Chapter 12

"Ho-lly?" James croaked as he slowly lifted his head and winced at the tiny light she still held in her hand, "What…are…you…doing…here?" For a few seconds she stared at him aghast without answering the question. His arms were pulled apart and fastened to the ceiling with thick rusted chains; he seemed to be hanging his body as he was too weak to stand and his feet trailed on the floor. There were a multitude of open red gashes on his torso which was bare and blood ran freely from many of them especially an angry looking one above his left hip. Discarding the invisibility cloak on the floor Holly dashed forwards and frantically tried to loosen the shackles on his wrists; she was holding back tears as she saw how much pain he was in and touched his body tentatively, afraid to cause any more. "What are you doing here?" he asked again in barely a whisper.

"I came for you," she replied as she finally released one of the chains and slowly let his arm fall to his side; she was holding up his body as it was too much effort for him and it took a few minutes longer for her to free the other arm.

"You shouldn't have come," he went on, "it's dangerous. I told you to get Isabella out."

"James I couldn't leave you," she cried, "I couldn't."

"Thank you," he replied as his other arm was finally released; then he fell to the floor, laid out straight and cried out a little as his cuts scraped on the wood beneath them.

"I need to do something about that," Holly said to him reaching out to touch the deep wound on his side which was oozing blood and making him weaker. "I need to stop it bleeding," she went on. Flinging her cloak over her shoulder, she set to work with her wand trying to staunch some of the blood. However, she had barely even started when a slight shadow fell over them as something, or someone, blocked the limited light that was coming in from outside the stable.

"Holly," James called as a warning; but it was too late. The person who had cast the shadow took just one step forward and grabbed hold of Holly, dragging her to her feet and holding her against his body.

"And somebody comes at last," the man growled angrily. "I think we had better pre-empt what happened last time and get rid of this," he said grabbing the still lit wand out of her hand. "And I'd better take these too," he added as he reached into the inside pocket of her robes and extracted James' wand and the deluminator. "You won't get away so easily this time! Ah," he continued as he held James' wand up in one hand and felt it tug in his direction, "so this is how you found us this time, a good old wand tracker spell. Still it got you here but I doubt anyone else knows where you are, do they?" he cackled in her ear as he pulled her right against his body and slid his hand down her side. "Came up here all alone, trying to play the hero; well you might just have opened up a whole new channel for us so perhaps I ought to say thank you!" He laughed loudly again as Holly tried to squirm against him. "Tasty little wench you got here Potter," he spat as he held her fast to stop her wriggles and then let his hand crawl back up her body heading for her ample busom, "might be nice to have a go while we're waiting down here for your Ministry lot!"

"Get...away from…her," James tried to shout but in his weakened state it sounded feeble and the man just laughed raucously and touched Holly's breast. She bit back the gasp she wanted to make as she knew James at least would not be able to see from his position and Holly didn't want to give him a reason to try and get up to fight.

"Maybe later," he cackled shoving her away from him and across the room with such force that she fell a few feet away from James and scraped her arms on the rough floor. "I got to let my master know who we got down here with the auror. Now that there's a civilian hostage they might be more inclined to bargain with us!" Then with a resounding slam he closed the door to the tiny stall and both James and Holly heard a rusty lock slide over on the outside.

There was a fraction of light filtering under the wooden door but it took Holly's eyes a while to get used to it and find her way back to James who was still in the same position on the floor. "Holly," he croaked again, "you shouldn't have come; this is not the place for you."

"Neither is it the place for you," she sobbed as she followed his voice and finally touched him. "I came for you James because I love you and I couldn't just leave you and wait for the Ministry to do nothing. Now, I still need to do something about your side. What did they do to you?" she asked again.

"They apparated me straight out of that house to here," he began as she started to rip material from the hem of her cloak so she could stuff it against the wound before wrapping some other pieces around his body to hold them in place. "They fastened me up there and then…sectumsempra," he added quietly and she gasped. "A…a few times before they used crucio," he finished remembering the intense pain of the awful curse. "They were angry that you and Isabella had got away," he continued, "because they knew the ministry would not bow to their demands for me, an auror," he admitted. "So they took it out on me while they thought about their next move."

"Oh James," she wept when she had finally finished bandaging him up; without a wand she could do nothing more and it was all she knew how to do without magic. In the darkness she tried to at least dab some of the other wounds and though he bit back every gasp she knew he was hurting considerably. Eventually she stopped and moved to sit beside him on the floor; it was cold and very damp and Holly could feel it getting into her bones. As she sat silently beside him she felt James start to shiver "You're cold," she whispered feeling suddenly afraid for him. It was cold and damp where they were but she knew the shivering could also be due to his loss of blood; desperate to keep him as warm as possible she opened the shirt she was wearing and pulled his bare torso against her own wrapping her arms around his back and flinging her cloak over them both.

"What are you doing?" he asked in a trembling voice; he still could not stop shivering as he spoke.

"I'm sharing my body heat with you," she replied as she leaned her head onto his shoulder. "I need to keep you warm," she went on gently rubbing his arms and breathing on his neck heavily. The feel of her was light and made James forget everything they had been through for a while as he allowed himself to think about his wife; he was weak and needed comfort and he knew she must still have felt something for him to have come to try and save him.

"How…did…you find…me?" he stuttered, "I heard him say something about a wand tracker spell."

"Your Aunt Hermione did it, at the Burrow. She performed this really dangerous spell which she did once before when they were looking for your Dad; it…it almost killed her before and…" she paused, not sure whether she should add to his pain but she decided to tell the truth, "it wiped her out."

"What…what do you mean?"

"When she had finished the spell she was knocked unconscious and…and…I don't know what happened to her." She heard James gasp and continued hurriedly, "Everyone rushed her upstairs and your Mum went to take care of her but…but I couldn't stand to wait; I had a way to get to you and…and…I took the wand. I apparated back to the house and got your firebolt which I used to follow your wand; it was stupid of me I know, I realise now that I should have waited for your father, let him come too then there would have been at least two of us and…and…I'm so stupid."

"Holly, you are not stupid; you are brave and kind and…thank you," he said quietly.

"For getting us both trapped in here? How is this going to help?" she replied sounding angry at herself, "I've just made things worse; Beerney still won't give them what they want, we already know that; and the aurors will never find us here!" she cursed.

"We'll find a way out Holly, I promise. How…how was Isabella?" he asked trying to control his voice as he thought about his lovely daughter.

"Feeling guilty, she's blaming herself because you were caught and-"

"Then we have to get out," he interrupted resolutely, "I won't have her feeling guilty because of me Holly, I won't."

"But what can we do?" she asked.

"We need to feel around the room to see if there is anything we could use to knock out the oaf when he comes back."

"What if he doesn't come back?" she gasped.

"He will; they don't know that Beerney isn't going to give in; they knew he wouldn't do it for me but now they have you they'll want to keep you…alive at least. He'll come with water and food, eventually. Help me up and let's see if we can find anything."

"No," Holly said vehemently, "you need to rest, wrap yourself up in this," she continued sliding out of the cloak and rebuttoning her shirt, "you need to stay warm and strong James; you need to be well for your children." He did as she commanded and sat in the middle of the room listening as she moved around it feeling her way along the floor and the walls searching desperately for anything she might be able to use. She stumbled over the uneven floor and cried out when she twisted on her bad ankle again but she ignored the pain and carried on touching the wooden walls of the stall.

"Anything?" James asked hopefully after she had been searching for a while.

"No," she admitted quietly, "the place is completely empty."

"Keep looking," he encouraged knowing they could not give up hope yet. He listened as she continued to move around and then held his breath when he heard her stumble again on something and curse under her breath. "Are you alright?" he asked concernedly.

"Yes," she replied, "I just caught my foot on something."

"What is it?" he asked.

"I don't know," she answered sitting on the damp floor and reaching out to feel whatever it was she had stubbed her toe on. "It feels like something metal," she continued and then she gasped.

"What?" James called holding his breath again.

"It's a horseshoe," she replied. "A metal horseshoe," she went on sounding excited, "and a heavy one!"

"Perfect," he said to her as she began to feel her way back to where he sat in the middle of the room.

"What do I do with it?" she asked.

"I'll use it to-"

"No James, you are too weak. You have to let me," she murmured when she reached him.

"When he comes in," he began with a sigh, feeling completely useless, as she sat by his side again and slid her arms around his body carefully, "you need to try and get him at the top of his neck, behind his head. Hit him hard Holly and he'll be knocked unconscious."

"What if it doesn't work?" she asked in a slightly panicky voice, deciding to do something and actually doing it were two different things and she knew it could all go disastrously wrong if she didn't hit the right spot. "What if I don't hit him in the right place or…or he sees what I'm going to do; what if I can't do it right?"

"Holly," he whispered gently leaning back to try and look at her, "you'll do it; I believe in you."

For hours they sat on the damp floor in the dark room feeling the cold seep into their very bones; they didn't talk but Holly continued to hold her husband against her body and eventually he stopped shivering. They had not spoken for a while and Holly had simply listened to his breathing, making sure it was staying regular. "Holly," James whispered after a while, "I feel sleepy." Her arms were still around his body and they were hunched over one another but at his words she moved back and lifted his head which drooped as soon as she moved away.

"James, you have to stay awake," she replied fretfully; she was afraid of what would happen if he fell asleep because she knew he was still bleeding from the wound she had bandaged earlier. His breathing had become shallower as the day had gone on and she was deathly afraid that he might not wake up. "You have to try James, please," she begged.

"I'm so cold and so tired," he said as she thrust him against her body again and rubbed his arms vigorously; she heard him gasp as she caught his wounds but knew at least that pain might keep him awake so she continued against his protests.

"James please, promise me you'll stay awake, promise me," she shouted as she heard his breathing slow even more.

"I…don't know if…I can," he muttered.

"You have to try James, for me; please, you have to try."

"Hmmm," he murmured drowsily.

"Talk to me James; tell me about Isabella or Daniel; tell me a story, something we did…together."

"I…I," he stuttered but she could feel his body slipping down in hers as he succumbed to the sleep.

"James," she shrieked and he jumped up, "James, talk to me please I-" She stopped suddenly as she heard a noise from outside. There were footsteps echoing from the other side of the door and with a gasp she felt around for the horseshoe she had placed close by her side and reluctantly left James in the middle of the floor as she heard the bolt on the door being dragged back. It was obviously heavy and took the jailer a few seconds to fiddle with which gave her time to hide behind it with her weapon. The door slowly started to creak open and a feint light filtered into the room; holding her breath Holly watched as the burly man lumbered into the room and stopped as he saw just James laid sleeping on the floor. Pulling his wand from his robes he held it aloft and was about to turn around and search for her when she brought the heavy metal object down on the back of his neck right where James had told her to.

There was a sickening cracking sound as it made contact with its target and with a dull, "dugh," sound the man slumped forwards onto the floor landing only inches from James with a thud. Holly exhaled and stared at him laying completely still on the floor; she was afraid to move in case it hadn't worked and he was only pretending but knew she had to get James out and soon. With incremental steps she moved towards the heavy set man laid face down on the floor; upon impact with the floor his wand had flown from his hand and she reached out for it tentatively not allowing herself to breathe properly until she had it in her hand.

"Incarcerous," she called pointing the wand at its owner. A few ropes flew from the end and wrapped themselves around the man on the floor. It was not the most effective spell as it wasn't her wand but it would keep him tied up long enough for them to get away. "James," she cried dropping to the floor by his side and shaking him forcefully, "James wake up; you have to wake up; we need to get out of here."

"Hmm," he moaned as his eyes briefly opened and then closed again.

"James, please," Holly wept as she shook him again, "wake up." With another energetic shake she managed to rouse him from sleep and his eyes blinked open. "We have to get out of here James; I have his wand," she explained holding it up and nodding at the unconscious heap near his feet. "Can you get up?"

"I don't…know," he croaked sounding weaker than he had all day and she yanked on his arm desperate to get him moving. It took a while but she managed to get him to his feet and propped him up using herself to take his weight; he felt floppy and she was afraid that now they had a chance to go they would not be able to use it. It took a few minutes for them to reach the door and feeling worried but exasperated she stopped and said, "Do you think we could apparate?"

"Maybe," James croaked, "they…have…our wands so…no need for protections."

"Will I be able to without my own wand?" she asked knowing she would need to side along apparate James without causing any splinching.

"Yes," he uttered. "But not far; not…with me," he gasped, "harder with two…and not your wand. Any…idea where… we are?"

"Just hold onto me," she said as a place came into her mind and she held him tight as she turned on the spot and tried to apparate out of the mine.

James had been right; they had not put anti-apparition wards over the mine and a few seconds later they landed on top of a familiar wind swept rocky outcrop near the sea. James fell to the floor as soon as they landed and she gasped when he slid from her arms; glancing at his face she could see he was still conscious but very weak. He was blinking slowly and his eyes looked a little unfocused so she fell to her knees at his side and attempted to treat the wound on his side which she had been unable to treat before. The strips of cloth from the hem of her robes were completely soaked in blood now and as she painstakingly removed them she saw that it was still gushing. She used the wand in her hand to try and seal the gash but as it was unfamiliar to her she was unable to complete it properly; parts of it sealed but it was still bleeding when she had finished and she didn't know what to do next.

"James," she shouted as she saw his eyes flutter again, "can we move again?"

"I can't," he said shaking his head very slowly as she moved to the top of his body and put his head into her lap and desperately looked around hoping she could find a way of getting help. Using the little energy he had left James glanced at their surroundings and a half smile formed on his lips as he recognised the place where they had got married and the place they had had their first proper date. "Why…here?" he asked trying to smile up at her; there were tears in her eyes as she glanced back down and she was frantically trying to decide what to do.

"First place I thought of," she whispered smiling back at him.

"Thank you," he said quietly.

"Listen James do you think we can move anywhere else? Anywhere nearer to home?" Holly asked lifting up his head and holding it off the rocks.

"N…not without…de…lu…min..a…tor," he croaked breathlessly.

"I should go and get help; I'll get your father; he can apparate you properly to-" she went on frantically starting to get up but he interrupted her and with a weak hand grabbed her arm.

"No…can't, Ho…lly…stay with me," he whispered and she looked down on him with terrified eyes.

"James, I have to get help," she pleaded.

"No…Holly," he whispered with great effort, "I…I need to say something…I need…to-"

"Save your strength James," Holly started to whimper holding back the tears which were threatening to fall from her eyes he was talking as if it was the end and she refused to think like that.

"No…" he said back as vehemently as he could manage, "I need…I need to…to say…I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" she gulped forcing back the drops filling her eyelids.

"For not giving up sooner…for not seeing how…how…important you…you and…and the children were," he breathed. "I should have…stopped…long…time…ago."

"James, it doesn't matter," Holly sobbed, "not now, not anymore; we just need to get you home and get you healed."

"Too…too late," he murmured and she shook her head. "Thank you Holly…for…for…everything," he finished as his eyes slowly closed again.

"James," she said when he did not open them again and she shook him a little expecting them to spring back straight away but they didn't. "James," she repeated loudly shaking his whole body as she had done in the mine, "James wake up; you have to stay awake.

"James," she screamed again when he still did not open them; her heart had plummeted and she was suddenly deathly afraid, "please James, please wake up." The tears she had kept at bay started to fall uncontrollably down her face as she moved from his head and tried to shake his body; it was limp and she could not get him to open his eyes at all. Trying unsuccessfully for a another few minutes she wept and wept repeating his name over and over until eventually she fell onto his chest. "James please wake up; you have to stay with me; the children need you…" she sobbed before adding in a louder voice, "…I need you," as she gave in to the body wracking sobs that she could not contain anymore.