"The Cottage?" Bastian asked.
"No time. Thank you, Broderick." He tipped his glass to me and I grabbed Baz's arm, apparating out and to the front door of the Danworth's house.
I pounded on the door, Baz reached over to ring the bell. Neither of us stopped until the door opened, a very annoyed-looking Calvin Danworth on the other side.
"What?" He snapped, then he registered who we were. "What?" He repeated, more softly.
"Where is the cottage?" I asked, pushing past him into the house. Baz hurried in after me.
"What?"
"Are you a fucking parrot, is that all you can say? Where is a goddamned cottage?" I snarled, whirling, but running into Baz instead, whose hands came up to stop me from storming back at Calvin.
"What is going on here?" The soft voice of Delilah joined the fray.
"That's what I'm trying to figure out dear, go back to dinner and-"
"Your man whore of a husband got my wife kidnapped."
The blank stares I got in return just made the urge to punch Calvin in his stupid fucking face even stronger.
"Kidnapped? Okay- Come in, come in." Delilah started for the sunroom where we had met her for tea last week. Just last week? It felt like a million years ago.
"We think Coco was taken by someone else you've been having an affair with." Bastian didn't move, his attention was on Calvin. "Kaitlyn."
The blood drained from Calvin's face instantly.
"K-Kaitlyn, my assistant? I didn't-"
"Calvin." Delilah snapped. "I already know, if Coco is in danger just- tell them whatever they need to know."
Calvin deflated, his shoulders actually drooping.
"Delilah I-"
"I don't need excuses or promises, Calvin, just tell the boys where the damned cottage is. Quickly." She turned and walked out of the hall in the direction they'd originally come from.
"Follow me," Calvin muttered, leading us back in a different direction, opening the door to what seemed to be a large home office. He opened a drawer in the desk, and removed the false bottom of the desk, sitting it on top of the mahogany top.
I felt my stomach turn at all of this, at the solid proof of him hiding paperwork pertaining to his affairs in the house he kept with his wife. I felt my hand clench into a fist- the urge to slam it into Danworth's stupid face over and over was almost overwhelming.
Baz seemed to sense my rising irritation because he stepped closer to me, bumping my shoulder with his. When my eyes slid to the left to look at him, he gave a small shake of his head.
I pushed the rage down and forced my way through it, I needed this information. I could make Calvin regret all his bad choices later, with Coco by my side, so she could step on him with her heels after I'm done.
"Okay here." Calvin walked back around, holding a simple sheet of paper in his hand. I took it, there was an address on it- it and a picture- it was the sales listing. "I didn't- I didn't think Kaitlyn would do this though. She knows that what she and I have is just sex. There would be no reason for her to do anything to Cordelia-"
"Shut up." I snapped, reading out to snatch the paper out of his hands, but he pulled it back
"She won't be there." Calvin insisted, There was another banging on the door. "What the bloody hell is going on now?" He snapped, pushing past Baz and me, back down the hall.
"Give me the damned paper, Danworth." I snapped, running after him. Delilah had come out before we had, and she opened the door.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Is Theodore Nott here?" A voice asked.
"Potter." I spit out.
"Apparently yes," Delilah answered with a sigh, giving me a look. She pushed the door all the way open and Harry Potter walked in with his little minion.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"We are here to find your wife."
"Brilliant, she isn't here. Which is why we are leaving." I gestured to Baz.
"Nott. This is an official auror investigation. You need to stand down."
"No." I shrugged, I glanced at Danworth as he folded the paper in his hands.
"Theodore, if you get in our way you will end up arrested."
"There is no need for all of that." Delilah interrupted, stepping towards Harry and Ron with a smile. "You came here looking for Coco?" She asked. I glanced down as Danworth clasped his hands behind his back, the paper folded and between two of his fingers. I snatched it and growled.
"This is bloody ridiculous." I declared before turning and walking away.
"Where do you think you're going?" Ron called after me.
"To take a piss, Weasley, would you like to hold it for me?" I asked, looking back over my shoulder. I got a sick amount of joy from the shade of red his face turned. But neither of them stopped me from walking into the bathroom and locking the door behind me.
I quietly unfolded the paper, reading the address and I apparated out.
As I appeared in front of the house- I hoped beyond hope that Danforth was right and Kaitlyn hadn't taken Coco.
Because the cottage was on fire
"Coco!" I screamed, running for the house.
I knew it wasn't the best idea to run into a burning building, but I had no thoughts other than getting inside. I tried the door, the doorknob scorched my hands but I didn't care. The door was locked. I whipped my wand out of my pocket, shouting the spell to force it open-
It didn't work. The spell keeping it closed was strong.
But not stronger than me. I took several steps back and ran forward, slamming into the door- it moved but it held. I stepped back and did it again, this time the door gave in, exploding open, I stumbled into the house, and immediately my eyes began to water from the smoke.
"Coco!" I shouted, running into the house- it seemed the main fire point was a couch in the middle of this room.
I couldn't get through the wall of fire, I just had to hope, pray, that Coco wasn't on the other side of it.
I heard a scream from above me and a thump. My heart jumped, despite the smoke and everything around me. I pulled my shirt up over my mouth- though I wasn't sure it actually did anything
"Coco!" I shouted again, running for the stairs. "Cordelia!"
I stopped when I heard an ominous creak.
"Theodore."
"No!" There was another shriek and a scream followed by a thud, I started to run up the stairs again but stopped halfway up as a figure stood at the top.
"You came." Kaitlyn paused to cough as the smoke was getting worse and worse. "Of course, you fucking came." she let out a bitter laugh
"Kaitlyn-"
"I tried to warn you, tried to get you to see- then you had to go and open my gift to her!"
"'How'd you even find my address?"
"I am the assistant to your boss. I had access to any and all information about you. You're so fucking stupid, Nott." She started to laugh- but it cut off abruptly. She staggered forward and then toppled down the stairs. I barely managed to move out of the way in time as she fell down each and every stair, a crumpled heap at the bottom.
At the top stood Coco, covered in blood, holding a knife in her left hand, her right arm dangling at her side.
"It's Selwyn-Nott. Actually." She corrected. I ran up the stairs to grab her before she could collapse as well. I carried her down to the bottom- but I could feel my legs giving out. I wasn't going to last much longer.
"Wait! Wait." She stopped me at the bottom and went back to Kaitlyn's body, slumped at the bottom. She tucked her hands under the woman's arms and tried to pull her out.
"What are you doing?" I snapped, coughing between each word.
"We will look like heroes, And she has my wand. She might be right, you are fucking stupid."
I narrowed my eyes at her but the small smile on her lips stopped me from being truly angry. I rolled my eyes and took over for Coco, it was significantly easier for me to drag her out of the house.
We managed to cross the threshold and Coco stumbled to the grass a moment before she hit the ground. I abandoned Kaitlyn on the grass, yanking Coco's wand from the woman's pocket, then managed to get to my wife.
"Coco- Okay, what did she do?" My hands shook, and my head felt a little fuzzy as I searched her- there was so much blood. Her good hand was pressed to her side, blood blooming from the spot and soaking into her clothing
She opened her mouth to answer but nothing came out.
A moment later the sound of water filled the air. I looked up and found Blaise, Alistair, Daphne, Pansy, Broderick, and even Draco, wands out, putting out the fire. Baz had moved closer to the house- grabbing Kaitlyn and pulling her further out.
"What are we going to do with her?" Broderick asked. Blaise gave him a look.
"Take her to the Aurors." He answered as if it were obvious.
"Or we take her back to the castle and bring life to the dungeons." Alistair offered.
"I"m going to pretend I didn't hear that," Ron commented as he apparated next to Alistair.
"Do whatever you want." Alistair shrugged. "Wee Baby Weasley." He grinned. Ron, predictably, turned red and I saw him start to go for his wand, but seemingly rethink it and pull his hand back.
"She needs to go to St Mungoes!" I shouted, as obviously no one was concerned enough for my wife. That seemed to kick everyone into gear as they realized how bad Coco really was.
The next hour was a blur as they got Coco to St Mungoes. She had to be taken directly into surgery. Bastian ran home to grab their mother, who was, obviously upset. So we'd killed some time calming her down. Now I sat in the waiting room, my clothes stained with her blood, my friends all around me.
"How did you all know to come?" I asked,
"Broderick told us something was up, Baz found us all at your house trying to find out what was going on and brought us here," Pansy explained
"And you all came?"
"Of course," Pansy shrugged. "You're one of us, which makes Coco one of us. No one fucks with our people."
"Theodore?" Harry walked into the waiting room, looking around at all my friends. I didn't have to ask them to stay, they'd all come to the hospital with me and had set up camp as soon as the words surgery were uttered.
"What?" I snapped.
"We told you what would happen if you interfered." Ron came up behind him.
"Seriously?" Pansy asked.
"Do whatever you need to do, but I'm not leaving until after I know Coco is okay," I informed them. My heart felt like it was going to smash its way out of my chest. I felt sick, I hated hospitals, sure, but I preferred being the patient over this.
I couldn't help but wonder if all those years ago this was my dad, standing in the waiting room, hoping for good news. Hoping for the news that his child was born and he could go see his son and his wife.
Or if he was at home, working, while my mother died.
"Touch him and you will be entangled in so much red tape you won't be able to breathe." I jumped, hearing my father's voice, for a moment I thought I imagined it since he was on my brain, but no, he was here. He was walking up from the other side of the room, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows. "I don't care that you're The Boy Who whatever'd and Weasley number eighteen. Unless you can produce a warrant to take him away, he's staying here."
I might have imagined it but it seemed like Harry and Ron were actually relieved at not having to arrest me.
We arranged for me to come to their office for questioning at a later date and they both left.
I fell into a seat, Genevieve on one side of me and my father took the seat on the other side of me.
"Careful, Rochester, someone might think you care," Genevieve warned, but her eyes were on Baz, who hadn't stopped pacing, gnawing on his nails.
"A fate worse than death." He commented stretching his legs out in front of him.
"You're staying?" I asked, surprised.
"I am." was all he said. I waited for something more, an explanation, an apology for being an asshole my entire life, I got neither- but that wasn't that shocking.
It was another hour before a healer came into the room. Genevieve and I both got up and walked over to him. Baz practically bowled the guy over, everyone else just sat up a little straighter.
"You're Cordelia's family?" The healer asked.
"Yes."
"The surgery went well, luckily, the blade didn't hit anything vital. It did hit her appendix." Baz's eyes grew wider as the healer spoke. "But that's not important, we simply removed it."
"She doesn't need it?"
"No." Genevieve assured her son, reaching up and stroking his hair.
"We got her shoulder popped back into place- but there isn't much we can do beyond help with the pain, she has a sling and should keep it on for at least the next week in coordination with the healing potions we will give you." The healer's eyes were on me as they explained. I nodded, committing each word to memory.
"She should be waking up soon if you want to head in, only two at a time."
The three of us looked at each other, After a moment of waiting, I gave in.
"You two head in. I'm going to let everyone else know that they can go home." I offered. The two of them nodded and headed in the direction that the healer had pointed them in.
I headed back to the others. I repeated what the healer had said. Including the bit about how only two people at a time could go into the room. They all slowly said their goodbyes, promising to come back if she wasn't home soon.
Until finally it was just my father and I in the room.
"I'm glad she's okay," Rochester said, sticking his hands in his pockets.
"Me too." my stomach was still in a knot- I knew it would be for a while, but at least we'd gotten over the first hurdle.
"I will make sure the house elves have your room ready for when you two come home, with fresh linens." He said as if they didn't do that just about every day.
"Thank you." I wasn't going to start a fight, not right now, not when he'd actually almost been good.
"Alright." That was the end of it, as he turned and headed out of the waiting room. Leaving me alone.
—-
"Theodore?" Genevieve was shaking my shoulder. I didn't know when I fell asleep but I jerked awake, everything rushing back to me quickly.
"Coco?" I asked.
"She woke up and she's asking for you. I'm dragging Baz home." She leaned down and kissed my head. "Go to her." She gestured. I got up and headed that way. "I'll send clothes for you both." She promised as I hurried down the hall.
I knocked on the door before pushing it open. Coco took a moment before she looked and she lit up when she saw me. My heart leaped up from where it sat in my stomach for so long, back up to where it belonged.
"Coco." I crossed the room and kissed her.
She kissed me back, her hand coming up to grip my shirt. The other was held by the sling the healer had mentioned.
"You smell terrible," she informed me. I paused and sniffed my shirt- she was right, I smelled like smoke and blood. When we first got here they insisted on looking me over as well.
"Yeah well, that's your fault, getting kidnapped. Who does that?" I asked. She flipped me the bird.
"Had to make sure you were good enough to find me." She coughed, gasping in pain. I straightened but she shook her head.
"It's fine." She insisted. "You found me."
"I did, and I always will." I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ring. "You said I do, Cordelia, you are stuck with me for life."
She groaned dramatically, letting her head fall back to the pillow, but held her hand out to me. I grinned, sliding the ring back onto her finger.
"Life is a very long time." She warned.
"It better be."