Kidnapped. ((Valmer))

[Lori Leigh R6]

Heartbroken. This was the best word to describe it. The only word to describe it. Every other word made it sound so insignificant, so easily dealt with. But it wasn’t. In fact, Lori was fairly sure that she would never get over this as long as she lived. She had received the greatest form of rejection. Lori felt like she was meant to love Theo and it killed her that he wasn’t meant to love her back. How was she supposed to deal with that? Lori tried to forget the situation she was in, but it wasn’t working at all. She avoided Theo but that made her feel guiltier for the whole thing. Lori was at fault for all of it. A part of her missed Theo dearly; a part of her hated him for loving Oscar, and a part of her hated herself for causing all of this. If only she had kept her big mouth shut! Then literally none of this would have ever happened. Theo and Oscar would be together and Lori could live like she never loved Theo. Only it did happen. Theo knew her secret and Lori couldn’t take it back. She didn’t want to have any regrets over the whole thing. But she would always regret every part of it.

Lori hopped up bright and early. She was cheerful, but not the way she used to be. This was more of a fake cheerful. She was convincing herself that she was happy to mask the pain but she wasn’t. Lori was hurt deeply, but this charade eased the pain. Well a little bit. It was better than actively living with the pain. Maybe this temporary help would hurt her in the long run. But Lori didn’t care. The longer she could ignore all of it, the better she thought it would all be. Lori snuck quietly around her dorm. If her dorm mates heard her they would ask to go to Hogsmeade with her. For once, she wanted to spend her Saturday without them. She didn’t want to be alone per say, but she wanted new company, different company. She wanted to talk to someone who would not ask about Theo every five seconds. Everyone had speculations about what happened, but no one really seemed to know the truth except for the four involved. Lori didn’t even want to think about them. She went straight into her fake cheerful mode determined to forget everything and have a nice Saturday.

Lori slipped on a light pair of jeans and a teal sweater. She grabbed her purse and silently left her dorm. Lori wasn’t exactly sure what she would do in Hogsmeade. She just needed to get away from the castle, from everything that had happened. It wasn’t an easy thing to forget but boy did everything feel better when she did. Lori walked through the halls. It was early but not too early. Lori felt like she fit in a little more without Theo by her side. Still, she was still pretty, tall, leggy, and blond, Lori. It was hard for her to blend in anywhere and it always would be. Sometimes Lori wished she was a brunette, then maybe she could get a few moments to herself, but in the end she would still be Lori. She would be the same person no matter what she looked like. Lori walked out to the grounds, they were warming up, but the air was still cold especially with the wind blowing rather harshly. Lori hugged her arms to her chest and trekked to Hogsmeade to get into the warmth of the village.

Lori walked down a familiar trail that lead to the village. Usually it was scattered with students going to the village as well, but Lori found it empty. Perhaps the chilly weather had kept the students away. Still, nothing could stop Lori from her day away from the castle. Lori walked silently along the path until she noticed a figure walking ahead of her. It took her a few minutes to recognize who it was. A smile formed on Lori’s face. It was Valmer Van Ruster. He was a Slytherin that Lori had met the previous year on this very trail. Lori was glad she was good at being quiet as she snuck up behind him. She had an idea. Lori closed in on him in a few steps and placed her hands over his eyes. “Valmer Van Ruster, consider yourself kidnapped for the day.” She said in her normal, kind voice. It was very recognizable so it wouldn’t be hard for him to figure it out. “I promise I won’t hurt you. But I may tickle you if you don’t follow orders.” She giggled. “Are you okay with this? Don’t make me hex you.” She mocked as her grin widened. This would be fun.

[Valmer Van Ruster S7]

Valmer got up early on Saturdays, not because he had to, but because if he didn’t his regular pattern of sleep would likely be disrupted. He had to get up at a relatively early hour for classes during the week, and if he overslept much on the weekends it just ruined the next week for him. So if he got a head start on the day, he would get to bed that night at a decent hour as well. Most of his dorm mates were still completely asleep, so he kept quiet as he got up and dressed. Valmer had some homework to do, to get ready for the next week, but it was still only Saturday. He wanted to take some time to himself and clear his mind, get out of the castle and breath in some of the fresh cool air. He threw on a cloak over his muggle vintage t-shirt. The shirt had been given to him by his mother, while she had been out shopping one day in the muggle stores. It said Ryan Adams on it, obviously a muggle musical artist that he didn’t know. Pulling his jeans on, he used his wand to light up the floor, looking for his shoes. Finding them, he grabbed his journal that he kept with him whenever he went for walks and tucked it into the cloak. Ready to go, he slipped out of the Common Room and headed towards the large gates of the castle.

His destination was the village of Hogsmeade. With it being still early, most of the students and patrons who usually occupied the small village wouldn’t be out yet, so he’d likely have some time to himself, and he loved walking on the path towards the village. He vaguely remembered the few times he had walked that path and made a few new friends on the way. There was someone he remembered meeting for the first time on the way there, but he couldn’t remember the girl’s name. She had been blonde, he remembered that much at least. Sadly, Valmer had a hard time keeping names and faces in his mind. If he met someone once, he could remember them if he saw them again, but if someone asked him about the person, he couldn’t tell them much more than hair color and a slim amount of features. Valmer reached the gate that led to the path, and slipped through it silently. He slowed to a walk, taking his time as he made his way down the dirt path. The birds had decided to share the path with him, as they flew around the ground and the air. He was about to pass a bench and decided not to stop when he felt two hands softly wrap around his eyes.

Not knowing who was blocking his eyesight wasn’t a problem. He liked games like this, and listened as the voice spoke. “Valmer Van Ruster, consider yourself kidnapped for the day,” the voice said. It was a female voice, and she sounded very kind. He knew this voice, he knew he did. She promised not to hurt him, and he chuckled at her comment about tickling him if he didn’t follow her orders. “Well as long as the lovely Lori Leigh doesn’t make me go swimming in the cold water, I think we’ll be okay.” He took her hands as they were still over his eyes and turned around, still holding her hands. “I knew it was you, Lori. We met on this very path, didn’t we? Last year sometime?” She giggled and asked if he was okay with being kidnapped for the day. Valmer laughed, letting go of her hands, since he knew exactly who she was. “Of course I am,” he replied to her question. “Don’t go hexing me for just no good reason. If I’m getting hexed it better be for a good reason.” He hugged her, tightly, since he hadn’t seen his friend in quite some time. “It’s good to see you, and out here so early! What brings you out here on the path to Hogsmeade? Oh,” he said, remembering her orders. “And what’s my first order of business, kidnapper?” He could tell that this day was going to be good, and he was glad to be spending it with Lori.

[Lori Leigh R6]

Lori giggled. She was glad Valmer seemed to be the same guy that Lori remembered. She wished that she had gotten to hang out with him over the past year. Then again, it had been a tough year for Lori and an even tougher last couple of months. The whole school seemed to know that, but Lori wouldn’t be surprised if Valmer hadn’t heard even a rumor and this pleased her. She didn’t want to be bombarded with questions and she didn’t want to make up answers. What happened, happened. And yes Lori was hurt and that was obvious, but she had to keep living. This was life. Lori smiled meekly as she kept her hands over his eyes. She missed this. She missed meeting new people and just having fun away from the castle. Lori missed being away from the drama and the pressure. She missed plain and simple fun and she was determined to get it back. She was determined to remember that girl that she used to be so many years ago. That Lori was sweet, naïve, and a tad adventurous. Theo had to bale her out of even the smallest conflicts. But Theo wasn’t in Lori’s life for the moment and she could take care of herself. So this was as good a time as any to bring back that little girl that she used to be.

Lori giggled when he recognized her voice and seemed to be okay with the situation. “Good because I need a distraction and I pick you.” She smiled again when he said he would be fine with it as long as he didn’t end up in the lake. “Hey now. I make no promises.” Valmer gently put his hands over hers and turned himself around. Lori smiled lightly. She had distanced herself from people for too long. Lori had tried rather successfully to take herself away from nearly all human contact. She only really said a couple of words to her professors and her dorm mates. The only person she really spoke to was Florence. It was weird to be talking to Valmer now. Valmer was kind and Lori was glad that he agreed to this. She needed this distraction. She really needed this. Maybe it was time for Lori to forget her past. Was it possible? Probably not. But she could try. Lori nodded. “Yea well I’m trying to become forgettable, but it seems that it isn’t quite working yet.” She said innocently. “I’ll have to try harder.” She said seriously reminding herself to do so and then smiling back to Valmer. Maybe Lori was pretending that she was happy, but she wanted to be so maybe that was enough.

Valmer let go of her hands and said that she should have a good reason before hexing him. “I will remember that. Hmm, is never seeing you in the halls a good enough reason? Probably not.” She said answering her own question. Really since Lori had spent the least possible time in the corridors for the past few months it was her own fault, but she wasn’t about to bring that up. Valmer hugged Lori tightly and she returned it before he pulled away. She smiled sweetly and looked to the ground and then back to Valmer. He commented on seeing her so early. “I’m a pretty early riser these days.” That was because she barely got any sleep. But no one knew that, not even Florence. You could really tell. It was hard for Lori was look like an early-morning zombie. But she hid the fatigue well with fake smiles and a small amount of make-up. “I’m just going to the village, I think. I don’t really know why. I just had to..get out.” She said looking to the ground. She looked back up and planted a fake smile on her face and then a real one. She suddenly had an idea. “I know what we need to do first. The shops aren’t quite open yet so I have an idea for a pit stop before we get there. She said stepping in front of him and leading the way. “Come on prisoner. How well to you do with creepy, weird places?” She asked turning to him and raising an eye-brow with a mischievous smile on her face.