A Captive Path Chapter 13: Family, a harry potter fanfic

Family

No matter where you go,
I will find you
If it takes a long, long time...

On the third of April, one year after she'd woken up to a seemingly normal day of school in Ravenclaw tower, Orla Quirke was pushing Oubliette in her carriage through the village. It was an unseasonably warm day, and she knew the baby would like the fresh air. Plus, she...as well as many others who'd survived...wanted the time to herself to think. Also, Rabastan kept looking at her as if he wanted to talk. As if he knew what was going through her mind. Orla wasn't quite ready for that yet.

As she walked through the cloudy, breezy spring morning, Orla was so caught up in her own meandering thoughts that she almost missed the cloaked figures standing off under the cover of a small patch of trees near her cottage. A sudden movement caught her eye though, and Orla glanced their way, catching sight of fluttering black robes and shadows under the willows.

That afternoon, there was a conference going on at Alicia and Michael's kitchen table. Bill was speaking in a low voice, still wearing his black cloak, with the hood tossed back. The late-day sun was hazy behind the shaded windows, shining through dripping eaves, and were things different those within might have thought the quiet city quite beautiful. As it was, they were too wrapped up in what was to happen that night.

"You're nuts," Michael sighed, though it was in a rather complimentary manner. Resting his elbows on the table, he glanced over at Stephen, "And I take it you'll be going with these two Weasley lunatics?"

"Suppose I will be," Stephen smirked. George slapped his shoulder,

"Good man," He said heartily, while Bill gave them both a serious look,

"Yeah well," He cleared his throat, "After I've got Ginny, you two will be going straight back to Hogwarts. In fact, the less you two are seen with me the better. Once I've got her, they'll be on my tail. And you two still have stuff to go back to..."

"Stuff, he says," George sighed, nudging Stephen, "I'm going to tell Katie and Morag that they're 'stuff' to you, Bill..."

"Where are you taking her?" Alicia asked softly. Bill glanced over at her, his eyes lingering for a moment on her serious, pixie-like face, before he looked back down at the table,

"Well," He took a deep breath, "If everything goes correctly, we'll have some time before she's noticed missing. I'm taking her to this...place...Hagrid told me about, and then we'll be getting as far away from England as I can, as fast as I can," He gave a short laugh, sitting back in his chair, "Oh Merlin, I am nuts..." He stood up, shedding the black cloak and walking over to the muggle icebox for a Butterbeer. Alicia watched him, biting her lip,

"I want to go with you," She blurted out, causing him to pause mid-swig. From the table, the other three young men just stared, "I mean...well yeah, that's pretty much what I mean."

"I stand corrected," Bill said slowly, lowering the drink from his lips, "I might be nuts, but you're insane." Alicia bit her lip, crossing her arms, trying to come up with something to follow that moment of impulsiveness,

"I want to help you," She said finally, looking him in the eye, "And I...I can't stay here. It's killing me," Looking back at Michael, she directed at him, "I'm so thankful for what you've done for me Mikey, I really am, more than you know, but," She looked back at Bill, "We all know this isn't the way things are supposed to be."

"So go with George and Stephen," Bill said in a low voice, sighing, "Alicia, in a few hours, I am going to be the most wanted man around, you don't want to be seen with me anywhere..."

"Flattering yourself, aren't you?" George cracked, and Bill gave him a look, while Alicia just shook her head,

"Okay, clearly, you are not getting it," She huffed in annoyance, reaching over while he was distracted by George and grabbing Bill's collar, pulling him down to her eye-level, "I want to go with YOU, you great prat."

"...Oh," Bill blinked, only marginally aware of his brother snickering behind him. At the moment, he was too busy looking at the girl who had him by the collar of his shirt. Alicia took this as a good sign, standing on her tip-toes and kissing him firmly,

"So there!" She stated, letting go and standing back, her face burning. Bill just stared at her, seeming to forget the Butterbeer in his hand.

"Well!" Michael said brightly, once the silence had stretched on for a sizeable amount of time, "Seems my wife is cheating on me! Please, do take the floozy off of my hands..." Alicia stepped around Bill and smacked her roommate upside the head. Suddenly, everyone was in a lighter mood. Which was a good thing, as in a few hours; there was a chance that they all just might be dead. Michael began to talk about how to fix her paperwork, while George started plotting out their route to Voldemort's hall on the map they'd drawn up, and as he listened to them both, Bill rested his hands on Alicia's waist, his chin on her shoulder.

"You've been troubled," Rabastan's voice cut through the hazy silence of their cottage's sitting room, while the setting sun cast a golden glow through the lingering fog outside. Orla looked up from where she sat, sewing a few final touches to her dress for that evening. She saw him and sighed, looking down again, as her fingers fumbled with the fabric. Bast crossed the room quickly, kneeling at her side and taking her hand, "You don't look me in the eye anymore," He said with a strained sort of intensity, which made the girl tentatively glance at him through her long, light brown curls, "Have I done something? What did my sister in law say to you? Because I know she said something!" He finished with a growl, directed at the absent Bellatrix.

Orla bit her lip, looking down at the yards of chiffon and satin in her lap, suddenly feeling like a little girl again, playing dress up and talking to strangers in journals, "...How many people have you killed?" She asked in a small voice. Rabastan stared at her for a moment, before standing, slowly.

"You needn't worry yourself with..."

"But I do!" Orla cut in, looking up at him again, her face holding that delicate tremble, of one about to cry, "Ever since she said those awful things I keep trying to go back to the way I was before and I just can't!" She wasn't going to cry. She wouldn't let herself cry. Bast looked at her for a long moment, as the very last thing he'd ever wanted to happen manifested itself before him. He had tried to keep her as something separate from what he did in Voldemort's name. But it seemed that such was no longer possible.

"Everyone I have killed," He said slowly, "And it is a large number...but all of them have been in The Dark Lord's name. It is my job," Bast looked at her, until she lifted her face to look back at him, "I'd never hurt you, though," He reached down, touching the side of her face lightly, tucking her hair back from her eyes, "I have...tried to keep you from all of that,"

"But I'm not a child," Orla said stubbornly, though by the way she was looking up at him, she looked more relieved than she sounded. She wanted to believe that he was a good person, she really did, but still, "I've had a baby, I'm not one anymore!" Swallowing nervously, she looked back down at her lap, suddenly reminded of...the other thing Bellatrix had said, "Will you still...want me, now that I'm growing up?"

Rabastan was at a loss, once again. Oh, he was going to kill Bellatrix. He didn't even want to know what she'd planted in Orla's brain, thought it was rather obvious. Sitting down on the seat next to her, he took her by the shoulders, looking her in the eye, speaking harshly, "Listen to me now, because I'm only going to say this once," Orla just looked at him, wide-eyed, nodding, "When I realized I was developing affections for a fourteen year old, I felt ill. I wanted to drive a metal spike through my own ear. But then I saw you," He trailed off, his jaw working for a moment as he looked at her, "And you've only grown more beautiful to me since, with every passing day,"

Orla blinked, very slowly. She opened her mouth once, and then closed it again. She wanted to cry again, but for an entirely different reason. As foolish as it might have seemed a few years ago, she felt safe again, "Well," She whispered, looking him in the eye, smiling a little even as a tear or two leaked out of her eyes, "When you put it that way..." Bast leaned forward, catching her lips and kissing her slowly, pulling her close to him. And Orla was neatly reminded of every good thing he'd ever done for her, from saving her brother too, to keeping her safe, to always being so tender with her...and she wondered why she'd ever listened to anything Bellatrix said to try and drive them apart. On the contrary...the relationship had just grown up a bit.

The theme of that night was Death. It was perfectly fitting of course, being that this was the anniversary of the night so many had been slaughtered; the night that had started off the Great Exterminations and Blood Cleansing.. Luna could not help the memories that flooded her head that evening, while she drifted through the crowd at Theodore's side, the two of them dressed as Orpheus and Eurydice. Luna had thought her costume dreary enough, being draped in white with dead flowers in her hair, but clearly, Voldemort's more vocal and volatile followers were having a gay old time with such a theme. There were screaming Banshees and Hags, Black Angels and various demons. It was the kind of scene that would have made Poe long for a grassy meadow in the summer time.

Walking among the waving waifs and shadows, Luna thought it best to stay close to her husband's side, especially as Antonin Dolohov had been leering at her with increasing vigor the past few nights. Across the room, she noticed that Rabastan and Orla seemed to have come to an understanding, whatever was ailing her friend. In fact, Luna realized she'd rarely seen them so affectionate in public, as Orla was holding his hand and Bast kept her close to his side, no matter who he spoke to. They'd left the baby at home and wisely so...who knows, a few of those present might have eaten her or something. They'd also gone with the Mythological trend, being Hades and Persephone. There was a Myth for everything, after all...

It hadn't been hard for Bill, Stephen and George to slip in with the crowd. Dressed in their cloaks and white, skull-like masks that had once been so prevalent, they were hardly given a second glance amid all the wild partying. The best elven wine had been saved for this night, and it was flowing freely, while music played and the soulless danced. The three silent intruders kept to the shadowed corners and walked along the walls, watching the revelry closely, until Voldemort's entrance was announced.

As Death Himself, Voldemort looked as he always did, though his robes for the night were new and fine. At his side though, a vision appeared, one that stopped Bill in his track and nearly made him call out and break his cover. Tonight she was dressed in white, her face painted white and her long red curls dusted with white, shimmering powder. Large metallic wings with real white feathers were attached to her back, with smaller versions on her feet and painted on her skin near her eyes. Ginny was dressed as the Seraphim, and it only highlighted how large The Dark One's ego had become. He thought himself a god.

From his place far in the corner, Bill stared at his sister, his heart breaking, even as he became more firm in his resolve. He glanced over at Stephen, who was closer to Luna, and nodded. Stephen nodded back, giving him a wry smirk that said he felt like he was suddenly in a muggle spy movie, before he moved toward Luna, whose husband had just walked away...

"Don't look behind you," Luna heard the familiar voice over her shoulder, and all coherent thought left her for a moment,

"And to think I was once thought Loony," She murmured at last, sipping her water and looking around at the crowd, as Stephen chuckled behind her in his cloak,

"When he lets her walk around," He whispered behind his mask, while Luna glanced up at Ginny, who looked like she was already tired of hauling her wings about, "Escort her to the powder room. That's all. You can walk back in here, and nobody will think anything of it..."

"Thoughtful of you," Luna whispered, glancing over at where Theodore stood, talking with his father in no pleasant manner, "I love him, Stephen. And she is my best friend..."

"I know," Stephen said softly, touching her arm once before he slipped away, "Just bring her to the powder room..." Luna chanced a glance behind her, only to see a black cloak and white mask drifting away, to be lost in the swaying crowd.

Ginny waited all night for the nod of her Master's head, which meant she could leave his side. It came while Bellatrix had his attention, ironically enough. Or at least, it felt like irony when she thought about it later. Lifting her liquid-like silk skirts, Ginny descended into the swirling, riotous crowd of black and grey and red, her wings offering her some clear path through the madness.

"Let's only talk a moment," Luna whispered, in a voice that was hard to hear over the din of the hall. Ginny nodded, though a look of confusion passed over her face, until her friend spoke in a normal tone that might be anyone's, "Merlin, I'm feeling faint..."

"...I would imagine so," Ginny took her lead, not quite sure why but still, trusting her friend with whatever this was, "What with your carrying two. This party must be exhausting..."

"It is," Luna sighed, shutting her eyes and staggering a bit on her feet. Voldemort's attention was caught briefly, by the sudden movement of the being nearby his winged prize,

"I say, let's get you to the powder room," Ginny murmured, genuinely worried for a moment. The Dark Lord watched as they made their way to the far corner of the room, and through the great side doors there, where many witches had been coming and going. He returned to his conversation, unconcerned with her. Besides, Severus was standing near those doors. A detail George Weasley failed to notice, as he followed the girls with Stephen...

As soon as the doors closed behind them, Luna was walking normally again down the quiet, almost hazy hall. A witch was walking toward them also, with a slightly tipsy gait. Subtly, Luna pulled on Ginny's hand, indicating that she should keep walking, as Luna herself slipped into the powder room door to their right. Some time later, she would exit the room, and no one would think anything of it, until the following hour, when Ginny had still not returned from the hall. She would be questioned lightly, but, after all, a witness had seen her leave her friend waiting for her in the hall...

...But back to the events as they unfolded.

Continuing her walk down the silent corridor lined with the soft glow of fairy lanterns, Ginny wondered what Luna had put her on, until she saw the tall, cloaked figure standing in the corner. His pale, skull-like mask looked left, and then right, before he pulled back his hood, letting his long red hair fall around his shoulders, which caused his sister to catch her breath, even before he removed his mask.

"Gin," Bill's voice was a hoarse croak, as he took a step toward his sister, who was all done up in trappings like someone's doll. Ginny took a step back, shaking her head,

"No, no, no, Bill's dead..." She stopped, when she realized she'd backed right into someone else's arms. Turning wildly, her wide eyes took in George, who'd also pulled back his hood and mask. And behind him, dimly, she was aware of Luna's old friend Stephen. Turning back to look at Bill, she took a few large steps closer to him, looking him in the eye with a rather wild look on her face. This had to be a trick! This had to be...she sucked in her breath. It was him. It was her brother.

"BILL!" She cried, grabbing him and wrapped her arms around his waist like a vice. Bill couldn't stop himself then. He buried a hand in his sister's stiff, powdered hair, pulling her close to his chest and sobbing against her. After everything, after all of the searching, he'd found her...

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting the cozy family reunion?" A familiar, snarky voice stopped everyone in their tracks, smiles and tears frozen on their faces. Slowly, everyone looked up and turned, to see Severus Snape standing just inside the closed doorway, his wand out. Bill Weasley was at a complete loss. Snape, however, simply gave a rather long, annoyed sigh, turning around and casting a confundus charm on the hallways doors, to everyone's further shock. The old Potions Master glared at them all, "That will last a good while. Get your blood-traitor sister out of here Weasley, she's getting on my nerves," And with that, he left them.

The four intruders just looked at each other for a moment. Bill quickly regained his bearings, shaking his head at the fortunes of fate before passing his still-numb sister over to George and taking out his wand. Pointing it at the walls, he said a quick incantation, which signaled the wand of the person waiting outside to start blinking. It meant that they were ready.

When Alicia saw her wand glowing as she stood under the cover of the trees that bordered the grounds, she looked about. Waiting until a group of far-off revelers had gone back inside; she said the same incantation, signaling back to Bill. All was clear.

"Brilliant," Bill breathed, his adrenaline high now. All was going as planned and then some. Touching a place on the wall above their heads, he concentrated hard, whispering old spells he'd learned long ago, raiding tombs in Egypt. A space of the wall simply melted away, revealing the countryside under the moonlight. Ginny gasped, and Bill grinned at her, taking her hand, "These walls aren't real. They look grand...but they're only his illusion..." He said softly, pulling her out into the night, across the moonlit grass, the fog of their collective breath lifting above them into the starlight.

Author's Notes: Hee. I had stuff to say, but I am sick, so. Enjoy, and your reviews have all been faboo!