LIFE PROBLEMS: Hey! So, last night, I completely forgot to update, because I got a virus on my computer earlier that morning and I thought that I might lose all of my stories that I couldn't get from here and it freaked me out. That problem has since been fixed however, and all my chapters are safe with a copy on my flash drive. So I apologize, but I is back now.
A/N (a.k.a STORY UPDATES): As of today, I will be updating every other day... For no other reason then to build suspense and make you want to read more. *insert evil laugh* ;)
THOUGHTS ON CHAPTER: Anyway, about this chapter. HEY! HEY, LOOK UP HERE! Ok, now that I have you attention. ;) This chapter is the intro to the rest of the story. It is very important to read... not that you all don't ever read the chapters... Aside from my moment of weirdness, I just wanted to warn you that to me, this chapter seems a little bit fast paced. I tried to edit it and make it seem slower and more like the build up that imagined, but didn't happen. My only consolation to the crap that I wrote in this chapter was that it is my first time ever writing something like this, which you'll see more of in the chapters to come, and it being my first try, I believe I did alright, even if it isn't how I thought it would turn out.
Alright, you can read the chapter now. :)
The next morning, I rolled over in the bed, back to the side that Draco would be laying on, only to find an empty place where the warm body used to be.
A horrible feeling settled in the pit of my stomach and tears were stinging my eyes as they opened to see what reaching out had already told me.
Draco was gone.
His side of the bed was cold, making me guess that he hadn't been in bed for at least an hour. Sitting up, I looked at the bathroom to check if he was there, but he wasn't. Everything in the room was exactly as we had left it.
It felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest as I looked around and found no sign that Draco had even been there, aside from the food that was still sitting by the fireplace. A few tears slipped down my cheeks before I could stop them as a sob tried to work its way out of my throat.
I curled my knees up to my chest, folding my arms around them and burying my face into the comforter covering my nakedness.
This was by far, the worst feeling I had ever felt. I didn't know what to think. I had thought that last night had been wonderful, at least for me it had been. Why would Draco leave?
I don't know how much time I spent crying before the anger took over. I viciously wiped my tears away, sniffling. Flinging the covers from my body, I moved out of the bed and towards the bathroom, my movements jerky and stiff.
I turned on the shower and stepped into the scalding water, not caring that it was hot as fuck, just that I was so angry I couldn't see straight. I scrubbed my hair and body roughly, not worrying that I was pulling out strands of hair as I vigorously rubbed the shampoo into my head.
My pink flesh glared brightly as I stepped out of the shower and looked in the mirror. I eyed my neck and saw love bites that I hadn't realized Draco had put there the night before. I glared at them as the hurt and betrayal welled up inside me even stronger even a sick happiness settled in my heart at the thought that Draco had marked me as his.
Jerking on the fresh set of clothes I had brought, I dried my hair and put on more make-up than usual, the black rings of eyeliner reflecting my mood. Telling myself I couldn't be bothered with healing the marks on my skin instead of admitting that I liked them there, I left the bathroom.
I spelled the room clean, the food going down the trash in the kitchen. My magic snapped around me, responding to my emotions. I had to stop and force myself to calm down before I left the room.
I cast a tempus and it showed that it was just before breakfast, though I wasn't hungry. I decided to walk to the dungeons to grab a book, and calm down. I refused to acknowledge the thought in my mind that said I just wanted to see if Draco was there.
My steps were slow and deliberate, calm on the outside and raging on the inside. How dare Draco say he loved me then disappear the morning after? Was I just some girl who he wanted to fuck and now that he got what he wanted, he just left me?
If I had been thinking logically instead of angrily, I would have remembered that Draco wasn't that type of person. That he did love me or he wouldn't have said anything to me about it. He wouldn't have told me what he did, shared with me the things he had, just to dump me after he slept with me.
And most of all, I would have remembered what he said before I fell asleep the night before.
But I was angry and hurt and I was still fighting tears, trying to concentrate on keeping my mask in place, so none of these thoughts came to mind. The only thing I could think of was the need to get the hell away from doubts about Draco that continued to taunt me.
Of course he wouldn't want me. Why the hell would he? I'm broken. Ugly, scarred, can't give him kids. Why would he choose me when he could have someone else? I'm so stupid to believe that he wanted me, that he actually loved me. Damn it!
As my mind continued to torture me into tears, I didn't see Blaise until I had run right into him, hitting his firm chest hard.
I looked up glaring as arms wrapped around me to keep me steady. Blaise caught the tears in my eye instantly, his own narrowing in concern.
"What's wrong, Bella? What's happened?" Blaise had known what I was planning for Draco so that he could keep Draco out of a pit all day after I ignored him. Apparently, it had only worked enough for Draco to shut Blaise up, but I put that thought aside as I continued to glare up at Blaise.
"Nothing. Let me go." I demanded, jerking from his hold roughly.
Blaise didn't relent with his gaze. If anything, it only got more intense. He opened his mouth to start in on his questioning again.
But before either of us could say anything else, my father walked up behind me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Bella, you are needed in the Headmaster's office. You will accompany me there. This is not negotiable." Ignoring Blaise completely, he used his hold on me to lead me in the direction of the Headmaster's office, his steps quick and silent.
"What's going on, Dad? I'm really not in the mood." I said icily, not caring about disrespect in that moment.
"I don't care what your mood is. This is an urgent matter that you are needed for and it will not be discussed until we are in private." Severus replied stonily, his gaze remaining planted on the path ahead of us.
It was then that I realized that, under his hard mask, he looked afraid, anxious. It was then that the anger vanished and my logic mind kicked in. All my thoughts of anger at Draco vanished as the worry settled in. The only reason why I would be needed would be if something had happened to either him or Harry.
The rest of the walk was silent as my mind went over all the possible reasons as to why I was being called up to the Headmaster's office, my worry and fear mounting with every new thought until the desire to run to the Headmaster's office was almost too much to resist. We stopped in front of the gargoyle and Severus said the password.
Walking into the room, I saw that Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, Hermione, Ron, and Sirius were all present. They all looked up at me when Severus and I entered the room.
Ron jumped from his seat, charging me until he stood a mere few inches from me. "Where did your boyfriend take him? Where is Harry?" He demanded, his eyes wild and furious.
I looked over at the other faces in the room in confusion, but made the connection of Draco's disappearance and Ron's words quickly. I turned to Dumbledore, whom I hadn't seen in almost two months, for conformation.
He sighed heavily, the twinkle absent from his eye. "Bella, it seems that we may have a problem."
He paused and looked into my eyes. "Both Lucius and Draco are gone. As is Harry. We hadn't wanted to make the connection between the disappearances, because as you know, Lucius has been a spy for our side for a few years now. But early this morning, when Severus was called to Voldemort, our suspicions were confirmed. Draco and Lucius had hand-delivered Harry to Voldemort as a way to get back in his good graces."
Dumbledore stopped talking as I shook my head back and forth. "No. No, it's not possible. They wouldn't do that, I know they wouldn't." My voice was firm, sure in knowledge that they would never go back to Voldemort.
Ron scoffed at me, crossing his arms over his chest. "You really believe that? Those two were always loyal to You-Know-Who and they always will be."
I was on Ron before he could blink, my hands wrapped in his shirt and his body pinned to the wall. "Don't talk about them that way. I do believe you were there when they showed up at Grimmauld, Draco covered in blood and Lucius almost in tears. You heard what he said." I hissed angrily.
I was grabbed by the shoulders gently, Rose's soft hands pulling me back. "It's okay, Bell. We don't believe it either. There has to be some other reason, just sit down and we'll try to figure it out, okay?" Her voice was soothing, though I could hear the hint of sorrow.
Of course Rose would understand. Her and Lucius had quickly formed a bond between them and they were already as close as Draco and I were and we had had months to get used to each other. It wouldn't surprise me a bit if they hadn't already admitted their love for each other.
I backed off, releasing Ron's shirt and letting him up from the wall, the both of us breathing hard. I sat down with my head in my hands and forced my emotions to take a back seat, putting my logical mind to thinking about what could have possibly happened.
Draco had been with me last night, and I could guess that Lucius had been with Rose, at least for most of the night. They could have met up after they left us and taken Harry.
But why? Why would they take Harry? They had to have been threatened into doing it. They couldn't have done it willingly. What could they possibly have gained from taking Harry? I knew neither of them wanted to be back with Voldemort, if only to be away from Narcissa.
But all of the evidence was there. It all pointed at the very obvious conclusion that Draco and Lucius had nabbed Harry. And Severus being called to a meeting that no doubt had Voldemort gloating about his acquirement of Harry only solidified the assumptions the others had made.
There had to be something else going on here, something that wasn't easy to see. But what could that be… My head flew up from my hands as I suddenly remembered Draco's words from the night before.
"Don't always take things at face value, alright? Because not everything is always as it seems."
Of course! It had to have been forced, no matter what it had been made to look like. Why else would Draco say something like that to me if there wasn't more to it than what it appeared to be? If he didn't want me to look below the surface and see something that wasn't made obvious to the others?
Something was wrong with this whole picture, a major piece of the puzzle missing.
But… how would we get to them now? Maybe Severus would know how to get there, if he had seen Voldemort that morning.
As if sensing that I would ask, Severus spoke up. "I do not know where they are keeping them. They are not being kept in the same location as where the meetings are held. I do know, however, that Lucius and Draco were also imprisoned."
It felt as though my world had shattered and I let my eyes slip closed in despair. That information would only make the others think that they weren't forgiven, even after they had taken Harry to Voldemort.
To me, that meant that they were threatened with something that they felt was important enough to get a reaction out of the Malfoy men.
They were not only hurting my little brother, but also the man that I intended to keep for the rest of my life. Despite the circumstances in which I had found myself in, a vicious smirk spread across my face as I thought of all that I could do to the ones who had hurt my family.
Now, I just had to find a way to them.
I grimaced absently and stroked at the skin of my chest where the pendent lay.
I snapped my eyes open and could have slapped myself for my own stupidity. How could I not have felt such strong emotions earlier? Finally aware of it, I turned my focus immediately to the fear and pain thrumming through my bond with Harry, the ache in the scar on my hand and the necklace tattoo only making it more obvious. I could find him through this! Surely they were keeping Lucius and Draco in the same place.
I stood abruptly and looked around the room.
"It's not what you think. Draco and Lucius didn't do this freely, I know it. And-." I was interrupted by Ron, yet again.
"Of course you'd believe that. You love Malfoy. What's to say that you didn't help them?" Ron snarled.
I narrowed my eyes at him dangerously. "It appears to me that you forgot just what took place before we left for school." I whispered dangerously.
As Ron's eyes widened in remembrance of the bond that I shared with Harry that he had been witness to, another thought hit me. Draco had been there, too. He had known what the bond entailed. Draco had known I would figure this out. Of course he would know that I would think of it and know that I could find them. I gave myself a moment to feel pride at just how Slytherin my love was.
Draco hadn't done this on purpose. He had warned me last night that something was going to happen, knew that I had information the others didn't. He had known I would figure it out and would be able to save him, Harry and his father. I just hoped I made it in time.
That just hardened my determination even more.
I looked to Dumbledore and said, "Get the Order to Grimmauld. I know how we are gonna find Harry and end this war."
So, what did you think? I don't like cliff-hangers myself, but the next few chapters have a lot of them. ;) Anyway, go back up and read the A/N up there for info if yuo haven't already. And be sure to let me know how you thought I did, if you please. Thank you! :DD
xoxo,
kitkat