I want to apologize for not updating sooner but writer's block struck me. However the plot bunny is back and here is the next chapter and continuation of chapter 7's cliff hanger. Enjoy!
Last time
"James wants to know where we are." I said reading the letter, "He's really worried."
Sudden panic laced my voice.
"Scorpius and Albus are missing."
"What!"
"How? Why?"
"Don't know." I responded shortly. Of all the things to go wrong now. I walked over to the fireplace, grabbed some floo powder and tossed it in.
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Headmistress' office."
Green flames erupted from the fireplace and then I was looking into the face of Minerva McGonagall.
"Professor?"
"Where are you three?" she asked sternly.
"Fulfilling a request. Don't worry. We're not doing anything I didn't say we were going to do."
Professor McGonagall was silent for a minute.
"You girls need to come back now. Then I will explain."
"Yes." I said. I gestured to Rose and Lilly to go ahead as I picked up the Death Eater file and followed.
I stepped out of the fireplace and into Professor McGonagall's brightly lit office. Rose was dusting soot off her shoulder and Lilly was watching her oldest brother pace across the room.
"Sit, all of you."
McGonagall waited until we were all sitting before continuing.
"As you know Draco and Astoria Malfoy were recently killed in their home. Harry Potter and his team are in charge of finding the killers. With that in mind I allowed Bellina, Rose and Lilly to fulfill a request given to Bellina hoping that it might help with the investigation. About an hour after you girls left Scorpius and Albus snuck off to Hagrid's." McGonagall paused for a minute. None of this was new to me. Those two were forever sneaking off somewhere.
"They only stayed for about twenty minutes before taking their leave. However they never made it back to the castle. Harry has been alerted but he just hasn't gotten here yet." McGonagall paused again, a frown on her face, as if she was wondering what in the world could keep a man away when his son was missing.
"I wanted all of you to know seeing how these are your brothers. But I also want you all to sit put."
I saw James' fists clench out of the corner of my eye. Like his father he didn't do well sitting around when a loved one was in danger. I didn't blame him. It was all I could do not to jump up and run out of the castle. The boys I considered my little brothers were missing. And now that I know how my parents probably died I was extremely worried. Scorpius could easily be targeted by the same people.
"So now I will ask you to return to your common rooms and I will alert you when something new has been found. Bellina stay here for a minute."
My hand tightened around the shrunken file I had stuffed into my pocket. I had a choice to make. McGonagall waited until the door closed before addressing me.
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
"No professor. It wasn't where I thought it would be." I said without hesitation. Sometimes I wonder where I get my genes from. No Malfoy or Black I've ever heard of would willingly put their necks on the line for others. But it is my brothers that are in trouble and I now realize I've been hanging out with Potters and Weasleys for too long now.
"Very well. Just know that your search can't continue until they are found."
I nodded.
"You may go."
It strikes me as odd that after dealing with the last generation of Potters and Weasleys that she would allow us on our own. Doesn't she realize that we're not going to do as she says?
James, Rose, and Lilly were waiting for me outside the gargoyle guarding the office.
"Well?" Lilly demanded.
"Wanted to know if we found anything."
"Did you?"
I glanced at James but didn't answer.
"Where can we go to talk?"
"Room of Requirement." The three chorused.
"Lead the way." I've heard a lot about the famed Room of Requirement. Never actually been inside but Draco had always said Slytherins had no business being in so sacred a place, not with our history. I followed the three Gryffindors through empty corridors to the seventh floor. It was late at night and most students were already in their common rooms for the night; Curfew would be enabled within the hour. The Room of Requirement turned out to be an exact replica of Gryffindor common room, minus the annoying students. Once we were all settled I pulled the file from my pocket, returned it to full size and handed it to James who was sitting next to me.
"This is what was left for me." I said crossing my arms across my chest. I watched his face grow stormy as he flipped through it.
"Why didn't you tell McGonagall?" he finally asked looking up at me.
"Until I know if it's relevant, I'm not saying anything."
James scowled at me.
"Relevant or not this still needs to be shown to somebody. Preferably the Auror department."
"Hey hey hey. Not the issue right now." Lilly said.
"That's right. We need to find Scorpius and Albus right now." Rose said quietly.
"How?" James snapped. I smacked his arm causing him to turn his glare my way.
"Don't be so insensitive." I murmured to him. Rose looked like she wanted to cry and Lilly wasn't much better off. James sighed.
"I'm sorry Rose. I'm sure those two will show up eventually. Probably just pulling a prank as usual."
I almost believed him. I would have, if it weren't for the Death Eater file sitting on his lap. Rose however was nodding, not wanting to believe her boyfriend and best friend might be in trouble. I took the file and tucked it under my arm and then stood up.
"Where are you going?" Lilly asked.
"My common room."
"You're not really gonna listen to McGonagall are you?" she asked incredulously.
I smirked at her but didn't say anything.
"I'll walk you back." James said standing up. I shrugged. Didn't matter to me either way but I will admit I was glad for his company. We walked in silence for the majority of the way. There was a lot I wanted to say but now probably wasn't the best of times.
Suddenly I stopped walking realizing that James was about 2ft behind me, blankly staring at the floor.
"James?" He looked up at me for a full minute before answering.
"I'm an idiot." I raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. I was too busy trying not to laugh out loud. If James Potter was just realizing that he was an idiot at the age of 17, he clearly has some issues. I could have told him he was an idiot back in our first year.
He walked up to me his face still having a slight dazed look to it.
"I really am an idiot." He finally said, looking very embarrassed.
"And if you don't explain yourself I'm walking the rest of the way by myself."
Again there are a lot of things I want to say to him and again now is not the time. It also was a bad time for his personal epiphanies. Instead of answering he grabbed my arm and pulled me into a hug, burying his face into my neck. I simply blinked. While I have absolutely no problem being in James' arms I was now completely confused. He pulled away from me but didn't release me from his embrace.
With a smile that was bright enough to rival the sun he pecked me on the lips. Again I just blinked. At this point I'm pretty sure he's lost it.
"James what the hell are you doing?"
"I'm an idiot Bellina." I sighed.
"If you say that again I'm going to hex you into next week. Can you please tell me why you're such an idiot."
James sighed, his smile fading from his face.
"Would you be surprised if I said I just figured out the last couple of months?"
I snorted.
"Not in the least sweetie. Not in the least."
James frowned. I shook my head before planting a kiss on his jaw.
"But I forgive you for it. And everything else too in case you're wondering."
He stood there grinning like an idiot, his arms around my waist.
"Bellina would you go out with me?"
This boy's sense of timing is really off. But that didn't stop the smile that blossomed on my face. Blossomed? Who in the world uses that word to describe a smile? Me apparently. Now you know I've been spending too much time with Lilly and Rose. They are they only people I can think of that are romantically inclined enough to use a word like 'blossomed'. But I'm also sure you don't want to listen about my concerns for the use of the English language so I digress.
"James do you really need to ask at this point?"
"No probably not." He said and then he kissed me. And like all the other times he's kissed me I melted. He pulled me closer to deepen the kiss and cupped me cheek with a hand. It was like no other kiss I've ever experienced. It was sweet and gentle yet at the same time I could tell how much he was holding back. Now you may say 'Holding back? But you two were meant to be!' Need I remind everyone that we were standing in a corridor after hours?
I finally pulled away to catch my breath. After a second I took a few steps back and pulled out of his arms completely. He looked disappointed.
"James now is really not the time for this." I said softly, "I'll come up to your dorm in a little bit, I just need to think right now."
He seemed to struggle with himself for a minute before nodding, giving me a final peck and disappearing back the way we had come. I on the other hand collapsed where I stood. The last thing I wanted to do was send him away but it's hard to snog your boyfriend when you keep thinking about how your brothers are missing. Boyfriend. I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from squealing. Bellina Marie Black does not squeal. But I will admit that I was happier then I have been in months.
The corridors were empty of everyone, even Peeves, so I had plenty of time to think. So let me give you a breakdown. My adopted father Draco Malfoy left me the findings of a secret research project he was working on while he was alive. It consists of death eater activity of the last five years. More then likely my adopted parents were killed back in February because of this research. The Auror department has found no leads on the murders of my parents so it's safe to assume that death eaters were the cause. Now three months later my adopted brother and his best friend suddenly disappear. The likelihood of these two cases being related is rather high, which worries me greatly. Oh yeah, and of course the last thing I think of is that I'm now going out with James Sirius Potter. How is that even related? And can you believe I hated his guts half a year ago? And again how is this relevant?
I walked into an nearly empty common room and straight through to my dorm. The dorm was empty but that was to be expected. But I wasn't interested in that. I was more interested in the piece of parchment on my bed. I picked up the written note and quickly read through it. And then read through it again. And then proceeded to curse my brothers for their lack of intelligence. I bolted from the room and made my way back to the seventh floor. Because things weren't complicated enough.
I stared at the hastily written note in my hand for the umpteenth time. I was standing outside the Gryffindor common room and had been for at least ten minutes.
"You know I can't let you in by yourself."
I glanced up at the Fat Lady.
"Yeah I know. Can you get James Potter for me?"
The Fat Lady sighed but walked out of her portrait none-the-less.
"He's coming." She said coming back a few seconds later.
"Bellina?"
The portrait swung open to reveal James wearing only pajama bottoms. If this was a normal night I could be curled up next to this hottie, who is my boyfriend, in his bed. But no. Instead everything has to go wrong. Why is my life so unfair?
"I need to show you something." I said concentrating on his face. Need I tell you why I was doing that?
James nodded and gestured that I follow him. He led me into a nearly empty common room. Lilly and Rose sat on the couch in front of the fire. Figures they would still all be up.
"Hey Bells, what's up?" Lilly looked wide awake for the middle of the night, especially seeing as she found out her brother was missing, what an hour ago?
"I found this on my bed." I handed Rose the note and then went to stand next to the chair James was sitting in.
"Malfoy Manor?" Rose looked at me uncertainly.
"That's what it says. Apparently my dad left Scorp a letter in the bottom of his trunk that he just found and it said that there was something for him at the house."
James and Lilly had identical frowns on their faces.
"Is it true?"
"Unlikely. Malfoy Manor used to house Voldermort and his death eaters. They would have known that place upside down and backwards. More then likely the letter Scorp found was a fake to lure them there.
"And the idiots fell for it." Lilly looked pissed. Rose shrugged.
"You know them. It could have been a last minute impulsive decision on their part. They've been really restless lately."
We all fell silent, lost in our own thoughts.
"Well what do we do now?"
Rose's question broke me out of my mental update. I glanced at James to see him watching me. I had a feeling I knew what was on his mind.
"The Auror department and the headmistress need to be notified." I said slowly, "It's more then likely that those two are in trouble."
Rose dropped her face in her hands.
"They're gonna need help." James said standing up. I hate it when I'm right sometimes. I bit the inside of my cheek uneasily. The Slytherin in me was starting to rear its head. I was more than willing to go rescue the boys but waltzing in on a manor full of potential death eaters is not my cup of tea.
"Oh no. Not happening mr. hero complex." Lilly said standing up and facing her brother.
James glared at her.
"I don't have a hero complex!"
Rose giggled and I rolled my eyes. James is a lot like his dad, no offense to Mr. Potter intended.
Lilly was glaring back.
"If you go , we all go."
James opened his mouth to respond but I cut him off in order to head off the coming argument.
"Great but McGonagall still needs to know."
"I can take care of that." We all turned to Rose. She was now standing with her wand out, a look of fierce determination in her eyes.
"Mom showed me how to send messages through patronus last summer. I've been practicing."
Is anyone really surprised? I wasn't in the least.
"Great. That should give us enough time to floo out of here before McGonagall tries to stop us. James go get dressed please so we can leave." James left the common room grumbling at his sister's orders. Lilly was not one to sit back and let others be in charge.
"Bellina can we even floo into the Manor?"
"Yeah." I responded, "But that's probably a bad idea. Assuming that the Manor is filled with death eaters we're not going to want to just floo in there. The groundskeeper has his own little house on the grounds and shouldn't be home right now. We can floo there."
Lilly nodded and ran up to her room. James was back fully dressed before she came back down with a small plastic bag.
"Floo powder." She explained, "Mom gave it to me just in case."
I grabbed the first handful and then looked at Rose.
"Rosie follow us right after you send the message to McGonagall." After she nodded I stepped into the Gryffindor fireplace.
"Malfoy Manor grounds."
In a swirl of green flames the common room disappeared from my sight.
Yay end of the chapter that gave me so much trouble. I think the hardest part was incorporating some Bellina and James alone time. They don't get much unfortunately and won't in this story. But I have decided to make a sequel and they will have more times together there. This is like a prequel to their relationship. But on the bright side they're dating now!
Hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner then later so stay tuned!
And as always Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling