A bird falls, no one is around, did it even fly?

[Celina Jedynak]

Celina felt that with Drew’s acceptance of the key, there was nothing left that she could hurt. She could leave and never return. Emerald would be happier out of her carrier anyhow. Celina's heart sank, and it felt as if it were to break into a million more pieces it was already in.

She’s in her case? You’ll have to get her for me…

Celina nodded and agreed. She knew she would have to, and with that, she slowly rose, folded her hands and walked to the stairs. As Celina walked up the stairs, she made sure to keep her eyes down so that no one would notice or say anything to her. She was mostly worried about Jax, whom Celina noticed was laying on her own bed, sleeping it seemed. She was thankful for the small amount of luck in which she still had.

Walking over to her bed, she lifted her comforter and looked through the bared door of the carrier. Emerald’s eyes opened, her green orbs wide with confusion and loneliness. She was confused as what she had done to be locked up all the time, and Celina said nothing as she watched her cat’s mouth move, but no sound came from the box. Celina was not hearing her cat’s mews anymore. Maybe it was because without the key, Emerald was now Drew’s pet….Drew’s friend. Celina sat on her knees for a moment and after she brought the carrier out from under her bed, she sat and let herself have a cry before she got up to go back down the stairs to her corner. As she did so, she laid the box down next to Drew.

Emerald looked out of the box and her mouth continued to move without any sounds coming out of the box. The soundproof box worked like a charm, and if Celina had been in her right mind, she would have noticed that the spell worked without any kinks. She would have been proud. Instead, she sat back in her corner, and said nothing. She just leaned her head against the chair again and closed her eyes.

(Permission given to God Jax)

[Drew Thornton]

Drew waited patiently, thinking a thousand thoughts as Celina fetched the case. When it was set down in front of him, he opened it up, not sure if the cat would even come out after being stuck in there for so long. At least now that it was open, she had a choice.

"Why'd you lock her up?" Drew asked, placing the key on top of the carrier for the time being. He'd watch out for Emerald, but he was hoping Celina would still keep posession of the cat's things.

[Celina Jedynak]

Celina shrugged, her eyes still closed. Every once an a while a stray tear would fall, but she was no longer crying at least. “She’s safer…” Celina started calmly, and very softly. “…in the box.” Celina nodded. It sounded like the most reasonable explanation. She wasn’t about to tell Drew that she had done it for the mere fact that Emerald’s constant mewing and wanting to do something with her bothered her. She wasn’t about to tell him that the cat’s presence only made her more upset because not even Emerald was around when Celina had needed someone to help her…

Emerald eased out of the box, looking around. She mewed and rubbed her body up against the older Ravenclaw affectionately. She was free! It was amazing and she hurriedly went over to Celina’s lap, only to find herself being pushed off. Confused, Emerald’s head cocked and she mewed softly, with no response from Celina. Celina didn’t acknowledge her. It was as if Celina didn’t even hear her. She tried yet again to climb into Celina’s lap, and again she was forcefully pushed off…this time a bit rougher. Emerald tripped and landed on her side. She wasn’t hurt, but even on a cat, one could tell that she was a bit annoyed and more puzzled than ever.


Emerald didn’t try again, and she took a seat by Drew, also looking at her owner.

[Drew Thornton]

Drew watched Celina's interaction with the cat through narrowed eyes and when Emerald finally made her way over to him, he gave her a little scritch on her head.

"So... is this who you are now?" Drew asked, wondering if this new, mean Celina was a conscious choice or she just felt like it was thrust on her. For some reason, he thought it was the latter, and either way, he wanted to know why she came to the conclusion she had. "Is Jax right? This is how it's going to be? We shouldn't bother with you anymore because you'll sell us out like you did Felicity?"

[Celina Jedynak]

Celina looked at Drew, and her eyes were empty. The spark of whatever life the Raven girl once had, was stolen from them and she looked at Drew as if she were confused with his question. They welled with more tears, but as he had told her to stop crying, the tears fell silently, but one right after another. If he was going to be awful, couldn't he have just taken Emerald away from her and left her be? Did he have to be so cruel?

"What?" she asked silently, as if it were the only thing she could muster up to say. Her face seemed to harden, but only just slightly. She never meant to be mean, never meant to sell anyone out....he didn't understand. Drew Thornton could never have understood. He was nothing like Alfonz....and yet, neither one of them came to her rescue until it was much too late, and all the damage was done.

Drew had no right.....or did he? He after all was now caught up in this...but only from hear say. He wasn't even there to help....

"At least I was there...." Celina trailed off, but she never looked away.

[Drew Thornton]

"And look where it got you," Drew said with an edge of disgust, his eyes not leaving her. He wasn't sure if Celina knew how much her simple accusation stung. He hadn't been there and that bothered him immensely but he wasn't about to let her know that. "Because if I had been there, I would have done whatever I could to protect my friends. Heck... If I had been there, I would have done what I could to protect those that weren't my friends as well. And when I was there, I did what I could to protect the people I care about."

"So is this who you are now? You abandon Felicity, you abandon Emerald, who else?"

[Celina Jedynak]

Instantly she turned her head from him, her tears flying from her face and landing wherever they would land. Her arms went up, and her body quaked as she tried to hold in sobs that were not complying. She could barely even speak around the sobs. Where had it gotten her to be there? In a bunch of trouble that she had tried to talk to Felicity about. A load of obstacles she knew would be in their way, and what had it gotten her? Nothing. In her life, Celina had never lost as much as she had in that half an hour setting.....and for what? Now even Drew sat with her and accused her of the things she had heard fly through out the school. Whispers of her being a rat...and a snitch...

...so that was what it was like to be known, and visible....

Her crying didn't stop but her sobbing eased a bit. "I couldn't......" she cried. Her tears soaking the sweat shirt that she was wearing. Her hair flopped over her head, the tourquois ribbon falling out and landing on the floor beside her foot. Emerald went over and picked up the ribbon in her mouth, rubbing her body up against her owner's legs. Celina still didn't acknowledge her, but she didn't push her away either. Emerald took that as a sign, and laid down next to Celina. She knew her place, even when it seemed as if she wasn't wanted there.

"I didn't...." Celina muttered through her tears....how would Drew understand when all he knew was what he saw....and Celina couldn't bare to say what had happened out loud? Plus, in Celina's mind....who else was there that she could let go that she knew would get hurt if she didn't....

[Drew Thornton]

She was crying again and Drew didn't tell her to stop this time. He believed her tears but didn't make a move to comfort her, not sure his support would be as genuine. He was still mad at her for what she had done, disgusted by her weak sense of loyalty and friendship, but also sorry for whatever had made her this way.

"You didn't what?" he asked, wondering if this was going to get him closer to the answers he sought. "What couldn't you do?"

[Celina Jedynak]

Still crying, she listened to his words, afraid to say anything. What would he think of her? Could his attitude change for the worse? Celina found herself to be growing more and more tired as the conversation went on. Why on Earth had she thought that crying behind a chair was the best place to do so? Celina didn't know. "I didn't want to..." she whispered through her slight intakes of breath. Celina had been scared, and Shaw looking at her...the whole Great Hall watching her....it was too much for her to handle and she broke under the pressure. And as she had looked around to see if anyone where going to help, it was as if no one knew how. Where had Alfonz been? A question that to this day she still had not gotten a straight answer for. Not even in his letters.

"I didn't know what...what...to do....I couldn't.....his eyes...." she continued to cry. Emerald mewed a bit and purred, rubbing her head against a hand that was dangling off of Celina's legs. Instinctively, Celina's hand found the cat's head and began to pet it, but it was as if Celina didn't even know she were doing it. She didn't want to talk anymore...she didn't want to be comforted.....she just wanted to be.....

.....the way she was before the year had happened.

[Drew Thornton]

Drew stayed silent, just watching her as she spoke. He was glad that Emerald had given it another try and this time was accepted. Maybe Celina would start to realize she wasn't as heinous as she thought she was.

Yes she had sold out her best friend. Yes she had hurt a number of people and had lost an infinite amount of trust. But she was a weak person. He had to feel sorry for her. He couldn't blame her for it.

"Why couldn't you?" Drew fianally asked, needing to push for more answers. Either she'd give them to him or she'd start to fight back. Either way was good for him.

[Celina Jedynak]

No explanation came. Celina had just not been able to find anything more to say. As she had been placed in front of Shaw and asked what was going on, she had looked around the Great Hall to find anyone that could help her. All eyes had been on her for once in her life, and between the mouths that were dropped, and the eyes that were wide with horror, she only saw people that weren't willing to do anything. Then again, the fact of the matter was that they couldn't do anything, not until the time was right.

And Celina replayed the memory again. She didn't know why she felt the need to self preserve over Felicity. She was afraid, unknowing of what to do. And in the moment, she gave in to her fears and tried to beg for nothing to happen. But Celina wouldn't say it out loud. She wouldn't say that her fear of Shaw, and of getting hurt herself, (not to mention going against authority), was the reason she turned over her best friend. And now being drilled? She couldn't handle it, and she didn't want to give away anymore of her faults as she already had. Celina no longer wanted to play.

Celina peered over her arms at Drew and shrugged. "Because..." she started and she shook her head. "It wasn't real..."

[Drew Thornton]

His first inclination was to get angry at her excuse. How in the name of Merlin's beard could she say it wasn't real when he could hear the screaming all the way downstairs?

But he didn't yell, reminding himself that he while he hated the cowardace of Celina's actions, he couldn't hate her. He just couldn't hate someone he pitied. He couldn't be mad at Celina for never being taught about loyalty and friendship.

"What wasn't real?" he said evenly, gulping his fury down, hoping she didn't mean it like it had come out.

[Celina Jedynak]

Celina shrugged again, reluctant to give up anymore of herself. She was in a vulnerable state and the only reason it seemed that Drew was there at that moment was to do what others had only sneered about as she had passed them. He wanted answers to why, after three times of being asked…why after she found no hope other than to tell Shaw the truth….why she had given away her best friend. What wasn’t real? It was the idea that Shaw, as merciful as he had been, would snap and use torture for a lesson that needed to be learned. He had already destroyed Felicity’s things and made her plead with him silently.

“I…I…didn’t think…” she started but looked back down into her legs again. She never thought there’d be a time when no one would be able to help her out of such a scenario, though, she could have told Felicity in detail what would happen if they had been caught. She could have told her that they were going to be fed to the wolves if it hadn’t worked…but Felicity didn’t listen. She would have done it by herself….maybe that would have been better.

Looking back at Drew, Celina blinked more tears down her face and shook her head and tightened her grasp around her legs. She defeated like, leaned the side of her face on her knees, and closed her eyes, knowing that if she didn’t look at Drew, she could speak more clearly. “I didn’t think the option of torturing was real….it was an extreme that….that pushed what limits of reality had been formed….I….I….” she whimpered like a hurt pup.

And then….without another sound she whispered even less audibly….”It’s better to beg for forgiveness, than ask permission….” It made little sense probably….but it was all she had left to say.

[Drew Thornton]

Drew kept quiet, letting Celina say what she needed to. He wasn't going to ask why she would rat out Felicity even if she hadn't believed Shaw would stoop so low... at least not yet.

"That only works when you're dealing with sane people," Drew answered, speaking softly. He knew that her brother had been involved with the maskless, but he chose to pretend for the moment that the quidditch star was not actually one of the Deva. "A lot of people underestimated Shaw. They thought that since he had been a teacher... since we had trusted him... he wouldn't stoop that low."

Drew gave a long and low sigh. "I knew better and still, I underestimated him. He listened when we wanted to negotiate with him, he stopped that other guy from turning the great hall into a battle zone. I knew he was the bad guy, the leader of all of this, but still... I guess, deep down I knew it was a possibility, but part of me said he wouldn't... really... do it... again. I don't know... why... I thought that." His words stuttered out at the end as he thought about what had been and what might have been.

He thought he might be starting to understand Celina a little more. She had been scared and she probably thought that since her brother had been one of them, they wouldn't be all that bad. It still didn't forgive the act, but it made it a little clearer as to why.

"You don't know how many times I've thought about how I should have stayed," he admitted. "If I hadn't gone, I don't know if any of it would have happened." He could have talked Felicity out of it, or if she hadn't confided in him about her plans, he would have been in the hall and able to do something. He was sure of it.

[Celina Jedynak]

His words seemed genuine, but still her heart was in a million little pieces that telling her what she already knew was never about to make her feel better. And then she almost laughed out loud to herself, but she restrained. She didn’t even give in to the tugging sensation that pulled at the corners of her lips, as a hysteria wanted to set in. Drew wasn’t there to comfort her. He wasn’t there to help her. He was there to do what everyone else had done in their own way…point out that she had been wrong in her assumption of the insane man….he wanted to point out that Celina had hurt his girlfriend…and her best friend.

To anyone else, they would have seen this as a low blow, but to Celina…she only saw it as a furthering of the punishment that Shaw must have known she would be suffering through. If no one trusted her, then how easy would it to be to fall into hands that did accept her. Celina pushed these horrid thoughts away. No matter how horrible it got…would she not at least keep her self…she wasn’t and never claimed to be a good friend…it was only now that everyone else was seeing what she had been trying to tell them from the beginning. She wasn’t worthy.

“You didn’t have a choice…” Celina whispered to her Prefect. Opening her eyes slightly. “Now…if we’re done here…” her voice resonating the pain she felt, hoping that he’d take his leave if he was done questioning her.