To Suffer Silently (Rabastan)

[Samantha Montgomery]

Breathing was becoming even more of a chore as she made her way stealthily to the potions classroom.

She was really quite shaken up, but even in her current state she knew better than to head to her own quarters, it would be too obvious and it would be where Rafe would look for her. Sure there were charms against that sort of thing, but she had just been proven very strongly that Rafe wasn't to be underestimated in his obsession.

She had hidden out in one of the bathrooms trying as best she could to clean herself up, but she realized she was going to need more than just a few charms and some water. Waiting until it was dark and after hours, where she had at least more luck on her side of not getting being seen, she moved with the shadows until she approached her destination.

Now that she had made it she breathed a sigh of relief then immediately her arm came protectively over her side. She whimpered. It was just a reminder to start looking for the ingredients she would need to make a decent potion. She was so intent in her searching she didn't hear him enter the room.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

Rabastan had his reasons to be out. He wouldn't even mind getting caught by a prefect, if it was a girl. Merlin knew the good girls has a mighty wild side to them. But tonight, he wasn't really on the prowl. He needed a potion, but he couldn't remember the name of it, and he figured the best place to go was the Potions classroom, where the store room was. They were all labeled, and he would probably remember the name when he saw it.

Quietly, as he had learned to be stealthy and sneaky, he entered the room, and nearly stopped dead in his tracks when he realized he wasn't the only one with the bright idea to raid the storeroom at the back of the classroom.

It took a moment to recognize who was there, and a slow, chesire grin crossed his lips when he did. He didn't realize that she was hurt.

"Looking for trouble, are we?"

[Samantha Montgomery]

In order to obtain the ingredient she needed, she had to reach to one of the higher shelves, which to a girl with a broken rib, seemed impossibly difficult. She had just wrapped her small fingers around the vial when she heard his voice.

Startled she gasped, the vial slipped out of her hands and crashed to the floor. She didn't notice. There were tears in her eyes, she had held up for so long but her side just wouldn't take anymore. It had been a while since she dealt with pain. First the attack, now this... she wondered if it was some dark portend of things to come but resolutely decided not to put any faith in that idea. It would only depress her.

Breathing hard now and trying to control it she let herself slump to one of the seats nearby and protectively kept her arms hovering over her side. Her eyes clenched shut and a shudder wracked her body.

All of this was reactionary to his simple question, her brain hadn't even comprehended his presence in the room yet. When it did she knew it was far too late to put on a facade now, instead she turned her eyes up to him, an expression on her face she would have hated for him to see, revealing how vulnerable she was in that moment as she whispered, "Help me..."

[Rabastan Lestrange]

He was watching her curiously, unsure that she even heard him, and he couldn't quite gauge what her reactions meant. That was, until she looked up at him, and his smile dropped instantly. How was he supposed to do anything but help her when she looked at him like that?

He dropped down to his knees in front of her desk, forgetting his own task at hand, and reached out, but stopped short of touching her.

"I'm here."

He wasn't sure yet what good that did her, but at least she had someone close by on her side.

"What happened?" Maybe she was nursing heartbreak. Maybe she was still recovering from the attack... or maybe it worse.

[Samantha Montgomery]

If there was more light in the room he would be able to see clearly what happened in more detail than he probably would have wanted. Her robes were ripped, her lips were bruised, there were small cuts everywhere, and fingershaped bruises on her exposed arms and even worse the bruises near her thighs. She was a mess with dirt smudged on her face, and her hair usually perfectly coiffed now in a tangled mess.

She closed her eyes when he came closer accepting the fact that she was now trusting this man, probably the last person she should have trusted given his heartbreaking good looks had likely earned him a well deserved reputation confirmed by the deep resonance and smugness in his voice when he usually addressed her. Rabastan was one of those strange enigmas that it was better to stay away from, you never knew what you could get if you provoked him.

Right now however she had no choice. In that small moment where she had to trust this man, she formed an attachment, an instant connection and she couldn't keep what happened a secret from him, afterwards she could only pray he would keep it a secret as well.

She stiffled the sob that wanted to escape her quivering throat, " I n-never thought he'd go this far..." she told Rabastan shame seeping into her and appearing as a red flush on her cheeks. " I...he...it was like he wasn't even sane...he hurt me." she finished in a small little girl voice, "...he pushed me to the ground and he hurt me... and then he didn't stop...I thought he would stop because...because he had hurt me..."

[Rabastan Lestrange]

"Who, Sam? Who hurt you?"

Rabastan didn't honestly think she would tell him. She seemed to be in shock, a little, and was probably talking from that alone. He would be amazed if she even fully knew that he was in the room with her. But on the outside chance that she did tell him, he had to ask so that he could go kill the son of a banshee that did this to her. This was Sam... she was tough and kickass and no one turned her to this. At least not under his watch.

He'd killed someone already... he really had no qualms doing it again. It was not an exaggeration.

Being ever mindful of her and how she might be hurt, he drew himself closer to her. "Let me help you. Where are you hurt?"

She was never going to let him take her to Madam Pomphrey, which meant he was going to have to help on his own, or knock her out somehow to get her to the hospital wing.

[Samantha Montgomery]

He was right, she was in shock and almost let Rafe's name slip past her lips. Had he finished the job and raped her, Sam wouldn't have even thought about it. She was only now capable of remembering. She remembered every bruise, every scratch, every pain...and the resulting experience crumpled her features. It was like watching a Rembrant painting being burned with careless exuberance. The beautiful soul of a strong teenage girl, such a priceless treasure being broken and twisted into pieces.

Then her eyes that were glazed over and haunted by the memory began to clear, she remembered something else, she remembered that she had the strength to push him off of her, the strength to hex him back. She was strong, and she would only come out of this stronger, she needed to. She couldn't let this defeat her, especially since she had won the battle.

Her composure however was far from being reigned in, she gave Rabastan a small look, resignation in her eyes, she wouldn't tell him who her attacker was, but hoping he wouldn't take that badly she continued to show her trust by telling him where she was hurt. It was a feat for Sam who hated letting anyone know she was vulnerable anyware.

She didn't even know where to begin, taking a deep breath, she suddenly realized her rib was as good a place as any, "Oh God...my rib...Merlin it hurts..." she hissed.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

Rabastan was patient, and he was watching her, looking for any clue that she might give him. No one knew this, but he'd actually helped a friend from a similar attack, except her attacker had finished the deed. Girls tended to protect the offenders, which he never understood, but then, he wasn't a girl. If someone hurt her though, and they obviously had, they needed to pay.

"Okay," he said, reaching out to steady her. "Relax. I'll go swipe some healing potions, okay?" He understood almost instinctively that she would not want to go to Madam Pomphrey, so he would do what he could to help her.

He left her there while he snuck into the potions storeroom. It would be easier than trying to get into the Hospital Wing unseen. When he came back, he knelt in front of her desk.

"You know it won't do any good to protect him," he said offhandedly. He would watch her carefully now to figure it out, too. And when he did, so help the git...

[Samantha Montgomery]

She didn't pay much attention to him until he was gone, her rib taking up much of her thoughts. Then she shivered. Why had he left her again? Oh to get potions...right. She sighed in relief and cursed herself for sighing at the same time. He was helping her though, he wasn't going to take her to Madam P's and he wasn't freaking out aimlessly like many men do in situations they couldn't handle. Suddenly she felt very safe in his care.

But very unsafe while even out of his sight, she cringed inwardly and tried to keep herself very still until he came back.

When he did return she sent him a look unsure of what it meant herself, she was happy he was there, happy he was helping, grateful and relieved. Rafe's attempted rape was shocking enough to make her put her guard down, Rabastan would have never seen her this vulnerable had he not been the one to find her immediately after it happened.

"You know it won't do any good to protect him,"

She looked up sharply then back down "I'm not used to people helping me...thank you for this." she said changing the subject.

She didn't know how to tell him that she was still confused, that she wasn't sure how she was going to deal with Rafe but she wanted to deal with him. She needed to be the one who made him pay to take back that helpless feeling he had made her feel.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

Rabastan sighed. He already knew she wasn't going to tell him who had hurt her, and he silently went about trying to help her and heal her. He would watch her carefully if he had to, because while he knew girls tended to protect their attackers, he also knew that the scum bags would attack again.

"I think you're going to be all right, but here, drink this," he said, not making a big deal out of her thank you. He handed her a potion that would take away the pain a little, and make her feel better overall.

For as morally bereft as he was, Rabastan knew how to be compassionate, too, and gentle. And Sam right now obviously needed someone gentle.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Morally bereft was far from how he appeared to Sam. After the potion and his helping hands she began to feel better overall, not just physically, but emotionally she felt less frazzled...almost safe.

The feeling took her by surprise and she glanced up at him not necessarily wanting his eyes on her but wanting to observe him all the same. It was strange, she felt protected and cared for, similar to the feeling she felt when she was around her brother. Who would have thought that such a feeling could come from such a...well from Rabastan.

She laid her hand over his and this time tried to catch his eyes, "I mean it..." she said sincerely, then gave a small shiver, " I don't think it's possible to forget this night...but what I mean to say is...that I'll remember this. Thank you."

On some level she had just given a part of herself to Rabastan. For as much as she and Lyra were friends, and suprisingly close, they simply hadn't had such a dire experience to prove loyalty and Slytherins weren't exactly known for that anyway. Rabastan was the first person at Hogwarts (besides her brother), who ,until he screwed it up, she trusted.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

Rabastan looked up as she laid her hand on his, stilling his movements for a moment. He almost wasn't sure how to react to her. He'd felt similarly unsure with the other girl he found in a similar position. He was Rabastan... girls fawned over him, or they flirted with him... but friendship and trust were not usually things that girls gave to him easily. The ones that did got hurt, and this made Rabastan frown. The last thing Sam needed was someone to hurt her again.

"It's not a big deal, Sam. I'm just glad I was here. You'll be okay, right? You should come back to the common room. I'll walk with you."

[Samantha Montgomery]

She took a deep breath then nodded. Silent and regaining her composure she allowed herself to lean on him a bit as she stood up. Sensing the mood had drifted, and wanting to put it back to rights, amazed that she could after what happened she still briefly smiled, " You're a saint." she stated a knowing tone in her voice that was still a little shaky. She was offering him an out for the awkward situation.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

"Nah, I'm more of a sinner, and we both know it," Rabastan replied. She was probably the first girl that had even called him a saint, and it felt oddly uncomfortable. Though, he thought with a smirk, he'd had several girls call him a god in the throws of young love. That, he was comfortable with.

He killed a woman recently, and here he was, trying to make sure that Sam was okay. For the first time in his life, Rabastan felt like he was unsure of himself. But all he knew now was that he had to protect her, to keep an eye on her, and kill whoever had hurt her. And yes.... he meant kill in the literal sense of the word.

[Samantha Montgomery]

She nodded, "Most saints were." she swallowed then feeling better, feeling more in control. It wasn't the first nor the worst time she had ever been injured, the Hogsmeade attack came to mind, it was simply the way in which she had been attacked that had her so rattled but as the time passed and as she was no longer alone to contemplate the drama or the seriousness of what had happened, she was becoming more and more like herself.

"But alright, I'll stop making you uncomfortable." she said sighing and leaning on him just a little more, " If you want to pretend you're a big bad, after tonight I don't think I could deny you."

[Rabastan Lestrange]

Rabastan just rolled his eyes and gave her a look until she promised to drop it. This was why he played the bad boy so often... girls never put him in uncomfortable positions when he was in control of a situation.

"Thank you," Rabastan replied. "I'm very big, and very bad. You should be scared of me." Though he meant this in a way to tease her, it was true, and Rabastan said it with a very straight face. No matter what she claimed, he was no saint, and never would be. No, he enjoyed what he had done to Bambi too much, and he got a thrill from it.

[Samantha Montgomery]

She leaned her head back to see his face, he was big indeed, and she was very small, if he wanted to hurt her he could, her grip on his arm became a little tighter and she took a deep breath, "No." she said simply. " I don't believe that." she placed her head on his shoulder, or rather on his arm since she couldn't reach his shoulder, " You were good to me tonight Rabastan. It's okay though, doesn't mean you're a good guy." she smiled then, "Maybe it just means that we could be friends, and you were looking after me like a good friend might. That way...even if you were evil incarnate to someone else, you don't have to be that way to me."

She walked with him back toward the Slytherin common room, when they were near the door she made him stop, " Whether you like it or not...tonight does kind of change things... you see I kind of have to trust you not to tell anyone what happened. That means, I either have to like you, and let myself trust you, or I have to find something that I can use to threaten your cooperation. Don't tell me to be afraid of you...because after what happened tonight the last thing I want to do is become enemy to the man who helped me. I realize that I have big problems to deal with Rabastan...an enemy I didn't even know was a serious threat until tonight...please...couldn't we be allies instead?" she looked a little tired, but other than that her words and tone was strong, she had been through hell tonight and was managing to pull herself together.

Though if need be she could straighten her spine, declare some war that she would severely regret, as she had been trained to do by her mother, and march away like a queen. But to deny her request, to make her walk away, only a truly heartless man could do such a thing, and a stone cold evil one to do it without at least thinking it over.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

Rabastan frowned. He knew he was not a good guy... yes, he had his loyalties and he would treat those close to him very well, but he was not a saint. Not even close. And Sam was getting close to him, peeling away layers that he'd rather she didn't touch, and he was uncomfortable with the situation. She was right, though, she had been through hell tonight, and she needed someone she could trust. He could be that for her, right?

"I'm not going to tell anyone, Sam. But I wish you would. But until you do..." he sighed and shrugged. "Consider me your new guard dog. I mean it, Sam. I'm going to be keeping an eye on you."

[Samantha Montgomery]

She smiled, a true Samantha Montgomery smile, it wasn't practiced or coy or sly, instead it was what a smile was supposed to be. There was relief in her smile, and genuine happiness. She read the sincerity in his words and realized that he wasn't a threat to her, for the first time that night she took an easy breath then reverted to form. A light teasing came into her eyes but it was balanced by the relief and playfulness in her smile, " From what I hear I should be honored." she teased.

She knew Rabastan was something of a big thing for her house, hell for the school itself, and she couldn't really blame the girls either, he was eye candy with the added flair of danger and mystery. Merlin knew he could be charming as well. If it wasn't for Nicolas she'd probably fancy herself half in love with the boy in front of her. Not that she was in love with Nicolas, but she had a little more experience around men who made a girl's knees go weak, and seeing this protective side of Rabastan firmly put him in a friendship category. She was going to let herself trust him, which meant she was not going to get romantically involved with him, romance and trust should never mix and mingle that's how people got crushed and how tempers flew and people cried.