Bellanne was trying to pull herself to her feet on the top of the mountain. The snow was blowing wildly around her. She grabbed her side, realizing a large open wound was bleeding heavily. She raised her other hand and discovered the shackle to the dragon had been broken. She weakly turned around and saw the beast growling and breathing a bit of smoke from its nose. She shivered as she looked at her side again and noticed that blood was beginning to freeze to her hands.
"Remus," She barely muttered out, "help me." She weakly held up her wand as her eyes began to flutter, "Petrificus Totalus." Her wand glowed a bit, but nothing more than that happened. She dropped to her knees in front of the beast, "You win." The beast rose up into the air and appeared to take a deep breath in. Bellanne's breathing quickened as she waiting for her body to burn. As the beast exhaled, a purple flash of light took over the flames causing them to cool down to a light breeze. Bellanne's eyes fluttered more until they closed and she fell on her face in front of the beast.
"BELLANNE!" Remus screamed as he flew towards her. He shot down to her like a bullet and jumped off his broom, "Wake up!" He screamed as he pulled her into his arms, "Wake up, Damn it!" The dragon lifted itself into the air again and appeared to take a deep breath in, "I can't get us out of here without you awake!" Remus pointed his wand at the dragon, creating a shield around he and Bellanne as the dragon expelled his inferno around them, "BELLANNE!!"
"I can't…" She whispered, "I can't..."
"Keep whispering, something, sing a song, something!" He screamed in utter panic as he watched the movements of the dragon. He pulled Bellanne closer to him and into his arms. He slowly stood up as her head hung over his arms.
"however far away, I
will always love you…" Bellanne sang in a mumbled voice, "however long I stay,
I will always love you, whatever words I say; you know I'll always love you."
"Don't say that." Remus said as he smiled down at her, "you're not leaving me that easy." And in a snap they apparated out of sight and out of the cold.
Cordelia, Pansy and Goyle landed on the school grounds. Goyle was still carrying Cordelia with her broken leg, but they remained silent as they faced Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape. Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall looked relieved that they were alright, but Snape on the other hand looked furious.
"What where you thinking?" He snapped at all three of them, "I would have expected better of my own house." He looked at Pansy, "Destroying school property," He looked at Goyle and Cordelia, "Leaving school grounds without permission."
"In all due respect, sir," Cordelia said to Snape, "I'm responsible for their actions. Without them I'd be dead."
"SILENCE!" Professor Snape yelled at them, "I don't even know what to do with you three…"
"Severus," Dumbledore finally stepped in, "I believe these three have had enough for one night. Gregory, if you would take Cordelia to Madam Pomfrey, she'll have you back on your feet in no time." Goyle nodded and left for the hospital wing. Pansy still stood in front of her professors. She didn't know whether to move or run.
"Get to your dorm," Snape hissed at her, "and be in my office tomorrow morning after breakfast." Pansy nodded and began to walk towards her house, "Tell Goyle and Cordelia to be there as well." Pansy heard him, but chose not to acknowledge.
"Do not be too harsh with them, Severus." Dumbledore told him, "They did leave with the best of intentions."
"With all due respect, Professor," Severus said, "They are not like Potters group, so I will not be cutting them any slack. They are my responsibility." Dumbledore simply nodded at him as he stalked off.
Goyle walked into the Slytherin common room and found Pansy resting her head on the arm of the couch watching the fire roar in front of her. He took a seat next to her and sighed loudly. Pansy sat up and looked at him with a smile on her face.
"You know, Greg," Pansy started using his first name for the first time, "I used to think that you couldn't think for yourself, with Draco ordering you around daily. But tonight, I learned something, you can think for yourself and you know right from wrong."
"Please," Goyle laughed, "you make me sound like a Gryffindor."
"Well, I wouldn't go
that far." She laughed back as she moved closer to him, "How's Cordelia?"
"Madam Pomfrey said that she'll be back tomorrow." Goyle told her as he put an arm around her shoulders.
"That's good," Pansy said as she leaned her head on his shoulder, "Don't tell anyone I said this, but, I hope Professor Lupin and Cordelia's mom are ok."
"She took a big risk trying to get us out." Goyle said as he licked his thumb and wiped some blood from Pansy's forehead, "We owe her thanks."
"Yea." Pansy smiled with a sigh, "Cordelia told me that her parents had been together since her father was in his 7th year here. Can you imagine being with someone that long and still loving them?" Goyle smiled as he took her hand in his and held it tightly.
"Yes."
Remus found himself, two days later, sitting in a chair next to his wife, whom now laid unconscious in St. Mungo's. The doctors had repaired the wound on her side, but didn't know how long she'd be out for because of her blood loss. Remus vowed he wouldn't leave her side, not now, not ever again. He held her hand tightly in his own.
"You know, I've spent so much time worrying about injuring you when I transform that I never realized how much time of our life together has been wasted." Remus whispered to her, "I'm sitting here thinking about what I would do if you never woke up, and I just don't know what I would do. I don't know what I do if I ever lost you; I can't even imagine it. You and Cordelia are all I have left in this world, I need you." Tears began to well in his eyes as he spoke to her, "You always wanted this picture perfect life for us, you always dreamed it; the white picket fence, the dog, the whole deal, but I could never give that to you. But, what you never knew is that I dream of that life for our family too. But I was so scared of killing you and our daughter that I ran from it. Well I'm not running anymore, I'm staying right here and we'll deal with it together…"
"forever." Bellanne whispered as she weakly opened her eyes. Remus looked at her with tears running down his cheeks. Bellanne weakly lifted her hand up and tried to wipe the tears off his face, "Don't cry, Love."
"How can I not?" Remus said, "I'm going to get a doctor." Bellanne nodded as she watched her husband walk out the door. Almost instantly, Severus Snape came slithering in.
"I do not have the energy to deal with you." She mumbled to him as her eyes felt heavy.
"Don't worry; I'm not going to rip into you like I did your daughter and her friends." Snape said, "I'm just wanted to inform you that I chose to not expel your child."
"Good to know." She mumbled.
"Alastor, since he's still not talking to you, wanted to know what you found out about Malfoy mansion." Snape smirked. Bellanne huffed a little laugh.
"Tell him muggle borns and half breeds have a lot to worry about." She weakly replied, "About 20 rooms full of fun stuff, you name it, he's got it."
Good to know." Snape said as Remus returned with a doctor.
"Bell, this is Dr. Stantos." Remus told her, "He's been monitoring you since you arrived."
"Your husband told me that you had beautiful eyes," The wizard said in his thick Spanish accent, "he was right." Bellanne blushed as she looked at her husband. The doctor shined a light in her eyes and checked her pulse, "Well, I think that you should be able to go home by tomorrow. With Christmas around the corner, I think that you staying any longer would put you behind." Bellanne nodded, "Get some rest, and we'll bring you something to eat." With that the doctor walked out of the door.
"Well," Severus said, "I just came to check on your status for Cordelia, if you'll excuse me, I have a new semester to prepare for." With that the head of Slytherin house walked from the room. Bellanne looked at her husband and yawned.
"Why don't you get some rest?" Remus said as he sat back in his chair, "We could both use a nap." Bellanne nodded as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Christmas was nearly two days away now, student were bustling about the school, packing for their trip home, talking about where they were going. Cordelia was sitting at the Gryffindor table talking with Hermione and Harry about spending the holiday at Grimmauld Place. Harry had no objections and Hermione had just received word that her parents indeed wanted to return to France for the holiday.
"Absolutely," Hermione snapped as she wrote a reply on the back of her letter, "There is no way I'm going to France for another year." Harry laughed as she sent her owl off with her reply to her parents.
"It's going to be a blast." Cordelia said.
"I'm glad to see that you're not angry with your parents anymore." Ron said, "It was scary there for a while."
"Well, Dad sent an owl saying we were going to have long talk while I was home." Cordelia said, "But I feel like I over reacted to the whole thing."
"I think you did react bad," Hermione said, "but we can only imagine what was going on in your head."
"I don't even remember." Cordelia said. She looked over to see Pansy and Goyle walk into the great hall, hand in hand, "I gotta go, this is going to be interesting." Hermione laughed because after all Cordelia to them, Hermione was on Pansy and Goyle's side for the first time ever. Cordelia walked up to her friends and walked with them over to their houses table. The three sat down in silence and grabbed a plate of breakfast.
"It's good to see you're better." Goyle said making idle conversation, "Madam Pomfrey can work wonders."
"It didn't hurt to bad." Cordelia smiled.
"So what are your plans for break?" Pansy asked Cordelia as Draco stalked into the hall and up to the three eating breakfast.
"Hermione and Harry are coming to stay with me." Cordelia replied.
"Oh how nice, you can have a Merry Christmas with Potty and his group of do-gooders." Draco spat at her.
"Sit down, Draco," Cordelia spat back, "and shut up for once."
"What was that?" Draco snapped back, offended that someone stood up to him.
"I believe she told you to sit down and shut up." Pansy told him as she ate her breakfast, "Maybe you should get your hearing checked."
"I can't believe you Pansy, three months around her," He pointed at Cordelia, "and you're already acting like a Gryffindor."
"I wouldn't go that far," Pansy smirked, "your father is going back to Azkaban, so he won't be able to pull strings for me any more, ergo, I don't need you anymore."
"Oh," Draco said noticing that she was holding Goyle's hand, "and he can give you the connections you need."
"Maybe not, but I certainly don't need you." Pansy said.
"I had an epiphany last night, Draco," Goyle stood up, it was now apparent that Goyle was much larger, in every way, than Draco was, "and in this redirection of my life I do not find myself as your body guard or insult bag. My father may still be your father's lap dog, but I will not allow myself to follow in those foot steps."
"Is that so?" Draco spat at him, "and you?" He looked at Pansy.
"I've already said my piece." Pansy laughed.
"Sit down, Malfoy." Goyle growled at him, "And don't worry, you'll always have Crabbe." Draco huffed at both of them but laid his eyes longer on Pansy.
"Tramp." Draco spat out. Cordelia and Pansy stifled a laugh as Goyle picked up the runt by his shirt collar and walked him down to the other end of the table and tossed him into a seat at the table. Then pushed his face into a bowl of cranberry dressing.
"Think about that next time you think about talking about Pansy." Goyle growled at him as he turned to walk back to his seat. Cordelia looked over to the Gryffindor table to see most of them laughing hysterically.
"Why the cranberry dressing?" Pansy asked him as she giggled.
"He hates cranberries." He revealed. Pansy sniggered even harder onto Goyle's shoulder as Draco walked out of the Great Hall.