Switch up! -- Tourney 1351

Adelaine smoothed out her skirts one more time as they walked through the maze of tents. I bet this is glorious in the sunlight, she thought, noting all the different colors and blazons. The tent that they were headed to was surrounded by some heavy duty protective spells; no muggle would see or hear them.

"You didn't tell me Davy would be here," she said grimly, nudging Symon.

"I know," he admitted.

"I thought this was meant to be nobles only?"

"I thought so too, but I was wrong," he sighed, exasperated.

"Symon, last time I saw him, he nearly drowned me," she said more urgently.

"I know, Adele," he huffed, shaking his head. "What do you expect me to do? Just steer clear of him."

Easy for you to say, she thought, rolling her eyes. They entered the tent and she was relieved to see some familiar faces. Gavin and his brothers were there. She still couldn't get over how handsome Esmond was; in fact, he had every girl at the tournament after him now. And just a few feet away, glaring at her with a sneer, was Davy. Symon saw him too, and dragged both her and Marigold to the other side of the tent.

"I don't reckon he'll be much trouble here," Gavin said quietly, walking over to them. "This crowd won't tolerate his mischief."

"Mischief? Seems a rather light way of putting it," she muttered. "Marigold, who's that girl Jacob is with?"

"That's his new betrothed, a French noble lady. Her name's Cedany," Marigold informed.

"You don't seem bitter about this," Gavin noticed.

"What's to be bitter about? Besides, I met her. I think she's pretty cool," she said. Jacob pointed out Symon and Adele from across the room and Cedany noticed Marigold. Cedany did a little girly finger wave and Marigold did one back.

"Nice. Well, you'll be my date for the night then," Gavin said happily. Marigold smiled. No one was really dancing, but there was nice music being played. Small tables of food and drink were around. Marigold actually fit in a little bit.

"So, why is no one dancing?" Marigold asked.

"This is more of a political party, Marigold. There's a bit of an older crowd. This is where parents discuss future marriages and things of that nature on a larger scale," Symon explained.

"Father has gotten many offers for Esmond's hand. Too bad he's been betrothed for years," Gavin said.

"I would watch out for yourself mate. Your father might offer your hand instead," Symon joked, elbowing Gavin. Gavin blushed and they all laughed.

Marigold kept an eye on Davy, who was in the corner surrounded by a group of Ministry of Mischief members. Last time they saw each other, he.....did something to her. She honestly couldn't remember. That's right. He obliviated my memories, she thought. Davy caught her eyes and smiled wickedly. He made a bird with his hands and flapped the wings. What's that about? she thought, furrowing her brow. She secretly really wanted to talk to Davy, to ask what he did to her and to get revenge. He raised his eyebrows and ducked out of the tent. Marigold was itching to follow him.

"Don't be dumb," Symon leaned over and whispered in her ear. Marigold nodded and stared at the door. He noticed the whole silent exchange.

"Gavin! Brother! The parents have gone to bed. Let's get some dancing going," Esmond proposed, hooking Gavin up with a girl that was fawning over Esmond. The Lydale boys took the floor and soon the younger people followed suit. Marigold stood to the side, smiling, watching every one.

"Would you like to dance?" a creepy familiar voice asked. Marigold felt goose bumps climb up her spine as she turned to face the devil himself, Davy. She instantly took a step back from him and put her fingertips on her wand that was hidden in her sleeve. But, then she stopped herself. He came back. Why? she thought. Before Marigold could give an answer, Davy pulled her on to the dance floor, on the opposite side of where her friends were dancing.

"What game are you playing? And, what did you do to me?" Marigold instantly asked. Davy chuckled and spun her around.

"I didn't know you were a noble, little Raven," he said simply. Marigold sighed. He has leverage on me. If he tells anyone I'm in disguise, I'm in deep trouble, she thought. She sighed and kept her mouth shut.

"You have grown over the summer. Your more integrated than before. Your particularly vital to your group now," Davy observed. Marigold just nodded.

"Well, with what I'll do tonight, maybe you can be their new leader, with Adele and Symon out of the picture," he informed. Marigold dropped his hands and took a step back, her mouth agape in shock. He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the tent, a hand over her mouth. She squirmed and kicked as he took her to the forest.

"Davy. Let her go," Jacob said, as her friends came running after them. No idiot! Go back! Marigold thought. Davy stopped and him and Jacob stared down each other. Take your chance, Marigold thought. She bit into his hand until he started bleeding. He dropped her, exclaiming in pain, and she ran off.

"Go. Go," she said, pulling her friends with her.

"Go after them!" Davy said, as Ministry Members started chasing them.

(OOC: The muse is back!)

Adelaine and Symon sat in the corner while everyone else danced. They both had a lot on their mind, and it was probably all the same. What did Davy have against them? Well, it was a known fact that he hated anyone better than him. But Symon and Adele (Adele especially)..he despised them.

"We've got to do something about him," Symon said suddenly, and grimly.

"Why does he hate you?" Adelaine wondered. "I know why he hates me. I, a first year girl, humiliated him in a duel. But what did you do to get to his top five?"

Symon didn't respond, just glared at the ground. She sighed in exasperation. Would he ever open up to her? A bitter thought entered her mind, and she realized he'd never be like Seamus. They'd never be so comfortable with each other.

"Marigold's gone," Jacob ran over to them, speaking urgently.

"Davy," the three said in unison.

Fast forward to ten minutes later, and they were running through the forest, chased by Davy and his cronies. There was no way they'd lose them! Symon and Jacob shot a few paralysis hexes behind them to buy some time. The four ran further into the woods and gathered behind a group of large boulders.

"What do we do?" Adele asked, out of breath.

"They want you two," Jacob said. "How about we give them what they want?"

"What-" Adele started to say.

"What they think they want," he corrected himself, looking at Marigold.

((OOC: This is all very dramatic, Madison.))

Adelaine and Symon stayed crouched behind the boulders as Davy and his crew ran past. Marigold and Jacob seemed to think that these were their last moments on earth, but surely they didn't really believe their friends would allow them to die in their place? Once the runners were well off, Adele and Symon looked to each other and nodded. They jumped up and ran as fast as they could.

"Do you think we'll catch them?" Adele asked, hiking up her skirts so she wouldn't trip and fall.

"Sure thing," Symon yelled back, passing her.

They both had their wands out, ready for a fight.

((OOC: Okay, go ahead and do your thing, then Adele and Symon will jump in and help.))

((OOC: But that ruins the whole point of the thread! What's the point of switching if Adele and Symon are gonna put themselves in danger in the first place?)

Marigold dodged spells and hexes, jumping over a fallen tree trunk. Jacob had went back to Adele and Symon, to put them in a loop, so they wouldn't try to follow them. They would just run around in circles until Jacob's magic wore off. It's for the best. It would ruin everything if they discovered all four of us, she thought.

"Why is she so difficult?!" a Ministry member cried as she ducked under branches.

"Flipendo Tria!" Marigold casted, a small tornado aiming for the members. The tornado hit them and spun them around, as Marigold went back to running. The members shot hexes while in the tornado and Marigold cried out in pain as a stray Diffindo spell hit her in the leg. Go! Go! she urged herself, a surge of adrenaline urging her forward.

She stopped and caught her breath in a clearing, her hands on her knees, panting heavily. She grimaced as the pain in her leg set in. No time to heal it. I have to keep going. Where's Jacob? she though as she started walking through the woods again. She seemed to have disoriented the members for a while. Or, so she thought as hexes came flying at her again. She cursed herself and took off running. Where's Jacob? she thought as she ran and ran and ran.

"Locomotor Wibbly!" a member shot at her, successful hitting her legs. Marigold yelled as her legs collapsed under her mid stride and she rolled down a hill, hitting her head on a rock and blacking out.

As Adele and Symon headed for the group, they ran straight into Jacob.

"What're you two doing?" he shouted.

"What're you doing?" Symon yelled back.

"I came to put you two in a bit of a ... magic loop," Jacob admitted sheepishly.

"Good, I was afraid you thought we'd really let you two risk your lives for us," Adele said. "Where's Marigold?"

"Holding them off," he remembered, worried. "C'mon!"

The three hurried up the hill through the woods and found the Ministry chasing after Marigold. A hex sent her tumbling down and she seemed to be knocked unconscious.

"Hey! Over here, idjits!" Symon exclaimed, taunting them.

Like moths to a flame, the boys turned their attention on Symon and Jacob. While they dueled, Adele ran to Marigold's aid. Flipping her over, she noticed a shallow wound on the girl's forehead, but couldn't for the life of her think of a good healing spell.

"Come on, Adele, you know this...Episkey!" she spoke calmly, the gash closing up. "Rennervate!"

Adele looked back and forth between the two boys as they awaited her answer. She hated being the tie-breaker.

"I think we should stay here," she admitted, ignoring Symon's scowl. "Davy and his mates are still out there."

"They're not stupid," Jacob agreed. "They know which direction we went, it's only a matter of time before they find us."

"Fine," Symon said, standing up and walking to the cave entrance. "Muffliato," he muttered, casting protection spells along the entrance. "Protego totalum. Salvio hexia."

With a sigh, Adelaine tried to get comfortable on the cold ground. It was a good thing Symon had been quick to do the charms, because moments later footsteps were heard in the distance.