(A/N) Wow, your reviews are flying thick and fast, I feel special! I can't believe how many of you love my story – it's really overwhelmingly nice :) Thankyou my pretties! Ooh yes, I thought it would be nice if they could all relax for a while, instead of just being constantly caught in the sadness and trouble. More suprises to come… Do enjoy :D
This chapter is dedicated to the one and only Charlotte (My supportive, wonderful bestfriend)
x-x-x
Just forgive,
But don't forget
The past can't be erased
But you learn from mistakes
To make each day
Better than the last
x-x-x
Chapter 34: Unbreakable
The Dementors would never have suspected a thing. She had already created a diversion more complicated and cunning than anything their minds could grasp. By the time they had figured she had gone; she would be far away…perhaps too far away to catch. And Rachael would be by her side, in an attempt to make one last impression towards her son, the one she had unfortunately named her boy. He had murdered her husband and now, he would pay. Even if her master was dead and had vanished from the land, she could still avenge his death, the deaths of all the Death Eaters that had perished in the battle. She would be approaching the castle soon and then she could claim her prize…her son's life for her Lord's…
----------------
The tawny screech owl flopped onto the couch, ruffling its feathers importantly, a newspaper clamped in its beak. Hermione groaned and waved the owl away lazily; determined to keep her eyes shut. Draco, beside her, was still fast asleep, one arm draped across her shoulder.
"Wake up!" Ginny's voice rang through the room.
"Shut up, we're trying to sleep sis," Ron drawled from the couch closest to the Gryffindor fireplace. Someone, supposedly Harry, mummbled in agreement.
Ginny Weasley pranced into the room, stopping still and surveying the sight before her, hands on her hips. Harry lay curled on his side, snuggled into a warm armchair, Ron and Padma lay next to each other, Ron's snores echoing across the chamber, Draco and Hermione occupied the scarlet couch in the corner, looking as comfortable as ever.
"If you don't all wake up you'll be late for class!" Ginny persisted in a very Mrs. Weasley like way. Everyone groaned loudly. Why would the school hold a function such as a dance, when they obviously knew that people had classes the next day? Teenagers did need their sleep.
Ginny threw pillows at the couples lounging around and after at least 20 minutes of slow, dreary preparation Ron, Padma, Hermione, Draco, Ginny and Harry stood outside the Gryffindor Common Room, holding their huge pile of books which were to be used that day in lessons.
"If you ever wake me up that early again…I swear I'll hex you," Ron yawned, rubbing his eyes.
"I reckon," Padma agreed, scowling at the youngest Weasley.
"Well if it wasn't for me you wouldn't be standing here all ready to go so I wouldn't complain," Ginny replied in a sniffy voice. Everyone apologized. Hermione tugged on Harry and Draco's sleeves.
"C'mon we've got Potions in the dungeons; I don't want to miss Tonks' first class." she whispered, leading them down the marble staircases; as Ron sprinted after them, leaving Ginny and Pamda to make their own way to their Herbology class.
---------------
As they entered the icy dungeons, the four breathed in sharply as the coldness hit them, causing their breathe to rise in a mist before them. The classroom was pretty much the same; minus the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.
"Take your seats please," Came the familiar voice of Tonks, as they sat down at their usual middle row seats. Tonks noticed them and winked; before rising to her feet and pacing up and down. She didn't even look nervous.
"Welcome, I'm your new teacher. Please call me Tonks. Many of you would now be aware of the unfortunate events that took place over the last month which resulted in the loss of your old Potions Master…Professor S-snape…" Tonks began, her soft eyes roaming the crowd of students, "However I am sure many of you will pick up on my ways of teaching fairly easily. If you have any questions, you may ask. Oh and Professor McGonagall asked me to remind you that the first Hogsmeade visit will be this weekend on Saturday…"
----------------
"I thought she had good qualities, a lot better than Snape," Hermione said, taking a small rock cake from the plate Hagrid had supplied.
The four of them had marched down to Hagrid's hut during their morning break to visit him and were now sitting around the fire eating rock cakes and drinking hot cups of tea Hagrid had made.
"She was realy informative and didn't seem upset or unnerved when the others asked about the battle," Harry told Hagrid, biting into a cauldron cake.
"And she taught us really useful informative about Bicorn Horn and the proper uses," Draco pitched in, sipping from his cup. Hagrid took a gulp of tea and wiped his mouth.
"Yeh, I always knew she'd be a good'un, once she'd trained up a bi'. She's a bright one that Tonks," Hagrid agreed. Then he turned to Harry.
"When does Quidditch start?" He asked, inquisitively.
"Next week, I have to host the trials and pick new players for the team since…yeah…some of them won't be attending anymore." Harry answered, glancing at Ron. Fang, Hagrid's black boarhound was licking feverishly at Ron's hand as the red-haired man gingerly fed him some rock cake.
It felt just like old times as they sat around, talking to Hagrid about how their first week back at school had been, beside the fire, drinking cups of tea…it really made everything feel a lot more secure and safer.
----------------
As they trudged back up to the Great Hall for dinner Draco linked his arm around Hermione's waist and smiled warmly. Ron and Harry jokingly rolled their eyes.
"So Ronald, are you dating Padma yet?" Hermione winked, turning her head to look at him. Everyone noticed Ron's beetroot blush at once. Harry whistled.
"Shut up Harry," Ron laughed, "Yeah..i guess I am."
"I'm happy for you," Hermione smiled, patting him on the shoulder. Ron scoffed.
"Thanks," he replied.
"You guys all going to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Draco asked, leading them up the steps and through the castle doors.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Harry smirked, adjusting his glasses.
"Great, we'll meet you in the entrance hall at 10?"
"Sure, c'mon we'll be late for dinner."
Draco, Harry, Ron and Hermione linked arms and walked into the Great Hall, feeling a lot happier about their lives than they had in quite a while.
"W-where am I?" Fred Weasley opened his heavy eyes; to find himself tied to a chair, unable to move. There was hardly any light in the room he was enclosed in and a fan spun lazily in the corner, spreading a gentle breeze about the room.
"The room of requirements," replied a female voice. Fear flooded him. Fred knew that voice, the iciness of it…the evilness.
The woman approached him, her face shrouded by the shadows that the room set upon her features. She reached out and traced a pale finger along his jawline and over his lips. Fred leant his head back, to twist away from her fingers, but received a stinging blow to his cheek by her hand. The woman smoothed down her dress, black and skimpy, which clung to her body tightly; outlining her curves. She walked behind Fred, ran her hands along his shoulders and leant down closer to his face, her lips less than a centimetre away from his ear.
"Rachael's told me all about you Mr. Weasley…about you and your…achievments…" she drawled in his ear; her lips inches from his neck. She felt him shiver, "She's told me all about your efforts and betrayals too…"
"W-what do you want from me Narcissa?" he croaked, his voice cracking with fear, "And how did you get here? You're supposed to be in Azkaban,"
"Oh I have my ways Mr. Weasley, don't you worry about that. However, you will assist us in paying back my son. If not, your little sister may just accidently find herself in a fatal situation…" Narcissa's eyes glinted.
"You wouldn't…why me?" Fred asked, narrowing his eyes.
"It's obvious. You're close to Hermione and her friends and you're also Rachael's…shall we say…lover?" Narcissa smirked as she watched Fred blush at her last comment, "At least she thinks so. Anyway, you must tell me all of Draco's whereabouts and get me a copy of his timetable too…"
"And what if I say no?" Fred snapped, frowning at her.
"You won't want to do that Fred," Rachael smiled seductively, entering from the doorway in front of him. She strode up to him and kissed him deeply; her lips feeling like poison against his. He pulled away harshly.
"Don't…" he said, struggling against the ropes that bound him. Rachael leant closer and felt his breath stop in his throat. He was intimidated by her, she knew that damn well…
"Don't what?" she smiled innocently, fumbling for the zip on his jeans. He tried to stop her, but his hands were tied. She unbuttoned his jeans slowly, painfully and then poised herself, standing above his hips, "You wouldn't want to let me down would you?"
Fred shuddered, feeling her grind her hips against him; he felt her lean closer, pressing her chest against his, her lips trailed gently against his ear.
"N-no…" he breathed, cursing himself silently for submitting to her power. She smiled evilly and winked, kissing him again.
"There's a good boy," she purred, licking her lips. Narcissa positively grinned as Rachael slid herself off his hips.
"Excellent, he'll be perfect. No one will suspect a thing and soon, I'll have Draco's life in my hands and then our Lord's death will be sweetly avenged," Narcissa laughed, running her fingers through her hair, "Wait, we must make a vow so he will not break his word."
"N-no…" Fred intercepted, straining even more, telling himself over and over again that it had been so stupid to get involved with Rachael again. Her eyes flashed and she smiled.
"Of course. The unbreakable vow." Rachael sneered, grasping his right hand with her own.
"Fred Weasley, do you swear, by your name and your life that you will fulfil the tasks that myself and Narcissa Malfoy set out for you without telling a soul?" Rachael questioned.
Fred shook his head. Rachael reached out with her left hand, placed it on his chest and dragged her nails down deeply. He let out a strangled moan and gasped as he realized that he was bleeding through his shirt, five long streams of blood flowed from his wounds where she had cut him open.
"I-I do…" he muttered in agony.
"And do you swear that you will never defy myself, your lover, or Narcissa Malfoy under these regards?" she asked.
"I do…" he wheezed; the blood hot and stinging as it leaked down his torso.
"And do you promise by this Unbreakable vow to abide by the rules I set out and to love me more than you love your family?"
"No!" Fred yelled suddenly, "I can't do this! You can't force me to lo…"
He was cut off as Rachael slashed at his cheek with her nails, causing blood to rise from that wound and to drip to the stone floor, speckling it like drops of rain.
"I-I do…" he moaned, "I do…"
With a grin, Rachael squeezed his hand and they saw colours of yellow, red and orange entwine, wrapping itself around their joined hands.
"The result of breaking this vow is death." Rachael told him, in a firm voice. "We will be back later, thankyou, we value your co-operation."
With a harsh laugh, Rachael rose, glanced down at him with a superior look and swept from the darkened room with Narcissa in a swish of their cloak; leaving Fred Weasley moaning in pain; trapped, scared and fearing the future…
Now what was he going to do?