Intervention Upon a String

Chapter Seven

When falling from 125 feet, some say you will most likely see your life flash before your eyes. Angelina saw a few birds' nests. She did not scream, she did not cry, she only closed her eyes and waited for the familiar sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach to abruptly stop; waited for the deafening rush of air to cease against her ears; waited for the ground to give her body a total high-five. Maybe if she'd had her eyes open, she would have seen the giant spider's web she fell into that ultimately saved her life.

Angelina felt her body connect with something springy and sticky. It caught her fall and bent under her weight and then bounced back up but did not toss her into the air. She remained stuck to the sticky tangles of silk. When she opened her eyes a few moments later, she was panting and white as a sheet. For a moment, she only remained frozen in place against the web and stared forward until she finally calmed her nerves and looked around. Harvey gave a fearful bleat in her arms. To her right, Marcus was stuck in the web as well and clearly not amused. "So," Angelina said breathlessly. "Now what?"

Above them, the troll was grunting and shuffling about and contemplating jumping right over the edge as well. Marcus looked up warily. "Don't you fucking dare...," he mumbled and then sighed in relief when the troll retreated back into the cave.

Angelina analyzed their situation. They had both just jumped from over a hundred feet onto a giant spider's web that stretched across the length of the rocky cliff. Only yards away was the start of the forest once again. This time, it wasn't dead and barren like before. Now there were spruce and pine trees as far as the eye could see. The mountains loomed even closer and brought the chilly snow from the tops down to bite at their faces. Occasionally, a solitary flake would float down from the clouds.

"Perfect," Marcus grumbled.

Angelina struggled in the web a bit. The silky strands were sticking to her clothes and entangling her every time she moved. She sighed and rested, trying to think of a way out as moving about wasn't helping. To her right, she could still feel Marcus.

"Don't struggle," Angelina said. "You'll get tangled more."

"I'm not struggling," Marcus said.

"I can feel you moving, Flint," she snapped.

"I'm not fucking doing anything!"

Angelina furrowed her eyebrows and forced her head to turn in the sticky web. She stared at Marcus before her face dropped. "Marcus," she said, wiggling around. "Could you...get your wand out and...get us out of here...like....right this second?"

"Why right this second?"

Angelina remained calm. "Well, because I didn't think we wanted to make a giant web a rest stop at this moment in time and because there's a giant spider coming at us right behind you."

Marcus stared at her for a moment before his mind reacted. He didn't even need to confirm Angelina's fears as the web wiggled with the weight of an approaching spider the size of a small car. There was no way it could have missed feeling two humans falling into its home. The giant spider spun its silk and gracefully dropped down from the ledge it was perched on.

Marcus twisted his arm as much as he could to push it through the web. He had to somehow get to his back pocket but every inch of him was stuck.

"Marcus, hurry!"

"I'm trying!"

Harvey wasn't making things any easier. The golden unicorn sensed approaching danger and struggled against Angelina and cried out. The web bounced as they moved. The spider had landed now and was quickly scurrying over to them with fangs raised and dripping with venom. Marcus couldn't see it but knew it was getting closer by the look of Angelina's horrified face.

"Marcus!"

"Got it!" Marcus finally shouted and had managed to slip his wand out from his pocket with the tips of his fingers. He raised it and blasted the spider away. It bought them some time. With that, he used a melting spell on the web and the silk disintegrated beneath them. Marcus, Harvey, and Angelina all fell onto the hard ground beneath the web. They saw the spider scramble to its feet after struggling on its back for a moment.

The trio remained low as the spider couldn't see their whereabouts at first. Glancing around, Marcus saw a small opening a few feet away at the bottom of the web. He nudged Angelina. "Go."

Angelina looked at where he nodded and immediately crawled towards the hole. Marcus watched the spider warily and crawled behind her. "Nice view from back here," he whispered with a smirk.

"Shut up!" Angelina hissed and pushed Harvey through.

Angelina got onto her stomach and slithered her way under the opening of the web. Marcus looked up just as the spider spotted them and began to scurry towards them. Marcus gave Angelina a rough shove. "Go!"

"Ow! I'm trying!"

She crawled on her belly until she was free and spun around just as the spider was upon Marcus. He flipped over onto his back and raised his wand just as Angelina screamed and the spider came down. However, before landing on Marcus, it impaled itself on his wand and backed away screaming.

"Come on!" Angelina said, pulling on the back of his shirt.

Marcus crawled through the hole in the web and ran off with Harvey and Angelina into the dark forest. They didn't stop running until the trees became too thick to merely barge through. Doubled over and panting, they both looked behind them to see if they were followed and relaxed when they saw nothing but trees. Harvey gave a little bleat of hunger. It was hard for him to run when he was weak on an empty stomach.

Together they caught their breaths and took in their surroundings. The forest was more rugged now and pine trees dominated the landscape. The ground was rocky and unstable as if part of a mountain, which they quickly learned was the case as they looked up and saw looming peaks not too far from them. The air was cold and filled with the scent of pine and snow. Instead of leaves covering the ground, they walked on dried spruce needles.

Angelina shivered and hugged Marcus's jumper against her. The three of them were silent for a moment; not knowing what to say or do next as everything seemed to happen in one giant circle. Marcus was beginning to lose hope and the control on his temper. His fists and teeth clenched tightly while he traveled forward as if starting right on where they left off. Angelina and Harvey followed close behind in silence. They knew things couldn't go any more downhill than now. They were still deep into the woods and unable to apparate and the air was getting colder with no food or water in site. They were at the mercy of nature.

Angelina glanced at Marcus worriedly. "Are you ok?" she asked sheepishly.

"Fucking brilliant," Marcus replied stiffly.

Angelina genuinely felt sorry for him. He'd gotten them out of another scrape and had nothing to show for it but cuts and bruises and an empty stomach. Angelina, too, was sore and hungry, but Marcus hadn't even had a decent night's sleep. "Did you want to stop and rest?"

"No," Marcus snapped. "I want to get the fuck out of here. Now."

Angelina nodded and followed while staring at the ground. Harvey was silent as well as he trudged by Angelina's side. She tried to think of a way to cheer him up. "H-hey," she stammered. "When we get out of here, I'll cook you the best damn supper you'll ever have. Sound good?"

Marcus didn't have time to respond as a tiny imp tripped him and then took off laughing like a maniac. Marcus fell flat on his stomach and Angelina winced. She watched his hands clutch at the pine needles and then he stood and threw them in the direction of the imp. "WHEN I FIND YOUR HOME, I AM GOING TO TAKE MY WAND AND BURN DOWN EVERY FUCKING TREE IN THIS HELL HOLE! DO YOU HEAR ME? EVERY DAMN TREE!" He continued to scream obscenities at the fleeing imp and the rest of the forest. A flock of birds took flight out of a tree nearby in alarm. Angelina allowed him to get it out of his system before she had enough and walked past him. Marcus snapped his head towards her. "Where the fuck are you going?"

"I thought you said you wanted to get out of here," Angelina responded calmly.

"This is all your damn fault, you know!"

Angelina rolled her eyes. "Please. Enlighten me again. How is this my fault?"

"If you hadn't seduced me into that alley, this never would have happened!"

"Bollocks! You were practically following me like a dog in heat. Don't hand me that bullshit! Look, I know things are really shitty right now but could you grow up and stop blaming me? This is no one's fault."

"First the quicksand, then the berries, this stupid unicorn, and trolls; what will you lead us to next, bitch?"

"Excuse me? The trolls are completely your fault. Whose idea was it to go into the cave?"

"To get out of the rain after I couldn't even get one night's sleep! And the trolls didn't wake up until you started barking my name! You are completely fucking tactless!"

"I'm sorry Marcus! What do you want me to say?! I didn't know these things would happen! And don't whine to me when I offer to stop and rest for you and find you food and your stupid ego denies my help!"

"Sorry, that's just my survival instincts kicking in," Marcus sneered sarcastically.

Angelina sighed and narrowed her eyes. "Whatever, Flint. Feel sorry for yourself all you want. I'm done."

She stormed past him with her arms crossed. Marcus was about to shout a comeback when the wind picked up and delivered them an icy punch. Marcus squinted and looked up through the trees to see purple clouds swirling above and releasing a gentle sheet of falling snow upon them. "Great," he muttered. "Fucking great." He hugged his arms.

"Take your jumper back!" Angelina said and began to peel it off.

"No, woman! I'm not cold. Keep walking."

Angelina gave him a wry grin. Not cold? He was practically trembling. She knew that persisting wouldn't do any good, however. Marcus had too much pride.

The snow began to fall in rapid sheets. It gently covered the stiff pines and left a powdery hint before melting. However, the ground was cold and soon the snow began to stick to the tops of the branches. The further they walked, the harder the snow fell until it was a silent and gentle never-ending downfall. It didn't blow about or sting their faces. It was actually quite peaceful. If it wasn't so damn cold, Angelina might have enjoyed it. Flint, however, kept his face down and shouldered his way through it with gritted teeth. He clung to his biceps to keep them warm, despite his pride telling him not to. Harvey, too, was forcing his way.

The trees kept the snow from accumulating on the forest floor. Occasionally, piles of it would fall from the branches and plop on the ground. Harvey would run over to it and frolic about. He tasted it and took off back towards Angelina who laughed at his curiosity and excitement.

Soon, they came to a small hill. The trees were less thick and snow had a chance to build up, making it a slippery climb. They managed step by step and when they reached the top, they stopped to catch their breaths. Puffs of air trailed from their nostrils in the cold as they stared at the bottom of the hill. It was the only way down to the other side, for the hill they stood upon was the beginning of a vast valley between two very steep mountains. Snow covered them, but they could tell they were rocky and dangerous. The valley itself was flat and snow-covered and was the most direct route to the forest beyond. In the very far distance, Angelina could make out the faint shape of something but couldn't decipher what it was through the falling snow. Her teeth chattered and she rubbed her arms. "Well...guess we're going down," she said and then put Harvey in her lap and got onto her rear to inch her way down the hill.

"What are you doing?" Marcus asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm sliding down this hill."

"Why don't you just walk down it like a normal person?"

Marcus took one step down and then slipped. He fell on his back as Angelina grabbed his arm and they soon were sliding down together. Angelina held onto Harvey tightly as they spun and tumbled and slid to a stop at the bottom, dazed. They both lay sprawled and panting.

"Tell me," Angelina said, "is that how a normal person goes down a hill?"

Marcus growled through his teeth, "Shut up."

A second later, they both stood to dust the snow off of their clothes. Angelina whined in protest as it soaked her jeans. She rolled her eyes and began to walk with Harvey at her heels. The sheet of snow upon where they walked was thin and light and puffed up into the air when Angelina shuffled through it. She noticed something odd about the terrain they walked on. The pine needles and twigs were gone, as were the stumps and logs. There weren't any trees around them save for the ones at the top of the hill they slid down and some at the end of the valley. The ground was almost too clean. Angelina furrowed her eyebrows and kicked some more snow away until she realized why it felt so strange to walk. Her body was naturally aware of the value of friction; they were walking on a frozen lake.

"Ha!" Angelina said in amusement.

Marcus looked up at her. "What?"

She smiled and kicked the ground with her heel. "Frozen."

At first, Marcus watched her like she was insane. Of course the ground was frozen! It was covered in snow! He hugged his arms as his teeth chattered for he was frozen as well! "Of course it's frozen," he scoffed. "It's..." But then he saw exactly what Angelina was kicking. In that instant, all the blood in his body rushed to his ears to cause a deafening roar. 'Frozen' took on a new meaning in his body. Marcus found that he couldn't walk or talk or even breathe. His eyes were glued to the patch of ice Angelina slid around on. Her laughter was silent. She began to speak to him but all Marcus could hear was his own heartbeat and vaguely saw her lips moving out of the corner of his eye. Panic made him absolutely still.

"Marcus?" Angelina asked again, just finishing her story of the frozen lake behind her childhood home.

Marcus blinked and licked his lips; eyes still glued to the ice.

"What's wrong?" Angelina asked again, watching him with concern.

Flint remembered to inhale. He finally looked up at Angelina and tried to hide his fear. "We should take the cliffs," he said out of nowhere. He then nodded nervously and glanced around at the surrounding mountains.

Angelina cocked an eyebrow. Was he running a fever? "Are you crazy? You want us to climb icy jagged rocks hundreds of feet into the air? No thanks. I'll take flat ground."

Marcus looked at the ice again and stepped back instinctively. He couldn't tell where the ice ended and the land began. His heart was racing. Angelina stepped towards him to study his face. "Marcus...what's wrong?"

Flint put on his best act. He scoffed and shrugged. "Nothing! I just think we should take the cliffs."

Angelina planted her hands on her hips. "Why?"

"Because! Because...this doesn't feel frozen!"

"What are you talking about?" Angelina scoffed. "It's perfectly solid." She kicked her heel into the ice.

"Don't do that!" Marcus belted in fear. He tried to hide the fact that his voice was full of desperation as was his face in that second of panic, but it was too late. Angelina softened.

"You're afraid."

"I'm not fucking afraid!" Marcus snapped.

"Of open water. It's why you wouldn't go into the river too. Marcus, why didn't you say so?"

"I'M NOT FUCKING AFRAID!" To prove himself right, he took one daring but awkward step forward. However, he was so cautious and aware of the weight he put down on the ice that all hopes of fooling Angelina were dead. He took his foot back. "This is fucking ridiculous. This isn't frozen yet, that's all. I can practically see the fucking fish."

Angelina was determined to show him that there was nothing to be scared of. But she knew she had to do it delicately. Any babying at all would make Marcus stomp away with pride and the last thing they needed was to be separated and put in danger over one silly frozen lake. She had to put all niceties to the side and really motivate Marcus with a dose of humiliation.

"Marcus, if you don't cross this lake with me, I'm going to tell everyone you cried and peed your pants."

"Not if you fall through and die," Marcus said. "It's not a matter of being scared, it's a matter of being smart."

"Smart. Scared. I don't think Oliver Wood will know the difference when I tell him."

Angelina gave Marcus a cocky smirk and turned her back on him; sauntering away with a sway of her hips. The blood was boiling in Flint's veins. His fists clenched at his sides as he contemplated how to maim Angelina when he got his hands on her next. She wasn't helping this situation at all. Desperate for any way whatsoever to prove he wasn't scared (even though he was), he blurted out the only reason he had to stop Angelina and pursue her. "You have my jumper!" he said. "I'm not letting you get that soaked. Give it back."

"Come and get it."

Marcus grumbled threats and curses under his breath; staring at Angelina with malice. Finally, he swallowed his fear and forced himself to take one daring step back out into the ice. However, once he got to Angelina, she ran a few feet ahead so he'd have to venture out further.

"Damnit bitch!"

He lunged at her and nearly lost his footing. His blood froze in terror and he grabbed the first thing he felt: her hand. For a moment, they both stared at each other. Angelina, reassuringly. Marcus, fearfully. She let him crush her fingers until he straightened up, released her, and cleared his throat.

"So glad you cared to join me," Angelina said. "Can we walk now?"

Marcus salvaged whatever dignity he had left and kept silent. Angelina didn't seem to be showing any concern for his fear anymore and started to walk steadily across the ice without a care in the world. Marcus, however, was watching his feet and making sure every step wasn't his last. He looked up and saw Angelina several yards up ahead. "Oi! Wait, bitch!"

Angelina looked over her shoulders and sized him up. "Since you asked so nicely, I don't think I will. Get a grip, Marcus. The ice isn't going to break."

The words soared right over Flint's head. He began to glance around for any route possible besides the ice and shook a bit from the cold. When he looked behind him and saw how far away he was from the shore, a wave of vertigo hit him with biblical force. Marcus rubbed his eyes and willed himself to breathe evenly. "Damnit, woman! Why do you always have to try and get us killed?!"

"Because I'm a Gryffindor and it's fun," Angelina responded and stuck out her tongue. "Come on you big baby! The ice isn't going to break."

Marcus thought he heard a crack. His face went white. "It's breaking right now!"

"No it's not," Angelina said and rolled her eyes. "I'm not waiting for you any longer. You are acting ridiculous! You're already halfway across the lake and you're stopping now?"

"I fucking hate you! Every decision you've made out here has had me saving your ass! Why the hell should I trust you?! You're fucking ridiculous! I hope you fall through! And that stupid unicorn too! I'm not walking on this frozen death trap!"

He began to storm his way quickly towards the nearest shore. He was going to brave the icy cliffs no matter what. Anything was better than the lake. Angelina let out a frustrated cry and threw her hands in the air. For someone claiming to be such a brave hero, he sure was being a baby about some ice. Now he was going to risk their lives by climbing icy jagged rocks when they could have been to the other side by now. But Angelina wasn't like Marcus. She wasn't going to leave him behind, however there was no way she was going to climb again.

Marcus thought he heard another crack and began to walk faster. He slipped and stumbled now and again on the ice.

"Flint!" Angelina shouted. "You are such a coward! We are not climbing the cliffs!"

"Who said anything about 'we'?" Marcus shot back.

Angelina finally had it. She clenched her fists and stomped her foot down hard. "DAMNIT, MARCUS!"

There was another crack. This time, it was very audible and could not be mistaken for anything else. Even Angelina heard it. Her face dropped and she froze. One thing she learned from experience is to keep absolutely still. Marcus was already one step ahead of her. However, the crack was loud and traveled across the ice from Angelina's foot and webbed out towards Marcus. Angelina saw his muscles tense and their eyes locked in fear. She knew what he was going to do. "MARCUS, NO! DON'T RUN!"

Too late. He saw the ice breaking beneath his feet all around him and bolted away as fast as he could towards Angelina. She only got one foot ahead of her when the ice gave away beneath Marcus and he plunged through. Marcus tried to cry out for help but the icy water stole his breath. He only gaped and clawed at the ice to stay afloat in terror. Angelina was running full speed at him and slid to a stop with her hand outstretched for him to grab. She caught him just as the ice was sucking him under and he resurfaced and coughed.

"Marcus! Hang on! I'm going to pull you out!" Angelina said frantically.

His face was screwed up in pain and exhaustion as the ice water froze his blood. Marcus tried to grab the ice but his hand was shaking so much that he only slipped right back into the water. Angelina began to pull on his arm when, suddenly, the ice cracked again and she plunged in with a scream. For several seconds, her body could not react fast enough to the pain she felt. She gaped and sputtered as the ice burned away at her veins. Finally grabbing onto the edge of the hole, she forced herself to breathe until she realized that she was alone. Marcus had gone under the ice.

Angelina clenched her eyes shut and inhaled in choppy forced coughs. Her lips turned blue and trembled as she clung to the ice for dear life. In her mind she knew she would have to find Marcus but the cold was consuming her. She didn't know how much time passed when she finally opened her eyes and let go of the ice reluctantly. Marcus was somewhere beneath the black icy waters and time was running out. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, Angelina closed her eyes and dipped beneath the surface. Harvey watched in confusion nearby. He walked cautiously over to the hole and peered at it patiently and worriedly for his two friends to resurface.

Marcus didn't remember when he went under. He only knew that his blood was freezing in his limbs and the cold and panic exhausted him. When Angelina fell in, he tried to claw at the ice but he lost his grip and couldn't swim. The ice sucked him under and swallowed him. He tried to fight off the pain and fear but the more he tried to find the hole he disappeared under; the more it seemed to float further away from his fingertips and he did what anyone would do: he panicked. Marcus clawed at the ice but saw nothing but the snow on the other side and black water beneath him. His clothes weighed him down. He needed to breathe. Marcus thrashed in the water and let out a strangled cry. His head began to throb and the roar of his furiously beating heart was deafening. He lost grip on consciousness for a moment before snapping his eyes open and thrashing his arms and legs. His fear of open water was enough but being trapped in it and about to drown was going to give him a heart attack before he died of anything else. Marcus screamed in pain as his muscles were freezing beneath his skin and refusing to move. The air in his lungs ran out and burned in his throat and blood rushed from his nose. He inhaled a big gulp of water and instantly sputtered but to no avail. Marcus tried once more in vain to break the ice before his body could cope no longer and gave up on him. He slowly sank towards the black abyss until something tight latched onto his arm and propelled him upwards.

Angelina held onto Marcus's arm like it was her own life on the line. She had searched through the icy waters in agony as her arms and legs locked up. When she saw Marcus several yards away from the hole they fell through, she kicked her legs hard to reach him but when he stopped moving and sank, her heart sank as well. Angelina cried out under the water and let a stream of bubbles erupt from her mouth before she finally grabbed onto the collar of Flint's t-shirt and then his rigid arm. Without looking back, she swam her way towards the hole with a new-found energy. Angelina kicked hard to keep the ice from sucking her under and finally broke the surface with a gasp of air so desperate that it was almost a scream. She closed her eyes and cried out in pain for a second before hauling Marcus above the water. Harvey was waiting eagerly at the edge of the ice and wagging his tufty tail. Angelina struggled to hold onto the ice but it was so hard with Marcus in her other hand. She looked at him in panic and saw his blue lips and eyelids. "F-f-fuck," she stuttered. Her teeth chattered violently.

Angelina used every ounce of strength she had to pull herself onto the ice enough to swing her foot up and roll onto the top; Marcus still latched in her other hand. She prayed the ice wouldn't break again as she hauled his heavy and soaked body out of the water and collapsed beside him breathlessly. Her mind told her she had to act fast to get them warm and get the water out of Marcus's lungs but for the life of her, her muscles wouldn't permit her to move. The stinging pain of the ice shot through her body repeatedly as she shivered to the point of convulsing. Harvey licked her face and she opened her eyes. Wanting nothing more than to just fall asleep, Angelina defied that wish and gingerly rolled over onto her hands and knees. Somehow, she managed to stand and drag Marcus along the ice. She cried as the pain did everything it could to stop her but one foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other; the shore drew nearer. Now she glared at it, teeth bared, as it was the goal of her life. To her horror, the ice began to crack again. Instinctively, Angelina froze and looked towards the noise like a deer caught in headlights. But as it grew louder, she knew she had no time to waste and began to run backwards while towing Marcus by the arms. The crack followed her with lightning fast speed. She let out a desperate cry as it caught up with her but before it could break beneath her feet, she reached shore and practically leapt onto it and collapsed. Harvey only managed to get his feet wet and was at her side.

For a moment, Angelina laid on Marcus's chest with her eyes closed. She panted and cried at the same time as her body heaved and convulsed. Blood dripped from her nose and onto Marcus's chest before she forced herself back to reality. Flint needed serious help. She pushed herself to her knees and cradled his placid face in her hands. "M-Marcus," she whimpered. "C-C-Come On. W-wake Up."

She pressed on his chest in hopes of stimulating his lungs. He remained lifeless and didn't even shiver. Angelina cried harder; a mixture of panic and pain and worry. "Damnit, Marcus!" she continued, pressing onto his chest some more. "D-Don't do this t-t-to me. Breathe!" She pinched his nose and blew into his mouth and watched his chest barely rise. Nothing happened. Angelina broke into an all out sob and pressed on his chest. "Please! Marcus I'm s-s-so sorry! I'm s-sorry!" She blew into his mouth once more and stared at him hopelessly. Marcus showed no signs of life. And then a revelation hit her and she gasped, rolling him over enough to dig into his back pocket. Please don't have lost it! Please don't have lost it! YES!

How could she forget his wand? With wide eager eyes, she aimed it at him and shouted a warming spell. It had little effects on him as his eyes and lips remained blue. Tossing the wand to the side, she had a new-found determination to save him and blew hard into his mouth. "Breathe you asshole!" She practically threw her entire weight onto his chest when she pressed. Angelina's muscles were screaming in protest as her entire body shivered to keep warm. She felt like she couldn't get enough air and could fall asleep right then and there but none of that mattered when water sputtered from Marcus's mouth and he grimaced in pain and coughed violently. Angelina let out a cry of relief and grinned. "Breathe, Marcus," she said and urged him into a sitting position.

Flint still had no usage of his arms and leaned heavily against Angelina as he coughed up a lungful of water. She held him close and rubbed his arms and cried in happiness. "Come on," Angelina said gently behind tears. "Breathe now."

Marcus began to shiver violently against her as his blood resumed its course through his veins. He kept his eyes closed tiredly and felt dry earth beneath him and Angelina's arms around him. What a woman. Several seconds passed of Marcus's panting and Angelina stroked his hair gently to calm him. "Marcus, say something."

Flint swallowed and struggled to speak. Finally, he managed to smirk ever so slightly. "C-C-Can I s-see you n-naked?"

Angelina rolled her eyes and laughed. "Glad to have you back."