Chapter 13 Two feet From Salvation.
Carina went to raise her wand to attack the man but he felt the movement and grabbed her right wrist and held her arm down. With one hand on her mouth and the other on her right arm, he seemed to forget about her left arm.
He began to pull her into the shadows, so she raised her left arm and elbowed him right in the ribs. Shocked he gasped for air, and felt the sting of her high heels digging into his chins. She was attacking him like a mad woman. Getting pissed he took hold of both wrist and body threw her against the wall with all his strength. He chuckled deep in his throat as he watched her slip down the wall to the floor revealing the tile that had creaked at the impact.
Carina glared up at him, she picked herself up and stared him straight in the eyes, ignoring the fear that the silver mask created in her. "So you killed the whole defenseless Department of Muggle and Muggleborn protection, what, couldn't find any five year olds to beat up." she sneered at him.
"There will be no use for that kind of Department in the coming age." The terrible voice whispered.
"What have Muggles ever done to you?" she asked trying to appeal to his reason.
"They were born." He answered in all honesty.
'So much for reason.' Carina thought. Looking him over she knew she was no match for him, not in her weakened state. She would have to distract him, find a decoy.
Jumping behind the nearest desk Carina waved her wand turning the office chair into a dummy, she waved her wand making the dummy jump to another desk. She then focused on turning into a dove.
She took a few steps running and flapped her wings, she was in the air. She tried to go as fast as she possibly could, she didn't dare turn around for fear of what she would see.
She was at the stairs now and only a few feet from an escape when her wing felt like it was on fire. She changed back and landed gracelessly on the top of the stairs. Carina took off at a sprint, ignoring the pain in her burnt shoulder, she would not die here.
She looked around the hall where she had stood with her team before, but there was no sign of them, they had left her. But had they left the building!? Where they looking for her!? She couldn't leave if they were still here looking for her. Fighting back the urge to vomit she decided she would have to hide until the Death Eater was gone, and then she would check the Department to see if the Order was in there.
Under a desk she watched the black robes whip by at top speed. She listened as he got into one of the elevators and was gone.
Sighing Carina pulled herself out from under the desk. Looking down to her shoulder, which was red and blistered. She but a cooling charm on it, it was all she could do, until she had a mediwitch on hand.
Walking now she felt a slight pain in her ankle, sure enough there was a small burn on it too, placing a second cooling charm she continued on her way. Reaching the door that had blown to bits she glanced around the corner and snuck silently into another hall of offices. Going from office to office she glanced in searching for anyone.
Every office held a new macabre horror scene for her. There was no sign of life, only horrifying looking deaths. By about the third office of twenty Carina couldn't hold her stomach or her tears. Desperate for any contact with another living person she sobbed out, "Is anybody here!?"
A quite sob was a reply from somewhere down the hall. Carina pulled herself together and limped down the hall looking in every office and trying her best to ignore the morbid displays. "Hello!?" she called again wiping the tears from her eyes furiously.
"Help. I'm trapped!" the sobbing voice called again.
Hobbling as fast as she could she rounded into the last office and looked around. The whole office had been torn apart, and trapped beneath a bookcase was a young intern in ministry robes. Her wand was about two feet out of her reach. Carina limped over and waved her wand levitating the bookcase. The intern crawled out from under it and grabbed her wand.
Lowering the bookcase, Carina turned to talk to the women but she was met with the tip of a wand. "What are you doing!?" she asked in alarm as she raised her own.
"Who are you!?" demanded the women, strong despite the fear shining in her eyes.
"I'm Carina I came with the Order to help. But we walked straight into a trap, I was separated and caught by a Death Eater, I got away but I wanted to check and make sure the Order wasn't up here before I took off, then I found you." Carina said calmly.
"They trapped me under the bookcase, put my wand out of reach. They mocked me, told me they would leave me to die slowly over the next few days only a few feet from salvation. They killed the whole department... didn't they?"
"I think so." Carina answered with tears in the brims of her eyes.
"It was my first day." The intern cried, putting her hands to her eyes covering the tears that were freely falling. "My parents work in this Department." she sobbed.
"I'm sorry." Carina let her cry for a bit allowing her to calm herself, but there seemed to be no end of the tears. "Alright then whats your name!?" Carina asked in a commanding voice.
"Debra Hurst." She answered.
"Alright Debra, have you any other family?"
"Yes two little sisters."
"Well I need you to pull yourself together so we can escape. You have to be there for your sisters, and I'm going to make sure you are. Right now is not the time for tears, there will be time for mourning later. But right now we have to have our wits about us. We have to get to the Hall of fireplaces so we can get out. We need to floo together too, I know it's less accurate but it will have to do. We will floo to the Weasleys. Lets go."
"Right." Debra said in a voice much stronger then before.
They checked the rest of the offices making sure they didn't leave anyone else there, there was no one. So they ran for it, down hall after hall until they were in an elevator.
The energy around them was so tense you could feel it crackle. It was approaching the top floor, and they would have to run again. Carina put a silencing charm around the entire elevator making sure no one would hear them coming. The elevator settled and the doors opened soundlessly. but there was a voice not far off.
"So you think I could be the Head of the Department of Muggle Tortures, or Head of the Department of Pureblood Celebrations!?" A woman said in a voice practically frilly.
"I believe Pureblood Celebrations would suite you better dear Vivie." Carina knew that horrible grave voice, it was the same Death Eater who had almost killed her.
"Yes I can see it now Vivianne Valentine Head of the Department of Pureblood Celebrations!" She said gleefully.
Ignoring their conversation Carina began to think of what to do, they were clearly guarding the entrance. Peering slightly around the corner Carina looked for the nearest fireplace, it was close but the floo powder had been removed. Ducking back into the elevator she told Debra "There isn't any floo powder, they've taken it. I think the only way out is to wait for one to leave and then run for the Telephone booth, alright?"
Debra nodded and they waited in the elevator with their 'notice-me-not charm' in place. The y just sat listening to the women prattle on and on.
"And I think Snape would make a perfect secretary for me." she said lustfully.
"Ah so Vivie has her new flavor of the week, huh?" the grave voice said leeringly.
"Well he insist that I disgust him, It will be so much fun when he finally turns into my lapdog!"
Carina balled her fist, turning red in the face. Just one punch! thats all she wanted just one punch!
"Well I have to go to the little witches room, I'll be back in a bit."
They listened to her foot steps disappear down the hall, then on the count of three the burst from the elevator and ran at top speed to the red telephone booth at the end of the hall. The dodged left and right as the Death Eater aimed at them as he ran after them.
Carina stumbled only enough to get behind Debra by about 3 feet but she was up and running as fast as she could. But it clearly wasn't enough as she felt the body of the Death Eater tackle her to the ground.
"Run Debra!" she screamed when Debra stopped and looked back.
Debra did run, but she ran back and kicked the Death Eater in the jaw and then hit him with a jelly leg curse and they ran the rest of the way to the booth.
The streets of London were almost empty, then again it was two in the mourning. Carina and Debra jumped out of the telephone Boothe as fast as they could. They slipped into and alley and took a few much needed breathes. But now having the adrenaline rush leave them both the sank to the ground, both in silent tears. Carina was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She sat shaking on the dirty ground, crying her heart out for all those poor people she had seen.She didn't even notice the dark figure take Debra gently into their arms and apparate away. She had never felt so overwhelmed and so useless and helpless. She felt a warm embrace pick her up and with a 'pop' she was gone.
In a start Carina jerked and looked at the person holding her, no longer able to hold back the emotions and heart ache she wrapped herself more securely to the body that surrounded her and began to sob.
He tried his best to comfort her whispering to her "You're okay little one."
"Severus, I... I..." she couldn't even speak.
She looked and saw that they were in the Weasleys yard, "Where's Debra?" she sobbed in question.
"I'm right here, Carina." was the answer in sob form.
"I can walk." Carina tried.
"No you can't." was the firm answer and the arms got tighter in their embrace.
HE was right though she couldn't walk, her burnt ankle was throbbing worse then her heart. Plus she was dead tired. Thy walked into the front door. The house was uncommonly silent.
Fearing that none had returned Carina looked up hoping with her whole hear that the room would be full, but it was so silent. She looked up to see that the room was full, quite full indeed. But no one was talk, They seemed to be in huddled groups hugging and mourning and sweating with worry and others were pacing the floor. Remus sat on a couch with his head in his hands crying and shaking, Hermione who now had a bandage on her arm was patting him and failing to hold in her own tears.
At the sound of the door closing with a small slam, the wholle group turned and looked at Severus holding the crying and torn Carina, and Debra standing there.
In seconds the silent room was filled with cheers and exclaims of excitement. They all ran and gathered around hugging Carina and Severus, Molly, Tonks, and Hermione kissed her cheek many times. Carina was dumbfounded.
"I'm so glad your safe! We thought we'de lost you!" cried Molly.
After the group settled they all sat and told Carina how she was the only one who hadn't run for the elevator once Death Eaters came from door. They told her that it wasn't until they had reached the house that they did a head count and realized that she wasn't there, and that it was too late. Fred and George told her how the had to bodily hold Remus from the fireplace. Carina who was sitting beside him took his hand in hers.
Carina told them what had become of her after the blast and how she had come to be sitting in the room with Debra right beside her.
She looked to the door to see Severus looking at her, he nodded and left the house unknown to anyone else, focusing her thoughts on him she made a quick connection, just enough to say "Thank you"
"Anything for you, my hearts darling." was his heart felt reply. He had been scared to death that he had lost her.
Carina sat for a second drinking in the warmth of his words, before Molly exclaimed, "Dear me, Carina your in pieces. We have to get you to Poppy!"
A/N I do believe I mentioned somewhere that this story would be deeper and darker, so am I hitting my goal!?
Maraudargirl02- what did you think, your character isn't over btw she was just absent from this chapter.
Depjunk- what did you think of your person!? thanks for your review, I'm glad someone else liked the chapter beside myself lol.
MioneRocks- No I wouldn't kill off Severus, infact i think killing Severus would be killing Carina, Broken Heart Syndrome is real and it would kill Carina. But fear not they survive!
Obsessed.Otaku.of.America- what did you think Vivie!? I like her alot! Your name gave me soooo much to play with, plus your saying that she was the death eater i was like "oh heck yea!" it souldn;t be the nasty grave voice man but she could be a death eater nontheless!