Untitled
The whispers of feather light caresses slowly pull me from my slumber. "Mm," I breathe, lacing my fingers with Cole's, stopping her design of endless circles on my chest. "Morning."
"Good morning," she murmurs softly, nestling her head on my shoulder.
I wrap my other arm around her, drawing little, shapeless figures on her icy back. "You're cold," I mumble into her hair, and she nods, snuggling closer. A grin tugs at the corner of my lips. "I can fix that, you know."
Before I can move, she crawls over my chest straddling me. She leans over; resting her elbows in the pillows over my shoulders and kisses me briefly. I gaze up at her as she smiles softly down at me. A brief flash of emotion that I cannot label shines in her eyes before she dips down to kiss me again. I trace endless designs on the bare skin of her back as our tongues dance in one of those lazy early morning kisses that I have found myself to be so fond of.
When we part, she trails open-mouthed kisses down my jaw and nibbles tenderly at my ear. I run my fingers up into her hair as she continues her sweet affections lower and onto my neck, her hot, honeyed breath washing across my skin sending delightful tingles throughout my entire being. "Rebecca," I whisper quietly, as her hands entwine in my hair. She lifts her head to look at me, smiling that soft sweetened smile that she saves just for me. Cupping her cheek, as she stares into my eyes, with that unknowable emotion flickering in their depths, I press my lips to hers in a chaste, gentle kiss. "What are you thinking, right now?" I ask, letting the words brush across her cheek before I settle back down in the pillows.
She sucks on her bottom lip in a moment of thoughtful hesitation, but then she lets it slide from between her teeth and she kisses my jaw, nuzzling against me for a moment. "Your eyes," she breathes into my ear before gazing back down at me. "I can get so lost in them. Sometimes, I feel I could just hide there in their fathomless depths, spend my eternity watching the beautiful pictures they paint that coincide with your abundance of emotions." Stroking my cheek with the gentlest of caress, she sighs contentedly. "The gentle rain clouds of confusion; the calm waters of peace; the sparkling glints of mischief, like a speck of gold in a dark, endless mine; the thunderstorms of rage; and that holistic sky that looks so much like heaven when you are surrounded by your friends. I wish, sometimes, that I could stay there forever."
Her cheeks almost flush red and I love that she isn't afraid to be honest with me; to be shy when she feels shy, irked when she is annoyed, angry when things are not going right, and happy when she smiles. I smile softly, cupping her face in my hands so she can't look away. "Now, what exactly does one say to a confession such as that?"
"Nothing," she answers quietly, her eyes no longer holding my gaze. "You shouldn't say anything."
Sitting up, I capture her lips in a soft, lingering kiss. "Maybe, I should just kiss you in all of those places that make you moan."
She grinds her hips against me and I feel her smirk as I groan. Fisting her hand in my hair, she whispers, "Maybe, we should just fuck?"
I grin widely, rolling over and pinning her under me. "Maybe, we should call it 'making love' as I found the conversation slightly romantic?" She drags her nails down my spine, making me shiver and I know she is about to disagree with me. I burry my nose in her neck in an attempt to keep her from seeing the pain that will surely flash through my eyes.
"Maybe, we should," she replies and I smile, nipping at her neck. Maybe we should…
O
"Sirius!" Andy exclaims as she pulls open her door. She stops suddenly as she starts to pull me into a hug. "Don't want to get you all dirty," she laughs, standing on her toes and kissing my cheek. She covered head-to-toe in flour, her bouncing aquamarine curls dusted powdery white. "I cannot believe you left the school grounds," she scolds slapping my arm. "You are–" her voice cuts off as she spots Cole and Hunter. "Lovely," she says softly, smiling at Cole. "Ted! You have to come see Sirius' girlfriend! I swear she is gorgeous!" she yells over her shoulder and my cheeks flame up.
"Uh, Andy," I start and she smacks herself in the forehead.
"Oh Merlin, I'm such an idiot," Andy cuts me off, waving us in. "Come in, Dora's upstairs changing. She was trying to wear her tutu. Merlin, you're a cutie," she tells Hunter pinching his cheek like a grandmother.
Hunter grins. "You're cute too."
Andy coos, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Ted hurry up! They've got a little boy, who is just adorable!"
"Andy," I laugh, "stop already."
She blushes a brilliant pink. "I am doing that whole, 'embarrassing mother' thing, aren't I?" Dropping her face into her hands she mumbles, "Oh, hell…"
I wrap my arm around Cole's shoulders, brushing my lips across her temple. "Sorry, I should have warned you," I whisper quietly. She just smiles and shakes her head, slipping her hand into my back pocket. Chuckling, I introduce them. "Andy, this Rebecca Cole and her nephew Hunter."
Before anyone has time to speak Ted stumbles up behind Andy, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Damn love, you are right, she is gorgeous," he says, kissing Andy's neck. "Not that you aren't," he murmurs, nuzzling against her.
"Theodore," she scolds, "I was just getting her name."
"SIRIUS!" Little Nymph screams, flying across the room and latching unto my leg.
"Hey," I laugh, scooping her up and kissing her cheek. "Look at you! You're getting so big!" I exclaim and she smiles brightly.
She hugs me tightly. "Who's your friend?" she whispers, her hair flashing red.
Placing her back on her feet, I say, "This is Rebecca, she's a friend of mine from school." Little Nymph wrinkles her nose at Cole, frowning.
Cole smiles softly and kneels down to Nymph's level. "I am so glad to finally meet you, Nymphadora, Sirius talks about you all the time. Honestly, if I didn't know you were related, I'd be jealous." Seemingly comforted by that, Nymph smiles, and kisses Cole's cheek. "This is my nephew Hunter, by the way," Cole adds, shoving Hunter forward.
He smiles shyly at Nymphadora, before holding out his hand. Nymph stares at it confusedly and Ted whispers, "You're supposed to shake it, Dora."
Quirking a blue eyebrow, she says, "Why?" Hunter gazes up at Ted, as well, waiting for his answer.
"Uh," Ted stalls, "Andromeda, you wanna take this one?"
Andy rolls her eyes. "Because, it's polite," she answers quickly and Nymph shrugs shaking Hunter's hand.
"D'you like Quidditch?" she asks. At Hunter's nod, she grins widely. "Good!"
O
Cole's head falls onto my shoulder and I wrap my arm tighter around her as we watch Hunter and Nymphadora chase each other around on brooms in Andy's backyard. "Getting sleepy?" I ask and she shakes her head.
"Well, are you two just too damn cute?" Andy says, grinning widely, tucked away under Ted's arm as they stroll up to us, returning home from their night out.
I grin up at her. "Hell, yes, we are," I exclaim, nudging Cole over a bit, so they can join us on the bench. "Back already? I was sure you'd abuse your free baby sitter and stay out all night."
Laughing, Ted says, "Yeah right. We can't even stay awake past ten anymore. Damn kids." He yawns hugely before laying his head on Andy's chest. She chuckles and strokes his hair.
"Poor baby," she coos. He whines pitifully and she rolls her eyes before turning to me. "So, how was the match then?"
"Well, they enjoyed it," I answer with a shrug, nodding out to Hunter and Nymphadora. "Magpies lost. 290 to 50."
Ted cringes. "Ick, that's bad. Damn good thing Dora and I support the Arrows. I'd hate her favorite team to have done so poorly."
"Maybe they just had a bad day!" Andy yells, shoving him off her. If there is one thing I have learned in life, it is not to insult the Magpies in front of Andy. The only reason Ted still has his head right now, is he is her husband.
After a moment of watching them argue, I grab Cole's hand and pull her up. "Rebecca has to pee. I'm going to show her to the loo." Andy and Ted turn to us, blinking as if they forgot we were even there and Andy nods slowly before I drag Cole away.
"I don't have to pee," she complains lightly as she jogs along side me.
"So," I say, tugging her into the house, shoving her against the door, and devouring her.
"Sirius," she chuckles reproachfully as I kiss her neck.
"Mm, I like it when you call me that," I murmur, nibbling at her ear.
She places her hands on my shoulders and gently tries to shove me away. "We're in your cousin's house. We are not going to have sex here."
"Please," I whine, fumbling with the large round buttons at the front of her dress. "Nobody will know."
Shaking her head, she tries to shove me away again. I finally manage to undo the first few buttons and find her braless. I drag my mouth across the pale skin of her breasts-- licking, kissing, nipping, and sucking, whatever I please. Soon she stops trying to push me away, placing her hands in my hair, and guiding my mouth to where she wants it. "Can we at least not do it in the doorway?" she asks breathlessly before releasing a soft little moan.
I grin at the sound and slip my arms around her, picking her up and carrying her off to the closest room. She trails a path of hot, wet kisses down my neck, her legs tightly wrapped around me, as I close the door, glancing around the room for the best spot to ravish her.
Stumbling toward a small sofa as Cole continues her fiery affections, I carefully place her on it. I rid her of her dress as she nimbly undoes my pants, tugging them off my hips. Her delicate little hands run up under my shirt, caressing my chest, and I dip my head down so she can remove it.
"Black, we don't have time, please, just now," she pants.
"You are so impatient," I mumble, dragging my lips across her skin. "I like a little anticipation."
"Yes, well," she gasps and arches up against me as I nibbled at just the right spot. "Fucker," she curses me before shoving me off the couch and tumbling down atop me. She teases me endlessly with tortuous fingers and their artful designs, and impassioned kisses, searing hot, and dreadfully addicting, until I am the one begging.
Smirking at me, she gently brushes my hair out of my face, whispering, "Now, who is impatient?"
I growl, flipping her over, and pinning her beneath me. "You're wicked," I inform her and she grins.
"Yes, but, now I get what I want," she responds slyly.
I frown, wrinkling my nose. "Stupid Slytherins," I mutter before sliding inside her. Her clever retort is exchanged for a whisper of a moan.
O
Still waving goodbye to Andy, Ted and Nymphadora, I wrap arm tightly around Cole's shoulders, as she grips Hunter to her and we disappear with a tiny pop. My entire body feels like it is being squeezed through a tube before we suddenly appear in front of Honeyduke's. The glass of the window shatters as we appear and Hunter screams. Pushing Cole and Hunter to the ground, I pin them beneath me as a curse flies over us, destroying the display in the window. Little shards of glass dig into the palms of my hands and I pray Cole's cloak is thick enough to prevent them from slicing her back.
"What the fuck is going on?" Cole whispers shakily, her dark eyes gazing up at me, wide with fear. I glance around, finding dozens of Death Eaters attacking the shops and villagers. I shake my head, grasping her arms and Apparating again.
We land on the hard ground outside the Shrieking Shack. "Death Eaters, the whole fucking place is swarming with them," I pant, helping her up from the ground.
She starts to speak, clutching Hunter tightly to her chest, and suddenly her face contorts in pain and she stumbles forward. "Rebecca…" I say slowly, confusion marring my face as I grip her arms steadying her. Glancing over her shoulder, I spot a Death Eater pointing his wand at her.
As I move to grab my wand, Cole falls against my chest and I abandon my attempt at retrieving wand to hold her and Hunter up. When I start to steady her, the familiar feeling of pressure that accompanies Apparation washes over me.
"Oh, Becky, love…" is the last thing I hear before we reappear somewhere new.
I blink a few times trying to orientate myself with my surroundings. We are standing on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. "What are–" I start to ask, but Cole cuts me off, shoving a crying Hunter into my arms.
"No time for talk," she says simply, ripping off her cloak and wrapping it around Hunter before taking him from me. "I put us outside because they'll expect us to Apparate in as far as possible. The bastard recognized me, so they'll be coming. Just follow me, we can't go straight through," she tells me quickly before taking off into the trees.
Shit this can't be a good idea.
O
Heavy pounding footsteps sound in front of me as I chase after her. "Cole, come on, stop." The dark trees of the forest reach out a grab me, tearing at my cloak and clothes ripping away little pieces of flesh, but I don't stop running. "Cole!" I yell.
"Stop fucking talking, he'll hear you," she says harshly, barely loud enough for me to hear. One of the Death Eater caught up to us about ten minutes ago, we have been running since. "Shush, baby, it is gunna be fine," her panting voice whispers over and over again to the child clutched to her chest as she runs.
"Becca, you're hurting me," Hunter cries as she presses his head down.
"Just keep you head down, kiddo, that's all I can do right now. We have to keep going." We keep running and I am not sure if we are headed deeper in or out of the forest, but I just follow her. She has to know where we are going.
Over the sound of the trees ripping past and our hurried footsteps, I hear his taunting voice and it sounds so fucking familiar. "Becky, come on, honey, stop running. You can't get away. Just give me what I want and you and your little fuck-toy can go."
"Becca," Hunter wails.
"Please, baby you have to stop crying," Cole whispers desperately. Suddenly, she goes crashing to the ground and Hunter screams. She is back on her feet before I time to help her up, running wildly through the trees.
Panting heavily, I reach out and grab her arm. "Cole we aren't going to get away like this. It's two against one, let's just fight."
"Fuck no! It is not just him out here. We have to keep moving." She yanks her arm out of my grasp, glaring before continuing onward, his taunting voice nearing us all the while.
It isn't long for our pace slows dramatically. Even adrenaline cannot sustain her through this brutal marathon. I am beginning to think we are done for. Neither of us has the energy to fight nor is there any way we are going to get out of this forest before someone catches us. I think I was wrong in trusting her sense of direction; we should have made it to somewhere familiar before now.
Abruptly, she stops. "Quiet," she pants, backing up against a tree and jerking me back beside her. Hunter's little sniffling cries are barely heard. A twig cracks a few feet away and I stop breathing.
Out from behind the tree, steps a tall elderly man. As I stare up at his abnormal height, Cole releases a relieved sigh. "Zane," she breathes.
"What is the dark one doing here? I have told you to keep him away from our kind." He isn't a man. He is a Centaur. Oh, fuck, why the hell would she be relieved to see one of them? High and mighty shitheads that they are. Honestly, I am amazed he hasn't killed us yet. Every run in I ever had with one of these guys has ended badly. I am sure Moony still has a hoof-print in his side to prove it. However, he is rather fond of that palomino when he is Remus.
Pushing herself off the tree trunk, Cole bows her head. "Please, Zane, he is just a child. They will kill him. I need to get him out of here. Just to Hagrid's. Please."
"How can you ask this of me? You risk my herd by even being here and you ask for my help. I have told you–" the mocking voice of the Death Eater breaks through his words, and Hunter whimpers.
"Becky! Come on, Becky. Just hand the kid over, and you can go."
"Please," Cole begs, her eyes shining with tears. The Centaur's golden eyes dart left and he nods. "Thank you," Cole breathes out handing the child to him.
"B-B-Becca, I," Hunter cries. She shushes him and kisses his head. "Don't worry, kid, I will see you soon. I swear I will come for you."
Standing on her toes, she kisses the Centaur's cheek, whispering, "Please, don't let him hear me scream." He nods ever so softly. Turning to me, she says, "Give me your cloak and follow them. Do not be seen nor heard. I am going to call them to me."
"Rebecca…"
"Just do it," she whispers harshly, ripping my cloak from my shoulders and bundling it up in her arms for a decoy. Silently, she leaves disappearing through the trees.
Coughing to clear his throat, the Centaur looks down at me. "We must go," he says softly before cantering off. I follow after him.
Ten minutes into silently trailing him I stop. "I can't. I have to go back for her."
"Then go," he says simply, wisely.
I expected him to tell me no. Nodding, I turn around and run back after her morphing into a jet-black dog as I leap over a fallen tree.
I pick up her scent quickly, the spicy distinguished smell that it is. It is not long before I see her running, whispering calming words to the cloak in her arms; scratches cover all of her exposed skin. I have almost reached her when a ray of red light shoots across the air and stuns her.
With long lengthy steps, Professor Obeli steps out from behind the trees his robes swishing this way and that, little thorns and twigs sticking out along the bottom. I should have known it was he. "I told you, Becky. Where did all the running get you? Dead. That's where, Becky. You could have lived, but no, you wanted to play the hero. Well, you failed again. Just like before. You always fail, Becky. You couldn't save Casey. You couldn't save Michael. And now, you can't save the little monster. Hell, you can't even safe yourself." He slowly and deliberately walks around her still form sliding his fingers down her dress, teasingly, and removing her wand from its hiding place. Slowly, tauntingly, he trails his hands down her legs, letting his fingers linger high on her thighs, and pulls her dagger from her left boot.
Standing up, he stuffs her wand into his pocket and places the silver tip of the dagger to her temple. I clench my jaw, trying to convince myself to wait for the right moment before I make my move. He draws a small curved line down the side of her face. Little, red drops of blood drip down to her chest and soak into the fabric of my cloak. "Why so quiet, little one?" he says softly, patting the top of my cloak, where he assumes Hunter head lies. His eyes narrow and he rips the cloak out of her hands. "Where is he, Becky?" he yells.
I doubt she would have moved if she could. Changing back to my human form, I step out of my hiding place. "Let her be." Pain washes over me and my body goes tense before it locks itself into place. What? He didn't even have his wand pointed at me.
Cold laughter sounds from behind me. "Who would have thought, taking you out would have been that easy." Severus Snape's silky voice floats through my ears and he rests his elbow on my shoulder, leaning against me like I am a wall. Bloody hell, of all the people.
Obeli glances at him and shrugs carelessly, turning back to Cole. With a flick of his wand, the stunner is lifted and she stumbles forward, breathing heavily. He grabs her around the throat and lifts her off the ground, not allowing her to catch her breath. "Where is he, Becky?"
"Fuck off," she chokes out.
"Tsk, tsk," he lightly reprimands her as if she is a child, "you shouldn't be using such language, Becky, love. Now, I will ask you again, where is he?"
She tries to kick him, but he releases her and she collides with the ground in a heap, coughing and sputtering. Shoving herself back on to her feet, she yanks a jagged stick out of her arm. Sickness crashes over me like a wave as I watch the blood stained stick tear out of her, little pieces of her pale skin clinging to it. "I apologize, Becky. I didn't mean to hurt you," he coos. He tries to see the wound but she pulls away from him swaying slightly on her feet. "Now, now, let me see." She attempts to back away again, but he grabs her, and holds her in place. "Hmm, it's not all that bad." He drags his thumb across her upper arm before shoving it into the wound. She gasps out in pain and tries to wrench herself free. "Where is he, Becky?" he asks again, letting her fall to the ground.
"You might as well kill me, Darren. You'll have more luck prying the words from my dead lips." Moments after the words leave her mouth; his foot collides with the side of her face. Spitting up blood, she looks lazily up at him. "That all you got?" Does she have to do that?
With a hiss of a curse and a flash of light, she falls unto her back screaming in agony. Her body shakes and convulses as he points his wand at her, grinning.
"Cruciatus, it's rather wicked, isn't it?" Snape asks at my side. My eyes are focused only on her and I am unable to react. I can't speak, I can't move, I can't even stop breathing. I just have to stand here and watch. This has to be the worst torture ever conceived.
Obeli's wand flicks upward and the curse is lifted. Cole rolls to her side and retches; it is mostly blood. Yanking her back to her feet, he says cruelly, "Did that teach you some manners or should we try again?" She spits on him. "Bitch!" he yells, hitting her with the curse again. She struggles to stay standing, whimpers escaping though her lip is tightly wedged between her teeth, little droplets of blood dribbling down her chin. When he lifts the curse, she falls to her knees.
He runs his fingers through her sweat soaked hair tenderly, as he presses her head against his thigh. "Back where you belong, eh, Becky? On your knees in front of me."
When he releases her head, she jerks away bowing her head, and she wraps her arms around herself. "I will not tell you where he is," her voice is not nearly as weak as it should be.
His boney fingers wrap around her chin and he pulls her up off the ground. "What if instead of having fun with you…" he pauses, grinning wickedly at me. "We have fun with your little fuck toy?"
"Go ahead," she says coolly. "I don't give a shit about him. Like you said, he is just a fuck-toy, but please, don't mess with his dick, I am rather fond of it."
Sneering, he shoves her sideways and she struggles not to fall. He points his wand at me and she calls out, "Remember who he is though, Darren."
"What do you mean? He is nothing more than a blood-traitor." He shoots her a look over his shoulder, automatically appearing nervous at whatever thought flashed through his mind at her words.
"One of the worst. He's from a long line of pure-bloods. The Blacks. You know them, don't you, Darren? I mean, everyone knows of them, but you know Orion personally, don't you?" she says lowering herself to the ground, arms wrapped protectively around her middle. She is not able to stay standing any longer. "He wouldn't take kindly to you damaging his eldest son, would he?"
"Shut up," he growls.
Shrugging her shoulders, she continues, "Walburga, she wouldn't mind. Probably, clap you on the back. Orion though," she stops and brushes her hair out of her face. "He wouldn't take too kindly to it. You would be taking the life of a Black. You don't just do that without the whole lot of them coming down on you. Even if he is a traitor." With a heavily sigh she picks at the laces on her boots, pretending to be casual about the whole situation. She's amazing. "I know I wouldn't want to have Bellatrix after me, especially since I know what kind of damage she can do."
He turns back to her, lowering his wand. "You're right. I suppose, I shouldn't play with him. But, do you think he is willing to keep his mouth shut while I toy with you?" he asks. Fuck, why did she do that? I could have handled it.
"No idea," she says, carelessly.
Raising an eyebrow, he steps toward her. "Why don't we see?"
Snape steals my wand before magically binding me and removing his previous hex. My muscles ache as they are allowed to relax and I stumble a bit. Cole glances up at me and smiles; her eyes darker than the night. "So, Mr. Black," Obeli starts out. "Where is the boy?"
"I don't know," I answer, telling myself it is the truth.
He fists a handful of Cole's hair in his hand and yanks her head back, slipping the dagger under her chin. Jabbing the tip of it in her neck just enough to cut the skin, he turns to me. "Do you know, now?" Cole stares at me, begging me to stay silent.
I shake my head. "I don't know," I whisper, closing my eyes. I hear her gasp and I open my eyes to find her shoved on the ground, the dagger driven through both of her hands, pinning them to the packed soil. He is on top of her, his knee digging into her stomach, making her breaths short, painful and struggling as he whispers coolly in her ear. Shit, I don't know what to do. Maybe Hunter is already at Hagrid's. Maybe he is already safe. Maybe I should just tell him.
"Are you sure you don't know, Mr. Black?" he asks, before lapping up the blood on the side of her face. She tries to cringe away he grabs her chin and holds her head still. "No, no, no, Becky. You stay put." He drags his tongue back up the side of her face again and looks back at me. I stay silent. She wants me to stay silent.
Ripping her dress open, he drags his tongue across her abdomen, digging his nails into her sides before sinking his teeth into the soft flesh of her neck. A sharp gasp of pain leaves her lips as he draws blood. "What Becky? It can't hurt. You let the little one do it all the time."
"Stop!" I yell hoarsely and his head whips to face me, his lips stained with her blood. Cole starts to say something and he forcefully jams his elbow into her cheek. She coughs, blood spattering up on to his face, tears slipping down her cheeks as she winces in pain.
A wide grin stretches across his blood stained lips as he says, "Ah, so your little play thing is going to spill," stroking her bruised cheek. Turning to me, the grin still patched on his face, he asks, "Where is he, Black?"
I don't answer. I just stand there. "Just tell him, Black," Snape mumbles. "She'll keep going until he kills her, just tell him."
"Claming up so soon?" Obeli rolls his eyes and shrugs. "Ah, well, more fun for me then."
His hand slides down under the waistband of her knickers and I see her tremble. "Becca," I murmur and she turns her head to me. Her eyes are shining with tears and she is paler than the moon, deep red blood dripping from her mouth. "Please," those perfect little lips whimper, "Don't speak."
I feel icy hot tears on my cheeks as I nod, and I want to close my eyes, but I don't. I just stay there staring into her eyes, silently telling her I am sorry.
Her body jerks and writhes rams himself into her, again and again. I try to stay focused solely on her eyes, almost as if I stare into them long enough I will be able to hide within their dark, endless depths or maybe just seep into her mind and soothe her somehow, take away her pain.
Slowly, her eyes fall closed and I cannot keep myself from screaming out her name.
She is dying. He is killing her.
It seems like the whole world stops spinning until her eyes open again she turns her head away from me, stabbing dagger into the back of Obeli's neck, tearing through sinew and flesh as she tugs it forward, practically beheading him. Blood gushes from the fatal wound covering her as he falls, lifeless, on top of her.
Frantically, she scurries out from under him and Snape just stares blankly. I am sure he is thinking the same thing I am; how the hell did she do it? Her hands were firmly pinned to the ground by that thing. It is at least eight inches long and he drove it in to the hilt.
She is panting heavily and there are tears streaming down her dirty face as she trains her wand on Snape. "Just go. Just drop his wand and go. I won't tell a soul you were here, if you just leave." Snape just stares at her. "Please," her chin quivers and her eyes try to fall closed, "just go."
My wand falls with a dull thud on the ground and he disappears into the depths of the woods.
Wiping some of the blood and dirt from her face, she slowly gets to her feet, wincing in pain the entire time. She sways uncontrollably and I do not think she is going to make it the six meters to me. "Rebecca, just stop, just sit down," I tell her softly.
"I," she breathes out the word, blood spattering out of her mouth. "Can't," a painful wince causes her to stumble her next step, and I have no idea how she manages to stay on her feet. "Pass out." A soft sort of gurgling sound issues from her mouth and she spits up blood before continuing toward me. "I," she sways, again, and I hate myself. I am not supposed to be helpless. "Won't," she chokes and sobs try to overtake her voice. "Wake up," she sputters as she collapses in front of me.
"God, Rebecca, please," I say, not really knowing what I am asking of her.
Her eyes fog over as she crawls up me to get to her knees. Carefully, she cuts away the binding around my hands, and as soon as they fall away, I drop to my knees, clinging to her desperately, kissing every bit of her dirty, blood soaked face I can.
Her head falls limply against me as she cries, "You didn't tell him. Thank God, you didn't tell him."
I fumble around for my wand and rid myself of the rid of the ropes covering me, before gently scooping her up. Her eyes try to fall closed and I softly whisper, "Not yet."
Slowly, her eyes open again and I realize I don't know the way out. Maneuvering, her carefully, I adjust her so I am able to hold my wand flat in the palm of the hand under her knees. "Point me," I say softly. My wand spins for a moment before stopping. Left it is then. She mumbles something about watching for them. I don't know what she means. More Death Eaters? Or just the creatures of the forest?
I trudge my way through the forest, talking to her, quietly, not really knowing what to say, but forcing myself to speak, if only to keep her awake. "Hey, hey," I murmur as her eyes flutter. "No sleeping."
She opens her mouth to say something and I shake my head. "Don't talk either. It's a waste of energy."
It feels like an eternity before we make it out of the dense forest. The castle is a little to the right, so I cut across the grounds. My body aches with every new step, and the night air has grown rather cold. Cole is trembling in my arms, but it is not only because of the chilly wind. As we reach, the front steps the doors to the castle fling open and a dozen witches and wizards pour out.
"Holy cricket, here they are, Albus," a cheery little witch says.
"Where is Hunter?" Dumbledore asks, ignoring the fact that Cole is inches away from death in my arms.
I sway a little and gaze up at him. "Hagrid's. A Centaur took him to Hagrid."
He gives a brisk nod and starts down the stairs, without one more word to me. The witches and wizards gathered around the door just stare idly at me and I am tempted to scream at them before a stocky redheaded man steps forward. "Here, let me take her. You're barely standing as it is."
He carefully lifts her from my arms and his double grips my arm, helping me up the stairs.
This chapter has only been roughly edited by me. I do apologize for that. I also apologize for leaving you on a bit of a cliff. Hopefully, the next chapter will be up within the week; I only have a minor bit of tweaking and editing to do before it is postable. I hope you enjoyed and thank you for reading. --Summer
By the way, I forgot to tell you all last time, I wrote a Lily and James centric one-shot, Stupid Evans. (I actually managed to stick with them for over 500 words!)
