Carly ran and ran. She ran for what seemed to be hours through the dark forest. She couldn't believe the actions that just took place. She felt as though her life would be over as soon as she went back to Hogwarts. Maybe even literal if she ran into Trey again. This blew up way more than she had ever expected. She felt like she had to be miles from the school now. She planned to stay there, too. After a while, she finally stopped. She had been crying the whole way. She couldn't help it, but she wished she could. She was scared. She collapsed against a try. She looked around to make sure Trey or Jeraud hadn't followed her. They didn't from what she saw. She was glad Trey didn't, but almost wished Jer did. He had her wand after all.

Leaning against the tree, she felt like she was going to pass out. She pulled her knees to her chest and cried in her hands. She was hysterical for many reasons. Her sobs echoed through the forest. She was hoping she wouldn't attract any creatures. She would be killed for sure. She didn't know what to do anymore.

Slamming the doors out of the castle, April went storming off down the path to the forest, kicking rocks, tree roots, anything insigh. She was shaking her head madly and whispering angrily to herself. Muttering incoherantly, she walked by the lake and her favorite tree, bypassing it easily. She was too angry to sit at the lake right about now. Looking up at the sky, she cursed everything to hell and back, knowing she would be in tons of trouble is she was caught outside at this hour.

Whether or not it was past midnight, April didn't know or care. All she knew was that nothing on the grounds was lit up, not even the Astronomy Tower or the lights at Hogsmeade. It was clearly the dead of night. She had just gotten into a heated debate with Robyn, her dormmate, and had left thier quarters immediately. She despised Robyn and her goddamn temper right now, and wanted nothing to do with the girl at the moment, even though Robyn had apologized.

She walked straight into the forest, lighting her wand only to guide her path through the trees. The wind blew gently, shaking the trees, but the eerie noises did not force April back to the safety of the castle. The walking was forcing her to calm down, little by little, and she didn't want her temper to flare up again. Once she was pretty deep inside the wood, she heard footsteps and cries. Eventually, she heard a loud sobbing and muffled crying from not far away.

She turned her wandlight on a girl against a tree, bundled up and crying. She didn't closer, but merely blinked a few times, trying to determine who it was. Most likely a student up at the school, but April didn't want to fall into any traps just yet.

"Whose there?" she demanded boldly, edging closer.

Carly heard some footsteps, but barely cared. She figured she could do nothing if it was someone or something dangerous, so she didn't even bother to look. She saw a bright light being pointed at her out of the corner of her eye, but she was almost too scared to look. Her crying had calmed down now. She then heard a voice, a female. She sounded like a student, too. Actually, someone she knew. She decided to lift her heavy head from her hands. She couldn't see a face. She just saw a silhouette and a very bright light.

She considered stating who she was, but she didn't really care to. If it was someone that was important, they would recognize her and say something. If not, then who know's what would happen next. Her bloodshot eyes squinted from the light. She realized it was stupid to just stare at the light, so she turned away. She leaned her head back against the tree. She didn't even ask who that was. She just stared up and waited, taking a few deep breaths.

Waiting for a response still, the girl who was crying looked away fro mthe light. April grew less fearful, realizing that whoever was there was in no way capable to hurting April. Lowering her wand out of the girl's eyes, she moved closer, less in a defense position now. Straightening up entirely, April closed the gap between the girl and herself and crouhced down beside her.

Using a hand easily, she brushed the girl's face towards her own, since she didn't seem to be responding to April's appearence. She was shuddering and gasping for breathing, little sobs coming out at strangled intervals. Her eyes were a bloodshot red from crying, wet and glistening with fresh tears caused by an intense grief. April shook her head and let go of her face, sitting down on the forest floor.

"Carly?" she asked, recognizing the Slytherin girl at once. "Wh-What happened?"

The girl had come closer to Carly after shining the bright light else where. She kneeled down next to her. She wasn't expecting this. She didn't want to look at her. She was very defensive right now. The girl then brushed her face towards her. She stared at her for a few seconds, trying to take her face in. She then realized who was there with her. April, and she was glad it was her.

She heard April stammer out a question. A question that could so easily, or maybe not, be answer. It was such a long story and Carly didn't really want to explain it. She figured it was already on her mind, so there would be no point to keep it from her. Besides, she knew she could trust April.

"April.." She was still crying lightly. "I made a horrible mistake." Sobs came in between some of her words. "I put myself in the position where i had to make up a big lie and it was about this guy who is horrible, and i know he's going to try and kill me. And.." It took a lot for her to get that out. She probably wasn't even making sense. She couldn't get all of her thoughts in order. She took a few more deep breaths. All of that running and crying was still catching up to her. "I used an unforgivable curse on him. Now the ministry is going to be after me.." She banged the back of her head against the tree a few times. "And i'm not ready for all of this to happen. I can't go back there." She shook her head, still sobbing.

Sitting down and facing Carly, she did her best to decipher what she was choking and sobbing out in intervals. It was clear to April, most of all, that whatever had happened had truly unsettled her, and nothing was going to make her calm down. How she wished she had a calming draught with her, just so Carly could have some sleep before she gave herself a heart attack. Gently, still listening, April brushed the hair from Carly's face, trying to get the story straight.

"Okay, slow down, slow down," she said, making Carly take deep breaths. "You had to lie... and then used an unforgiveable? I'm confused. What exactly happened, and why are you in the forest...?"

April knew she was being pushy, but often times the person felt better after getting the story directly off thier chest. Knowing Carly may be in trouble if she returned to Hogwarts right now, it would be best to at least stall that visit for quite a while. April took a deep breath of her own and waited for Carly to calm down enough to relate back the story to April.

Carly was slowly beginning to calm down. She was glad that April was there and she was being understanding of this all. She was throwing a bunch of questions at her. It took Carly a few moments for her to process them all. She then took a deep breath, making sure she could talk before she opened her mouth. She let her legs fall flat in front of her. She turned her head to April, her eyes still bloodshot.

"Okay.." She paused for a moment, figuring she should start with why she was there in the first place. "I had a lot of my mind and couldn't sleep. You know me, nothing better than a nice walk through the forest. Well, i ran into this man. Said he was there just walking also before he went into Hogwarts to apply for a job. He seemed nice and he was attractice. So being my natural self, i began to flirt. Shortening this part..it turned into more of a game. He was attracted to me, but wouldn't break. If i want something, i don't stop." She stopped for a few moments, hoping she was getting everything straight. She guessed she was since April nodded for her to continue.

"Well, he really wasn't breaking. I eventually just kissed him. I knew it was dumb and if anyone saw i would look bad. Just my luck, Jeraud comes by and spots us kissing. He's been helping me with Healing and i didn't want him getting the wrong idea on my part. I lied and played it off like Trey was forcing himself on me." She rolled her eyes, already knowing what April was thinking. "Stupid, i know. Well Trey is a very dangerous man apparently, but lucky for me Jer and Trey hate each other. So Jer took my side. Trey started running his mouth and really got me p****d off. I cast Crucio. Also dumb, i know. After that, Jer realized that if Trey was forcing himself on me, i could take care of myself. So he knew i was lieing. Now i'm here, the ministry probably out for me already for casting an unforgivable curse when i'm only 16 and Trey wants me dead." She took a deep breath. She felt as though she said that all in one breath. She hoped April kept up.

During Carly's story, April slowly relaxed and stopped fidgeting, trying to show Carly that she was composed and eager to listen. This was a hard thing to do, considering she was still flared up from the fight with Robyn, and a little on edge because they were in the Forbidden Forest at night. Nonetheless, she attentively listened to everything that Carly said, eventually her mouth was gaping open in an O shape, and she was very taken aback. When Carly stopped speaking, April quickly closed her mouth, since that was rude, and clucked her tongue against the inside of the roof of her mouth.

"Wow... you got yourself into one hell of a sticky situation, didn't you?" was all she managed to say at first. She was positive that Carly was done crying now,after the intial bout of tears had now worn off.

"Well, if you explain the situation to the Ministry, I feel they may let you off. If I were you, I would tell the Ministry your fears about this Trey... if he's dangerous, as you say, he may be a death eater... Actually, my suspicions point that he is."

Seeing Aprils face at first worried her. She was just afraid what she would think of her after telling this story. She knew she shouldn't have told her, this just caused more problems. She rolled her head and let it fall against the tree, sighing. "I know. I should've never started this. I wish i could've just gone to sleep like everyone else here."

She was then relieved to hear Aprils next comment. She sounded sincere and not like she hated Carly. She listened to what she had to say, then sat in silence for a few moments as she thought. She then lifted her head from the tree and looked at April. "No, the Ministry won't understand. If i try to tell them, i'll just get in more trouble for trying to make false accusations. Jer already said he'd testify for Trey." She frowned at this. She couldn't believe that the situation she made actually caused two people who hate each other to get along.

Well getting along wasn't exactly the word, but Jer sided with Trey in the end..that was all that mattered. "I'm probably not gonna tell anyone about him either. Not yet, atleast. I'm gonna wait to see if he goes after me. If i make it out alive..i will." She shook her head.

April was shaking her head throughout the whole time that Carly spoke, because she didn't agree wit hanything she said, and she was a bit dumbfounded that Carly was so ready to put herself in danger. For another thing, April wanted to know a bit more about this Jeraud, and what he and Trey had against each other. If anything, this information could help indentify why Trey was so dangerous to Carly.

"This... Jeraud, you speak of... Why don't he and Trey like each other? It clearly can't be a big deal if he's willing to forget all about it to just go against you. Or... perhaps, you and Jeraud have had a disagreement?"

Carly noticed April looking at her dumbfounded, but she didn't care. She just brushed it off. If she was hearing a story like this, she would probably look just the same. April asked about Jer and Trey. She wasn't sure how to answer that. She didn't actually know about it.

"Well Jer is a Healer. He's been teaching me about Healing for a while now. Me and him have never had a disagreement." She thought for a moment. "I have no idea why they hate each other. I just know they do. I mean, i didn't exactly have time for some tea and conversation." She was being sarcastic, just naturally. She didn't mean to sound rude. She shook her head.

"But i know it's big. Jer didn't want to take his side, but he's a good man. He wouldn't punish someone if he knew they were innocent, no matter who they were." She got over being mad at Jer, knowing that it wouldn't solve anything and he really did nothing wrong.

April thought it all over, mulling it over in her head. She didn't know much about Jer than what Carly was telling her now, and actually hadn't even known he was a Healer at the school. Shows how much she got around with adults. Seems like that was right up Carly's alley, however. As for Trey, she hadn't a clue what to think about him, since she had never seen or heard of him either. She really was out of the loop, it seemed.

"Well, I'll take your word for it about Jeraud. But, as you say, if he's a nice guy, then what is he doing around Trey anyways? I'd be willing to bet Trey is a death eater, especially if he's not getting along with Jeraud, and manipulating you."

April paused. "I still think you ought to tell the Ministry your concerns, if they even realize it was you who casted the spell. You may have the Trace still on you, but they'll think it was one of the older guys who cast it... they wouldn't suspect a student..."