"The parents have been contacted, the ministry is aware and more aurors are on their way now." It was a voice I didn't recognize, speaking to another unknown.
"Excuse me please minister, I have a patient in there." the nurse pushed the curtain aside and smiled gently at me. "Ah you're awake dearie! You gave us quite the fright when we found you." she continued speaking cheerily, but there was a nervousness in her voice. She busied about checking on me, but I was unsure what to say, I was still trying to process what had happened the night before. "You will have some bruising but the majority of your injuries were quick fixes."
"I need to talk to my parents." I said finally rubbing my forehead and making a move to get out of the bed.
"Just stay put Miss, all of the parents have been contacted and the fireplaces will be open any minute now." she patted my hand and then moved out between the curtains pausing just outside.
"She is awake." I heard her say to the figures who had been waiting continuing their conversation outside the curtains.
"Thank you." at her words two gentlemen came up the the bed as the nurse pushed back the curtains, apparently I was well enough to be visible again. Perhaps it was just more that I was awake and aware of my surroundings that gave way to the curtains being opened.
"Miss Zabini, I want to offer my apologies for the horrendous situation you had to go through last night." Cornelius Fudge said slowly pausing many times as if thinking over his words.
"Thank you, I guess." I said narrowing my eyes slightly at the man who looked almost confused and nervous before me.
"I just want to get a few details about your attackers."
"They were death eaters!" I interjected quickly, "Voldemort sent them." I finished watching an immediate shudder pass through him.
"We supposed as much, did you hear any mention of why?" he asked
"No, there was too much happening." I said slowly, I pushed through the memories to see if I had heard anything, nothing of his whereabouts, only that perhaps he would want me as a death eater and that thought revolted me.
"Did you see any faces, hear any names?" he asked again, once more I searched my brain though I knew the answer without thinking, no I hadn't heard any names or seen any faces, and that was more frightening, they could have been anyone.
"No, unfortunately I did not." I said, their faces pinched tighter with worry and fear.
"Well thank you anyways Miss Zabini, get rested, you are safe now." the other man spoke before both he and the minister strode off and away.
I felt bad that I couldn't be of more help, but I couldn't help what I had seen and heard, or rather what I had not seen and heard. I couldn't be of any help, but all I wanted was to see my parents, to see my brother. I heard their voices before I saw them, questioning where I was and then their quick steps before they finally appeared to my view. It was as if all my muscles had been waiting to see their faces before relaxing. The burned fell from my shoulders and I half breathed, half cried in a sigh of relief. Safety wrapped it's self around me along with their arms as they embraced me.
"Mum! Dad!" I whispered loudly burying myself into their arms tears leaking from my eyes.
"Blair sweetheart you're alright! You're alright!" My mother pushed me back her eyes filled to the brim with tears as she took me in. Scanning my face and brushing my hair back, tears pushing down her cheeks.
"Mum I'm fine, I promise" I said though I was still shook up and a little sore from the nights events.
"The teachers said you were in the middle of the fight, that you spoke to them, defied them." my father said his words spoken with a sense of almost awe. I could tell that while he was worried he was still proud of me.
"I did father." I said slowly, while he was proud of me I knew he probably also found me stupid for attempting to take on wizards and no doubt some witches twice my age. Wizards who were skilled in and unafraid to use dark magic, the forbidden curses.
"You should have hidden yourself away, protected yourself, I don't know what I would have done had this turned out worse." My father said, nodding her agreement. "That being said, I am proud of your strength against them." I smiled, despite having been out cold for the past who knows how long, a tiredness grew heavy on me.
"Edward, have Lulu gather her things and bring them back to the mansion." The worry in my mother's eyes had yet to fade, she seemed on edge as if any thing could make her snap.
"But mother the year isn't over just yet, I have at least three more weeks, I haven't even started exams, and I have work due." I began, worried about my school work for the time being. Staying and finishing was priority, I knew that the ministry wouldn't let anything happen here now.
"Sweetheart, the school is closing early, there is nothing for you to worry about." My father said, the idea seemed ludicrous, the school closing early, exams unfinished, curriculum still mere inches from the finish line. There wouldn't be much that would be left uncovered, perhaps it was right, right to keep students safe, keep them home with their families who would all be filled with indescribable fear and horror at the thought of their children facing death eaters.
"Get her home Victoria, I'm going to get Blaise for the weekend." my father said giving me a tight hug before moving quickly away. The news that he was going to get Blaise was an enormous relief, I wanted to see him more than anyone else now. My twin gave me a strange amount of comfort and I had missed him tremendously. It didn't take long for me to get out of the bed and be released by the nurse, and in what seemed like no time at all we were in the fireplace and whisked away to the drawing room of my home. The familiar sights and smells brought even further relief into my tired frame. It felt like an eternity between now and the time I had spent fighting death eaters the night before. The situation almost felt like a dream, like it hadn't been real, but the aches in my body let me know it had been very real, too real.
"Blair you go upstairs and get into bed, I'll send Lulu up with a nice hot drink. You get some rest and I'll come see you in a little while." My mother said, kissing my forehead and holding me back as if to make sure I was really there.
"Where are you going, mother?" I asked, I wasn't afraid but I was curious if she had plans to be somewhere.
"I have to go speak with Narcissa, she will want to know about this." She told me, brushing my hair out of my eyes, she seemed even more nervous than before at the words.
"Mother, this means what Harry Potter has been saying is true, he's back." I said, bringing up Harry Potter was not something that was done often in our home. My parents still had many friends who had only superficially severed ties with the dark lord, in their minds blood supremacy still reigned.
"You don't know that honey." my mother said almost scolding, her words were surprising, it was as if she knew something that I didn't. The tremble in her voice, the fear, something was seriously wrong.
"But…"
"No buts! I need to see Narcissa." she said again, though this time she spoke more to herself than to me.
"How do you plan on doing that without seeing Lucious?" I asked. Narcissa Malfoy was a quiet woman, a close friend of my mothers, and Draco her son was my brothers best friend. However, her husband Lucious was a proud blood purist, he always gave me a bad feeling. He was cold, demeaning and almost vicious. If the way he treated people around him was calculating, he was always looking out for what would serve him best, I didn't like him and I knew my mother felt the same.
In the time it took my mother to answer my question, I could tell she was trying to think of something herself.
"I'll owl her to come here instead, now you go, you need rest and care, to your room." she said attempting to shoo me off.
"Draco isn't coming is he?" I asked trying to mask the distaste in my voice, I did not get along well with my brothers best friend. He took pleasure in teasing and tormenting me, and Blaise had joined in, driving a slight wedge between us.
"Maybe." She told me unsure herself, I hadn't seen him in almost two years but the memories of his tormenting me were as vivid as the days when he would ruthlessly tease me. "Now to bed." she pulled me into one last hug before pushing me off toward the stairs
The manor home was the same as it had always been with my mothers specific style it always felt more homey and comfortable than other manors I had visited. My mother had grown up in a cold manor home, she spoke of rooms where she was only allowed to perch on edges of the furniture, rooms she was never allowed to enter. It was a place where she never felt free to be a child or even live, it was not a home. So she had been determined to make our manor feel like a home a place where Blaise and I could feel comfortable to live and play. I was still in the same clothes from the day before, they felt dirty and heavy, I could see blood on my sleeve and I wanted more than anything to get out of the clothes and into something more comfortable. The room was full of mid afternoon light, having been untouched for months it was clean, and thanks to the house elves my belongings had already arrived. The sound of the tub filling brought me out of my observations and ushered me toward the closet to find the clothes I would need. I heard the faint sound of water splashing in the bathroom, the tub was being filled, Lulu knew me all to well. It was something I hadn't even realized I needed. The bath would help sooth my aching muscles and bruised body. I finally stripped down and slipped down almost to my eyes into the large tub, sighing contentedly as the warm water met my skin. Closing my eyes I simply sat for the longest time not thinking of anything just perfectly relaxed trying to fend of cold memories of the night before. Eventually my tiredness won over and I pulled myself out of the soothing water to dry off and take a rest. Grabbing my wand off of the counter I preformed a quick drying spell, and began pulling on my comfy clothes. The curtains were drawn in my room so that I could relax and try to sleep off the exhaustion I felt. I pulled the covers up to my chin feeling safe in my own home and I drifted off to sleep. My dreams were filled with masked men, dodging spells and fear. I tossed and turned desperately trying to escape the world of dreams but held hostage by the sleep my body needed.
(Blaize's POV)
I pushed the door to the Slytherin common room open slowly, there was a weight on me that I couldn't explain and I couldn't shake off no matter how I tried. The feeling had distracted me all through class and made it almost impossible to eat dinner.
"Anything wrong mate?" Draco asked seeing the look on my face, deciding to skip staying the common room, and instead headed up to our dorm, but I just couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.
"Not really I just, I feel like something bad is going to happen. I'm worried about Blair." I finished running my hands through my short black hair, knowing that he would understand enough not to say anything.
"Blair? What do you mean?" he asked, I could tell by the way he asked that he seemed to believe me and I lightened up, sitting on my bed, Draco had done the same, tossing his robes off and laying across it in a bored sort of manner.
"I don't know, maybe it's a twin thing, but I just feel like she's in some sort of danger." I finished the short explanation looking off to the side for a moment wondering what was going on, then back to Draco to see what he thought.
"She's at Beauxbatons, did she write you a letter or something?" he asked, he seemed concerned but I couldn't tell if it was more for me or for Blair. Draco and Blair hadn't ever really gotten along, in fact their relationship had been so terrible growing up that I was sure it had something to do with why she went to Beauxbatons in the first place.
"No she didn't write, its just a feeling." I shook my head trying to shake the feeling, it was nothing Blair was fine, she had always been alright there and she would still be fine now.
"You're loosing it man!." He let out a chuckle smiling to him self pulling at his tie.
"No I'm not, maybe I should write her." I asked said, though I wasn't sure if that would help with my uneasy feeling or not.
"Should we go to the owlery?" he asked with a slight smirk on his face, I assumed he was just bored and was using that as an excuse to get me to leave the dorm, but it was a thought. Maybe I really should just write her a quick letter, then she would write back and I would know she was okay.
"Yeah, give me a minute." I replied searching for my bag, as I found it I pulled out a small piece of parchment and began to write.
Blair,
I got your last letter, things are going great here at Hogwarts, I miss you too. I have a lot of homework so I'll have to write more later. Just be careful Blair. Be careful.
Blaise
It was a quick note, mostly true and enough to hopefully get a response, I too ditched my robes and followed Draco out the door and up out of the dungeons. There weren't many people out today, and I didn't blame them, the sky was clouded over and it was just one of those days, it was a day that matched the feeling of unease I felt.
"Mr. Malfoy." Professor McGonagall's voice caused us both to turn and look at the teacher who had stopped us halfway up the marble stairs.
"Yes Professor?" Draco asked turning around to face her, clearly annoyed but doing his best not to show it.
"Your essay on the transfiguring of animals was brilliant, I'm very proud that you have decided to show a little effort in your studies, 10 points to Slytherin." She told him, with a half smile adding the points quickly then disappearing as quickly as she appeared.
"Good job Draco, where'd you pull that essay from." I chuckled at him and shoved him forward; he glared back at me, though only half heartedly.
"I actually paid attention if that's what your asking." He replied coolly before winking at a third year Hufflepuff with long blonde hair that walked by, giggling a bit and blushing she and her friend moved past us and disappeared.
"Do you have to do that?" I asked rolling my eyes after the incident, as we still made our way to the owlery.
"Why not? She was pretty." he said shrugging his shoulders. I shook my head at him, we remained mostly silent for the rest of the trip. Upon arriving at the owlery I called my pitch black eagle owl, he flew quickly down from his perch high above to land dutifully in front of me.
"There you are Soren, take this to Blair." I told the owl after tying the note expertly to his leg and sending him off soaring into the darkened sky towards my sisters leaving Draco and I behind.
"Now what?" he asked looking around the owlery taking in all the owls and hay, it had an odd rather repugnant smell.
"Back to the common room." I replied leading the way back out of the owlery, though the bad feeling remained I felt a little better. My feelings of unease lessened but never fully went away..
"Your right, though I could go find that Hufflepuff." He mussed the thought over in his mind while I just snorted, shaking my head once more at his idiocy, and shoved him forcefully toward the wall.
"Hey." He snapped, but laughing we both dropped it, and once more put up hard exteriors incase anyone happened to be wandering the hall, especially the blasted 'Golden Trio'. The common room was full to bursting, conversations where loud and it was unbearable in the stuffy room, so I simply exited and went to bed early, hoping that everything would be well in the morning.
A yell caused me to bolt upright in my sleep, it was my own a feeling of terror had gripped me so strongly and I was sweating profusely.
"Blaise, what's wrong?" Draco called groggily, a few others stirring, I hear a few mutterings about what was going on. I couldn't respond, I knew without a doubt that something was wrong with Blair, something not very very wrong.
"It's Blair, something really wrong!" I pushed back the covers and ran down to pace about in the common room, Draco following sleepily behind me. I paced back and forth in front of the fire gripped with fear which then faded simply to worry for what felt like hours. Draco went in and out of sleep on the couch beside me. Eventually other Slytherins came traipsing down the stairs for breakfast and Draco woke and just watched me for a while. When I finally sat we stayed in silence for a while until Professor Snape pushed into the room quickly.
"Mr. Zabini, Mr. Malfoy." Snape said quickly, I looked up quickly and stood, hoping perhaps it was news of Blair.
"Yes Professor?" I said quickly, Snape looked grave and almost concerned, instantly I tensed waiting for whatever news he would break.
"Come with me now. Your parents are here you are going home for a bit. It's your sister." His words seemed to douse my entire body in ice, something had happened to Blair, would she be alright. I followed quickly behind Snape not worrying about anything other than what happened to Blair.
"Mate, Wait up!" I heard Draco yell, following after me, he had been slower than me but my only desire now was to get to my parents and see what had happened. Draco had caught up to me and we burst into the great hall startling my father who was waiting for us.
"Father, what's happened?" I gasped out the question standing in front of him, I could tell by the look on his face that it wasn't good news and something had happened the night before.
"Last night, Death Eaters under order of the Dark Lord attacked Beauxbatons School" my father seemed stressed as he spoke the words and I blanched Blair had been in trouble. "Many of the staff are injured a few killed, many students were also injured." I interrupted at that point.
"What about Blair? Is she alright?" the desperate pleading in my voice was eminent but my father held up a hand for me to wait.
"Blair is fine, though she is lucky." my father said.
"What do you mean?" I asked quickly, Draco was silent beside me.
"I will explain everything when we get to the manor, Draco your mother is there waiting for us as well, let's go." my father finished. Relief filled me at the fact that Blair was okay but I still wanted to know the whole story. Though our connection had waned some in recent years our connection as twins was strong enough for me to be aware of danger surrounding her, I only wished there was more I could have done.