Chapter 14: Hallucination or Warning?
Time waits for no one, or so the saying goes. Obviously who ever said that first has never been confined to a house for weeks on end. Harry and Rachel had and they could both attest that time seemed to have come to a standstill. The pair had, had no contact with the outside world since they had enter Grimmuld Place the beginning of August and now it was starting to get to them.
Never did Rachel ever think that Harry would get on her nerves, but after four straight months of having no one to talk to but him, she was finding it hard to not scratch his eyes out. Even Harry was finding it hard not to bicker with his friend as every slightly annoying thing she did not seemed to be magnified by a billion.
After losing more games of wizards' chess than she could count, Rachel had decided to take an indefinite hiatus from the game. The choice seemed to be the best course of action when the thought of shoving the broken pieces of her freshly smashed king down his throat brought her great pleasure. Chess turned into cards and when every card game under the sun had been played multiple times they turned to childhood games such as tic-tac-toe and hangman. But when a fight broke out over the spelling of hippogriff the two had retreated to different floors and hadn't really spoken in nearly a week. Rachel knew it was childish but she wasn't going to apologize after the way he had shouted at her and called her a cheat, she could be very stubborn if need be.
While Harry had basically locked himself in Sirius' old room, only emerging for meals, Rachel spent her days in the room they had originally claimed together. The minutes ticked by agonizingly slow as she threw herself into books or into her dream world. Hermione, along with the Weasley siblings, had gone back to Hogwarts just under a month after Rachel and Harry went into hiding, to keep up the charade that they didn't even know the pair was missing. Which they knew this wouldn't fool anyone because if anyone knew that Harry had gone missing it would be his two best friends, but they did as they were instructed to do so.
Smiling, Rachel pictured her girlfriend back in her natural element, the classroom, but she just prayed that their upcoming meeting in a few months' time would not be distracting her from her studies. The thought of the school year beginning also brought sadness to the teen, as she should have been almost three months deep into freshman year. School had never been one of Rachel's favorite things but the fact she was missing out on "some of the best years of her life" made her slightly angry.
After all, she had thought that when he had formed this plan to hide out that Harry also had planned a way to eventually get rid of the death eaters that would no doubt be trying to track them down. So far Voldemort's minions had not disappointed as they hadn't left the corner vacant for more than a second, ever present on the hunt for the soul piercer and the boy who lived.
"You'd think after four months they'd give up and focus on something else," Rachel had said to Harry before the blow up, while peering out the peephole. "With him trying to ya know take over the world, I would think he would be focused on more important things."
Gently pushing her aside Harry took his turn staring outside. "With the large bounty that is undoubtedly on our heads would you have given up?" he almost chuckled, watching one death eater take the place of another, like a well-oiled machine.
It was like the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, only not as elaborate, as it occurred at nearly the same time every day, just after sunset. Both teens had watched as the streetlight would unexpectedly darken, and a billow of smoke would funnel from the sky to the ground like a twister. Out of the smoke a man would step dressed in black robes and a look of pure evil on his face. Without even pausing he would stroll up to the man that had been on guard duty. A quick word would be exchanged between the pair before the first would vanish in another cloud of smoke leaving his replacement standing exactly where he had been as the streetlight hummed back to life.
At this rate they were never going to make the rendezvous point just before Christmas. It killed her to have to wait that long to see Hermione again, but they figured out Christmas was the time when school would be empty. This would make it easier for Hermione and Ron to slip away, and not be missed until after the holidays. Unfortunately that was still nearly two whole months away. If Rachel and Harry continued on this path they were currently on, by then they would be turning the other in to Voldemort themselves.
Sighing, she stared at the picture of her and Hermione, now bent and worn from spending the last sixteen weeks on Rachel's person at all times. That day at the Burrow seemed to have been so long ago, when in reality a year hadn't even passed yet. Being so closed to her and not being able to see, even contact her, was slowly killing Rachel. This was the time when she needed her girlfriend, her best friend, the most when she was upset and scared about what was going to happen in the days to come. Hermione would place an arm around her, and hold her close, reassuring that whatever was going to happen the two of them would get through it, together.
Gazing into the smiling face of Hermione, Rachel felt her insides ache. Not being able to talk to her in such a long time made her realize just how much she cared about her, and also made her ponder how she had survived seventeen year not knowing she even existed.
Footsteps came from above as Harry had begun to pace around the room. He had taken to aimlessly walking to pass the time. Huffing Rachel stared toward the roof she had been listening to his pointless footsteps for hours over the past several days. If she had to listen to it again today she swore she was going to go let the death eater inside then point him in Harry's direction.
"Ya know, if you would just stop being a stupid jerk and apologize for yelling at me maybe we won't both die of boredom," she shouted, watching the dust particles knocked loose by Harry's pacing float down from the ceiling.
The footsteps paused for a moment, and she thought maybe this time Harry would come down to apologize but her hopes were dashed as the simple walking turned into loud stomping. "Asshole," she muttered settling back onto the bed, "seriously what are you three years old?"
Closing her eyes Rachel let her mind escape the confines of the four walls that currently imprisoned her. As she lay in the bed she began to float away and soon she found herself relaxing in her backyard back home. Opening her eyes she instantly had to cover them as she was blinded by the bright sun that hung overhead. She hadn't realized how long it had been since she had been in the sunlight, and her reaction to it made her feel a bit like a vampire. Her mother's laughter caused Rachel to remove her hand to see Ripper tearing around the yard chasing butterflies, one of his favorite past times, while her father handed her a tall glass of lemonade. Smiling she took the tart drink from her father as she continued to watch her dog run around the grass like a fool, allowed all the stress of her current state to melt away. She was now worlds away, away from magic, death eaters, and the threat of Voldemort and for the first time in a long time Rachel found herself truly at peace.
She didn't know how long she would remain in her perfect world so she wasn't going to waste a moment as she watched Ripper at play. He continued to tear around the yard like a bat out of hell as Rachel egged him on to catch the rapidly fluttering insect.
"Come on buddy, get it! Get it little man!" she laughed as the pup picked up speed and disappeared around the corner of the house right behind the bug.
"Rachel, go get him before he chases it into the street," her mother said after a moment or two when Ripper hadn't returned on his own.
Sighing at the fact she had to leave the comfort of her chaise, Rachel stood, and calling his name trotted to the side of the house. It wasn't uncommon for him to not come back right away when called, especially when distracted, but when his playful barking unexpectedly ceased her heart rate to quicken. No car had been heard on the street but still the fear that might have been struck or ever stolen filled her as she jogged after him.
The moment that she had entered the side yard almost caused her to turn and bolt straight back from where she had just come, without her companion. The trees, grass, and bushes that normally were there had vanished and was replaced by darkness, so dark that it was almost if she had nearly ran straight into a pitch black tunnel.
"Ripper," she whispered sharply into the blackness, hanging back at the verge of where grass met darkness, not daring to take another step forward.
The echo of her own voice was her only response, as she squinted trying to see if she could make out the shape of her tiny white dog. The blackness was so thick Rachel knew there would be no hope of trying to even see him. Just as she was about to turn back around she spotted a pin point size light in the black void. It flickered in the distance and for the life of her Rachel found it hard to look away as it seemed to have a hypnotic pull instantly on the girl. Finally, after a few hard blinks she was able to look away. Turning back she saw that her mother and father were now standing in the middle of the sunny backyard, staring at their only child. Gazing into the unblinking eyes of the people that created her caused a chill to run up her spine.
"Well dear?" her mother asked her voice almost robotic.
"I can't see him," Rachel stammered realizing she might no longer be in Kansas anymore.
Ripper was her most cherished possession, and never in a million years would she leave him in harm's way. It was the energy that she was radiating from the darkness caused her to remain rooted on the spot. Feeling like Alice looking down the rabbit hole Rachel silently pleaded that at any moment Ripper would return, and she could scoop him up so that the pair could retreat to the safety of the backyard; even though her parents were now worrying her.
Minutes ticked by and still he had not returned, but Rachel almost didn't notice as most of her focus was not on her zombielike parents. The pair hadn't moved nor even blinked since Jessica had spoken. Chills erupted up and down Rachel, as she became almost positive that something dark was seeping into her perfect world.
"He'll come back when he's ready, why don't you come sit down, poppet?" her father's voice broke the silence. Not only was it the speech pattern that he spoke to her that caused her mouth to go dry, but also what he just called her.
"What did you just call me?" she asked hearing the pet name used in Great Britain come tumbling from the mouth of her very American father.
The blank smile fell from his her father's face and his eyes narrowed at her. Stepping away from Jessica he took an advancing step toward his daughter. "Aw to 'ell wit' this," he said his voice completely changing as his American accent disappeared, and was replaced by a very thick cockney accent. "Look, 'choo can either come back 'ere an' wait for the Dark Lord willingly or we can make 'choo stay here by force, your choice lovey."
Before Rachel could even wrap her head around what was going on her parents began to shutter, like a film being fast forward. Their limbs flailed as they convulsed violently while still standing upright. It was a terrifying sight but not as much as their heads shifting from side to side so fast it was like a blur, but what emerged from the blur was the scariest element of the whole scene.
Her father's warm, gentle face melted away and soon was replaced by the pimply young face of a man who couldn't have been much older than she was, with greasy black hair and large ears. Even though she didn't know the man personally she recognized him instantly as one of the death eater who guarded outside Grimuld Place. His presence didn't frighten her it was who took the place of the woman who bore her that shook Rachel to the core. "Now, now Stan let's not threaten her. We don't want one of the guest of honor damaged in transit," the witch said her eyes piercing Rachel's soul, "the Dark Lord would frown upon that."
"What would 'choo know about not harming 'er, Bellatrix," Stan Shunpike spat, "last time 'choo tried to bring 'er in 'choo shoved a knife in her gut, dinnit ya?"
As if on cue a blaze of pain ripped through Rachel's midsection in the exact location of the stab wound, causing her to howl in agony. Gripping her stomach she dropped to her knees in the grass, the pain making her head spin. Looking down she half expected to see the knife handle once again her hands and blood pouring from her abdomen. Though it didn't bring relief from the pain, it did comfort her to find that her skin was still on one piece.
"Not my fault that she wanted to play hero to the mudblood," Bellatrix cackled, causing Rachel's blood to instantly boil. She hated that term especially when it was used to reference Hermione.
"Don't fucking . . . call her . . . that!" she hissed her gut on fire.
"Right, right we know you love your mudblood girlfriend," Bellatrix quipped and pulled her wand from Jessica's jeans she was still wearing. "Now come sit down and wait for my lord for arrive. He has been longing to have you return to him since he found out I didn't kill you."
Instincts kicked in as Rachel crawled away from the pair, but in turn ended up closer to the blackness. Swearing under her breath, the muggle found herself trapped between a rock and a hard place; death eater or unknown black hole that could spit her out anywhere in the universe. Even though she had no clue what was waiting for her when she stepped through, Rachel figured she might have better odds falling through the black then letting the death eaters take her.
"Where 'choo think 'choos goin'?'" Stan asked watching Rachel drag herself along the ground toward the side yard.
"I don't care, just as long as it's far away from you," she hissed as her hand broke the line dividing the light from the dark. A moment of panic arose in the girl as she realized that there was nothing solid underneath her palm. Fear replaced the panic knowing that she wouldn't be simply crawling away; she would have to fall, possibly through time and space, in order to escape. Inhaling sharply and just as Bellatrix's spell left her wand, Rachel rolled into the blackness. For a moment nothing happened, she seemed to just be suspended midair hovering in the nothingness.
Well this isn't as bad as I thought it would be, she though feeling weightless in her environment, now I just need to figure out how to get back, and not back to the land of death eater parents.
"Where is he?!" the angry scream filled the space suddenly causing Rachel to cry out, "tell me where he is!"
An eerie silence filled the void as she flipped and turned in all directions trying to find where the voice had come from.
"Bring them here," a female boomed, "perhaps some alone time will help jog their memory."
Footsteps echoed, followed by a door slamming shut filled her ears as she continued to whirl around. "I know you three know where they are, and it would be wise for you to tell us."
An icy silence hung in the air that chilled Rachel to the bone; somehow she knew that what she was listening to had something to do with her. "Nothing? No one wants to share?" the female voice said, obvious annoyance in her tone. "Maybe this will help jog your memory . . . crucio."
The scream of a girl was heard almost instantaneously followed by a sickening thud, it was obvious whoever it was, had fallen victim to the curse. Her cries of pain were too much to bear for the soul piercer, who had to cover her ears to try to block out the sounds of pure agony.
"Please! Please stop, she doesn't know anything!" a frantic voice could be heard over the screaming, which caused the muggle's stomach to knot.
"Hermione," she whispered recognizing her love's voice, even though it had been six months since she last heard it she would know it anywhere.
"Get off her," another familiar voice struck Rachel's gut. "Get off my sister you bastard!" Ron's normally deep calm voice was high pitched with panic watching his only sister being tortured before his eyes.
It was like listening to an old radio show with a horror theme as she continued to listen to Ginny scream in agony. Tears began to burn Rachel's eyes hearing her friend being harmed for information about her whereabouts. Digging the heels of her hand into her ears and humming loudly she tried desperately to drown out Ginny's painful screams as well as Ron and Hermione's pleas. No matter how hard she tried to drown out their voices, they still managed to penetrated deep into her mind. Finally, Rachel's nerves broke and she tore her hands away from her ears.
"Just tell them! Tell them where we are, it's not worth it! Hermione, Ron, Ginny just tell them! Please stop hurting her, I give up I'll turn myself in, just fucking leave them alone!" she screamed herself hoarse, before clamping her eyes over her eyes. "Take me; just leave them out of it!"
Without warning and as if she had uttered some magic word, Rachel felt herself begin to drop. Air rushing past her the soul piercer tumbled head over heels through the nothingness, rapidly approaching the pinpoint of light. Not believing it was possible she found the further she fell the louder the screams grew, until she swore her ears would start bleeding.
Finally, just before Rachel thought she was going to blackout she broke through the darkness and slammed into something hard, knocking the wind out of her. "Son of a bitch," she wheezed rolling on her side in an attempt to stand. Her ribs screamed in pain, and Rachel knew right away that they had to be broken again. As she struggled for breath she noticed the screaming had ended abruptly. Opening her eyes slightly she saw that a stone floor was what had broken her fall, and at first glance it instantly reminded her of Hogwarts.
"Once again, where are they hiding? I know that you know where they are at!"
Jerking her head upwards she finally had the scene before her that belonged to the soundtrack she had been haunting her the last several minutes, and it caused worse pain then her injured ribs. Ginny was lying face down on the ground just a few feet away from her while a woman stood over her wand pointed at her. Crawling on her hands and knees Rachel tried to reach Ginny before another spell could harm her, but this scuttle ended abruptly as she collided head-on with an invisible wall. "What the hell?" she cried putting her hands in front of her and against the solid structure she couldn't see. "No, no, no, this isn't possible!"
Leaping to her feet she ignored the burning in her side as she raced to her left, in hopes of finding some opening that will allow her to reach her friends. Not taking her eyes off Ginny, she watched as she writhed in pain on the ground as another cruciatous struck her petite frame. It was no use though there seemed to be no possible way for Rachel to get close to her; she just had to simply watch the scene play out in front of her.
"I told you already she doesn't know where they are!" Hermione screamed, catching Rachel's attention and causing her to look up.
It was like another stab to her heart looking at the person she loved most and seeing the state was in. Hermione looked like she had been in several fights, and hadn't won any of them by the looks of it, as countless bruises and cuts covered her face. It was quite apparent as she caught a glimpse of Ron as well that this was not their first interrogation, nor would it be their last. The tears where in her eyes before she realized it as she pressed her hands up against the force field, looking like a mime trapped within an imaginary box. "Oh baby," she choked trying not to go into hysterics, sliding to her knees.
Turning toward Hermione the woman moved her wand from her victim to aim it directly at the seventeen year old witch. "But you know where she is don't you?" she hissed as Hermione swallowed hard. "Your precious soul piercer told you where she is at so you wouldn't worry about her, hasn't she?"
Stepping over Ginny, as she was trying to get to her feet with her brother's help, the female death eater approached Hermione. Heartbeat increasing Rachel began to pound mercilessly onto the hard air, but it was no use, it was if she wasn't even there. Narrowing her eyes the woman glared at her before looking at the man who bore a bit of a resemblance to her. "I wish to speak to our friend," she said her smile that did not even try to hide her malevolent intent, "alone."
"Not a chance!" Ron cried as both he and Ginny tried to block Hermione, before they were restrained by the man in dark robes. The Weasley boy made it further than his sister and managed to reach his best friend's side before a large hand snagged the back of his robes. The pair kicked and screamed trying to break loose but it was no use, the massive man managed to pull them from the room without almost any struggle.
A moment later the door could be heard slamming shut and the man returned alone to join his sister. The pair encircled her like a lion and lioness would stalk a gazelle. Hermione knew how to hide her fear well, but from where she was standing, Rachel could see the pure terror in her eyes.
"Now that we are alone dear and you don't have to worry about putting up a front in front of your friends, why don't you tell me where they are?" she asked her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "I can assure you she would not be harmed in any way; after all she did pledge herself to the dark lord."
Setting her jaw Hermione stared straight ahead; she had faced the Carrows alone before, and was prepared to endure more of the same to keep Harry and Rachel safely hidden. "I don't know who you are talking about," Hermione stated calmly.
"Don't play dumb with us, girl!" the man hissed from behind her. "You know damn well where they both are hiding."
"Even if I did, I would never tell you where they are," she replied defiantly, which caused Rachel's stomach to knot.
She's going to get herself killed, Rachel thought watching the man grab Hermione's ponytail and forced her head back so fast and hard she swore her neck was going to snap. Panicked breaths began to escape from the witch, as Alecto reached up to grasp Hermione's brightly shining necklace.
"Now we have been trying to be patient with you and your endless games, mudblood. So either you start talking or you can keep this up and no one will be able to protect her from his wrath," she said gripping the chain tightly causing it to choke her. "He doesn't look kindly at death eaters who turn their back on him."
Nausea hit Rachel hearing herself referred to as a death eater. Yes, she had pledged herself to Voldemort while under possession, but that didn't really make her a death eater… did it?
"Rachel's not a death eater!" Hermione defended her love.
Hearing her called that seemed to have the same effect on her as when Rachel heard her being referred to as mudblood.
"Ah so you do know who we are talking about!" he snarled behind Hermione as the color drained from her face. Rachel's heart pounded in her throat knowing that she might have signed her fate with her slip up in words. Then to her surprise she watched as Hermione stiffened her posture.
"All I am saying is to be a death eater you have to be both vile inside and out . . . which I can say you both have covered very nicely."
"Wow," Rachel said feeling her jaw drop hearing Hermione stand up for her, and insult two minions of Voldemort in one breath. Taking her eye off of Hermione, she caught the silent exchange between brother and sister. With a smile he threw Hermione to the ground by her hair. In the instant she watched her girlfriend slam into the stone ground, hands were on her shoulders pulling her away from everything.
"No!" she screamed trying to fight off who ever had grabbed her as the lights began to dim in front of her like the stage lights at the end of a performance.
The rest will be too much to watch, Beth's voice whispered in her ears as Rachel strained to see what was happening to her, it's best if you don't see it.
"Four months you have left me alone, four months and now you show up?" Rachel growled clawing at the nothingness in front of her. It was true she had not had a visit from either spirit since that afternoon her room when they first went into hiding. Secretly, she hoped that she might have been rid of her visitors once and for all since all they seemed to bring was news of dark and dangerous times ahead.
Hermione's screams sounded without warning and in that moment something snapped inside of Rachel. "Let go of me you fucking bitch! You show up and all hell breaks loose. I don't care what you fucking said to me before I am not letting her be tortured because of me," she cried ripping her shoulders from Beth's grasp.
You would risk your future to protect her?
"Without her I don't have a future I want to face," she sobbed dropping to her knees listening to her girlfriend's howls of pain.
Staring into the darkness Rachel prayed that some light source would turn on to illuminate the place she knew Hermione to be. A silence fell over the room which caused her stomach to lurch. Then out of the darkness she could make out the sound of heavy breathing.
"Don't kill her," the female hissed in a low voice, "with her dead we will never find out where Potter and the soul piercer are hiding."
"You're lucky this time girl," he stated obviously out of breath, "But trust me when I say this…we are going to meet every day like this until you decide to cooperate with us."
"I'll never…tell you…anything," Hermione wheezed and at the end Rachel heard her spit.
Flesh made contact with flesh and Rachel knew she had just been slapped by the sounds of it, it had been pretty hard. That was it, her friends, especially Hermione, were in danger at Hogwarts, the one place they were supposed to be safe. At this rate one of them would be dead by the end of the week. She was going to help them, with or without Harry's help. Knowing that she couldn't hear her didn't stop from Rachel and screaming at the top of her lungs, "Hermione, I'm coming to get you!"
So be it…just be careful and keep the words I spoke in the back of your mind, Beth sighed from behind.
Eyes still transfixed in front of her, Rachel didn't see Beth raise her foot and in one swift motioned kicked her in the spine. The force of the kick sent Rachel falling forward, but instead of slamming into the hard ground again she felt her body bounce off something soft. Upon opening her eyes she found herself lying face down on the mattress back in headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix.
Had it been a dream? Or was it one of her warnings of what was to come, like the one she had before Hermione was nearly stabbed in the Forbidden Forest last December? She wasn't sure but she wasn't going to risk it. Forgetting she was even fighting with Harry she sprang from her bed and bolted from the room. Taking the steps three at a time she reached Sirius's room in record time. Just as she was about to burst into the room the door flew open. A very pale Harry greeted her in the doorway with the heel of his hand pressed onto his scar. "I was just coming to find you," he winced confirming what Rachel thought…his scar was hurting him.
"Harry…what did you see?" she ask quietly, almost afraid to know the answer. After all Harry was a direct link to Voldemort's mind so if he saw something as well then her vision had to be for real.
"They're in trouble," he stated firmly causing Rachel's heart to race, "we have to get to Hogwarts. Meet me downstairs in ten minutes…we're leaving while they are switching guards."
With a nod Rachel raced back to her room to gather her supplies in case they weren't coming back. Don't worry Hermione, she thought grasping the blue star as she stumbled down the stairs, I'm coming.