Disclaimer: The Twilight character all belong to Stephenie Meyer. I do not make any money…I simply play with them. The magical locations belong to J.K. Rowling.

Special thanks to my wonderful beta, sorceresscirce. She makes my work readable and gives me the funniest comments. I would also like to thank ObsessingOverEdward for helping me out of my writers block and for being just plain awesome.

Chapter 24: Taken

Edward Masen

I looked out into the open field from my perch high above the goal posts. I could see my team working hard as they passed the quaffle and dodged the bludgers. Quidditch practice had been going on for an hour, and I still had not been able to concentrate on the game. My thoughts were completely consumed by Bella. She was all I could think about.

It had been over a week since Christmas and the night we had finally been together. I hated the fact that we hadn't been able to be together again. The passing kisses were not enough. I craved her too much. I wanted to feel her entire body pressed against mine as we both climbed to our peaks.

I had expected to have plenty of opportunities during the rest of our break, but that had been impossible. I was certain my mom had figured it out. She had never told us anything, but it was obvious she knew something. She never left us alone for more than a few minutes. She seemed to almost sense our physical need to be together. It was annoying.

My frustration had been so bad that I had been seriously tempted to lock ourselves in one of the compartments during our train ride back to school. It had taken all my self control to resist. My only consolation was Bella's promise to spend some quality alone time tonight. We were meeting outside the library right after practice. I couldn't wait.

My concentration was also inhibited by my worries. Could Bella have gotten pregnant by that one time? It was still too soon to know, but that didn't stop me from worrying. I hadn't been able to bring it up. I had been stalling the inevitable. I didn't want to make her worry unless she absolutely had to. But that also meant that I hadn't told her to go see Nurse Platt. Bella had not taken the birth control potion, and she would have to before we did anything again.

I sighed heavily, knowing we would have to have that conversation tonight. It was only our first night back at Hogwarts, but I didn't want us to waste any time. We didn't have a lot of time to begin with. We had classes, head duties, homework, and patrols. Not to mention I had Quidditch practice at least two to three times a week.

"What's up with you today, Edward?" Emmett asked, bumping his broom against me, knocking me out of my trance. "You haven't barked any commands and have not made one dive for the Snitch."

"Nothing," I lied, even though I knew my twin could see right through me. How could I tell Emmett that I was sulking because I hadn't been able to sleep with Bella again? I refused to take the taunting that would surely follow.

"I don't know what crawled up your ass, but you better get your head into this. I'm not wasting my time out on the field. I have better things to do if you're going to stay up here and think like a melodramatic poet." Emmett was not happy with my behavior, and I couldn't blame him. But I was not a melodramatic poet.

"What's more important than Quidditch?" I asked even though I already knew the answer. Emmett had been counting down the minutes until tonight. He hadn't seen Rose since Christmas.

"Sex," he immediately answered. "Now pay attention or call off practice."

I took a few seconds as I watched Emmett return to practice before focusing my attention on finding the Snitch. It took me only two minutes to find the small, shiny ball floating on the other side of the field by the middle goal post.

All my concentration suddenly focused on the Snitch. I would catch the Snitch and end practice early. After all, tonight's practice had definitely not been productive. There was no need to waste any more time. My head was not into this today. I swerved through my team, keeping my eyes on the tiny ball. I loved the thrill of the chase and the rush of excitement that washed over me the second my fingers wrapped around the ball.

"Time!" I yelled as I touched down on the grown and dismounted my broom.

My team flew down to meet me on the ground. They were definitely confused. I never called time until the end of practice. "What's up?" Ben asked. "Did we do something wrong?"

"Everything looks great, everyone. I'm ending practice a bit early tonight. We'll pick up where we left off on Thursday." My entire team stood stunned as they processed my statement. None of them made a move to go. They probably thought I was testing their commitment to the team or something.

"You heard the captain," Emmett barked. "Practice over!"

Emmett's loud voice echoed through the field, causing the team to scramble with their stuff. "I think I'm not the only one getting lucky tonight," Emmett said as he helped get the balls into their case.

"What I do or don't do is not your business," I said as I rolled my eyes.

"Stop kidding yourself, Edward. I know Mom was a total pain in the behind last week. She didn't leave you and Bella alone. If I didn't know better, I would say she's a Seer," he replied, causing me to laugh. My mom was definitely not a Seer. But she did have what my father had termed, "mother's intuition."

"Don't you have a date to go to?" I asked.

"Don't you, too?" he questioned.

"Go on ahead, Emmett. I'll just put this in the storage room and be on my way. Bella is not expecting me yet, anyway." There was no need for both us of to stick around. I also knew that Bella was going to be immersed in her homework for at least another half hour.

"I'll see you later tonight, then, in the dorm." Emmett grabbed his broom, making his way to the pitch's exit.

"Don't wait up for me," I yelled out after him, causing him to let out a loud laugh.

I made sure I had everything before making my way across the field to the storage room. It was still relatively early, just nearing twilight. It didn't take me long to get to the storage room with the chest of balls, but I suddenly felt a strange sensation wash over me. It was almost as if I was being watched. I quickly turned around, my hand reaching for my wand in my pocket.

I inwardly cursed myself when I noticed I didn't have my wand. I had been running late and had left it on my nightstand. I couldn't see anything in the darkness, but the uneasiness didn't go away. I quickly stacked the chest on top of the others before I heard a deep voice yell out, "Petrificus Totalus!"

My body instantly went rigid before I fell onto my back, my head hitting the corner of one of the chests. "The Minister's son taken...wouldn't that make a great headline in tomorrow's Daily Prophet?" I felt my blood run cold as my eyes focused on Professor Sangue. How was I going to get out of this?

I tried to speak or move, but it was impossible. I couldn't do anything but stare up into the eyes of my Potions Professor. What did they want from me? "Mr. Malus will be very happy to see you. I think this will settle things. After all, we all know he should've been Minister," he added before kicking me in the stomach.

A thousand thoughts rushed through my head as he took out an old boot and checked his watch. "I think you'll find his accommodations to your liking." His foot landed on my face before he dropped the boot on my stomach. "The vendetta will be settled once and for all."

"I'll miss you in class tomorrow," he laughed evilly before I felt the familiar pull behind my navel. I had no idea where I was headed, but I knew the Portkey was not sending me anywhere pleasant. I was in trouble.

Isabella Swan

I checked my watch for the hundredth time as I stood outside the library. I had been standing here for the last fifteen minutes waiting for Edward, but he had yet to show up. It was very unlike him to be late, especially for our date. I knew he was just as eager for this as I was. After all, he had almost had me on the train ride back to Hogwarts. I had no doubt about him showing up, but his tardiness worried me.

I bit the corner of my lip as I tried to decide what to do. Should I go look for him? What if he came and I wasn't here? It would be really stupid if we ended up chasing each other around the castle, just because I couldn't sit still and wait five more minutes.

I waited another ten minutes before I saw Emmett and Rose come around the corner. "What are you doing here, Bella? Didn't you have a date with Edward?" Emmett asked curiously as Rose greeted me with a warm smile.

"We did, I mean, do. He just hasn't shown up. Has practice been over for a while? I'm really starting to worry," I answered as a million questions rushed through my head. Had something happened? Had he forgotten about our date? Had he stood me up?

"He ended practice almost an hour ago, Bella. His head wasn't into it. He was too eager to finally have alone time with you. He definitely should've been here by now," Emmett answered as a feeling of dread settled itself in the pit of my stomach. Where could Edward be?

"When did you last see him? Did he come inside with you?" I asked as I tried to come up with a logical explanation for his absence.

"I saw him when I left practice. He was going to put away the equipment and then head up to find you." I could tell by the look in his eyes that something wasn't right. We both knew Edward was not one to just not show up.

"Maybe he fell asleep," Rose logically suggested.

"Can you go look in the dorm, Emmett? I'm going down to the pitch to see if I see him," I couldn't shake the fear that had wrapped around me. I was probably overreacting, but something didn't seem right.

"You're going down there by yourself?" Emmett asked in an uncertain tone. "Let me go."

"I can't get into the Hufflepuff common room," I pointed out. "I'm a big girl. I can handle a trip to the h pitch on my own."

"Well, alright then. Let's meet back here in fifteen minutes?" I knew he was still hesitant about sending me out onto the school grounds on my own, but I wasn't going to give him the chance to stop me.

"I'll be back in fifteen," I called out after him as I made my way down the hall.

As soon as I had stepped out onto the school grounds, I knew I should have found Alice and Jasper to accompany me. But it was too late for that now. I wrapped my robe tighter around me as the icy wind blew against me. It was just starting to snow, and it really felt as if the temperature was dropping every second. It was absolutely freezing.

I made onto the Quidditch Pitch, sighing loudly as I noticed that Edward was nowhere to be seen. The only other logical place to look was the storage room. But why would he be in the storage room? It didn't take that long to store all the equipment.

The storage room was just off to the corner, making it easily accessible from the pitch. I felt a strange feeling wash over me the minute I stepped inside. I knew something was definitely off, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. The storage room was empty, but I knew there was something I wasn't seeing.

I took out my wand before whispering, "Lumos," causing a faint light to appear at the end of my wand. I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but I knew I wasn't alone. I quickly turned around, gasping in surprise. Professor Cullen was standing at the door.

"What are you doing here, Professor?" I asked, sighing in relief.

"Emmett sent me out here after you. He said something about Edward being missing." Professor Cullen had a strange look of concentration as he walked inside, stopping abruptly a few steps from me.

"I don't think he's missing," I answered, trying to convince myself. I didn't want to overreact for no reason. There had to be some type of logical explanation.

"He was here," Professor Cullen answered as he took out his wand and made the tip of his wand glow with light. "I can smell his blood."

I stared down at the floor in disbelief. There was some blood splattered on the floor next to his Masen crest bracelet. "This is Edward's," I gasped as I picked it up. Edward never took it off.

"He was definitely taken," Professor Cullen mumbled just loud enough for me to hear.

"How do you know?" I questioned, trying to keep myself under control. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he just fell and was now with Nurse Platt. There could be a million explanations for his disappearance.

"I can faintly detect another magical signature besides Edward's. But whoever it was, they covered their tracks well," he stated as if he were explaining it to himself. "I need you to go back into the castle and tell the Headmaster. I'm going to try to see if I find something."

I was in a complete daze as I made my way out of the storage room, the pitch, and back into the castle. It all didn't seem real. Who could've taken Edward? Would they hurt him? What could they want with him? I had too many questions and not enough answers.

"What's wrong, Bella? You look like you've seen a ghost," Jasper commented as I passed them down the hallway on my way to see the Headmaster.

"He's gone," I whispered in a barely audible voice as my composure completely broke, causing a loud sob to escape from my mouth.

"Sweetie," Alice cried as she brought me into a tight embrace. "Tell us what happened."

"Edward was taken," I explained as I clung to Alice. "I need to tell the Headmaster."

"How do you know?" Jasper asked, but I was unable to answer as we entered the Headmaster's office.

Time seemed to completely stop moving after that. I was aware of the search the Headmaster mounted of the castle and its grounds. But I was in my own world. I had never felt more alone. I felt as if a piece of me were missing. How was I to function without him?

Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and even Rose waited with me long after curfew passed. The search turned up no clues. There was nothing they could do but notify Mr. and Mrs. Masen and the Aurors. Edward was really gone, and I had no idea when or if he would return.

A/N: Let the speculation begin...

The majority of you thought that the chapter title indicated that Bella would be taken. I hope this shows that you should expect the unexpected.

I can't wait to read your thoughts after this. I've been waiting a long time to post this chapter, and I really wanted to make sure you all got it this week. Therefore, its a day early.

Next Chapter: Not Knowing

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