*Tristan was laying on his couch, wrapped up in blankets.His stomach and the backs of his legs were covered in bruises from where he had been beaten with a cane by Harshing. It was the first of his many punishments for being gay.He had sent Aiden an owl telling him that he wouldn't be in school and that he was staying at a friend's appartment for a few days to stay clear of Harshing, but he didn't explain why.*

*Aiden had run to Hogsmeade to find Tristan as soon as he got the letter. Anything that made him hide from Harshing had to be serious. With a little bit of trouble, he had found the apartment. He anxiously raced up the stairs and down the hall to the door in question. He knocked on the door, probably harder than he should have out of nerves.*
Aiden:"Tristan- it's me. Please open the door!"

*Tristan jumped when the door was pounded on, which sent a jolt of pain through his muscles.* "It's open Aiden....just come on in...I can't get up....." *Tristan drew in a deep shuddering breath and closed his eyes for a moment. When the door opened, he re-opened them and tried not to look as bad as he felt*

*'I can't move' he said.*
Aiden:"God...D*MMIT!" *he exclaimed before opening the door. He looked around the unfamiliar apartment for Tristan. As soon as he found him he ran over to the couch and kneeled down beside him.*
"What did he do to you?"

"He beat me...with a cane...20 strokes to the stomach and 10 to the back of the legs." *His face fell as he shifted and another jolt of pain was sent through his back* "You're going to have to be very careful around him now...he probably knows about us..."

Aiden:"And what's so wrong with us that he's hurting you?"

*Aiden was furious, but he never let his anger show as clearly as others. He prefered to keep it to himself. Now he knew exactly why he was rebelling- because Harshing was trying to destroy anyone who was different.* "He is never going to get away with this. It's complete bull s*it."*He took a deep breath and tried to calm down.*"Is there anything I can get you? Are you hungry?"





~Mel

"No, I'm fine...I have water......" *He paused.* "I tried to argue, but he said I had to...he said..." *Tristan paused to swallow before continuing* "He said that I'd have to be punished once a week for the next few years, with punishments worsening gradually..."

Aiden:"What?" *He stood up out of anger*"No, he can't do that. I'm not going to let him hurt you like that. I'm going to do whatever it takes to get him to leave you alone."






~Mel

"There's nothing you can do." *Tristan said loud and clearly, emphasizing each word so it would sink in through Aiden's obvious anger.* "Anything you do will just make it worse on me, or make him start in on you."

*Aiden was silent for a few moments, trying to think of some way that he could possibly get Tristan out of this, but...he was right.*
Aiden:"He's taking this too far...it shouldn't be allowed. I can't sit here and watch you get hurt every week and not do anything about it. Eventually the only thing left to do will be to kill you. What then?"

*Tristan ignored the retorical question.* "You won't have to sit here and watch it happen......Harshing said..." *Tristan sighed and looked up at Aiden.* "Harshing said that we're forbidden to see eachother anymore. And that he's going to find me a girl that I have to date." *The defeat was evident in his voice.* "I thought you should know." *He added quietly as he looked away.*

*Aiden slowly sat back down on the ground, trying to digest what he had just heard.*
Aiden:"He can't be allowed to do that." *he thought out loud, very quietly.*"He doesn't have any control over what we do. Even if we have to stay in private, I'm not giving this up. He can make us do whatever he wants in the open, but what we do on our own time shouldn't matter to him at all."

"I know..." *He said softly, trying to comfort him. Tristan reached out and took Aiden's hand.* "We just can't let him know....we have to ask as if we are listening to him......you just musn't be jealous.....whoever this gil may be or whatever she's like, you have to remember that I'm with you...you're mine.....okay?" *Tristan forced himself to smile assuringly, but tears had come to his eyes and it just made him look al the more sorrowful.*

*Aiden sighed*
Aiden:"I know. Don't be surprised if I end up throwing a book at you or something. I'll only do that if you do something stupid, though." *He paused before saying something that was really getting to him.*"I hate having to hide. I've never done it before in my life, so it's like I'm begging for shame. That I'm not brave enough to take whatever Harshing decides to do. It doesn't matter, though, because I'm not letting you get more hurt than need be."

"Don't think of it as hiding from Harshing....think of it as outsmarting him." *He suguested, sitting up slightly* "That made it a lot easier for me when I was living on the streets. We'll get through this. I promise...he can only do this to us for another few years...then we're out of here...even if it means leaving england to get away from him."

*Aiden stayed completely still. Afraid that a small movement would end up in him losing control and breaking something.*
Aiden:"Why don't we leave now instead of suffering for two years? It's not worth it. School doesn't matter...we'll find a way to keep learning...there's plenty of books to read, plenty of people who would be willing to help us...."