Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All of it is the property of JKR, and I make no money from the writing of this story.

AN: Okay, so this is done. I had a really hard time writing this because its a dransitional chapter. In all honesty I've scrapped three other drafts before posting this. The action kinda picks up here, but it will so even more in the coming chapters. Anyway, I don't know what else to say besides I hope you enjoy it and please review.

Chapter 23

Silence Screams

Scorpius stood there, his blunt nails digging into the dark varnished wood. His heart pounded in his chest sporadically, his breathing coming in short, labored pants. His head spun as he was sure he experience the first panic attack of his life. No matter how hard he tried to breath it seemed like some invisible force had set it's self in his chest. The not so soft quieting of a throat brought him out of his thoughts. Jerking his head up he looked into Al's cold eyes. "I went for a walk. To clear my head." he replied quickly, moving far enough into the room to shut the door securely behind him.

Making his way towards his own bed he pulled Rose's bag from beneath it, leafing through the pages more so as a distraction than to actually find anything. "Why do you look through that thing all the damn time?" Scorpius didn't look up but his fingers still, grazing them almost lovingly over the open pages.

The truth was he had looked through the pages more often then he would like to admit, memorizing anything that could prove useful later. Of course he really didn't want Al, or what ever he had become, to know that. "I could still learn something." Al snorted in response but Scorpius chose to ignore him, turning his attention fully back to the page before him. Having read it so many times he also knew that Rose had suspected something was wrong with Al for a while. She never really stated what she thought was wrong, or when she started to suspect that something was off but he knew when she'd started writing down her thoughts. Port de Chaudron, or at least the day they had walked there, that had been when Rose had started to keep track of her thoughts.

Scorpius almost felt sick as he thought about those few days. Rose had been ill just the day before they'd walked there, something that he now knew had less to do with a cold and more to do with what she had over heard him say. He'd meant it though, and told her just as much that night by the lake. He'd wanted her safe, and back home with her family away from danger. He'd gotten what he wanted just a few days later, but by then he knew he didn't want it anymore.

Shacking his head he turned his attention back to the pages in front of him. He mouthed the words of the incantations to himself trying to commit each to memory. Rose had been busy in their months away from home, filling every page of the tome with untraceable spells and hidden knowledge. Turning the page he stopped short looking around the room. Something felt off, and not in a small way. Closing his eyes he could almost feel the book in his hands pulsing with some unseen force. Focusing harder he felt it reverberate in his mind, a soft feeling of uneasiness forcing its way through. As quickly as it had appeared the force dissipated leaving not even a slight inclination in its wake. Shacking his head he tried to remove the uneasy feeling that had settled into his stomach. Rose had left a lot of enchantments on her things, and Scorpius wouldn't put it past her to make a safe guard on her book.

He had barely had time to return the book to his bag before he felt the first rumble. Slight, and unnoticed by Al, Scorpius almost wrote it off completely till the next came. The shook fiercely, almost knocking him to the ground as he scrambled to pick up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. "Come on!" he shouted at Al as he sprinted out of the door and down the hall towards the staircase. Almost skidding to a stop in the front hall way he turned towards Krum. "What's going on?" he shouted over the ruckus coming from outside.

"The cities under attack." he answered swiftly, before turning towards Upton. "Take them through the back passage, you know which one, and get them all to safety." Upton nodded herding the girls, shaking and frightened, towards the back stairs.

"Viktor!" Vic cried as she held Nymph tightly to her chest. "You can't stay here! They'll kill you when they get here!"

Krum looked at her calmly for a moment before pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek. Pushing her towards Scorpius he turned back towards the door. "Get her to safety. Take her home." Vic hesitated even as Scorpius and Al tried to drag her out of the hall. "I said go!" With those words they finally managed to pull her towards the passage.

It was cramped, dusty and dark within the small passage and they moved quietly even though Scorpius was sure no one would have heard them over the sounds coming from above. He had never been so glad to see open space as he has when they finally reached the end of the twisting passage. Not two steps away Upton thrust a hairbrush into his hand. "Take them." He nodded towards the girls huddled together behind him.

"What about you?" Even as he asked it Scorpius was fairly sure he knew the fate of the older man. Their eyes met for a moment and he nodded, gripping the brush tightly. "Every one grab a hold." As the did as he commanded he glanced at Upton one last time. "Parlez-vous français?"

Upton gave a dark bark of laughter as he shook his head. "We'll see." Without a further word he tapped his wand to the brush and the world spun around them. The ground came rushing at him faster then he remembered, the wind leaving his lungs as he let go of the port key and fell backwards.

Wheezing as he set up he looked around the group. "Is any one hurt?" They all shook their heads but Nymph cried loudly, obviously frightened by the sudden movement. "We have to move. Does anyone know where we are?" The coast that they had landed on was deserted but oddly familiar.

"We're in France. Port de chaudron." Vic whispered as she gently rocked Nymph to calm her. Looking up at them from her seat on the ground she shallowed heavily. "I know the way, come."

The small drift wood cottage was exactly as Scorpius remembered it from so many months before, the same slightly tattered green curtains hanging in the curtains, the same worn chair setting next to the front door. He hadn't thought about Gabrielle till this moment, whether the raiders had found her when they had fled to Romania, and a thick knot of guilt settled into his stomach. It only lessened slightly when she opened the door, ushering them all inside, clucking French at them as she went. Stopping just in front of the door he pulled her into a fierce hug, thankful that at least one person along their journeys had escaped hardship. "I am sorry." she said as she laid a hand against his cheek, a sad smile playing on her lips. Shacking it off he returned an equally strained smile before slipping pass her and into the cottage.

Sleep was a commodity that eluded him that night as he set within Gabrielle's setting room, sipping on lukewarm tea as Vic slowly rocked Nymph, to afraid to let her baby out of her sight even to sleep. "We have to go back." he spoke softly, drawing Vic out of her thoughts, and Gabrielle away from her knitting. "We have to go back to England."

Vic nodded, looking towards Gabrielle for support. "In a few days." she replied, "The girls need rest, as do we. We'll go back in a few days." Scorpius nodded, returning his gaze to the slowly dying fire. The couldn't out run this anymore, couldn't hide. It was time to go home, to face it all. It was time to fight.

Next: The Mistress of Malfoy Manor: The return to England harolds more surprises then they ever though possible.

AN: I hop you enjoyed it and as alway please review.