Guile Begets Trust

Sick, huh? Sick, is that the reason they weren't in bed? So be it - if sick it was, sick he'd have to be. Quickly, Connor whipped up his best stuffed nose and scratchy throat imitation he could muster - "Ob couse I'b sick," he began, "Can't you hear it? By fwiend is taking be to the - ack, ack Hospital Wing!!" Hopefully, with the inserts of coughs and clearing his throat, the painting would be convinced, for they quickly left and didn't say much back to the painting, in fear of waking all the other paintings up. They walked quickly on the padded carpets, and wind was blowing through some of the open windows in the walls of Hogwarts. Chills sent their familiar tingling down Connor's spine as he put more force in his walking, trying to warm himself up.

"So, how close are we to the Entrance Hall?" he whispered when they were nearing the end of the corridor. What was their destination really going to be at the Entrance Hall? Were they going to meet up with other people or were they going to be dueling? No, they must have some greater purpose. But, he'd find out when they got to their destination exactly what it was they were going to be doing. Nothing more really got in there way as they sailed silently through each corridor.

Casey was surprised that the boy was so quick on the draw. She could not help the quick look of surprise that was mingled with a look that might be confused for an impressed one, but it was gone quicker than it had arrived. Shrugging it off, she remembered her mission and assumed her role as the escort in this situation. The painting did not look fully convinced but enough so to let them move on without any further argument. Casey exhaled a breath and the two hurried on, this time much quieter and much more quickly. She needed to get to Lily sooner rather than later anyway.

They were getting nearer the Grand Staircase when the boy asked about the Entrance Hall and she hissed, "Almost there!" They skidded out into the corridor that led to the Staircase when she saw the Headboy and Headgirl in deep discussion at the top of the stairs.

"SHIT!" she whispered, her voice close to that of a squeak. And again, the two were barrelling out of view, as she rammed them behind a hanging curtain around the corridor.

"Tonight is not my night," she whispered.

(sorry this is so long coming! Also, I keep throwing in obstacles because I don't really want Casey to make it outside. Feel free to take it in any direction you want.)

(That's fine! I've been busy with stuff myself so don't worry!)

Great, just perfect! How were they supposed to continue their adventure when the Head Boy and Head Girl were close to the Grand Staircase?! It almost seemed like the end of what they were aiming to do, since two obstacles stood in their path: namely, the Head Boy and Head Girl, but also the fact that the Grand Staircase would probably be very, very loud as the stairs moved from one floor to the other. And after all, if they had to wait for the Head Boy and Girl to move out of the way they would have to wait quite a long time to make sure that they wouldn't hear the stairs moving. Also, they had to make sure they weren't going to be heard going down the stairs, as their feet would surely echo.

So, what were they to do? Connor couldn't think of anything, he was stumped. He didn't know any charms or jinxes that would work on the Head Boy and Head Girl, nor did he know anything about making themselves invisible. "Hey," he whispered, tugging at Casey's sleeve, "Do you have any ideas about how you want to get past them? I don't know of anything we could do..."

Casey could not believe her luck. It was the absolute worse luck she had ever stumbled into, and it was at the time too. Never before had she needed to get out of the castle, and now every obstacle had arisen before her to stop her. Casey had to get to Lily. Lily had been missing for so long and no one could get to her, and who would save her? Casey could very well be her cousin's only hope, her cousin who could be hurt or lost or dying right now, and she could not get out of the stupid castle. Days when she had no good reason to leave were easy escapes... But now... And what good would she be to her cousin if she were suspended? None at all.

The boy that had helped her thus far tugged on her sleeve, and she could hear him next to her, still intent on getting out of the castle. He still believed they could make it. The hopelessness of the situation was only hightened by his optimism, and big, hot tears boiled in the twelve year old's eyes - but they did not dare spill over. She had not cried in years, and she would not cry just because her plan was foiled. She did, however, lean against the wall of the corridor, and then slowly slid down until she was sitting. She pulled her legs up and buried her face into her knees. "There's no use," she mumbled into her knees.

"It can't be useless," he said. There had to be some way for them to get past the Head Boy and Head Girl, right? He was running out of time to think about any kind of solution, but the only one he could come up with was continuing the Hospital Wing situation. But then again, why would a Gryffindor be taking a Ravenclaw to the Hospital Wing? Perhaps it was because she was the only one around in the hall. The first one who was around to volunteer to take him, maybe. But even so, it would reveal that they were out after hours. "I can't figure out a way to get past them. We can't wait any longer, because they'll be coming down this way soon, I imagine." he said as he looked down at them again. Maybe it was just his imagination through fear, but were they getting...bigger, somehow?

Casey was content to sit there in her misery until this situation was righted, until Lily was back and this troubled period was completely over and they were back to being best friends. But she knew that the only thing that waited for her here was detention, and her conscious could not condemn the boy who had been so helpful thus far to suffer detention alongside her. She slowly lifted her head as he spoke again of the obstacle before us. Her eyes stared straight forward as she quickly ran through what she knew of the castle. She knew there was a shortcut somewhere around here. Fairly certain she had mentally located it at least, she stood, looking to the boy. “This way.” She ducked around their curtain blockade, and walked down the corridor that led away from the staircase. “I think there’s a chamber room that leads to the Astronomy tower, somehow. From there, we can get back to our common rooms.”

She had given up the mission.

OoC - Oh my gosh. It's been nearly three weeks since I've checked the site, I am SO sorry. It won't happen anymore!!

IC:

No, surely they wouldn't have to go back to their common rooms at this point! They had come so far, so very far! Connor shook his head in disagreement. "Sure, we'll go down that corridor but we can't give up now! Aren't we close to wherever we need to go?!" This wish of his was a complete and utter flip from the logic he was giving just moments ago; he wanted to ignore the fact that loud noises would attract attention, so he could break the rules and get out of Hogwarts castle after curfew. But at this point in time, it was probably getting extremely late in the night for them to be going any farther. These thoughts crept in the back of his mind, eating away at his wish for rebelling. He tiptoed as fast as he could into the secret corridor his companion told him about, and looked at her with his big eyes. Though, rationality was overbearing his impracticality. Perhaps they really wouldn't be making it all the way outside of the castle walls, especially when the two figures in the distance came forward after saying "Did you hear that...?"

((No worries! It gave me a chance to catch up in other places! haha. Hope you forgive the minor godmode in here.))

He was calling to her, trying to pursuade her to forge on in their quest for escape - all he was convincing her of, however, was that she should have gone alone. His voice was surely getting the attention of the Head Boy and Girl. Anxiety squirmed in her stomach as she anticipated his arrival. He neared and she wrenched him closer to her, hissing, "Well, we can't get around them now that they're hypersensitive to someone walking around here. Now they're probably going to-"

"That corridor!"

Casey cursed and looked around. A broom closet. What choice did they have? Again, she was hurrying towards a broom closet, beckoning the boy after her. She could hear foosteps as she opened the closet, her arms waving in a panic as she ushered him inside.

Now they were going to another broom closet. Ironically enough, Connor thought it almost could have been the first one that they had fallen into, but it wasn't; it was a few corridors away from being that. But still, how funny it was that they found themselves rushing into yet another broom closet. Of course, even though Connor was always a sift and nimble person, even he couldn't see the best when he was tired and dark at night. When he passed Casey, he didn't realize that he kicked her leg as he ran, causing him to trip; he tried holding on to a shelf because of sheer instinct; but brains just didn't come forward. The shelf fell, causing whatever was on it - it sounded like some sort of brass - fell on him, and then rolled onto the ground causing a clang.

"Dang it," he muttered under his breath, "Well, we've lost."

The Head Boy and Head Girl came to the site of the crash and were nearly thunderstruck. They were so confused, and cross, that any students at this hour were out and about in the castle. "You two! What are your names and what are your houses? And how have you managed to slip our watch for so long? It's nearly one-thirty in the morning!"

Casey almost saw it in slow motion, saw the placement of their legs, saw the boy begin to fall, but she was so shocked that all of the sneaking was about to be all for naught that she could not do anything. She watched him fall, her mouth open ever so slightly as defeat began to hit her. The noises roused her and she flinched, covering her ears and shrinking a little bit. She reached down, suddenly inspired to attempt to escape unscathed. She grabbed the boy by the arm, realizing she still had not asked his name. All of this trouble, and she did not even know her ally's name.

She helped hm to his feet in time for the Head Boy and Head Girl to arrive. She looked between them, at the boy, and the back. Then came out that classic Weasley spirit. She jumped on the boy's foot, elbowed the girl and took off running, hoping her friend was behind her on this.

Unfortunately, she was not destined to get far. The Head Girl managed to send a tripping charm Casey's way and she found herself falling heavily to the corridor floor, painfully bumping her chin.  It was only then that she could consider herself best. "Alright. I give. Uncle."