Posted: March 21, 2005
Chapter Twenty: More Than Blood
It was approaching one in the morning, as far as Angelina could tell, as she laid awake in her bed waiting for Goyle. She coughed softly as she pulled the blanket tighter around her body. The damp atmosphere was finally starting to get to her as her eyelids grew heavy with sleep.
"Angelina," Goyle said quietly as he shook her. "Angelina." Angelina opened her eyes to see Goyle standing over her. "Get up. We have to hurry before the patrol comes back around."
She wordlessly stood up and followed Goyle out of the cell and down the hall to a door. The door opened to a spiral staircase. As they stepped inside and closed the door all light disappeared; Angelina couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. "Gregory, I can't see."
"Hold on to the rail," he instructed her.
"I don't know where it is." She felt around in the dark as she continued down the stairs. "Ow." Goyle had stopped and she ran into him.
"Here." She felt Goyle's hand on her elbow and he slid it down to her wrist. He then guided her hand to the rail. "Do you have it?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Good, now come on. We have to move to the bottom floor where we can apparate." They then continued down the stairs for what seemed like hours, but it was actually no more than thirty-five minutes. As they came upon the last of their journey, Angelina could see a sparkle of light. From behind she could faintly make out the back of Goyle's head. "Stop," he whispered suddenly and Angelina complied. "Back up, now," he told her.
Angelina hastily ascended the stairs and back into the darkness. She then heard the creaking of a door and light filled the bottom of the stairs where she was once standing. "Goyle?" she heard a man say. "What are you doing here? Your patrol doesn't start for another several hours, if I'm not mistaken."
"No, you're not mistaken at all," Goyle began. "But if you must know, I switched times with Lawson."
"Ah," said the man. "Yes, I did hear he and his wife just had another child," he concluded. "Carry on then." Angelina then heard what she thought were footsteps walking away. The man was so light on his feet that she was astonished that Goyle had even heard him.
"Come on," she heard Goyle and went back to him. "Stay close to the wall, if I tell you to go, duck into the nearest room. We'll be able to Aapparate at the end of the hall." She nodded and after taking a final look they exited from the staircase and walked quickly down the lit hall, which seemed especially bright after being in the dark for so long.
Then abruptly Goyle reached behind him and grabbed Angelina, before she could even react to the sudden movement, she found herself in a different surrounding. "Sorry about that," Goyle said as he released her. "Someone was coming." He turned on a light that revealed the makings of his home. "Kitchen is this way; bathroom is down the hall, and you can sleep in the room to the left."
"Thank you, Gregory," was all Angelina could manage to say.
Goyle then did something that Angelina had only seen him do on rare occasions, usually when there was food around, he smiled. "You're welcome. I should be heading back now. Everything you need should be here," he explained. "I live deep in the woods, so if you go outside it's okay, but I wouldn't risk it."
"I understand."
"Alright." He then pulled back his cloak and reached into his pocket. "Here. Hopefully next time I see you, we'll all be out of danger. Until then." Goyle handed her back her wand and then Apparated, leaving Angelina once again all alone.
Angelina tucked away her wand and ventured into the kitchen. She looked in the upper cabinets and found a small drinking glass. She squatted and checked the lower cabinets; finding what she was looking for she reached for the small glass and wrapped her fingers around it, but taking another moment she released it and slid to the floor.
Her fingers then pulled at a cork, making a popping sound as it came loose. She gulped down the clear liquid and felt it prick and burn as it slid down her throat. As the contents of her item quickly disappeared Angelina couldn't help the trace of tears that streamed down her cheeks.
She then placed the glass container on the floor and watched it roll away from her as she lay down on the kitchen floor. She curled herself up into a ball and softly cried until she could cry no more before once again falling back to sleep.
OoOoO
Two days later Crabbe meet with Goyle in Goyle's room within the castle. "I know what this is about. So just tell me what the plan is and what needs to be done," Crabbe stated as soon as he sat down.
Goyle sat down across from him. "You know Angelina escaped."
"Yes." Crabbe looked at him strangely; he didn't know that he was on a first name basis with her. "I assumed she had help."
"Yes. She's at my home, so listen up," Goyle explained. "She needs to be taken somewhere where she can stay low. Draco would want us to keep her safe."
"I can take her back to Iceland, but that may be too obvious," Crabbe suggested.
"No, there is safety in numbers," he told him. "So what did Weasley say when you told him about his brother?"
Crabbe shook his head. "I told him what happened and he has alerted the other sectors. They're preparing as we speak." Crabbe than began smiling.
"What is it?"
"Just looking at the bright side of things." His smile grew wider. "I think, I'll take her to Weasley's."
"Draco may not be too fond with that when he finds out."
"Trust me, it'll be good for all parties involved," he reassured him. "So tell me, do you know where Draco is?"
"Yes, I was able to gather some of the others and Lough was able to tell me what part of the dungeons he's located in, but after Angelina's escape, they have him very heavily guarded. It won't be as easy as it was with Angelina."
Crabbe nodded. "I understand, but we have to get him out of there before the Dark Lord loses patience with him and has him killed."
"Don't you think I know that?" Goyle asked angrily as he stood up. It was all starting to become too much for him as he ran his fingers through his dark locks. "Shit! I don't know what to do, Vince. It wasn't supposed to go down like this! This isn't what we planned!" he yelled as he kicked his chair away from him.
"Calm down, Greg. Believe me, I'm as frustrated as you are, but this is not the time to go and lose our heads." Crabbe stood up and made his way to his friend. He put both hands on his shoulders. "We can not let our failures dictate our futures. If we want to stay ahead of this and stay alive, we're going to have to be clear minded," he rationalized. "And take me at my word, I should be the last to speak of this, but we must keep our emotions in check. We can not lead on how invested we are in this, you understand?"
Goyle nodded and finally said, "Yeah." He found it amazing how Crabbe always knew the right words.
"Good. Now we'll think of something, okay? We are not going to leave our friend to rot. You just have to remember Draco's words, we are more than blood, we are a family of our own choosing and there is nothing more powerful in this world, than the bonds of a family," Crabbe reminded him. "We are strong, we are resilient, and we are smart, so we're all going to see this through, okay?" Goyle once again agreed and Crabbe finally released him. "Alright, I have a job to do," he smiled again, "and it may get a little interesting." Goyle looked at him funny and was going to ask what he meant, but Crabbe Apparated before he got the chance.
OoOoO
Faith laughed happily as Fred lay in her arms on the couch in the living room. ". . . The end," Fred finished reading the book they had been enjoying.
"I'll never understand you, Freddy. Don't you think you're a bit old for fairy tales?" Faith asked.
Fred turned his head towards her and gave her a little kiss. "Don't you think everyone deserves a happy ending?"
"I guess, but these Muggle books are so unrealistic. I mean come on, it's always some princess or some girl in love with some prince. The girl is always in trouble and the guy always has to come and save her. And usually there's some lie or some false identity and a whole mess of trouble, but yet everything always seems to work out in the end. Now tell me, how is that possible?"
"You said it yourself Faith, it's love, and love wins out over everything," he told her matter-of-factly.
"You're so cute, when you try to sound smart."
"Try?" He sat up and hit her with a pillow.
"Hey, no fair," she protested before Fred pulled her into his arms.
"I love you, Faith," he stated out of the blue.
She smiled. "I love you too, Freddy."
"So," he began as he held her tighter. "What do you think of a June wedding?"
She looked at him curiously. "Are you serious?"
He shrugged. "I've been thinking a lot lately. And you were right, like always I might add. I love you and there is no reason for us not to take what we have to the next step." He smiled. Faith threw her arms around him as she giggled contently. Fred closed his eyes as he whispered, "And they all lived happily ever after."
Just then there came a knock at the door. Faith got up off Fred and went to answer it. "Crabbe? What are you doing back here so soon? Did something else happen?"
"Something like that." He stood outside the door. "Someone needs your help and I hoping she could stay here until we've worked a few things out."
"Of course. Come in. Where is she?" Faith's question was answered as Crabbe came in followed by a tall, beautiful, black woman.
"Angelina?" Fred stood up from the couch and rushed over to the three. "Thank Merlin, you're safe. I had thought the worst."
Faith observed silently as Fred and Angelina embraced as if they had never left each other. Crabbe noticed Faith's reaction as she watched her fiancé and his former love. "No!" Faith found her voice. "Hell no!" Fred pulled away from Angelina and looked at Faith. "I will not have this woman in my home."
"Faith, it's okay," Fred told her.
"No, it's not," she explained. "I have been fighting her memory since the day I met you. I mean, I've forgiven you, when you've called out her name. I've forgiven you, when I caught you thinking about her. I've waited patiently, for you to set a date, so we could get married and start a family, only to. . . to," she became flustered and tried to calm herself down. "I'm tired of it, Freddy, but I love you." She slowly shook her head. "Yet, if you allow her to stay here and disrespect me like that," she thought over her words carefully. "Then it's over."
Fred was taken back, he had never seen her so upset and she had never given him an ultimatum before. "Faith is it?" Angelina spoke up calmly. "I didn't realize me coming here would upset you, but believe me, I'm not here to take Fred away for you."
"Shut up. I'm not talking to you," Faith said rudely, not even looking at her. "Thinking you can come in here and take what's mine."
"What? Uh-uh," Angelina said angrily. Crabbe had heard stories about Angelina's temper before, but had never actually witnessed it, so he sat down and smiled as he was about to enjoy the show. "Now look here little Miss Please-don't-take-my-man, if I was here for Fred, believe me," she said dangerously, "you would know. So whatever issues you have with me, work them out on your own time, okay? Because right now I have more important things on my mind, like my husband and my child who I need to make sure stay alive," she paused only to take a breath. "Because I don't know what planet you've been living on, but war is coming and lives will be lost, so you can take your petty insecurities and shove them up your-"
"Whoa! Whoa!" Fred cut in. "There is no need for that Angel."
"I didn't start it," she said childishly.
"Faith, your attitude towards Angelina, was uncalled for," Fred told her.
Faith's mouth fell open. "Are you defending her? After what she said to me?" She took a moment as if waiting for an answer. "Fine, defend her all you like." She turned to Angelina. "I apologize, but I'm sorry, you can't stay here."
"Faith, don't be ridiculous."
"I wasn't kidding before Freddy. If she stays here, I'm gone." Her face was full of determination. "So make your choice."
"Faith, no I-"
"Make it," she told him.
"Fred it's okay," Angelina told him, and then looked to Crabbe. "This was a bad idea, let's go okay?" Crabbe stood up and began to walk towards the door. Angelina turned to Faith. "If it means anything at all, I apologize too, for everything I never knew I was putting you through." And with that she and Crabbe were out the door.
"Angel wait!" Fred followed her out so quickly that he failed to see the look on Faith's face. "Don't go."
Angelina turned to him and smiled. "It does my eyes good to see you, even if only for a little while."
"I've missed you too, Angel," he told her. "I'm sorry about Faith. We're still working out some issues."
"That's okay," she told him. "Seeing you has concluded something for me. It's made me realize," she paused. "Never mind."
"No, what? What did you realize?" he asked as he stepped closer looking into her eyes and taking in her scent.
"Well, I guess it made me realize, that I needed to see you, to answer a question that I have been asking myself since the last time I saw you," she explained. "Because today I've realized where my heart truly lies," she spoke softly.
Fred smiled and whispered. "Oh Angel, I've waited so long." He lifted his hand to cup her face.
"What?" She stepped back. "Wait Fred, I don't think you understand," she explained gently with a concerned look on her face. "I meant my heart is with Draco, my husband." She shook her head. "I didn't mean. . . oh, Fred."
Fred felt his stomach drop as his forehead furrowed and he shook his head. "No. We were supposed to come back together, through anything, remember?"
"I know, but a lot of time has gone by and a lot has changed. Faith loves you, I can tell. And she deserves all of you Fred, not just your body, but your heart and your soul. Give her that and I promise you, your memories of me will fade and you will be happy."
"But what if I can only be truly happy with you?" he asked her as snow gently began to fall from the afternoon sky.
"Then you'll be a very sad and lonely man." She then leaned towards him and gave him the last kiss he would ever receive from her. As her lips pulled away from his forehead she gently whispered. "Good bye, Frederick." She then stepped away and walked towards a waiting Crabbe, before heading back to the Portkey they had come through.
Fred stood there, shivering in the cold until he could no longer see her disappearing form. He then turned around and headed back inside his home. "Faith," he called. "Faith!" He began looking around for her.
When he entered the bedroom, he found an envelope on the bed. The note felt damp as he pulled it out and read the words, 'I guess you made your choice.' Also within the envelope was the engagement ring he had given her two years prior. Fred suddenly dropped to his knees and finally broke as he realized he not only lost his Angel, but also his Faith.
To Be Continued. . .
Preview of Next Chapter:
Goyle turned his head towards her, now just realizing how close they were. "What makes you think it'll work?" he found himself whispering too.
"I don't, but we have to do something, because if we wait and do nothing, I fear I'll never see my husband again," she confessed.