Holding On
I'm losing what's left of my dignity
But I'll fight till the end for her heart
I'll never give up for what's possibly
For better for worse this love must be cursed
Jenny
3/10/11
12:26 a.m.
Tonks ushered the trio over the protective spells and after giving Lupin a kiss on his muzzle, making him purr, she followed them, leaving Draco and I alone as Lupin lumbered off into the woods once more, probably to sleep. "There still might be Snatchers and Death Eaters around, stay close and stay safe." Draco stressed, hugging my muzzle, which I snorted through. I would be alright no matter what, he knew that too. He smiled and pushed my shoulder, as if to tell me to go on. I nuzzled him firmly one more time, loving his icy minty scent before I leapt back into the woods without another sound. I found my way back to my clothing and curled up next to them, closing my eyes and listening to the woods before I drifted off to sleep.
In the morning, I was sore and hoarse again, as per the usual. I dressed and took a moment to stretch before starting the long walk back to the campsite. This morning was swampy and wet, not to mention cold. Logs I had bounded over easily last night required me to jump and climb over them, or walk a long way around each one. Despite Draco's warning, the woods was only full of birds chirping and the squelch of my feet sinking into the mire. My hands and feet were filthy, so on the way back I stopped at a stream to wash off the mud and filth. A sudden snapping of twigs made me turn quickly, and scan the surrounding woods warily. At that rude interruption, I walked faster back to camp, and took no more detours, especially when I heard more snapping branches and twigs. It could easily just be an animal, but these days I had to be careful.
I was just inside the last bit of woods before the clearing where the campsite was when there was a bang from a wand, and cords were suddenly twisting all around me, making me shriek in surprise as I fell from the force of it. Two strong hands picked me up and a deep voice muttered, "Silencio." as Draco suddenly appeared. He had obviously been waiting inside the barrier, watching the woods.
"Jenny?" He called uncertainly, wand out and in front of him. I viciously jerked my shoulders out of the man's grasp and purposely fell into a bush, making branches and twigs snap and clack together. I looked up and felt the blood drain from my face as Kingsley seized the rope around my torso to pick me back up again, and put his free arm around my chest, holding me to him as he stayed where he was, wand out, watching Draco with a smirk on his face as I struggled fruitlessly.
He went back under the barrier, and Kingsley whispered to me, "Hello again, Jenny. Should we stick around to let them see us leave together? Or should we wait and kill everyone who walks out?" He chuckled as I strained against the tight black cords, desperate for him to just leave with me. What if Hermione, Ron and Harry came out? What if he killed everyone? Tonks was pregnant, Lupin was going to be a father, and Draco, he couldn't kill him… Fear for everyone laced through my chest, tighter than the rope. "I think I'll let them see, and maybe kill Lupin," he chuckled as my face drained further of color and I froze. There was a good chance that Lupin was still outside of the protective spells… Kingsley raised his wand and held me tighter as Lupin and Draco stepped out, wands raised. Fear caught in my chest as Kingsley raised his wand, aimed right for Lupin's forehead. I writhed fiercely to make Kingsley shift around a bit to control me, making noise.
"Expelliarmus!" Draco barked suddenly, shooting right into the woods. With a pop, Kingsley's wand flew into the air as he was caught unprepared. He dove for it, the force of it making me fall, hitting the log behind us with a loud thunk, immediately thrashing and straining for freedom. Lupin and Draco ran forward as Kingsley thundered after his wand. Draco tripped over me and over the log as Lupin jumped over both of us, charging after Kingsley. Draco swore and snatched his wand and waved the cords into oblivion. "Jenny, are you alright?" He sounded panicked as he picked me up. I went to answer him and when I couldn't, my hands flew to my mouth. Draco raised his wand to remove the curse as I heard Kingsley roar, "Rictumsempra!" The jet of light hit Draco on the shoulder and blasted him off his feet and through the bushes. "Expelliarmus!" I heard Kingsley bellow, and then there was a sharp snapping noise.
I snatched up Draco's wand and pelted after him as Kingsley bellowed, "Rictumsempra!", and then feet were running after me as I shoved aside branches and leapt over logs. I heard a lighter pair of feet start running our way, but ignored it as I desperately searched for Draco's blond head as my pursuer got closer. With a crash, Kingsley jumped and as he fell, caught me around the waist. We hit the ground with a splash as we hit a puddle, the jarring impact on my already sore joints making me shriek again. I instantly kicked his face and leapt up again, finally spying Draco's head. He was lying under a tree, red staining the back of his head. I went to run over, but Kingsley seized my ankle, making me fall. On the way down, I threw Draco's wand at its owner, and it hit his knee, rousing him. I looked up to see Draco's eyes flutter open.
"Jenny!" I heard Lupin shout, and I turned as Kingsley seized my arm. I pulled free and bitch-slapped Kingsley as hard as I could across the face, scrambling to my feet. Lupin was pushing through the woods. He had blood on his face, and was raising his wand. I only caught the look on his face as the woods vanished; Kingsley seizing my arm. Lupin had looked desperate. Kingsley and I appeared in front of two iron gates. I elbowed him in the stomach, releasing his hold, and then decked him as hard as I could across the face, splitting my knuckle. My hand closed around his wand when with a bang, he blasted me away from him, and I landed in a hedge a good five feet away. As I struggled out of the hedge, he stood up and spat blood out of his mouth, grinning.
"Incarcerous." He said lazily as I finally got out of the hedge. Cord shot at me again, making me fall onto rough gravel as it twisted firmly around me like it had Draco until I couldn't move if I wanted to. "I've missed you, Jenny. I've missed you dearly." Kingsley laughed, lifting me over his shoulder as I thrashed the whole way up the walk. "Relax, Jenny. It's like you don't want to see me." He chuckled again as a blond witch who had to be Draco's mother opened the door and raised her eyebrows.
"Could you have possibly finished your job, Kingsley?" She said sarcastically, and I suddenly knew where Draco got it from. She seized my chin and examined my face when Kingsley put me down and put his wand across my throat. "Bring her in, we've been expecting you." She said coldly after a minute of me glaring into her grey eyes.
…
Draco
3/10/10
9:30 a.m.
Kingsley's spell blasted me off my feet and sent me hurtling through the woods. My head slammed into a tree and I crumpled beneath it, unable to get up as my head spun. I could hear people shouting, and running through the woods, but I was suddenly too exhausted to get up, even though I wanted to. Jenny needed protecting, she didn't have a chance against Kingsley with a wand-
Something hit my knee as someone crashed to the ground, making my eyes slowly open. Jenny was getting up after falling onto a log, Kingsley right behind her. I heard Lupin crashing through the woods and he called out, sounding desperate, making her spin as Kingsley's hands closed around her arms. With a sudden burst of energy, I reached down and grabbed my wand, forcing my head up to kill him. But with a pop, they were gone. I stared at the space where they had disappeared in horror, before I let my ringing head fall, my wand roll out of my hand, my eyes close.
She was gone.
…
Jenny
3/10/10
9:45 a.m.
Kingsley undid my feet and marched me through the Malfoy's extravagant house hold, passing gilded mirrors and picture frames full of snooty looking wizards. Upon passing a mirror, I made the mistake of looking at my self. My hair was up still, but full of mud and blood from Kingsley. Dirt streaked down my face with scratches and bruises from tearing through the woods. As we passed through a doorway and into a dark room, any fear I had left drained. I had known the risks of spying for the Order.
The room had a long dark table, and seated along its length were Death Eaters. Some I even recognized from spying at the Ministry. Their gazes took me in, some continued to watch me as other smirked. My line of sight found the head of the table. Seated there was the most disgusting thing that I had ever seen. His face was pale and severe, with slits for a nose and gleaming red eyes that had cat like pupils. Curled around his chair was a gigantic snake, its forked tongue flicking through the air. "You captured her, I see." His voice was high, like a child's, but colder than the needles that pierced me during a change.
"Yes, My Lord." Kingsley said, and repulsion filled me. He had joined the Death Eaters then; he must have if he was addressing Voldemort that way.
"It must have taken considerable effort, either that or she lives in a hole." He commented, and the Death Eaters roared with laughter. His eyes took in my scratches and bruises, and the dirt covering Kingsley and me. He waved his hand to silence the Death Eaters, and they obeyed him instantly. "So this is the Order's young spy, a Muggle. A werewolf." He paused dangerously and rose, putting two spidery and white hands onto the table, leaning forward to look at me better. "There was a full moon last night, wasn't there? Interesting." He said, studying me further as the Death Eaters looked from him to me. "Speaking of werewolves," his gaze turned calculating, "You managed to kill Greyback. A simple Muggle, merely a girl…killed a man of that size and strength." He cocked his head to one side, looking at me almost with a curiosity. "Remove her bonds, Shacklebolt." He ordered, and instantly, they vanished. I didn't move, even when Kingsley stepped away and sat down at the table, leaving me at the opposite side of Voldemort.
"You make me very curious, Jenny Quinty. Very vexed, very…interested." He said softly, pushing away from the table and coming around it. Even when he moved, I continued to look at the back wall, even when he was next to me. "I can only imagine what is in your mind," he said it so softly, I barely heard it. He withdrew a white wand from his robes and touched my pony tail holder, snapping it. My hair silently cascaded down and he lifted his wand and ran it's tip along it, then down to the collar of my jacket. "Take this off." He said. When I didn't move, he moved in front of me and rapped his wand on it. The zipper vanished, and my jacket slipped off, leaving me in my tanktop. "Ah, I thought so." He brushed my hair back to examine the three visible bites, tapping the one on my neck lightly with his wand. "You said there were four bites, Shacklebolt." He spoke suddenly after a good five minutes of looking at them, examining the deeper impressions from Greyback's canine teeth, and then the other bites and scratches from my fight with Lupin.
"One is on her left side, My Lord." I didn't stiffen when he lifted up the side of my shirt and laughed softly.
"Four bites, less than a week away from the full moon. I bet these hurt, didn't they? I'm sure the change was…excruciating. But I hear that you have a high pain tolerance, is that true, Miss Quinty?" A tiny flash of surprise sounded in me at his politeness, but I still didn't answer. "Well, we might have to test that tolerance if you stay so quiet." He lightly threatened, so I turned to look at him. His face was so white and harsh, his eyes merciless yet still so curious. That curiosity disturbed me; what was he playing at? If I had learned anything from the wizarding world about him, he killed Muggles without another thought. The prolonged exposure to him was starting to make me anxious. We looked at each other a moment. "You must forgive me, Miss Quinty. I haven't dealt with a Muggle besides killing one in a long time. Allow me to jog my memory, will you please? Crucio." The shredding from my bones started again, making me silently slump over. I plastered Draco's face in my mind, his determination, and forced myself to stay silent.