It's been an incredibly long time, so if you don't really remember what's going on, it's all good. Here is a recap: On the train back home from the end of Vera's sixth year, she and Scorpius get kidnapped by the notorious Half-Blood Prince. He takes him to Malfoy Manor and tortures them. Meanwhile, James is trying desperately to save Vera. He and the auror office discovered that Vera was at Malfoy Manor. Malfoy Manor is unplottable, so James makes a visit to Narcissa Malfoy, who gives him a signet ring and tells him it will take him to Draco, the secret keeper. Now to the story!

Who the hell owns a signet ring anymore? I thought to myself as I sat on my unmade bed and twirled the silver ring between my fingers.

It was made of what I assumed to be white gold and embedded with emeralds in the shape of the Malfoy family crest (I recognised the crest from Vera's pencil case, which I also knew she abhorred but used anyway to please her parents). Engraved inside of the band in elegant lettering were the words: Aurum potestas est, which I took to be the family motto as it translated to: Gold is power. Incredibly fitting to the history of the Malfoy family, in my opinion. As was the second Latin phrase written there: Semper purus – "Forever pure."

I would have laughed out loud if I didn't find it so sick. But I shook myself free of this line of thought. The Malfoys had managed to break this pattern in recent generations, as evidenced by Scorpius' actions and, of course, what I knew of Vera. I twirled the ring around in my hands once more before dropping it into my right palm and preparing to slip it onto my ring finger. I was propelled forward by my natural Gryffindor impulsivity, but stopped by the generally dormant voice of reason in my head – a voice that, strangely, always sounded a bit like Rose's. I was about to push the voice roughly out of the way and continue on when the door to my bedroom opened and Al stepped in.

"Hey James have you seen the – What are you doing?" He stopped dead a few steps into my bedroom as he caught sight of me, sitting on my bed with the ring hovering over my left ring finger.

"Nothing." I said quickly, trying to push the ring into the pocket of my pyjama pants. But Al had the practised hands of a seeker and, within seconds, managed to wrestle the tiny object away from me.

"What is this?" He asked curiously, examining the ring closely while casually side-stepping my attacks. His eyes widened, "Is this – " He let out a gasp as my arm closed around his neck and I doubled him over in a half-Nelson. "Why do you have a ring with the Malfoy crest on it?" He managed to get out, even as my arm tightened around his neck.

"Just give it back." I demanded, trying and failing to grab the ring with my free hand.

"Not 'til you tell me what's going on." He managed to gasp, even as his face started to turn purple. I sighed and decided released him before mum heard the ruckus and came to investigate. He toppled onto the floor, never letting go of the small object clutched in his right hand. He really was a good seeker.

"Fine." I plopped down onto my bed, "I'll tell you if you give it back."

Al glared at me suspiciously for a moment before finally dropping the ring into my open palm and sitting down beside me.

"Now tell me." He commanded.

"Alright. You know how I went to see Narcissa Malfoy yesterday?"

Al nodded, "And you refused to tell us what happened?"

"Yep. For good reason."

"At least that's what you say." Al grumbled.

"Do you want to know or not?" I asked irritably. Al threw his hands up in defeat and allowed me to continue. "Alright. She told me that she couldn't help me find Vera herself but she could help me find the Manor's secret keeper, Draco. She said if I put this ring on, it would take me directly to him."

Al looked extremely sceptical, "So that's what I just caught you doing? You were about to put on an item of jewelry a Malfoy gave you? In broad daylight? Whilst still in your pyjamas?"

"Oh come off it. Vera's a Malfoy and she's your best friend." I admonished, preferring to ignore the logical points he had just presented.

Al rolled his eyes, unconvinced, "You know what I meant. Stop trying to cover up the fact that I'm right and you should've thought this through better."

I scowled, "Alright fine, I should have thought this through better."

"And did you ever consider the possibility that Narcissa Malfoy may have lied to you? What if the ring is cursed? What if it transports you to Zimbabwe or Honolulu or something?"

"She wouldn't have any reason to lie. She wants to save Vera just as much as we do. Besides, you weren't there. You didn't see how sincere she was."

Al still looked unconvinced, "But…well she's the kind of person who exists only to serve her own interests."

"And right now one of her interests is rescuing her grandchildren from a murderous raving lunatic. Which luckily aligns with our own interests." I argued.

Al hesitated, "I just can't help but remember the story Dad told us about Katie Bell and that cursed necklace. What if…I don't know, you die as soon as you put it on?"

I shrugged, "Then I'll depend on you and Lily to avenge my death."

His expression turned pained, "It's not funny, James. I'm serious right now."

"I know, I know." I replied hurriedly, "But I trust Narcissa Malfoy, even if you don't. She was very sincere. And if there's one thing we can be sure about with the Malfoys, it's that they care about each other very much."

Al sighed, "So be it…Are you going to tell Mum and Dad about this?"

I shook my head in response, "If I do they'll never let me go. They'll insist on sending someone 'official.' They let me do the visit to the Malfoy's but that was because I was well protected and in a relatively secure location. I have no idea where this bloody thing will take me." I held up the ring to punctuate my point.

Al rolled his eyes in sympathy with me, "I know. But if you aren't going to tell them, I want in."

I stroked my chin, a mockery of being deep in thought, "Fine. I'll allow you to be my accomplice. Like in the olden days."

Al cast me his signature grin, "Excellent. What's the plan?"

"Dunno." I said, pulling my wand from my pocket, "I'll let you know when I've thought of one."

With that, I flicked my wand and Al, kicking violently in mid-air, levitated from the room. I locked the door with another flick of my wand and collapsed back upon my bed to think.

The stroke of midnight that evening found me leaping from my bed and beginning to dress. I pulled on black trousers and a cloak, slipped my wand into my pocket and tip-toed out into the silent hallway. I wasn't sure why I'd decided to dress this way. Obviously if my parents were to wake up and glance out into the hallway they would immediately spot me due to paleness of my exposed skin, but dressing like a spy or ninja somehow seemed fitting for the mission I was about to embark upon.

I stepped silently through the metre to Al's bedroom room door and slid quietly inside. I prided myself on being very agile and sneaky when I wanted to be.

Al was dead asleep on his bed, lying on his stomach with his arms and legs spread out like a starfish. A steady stream of drool seeped from his open, snoring mouth. I was momentarily tempted to fetch my camera and snap a picture to preserve this attractive moment for any future girlfriends Al may decide to bring home, but decided against it due to lack of time.

I tiptoed to the edge of his bed and kicked it roughly. He jumped and rolled swiftly onto his back muttering something that sounded vaguely like,

"Wasgoinon?" Then his vision seemed to come into focus and he saw me standing over him, "What the hell do you want James? It's the bloody middle of the night!"

I rolled my eyes at him, "Of course it is. That's the perfect time to sneak out."

"Sneak out?" He asked groggily.

"Yes. I'm going to find the Malfoys. Cover for me if I don't get back before Mum and Dad wake up, okay?"

"Hold on," He said, sitting up, "You can't go alone. I'll come with you."

"No you won't." I said forcefully, "The ring can only transport one person. Besides, someone needs to be here to delay the parents, alright?"

Al sighed, apparently still to groggy to argue with me thoroughly, "Fine. If you aren't back by this afternoon though I'm coming after you."

"Good luck with that." I said cheekily, departing silently from the room.

The wards around our house protected against people apparating in and out, so one would have to stroll to the edge of the yard in order to depart. I was certain the magic surrounding the ring was nothing like that of apparition, but decided to play it safe and tread past the boundaries just in case. Splinching during an attempted sneak out was not my ideal way of getting caught by my parents.

I trudged to the edge of the yard and past the fence, where I pulled the ring from my pocket and studied it once more in the moonlight. It was now or never. Being myself, I chose now.

I slid the ring onto my finger and in an instant the yard went black around me. I could no longer see, but I could feel. The feeling was not unlike that of using a portkey. I felt an uncomfortable tugging sensation around my midriff as the object spun me around and around. A moment later I landed hard on my back and let out a groan. The world slowly filtered back into existence around me as I desperately tried to make sense of my surroundings. I heard a man and a woman shouting and what sounded like a sizzling sound as someone presumably threw water onto a fire.

I sat up groggily – then flattened myself back onto the ground directly afterward as a burst of red light whizzed over my head. I rolled over on what I realised was forest earth to dodge the next spell, simultaneously loosing my wand from my pocket as I did so.

I shielded myself from the next curse with magic and used the split second of safety to rock onto my feet and behind a tree so as to get a quick look at my surroundings. I was, indeed, in a darkened forest. Surrounded by acres of silent, unassuming trees. I peeked around the side of my protective tree to see a man and a woman standing in front of a tent and a dying fire while they aimed curse after curse at me. I ducked back behind the tree as another jet of light narrowly missed my face. Whoever my attackers were, they were obviously very skilled spell casters.

I risked one more peek around the tree and their faces suddenly clicked into place in my memory. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. I breathed a sigh of relief. I'd found them. Narcissa Malfoy had been genuine. I wasn't going to die.

Of course the next blast of light that narrowly missed me caused me to rethink that last notion. I decided a show of submission was my best move at this point. I stepped out fully from behind the tree and placed my wand slowly on the ground before straightening up and raising my arms in the air in a show of innocence. The onslaught of spells stopped, but I knew I wasn't in the clear yet.

The Malfoy couple approached me tentatively, defensively.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Mr. Malfoy bellowed, pointing his wand directly at my face as he neared. I figured it would be in my best interest at this point to talk quickly.

"My name is James Potter." His wand faltered slightly but he kept it pointed. I continued, "I've been trying to find you for days. I need you to tell me the location of Malfoy Manor."

"Why the hell would I do something like that?" He demanded aggressively.

"Because your children have been kidnapped by the Half-Blood Prince. We just found out they're holding them at Malfoy Manor but we can't get in because, obviously, no one knows where it is. We need your help."

Mr. Malfoy paused for a moment as though deliberating, "How do I know I can trust you?"

I took a deep breath, "Because my father saved your life when you faced certain death and madness. And I know he'd do it a thousand times over if he ever had to. And because…because I'm in love with your daughter."

I didn't know what made me say it. Perhaps I was just babbling in the hopes that I would say something to make him lower his wand. As soon as this thought occurred to me, however, I dismissed it. I knew what I had said was true. I'd known it for some time now but had yet to admit it to myself. I'd never been in love before, but the moment the words escaped my lips I knew them to be true, to be the only way to describe how I felt about Vera.

For a moment it looked as though my confession made him want to curse me even more, but luckily he seemed to ignore this impulse.

"How did you find us? How did you get past our security wards?" He fired off.

"Your mother gave me this." I yanked the signet ring off of my finger and tossed it to him. He caught it deftly and examined it.

"Why? Why would she give it to you?"

"You already know the answer to that question." I replied calmly, "You know that ring wouldn't have brought me here if I meant you any harm."

Mr. Malfoy seemed to struggle for a moment before finally lowering his wand,

"How do we know you are who you say you are? You could have stolen this and used magic to disguise yourself."

I took another deep breath and replied, "You don't know. You're just going to have to trust me."

Mr. Malfoy's nose wrinkled. It was apparent to me that trust was not a word regularly found in his vocabulary, much less a verb he was used to putting into action.

"Draco," Mrs. Malfoy rested a hand on her husband's shoulder, "I believe him."

Draco looked between me and his wife before finally loosening his offensive stance. I took a hesitant step forward and Mrs. Malfoy smiled at me kindly.

"Mr. Potter, why don't you join us by the fire and explain yourself more thoroughly? We were just sitting down for a very late supper."

"Thank you very much, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Astoria." She corrected.

"Astoria." I agreed. Mr. Malfoy did not offer me his first name but rather turned abruptly on his heel and marched back towards the campsite.

"You'll have to forgive my husband." Said Astoria, "It's been a long day and encountering Potters doesn't always put him in the best mood."

I nodded understandingly. "And what about you? Do Potters ruin your mood as well?"

Her smile was the picture of practised politeness. "I take no issue with you or your family, Mr. Potter."

"James." I corrected her.

"Of course, James. A lovely name. Classic."

"Er, thanks. It was my grandfather's." I said, trying to maintain the conversation at least to the edge of the fire.

"I know." She said shortly. She seemed to have developed that same unsettling, all-knowing aura as her mother-in-law.

At last we reached the campsite and I sat down on a tree stump across from the couple while Astoria poked the glowing embers with her wand, persuading them back into a roaring fire.

Astoria Malfoy really was a beautiful woman, which briefly caused me to wonder how she had ended up with a bloke like Draco Malfoy. She had the tall, willowy frame of a model, and features almost identical to her daughter's: the large, almond shaped green eyes, the pointed noise, the sharp cheekbones, the heart-shaped face, the tanned skin. The only notable differences between them were the darker shade of gold Astoria's hair bore and the fact that she was a few inches taller and a bit more wiry than her daughter. Her eyes also did not bear the same degree of kindness and openness as that of her younger copy.

My Uncle Fred had once warned me, in what I hoped was a joking manner, that before you get serious with any girl, get a good look at her mother to see what she'll look like in a couple of years. Judging by the glow of Mrs. Malfoy's skin and her general lack of wrinkles and blemishes, I had plenty to look forward to if it worked out with Vera and me. Mr. Malfoy clearing his throat brought me abruptly back to earth. Perhaps I had been eyeing his wife just a bit too long, but hey, I missed my girlfriend, so he could just stuff it.

"So Potter," Mr. Malfoy began coldly as soon as his wife joined him on the log they shared as a seat, "Could you more thoroughly explain your business here?"

I nodded and began quickly, "As you probably know, back in January, the Half-Blood Prince declared your daughter to be his next victim. We managed to hide her away from him through the remainder of the school year, but on the train back to London, she and your son were kidnapped by some of the Prince's followers. He left us several clues throughout the country which we found to be the location he had taken them to: Malfoy Manor."

"Why would he leave you clues? That makes it seem like he wants you to find him." Astoria asked, her green eyes were wide with what I could only imagine was despair at hearing of her children's fate.

I shrugged, "I'm not an expert, but it seems to be his pattern. From what I understand, men like the Half-Blood Prince, sociopaths, I think they're called, do what they do to get attention. More often than not, they want to be caught."

"Hold on," Mr. Malfoy interrupted, "How the hell did she get kidnapped? Your father was supposed to be watching her."

His was, in my opinion, unfairly accusatory. I tried to remain polite as I spoke again, "They were using magic that was beyond us and we therefore weren't able to guard against it. They were flying, sir."

Something flickered across his face for a moment before his cold expression returned in full force.

"Someone should have been guarding them though! Doesn't your father have any competent agents in his office?"

My jaw clenched. I was trying to stay polite, but hey, he'd just insulted me father, "I didn't see you rushing over to protect them from danger. If you were so worried about their safety, you could have come and saved them yourself."

For a moment Mr. Malfoy swelled like a bullfrog and then, to my complete and utter surprise he deflated like a balloon. A look of intense vulnerability overtook his features and he dropped his head into his hands in defeat. Mrs. Malfoy wrapped an arm comfortingly around her husband's shoulders and rested her face against his upper arm.

"I thought…I thought my presence would only endanger them further." His voice was muffled through his hands.

Feeling more than a little uncomfortable I asked,

"What do you mean?"

Mr. Malfoy raised his head slowly from his hands to gaze brokenly into the fire,

"When the bastard first threatened us, I thought he was after me. After all, I have a past. I've done things. Bad things that would actually be worthy of punishment. It only made sense that I was the one he wanted. So we decided to go into hiding. We figured our children would be safe at Hogwarts – happy even. We didn't want them spending some of the most crucial years of their lives on the run in stupid, bloody Wales."

I glanced at Astoria. Her eyes were filled with the same anguish as her husband's. There was something very different about the two of them. From what I'd seen, mostly on Platform 9 ¾, they were polite yet haughty and distant. Something was different now. They no longer carried that proud, put-together air they had always possessed. Their blank eyes now showed only defeat.

"But after you knew they were in danger, that he wasn't after you...why didn't you come back?"

"We couldn't." Astoria whispered, and the anguish in her eyes grew more pronounced and almost more heart wrenching. This was the sadness of a mother, "Once we were found to be missing the entire auror office was out to find us."

"So? They could have protected you." I replied quickly.

She shook her head, "Nott put his faith in the Ministry. He was under protection for several months prior to his death. Look what happened to him...not everyone in your father's office is trustworthy. Good intentions as they may have, everyone has a price, and everyone has a past. It wouldn't take too much convincing to get the average wizard to give up Theodore Nott for dead. And especially not a Malfoy."

My pulse stuttered slightly at this statement, "Are you saying that my father has spies in his office?"

Astoria's eyes met mine and within them was a trace of her former defiance,

"I'm saying it's a definite possibility. The people the madman is after aren't what you'd call popular."

I nodded at this. It was true, after all. "I think you need to tell my dad of your suspicions."

The intelligent, calculating look in Astoria's eyes reminded me once more of her daughter and I felt a familiar pang in my chest.

"And when would I have the opportunity to do that, Mr. Potter?" She said smoothly.

"Come back with me. To my house. You can talk to him. You can help us." My tone turned pleading as they both began to shake their heads, "Just listen to me. I'll talk to my dad. As soon as you help us you can go into hiding again if you want to. He won't force you to stay."

Mr. Malfoy hesitated, "What is it you need from us exactly, Mr. Potter? I would have thought your father had enough able bodies under his command – "

"No that's not it." I interrupted, "It's nothing like that. I told you Vera and Mal - Scorpius are being held at Malfoy Manor. We just need –"

"You need the secret keeper to guide you." Mr. Malfoy finished. I nodded quickly. He stroked his pointed chin thoughtfully, "Where exactly is your home?"

My excitement came to an abrupt halt and I raised an eyebrow at him suspiciously, "Devon." I replied vaguely.

To my surprise, Mr. Malfoy smirked appreciatively, "I see someone else is disposed to protect the location of his home." I met his eyes defiantly, "Very well then, Potter. I shall return with you. Astoria, darling, do you –"

"Of course." Astoria replied promptly.

"So Potter," Malfoy continued as Astoria began to pack the tent and the half cooked stew, "You realise my ring only transports one person."

I stopped. "Er…" I'd known that, but hadn't considered the full effects of it until this very moment. True to my Gryffindor nature, I had not bothered to plan the return trip.

"You are so like your father." Malfoy said, shaking his head, "Do you think yourself capable of apparating to Devon?"

"Er...not with other people." I said sheepishly.

This time Malfoy rolled his eyes, "Very well. In my travels I have most certainly visited Axminster. I can take us to that point and you can take us to your home from there."

I nodded in relief. I could've come up with that idea myself but was glad that Mr. Malfoy was the one to suggest it.

The house still possessed an air of sleepiness when the three of us stepped through the front gate. I sighed in relief. I could pretend to have been home all along and come up with a cover story to explain the presence of the Malfoys. All according to plan.

I pulled out my wand as we approached the door, preparing to perform the unique spell that locked and unlocked the doors.

My stomach dropped to my knees as the door opened from the other side to reveal the haggard face of my father. His eyes widened considerably when he took in my face,

"Where the hell have you been?" He hissed, "Your mother is losing her mind!"

My hand flew up to ruffle the back of my hair, a habit of mine whenever I was under pressure,

"Er, I told Al to tell you what I was doing." I said, shifting uncomfortably beneath his gaze.

This comment seemed only to aggravate my father further, "Oh yes, he told us what you were doing, but not where you were. What the hell is the matter with you? Why didn't you tell me?"

To my surprise, a look of hurt flickered across my fathers face at these words. I instantly felt guilty. I knew my father prided himself on being open and approachable, especially to his children.

"I'm sorry, dad." I said ashamedly, "I just thought you might try to stop me."

My dad crossed his arms and surveyed me with that disappointed look he knew made me squirm. I hated disappointing him.

"We'll you're right, I probably would have. But for good reason! Do you realise how dangerous that was? You could have died. You could have-"

I didn't find out what else could have happened to me, for at that exact moment I heard feet on the stairs.

"Harry? Who's at the door?" My mother's sharp voice came from within the house. I cringed, bracing myself for Mum's infamous temper. Dad didn't get a chance to answer. My mother's face appeared in the half open door. A look of towering rage appeared on her face.

"Hey mum." I said, as innocently as possible.

"Hey mum? HEY MUM?" I flinched as the volume of her voice rose, "Do you have any idea how worried we were? You are so inconsiderate! What was going on in your head – "

Her came to a screeching halt as she pulled open the door fully to reveal a pair of highly uncomfortable looking Malfoys.

I decided to explain, "I went looking for the Malfoys and er...well I found them."

"But...how..." Mum spluttered.

"Er, Narcissa Malfoy helped me. But only on the condition that I not tell anyone. Sorry."

Seeming to decide that chastising me in front of guests was highly inappropriate, Mum dropped her tirade, at least momentarily, and said,

"Of course. Won't you, er, please come in."

I scurried through the door and into the kitchen with the Malfoys following hesitantly behind me. I stopped in my tracks when I caught sight of not just Lily and Albus swaddled in pajamas and sitting around the kitchen table but Ron, Hermione, Hugo, and Rose as well.

"Er, hello everyone." I said, slightly confused.

Ron crossed his arms, glaring at me while the others merely looked intrigued.

"James," Rose said breathlessly. "Did you…"

She stopped speaking suddenly and I guessed that the Malfoys had just appeared in the doorway behind me. Hermione shot to her feet,

"Draco, Astoria…" She said awkwardly. "Would you, er, like to join us?"

Her voice had become high-pitched and breathy as it always did when she was nervous. The Malfoys exchanged looks.

"Er, yes. We'd love to." Astoria replied.

"Oh." Hermione seemed slightly surprised that they had accepted her invitation, "Great. I'll just get some more chairs…"

"No need." Said Malfoy, pulling out his wand. Ron was halfway out of his seat by the time Malfoy conjured the first chair. He froze upon catching Ron's movement. Ron's eyes darted back and forth between the tip of Malfoy's wand and the newly conjured chair and his mind finally seemed to catch up. Concluding that Draco was not, in fact, about to curse the lot of them, he resumed his seat.

"I'll just, er, fetch breakfast then." Said Aunt Hermione, still in that high voice.

"Thank you, Hermione." Dad said as he and Mum also took their seats. The time it took Hermione to fetch breakfast was largely occupied by the most awkward and tense silence I had ever experienced. I was not the only one who breathed in relief when she at last returned. We settled into forced small talk as we began to dish the pancakes and bacon out onto our plates.

The uncomfortable silence bled through again as we began eating. Astoria was the one to break it,

"So...do you not have any house-elves around?"

Hermione began to choke on her eggs, "I, er, beg your pardon?"

"House-elves. Are there any around?"

"No...why do you ask?" Hermione's voice was very cool now.

Astoria shrugged, apparently oblivious to Hermione's abrupt change in disposition, "At the Manor, I generally insist that all the employees join us at the table for meals. I hoped, as your guest, to extend the same courtesy."

"Oh." Said Hermione dumbly, "Employees?"

Astoria nodded casually, "Yes, we have five house elves on staff. Each handsomely paid of course."

"You must excuse my wife." Said Draco drolly, "She is very outspoken about proper treatment of our fellow magical creatures."

"Really?" Said Ron, looking taken aback.

"Yes. In fact I recently supplied a rather large donation to a wonderful organisation called the Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare. They do lovely work."

At this we all choked on our breakfast and Ron burst into laughter. It was Astoria's turn to look confused. Hermione smacked her husband's shoulder to quiet his guffaws.

"You must excuse my husband." Said Hermione, mimicking Draco's formal tone, "It's a rather amusing coincidence. S.P.E.W. is my organisation."

Astoria pressed a hand dramatically to her mouth, "Of course! Your maiden name. Granger. How could I forget?"

"Yes I use my maiden name professionally. Unfortunately I'm mostly remembered as Mrs. Weasley now." She looked at her husband as though it were his fault.

Conversation became much easier after Astoria and Aunt Hermione discovered their mutual passion for elfish welfare. Dad and Malfoy even managed to strike up a stiff Quidditch conversation and Ron, upon discovering that Malfoy was an in-the-closet Chudley Canons fan, joined in grudgingly.

I was fidgety all through breakfast and with very little appetite. I had tracked down the Malfoys. Everything was in place to get Vera back and yet here we all were, eating a decadent and leisurely breakfast. It had been four days. Four days. How could I be sure she was even still...I broke away from that thought before I could even finish. I couldn't think like that. She had to be alive. She had to be.

I glanced across the table at Rose. She had been with Scorpius even longer than I had been with Vera. I'd never even stopped to wonder how she was taking this.

Her face was pallid and there were dark circles under her eyes. It struck me that she'd probably had as many sleepless nights as I had.

"So," my father suddenly said, setting down his fork and breaking me out of my reverie. "We're all here for one reason. Two people we care about are in danger. So let's get down to business."

Four days. It had been four days. Or so the tally marks Scorpius and I had scratched into the wall said. I couldn't believe it had only been that long. I felt as though I'd been trapped in this dark, dank cellar for weeks, months even.

I jumped as I heard footsteps coming down the stone steps outside and quickly slid the crate back against the wall to conceal the marks and diagrams Scorpius and I had carved there. A moment later, two masked figures pushed Scorpius in forcefully.

He landed on his hands and knees, blood dripping from the corner of his lip onto the stone floor. Horrified, I rushed forward and helped him over to the wall, which he collapsed against in exhaustion.

"What happened?" I whispered quickly, fetching the bowl of water our captors had provided us and already bloodstained rag. I crawled to my brothers side and began dabbing at what I now realised was a broken lip. Scorpius took several sips of water and heavy gasps before speaking,

"He – he did something. Something different. I saw…I saw…Oh God Vera…"

I eyed him in concern as he took the rag from my and pressed it to his lip to stop the bleeding. I had never seen him so shaken, so unreserved. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him into what I hoped was a comforting embrace.

I made soft shushing noises in his ear as he began to shake, "Just tell me what happened." I muttered soothingly.

"He…" His voice was broken as he attempted to speak again, "He showed me…there was blood everywhere…and Rose…Is Rose okay? Is she alive?"

I stared at him confusedly, "Of course she is. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Alive." He murmured, seeming comforted by this, "Alive. Rose is alive. And you are. It wasn't real then. Alive. Everyone's alive."

I was about to inquire further when I heard a sickening sound and my stomach dropped out of my body. It was the sound of the cell door opening. That could only mean one thing. Whatever the Prince had done to Scorpius…it was my turn now.

Two masked figures yanked me to my feet. I didn't resist as they dragged me out of the cell, but they insisted pulling roughly on my arms anyway. I winced as my knees hit the hardwood floor of the drawing room. In accordance with the plan Scorpius and I had composed, I quickly arranged my features into an expression appropriate to the role of 'terrified victim.' I stared up fearfully up at the masked bastard before me.

"Good evening, Ms. Malfoy." The Prince greeted smoothly. I did not reply, instead choosing to keep up the 'I-am-a-terrified-little-girl' charade. "Sleep well last night?"

"What do you think?" I reputed impudently.

"Still haven't learned any manners I see." He released a heavy, dramatic sigh, "That's a shame. Because until you learn, I have to do this…Crucio!"

I was familiar with the pain now, but that didn't mean it was any easier to bear. It was sort of like having a nightmare, in more ways than the obvious one. Time and space seemed to compress and expand randomly under the effects of the curse. There was the sense of being permanently trapped. You know the one I'm talking about. That part of the dream where you are so terrified that you can hardly stand it. The part where you want so desperately to wake up but can't. Except instead of being trapped by fear, I was trapped by agony. Unknowable, indescribable agony.

When I finally returned to my senses I was lying on my back. My face was wet with tears, though I could not remember beginning to cry. I felt weak and shivery, and didn't even react when I was lifted back onto my knees. I did not respond when the Prince caught my chin and stared into my eyes with his empty, black ones. He muttered a complex string of strange, archaic words. I gasped as my vision went black.

The first thing I was aware of was the stench. It was pungent yet unfamiliar. I opened my eyes and my heart momentarily stopped. It was Hogwarts, lit up against a red sky. I gazed in horror as black flames devoured the upper turrets of the castle, spreading inexorably down, down, down the top of Gryffindor tower. An acrid stench squeezed my lungs and I coughed through the thick black smoke.

Help. I had to get help. I whipped around and was about to begin jogging when I saw something that almost made me faint. A body. A horribly, horribly familiar body. I could no longer feel my legs, so I had no idea how I got to his side. All I knew was that what I was seeing was impossible. It had to be.

I couldn't breath, and not just because of the swirling smoke. Frantically, I pressed my ear against his chest, listening desperately for a sound – any sound. I let out a cry of anguish when there was nothing. I collapsed onto his chest and began to sob. I couldn't look at his face. I couldn't stand to see the now blank, amber eyes of James Potter.

I gasped as my vision went black again. My eyes opened to reveal the carpet of the drawing room. I had evidently collapsed again.

I continued to sob, unable to stop myself. Unable to get rid of the image of James lying dead while Hogwarts, that place I loved so much, curled into ash. It seemed like forever before I finally managed to get my bearings. I was in the drawing room. That had to mean I was still in Malfoy Manor. Which meant I was still in captivity with Scorpius. Which meant that James was far, far away somewhere. Exhilaration rushed through me at this realisation. He was alive. He was okay.

I didn't even care that I was still trapped. He was okay. He was alive. I began to laugh giddily as two people dragged me to my feet.

It didn't matter. None of it mattered. Because James was okay. James was alive.

I stared at the Prince as I was dragged away. His black eyes locked with mine just before he disappeared from sight, and what I saw there scared me more than anything I had seen that day. There was no ounce of sympathy in his eyes. In fact, there was no anything in his eyes. They were blank. Expressionless. Empty.

I landed on my back when the Prince's followers pushed me into the cellar. Scorpius was at my side in an instant, seemingly having composed himself in my absence. I suddenly realised that I was still laughing; loudly, maniacally. My giggles subsided as Scorpius pulled me over to rest against the wall. He put a hand on either side on my face and forced me to look at him.

"Vera, can you tell me what happened?"

"Nothing." I replied promptly.

He raised a concerned eyebrow, "But…but I heard you screaming…sobbing…" A look of pain flickered across his face at this, "Something had to have happened."

"But that's just it. Nothing happened. Because it was just an illusion. He's alive. Everything's okay."

Scorpius' expression grew even more concerned, "Vera…Oli, you sound mad."

I suddenly realised how deranged I must look. And with that, I remembered where we were, what was happening…and the grin slid off my face.

"I know." I said slowly, pulling his hands away from my face. "He…he did something in my head. It was like a vision. God, it was so realistic."

Scorpius nodded. "Me as well."

Something occurred to me then. "Scorpius, do you realise what's happening?"

He nodded again, "He's trying to drive us mad. Literally."

I took a deep breath as this realisation sunk in. The Prince was trying to destroy us. Not physically, but mentally. He was trying to push us to the brink of human endurance. But only when we finally got there, when we were begging for death, would he at last kill us. With this thought came a rush of unyielding, Gryffindor defiance.

"Well you know what, Scorpius? We're not gonna fucking let him. We're getting out of here. As soon as possible."

Hey everyone *waves sheepishly*

I don't really have a whole lot of excuses except the usual ones. School, extracurricular, technical difficulties, etc. I really will try to update more frequently.

Sorry if this is a relatively disappointing chapter. And sorry there wasn't any romance in this chapter. There should be a bit in the next one and then a lot in the following two. I've planned for twenty-five chapters. Let's break 200 reviews before we get there! I know, that's horribly optimistic.

PLEASE review. Not only is it a delightful ego boost, but it is also extremely beneficial to the writing process.

Cheers to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: Guest 1, Nimea, TheNerdIsStrongWithThisOne (by the way, best penname ever), Jenny, and praecantatio.

(PS. When Harry said, "Let's get down to business," did anyone immediately get that song from Mulan stuck in their head? If so, mission accomplished!)