Maledictus

Ch.7 - Obliviate

Alice backed away.
She had never been good around wands.

And the reason is very simple once you understand the trauma that came with it.

A few months before hand, her father was experimenting with spells.
It was what he always wanted to do.
Create spells.

But one day, it went horribly wrong.
A spell backfired and he lost his right arm.
Ever since, no one so much as touched a wand.

"Henry get that thing away from me!"  she shouted, scrambling into a corner.

"It won't hurt" he assured. "It will cause less pain in the future!"

He walked nearer towards her, still holding his wand.

"Please Al, I'll take you to see the stars?"

Alice had always wanted to see the stars, but her parents hadn't let her step foot inside.

"Just if you let me do something very small"

"What is it?" she asked.

"I need to remove your memory" he said. "You will remember me, mum, dad and the stars"

"It won't hurt?"

"Not one bit"

"Then do it"

"Obliviate"

"Alice! Alice!" shouted Ms. Weasley. "Alice, your safe now!"

Alice was tossing and turning and muttering weird things no one could make out.
Oh, and she was also screaming and shouting her little head off.

"Alice? Alice, can you hear me?!"

Alice awoke suddenly and sat up fast, her head spinning like a yoyo.
She looked around blankly, seeing worried faces everywhere she looked.

The dream was still fresh in her mind.
Henry was the reason she couldn't remember what her mother told her, or what she knew.
Henry knew.
This was why Alice needed to find him.

"Alice, can you hear me?" she asked again and Alice nodded. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Alice just looked out the window.
She didn't want to talk about it.
She didn't want to remember her memories, for a simple reason.
They were a dark hole nobody wants to go.

"Alice, what's wrong?" asked Ron.

"I'm fine Mr. Weasley" she whispered. "But I think I best be going, you've done too much for me"

"Alice, you are not going anywhere!" said Mr. Weasley firmly, locking the door before Alice could reach it.

She didn't move and stared at the floor, looking at her dirty feet.

"Alice you need to tell us what's going on" said Ron, walking over to her and kneeling down beside her.

"I have nothing to tell you, Mr. Weasley"

"It's Ron" he said, as Ginny stiffled a laugh. "And I have a feeling, you have a lot to tell us"

"Your clever, figure it out yourself" Alice replied. "I have nothing but my name to tell you"

Everyone just looked at the small girl, her bottom lip trembling and tears forming in the corners of her dark brown eyes.

If they wanted to help, they needed Alice to talk to them, to feel safe around them.
But Alice didn't feel safe anywhere.

Ron guided her back to the couch and she sat there, with her knees tight to her chest, not letting her tears fall.
That only showed weakness.

"Mum, will you leave us alone for a moment?" whispered Ron. "Take Ginny, Fleur and Bill with you"

"That's alright, just help her" she replied, almost sadly.

Alice watched as they left, and then looked at the trio who were staring at her worridly.
It made her feel uncomfortable, and she wanted to run away.

"Alice what happened?" asked Harry, finally breaking the silence.

"I don't know what you're talking about Mr. Potter" she replied, looking at the floor.

"Alice, we watched you scream as you slept"

Alice looked at the ground, avoiding all eye contact.
Her throat was like a desert and felt like it had been burned by the sun.

"Please....." she croaked, looking up at them, and began coughing again.

Harry handed her a tissue, and Hermione went to get a glass of water.
Ron sat with her, making sure she stayed conscious.

Alice pulled away the tissue and realised that it was once again covered in blood.

"Alice...." asked Ron, seeing the tissue as Hermione rushed in with a glass of water and she gulped it down.

The coughing had stopped, but the worried glances hadn't.

"Alice, was that.......was that.....blood?" asked Ron, taking the glass.

"Nope, I don't think so" she lied, pushing the tissue up her sleeve.

"Alice-"

"I don't want help, I want to leave" she interrupted. "Please, you've done too much"

"You are staying here" said Ron firmly, still eyeing the tissue.

The tears in Alice's eyes disappeared.
She stopped taking.
She just looked out the window.

Al, something isn't right, they're on to us and we can't risk it.
Just remember that I love you, and I will find you.
I will see the stars with you before it's too late.
I promise.