Chapter 47
By time everyone had gotten up that morning, it was blatantly obvious that something was different. Even to Theo, who knew that Draco and the trio had left in the early hours of the morning, could sense a shift in the atmosphere.
Blaise and he had decided to leave their room later, after the rest of the house occupants were awakened so they wouldn't be suspected of knowing anything about the whereabouts of Bill's brother and his friends. While he knew that Draco was assisting Potter and his friends to bring down the Dark Lord, and therefore the fact that they had left should not be suspicious. But the fact was their departure would raise questions, and the mission they were on was a dangerous one. Even though Theo knew next to nothing about what they could be doing, he knew one of the things they had to do was break into Gringotts, and if that didn't shout risky, he didn't know what did. If anyone knew about their plans, it would put them at risk, and Theo was willing to bet that the four of them were the only ones alive who knew of their exact mission.
When Theo exited his room and approached the kitchen, Theo noticed that Bill and Fleur were huddled around the table, staring at a piece of paper. Had one of them decided to leave them a note? It was probably Weasley deciding to let his family know not to worry.
Bill looked up at him, and for the first time Theo could see his handsome face plagued by worry wrinkles. Being in a war was hard, but knowing that those you loved were out on the front lines was even harder. Bill had five younger brothers and a sister, and each of them were involved, one way or another. Some, like Ron were closer, and others were not. But they were all at risk of death.
"They're gone," he said, in an unsurprised voice. Like Theo and Blaise, Bill must have suspected that the four were up to something. They had been locked in their room for hours at a time, only coming out if they needed something. Of course they would try to make it less obvious by spending time with the other occupants, but anyone who had a brain would have been able to tell.
"Eet was irresponsable of zem, Bill!" Fleur cried out. "Zey are just kids! Zey should not be out zhere!"
Bill wrapped his arms around his wife and allowed her to sob in his arms. The war was taking it's toll on all of them. She shrugged him off softly and wiped away her tears.
"Wat would you garcons like for breakfast? I shall make you something," she said in a tearful voice.
Blaise approached his side and smoothly said, "Why don't you sit down Fleur. You've been so good to us while we were here; the least I could do is make breakfast for all of you today."
Bill shot him a grateful smile, and Fleur shook her head, "You are my guests! I cannot ask that of you!"
Blaise guided her out carefully, "Mon cherie, you can and you will. Go enjoy some time to yourselves. I'm sure you haven't had much of a break with all of us here."
Bill took his wife from Blaise and led her gently to the living room. He placed a kiss on her head and she wrapped an arm around his torso.
Once they had left the room, Blaise used his wand to get wave out the different supplies he would need to prepare breakfast. As his wand spelled an egg to crack into a bowl, he turned to Theo. "I think we should go see McGonagall today. As much as I would love to stay here and pretend that this war isn't happening, we both know it is. And I would hate being left on the side lines. I want to do something; anything. Besides, we've both recovered enough from our time as captives, so I think now would be a perfect time to go."
Theo nodded. "I don't want to leave in the middle of the night though. I think we should give them a couple of hours to recover before we go. Fleur seems so fragile right now that I don't think she can handle it at the moment. But other than that, I agree. It's time for us to do something; to fight. We tried to stay out of this war, and look what happened."
"We'll tell her after breakfast," Blaise said, as he added a bunch of bacon to the frying pan.
Fleur had taken the news surprisingly well. She probably had guessed that they would be leaving as well, now that they were fully healed. Blaise was in his room, gathering the few belongings he had as he prepared to leave
The boys had been surprisingly welcomed at the house; however Blaise still felt as if they didn't really belong at the cottage. It wasn't that there weren't being treated like the others were; it was just that they knew they didn't have a place here. Draco had fit in with them well, and Blaise supposed that all his time with the Weasleys had granted him that. So by extension, Draco's welcome had included Blaise and Theo. But this wasn't their family; maybe one day it might be, but now it wasn't.
"I heard that the two of you are the next to leave," a soft voice called out from behind him.
He turned around, startled by the visitor, to see Luna standing at the door.
"Yeah," he said kindly. "It's just time to go, you know? You can only intrude on someone for so long."
"I'm sure they don't mind," Luna said. "But I understand what you mean. I came to wish you good luck, and to tell you that I enjoyed your company over the last several days."
He smiled at her. "And I enjoyed yours. It was nice getting to know you, Luna." Ever since their time together in the gardens, the two had spent quite a bit of time together afterwards. Their conversations ranged in all directions, and Blaise felt that she was one of the few people who truly knew him.
She looked hesitant as she walked toward him. "I wanted to say something else," she said nervously as she approached him. She stopped only when there were a few inches between the two of them. "I wanted to also wish you good luck and to tell you that I hope I see you again…and that I wanted to give you a good luck charm."
Blaise looked at her confused, not entirely sure of what she was trying to say. However he didn't have much time to think about it, as Luna closed the distance between the two of them. Her soft lips pressed themselves against his own lips. She felt so tender, so gentle.
He didn't react at first, as he was too shocked by her openness. Although it didn't take him long to snap out of it and wrap his arms around her tiny frame. He brought her into a deeper kiss as he massaged her lips with her own. She placed her arms against his chest and turned her head slightly to give her a better angle.
After what felt like forever, the two of them pulled apart in need of air.
"That was one hell of a good luck charm!" Blaise said, slightly breathless. "It was bloody amazing." He just barely come to terms with his feelings for her a few days ago, but kissing her had washed away any wariness he may have had towards his emotions for her.
He watched as her face coloured ever so slightly. She looked up at him with a shy expression. "I enjoyed that," she said in a near whisper.
"I did too, my amore," he said as he ran a finger down her face, before tucking a strand of her blond hair behind her ear.
"Be safe, Blaise. I want to tell you not to go, but you and I both know that's not going to happen. You and I are both fighters and we both do what's right, despite what others may think," she said, as she cupped his face.
"I will. And promise me when you join me, you will take care of yourself. I wish we could have taken this at a different pace; starting off with us going on simple dates until we were ready to take our relationship to any more serious level. But because of this war, we are left handicapped. I care for you Luna. I can't say that I love you or anything like that yet, but given the time, I can see myself falling for you. So be careful in this fight. I don't want to have to see your body lifeless on the ground," He said softly.
She smiled at him. "When I join you, the two of us will fight side by side, and I will be with you every step of the way." She paused for a moment, before cupping his face in her hand. "I don't need the wooing or the simple dates. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly like all the other girls. All I need is you, Blaise, because I care for you too."
"I suppose it would be too much to ask for you to stay out of the final battle when it comes?" he asked her. For a Slytherin who was supposed to care only for himself, Blaise was doing a horrible job. He may not be like Draco, who was bloody whipped by Granger, but he could see how his friend was so wrapped around her fingers. There was just something about women that caused men to do anything to protect them and to keep them happy. Although he would be lying if he said every women caused this reaction from him; no, it was only her.
"Yes," she said softly. "It would be. Whether I like it or not, I'm just as wrapped into all of this as you. I have no idea what's happened to my father, and my friends are at the school fighting the Death Eaters. If I hadn't been kidnapped, I would be right there, beside all of them." She pulled out a galleon, however upon further inspection; Blaise could tell that it was a fake. "This will light up when the battle is about to begin. It's one of the few things I was managed to get back before we left the Manor, by summoning it."
"Blaise, what's taking you so long? We have to go soon, you yourself said we couldn't dwindle too long, or we would be at a higher risk of getting caught," Blaise heard Theo's voice speak as he entered the room to see Luna in Blaise's arms. "Ah," he said with a knowing smile on his face. "Well I'll just wait out in the kitchen until you're done saying goodbye."
Blaise shot a glare at his friend. "Theo," he said warningly. Honestly, his friend had the worst timing.
"I'm leaving, I'm leaving," Theo said with a smirk as he closed the door.
Blaise sighed as he looked at the blonde in his arms. "I should go."
She kissed his cheek. "I'll look forward to seeing you soon, Blaise," she murmured. He felt his breath hitch in his throat at the smooth way she said his name.
He placed on last kiss on her forehead before gathering up his things in his hand and heading out the door. "Good luck, Luna," he said finally. He walked to the floo room where Bill and Fleur were gathered, waiting for a chance to say goodbye.
"Thank you so much for everything you've both done for us. You showed us kindness without as much as a second though, despite what can be assumed about my upbringing," he said sincerely to the young couple.
"It was our pleasure," Bill said as he shook Blaise's hand. "You and Theo were great guests, and while it would be easy to assume that both of you were prejudice Death Eaters simply because you are both pureblooded Slytherins, that would be wrong and an insult to you both."
"You both have been generous hosts," Theo said, shaking Bill's hand. "I hope we will see each other in the near future under more pleasant circumstances."
"As do I," Fleur said, her eyes watering slightly. "This should not be the lives we are living, but it is. I can only hope that we have an outcome which is most favourable. But for now, adieu mes petits."
Fleur brought them both into a tight hug, only letting go when her husband placed his hand on her shoulder. Bill handed them each the jar of Floo powder.
Blaise would go first, they had decided. It would be better if he had gone, especially since it had been he who had collaborated with the Order previously.
"Hogwarts," he said clearly, and the green smoke began to cover his body.
Upon his arrival at his former school, he noted several different changes. The minute he entered, an alarm shot out throughout the office. He assumed it had been to alert McGonagall of any unwanted guests. He stepped out of the fireplace to clear room for Theo when he arrived.
He heard a quick scurrying, and next thing he knew, he was up against the wall, held there by a spell, and McGonagall's wand at his neck.
"Mr. Zabini, what are you doing here?" She asked, in a shocked manner. It was clear that he was the last person she had been expecting. "After you failed to make your next meeting, I assumed something fatal had happened to you. And then next I hear, you are out in battle, more ruthless than ever. You broke the agreement we had made during the session we had which discussed the terms to our agreement."
"I can explain," Blaise said. "I was placed under the Imperious curse after a failed rescue mission on my part."
She eyed him suspiciously. "And what's to say that you aren't under it now?"
"You can check if you'd like, but you'll find it gone," he said calmly. He had been anticipating this, so it was no big shock.
She lifted her wand and preformed numerous spells on him, checking for any detections that he was lying. Once she was satisfied, she looked at him. "How did you get rid of the spell? Or did you simply over throw it?"
"Draco Malfoy lifted it off of me," he said, knowing the questions it would raise.
She immediately lifted the holding spell she had placed on him, releasing him from the wall. McGonagall led him from the section of the room to another before gesturing to a seat at her desk. "I think you'd better start from the beginning, Mr. Zabini, and do try to tell me everything."
An alarm that was a replica of the one that had rang when he flooed in, sounded throughout the room.
Blaise quickly spoke. "That should be Theodore Nott. He was going to floo in right after me. You can go check him as well to make sure that he's clean, and then we can proceed."
His former Transfiguration professor nodded curtly at him and left to go check out her newest visitor while Blaise stayed in his seat. He looked around the office and noticed how it was considerably darker than the last time he had visited. It wasn't as if it had been McGonagall practicing the magic, however he knew there were other professor and students who were. Dark magic left traces whenever it was used, so it came to no surprise that Blaise could sense it in the once light filled castle.
"Mr Nott, if you will take a seat beside Mr Zabini, and then the two of you can tell me exactly what happened to the both of you," McGonagall said, as she made her way back to where Blaise was seated with Theo following close behind. She had been quicker to check Theo than she had with him, but Blaise supposed it was as a result of never hearing of Theo's involvement on any missions the Order had been on.
After Theo sat down beside him, McGonagall took a seat on the opposite side of the desk from them both. "Mr Nott, if you will start by telling me exactly what happened since your disappearance from the school last year," she prompted.
Blaise sat and listened to his friend recount his tales of being on the run. McGonagall's face remained unchanged as she maintained an expressionless façade during his story, even during some of the darker parts. Theo ended the story with himself being captured, and turned the tale over to Blaise, who recounted his portion. He made mentions of seeing the prisoners in the dungeons and attempting to get them out, and then talking about the curse and the things he had seen and done on the battle field before turning it over to how Draco and the Golden Trio were brought in. He left it at their escape to Shell Cottage, making sure not to mention anything more than the foursome vanishing without warning, which did not seem to surprise their professor.
"I see," she said stoically after he finished talking. "Well, I'm still not entirely sure what either of you want from me."
"We want to fight in the battle alongside the rest of the light side. I know you can sense it's approach; we all can. We just want to be able to contribute something; to bring down the side that has taken almost everything that we have," Theo said. "This war has taken our families from us, one way or another, and I refuse to sit on the sidelines."
"They took everything I had," Blaise said softly. "They took my free will, and they took my mother; the bastards deserve to lose this war."
She gave them both a grim smile. "I'll alert our members of your alliance when the time comes. But for now, you can go to the Room of Requirement. Neville Longbottom has currently taken refuge there with all the other students fighting the Carrows and Snape at this school. Tell them Professor McGonagall sent you and that the Pheonix rises at the end for a new beginning. He'll understand what that means," she said. "When the battle begins, you'll know. But for now, you can stay with the others and help them with what they need to do."
Blaise and Theo shot each other a look, but knew they had got what they were seeking. They stood and made their way from the room, heading towards the Come and Go room. Blaise hoped the occupants would be more welcoming as the deputy Headmistress had been.
A/N: I know this chapter was released later today than usual. I was travelling and only got back a few hours ago. While I had half the chapter finished, I still needed to write the rest. Thank you all for the reviews I have received on this story, you all are incredible and I love each and every one of you.
While I have most of the final battle mapped out, I'm still planning out a few minor details, as well as trying to bargain with myself who lives and dies. While I wish I could let everyone live, it is a war after all, and wars have casualties. It might take a few more chapters to even get into the climax of the war however.
Also, I apologise if any of my French was off. It's been a few years since I've taken it in school, and I've lost my touch.
Until next time, hope you all have a great week, and I'll see you all next Sunday.