A need to escape...

Ella ran and ran not knowing where she was headed. It was the middle of the night and she had no clue how she got out of the castle without being caught but she did. She ran until she realized she was in the middle of the Forbidden Forest. Once she was found, she would be in so much trouble, because the forest is dangerous. Usually, people are terrified to enter the forest but to Ella, the forest was more comforting to her than anything else at Hogwarts. She scurried up a tree and relaxed back on a thick branch towards the top of the tree. Being small had it's advantages. She could finally let out her emotions, the feelings of anger to whoever killed her parents, the feelings of resentment for her father making her come to Hogwarts, the feelings of sorrow for leaving her sister to fend for herself. She listened to the owls hooting and the creatures scurrying all over.

It was a chilly night and she's glad she thought to put on her winter cloak and scarf. She buried her face in her scarf and cried until she eventually fell into a light sleep. She dreamed she was in a far away place with Ellie and they were living the greatest life ever. They had both their parents and they were never wizards. She was awakened by a sudden branch cracking and looked down but she saw nothing. It's just a centaur, she thought. She laid back down on the branch and stared off into the forest, taking note of everything as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Ella was up in a tree, how she had gotten up there Lucy didn't know.
"Ella, help me up." She said, looking up at her. Lucy's grey eyes shimmered with the scarce moonlight that flowed though thick trees, and her golden hair followed with the breeze. She was never a good tree-climber, and the night was cold, so she needed Ella's help to get up there. She adjusted her sweater, and reached up to grab a branch.

"Ella, help me up." someone said. Ella looked down and saw Lucy standing there. She looked pretty in the moonlight.

Wingardium Leviosa Ella whispered. "What are you doing here Lucy? Nobody followed you huh? How'd you find me?" Ella asked frantically worried about them getting caught.

"What are you doing here Lucy? Nobody followed you huh? How'd you find me?" Ella questioned her as she used the levitating charm to lift her up.
"No," she began, sweeping her sweater of anything that had caught in it, "I followed you. I saw you leaving, and I was worried you would...do something. So I followed." she replied.

"No," she dusted off her sweater ,
"I followed you. I saw you leaving, and I was worried you would...do
something. So I followed."

"What do you mean do something? Like try to go home? Yeah, I'm totally trying to make some kind of plan, but this is like prison." Ella said wiping her eyes before Lucy notices she'd been crying for the past hour or so.

"What do you mean do something? Like try to go home? Yeah, I'm totally trying to make some kind of plan, but this is like prison." Ella said, wiping her eyes.
"Well, I don't know. I thought you'd run away. Wait, how is this a prison?" she said, somewhat offended.

"Well, I don't know. I thought you'd run away. Wait, how is this a prison?" she asked.

"Well because I can't leave whenever. We're restricted to certain areas...Just makes me feel trapped." Ella said softly.

"Well because I can't leave whenever. We're restricted to certain areas...Just makes me feel trapped." Ella answered.
"Don't say that. Hogwarts is by far the only place where most of us have freedom." Lucy replied.
"Besides, if you do run away, Professor Vega won't be able to help you anymore. It will then be both, you and Ellie, out there in that world."

"Don't say that. Hogwarts is by far the only place where most of us have freedom." Lucy replied.
"Besides, if you do run away, Professor Vega won't be able to help you anymore. It will then be both, you and Ellie, out there in that world."

"I know, but what if they don't allow her to come here either? Then it's just her alone, what if she's next?" Ella sighed.

"I know, but what if they don't allow her to come here either? Then it's just her alone, what if she's next?" Ella sighed.
"Do you want me to contact Phoenix, and see what he thinks of this?" she asked, shifting her position on the branch as it was getting uncomfortable for her small frame.

"Do you want me to contact Phoenix, and see what he thinks of this?" she asked.

"Well I don't know Phoenix but I suppose it's up to you." Ella said, leaning back on the branch.

"Well I don't know Phoenix but I suppose it's up to you." Ella said to her. Lucy suddenly remembered that Ella didn't know Phoenix was her father.
"Ella, Phoenix is my dad." she informed her, "He's a journalist, and I guess he could give us some feedback about whatever it is that you plan on doing."

"Ella, Phoenix is my dad." she informed her, "He's a journalist, and I guess he could give us some feedback about whatever it is that you plan on doing."

"If you think he could help then go ahead. I have no clue about what I plan on doing yet." Ella whispered.

"If you think he could help then go ahead. I have no clue about what I plan on doing yet." Ella said, but Lucy felt that she wasn't so sure about talking about it with her father.
"Well, when you do, tell me and I will help." she said finally.

"Well, when you do, tell me and I will help." she said.

Ella nodded then looked up at the stars. Despite the chill in the night air, it was still very pretty and calming out here.

Ella nodded and went silent.
Lucy joined her for a couple of minutes, until she started to hear leaves crunching. Startled, she looked at Ella.
"Do you hear that?" she whispered.

Everything went silent for a few minutes, but then they heard the sound of leaves crunching.
"Do you hear that?" she whispered.

Ella looked at Lucy and nodded, her eyes wide. Ella put a finger over her lips as a sign to stay quiet. She pulled her scarf over her nose and mouth to muffle the sound of her breathing and motioned for Lucy to do the same.

Lucy copied Ella's movements, and tried to stay quiet. She looked down, hoping to see what it was.
I don't think it's Phrixus, she thought, as the footsteps sounded lighter than the centaur's. The crunching became closer and closer by the second. Lucy's breathing grew harder, and she had to take her sweater off her mouth and nose to properly breathe and stay alive.
Her eyes suddenly shifted to the sky, where the stars, shining as ever, swam across clouds.
"Ella, how are we gonna get down." she whispered again, this time, a little softer.

"Ella, how are we gonna get down." she whispered a little softer.

"Same way I got up...climb and levitate you down." Ella whispered so soft you could barely hear her.

The crunching got closer and closer then stopped almost right under them. Ella tried to peer down and see who or what it was but it was entirely too dark.Just then, Moogles swooped down and dropped a letter into Ella's lap. She looked up at Lucy, terrified to open it.

Ella's owl arrived and carried a letter. Lucy motioned for her to read it.
"Go ahead." she said, relieved that they had not been caught yet.

"Go ahead." she said,looking relieved.

"I think whoever or whatever it was left." Ella said to Lucy as she opened the letter.

Sissy,
It's Ellie. Some neighbors noticed I've been alone for a few days now and they called some people who took me away. I'm now living in Ireland. I'm hoping you were able to get this. I have started muggle school and they put me in something called cheerleading. I hate it! I hope I'm able to see you soon. Meanwhile, I'm researching trying to figure out what happened to mommy.
I love you.

Til we meet again,
Ellie[b]

"I think whoever or whatever it was left." Ella said to Lucy.
She looked down once again, and it was still perfectly dark.
"Hopefully." she whispered, scanning every part of the ground that was within their reach.
Turning to Ella, she noticed she had finished reading the letter, for she now held it on her lap.
"Good news?" Lucy said, hopeful.

"Good news?" Lucy said.

"Sorta." Ella replied softly handing Lucy the letter. "At least she's fairly safe for now. I hope."

Ella handed her the letter, and she read.
Sissy,
It's Ellie. Some neighbors noticed I've been alone for a few days now and they called some people who took me away. I'm now living in Ireland. I'm hoping you were able to get this. I have started muggle school and they put me in something called cheerleading. I hate it! I hope I'm able to see you soon. Meanwhile, I'm researching trying to figure out what happened to mommy.
I love you.

Til we meet again,
Ellie

"Hm, well, her Hogwarts letter should be coming in soon." Lucy assured her, handing it back to her.

"Hm, well, her Hogwarts letter should be coming in soon." Lucy said, handing it back to her.

"Yea, I'm sure. I just wish the headmaster would reply." Ella replied longingly.