Chapter 35 Making an Escape
A/N: Free Felix Felicis potion to everyone who reviewed! I would have had this chapter up sooner, but my hometown got hit by a tornado.
Cadence left the room and headed straight to Jaxon's, resisting the urge to look back. She didn't bother knocking before entering Jaxon's room, which is how she came across Jaxon and Draco in such a passionate embrace. Draco was in the process of trying to tug Jaxon's shirt over her head when Jaxon shoved him off the bed for the second time, jumping up and quickly straightening her shirt.
"I was…we were…there was a bug…on my shirt! He was helping me!" Jaxon quickly tries to explain herself.
"Well, I can't speak for her, but my intentions were entirely un-innocent." Draco smirks, getting to his feet.
If Jaxon's face could have gotten any redder, it would have.
"Sorr-" Cadence starts, but Jaxon quickly interrupts.
"We weren't snogging!"
Cadence smirks, "Right. Well, if you've finished 'not snogging', I'd like to speak with you and Naomi alone."
"We'll pick up where we left off later, shall we?" Draco smirks, wiggling his eyebrows at her before moving past Cadence and down the hallway.
"What is it?" Jaxon asks curiously, ignoring Draco's comment. "Is there something wrong?"
Cadence stares at the bed as an unwanted image of Draco and Jaxon flashes into through her mind, making her feel nauseous. "Let's go find Naomi. Then I'll explain."
They found Naomi down in the kitchen, playing cards with Markus. Cadence frowns at the way they looked at each other. Naomi obviously only had eyes for him. She clears her throat to announce their presence, but Jaxon had already skipped on into the room.
"What are you playing?" She asks curiously.
"A muggle game that I learned in the States," Markus grins at her, "It's called Gin Rummy."
"Who's winning?" Jaxon smiles.
"I'm kicking her arse." Markus answers, teasing Naomi.
"Show off," Naomi accuses with a smile. "It's only because this is the first time I've ever played."
"You won't mind if we drag her off then, do you?" Cadence interrupts. "I need to speak with her for a moment."
"Go ahead and take her away," Markus agrees, "Just don't keep her away too long."
"Oh, I'm sure that would just break your heart." Naomi rolls her eyes.
"It would," Markus answers, brushing his fingers over her hand as she stands up.
She meets his gaze for a moment before replying, "I'll be right back then."
She and Jaxon follow Cadence into the empty hallway, and Cadence takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly before turning to face them.
"I'm leaving." She says simply.
"Not without the book, we aren't!" Jaxon objects.
"Why?" Naomi asks, frowning. She didn't want to leave. She was just starting to get to know Markus.
"Does it matter? I want to leave. Besides, I don't think I can handle having to face Severus…"Cadence answers hesitantly.
Jaxon can't bursts into laughter and Cadence glares at her.
"What?" Jaxon objects, "I can't help it. The main reason we came here was because you wanted to see him, and now you can't stand seeing him."
"I didn't say that!" Cadence objects, "Look, he's already been accused of harboring convicts. Can you imagine what would happen if the ministry caught me here? He doesn't want me. I have no reason to stay."
Granted, that wasn't the exact reason she wanted to leave, but it sounded more logical than admitting to what really happened and it wasn't as though it were a lie.
"Are you blind? If he knew you wouldn't try to kill him for it, he'd be all over you." Jaxon insists.
"Markus is an auror and he hasn't tried to arrest you or Snape. I think you're overreacting." Naomi adds.
"Markus obviously isn't on my case," Cadence counters, "and he's a friend of Severus's. I can't stay here. He couldn't help me anyways."
"Do you really think they're just going to let us walk out of here?" Jaxon points out, "All three of them would throw a fit if they knew we were even discussing it."
"Not us, just me. They won't know until I'm already gone." Cadence explains, "You two should stay here. This is the safest place for you."
We're not splitting up!" Jaxon objects, "We're coming with you! Right, Naomi?"
Naomi shifts uncomfortably and stares at her feet.
"Right, Naomi?" Jaxon repeats, a hint of a threat in her voice.
"I want to stay with Markus. I think you're right, Cadence. This is the safest place for us…but if you feel you need to leave, go ahead." Naomi answers finally.
"Jaxon, Severus can help you break the curse. Isn't that what you wanted?" Cadence points out, "You'll be safer here than you would be with me, and a hell of a lot more comfortable."
"Fine, go!" Jaxon snaps in annoyance, "If you wan to just abandon us here, go ahead."
Naomi hugs her. "Be careful."
"I can't believe she just left without us!" Jaxon snaps at Naomi.
"What? It's not my fault." Naomi argues, "She's the one that chose to leave. It's not as though I talked her into it."
"Well, you didn't try to help me talk her out of it either!" Jaxon insists. "You should have tried to stop her!"
"Me? What about you?" Naomi snaps defensively, "You didn't put up much of a fight either!"
"I did better than you," Jaxon counters, "At least I objected! You just hugged her and sent her on her merry little way!"
"And objecting did a lot of good, didn't it!" Naomi throws back.
"Well, then, I guess we'll just have to go after her, won't we?" Jaxon sneers, "We just need to figure out a way to get the book."
"That book is more cursed than you are," Naomi argues, "If we're going, we're not taking it."
"Not taking it where?" Markus inquires, frowning as he appears in the doorway. He had gotten tired of waiting.
"Nothing!" Jaxon snaps at him, "Who said anything about stealing the book back from Snape and going after Lorelei? I certainly didn't!"
Naomi stares at her blankly as Jaxon clamps a hand over her mouth in shock.
"You planned to not tell him, didn't you?" Naomi asks knowingly.
Jaxon nods. Naomi rolls her eyes, sighing wearily.
"You're leaving?" Markus asks curiously.
"Cadence is already gone." Naomi sighs reluctantly, "You can't try to stop us or tell Severus. If you do I'll be forced to turn you into a neutered ferret."
Markus's face turns red. "Wouldn't dream of it."
"We aren't leaving without the book," Jaxon insists.
"Need help?" Markus offers.
Naomi raises her eye brows, "You're offering to help us?"
"On one condition," he agrees.
"Oh yes, here it comes." Naomi replies teasingly, rolling her eyes.
"You have to take me with you," he requests simply.
Jaxon glares at him. "We are not taking the auror!"
"If you don't, there's no way you can be sure that I won't tell Severus and come after you anyways." He points out.
"I'll turn you into a neutered ferret…I thought we already covered this part." Naomi answers exasperatedly.
"Wouldn't I be of more use to you as a human?" he counters.
"I suppose you would," Naomi mutters, studying him. "Get us the book and you can come."
Markus looks at Jaxon expectantly.
Jaxon sighs, "Alright, how do we get the book?"
"We don't," Markus answers.
Jaxon starts to object but breaks off as Markus pulls the book out of his pocket.
"We don't because I already have it." He grins.
Jaxon elbows Naomi, tilting her head in her friend's direction. "I've changed my mind. I'm really starting to like this guy. He's perfect for you."
It didn't take Markus long to locate Cadence, who was already moving through Diagon Alley. Needless to say, she wasn't overly excited about seeing them.
"Did you miss us?" Jaxon surprises her sarcastically, jumping out of the shadows at her and causing her to stumble back.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing here?" Cadence snaps, shocked. "I thought we agreed you'd stay with Severus?"
"You did agree to that," Jaxon nods.
"And you changed your mind because…?" Cadence asks in annoyance.
"Because we still make decisions as a group, and your idea was overruled three to one." Naomi answers with a smirk.
"So you brought the auror?" Cadence snaps sarcastically, "What a brilliant idea."
"Auror stole freedom book from Snape, so back off a bit, ok?" Jaxon objects.
"I'm here to help, not cause trouble," Markus assures them.
Cadence sighs.
"So what's the plan?" Naomi asks.
"Right now it's get as far away as possible." Cadence answers, narrowing her eyes in suspicion at Markus.
"I'm afraid that's not going to work this time," Eleanor pipes up, walking towards them from across the street.
Markus quickly draws his wand and turns to face her just as someone disarms him from behind. A thick black smoke consumes them and a loud whooshing sound fills their ears. Jaxon screams and Markus launches himself in her direction, grabbing blindly onto one of the girls and pulling them to the ground, attempting to shield her with his body. Cadence backs up against the wall of one of the shops, her heart pounding in her ears out of sheer horror. This was all her fault…
As the smoke slowly fades and everything goes quiet Markus cautiously raises up, blushing as he realizes he was lying on Naomi. He quickly gets to his feet and helps her up. The smirk that was planted firmly on her face is quickly wiped off by the sound of Cadence calling for Jaxon.
"Let me go, you ill-equipped idiot!" Jaxon screams, struggling against her father.
"Now, now, calm down." Thomas insists, shoving her onto the couch in his parlor. "You wouldn't want to make mommy and daddy upset now, would you, Trinity?"
"You're not my father!" she spits at him, "Trinity is dead!"
"Give me the book!" Eleanor demands.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jaxon objects, trying to play innocent.
"We know you have the book! Where is it? Give it to us!" Eleanor snarls sharply.
"Even if I did have it, I'd never give it to you!" Jaxon sneers at her, struggling against the ropes holding her hands and feet together.
"Search her!" Thomas snaps at Roderick, "Then lock her in her room!"
"Oh, I don't think so," Eleanor objects. "That's far too comfortable for her. I think the basement would do nicely."
"No! Not the basement! Put me in my room!" Jaxon objects frantically. No one ever went into her parent's basement and came out alive. "You wouldn't do that to your own daughter, would you?"
"My daughter is dead, remember?" Eleanor laughs wickedly. "And I have no qualms with throwing someone else's brat behind bars. You're lucky I don't throw you into the pit!"