evergreen • remus lupin

87. chance

a/n: okay so i was reminded that knockturn alley is actually in diagon alley which i knew of course, i was just being stupid, so bear with me here. 

other than this chapter (and the last) the location of Knockturn alley isn't really important to the story overall, just meaning after these chapters Knockturn will go back to being in Diagon Alley. hope that makes sense, now on with the chapter...

"Hello Selene" Theodore Nott smirked. Selene's breath caught in her throat as she backed up slowly, reaching for her wand

"You know curiosity is a wonderful thing, but you must take caution."

"Good advice, but you know I must be going" she nodded sarcastically, turning around to leave, only to come face-to-face with Calvin Selwyn, a previously graduated Hogwarts student, and ex friend. 

She whipped back around, head snapping between the two boys as Theodore walked towards her, and Calvin stayed blocking her path to the exit. 

"Let's get this over with shall we?" Theodore eyes her up, running his tongue along the inside of his lip. 

"Get what over with?" Selene spat, backing away from him. 

Soon she ran out of space and her back collided with Calvin, who grabbed her arms, restraining them behind her back. She thrashed against his grip, trying out break free but it was no use.

"HELP PLEASE! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" she called out to the people on the narrow street below, but all she got in return was a few stares and a couple snickers

"Look around Selene, no one here cares what we do to you" Selene went cold at his words,

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked, resisting harder against Calvin's grip.

"Struggling only makes it harder for you" he finally spoke, yanking her backwards. 

"Then I think this will make it harder for you" she spat through gritted teeth, kicking her foot back into his kneecap, cringing at the sound of a crack. Calvin yelled out in pain, releasing Selene who scrambled away from him, dodging spells from Theodore as she ran out of the alley. 

She had two options, turn to the right and run back into the heart of the village, where she could likely find James, Lily, or someone she knew to help her, or she could turn left where a path forked off into two, one way leading to the Shrieking Shack lookout, the other leading to some caves. 

The smarter option was the first, turn right and find someone she knew to help, but it also put innocent people at risk for whatever Theodore and Calvin were planning to do, so she reluctantly turned back to the alley where Theodore was helping Calvin to his feet, and then set off to her left, taking the right path of the fork to the Shrieking Shack lookout.

She ran over the small hill winding between trees, dead leaves crunching under her feet as she finally lost her breath, staring back behind her where she was only greeted by the sight of tree trunks scattered all over. 

The Shack's lookout was just ahead, but Selene needed time to regain her breath, so she collapsed against the trunk of a tree, hidden out of view of anyone who followed her. 

She only got less than a minute, breathing heavily with her head between her knees, before she heard the rustling of leaves distantly behind her. 

"You sure you saw her go this way?" she heard Calvin ask, maybe twenty yards away judging from the volume of his voice

"I'm sure. Let's split up, we know she's around here somewhere"

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