Chapter Forty Five
Daphne woke up, after horrific nightmare filled dreams, very grateful that she was alive. The pain from her arm still throbbed through her body, telling her that the detention with Umbridge hadn't been one of the horrors that had fuelled her sleep.
She moved slightly, the pain was less, although not by much and her head still pounded with even the slightest shift.
Daphne ran her fingers over the duvet, freezing when she realised that it wasn't actually hers. With great effort she managed to sit up slightly, opening her eyes.
The light was bright and painful, leaving everything in fuzzy shapes. It wasn't the Slytherin common room, or dorms. Everything was bathed ostentatiously in red and gold, heavy crimson drapes around the bed.
"You're awake!" Ron said, softening his voice after seeing Daphne wince from the noise, "Sorry, I was worried about you."
"How long have I been out for?" Daphne asked, trying not to show how much she was struggling and how much she wanted to simply fall back to sleep.
"Only about an hour." Ron said, placing a cold cloth on Daphne's forehead.
She felt the cool seep through her skin and breathed a sigh of relief, "I should get going… where am I exactly?"
"In my bed." Ron said, trying and failing not to blush.
"Well then." Daphne smirked, the small laugh sending a shock of pain through her limbs, "Where's Neville?"
"He got stuck during the lesson, in the Come and Go room." Ron said, "Some how Mrs Norris is always snooping around there, I'd left early to finish my homework. My brain goes funny when I don't eat, I turn into a total grump, and I've already missed two meals this week, Neville didn't think it was worth the risk."
Daphne let out another laugh, causing another wave of pain that caused the laugh to turn into a sob.
"Sorry, I shouldn't be making you laugh." Ron said, a very serious, worried look on his face that only made Daphne want to laugh again.
"I don't mind." Daphne smiled, he had nice eyes. She'd never been close enough to see before, but here, staring up at him, he really did have very pretty eyes.
Daphne pulled her gaze away, confused by the rush of feelings, blaming them all on the fact Ron had rescued her and was now trying to look after her.
"I should go…" Daphne sighed, "I need to go…"
"Go where?" Ron asked, frowning in confusion.
Daphne shook her head, sickness threatening to explode from her, "I… I… someone is waiting for me…"
"Daph… you can't go anywhere." Ron said gently, "Apart from anything else it's really late, you'd get caught."
"I've gotten very good at disillusionment charms." Daphne said proudly.
Ron gave her a kind smile and nodded, "I know, you showed us during one of the Wolfpack lessons, but you're in no fit state to be attempting such magic and… well do you even have your wand?"
Daphne's hand flew to her pocket, her fingers gasping at the empty fabric in panic before her memory caught up, "I left it in the dorm… I didn't want it to get broken if… if the detention got rough."
"Well I'd say it didn't go brilliantly." Ron snarled, "You collapsed the second I saw you near enough, and you could hardly stand!"
Daphne pulled her hand from her pocket, reaching over to her damaged arm.
"I bandaged it up for you." Ron mumbled, unsure what to say, he had a burning need not to upset her, "Your cardigan fell off when you fell… I didn't stare or nothing…"
"It's all right, Ronald." Daphne said, holding back the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks, "Everyone will see sooner or later, thank you for bandaging it for me, the last thing I need is for it to get infected."
"She was wrong to make you write that." Ron said kindly, "You're not a blood traitor."
Daphne heaved herself up into a full sit, "Maybe… maybe I am. You know as well as I do there are a lot of old families that follow You-know-who."
"Mine doesn't, yours doesn't." Ron shrugged, "The Lovegoods, the Potters, Parkinsons… not sure where the Malfoys stand to be honest, it's all gotten a bit confusing there."
Daphne laughed, taking his hand in hers and giving it a tight squeeze, "Maybe, but many more do. Perhaps it's no bad thing if I am a blood traitor if being a blood traitor means standing up to You-know-who. I shall wear it like a badge of honour."
Ron nodded, "Good for you. So, are you going to tell me where you were heading? I could help, you know."
Daphne stared at him, Pansy was waiting for her, expecting her and would worry if no one showed up. She might even try and come up to the school to see what was going on.
On the other hand, it was a huge risk to tell Ron. He'd been one of Umbridge's followers last time she was at Hogwarts, although that hadn't ended well and he had helped them before the year was out.
"You must promise not to tell a soul." Daphne whispered.
Ron nodded, "I just want to help, I promise."
Daphne took a deep breath, and told him all about Pansy, on the other side of the forest, about the camp and the help they were getting from the centaurs.
"Wow… that's impressive." Ron blinked, "Never thought of running off before coming to school but after getting on the train… it's really clever."
"We had to make sure her parents had put her on the train." Daphne explained, "So that they could keep working. Who knows who would have replaced them, and the ambassadors have a lot of sway."
"It makes sense." Ron agreed quickly, "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine." Daphne said, before letting out a sigh, "Honestly? I feel like I'm dying."
"What…" Ron felt his voice fade away quickly.
"What did she do to me?" Daphne asked, squeezing her eyes closed, she knew people were going to ask her what had happened, but it didn't make it easier to talk about, "She had that awful quill from fifth year, but it was so much worse. She… she said someone, or possibly someones, from Azkaban had taught her how to 'improve' it. It felt like it was stealing my life force."
"Something to avoid then." Ron said, with a limp smile, "I was almost hoping it was…"
"Something less likely to be used again, on people who aren't me?" Daphne finished for him, "Don't feel bad for thinking it, I would have preferred it that way as well."
"I'll go to Pansy and the others." Ron said quickly, replacing the cold cloth on Daphne's head.
"You'll get caught!" Daphne said quickly, "I need to go back to my dorm anyway…"
Ron shook his head, "It's too late, you'll get another detention for being out after curfew, and that's the last thing you need. Stay here tonight, Neville's bed will be empty anyway, or I'll sleep on the floor when I get back. For now, please just try and rest."
Daphne became aware of quiet sleep sounds coming from the dorm around her, "What if they see me?"
"They won't tell." Ron smirked, "All us Gryffindors are stupidly brave remember?"
Daphne snorted a laugh, "I do seem to remember something about Gryffindors being stupid."
Ron stroked her hair back from her face before pulling his hand away quickly, giving a slight cough, "Sorry…I… I should get going. How do I get through the forest?"
"There's a path now, with the centaurs but I doubt they'd take you. It's quicker by Thestral anyway." Daphne sighed, relaxing slightly against the pillows at her back, "Do you have a sweet or anything you could transform. They really enjoy lamb ribs."
"They have good taste." Ron said, digging out a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and managing to transform them into a slightly fatty rack of ribs, "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Just… just be careful." Daphne told him.
"You should try and sleep." Ron said, "I'll see if they've got anything for your arm at the camp."
Daphne nodded slowly, feeling exhaustion creep over her, before Ron had even left the room she was asleep again, unable to keep her eyes from drooping.
Ron slipped from the room and cast disillusionment charms over himself on the staircase, thinking it would be better to not let anyone in the common room see him. It wouldn't be fair to make them lie for him if it came to it.
Never had he been so grateful for the Wolfpack lessons as he moved, unseen, through the castle. Snape walked straight passed him and didn't even look twice.
He pulled the lamb from his pocket once he was safely tucked inside the forest. It was strange, so strange he even let out a laugh; the world was now so topsy turvy that the forest was safe and the castle was the danger. He'd always been scared of the forest, growing up with tales of the horrors that lay within, but now, it was peaceful. He could breath freely for the first time in months.
A large, graceful Thestral arrived within a few minutes of smelling the fresh meat on the forest floor. Ron couldn't see the creature, but could see the ribs being eaten.
The Thestral looked wearily at the new comer, before walking over and nuzzling it's bony head under Ron's hand.
He managed to climb onto the creature far more easily that he thought he would, the Thestral was trying to help him up, of that he was sure.
Flying through the forest, his head skimming the top layer of branches was better than any broom he'd ever ridden. He felt more alive and connected to everything than he thought possible. It was strange though, to be flying on apparently nothing. He could feel the Thestral's leathery skin but when he looked down there was nothing but forest below him.
The Thestral landed on the edge of the trees and allowed Ron to climb, rather clumsily, off its back before taking off again.
Ron could see the small group of houses and walked boldly towards them, trying not to let his worry show on his face.
A knife flew passed his ear, barely missing him and embedding itself in a tree to his left.
"Blood hell!" Ron said, louder than he'd meant to, reaching for his wand.
"Ronald?" Pansy asked, stepping forward, another knife clasped delicately in her fingers, "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I came for Daphne, she told me to… sort of." Ron said, trying to get his breathing under control, "You could of killed me!"
A gentle laugh echoed from the forest, "With her aim?"
Ron watched a beautiful pale centaur step forward into the light, pulling the knife from the tree and handing it back to Pansy.
"I meant to miss." Pansy hissed, rolling her eyes and putting her hands obstinately on her hips, "Why did Daphne not come herself?"
Ron forced himself to let go of his wand, making sure they could both see his hands were empty, "I… she's hurt."
Pansy face fell, she nodded quickly, "Come with me then. Titania are you still OK to keep watch?"
"Of course." Titania nodded, "I'll get Marcus to come and help. Can we trust this one?"
Ron was slightly insulted at being called 'this one' but wisely didn't say anything.
"I don't know." Pansy shrugged, "I hope so. Daphne wouldn't have sent him unless she had no other choice."
"The time… the stars…" Titania looked like she desperately wanted to say something before shaking her head, "I will keep watch. Please tell me any news of Daphne."
Pansy thanked her and led Ron to the largest of the houses. Inside was warm and bright, with one end curtained off and benches lining the walls, surrounding a large fire with something sweet smelling cooking on it.
"Ron?" Dean said, letting out a bark of laughter, "You get kicked out as well?"
"Dean!" Ron said, mouth wide open in shock, "You're alive!"
"That I am." Dean beamed, "This is Dirk Cresswell, we ended up on the run together, undesirables the pair of us and we ended up here, through one thing and another."
"I must say, I'm really glad you're OK." Ron said, running a hand through his hair, "This place is amazing."
"It's not much, but it's home." Luna smiled, coming out of the curtained area in a comfortable looking nightdress that was slightly slipping off one shoulder.
"Where is Daphne?" Cho asked, putting down the trousers she was making.
"Or Neville for that matter?" William added.
"Daphne got hurt." Ron said, plonking himself down on one of the benches, "She had a detention with Umbridge and had to use one of her awful quills, only they're even worse now! She could barely stand when I found her."
"Will she be all right?" Pansy asked, clapping her hand over her mouth.
"I think so. Her arm is going to be scarred pretty bad though, I was wondering if you had anything that might help." Ron asked.
"We have some balm that Titania made left, she's very good at that sort of thing." Cho said, going and fetching a small glass jar.
"Where's Neville, if Daphne couldn't come?" William asked.
"He got caught in the Come and Go room, it's not the first time it's happened or anything." Ron shrugged, "It's actually really not a bad place to spend a night."
"Well… thank you for coming." Pansy said, slightly begrudging him for not having more information about Daphne and Neville, not that there really was anything more he could tell them.
"Don't worry about it." Ron shrugged, still feeling amazed that all this existed, "Although if you could not throw a knife at me next that would be great." he smirked.
"We could shoot an arrow at you instead." Luna shrugged, "I've gotten very good at it."
Ron's eyes opened in shock, "Why are you learning all this?"
"The centaurs suggested it." William said, wrapping his arm around Pansy's shoulders, "We've learnt loads. There's a whole farm in the forest, acres of natural herbs and fruits and things. We've learnt how to look after it all. And how to fight."
"Fair." Ron shrugged, "Daph said you were living without magic. Not sure I could manage it."
"Well I'm still not sure that Daphne should have sent you, but we would have worried if she hadn't come." Pansy said, giving Ron a small smile.
"She didn't tell me why I needed to come, was I meant to bring something?" Ron said, a wave of panic washing over him.
"Not this time." William assured him, "We needed to pass on some information."
"Don't go to Hogsmead." Cho said worriedly, "There are Death Eaters going to be posted there all the time from now on, and Caterwauling Charms for anyone out of doors after dark."
Ron rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms, "Gees… thanks for letting us know."
"If you can find a less direct way to get to Hogsmead, then go for it but until then… it's just too dangerous." Pansy sighed, "Don't risk it, even for the scheduled trips."
"You need a tunnel." Luna said thoughtfully, "I'm sure the school will have one."
"They've got all the normal ones blocked for sure." Ron sighed.
"What about the Come and Go room?" Luna asked, embroidering a dragon fly on the hem of her nightdress.
"It doesn't have a tunnel." Ron said, frowning in confusion.
Luna shrugged and gave him a small smile, "It might do. Worth an ask I would have thought."
Ron nodded, it was worth an ask.