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CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
HPOV
I stared wide eyed as Bella got to her feet and saw the expression on her face when she saw the two figures behind us. Startled, I stepped back, automatically raising my wand.
"Put that damned wand down now, Granger!" Draco's sharp voice made me immediately lower my wand. Before I could consider my actions I threw myself at him and he caught me, holding me close to him for a moment, before he pushed me away, keeping a hold of my arms. "For someone with a very high IQ you can be remarkably stupid." I shivered slightly at his tone of voice, but found I could not pull away from him; he simply tightened his grip. Glancing to my left I saw that Edward was standing over Bella, the expression on his face so murderous that I was almost relieved it was Draco that was holding me.
"I'm sorry," I started to say, but he brought a finger up to cover my lips.
"You are going to listen to me," he said. "How is it that Harry, Hagrid and even that dog Sirius managed to get out of here unscathed, yet you managed to get yourself captured by Centaurs and then when you escaped from them you end up running round lost?"
"It's not as if I did it on purpose," I muttered, as soon as he moved his finger. To my relief he gave me a small smile.
"I know you didn't, love, but have you any idea how worried I have been? When Harry came back without you I could have killed him!"
"Any excuse," I said, but my face quickly fell as I thought of what we had discovered while in the woods. Seeing my expression, Draco tilted my chin so that I looked directly into his stormy eyes.
"What is it?"
"Aro was here, in the forest. He was looking for something... or someone."
Draco was silent digesting what I said and then he glanced across at Edward who was currently berating Bella. My cousin was glaring at him, scuffing the ground with her toe, looking so like the child who had hidden in the woods when we were children that I couldn't help but smile.
"We need to get you and Bella out of here," he said.
"Can't you apparate us out of here?" I asked. He shook his head.
"No, there are too many protective spells on the Forbidden Forest. We will have no option but to walk. Come on, we need to get out quick."
He took my hand and led me over to where Bella and Edward were still engaged in a fairly heated discussion.
"Dick," she muttered, when he turned away from her. He whirled round, green fire blazing from his eyes.
"Sometimes, Isabella, you behave like nothing but a bloody spoilt brat! Now move yourself! We need to get out of these damned trees before any of us get hurt."
"Sorry!" she exclaimed, looking a little startled when he gave her a small push. As we walked in front of the boys, I glanced across at her and was stunned to see tears standing out on her lashes. When I went to reach across to her though she shook her head, shoving her hands deep into her pockets after pulling her hood up to cover her face.
We moved through the trees in awkward silence. Draco reached across and took my hand in his, squeezing it gently, which was a small comfort. I couldn't keep my eyes from my cousin's form though; her shoulders were slumped and I knew she was crying. I wondered briefly what Edward had said to upset her so much; calling him what she had I knew he had got to her. And I hadn't heard her apologise like that since her dad told her off for staying out past curfew when we were children.
"Bella," I murmured, but she just stiffened and refused to look at me. Draco shrugged, but Edward looked a little guilty suddenly.
"Bella," he said, moving round to her side and placing a tentative hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off.
"Leave me alone," she said, her voice muffled by her hood.
"What did you say to her?" I demanded. Edward scowled at me.
"I just gave her some home truths; pointed out that she has put all of us in danger with her impulsiveness. It was not my intention to make her cry."
The last sentence conveyed that he was feeling guilty for shouting at her and placated me somewhat, but apparently not Bella who whirled round and got right in Edward's face.
"She is my cousin for fuck's sake and all you lot could do was stand around talking about what you would do to help her! Instead of getting your asses out here and actually doing something, you were all for standing around flapping your mouths! I thought women were supposed to talk a lot but you lot could give a group of old women gossiping a run for their money! You're pathetic the lot of you! Sitting around talking! It's hardly a wonder he nearly won the first time round..." She broke off abruptly when I gave her a hurt look and stepped back, drawing a hand through her hair. "Sorry, I didn't mean that. I just mean that if I hadn't got there when I did who knows what those weird Centaurs might have done to her?"
"We didn't know the Centaurs had her," said Draco, defensively. Bella sighed.
"No, but I did and I knew I had to get her out of there. I can't lose Hermione and I can't let her be lost. I'm all the family she's got. Surely you of all people understand that, Edward?"
Edward was silent for a moment, seemingly unwilling to back down. Bella huffed and then turned back towards the path, storming away from us, but Edward stopped her, grabbing her arm.
"Ok, ok, I do understand. Of course I do, but surely you understand how worried I was when you just disappeared like that? We may have been doing a lot of talking, Bella, but we didn't want this to happen; we didn't want anyone else endangered. This Forest houses a lot of different creatures, not to mention magic that would make your toes curl. We cannot use the magic we might wish to here, like being able to apparate at will. Honestly, we had started to formulate a plan and if you had just waited, we wouldn't all be here. Neville and Hagrid were going to come in, as Neville knows the most about the plant life out here and Hagrid about the creatures..."
Bella's face fell.
"So I screwed up," she said, eventually. "I said I was sorry, but you just had to keep going on at me, didn't you? Making me feel like it's all my fault..."
Edward sighed and I knew why; it was really her fault, for being so impetuous but I could hardly argue. Because like it or not, she had rescued me and we were all together. I hadn't hoped to see Draco until all of this was over, but here he was, holding my hand. He squeezed it and I turned in time to see him roll his eyes.
"Can you two just kiss and make up?" he said. "We really do need to get out of here." He was looking about himself anxiously and then he let go of my hand. I watched my eyes widening as he suddenly started to rub my arm.
"Yes, Bella, you should kiss and make up," I said.
"I thought you were on my side," she groused.
"Bella..." She looked across at me and saw the look on my face. Her eyes flitted to Draco and then to Edward and then gave me a small nod.
"I'm so sorry, Edward. It will never happen again," she said, doing her utmost to sound sincere, as she leaned across and kissed his lips. He seemed satisfied with her apology though and took her hand in his briefly as we set off again.
"Draco," I said, a little nervously, as my eyes caught him scratching at his arm again.
"What?"
"Are you ok?"
"We need to get out of these woods," he said. "Now."
Edward half turned to face Draco and I caught the expression of panic on his face.
"Please, we must move more quickly!" he said, urgently, but then he froze and as I looked ahead a sight that caused my breathing to hitch and my ears to ring caused me to halt.
Standing before us, his cloak billowing around him was a tall, handsome young man who gave us a winning smile.
"Miss Granger, what a delight to see you again," he said.
"Who are you?" asked Bella, as I stood my mouth slightly open staring at him. Many things I had expected when we came face to face again but this was not one of them. Because this was not the decaying form of a wizard who had dealt in evil for far too long. This was the face of a wizard in his prime; an exceptionally attractive wizard.
"Oh really, Miss Swan, you have no idea who I am? I am insulted."
"Please, leave her alone," Edward managed to say, though he grimaced with pain as the words left him. The wizard turned slowly to look at Edward and his lip curled back in a snarl that caused me to take a step back, but Draco stopped me, his hands firm on my arms. Glancing back at him, I was alarmed by what I saw; he was no longer in control. His eyes were glazed over and I struggled against him instinctively.
"Hold her still, Draco," warned the wizard, as he crossed the clearing to place his wand against my throat. Tilting his head to one side, a puzzled expression crossed his face. "I would never have believed that the hideous Mudblood I left behind on the battlefield could have grown into such a beautiful young woman. Such a waste! Imagine if you had been a Pureblood! I would have made you my queen."
"I would not have accepted!" I spat back at him.
"'Mione..."
"Let me introduce myself, Miss Swan. My name is Tom, Tom Riddle." He gave her a sardonic bow and then turned back to me. "As for you, Miss Granger, you had better behave in a more ladylike manner or I am quite certain that Draco will take exception."
My eyes widened at the implicit threat in his voice and I shivered. Bella was looking across at Edward a little fearfully, as he had taken hold of her by the arm.
"Tom Riddle?" she echoed. "Oh shit!"
"Yes I see that understanding is dawning. I am Tom Riddle, Tom Marvelo Riddle to be precise. Voldemort to the less educated. I am certain you have heard much about me, no doubt a lot of it twisted to the Potter version of events." At this he gave me a hard look and Draco tightened his grip slightly.
"What do you want us to do with them?" asked Edward suddenly. Voldemort gave us a thoughtful look and then a smile split his face.
"We will return them to the university. It was Aro who alerted me to their presence here in the first place, though why he would have allowed them to carry on walking through the forest with their wands is beyond me."
Bella extracted her wand and looked down at it, then gave it a frustrated shake.
"Ah, Edward? If you would be so kind?" Edward plucked her wand from her easily and Draco removed mine in the same way.
"Makes no difference; they're useless anyway," she said, bitterly.
"Aro must have put a spell on them," I said.
"Astute as ever, Miss Granger," mocked Voldemort. And then he lifted his own wand. "Cruciatus!"
I screamed as burning pain swept through my body, like hot lava flowing through my veins. It was all Draco could do to hold me upright as I writhed in his arms in agony. Tears stood out on my lashes and my legs gave way beneath me as the curse faded.
"That was for your part in my demise, Miss Granger. Well the entree dish anyway! They do say revenge is a dish best served cold and I have many ideas for what I will do with you and your horrible little friends."
He looked thoughtful for a moment and then he prodded my chest with his wand, as I held my breath, waiting for him to issue the killing curse, but he did nothing but laugh at my reaction.
"Take them back to the university; straight to the Dean's office. Once we are there, we will bring the rest of them to their knees."
"Yes, my lord." Their voices echoed in unison and I shivered again, glancing across to see Bella staring wide eyed at me.
