost felt the same way as it did now, making him even more worried about her.

"Chase..." he said softly into her ear, holding her close "don't say that...you're a wonderful person, don't let anyone tell you otherwise." When her eyes met with his, he smiled a genuine smile and pressed his lips onto hers, pulling away quickly afterwords. "I love you Chase Moor, nothing is going to change that, understand?"

Andrew turned his head slightly to the left to see that people were staring in through the window, watching the entire scence flow through. Anger burned in Andrews eyes and he showed some violent teeth. "Leave us alone!" he hissed, knowing that the window was thin enough so they could hear. They immediatly toke flight, going either further into the car or into the next one. "Vultures..." he said softly, his eyes turning back into worried once as he stared at Chase.