Nicolai and his men sneered at us as we all stood tensely.
"What are you doing here?" Tom demanded, placing himself between me and immediate danger.
Nicolai scoffed, shaking his head at us, before a salacious smile spread across his face as his eyes fell on me.
I leaned around Tom's shoulder to get a better look at him, blinking in surprise, before it turned into disgust, as I noticed his deteriorating appearance for the first time.
His seemed three times older than he had two years ago.
His face was withered, his hair was covered with what looked to be looked ash as if it was slowly draining of life.
His posture was slouched forward as he walked forward.
Tom made the same realizations as I did. His posture stiffened suddenly as his head moved slightly to the right, searching for something.
"Sophia, I never noticed how well you've matured." Nicolai commented.
"I'm sure you're not here to comment on my appearance. Why are you here, Nicolai?" I asked, ignoring the looks I was receiving from him.
"Oh, well, I'm sorry to interrupt your nuptials, and celebration. But I do believe we had a pending discussion." He calmly said.
I frowned, moving around Tom to look at him fully. The sight I found was not one I was prepared for.
His face was far more deteriorated than I thought before. He looked as if time had been treating extra harsh to him the past two years.
"I'm sure you've noticed what you're little hex has done to me... And while I haven't found the correct spell to counter it, I did manage to find one that would help keep me alive, but not permanently." He explained.
"Why are you here?" Tom demanded again.
The responding smile that Nicolai gave us sent goosebumps up and down my spine.
Something wasn't right.
"Haven't you noticed? I was only a mere distraction. But alas I must leave now. By the time you notice what's happened they'll be long gone." He smirked as he disapparated in a cloud of black smoke.
As he and the rest of his group left, Bellatrix rushed forward, breath ragged, and face full of tears.
"Bella? What -what is it?" I asked her, anxiously.
"The children. He's taken all our children!" She gasped.
The blood drained from my face as Tom moved to catch me.
Everything around be began to spin and tilt for a moment before I was pulled into the darkness.
I woke up in a familiar room, back in Grimmauld's Place.
I was still in my wedding dress, but my shoes were now gone.
As the weight of the words Bella had spoken earlier sunk into my mind, my body shot into a sitting position.
"Sophie?" I heard Bella call.
I turned sharply before sliding off the bed and making my way towards the armour.
"Sophie?" She asked again.
"What happened? Have they found any leads yet?" I asked her as I flicked my wrist and caused the buttons to undo themselves.
"Not yet. It appears someone managed to gain the upper hand of Molly, Lily and Grisha." She explained, frowning. "What are you doing?" She asked.
"Isn't obvious? I'm going to change out of this, and join the search. Our children are out there somewhere. We need to get them back." I replied, as I shrugged out of the sleeves.
As soon as I did the dress fell to the ground like a puddle. Stepping out of it, I quickly flicked my wrist to move it back into the garment bag and to hang in the closet as I did.
After that, I quickly pulled out a dark gray, floor length skirt, and a black shoulder-less blouse, slipping then both on quickly before sliding on a gray sleeveless cloak, fastening it to my torso before moving slip on my ankle boots.
She sighed quietly before moving towards the door. "Don't leave, I'll be going with you." She said.
"Hurry then." I murmured as I slid out the pins in my hair before slowly sectioning the top layers of my hair to braid it.
By the time I made my way down to the sitting room, Andi, and Alice moves towards me.
"How is she?" I asked.
Lily, Molly, Grisha, and Torin sat on the couch, comforting one another.
Lily seemed to be the most distraught out of all of them, I noted.
"She's distraught. She blames herself." Andi softly replied.
"It wasn't her fault. None of us knew that this was their plan. But rest assured they won't be gone for too long. And the moment we catch the person responsible for this, they will suffer a fate worse than death." I promised, my hands clenching into fists, as Bella walked into the room with Narcissa.
"Where are you two off to?" She asked, with a frown.
"To get our children back. Don't try to stop me." I replied, stoically.
"No. I won't allow you two to leave and walk straight into danger." She adamantly said.
"We aren't asking you for permission we are merely informing you of our decision. Now, step aside, Andromeda, I don't want to hurt you. But I will if you stand in my way." I growled.
Her eyes widened in fear as I stared her down.
"I'm sorry, Andi." I suddenly heard, before a spell flew towards her and hit her, knocking her out immediately.
Narcissa stood pointing her wand toward her, a stoic look on her face.
"Cissy!" Bella gasped.
"It was this or her going toe to toe with Sophie. She would have gotten hurt if she did. Sophie is really angry at this moment. Now, let's go." She said as she turned towards the door.
Torin and the rest of the girls gasped at us from their seats.
"Wake her up as soon as we leave." I threw over my shoulder as I followed Narcissa out the door.
"Where shall we begin?" Narcissa asked, looking towards me, as we walked across the street towards the park.
"I know just where to start." I whispered, offering my hands towards them.
They took them without hesitation, a gleam of determination crossing their otherwise stoic faces.
I apparated us to the woods a few miles away from Hogwarts.
"Why are we here, Soph?" Bella asked.
"I need to aquire something from the Chamber of Secrets." I replied as I made my way towards the side entrance.
"What?!" Bella asked following me without hesitation.
"A locator spell. Adley and Arlo each bore a charm I placed on them shortly after they reached six months. This will help guide us to them." I explained as I made my way inside through the sharp look rocks.
With a wave of my hand, the sharp rocks slowly began moving to form stairs.
Narcissa followed us quietly as we began to descend them. Darkness engulfing us briefly before a flick of my fingers lit up the path.
"You made this-" Bella gasped.
"Indeed." I replied, as I stepped forward, hissing under my breath before watching in satisfaction as the large metal door swung open.
A moment later we found ourselves walking down the familiar corridor of snake heads and Salazar Slytherin's head.
I ignored the looks I was receiving from the two, and made my way towards the left of the corridor, touching the wall for a moment before stepping back once more.
The wall slowly parted, causing a low hum to reverberate throughout the room, to reveal the secret room.
"Salazar Slytherin's hidden sleeping quarters?" Bella gasped.
"No. I think this was some sort of hidden room which he used to hide his creations. Tom and I came upon it one night in our sixth year... We added the bed later for other purposes. I've been secretly using it to cast and create spells." I explained
"How is this supposed to help?" Narcissa asked.
I gestured towards the desk in the corner of the room.
"The locator spell." Bella breathed.
I nodded in response. "It won't be this simple though. I can almost sense that they're safe, it's muddled but I can feel them." I explained.
"Why won't it be simple?" Bella asked.
"Because if I were to set off the locator spell, I can end up putting them in grave danger. All our kids would suffer." I explained.
"We need to find another way then." Narcissa said, firmly.
I nodded, placing my hand on the necklace before taking a deep breath and reaching back to unfasten it.
"What- what are you do-?" Bella began to ask.
"Finding another way." I whispered as I moved towards the map, and waved my hand over it before holding the medallion over it.
I sensed a familiar presence before I felt something else.
"How did I know I would find you three here?" Tom suddenly asked, causing Bella and Narcissa to jump.
"Riddle? How in the Merlin's beard did you find us?" Bella asked.
"We arrived back shortly after you three left." He explained. "This, of course, was after finding out that you attacked your older sister, and left without another word. Am I wrong to assume you three are looking for the children as well?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"No, you're correct." I softly replied, keeping my eyes on the moving medallion.
"Soph, what is it we're doing here now?" He asked, calmly.
"I don't know about you, but the girls and I are searching for our children." I replied, while keeping my eyes on the map.
"Soph." He sighed, moving towards me. "I realize you are worried about them and want to find them as badly as you do. But I can't allow you do this." He softly said.
"I don't remember asking you for permission." I replied, frostily.
"Soph." He sighed again.
I shook my head, realizing what he was attempting to tell me. "No, I have to find them. I'm their mother. I can't sit over there pretending everything is alright when our children are out there somewhere, in danger! I can't! I won't! I refuse to do so!" I fiercely said as tears sprang to my eyes.
I let the medallion go, casting a spell to allow it to move on its own accord. Before wiping my face.
"Darling, I would expect nothing less of you. I was simply suggesting that you stay over there." He replied, pulling me into his arms.
"They're gone, Tom. We couldn't protect them." I whimpered as I dropped my head into his chest.
"This isn't anyone's fault but the arsehole who did this. Trust me when I say that the person responsible will suffer a fate worse than death when I finally get a my hands on them." He promised.
"She said the same thing to Andi." Bella snorted.
"We will make them pay. Together." Tom agreed.
I nodded, as I turned to see the medallion begin to glow softly over an area within the Scotland Highlands.
All three of them stared astonished at the medallion as it glowed in a soft yellow light.
"I believe it's time we make due of that promise." I said as they all turned to look at the map.