Struggle (open)

[Violet Snape]

„Bombarda Maxima!“ the Slytherin called out and sent a powerful spell surging towards the nearest tree which exploded in a thousand pieces that rained down on her. She did not even bother moving out of the way and just shrugged the splinters off her shoulders before pointing her wand at a large rock, a determined expression on her face. “Expulso!” the spell was said in what sounded almost like an irritated growl and the stone blew up just like the tree before.

Violet was sick and tired of being forced to watch people she cared for get hurt; incapable of helping as she was too young or too weak to do anything to protect those she loved. After everything that had happened this term, in her first year at Hogwarts, she had made up her mind to become stronger, more powerful and the next time someone would try to hurt her family or friends, she would be able to fight along with the rest of them.

The sight of Harry returning to the maze with the dead body of Cedric in his arms was burned into her mind just like the image of her brother lying wounded in a hospital bed. Lord Voldemort was back; that was what Harry had told them and unlike some others, Violet had not doubted his words for a second. There simply was no reason for the Gryffindor to lie and that only was one more reason for her to train harder. At the sound of footsteps, Violet spun around and pointed her wand at the person that had approached her. “Show yourself!” she demanded coldly.

[Sergej Munter]

Sergej was strolling through the dark woods, icy wind beating against his face without bothering him in the slightest. He was used to cold and wind and coming from Siberia, he could only sneer in pity at what the English people called “chilly”. Nevertheless, it was interesting to note how the temperature always seemed to drop by several degrees as soon as one set foot in the forbidden forest.

He had been told about the dangerous creatures lurking in the shadows of the trees, but his blank face showed that he was not scared in the least. The cold touch of his silver dagger resting below his shirtsleeves gave him all the comfort he needed and he strode along the path with calm confidence. The sound of an explosion from somewhere close by made him turn his head slightly to the right and his eyes closed for a moment, to let his other senses sharpen. Another explosion followed the first, but this time he heard a voice call out the spell. It was the voice of a girl, a young one, probably only a first or second year, not from his school, he would recognize that. Not from Wolfclaw either as they started there at an older age. Hogwarts or Beauxbatons then.

Stepping out between two bushes that had been hiding him from the girl’s sight, he came to stand a few feet away from her, his body completely relaxed and his face still carrying the blank mask that was usual for him. His eyes quickly took in the witch before him and he waited silently for her reaction to his presence.

[Violet Snape]

Violet gripped her wand a little tighter when a student from Durmstrang stepped out of the darkness and came to stand in front of her. A shudder ran down her back, though she tried not to betray any of her feelings on her face. The way he was just standing there, unmoving and silent, staring at her with that blank expression on his face was creepier than had he drawn and pointed his wand at her.

“What do you want here?” she asked, trying for a calm she did not feel, but she had not been sorted in Slytherin for nothing. Violet could be quite capable at deceiving people into believing that she was more confident than she was by pretending to be calm and in control of the situation. “Did you get lost of what?” she sneered slightly at the older boy and raised her chin in defiance.

Subtly, she tried to look around her for any cover she could use should he start to attack her which was after all still a possibility and after the past few weeks, she would not take any chances. There were the tress of course and some large rocks, but they would have to do, as the castle was too far away for her to get there before he caught her. For she did not deceive herself into believing that she would be able to outrun him.

[Sergej Munter]

False bravado, he thought and smiled on the inside without changing the blank expression on his face. It was quite easy to look through the deception the girl was trying to use on him. Confidently spoken words were immediately contradicted by the way her eyes darted around, frantically searching for a way to escape him and her wand had not been lowered even an inch. Her fear was so palpable that he did not even bother to respond to her questions.

Taking a step forward, Sergej crooked his head slightly to the side and stared right into the girl’s dark brown orbs. “You, my dear girl, are frightened.” He pronounced without the slightest hint of doubt. Step after step brought him closer to the young witch and the whole time, his dark grey eyes stayed focused on the girl’s eyes. He started to circle around her, like a shark around its prey, till he was standing right in front of her again, the tip of her wand pressing into his chest. “Will you act on it?” he asked, in the same calm, detached voice as before.

[Violet Snape]

Violet had the feeling of her heart dropping into her stomach when the boy started to walk towards her and her eyes widened in fear. She felt like a prey that was being seized up by a tiger and she shuddered again, this time less concealed. Still, swallowed her fear and held the guy’s gaze, creepy as it was and she pulled together every ounce of courage she had in her blood. At least, he had not yet drawn his wand, though if that meant he did not want to attack, or merely that he would not need to use one to harm her, she could not be sure.

“That depends on if my feeling is warranted or not.” Violet gave back, proud that at least her voice was steady even if her legs were not. She would not let him get her without a fight, that much was for certain and she could only hope that someone would come and find them soon.

[Sergej Munter]

This time, Sergej did not even try to prevent the small curl of his lips from showing, as his slight interest in the situation grew into light amusement. It was always entertaining to see how people reacted if you threw them off-guard; if they were faced with something, or someone, unexpected and Sergej often exploited this helplessness. Simply to observe, naturally.

The girl had some bravery in her bones, that much was obvious, though she did not seem like a skilled or experienced fighter to him. Easy prey, she would be, had he been hunting today. Alas, Sergej was just taking a stroll when her explosive spells had interrupted his quiet.

With one fast motion, he had pulled the girl around and against his chest, twisted her hand behind her back, so that she would drop her wand and his left hand, which was suddenly holding his silver dagger, was at her throat, the cold metal pressing into her skin, not yet cutting. “That remains to be seen, my dear girl.” He spoke right into her ear, his voice low and almost inaudible.

[Violet Snape]

With bated breath, she waited for the boy’s reaction to her words. Her whole body was wrought with tension and she only noticed that she had been holding her breath for quite some time when black dots started to dance before her eyes. Violet quickly drew in a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill her lungs and it was fortunate that she had done so, as only a moment later she would not have been able to do so anymore.

A large knife was being pressed against the tender skin of her throat, the boy’s strong hold on her preventing any kind of struggle she might have put up. Not that she would have, with a razor-sharp blade at her throat. And it was that sharp! She could already feel the sticky wetness of her blood on her skin; the metallic scent filling her nose as a few drops appeared where the skin was broken.

His words made her shudder and Violet closed her eyes, praying for someone to come and help her. It probably would be fruitless, she thought, angry with herself for running into the forest without telling anyone where she went. “What do you want from me?” she asked, her voice quiet and timid.

[Sergej Munter]

“Ah … now she lets her fear show…” Sergej commented almost casually, using the tip of his dagger to trace down the girl’s cheek. He could almost smell how scared she was by now and it made him sigh; a mixture or disgust, pity and irritation. Abruptly, his weapon vanished back below his sleeve and he stepped away from the witch, to walk a few yards away. Why was it, that so many parents let their children go out into the world without preparing them for what might occur? Why was it, that he so often encountered children that could not protect themselves?

Turning slowly to glance back at the girl, Sergej crooked his head to the sigh in thought. “Why were you casting exploding hexes all around you?” he asked sharply. “Did you just have to let out steam because some boy looked at another girl rather than at you? Or because daddy did not buy you the right dress?” Again, he approached her till he was towering over the small girl. “Or was it something else?” Sergej’s grey eyes narrowed at her, daring her to lie in his face. He would know. And he did not like to be lied to. Not at all.

[Violet Snape]

Violet was not even ashamed of letting her fear show obviously enough for him to notice. As long as she would make it out alive, nothing else mattered. And yet, she was more than surprised when, as suddenly as he had grabbed her, the boy released her again. Violet spun around and stared after him with wide eyes. What kind of sick game was he trying to play with her? Should she use his momentarily distraction to make a run for it? She wondered, but at the same time, he turned around again and once more held her in place with his strangely empty eyes.

“What?” Violet was even more confused by his words than by his actions. Why did he care? Didn’t he just want to hurt her? What on earth was wrong with this guy? Her thoughts kept repeating in her head, but as the Durmstrang student stepped closer once more, she had to pull herself together enough to answer. For a moment, she considered telling him to mind his own fucking business, but then decided that it probably would not work out well for her, so she told the truth. “No. I was training.” She stated, looking right back at him, defiance shining more brightly now than before. “I want to become stronger, so that I can fight for the people that mean something to me.” 

[Sergej Munter]

Sergej reached out and took hold of the girl’s chin. Firmly, but without causing any discomfort for her, he tilted her head upwards, so that he could observe her face and, more importantly, the impression in her eyes. She was speaking the truth, there was no doubt about it and she also seemed quite determined to train herself to become more powerful. That was something he could relate to, having been training since he was small. It was all too easy to remember all the times when his father’s curses had knocked him to the ground and his body was screaming at him to stop, to just stay down and give up, but his northern fortitude would not allow it and so he had forced himself to get up again and again till one day he had not been knocked down again. He could still the pride he had felt and which had been reflected in his father’s eyes.

Snapping his attention back to the girl in front of him, Sergej released her chin and bent down to pick up the fallen wand. “If you truly want to get stronger, then I think you will meet with more success if you let me help you.” He told her calmly, holding out the wand to her.

[Violet Snape]

Violet tried not to wince when the tall boy grasped her chin and moved her head to look at him, but she kept a steady hold on his eyes. Something was totally wrong with this guy, but after one year at Hogwarts were she came in contact with all kind of mad people, she should really not be surprised any long. Hell! She was friends with some pretty mad people, so why did she complain?

Although he did not hurt her, Violet was still relieved when he let go of her again and moved away a little to give her some space to breath. She ran a hand through her hair, her eyes looking quite confused, as he held out her wand. “Why would you want to help me?” she asked suspiciously. First he threatened her and now he wanted to help her get stronger? That made no sense, did it?

[Rachel Snape]

Rachel had been sitting by the window in the ravenclaw tower for a while now when she saw someone familiar walk towards the forest. She had used a simple spell to locate where it went. She rushed out of the common room with her wand and her hoodie she got from her mother as a present. In less than 5 minutes she stood for the entrance of the forest. She looked back to the castle. Rachel swallowed hard, she had never entered the forest but she had a feeling in her stomach that someone needed her there. Brave as she felt, she took steps into the forest, taking deep breaths in and out and then she felt the confidence rising. She did it!

She took another couple of steps but stiffened when she heard a loud explosion, her eyes went from side to side to look for people or animals. Should she go further or get help? She stayed still and turned her head when she heard twigs break at the side, her eyes widen and she rushed through the forest. After a couple of metres she saw one boy with his back to her. She gripped her wand tightly and held it up and stepped closer.

Till Rachel's surprise her twinsister Violet appeared, the boy picked up her wand. Rachel walked closer her wand drawled. "Leave my sister alone! What do you want from her?" Rachel said confidently, even though she wasn't but that was her twinsister, maybe she was just a Ravenclaw nerdy girl, she was not planning on letting someone hurt her sister. Rachel stood next to her sister still her wand pointed at the blonde boy. She turned her head. "You okay?" she asked concerned.

[Sergej Munter]

Sergej observed the girl in front of him with interest and it was almost amusing to see her thoughts about him flitter across her face. People always thought that they were so capable of disguising their emotions, but actually in was mostly just too simple to deduce what went on in their little minds. The little wince, she tried so hard to suppress, or the way she frowned in suspicion when he offered his help, the hand she ran through her hair that betrayed her nervousness. All just too simple to observe and Sergej was almost regretting his decision to make his presence known to the girl.

Nevertheless, he had seen something in her eyes before that spoke of inner turmoil and the determined will to fight and he knew this feeling quite well. Crooking his head slightly to the side, Sergej kept his face absolutely blank, void of any emotion. “Because I recognize a fighter if I see one and you, my dear girl, have reached the point where you are ready to step past those infantile nonsense they teach you at your school and learn how to become a real warrior. I went through this before and I can show you what I learned if you are willing, but you must be aware that I will not tread lightly and that you will suffer.” He explained his reasoning to her, his voice as emotionless as his face, though his eyes had narrowed only fractionally as someone approached them.

He did not bother to pull out either wand or dagger and simply stood staring at the newly arrived girl with empty grey eyes. They slowly travelled over the two young girls and it was easy to spot the similarities between the two of them. Sergej raised his eyes back to look into the Ravenclaw’s eyes, unblinking and without moving any other part of his face or body. “My dear girl, I was simply talking to your sister. There is no need to hold me at wand-point.” He said, his voice low and flat.

[Rachel Snape]

Rachel lowered her wand at him but she kept it in her hand, in case he did something unexpexted. Rachel eyed her sister. "Is that true, Vio?" The guy didn't look like he would only talk but if Violet said she was only talking she would believe her.

[Violet Snape]

For several minutes the older boy stayed silent, just looking at her out of impenetrable eyes. He never seemed to show any emotions and that somehow creeped her out more than anything else. Still, she couldn't do anything but wait for his answer and when it finally came, Violet was quite surprised, though suspicion was still bright in her eyes. Before she had any chance to say anything, though, they were interupted by a familiar voice and for a moment, Violet was about to shout out to her sister to run back to the castle and get help, but then she remembered his promise of training her. Helping her to get stronger, the very reason why she had come to the forest in the first place. 

Relaxing her stance a little bit, Violet turned to her sister and gave her a small nod. "It's true. He hasn't done anything to me." she said, leaving the "yet" unsaid. She reached out and took her sister's hand in her own, squeezing slightly. Looking back at the older boy with a thoughtful expression, Violet tried to use her instincts to see if she could trust him or not. He had said that he would make her suffer, but if she still came out stronger, than it would definitely be worth it. Artemis had already promised her to train with her, but maybe this boy could show her some other techniques as well.

She had no real reason to trust him, especially with the way he had been acting so far and she had been told that the Durmstrang students were all rather dark, something she could imagine very well. In the end, the one thing that went for agreeing with him was that she did want to get better and stronger. What had happened to her friends could not ever happen again! It just couldn't! And Violet was willing to do anything to keep her family and friends safe. "Very well. I would appreciate if you could help me. And I will endure everything you put me through." she vowed and held out her hand to him. 

[Rachel Snape]

Rachel looked at her twin, she relaxed a bit when Violet said that she was okay. The only thing she found weird was the explosion she heard when she followed her twin into the dark forest. "So you don't know anything about the explosion i heard? What do you mean he is going to help you? With what?" She asked confused. Rachel hoped that her sister wouldn't do something stupid but at the other hand, she was the one with risking her life to brew potions without her father's supervision at home. Taking risks were in their blood.

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