Whistling In The Dark, **Alanna!**

[Alana Starbeck]

Alana chuckled. "He is incorrigible." she sighed. She didn't want to talk about Matt anymore right now. Not when there were much more pressing issues at hand, like Charlotte and her father. She had experienced the same feelings of confusion and doubt that she could read in Charlotte's expression. They were awful feelings- not knowing why someone who is supposed to love you would be so cruel and violent. It just never made sense to Alana. She surmised that it never really would. Alana just stared blankly at Charlotte's arm before moving away. She didn't really know what to reply to the girl's questions, or even if she should reply. She crossed her arms over chest, tucking her wand into her sleeve. "Disgusting and perverted. Own flesh and blood. Utterly despicable." she was mumbling rather quietly to herself. "Some people just don't deserve to breathe." Alana snorted in disgust for the entire situation before resting her eyes on the Gryffindor. The girl needed help, and she needed it now. Unlike Alana, her father wasn't stopping his violence. She felt bad, especially because she knew she was going to sound exactly like Matt had when he spoke with her, but she needed to say this, "You don't have to go to the hospital, but you do have to tell somebody. The headmaster might be able to help. And he won't kill you. I won't let him, and neither will Matt or the professors. But he needs to be stopped Charlotte. You can't keep going on like this, it's not healthy. Believe me, I know. Even if you want to contact the aurors, they won't allow him near you until everything is settled. And by that time, you will be old enough to have your own place so you won't have to go back to him." Alana spoke quickly, wanting the words out of her head. She was giving advice to Charlotte and herself.

Alana nodded stiffly at the younger girl's response. She suspected as much, nothing to get too upset over. She did the same thing herself. She avoided people, she had become a pro at avoiding people. Except Matt, he could always find her. Prat. She smiled to herself. Alana rolled her eyes at the thought of Matt meeting a girl who didn't have a crush on him. He would do everything in his power to get her to notice him. "He would act like an even bigger prat just to get her attention. What else?" she joked.

[Charlotte DuPrie]

Charlotte noticed how she ended the topic of Matt so she decided to stear clear of it. Closing her eyes, she tried to ignore the bubbling, tarr feeling of fear that licked her. Her father she knew would not take kindly to her telling anyone of what he did to her, how could she tell anyone? She was weak. So weak. She couldn't even stand up for herself when it came to him, she always backed herself away from the subject. "I can't do it Alana. I just can't." She shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "He'll find me, he'll find me and kill me. Then he'll go after everyone I care about. I'm not going to put you or Matt or anyone else in that kind of danger." she answered looking over the water. She wished, on days like these, she could be a bird and fly over the beautiful bodies of water. To fly far away from all of this. To fly to America, live with her grandmother or on her own in her own flat. Run a shop, and just live her life. Sighing, she knew that it wouldn't really happen. "It's because I remind him of my mother..." she trailed off, her eyes downcast. "Oh Alana...I just so badly want to get away from him. To get away from all of this. To just live my life." She confessed and looked out over the ice. Everything was so still, as if it were holding its breath waiting for something to happen that would rock everything.

Laughing at the thought of Matt being an even bigger prat because of another girl didn't shock her. He needed his ego to be fueled at all times otherwise he was rather moody. She often asked herself why she had ever had a crush on him, but that always made her brain hurt. "That wouldn't surprise me, the guy needs to have his ego fueled at all times it seems."

[Alana Starbeck]

Alana observed the Gyrffindor carefully. She could see the pain and fear in her stance, in her eyes- it practically rolled off of her in waves. It wasn't right for someone to have to feel so terrified or alone. None of it was fair. And it made Alana angry. Why should they have to be the victims? When was the pain, the fear, the utter destruction all going to end? She snapped out of her internal rant at Charlotte's watery voice. Her words made her angry- now she understood how Matt felt when she had argued with him about being in danger. "Firstly, you know we won't let that happen, he will not hurt you. And we won't be in danger. Trust me when I say we can take care of ourselves- Matt and I more than anyone." Alana sighed. She knew she would be able to take whatever Charlotte's dad could try and throw her way- she was more than capable. She had been practicing self defense and dark spells since everything with her father began. Alana walked over to where Charlotte was standing and put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "You can get away Charlotte and you will. I will help as best I can- whatever you need, I promise to do my best to do it."

She smiled at Charlotte's comment. The girl had pretty much hit the proverbial nail on the head. She smirked, "That he does. Bloody prat." she muttered teasingly. "But I suppose that is what makes him Matt. Would we really have him any other way?" Alana questioned, smiling.

[Charlotte DuPrie]

Charlotte felt the tears rolling down her ivory cheeks, but made no move to wipe them away. Some gryffindor she was turning out to be. She was terrifed of her own shadow some days, but she supposed after going through what she did she had the right to be. Shivering, whether from the wind or the rush of emotions she didn't know, she tried to calm her body down. "I'm so scared Alana...he's done so much to make me afraid...throwing me down stairs, against walls...locking me in my room for most of my life..." she trailed off, her body was exhausted, not physically but emotionally. She wanted to lie down in the snow and just sleep, disappear and sleep, but she knew she couldn't no matter how much she wanted to. "I know you guys can defend yourselves...and that you want to help me, and I'll be damned if he takes anyone else away!" her body trembled under Alana's hand from the anger that rushed through it. "Everything I build he tares down and I'm tired of it! He can't keep controling me and my life!"

Pondering the other girl's comment a smiled pushed itself onto her face and she shrugged. "The thought is tempting, but then again, he wouldn't entertain us like he does if he were any other way." she pointed out with a smirk.

[Alana Starbeck]

Alana felt a stab of pain at Charlotte's tears. She really wished she were much better at consoling people- so far she was doing a bloody awful job of it. She watched the girl shake and knew there wasn't much she could do- Charlotte had to get herself through this herself. Alana could offer a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen with, she could also offer advice, but it was up to the Gryffindor on whether or not she followed said advice. "I know it's awful Charlotte. Trust me, I know how painful and terrifying it can be. But, you are stronger than that now. You have ways to protect yourself and people who will help protect you." she sighed. How could she make her understand? "Charlotte, you want to know what the difference is between before and now? Before you were alone, you had no one to help protect you. And now, now you have myself and Matt and all the professors and Matt's dad and yourself. You have an army behind you and we will do anything and everything to make sure you are safe." Her voice was empassioned and confident. Alana was happy to see some anger building inside of the younger girl. Anger was a good and healthy emotion, if it was controlled. "Then don't let him take anyone else from you! Stand up for yourself Charlotte. I know you can do it!"

[Charlotte DuPrie]

Charlotte felt her tears start to run dry as she thought of the smiling faces of the people who would fight for her no matter what happened. The first faces she thought of were Alana and Matt. They were like the older siblings she never had, but had met down her life's road. Then there were Professors McGonagall, Dumbledore, along with Hagrid really looking out for her. Sighing she wiped her eyes and looked at the sky. "I know, but it's really hard to remember that sometimes. When I'm at home, locked in my room, it seems like there's no one I can run to. Then when I'm here, I feel safe, liek I have everyone here for me that I'll need." she murmured rubbing her arms up and down her arms. Looking over at her she gave her a weak smile. "And I know I should probably see Madame Pomfrey about my arm, it might be infected...anyway. It's thanks to you guys that I'm stronger than I was last year. I can stand on my feet again." she murmured as she felt the anger course through her body. She hadn't let herself be mad in a long time, and it felt good. Feeling her body tense up she balled up her fists. "I fight him, I fight him now with all I have! I won't let him take away what I have now! He's scared now, he sees that something has changed about me and he's scared. Yet..." she trailed off and clutched a side of the rock wall.