Chapter 7

"Daniel," Ginny shouted turning to the eldest of the group, "did you see any of this?"

"It was while he was hiding," Arthur answered for him. "I hid in the bush over there and I watched her; I wanted to ask her where she was going but I didn't want Millie to find me," he explained.

"Arthur are you sure?" Ginny asked dropping down to his level; she could see Holly's panic get into full flow and the distraught woman stood up holding her hand at her throat.

Inside her head Holly could hear every thump that her heart made; she could feel the blood pumping around her veins as she thought about what her son was saying; Isabella wouldn't leave the garden with someone, not unless it was someone that she knew; but then she had been so angry with her mother for the last few days maybe someone had called and she pretended to have told her. "Could…could James have come for her?" Holly suggested trying desperately to find any explanation that didn't say she had left with a stranger.

"He…he wouldn't," Ginny said, "not without telling you."

"Then…then…Isabella," she screamed dropping to her knees on the grass; the triplets watched on completely unaware of how serious this was but Daniel understood and as he watched his mother dissolve into tears he too felt droplets of water start to trickle down his face.

"Is…Isabella?" he asked looking up at his grandmother who bent down to Holly and tried to bring her back to her feet.

"Holly," she whispered trying to keep her own feelings of dread and panic in check as she attempted to get the girl and her children into the house. "We need to go and see James," she finished and Holly nodded looking up at her mother in law with a face which had instantly drained of colour. She ushered the children into the house and over to the fireplace where she instructed Daniel to jump in and floo with Arthur to Grimmauld Place. Picking up Ellie she passed her to her mother who suddenly seemed to be in a complete daze and said sternly, "Holly take her with you." She reached out for her youngest and stepped into the fireplace robotically as Ginny reached down for Millie, enfolded her in her arms and flooed back to her own home.

In the kitchen at Grimmauld Place she found the children standing bewildered in the middle of the room by themselves and she could hear Holly desperately screaming her son's name from the hallway. Dropping Millie on the floor with her siblings and instructing them to stay there she ran out of the kitchen doorway and saw Holly dashing up the stairs to the first floor of the house, "James," she shouted frantically. Harry and Lily dashed out of the living room on the first floor and peered over the banister at the desperate girl as James stumbled out of his room on the landing above. "James," she called again when she saw him then she dashed up the second set of stairs as Ginny reached her husband. "Isabella," she panted when she reached him, "someone's taken her."

"What?" James barked blinking rapidly and staring at his distraught wife.

"Someone's taken her," she cried, "from the garden; Arthur says she opened the gate to a man and went with him," she dissolved into tears again at these words and James dragged her into his arms; whatever was going on between them he pushed aside as he tried to process the information she had just bombarded him with.

"She was in the garden?" he asked as Holly stood up on her own two feet again.

"Ginny and I were talking in the living room and I left the children to play. At some point she went out to the garden and Arthur says he watched her go," she began to explain. "God this is all my fault," she suddenly shrieked, "I should have stayed in the garden with them. I should have been watching them."

"Holly," James shouted, "this is not your fault; we have always left them to play in the garden alone; it is safe, we made it safe. Are you sure Arthur isn't confused?" he asked desperate not to believe what his wife was saying.

"She isn't in the house and he said he watched her open the gate to someone and leave."

"Isabella knows she shouldn't open the gate to strangers; surely she wouldn't…"

"But she's angry with us James, she's angry with me; what if someone came, someone called to her and she left out of spite, not realising what she was doing?"

"She…she," James stuttered but he couldn't find any other explanation for it and as he looked at his terrified wife he started to realise that something terrible had happened; someone had taken his daughter and he had absolutely no idea who, or why.

"What do we do?" Holly sobbed wiping tears from her eyes and falling forward.

She could barely hold herself up and as James enfolded her again in his arms he dropped his chin on top of her head and said honestly, "I don't know."

"James," Harry shouted dashing up the stairs to the upper landing and touching his shoulder, "you need to tell Beerney; you need to get someone out there to find her," he explained falling back on his auror training to stop himself from dissolving. "Go to the ministry and tell him what has happened; Lily will take the children to the Burrow and then we'll wait here."

Nodding his head at his father he released his wife but grabbed her hand and tugged her in the direction of the stairs; they ran down them swiftly and entered the kitchen to find their four other children standing there looking confused; Daniel was upset but the younger ones hadn't understood what had happened. "Arthur," James said dropping to his height and taking his hands. As he had released Holly's she had suddenly felt alone and wanted his comfort again but she stood back and watched as he questioned their son. "Did you see who Isabella went out with?" he asked trying to keep it light and not panic or upset the child who slowly nodded his head.

"It was a man," he replied.

"Did you see what he looked like?"

"No," he answered shaking his head, "he had a cloak on but I saw his beard it was black and grey and really long," he went on. "Has Isabella run away?" he asked in a curious tone.

"No Sweetheart," James said, "she's just gone out for a little while but Mummy and I need to know who she went with because we…we…" he looked to his wife for help and she dropped down to his level too gathering up Millie and Ellie as she did so.

"Silly Mummy forgot to tell Daddy who Isabella was going to a…a party with, it's Rosemarie's birthday," she lied, "and I can't remember who's Daddy was calling for her that's all."

"It wasn't Rosemarie's Daddy," Arthur said matter of factly.

"No, we know that," she said softly.

"Will she come home if we don't know who's Daddy she went with?"

"Of course she will," James answered, "we're going to go to the…party right now and check who's bringing her home. Can you three go with Daniel to the Burrow and wait for us there?"

"Yes Daddy," they answered in unison turning to look up at Lily who had entered the room behind them.

"Good, Aunt Lily's going to take you and Roberto's going too," he added trying to keep his tone of voice light; he wasn't sure telling them that Isabella was at a party had been the right thing to do but they wouldn't understand the truth.

Lily held out a hand and Ellie took it leading the others over to the fireplace with Roberto, "You wait here and I'll take you one at a time," she explained jumping into the fireplace with Roberto and disappearing with one last glance at her brother and his crumbling wife.

"Isabella's not at a party is she?" Daniel asked in a trembling voice when the triplets had walked away.

Holly and James looked at each other seeking confirmation as to whether to tell him the truth or not and James stepped towards him. "Daniel, you are a grown up boy now and we can tell you the truth," he had to swallow over the lump in his throat for his next words but managed to continue. "We don't know who Isabella has gone with but I promise you we are going to find her." His son's face had gone pearly white and James could see he was holding back tears, "Listen though, I need you to do Mummy and I a huge favour," he went on glancing at Holly who was also trying to keep her face from showing how truly terrified she was. "We need you to look after the triplets at Nanna Weasley's house," he went on. "Try to keep them busy and out of her way but don't tell them what we told you; they won't really understand and they will get too upset; do you think you can do that for us?"

"Yes Daddy," Daniel replied puffing out his chest and trying to look proud and grown up for his father; the gesture brought a tear to Holly's eyes and she had to reach out and hug him tightly before Lily beckoned for him from the fireplace as he was the last one to floo out of the house.

"You be a big boy now for Mille and Ellie and Arthur," she said as she let him go over to his Aunt and she bit back another sob as he whirled out of view looking worried but brave. When he had gone Holly collapsed onto a chair at the kitchen table and James instinctively flew to her side dropping a hand on her shoulder. She welcomed the touch and reached her hand up to his so he held it tight as she asked, "What do we do now?"

"We go to Beerney," James announced and she looked up at him with doleful eyes; his heart almost broke again as he reached out for her face with his other hand. "We'll find her," he added as he cupped her cheek and she leaned into him desperate for contact with someone, with him.

Holly jumped up and James grabbed her hand again pulling her towards the front door of the house, "We should apparate; the floo will be tied up at this time and the atrium will be packed. I can get straight into my office now," he announced knowing full well that Holly knew about the security changes at the Ministry which had happened since she had given up work; however explaining his every move seemed to be helping and she did not comment at all. Without even thinking about it James wrapped his arms around Holly when they were on the front steps of Grimmauld Place and side along apparated her to his office at the Ministry.

When they landed she clung on to him for a moment trying to compose herself before they went to speak to the head of department but as she finally stepped away from him James glanced at his desk and saw a small owl holding a scroll of parchment in its claws bearing his name. It was hunched up comfortably waiting silently for him and James wondered how it had actually managed to get into his office. All mail coming to the auror office was delivered to the central mail system and it was rare that a live owl got through these days. Before leaving the room to locate his boss James took the parchment from the unruffled bird and unfurled it. As he started to read the animal simply sat on the desk hooting quietly and watched him. "What is it?" Holly asked as he scan read it and she watched his face drain of colour. "James?" she asked when he looked at her and tried to curl it up, "Is it…is it about Isabella?"

"Holly," he said trying to keep control of his voice which was threatening to break.

"It is isn't it?" she gasped flying towards him but he grabbed hold of her hands and held her back. The parchment folded against her wrist as he held her back but she screamed at him, "James, what is it? Show me, show me what's in there."

"Holly, please calm down," he said slowly as she tried to wrestle herself away from him.

"I can't calm down," she sobbed, "show me what it says; she's my daughter too James, show it to me," she demanded wrenching herself away from him with a tremendous effort and grabbing the parchment in one hand. He reached out for her again but she evaded him and pulled the scroll open; James just stood and watched knowing he could not keep it from her anyway as she quickly read the first few words on the page. The more she read the wider her eyes grew and as she let it fall to the floor in horror he stepped towards her, "N..no," she uttered, "no…not…not Isabella, she's just a child, she's just…" But no more words came as a guttural moan escaped from her mouth instead and she stumbled forwards, "Isabella," she cried as he started to sob again too and pulled her once more into his strong arms.

For a moment she tried to fight him; tried to hit out at him to release some of her pain but as mournful sobs wracked her body she stopped pounding his chest and he held her tight allowing his own tears to fall again. "I'll get her back Holly, I promise. This is all my fault and I'll get her back," he crooned as he realised this was the third time somebody he loved had been taken from him and it was three times too many.