Author's Note: Not beta'ed. HP world doesn't belong to me, just taking it out for a spin.
Archiving: Only with the permission of the author.
The Rescue
She winced as a particularly loud blast assaulted her eardrums, managing to punch through the uproar of the battle that raged around them. The room itself was already reverberating from the flying hexes, curses, and spells; hissing and spitting as they bounced, rebounded, sliced across and slid off the translucent blue protego shield which flickered and threw off coloured sparks with each deflected strike.
Adding to the magical cacophony, the Death Eaters were yelling in triumphant glee, raucously shouting support at each other and hurling vile insults at their supine target.
Their trap had been sprung and, despite their current lack of visible progress, these wizards weren't about to concede defeat. They had been waiting for a long time for this opportunity. Too long to halt their torturous attack with a simple 'Avada Kedavra', even if the Dark Lord hadn't strictly forbidden them from using it on their quarry. Knowing what an extraordinary witch she was, they'd crafted their ambush so that she wouldn't find it easy to fight back, and eventually even this witch's shield had to falter. And then, well… the Dark Lord had promised them, once he had exacted his retribution, she would be theirs to abuse at their leisure, and the thought of possessing that delicious prize was one they all relished.
To be truthful, the figure collapsed motionless across the bed didn't look very impressive, despite the strong protective shield they were maintaining. However, it was purely concern for another that was staying their hand and holding them virtually immobile. The unconscious figure lying below them had to be protected at all costs, not only from the spells that were being recklessly slung around the room, but also from the pieces of debris that, unhindered by the magical protection her shield afforded, were landing on them both. She had stoically endured the numerous impacts from the fragments of broken furniture and chunks of dislodged masonry that constantly peppered them with remarkable fortitude, buoyed by the knowledge that the body under hers was being protected from the onslaught.
Although the constant barrage of spells that were being sent her way meant she was currently pinned down and unable to retaliate, she knew she couldn't simply wait out their assault. Despite being acknowledged as the brightest witch of her age, even she couldn't maintain her shields indefinitely, not against 3 determined wizards. She was also bitterly aware that with every moment she was delayed, the possibility of more Death Eaters arriving in the room increased.
Moving carefully, to avoid exposing the person below her, she peered over her shoulder at the figures barely visible through the smoke and haze surrounding them, trying to ascertain which of the three was covering the best avenue of escape.
The first member of the trio was stationed towards the large, but probably heavily warded bedroom doors, the least competent one was blocking the route to the floo which, in all likelihood, had been disabled, with the third - and most able of them - blocking her route back through the narrow, stained-glass window she'd used to originally sneak into the bedchamber.
Obviously using the floo was out, which left either the door or the window, and both options had their drawbacks.
Sighing, she acknowledged even with all of the difficulties she could envisage, moving the unconscious form out through the window was probably still the best option. There was simply no way to know what curses or wards might have been applied to the doors, nor how many others might even now be lying in wait for them in the corridor or the rooms beyond.
At least, if they could escape via the window, in the gardens she would be able to see them coming.
Decision made. Hesitating any longer was not a viable option. She knew it was time for them to move.
Mentally girding her loins, she gathered her magic, concentrating wordlessly on one final reinforcement of the protego maxima that surrounded them to ensure her shield would not falter at this crucial moment.
The next spell wasn't quite as familiar to her as protego and so she knew she wouldn't be able to cast it wordlessly, but she would be forced to cast wandlessly as both of her hands were already occupied, locked tightly around the torso of the unconscious figure that lay beneath her in readiness for the upcoming manoeuvres.
Taking a couple of shallow breaths, to avoid inhaling any of the dust which was swirling around them - she really didn't need an ill-timed cough ruining this spellcasting - she concentrated on holding the intended target of the charm clearly in her mind, prior to muttering "Gravitas Penna". Immediately she could feel the difference as the charm took effect and, to shouts of alarm and consternation from the Death Eaters, she started to wriggle backwards off the bed whilst pulling the now, much lighter, limp form with her.
Ignoring the renewed efforts of the Death Eaters, and relying on her magic to keep them safe, she stood and tentatively pulled until the unconscious figure was propped up on the edge of the bed. Fortunately, they were both still being protected by her shield, which - as she'd intended - had moved with her and continued to safeguard them.
She gently rested their head on her shoulder, as she intended to carry them bridal style to ensure that her shield, and body, still continued to protect them as much as possible from the ongoing assault as they made their way towards the windows.
However, just as she had picked them up in her arms, an explosion tore through the room which threw them both unceremoniously back on the bed, landing in an undignified, tangled heap of limbs and clothing.
Ears ringing from this latest blast, and from the silence that followed from the no-doubt temporary cessation of spells from the Death Eaters, she propped herself up with one hand, pushing her hair out of her eyes with the other, so she could assess this new threat.
Looking across the room, it wasn't hard to identify the source of the blast, and she coolly considered whether now would be a good time to retrieve her wand from its holster.
On the other side of the room the bedroom doors had been completely demolished. Blown into smithereens that now liberally littered the wrecked room, leaving only a few small shards of wood dangling tenaciously from the warped iron hinges.
Appearing through the haze of the still smoking doorway, was a witch that all of Magical Britain would recognise in a heartbeat. Strolling nonchalantly towards them through the debris, magic still crackling around her wand, she effortlessly moved the occasional larger pieces of wood out of her path, but it was her distinctive choice of clothing, along with the wild mane of hair, that made her instantly identifiable in any crowd.
Stopping and glaring around the room, she scowled at the three Death Eaters who were respectively; knocked unconscious; trying to extricate themselves as quietly as possible from underneath a large piece of upturned furniture; and retreating slowly backwards towards the furthest corner regarding the latest addition to their number like an unexploded bomb.
Lastly, she turned her gaze to the bed, at which point furious dark eyes met lambent honey gold.
"Granger!" the dark-haired witch hissed in annoyance.
"Stupefy." Crimson light flew from her wand.
The Death Eater, who had finally managed to free themselves from beneath the couch, was stunned into an unconscious pile before he could even think about fleeing the room.
"I had it all under control." Bellatrix snapped as she cautiously extricated herself from Narcissa's limp body.
Turning to survey the carnage, a brief snarl crossed her distinctive ruby coloured lips as she cast a rapid wandless "Incarcerous" at the final cowardly member of the trio, who collapsed awkwardly to the floor in a silently struggling heap as the spell hit them.
There would be time for a reckoning with these Death Eaters later, but for now they would leave them here to face the wrath of Voldemort. Knowing his temper, she'd be surprised if they managed to survive his punishment for bungling this assignment.
Hermione sighed as she viewed the curvaceous but currently incredibly tense figure of her lover who was by now standing by the bed. Why had she thought for a minute that Bellatrix would be pleased to see her. She snorted quietly to herself. On this occasion, she thought, Bella's pride be damned. At least they were both still alive.
"Bella," walking slowly forward, she addressed the unmistakably upset woman, "don't be churlish. I could hear them attacking you from the edge of the Maze. Anyone who is anyone knows that you're an incredibly gifted witch, but when you still hadn't appeared by the time I'd reached the Rose Garden it was clear it was taking entirely too long. You know as well as I do that we need to get out of here before the rest of the Death Eaters either work out our deception, or they become bored chasing the false trail that I laid and return to the Manor. It was just unfortunate that so many of them stayed here to guard Narcissa, otherwise I'm sure you'd have been in and out in a trice as planned."
As she moved closer, Hermione was able to take in the full extent of Bellatrix's dishevelled appearance. She was covered from head to toe in dirt and filth from the attack, although she fervently hoped that the long, fitted sleeves, corset, and full skirts that Bella favoured would have helped to protect her from at least some of the flying debris.
A few paces more and Hermione winced in sympathy.
Now she was standing right in front of Bellatrix, she could see a large graze running across her sculpted cheekbone. The underlying bruise and congealed blood on the delicate, pale skin almost hidden beneath a layer of rock dust. She gently cupped the undamaged side of Bella's face with her hand and dark eyes flashed up to meet hers in protest, then danced away as she ignored the warning and steadily continued to tip Bella's face up to examine it for other injuries. Finding nothing of any significance, she blew softly to try and dislodge some of the cloying dust from the long lashes that she loved so much.
The unnatural stillness of her body communicated Bella's state of mind more effectively than words and, knowing her partner's concerns about her sister's health, Hermione continued in a more placatory tone, "You know full well I wouldn't risk a hair on either of your heads. You were probably too focussed on protecting the pair of you to notice but, just before I cast the spell, I sent my Patronus to check your location, and exactly where these idiots", she gestured towards to the three now unconscious and splinter-ridden Death Eaters, "were standing. Then, just like we've been practising during our sessions over the last few months, I tweaked the spell and funnelled the force of the 'Bombarda Maxima' to ensure that I directed the main force of the blast away from you. I'm sorry that you both got caught up in the edge of it, but I couldn't think of a safer or faster way to get into the room quickly and also hopefully take out some of our opposition."
"Morgana's tits! I know you…", Bellatrix started to retort heatedly, clenching her jaw, a fire burning in her dark eyes.
Cutting herself off, she wrenched herself away from the comfort of Hermione's touch and turned swiftly back to the bed where her still unconscious little sister lay. She blew out a frustrated breath, running her fingers through her disordered curls, before relenting "You know what, never mind."
Her teeth worried at her plump lip, and she hurriedly blinked back the tears that threatened to well up as she took in Cissy's wan face and drawn features.
They'd been hard at work for several months developing a rescue plan, after Narcissa's disappearance from public life and hearing the, no doubt planted, rumours about her supposed "illness". Nonetheless, no-one had known whether, by the time they were ultimately going to be able to make their move, she would still be alive to save.
Bellatrix pushed the unwelcome thoughts aside. Now was not the time to wallow in the whys and wherefores, first they needed to escape.
Wrestling her feelings under control, she bent down and wrenched her voluminous skirt to the side, extracting her wand from its snug holster in the side of her knee length boot.
With the crooked wand in hand, she muttered "Effingo corpus" and an exact copy of Narcissa, down to the silk pyjamas she was wearing, shimmered into place lying peacefully underneath the embroidered bedspread.
"That should confuse those idiots for a while." She sniffed in derision as she contemplated the familiar features of the doppelganger and considered the level of intelligence of her erstwhile colleagues.
She stiffened as strong arms wrapped around her corseted waist, pulling her back firmly against a familiar body as Hermione's head nestled in. Her chin resting gently on Bellatrix's shoulder.
A welcome voice crooned softly in her ear, "Bella, I know you're really worried about Cissy, but the sooner we can get her to Andy, the sooner we can discern exactly what Mouldy Voldy has done to her and figure out how to counter it. I am absolutely convinced that there is no spell, charm, or hex that the diseased toad could have used on her that will be able to withstand the combined willpower and determination of two-thirds of the sisters of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. So I know Narcissa is going to be absolutely fine."
Unwillingly sniggering at the latest nickname that Hermione had bestowed on Voldemort - given how his skin looked these days, Bellatrix thought mouldy was a more than appropriate moniker - she let out a long sigh and relaxed gradually back into Hermione's embrace.
As Hermione's complete faith that they would be able to help Narcissa slowly percolated through to ease her anxiety. Bellatrix reminded herself that she had to hold firm to the conviction that Cissy would recover, because what Hermione had said was true. There was no way that the Black Sisters, especially now they also had the assistance of her wonderful Golden Girl, would ever be defeated by that loathsome mouldy toad.
Twisting sideways, Bellatrix graced her lover's soft lips with a gentle kiss of apology before unhurriedly unwrapping herself from Hermione's arms and moving to the bedside. She stashed her wand in her boot once again, then gently manoeuvred the unconscious figure of her sister back up into a position where she could easily pick her up.
In the distance, the sound of enraged voices started to echo through hallways.
Now holding Narcissa firmly in her grasp, Bellatrix turned towards Hermione who had moved to the doorway and was keeping a wary eye on the corridor.
"Hermione?"
Hermione glanced over her shoulder then, seeing that Bellatrix was ready to go, she moved briskly across the room to rejoin them.
Raising one dark expressive eyebrow, Bellatrix nodded towards the large, mullioned windows that took up the majority of that side of the bedroom.
"Undoubtedly Cissy won't be best pleased with us when she awakes and finds out what we've done to one of her guest bedrooms, but I think it's time we made our exit."
She smirked wickedly as she continued, "So get to it, my deliciously destructive dove and, this time, do make sure to give it everything you've got, Pet. Afterall, we wouldn't want this bold tale of rescuing the fair maiden to have anything less than an incredible grand finale."
"As you wish my lady." Amber eyes twinkled merrily as Hermione first gave a sketchy bow, then turned towards the windows and raised her wand once more.
"Bombarda Maxima!"