The Elementals by Namacub95 (best book club books for discussion .txt) 📕

somewhat like a gold fish and somewhat like someone who just got slapped.

"And shut your trap! You look like an idiot!" Shauna turned on her heel and marched back up to the castle intent upon hurting the first poor unfortunate soul that crossed her path.

A hand wrapped itself around her arm and she gave an audible growl as she was spun around to face Keith.

"I'm not going to let you go until you tell me what the hell that was all about." Shauna had to give him credit, he bounced back fast.

"Go screw yourself Downes! Don't act like you know me! You haven't got a clue!"

"Then tell me and I'll have one because at the moment you're hurting. Some one once told me that 'a burden shared is a burden halved' so how about testing that one out?" Keith asked.

Shauna really wanted to tell him the truth but she couldn't…she wouldn't it was too painful.

"I'm going to say this once and then I'm never saying it again. I'm not broken. I'm not some psychodrama that you can pat yourself on the back for noticing. Yes, I'm hurting right now and the last thing I need is some idiotic elemental sprouting proverbs and shit that he thinks will make everything better because it's all rainbows and lollipops in Keithland!"

Keith kept a firm grip on Shauna's arm and looked her dead in the eye. She wanted to turn away from his gaze but she held her ground, she would never back down to anyone.

"I know that I'm probably the last person you want to talk to but trust me it will help." He said slowly. Shauna glared at Keith for some inexplicable reason she didn't have the strength or the will to fight back anymore. Shauna glared at the snow covered ground and Keith slowly let go of her arm.

"I'm not in need of a shrink alright!" Shauna said as a warning "It's just this day…it brings back stuff I'd rather forget."

"Like what?" Keith asked.

"Well it happened when I was eight…" Shauna began

"Shaunie! Shaunie! C'mon! It's snowing outside!" An eight year old Shauna looked up at the five year old girl who looked just like her except with longer hair.

"Well c'mon then! Last one outside is a mountain troll's-"

"Shauna! Eleanor where are you two going?" Their mother's voice made the two sisters stop in their tracks.

"Outside to play." Answered Eleanor pulling on some woollen mittens and a powder blue winter coat. "It's snowing."

"Be careful." Hannah Longbottom warned "There are still some Death Eaters running around out there and one was spotted near here yesterday so don't go too far."

"Yes Mum." The girls said in unison as they walked out the door into the courtyard. Shauna reached up and tapped the bricks so that the entrance to Diagon Alley was revealed. Promptly a snowball made contact with the back of her head and she spun to glower at Eleanor who stuck her tongue out at her older sister.

"Can't catch me!" she declared racing past Shauna. Shauna bent down to scoop up some snow to make her own snowball before chasing after her sister.

"Betcha I can!" Shauna yelled. The girls ran through the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley making the shoppers stop and stare, those who knew that they were the Hannah Longbottom, the landlady's children waved at them.

Shauna aimed her snowball at Eleanor's back. Her aim was true and it smacked into Eleanor's back causing her to loose her balance and fall over.

Shauna was at her sister's side in an instant and offered her a hand to help her up. Eleanor didn't cry even though she had landed badly on the cobbled street, she took her sister's hand.

"It hurts Shaunie." Eleanor said pointing at her knee.

"C'mon let's get home and Mum'll make it feel better." Shauna suggested. She supported her sister as they limped slowly back to their home, The Leaky Cauldron.

There was a shriek further ahead of the siblings and a flash of green light. Shauna knew that this was bad news and turned around taking her sister the other way as fast as they could go.

"Shaunie! Home's that way!" Eleanor cried pointing behind her. People were starting to run past them now, they were screaming and some were hit with a jet of green and fell face forward onto the snow covered street.

Shauna was now half dragging half running as far away from the mad person behind them who was slaughtering innocent people as they ran. Shauna glanced over her shoulder to see a jet of green heading her way. She was shoved to the side and their was a high pitched scream.

Shauna clenched her eyes shut afraid to open them; she heard her father's voice and his friend's voices too they were yelling for people to move. There were more bangs and some shrieks but still Shauna kept her eyes clamped shut. Eventually she felt arms around her, she was being lifted up by someone.

"Shauna, it's ok it's me." It was her father.

She finally dared to open her eyes, she was staring into her father's ministry robes. She turned her head around and she then saw the sight that would haunt her forever. The sightless gaze of her younger sister as she lay on the snow covered street.

She made a vow that horrible day, she wouldn't show weakness again! She wouldn't be helpless! She would be strong for Eleanor.

"They caught the bastard eventually. He was an escaped Death Eater who was trying to prove that the Death Eaters were still a threat." Shauna said her voice thick.

"I'm sorry about your sis-" Keith began moving to hug Shauna, but Shauna instantly pulled away from him.

"I don't need your pity!" She snapped tears running down her cheeks.

"Shauna it's alright to cry." Keith said softly.

"I'm not crying!" she snapped rubbing her eyes fiercely "My eyes are dry that's all! If you tell anyone about this I'll end you!"

"I wasn't going to-" Keith began again.

"Goodbye!" Shauna yelled storming up to the castle. Shauna ran back to the Hufflepuff Common Room as fast as she could, storming up to her deserted dormitory where she could have peace to cry until she couldn't anymore.

She was too harsh on Keith, she knew that but he was the only one who could weather her temper and abuse and still come back again. Maybe she should've given him a chance but it was too late for that now. She just couldn't have relationships with people because no matter what, she always ended up hurt.

Chapter 14: The Book

Why are we going to the library again?" Scorpius asked as he, Rose and Alice walked to the school library.

"We need to find more books on elementals." Rose answered.

"And more training material." Alice added.

"We've already worked through all there was. Dumbledore must have had more books than that so we're going to look for them." Rose continued.

"Uh…OK but why am I here?" Scorpius asked sounding confused.

"Three pairs of eyes are better than two." Rose said.

"Besides we couldn't find Albus and Keith." Alice added.

Scorpius shrugged at the girls' logic it was best if he didn't argue with them, after all they were just as powerful as he was. Besides they really did need more training material, the few books that they had managed to find from Dumbledore's private collection wasn't going to be enough. Half of the books had pages falling out from old age.

The library wasn't very busy when they entered, it never really was unless exams were looming. Madame Pince regarded them coolly and Rose handed her a pass signed by Professor McGonagall that would allow them access to the Restricted Section. Madame Pince examined the pass for a long while trying to detect any hint of forgery but found none.

The three teenagers made their way to the Restricted Section and split up to find the books they needed. Scorpius moved over to where Alice was checking through books.

"You not just here to check books are you?"

"What gave you that impression?" Alice asked replacing a book she had taken out.

"You let Rose do most of the explaining." Scorpius said "You let other people do the talking when you're planning something."

"Why would I be planning something?"

"You and Albus have been looking for a good excuse to get me and Rose together."

"I'll take it you haven't asked her out yet."

"No I-"

"Are you planning to?"

"Well I-I mean I-" Scorpius stuttered.

"Look Scorp." Alice said putting down the book to look at Scorpius "You and Rose both like each other, you have been friends since first year and you've been dancing around each other almost as long. I don't see why you two can't see what's in front of you."

"What about you then? You're a prime example of the single life too."

"I prefer to help other people." Alice said with a shrug picking out another book from the shelf.

"Avoiding the question." Scorpius muttered.

"I'm simply not interested in any boys." Scorpius could tell Alice was lying at this point.

"Don't believe that for a second Ali-baba."

"Using the nickname won't make me admit anything, especially if there is nothing to admit."

"You forget I know you."

"Couldn't forget if I tried. You insist on interfering in my private life. I don't know who is worse, you or Keith! You know it's called a private life for a reason. " Alice said sounding annoyed.

"This is Hogwarts." Scorpius said gesturing around "Nothing is private."

"Scorp." Alice said exasperation clearly evident in her tone "There is nothing I haven't told you. If something changes you'll be the first to know, you're my friend not my brother."

Scorpius smirked "Whatever you say."

Alice rolled her eyes and shoved the book she was holding in her hand back into the shelf and stalked off.

"You're welcome!" Scorpius called after her.

Rose who was on the other side of the shelf and heard the whole conversation stood in shock.

"Any luck?" Scorpius asked as he moved to the other side of the shelf. Rose snapped out of her trance and quickly grabbed the first book she could.

"Nope." Alice replied.

"Nada..." Rose muttered stopping and pulling a book of the Dark Arts off the shelf.

She flipped through it slowly to see if there was. Graphic illustrations showed people being tortured and having gruesome injuries. Bile rose in Rose's throat and she quickly slammed the book shut and put it back on the shelf.

Alice picked up a small leather bound book from the shelf she stared at the front cover which had five symbols on the front. They were runes; she knew that because she and Rose took Ancient Runes. A small note was sticking out of it like a bookmark.

"Book of the Elements… it read

"Over here!" Alice said opening the book. The book was written in runes, they were very old even older than the ones she was used to translating. She closed the book puzzled by the strange runes.

Scorpius and Rose raced over to Alice's side, staring at the book in wonder. Rose folded up her piece of parchment and slid it in an