Some Fresh Air

It was a crisp fall night. Marigold wrapped her jacket tighter around her as a small breeze came through. She sat on the dock at the Lake, her toes close to the water, enjoying the stars and the silent night. She needed fresh air. She yawned, but she wasn't tired. She was thinking to much. Her brain wouldn't turn off and she was paranoid, just tossing and turning in her bed. So, she went on a walk.

She held the letter in her hands and looked it over. It was from her mother, begging her to come home. Nothing was wrong at home; her mother was a Muggle and missed her. She didn't understand why she was school again. Her father was trying to talk to her mother to calm her down. Marigold sighed. Did she feel home sick? She actually hadn't thought about home in a long time. A very long time. She felt at home at Hogwarts. She had her friends here; she had her magic; she had her healing classes. She felt comfortable.

But, her mother wanted her back home. She missed her daughter. She didn't understand Hogwarts and magic. Marigold thought about being a Halfblood. She felt that people often forgot that she was a Halfblood. She couldn't complain. She wasn't getting picked on others, but she didn't have the pressure of being a Pureblood.

She thought about her parents, who she hadn't thought about them in a hot minute. She missed her parents, sometimes. Especially her father. He was so excited that she was at Hogwarts and that she was doing amazing here. Her mother.....again, just didn't understand, no matter how many times her father explained magic to her. She missed the little cottage they lived in, even though it had leaks in the roof and the floor was dirt.

Marigold stood up and started walking around the lake. The air and the walk was doing her good. She got to think and not worry about anything. She stopped and smiled, seeing someone familiar on the same path as her.

"Needed some fresh air?" she asked the person.

Reyna was sneaking out of the castle again...of her own free will, this time. I've already become such a rebel since I got here, she thought, though she wasn't anywhere near as rebellious as others. It was late at night and she couldn't sleep, so she'd decided to take a walk. Of course, it was impossible to walk around the castle after curfew.

"I should've woken Elma," she muttered regretfully.

She walked along the pathway down the hill, headed for the lake. The first time she had seen it at night, she'd been too distracted by the forest and being kidnapped to really take it all in.

"It really is so peaceful," she sighed, staring at the ink-black water. "I wonder if there really are mermaids in it."

Her talk was interrupted by a noise several feet away. She wasn't alone. Reyna stealthily hid behind a tree and peeked out to see the intruder. The person didn't seem too dangerous; couldn't have been any taller than herself, and was wearing a dress. In fact, was that...a Ravenclaw scarf? It was too dark to tell. Rey crept across the grass and snuck up behind her. Yep, it's a Ravenclaw. The girl turned around and spoke to her.

"Oh, erm, yeah," Reyna nodded sheepishly. "Sorry for sneaking up on you. You're Marigold, right? I believe you're friends with my brother. My name's Reyna."

"Nice to meet you. I've seen you around the common room," Marigold told her.

"Your brother is Symon, right? I was serving you last summer, at the tourney," Marigold reminded her. Although, Reyna probably didn't notice her. Servants tend to be looked over very easily. Marigold wrapped her scarf tighter around her, a breeze coming through.

"It's really nice tonight. Want a crumpet?" Marigold asked her, taking two out of her bag and unwrapping them from the napkin. Marigold stopped by the kitchen on her way out here. She looked around the lake and noticed that there were some lanterns on across the lake.

"You see the lanterns too right?" she asked Reyna, approaching the water as if trying to get closer to the lights. They were snuffed out in a flash and Marigold felt the hair on her arms stand up.

"We need to go check that out. Something bad might be happening and we'll need to stop it," she told Reyna, starting to walk around the lake. Marigold clicked on her ring, making sure it worked, in case she had to call for backup.

Reyna gratefully took a crumpet and bit into it. She'd been feeling too sick at dinner to eat much, so she was in need of some fuel.

"You were a server?" she asked between bites. "I'm sorry I don't remember, I was a bit preoccupied."

Preoccupied with Ser Cole, that is. She looked out across the lake, noticing the lanterns. Marigold suggested they check it out, but Reyna wasn't so sure.

"What if it's something...unsavory?" she murmured, picturing devil worshippers and the like. Marigold was already moving, so she of course followed. "I really don't have a good feeling about this. It's just the two of us, armed with crumpets. Marigold, we could be in way over our heads right now, you know??"

"You don't have your wand with you?" Marigold asked, stopping behind a tree, watching one lantern pop on. She felt around in her bag and pulled out her wand. Marigold was never without her bag.

"And, trust me, my knees are shaking. But, what if it's the Ministry? What if they're hurting someone? We'll keep our distance, but what if someone is in trouble? We could help them," Marigold told her, watching the single lantern bob along the edge of the lake. Then, it stopped moving. Marigold dug around in her bag and pulled out a little telescope. She looked at it, wondering why she had it and why it was in her bag. Then, she remembered that she was carrying it for Walt and his Astronomy class. She passed it to Reyna.

"Stay here and keep an eye on me. I don't want you getting hurt. Symon might kill me if I do," Marigold told Reyna, going from the behind the tree and moving a little further down the shore of the lake. She stopped and crouched behind a rock trying to be as sneaky as possible. Robert's training, don't fail me now, she thought. She couldn't see too well as she peered over the rock and through the darkness. The lantern was casting long shadows and Marigold couldn't see their clothes. She was about 500 yards away. The Ministry members were in robes and they seemed to stand in a circle. Davy was talking about something. Marigold hoped the Kolby was in there, collecting information.

Marigold knew what it was, once the older members started moving around in the circle and she saw five boys in the middle. It was their initiation. Marigold could have cursed. Davy got five more minions. She watched as they moved around the circle, whooping and hollering and cursing at the boys. They were like animals. So barbaric, she thought. But, she was curious. Marigold felt like she was trembling while watching this. Like her heart was trembling. Marigold watched as two boys in the middle break down and start to cry because the insults were so bad. Marigold cringed and kept watching. The boys suddenly stopped and Marigold watched as the two crying boys were thrown in the lake. Marigold used this time to slip back to Reyna knowing that the group would be leaving soon.

"We gotta hide. They can't know we were here. Up the tree. They won't think to look up," Marigold told her, wrapping her bag tighter around her and climbing up the tree. She stopped and leaned against the trunk of the tree, watching as the Ministry members slowly started walking back towards Hogwarts.

Reyna crouched in place and hid as Marigold had told her to do. After her first run-in with the Ministry, she wasn't too keen on meeting them again. When Marigold rushed back and told her to climb a tree, she scoffed. She'd never climbed a tree in her life, and she had no upper-body strength.

"I'll hide in a bush," she whispered, crawling behind a nearby rose bush.

She immediately stuck herself with a thorn, and cursed. Could've chosen another plant, Rey. The group of boys walked past and she tried to make herself as invisible as possible. She peered through the flowers to get a peek at the members. Was that...Rowan? And that one looked like Patrick..And that other one, the girl, looked familiar, too. Trying to get a closer look, Reyna pricked her arm again an

Emmanuelle was giddy with excitement during the initiation ceremony. She'd heard rumors about the Ministry of Mischief, but hadn't believed them until she recieved an anonymous invitation under her pillow a week ago. Apparantly, they thought she'd be a perfect candidate after observing her for the first few weeks of the term.

"Alright, you've all impressed me," Davy announced. "Except for those two."

They group snickered as the two weakling boys swam quickly to the shore on the other side of the lake, probably fearing the squid was going snatch them.

"As you know, this is a secret order," Davy continued. "If you betray us, there will be no mercy."

Emmy's smile was plastered onto her face. She held out her hand with the others (Rowan, Adam, and Patrick among them) as one of the senior members came around and handed them each a tiny silver snake, enchanted to animate and deliver messages. After that, they headed back to the castle as a group. In passing, Em was certain she heard a rustling in the bushes, and a gasp.

"Rowan, what is zat noise?" she whispered to her comrade.

The boy went over to a rose bush and looked behind it. "Nothing at all," he said, rejoining them.

Marigold could have cursed at Reyna, as the girl chose a bush over the tree. She was making too much noise. From Marigold's high position, she could see everything: Reyna in the bushes and the members streaming by. She saw that Emmy was among them. She remembered her from the tourney and from the opening ceremony. Marigold held her breath as a boy went over to the bushes. He looked directly at Reyna and then....left. Marigold smiled and watched as the members streamed by.

"Excellent night! Davy, we should celebrate, Ministry style. We could show the new members how much of an agent of chaos we are," a member proposed very loudly to Davy. Marigold could have cursed. They stopped right under the tree. The tree had a few patches of leaves, losing most of its leaves from the change in weather. Marigold hid towards the trunk, using it to hide most of her body. She was standing on a pretty sturdy limb too. If anyone looked up, they probably couldn't see her, unless they looked very closely. They talked quietly to themselves and then all started laughing. Marigold looked over and felt her mouth drop open.

They lit the tree on fire! Marigold held back her panic. If she made any hasty moves, they would definitely see her and possibly hunt her down. But, the tree was definitely on fire. It was slowly climbing up the trunk. Marigold tried not to cough from the smoke. The group laughed and walked away, leaving the tree to burn. Marigold waited up the last member was halfway around the lake. By that point, the tree was up to the second lowest branch. Marigold was glad that she climbed so high. She tested the limb above her and went up one higher. If she put the fire out, the Ministry might come back and Reyna was still in the bushes. She had to call on someone. She held up the ring to her mouth.

"Guys! Guys! Don't ask questions, but I'm in the burning tree at the lake! Someone has to come get me! Reyna's here too! Please!" Marigold said quickly, trying not to sound too panicked, but she could feel herself starting to freak out. She coughed, the smoke filling her lungs. She looked down at the tree. The flames were eating it up. Marigold cursed and went up another limb.

"I'm on my way! Stay put!" Symon replied, immediately. Marigold's eyes burned and she felt tears fall down, as her eyes watered. She couldn't breathe! The smoke was killing her. This must've been what it's like to burn to death for being a witch. She cursed as the flames were below her feet, consuming the branch she was just standing on a minute ago. It must have been a weak spell for it to take the fire so long to burn the tree. She was sweating and the heat was intensified.

"We're coming!" Asher and Gavin replied. They must have been awake when she called. Marigold looked up. The limbs looked weaker and Marigold doubted they could hold her body weight. But, the heat was at her feet and she had to climb. She reached for the limb, but it was too high. She had to jump for it. She took a deep breath, coughing as she exhaled and jumped for the branch. She could've cried, seeing that it didn't break under her weight. She pulled herself up and hugged the tree trunk. She had one more limb before she was at the top of the tree. She saw three fliers fly out of the Ravenclaw tower. Symon and Asher must have met Gavin there. Marigold patted out a fire that caught the bottom of her skirt. She grabbed onto the limb above her and it broke. She also lost her balance and went tumbling into the fire. She held onto the tree trunk, coughing like crazy. She closed her eyes, trying to avoid the smoke.

"Marigold!" Asher called out. She opened her eyes and waved to them. Gavin and Asher reached out and grabbed her, pulling her from the burning tree, it could get to her.

"Are you okay?!" Gavin asked, as she coughed up a storm, tasting fresh air. She was sitting on Asher's broom, covered in soot and sweating like crazy. Marigold pointed out Reyna to Symon, who flew down to pick her up and take her back.

"Did you guys get her?" Peyton called out over the ring.

"We got her. We're taking her to the Hospital Wing," Gavin told the group. Marigold held onto Asher, as they flew back to Hogwarts. They landed in the Ravenclaw common room, with Peyton waiting on them. And, Renoir was waiting too.

Professor Renoir tapped her foot and glared at the group. Why was it always them? Every single time?

"I didn't call her guys, I swear," Peyton said quickly.

"Professor, it's not what it looks like!"

"We were rescuing them!"

"Fire!"

"Silence!" she snapped, holding up a hand. "I must say, I am very disappointed in you boys. As fourth years, I expect you to set a better example."

"Professor Renoir," Symon spoke seriously. "Marigold was hiding from the Ministry in a tree, and they set that tree on fire. We had to go and save her."

"The Ministry? I see," she nodded. "And how is it you knew about this? How did she contact you?"

They all looked down at the ground, shifting uncomfortably. She'd suspected they were up to something last year, maybe forming some sort of Anti-Ministry club. They were always together, and certain members of their group simply wouldn't be hanging out otherwise. Renoir decided to let it go for now.

"Are we getting detention?" Asher grumbled, red-faced.

"You quite deserve it, at least you girls, sneaking out at night," she huffed, crossing her arms. "But...training for Quidditch starts in a couple of days, and 4 out of 5 of you happen to be rather important players. I can't just punish one of you, so...we will never speak of this again. Understood? Go to bed, I will escort Miss Belet to the Hospital Wing."

The kids sighed in relief, and Renoir rolled her eyes. "Did you at least put the fire out?"

"Absolutely!"

"We sure did!"

"Out like a light!"

"That was stupid."

"Whatever..."

She then took Marigold's hand and they Disapparated to the Hospital Wing.


((OOC: there's no anti-apparation enchantments yet))