9

Even a week after the murders, there was still an uproar in the Great Hall during dinner, especially from the Gryffindor table. Multiple people were demanding justice for the crimes committed, with many students wanting to go out and do something about the murderers. Thor and the Warriors Three seemed to be the angriest, shouting out at the Headmaster. However, from where Rose could see, Sif seemed to be completely quiet, staring down at her uneaten meal.

"I heard it was Sif's father who was one of the people that were killed," one Gryffindor said.

"Yeah, he was the pure-blooded wizard. I bet they weren't expecting to be killed during these times," a different student said. When they caught Rose looking at them, the quickly changed topics.

Dinner was rushed, with most of the staff and faculty pushing for students to go back to their dormitories instead of making all this ruckus. Rose and her fellow prefect moved the crowd of Gryffindors back, with shouts of protest heard all the way down the hall. Once everyone was back, it was many hours before the noise level finally died down. Around midnight, Rose was the last one up, finally having some quiet to finish her potions homework.

With it getting close to the end of her fifth year and O.W.L.S coming fast, she was starting to stress. It didn't help that her mind kept going back to Loki, and then to the deaths of the Ministry workers that was still fresh.

When she finally finished her essay and closed her textbook, she heard voices coming from the male dormitories, along with Sif appearing from the female side, her eyes puffy and red. Rose sat up, hoping to give her condolences to Sif, but Thor cut her off before she had the chance.

"I didn't think anyone would be up at this hour!" Thor said, grinning at her. Rose felt her cheeks light up slightly, but not nearly as much as before. Rose straightened up, trying to look more professional and sterner.

"What are you all doing up? I might be in a year below, but I am positive there is class tomorrow for sixth years," Rose said, looking up at Thor, trying not to falter. She noticed they were all fully dressed. However, it was Sif who spoke up.

"Do not interfere, Rose, we are on our way to take revenge," Sif said, frowning, walking towards the exit, with the others behind her. Despite realizing what they were doing, Rose's facial expression soften, following them.

"I am so sorry to hear about your father, Sif," Rose said. Sif's frown deepened but made no other sign of having heard Rose. "But, I cannot allow you all to leave the dormitories, let alone Hogwarts." However, before she could stop them, the painting had swung open, with all four of them climbing out. Rose hesitated but climbed out with them after a few seconds.

"You should join us, Rose. These Death Eaters have killed hundreds of muggles, let alone muggle-born wizards and witches, such as yourself, just yesterday," Thor pipped up, with the Warriors Three joining in with agreements. Rose had to jog slightly to catch up with them. Before she could decline the offer and threaten them with deductions of House points, Rose spotted Loki waiting in the corner of the hallway. His eyes jumped to her instantly.

"Brother!" Thor greeted with a smile. Loki's eyes moved to glare at him.

"Will you keep your voice down! I'm risking a lot by coming with you all," Loki sneered. "And, what is she doing here?"

Everyone turned to stare at Rose, then back at Loki.

"She's joining us on our mission," Fandral said, stating it like a fact. Before she could deny it, she was interrupted again.

"I guess it'll be fine, as long as she keeps her head down and no one else joins us," Loki said, turning around and walking down the hall. The group trailed after him, with Rose pursing her lips, irritated. However, she followed them, not being able to turn around and ignore this rule breaking. They were all quiet until they emerged outside, where six broomsticks stood floating.

Rose quickly realized that there was not one for herself, since she was the extra that tagged along. Maybe she should have gone back when she had the chance. Instead, she lifted her head to look at Sif, hoping she could share with her. But, instead she found Sif looking from her to Thor, with her continued frown still on her face.

"Loki, why don't you ride with Rose? You seem to know her better than any of us," Sif said, putting one leg over her broomstick.

"Wha-"

"-I don't want to go with her-"

"-Loki, don't be rude! Sif's right, you're an experienced flyer, Rose would be safe with you," Thor said, rising in the air. Before either party could object, the rest of the group was off into the sky. Loki grabbed and hopped onto his broom, mumbling things Rose could only partly understand, such as "He's on the bloody Quidditch team," and "Arsehole." He turned around to glare at her.

"Well? Are you getting on or what?" Loki snapped. Rose glared back, but got onto the floating broom behind him, gripping his shoulders lightly. She had not been on a broomstick since her first year, not at all comfortable with the idea of flight. She couldn't even name the exact type of broom they were on.

"If you hold on like that, you're going to fall off," Loki said, grabbing both of her hands and repositioning them to around his waist. Rose could feel her face going red and she felt a lump in her throat, and she hated herself for it. Though, it didn't stop her from gripping tighter once they pulled into the night sky.

Rose tried to not look down, afraid of what would happen if she let Loki go.

"S-So, where are we g-going?" Rose asked, attempting to distract herself.

"I heard some of the Slytherin's talking about where another possible Death Eater attack will be tonight. I'm assuming some of their family members might be with this Dark Lord," Loki explained. "There is this house in London that we are going to."

Rose felt that this information was insignificant, and they shouldn't have relied on it before leaving school grounds. However, she didn't bring up this issue, instead, she continued to think of conversation as they soared.

"Did you tell Arabella about this outing?" Rose asked, feeling Loki stiffen in front of her.

"No, and she will not find out," Loki said.

"You won't tell her about your powers, and you won't tell her about this. You can't just continue to keep things from her," Rose said, glaring at the back of his head. Some confidence was coming back to her.

"It's none of your business-"

"She's my best friend! And I know how you hurt her not so long ago at the Three Broomsticks!" Rose snapped back at him, feeling the familiar anger flowing through her again. She had never confronted him about that night, plus it helped keep her thoughts away from her feelings about him.

He did not speak, but Rose felt him giving off vibes of animosity.

'It's better if he hates me,' Rose thought. She would rather he treated Arabella better, and it would make stuffing her feelings away easier if she knew that Loki despised her.

Loki just stayed quiet for a few minutes, when suddenly he dipped forward violently. Rose let out a scream, shut her eyes tight, and gripped Loki with so much force, she wondered if she left any bruises. Loki raised the broom handle up at the last second, pushing forward, and then slowing down in an alleyway.

"We're here," Loki said, dropping his feet onto the floor, and refusing to look at her. Rose let go of him, opening up her eyes, her hands shaking.

"I hate you," she mumbled, more to herself, rubbing her hands together to calm them and then pushing her glasses up. Thor, Sif, and the Warriors Three were there as well, propping their brooms up on to the wall of the building they were next to.

Loki briskly walked to the front of the group, leading them out and into the sidewalk. He guided them along the street, not looking back to see if they all followed. Rose, being the shortest out of the group, had the hardest time keeping up.

After what felt like hours to Rose, the group finally arrived at a nice, well taken care of two-story home. There were no lights coming from the home, or any sounds; Rose felt like they might have been at the wrong location. They all creeped around the porch, keeping their heads down low. Loki pulled out his wand near the front door and whispered an incarnation. The front door unlocked and opened slightly.

"We need to catch them by surprise," Loki whispered. "If half the group goes in through the front door, and the rest go in from the back, we can-"

He was cut off as Thor rushed passed him, throwing open the front door until it slammed into the wall. The Warriors Three followed, with Sif right after, but at a much slower pace and a stern look on her face. Rose, however, stayed glued next to Loki, more out of uncertainty than anything else.

Loki breathed heavily, annoyed with his brother's irrationality. Together, they trailed behind them, guarded, both using their wands as a light source and at full attention. Shouts filled the air, and then sounds of quiet sobbing and pleading could be heard from a room to their left, which looked to be a large, overly dressed sitting room.

Hexes and curses were already being thrown around the room when Loki and Rose arrived. Thor, Volstagg, and Hogun were firing spells off in one corner at two Death Eaters, while Sif and Fandral were crouched behind the coach, using it to shield themselves from the third attacker.

In the corner of the room, next to the fireplace, a muggle family was cowering, hunched over. An older woman was gripping and crying over an unconscious teenage boy, with an elder gentleman holding his wife's hand, eyes darting around the room.

As Loki strode forward, joining the fight, Rose ran to the family, ducking as a spell flew past her, exploding a vase in the room. She knew she had to get the family out of the line of fire before they were killed. Finally reaching them, she lowered herself to their level and then grabbed the older man's shirt, trying to get his attention.

Rose directed the family out of the room, with the husband picking up his son, and them rushing out of the house at full speed.

"Don't let them escape!" Rose heard one of the attacker's shout.

"Forget about them, these are Hogwarts students! Just kill them!" another yelled.

Rose joined the group back in the sitting room, where Thor and Loki were back to back, blocking and throwing counter-curses. Despite being outnumbered three to seven, the Death Eaters were skilled wizards, while the others were students, not yet trained for battle. However, it did not stop any of them, only strained them in their defense.

A blast struck Fandral in the back, throwing him to the floor unconscious. Sif was next to him in a flash, however, she was hit next. She fell, screaming in pain, blood flowing from her shoulder.

"Sif!" Thor yelled, rage overpowering him. He started firing faster, charging forward to shield the two fallen comrades. Afraid, Rose called out to them.

"I got the family to safety, we need to leave!" Rose yelled, taking a step forward. Loki was the only one to look in her direction, causing him to get hit by a white flash of light in his right arm, dropping his wand. His sleeve destroyed, there was a long, red wound on his upper arm, his left hand gripping it in pain.

The Death Eater who hit him threw back his wand, ready to attack again, Rose ran forward, throwing up her wand to counter him, but was too slow. Instead, she ran head first into Loki, knocking him sideways, but also out of the way of the expulso curse. The curse hit Rose instead, knocking her back into the fireplace, slamming her head on the brick. She heard a crack, and everything went fuzzy.

Attempting to move her body, a sharp pain ran across her skull. She wanted to scream in agony but could only let out a small grunt. Shapes and colors filled her vision, with sounds the only clear dictation of what was occurring. However, even that went after a while, herself slipping into a dreamless darkness as a battle continued to rage around her.

''''

Loki only realized what had happened when he heard the thump of skull on brick. Whipping around, he dove for his wand, defending himself fast, then throwing a curse that paralyzed the Death Eater, dropping on the spot. Loki ran over to Rose, who was slumped over next to the fireplace. He moved close, enough to see that she was still breathing, and sighed in relief.

He picked up Rose, carrying her with one hand on the curve of her back, and the other under both knees. She groaned in his arms, with Loki moving as slow as he could to not cause any more pain, but still in a rush to leave. Stepping in through the doorway, he looked over his shoulder at the rest of the group fighting off the last two Death Eaters.

"Thor! End this!" Loki shouted. Thor nodded once, not looking in his brother's direction. Thor and Volstagg quickly disarmed the attackers, then used the muggle's curtains to wrap them together. Hogun was bent over Sif, closing up her wounds on her shoulder, a look of strain on her face.

Loki continued forward, trying to ignore Rose's grunts and moans.

"It'll be okay," he keeps repeating to her, aware of the fact that she had just saved him from the blast. He needs to get her back to Hogwarts, to the Hospital wing, as quickly as possible. It's when he's attempting to get on his broom that he sees blood dripping down her face.

"It'll be okay," he says again, this time trying to convince himself.

''''

This is my shortest chapter yet, but I have to stop here. I finished most of this chapter while on my Honeymoon in California! I'm gonna try and get these chapters out as soon as possible, now that I have the rest of this semester off. If I can, though I have my doubts, I want to finish this story before January, before I have to go back to the student life. We shall see. Again, please comment/fav! Every comment means the world to me!