There'll be a new development in this chapter. Let's see if you can all guess what it is ;D

Enjoy!

Chapter Six – Inner Fears

"Papa? Am I dangerous?"

Albus Dumbledore smiled down at a five year old Rachele. "Of course not little one. Why would you think that?"

The little girl held out her arms to which he picked her up and propped her on his lap. "Another boy saw me fighting the Death Eaters and he said I was too dangerous to be around normal people. What if he's right? What if I lose control and accidently hurt someone?"

Dumbledore tapped her gently on her tiny nose. "Don't pay attention to him Rachele. People are often afraid of things they don't understand. But you are a strong young lady with a pure heart of gold. And one day you will help the world in a big way. More bigger than you can imagine!"

Her big green eyes brightened. "Do you really think so Papa? Can I really save the world?"

Dumbledore brought her into a tight hug making her giggle with delight. "I know you will my angel. I know you will. And that's all you need to know."

She squeezed the old man around the neck."Thank you Papa. I hope we're never apart."

"Never little one. I will always be with you."

Seventeen year old Rachele Sullivan felt her eyes flutter open letting the blurry outline of the Hufflepuff girl's dorm come into view. Her gaze shifted to the window, letting out a sigh at the still darkened sky.

"Great...only bloody three in the morning." She groaned, rising to her feet being careful not to wake Claudia. She tiptoed over the slumbering forms sprawled around the dorm and made her way over to the door. She quietly pulled it open and stepped out only to bump into a larger form.

"Oof! Oh...sorry I-...Robbie?"

Her boyfriend was staring at her with slight alarm. "Rach, hey I was just coming to wake you."

She frowned at him. "You haven't slept yet have you?"

He shrugged. "Not tired. But that's not important." He reached for her hand. "We need to talk."

He led her back downstairs to the quiet sanctuary of the common room. When they were both comfortable on the couch he turned to her.

"There's something you need to know."

Rachele tilted her head. "Everything okay?"

He shook his head. "I took a small patrol earlier, don't worry I used a Invisibility spell, and I saw some commotion at the main entrance."

"And...? What did you see?"

Robert leaned in closer. "It's Snape..he's back. And he's been reassigned as the new Headmaster."

Rachele made a 'hmm'. "Not surprising. He's definitely proved his loyalty to his precious 'Dark Lord.'" She air quoted Dark Lord with an eye roll.

Robert smiled. "So what's your plan?"

Rachele sighed. "I need to talk to Snape in private. I need to know once and for all why he betrayed Albus."

Robert squeezes her hand. "Are you sure that's wise Rach? I don't trust him."

Rachele covered his hand with her free one. "It'll be fine. I can handle him."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

She shook her head. "That's sweet but no. I need to do this alone."

Robert studied her face for a moment. "Are you okay Rach?"

Rachele rose an eyebrow. "I'm fine why."

"You're eyes are a little shifty. They only do that when something's bothering you."

She mentally laughed at how well this man knew her. "I had a dream."

"About?"

She looked away. "Albus."

Robert instantly scooted close and wrapped his arm around her. "Talk to me."

She snuggled into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. "It was a memory. I was about five years old and we had just rescued a Muggle town from a Death Eater attack."

"At only five huh?"

She shrugged. "Anyway, a boy around my age had witnessed a portion of my magic. He was more frightened of me than of the Death Eaters, said I was scary and dangerous."

Robert frowned. "That's awful judgemental of him."

She smiled. "It's fine he was only a child. But yes it did bother me at the time. I was terrified my power would lose control and I might unintentionally harm someone I cared about." She adjusted her head on his shoulder. "I told this to Albus, and he was nothing but patient, sweet and caring. He always showed faith in my abilities. He never doubted me even for a second." Her bottom lip quivered. "I miss him Robbie."

Robert moved his other arm so that he could engulf her in a full hug. "He loved you Rach. I know that much."

She smiled into his chest, relishing in her boyfriends warmth. "I know he did. He was a great man."

They were silent for a moment until Robert asked. "Anything else you wanted to talk about?"

Rachele didn't respond for a while and Robert was perfectly content to hold her until she did. Finally she pulled away and stood up, once again walking over to the window and staring out of it. Now he knew something was definitely wrong.

"Rach?" He called out softly but with no answer. He made his way over to her and gently hugged her from behind. "I'm here for you Gryffindor. Whatever you need."

Rachele leaned back against his chest. "Robbie...you know that I love you right?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"And I want to be honest with you."

Robert frowned. "Rachele where's this going?"

She slowly turned around in his arms and raised her head to look at him. He saw uncertainty shining in her green orbs causing his hold on her to tighten slightly.

"Gryffindor?"

"Robbie...I may not survive this war."

Robert looked down at her in shock. "What do you mean?"

She shifted her gaze back at him. "There's a chance I'll be killed in the final battle."

Robert shook his head in disbelief. "You're kidding right? You of all people? You can wipe Voldy and his whole damn cult off the face of the earth." He felt more than heard her giggle.

"True as that may be that's not the issue. It's a little more involved than that."

She swore she could hear the gears turning in his head before a lightbulb went off. "No...no, no no no."

She nodded. "Yeah...he found it."

Determination shone in his eyes. "Then it needs to be destroyed!"

"It's not that simple Robbie."

"Why not! It's just a ancient piece of steel isn't it?"

She smiled knowingly. "About as ancient and powerful as my magic is." Her statement rendered him into silence. She raised her hand and softly trailed it down his jawline. "Robbie...I've accepted that this might be my fate. If Voldemort masters the use of this blade, than the probability of me living through this fight is extremely low."

Robert brought her against him in a crushing hug. "Like hell. You're not dying on my watch. I'm not losing you."

"Robbie..."

"No! You're the love of my life Rachele. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I'll be damned if a hunk of metal is going to take that away from me."

His girlfriend stared at him with an expression he couldn't quite place. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

She smiled. "No, but it did make me realize something."

"What's that?"

He started when she dragged her hands up his chest. "I want you."

Robert gawked openly at her, his mouth suddenly feeling extremely dry. "I...um...what?"

She stepped closer to him. "I might die Robbie. Or you. Or Claudia. No one knows what this war will bring and I don't want to regret a single moment."

Robert grasped her wrists. "Rachele think about what you're asking. This isn't something casual you can just toss out there."

She frowned. "I'm not just tossing it out there. I'm scared Robbie. Voldemort is out there threatening the world and yet all I can think about now is how petrified I am of losing you." She leaned her forehead against his. "You're the only man for me Robert Kordellus and I may never get another chance to prove that to you."

Robert gazed into her beautiful bright green eyes. "Are you sure?"

She stared back lovingly, her expression never faltering. "Completely. Make me yours."

(In another part of the castle)

"Welcome to Hogwarts Master Snape." A Death Eater stood before the new headmaster. "I trust your travels were satisfactory."

"Spare me your useless groveling speech." Snape snapped. "What's the status on the intruder?"

"It's been quiet. A little too quiet if you ask me."

Snape turned his back on his companion. "She's biding her time. The term has only just begun."

"What do you suggest?"

Snape glanced at him. "Resume classes in the morning as scheduled. Put her to the test; see if she's as heroic as she claims to be."

The Death Eater bowed, barely hiding an excited grin. "As you wish." He swiftly left the office leaving Snape alone.

"It's your move Rachele Sullivan. Do your worst."

Rachele and Robert appeared in an unknown room with their arms wrapped tight around each other.

"Where are we?" The latter asked looking around. They were in a cosy room with a fireplace, a couple of couches and a double bed in the centre.

Rachele grinned. "Just something random I conjured up."

He looked down at her. "Are we still in Hogwarts?"

She shrugged, hooking her finger into his pants and pulling him closer. "Who knows? All that matters is that we aren't interrupted."

"What about the Death Eaters?"

She smiled. "They won't be a problem, at least for tonight. Now take that shirt off."

Robert grinned. "Yes ma'am." He unbuttoned his shirt and shifted it off his shoulders in one fluid movement. Rachele removed hers as well leaving her upper torso clad only in her bra. They moved forward as one until their bodies were flush against each other, once again wrapping their arms around the other.

"You're so beautiful." Robert whispered taking her mouth with his in a deep kiss.

All Rachele could respond with was a loud moan as she ran her hands down his chest and over his ab muscles. Merlin she'd been dreaming of doing this for months. From then on was a passionate haven for them . This was a memorable night for both parties so neither were in any particular rush. They remained standing as they helped each other slowly peel away layers of clothing. Rachele would always remember the gentle way her lover laid her on the bed, hovering over her and gazing at her with inmeasurable love glowing in his ocean blue eyes. When they finally became one she felt no pain or fear, only comfort in being held and loved by her one true soul mate. Over and over as he kissed her and made love to her, he whispered how much he adored her, that he hoped he wasn't hurting her and how much joy she brought to his life.

And that was more than enough for her.

(A few hours later)

Robert woke with a groan, unsure of where he was. He glanced around the room groggily, confused at the unfamiliar surroundings. A soft sigh sounded from next to him and he looked down. There was Rachele, curled into a ball and sleeping soundly. The blankets were draped over her obviously naked body, exposing her slender shoulders. Her hair was splayed out behind her in thick waves across the pillow, allowing him to gaze upon her face. Robert smiled; this was the first time he'd slept next to her at night and her peaceful expression was one he wanted to continue to wake up to. Once again he felt that determination swell up inside him; they were going to fight this war and they were going to live, he was sure of it.

"Nnnrrnn...Robbie?"

His girlfriend's eyelids blinked open revealing her sparkling green orbs. He smiled at her. "Hey there."

She rubbed her eyes sleepily. "What time is it?"

He swept her fringe to the side and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Everyone will be awake soon. Wanna head back? Claudia will be wondering where we are."

Rachele shifted over to him and leaned on his stomach. "In a minute. I wanna take in this sexy morning beast."

He chuckled deeply. "How was your sleep?"

She lay her head on his bare chest with a content sigh. "Amazing...among other things." She grinned up at him.

He smiled. "No regrets?"

She lifted herself so she was looking down at him. "Absolutely not. It was incredible." She gently kissed him. "I love you."

He stroked his hand through her hair. "I love you too. But we really should get going."

She sighed and rolled off him. "Fiiiiiine."

He chuckled again. "Drama queen." A thought then occurred to him. "Uh...Rach?" His girlfriend, who was scavenging the room for her clothes, looked back at him curiously. "What if something happens? I mean...we didn't use any protection."

She smiled knowingly. "Not to worry. Before we started anything I placed a strong conceptive charm on myself."

He grinned. "That's a relief then." He faltered. "I-uh-not to say I don't want kids, I just...uh...crap...I'm no good at this."

Rachele laughed. "It's fine I get it. You want kids just not now with the war going on." She gave him a comforting smile. "One day my love...one day." When Robert smiled back and turned to find his own clothes, he missed the corners of her mouth dropping into a small frown.

(Hufflepuff common room)

Claudia sat on the couch nervously ringing her fingers. She had been paranoid since the early hours of the morning and had not had another wink of sleep since. She had awoken while the moon was still high in the sky and discovered Rachele was no longer next to her, suspecting immediately she may have gone to the common room to check on Robert. So she had ventured downstairs to find her two best friends. Her confusion only grew when she found it empty, the fireplace still crackling with embers. Pushing aside the worry gnawing at her stomach, she took a seat on the couch and waited, hoping they wouldn't be too long; wherever they were. Boy was she ever wrong. Hours flew by and there was no sign of either of them. Eventally the early rays of the sun peeked over the horizon and Claudia's worry shifted to panic, small tears welling up in her eyes. 'Where were they? Rachele wouldn't just up and leave would she? She grew terrified at the sheer prospect of being left behind.'

Just as that irrational thought passed there was a flash and her missing friends appeared near the portrait hole. She opened her mouth, prepared to say something stern and reprimanding, but her words froze when she took in their appearances. Both had slightly disheveled hair, too messy for something as simple as sleeping. While their shirts were wrinkled, Robert's was completely undone, exposing his torso and he was still finishing with zipping up his fly when he noticed they had an audience. He nudged Rachele who had been straightening her skirt and she looked up straight into the other girls mortified eyes.

"Uh..." Rachele stuttered going slightly red. "We couldn't sleep so we decided to monitor Death Eater behaviour around the castle." It was a poor excuse and she could tell Claudia knew she was lying but anything was better than embarrasing the poor girl further. Claudia remained silent, simply nodding and looking away with a red face.

Rachele blew on her fringe. "Well anyways, I need to go confront Snape. Robbie can you inform everyone in the tower about the new...headmaster.?"

Robert nodded. "You can count on me."

She smiled. "Great. I'll be back soon." And she was gone again with another flash.

The common room fell silent with awkwardness growing between the Slytherin and Hufflepuff. A moment later Robert broke it with a sigh.

"Sorry Claudia."

His humble statement caused Claudia to glance at him curiously. 'Why was he apologizing?'

"We don't mean to make things uncomfortable for you. We didn't plan it I swear. We..." He rubbed his neck. "We were talking and feelings were brought up and...things just kinda escalated."

Claudia shrugged. "It doesn't matter." She muttered quietly. "As long as you guys are happy."

Robert smiled. "Thanks. We good then?

She offered him a small smile. "Yeah we're good." Her eyes shifted a little. "What's this about Snape?"

Robert sighed again, sitting himself down next to her. "He's been assigned as the new headmaster. Rachele's gone to get some answers out of him."

Claudia frowned. "Answers?"

"Yeah, about Dumbledore's death. I think she's just looking for more closure."

Claudia nodded with understanding. "I did wonder why Snape would suddenly betray Dumbledore like that."

Robert stared out the window where the dawn was breaking. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Severus Snape sat restlessly on the high chair in his office impatiently twirling his fingers. He wasn't able to sleep at all last night; the knowledge that Sullivan was prowling the castle both day and night put him on edge along with the slight intimidation of her apprehending him after his untimely betrayal. He wanted to explain his situation to the young teenager, he wished he could help her understand. But he doubted she would forgive him; she was uncomprehensibly close with their old mentor, he didn't believe she would find any room in her heart for reconsiliation. Besides...he swore he wouldn't tell a soul of his reasons. They were between him and the one he was most loyal to.

"Hello Severus."

The cold tone sent a feeling like ice to shoot down his spine and cause his legs to stiffen. "Sullivan." He responded keeping his voice cool.

Rachele stepped from the shadows. "We need to talk."

Snape resisted the urge to swallow. "How did you get in here?"

She rose an eyebrow. "You think a few of your 'staff' can stop me?"

"...I suppose not."

She leaned on his desk and leered at him. "Tell me the truth Severus. Why did you kill him?"

"The Dark Lord ordered m-"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!"

He flinched. "I'm telling you the truth."

"Bullcrap! I remember the day you swore to Albus your complete and absolute loyalty! Give me one good reason why you would stab him in the back!"

Severus fell silent and simply stared with empty hollow eyes. He vowed he would not breathe a word.

Rachele's hand curled into tight fists. "You son of a bitch, you tell me right now or I'll make sure the Order never accepts you again. You will die a sad, lonely man, regretting the day you chose to betray us. I don't care what your reasons are, I will make sure you are put away in a hole and left to rot for eternity." Her green eyes blazed dangerously into his black ones

Snape knew she wasn't bluffing, this girl had connections and could easily have him thrown in Azkaban within the hour if she chose. He inwardly sighed; maybe it wouldn't hurt to tell her. She never held back on her word so maybe if he could swear her to secrecy, especially from those two hip attachments of hers, then maybe he would consider letting her in. He leaned forward to stare directly into her orbs, doing his best to not crumble from the threats swirling in their depths.

"I will tell you on one condition Sullivan." She nodded and he continued. "Do not breathe a word of this to anyone. And I mean anyone. Not even to Kordellus and Clarken. No one must know what I'm about to tell you."

Rachele's eyes softened ever so slightly. She straightened herself and crossed her arms. "You're serious."

He nodded. "If you wish to prove your own loyalty to the good of the world, you must swear."

She smiled slightly. "You have my word."

Severus searched her face for a moment before nodding. "You may want to sit down."

Rachele cautiously slipped into the upright chair facing his desk, mentally casting barriers around the office so no pesky Death Eaters would interrupt.

Rachele leaned forward with interest as Snape began speaking. "It all began the day I met Lily Potter..."

(Some hours later)

When Rachele returned to the common room, Robert and Claudia were still where she left them. It was still quiet so the rest of the students were most likely still sleeping.

"Hey there Gryffindor." Robert smiled when his girlfriend walked up to them. "How'd it go with Snape?"

Rachele shrugged off-handishly. "Didn't really get anywhere, he's a stubborn bugger that one. But that doesn't matter." She slammed a newspaper down in front of them. "I thought you guys might like to read this."

Robert and Claudia shared a curious glance, both finding her dismissive behaviour off-putting, but they paid it no mind and turned their attention to the Daily Prophet.

"What are we looking at?" Claudia asked picking it up.

Rachele grinned. "Look at the front headlines."

Claudia and Robert leaned in to read the bold black letters on the cover.

DOLORES UMBRIDGE ARRESTED FOR FRAUD; LIFE SENTANCE IN AZKABAN.

Robert looked up at Rachele suspiciously. "What did you do?"

Rachele gave a devilish smirk. "Just revealed the truth."

"It says she was arrested for Fraud." Claudia observed.

"She was claiming for years to be pureblood but actually she's half and half. Pure blood father...Muggle mother."

Robert's eyes widened. "Bloody hell, and after all that discriminating garbage she gave Harry and some others about being a Half-blood or less."

She nodded with a grimace. "I know...but that's small detail compared to her most recent crime." She told them through gritted teeth about the statue in the Ministry's foyer and the innocent lives sacrficed to build it.

Robert let out a growl. "That's a whole new level of sick."

"You're telling me." Rachele frowned. "I'm Muggle-born, those were my people. I took it very personally."

Robert peered at her. "Again...what did you do Rach?"

"I think I have an inkling." Claudia spoke up as Rachele opened her mouth. She turned the newspaper around so it was facing them and pointed to the moving picture in the centre. "Look at her hands."

At first glance, they could see Umbridge had her wrists cuffed together, but upon closer inpection they could see her hands dangling uselessly while wrapped in bandages. There were dark smudges indicating they had been bleeding at some point. Claudia flicked her gaze to her best friend and was slightly taken back by the wide, satisfied grin on her face.

"Ah yes...I suppose I did get a little carried away." Rachele also filled them in on her visit to Umbridges office, leaving out no detail of the punishment she had personally handed out to the older woman. There wasn't even the slightest hint of remorse in her eyes that she had tortured another human being.

"Isn't that a little dark for you Rach?" Robert said with concern.

She shrugged. "I feel no sympathy after what that woman's done. She murdered hundreds, maybe even thousands of innocent people. She needed to be put away." She smiled at them. "Besides I did her a favour by selling her out to the Law Enforcement first. Can you imagine what a certain Dark Lord would've done to her once he discovered her history?"

Claudia shivered. "I don't want to think about it."

Robert grasped his girlfriends hand. "Just be careful Rach. You don't want to go down a path you can't come back from."

Rachele smiled at him. "Don't worry about me. I have no intention of killing her if that's what you're worried about. But I'd be lying if I said it didn't cross my mind a few times." She gazed back down at the photo of the defeated witch clasped in chains. "But at least for now...this is all I can do."

Claudia nodded. "You did the right thing. Lives will be spared now that's she been put away."

Robert grinned. "Especially Harry, he'll be esctatic that the crazy wrench that tortured him is behind bars."

Rachele chuckled. "I'll be sure to tell him."

"Did someone mention Harry?"

Three heads turned to the staircase to where a overly exhausted Ginny was now descending. She was paler than normal and her eyes were blood-shot. But her face was one of complete triumph.

Rachele gave her a once over. "Gin? Are you feeling okay?"

A grin was her answer. "I got the buggers."

"What buggers?"

"The small number of treacherous Hufflepuffs, I finally got those bastards to confess."

Rachele stood up in alarm. "Ginny. Have you been interrogating them all night?"

Ginny gave her thumbs up. "You bet! A true Weasley never gives up!"

Rachele sighed and walked over to her. "I appreciate the effort." She patted her shoulder. "Go get some sleep, I'll take over from here."

Ginny's whole body seem to deflate. "Yeah...that seems nice. But..." Her eyes darted around nervously. "What about the Death Eaters?"

Rachele made a small 'pff' noise and rolled her eyes. "Please."

Ginny laughed. "I guess I have nothing to worry about then. Catch you guys later." She let out a yawn as she trudged sleepily up the stairs. Rachele sniggered when she stumbled slightly, nearly falling backwards down the steps but able to catch herself in time. Only when she was safely in the dorms did Rachele turn away, chuckling as she went.

"Gotta admire that girls' perseverence." She glanced up at the boys dormitories and cracked her knuckles. "Let's have a word with our guests."

A hand on her arm stopped her. She looked up into her boyfriend's eyes. "Allow me Gryffindor."

"Robbie?"

He grinned at her. "Trust me."

She smiled. "Okay." She pecked him on the lips. "Good luck."

He gave a playful salute as he entered the boys dorms and Rachele could've sworn she saw his hand grasp his wand.

"Go easy on them Robbie."

"SOMEONE HELP!"

Rachele's eyes darted towards the portrait hole where a young second year Hufflepuff boy ran through in a obvious panic. His eyes scanned the room and widened further when they landed on her.

"Rachele! Thank heavens!" He bolted up to her, gripped her sleeve and started pulling on it. "It's awful! They're hurting her!"

Rachele put a hand on his shoulder. "Slow down there buddy. What's the problem? Who's hurting who?"

"The Death Eaters! They're being mean to my friend!"

She didn't need to hear anymore. Rachele was out the door before he finished his sentence with rage etched across her face. Those bastards had ignored her warnings by attacking an innocent girl. Mercy was most certainly not in her vocabluary today. She heightened her senses and scanned the castle until she locked onto two Death Eaters bullying a small first year Ravenclaw girl. They were on the opposite end of the castle so with her teeth gritted in anger she teleported away with angry green flames roaring behind her.

"Look at us when we're talking to you, ya filthy little wench!"

Two dark figures laughed evilly as they knocked around the young girl. All she could do was shut her eyes and whimper as they pushed, shoved and occasionally cast spells that covered her in cuts and bruises. They weren't throwing anything fatal at her, but her quiet and painful sniffles were enough to amuse them for the moment. But after a while their thirst for blood only became stronger.

"Bah, this is boring. Let's just torture her 'til she loses her mind." The taller of the two licked his lips hungrily as he stepped closer to the petrified first year. "No one's gonna notice she's even gone."

"Think again ass-brain."

The Death Eaters turned their heads in alarm and blood drained from both of their faces when they saw a livid brunette with eyes blacker than a midnight sky with a slight green glow surrounding her.

"You've got some nerve picking on a defenceless first year in broad daylight."

The first Death Eater could feel himself starting to sweat. "S-stay away!" He shakily pointed his wand at her. "I'm warning you."

The green aura became stronger and her expression grew more fierce. "Let. Her. GO."

Her voice was low and calm, but it dripped with so much venom it had the two culprits gulping in fear. They stumbled backwards as she began advancing on them.

"H-h-hey c-come on...we w-were just having s-s-some fun!" One of them begged to no avail since it only made her madder.

"NOW!"

There was a pair of girly yelps and they were gone before anyone could blink. The angry glow disappeared and Rachele's black eyes returned to their usual green ones. She walked over to the younger student who was gazing up at her with awe.

Rachele smiled down at her. "You okay there?"

The girl's bottom lip trembled before she rushed forward and clung to Rachele's arm. "I was so scared! I thought they were going to kill me!"

Rachele knelt down to hug her. "Hey it's alright. You're safe with me." She pulled her away to arms length. "Looks like they did a bit of a number on you. Relax and close your eyes okay?" When the girl obeyed, Rachele gently placed her palm over her forehead. A white light engulfed her body and not a moment later it was gone, as was any injury she had sustained from her tormenters. She opened her eyes when she felt Rachele's hand pull away and as she looked down at herself she smiled brightly.

"Wow! That's amazing!" She beamed up at her rescuer. "You're amazing!"

Rachele grinned. "No big deal. But hey is it alright if I ask you a favour?" The girl's eyes sparkled as she nodded. "Head back to Ravenclaw and spread the word that Hufflepuff tower is a sanctuary welcome to anyone who wishes for shelter from the Death Eaters."

The young Ravenclaw smiled. "You can count on me!" She scuttled off before Rachele could reply, keeping to the shadows to avoid anymore troublesome run-ins.

Rachele stood up with a exasperated sigh. "Good grief these Death Eaters are giving me a headache." She glared up at ceiling. "Damn it Harry, you better get your arse back to Hogwarts and soon."

The remainder of that morning was fairly uneventful which was somewhat unconventional with the state of the school. Rachele suspected the Death Eaters were keeping quiet since she scared the two bullies earlier which left her some time to think. It had gone dreadfully quiet on Harry's end and when she tried to contact him telepathically she recoiled back from the dark waves pulsating from his mind. This only added to her worries so in the early afternoon she gathered Robert and Claudia into a far corner of the common room, making sure to throw up strong sound repelling barriers in the process.

"Where's Ginny?" She asked the moment they sat down.

"Off meeting that youngin you saved earlier." Robert replied. "Figuring out ways to sneak Gryffindor house into here."

Rachele nodded. "Good, it's better she doesn't know about this conversation."

"Is this about Harry?" Claudia asked.

"Yeah. Something's really off."

Robert frowned. "Is he in danger?"

Rachele shook her head. "I'm not sure. Everytime I try to reach his mind, there's the dark ominous presence inside. It's almost like he's...possessed. But it's so blurry and distorted I can't make any sense of it." She looked down at her hands. "I've tried calling out to him but there's never any response."

Robert reached out and grasped her hand. "Maybe you should go to him Rach. He might need your help."

She smiled. "You're right...as always. You guys alright keeping an eye on things here?"

Claudia gave a small smile. "Have we ever disappointed you?"

Rachele chuckled. "Never. I trust you more than anyone." She stood up. "I better head off then."

"Rach wait." Robert said rising with her. "Can we talk for a minute?"

"Uh..."

"I'll leave you two alone" Claudia mumbled as she walked away from them. Once she was free from the barrier Rachele turned to her boyfriend.

"Everything okay Robbie?"

Robert rubbed the back of his head. "Well...we haven't had a chance to talk about um...last night."

Rachele rose an eyebrow at him. "Do you regret it?"

Robert waved his hands in protest. "No! No of course not I just..." He sighed. "I was wondering if it was a one time thing that's all..." He looked away embarrassed.

Rachele giggled softly. "Aaww sweetie." She gently kissed his cheek. "I'm not going to treat you like some one-night stand. I love you, you know I do." She caressed his jaw. "But let's wait for now."

Robert stared at her. "Wait?"

Rachele sighed. "I don't want us to just sleep together whenever we feel like it. Not that I don't want to!" She added quickly when he looked slightly crestfallen. "Last night was wonderful...you were wonderful." She kissed him as she said this. "And I want to keep feeling that way. The next time we try, I want to be far away from here. No Death Eaters. No Voldemort. No war. No danger lurking over our heads. I just want to love you freely without having to look over my shoulder all the time."

The saddest expression was on Robert's face. "You told me you didn't know if you'd survive this war. How can I look forward to a future when it's possible there might not be one?"

Rachele held his face in her hands and gazed deeply into his eyes. "Just because I said that, it doesn't mean I'm going to give up." She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "I want a future with you Robbie...more than anything. And I won't stop fighting for it."

Moved by her fearless resolve, Robert wrapped his own arms around her waist and held her close. "You're incredible. I love you."

Rachele clung to him with her face buried in his neck, returning a soft 'I love you' into his ear. While she was still slightly scared of what might become of them in the upcoming battle; her determination to survive and live a life with her love gave her the strength to persevere and overcome any obstacle that stood in her way. Because she was fighting for the sake of love and nothing was going to stop her.

End of Chapter

:333 Aaawww they finally shared their first time together. In normal circumstances Rachele is typically the type to wait for the right moment. Right now she is deeply afraid she may not make it so it was a moment of vulnerability. But despite her impulsive decision, she does not for one moment regret what her and Robert did. That's how much she loves him.

That's enough ranting for now. See you all next time!