Long chapter but full of action, promise! Nearly at the end here. Thanks for reading!

Chapter Twenty

I didn't get back to my dorm that night until twenty minutes after curfew. When I got back into the common room, it was somewhat crowded but I spotted Idella and Charlie over in the corner. I walked over to them. "Why are you smiling like that?" she said to me and then her eyes widened. "You guys totally-"

"What no?" I responded a little too quickly, unable to wipe the smile of my face. "What do you say that?" I added, trying to be inconspicuous.

"You're shirts on backwards," she stated with a smirk. My eyes widened and  I looked around to see if anyone was looking at me. Quickly, I took a seat next to her so hopefully no one else would notice. I pushed my dark hair back behind my ears.

"Okay fine we did," I whispered with a smile. Idella laughed saying 'she knew it' as Charlie's face formed a bit of disgust.

"I don't really want to hear about this. So I'm going to go to bed," he said standing up.

"Really Charlie? We have to listen to all of your stories about all the girls you have been with," Idella responded back laughing.

"Yes but you two are like my sisters," he responded shaking his head. "Hearing that will only make me want to kill him. Goodnight." He walked away quickly.

"No wonder he walks away whenever I talk about me and Colin," Idella said looking at me. "So where were you?"

"His room. All of his roommates were down at the beach," I told her.

"Can you imagine if Grant walked in?" she joked.

"Don't put that in my head," I replied placing a hand on my head.

"Well since we're on the topic, you and Grant-"

"No never!" I responded before she could even finish that sentence.

"Okay just wondering," she said with a smile. "I mean I've told you about me being with Colin and my first time with Julien so I assumed you were telling me but never wanted to ask. So only Kent?"

"Of course I'd tell you," I answer immediately. "And yes."

The next morning Charlie tried to act as if nothing happened, but when he saw Kent he just say 'hi' and walked away to see his other friends. I never realized how protective Charlie was over Idella and I. "Good morning," Kent said to Idella and I, taking my hand and kissing me once again.

"Hi," Idella answered. "I'll leave you two alone." She stood up, smirking at me and walked over towards Colin.

"Morning," I said to him as he took Idella's seat.

"So tonight the Agrethance Quidditch team is throwing a small party down by the beach. I wasn't going to go, but found out apart from Thomas and Grant, the rest of the team doesn't hate me as much, so I should probably stop by. Would you want to go with me for an hour or so?" he asked.

"Definitely," I answered.

"Alright great. I have to get to practice but we can go around nine, make an appearance and leave?" he asked. That was fine with me.

The rest of the day Idella and I hung around by the beach. It was absolutely freezing as the snow fell all around us. For old times sake, we built a life sized snowman. It took us almost four hours but we managed. Nine o'clock came in no time. I was dressed in jeans, boots, and a jacket since it was practically fifteen degrees outside. "If you get too cold just let me know and we can leave," Kent said.

"I'm sure I'll be fine," I answered. When we arrived it was small but growing by the minute. There was a large fire going in the middle of the sand and a bunch of people were sitting around it roasting marshmallows. Kent and I walked around saying hi to everyone we knew, apart from Grant who was sitting bitterly by the fire with an empty bottle of firewhiskey next to him and a full drink in his hand. Everyone else was friendly though.

Charlie came over to talk to me, but some Irdrea girl distracted him by pulling his hand away. I gave him a knowing look for the hard time he gave me last night. Suddenly we heard laughter and Nephele appeared from out behind a rock, looking extremely drunk and being followed by Thomas. Kent's grip on my hand tightened as his face darkened. He looked over at me. "It's okay I'll wait here," I answered knowing that he wanted to walk over there. Releasing my grip, he approached Nephele. I didn't know what he was going to do, but he somehow had to get her safely back to her room without killing Thomas. I could barely see them because when Nephele spotted him she backed up behind the rocks.

Ten minutes passed without a word. I didn't hear screaming or any spells being shot off, so that was good at least. "Hi beautiful," a drunken voice said from behind me. Turning I was more than shocked to see Grant standing behind me more intoxicated than I've ever seen him.

"Hi?" I responded dully.

"Wh-where's your boyfriend?" he managed to say through stutters.

"Coming back," I responded rolling my eyes. "Not like it even matters to you, considering you've treating him horribly."

"I'm just messing around," Grant said laughing and stepping closer. I stepped back as he stepped closer once more.

"What do you want?" I asked him annoyed. No response, but he began leaning in and I knew that look. He was so close to me. His face was inches from mine. Before he could attempt to kiss me I stepped back as far as I could. Grant's drunk face then turned into a mix of shock and horror.

"What the-" he screamed as he looked down at the ground. I looked down to see what he was looking at, only to see my foot placed in the middle of the fire with the flames breaking around me. "You're standing in fire!" he screamed causing a few heads to turn. Quickly pulling my leg out from the fire I placed it back on the sand without a mark. "You're-you're not burnt. How are you not burnt?" he began yelling. Everyone around me was looking but they all seemed confused as to what Grant was talking about. Only Grant saw what exactly happened. "What-" before I could even say anything Kent was behind running up behind me.

"He saw," I whispered slightly horrified. He was drunk, so I could easily play it off that he imagined it, but he did scream it out loud.

"This will make him forget," Kent said stopping next to me. Without any warning Kent punched Grant in the face. Grant wobbled before crashing down onto the sand. "I saw him try to kiss you," Kent replied turning towards me.

"He saw my foot in the fire," I whispered in an even lower tone now that everyone was looking in our direction. Kent knocking Grant out really grabbed their attention.

"Come on," Kent said placing a hand on my back. "I left Nephele up by the entrance." As we walked he told me there was nothing to worry about. We could easily play this off as Grant drank too much and imagined the whole incident. No one was going to find out he it was real. While we walked, I looked over my shoulder to see a blonde haired girl alone off in the distance. I could tell it was Selina.

"You go bring Nephele to her room. I'll see you in the morning," I told him quickly. I couldn't tell him what I knew about Selina, due to our little 'secret for a secret'. If I told anyone about her with the icorany, she would tell everyone about me. "You can trust me." He nodded.

"Alright. I hope Nephele is still there," he said as we both rushed off in different directions. As I followed in the direction of the blonde haired girl it was in fact Selina. She was wearing tight black jeans, tall dark boots, and a simply gray shirt even though it was freezing out. Careless. She was in fact under icornacy. When I got even closer I saw her on the very edge of a rock while balancing and walking back and forth along the cliff. I didn't want to scare her so I tried to walk loudly so she would see my coming.

Her head turned in my direction as she smiled. "Bradley," she said in a cool dreamy voice. "What a lovely night." She looked up at the dark sky. All around us snow was on the ground. The rough rocks were slippery. Dangerous.

"What are you doing?" I asked trying to remain calm so she wouldn't do anything rash. I got even closer. Peering over the edge, it looked to be about a ten foot drop onto rough ice covered rocks. The ocean waves came crashing against them. "I wouldn't stand so close to the edge Selina."

"It's so beautiful out," she repeated. "I like the view from the edge." A gust of wind came and she faced it smiling, he blonde hair blowing behind her. I reached my hand out.

"Yes but it's really slippery," I explained trying to be calm. The waves were getting even larger by the moment, almost reaching the edge of the rocks where she was standing. "Please come stand by me. We can sit and look at the stars," I said. She shook her head.

"I'd much rather be here with the waves and wind."

"It's not a good idea," I added in a calm tone. If I yelled at her she might do something bold.

"I love it up here," she repeated turning on her heel, balancing on the very edge of the rock. Just as a wave crashed reaching the top her foot stepped upon ice now covered in water, making it twice as slippery. She lost balance. I screamed as she slipped and fell back but rushed forward and grabbed her by one hand. She was dangling over the edge. We weighed about the same, but I wouldn't be able to hold her much longer. I was weak, my arms were already shaking.

"Selina!" I screamed. "Grab onto me with your other hand." She raised her other hand in the wind, placing her foot upon the rock, not listening to me. "Selina please take my hand. Please, I can't hold you much longer!"

"You don't have too," she answered. "I'll be fine. It's just water down there." The Icorany blinded her of the dangerous rough edged rocks and the icy cold water. I reached for her other hand as I noticed blood coming from her shoulder and knees. There was some blood now dripping from her forehead as well. The waves crashed onto her, only making it harder for me to hold her. My shoulders were killing and I was almost sure my knees were bleeding as well from kneeling on the rough edge. The water hit our hands making my grip less secure. She would slip and if she did, she would die.

"Please take my hand," I said tears forming in my eyes. We were not on the best terms and never would be best friends but she was family, I wasn't going to let her die in front of me. "Please I'm begging you. Take my hand." She wasn't truly listening. I needed something to get her attention. Faking it, I turned my head and turned back to her with a forced smile. "Look Cole's coming," I then said. Her face brightened a bit. "He wants to see you, but I have to pull you up."

"Fine," she repeated slowly. She reached her left hand up to me. I pulled her up and she helped out by walking up the rough edged rock wall. I managed to pull her up. She was scratched up entirely, and blood was dripping down the side of her face even more intensely now. Her head must have hit the rock on the way down. Placing a hand on her head where it was cut, she rocked back and forth. "I-I'm kind of dizzy?" she added smiling. "What's going on?" Her eyes fluttered right as she passed out in front of me. Horrified, I grabbed her before she hit the ground.

"It's going to be okay," I said panicking while holding her up. I took out my wand, my mind was buzzing so I could only remember a few spells we learned in class. I wasn't focused, so they weren't strong and had minimal effect. Lifting her up, I put most of her weight on my back and dragged her with me. There was no way I would make it to the castle. The fire was still going as I passed. "CHARLIE!" I screamed knowing he must still be there. "CHARLIE!" I called again. In the very distance, I spotted my tan friend from below the rocks look up at me.

"Hello?" he yelled back.

"It's Bradley! I need your help," I yelled. As quick as could be, Charlie ran up the rocks and when he saw me gasped.

"What happened?" he asked completely horrified running over to the two of us. "Oh my-" he stared at Selina in horror.

"I'll explain it all later just carry her please," I said and he quickly had her in both of his arms. The two of us ran up to the castle. Selina's forehead was bleeding even worse. We needed to get her to the infirmary as soon as possible. Running through the castle there weren't too many people but we went a shortcut to avoid any crowds of people.

The dark hallway was empty until we turned the corner and saw a group of boys standing up against a wall. One was Cole. His piercing blue eyes landed on mine and I could tell her was completely sober at the moment, but when he saw Selina in Charlie's arms, a look appeared on his face that I have never seen before. Was it concern? Shock? "What the hell happened?" he snapped pushing through his friends to get closer. Charlie stopped with Selina, looking like he wanted to kill Cole.

"Take her to the infirmary Charlie," I said to him. He nodded and took off down the hall. I faced Cole. "You happened," I screamed at him, taking a step in his direction. I no longer was afraid of him. Everything I said to him was right. He thought he had the entire Icorany situation under control but he clearly didn't. Selina almost died because of it tonight. "I found her on the edge of the rocks out by the ocean, completely alone!" I was screaming now in rage. "She fell off the cliff, and if I wasn't there to grab her she would have died."

"I had no idea where she was...she never showed up to meet with us. I didn't even know she had any of her own..." he was rambling. For once Cole looked as if he didn't know what to say.

"You thought you were so smart and had this all planned out. You're lucky I saw her or she would have been dead. And it would have been all your fault," I added darkly storming off towards the infirmary.