Tricked [OPEN]

[Curse Kameren]

The rustling of pages and quiet sound of students studying was something Curse Kameren had gotten used to since taking his job at Hogwarts. Living in the school with his students was originally strange to him, but now it was regular. They were just regular residents in the learning city that was Hogwarts Castle.

Curse had been spending a lot of his time outside classes in the Hogwarts library. The school's library was one of the best in the country, and Curse's research into the mystery of the beasts was never ending. The Potions Master's arms were stacked past his lean shoulders with books as he stumbled through the library's door, his snow-white hair hardly visible behind the pile.

Emerald eyes peeked over the books as he took the steps towards his apartment in the professor's towers. Up he went, and--

--Thnk. Curse swore as his foot sank ankle-deep into the stair, causing the professor to stumble and drop his books. "Trick stair. Of the love of Merlin's bloody--" The professor stopped his cussing as he heard the light footsteps of another person coming around the corner.

[Eden Fletcher]

October passed and life quickly resorted to a peaceful kind of normal. Scratches faded and all but the nightmares had disappeared. Eden was practically back to normal. She hadn't had a vision since the one in defense and she had started sleeping during the night, without a nightlight.

She even made a few friends, despite the rumors that she wet the bed, was a freak who shouted gibberish and just plain weird. There were other weird kids at Hogwarts too. They were also rather nice. The young first year was with one of her new friends, a ravenclaw first year and a hufflepuff laughing as they walked down the hall heading outside to find the giant squid, when Eden heard a very loud thud. Distracted, Eden glanced back at the stair case they had just passed and found herself staring at her favorite professor. She hadn't seen much of Professor Kameren since he had been discharged from the hospita. A giggle escaped from Eden, as she watched the tall man sink into the stairs. Obviously he hadn't gotten the memo to skip the fourth step up on the sixth stair cases when it reached the towers. Shooing her friends to go on without her, the eleven year old skipped backwards and hopped down the stairs, stopping two steps above Kameren.

"I guess the stair case likes the taste of Kamerens." She teased.

"It might release you if you don't struggle...but maybe not." She said offhandedly as she examined the situation. It was rather funny and she couldn't help but smile.

[Curse Kameren]

"I guess the stair case likes the taste of Kamerens."

Curse Kameren smiled as his eyes fell on the familiar face of Eden Fletcher. He chuckled at his predicament as the Gryffindor put it in a humorous light. "Yeah, I suppose so. Just last week Max go stuck in this same stair..." The professor bent awkwardly, putting his bony hands around his knee and shooting a blue-white light down towards his ankle. The stair didn't budge. Curse frowned. "Looks like I'm at its mercy for now," Curse looked up at the young girl, shrugging off his situation. "You can go along with your friends, if you like. I'll be fine." The professor gripped the railing of the stairs now, pushing himself upwards, but there were still no results.

"It might release you if you don't struggle...but maybe not."

The Potions Master laughed, leaning awkwardly against the railing. "Thanks for your help," He said, the slight amount of sarcasm sounding in his light voice. "How have other people gotten out of this bloody thing? I've never been stuck in it before..."

[Eden Fletcher]

"You can go along with your friends, if you like. I'll be fine."

Eden glanced over her shoulder, but her friends were already gone. Besides this was far more fun.

"Maybe I should call them to come watch!" She teased as she settled down on a step above the one she had been standing on. Eden rested her hands on her knees as she stared at the trap foot. The blue light spell had done nothing to appeased the hungry stair.

Like many children her age, the slight hint of sarcasm passed her by, although she wondered briefly if he was really thanking her or teasing. One could never tell with some adults.

"How have other people gotten out of this bloody thing? I've never been stuck in it before..."

Eden shrugged, tapping her fingers on the stairs as she spoke. " Not sure. I was told countless times to be aware of it or I'd end up like that first year that got stuck during Harry potter's time. Sally Weatherby I think...she got stuck in this stair when the death eaters ran the school and no one found her for two days because this stair case moved, keeping her there. I guess it was lonely but I think the story is exaggerated. Maybe you're trying to hard? Or it has a crush on you!" Eden said with a laugh. It was rather funny to think that a moving stair case could feel anything and be in love with the grumpy Potions professor.

"Maybe it wants something from you? Or Hogwarts itself is trying to tell you something."

[Curse Kameren]

"Maybe I should call them to come watch!" The young Gryffindor eagerly teased the trapped professor. She hugged her knees as a grin grew across her youthful face.

Curse laughed, smiling crookedly as he leaned awkwardly against the wall. "Wouldn't be any more embarrassing than my regular classroom antics," He shrugged. It was widely known around the school now that the Potions Master was a madman, and his teaching methods reflected that. Curse didn't mind, however. Why hide what he was? "How have others gotten out of this bloody thing? I've never been stuck in it before..."

" Not sure. I was told countless times to be aware of it or I'd end up like that first year that got stuck during Harry potter's time. Sally Weatherby I think...she got stuck in this stair when the death eaters ran the school and no one found her for two days because this stair case moved, keeping her there. I guess it was lonely but I think the story is exaggerated."

"Very comforting," The professor smirked as he rolled his green eyes. "They were telling that one in my time too. Somehow I never believed its true. Right now I'm hoping its not." Curse struggled to pull his foot upwards once again as he felt the stair loosen its grip for a moment, but it closed back inwards when he moved.

"Maybe you're trying to hard? Or it has a crush on you!"

Curse's eyebrows shot upwards in surprise at the girls remark. He laughed "Melin, I hope not! Get enough of that from my third years." He smiled about that; it was amusing to him, how somehow 'grizzled, sickly potions master' translated into 'suitable school professor crush'. Curse often had difficulty understanding the illogical mind of a preteen girl. He couldn't be more thankful that Max was a boy.

"Maybe it wants something from you? Or Hogwarts itself is trying to tell you something."

The Professor shrugged. "Good to know someone wants me to stay." Lately, the Headmaster had just taken to forwarding all of the parents' complaint letters about Curse's methods and position straight to him. It was slightly short of encouraging. "It was loosening up when i stopped moving, maybe if I sit a while it will spit me out." Curse ran a hand through his mostly-white hair; since his hospital stay, the antidote had yet to darken his hair back to black. He wasn't sure if it would be able to. This was just another progression in the sickness, he supposed. His emerald gaze fell back on Eden, and a light smile graced his scarred face.

"So, how has your semester been? You've been lovely in my class, I expect you'll be one of the few with a passing grade this semester." His green eyes narrowed slightly as he examined the young girl's face, "You look tired. I hope the visions haven't been keeping you up again..."

[Eden Fletcher]

"Wouldn't be any more embarrassing than my regular classroom antics,"

As her favorite Professor laughed at himself Eden stared at him incredulously. Embarrassing? Him? "it's not embarrassing, you're actually COOL!" Eden said emphasizing the last word as she jumped up, hands on her hips as she stared up at him. What gave him the idea that he was an embarrassment? Some kids were actually jealous of Max because he had such an awesome dad. While she would never admit it, Eden sometimes wanted to be Max. She'd do anything to have a father like Curse even if it were for five minutes.

"There are far to many stuffy boring teachers here. Please don't go all stiff on me just cus some silly adults think you're silly." She pleaded biting her lip to keep from pouting too much. One more silent class period of copying down passages or reading chapters and she'd go bonkers again.

Eden resumed her perch on the stair as the conversation turned back to the staircase.

"They were telling that one in my time too. Somehow I never believed its true. Right now I'm hoping its not.".

"I guess there has to be a shred of truth in the story somewhere or it wouldn't have lasted so long." Eden commented as she continued to stare at the stair. On impulse she stuck her small hand in the opening of stair allowing only a two fingers to pass through the stair. A small tugging sensation tickled her fingers and she giggled at the sensation. Slowly, she moved her hand the scant inch it was in the step.

"Well it doesn't like me as much." She said with a big grin, convinced that Hogwarts, or at least the staircase had a crush on the grumpy madman.

"Good to know someone wants me to stay."

A frown furrowed Eden's light colored eyebrows, knitting them together. Was someone threatening him? Making him want to leave? With Tor gone Hogwarts was rather lonely and it would be unbearable without her favorite Professor. Surely there was something she could do? Emery was always going on about the power of activist groups and how peaceful protests made great head way in civil rights. Perhaps she could create a club about keeping the Kamerens at Hogwarts. Eden would not sit idly by while some of the best teachers were forced out of school, especially when ones like that pureblood blood demon were kept.

"It was loosening up when i stopped moving, maybe if I sit a while it will spit me out."

"What if we gave it something else to latch on to? You could conjure something up and I could stick it in there and see if the step would like it? Maybe it just needs something to hold like a teddy bear? Hehehe the staircase thinks your a ---teddy ---bear!" She said unable to keep her childish laughter at bay. There was very little that Eden Fletcher laughed at but when she did it was sweet.

The moment passed and Eden recovered, a grin still on her face.

"So, how has your semester been? You've been lovely in my class, I expect you'll be one of the few with a passing grade this semester."

The compliment warmed Eden and she ducked her head a bit. Praise was hard to come by in the Ashcroft household but Eden knew her grandparents loved her in their own way. Still it didn't mean that she didn't feel something when someone gave her a compliment.

"Really?" Eden said slightly amazed. Potions was by far her best class because it was more hands on and she didn't have to wave her wand much. Spells were a challenge for Eden, often taking weeks to learn a spell her classmates learned in a week. So much for being one of the most powerful seers. She could barely levitate anything heavier than a feather. It was as if she couldn't generate enough power through her wand. Eden was pulled out of her thoughts by Curse's question about her heath.

Sleep rarely came easy to Eden and it was even harder since she had seen the demon attack Curse's brother. Unaware, Eden huddled against the banister, hugging her knees tightly to her chest.

"A bit." She mumbled not looking him in the eye. Ever since St. Mungo's Eden had been having a recurring vision. Curse's death. She had seen it after she had asked him if he was going to die. It had been a quick flash, her power, for once, was showing her what she had asked. Ever since Eden debated about telling the professor. Was it right to keep such a thing from him?

"Do you think about your death?" She asked quietly, glancing up at him underneath long light brown eyelashes.

[Curse Kameren]

"What if we gave it something else to latch on to? You could conjure something up and I could stick it in there and see if the step would like it? Maybe it just needs something to hold like a teddy bear? Hehehe the staircase thinks your a ---teddy ---bear!"

The professor laughed along with Eden, shaking his white-haired head. "I'm afraid I don't think that will work. You just stuck your hand in the step and it didn't touch you," Curse shrugged, crossing his arms. "I can just wait, I suppose. Hopefully it will let me go in time for me to get some work done tonight..." Curse ran a hand through his hair, glancing down at the stair; he was due to patrol North Knockturn Alley tonight for creatures, and he didn't want to miss something important about the creatures.

Curse's eyes glinted upwards at Eden, a smile warming his scarred face as he casually steered the conversation away from his 'work': "So, how has your semester been? You've been lovely in my class, I expect you'll be one of the few with a passing grade this semester." His smile widened slightly as the student glowed at the comment; apparently the young girl didn't get complements often. Strange, with her extraordinary gifts. His green eyes narrowed slightly as he examined the young girl's face, "You look tired. I hope the visions haven't been keeping you up again..."

"A bit." Concern fell over Curse's face as Eden suddenly turned defensive in her demeanor. Was she having trouble with the terrible things she'd seen in her vision of the creature? Or was it something else? With the departure of the Divination Professor who was mentoring her, Curse could understand why the young girl was struggling.

"Eden," Curse reached gently forward and lifted her chin up to look at him. "If you're having trouble with your gifts, you can ask for help. Though I won't be as useful in helping with your powers as Tor was, I do have experience of knowing what it's like. Young with a very grown-up gift, that is. If you need help, you can ask me." The Potions Master's brow furrowed with his seriousness, his eyes not moving from the girl's round blue gaze as he spoke. Though Curse's own mental gifts weren't quite as extraordinary as Eden's, he knew what it was like to live in a world with others who didn't understand you. To be considered an outsider solely because of how you think; it was a stressful situation for anyone, most of all a child. Curse had endured it, and if he could help prevent another from feeling that way, he would.

"Do you think about your death?"

The professor's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth and closed it again. Where had that question come from? He didn't quite know what to say to her. "Well, enough," Curse stammered, nervously running a hand through his hair. He couldn't really tell her much about his mortality; the details were vague even to him, and much of what he was preparing for was to be kept secret. "I know roughly how long I have, and am in the process of getting my preparations in order for when the time comes," Curse wasn't meeting Eden's eyes. He was obviously uncomfortable. "As an auror, I've been trained to be prepared for this situation. I take comfort in the fact that when I go, I'll be taking many terrible things out of this world with me." He shrugged his shoulder's awkwardly in a that's that gesture.

His emerald eyes shot up at Eden when he realized what may have prompted the question: "Eden, did you see something?" His face was very serious, the ragged scar across his face causing his lips to turn downwards at one end. "If you did, its very important that you never tell me. I can't know the details. I can't spend the rest of my time here counting down to zero." The professor's hands started to shake slightly as he clasped them against the railing behind him, prompting Curse's memory to flash back to the creature in the alley, the night he killed it with his blood. It was in such agony. It was so afraid.

[Eden Fletcher]

Laughing felt nice and when the gruffest professor at Hogwarts (Evans didn't count since she couldn't possibly have a heart), Eden laughed harder enjoying the moment. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so carefree, without worry about something or another. Growing up was complicated and sometimes Eden wished she was six again before the world knew just how 'special' she was.

"I'm afraid I don't think that will work. You just stuck your hand in the step and it didn't touch you," Curse shrugged, crossing his arms.

One last giggle escaped as Curse crossed his arms. It really was sad how nothing seemed to be working, not that Eden was trying really hard. She really didn't want this moment to end. She would never admit it, but Eden craved attention from the adults. She got it more than most students because of her talent but that was different. They were often worried, upset and not at all pleasant then and she didn't feel well after a vision anyways.

"I can just wait, I suppose. Hopefully it will let me go in time for me to get some work done tonight...

The way Curse said the word work struck Eden as odd. The fact that he didn't clarify even a smudge of what he planned to do made Eden curious and just a little bit worried. What could he need to do that was so important? Eden doubted students would mind if he didn't finish grading their papers or better yet if he couldn't plan a lesson because Hogwarts held him captive. No, that wouldn't be so important. It had to be more. Auror related? Demons. Eden's already white skinned paled further at the thought. He was trying to defeat them himself. She should have realized it earlier. He was far too proud and skilled not to.

"Can I help? If you don't get out tonight I could bring the work to you. Maybe you can even charm a chair to float behind you so you can sit?" the more she spoke the better she felt as she excitedly spewed out her ideas.

"You look tired. I hope the visions haven't been keeping you up again..."

The elation Eden felt from being praised about something other than her talent to see distraction, dimmed at the reminder. The dreams had slackened a bit but never fully stopped. Sleep was a luxury that her mind seemed to hate. A good night was six hours of sleep. She couldn't not tell him anything so she down played it a bit hoping the conversation would turn away from her appearance. She was not a picture of health or prettiness. She was far, far, far too short, her skin was pasty white and her hair straight as a line.

Eden," Curse reached gently forward and lifted her chin up to look at him. "If you're having trouble with your gifts, you can ask for help. Though I won't be as useful in helping with your powers as Tor was, I do have experience of knowing what it's like. Young with a very grown-up gift, that is. If you need help, you can ask me."

With no choice but to comply, Eden did not fight the gentle tugging from his fingers and met his gaze unabashed. A mix of emotions stirred inside of Eden at the sound of Tor's name. The longer he stayed away the more angry and confused she became. By now she was rather use to him being gone but he had always been a mind shout away. There was or rather had been a strange mind connection between the two. The first time she had a true vision he had guided her out of it, telling her what to do in her mind. Since then he mentored her through dreams but ever since he left for his trip he hadn't spoken to her at all. That was the most maddening thing. He should have contacted her whens he screamed for his help when she saw the demons attack Alex. But he remained silent but she still felt him a tiny bit in the corner of her mind. He was still alive, still there just unresponsive and that made her mad. But she didn't need him no more because she now had Curse and he was better because he was here and he made much more sense than Tor did. Curse was also cooler.

"What is your gift?" She asked head quirked to one side. Wandless magic? Could he really have done that as a kid? Being really really smart? He was the smartest person she knew, even more than Tor or her grandmother.

Because he wanted to help her Eden wanted to return the favor but she had to know did he think about his death? It had bothered her ever since she had found out he was slowly dying and she had seen how it happened or would happen really.

She through him off guard as he stammered uncomfortably looking away. Eden hadn't meant to make him upset. She wanted so much to tell him what she saw but wasn't sure how or if she could.

"I know roughly how long I have, and am in the process of getting my preparations in order for when the time comes,"

So he was prepared...somewhat. Eden only knew that Curse was older when it happened, maybe seven eight years into the future. But she couldn't be sure.

Curse wasn't meeting Eden's eyes. He was obviously uncomfortable. "As an auror, I've been trained to be prepared for this situation. I take comfort in the fact that when I go, I'll be taking many terrible things out of this world with me."

Eden opened her mouth, the question of about what terrible things he was taking out forming on her lips, when he interrupted her.

"Eden, did you see something?"

The tone of his voice and the seriousness of his expression stilled her, she even stopped fidgeting with her clothes.

"If you did, its very important that you never tell me. I can't know the details. I can't spend the rest of my time here counting down to zero."

"But what if I can change it? Make it less harder on Max? I know where but not when...not exactly. " She said asked passionately, she really cared for her professor and sometimes she liked Max when he behaved that is.

[Curse Kameren]

Curse put his scarred hands around his calf once more, the air around his leg vibrating slightly as he tried to displace the energy around his leg. There had to be something he could do. A secret word, a special spell, something. It couldn't just be as cruelly simple as holding your and randomly releasing you. At least, he really hoped not.

"What is your gift?"

"I'm very very clever," Curse replied simply, not looking up from his spellcrafting around his leg. "Very clever. The only reason why I graduated from Hogwarts at fifteen was because I was trying to pace myself to appear normal. I've been a potions master since I was sixteen, and I've been an animagus since I was twelve. Very very clever..." He looked up, his emerald eyes smiling at the young girl. "It was difficult, to live like that. Being a genius, I imagine, is a lot like being a seer: you're always a couple steps ahead of everyone else." His smile lingered for a moment before he went back to his spell.

"Do you think about your death?"

The spell stopped as the professor froze. Curse's eyebrows shot upward into his white hairline; he hadn't expected such a question from Eden. Could he even answer her? Naturally, he thought about his death all the time. He didn't like others knowing, though; he preferred simply to act as if he were fine. Putting on a strong face for the rest of the world was the only thing Curse knew how to do, and when people saw the mask was when he started to panic.

"I know roughly how long I have, and am in the process of getting my preparations in order for when the time comes," The professor stammered, awkwardly straightening to look at the young girl, "As an auror, I've been trained to be prepared for this situation. I take comfort in the fact that when I go, I'll be taking many terrible things out of this world with me." Curse knew she would want to ask him what 'bad things' he was talking about, but he wouldn't tell her. He had only ever told one person about his hidden abilities, and now she was gone. He couldn't risk breaking his promise by telling another. He had promised himself he would take his curse, his true illness, to the grave with him.

"Eden, did you see something?" The professor's eyes flashed at the girl as the realization dawned on him. The possibility of Eden seeing his death was likely; he hated to be pretentious about it, but his death would cause quite a stir in the Wizarding World. He was a powerful wizard with powerful influences, and his absence would leave a gap in that role. The Wizarding World's dark protector, "Big Bad Curse Kameren", would be gone. If Eden's perceptions caught on to urgent moments in the future, his death was a prominent subject."If you did, its very important that you never tell me. I can't know the details. I can't spend the rest of my time here counting down to zero."

"But what if I can change it? Make it less harder on Max? I know where but not when...not exactly. "

"Eden," Curse sighed, leaning tiredly against the wall of the stairs. Having this sort of discussion broke his heart; he hated the idea of not being able to be there, to be absent when someone he cared for needed him. It was something everyone had to face at some point; Curse should just consider himself lucky, that he got the opportunity to make preparations before his time. "I wish you could help me, but believe me when I say I have exhausted all of my options. With they way the poison works, I really should have been dead five years ago. Do you remember the creature in the alley? How it died?" The professor's brow furrowed as he thought of it, tried to keep a straight face: deep down, Curse was scared. "That's me, only I'm in slow motion. I can only stall the poison, I can't cure it. I've told Max and his mum, and we've made plans. Max has eight years of me, and we're going to do the best we can."

The professor sighed, putting his head in his hands in frustration. It was difficult for Curse to explain his condition and arrangements to anyone, especially a child, and it hurt him to listen to them protest something that couldn't be moved. He was dying, and that was that. He wished there was more to it, but for once his life was painfully simple. "Eden, I wish there was more you could do for me. But for now, the best thing you can do to help is to never, ever tell me what you saw. Do you understand?" Curse looked up to her, trying to smile through his frustration with the situation. He would go to her and comfort the child, if it weren't for his bloody foot stuck in the stair.

[Eden Fletcher]

For a second all Eden could do was stare at her professor as he rambled on about his gift. Brains? That was it. She already knew he was one of the smartest people alive but that was his gift? It was rather bland and not all that exciting. Why couldn't his gift be invisibility or x-ray vision. But then again because he was so smart he probably knew how to spell his various body parts to do those things. Maybe being a genius was ace after all. Still she was rather surprised and impressed to hear that he graduated from Hogwarts at fifteen.

"It was difficult, to live like that. Being a genius, I imagine, is a lot like being a seer: you're always a couple steps ahead of everyone else." His smile lingered for a moment before he went back to his spell.
In her case more like a couple of dreams ahead but she wouldn't point out the technicalities. Suddenly she didn't feel so alien anymore, despite Tor still traveling the world without her.

She shouldn't have asked him. That much was made clear by his reaction. it was a private matter and none of her concern but it had been bugging her for sometime. She knew he was ready for it. He had to be he knew he was dying. But she wondered how he wanted to go. Did he want Max to be there to see the moment when Curse would crumple to the ground singling his impending death. Did he want to die in a hospital bed or the comfort of his own? If she knew then maybe Eden could make it happen, tweak with events to make his passing easier.

"But what if I can change it? Make it less harder on Max? I know where but not when...not exactly. "

He didn't want her offer of help, didn't need her more likely. She was after all a child.

"I wish you could help me, but believe me when I say I have exhausted all of my options. With they way the poison works, I really should have been dead five years ago. Do you remember the creature in the alley? How it died?" The professor's brow furrowed as he thought of it, tried to keep a straight face: deep down, Curse was scared. "That's me, only I'm in slow motion. I can only stall the poison, I can't cure it. I've told Max and his mum, and we've made plans. Max has eight years of me, and we're going to do the best we can."

Eden glared at him as her temper inched up. "I know I can't stop or prolong your death but I can make the passing easier. Make sure who ever you want is there...or isn't." She bit out her arms folded across her chest her lips compressed in a pout. It was a childish reaction to the news of how his death went but Eden was still very much a child. It was easier to be petulant than sad. If she was sad then she would have to think about how the demon had died and she had tried her hardest to not think about it.

"Eden, I wish there was more you could do for me. But for now, the best thing you can do to help is to never, ever tell me what you saw. Do you understand?"

"Yes," She said softly staring him in the face as she did so, her stance softening. She would not tell him what she saw because he asked her not to.

"Sing. The stair is just lonely and if you give it your undivided attention it should let you go," she pointed out with all the sureness of child like logic.

"Or tickle it. Then it would have to set you free because it would need to laugh right?" She said with a small smile as she pretended to be happy, pushing aside the talk of death even though her eyes were still haunted.