Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers

Chapter 46

Ky's POV

I had made it all the way to the fourth floor in search of the bed of red hair, after Bobby decimated any chance of me entering peaceful slumber again, and after Neville played goalkeeper at the fireplace as above mentioned she-demon tried destroying his quilt, I gathered enough energy to swing my legs over the arm chair and part the sea of inquisitive onlookers with the full deterrent that was my grumpy morning face.

I showered and changed faster than a... ugh it was too early to make analogies.

"Ginny!" The redhead turned around and I stepped back when I saw who it was...

"Ahh... Susan. Morning."

I smiled at her, to no avail. Susan Bones was unfortunately famous these days due to the way her aunt was murdered and apparently she had lost a few people in the First War as well. She was quickly became a morose shadow of herself and I must be sleep deprived if I was confusing her with Ginny.

"Is there something you want, Ky." Well at least she was calling me Ky still, Mi did say she called her Granger the other day and that practically broke her heart for some reason.

"Well I was looking for Ginny, you seen her?"

"No." She deadpanned, "She's probably down at breakfast. I'm off to Divination."

I nodded at her as she walked past me, already stepping forward towards the steps to the Third Floor.

"Kitten!" I snapped around, expecting to see Teddy but confronted with an empty corridor instead. Great, now I was hearing things. I sighed, and entered the steps when I heard a crash, I ran back up and looked around and sighed again.

"You."

His platinum blonde locks fell over his eyes as he concentrated on righting the suit of armour, his face red in embarrassment in being caught in the clumsy act. His silver eyes flickered to mine, "Me?"

I rolled my eyes, I should probably go. Look for Ginny, but something had me rooted to the spot. Maybe the fact that after almost four months of completely ignoring my existence, even that one time I walked past him and TWO Snake girls flouncing down the seventh floor corridor two months ago, Draco was actually acknowledging me.

Then again, in the light of the morning sun that leaked from the high windows, I could see distinctive changes, he was paler, if possible, and thinner... and there was something distinctly less Malfoy about his outward show of physical confidence.

He let out a loud sigh, "Thornton, as entertaining as my almost knocking down a suit of armour might be, might I suggest in resuming your morning activities. Surely you don't wish to miss breakfast over a mishap on my part."

I narrowed my eyes, "Why aren't you down at breakfast. Why are you up here?"

He smirked and it was surprising how much more recognisable he became in the small action and I refrained from smirking back, if there was anything I missed about Draco, it was this. The banter bordering on full on fighting.

"Considering you inquire with such concern, I'll let you in on a secret. Some of us, and this might be a foreign concept to one such as yourself, consider punctuality a favourable trait to posses. I know you haven't seen it much, but this is what it looks likes to get to class a few minutes early."

"Well that's all well and good Draco, but I believe Charms is on the third floor, you are on the fourth floor. Care to share why?"

His smirk grew if possible and his steps echoed as he approached me at the staircase down to the Third, "Memorised my timetable have we? That's... cute."

I rolled my eyes and leaned against the banister, "I can't help the power of my mind, don't take it to heart."

"Of course not, you should come with a warning label. Take nothing to heart." I narrowed my eyes at the very veiled comment as he reached me.

"Are you two going to walk down that staircase, or am I going to have to find another way down to breakfast."

"Ginny!"

Her brown eyes were sharp as it roamed over Draco, the edginess not leaving it when it met my own and I straightened up from the banister, my eyes flickered to Draco who was rooted to the spot.

"Ky!" She mocked, and I glared as Draco snickered in response. Why can't he just go away...

She glanced at the two of us with ill-repressed annoyance and I watched as her eyes flickered to the space between us, taking in either our proximity which honestly I wasn't even aware of, or calculating if she could fit through the amount of space because we didn't seem to be budging.

"Don't you have class?" I snapped.

He scoffed, "You're one to talk about class."

I would probably have brushed off the insult if Ginny didn't entertain it with a laugh.

"Ginny, we need to talk. Alone" I glared at Draco yet he still did not move, didn't these pureblood elitist pride themselves with their damned manners.

She sighed, deciding the awkwardness of sliding in between myself and Draco worth it in comparison to the alternative of standing here and hearing me out.

"There really is nothing to talk about Ky. Harry has been single for the past few days, we were merely looking for the best way to make the knowledge public. Trust you to come up with the BEST possible way, right?"

I could hear her sarcasm even though I couldn't see her face as she made her way down the staircase. Harry and her broke up days ago? That made no sense... if they did... why didn't he tell me?

My eyes snapped up at the scoff and I found myself confronted with Draco shaking his head in a holier than thou way.

"What?" I regretted asking but I figured I might as well distract him lest he sees the hopefulness that shone on my face at Ginny's words.

"You're like a dog with a bone when Potter is concerned. It's disgusting."

Annoyance filled me up as it seemed that Draco did see the look on my face at Ginny's announcement. An unfamiliar feeling of shame shivered over my skin at his last words and I turned on my heel, taking the next few steps in haste.

Stupid fucking Malfoy. Practically AWOL for months and of course he would appear today of all days. Disgusting? Like he knew a thing about what Harry and I shared. At the slightest show of emotion over Christmas break he was running to the hills in hiding, like he had the right to look down on me. Idiot.

I had already begun the spiral ascension when I realised just where I was. In my anger my feet led me to Nonno's office. I smiled, it wasn't the worst thing. For once I knew he was there! Harry had visited him hours ago. As I crossed the waiting room my smile fell... his hand... Harry had told me about the horcruxes and his hand being injured through dark magic...

A chill gripped me has my hand hovered on the handle and I suddenly wanted to turn and run back down, I was afraid of the answers when I confronted him with the questions...

And then I heard it. His voice. The cool surface met my warm flesh instantly and I rushed in, "Linus!"

I ran to the fireplace, my vision blurred by the size of the smile on my face as I clambered onto him, happiness leaking from every pore as I saw my brother, alive and well. And here. Godric, he was here.

I pulled off him, "Where is Len? Is he OK? Are you staying for long? Did you see Nessie? Did you manage to make contact with Vez. Is Len-"

I stopped as his lips made contact with my cheek like it did many times before... but something was different. I glanced up at him, really taking in his features and a pang ran through my heart. He looked exhausted; his eyes were red and skin dry.

"Linus, are you OK?"

"Better than ever Principessa." He ruffled my hair, "I'm sorry to have to leave like this, but I promised Davies I would give him a firsthand account of tonight's events." I opened my mouth but he already was in the fireplace. And with a shock of green flames and one last meaningful look... gone. He was gone.

I turned to Nonno and he chuckled in amusement at the confusion on my face, but rather than anger me it made my heart soar. Before I could get a word out, he pulled me to him and I stilled in shock for a moment, but relaxed into the embrace... this was indeed a weird morning.

"I'm very proud of you Kyrianna. So proud." I blushed, grateful for the mass of silver beard that was doing a great job of hindering said blush from view, and with those confusing words Nonno had managed to bat away the bitterness I felt towards him. The jealousy, the anger. It all seemed so small.

"I miss you." I mumbled into the beard and I heard a sigh from atop my head.

"As I you, Kyrianna. If it were up to me, I would never leave your side." I straightened up from the embrace as his arms loosened, and my heart fell at the blackened shadow of his left hand.

"Breakfast!" He exclaimed, waltzing over to his desk, "I intend on taking full advantage of your early morning free period, am I to be allowed the honour?"

I laughed falling into my seat just as the desk groaned under the sudden appearance of platefuls of pancakes and bacon and eggs, and there was even coco pops.

"Are we expecting anybody else." I laughed as I easily filled my plate with all sorts of things as Nonno heaped his with pancakes. Oh how I missed this man.

As if my very comment cursed my luck, the door banged open and I groaned.

"Seriously? Ever heard of...Kingsley?"

Kingsley Shacklebot was anything but rude, and to have him stride into Nonno's office unannounced meant one thing. Bad news.

I watched as his brown eyes met Nonno's midnight blue ones, and my concern grew as Mad Eye followed in his wake.

"Kyrianna, maybe it best we continue this later." Nonno didn't even glance at me as he made his request; my eyes flickered between the lot of them. "Kyrianna."

I jumped slightly, and nodded. I was almost at the door when Sev walked in, Minnie on his tail. They both stopped momentarily when their eyes fell on me.

"Severus. Minerva." Minnie jumped at Nonno's voice as Sev turned on his heel, shutting the door on my face. What the fuck was going on?

I only realised I still had the egg stabbed fork in my hand when I exited the gargoyle, patting him absentmindedly and trying to hazard a guess as to what was happening upstairs. It must have been an emergency, but it can't concern Linus and Len. Linus would have said if Len was in any sort of danger.

I watched in the distance down the Third Floor corridor as Draco's eyes narrowed at me, flickers of concern on his face had Blaise turned around from the conversation they were engaged in outside of Charms. His hazel eyes met mine but flickered forward just as quickly.

"Shhh. Don't say a word. Don't break eye contact."

I fought down the urge to jump at the sudden feeling of fingers on my shoulder, I adhered to the disembodied voice of Teddy as Draco's eyes bore into mine. The fact that he didn't glance away, look at Teddy, made me think that he couldn't see Teddy, which explained Teddy's instructions as to not break eye contact. If I so much as glance to my left Draco would follow my movement... why did Teddy not want Draco to see him though?

A prickling of unease ran through my scalp, something I recognised as an attempt of legilemensy on me. With a kick off the wall Draco was thundering towards me and I jumped slightly at the fierce look on his face. There was a rumble of noise as the fifth years gathered outside Transfiguration class, grew louder in their impatience.

"Manners. Malfoy."

"What? Teddy?"

Manners? He made all the effort to disillusion himself to whisper Manners to me. I understood the Malfoy warning, Malfoy was close approaching, I wasn't in the mood to confront him again and I turned on my heel.

I banged into somebody and thin fingers gripped my arm, hurting me more than steadying me and I wrenched out of his grip. My eyes narrowed, it was a fifth year Snake who had startling green eyes beneath black hair, he looked familiar and I swallowed as I righted myself. There was something distinctly creepy about the boy. As if to enhance the creepiness he wasn't looking at me, he was looking at some point above my head with a smirk on his face.

As if to augment the sinister factor Davis appeared, his ice blue eyes dancing with glee. "Well if it isn't-"

"OPEN THE FUCK UP!"

Davis swiveled around, his smile widening at the chaos that broke among the fifth years at the shout and I pushed past the boys to get a look at the man that was currently arguing with Nonno's gargoyles.

"Fred!"

He snapped around, his face a stranger with the lack of sparkle in his eye and grin on his lips. He kicked the gargoyle in frustration and I rushed forward to open up for him.

"TRESSPASSER! He's the trespasser!" Filch gestured with a shaking finger at Fred from the beginning of the corridor and I watched as Duncan Igleby approached him, Diana right behind him.

"Fred. Calm down mate, no need to barge-"

I gasped as Duncan flew into Diana as Fred flicked his wand at the pair of them.

"ATTACK! THE SCHOOL'S UNDER ATTACK!"

The fifth years behind me screamed and begun running after Filch's announcement and I was jostled this way and that in the panicked crowd.

"Fred!" I shouted in confusion, too many things were happening at once. "FRED!" I screeched as I watched him fall to the floor. Roger Davies cradled him in his arms and suddenly I was just as panicked as the other students.

"Relax Thornton, it's just a stunner." Roger shouted over the crowd and pulled me into the now open entryway to Nonno's office as a reasonably big fifth year Puff almost knocked me to the floor.

"Wh-"

I pulled out of Davies grip as we begun ascending. What the fuck was going on? I glanced at the unconscious Fred in his arms and my confusion grew to anger and I whipped out my wand. He attacked Fred!

His blue eyes narrowed as the doors opened, ducking into the waiting room as I flung a spell at him.

"Thornton!

"Get your hands off him!" I lunged for Fred but he ducked, knocking Fred's unconscious body into the side of the table that sat next to the main doors of Nonno's office.

"Thornton! Calm down, it's not what it looks like!"

"Roger!" I looked up to see the redhead auror, Sarah, running in. She glanced from me to Roger in confusion just as Nonno's doors opened, revealing the occupants of the room.

"Bane?" Minnie gasped as she took in my offensive stance, "What is the meaning of this!"

"He attacked Fred!" I shouted, making eye contact with Bill who hovered near the fireplace, as if he just entered Nonno's office.

Roger looked close to burning a hole in my head with his look of annoyance, "Fred attacked a few students downstairs, he isn't in the right state of mind, I thought it best to subdue him before he does something irreversible."

"You have no right-"

"Do not speak as if you know the situation Thornton." Roger snapped at me and I bristled in response.

"Mr Davies is right." My eyes flickered to the midnight blue ones and my heart dipped down, "It is time we correct that. Come in Kyrianna. Sit."

Suddenly I didn't want to... I took in the sombre expression on his face... the frown... the lack of twinkle...

And then it clicked.

Fred.

"Selina?" My heart clenched and my fingers trembled as it tried to hold my wand steady.

Nonno walked towards the doorway, the look on my face conveying enough emotions to stop the shouting match between Kingsley and Mad Eye which I couldn't even care to pay attention to. "I am afraid so. And Silvain."

I glanced at the plush red carpeted floor, this couldn't be possible. Silvain had visited me just the other day... he brought me chocolates from Switzerland... Selina called dibs on the last one... it lay in solitude next to my bed...

"It's not certain as yet." Mad Eye grumbled, I snapped my head up, hope rekindled within me instantly at his words, "All we know for sure is that they are MIA and-"

"Even if they were taken Alastor, it is naive to think them alive." Kingsley boomed.

Suddenly everything made sense. Draco. Teddy. Teddy!

"Malfoy Manor."

The two aurors turned to me as Sev shook his head, "They're not there Bane. I am sorry."

"You're wrong." I snapped, "You're wrong. I know that they're there."

"How Kyrianna."

"Somebody told me! They're there! They're in Malfoy Manor."

"Bane-"

"NO!" I snapped, "Mad Eye is right, we need to act fast."

"No Kyrianna-"

"I can call Vez, I can probably get a layout of the Manor-"

"Kyrianna-"

"We could sneak in, the night... their guard will be-"

"KYRIANNA!"

My eyes snapped to those of my grandfather's and he stepped towards me, "Even if they are in Malfoy Manor, we cannot get to them." He glanced at Mad Eye who opened his mouth to protest, "We cannot spare the resources and we cannot risk any of our men getting caught. Not even Silvestre can infiltrate Malfoy Manor and live to tell the tale."

I took a step back... "Spare the resources..."

"Miss Thornton, this is not as black and white as you like it to be." Kinglsey Shacklebolt supported Nonno with a calm voice, "It is one thing to get in, and completely another thing to get out. Plus, we must remember that if the Sabre's were taken it must be to extract intel, I am sure of their silence. I trained them myself in that aspect, but the outcome of their silence... it is best-"

I shook my head, looking at Sev, then Minnie, then Nonno, then back again at Davies, "He... you... they-"

"Ky if there was a moment, a moment that I thought that barging in there would be fruitful I will take it!" His blue eyes twinkled with moisture and Sarah walked forward, clutching his shoulder, "I will risk it all."

I couldn't process this. Silvain. Selina. No. No. No.

"Roger?"

I glanced down at Fred as he stirred, Roger helped him to his feet as he glanced around the room until something made him remember, "Selina-"

"We know Fred. We know that she is missing."

"We need to-"

"We've already sent Hawke after them." Bill answered his younger brother. "Davies and Sarah will follow soon; they're going to check out some haunts in Knocturn Alley. Maybe they were taken there. We need you to stay in the apartment just in case Selina manages to send word."

Fred nodded emphatically and made for the exit, pushing past me with ease.

Bill turned to the fireplace as if he hadn't just lied to his brother...as if he hadn't just sent him to sit and wait for the girl he loved as she... she...

I shook my head and backed away, disgust rising like bile in my throat.

"Kyrianna." I turned, watching the silver beard quiver slightly as he spoke, "I am sorry."

I let the staircase descend as his blue eyes met mine and my heart clenched as I rotated lower and lower... and just like that he was knocked down. One peg and then another. The pedestal broke. Just like my chest as it burned like fire that sputtered on my fingers like ice droplets...

Silvaine. Selina.

Gone. They were gone.

A/N: There are always losses in war... I just wanted to show that there isn't always a happy ending and sometimes you have to make hard decisions. Please review

Kalina