Chapter 7: Thrown Down

Gemma stirred as she heard the door to her dorm open. Blinking her eyes open, she relaxed when she saw Alice sneaking into the room. It was late; gone midnight. And Alice had clearly been with Frank if her messy hair was any indication.

Smiling, Gemma raised herself into sitting to let Alice know she was awake. "Blimey, Gemma. You startled me."

Gemma mirrored Alice's whisper. "I could say the same to you. Have you had a nice evening?"

"Yes. Sorry if I disturbed you."

"It's ok. Where did…" Gemma paused when Mary made an annoyed sound, and she realised they were likely disturbing their friends. But Gemma was awake now and she wanted to talk. "Fancy a hot drink and a chat by the fire?"

"Definitely." Alice whispered back. "Let me quickly throw on my PJs."

"I'll head down and get everything ready."

Gemma stepped out of bed, grabbed her dressing gown and headed downstairs. February had brought even colder nights than January, and the fire would have gone out in the common room hours ago.

After rummaging around for small pieces of wood to create a fire, Gemma sparked it to life before grabbing some mugs and filling them with chocolate, which she warmed over the flames. Alice came downstairs and joined her on the sofa.

"Thanks for this."

"No problem." Gemma turned to Alice. "How was your evening?"

"Really lovely. Frank sealed the curtains around his bed then placed a spell over it so we couldn't hear anyone outside of bed and no one could hear anything inside. It was lovely, just the two of us."

"So, his friends were in the same room as you? While you had sex?"

Alice laughed. "No, silly. We had sex straight after dinner while they were all downstairs. But we cuddled after. And talked about the future. That was the best bit. Don't get me wrong, the sex is amazing, but I love lying with him and just being together. Even when we don't say anything, it's just so… perfect. Merlin, I'm soppy aren't I?"

Gemma smiled. "You are, but it's lovely. I'm so happy you're happy." Taking a deep breath, Gemma decided to admit her true feelings to her best friend. "I wish I could experience what you're experiencing."

Alice stared at her for a moment, a surprised look on her face. "I always thought you weren't interested in boys; at least not until you'd finished school and were in the Auror programme. You look sad, Gemma. Talk to me."

"It's not that I suddenly want to start dating every guy in school and I don't think I want a boyfriend or anything serious. It's just… I've never even been kissed and I know that's partly my own fault for basically spending the last six years ignoring everyone around me, but now I'm older and I'm watching you with Frank… I guess I'm starting to feel like I'm missing out on something."

Alice reached over and took Gemma's hand. "I'm not going to lie, Gemma, it is amazing being in a relationship, but that's only because Frank and I care about each other. I couldn't do any of this with anyone else. I hadn't kissed anyone before Frank and I'm so happy I waited because it was so special when it happened. I'm not saying you have to wait for the perfect guy, but please don't rush into anything just because you think you're missing out on something. It wouldn't be worth it."

Gemma smiled and squeezed Alice's hand before letting go. "Thanks Alice. I promise I won't do anything crazy and kiss the next guy I see, but I would like to experience something before I leave here."

"Is there anyone who has caught your eye? Didn't Ivan ask you out last November? He's cute."

"He did, but I wasn't interested."

"Why not?"

Gemma shrugged. "I don't know. I just wasn't. I suppose he's attractive, but he's a stranger to me."

Alice laughed. "Frank was a stranger when he asked me out. You have to get to know people, Gemma. Otherwise your only options are those idiot boys we're forced to hang around with and I doubt you'd want one of them to kiss you."

Gemma laughed, but her mind went to one of those idiot boys. She'd been doing a good job of not thinking about Sirius in any other way except as a friend, but every now and then the thought did enter her mind. He was attractive, of course, but he was also easy and fun to be around. She knew Sirius would treat her well.

Except, he would never want to date her and she didn't think she actually wanted to date him. Merlin, was it wrong to just want a kiss from him and nothing else?

Shaking her head and not wanting to reveal her thoughts, Gemma smiled at Alice. "You're right. I do need to try with new people. Maybe I could hang out with you and Frank on occasion; get to know his friends. Get to know Ivan. Although I'm sure that ship has sailed."

Alice grinned. "Actually, I don't think it has. I often see him looking at you. Definitely hang out with us. In fact, I'm going for a late breakfast with Frank tomorrow as we both have a free period. Come join us!"

"Ok. I will." Gemma took a deep breath. She may not know what she wanted, but she knew she wanted more than she had right now. And the only way she was going to experience new things was to put herself out there and take a risk.

The following morning Gemma and Alice joined Frank and his friends – Martyn, Iain and Ivan – for breakfast. Gemma placed herself next to Alice, but opposite Ivan so she was able to talk to him. At first she felt awkward, but the conversation quickly turned to a topic she was interested in.

"Have you seen the article about the Auror programme?" Frank asked both Gemma and Alice.

After shaking their heads, Martyn handed a copy of The Daily Prophet over, and the girls read together.

The Ministry of Magic Auror Office has announced a significant change to their world-class Auror programme in light of the continuing war with He Who Must Not Be Named. In place of the long-standing three year programme, prospects will now be required to complete just one year of training. However, despite this reduction in time, the new programme has been designed to be more focused and more intense, with prospects going through the exact same level of training as those before them but in a shorter window of time.

Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Department, comments: "We've always prided ourselves on our exemplary Auror Training Programme, which has resulted in some of the finest Aurors in the world. However, training these individuals takes time, a luxury we do not have given the war we are in. This new programme has been designed to incorporate all key elements of the traditional three year programme, but condensed into one year. It's been a huge undertaking to make this a reality, and we are excited to launch this new programme in July."

The current training programme allows individuals to continue with their day to day lives while they train, but with this new programme, individuals will relocate to a brand new, purpose-built Ministry facility, and will be training around the clock with no home visits and minimal contact with the outside world.

Extreme? Yes. Scrimgeour explains further: "We need to make sure our prospects are free of distractions and able to dedicate all their time to training. We are fighting in a war and we need the best."

"This is incredible." Alice looked up at Gemma and Frank.

Gemma nodded in agreement. She couldn't believe it. Excitement and anxiety mixed with each other. The new programme sounded intense.

"I could be a qualified Auror by the time you finish school." Frank grinned at Alice.

"And Gemma and I won't be far behind you."

"You want to become an Auror as well, Gemma?" Ivan asked.

Gemma nodded. "Very much so. This new programme sounds tough, but I'm excited. The sooner I can get qualified, the sooner I can join this war."

Martyn laughed. "I don't know many people who want to join this war. Except these two." He nodded towards Frank and Alice.

"Sometimes I wonder how the hell you got into Gryffindor." Iain laughed and nudged his friend. "You're a right wimp."

"Fuck off."

They laughed as Martyn and Iain continued talking – bickering – about Martyn's bravery, while Frank and Alice discussed Frank's application to the new programme.

Ivan turned to Gemma. "Have you always wanted to be an Auror?"

"Pretty much. I can't remember ever wanting to be anything else. Except maybe a mermaid when I was five. But as soon as I started reading the books my parents had on their lives and Aurors like them, I was hooked. I wanted to do what they did. Protect people. Try and make the wizarding world a better – safer – place." Gemma scrunched up her nose. "That sounds so silly, doesn't it?"

"Not at all. It sounds admirable. Martyn might be an idiot, but he's right that not many people want to get involved in this war."

Gemma laughed. "Maybe I'm crazy then."

"That must be it." Ivan grinned at her and Gemma noticed he had a nice smile. She also realised she was enjoying the conversation.

"What about you?" She asked. "What are your plans for when you finish here?"

"I want to work in the Department of Mysteries."

"Really?" Gemma was instantly intrigued. She had heard a few stories from her dad, but the department remained mostly a mystery.

"Yeah. My uncle used to work there and he would tell me all sorts of stories when I was growing up. Of course, I realise now that they were all made up as Unspeakables can't actually reveal anything. But I used to think he was some sort of spy."

Gemma laughed. "Is he still there?"

"No, he passed away a few years back." A sadness crept over Ivan's features and Gemma could tell his uncle had meant a lot to him. "Maybe that's another reason for wanting to work there. To be closer to him. What he used to do. Either way, I've got an interview lined up for June. Assuming I get the NEWTs I need of course."

Gemma was impressed. Not many students – even those in seventh year – knew what they wanted to do when they left school, let alone had actively applied for something. "That's awesome."

"Yeah, it will be great to jump straight in. Most people haven't applied for anything yet, which I find odd. Except Frank; I think he applied back in November."

Gemma nodded, knowing this was likely true. "Apparently the Auror Office open the application window early because they know most people will withdraw. My dad said it's a tactic they use to weed out the nervous ones."

Ivan smiled. "Interesting insider knowledge."

"Oh yeah. I get all the best gossip." They both laughed as clearly Gemma's knowledge was not good gossip.

"Hey. Sorry to interrupt." Alice leaned over towards them. "Gemma, we've got class in a little bit. Shall we get moving?"

Gemma nodded, knowing it was Potions coming up and therefore they had to head all the way down to the dungeons. Saying goodbye to Ivan and Frank, her and Alice walked out of the Great Hall.

"You and Ivan seemed to be having a nice conversation." Alice grinned at her and Gemma fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, we were talking about what we're going to do when we leave school. He's a nice guy."

Alice placed her arm inside Gemma's and leaned in. "He is. I'm glad you spoke to him."

"Me too." And Gemma found she actually meant it too. While she wasn't sure if she wanted to take things further with Ivan, it was a good first step. She couldn't close herself off forever, especially if she one day wanted what Alice had.

Sirius shook his head at James. It was Valentine's Day – a day he personally did not care much about – and James was standing in their dorm, looking like a lost puppy.

"How about I just give her one flower?" James asked, pleading with Sirius. "Just a single, beautiful lily."

Sirius laughed. "You can do what you want, mate. You don't need my permission. I just think you should leave it be. Last year you filled the entire common room with lilies – which was a fucking nightmare, if you remember – so going for one flower is definitely dialling it back. Or don't do anything."

Sirius shrugged and James turned to Remus. "What do you think?"

Remus looked up from his book. "Definitely don't fill the common room again. Sirius is right, that was a nightmare. One flower sounds good. Letting her know you're still interested, but not bombarding her."

"I agree." Peter stood and started sorting his books for their first few lessons. "Mary has been questioning me lately on whether you still like Lily or not." Peter raised his hand as James opened his mouth to ask more. "I don't know why. I don't know what it means. But Mary has noticed you've stepped back so Lily must have too. Maybe your plan is working."

James looked excited. "I'll send her a lily later. Just before dinner." He nodded at his own plan, and the others smiled. Sirius hoped Lily appreciated the flower. He wanted James to be happy, and it seemed winning Lily over was the only way.

They headed down to their first class of the day – Defence Against The Dark Arts – and saw the girls talking to each other outside the classroom. His eyes were instantly drawn to Gemma; she had her hair tied up, something she only did when they were in Defence class because she hated it getting in her way. Sirius smiled. She was obviously hoping to duel in class in today.

Something red caught his eye and he looked down. Gemma was holding a single red rose. Sirius frowned. Was that a rose for Valentine's Day? Who would it be from?

His mind jumped straight to Ivan Jenson. Sirius had noticed that he and Gemma had been talking more. They'd been going for meals together – with Alice and Frank – and Ivan would often sit with Gemma in the common room whenever Frank sat with Alice. They seemed to be getting on well. Enjoying each other's company; laughing a lot. They looked good together, too. Both blonde and beautiful. It would make sense for them to be a couple.

Before he could give that much thought, a movement distracted him and he saw Lily approaching. She gave him a small smile, before standing next to Remus. "Morning, Remus."

Remus smiled brightly. "Morning, Lily. Happy Valentine's Day." Sirius held back a smile at James's thunderous facial expression. No doubt Remus will get a telling off later for such a comment.

Lily laughed nervously. "Thanks. You too." Expecting Lily to turn away, Sirius was surprised when she hesitated. "Urm… James... how are you feeling about the Quidditch match this weekend?"

Sirius felt the way James looked. Stunned. Lily had never approached James before. Had never initiated a conversation. Maybe she was interested in him after all.

James seemed to recover quickly. "I'm feeling good. We have a strong team, and Hufflepuff haven't been playing well this year."

Gryffindor were already top, but with Ravenclaw narrowly beating Slytherin last weekend – a fluke catch of the Snitch meant they won by just ten points – Gryffindor were set to pull further into the lead and almost guarantee their victory for the cup. And it was no surprise that James would be feeling confident. Hufflepuff were a poor team.

Lily nodded. "I also hear Franklin might not be playing."

All of them frowned. Franklin was the Hufflepuff Keeper, and the only good player on their team. Sirius hadn't heard anything about him being out, and it looked like James hadn't either. "Where did you hear that?"

"Mary. She's urm… hanging out with his friend. Apparently he hasn't being feeling very well and doesn't think he'll play. I'm wondering now if perhaps I wasn't supposed to know that. Or tell you about it."

James laughed. "I promise I won't reveal my sources. But this is great news, Lily. I can't wait to tell the team."

"Well, you don't need it, but good luck for the game. If I don't see you…" She closed her eyes, flustered. "…speak to you before the game. I just wanted to say good luck."

Lily turned quickly and practically ran away, back to the safety of her friends. Sirius smiled. Lily was definitely interested in James.

"That. Was. Amazing." James's whispered excitement filled their space as he bounced on his toes. "She approached me. Spoke to me. Wished me good luck for Saturday. Best Valentine's Day ever." He froze for a moment. "Crap. I didn't wish her a happy Valentine's Day. But you did, you bastard." He elbowed Remus and they laughed.

"Plus you got great information on Hufflepuff." Peter added. "If Franklin is out, the win is guaranteed. Maybe even by enough points to win the cup already."

As they started to do the calculations, Professor Seymour opened his doors and welcomed them all in. Sirius caught up with Gemma, said a quick hello, then followed her to their desk near the back of the room. She placed the rose on the table between them and Sirius frowned at it. It wasn't a nice rose. It looked like it had been squashed. Like it was dying already. Ivan was a fool. If Sirius had gotten Gemma – a girl – a rose, he would have made damn sure it was a healthy one.

"Alice whacked it against the wall. She really doesn't care about Valentine's and she hated that Frank got it for her, so I stepped in to try and save it." Gemma looked down at the rose, a comically sad expression on her face. "But I think it might be too late."

It took a moment for Sirius to register Gemma's words. The rose was Alice's, from Frank. Not Gemma's, from Ivan. For some reason he was happy about that. He laughed at her comment about trying to save it.

"It just needs a little boost." Tapping the tip of his wand against the stem, Sirius cast the Herbivicus Charm, creating a flash of green light. Sirius watched Gemma's face break into a huge smile as she watched the rose bloom.

"Mr Black." Professor Seymour called from the front of the room. "If you are finished delighting Miss Arwin with roses, I would like to get on with the lesson."

Ignoring the sniggers from around the room – specifically from the idiot Slytherin's – Sirius mumbled an apology and sat back in his chair, his arms folded. Damn. Now everyone thought he'd given Gemma a rose.

"Thank you." Gemma's whispered words filtered through his annoyance and he turned to look at her. She was holding the rose up, smelling it and smiling. It looked healthy again. And she looked happy. Maybe fixing the rose wasn't the worst thing.

The common room erupted into cheers as the Gryffindor Quidditch team entered. Gemma stood with Alice, Lily and Mary and clapped and cheered as each team member was welcomed and celebrated.

Gryffindor had beaten Hufflepuff in a landslide victory, meaning Slytherin would need a miracle to win. The cup was well and truly theirs.

"I wonder if the celebrations will go on all evening." Lily said, as she smiled and clapped, her eyes following James around the room.

Mary laughed. "I think they'll go on until the end of the year."

"There's still a chance Slytherin could win it." Alice pointed out. "A long shot, but a chance."

"They'll have to score at least two hundred points before catching the Snitch." Gemma said. "A very long shot, especially if our team keep playing as well as they are right now."

The girls smiled and continued to watch the team move around the room. Some of the female team players stood near them and they all discussed the game, the excitement, and joked about whether half the team would even show up for the final game against Slytherin.

The afternoon rolled on, with celebrations not ceasing. Gemma found herself at a table with Peter and Ivan; the two of them discussing some Herbology project that Gemma was only partially interested in.

"Gemma Arwin?" A young first year approached, holding a piece of parchment in his hands. "I have a note for you. From Professor Slughorn."

Gemma frowned and took the note. Thanking the young Gryffindor, she opened it up and recognised Slughorn's well-known scrawl. Slughorn was requesting her presence to urgently discuss her Doxycide essay – an essay they had written and submitted just the day before.

"Who's it from?" Ivan asked.

"Slughorn. He wants to talk to me about my essay."

"On a Saturday?" Peter asked.

"Yes. Which likely means he's not happy with it. Damn. I knew I should have taken Lily up on her offer." Lily always offered to read through the girls' essays when it came to potions, and usually Gemma took her up on that offer. But this time she had declined, and now she realised her mistake. "I'll have to go see him. Convince him to let me re-write it over the weekend and hand it back in on Monday."

"That sucks." Ivan gave Gemma a sad smile.

"Yeah." Gemma took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. "I best go see him. I'm sure I won't be long."

She stood and headed out the door, walking quickly towards the Dungeons. She wondered if she should have grabbed some parchment to take notes, but Slughorn would have some she could use. Maybe he'd commented on her essay. Maybe he'd added notes already that she could read through.

Eventually she turned into the Dungeons, and she shivered slightly. Hogwarts was often cold, but the Dungeons were particularly chilled and Gemma was only wearing her jeans and a thin jumper. The place was quiet too. Not a soul around.

Gemma arrived at Slughorn's door and knocked. Nothing. She waited a few moments before knocking again. She pressed her ear up against the door, but couldn't hear any movement inside. Strange. After knocking again, Gemma decided to give up and return the next day. Then she heard footsteps, and with a relieved sigh, she turned around. Then froze.

"Arwin." Mulciber stood tall in front of her, his bulk intimidating and his scowl menacing.

Gemma straightened her shoulders. "Mulciber."

"Looking for someone?" A small smile crept over his lips and an uneasy feeling settled over her.

"Professor Slughorn. He asked me here. I'm sure he'll be by soon."

"Maybe." Mulciber's smile widened as he stepped forward. "Or maybe he's busy right now. Maybe he's no longer interested in your Doxycide essay."

Gemma's blood ran cold. How could she have been so stupid? To walk right into a trap. "You wrote the note."

"I did. Slughorn signs a different detention note each week. His writing is terrible but easy enough to copy. Snape was more than happy to share what essay you've all been working on, and he kindly agreed to keep Slughorn busy tonight. Not that I gave him much choice. I needed you alone."

"Why? My dad isn't hunting your dad anymore. My dad isn't even out in the field." A small lie, but it was true that George Arwin was no longer chasing Death Eaters. He'd been assigned another mission.

"I know." Mulciber waved his hand dismissively. "I don't care about that anymore. If my father is stupid enough to get caught then he deserves to be sent to Azkaban." Gemma took a step back as Mulciber's demeanor changed. "But me; I'm going places. Plans are being made for me."

A gleam entered his eye and Gemma shivered. Mulciber was dark. Dangerous. Evil. "Where do I fit in?"

"You are simply a means to an end. I need a distraction, and you've been a tiny thorn in my side for a while now. Always jumping in to help some disgusting mudblood. Always trying to play the hero. Always stopping me from having fun."

"I hardly think hurting people is fun." Gemma mumbled the words, but Mulciber caught them.

"It's fun for me." Mulciber stepped toward her and Gemma knew it was time to fight.

She reached for her wand. As her fingers grazed the tip of it in her back pocket, she realised too late another figure was behind her. Whoever it was had obviously been hiding inside Slughorn's office. For a brief second she thought – hoped – it might be Slughorn after all, but then a tight arm banded around her, trapping her arms and a clammy palm covered her mouth.

Panic set in as Gemma struggled against the hold on her. Mulciber turned and walked towards a statue opposite Slughorn's door. "Let's go." He called over his shoulder, and the body behind Gemma pushed her forward. She continued to fight, to try and break out of the tight grip. Her heel connected with a shin, but it wasn't enough to dislodge herself.

"Fuck! The bitch kicked me!" Avery. Avery was holding her.

"I don't care. Just hurry up." Mulciber twisted something behind the statue and a door was revealed. Through the door was a dark passageway. Gemma's heart raced. Where were they taking her? What were they going to do?

As Avery pushed her through the small gap and down the passageway, Gemma stopped struggling. She needed to save her energy and there was no point fighting in such a small space. She needed to see what was on the other side and find a way to escape then.

After a few moments, a room emerged and Avery pushed Gemma through. It was an old classroom, clearly unused. Gemma looked around. There was another door, but it was completely sealed off. Only four small windows let in a tiny slither of light, and Gemma shuddered as she saw the spider webs covering them. Half the room was empty, while the other half was filled with broken chairs and desks.

"About time." Gemma looked up and saw Lestrange leaning back against one of the desks, his arms folded. "Hello Arwin. Nice of you to join our little party."

Gemma struggled against Avery. "Fuck you." At least that was what she had intended to say. What came out was more of a mumble behind Avery's clammy hand.

"Get her wand." Mulciber ordered as he moved around the room. He was clearly the leader here.

"With pleasure." Lestrange stood slowly and prowled towards her. Gemma tensed. She'd never given Lestrange much thought, beyond an immediate dislike because he was a Slytherin and hung about with Mulciber. But now she saw something in his expression – in the way his eyes travelled up and down her body – that she didn't like. She didn't like at all.

Lestrange stopped in front of her and she flinched when he ran his finger over her forehead, pushing back a piece of her hair. She tried to step back, but Avery didn't budge. She couldn't get away. Merlin's Beard, what were they going to do to her?

Resisting the urge to struggle, Gemma held still as Lestrange placed his hands on her waist. Bile rose in her throat as he felt around her mid-section, over her hips, over her bottom – where he must have felt her wand in her back pocket – then up her back. He smirked as he repeated the motion and Gemma felt Avery chuckle behind her.

"Fuck's sake, Rodolphus." Mulciber shouted, clearly impatient. "Her wand isn't in her fucking knickers."

"Might be worth a quick check." Lestrange laughed and winked at her. Gemma felt sick.

"Keep your dick in your pants." Mulciber walked over, reached around her quickly and grabbed her wand. "Besides, she's a filthy Gryffindor. As if you'd want to touch that."

Lestrange shrugged. "I quite like the idea. Get her dirty." Gemma struggled again in Avery's hold. She needed to get away.

"Don't let Bellatrix hear you say that." Avery said, tightening his grip on her as she struggled. "Can I let her go yet?"

"Of course." Mulciber twirled her wand in his hand. "Let the fun begin."

Sirius laughed with James as they remembered the look of surprise on the Hufflepuff players' faces when Gryffindor had scored within the first thirty seconds. It had been non-stop scoring after that. James stood up and did comical impressions of the different goals – from the perspective of the Hufflepuff team who had all been floundering. Those in the room near them joined in the laughter.

Students arrived carrying large plates of food from the kitchens and everyone barrelled towards them. Sirius held back slightly, not feeling particularly hungry.

"Hey, Sirius." Frank arrived at his side, a small plate of food in his hand. "Did you know your brother is hanging about outside?"

Sirius tensed, and frowned at Frank. "No. Is he there now?"

"Yeah. We just saw him on our way back from the kitchens."

Sirius stood. What the hell did Regulus want? "Thanks." He left the common room and headed down the corridor until he saw Regulus, partially hidden by a pillar. "What do you want?"

"Nice to see you too, brother." Regulus stepped out and spread his hands. "Can't I come to visit?"

"No." Sirius was not in the mood for Regulus's games. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk."

Sirius laughed, but not with humour. "Sure you do."

"I do. I thought maybe we could go for a walk. Try and clear the air between us." Regulus looked down at his hands and Sirius thought he saw a glimpse of sincerity. "We're brothers, Sirius. We should be friends too." Sirius was taken aback by Regulus's words and demeanor. Did his brother really want to be friends again? Like they had been as young children?

Then Sirius caught the tiniest flash of black from behind his brother. And he knew exactly what that had been. Black curls. Bellatrix's black curls.

"Nice try, brother. Is the plan to lure me away to a hidden corridor somewhere where you and…" Sirius raised his voice and stared at the point behind Regulus's shoulder where he knew she was standing. "…Bellatrix can attack me? Will Mulciber and Avery and Lestrange be waiting there for me too?"

Bellatrix laughed as she stepped out from her hiding place. "I told you he wouldn't fall for it."

Regulus scowled at her. "Shut up."

"I wanted to play a little game. I was jealous of Rodolphus, getting to have all the fun. I thought we could lock you up somewhere too. Even if just for a little while. I know you're hard to tie down." Bellatrix smirked at Sirius, then glared at Regulus. "But idiot boy here thought we could simply talk you into coming with us."

Sirius frowned at Bellatrix's words. Lestrange was somewhere having 'fun', which no doubt meant he was hurting someone. And Bellatrix had said she wanted to lock Sirius up 'too'; did that mean Lestrange was locking someone up? The person he was having 'fun' with?

"Where's Lestrange?"

Regulus looked uncomfortable but Bellatrix smirked. "Caught that, did you?"

"Where is he?"

"He's busy." She paused, an evil gleam in her eye. "Playing with a pretty blonde."

Sirius froze, remembering Bellatrix using that description for Gemma when Mulciber had attacked her earlier in the year. But was Bellatrix talking about Gemma? No. He had seen Gemma in the common room not that long ago. She had been with Peter.

Sirius watched as Bellatrix and Regulus turned and walked away, and Bellatrix's loud laugh echoed in the corridor. Maybe she was testing him. Seeing how he would react. Seeing if he would charge after them and demand to know exactly where Gemma was and what the hell was happening. And damn if he didn't want to do just that.

But he needed to stay calm. Gemma was in the common room. She was definitely in the common room.

Sirius turned and ran back to the main door, pushing it open. He looked around. James was with some of his Quidditch team mates; no Gemma. Remus and Lily were sat at a table talking; no Gemma. He saw Peter and Ivan, now talking to Mary, Alice and Frank; still no Gemma.

Fuck. Where was she?

Needing the map, and knowing Remus had it, Sirius pushed through the crowd and grabbed his friend, pulling him up from his seat. "I need you."

Remus grunted in response to being manhandled, but Sirius just nudged him towards the stairs to their dorm. "What is it, Sirius?" Remus looked confused but Sirius kept moving. As they stepped into the dorm, Sirius let him go.

"I need the map. Now." Sensing the urgency, Remus pulled the map from his pocket and handed it over. "Thanks." Sirius tapped the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

"What's going on?" James had stepped into the room, but Sirius ignored him.

"I have no idea."

The map loaded and Sirius scanned the common room. No Gemma. "Where is she?" He laid the map out on the bed in front of him and searched nearby corridors, the library, classrooms.

"Who?" Remus looked over his shoulder, as did James.

"Gemma. I think Lestrange has her."

"What?" James sounded outraged but Sirius was barely listening.

"I don't know. Bellatrix was here and she said some things and…"

"There!" Remus shouted, pointing towards the Dungeons. "Fuck, she is with Lestrange. And Mulciber and Avery."

James grabbed the map. "What the hell is she doing there?"

Sirius ignored him and just ran. He flew down the stairs in the common room, pushed through the crowd and shoved out the main door. He ran down the corridor. He didn't know why Gemma was alone with those three, but he knew it wasn't good.

Gemma rolled over, clutching her side, trying to slow the bleeding. She needed to get out of there.

As soon as Avery had pushed her aside, Mulciber had attacked. He'd thrown her across the room, a spell so powerful her back and head had connected hard against the stone wall. Disorientated and slow to recover, Gemma had tried to stand but had stumbled. She had ignored the sounds of laughter, and had tried again.

But as soon as she had been back on her feet, another powerful spell had knocked her sideways, her face connecting with the corner of a cupboard. She eventually lost count of how many times she had pulled herself up, only to be thrown backwards again. She had started to wonder if she needed to just stay down. Then a sharp pain had sliced into her side, and Gemma knew she had to keep fighting.

Taking deep breaths and holding her side, which continued to bleed from the inflicted cut, Gemma thought about possible ways to escape. She studied the small windows; could she break through them? Where do they lead?

She studied the door completely sealed by stone bricks. She knew she wasn't strong enough to get through that. She looked at the distance between herself and the passageway door, left partially open. She'd need to get past both Mulciber and Avery. Not likely.

She needed her wand, which was currently on a desk too far away from her. Could she reach it? Could she somehow get herself over there? She sighed. Unlikely. The only other way was to summon her wand, but that would involve wandless magic, and while she'd practiced, she'd never succeeded.

Footsteps sounded and two booted feet appeared in front of her. She watched in horror as one boot moved backward then swiftly forward again, kicking her hard in the stomach and connecting with her wound. She rolled onto her back, her body in agony as Mulciber stood over her and laughed.

Refusing to give up, Gemma closed her eyes and focused. She pictured her wand. Imagined the weight of it in her hand. The feel of the soft wood. Her hand flexed slightly. Accio wand.

"What are we going to do to her now?"

Gemma closed off her mind to the sound of Avery's voice. Accio wand.

"I've got some ideas."

Gemma flexed her fingers. Accio wand.

"If you suggest that one more fucking time, I'll tell Bellatrix exactly what kind of a pig she's dating."

"Fuck you."

Accio wand. Accio wand.

"We're leaving her here, remember? No one knows about this room. It could take days before she's found."

Gemma took a deep breath and flexed her fingers one more time. Accio wand.

The familiar and comforting weight of her wand landed in her hand. She gave herself no time to relax though; she pointed it at Mulciber and blasted him across the room.

She twisted her arm, ignored the sharp pain in her shoulder, and stunned Lestrange. He fell backwards with a hard thud and Gemma was tempted to do more damage to him while he was out. But Avery had pulled his wand and Mulciber was almost back on his feet.

Gemma pulled herself to sitting then tried to stun Avery, but he jumped to the side. He attacked back – as did Mulciber – and Gemma deflected both spells. She needed to move. Finding the strength from somewhere, she launched herself up and over Lestrange's stunned form, diving behind an old bookcase. Cobwebs tickled the side of her face but she pushed that aside. She had no time to be scared of spiders now.

Gemma waited for Mulciber or Avery to continue their attack, but nothing happened.

"Grab him." Mulciber spoke so quietly, Gemma almost didn't hear. She peeked out from behind the bookcase and watched Avery step towards Lestrange, take him under the armpits, and pull him backwards towards the door to the passageway.

"It seems I underestimated you, Arwin." Mulciber moved towards the door as well, his wand raised. "Still, I'd say enough damage has been done." Avery dragged Lestrange into the passageway, with Mulciber following.

Gemma realised then that the door to the passageway was not really a door. It was just a thick, hard slab of stone with no handle. It had opened from the other side – from the statue. Gemma remembered their conversation about leaving her, trapped. Panic once again clawed at her.

Mulciber chuckled. "Let's see how long you last."

As the door began to shut, Gemma left the hidden safety of her bookcase and ran across the room. Her body ached, her side felt on fire, but she charged at the door, needing to get to it before it sealed shut.

She didn't make it. Running full speed into the door, Gemma banged her fist against the cold, hard stone. She felt around for any sign of a lever or switch or handle to open it, but there was nothing. She banged her fist against the door again, and shouted at the top of her lungs. She shouted for help. She shouted in anger. And she shouted in fear that she wouldn't ever be found.

As Sirius reached the top of the stairs to the Dungeons, he realised James and Remus had run after him. He also realised he hadn't paid enough attention to where in the Dungeons Gemma actually was. But he was willing to tear down the whole damn school to find her if that was what it took.

"She's in that old Potions classroom; the one that's been blocked off." James was at Sirius's side, holding the map. "Mulciber, Avery and Lestrange have just left through the passageway, but they're moving slowly. We could probably catch them."

"You can, but I'm getting to Gemma." Sirius remembered that old classroom well from when they had discovered it in their third year. There was only one way to open that door and it was via the statue in the corridor, opposite Slughorn's office. Luckily they had checked before all four of them had gotten trapped in there. "They'll have locked her in and she might be injured."

James nodded. "Let's go then."

They ran down the stairs and headed towards Slughorn's office. Sirius wondered if they would come across Mulciber, Avery and Lestrange on their way, but the Dungeons were a maze. As they reached the statue, Remus got there first and twisted the hidden stone. A gap appeared and Sirius pushed through before it had fully opened. He could see the door at the end opening too.

As he stepped into the classroom, he froze. Gemma stood before him, her back straight, her wand raised and a fierce expression on her face that told him she was ready to fight. But as soon as the flicker of recognition crossed her features, her whole body visibly deflated.

Sirius did a quick sweep of her. Fuck, she was bleeding. A dark patch of red covered her side, over her hip and down to her leg. She was dusty and dirty, as if she had been thrown around the room. And she had bruises on her face; on her cheek and forehead, where she also had a cut close to her eye.

Sirius now wished they had chased after Mulciber, Avery and Lestrange. He wished they had come across them as they were navigating the Dungeons. Because Sirius wanted to hurt them. Badly.

Gemma swayed on her feet, and Sirius lunged forward, wrapped his arm around her and held her steady. "It's ok, Gem. I've got you." She flinched slightly at the contact, and he wondered if she had other injuries too. Merlin's Beard, it tore him apart to see her like this.

"Sirius?" Gemma looked up at him, a small crease in her forehead. "How did you find me?"

Sirius wasn't sure how to answer. He knew he could make up a story of half-truths, but he didn't want to. "Don't worry about that now. We just need to get you out of here. We'll take you to Madam Pomfrey."

Gemma nodded but kept her small frown in place. They moved to the passageway and James and Remus stepped through first. Sirius nudged Gemma forward, then followed after her and sealed the door behind him. They stepped back out into the corridor and Remus closed the entrance.

"Can you walk?" Sirius looked down at her. She looked worse in the slightly brighter light. She was pale, and the red patch on her side seemed to have grown. "You're bleeding, Gemma. Let me carry you."

She shook her head. "No. I'm fine. I just want to get out of here."

Straightening her back, but not doing a good job of hiding her pain, Gemma walked forward slowly. Sirius looked over at James and Remus - who both shrugged - then followed her. He stayed close to her side, his hand hovering near her back, ready to catch her if she fell.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, which would take them out of the Dungeons, Gemma paused. Sirius could see she was in pain. But the foolish stubborn girl was refusing help. She took a deep breath and started to climb.

Sirius kept watching her, and saw the exact moment it became too much. As she stumbled, he stepped into her and held her up. "Sorry Gemma, but I've had enough." He turned her in his arms, kept his hold around her back, and scooped her legs up under his other arm.

"Sirius." Gemma wriggled slightly, but the movement clearly caused her pain. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine." He moved up the stairs at pace. She needed Madam Pomfrey, quickly. "Now shut up and let me carry you." She huffed and Sirius fought a smile. Stubborn little thing.

They moved quickly and soon Sirius was turning the corner towards the hospital wing. They hadn't come across any teachers, and Remus and James had both politely – and not so politely – told any interested students exactly where to go. Sirius was fairly certain James had made a second year cry.

He looked down at the soft weight in his arms. She hadn't said a word to him since he had picked her up; she had just looked straight ahead, every now and then flinching from the pain.

James ran ahead and pushed open the door to the hospital wing, calling for Madam Pomfrey. As Sirius entered, Pomfrey was bustling towards him.

"Gracious. Bring her over here, dear." Pomfrey led him to a bed and Sirius gently placed Gemma on it. She winced.

"Sorry." He said.

"Not your fault." Gemma smiled up at him but her voice was slurred and her eyes were glazing over. She looked tired and pale. She was losing too much blood. He could feel the wet warmth of it on his own jumper, seeping through to his skin.

"She's lost a lot of blood. She was attacked."

"I can see that." Pomfrey pushed him back and started to examine Gemma.

Sirius caught a glimpse of Gemma's stomach as Pomfrey lifted her top and he saw an angry bruise forming just next to the open wound. Gemma gritted her teeth in pain as Pomfrey prodded at it. Sirius clenched his fits. He wanted to kill them all.

Pomfrey started to cut away at Gemma's top, then she turned and stared at Sirius, a stern expression on her face. "I can handle it from here, Mr Black; I don't need you getting in my way. Go make yourself useful by finding Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore, and getting yourself a change of clothes."

"James and Remus can go." Sirius turned to look at his friends who both nodded and headed out of the room. "I'm staying."

Pomfrey frowned up at him. "Fine." She stepped back and grabbed the curtain near the bed. "But you stay behind this curtain, young man. In order for me to heal that wound and check for other injuries, I need to undress her and you have no business seeing this girl half naked." And with that, Pomfrey pulled the curtain quickly across, blocking his view completely.

Sirius sighed heavily. Pomfrey was right, of course. But he itched to pull back the curtain and look at her again. Just to check she was ok. To check she was healing.

Instead, he stepped back and took a seat. All he could do was wait.