The Grounds

"Size nine."

He breathed in slowly as dread crept up his spine, "that's most troubling.

"Why?"  Sally looks at the ground, her fear and worry growing.

"While there's no sign of dragging, a size nine shoe is making prints the same direction but it's a rigid path.. Unnatural."

"No..."  Sally looks at the ground, tears in her eyes.  "We need to find her!"

"Let's find Artemis, he might know where to find him."

Sally nods, trying her best to keep calm.  Who knows what that man will do to her little girl?!

Eugene races off to the hospital wing, hoping to find Artemis still in his bed. Never before had he wished a patient to stay bed ridden before.

The violet haired girl slipped quietly through the gates, it had been a while but the castle loomed as always bringing a small smile to her lips.

Crouch was forcing two students, a Gryffindor and Ravenclaw to fight with their fist for his own amusement. From the bruises and blood on their faces, they had been going at it for quite some time.

However Crouch felt a gaping emptiness in him. Raven's strained relationship with him was weighing on him heavier than he thought. Not to mention, when he thought of it, he hasn't been much of a threat to anyone recently.

Did he lose his edge? Before the name of Crouch was enough to frighten anyone into falling to their knees in dread, but now... it just wasn't the same...

The sweet smell of blood seemed to fill her senses causing her to look in their direction. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Crouch though as she slipped quietly over to him it was obvious to her something was troubling him. She didn't say a word until she was just behind him "penny for your thoughts, love? Because I don't think I've ever seen you look this bored with a fight"

"Yes I mean, people's suffering used to excite me... but now it feels... just run of the mill.." Crouch shook his head downtrodden.

"well if it feels run of the mill then I think you just need more of a challenge. This is child's play for a brilliant mind like yours." she touched his face lightly hating to see him so down.

"Hmm, you're right... but what? I've done one on one fights, I've caused mass chaos, and yet... I feel incomplete..."

"With talents like yours you just need to find a fight on even footing.. gives one more of a sense of self accomplishment."

"You know you're right... I need to challenge myself somehow..."

"Also can I ask your opinion on something?"

She smirked a little "you shouldn't even have to ask.

"If a friend, who for the most part was loyal to you, lied to you... what would you do?"

She wrapped her arms around him "it depends on the lie really. Sometimes people lie to protect us."

"Yes I suppose... I just.." His knuckles tensed up as a dark rage blazed in his glassy eyes, "I hate to be lied to."

She gazed into his eyes "who lied to you love?"

"Raven.. In the hindsight that lie wasn't much, I just absolutely can't stand being deceived."

"I can only see her lying for a seriously good reason love"

"Indeed, she just didn't wish to slow our progress off this island we were trapped on." He sighed in resignation, "maybe I was too harsh on it.."

"Raven has always proven her loyalty.... give her another chance, love."