Chapter 24

Finding You...

She took the first boat to Ireland, not knowing exactly why, but something was telling her to listen to that clerk. Luckily it was leaving in a few hours, and it being the off-season for tourists, there was plenty of room. Hessa tried not to make it obvious when she paid for the passage how much money was in her bag, her father thankfully put some kind of spell on it so only the amount she needed would appear and sighed in relief when she realized it.

Her father was so clever, just as clever as Dumbledore she thought…unfortunately, he too was found dead. When she tried to get into Hogwart's, she was informed that the students were being evacuated because of this, afraid that Draco Malfoy was present in the school. Hessa's eyes turned and started to tear but she forced herself to stop, now wasn't the time for pity, she was still on the run from Draco and could not afford to draw any kind of attention to herself.

"Harry Potter's dead?" someone yelled, it was a young man reading the paper. Everyone passed Hessa to get their own copy. Immediately a woman started to cry and men shook their heads. "What do we do now?" one person asked.

"What can we do, Voldemort's won?" another added.

Hessa looked at them, they were willing to give up, there were more of them then there were of him! It was okay for Harry Potter, a seventeen year-old boy to give his life to fight the great evil, but not them!

Yet she wasn't any better, was she? She could have yelled at them, told them her story, what she saw…but she didn't. In fact, this didn't even feel like her world anymore, there was nothing in it to keep her except Draco, and she just couldn't be a part of it.

The boat was boarding and Hessa was the first one on it with her head down and her hands stuffed in her pockets…tears rolled down her cheeks because it was okay now, everyone would just think it was the bad news of Harry Potter's death. Now…she was heading back to her own world. And when the boat was finally moving and there was no sign of Death Eaters, Hessa fell asleep in the cabin and had no dreams, just the way she needed it.

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Draco searched, but some of the ships had left, head become desperate so the Dark Lord called him back. "But Master…"

"I said, no, Draco. There is no time now, now we must build the world as I have always envisioned it. You may search for your Conk at a later time, but not now."

"Yes, my Lord," inside he wanted to scream.

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Hessa had a few days before they reached shore so she tried to take time to rest, only the Gods knew how long it would take to find the Conk village. It was dinnertime and so she decided to sit in the dining room, even if it was by herself. There was no fear of any Death Eaters because of the protective charms on the boat that a muggle plane wouldn't have…Hessa could eat out in the open without any threat. Besides, being enclosed all the time wasn't good for a person and neither was eating alone.

Eating slowly and purposefully, Hessa admired all the different women in their pretty dresses. She had to admit, she looked a bit shabby right now, but given the circumstances she could care less. Yet, despite the lovely music and candlelight, the air seemed bleak. Perhaps the people knew what was coming and just tried to enjoy what was happening now, perhaps it was Harry Potter's death, but was most likely both.

A man and woman who looked much like Hermione and Ron were dancing together. Hessa looked at them with great sadness until a voice jerked her out of her thoughts. "Are you all right, you look like you've lost your best friend?"

"Friends…actually," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry?"

"Nothing," Hessa stood up.

"Oh, I was wondering if you'd like to dance?"

Meekly smiling at the man she said, "I'm sorry…I don't dance, not anymore," and left. Hessa remembered how Harry danced with her. Sometimes when it was late, he would turn on the record player and dance with her, hug her and say how much he loved her…he wanted to marry her after the war. Now…that would never happen.

In her sleep the man that asked her to dance, grabbed her and changed into Draco, forcing her off the boat…he then led her to 12 Grimmuald Place and she witnessed all of them being slaughtered. Hessa awoke screaming, shaking and eventually headed to the bathroom to throw up. She didn't know why she would remember all that, she hadn't actually witnessed it being done and figured that perhaps she carried her last wizard's memory of what happened…the residual effects of the bond.

There was nothing left to give, and she was so tired. Hessa climbed back into bed and slept soundly and hid the rest of the trip in her cabin, only periodically coming out to get some sun.

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The Ministry was taken over within a few days. Draco had become Voldemort's fierce right hand and earned his name 'The Dragon' amongst those who were his victims. At night, Draco would try and figure out where Hessa had gone, trying to use the former bond they had to do so. The book said it could be done bit it had to be done during certain phases of the moon and he needed something of hers like hair or blood…the vile that Voldemort had, they still had it in storage! Still, it could be tricky, until then he took his anger out on those that opposed Voldemort.

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Finally she had made it safely to Ireland, though she constantly looked over her shoulder just in case. The amulet of her father's started to turn warm against her skin and Hessa knew she was getting close. Instead of taking a taxi, she started to walk. Something told her that it would be easier to find them this way, she might miss something otherwise.

She walked all day, sometimes the amulet would get colder and so she would change direction, but it was getting close to night now. Despite her being in a foreign country by herself, she wasn't really scared, but she did have the feeling of being watched a lot. This person didn't mean her any harm at least, but it was still creepy. Still, Hessa was really too tired to continue any further and started to dig in her bag, her father put a tent in their somewhere…and there it was, it didn't seem like much at first, just a little square, but when it was tossed to the ground, it popped up. Hessa had to admit that she was easily amused when it came to magic, only being able to perform a small amount because of her mother's blood, but nothing as complicated as this. Harry would cause things to fly and transfigure them just to make her happy…

Draco did it too, but secretly because his father frowned on such things.

'Harry,' she thought. Hessa felt so far away from where she had been and it had only been a few days. She bathed and rested but her dreams were restless…Draco was looking for her. She saw him use a pendulum of some kind over a map and he had a vile of her blood…the crystal waved in a circle and then it slammed down on Ireland. 'Oh no…,' she put her hands over her mouth.

"There you are," he purred. Then he looked up as if he saw her…,"Hessa?" She looked around. This wasn't possible was it? Draco had called her to him…she was in her astral form!

"Wake up!" she told herself.

"Hessa! Where are you!" he demanded. "What town! … DAMMIT! TELL ME!" he roared this time. She startled…his temper was fierce and far worse then his father's now…it was the dragon blood in him along with some of Nagini's. Hessa was starting to fade; she was forcing herself to wake up. "NO! YOU COME BACK TO ME, YOU DISOBEDIENT WOMAN!"

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Hessa fell out her bed shaking, the palms of her hands pressed against her eyes…Draco had found her. This had been one nightmare after another, one tear after another…could she fight him anymore? Everything she loved was gone, it felt hopeless finding the city, the amulet was so confusing at times. The wind was blowing hard as Hessa ran outside of the tent…"WHY WON'T YOU REVEAL YOURSELF TO ME! I KNOW YOU'RE THERE! PLEASE…Please…please," she started to sob. "He'll find me….please…," she collapsed to her knees and then curled into a ball.

The rustling of grass…was it Draco? No. She would sense it…heavy footsteps, looking up, her sight was blurry, there were two figures, both male…Death Eaters? No…men, one with long pitch-black hair like hers and pale with crystal blue eyes, the other with long red hair and crystal blue eyes, she scooted back, afraid of them at first.

"Don't be frightened, young one. We are the ones that have been watching, we had to make sure you weren't followed."

Hessa found her voice stuck in her throat.

The red head looked at her, "we've been watching…seeing you grow-up, hoping for a better turn of events, but it does not look good for the wizarding race at this time. We will take you home now, especially since you are no longer bonded to the Dragon-like wizard known as Draco Malfoy." He seemed to huff in disgust.

The black-haired one picked her up, "hello…are you not going to say anything?" Hessa's voice squeaked a bit as if she wanted to, but then she fainted. "Hm, I'm assuming she has been through quite a bit."

"Fair assumption…I still think we should have gotten her when she was at the hotel."

"Marius, you know we had to make sure that Voldemort was not close, nor the others…he'd gotten too close before, nearly missing her in Paris."

"I suppose," he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Let us go, her mother his awaiting her arrival…"