Chapter 26

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The next weeks were quiet ones for the Doctor and Rose, and she felt like she would crawl out of her skin by the time this was over. Donna, hurt and confused by the Doctor's refusal to talk, in turn refused to talk to Rose. With Hermione's war-sharpened nerves, Donna's silent, accusing stare, and the Aurors that shadowed the Doctor's every move, Rose felt like she was going to go mad in short order. If it weren't for Ginny's constant, bubbling joy, the 7th year dorm would've been a miserable place to live. And if she thought she had it bad, the Doctor had it ten times worse.

"They wait outside the bathroom, just standing there until I'm finished." He stood and began to pace in the chilly March air, his breath clouding around him. They were outside, sitting together on a cold stone bench—or they had been, until the Doctor's restless legs got to him. "This isn't protection, it's house arrest."

Rose shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. "I'd say they're just tryin' to keep you safe, but to be honest, that's gettin' pretty old."

He winced and joined her again, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. His voice was muffled against her hair. "They've made a lot of noise about it not being my fault who my parents were, but I haven't been by myself since that night."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "They don't know you like I do. Prob'ly worried that you're all full of blood and anger and revenge or some rot like that."

He sniffed indignantly. "Well I am rather full of breakfast, but that's about the only thing right now." A stone clattered in the corner, where Hopkins' round-faced partner waited. The Doctor sighed. "I miss exploring."

She curled closer. "I know you do. But d'you really want to try to explain how important it is that we go barreling off into the forbidden sections of the castle?"

"Because we want to?"

She snorted. "Try harder, space boy." He flinched, and she could have kicked herself.

"H…how is Donna?"

Rose bit her lip. "Not talkin' to me. Not talkin' to much of anyone that I can see, other than David Morgan."

The Doctor grinned determinedly. "Well that should make her happy, at least."

"Not as far as I can tell." She looked down and cleared her throat. "She misses you."

He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against Rose's hair. "She can't see me, Rose, you know that. She'd get the whole story out of me in a moment, and I don't know what Snape would do to her."

"At worst, erase her memory of it. You're her family, Doctor, and she's hurtin', an' it's not like I can do much good."

"Yes, and what happens after he erases her memory? She'll just try to find out again, and he'd have to do it again, and Merlin knows what would happen. It's better if I stay away from her."

Rose's voice sharpened. "What, like how you decided to stay away from me? Doctor, no matter how little you like it, we care about you, an' we want to be around you." She felt his jaw clench against her temple, and she laid a careful hand on his leg. "No matter who your birth parents were."

His voice was low and tight. "And you know for a fact that won't matter to her, Rose? That she won't flee from the very sight of me?"

Rose straightened and pulled away from him, rolling her eyes. "God, you're melodramatic." She could almost feel his offended stare burning into her, and she turned to look him straight in the eye. "'Course she won't, Doctor. She's your sister, no matter the titles. She grew up with you, watched as you dragged home all the battered and bruised creatures you could find, saw you try to heal them and fail and go out and try again. She knows you." She rested a hand on his chest. "And despite what you think, that doesn't mean she'll hate you."

Footsteps sounded in the corridor, and one of the other Aurors rushed in. "Caleb."

He straightened, walking over after glancing at the Doctor and Rose. "Yes, Ross?"

The younger Auror lowered his voice. "There's been an incident. You should come with me."

He threw the Doctor and Rose a glance before tightening his jaw and following Ross out of the room. The Doctor relaxed suddenly, leaning back with a grin. "Finally."

"What, did you set this up?"

"Hmm? No, I didn't. But I've been hoping something like this would happen for ages."

She grinned, her tongue poking between her teeth. "So, where are we goin', then?"

He waggled his eyebrows at her. "You'll see." He jumped up and grabbed her hand, tugging her behind him. They hurried out into the hallway, and Rose was straightening her jacket when the Doctor pulled her around the corner and down another corridor. Five minutes of dodging other students and teachers later, and he hummed in satisfaction. "There it is." They stood in front of a portrait of a red-haired maiden sitting next to an emerald-colored dragon, her hand resting on its smooth scales. A knight in gleaming armor stood behind them, his white and red tabard shining in the soft sunlight.

Rose cocked her head. "So what is this, the prequel to St. George and the Dragon?"

The maiden raised her head, her eyes flashing indignantly. "Pray do not mention that odious name." The knight scowled behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder. "Sir George, leave us. Your attentions are as unwelcome as they ever were, and Maldric has no need for your ineptitude."

The dragon raised its head and snorted a puff of smoke that enveloped the knight, and he coughed frantically as he stumbled out of the frame. The maiden raised her chin. "He never learns. But tell me, what reasons have you for disturbing our quiet hall?"

The Doctor bowed. "No reason but this: damnant quod non intelligent."

For the first time, she smiled, and her pale face was transformed. "I see. Enter, young ones, and be safe." The portrait creaked off the wall, and the Doctor led Rose through the small door behind it. She gasped as they stepped through—they stood in a small courtyard, but it was utterly different from the courtyard they'd just left behind. A glass ceiling separated them from the outside air, and lush green ivy covered the stone walls. The ancient flagstones were worn smooth by years of use and heavy stone planters were carefully placed around the little courtyard, filled with vibrant blossoms. A small fountain stood in the center, the water crystal clear.

Rose spun to face the Doctor. "What is this place?"

He beamed down at her and took her jacket, tossing it next to his on one of the stone benches. "This, Rose, was the Lady Una's gift to her good friend Rowena Ravenclaw when that lady co-founded Hogwarts. Una was a noted zoologist in her day, and her specialty was the study of dragons. She knew dragons were a misunderstood species, though, and her ex didn't help matters."

Rose's eyebrows drew together. "Her ex?"

"Sir George Dalemore. He wasn't happy when she decided to become a scholar instead of marrying him, so he started a smear campaign." He jerked his head back at the door. "Hence the whole 'St. George and the Dragon' story. It never happened, but he made sure people thought it did. Una's writings were never taken all that seriously after that—too many people were used to thinking of her as the damsel in distress. So she enchanted this courtyard for Hogwarts, and only the people who know her story can get in. A bit petty, maybe, but understandable."

Rose laughed. "Well, good on her. This is gorgeous." She spun to look at him, tilting her head. "How'd you find out about it?"

"First year, I decided to make a project of knowing as much about the portraits as I could. I've got a list somewhere of all the names and stories I've collected, but I misplaced it a while ago and I haven't seen it since." A slow, warm smile grew on his face as he watched her reach out to trail a finger against the brilliantly purple petals of the verbena that spilled out of the heavy planters.

Rose jumped a little as his arms wrapped around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. His breath tickled her ear as he spoke, and she fought off a shiver. "You know what else we haven't been able to do with them breathing down our necks, Rose?"

She closed her eyes and leaned back against him. "What?"

"This." In one quick move he'd shifted from behind her to in front, his arms still steady around her waist to keep her from stumbling. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers, and Rose rocked up on her toes to get closer. After a moment she wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hold herself up—her knees definitely weren't up to the task anymore, not with his tongue carefully caressing her mouth like that.

That was when a glowing silver hawk flowed into the room, hovering in the air in front of them. The Doctor pulled away, panting, and it opened its beak, Celeste Hopkins' voice came out. "Mr. Mott, get out here. We've got things to discuss. I'll be in my office."

He leaned his forehead against Rose's, his eyes shut tight in frustration. "Is it too much to ask that we have a little privacy?" The patronus opened its beak again and repeated the message, and the Doctor scowled at it. "I wasn't asking you a question. We heard you, now go away." It disappeared in a swirl of silver light, and he sighed. "I'm sorry, Rose. You shouldn't have to put up with this."

"Hey, there's one more week until the spring equinox. Remember what Snape said? You stay safe for one more week, and then the deadline's past and the rite will never work."

He groaned and stepped back, running a hand over his face. "Oh, why'd you have to say that? Now something's guaranteed to go wrong." He looked around them at the lovely courtyard and scowled, pulling his jacket on. "I'd better go find Hopkins before she decides to hunt me down."

Rose pulled on her jacket as well, absentmindedly flipping her hair out from beneath the collar. "I'll go with."

He took her hand and sighed. "Right, off to find the beast."

Rose elbowed him lightly. "Oh, come off it. She's not that bad, just… really focused on her job." The Doctor mumbled something, and Rose leaned closer. "Sorry, didn't catch that."

"I said, that's what I'm worried about."

"What d'you mean?"

He stepped out of the portrait and nodded at Lady Una, his mind far away. "Think about it, Rose. Voldemort's dead and gone, but if they perform this rite on me, he's back and everything these people worked for is for moot. What's the one guaranteed way to stop this rite from happening?" He ran a finger across his throat, and Rose paled.

"No, they wouldn't do that. They'd never."

"I might, if it'd stop him from coming back."

She smacked his shoulder and stepped away from him, wrapping her arms around herself. "Don't talk like that."

"Just one life, to keep all the others safe." He swallowed and looked down. "It's almost worse that I totally understand."

Rose shook her head. "Stop that, Doctor. No one's thinkin' of killing you. They're tryin' to keep you safe, remember?"

"They're trying to keep me away from the Death Eaters. I'm not so sure about 'safe'."

They reached the Auror's temporary office and he knocked on the door before she could respond. The muffled voice of Celeste Hopkins told them to come in, and they stepped inside. She was poring over a report before looking up, annoyed. "What did I tell you about staying where we can see you, Mott?"

The Doctor's jaw tightened. "We didn't leave the castle."

"That doesn't mean you're safe." She set the report down and sighed, rubbing her hands over her eyes. "We got a report from the Ministry this morning. They'd been holding Lestrange and Rosier down at headquarters, trying to break through their mental wards, but there was a break-in this morning." She looked up and met the Doctor's eyes. "Lestrange is on the loose, and Rosier's with him."

There was a moment of stunned silence before the Doctor turned to Rose, his eyes wide. "See? I told you."

Rose ignored him, glaring at Celeste. "How'd they get out?"

"You think I know?" She pulled her thick locks back into a ponytail and pulled out her wand, twirling it absently. "The Aurors who were guarding them were mind-wiped, so we have no way of knowing who freed them." She leaned forward, bracing her hands on her desk. "What we do know is that they'll come for you. This rite is their last chance, and they're desperate. I've requested back up, but I doubt Coleridge will listen. Now, until the equinox has passed, you're to stay with a guard twenty-four seven. There will be no leaving the castle, so the Hogsmeade trip this weekend is out." The Doctor began to protest, and she raised her hand. "I know you want to, but we can't take that chance. This is lockdown, Mr. Mott. It may not be pleasant, but you'll be safe." She looked past them. "So stay with them, Caleb, Ross. We can't have Mr. Mott pulling a disappearing act on us again."

The two Aurors stepped forward, one on either side, and the Doctor and Rose's eyes met as they reached out to take each others' hands.

One more week.

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Damnant quod non intelligent: they condemn what they do not understand.