Urgent news from the Ministry

[Wyl]

Wyl had managed to get to the entrance of the castle, much to his disgust at the reluctance of the wizards and warlocks to take him all the way in. How could anyone surround themselves with people who seemed so incompetent in a situation of crisis. His head still throbbed steadily and he'd been told that there was a rather large lump at the back of his head.

Wyl tried to ignore it, hoping that his feet out recognise the school and take him directly to the Headmistress' Tower. They did, much to his pleasure and soon he was lifting a hand to try and knock on the door. Blood thudded in his ears and he knew that it was dangerous for him to remain unchecked by someone. He wished that Kasey was just randomly strolling by, or perhaps Claire could stop the throbbing somehow.

He knocked again, leaning against the wall in the hope that the weight off his feet might somehow lessen the strain on his head.

[Ace]

From behind Wyl, footsteps sounded up the staircase. Unlike Wyl's, they were calm, slow, heavy steps, and were paired with a jaunty tune being whistled expertly.

Ace had walked straight from the Quidditch Pitch to the Headmistresses Tower, having stopped only momentarily on the way to look through the windows of the tall stone castle, allowing himself a few indulgent memories of his own time residing within its walls. He looked only a little different than when he had walked away from the little world of Magic Horizons... his hair was even longer and messier than before, and around his neck was a piece of string that threaded together a few green and blue crystals and what looked like a Vampire's fang.

Ace ceased whistling at the sight of Wyl, and immediately grinned. He climbed the last several stairs and tapped Wyl on the shoulder.

"Boo," he said cheerfully. "Congrats on the game - you're a pretty good Seeker."

[Wyl]

Wyl turned at the sound of another pair of footsteps, half hoping it would be someone he was looking for. Instead it was Ace, a face he hadn't seen in a long time. The pain in his head was thankfully ebbing away, and he managed a smile, although he had to blink away the dots that swam before his eyes.

"Hullo Ace," Wyl said, pushing his glasses a little higher up his nose and swaying slightly from side to side. "I haven't seen you in awhile. Where have you been?" Wyl remembered then that he was trying to talk to Claire and had a half-hearted attempt at knocking at the door again.

[Ace]

Ace frowned - perhaps it was a little arrogant of him, but he had been expecting a more hearty welcome, especially from a fellow Hufflepuff. However it suddenly dawned on him that it wasn't very common that a student would be pounding so loudly on the Headmistresses door unless there was something wrong.

Feeling as though he was going to be introduced to the source of the unusual activity around Magic Horizons sooner than he anticipated, and grabbed Wyl by the shoulder and turned him so he could stare directly into his bespectacled eyes.

"Wyl," he said forcefully, now trying to keep the Hufflepuff boy from falling over. "What's wrong? What are you doing here?"

[Wyl]

In Wyl's dazed state, he had actually forgotten the role Ace had played within the school once upon a time. The fact hit him now as Ace whirled him around, grabbing his shoulders. He realised that maybe because he couldn't get in contact with Claire, Ace would have to do, for now.

"Lottie's been kidnapped," Wyl said, his head slowly clearing. Something about the situation made him get his head in order. "A Vampire took Lottie. I guess he took the Ministeress as well," Wyl swallowed, trying to remember what he could, what was useful to the strange pair to help them do something about the situation.

[Ace]

"A Vampire?"

Ace's piercing gaze darkened, stormclouds settling behind them. What the hell had happened to the Lair since he had left? He knew Michaela was gone... though thinking about it still caused that fresh wound to sear, so he shook his head with a great effort to remove thoughts of her and spoke again.

"Lottie... I don't think I know her... and Meriel? Do you know which Vampire it was? What he looked like?"

[Wyl]

Wyl stared at Ace, not undertanding what he had asked. Meriel? Who was she? The name niggled in his mind and somewhere it dawned on Wyl that Ace mustn't know about the appointment of Kiki as Ministeress after the former Ministeress's disappearance. Wyl swallowed, wondering if the rumours about the relationship with Ace and Kiki were true. There had been so many at one point, Wyl had gotten sick to death of hearing about them. He had loads of respect for Ace as it was, he didn't want it to be tarnished by rumours that might not even be true.

The main thing that everyone seemed to be sure of was the Ace and Kiki were best friends. But then, Wyl had never seen them together, so maybe that was just another rumour and Ace didn't know Kiki at all.

Wyl realised he hadn't said anything, and there was a strange look in Ace's eyes.

"No, not Meriel," Wyl shook his head. "Kiki. They took Kiki."

[Ace]

"Kiki. They took Kiki."

Whatever Ace had been expecting, that had not been it. His determination seemed to fade away, revealing a ghost of something like fear flitting across his face; he let go of where he had been gripping Wyl's shoulder, and his arm fell limply by his side. His eyes, wide, searched almost desperately in Wyl's face as if looking for some sign that meant he was lying, he was mistaken, it couldn't be Kiki, it just couldn't be...

But Wyl's face remained blank, ignorant of the panic that had been so suddenly inspired in the Vampire. Ace opened his mouth, searching for more questions to ask, he knew he needed to know more before they confronted the Headmistresses with the problem at hand...

"How -" he began, slowly, disbelievingly. But suddenly, a huge wave of rage grappled with his patience, and won out. He let out an anguished growl, and turned, without another word to Wyl, and leapt down the winding staircase, his only thought being that he had to find, and save, Kiki.