What do I have to Do? (Anna or Dru)

[Chase Firebrand]

The lake was in turmoil today. Fitting, Chase thought, watching the wind sweep over the water, drawing it into short, choppy waves that lapped lightly at the shore, but rose almost violently in the center of the lake. The sky was a heavy grey, looming, threatening, and Chase knew the likelihood that it would fall, soaking him to the skin through the dark jeans and shirt he wore, but he didn't care, or maybe part of him dared the sky to take it that far, to push his already dark mood.

Chase's hair, grown longer over the summer into unkempt curls, flicked around his face, but he didn't see it as he stood some few yards away from a stone outcropping, thumbs tucked into his pockets, eyes shimmering smoke and smouldering fire. He was done seeking company, done with the game. He was sick of the tug-of-war between girls wanting more than he wanted to give and girls who didn't even want to play first, just wanted their names in the Daily Prophet. He was sick of it, so he was taking himself out of the game.

A thunderhead deep in the distant sky rumbled threateningly. Chase didn't turn toward the castle, but stood as the wind whipped up, closed his eyes and brought his arms up, welcoming the sting of the water-flecked air on his skin. It reminded him that he was still alive, despite the death of that part of him that had always insisted on motion and light. Maybe this was the true him after all, he thought. The part of him that had always kept his distance.

He was hardening himself again, knowing that Dru was pulling away, that she was trying to pull away. It was reflexive. He'd given too much, and didn't know if he could survive the break that would come when it finally happened. So he withdrew to safety, and welcomed the first hazy drops of cool rain, distracting him from his thoughts.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

At the sound of thunder, she broke out of her thoughts. Looking at the sky, Annabelle realized the storm that had been a distant threat was directly above her. She stood and began the walk back indoors, deciding her current seat wouldn’t be a good spot to be if lightning struck. Not able to stop herself, she turned, taking a last look at the tree she’d just been under. It was their tree, and after the conversation she’d had with Silver, she needed to sort things out. She’d gone for a walk and her feet had taken her here. Anna wondered how long she’d been there, it must have been a while since the storm had rolled in. She wasn’t sure if the time had helped at all; it seemed that for every question she answered about her past with Michael, another popped up.

As the stormy winds picked up, Anna pulled her hood tighter around her face and headed back toward the castle. Partway there, she spotted someone standing in the distance. As she approached, she recognized Chase. She was about to call out to him when she realized how serious he looked. She continued until she was nearly to him before hesitantly speaking. “Chase?”

[Chase Firebrand]

The soft, feminine voice didn't belong in the moment Chase was living in. He drew breath, stilled for one endless moment, then exhaled and lowered his arms, turning slightly as he opened his eyes toward the sound of that voice. His eyes were dark, deep indian red smouldering with no hint of his perpetual flame, deep with thoughts he couldn't erase, couldn't hide.

Chase turned his gaze away from Anna, back out over the Black Lake, roiling under increasingly harsh gusts of wind. "You should be in the castle," Chase said, his voice carrying easily despite the rush of air tossing his hair and sending the water slapping against the shore. He did not include himself in his admonition to seek safety. He could take care of himself, the way he always had.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"So should you." Anna said, sounding more sure then she felt. She didn't like what she had glimpsed in that brief moment that he'd looked her way. Something was wrong with him and it scared her how he was acting. Chase had always sought out conversation with her, baiting and teasing her with his natural charm. But there was no hint of that person before her and she wondered why. It would be so easy for her to go up to the castle like he'd said, but she couldn't leave him there alone, not without knowing what was going on.

[Chase Firebrand]

"Shoulda, coulda, woulda," Chase said. He shifted his weight slightly, tucking his thumbs back into the front pockets of his jeans as he stared out over the water, watching it rise and fall in points and crests. "I'm not going in, you may as well save your breath," he said louder. "Don't make me pull Head Boy on you, Anna."

It was an empty threat, and she'd probably be able to tell as much by the tone of his voice, but he didn't really care at this point. He was feeling self-destructive, and he wanted to be alone to do it. No one else needed to see his moment of weakness.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Annabelle decided there was no hope for getting inside before they were both drenched and sighed. Did chase really think she'd leave him there? She thought they were better friends then that. "Then I'm not going either. You can make me of course, but you already know that would mean taking me back to the castle yourself." She moved next to him, facing out to the water despite the wind and rain now hitting her face. Her hood started to fall down and she reached up, gathering it tightly around her face and holding it just below her chin with one hand. She contemplated asking him what was wrong, but decided against it. Instead she just watched the waves and waited.

[Chase Firebrand]

Chase's jaw tightened at the stubbornness in Anna's voice, not to mention the unarguable reason in her words. He wasn't about to frog-march her back to the castle. "I could give you detention," Chase suggested, without any real feeling behind the threat, other than annoyance at having let himself be pushed to say it. Chase let the cool act drop for just a moment and turned toward Anna, the sight of her standing so forlornly holding onto her cloak doing nothing to ease his mind.

"Just go back to the castle, Anna," he said, his voice low, purposefully angry, but edged with the vulnerability he was trying to keep her from seeing. "Go! Go in where you'll be dry, where you can find someone who'll talk to you. Go where you can get what you need, because you won't find it here!" He was breathing hevily from his outburst, as short as it had been. Chase dragged his gaze from Anna, back out to the unforgiving waters.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna forced herself to remain strong. She winced slightly at his harsh words, hoping that he didn't believe them. "This isn't about me you know." She left the obvious unsaid, that she was here because of him, not herself. She chanced a glance at him, hating how unhappy he looked. She meant to look back out to the lake and wait until he gave in and either talked to her or took them back to the castle, but she'd never been good at playing like she didn't care. Instead she studied him, worry written on her face and the words slipped out before she caught her tongue. "I can't leave you."

[Chase Firebrand]

Chase's brows knitted, and his gaze rose to the darkening skies, as though he might find an answer written in the clouds. "Why not?" he asked. He could have been talking to Dru, asking her the same question. She wanted to leave, he knew it, wanted to just break off completely, refuse to see him again, and she'd probably be happier that way. But why couldn't she leave him?

The tension spread from Chase's jaw down his neck and shoulders, down to the arms he held steady at his sides, the falsely casual posture he held, thumbs tucked into his pockets, booted feet planted firmly on the ground. He didn't feel it, though. He felt the storm, felt the wind ruffling his hair, felt it cooling his cheeks, felt it seeping inside him, turning, churning, and threatening.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"If the roles were reversed, you wouldn't leave me out here." Annabelle tried to appeal to his reason. "You stayed and listened to me when I needed it, even if I yelled at you. It's what friends do for each other." It didn't look like she was getting through to him, and she wondered what could be bothering him so much.

[Chase Firebrand]

Chase's teeth gritted hard. He wanted to argue; they weren't friends, they hardly knew each other, but he hadn't reached that point where he would lash out, hadn't gotten bad enough to want to hurt her for having had the miserable luck of finding him like this. He couldn't lie to her, wouldn't begin to try telling her he'd have left her. It wasn't worth the effort, since he knew it wasn't true. He couldn't form an argument, so he repeated himself; "Go back to the castle, Anna. You don't want to see this."

He'd been fighting a losing battle against himself for months now, or maybe years. But it was worse lately, and the last argument with Dru, where he'd all but begged her to stay and she'd all but left for good was tearing at him, a symptom of everything that was wrong with him to begin with. He'd changed, and he didn't want to change. He didn't know what he wanted.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"You're right, I probably don't." Anna looked away again, the moment too intense to remain focused on him. She turned so her back was taking the brunt of the unforgiving storm. She could see Chase staring upward out of her peripherals but tried to look ahead, giving him some space.

Anna didn't know what else to try, what to say to help, especially since she didn't have a clue what the problem was. She sat down on the wet ground next to Chase's feet, hugging her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them. She ignored the weather, the water starting to soak her robes and the wind howling all around them. It was a statement saying that she was staying for him, however long it would take.

[Chase Firebrand]

Why had he thought that might work? Why had he thought that she'd just listen to him? Chase nearly growled with frustration. He wanted to be alone, wanted to have his breakdown in peace, and Anna wouldn't leave him alone! Chase stood seething for less than a minute before turning to look down at her. "Get up, Anna," he said, reaching to pull her to her feet, whether she wanted to stand or not.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna allowed Chase to pull her up. She grabbed onto his arm as he did so, and once she was on her feet, she kept the physical contact. They were much closer now, but she didn't back up and give him his space back. Her lower lip found it's way between her teeth out of habit but as soon as she noticed, she released it. She didn't want to show him any signs that she was unsure of what she was doing. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it, deciding to wait.

[Chase Firebrand]

Chase's chest tightened, whether at that motion of her teeth against her lip, the vulnerability in her eyes, or his own damnable vulnerability, he didn't know. But he couldn't seem to release his grip on Anna's arms, couldn't seem to pull away any more than she had. He had always taken and given physical comfort when everything else was too much, and though he told himself he shouldn't, that he was giving that up, that he was sick of it all, he found himself shifting closer to her, found the world slowing as his gaze dropped of its own will to Anna's lips.