Devils Snare (Natalie)

[Lucas Gotti]

There had been an outbreak of Devils Snare in the Forrest and for who knew how many times, Lucas cursed the Dark Lord under his breath for putting Lucas in this position in Hogwarts. The outbreak was on the edge mainly of the forest meeting Hogsmead. So not only did Lucas have to fight the plant, but he also had to trek through the Forrest with all the creatures inside it. Not that he had had any real problems with the creatures of the Forbidden Forest but he had been very jumpy.

Then with the Devils Snare itself, Lucas had won the battle but had come out with victory wounds. He had bruises around one leg and the opposite arm. As well as a welt along the left side of his face.

Now, with a groan, Lucas was making his way back through the Forest towards the castle and his greenhouses. He was tired and covered in sweat. He never made it as far as the greenhouses. Lucas got about half way through the forest before he had to sit down. He slid down the thick trunk of a tree and then sat on the grass with his cloak spread around him. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and was soon asleep there.

(She can wake him up I thought. Or he could wake up to find her)

[Natalie Alice Longbottom]

~

Natalie was a fairly independent and hardheaded girl. This meant when someone tells her to stay away from something and she has to go snoop around and see what the big deal was for herself. She had heard Snape telling the Herbology teacher that there was an outbreak of Devils Snare in the Forbidden Forest; Natalie knew what she was going to do today. She crept down to the greenhouses and waited until she saw Professor Gotti left to follow. She was quiet as she tip toed along. Giving away her position would just earn her a night in detention then that would lead to a lecture by her Gran. These were all things she currently wanted to avoid.

She lost the teacher some where along the way. Natalie was bummed she did not get to see the action. She huffed and hopped over a root that was sticking out of the ground. Her next task would be getting out of here with out being shot by a centaur of being mauled by the dozens of other animals in the forest. Natalie moved with the grace and balance that many, many years of gymnastics drills and dance glasses graced one with. Taking a quick look around, she figured she was a good twenty minutes from the school. Natalie wrapped her arms around her body and started back.

After about ten minutes of wondering, Natalie found herself getting deeper into the woods rather then out of it. She muttered a few curse words under her breath. She crawled over another above ground root. This old forest was full of those things. She managed to get over another before tripping over one that sprang out of nowhere. She bit her lip and caught herself before she hit the ground. She spouted off a few curse words then leaned against a thick tree truck. Natalie slid down into the grass and tipped her head back on the bark. She only realized he was sleeping there when her hand brushed his.

[Lucas Gotti]

Lucas had fallen asleep so fast that he had not even realized that he was sleeping. When the hand touched him, he jerk awake abruptly. His sleep had not been easy after all that had happened with Halle and the beatings he had gotten from The Dark Lord. If anything woke him up suddenly, his heart raced in his chest. Now he sat up straight with a small gasp and looked around.

His eyes fell on the female student at his side and then Lucas remembered where he was. "What are you doing in the forest?" He asked with his voice slightly thicker than normal. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and then ran a hand over his face. "This is worthy of detention and loosing house points."

He looked at the girl with a small smirk as he sat there. She was pretty and of course Lucas noticed that. He was young enough to see young woman for what they were. He was not however interested in another little fling any time soon. He was still nursing wounds from the last one. Lucas closed his eyes and let his head fall back against the trunk of the tree again. "Well?" He asked waiting for an answer.

[Natalie Alice Longbottom]

~

Natalie jerked her hand back when he jerked away. She kept her eye on him as he twitched. Professor Gotti looked like he had not slept in a while. She was feeling bad for waking him up. "What are you doing in the forest?" He asked. Her lips parted and her head bowed. Her dark brown hair fell in front of her brown eyes. She really could not tell him the real reason she was out here, she was following him to see the Devils Snare up close. Therefore, she just made something up. Before she could answer, he spoke again” This is worthy of detention and loosing house points." Natalie frowned. Gryffindor was already under the Carrow’s scope since they rebelled against their rules so much. Natalie did not think there were any house points to take away from them.

“Sorry Professor, I was just looking for some of the animals I heard about during Care for Magical Creatures class. “ She lied. She hoped he bought it. Natalie was a horrible liar. She noticed his smirk then leaned away from him and pulled her robes around her tighter. “I’ll just head back now. “ She said. Natalie tried to stand but another spurt of pain shot through her ankle. She leaned back on the tree and grumbled.

[Lucas Gotti]

“Sorry Professor, I was just looking for some of the animals I heard about during Care for Magical Creatures class. “ She told him. Lucas did not believe her for a moment. But..he didn't really care. “I’ll just head back now. “ She continued and it was when the girl grumbled that Lucas opened one eye and looked at her. "Whats wrong?" Lucas asked now.

He sat up again and turned towards her now. A quick look over the girl showed a swollen ankle. Lucas pulled out his wand and with a muttered spell, the shoe and sock were gone from her injured foot. "Just stay still." He told her now getting to his knees.

His voice was ordering and he ran his fingers over the injured area feeling for any lumps to make sure that it was not broken. His hand was gentle and slow moving. "Can you walk?" He asked her. He looked around hearing a noise. He saw nothing however. Lucas shrugged and then met her eyes again.

[Natalie Alice Longbottom]

She saw it on his face she did not believer for a second. Then again. She did not care if he believed it or not. He probably did not care eighter. "Whats wrong?" He asked her as she swallowed a few curse worlds. Natalie sighed.

“I lost my balance as I was trying to get over a root, tripped over it and hurt my ankle. “ Natalie said. Her cheeks heated up as she admitted it. A stupid root beat her, the freaking dance prodigy. "Just stay still." He told her. Like where else was she going to go? He was on his knees again.
It did not feel broken but Natalie was not a doctor. His fingers ran softly over her skin, sending a chill running up and her back.

The cool air rushed over her foot as her sock and shoe disappeared. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up at attention. It was not him; it was the sudden rush of air that did it. Natalie heard something in the background. She chalked it up to the random critters in the forest. Then again, she had no idea if he had gotten rid of the devil’s snare or not. The bruises she could see did not tell much of a story at all. "Can you walk?" He asked. She followed his lead and played the rustling off as nothing.
“Probably. “ She said. Natalie set her foot on the ground. It stung to put all of it down but if she rolled it to the ball of her foot, she did not have a problem. At least she had some way of moving with out assistance. She looked to him for her next cue.

[Lucas Gotti]

Lucas listened to her description of the accident. It was not something to be embarrassed about. Everyone had tripped over things. Lucas included. Lucas watched her face carefully as she tested her ankle. He could see that it did hurt when she put her weight on it. Lucas stood now.

The sounds in the woods were louder now and he knew that whatever it was, it was getting closer. It sounded large to his ears and Lucas did not want to find out what it was with a student in this condition. He knew as well that she would not be able to walk fast enough to get out of here safely and quick enough if it decided to attack them.

He looked around once more and then back at the girl. "Okay then." He told her. Lucas did not bother to ask the girls permission. In his opinion, there was no time for that. The sounds were closer still. Lucas bent and in a smooth and painless manner, scooped her into his arms and started off away in the direction away from the creature in the woods. "It will be faster this way." He told her in a way of explanation. "And safer."

[Natalie Alice Longbottom]

There was the sound again. Natalie did not like the expression on his face when he heard it again. Her eyes kept zooming around to see if she could spot it but could not. She was regretting following him out here now. Okay, who was she kidding, she wanted to be in the heat of the action if there was any. She looked at him again. Her little gems of adventure seeking would remain with herself. No need to have people look at her as more of an nut job. "Okay then." He said. When he scooped her up, she let out a little yip of surprise. She was not going to protest-even though everything in her said to protest the hell out of this- with her ankle being the way it was. She wrapped her arms around his neck for better leverage and straighten her back in his arms.

They headed away from the noise. Natalie exhaled slowly, relief replacing the annoyance she had earlier. "It will be faster this way." Again, Natalie nodded. " And safer. " She looked at him.
Her words were not working. She gave him another nod. She wasn't going to let him do all the work. The most she could do was keep an eye on the trails to the side in case something sprang out.

[Lucas Gotti]

Lucas moved faster through the forest. He had found a path now and moved along it finding it of course easier than trying to make his way around the trees. Behind him the sound of the following creature got louder and louder before finally, it burst out into view. There were only one of them thankfully but one was ad enough. The spider was the size of a Shetland pony. Its eight legs moved quickly as it raced after them picking up spread. The spiders hair was black with red stripes and its many black eyes glistened in the sunlight that filtered down through the tree branches.

Lucas had no idea that it was there at first. But it did not take long for him to figure it out. Now Lucas was running. He had seen these things before and they terrified him. He was already arachnophobic. The Acromantulas made his skin crawl. His breathing picked up in his fear but he kept going. Lucas raced along the path now. The girl in his arms made him so much slower and from behind him, the spider jumped.

[Natalie Alice Longbottom]

Professor Gotti went from a speedy jog to a full speed sprint. The sudden change in pace caused her to hold on tighter to him and the yip she was holding in to escape. When her eyes opened again, she swallowed hard. The thing thundering after them was a fully mature Acromantula. Hagrid had gone into extensive detail about them in class a couple weeks ago. On the pages of the book, them were terrifying. Now that it was hunting them, Natalie feared for hers and his lives. It roared at the pair of them. The color drained from her face. Giant pincers snapped several times at them.

His breathing was heavy and weighted down with fear. So were the girls brown eyes. It didn't help matters that she was pressed against his chest and holding on to him. She needed to do something to help him out. Her hand reached into the tightly coiled bun on her head and yanked her wand out of her hair. A water fall of soft, dark brown curls tumbled down over his forearm. She pointed it at the Acromantula as it took to the air.
" Immboulas! " She cried. The spider froze in mid bound, a sinister statue that threatened to come out of its frozen state any second and take up its chase once more.
" Run. just run. " She cried. OK, an incredibly moronic thing to say to him. She blasted a couple more branches from their path to make it easier for him to maneuver in and around the forest.

[Lucas Gotti]

Lucas felt her grip tighten and wished she would let up because he was finding it hard to breathe. But he said nothing. He did not have the extra wind power for it. He felt the soft caress on his arm and jumped slightly to the side thinking it was the spider. But when she pointed her wand behind him and cast her spell, Lucas kept going straight ahead. Why had he fallen asleep out here? Why had she come so far into the woods. It had been so foolish on both parts.

" Run. just run. " The girl screamed in his ear and Lucas grunted. "I am running." He said. His voice was raspy. He did know what what she meant however. Lucas could hear the sound of breaking wood behind him. He did not know if it was the spider or the girl but either way, it brought goosebumps up on his arms and sent shivers down his spine.

Then the inevitable happened. Lucas could not see where he was going and he tripped. He went down on top of the student mostly likely almost crushing her. Lucas tried to get back to his feet but there was no time. The spell had broken and the spider leapt forward. within seconds, it was on them. Lucas screamed as a leg was caught between the spiders pincers. The grip was sharp and cut into Lucas's leg. The spider pulled Lucas from the girl and quickly dragged him away down the path. Lucas' fingers left gouges in the dirt.

[Natalie Alice Longbottom]

Natalie landed with a grunt. Her teacher landed on top of her, crushing her. The breath was knocked straight from her lungs. She heard the roar of the spider again. Panic rose in her chest and in his eyes. Next thing she knew, Professor Gotti was being drug away by giant pincers.
" No! " She tried to grab his hand to pull him back but it was to quick for a human girl. The smell of fresh blood filled her nose from the gash created on his leg. The sight of the blood made her stomach flip. Move your ass, Longbottom. She snapped at herself. She struggled to her feet and chased after it as fast as her bum ankle would allow. Pain gripped her foot and tried to knock her down. She wasn't going to let it.

Everything was going by quickly now. Her vision narrowed to focus, her heart was thundering in her ears. His screams were barely an echo to her. She barely heard the spells she was yelling out. Most of them missed. Just her luck. Natalie's veins raced with adrenaline. The pain in her ankle started to dull down as she ran. Her only mission now was to save Gotti. The trick was she had to be to kill this one without attracting more to the fray. Something from the Killing Curse from the depths of her mind.
Avada KedavraThe voice that came out wasn't hers. It couldn't have been. She grabbed the teacher from under it by the arm pits and pulled him out before it had a chance to fall on him.

(( I can change it if you want me to. ))

[Lucas Gotti]

Lucas heard her cry out as he was being dragged away. He had failed her. As a professor, part of his job was o protect the students. Instead he was going to die. Lucas saw her running for him and opened his mouth to tell her to run for the castle instead but that was when he was dragged over a small rock. It was big enough however that when his head hit the rock. The connection to Lucas' temple knocked him unconscious.

The spider paused now and then released the man. t saw the female racing at it and let out a screech. The humans would not know this but the screech was a call to the others back in their caverns. It was going to need help. The spider opened its jaws wide to kill the male. He was hungry and it was not very often that a meaty human entered its territory. That was the spiders last thought. And then it was dead. The others had heard its cry however and were banding together and moving out.

When Lucas woke up a short while latter, he was lying on his back with his head on the students lap and the spider on its back with curled legs beside them. Lucas' vision was blurry and there was a throbbing pain behind his eyes. His leg was burning and itchy. It was both the wound and the spiders venom in the bite. \

Lucas looked up at the girl with a slightly crooked smile. He opened his mouth to thank her when something in his line of vision up in the trees caught his attention. A large black spider moved slowly along a tree trunk high up in the leaves. "We're not alone." He said very softly.

[Natalie Alice Longbottom]

The spiders pre-death screech scared the crap out of Natalie. It sent a shiver up and down her spine. Natalie shredded her skirt up to her thigh to make a tourniquet and rags for his injured leg. She needed to get him out of there soon or risk losing him. Using the killing curse was already weighing in on her psyche. She didn't want to lose someone too. Natalie wrapped a couple pieces of cloth above the wound and tied it tight. Basic first aid training. Thank god for that. She had learned it when her brother was getting his butted rather then doing the butt kicking. Yes, it would slow that blood down but that meant not as much venom was getting to his heart and organs. It wasn't until his head was on her lap that she noticed the crooked smile and the small voice.

" We're not alone. " He said. She sighed. Part of her had wished that was just a venom induced statement. Clicking came from all sides of the pair. Flashes of black zoomed past her. A cavalry of spiders came closer to them. She waved her wand to produce a shield around them. Natalie had to regroup and think of a new battle plan. Where was a basilisk or a herd of pissed off centaurs when you need them? Her dragon patronus looked like a basilisk ( Being a Chinese dragon and all ) but these things were as intelligent as humans were. It was the best plan she had right now. Oh, better yet, another spell popped into her head. She shook off her robes, balling them up and using them as a pillow for his head. She got to her feet. Her body flinched as one tried to pounce but was knocked away from the shield. It would last for a couple more minutes or as long as these guys kept jumping at them. She took a quick glance back at Gotti and sighed.

Her eyes locked on them as her feet carried her to the very edge of the shield. There was a good no mans land between them and the spiders. She raised her wand.

" Bomarda Maxima! " She screamed. Cannon fire rang from her wand. It cleared the spiders away instantly. Without skipping a beat, she ran back to Gotti and hoisted his weight back onto her shoulders. Adrenaline was coursing threw her veins, making her feel as light as air. In a matter of what seemed like seconds, she was in a clearing. Natalie tumbled to the ground, crushing her ankle again. She had enough energy for one more spell. Her heart hammered her rib cage as she situated him around again. She started muttering healing charms to suck out the venom.

" Hey, Professor, look at me. " She said. Natalie tapped his cheek a couple times to gain his attention. " You still with me? " She asked.

[Lucas Gotti]

The venom was racing through his body. He could feel the burning sensation traveling under his skin. It started off cool and then got hotter and hotter as time went on. His eyes closed once more and he started to drift off suddenly feeling so weak. He could hear her shout but it sounded far off. And then he was being moved. Lucas' body was suddenly alive with pain as he was hoisted up. He was aware of the fact that the girl had lifted him and was amazed by her strength. Lucas was not a small man.

He was jostled as she moved with him and then Lucas cried out as his body hit the ground yet again. That was when everything went black again. He was brought back by her voice. " Hey, Professor, look at me. " He heard and could feel her touching him. " You still with me? " His eyes opened slowly. Lucas had no way of knowing all that had happened but he did now that he felt slightly better. He forced himself to sit up now.

Lucas took his wand and pointed at the sky. His wand set off balls of lights. They were a call for help. He only hoped that people were looking towards the forest. The lights remained in the sky for a short period of time as Lucas was still quite weak. He continued on now and created stronger shields. There were thousands of these spiders in the woods.

Lucas doubted that they were in the clear yet. His eyes moved over Natalie. Her ankle was bigger than before but other than that, she looked alright. He focused on himself now and began working on his own wounds. Lucas was pale and his face was coated with sweat and dirt but he would try and hold on as long as he could.