A/N: Mm-hm, another update. No idea if it took me longer than last time, but considering I did most of this last night, I feel I can officially say that I'm proud of myself (even if nobody else is j/k). Oh, and Roman hunny... I promise you're coming back into the story really soon. But then, if you remember some of our conversations from ages ago, you'd have probably worked that out yourself
Disclaimer: The universe of Harry Potter isn't mine... which really sucks, but such is life. Nessa, Lessien and Thelonious are the creations of my own deluded mind, whereas Roman and Thomas are the creations of two other, yet equally deluded minds. So now you know.
A bright light shining across her face brought Nessa back to consciousness far earlier than she would have liked, and she groaned, burying her face deeper into the pillow. A dull but continuous throbbing in her right side kept her from falling back asleep, however, and she blearily forced her eyes open, noticing that her shoulders muscles were hurting, yet her arms and hands were nearly numb. Clearing her throat, she shifted to slide her arms under her, trying to release the tension in them, before discovering that they were tied firmly together behind her back. Knowing she usually slept on her stomach, she growled, instantly realising that she'd just made it easier for them to tie her up.
"Bastards!" she swore violently as she turned her head in the direction of the door, watching it with a baleful gaze, waiting for the next person to enter the room. Squinting against the light that somehow seemed to be worse facing the door, she focused on trying to clear her mind, feeling unusually groggy. Starting to worry slightly about the lack of feeling in her fingers, she tried to flex them and work out the numbness, but she couldn't even tell if they were moving or not. She twisted slightly, getting more frustrated at not being able to move properly, and then froze, hearing a key turning in the lock of the door. Not wanting to be lying in such a vulnerable position in case it was someone like Thelonious, Nessa took a deep breath and managed to roll herself onto her side, wincing as her side and shoulders gave a sharp throb in protest of her movements. The door opened, and she immediately closed her eyes against the even brighter light – was it daylight or something else, she wondered.
"Ness?" Thomas' voice called out softly. "Are you awake?"
"Yes, and I wish I wasn't," she grated back in reply, cracking her eyes open slightly to squint across the room at the boy. "Who the hell decided to tie me up?" she demanded.
Pulling a face, Thomas slipped into the room, closing the door behind him. "It wasn't my idea, that's for sure," he defended himself, walking over to Nessa and sitting on the end of the bed. "Like everything else, it was Thelonious' – he's paranoid, I swear."
"That's lovely to know and all, Thom, but could you untie me, damnit!"
Mentally slapping himself for not having thought of it first, Thomas stood up as Nessa twisted back onto her stomach, and gently started to untie the coarse rope tied about her wrists.
"You know that you'll just have to be tied up again later tonight, don't you?" he said softly, his hair falling forward to hide his face.
"I did sort of assume that," Nessa replied dryly, her voice slightly muffled from the pillow. "Do you know what's going to happen?"
"No idea. Nobody's talking to me – hell, I'm barely able to walk about freely. Half of them look like they're ready to curse me on the spot."
Nessa gasped as the rope feel free from her wrists and the blood started flowing back into her numb fingers, burning slightly as it did. Groaning slightly at the added pain, she gingerly rolled herself over onto her back and then sat up, face pale.
Reaching out, Thom took her hands in his own and gently started massaging them, still not looking at her.
"Thom."
No answer.
"Thomas Malfoy," Nessa began sternly, her various aches and pains making her more abrupt than usual, "it's quite clear to me that something's the matter. Now, either you tell me or you don't, but I'd much prefer to know what's going on."
"I've heard rumours," he stated quietly, his hands stilling in their movements, and he looked over to the door briefly before finally meeting Nessa's gaze. "All of them about tonight – some people think Thelonious is going to kill Lessien, others me. And others… think he'll kill you. I don't know which is more likely, but the problem is… all the rumours involve someone's death, and I don't like that one bit."
"Thom, they're only rumours. It's not that likely to happen, surely…"
His own gaze darkening, Thomas looked at Nessa solemnly, and she swallowed, half-regretting that she'd ever asked.
"It's going to, isn't it?" she whispered hoarsely, her hands beginning to shake fiercely. "Someone's going to die?"
"Try not to think about it, love," Thom advised, and even his normally pale skin seemed paler. "Nightfall is still a few hours away, and they won't come for any of us until then."
Feeling dizzy, Nessa laid back down against the pillows and curled up slightly, too involved in her thoughts to notice her body aching. Absently noticing Thomas stand up, she looked up at him, her eyes wide, seemingly frightened. His expression softening, he stooped and pressed a gentle kiss against her lips, feeling the tension in her.
"I know you probably won't, but try to get some more sleep," he murmured, touching his hand to her cheek. "You've been through a lot, and I think you'll need your strength tonight."
Something in his tone made Nessa examine him more closely, and her hand darted out to catch his wrist as he began to move away.
"You're planning something, aren't you?"
"Try to get some more sleep," Thomas repeated firmly, his expression carefully blank. Pulling his wrist out of her grasp, he left the building, a thick and heavy emptiness taking his place.
Shivering, Nessa tucked herself under the blanket on the bed and stared at the closed door, listening as the lock fell into place once more. The silence beginning to press down on her, tears crept unbidden to her eyes, and she let out a quiet sob, not knowing that Thomas was leaning against the outside of the door. Hearing the soft noise through the wooden door, his face tightened in an almost identical pain, and he sank to the ground, deciding to wait there until somebody came to fetch them.
Thomas watched as Nessa's unresisting body was flung to the grassy ground, just barely managing to keep a hold on his emotionless mask. Night had fallen swifter than he'd expected it to, and he'd been unceremoniously hauled to his feet and pushed in the direction of the house he stayed in occasionally, with the orders to get changed into his robes. Unable to argue, he had done as he'd been told, and showed up at the clearing not long before Thelonious appeared, a sleepy and frightened Nessa being dragged behind him by two of the larger brutes in the Death Eaters.
Nessa struggled to stand up, her drowsy mind not fully comprehending what was going on. When she failed to stand, she managed to kneel instead, tear beginning to pour silently down her cheeks as she guessed what was happening. Dropping her head, she stared at the ground, her shoulders slumped and her hands limp behind her back, despite the coarse rope cutting once more into her wrists.
A dark-robed figure stepped forward, his wand aimed directly at Nessa.
"Well, Miss Meneldur," Thelonious said, his deep polished voice smooth and polite, "it seems we managed to catch up with you after all, despite everyone's efforts to keep you safe. Is there anything you wish to say?"
Nessa raised her head, staring at the man with her reddened eyes.
"What is there to say?" she asked quietly, just loud enough for her voice to travel to all in the circle surrounding her. "You may have her at the moment, but I know she won't stay with you forever."
Thelonious laughed, his booming voice resonating throughout the clearing.
"I think not, my dear," he replied, meeting her gaze with his cold eyes. "You see, she chose to stay with us, and you…you are going to die – not much hope of saving your dear sister now. But enough chatter – let's get this over with!"
Thomas tensed, every muscle burning slightly with the effort to stay still. Watching the man's mouth open, Thomas broke rank and sprinted across the clearing, leaping forwards and knocking Nessa to the ground, covering her with his own body.
"Lie still," he hissed to her, flinching as he felt the searing heat of the curse barely pass above his back.
"You!" Thelonious bellowed, his eyes widening to give him a maniacal appearance. "I should have expected some pathetic attempt like this," he raged, turning his maddened gaze to Thomas. Suddenly he calmed. "No matter, I'll just kill both of you," he said smoothly, grinning cruelly.
Tears beginning to fall again, Nessa looked over her shoulder up at Thomas. He smiled weakly and caught her lips in a gentle kiss.
"I love you," he murmured simply, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against her cheek.
"I love you too, Thom," Nessa replied, voice tight. Her breathing hitched unevenly as she began to sob quietly, and she closed her eyes, trying to focus only on Thomas.
Wondering what was taking so long, she whimpered slightly, her eyes flying open, breathing rapidly, and awaited the end, knowing it would be soon. Darkness began to fill her vision, and she felt Thomas' arms tighten about her, his own tears mingling with hers.
Suddenly, Lessien's pale face appeared in front of her, the girl kneeling on the ground in front.
"Remember me, sister," she whispered, touching Nessa's cheek lightly.
Nessa's eyes widened slightly as Lessien straightened, just as the man cried, "Avada kedavra!"
Lessien turned to stare at the man, her eyes fixed on his face as she stepped directly in front of the brilliant green light.
Nessa shrieked as she watched Lessien's body stiffen and slowly crumple to the ground. She began to squirm frantically underneath Thomas, trying to free herself.
"Not yet, Ness!" Thomas yelled over the startled commotion being made by the death eaters. "Lie still, love!"
Nessa stared at Lessien's still body through the haze of tears, absently trying to clear her vision of the strange light filling her sight. Blinking, she frowned slightly, wondering what was happening. A misty golden light began to shroud Lessien's form, hiding her from sight, and a high, keening note began to fill the air.
"Thom, I have to get to her, I have to!" she yelled, enough adrenaline racing through her for her to be able to free her hands from the rope.
"It's too soon, they'll catch you again," Thomas argued, pinning her to the ground, although he was also staring at the strange golden light.
"Something's not right – that light isn't right," Nessa insisted, tears of pain and anger trailing down her cheeks. "We have to get to her…"
Hearing an ominous rumbling from below her, Nessa stared at the ground as it began to shake violently, knocking the Death Eaters off their feet.
"Now, Thom! We need to get to her now!"
Giving up, Thomas carefully kept his arms wrapped about Nessa, and rolled with the shaking earth, landing them near Lessien. It was only as he let Nessa up and watched her kneel next to Lessien that he realised there was an area of still ground around the still girl, and he pointed it out to Nessa, asking, "What is going on?"
"I wish I knew," she answered loudly, looking back over to the Death Eaters, who were still struggling to stand up. "It's obviously because of Lessien, but why?" she mused, touching her sister's cheek tenderly.
"We have to get out of here, while they're distracted," Thomas said quietly, reluctantly interrupting Nessa's thoughts.
She nodded silently, her dark brown eyes almost black. Closing Lessien's eyes and rising to her feet, she looked at Thomas solemnly.
"Let's go," she said softly, turning her gaze back to Lessien, clearly reluctant to leave.
Watching Nessa, Thomas stooped and lifted Lessien, carrying the limp girl in his arms, before walking quickly for the edge of the clearing. Nessa trailed silently behind him, noticing a still path of ground form in front of the pair, while the ground behind them continued to shake.
"There're some thestrals nearby," Thomas called back to Nessa, leading the way swiftly through the trees, "they're always around here."
Movement out of the corner of her eyes caught Nessa's attention, and she let out a small squeak at the creature emerging.
"What in Merlin's name is that?" she whispered, edging backwards slightly.
"Thestrals," Thomas replied shortly, gently laying Lessien across the back of the strange animal. "They pull the Hogwarts carriages."
"Oh," Nessa replied faintly, still staring at the thestral, "I see… hang on, I haven't seen them before…"
"Yes, well, you don't see them unless you've seen death," Thomas replied softly, pausing for a moment. Letting his words sink in for a moment, he wrapped his arms around Nessa's slim waist and lifted her onto the thestral as well, hopping up behind her.
"Hogwarts Castle," he said towards the creature, and Nessa gasped as the thestral lurched up into the air. In very little time, they were out of the forest and flying toward Hogwarts, looming up in front of them.
"Where should we go once we get there?" Nessa called over her shoulder to Thomas, hands cradling Lessien gently.
"Obviously we need to see Professor Dumbledore," he replied, arms around Nessa, "but the Death Eaters will probably be looking for you, not to mention the fact that we can't exactly walk through the school with a-…" He cut himself off, cheeks flushing a strong red.
"With a dead body," Nessa finished softly, eyes dropping down to gaze at Lessien, "I know." Tears trailing down her cheeks, she peered back at Thomas. "So what should we do?"
"Do you know somewhere safe, somewhere you can hide with Lessien?" he asked, expression thoughtful.
"I…I think so," she said uncertainly. "But I can't carry her all the way there…besides, someone will see."
"I can turn her invisible for a short space of time, a trick I learnt at Beauxbatons, but you'll have to move quickly. Can you float her?"
"I know a spell, yes, but I've never had to use it."
Thomas reached up and gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze.
"You'll be fine, love," he said gently. "Look, we're nearly there…"
Nessa looked forwards again, and felt the usual awe at the enormity and majesty of Hogwarts Castle, this time and for the first time, tinged with sadness
"I'm sorry you never got to attend it, Lessien," she murmured under her breath, holding her youngest sister close. "You'd have loved it."
Noticing the ground rising swiftly up to meet them, she kept one arm firmly wrapped around Lessien and tangled the fingers of her other hand into the thestral's mane. Landing heavily, the jolt through the thestral nearly threw Nessa off its back, but she just managed to keep her balance.
Thomas jumped off and helped Nessa off, before lifting Lessien down and murmuring, "Occaeco volutum."
Nessa blinked as Lessien disappeared from view, and she automatically reached for her wand to attempt her spell.
"Thom, they broke my wand," she said, eyes widening as she remembered the leering face of Thelonious leaning over her and snapping her wand, throwing the pieces contemptuously out the window.
"Shit," Thomas muttered, before handing her his wand. "Take it, I won't need it for this."
Nessa took the offered wand, and turned away from Lessien and Thomas.
"Lumos," she murmured, and smiled faintly as the wand lit up brightly. Muttering the counter-charm, she faced Thomas again. "At least I can use it," she added, giving a half-smile.
"Try your spell, Ness," Thomas said encouragingly, still cradling the invisible Lessien, and shifting slightly so that Nessa could grasp part of her sister's robe.
"Mobilicorpus," Nessa tried, waving the wand experimentally – nothing happened. "Well, it's not like I've ever tried this before," she muttered, before clearing her throat and trying again: "Mobilicorpus!"
She saw Thomas jumped slightly as Lessien's weight was lifted from his arms but didn't say anything immediately, in case she lost concentration.
Thomas nodded and smiled, reaching up to toy with something around his neck. Fumbling slightly, he soon lifted his hands away and stepped forward, gently putting his chain around Nessa's neck.
"Hold onto this for the moment," he murmured, doing up the clasp. "Professor Dumbledore will probably be able to trace you with it."
"Thank you for all your help, Thom," Nessa murmured softly, dark eyes meeting his pale ones.
He smiled again and gently touched her shoulder. "Go," was his only reply. "I'll see you soon, with Professor Dumbledore.
Nessa nodded and, one hand grasping the hem of Lessien's robe, she cautiously made her way to the only place she could think of – Roman's secret hideout.