Chapter 9: Suffocation
Jaxyn sat in Grimmauld Place with Fleur and Tonks who were talking about what was going on with Dumbledore lately since he had been gone for so long. The young man had shown up a couple weeks after Christmas with permission from his father and was surprised to find out his sister had betrayed the Order and turned to the Death Eaters. He sighed heavily as he thought of the reasons why she would do such a drastic action. The French woman had informed him that Hermione and Jade had been involved and that the break up might've caused her personality to change, but that didn't seem like his sister.
"I just can't see her doing that." The blue eyed teen said as he ran a hand through his short dark hair. "She's always been strong, I can't imagine her being so distraught that she'd want to take revenge on someone. Jade has always been so noble and mature."
"She was 'eartbroken." Fleur added gently as she turned to face the younger McHale who had grown close to the blonde and Tonks. "She said that can lead lycans to do zhings against zhere nature, especially if it 'as to deal wizh zhere mates."
"There has to be something else." The boy said thoughtfully as she rubbed his chin that was starting to get some stubble. "There just has to be."
"Jaxyn," Remus called from the stairs as the lycan turned to look at the werewolf. "Can I speak with you for a moment?" The dark haired boy nodded as he stood up and headed up the stairs to Remus's office where he was leaning against the wall and looking out the window.
"What is it Lupin?" Jaxyn asked quietly as he stood in front of the desk with his hands in his pockets.
"We've caught word that Voldemort is sending someone into the mountain range around Hogwarts to try and recruit some giants." The werewolf said slowly as he turned to face the young lycan. "I want you to go and intercept them. Giants are very temper mental and don't usually listen or follow anyone's rules, but they are very powerful and have a high pain tolerance. If they succeed in recruiting them it will be a huge blow to our side. So stop whoever they sent and then leave, do you understand?"
"Who did they send?" The lycan boy asked calmly as he ran a hand through his dark hair. "Is it Jade?"
"We don't know." Lupin ran his hand over his forehead and sighed heavily as he put his hand on the window. "It's hard to tell, they have so many trusted agents it's hard to pinpoint. I'm sure you'll be able to tell once you catch onto their scent." Jaxyn nodded as Remus turned and looked the boy in the eyes. "You have to leave soon, we want to snuff this out as soon as possible." Again the boy nodded as he turned to leave. "Jaxyn, if it is Jade, you can't hold back. Is that clear?" Jaxyn froze and nodded before exiting the office. It was a very high possibility that Jade was the one that the Dark Lord was sending on this mission because if it was a normal wizard, they would send many more. A lycan had at least a small chance to survive and altercation with a giant, let alone a group of them.
"This is gonna be rough." Jaxyn said to himself as he made his way to his room and shut the door.
x-x
Hermione was sitting in the Great Hall with Harry and Ron who were shoveling food in the mouth as Ginny came and sat across from her. January wasn't being any kinder to them as the earlier months of their school year. A fellow Gryffindor had been hexed before the holiday and had a cursed item just like Hermione had a few months ago, but this curse was much stronger and it landed Katie Bell in the hospital wing over the holidays. The girl hadn't been released yet and it was starting to seem like she would never wake up. Once again, Harry was convinced Malfoy had hexed the girl and was once again obsessing over it.
"I know he did it." Harry seethed as he glared at the boy from across the hall. "I saw him in The Three Broomsticks and he slipped into the back room. I'm sure he did it."
"Harry you really need to stop obsessing about this, really." Hermione's voice was tired and irritated as she chastised her friend. "Even if he did, you don't have any solid proof and you're going to drive yourself mad mulling over it." The raven haired boy sighed heavily as he ran both his hands through his hair as Lavender Brown arrived and sat down next to Ron. Harry and Hermione didn't particularly enjoy Lavender's company, and Ginny down right despised the girl, but she had taken to Ron and who were they to stop their romance?
"Hey, Lav," The red headed boy smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck into a crushing hug. "What're you up to?" Lavender then continued to chatter on about how she and Parvati Patil had gotten into a row with Pansy Parkinson while on their way to the hall. The girl went on and on about the subject which drove Hermione and Ginny mad.
"She's going to implode my ears." Ginny whispered to the brunette who just sighed and rolled her eyes. "Like a chattering hog monkey, she is."
"I don't know how Ron ever gets a word in." Hermione added quietly as she eyed the odd couple. "I feel like his brain turns to mush more than normal when she speaks." Finally when Lavender was done speaking, Harry and Ron began to talk about quidditch that Lavender seemed extremely interested in. "I'm going to head to the library." The brunette couldn't stand the swooning look on Lavender's face like she was under the effects of a love potion, the fact that she wasn't made Hermione dislike her even more. As she got up, Ginny moved over to sit closer to Harry and he waved a good bye to her. While she was making her way towards the library, she noticed Draco Malfoy sitting in an alcove looking utterly distraught and worn ragged. Hermione rolled her eyes as she passed the boy and against her better judgment, she stopped to talk to the Slytherin. "Are you ok Malfoy?"
"What do you care, mudblood?" He hissed as he kept looking out the window. Hermione groaned and ran a hand through his hair.
"Sorry I even asked." She sighed again as folded her arms over her chest. "Don't know why I even bothered to ask."
"W-wait!" Hermione paused as she went to continue on to the library. "I'm…I'm sorry, Granger. I…uhm…I didn't mean. Fuck it, I have to go." He scowled and pushed past the brunette as he headed back towards the Great Hall.
"Well that was weird." The girl sighed as she just shook her head and went to the library. Malfoy sighed heavily as he waited for Hermione to disappear and then dodged into an empty classroom to sulk. Everything was spinning out of control for the young Malfoy as he sat in the corner and began to shake. The mending was going well with the Vanishing Cabinet, but he wasn't sure if he could go through with letting Death Eaters into the school and killing Dumbledore.
"I don't think I can do this." He whispered to himself as he cradled his head in his hands. "I'm just not cut out to be a Death Eater." Draco sighed heavily as he tried to regain his composure and stood up, straightening his suit. "I have to do this." He wiped his nose and cleared his throat before exiting the classroom. As he closed the door to the room he ran into Jade. "McHale! What the fuck are you doing here?"
"I'm going into the mountains soon to look for a clan of giants." The half lycan said calmly as she pulled him into a deserted corridor. "The Dark Lord wanted me to check on you since you almost got caught hexing that girl in Gryffindor. What's wrong with you?"
"I…I don't know if I can keep doing this." The platinum haired boy stuttered as he collapsed against the wall and slid down slowly as if he was wounded. "This is too much Jade, I-I can't keep going on like this! It's running my nerves to their end. I don't think…"
"You have to do this Draco." Jade hissed as she crouched next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "If you don't do it He's going to kill you. Do you understand? You have to kill Dumbledore or you'll die." Gray eyes widened as he looked at the half lycan who looked back with clear conviction. Jade sighed and gently grabbed the boy by the face and looked him right in the eyes. "I don't want you to die Draco. I can get you out of this, but you have to follow through. Ok? Just don't fail." Blue eyes bored into gray as she tried to convey her message and its seriousness. "I will help you." Draco sighed heavily and nodded his head as he closed his eyes. The blue eyed girl sighed with him as she leaned forward and hugged the distraught Slytherin as he started to shake again. The platinum haired boy clung to Jade as she hugged him and let out his anxiety. Jade hadn't known the boy very long, but long enough to know he wasn't a murderer or Death Eater material. Draco was just a product of his surroundings, more specifically his father and given the right company he would've turned out a well-rounded boy. The dark haired girl pulled away and ruffled blonde hair before gently smacking the boy on the face.
"Snap out of it, I'll be back ok?" Draco nodded as the half lycan stood and straightened her clothes. "Don't muck anything up." A sardonic chuckled escaped the Malfoy's throat as he ran a hand through his hair and stood up. As if she was a phantom, Jade was gone when he opened his eyes. The half lycan left the boy in the corridor as she made her way in the shadows up a few flights of stairs to the seventh floor, following an all too familiar scent. The way she was moving, people would've thought she was part cat instead of part wolf. The feeling like her sternum was being pulled towards something was getting worse with the passing days and it was beginning drive her insane. She knew it was because she had been away from Hermione for so long, but it wasn't like she could just waltz up to the girl and have everything go back to the way that it was. Jade growled to herself as Hermione's scent got stronger and led her to a portrait of a fat woman.
"Damnit." She hissed as she ducked behind a stone column while a few students dressed in gold and red walked passed her towards a portrait of the hefty woman that swung open with a few words. "So I need a password." A few more students passed as Jade stayed hidden in an alcove at the bottom of the stair case.
"So did you see Hermione and Ron in the library?" A female student questioned her friend as they walked up the stairs and the half lycan's blood began to boil at the mention of the Weasley's name. "I mean, it's not uncommon to see Hermione, but Ron Weasley? In the library? Quite uncommon right?"
"Yeah." The boy answered as they reached the portrait. "Griffin." The portrait swung open as the couple walked in and Jade smirked to herself. She waited a few moments until the corridors were silent before stepping out of the shadows and waltzed over to the fat lady.
"Never seen you around before, deary." The woman said as she fanned herself. "And I've seen most of the Gryffindor students in this school. Are you from another house?"
"Y-Yes!" Jade exclaimed as she ran a hand through her hair. "I was actually looking for someone. Hermione Granger. Do you know her?"
"Oh yes dear!" A smirk spread across Jade's lips as the fat woman continued. "She's a Prefect this year! She's probably in the library, but she'll be back soon I would assume. Do you know the password?"
"Griffin?" The half lycan said, a little unsure of herself in case the other students had said something under their breath. The Fat Lady smiled and nodded as she swung her portrait open.
"Her bedroom is up the stairs and the second door on the left." The woman said as Jade nodded and stepped through the portrait, sulking slowly to make sure she wouldn't be seen. After seeing that the common room was empty, she slowly made her way up the stairs and to the door the Fat Lady had directed her to. She went to open the door and was shocked once her hand touched the door knob.
"Clever girl." Blue eyes sparked as she pressed her palm against the door and a strong ward revealed itself with a few runes around it. Jade smirked as she rolled up her sleeves and began working on the ward. A few turns and an incantation later, the ward was gone and Jade hadn't even broken a sweat. "And here I thought you were the brightest witch of your age." The half lycan walked through the door and smiled as it shut again.
x-x
"Blimey Hermione." Ron sighed as they walked back towards the tower with a few books in their hands. "It's late, I didn't even notice we had been gone that long. Thanks for helping me with my potion's essay though, I really appreciate it." He put his arm around her shoulders as they walked up the stairs case and she shrugged him off.
"You're welcome." The brunette answered as they reached the seventh floor. "I don't mind helping Ron, but remember I'm not gonna do the work for you all the time. Ok?" Ron nodded his agreement as they entered the portrait hole and sighed seeing that Harry wasn't back from Dumbledore's office since he wasn't waiting for them like he said he would.
"What do you think he's doing up there?" The red head asked as he flopped down on the couch and ran a hand through his messy hair. "I mean, he's been going there more often lately and hasn't told us much of anything. You think he's getting special training?" Hermione sighed as she removed her cloak and hung in over the back of the couch.
"I don't know Ron, but I'm exhausted." Hermione sighed heavily as she lugged her bag over her shoulder and started up the stairs. "I'll see you tomorrow, are you going to wait up for Harry?" The boy nodded as he yawned and stretched his arms over his head. "All right, tell me all about it in the morning." Ron nodded again as Hermione disappeared up the stairs and headed to her private room. She pulled out her wand before whispering the incantation to undo her ward. There was no iridescent shimmer that normally came with the dispelling of the ward, but she paid no mind since her mind was exhausted as she watched into her pitch black room. As soon as she set her bag down she felt like something was wrong and she kept her wand tight in her hand before turning on the lights.
"Jade?!" The witch gasped as she saw the half lycan sitting on the window sill across the room nonchalantly as if she belonged there. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Before she could say anything else, the blue eyed girl stood up as Hermione raised her wand and began to tremble. She didn't want to fight, she didn't want to have to curse the person she cared about most, but she didn't have a choice as she felt fear creep up into her throat. Jade smirked as she rushed forward as Hermione's mouth opened to speak a binding curse and caught the witch by her wrists, pinning her up against the door. Soon the fear that was growing in the witch was full blown anxiety and panic as Jade's blue eyes bored into hers. "Wh-what are you going to do?"
"You smell like him." Jade spat as she took a deep breath in through her nose and exhaled loudly. "Are you scared, Belle?" The lycan's blue eyes flashed slightly as she held the brunette's hands over her head and leaned in closer so their noses were almost brushing against each other. Hermione whimpered as Jade's grip tightened and her wand dropped to the floor, her brown eyes narrowed as she opened her mouth to retort, but the half lycan just chuckled. "Don't say you aren't, I can practically feel your body trembling. Or is that from something else? Maybe not fear, excitement perhaps?" Jade moved forward and pressed her body against the witch's which caused another loud gasp to escape Hermione's mouth. "Want? What is it that's making you shake?"
"Anger." Hermione answered firmly as she clenched her jaw and tried to struggle against her ex-friend's iron hold on her. "Hurt, confusion…take your pick really." She was trying to be strong, to not show the sadness she was feeling at being so close to the love of her life. All she wanted to was to hold the taller girl and feel the comfort and safety she used to feed off of when Jade was around. Now all she could feel was the cold, harsh vibe that was radiating from the lycan. Blue eyes used to be so kind and warm, now only emanated malice, but there was still something of the old Jade there. She hadn't tried to hurt Hermione yet or take her to the Dark Lord, so why was she just toying with her? "What about you, huh? Why aren't you trying to hurt me? Why aren't you taking me back to your headquarters to get answers from me? Why are you here?!" Jade just smiled and leaned forward to brush her lips against Hermione's neck with made the brunette shiver from the warmth of the touch. As much as she wanted to deny it, the younger girl was still very attracted to her ex and even though she tried, she couldn't ignore the feeling when Jade was around.
"Isn't not hurting you, hurting you more?" Jade's question made sense. By not physically hurting Hermione, it made her think more about why she wasn't. That maybe something could bring her back, but what? "You want me to hurt you, to curse you and torture you so you can hate me. Anything that could make my betrayal make sense to you, right?" Hot lips moved down to the shorter girl's collarbone and teeth grazed it gently before moving back up and biting her neck. Hermione couldn't stop the soft moan that sang from her throat as her eyes fluttered shut and the half lycan's body pressed firmly against hers. "You're confused aren't you? Why I'm not trying to do something horrible to you. Do you want to know a secret?" Jade whispered seductively into the brunette's ear as she nodded subconsciously. "I still can't stay away from you." Suddenly Jade's arms were around Hermione's waist as she picked the slim girl up and carried her over to the bed. The witch squealed slightly as she wrapped her arms around the blue eyed lycan's neck and felt the taller girl's breath on her face which sent a tremor through her body. Even though she wanted to fight it, she was enjoying this. Jade was so close, so warm and all Hermione could think about was kissing her. So she did. As soon as her back hit her bed, her lips found Jade's hungrily and sighed when the lycan's hands found her hips. Everything was gone, the war, Death Eaters, the Order. All there was for the witch was her and Jade. Their lips moved roughly against each other's as Hermione's hands tangled into black satin locks and she thought she heard a low groan in Jade's chest. The kisses were rough and wanting as the brunette parted her lips and felt her lover's tongue brush against her bottom lip. Hands began to grope as Jade untucked the witch's shirt and feather light finger tips brushed against bare skin.
In the back of her mind, the brunette knew this was the very last thing she should be doing with someone who technically was the enemy, but that thought got shoved away as soon as warm hands found her waist under the hem of her shirt. Soon her sweater was pulled off as she was tearing at Jade's cloak and it dropped from her shoulders before pooling at her feet. Their breathing was getting faster as Jade loosened the witch's tie and began unbuttoning the white dress shirt. Hermione sat up to get more of the half lycan's lips as she pulled the black button up shirt around the taller girl apart and buttons flew in every direction. A smug smirk spread across Jade's lips as she wrapped her arms around Hermione's waist again and pushed her farther back on the bed so she was hovering over top of her. The emotions flowing in the room were carnal and heavy as Hermione released all of her longing since Jade had left. All either girl could think about was the touch and feel of the other. They had never progressed this far with their relationship before, but not seeing one another for months made the pull to be close stronger than normal. Everything in her body was telling the brunette to be as close as humanly possible to the half lycan and she was more than happy to oblige as she pulled Jade closer by the collar of her shirt. A moan floated through the air as Jade moved her hips in between Hermione's legs and the brunette gently bit her bottom lip.
"Are you sure you're my Hermione?" Jade questioned huskily as she pulled away slightly so she could look into brown eyes that were shadowed with lust. The brunette was panting and gazing into glowing blue eyes before she crashed their lips together again and boldly slipped her tongue past the lycan's parted lips which awarded her a soft moan from the taller girl. Jade's hands spread the brunette's shirt apart and ran her hands eagerly over her lithe body before moving farther south to unbuckle Hermione's belt.
"Wait." The witch whimpered as her hand stopped the lycan's before she could get too far. "I-I can't…not like this." Jade just chuckled as she removed her hand and sat back on her knees in front of the brunette before she started waved her hand and the buttons that were scattered across the bed found their home again. She closed her eyes as she began to button up her shirt calmly while Hermione just glanced shyly at the older girl. The casualties of their lust were evident on the floor and bed as articles of clothing were flung in random directions.
"There's my Belle," Her voice was a whisper as Jade sighed and ran a hand through her hair before making her way off the bed. Blue eyes raked over the brunette's body which caused the younger girl to blush furiously at her open blouse, revealing her lacy black bra. Another smug smirk on Jade's face as she leaned back over and brushed her lips up the Gryffindor's neck. A soft sigh rang in Jade's ears as she pulled away and looked deep into brown eyes that were inquisitive and confused. "I'll be seeing you." Jade said as she wrapped her cloak around her shoulders and floated over to the large window. She swung it open and gust of chilled, January air wafted in, causing Hermione to wrap her open shirt around her exposed skin. Before she could utter a word, Jade was jumping out the window and the brunette's chest tightened with panic as she rushed over to see the dark haired girl falling through the darkness. Her eyes couldn't make out if Jade had made it to the ground or if she survived the fall, but the clouds in the sky moved to let the moon shine on the grounds as if wanting Hermione to see that the girl was still alive. That's when she saw a dark figure moving towards the Dark Forest and she sighed in relief until the confusion took her over as her rational thinking returned. What had just happened? The whole encounter had been a blur of craving and emotion. She was just happy to see Jade, no matter how scared or angry she had been, it was gone the first time the lycan laid her hands on her.
"So much for talking." Hermione sighed as she ran both of her hands through her messy hair and groaned. She had wanted to talk to Jade and figure out why she had betrayed the Order to join the Death Eaters, but at the same time, she was scared of the answer. What if it really was her fault Jade changed sides? What if her heart was broken and she had turned to Voldemort for relief? A sickening thought ran through her mind as she remembered the way Bellatrix Lestrange touched Jade and talked about her. The way Jade protected her the way she should've been protecting Hermione, it made the brunette jealous to think that someone else was holding Jade, touching her and making her smile. "This is so fucked up."
x-x
Jaxyn had spent days skulking through forest with his nose in the air trying to catch the scent of the giants he was searching for, or of anyone else that wasn't supposed to be in the forest. He had been gone for almost a week now and had just reached the foot of the mountains. The weather was getting colder as he followed a beaten trail higher and higher into the highlands. Giants weren't hard to track, but usually when you found them, there were more than one and always in a bad mood. The young half lycan wasn't very excited to be doing this sort of mission, especially if there was a chance the Death Eater assigned to the same task was his sister. They'd fought before and Jade had easily over powered him even though he was still wet behind the ears.
"Why does this god damned forest have to be so fucking big?" He grumbled to himself as he noticed a few trees with their tops broken off to his left. His chest heaved as a hand ran through his growing black hair before following the broken trees. "This has to lead me somewhere. Who else can break the tops off of freakin' trees? Why am I talking to myself so much?" Jaxyn grumbled as he shook his head and followed the trees as they zig zagged farther up into the mountains. Suddenly there was a sound of branches snapping around him and the faint vibration on the ground. The lycan paused and ducked behind a tree as he came up on couple trees that were snapped in half. There were two dragon skulls on top and Jaxyn rubbed his forehead and growled as he started walking towards the entry to what he assumed was the giant's camp.
"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Jade hissed as she stepped out from behind a tree. Jaxyn jumped slightly and a low growl vibrated in his chest. "A little jumpy there, kid." His sister teased as she smirked and folded her arms over her chest. The younger McHale scowled as he relaxed slightly and faced off with his sister.
"I could ask you the same question." Jaxyn scowled as they started to circle each other slowly. "What are you doing with them? How could you betray your friends like that?! Betray Hermione?!" Jade roared at him threateningly as her eyes glowed bright with her growing anger.
"Don't you dare speak to me about Hermione." His sister spat as she stopped and glared at the younger boy. "I don't owe any of you an explanation to my actions. Hermione broke up with me and I'm doing what my heart is telling me to do."
"Your heart is telling you to betray us?" Jaxyn's light blue eyes flashed as he felt his control slipping with his rage. "Your heart is telling you to hurt the people that care about you? That's idiotic bullshit!" Instantly Jade was on the boy, grabbing his collar and shoving him hard against a tree. She roared again in his face as he snarled back trying to assert his own dominance over his elder sister. "What's happened to you?! Did they hex you?"
"You want to know what's happened to me?" The taller girl growled as she pulled him away and threw him to the ground. "I've lost my mind." She hissed as she grabbed him again and sneered at her brother. There was a sinister smile on her face as Jaxyn saw a madness growing in her blue eyes. "When Hermione broke up with me, a part of me died." Jaxyn grabbed her arms and tried to break her grip, but someone about her was different. Her strength was far greater than it was before and he couldn't figure out what was causing this sudden change. She looked the same and her magic wasn't anything too impressive, but for some reason she had more of a drive to beat him. He growled threateningly as he began to change in her hands. "Now all I want to do is make everyone suffer." Soon a large black lycan was in front of her with glowing eyes. Jaxyn bared his teeth and swiped at his sister who dodged, jumped back and growled at him. She stood straight and shifted smoothly to the white lycan who snarled before bounding towards the black wolf. They collided solidly in the air in a flurry of claws and teeth as siblings tried to overpower the other. Even though Jaxyn was younger, he was larger in his lycan form than Jade, but she was more experienced and agile than he which showed when he tried to lay a hit on his sister. He roared in frustration after his claws met air again as Jade dodged out of the way and laughed at the young man.
"Sit still damnit!" He growled again as she kept moving around him, toying with him. She wasn't even trying to beat him anymore. Jade was just teasing him, trying to spur him on and make him lose control. "Why won't you fight me?!"
"Are you so eager to die?" Jade hissed as she paused and Jaxyn lunged forward with his claws stretched out in front of him. The white wolf sneered and caught his hands as they faced off with one another. "Don't you even want to see the final battle? I don't want to have to kill you Jaxyn, just go back and I'll forget you were even here." Was he hearing that correctly? She was giving him an out? But why?
"What the hell are you talking about?" Jaxyn snarled as he tried to push her back to no avail. Jade's strength was tenfold as she flexed her muscles and pushed the mighty black lycan back to his surprise. He tried to stabilize his feet in the ground, but it was no use. The ground was giving way and couldn't support the force his sister was emitting. Jade had physical strength on him as her eyes glowed bright as if they were glowing with her power and she roared menacingly at him. "You think I'm so weak that I'll give in to you and run away? Is that the kind of man you think I am?!"
"Have it your way." The half lycan snarled as she threw him backwards and descended on him. Jaxyn didn't have time protect himself as she grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up like he was a ragdoll. The black wolf choked as glowing blue eyes smiled at him and Jade's grasp on his neck tightened, causing him to tear at her arm with his claws. The slashes bled on her forearm as he tried to claw his way from her hand, but it was no use. It was as if she wasn't feeling any pain and the insane look in her eyes sent a chill down his spine as he began to lose more oxygen. His world began to grow dark as he got weaker and the last thing he saw was Jade's lips curling over her fangs into a disturbing smile before he blacked out. The white lycan chuckled to herself as she dropped the black wolf and he started to slowly change back to his human form. She looked down at the boy as she changed back and sighed heavily as she debated on what to do with him. Leave him here and risk him following her again when he woke up, or kill him? Were those really the only options? As much as Jade was enjoying this role she was playing, she couldn't kill her only brother, just like she couldn't truly leave or forget Hermione. As she wrapped her cloak around her body and mended her clothes, she walked over and placed a hand on her brother's shoulder before apparating with him to the steps of Grimmauld Place. A dense wave of nostalgia hit her being in front of the Order's home base. "I'm sorry Jaxyn, someday I can't hopefully expalin everything to you." Snow was falling slowly and gracefully around her as she looked on in the dark house and scowled before disapparating back to the forest.
x-x
"Still no word from Jade?" Narcissa asked as she sipped her tea in the sitting room with her sister who was pacing back in forth in front of the fire biting her nails anxiously. "Are you really that worried about her?"
"How would you feel if He had sent Draco on a mission like this on his own?" Bellatrix snapped as she paused to sit down in a large arm chair before she started twirling her unruly hair in her fingers. "She's out there dealing with a clan of giants by herself! It's been almost three weeks with no word, how can I not be worried? A lesser human would be undoubtedly dead."
"You don't think I'm worried about Draco?" The Malfoy matriarch spat as she glared at her sister with daggers shooting from her eyes. "He's supposed to be killing one of the greatest wizards of all time and you're worried about your little pet making it back alive from some giants." Bellatrix stood up abruptly and scowled at Narcissa as she sat there calmly and continued to drink her tea.
"As much as I love my nephew." The elder sister was on her last nerve and she tried to restrain her temper as she spoke. "He is a coward. He's not meant for this and you should've protected him better than letting your poor excuse for a husband make him so weak!" Narcissa stood up and slapped her sister across the face which in turn, caused Bellatrix to pull her knife and press it to the younger woman's cheek. The blonde woman froze and raised her hands in surrender as she glanced down at the blade and back into the dark eyes of Bellatrix.
"You wouldn't." Narcissa hissed as she felt the cold steel slide across her cheek slowly, but there wasn't enough pressure to cause any damage.
"You never know." The deranged witch sneered as she dropped the knife from the other woman's cheek and twirled it in her fingers. "I am insane." She smiled as she walked back over to the window across the room and sighed. The truth was, she was worried about Jade and a small part of her, the most human part, missed her. She had taken the half lycan under her wing and in turn, Jade protected her if she needed it. Bellatrix was never the one to let emotion get the best of her, let alone to care for someone other than herself and the Dark Lord, but she cared for Jade. It was becoming more obvious to the people around her as she would defend the girl when she was questioned and worrying about her more recently on whether she was still alive. What most people forget to acknowledge, was that Bellatrix Lestrange, no matter how deranged or blood thirsty, was still human and that part of her wanted someone to care for and to be cared for. Being in a loveless marriage drained her of any thoughts of being truly happy with someone and so she turned her obedience to Voldemort who willingly accepted it. Now here she was, a force to be reckoned with, practically falling to pieces of a young girl who had given her the time of day to ask how she was. It was strange how things worked out. "I just want to know she's not dead, lying in the forest somewhere. Is that too much to ask?" Narcissa was taken aback slightly as she looked at her sister's back and couldn't believe the soft tone of her voice she wasn't accustomed to hearing. She sighed heavily and walked over to the elder witch before placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"She's a strong girl." Madame Malfoy said as Bellatrix sneered sarcastically and sighed. "I'm sure she'll be back soon, you'll see sister. Don't fret." Lestrange nodded as she folded her arms over her chest and watched the snow fall outside the manor. This was all so strange for her to care for someone and it almost hurt to think about it. She wasn't used to feeling…much of anything other than blood lust and wanting to please Voldemort, so this was slightly disturbing for the elder witch as she fought with her better judgment to care about the half lycan.
"How is the mending coming along?" Bellatrix suddenly, and desperately wanted to change the subject as she spun away from the window and walked back towards the fire slowly, putting the tip of her knife against the tip of her finger and twirling it lazily. "I do hope we don't get splinched when we use it."
"Draco has made excellent progress." Narcissa's voice was full of pride and sadness at the same time as she forced a small smile to her lips. "I'm sure it will be ready in no time at all. Suddenly a man came storming up the stairs and into the sitting room panting as he stopped at the top of the stairs. Both Narcissa and Bellatrix stared at the man as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Mrs. Malfoy…" He huffed as she hunched over and supported himself on his knees. "I-I'm sorry to…barge in like this, but…I've just received word from Severus…"
"Oh spit it out you blithering buffon!" Bellatrix snapped as she clenched the knife in her hand in anticipation. The man took a deep breath and tried to steady himself as he locked eyes with Narcissa who had fragile look on her face.
"I'm sorry mum," The man started again as he took another deep breath. "But there has been an incident at the school, it has to do with your son. He's been badly injured." Narcissa froze and Bellatrix growled as she walked briskly over to the man and grabbed him by the collar of his coat.
"What sort of incident?"
x-x
"Harry what the hell were you thinking?!" Hermione squeaked as she paced back in forth in the Gryffindor common room. Ginny and Ron were sitting next to Harry on the couch who was dumbfounded, staring at the Advanced Potions book in his hand, the object that got him in the predicament he was in. "How could you use a spell when you didn't even know what the outcome would be? What if you would've killed Malfoy?!"
"I know!" Harry barked suddenly as he jumped up and threw the book on the ground in frustration. "I know Hermione, all right! If I could take it back…I…I would. I wouldn't have used that spell. I'd take it back!" The brunette sighed heavily and rubbed her forehead as Ginny leaned forward and picked up the ragged book from the ground. "I didn't know it would do that to him or else I never would've used it."
"We know mate." Ron said calmly as he stood up and put a hand on his friend's shoulder to try and calm him down. Finally, Harry sat again and took his glasses off so he could rub his eyes. It had been a long few weeks for everyone lately. Besides the fact that they were all studying and doing homework, Harry was learning about Voldemort's past, to everyone's confusion. Hermione had been worrying herself over Jade and doing research on horcruxes, which proved to be more than difficult. Ron was just being overwhelmed with Lavender and the fact that he had been poisoned by some mead that Slughorn was going to give to Dumbledore. Their lives just kept getting harder and harder the older they got. "We know you didn't mean it, but you have to get rid of that book. It's playing tricks with you head. Half the time I see you you've got your nose stuck in it, and even if it has gotten us through potions with flying colors, it's not worth the risk of having it." Harry knew his friends were right, but for some reason he just couldn't part with the book as he looked over at Ginny who was still holding it firmly in her hands.
"Ron is right," The red headed girl said gently as she looked into Harry's green eyes and gave him a small smile. "You have to get rid of it, we can do it together." The boy seemed to melt as he nodded while Ginny grabbed his hand and began to lead him out of the common room. Ron sighed as they exited and ran a hand through his hair before leaning back against the couch cushions.
"Here I thought life was going to get easier as we got older and learned more, y'know?" He said quietly as Hermione fell into the arm chair and groaned in exhaustion. "When does it get better Hermione?"
"I don't have all the answers Ron." It was true. As smart as she was, she didn't have all the answers and certainly not the answer as the why things just continued to get difficult for the trio. "But I hope things start to clear up soon. I don't know how much more I can handle." Her mind flashed back to Jade and the hungry, lust filled encounter they had a few weeks ago. She shook her head rigorously, trying to remove the memory, but it was forever burned in her mind mainly because she had loved every minute of it up until Jade left. That familiar pull surprised her as her hand flew to her chest and she sighed. Ever since then, the constant pull had subsided, but she noticed it was getting worse the more time she went without seeing the half lycan.
"You all right, 'Mione?" Ron asked as he sat up and looked at his friend with concern dripping from his voice and eyes. "That chest pain back? Did you ever go to see Madame Pomfrey about it?"
"I'm fine." She lied as the pain began to ebb and her lungs drew a deep breath to banish the rest of the pull. "I don't need to see a nurse about it, it's not very often anymore so please, don't worry about it." Her friend nodded reluctantly as she ran a hand through her hair and made her way to her room. "I'll see you in the morning." Ron nodded and waved as she disappeared up the steps. Things needed to change, they needed to learn more about these horcruxes and Hermione needed to come up with a plan soon. More than likely they would be searching for these cursed items if it meant being able to kill Voldemort once and for all, but where to start and how to find them? "Why can't this be easier?"
