She had long since learned to hear and understand silence; she knew thousands of its nuances; yet, a quiet like this one – after the tempestuous twenty-four hours – was a first for her. Mere moments, but they roused her, like a tentative hand – the guitar strings.
They Apparated straight to the house of Liana, a friend of Scopius'. Those two quickly decided that it was the best starting point in search for James. Plus, Malfoy kept glancing at her, as though afraid that she would disappear, vanish into thin air; or collapse from exhaustion, which was not far from the truth.
Xenia was grateful to her cousin for taking the lead at Apparating, for his firm grip on her elbow; for not peppering her with questions – she barely had any strength left to speak or move. The nervous tension was slowly ebbing, and she began to realize that the ordeal was now over – for her.
And there it was – that moment of silence – right as they entered the house; immediately following the popping sound that announced another group Apparating into the warmth of the living room where a single person was now sat – Greg Gregory.
It was the very moment when James, still holding the hands of the house elf, saw her as she stepped toward the fireside chair. A moment of silence, filled with disbelief, hope, a burst of happiness, not to be conveyed by a mere gesture of word. And a moment of despair, for she was alone; she had not been able to save Lily; because Lily was still in the hands if the unknown foe…
He dropped to his knees before her, kissing her cold hands, afraid to take his eyes off her sad but still glowing face. His hot breath scalded her palms; he pressed himself against her knees… silently, for words still failed him.
Behind them, Greg and Liana spoke quietly, as though trying to prolong this silence, this moment where they once again regained a modicum of happiness they had feared they lost forever.
Xenia smiled weakly at her husband, unable to move, and her eyes shifted to Scorpius, whose moment of silence continued. Not moving and, apparently, not breathing, he stood by the door, staring. No, not at the unfamiliar girl who showed up with James and whose intent, very expressive gaze was now focused on Malfoy. Scorpius stared at the house elf, who had brought the pair here.
It was Dong, whom she and James had given up for dead; of whom they avoided talking, fearing the worst. Yet, he was alive and, seemingly, well. Dong took two halting steps toward Malfoy and froze, his small arms pressed to his chest. His huge eyes full of tears and delight, the elf seemed to not dare approach his master.
"Where. Have. You. Been?" Malfoy's voice shattered this strange moment, rousing everyone in the parlour, as though from a dream. Dong did not reply, ears pressed against his head, which made the house elf look even more miserable than a moment ago. "Where the hell have you been?" Scorpius took a step forward, looming ominously over Dong. The elf merely raised his head to look Malfoy in the face. "Where were you when my house was being turned into a pile of ashes? What the hell were you doing, instead of guarding it like your own life? Where were you when they planted someone's corpse there? Answer me!"
James felt torn: he wanted to stay at his wife's side, holding her hands, but at the same time, to go over to his best mate, who was visibly trembling, unlike his famous "cool customer" demeanor. Why?
"Speak!" Scorpius growled, leaning over Dong, whose eyes were now taking up half of his face.
"I…," the house elf literally squeezed the word out. "Miss Lily…," and a moment later Dong threw himself on the floor and started beating his head against it, prompting Xenia to lurch out of her chair. James' soft hands sat her back down. Plus, Malfoy reacted equally as fast – he grabbed the house elf by his tunic and lifted him up in the air, shaking him.
"Either you start talking or I'll…!" Scorpius' hand was shaking. Xenia couldn't understand what came over him; she sensed that Malfoy was going through something drastic, experiencing some extremely strong emotional outburst, right before their eyes.
"He cannot speak."
Xenia recalled the stranger who stood in the middle of the room, stock still. Scorpius shifted his heavy – icy – gaze to her and slowly lowered Dong to the floor. The house elf got to his feet and immediately pressed himself against Scorpius' legs, as though seeking protection. And Malfoy did not push him away, did not step aside – he put his hand on top of Dong's head, making the huge eyes fill with tears once again.
"He cannot speak, because he was forbidden to do so."
"And who forbid my house elf to speak?" Scorpius asked, slowly and distinctly.
Xenia leaned back in her chair, suddenly nauseated. No, this was not her nausea – someone else's.
Lily…
She did not know if she ought to say something now – she senses that this girl's presence was important somehow; that she had a story to tell.
"Are you alright?" James leaned over her, and she nodded, as though giving him leave to attend to whatever he needed.
It was him, after all, who brought this stranger into their home.
"Malfoy," James took barely half a step away from the chair and stopped. Xenia knew – he was afraid to leave her alone again, afraid she would vanish. "You…"
"What does my elf have to do with you, and who prohibited him to speak?" Scorpius never took his eyes off the girl. "Who are you?"
"My name is Helene," their visitor jerked up her chin in defiance. Her eyes were as cold as those of the man opposite her. "But I have a feeling that you already know that…"
"And why is that?"
Xenia closed her eyes, because fear – an all-consuming terror – burst into her mind from afar, but it was so strong that she felt it as her own.
Lily, what's happening to you? I cannot do anything to help you… Xenia was breathing heavily, clutching her fists. She could hear everything that was going on in the parlour, but at the same time she let herself be immersed in the fear, to read Lily's mind.
"Do you recognize me?"
He is going to kill me; he is about to kill me…
"Shall we stop playing at twenty questions, and you finally tell me…?"
It does not hurt… Scor, everything will be fine; you'll get over this…
"Dong was found at her house; Albus was there, too. There was a kidnapping attempt. Dad thinks that the perpetrator was her husband…"
"Your father?!"
"He went to the Ministry."
I cannot live without him, you liar! I cannot answer you, but you are so wrong! He is everything to me…
"So, who is he, this husband of yours?"
Xenia cried out, because terrible pain filled her – must be the same pain that now, somewhere, overwhelmed Lily.
"Xenie! Xenie!" James was shaking her by the shoulders, his voice unsteady. But she could not open her eyes and hung on to consciousness by a thread – her consciousness, for she could no longer sense Lily. "Mancilli, we need Theo, ASAP!"
"Can you hear me, Xenia?" this was Scorpius, his voice was alive once again; no longer a dead questioning voice.
"Malfoy, Theo!"
She tried to say something, to calm the panic that gripped James, but she could not even open her eyes, because Lily's pain was now her pain; Lily's terror – her terror.
She could not feel. Not only had she lost her connection to Lily; she also stopped feeling the dainty link to the soul that had been slowly growing inside her these days.
He was gone.
"I am off to Rose's," it was Liana MacLaggen's voice. "How do I get there?"
Xenia felt as though she was floating, and she did not want the gentle rocking to stop, because then she would have to think about the source of that terror. She did not want to return to reality; to emptiness…
"Do not move!"
Xenia knew that he said that to Helene, this strange girl, who was emanating nervousness, and embarrassment, and fear, and tension. Does she know something? Isn't it too late anyway?
"Xenie, can you hear me?" these are James' hands, his voice. "Where did you find her? What's wrong with her? How…?"
She couldn't move her lips, despite realizing that her husband was going to pester Scorpius, while Xenia was eager to tell him everything herself – so that Malfoy could focus on looking for Lily.
"Never mind," Scorpius was now next to her, too. "Dong, over here, quickly! Dammit, have you gone completely mental?"
"He cannot, Malfoy," came James' quiet but agitated voice.
"Where did you find him?"
"It is not important now! Xenie… Answer me… Dammit, where are they?!
She focused on breathing and listening. She tried not to think or feel, because then Lily's fear would again become hers; no, not fear – terror. For the first time in her life she was terrified.
She must have fainted for a moment after all, because amid the sudden silence came James' shriek:
"She is pregnant!"
"Xenia…," this was Theo's voice, so familiar, calm, encouraging. "You linked yourself mentally to Lily? If so, try to nod."
She tried, but she wasn't sure she succeeded. Still, she caught Theo quiet sigh.
"Is this bad? What is wrong with her?"
"Potter…"
"What is wrong with her?!"
"James, step aside, your mother…!"
"She is my wife!"
"Petrificus Totalus… Sorry, Potter… Can you do something?"
Xenia could hear Malfoy's cold voice, she understood everything that was happening around her, because she did not want to listen to what was happening inside; she didn't want to hear silence…
"I'll try to remove the Link, then we'll go from there… Yes, it is necessary!"
"It is the only connection to Lily…"
"Alright. Xenia, you can hear me. I am going to put you into the state of Peaceful Sleep; you know what it is. You need to restore your strength. Set him free, will you?"
It appeared that Malfoy removed the spell from James, because her husband's warm hands went around her cold ones:
"Xenie, everything will be fine; I am here…"
Peaceful Sleep… She will not think; she will only hear and rest. And she will not be able to speak, which means that she gets a reprieve before she has to look Scorpius in the eye; and James; and look inside herself…
Theo was next to her, and she felt the warmth and envelop her tired body; felt it relax. She could feel, she was not asleep; yet she was not thinking exactly – thoughts seemed to just flow through her; and fear and pain were now retreating.
"And now we can talk, Helene. Start with telling us who your husband is."
"First tell me whether my face is familiar to you…"
"You are not in any position to bargain!"
"Do you know my face?"
"Where is your husband? And how did my house elf end up in your house?"
"Have you met me before?"
"Answer me or…"
"Malfoy, hippogriff take you! Just tell her what she wants to know! The faster we get our answers, the sooner we find Lily!"
Quiet… It enveloped, it rocked, like a soft cloud. Brief, but so badly needed quiet…
"Yes, I remember your eyes."
"Where and how?"
"Dammit…"
"Where and how?"
"Five years ago, at a Masque at the Devereaux Manor."
"It is impossible."
"And why is that?"
"Because I was never there."
"Are you sure?"
Xenia recognized Theo's voice – he was right next to her, she could probably reach out and touch him. If only she had any strength or desire to move.
"What are you saying? And why are you looking at me like that? What…?"
"You mind was meddled with. Your memories were altered."
Quiet – she was familiar with his kind of quiet, fearful and incredulous.
"But who…?"
"Maybe now you will tell us who your husband is and where we can find him? I think we have lots to discuss…"
Warmth enveloped her, shielding her from Malfoy's coldness.
"Promise me that you will let me speak to him first… Maybe it is all a big mistake…"
"I shall promise no such thing."
"Then I will not tell you anything."
"Fine, don't."
It was a new voice, one she has not heard in this parlour tonight. Someone else was there, but Xenia did not wish to recall who it was.
"Gregory, what are you talking about?"
"I am saying that I think I know who her husband is."
He knows, Xenia thought gladly. It seems, things are wrapping up… She attempted to smile and finally drifted off to sleep. Into the quiet, whose different shades she was still discovering.