Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Morsemordre
Dad's order was to come straight back to the tents when the match was over. And that is what we did. It was slow going to exit the stadium as everyone and their mother's uncle wanted to celebrate the win. Throughout it, Adrian and I held hands to keep from getting separated with Sirius following behind.
"I'm going to walk Holly back", Adrian told Sirius once we were out of the thick of things; creating more room for people to go about their routes to find their beds.
Having heard Adrian promise my dad that very thing, Sirius wasn't surprised. "See you back at the tent", he agreed. "I'll go ahead and meet Harry in case he gets there before us. If you see him with the Weasley-" Sirius started to say.
"I'll bring him back with me", Adrian finished for him. Adrian was as composed as ever, so Sirius didn't pick up on the fact that Adrian was trying to hurry this exchange along. Nodding his thanks, Sirius clapped Adrian on the shoulder one last time and wished me a good night before lumbering off in the direction of his tent; keeping pace with the crowd.
I kept my free hand hovered over my front right pocket; the handle of my wand less than an inch away from my fingertips. Adrian's solid presence helped, but I still found myself using the corner of my eyes to survey my surroundings. We had time. If things played out similarly to how I remembered them. But with the main event concluded, it felt like now was the perfect opportunity for something to go wrong. Honestly, it wasn't even the death eater after party I was worried about.
As Adrian and I maneuvered through the thongs of people, Mum's voice and Dad's voice kept popping into my head. Hell, even Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice paid a brief visit. All their worries and concerns; the precautions that got put into place since Lockhart's breakout… It'd be difficult not to fear seeing my own personal boogeyman around every turn.
Adrian led the way; allowing me to watch my surroundings a little more closely than I normally would. We passed the encampment of Bulgarian supporters and avoided a rowdy batch of Ireland supporters altogether. It wouldn't make sense for him to be here. There were too many people. Too much risk of being caught… But that hadn't stopped him from visiting Hogsmeade.
Our path was lit by lanterns, campfires, and the occasional wand-produced firework. Despite all the foot traffic, the additional lighting made it easy to pick our way back to the two tents belonging to my family. From inside the boys' tent, I could hear the tones of enthused conversation. It was nice to have as background noise, but it also guaranteed Adrian and me a certain amount of privacy.
Facing each other, we connected both of our hands with interlaced fingers. "I'll find you", Adrian promised.
I nodded; knowing he would. The necklace he gave me a few Christmases ago assured it. "Don't forget Harry", I reminded him. "Assuming Sirius decides to try to break up the riot".
Stepping closer, so there was only about an inch of air between us, Adrian agreed with a small incline of his head. "Potter's my responsibility", Adrian said as he increased the pressure in his grip; his neck sloping downward so his forehead could press against mine.
"And Fred, George, and I will take care of Ginny, Ron, and Hermione", I breathed as I tried to focus on Adrian's gray pupils. Although, their color was a bit hard to make out in this light. Hopefully, Fred and George had been successful and no cloaked psychopath had stolen Harry's wand.
With nothing else to be done until the death eaters made their move, we tried to salvage the last of our good feelings left over from the quidditch match. I pushed myself to a taller height through my tip-toes while Adrian adjusted until our lips could brush comfortably against each other. His lips vaguely tasted like a meat pie and I hoped mine wasn't too salty from the popcorn I'd eaten.
Our hands rose in their interlaced position until they were clenched between our chests. We parted long enough to fill our lungs before going back at it; getting the most out of each other's company with the sounds of Ireland quidditch enthusiasts filling the background.
But before round three could occur, we were interrupted. "Holly", a mischievous voice that was failing to sound stern announced its presence.
Adrian broke away first; taking a big step back and ending contact as if he just got caught peeping threw someone's window. My hands fell to my sides. "What?" I asked with an annoyed sigh as I turned to see Fred's head poking out of the tent flap.
"Dad sent me to tell you to stop snogging Pucey and come inside. It's late".
Placing one hand on my hip, I narrowed my eyes at my brother. "And those were Dad's exact words, were they?"
Fred nodded once. "More or less with some creative liberties".
Exhaling loudly through my nose, I turned back to Adrian. Taking a step close to cover the distance he put between us, I placed a significantly less heated kiss on his cheek. "Good night", I said before moving away to join my family in the tent.
"Good night", Adrian murmured softly before he fully came back to himself. "Is Potter with you?" He asked Fred in his normal stony voice.
"Yeah", Fred said as he held open the tent flap for me. "Hey, Harry!" He called behind him as I ducked under his arm. "Pucey's asking for you".
In the tent set up for the girls, we fell asleep to the sounds of drunken singing and partying. Or rather, Ginny and Hermione did while I lay in my bed and stared at the tent ceiling. Thank Merlin we didn't have a clock in the tent. Otherwise, I would've spent the whole time staring at it. For what felt like a long while, there was no change in the sounds coming from outside. There was no progression either to allude to something stirring. One moment, things were as they should be; singing, cheering and celebrating. And the next; shouting and stampeding footsteps.
I sat up and started pulling my shoes on as soon as the first bit of alarming noise reached my ears. Dad came stumbling into our tent moments later. He was wearing jeans and his nightshirt as he held his wand at the ready with a frazzled look in his eyes. "Girls!" He barked; nodding at me when he noticed I was already up and moving.
Hermione moved faster than Ginny; startling awake in response to the jarring wake-up call. "Mr. Weasley?" She asked sleepily. But it only took seconds before she read the fright on Dad's face and the worrisome sounds coming from outside the tent.
"Shoes, jackets, and your wands", Dad listed off as he shook Ginny's arm; urging her to sit up. "We have to go!"
As Ginny and Hermione rushed to comply, I stumbled out of the tent first, my wand gripped securely in my hand. Outside, the lanterns had gone out. But there were still a few campfires offering something to see by. My brothers had already exited their tent. They stood huddled together with their backs facing me as they watched witches and wizards of all ages racing passed us; heading towards the woods. Though that wasn't the only thing to witness. From the distance, what looked like a big dark mass was slowly heading in our direction. Unnatural flashes and sparks of multicolored light sporadically emit from the mass as if it was a strange thundercloud. All flashes and sparks were accompanied by grating jeering and taunting as the mass found great amusement in people's attempts to escape them.
The closer and closer the mass got, the easy it became to make out features. The white skull-like masks were the most telling feature. Bill was eleven when You-Know-Who fell for the first time. Out of all of us, he was the only Weasley sibling who had the clearest memories of the terror felt during those dark times. Watching this play out now, in front of us, that was evident. Bill's wand was already sparking as he stood protectively in front of all of us; his shoulders tense and feet planted on the ground.
His reaction was the most overt, but he wasn't the only one responding. "This is sick", Ron mumbled from behind Charlie's shoulder with Fred and George stationed behind him. And sick was right. The crowd of masked people had their wands pointed towards the sky; keeping afloat four withering, pleading bodies. Four bodies belonging to four muggles that didn't have a bloody clue about what was happening to them. My stomach churned as my feet itched to get moving.
But it was hard to look away. Especially as the situation appeared to keep becoming worse. As the crowd progressed, tents and other pieces of personal property were blasted away or destroyed by the flick of their wands. "Why are they doing this?" Percy asked aloud in a horrified whisper as the mass grew; fools joining the group as if they were in on it from the beginning.
Hermione and Ginny joined us with jackets hastily thrown on over their night clothes as Dad hurried him along. Dad's face was doing many things; his expressions ranged from fear to outrage. Fear for us, his children. Outrage for the mistreatment of muggles.
"Bill, Charlie, Percy, and I are going to help the ministry!" Dad said; having to shout in order to be heard. My brothers and I turned around to face him; forcing ourselves to turn our backs to the mayhem and hate taking place a short distance away. "You six are to take cover in the woods. The triplets are in charge. Watch out for each other, and stay together".
Fred and George didn't need to be told twice. Having forewarning of what to expect, their wands were already in their hands. And they used their free hands to grab a younger sibling each. Fred grabbed Ron by his elbow. While George took a few steps to reach Ginny's side; throwing a shielding arm over her shoulders once he got there.
Bill and Charlie were already moving; wands out as they charged straight for the rioters. Percy lingered; taking half-steps toward the action, but always pausing to look back at Dad. "Do not leave the woods until I find you. And…", Dad paused as his eyes flashed specifically to me. "And if anyone suspicious approached you, don't hesitate. Use magic". Right, because not knowing everything us triplets did, this… this terror probably pushed Dad to remember Lockhart's overhanging threat.
We didn't move right away; watching as Dad briefly checked in with Percy before the both of them chased after our eldest brothers. It hurt to watch them go. It was uncomfortable knowing there was danger facing them. But the worst was knowing I had to let them help.
"Let's go", Fred said as he dragged Ron forward; not letting our youngest brother watched the tortured muggles for a moment longer. George followed with his wand raised in front of his nose and Ginny curled under his arm like it was raining and he was her umbrella.
Steeling myself for the next couple of hours, I forced a long exhale of breath. "Stay close to me, yeah?" I asked Hermione as we started after the others.
Usually the independent sort, it was disconcerting to how quickly Hermione agreed. Her face off-colored, she slowly nodded as she tore her eyes away from a sight that would probably haunt her dreams for a while.
Once at the edge of the forest, our younger siblings and Hermione wanted to stop and look back. As if they needed to check to see if this was real. But us triplets kept them moving; pushing, dragging, and prodding as we sought refuge in the cover the trees could provide. The other families and singletons running for safety helped keep us moving too. Just like a school of salmon trying to swim upstream. Although, all the panicking people also made it difficult to keep track of each other.
Some were crying. Mostly kids by the sound of it, but I could pick out a few sobs that belonged to an older age group. People were shouting; calling out for friends and loved ones whom they'd been separated from. Hermione clung to my side as we stayed close to Fred's and Ron's heels. Both boys frequently glanced over their shoulders to make sure we were near. A few times, another fleeing soul bumped into my shoulder or brushed against my side as they did their best to run ahead of us; able to move at a faster pace. I had to remind myself that these people were just trying to do the same thing we were; stay safe. I had to remind myself that these people weren't Lockhart.
Ron let out a loud yowl as he started to go down. But Fred kept him on his feet as he and Ron came to a halt with me and Hermione skidding to a stop behind them. "What happened?" asked George as he and Ginny turned around from up ahead.
Letting my magic build until I had just the right amount, the tip of my wand lit up with a strong enough beam. Allowing us to make out Fred taking most of Ron's weight as Ron held his ankle; rolling it around under his grip. "Stupid tree root", Ron complained as Hermione fellow suit and alit her wand with a softly muttered 'Lumos'. Up ahead, Fred and Ginny did the same. "I tripped", Ron explained before he started testing to see how much weight his ankle could comfortably bare.
"Can you run?" I asked; not liking how close everything still sounded.
"It's amazing the Weasleys even know how to crawl if you ask me", a new voice interrupted in a smug tone.
Our heads snapped in the direction of where the voice was coming from. Draco Malfoy stood by himself with his back against a tree trunk. He had the gall to look almost bored as he stood with his arms crossed and not a single hair out of place.
"Well, no one asked you", Ron retorted as he came to the decision that his ankle wasn't that bad by defiantly taking all his weight back from Fred. "So why don't you run along and-" Whatever colorful insult Ron had on the tip of his tongue was cut off by Malfoy.
"About time for you to leave, isn't it?" Malfoy asked as he redirected his attention to Hermione with a smidge of malice in his eyes. "I'd to see what would become to the Weasleys' pet mudblood if she were caught".
At first, Hermione flinched into my side. As if she was fighting the urge to hide behind me entirely. But Hermione was a Gryffindor for a reason and it didn't even take her a second to square her shoulders with the decision to confront Malfoy's bigotry head-on.
However; before Hermione could stand up for herself, I decided she shouldn't have to. Maybe it was YUP morality running through my head or just not wanting to deal with Malfoy at all in this situation, knowing what was to come. I felt my magic bubble. Since my wand was already out, following through was easy. All it took was a serpentine-like wand movement, a properly enunciated, "Locomotor Wibbly", and orange light shot out of my wand. It sailed through the air and hit Malfoy in the gut before he could even blink.
"Damn you", Malfoy cursed as his legs spastically lost their balanced and he stumbled into the tree behind him like a sailor trying to find his sea legs. "Magic isn't allowed outside of school", Malfoy glared as his fingertips dug into tree bark as he fought to maintain his footing.
Ron snorted as his brain caught up with what he saw. Meanwhile, Fred and George snickered as Ginny kept to the background. Only Hermione seemed surprised by the display of magic. "What?" I asked, feeling Hermione's eyes on me in a wide-eyed stare. "I mistook him for Lockhart. Dad told us not to hesitate to use magic if we thought it was him", I said in an everyday tone. Sounding not at all like someone who thought they'd come across a madman.
My claim only made my brother snort or snicker louder. Ginny had to cover her face to keep Malfoy from seeing her expression. And some of the tension in Hermione's shoulders started to fade. But it would be a mistake to relax during this moment. We needed to keep moving. Preferably before Malfoy opened his mouth again and distracted us further.
But before I could suggest for us to move on, a long-suffering sigh joined our group. "I can't leave you alone for a moment, can I?" The voice accused. Turning around, I was given the best sight of the night. Approaching us with his wand alit and Harry at his side was Adrian.
"Harry", Hermione said with a great amount of relief as she hurried to greet him with a hug. The light from her wand bobbed around as she wrapped her arms around him. Ron would have joined them, by the looks of it. If Fred wasn't keeping a tight grip on his elbow. "Did you see what was going on?" She asked.
Though any response Harry gave didn't reach my ears as Adrian stepped closer to me. Okay. That was step one of the plan complete. Everyone was here and accounted for. Now it was time for step two.
"The jelly-legs jinx, really?" Adrian asked as he watched Malfoy's legs quiver like a newborn fawn.
I shrugged; feet itching to get going again. "I mean, Malfoy is blond. Lockhart is blond. Both behave extremely pretentiously. I thought I was acting in self-defense".
The expression Adrian gave me was one I was very familiar with. Like he was tempted to call me out about my terrible bluffing skills and seemingly jumping logic but knew it wouldn't be to his benefit to do so. "Come on", George prompted from the front. "Let's keep going".
Nodding in agreement, Adrian spared only one more minute. "Malfoy, I'm assuming you know the counterspell".
"Of course, I know the counterspell. I'm not a sniveling first year", Malfoy snarled as he barely stopped his legs from collapsing out from under him.
"Good", Adrian said with a curt nod; ignoring Malfoy's rudeness entirely. "Then we'll leave you to it". Adrian turned his back on his underclassmen. "Potter, wand at the ready", he instructed.
It was an instruction that Harry followed as he drew his wand out of his back pocket. The sight of it was a wonderful confirmation that Fred and George's task for the quidditch match had been successful. Something they hadn't been able to tell me before now. Not with our family in close quarters. With satisfied nods passed around all four of us soon-to-be sixth years, George started to lead our group, now eight instead of six, deeper into the woods.
Despite how deep we traveled, we crossed paths with many others; all nervously looking over their shoulders every few seconds. Although, not everyone we saw was moving. Some stood in pressed-together groups as they tried to figure out what to do. Some seem to hesitate to go any further; worried they'd become lost and no one would find them. We didn't pay them any mind as we kept a forward pace. Snapping twigs under our shoes and pushing leafy branches out of our way, we eventually reached a small clearing.
A rustling noise not caused by anyone in our party, had us pausing and searching for the source; taking this time to calm our breathing. All of us found who had made the noise at the same time. It was such a peculiar sight; it would've been impossible for anyone to miss. With bat-like ears flopping in their efforts to drag her invisible burden away from the chaos, a house-elf made herself known. Although, she was much too determined in her task to notice the likes of us gawking at her ordeal.
"Bad wizards. Bad wizards", she kept saying between wheezing breaths; showing her strained effort. "Bad wizards! Winky gets us out".
As the house-elf, Winky, reached the other side of the clearing, Adrian placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. Yeah, time for step two. Although, I tried not to nod or show any sign that I received the silent and hidden message Adrian was sending. Winky made it to the other side of the clearing and forced her way into the next thicket of trees before disappearing from our sight. Only then did anyone have anything to say.
"Why not run properly like everyone else?" Ron asked as he blinked after the house-elf; speaking before his brain had caught up with him.
"It looked like she was in pain", Ginny commented as she buried herself into George's side. I bet she wasn't aware she was doing it. After joining Slytherin house, Ginny hadn't been big on seeking out sibling comfort.
"Permission", Harry spoke up as if a thought had just occurred to him. "House-elves need permission to do things. Maybe there wasn't time for her to ask".
Adrian's hand slipped off my shoulder as Hermione visibly bristled. Even with the darkness of the night. "It's inhumane", Hermione seethed. "Condoned slavery. I cannot believe it still exists in this day and age. Even in the wizarding world. Especially in the wizarding world!" As Ginny and the rest of the golden trio became distracted by Hermione's impromptu rant regarding equal rights, us triplets started communicating with our eyes and slight body gestures. Just as we've done since we were small children and trying to pull a fast one over on Mum. "It's why we need SPEW. It's why we need more people to join. Hardly anyone knows or cares. We have to educate-"
A loud bang echoed from the campsite we'd fled from; interrupting Hermione mid-sentence and reminding us of current events. "I think we should wait here", Fred said; cutting through the unease silence that had befallen us. For the first time since we left the campsite, he let go of Ron's elbow and made no protest when Ron stepped away from him to join his friends. "We're far enough that we're out of harm's way. But close enough that we can hear if things start getting better or worse".
George nodded in agreement even though the golden trio had their lips pressed into straight lines; expressing their unsureness. "This space is big enough for all of us too", George reasoned. "It's unlikely we'll find another one".
As if Fred and George agreeing were the only consensus needed, we started familiarizing ourselves with our surroundings. Harry sat with his back against a tree as he used a well-maintained Lumos to study the general area. Hermione and Ron chose to stay standing, but they shuffled closer to their best friend to converse quietly between the three of them. Ginny decided to remain glued to George. Something that was reflective of her younger years. Something we'd not seen since she started school. The sight would've been endearing if it were happening under different circumstances.
"I'm going to scout", Adrian announced as he started for the tree line; heading in the same direction Winky had disappeared from. "See if anyone knows anything", Adrian lied. Because honestly, we could confidently say we knew more than most, thanks to past lives. Only the guilty party would hold more answers than us.
"Mr. Weasley told us to stay together", Hermione interjected; immediately alarmed by what she was hearing. Despite the fact Adrian and Harry hadn't been included in Dad's orders.
"We need intel", Adrian argued. "And I know what I'm doing". His eyes flashed in my direction. As if he'd only tacked on that last to soothe my ears.
I took a deep breath to make sure my voice was strong before talking; playing my own role. "He'll be fine", I said. Though, as I said it, I made a silent promise with my eyes. Adrian better be fine or we'd be having a not-so-pleasant conversation after all this was over. "And he's right. We need to know what's happening".
Harry started to push himself to his feet. "I'll go with-"
But a dark look from Adrian caused him to be still. For a short-lived moment, Adrian was projecting more of his old self than his current identity. "Stay here. Sirius would kill me if something happened to you".
And with that, Adrian became shadowed under the coverage of the trees. It wasn't long before we couldn't hear his footsteps. Sighing, Harry made himself comfortable once more as Fred came to join me.
Tired and anxious for things to hurry along, I wrapped my arms around his torso and forced him to take most of my weight. It was a hug Fred didn't mind returning as he placed his own arms around my shoulders. "What do you think our clock hands in Mum's grandfather clock are pointing to right now? Lost? Mortal Peril? She's probably having a fit", I mumbled into Fred's old t-shirt.
Fred shrugged. Although his body felt too tense to match the motion. "If what you told George and me is true, I bet we can get Mum on board with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes after this". I snorted in dry fake humor. It was all Fred needed to keep going. "Mum will probably feel guilty enough that we can ask her to cook whatever we want. Rosemary chicken?" He asked; coming up with an asinine plan to make waiting more bearable.
I was all for it. "Absolutely. And strawberry tarts too. Those taste best in the summer".
"Hello?" Harry suddenly called out; his wand pointed high in the air to cast a larger light as he sprang to his feet. Hermione and Ron stumbled away from him in surprise as Fred and I broke our hug. Harry didn't immediately share what caught his attention. Instead, he leaned left and right; trying to peer around the trees off in the distance. "Adrian?" he asked when he got no response. "Is someone there?"
Those three words sparked more of a reaction from Ginny and the rest of the golden trio. By wand light, they tried to see what Harry was sensing. But to no avail. Then, like jerking awake to the sound of a smoke detector going off, a gravelly and disguised voice sounded from outside our little clearing. "Morsemordre!"
Above our heads, a sparkling green etched into the sky. "Bloody hell", Ron exclaimed before his mouth hung open as he took in the sight with the rest of us. A gruesome skull that looked like it was host to a serpent drawn into the night sky loomed over our heads. Ominous. Foreboding. Threateningly. I clenched a fist full of Fred's shirt in one of my hands and gritted my teeth. This was it. Step three.
The wood started echoing in screams as different clusters of people took notice of the calling card occupying the stars. The screams were more telling than anything else. None of us had seen the dark mark before. Not unless it was pictured in some book. Hearing people react to it was like listening to someone recount their most terrifying moments. Those seeking refuge in the wood were being forced to remember.
"The dark mark", Hermione whispered. Her voice only came across as quiet because she hadn't taken in enough air before speaking. Like a true friend, she stepped in front of Harry; despite a small tremor in her knees.
The cascade of screams was replaced by consecutive pops as witches and wizards snapped into existence; surrounding us in the clearing. All of them had a wand pointed in our direction. None took the time to truly look at us. "Get down!" I shouted as Fred pushed us both to the ground.
Across the clearing, I watched as Georg and Ginny ducked. George practically covered Ginny with his whole body to keep her safe. While the golden trio barely hit the floor in time. "Stupefy!" The surrounding witches and wizards roared; their voices bleeding together. Blinding red light ripped over our heads before crashing into the surrounding foliage. Some rebounded off tree bark while others had to be dodged by witches and wizards standing on the opposite side.
"Stop!" Yelled a frantic, familiar, and very much welcomed voice. "Lower your wands! Those are my children!"
Fred and I didn't move an inch until we heard Dad charge into the clearing. We didn't start climbing to our feet until we could make out Dad's balding head. The others were doing the same. Some of the Witches and Wizards lowered their wands; seeing what they hadn't before. But not all.
"Who is responsible?" One wizard demanded to know; his wand aimed at Harry. Then at Ron, and then at George before landing on Fred. Based on the story I remember; I can only assume this is Mr. Crouch. Good… sort of. It was handy for us he would be here to witness what happens next. But it was going to suck for him.
"It wasn't us", Ron said; sounding offended that anyone could accuse us of doing anything dark-mark-related. Although, I'm not sure if Ron fully understands what the dark mark is or what it means.
Mr. Crouch looked like he wanted to refute Ron's claim. His jaw was set to do just that. "Did you see anything?" Dad hurriedly asked before Mr. Crouch could say anything else. "Did you hear anything?"
Harry opened his mouth to respond, but he didn't have to. "Here", a voice called; coming from behind the circle of witches and wizards. Two witches parted to allow Adrian to make his way back from where he'd gone 'scouting'. His wand was still drawn, but he'd canceled the light spell; making it difficult to catch the haunted look on his face. "I was-" he started to explain; stumbling to make sure he played his part correctly. "I was looking for help and came across a man and a house-elf. The elf was unconscious. And the man, he'd just taken off… I think it was an invisibility cloak And-" Adrian paused again. This time gesturing to the skull and snake in the sky so he wouldn't have to say it. "I stunned him. He's just over there", Adrian finished as he pointed in the direction he'd come from.
A handful of witches and wizards rushed off to investigate; their wands raised and ready. Mr. Crouch, unnaturally pale, followed. Adrian made his way to us; minding his behavior to still look more scared than he actually was. Dad intercepted him before he could reach me. "Are you alright, Adrian?" He asked as he placed a well-meaning hand on Adrian's shoulder.
Adrian nodded once before Dad released him with a sympathetic half-hearted smile. No one was at 100% after witnessing all that. But no one was going to admit to anything else. It wasn't the right time or place. "I found him!" Someone announced as Adrian started moving towards me again. "It's just like the lad said".
I took a few steps to meet Adrian halfway. Colliding, his arms snaked around my waist while my arms twisted under his armpits so I could press my hands on the back of his shoulder blades. The relief in his body was something I could feel under my hands as Adrian curved his neck; placing his mouth close to my ear. "It's done", he informed me. Confirming that step three was finished. Our whole plan, successfully completed. I gripped Adrian tighter.
"Blimey!" Another person called out. "Isn't this your elf, Mr. Crouch? And who is this man she's with?"
A little shaky, Adrian's next words were chilling. "I never thought I'd see him again. I never thought I cast that spell again".
My arms didn't feel strong enough to hold Adrian as securely as he needed. "Hopefully, this will be the last time", I whispered back; praying I was right.