Curiosity [Allison]

[cremefilled]

"Well, we're here," Sev said, nodding.

He and Allison were standing just outside the Shrieking Shack. It was a sunny afternoon, but it was chilly due to the fall season. Sev was wearing his sweatshirt- the same one he had let Allison wear when they were on the pier- and jeans. His hands were in the front pocket of his sweatshirt, holding onto the wand that sat in there. He then turned and smiled at Allison.

"Are you ready to go in?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because I am."

[icymorpher]

The Shrieking Shack. With it's broken shingles and rusted hinges, it looked as creepy as ever. Her hazel eyes looked the so called haunted place up and down. She didn't believe it to be haunted, but others thought differently. She pulled her black jacket tighter around her as a chilly fall wind blew past them. Good thing she had not forgotten her jacket this time. She wore her usual pair of faded jeans with a navy long sleeved shirt under her half-way zipped up jacket.

She pulled the sleeves of her jacket over her hands in an attempt to warm them as she continued to stare at the structure in front of them. She returned the smile before answering his question, "Yeah, let's go in." She was excited to finally be able to walk into the Shrieking Shack, and yet she could still detect a bit of nervousness buried underneath the thrill. She touched her back pocket, just to be sure she had not forgotten her wand.

[cremefilled]

Sev had heard stories about the Shrieking Shack, but they did not bother him. He thought those stories were just that, fictionous tales to scare kids from tresspassing on the property. Sev was not sure they technically were not allowed to be on the premises, but if they got in trouble, he could explain that they did not know. And he would do the innocent eyes that no adult could punish. Being a somewhat spoiled 'only child', Sev knew how to get away with a lot.

"All righty," Sev nodded as he took the first step forward toward the front door. His hand grasped even tighter to the wand with each step closer that they took. His breathing sped up along with this heartbeat but he allowed the adreniline to take over him. Make him more excited for an adventure. After being so sheltered by his mother and grandmother for so long, the Ravenclaw was looking for an actual adventure.

Finally, they had made it to the front door. Sev slowly pushed it open and pulled out his wand in front of him. Muttering "Lumos," he saw the room light up in front of him, the source being the tip of his wand. "Keep your wand ready for anything. Don't light it though. One of us should be able to cast a spell right away in case..." He really did not want to finish that sentence.

[icymorpher]

If only the puppy eyes had worked for Allison when she was in trouble. Having a little brother was a pain when he seemed so innocent and cute compared to you. Sure, the innocent eyes worked for him, but not for the older child.

Her hazel eyes were transfixed on the building, memorized, as they drew ever closer. The lonely sound of echoing footsteps were reverberating off the house and back to the Mihael's sensitive ears, but this is not what drew her attention away from the old structure. The growing tension in the air caused her to glance at the person walking beside her. Ally noticed how tense he was holding his wand, and she also noticed how quickly his breath was coming. 'Must be nervous,' she thought to herself, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Remembering how protective his mother had been, it was no wonder he was so excited at the moment. This trip into the Shrieking Shack might prove to be a great adventure for him and herself.

The wood creaked beneath their feet as they finally made there way to the front door. By now, he was not the only one on edge. She could feel her own adrenaline pumping throughout her system, heightening her senses. She held her breath without consciously making the decision as he pushed open the door slowly. Darkness was all there was to see inside. No lights were to be found lit inside of the abandoned shack. No surprise there.

Ally nodded once at his remark, withdrawing her wand from her pocket and holding it aloft, ready to cast a spell at any moment. She felt a sense of being alive, it had been a while since she had gone exploring or had found any trouble to get into so the feeling was being renewed again. She could only imagine how Sev felt with his new feeling of freedom.

[cremefilled]

The sounds of a couple of scattering mice rushed passed them. The wind came through a window and made the door creak a little. Sev kept moving forward, ignoring those things. But, soon, he knew that a giant spiderweb found its way in front of his face and he stopped to spit and pull it off. "Gross," he muttered. "Damn spiders..." He turned around and shined his light on Allison. "You doing all right?" he asked.

He did not even give her time to respond as he kept moving forward. It seemed like an old house, from what he could see. He thought they were in the foyer or entry to the house. He stopped and gazed all around him. "This is so cool," he said, his voice echoing. "I wonder who used to live here and why people don't even come by anymore."

[icymorpher]

The eerie wind, the scuffling of mice on the rotting floor, every little sound caught her attention. Her eyes wandered around through the darkness, trying to make out any thing among the black. It was useless. She paused in her step as Sev ran straight into a spider web. She nodded at his question before she began to walk once more.

Using the light Sev's wand provided, she began to look around at her surroundings. The house was obviously very old and had been abandoned years ago, but the answer as to why it was in such a state eluded her. "That's what Hogwarts A History is for," She commented with a smile, taking a few steps away and running her finger down the bindings of the many books which were placed neatly on their shelves. "Too bad no one ever reads it," She added, still gazing at the many titles of books which were unfamiliar to her.

Bang.

The sudden thump coming from overhead, caused her to straighten suddenly and turn her gaze upward. A puzzled expression crossed her face as she contemplated what had caused the sound. Her tone was slightly worried when she spoke, "Wonder what that was." She could feel the excitement mounting, even if her features stayed calm.

[cremefilled]

"True," Sev said glancing at the books with Allison. "I'm a nerd and I don't even read Hogwarts: A History." He chuckled and continued looking at the books. None of them even seemed familiar to the bookworm. He reached up to grab one. Dust flew around them and he coughed. He reached up again, his fingers brushing against the binding of the book....

Bang.

Sev immediately glanced upward. Taking a step away from the books, Sev moved his wand around, looking for a set of stairs. However, as he searched around, he realized that he could not find the doorway that would lead them out if needed. They must have gone into another room without realizing it. Sev looked around even more. How could have it gotten so dark inside this house when it was so bright outside.

"It's probably the wind," Sev said nervously, more to himself than to Allison. He was both curious and afraid of what it could have been. He turnd back to Allison. "Do you want to go upstairs and see?"

[icymorpher]

Allison laughed at his comment about being a nerd. "Oh yeah, I forgot you were in smart Ravenclaw." She waved her hand through the air at the sudden cloud of dust that appeared as he withdrew a book from it place. "Wonder how long this house has been abandoned. This stuff looks like it hasn't been touched in years." Many, many years in fact.

Stairs, stairs....no stairs from what she could see. No way out either. She began to wonder where they were located now in the vast house. Great, no way out and if they tried to find the exit then they might become even more lost.... How can you get lost in a house anyway? Oh well, they wanted an adventure, and they got one.

"Do you want to go upstairs and see?"

To go, or not to go. Curiosity was tugging at her consciousness. She wanted to discover the source of the noise, but she also knew better than to go off looking for trouble. She bit the bullet, "Sure, why not..." She replied, looking back at him with a halfhearted smile. She was unsure of what she wanted, but she felt that it was the better of the two decisions. "Where are the stupid stairs?" She muttered to herself, looking around once more in an attempt to find them. This would be much easier if she lit her wand as well.

[cremefilled]

Sev half hoped that Allison would not want to actually go up there. He found a little bit of nervousness in being in this house without a sure escape. He had goosebumps as a chill passed through him. He really wanted to get out of there now, his conscience getting the best of him. But he did not want to seem too scared in front of Allison. As she said, he was in smart Ravenclaw, not brave Gryffindor.

A little frustrated with the darkness in this house, Sev walked over to a wall and began feeling around. There had to be a light switch somewhere. He heard Allison mutter something. She must be still looking for the stairs, he thought as his hand passed over something that was not as flat as the wall. He brought his wand closer to it to realize that this was, indeed, a light switch.

"I just found a light switch," Sev informed Ally. "Do you think I should turn it on?" He was a little nervous about the consequences of doing so. If there was something upstairs, it would probably notice the sudden light appear from downstairs. However, Sev could get rid of the light from his wand and they would have that little extra bit of protection with another wand ready to spring into action.

[icymorpher]

Maybe the smart thing would be to forget the noise and to get out of there. She could feel the hesitation consuming her, making her unclear of her decision. She looked back up at the ceiling. It had fallen silent, but she was far from convinced that whatever had caused the sudden noise had vanished from the house. She shuddered slightly as a cool wind passed them by. A light might help relieve the feeling of foreboding which was pressing around all around them.

Just their luck, Sev found a light switch. Now the question was to turn it on or not. She turned from where she had been looking around and followed the light being conjured from his wand to find him standing next to a wall. She weighed their options. Light would be helpful, but it could cause more trouble than it was worth. What to do?

With a sigh she replied to his question, "Might as well. It would be more helpful if we had both wands at hand." There might not be anything up there anyways, Ally thought to herself, her eyes glancing up at the ceiling once more. She wished she could convince herself that.

[cremefilled]

Although Allison figured it would be a good idea to turn on the light, Sev's hand did not eagerly flip the switch. He put his finger underneath it, weighing the costs and benefits. Still, for the moment, he was a little nervous about letting light in. It would, however, give them a little more comfort. You' just acting like a little kid now, Gage he thought stubbornly and flipped up the switch without another thought.

Light filled the room and Sev muttered "Nox." His wand was now available for use. He glanced around the room. It seemed like a study. That would explain why there were so many books. Sev looked to his left and had the confirmation that they had accidently moved into another room. He could see the open doorway that lead to the enterance of the shack. He breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that so far, things were okay. He smiled at Allison.

"Well, that's better," he muttered. "Are you all right?"

[icymorpher]

Ally squinted as Sev switched the lights on after a moment. As her eyes adjusted to the new, helpful light, she began to look around the room. Even under the years of dust she could tell it was a study of some sort. She suddenly noticed the door which they had entered through. They had not been lost at all. She was silly for thinking that after taking a few steps they could have lost their way. Oh well.

Ally began to examine a nearby desk, grateful for the light's aid. The Mihael turned back to Sev as he asked if she was alright. "Yeah, I'm fine. How about you?" She returned the question, smiling before her eyes focused on something beyond him. The staircase. "Theres the way up," She said quietly, nodding at the stairs behind him. She felt her stomach tighten as she began to wonder what could possibly be up those stairs. The second year continued to reflect upon the decision if they should seek the source of the noise, or should just explore the downstairs, her eyes filled with worry and yet they still held curiosity.

[cremefilled]

"I'm all right," he half-lied. He was trembling slightly, but not to the point that anyone would notice it. He held his wand out in front of him, ready to cast whatever spell came to his mind first. He took a deep breath, only imagining what could possibly be upstairs. But if Allison wanted to go, there was no reason to reject. It was, after all, his idea to come here in the first place.

Sev then turned and looked at the stairs Ally was gazing at. He was both intrigued and frightened by what could possibly be up there. He glanced back at Allison. "If you're gonna go up, I'll go up, too. But I'll go first," he said before making a couple steps toward the steps. If she did not want to go, then she better hurry up and say it. Sev definately was not going to go up there by himself.

[icymorpher]

She bit her lower lip as he stated that he would go up with her if she wanted. She really didn't know what she wanted to do anymore. She was nervous about what they might encounter up on the second floor. She decided to swallow her fear and follow Sev. "Alright, I'll go if you don't mind coming with me." She really didn't want to have him go with her if he really didn't want to find out what laid up above them.

Taking in a deep, steadying breath she followed him to the staircase and looked up to only see the wooden steps then darkness. It looked to be about as dark, if not even darker, than when they had entered the shack. "Still think this is a good idea?" She asked, a weak smile appearing as she looked from the stairs and back to Sev.

[cremefilled]

Darn it! It was even darker. After all that trying to find a light switch, it just becomes dark again as soon as they made their way upstairs. Sev sighed and lit his wand again, "Lumos." The stairs were lit up and he could see the top of it. He really did not think it was a good idea, but he did not say so. He just remained quiet as he made his way up to the top of the stairs.

Staring at the room in front of him, he could not see much. The light from his wand could only help him out so much. He moved to the side and to let Allison into the room. He did not want to speak, let alone breathe. Even though their presence was already known from the light Sev was shining, he still did not want to make their presence more obvious.

[icymorpher]

Allison followed him up the stairs in silence. Was this really a good idea? There wasn't anyone else around to assist them if they did got into trouble. Then again, that was part of the fun. She was debating with herself the whole trip to the top of the stairs. Even with Sev's wand lit, it did not provide enough light to see what laid beyond themselves, which unsettled the Mihael.

She slid past Sev and stepped into the dark room. Where had they ended up now? Ally did not dare to even think of trying to find a light switch this time. They might end up in the trouble they feared if she did so. Her hand tightened on her wand as she proceeded forward slowly, not waning to knock into anything and make their presence known, well any more than it already was. Too bad that plan of hers failed.

The next thing Ally knew, she was flying toward the ground. Her foot had caught on something and it had tripped the second year. She hit the dusty floor with a loud thump and a cloud of dust. There goes the keeping quiet plan. She slowly got up onto her knees and looked around in the darkness. It was then she felt a sharp pain in her hand. She winced as she raised her hand to eye level to see small dark objects that had cut into her hand. "Lumos." She lit her wand as well to see pieces of what seemed to be a vase scattered across the old wooden floor. Exploring further, she found what had caused the loud crash before. The vase had been knocked over along with it's wooden stand, which she had skillfully tripped over. But what had caused it to topple over? She wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

[cremefilled]

Sev slowly moved foward, his wand out in front of him. It definitely seemed darker here. He was unsure what kind of room he was. Then as, he heard the footsteps of Ally, he turned around. As with the situation downstairs, Sev was unsure exactly how to get out of there. Not a very reassuring thing. Sev could feel how sweaty his palms were, even though there was a chill in the air. He began to walk forward again.

Suddenly the sound of something else falling caused Sev to suddenly stop. He glanced around, though he could only see as far as the orb of light would allow him. It wasn't until Allison lit her wand that Sev could tell where she was. He quickly ran toward her, careful not to trip on the same stand that she just tripped on. He put his wand close to her hand to see that she had cut it. He swore under his breath and began to frantically look around for a light switch. Finally, finding one, he flipped on the lights without asking for Ally's opinion.

"Are you all right?" he asked breathelessly. But then he looked past her and felt like he had stopped breathing. Standing in front of him was what must have knocked over the vase and caused that noise. "Nox," the light from his wand quickly faded away. He pointed his wand toward the shadow that was appearing.

But then, when he realized what the shadow was, he put his wand down. A cat emerged from behind a doorway. Sev began to breathe again, but he still was not sure how to react.

[icymorpher]

She could hear Sev's footsteps draw quickly nearer as he came to be by her side. She felt like a complete idiot for tripping over something so obvious and especially in front of Sev. She felt her cheeks grow hot the slightest bit, quickly fading away. "What are you...." She whispered as he got to his feet and began to look for something quickly. The sudden brightness of the light caused Allison to close her eyes quickly. Turning on the light didn't seem like the best thing to do at the moment but she did not protest.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah.... fine." She replied, wincing once more. Her eyes focused back on her hand as the pain shot through it again. With the new light surrounding them, it would be more useful if she could use her wand freely. "Nox," She let the light fade away from her wand as she used her now free hand to remove the shard embedded in her hand. Not very pleasant. Sev's sudden stillness caused her to pause in her work and to follow his gaze to see a shadow looming not too far away. Her breath cut short as she continued to stare at whatever was coming their way.

Fear is what she felt as she sat on the old floor, awaiting what ever was to come. Her ridged breathing became more even again as a cat appeared from behind a door that laid ahead of them. Ally laughed weakly from relief. "Wonder why that cat's here," Allison muttered just to say something to break through the tension. This trip to the Shrieking Shack had turned into not such a good adventure.

Ally removed the last of the glass and examined her hand. Not much damage had been caused, just a little blood. She picked up her wand once more, wishing she knew a healing spell of some sort. Oh well, she could deal with it. "Um...Want to head back?" She asked, her voice still shaky. She didn't know how much farther she was willing to go. If Sev thought it would be ok to continue on then she would stay, but if he wished to leave, well.... she would be far from objecting.

[cremefilled]

Sev glanced at the cat as it came closer to him. He was not one to really like animals, so he did not trust this one. As it stepped toward him, he took a slight step back. Then, as he noticed that it was heading for Allison, he ran in front of it, holding his wand out in front of him. The cat stared back at him with its bright eyes for a moment before turning and leaving the room. Sev relaxed a little and stood up straighter.

Then he turned back to Allison who had a little blood from her hand. If they got out of there and cleaned it up, then there would be no problem whatsoever. What Sev was more afraid of at that moment was all the dirt getting into the small cut. But he was not going to vocalize any worries as Allison seemed pretty calm.

"Um...Want to head back?"

Obviously Ally wanted to go back if she was asking that. Sev, himself was a little curious to continue exploring this house but he was not going to do it himself. He had to honor his friend's request. He nodded toward her. "Sure, we'll head back. But this won't be the last time we come here," he said. He held out his hand to help her stand up.

[icymorpher]

Ew, cats. Allison did not care for the animal. Her gaze followed the animal as it turned from Sev to herself. What she was not expecting was Sev to step in front of it. Her eyes rose to see his wand pointed at the cat. It stood motionless for a moment before taking off. Her eyes were still focused on him as he relaxed due to the cats absence. "Do you not like cats?" She asked, her voice still quiet even after the discovery of the noise. She could not help but feel slightly touched at his gesture, even if it really meant nothing to him.

"Sure, we'll head back. But this won't be the last time we come here,"

She bit her lip at his reply. He wanted to stay, it was obvious to her. A smile flicked to life on her face however as he stretched out his hand. She took it and pulled herself to her feet. "Defiantly. It's been..." She was cut off suddenly as yet another loud bang was heard, only this time it was in the opposite direction of which the cat had run off in.

She took there, frozen to the spot. Maybe they weren't the only ones in the haunted house. With her eyes still wide, she raised her wand, ignoring the protest from her hand. Maybe they would not leave just yet.

((Ugh, shortness sorry))