RP: The Running of the Maze (5th Festival)

[the_anon_entity]

Date: 1 May 2003
Character(s): The Entity, others
Location: The Maze outside the Mansion
Status: Very Public
Summary: The Fifth Festival
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[anon_parvati]

Why the hell was she here?

All the people milling about made her skin crawl. Parvati had never before understood wallflowers, the people who could just stand aside and let life pass them by as they looked on at the ensuing party. She'd made fun of those people as a teenager, and as she'd matured somewhat, started trying to bring them out of their shells, like Regulus. But she'd never been one, and could never imagine it.

Now, though, things were different. Her life had changed, been turned upside down and ripped apart. Thought once she'd have been in the middle of the crowd, laughing and talking, or not laughing as the situation called for it, all she wanted to do was retreat, go home, crawl under the blankets of the bed and hide. Preferrably with a furry companion, if Sirius would go with her. But there were too many people here that Sirius cared about for him to leave, and being home alone would be, in many ways, worse than being in this crowd.

Sirius stood next to her, and Parvati moved closer to him unconsciously. Sirius would always be more comfortable than other men, and definitely more comfortable than strangers. As she looked about for Padma, and for Regulus, her hand slid into Sirius' and gripped tightly. If she were going to be here, she needed him as her lifeline. Though, she didn't really want to be here at all.

Someone brushed by her, accidentally bumping her shoulder, and she gasped, the sensation translating immediately into a nervous tremble.

"I want to go home," she murmured desperately.

[anon_sirius]

Sirius turned to look at Parvati as her hand slipped into his, not having expected that sudden gesture. But she was nervous around so many people, so many strangers. Trying to look reassuring, he squeezed her hand a little. "We won't be here long. Once we do the maze, we can leave."

He wasn't sure what the maze entailed, and wasn't sure he wanted to know. The last festival had been surprisingly pleasant, so he hoped that this one might follow that pattern. But instead of feeling reassured, Sirius felt like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Perhaps the Entity had changed or was a good man, the way Tonks seemed to think, but Sirius couldn't help but think it wouldn't be long before another festival ended in disaster.

It didn't even immediately hit him that Parvati had called his place 'home'. He didn't think on it too much. He just said quietly, "It'll be fine. We'll be out of here soon."