Lost

Rise stared at the food for a moment longer, then disregarded it, and her eyes found Frank's. Found and kept his gaze, trying to convey everything she didn't wish to know, silently so she didn't have to say it aloud. "It was the beginning of the winter term.. I had all my stuff packed and put on the train.. everything was ready... I got off the train to wander a bit, because I was early... and suddenly someone dropped something over my head.. and put a hand on my mouth.. I smelt a horrible smell.. and then I was out cold." She said softly, her whole body shivering now.

"When I woke up.. I was in a tent of some kind.. I sat up, and realized that I was in some kind of camp... a camp.. that was FULL of werewolves... every single person in the camp was a werewolf.. and the leader was Fenrir Greyback.." She said and swallowed hard, looking at Frank with an odd sort of sadness around her. "I was forced to stay with this elderly couple.. I lived with them a while.. and would do chores around the tent.. Everyday I had to help prepare the meals.. clean up afterwards.. and most specifically, I waited on Greyback.." She shuddered and had to stop, running her hands over her arms as though she were cold.

"If I did something wrong.. they would beat me.. if I hesitated, they would beat me.. if I did nothing wrong at all, and they were just bored and I was there.. they would beat me... sometimes I nearly died from these.. but the worst day.. was some big feast.. there was a fight that happened between Greyback and some werewolf.. and in the end.. well.. they poisoned me with a special poison.." She was mostly whispering now, to afraid to speak loudly in case he was listening, in case he knew what she was saying and was going to try and get her back.

"It hurt so badly... and then the werewolf.. that had been fighting him in the beginning... he was called over, and told.. the only way to save her... is to bite her... and he pulled down my shirt... and showed the place where... and the young werewolf.. unable to do anything against Greyback.. he bit me..." She felt her whole body shaking now, and tears slid down her already tear-stained face. "He bit me... and the poison was gone, but a new one had come to stay!" She said shaking with sobs now. "He saved my life, but at the same time destroyed it!" She pulled down her shirt slightly, pulling it down so that she could show him the nasty scar on her chest.

"I found myself here... here of all places, lost, alone, and with no friends to help me! I don't' know what do Frank! I don't want to be a werewolf! I want to do it all over.. and not get off that train the second time! I don't wanna be a monster! I don't' want people to hate me! Please don't hate me!" She sobbed and rocked back and forth on the couch, unable to speak any longer.

Frank listened intently, having not heard of Fenrir's name in quite some time. Occasionally, his name showed up in reports, being one of those names that had to be thrown out even if there was no evidence pointing to him. He just had to be considered. The Ministry was aware that the werewolf movement was increasing, through the numbers of young werewolves, but they didn't know how bad it really was.

Frank was horrified that this sort of thing almost went undetected,unsolved, unhelped. When she finished he hesitated before moving to sit next to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I don't hate you, Rise. I hate what happened to you. It sickens me to think that maybe this might have gone under our radar. I want to help, Rise. I would like to bring you to the Ministry or something and try to find a safe home. You can come with me and I can talk to a few people, try to see what we can do to help you."

Rise couldn't look at him, she had just told him the one thing that would make him never want to look at her again. She was a monster, a half blood. She shouldn't even be allowed to be sitting here, drinking hot tea, and warm soup. When he stood up, Rise was almost sure he was going to the door, to afraid to go near her. He wouldn't want to look at her, why had she shown him that scar? Why had she told him? What had possessed her to come to Diagon Alley? Besides the need to get away.

But suddenly his hand was on her shoulder and her head shot up to look at him. He didn't look revolted, he didn't look like he wanted to be as far from her as possible.. he was.. touching her. In a kind way, a kind look on his face. He didn't hate her? It wasn't right.. it wasn't supposed to be like that.. werewolves were hated creatures... so many of them were evil, she wasn't evil! When he asked if he could take her to the Ministry, she faltered. At the Ministry.. for one they would be able to tell what she was the moment she entered. Not only that.. they might find out about the Greybacks... find out about them, hurt Ariel...

Rise shook her head hard. "No... no not the Ministry..." She whispered crawling away from him as far as the couch would allow. She was pressed up against the arm of the couch, her blankets wrapped tightly around herself, her eyes as big as saucers as she watched him with a look of intense pain. She was going insane, she knew she was... it was all going downhill.. they would have to put her in an asylum, or in the mental ward at St. Mungos.. whatever happened... Even with rest, her mind was slowly ebbing, and she could feel herself shaking, whether from cold or fear, she wasn't sure, but she curled in on herself, her eyes wide and staring at Frank. Frank who had been so nice to her, Frank, who she couldn't trust.

She crawled away, looking terrified at the concept of being taken into the Ministry, something about that plan did not sit well with Rise in the least. He figured she thought she would be rounded up and treated like a magical creature- which may have been true, if blood were on her hands. But this way she would be placed in a safe home until they could develop a plan for protecting her.

She was shaking and he pointed his wand at the fire, making it warm up the room quicker. He looked back at her but did not touch her, waiting for her to relax. "Okay. Then come home with me and my father and I will help you. We'll try to figure out where to go from there- either back to school or with your family. I only suggested the Ministry because they can help you much better than we can."

Rise stared at him, unsure of what to do or say.. she didn't know what it would be like to be under the same room as Neville Longbottom and his son.. Neville Longbottom.. to think.. she was in the same room as his son.. the man who helped to kill the dark lord, the man who was famous in ways different then Harry Potter... the man who started off so normal, so plain and made a life for himself... that Neville Longbottom.. it was an amazing thing! When he suggested going to his house with him.. well Rise got very still, nibbling on her bottom lip thoughtfully, she stared at him with wide eyes, until finally she nodded.

"Alright.. I'll go home with you... just please... I don't want to be questioned... I just need a place to stay for a bit.. I can't go home... I can't.. and school.. I.. I... I don't know... I feel like everyone would stare to much. "She said softly. "I was a normal girl Frank... I was the quiet one.. the one who everyone's gaze just slid over.. I don't know what to do anymore.. it's like I've changed so much, and it doesn't fit.. it can't fit.. it's to much for me..." She whispered and put her hands over her head again, pulling on her hair as she did so. "It's like everything I've ever known was ripped out from under me.. and now.. now I'm just scared.. and I think I'm going mad.. "She felt her lower lip tremble and she looked at Frank, tears spilling down her cheeks in long streams, her dirty blonde hair, hanging in a mass around her face, framing the petrified girl of fifteen, who was to young to have all of this happen to her.

Frank listened carefully to her. He tended to listen carefully to everyone, he realized, but he was trying to be extra vigilant with Rise. He knew he would eventually seek advice from either the Order or the Ministry, but first he would explain the dilemma to his father, his father whose judgment always seemed to be sound, even if Frank did not think he was very sane.

He nodded. "Understood. It's okay. You can stay with me while you try to figure things out, at the very least. We'll see what we can do about contacting your family, and maybe a teacher can send you work to keep you busy." He also thought it might be nice to have some of the muggle kids on the blocks over hang out with Rise, make her feel normal. That could come later. "Rise, I'll have one of the maids lead you up to one of the rooms. You can take a hot shower and they'll bring you fresh clothes. We'll eat some more and you'll come home with me. Okay?"