Disclaimer- The characters and settings in this story do not belong to me. I am making no money from this story so please do not sue me. I have no money to give you anyway.

Chapter 23- The Great Escape

Jess's POV

You're kidding me right. I just walked through the door and the first thing I see is Tristan firing the killing curse and Rory collapsing! And to think I trusted the little rat. I will never trust my instincts or Lane again.

He turns to face me with a sneer. "Your timing is perfect Mariano."

What the fuck does he mean by that!

"And who's that with you? Kim, Potter, Weasley and Granger. Wow the whole crew."

"Enough!" A voice from the left catches our attention and I don't know whether I should be shocked or embarrassed that I thought he'd be alone. Around 20 death eaters stand staring at us wands raised. There's no time to react, they all yell out the stunning hex at us simultaneously.

Tristan's POV

Bloody Hell! (great now I'm just as eloquent as Weasley). I seriously thought of blowing my cover then. I mean I almost told them I'd not really killed Rory, that it was ok, she was just unconscious. That I'd get us back to Hogwarts. The way they looked at me was awful- disgust. But all things considered I think things worked out ok. The five friendsare unconscious and tied to chairs in the Library. My father and the others trying to decide what to do with them all. I need an excuse to get out of here.

"Father?" I ask. "I'm sorry but after the events of tonight I find I'm rather tired. Can I retire for the evening and help with the decision concerning the fate of potter and co tomorrow?"

Unexpectedly his face softens in a expression resembling concern. "Yes, of course. I almost forgot how your first killing affects you. I'll see you for breakfast."

I leave the room careful to keep my face the picture of indifference. 'Almost forgot how your first killing affects you' that's what my father said. Like killing doesn't affect him anymore. Like taking some ones life is such an insignificant fact. I used to idolise that man. Now he repulses me.

I leave the study and head up towards my room in case father got someone to follow me. Using the hatch in my bedroom floor I ascend the ladder to the kitchen. I love having this here. It was one of the last things my mother did for me before she went into St Mungo's hospital with mental health problems. Looking back it's not surprising with my father.

As I walk into my deserted kitchen I hear voices. This wouldn't be such an odd thing if the voices weren't ones that I recognised.

"Paris?" I say looking for the source of her voice. "Draco? Where are you?"

Suddenly they become visible along with a third guy- Victor Krum who's holding an armful of brooms.

"What are you guys doing here?" I ask looking at them.

"We're back-up." Draco explains.

"Yeah we figured the others would go in all hot headed at an inopportune moment and screw things up. So we opted to stay outside for 45 minutes before taking a safer route to find you. So what's the situation?" Paris says quickly.

"To cut a long story short. Potter and the gang came bursting unceremoniously through the door just as I was pretending to kill Rory."

"Pretending?" Krum asks in his heavy Bulgarian accent.

"I'll explain later. Right now we have to get to the library. Follow me."

I lead them up to the Library. And as we enter Potter and Mariano immediately start shooting their mouths off. I quickly cast a silencing charm on the room.

"Quiet down idiots. Look I know what it must have looked like when you got here earlier."

"Really? Because if you know what it looked like shouldn't you be running away now. Because killing another person puts you in Azakaban (A/N dunno if that's the right spelling) for the remainder of your existence." Potter yells.

"She isn't dead Muppet" I say looking right at him.

"How can you say that we watched you fire the curse at her, saw her fall from the chair. And where did you learn the phrase 'Muppet'?"

"Shes just unconscious. Look." I walk over to Rory and lift her up and carry her over to harry. "Place your hands on her pulse points. There will be a pulse, but it will be very weak. The pill I gave her will have that effect."

"What pill?" he asks reaching out his hand as far as he can to take Rory's wrist.

"One that gives the illusion of death. I would never kill Rory but to get us out of here I had to make it seem like I had. Of course then you showed up poking a rather serious hole in my plan." I watch him nervously place two fingers against Rory's pulse point and wait.

"She's alive." He says incredulously.

"I did say that." I tell them relieved. I take my wand and release them from the chairs satisfied that they won't kill me.

"But how are we going to get back to school?" Granger asked. "They could catch up with us easily if we try to fly back."

"That is tricky." I admit. "Paris can you try the fireplace?" I ask remembering her little trick for getting out of her house undetected when she was grounded." She jumps up and instantly starts casting charms to un-ward the fireplace, first placing a spell that would mean her interference can't be detected.

"Where'd you learn to do all that?" Granger asks Paris listening carefully to all the charms the blonde was casting.

"When you grow up in a wizarding home. You need to find ways out of that house. Especially if you don't want to explain to your parents where you are going." She says actually smiling. At Granger. I'm astounded. "There!" she says triumphantly as she breaks the final ward. "Where's the floo powder we don't have time to spare."

I jump up and grab the box off the mantle piece. Holding it out for everyone. "I'll go last, with Rory." I say.

"No, we take Rory." Jess says protectively.

Eager to avoid an argument and conscious of time I agree and hold her body out for Jess. They all step into the fire one by one. "Hogwarts. Headmaster's office" they each say. Finally I step into the fire. I throw some powder into the ashes around me and the green flames engulf my ankles. As I repeat my destination I take a final glance around my Library (probably for the last time) the last thing I see is my fathers panic stricken face as I disappear before him.

I step out of the fireplace In the headmaster's office, only to fall to my knees in shock.. It worked. I'm safe.

"What's wrong with her?" I hear the headmasters voice ask.

"She'll wake up tomorrow morning." I say.

"Mr Mariano, please take miss Gilmore to the infirmary. Miss Kim if you could go and inform her mother she's safe, I believe she's in the rooms adjoined to the kitchen. And the rest of you please go to the great hall where the Halloween ball is taking place. There will be plenty time to discuss this tomorrow but right now things must appear normal for now. Mr DuGrey you need to stay here. I think."

I watch the other's leave, undoubtedly to a place where there is food and drink. I hadn't noticed how hungry I was until now.

"Tristan would you sit down please?" I take a chair opposite his desk. "I need you to tell me what happened." He says fixing me with a stare.

It's been a long night, and it seems as if it's just going to go on and on. I begin my story from the point of our abduction from Hogwarts.

Well please don't be shy and let me know what you all think. It's not very long. Just over 1,300 words but it was difficult to write. It's easy to get them into difficult situations but a complete other matter getting them out. If you have the time check out my new story, 'meetings' its an AU Rory/Jess fic.