40

Author's Note: …So I'm back. And it's been almost exactly a year. I have a lot of excuses for not updating, and a lot of them are good ones, but I won't bore you with the details. I had a devil of a time writing this chapter. Honestly its one of the most difficult things I've ever had to write. But rest assured I have every intention of finishing this story. And I hope you all will continue to read it. There's a lot of action in this chapter. I consider myself pretty rubbish at writing fight scenes, so please bear with me.

The offer still stands. If you review I will, when the story is finished, send you the first chapter of the sequel, which I also have every intention of completing, no matter how long it takes. As it has been a comically long time since I last updated, I will give you a short recap of the story so far. If you remember what happened, feel free to continue on to the chapter.

Recap: The story begins with Vera Malfoy, younger sister to the canon character Scorpius Malfoy, entering her sixth year at Hogwarts. She has been best friends with Albus Potter since the first train to Hogwarts and is friendly with most of the other Potter and Weasley children with one outstanding exception: James Potter. For reasons unclear to Vera, James despises both her and her brother. Despite James' best efforts, he and Vera become very close. During their relationship, James reveals that he hates Scorpius because he once witnessed him in a scene of dark magic. When Vera confronts Scorpius, he offers her a reasonable explanation for his behaviour that she does not share with James. Meanwhile, Vera, her family, and several other ex-death eater purebloods and descendants are threatened by a radical group lead by a man masquerading as the Half-Blood Prince. The group is intent upon wiping out the last of Voldemort's legacy, and is seemingly able to use magic beyond the means of the rest of the wizarding world. They murder a number of purebloods under the nose of the ministry, and the Prince soon names the Malfoys as his next target.

Vera's parents go into hiding and her grandparents haul up in their townhouse hidden somewhere inside London, leaving Vera and her brother to their own devices. Vera rounds out her school year successfully and is on the train back home when she and her brother are kidnapped. James, intent upon getting Vera back, raises the Aurors office and they begin to develop a plan. James manages to find the location where Vera and Scorpius are being held prisoner: the now vacant Malfoy Manor. While James searches for a way to save her, Vera and her brother are physically and psychologically tortured, but keep enough presence of mind to gather enough information to help the rescue attempt. This chapter is about that rescue.

"Are you ready, James?" My father's voice was more tense than I had heard it in years.

I nodded, swallowing heavily. My mouth had become painfully dry from anxiety, but there was no way in hell I was turning back now. I glanced around at the small bathroom I was in while Mr. Malfoy knelt and tapped out an intricate pattern upon the floor tiles with his wand.

The hunting lodge, like everything the Malfoys owned, was so posh that it was almost gaudy. We had arrived at the lodge early that morning. After reviewing the plan, Mr. Malfoy, Dad, and I had squeezed ourselves into the tiny half bath off of the kitchen while Rose and the other aurors milled in the living room.

"Stand back." Mr. Malfoy said, straightening up and flattening himself against the opposite wall.

Despite Mr. Malfoy's warning, I still jumped as the tiles began to shift, grinding slowly against each other until they formed a square opening in the ground just large enough for a man to fit through.

The three of us stared at the opening for several moments. I heaved a deep breath and shifted into a sitting position on the tiled floor, dangling my legs into the blackness.

"It's going to be a bit of a drop." Mr. Malfoy warned, kneeling again so that he was on my eye level. My father crouched behind me and gripped my shoulder tightly.

"Good luck, son."

I nodded, suddenly finding words difficult to come by. Steeling myself, I shifted to begin the descent, but Mr. Malfoy's voice stopped me.

"Mr. Potter," I glanced up to meet his steely grey eyes, "thank you." He extended his hand and, after hesitating only a moment, I shook it firmly. Then I pushed off, and allowed myself to fall.

It was, in fact, a drop. A ten foot drop, to be exact. Or, in layman's terms, far enough to fucking hurt. I landed heavily on my feet and instantly staggered onto my knees before catching myself on my hands. After allowing myself a moment or two of groaning, I stood and pulled my wand from my pocket.

"Lumos." I murmured, my voice echoing off the dank, stone walls of the corridor. The tip of my wand washed the surrounding area in pale, white light. I stared at the gaping blackness beyond the reach of my wand light in trepidation. And then, mercifully, an image of Vera's face appeared in my mind. The thought was enough to propel me forward.

The journey there took longer than it should have. Or perhaps it simply felt that way because all I could think about was finally getting to Vera, finally holding her in my arms, finally removing her from harm's way. After what felt like hours, I found myself at the end of the tunnel, facing a narrow set of stone steps that led up to what I hoped was a trapdoor. It was, and I soon found myself in another small lavatory. I spared no time examining my new surroundings and instead strode through the door into what was possibly the poshest corridor I had ever laid eyes on. The walls were covered in hunter green wallpaper adorned with an elaborate pattern of twisting vines. Paintings hung periodically along the walls, displaying the haughty faces of what I could only assume were Malfoys past. Chandeliers hung evenly along the roof, their light reflecting off the dark, polished, wooden floorboards.

I began to walk carefully along the corridor, not entirely certain of where I was headed. Spatial relationships being what they were though, I knew that, since I was on the first floor, if I continued straight in either direction I would eventually encounter an exit. And where there were exits, there were usually guards. And where there were guards were locations where I would almost certainly be caught.

Time seemed to speed and slow alternately as my mood oscillated between excitement and trepidation. I was here. I was finally here. So close to getting her back. To seeing her safe again. So caught up was I in my musings that I managed to pass the same troll umbrella stand three times before noticing a strange phenomenon: I was going in circles.

Panic suddenly rose in my throat. I sped up, crossing the small room I was in within several paces. I passed through the opposite doorway, only to find myself in a horribly familiar study. I continued forward. I was in the hallway that I had first arrived in. The door I had just come through was the same door I had used to exit the lavatory upon my arrival. I began to sprint, trying not to think about the implications of not being able to find my way. I was in a small sitting room, then a spacious ballroom, then an elaborate dining room, then the room with the troll-leg umbrella stand again, then the study again, then the hallway again…I came to a screeching halt and stared desperately around at my all too familiar surroundings. I turned to the nearest portrait. It depicted the head and torso of a pale, distinguished looking man dressed in rich black robes that contrasted strangely against his long, white hair and grey eyes.

"Please, you have to help me Mr., er," I glanced down at the golden nameplate affixed to the base of the frame, "Armand Malfoy II." I read.

"Oh joy." The portrait said in a flat tone, examining his nails with a bored expression, "Whatever can I do for you, dear guest of Malfoy Manor."

His voiced dripped so heavily with sarcasm that I briefly considered just turning around and going back to the hunting shack. I steadied myself instead and said,

"I need to know how to get to the drawing room."

"That's unfortunate." The portrait replied as he straightened his collar slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you clearly are not part of the Malfoy family and therefore will not be able to navigate the Manor. Paranoid little Draco had to put that silly spell on it, essentially making all of us tour guides to their confused guests."

"Can you show me the way then?" I asked impatiently.

"What do I look like? A house elf? No, you shall remain here until a family member comes for you."

"But Mr. Malfoy - Draco Malfoy, that is — said that the house wouldn't try to confuse people who don't mean the family any harm."

"That is true. But he also misled you it appears. The Manor will attempt to confuse anyone who it sees hurting a member of the family, whether intentioned or not. And mind you, it takes emotional pain into account as well as physical."

"So it thinks I'm going to harm one of them? How could it think that?"

"Well, obviously I don't know you well, young man. But if I were to guess I would say you are in danger of annoying them all to death. It's a good thing I'm already dead or you'd be stuck here forever."

"Please, I need to get to the drawing room. What can I do?"

"Well, you can make your case to the house but I do not like your odds." Said Armand Malfoy.

"You are the most unhelpful lout of a portrait I have ever met." I exclaimed in frustration.

"Don't say that, you'll hurt my feelings." Malfoy said, clutching his chest dramatically. "Honestly, what duffers taught you how to ask for help. Your parents?"

"At least they didn't name me 'Armand.' What the hell kind of name is that anyway?" And with that, I took off down the hallway.

I came to a halt in the small sitting room and considered my options. There appeared to only be one left.

Uncertain as to how one generally addressed such inanimate objects as houses, I lifted my chin and said to the ceiling,

"Please, Mr. - or Mrs., er, Malfoy Manor. I'm trying to find Vera. Can you show me where she is?"

My feeling of stupidity doubled when I was greeted by silence. But I was desperate, so I tried again,

"Please. I'm begging you. I have to find Vera. I don't want to hurt her. I want to save her. She's in danger here and you know it. I can help her. But first I need your help. Please show me how to find her."

I jumped as the door opposite me suddenly swung open of its own accord. I approached it carefully, hesitantly.

I found myself in a large, high-ceilinged room. On one side, tall French doors led out onto a small balcony overlooking the grounds. On the other side, a large king-sized bed surrounded by sheer hangings stood on a dais. An ornate fireplace was ensconced in the wall facing me and a small sitting area was arranged around it. The bed was unmade, and books and other objects lay higglty-pigglty around the room. It looked as though the occupant of this room had been here only moments ago. On the mantlepiece were several moving photographs. I strode forward to examine them. I recognised the subjects of the first photograph instantly. My own brother stared back at me out of the frame, his arm looped around a fourteen-year-old Vera's shoulders. They were laughing and smiling at the camera. The rest of the photographs depicted other people in Vera's life. There was a family portrait that looked as though it had been taken when Vera was only a few months old, along with what appeared to be other shots of her childhood and life at Hogwarts. I smiled as I leant forward to examine one of Vera standing before the Hogwarts Express on what looked to be her very first day of school. I was so absorbed in the images of her life that I didn't notice someone entering the room.

"Mr. Potter," A small, timid voice came from behind me. Within an instant I had whipped around with my wand raised and aimed. A curse had already made its way to my lips by the time I registered the creature before me and I only just managed to stop it. Standing in the doorway to Vera's bedroom I saw a small, timid looking creature with the characteristic pointy ears and enormous brown eyes of a house elf. She (or at least, I assumed it was a she) wore a neat black skirt and button up blouse under what looked like an emerald green smoking jacket. As I peered closer, I saw the Malfoy family crest emblazoned on her chest.

The house elf raised her hands defensively, "I'm sorry Mr. potter. I's is not meaning to frighten you."

"Who are you?" I asked, not lowering my wand. I doubted she was a threat but knew better than to underestimate house elf magic or their devotion to their masters.

"I's is called Peg, sir. I's is a servant to the Malfoy family sir."

"Peg?" The name poked at something in the back of my mind. I repeated the elf's name several times in my head before the memory finally fell into place, "Peg! I remember now. You're Vera's favourite elf."

The elf's leathery cheeks tinged pink at my comment. "I is not knowing about favourites, sir. I merely does my best for my masters."

Something occurred to me as she said this. "Hold on, have you been here the whole time the house has been occupied by the Prince?"

Peg nodded, "Yes, sir. I and the other elves have been forced into his service."

"But if you were here, and you knew Vera and her brother were here, why didn't you try to help them? Or at least tell someone that they were here?"

"We could not risk it, sir. He is saying if we try to leave or get a message to someone, he will kill our masters immediately."

"But you're an elf. Your magic works differently than that of wizards. How would he have known you were here every hour of the day?"

"He is knowing of elf magic as well as wizard magic. He is able to know when we use magic."

"How?"

"If I was knowing, sir, we wouldn't be here now."

My chest swelled with terror and I once again contemplated the seemingly impossible strength of my adversary. But I couldn't think about that now. I had a job to do.

"Never mind that. Peg, I need your help."

The elf promptly curtsied and said, "Anything, sir."

I knelt so that I was on her eye level, "We have a plan to get Vera and her brother out of here. But I need two things from you. First, I need you to tell me everything you know about the Prince's security. Then I need you help them catch me."

Getting caught, as I had expected, was stunningly easy. With Peg's help, I found a guard within moments and managed to put up just enough of a fight to not raise suspicion, following which they bound my hands, blindfolded me, took my wand, and dragged me away. They forced me into a room a few moments later and freed my hands and eyes.

After I got over the initial shock of my knees receiving an unwelcome salutation from the floor, I glanced around at my surroundings. I was in a low ceilinged stone chamber that was scattered with various crates and boxes. It appeared to be some sort of cellar. My hand flew to my pocket and I sighed in relief as I felt the sharp edge of the glass shard there. I stood in preparation to examine the rest of my surroundings, but came to an abrupt halt when I heard a voice. It was a soft and hesitant, yet wonderfully, fantastically familiar. It was a voice I feared I would never hear again.

"James…" She whispered. I turned to face her, and it suddenly felt like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. It was as though I had been holding my breath this whole time and could not release it until the moment I saw her again. This moment.

She looked wonderful and terrible at the same time. Wonderful because I was seeing her again (the phrase, "A sight for sore eyes" suddenly made sense to me). Terrible because she was in quite the state. Her golden curls were tangled and unkempt. Her cheeks were smudged with what looked like dirt and dried blood. She was pale and the bruises under her bloodshot eyes were a striking shade of purple. Her jeans and blouse — the outfit she'd been wearing on the train — were tattered and stained. None of this deterred me however as I strode toward the corner she was curled up in. Without a moments hesitation she rushed forward and threw herself into my arms. I held her so tightly I was surprised she didn't protest.

I thought the moment I had first seen her had been glorious, but that was nothing compared to this one. Having her in my arms — alive — wasn't just like releasing a pent up breath, it was like breathing for the first time.

"Vera." I murmured, relishing the way her name felt on my lips. I moved my hands to the sides of her face and examined her more closely. There was a yellowing bruise on her right cheekbone and several marks and cuts along her jaw but she otherwise appeared to be in one piece.

"I'm so glad you're alive." I breathed. Disregarding her less than presentable state, I pressed my lips to her forehead, and then her mouth.

"I…I can't believe you're here." She whispered, apparently too shocked to respond to my kiss.

"Of course I'm here." I said, pulling her back into a tight embrace. Her arms suddenly went limp and she made no move to return my affection.

"Why…why are you here?" She asked. I didn't even recognise her tone of voice. Disbelief? Vulnerability? I had never heard her speak that way. I didn't even understand her question.

"Why wouldn't I be here? I had to come for you. I had to get you back." I released her to once again place my hands on either side of her face.

"But…but you shouldn't be here." I simply stared at her. Unable to understand her reaction. She had seemed happy to see me but now…now she looked scared. "You shouldn't have come. You're in danger here." The volume of her voice grew and she sounded like she was approaching hysteria. "No…no, no no! You can't be here. You can't!"

She shoved me away with a strength I did't know she possessed.

"Vera, I came for you." I said slowly.

"No! You can't have! You can't be here. I want you to leave. I want you to get out! Please! You can't be real! They'll kill you and I can't — " Her voice broke, "I can't lose you."

"You won't." I said calmly, trying to approach her and perhaps soothe her. She stumbled away from me and dropped into a crouch, holding her head in her hands and murmuring soothingly to herself what sounded like, "Not here…not real…not here…not real…"

"Oli…" Came another voice. For the first time I noticed Malfoy there too. He knelt down beside his sister and enfolded her in his arms. "Oli, he's real. I see him too."

"How do I know you're real?" She murmured weakly into his chest.

"Because I know that if this were an illusion, you would at least be able to manipulate it enough so you didn't look like a wreck in front of a bloke you fancy."

To my relief she gave a watery chuckle and looked at me again, her eyes more focused than they had been when I entered.

"Do I really look that terrible?" She asked me.

I grinned at her, "Yeah. But don't worry, I only mostly like you for your looks."

She giggled again and allowed me to approach. I gently pulled her away from her brother and against my chest, stroking her tangled hair as the quivers in her body slowly became more infrequent. Malfoy sat cross-legged across from us and said in a low voice,

"Rose?"

"Fine." I replied quickly, "Missing you. If everything goes well you'll be back with her before sundown."

I wouldn't normally speak to him so politely but I knew I needed him to cooperate for the plan to work and hoped that our shared interest in Rose would give us some sort of working relationship.

He looked relieved, "So I'm assuming you have a plan then, Potter?"

I was about to answer when I heard voices approaching. Malfoy cursed quietly. Before I could be certain of what was happening, two more robed figures entered. One strode toward us and seized Vera's arm, wrenching her to her feet and dragging her to the door. I stumbled after them.

"Where are you taking her?" I demanded, trying and failing to grab her hand. One of the figures, a man by the sound of it, began to chuckle. I rushed forward but was shoved away. "Where are you taking her?" I repeated forcefully. I was worried for her safety, but I was also afraid that separating the three of us and jeopardise the retrieval plan.

"Shove off." Growled the figure holding Vera as he placed a foot on the stairs. She began to thrash and kick. The guards, apparently accustomed to this behaviour from her, were not deterred in the slightest.

"Tell me where you are taking her." I commanded. I thought I sounded pretty scary, so was rather irked when the two men continued, unfazed.

"The master has need of her." Said one of them. There were sickening implications in his voice that made me want to retch. Panic rose inside of my chest as the barred door slammed and locked behind them.

"Vera!" I shouted, banging my fists against the door. "Vera!" I called her name wildly as though it would somehow change to situation. I only broke off when a pair of rough hands seized me from behind and slammed my back against the hard stone wall. After the stars had disappeared from my eyes, Malfoy's flushed angry face came into focus.

"What the fuck are you doing, Malfoy?" I demanded viciously, shoving him away from me. He flew back at me and pinned me against the wall. His elbow moved to crush my windpipe as he hissed,

"Every time Vera has encountered a boggart it has always turned into one thing. What is that thing?"

"What – " I choked out.

"You could easily be just one of the Prince's followers sent down here disguised as James Potter to fuck with my sister's head. If you don't want me to break your neck here and now you'll answer the damn question."

I glared at him for a moment before gasping, "The dead body of one of her loved ones."

He released me then, though somewhat hesitantly it seemed. I rubbed my throat tenderly, glaring at him for a moment longer before croaking,

"What's Rose's patronus?"

"What?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You could also be one of the Prince's followers disguised as Scorpius Malfoy so that I'll reveal any escape plan I might have. So what's Rose's patronus?"

We both knew this was significantly less likely, but there was no harm in taking these precautions.

"A porpoise." Malfoy replied almost lazily. I nodded, though it required an awesome amount of self-control not to fly back at him and beat him to a pulp for pinning me.

"So you've got some kind of plan then, Potter?"

I nodded again. I pulled the mirror shard from my pocket and said, "Show me Harry Potter."

A section of my father's face flickered onto the mirror's surface.

"James, what's going on? Are you in?" He demanded immediately.

"I'm in." I said quickly, "We are being kept in a cellar off of the drawing room." I hadn't seen this myself but was operating under the information Peg had provided. Malfoy nodded when I looked to him for confirmation.

I heard a sharp intake of breath from my dad but did not have time to dwell on it.

"How many combatants are in the building?"

"Around twenty. Two at every entrance and apparently about twelve in the drawing room."

"Have you seen any demonstration of their fighting skills?"

"No but I would assume they are largely untrained. Most appear to simply observe the proceedings rather than affect them."

The image in the mirror shook slightly as my father nodded, "Is there any other information you can provide us with?"

I was about to reply in the negative but Malfoy stopped me. I handed him the glass shard wordlessly.

"I have information regarding patrol schedules. I can also provide you with details of their numbers and tentative skill levels."

My father nodded and Malfoy began spouting various pieces of information before leading me over to a crate. It scraped against the stone floor as he dragged it away from the wall, revealing detailed stone etchings of data that described everything from patrol schedules to offensive and concealment spells that could be used without a wand. I gaped at the sheer amount of information the small area held as Malfoy showed it to my father, who proceeded to copy it down.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. This is all extremely helpful. May I speak to James again?" Malfoy handed the mirror back to me. "James, we are leaving the hunting shack now. We should be there within the hour."

My father's face vanished from the mirror and I returned it to my pocket. I then turned back to admire Malfoy's handiwork again.

"How did you do all this?" I asked, running my index finger over the small dips and rivets in the stone wall that made up the crudely carved letters and numbers there.

Malfoy shrugged, "It was Vera's idea. We didn't know if you lot were coming for us so we had to make escape plans just in case. We heard some of the guards discussing a new patrol schedule and observed whatever we could when they took us up into the house. Then I used a minor charm to write our information here. It took me a few tries without a wand but I figured it out."

"You all had an escape plan? What was it?"

Malfoy opened his mouth to respond but was silenced by a terrible scream. A terrible, drawn-out, bloodcurdling screech of agony that tore into my chest. Because I knew where it was coming from. I flew back against the barred door. The rusted metal bars rattled in their sockets as I shook it furiously. This went on for a few minutes until Malfoy interrupted me,

"You can shout all you want. It's not going to do anyone any good." He muttered from the corner, looking bored. I turned on him.

"At least I'm doing something."

"Oh yes of course. But please enlighten me, Potter. How will shouting at sociopaths with no capability for empathy accomplish anything?"

Rather than acknowledge the truthfulness of this statement, I went on the offensive,

"What the fuck is wrong with you Malfoy? Are you so heartless that you can just sit there while some wanker is torturing your sister?" I shot at him.

His jaw tightened, "Did you ever consider, perhaps, that I am simply more in control of my emotions? That I'm not prone to showy displays of bravery and affection like some stupid, naive Gryffindor?"

"I'd rather be a stupid, naive Gryffindor than a stuck up, heartless blood supremacist like you. You don't even give a shit, do you? I bet you're happy that the Prince is doing your dirty work for you. If he murders her, you won't have to put up with the embarrassment of having someone like her in your family." I knew this was a pretty outrageous claim, but at the moment I desperately wanted to get a rise out of him.

And I did. For the first time in my life, I saw something that just might pass for emotion flit across the face of Scorpius Malfoy. A furious glint entered his eyes as he shouted back at me,

"Don't you fucking dare! Don't you even fucking dare pretend that you know anything about me. You have no idea the things I've done to protect my sister!"

"Oh like bursting into a compound of full of enemies just to rescue her? Oh wait, that was me." I ranted sarcastically.

He bristled, "I would have if I could have! Unfortunately I've been locked up here with her because your father's incompetent staff let us get kidnapped."

"You should be grateful he helped you at all after all the hideous things your family has done throughout all of — oh I don't know — the history of Britain?" I yelled back.

His hands curled into fists, "That was my family, not me."

I let out a laugh that sounded just this side of depraved, "Oh yeah, you've never dabbled in dark magic. Not even, say, at the Quidditch World Cup when you were 11?"

To my surprise, he suddenly grew quiet, "You know about that then?"

It took me a moment to reply. I'd been expecting him to deny it. I dropped the volume of my voice as well, "Yes."

"How? Did Vera tell you?"

"No, you idiot. I was there."

Understanding suddenly lit his eyes, "So you were the gormless git with the tree branch. I should have known. No one else would be daft enough to pull a stunt like that. I'm surprised I didn't recognise you."

"Well, I imagine torturing children requires your full attention." I spat.

"If you really were there you'd know that I didn't cast a single spell."

"Why not? Too much of a coward?"

"No. Because if I hadn't let them do it they would have — " He broke off suddenly, biting down hard on his lip.

"Because if you hadn't they wouldn't have let you join their trendy little wannabe death eaters club?"

His voice rose to a shout, "Because if I hadn't they would have taken Vera instead!"

His statement silenced me more effectively that any charm ever could have. I was utterly gobsmacked by this revelation. It was a few moments before I could remember how to speak again,

"What are you talking about?"

He began to pace, gripping at his blonde locks wildly. I had never seen him so agitated.

"When I was young, I was very close to my grandfather. All I wanted — all I ever wanted — as a child was to be part of the elite. My grandfather convinced me that the purebloods ruled this world, and that I had to be one of them. So when the older kids told me they wanted me along for an 'initiation ceremony,' I agreed without a second thought. When I found out what they had in mind, I tried to get out of it. But they told me if I didn't cooperate, they'd take my sister instead."

"But why? Vera's a pureblood too. A Malfoy. She wasn't even a Gryffindor yet. Why would they want to hurt her?"

"We all knew Vera was different from the rest of us. The Sorting Hat just confirmed it. Earlier that day, she had sprained her wrist after crawling out onto a tree branch to help an injured bird. The day before that, my father and some of his friends caught her playing with the muggle daughter of the campground owner, the one they ended up kidnapping. To that crowd, a bloodtraitor is as bad as a mudblood, and worse than a muggle." I nodded in understanding and he continued, "So I let them take the little muggle girl. It was her or Vera, and I chose Vera."

"Such a Slytherin mentality." I said bitterly.

"Oh really? Well, what would you have done, as the almighty James Potter. Pick the safety of a stranger over your own flesh and blood?"

"I would have found a way to help both of them."

"Enlighten me, how would you have done that? Faced with individuals not only four years more learned in magic, but also with cruel intent, how would you have combatted them?"

I remained silent, the full extent of his situation suddenly dawning on me. After a moment I said,

"I'm not saying you were justified…"

"Nor am I. I'm simply explaining my reasoning. My attempt to do the best in a bad situation."

I didn't reply. My head was reeling. Everything I knew about Scorpius Malfoy, everything I thought I knew, was unraveling, rearranging, desperately trying to align itself with what he had told me. So he wasn't the evil git I had always made him out to be. In fact, he was really just a damn good older brother. Someone who had protected Vera from both near and afar for years. If I was honest with myself, I was glad he had made his decision. If he hadn't, and those nutters had gotten their hands on her, the entire course of her life could have been changed. She wouldn't be the person I met, the person I fell in love with.

"Thank you." I managed to let out.

He nodded, "Thank you for coming to get us. Not many people would be willing to risk their lives like this."

"I love her." I admitted to him. I didn't know why I said it. I was hardly about to unload my heart upon someone whom I'd considered my enemy only moments ago. I supposed it was because I thought…well that he would understand.

His sharp, grey eyes regarded me for a moment.

"As well you should." He replied at last.

"And you're in love with my cousin."

He examined me for another moment before confirming,

"I am."

"Then it looks like we are stuck with each other."

"It appears so."

"So…allies?" I held out my hand. I couldn't really think of a more appropriate word. 'Friends' and 'acquaintances' sounded far too cordial, and 'indifferent' or 'not enemies' sounded too neutral. So I settled on allies. Apparently unable to locate a better synonym, Malfoy nodded and shook my hand,

"Allies."

Our truce was interrupted by more echoing footsteps on the stairwell beyond the door. I did not protest as four cloaked figures crowded us to bind our hands and escort us up the stairs. As we scaled the stairwell, I was greeted by the sight of the crowded drawing room.

My eyes found the ceiling, where, in the centre of an ornate mass of wooden carvings, hung a large, elegant chandelier. A distraction. The next part of the plan. We needed a distraction. I leaned over to Malfoy.

"Malfoy, how good are you at wandless magic?"

In response he merely raised an eyebrow. I took that to mean very good. I cast my gaze pointedly toward the ceiling. Malfoy's eyes followed my direction, and then widened in understanding. He nodded as though to say, "Tell me when."

My eyes returned to scanning the rest of the room; faces, numbers, exits, possible weapons. My heart skittered to a stop as I glanced down at the floor. In the far corner, the unconscious form of Vera lay sprawled up the floor, unmoving.

"Vera!" I tried to go to her but two of the figures restrained me.

"Aww, young love." Came a cold, mocking voice. It grated like ice over my skin, causing my hair to stand on end. I turned my head to face a figure at the head of the room. He wore a heavy black robe, ornate white and red mask, and a gold crown. A ludicrous combination to say the least, but at least it made his identity clear. This was the Half-Blood Prince. It was an odd sensation, looking upon the man who had caused me so much strife and been the source of so much death and destruction. Odd because, in gazing upon his visage, I realised he was indeed merely a man. My imagination had taken his mysterious power as a cue to form a larger than life image.

With a tilt of the Prince's bejewelled head, the cloaked figures surrounding Malfoy and me forced us to our knees before him.

"You know, I was in love once." Continued the prince thoughtfully, "She was a lovely girl. The loveliest at my school. Seventeen when she was killed and quite beautiful. Long tanned legs, blonde hair, blue eyes. Of course she was a mudblood, so when the war came they insisted she had to die. Especially when I refused to join up." He trailed off into thought. I filed this information away, for when I examined his identity later. For now, I decided to let him monologue.

"Anyway," He seemed to return to reality, "you and I need to have a little chat, Mr. Potter."

He came to stand opposite where I was kneeling, "So tell me, what is your 'big plan?'"

Apparently he took my complete and utter silence following this question as an invitation to elaborate, "From what I understand, you're not particularly well known for your scheming abilities. But you must have some semblance of a plan. You are rash, but from what I've seen, not stupid. So how'd you get in here? How'd you plan on getting the girl out?"

I tilted my head, "Do you really expect me to answer you? From what I've seen, you aren't stupid either."

The Prince chuckled, "So you are clever. That's good. I'm always in need of clever followers. Of course, you'd be much more than just another follower."

My fists tightened at his implication but my voice remained calm as I said,

"What makes you so sure I'll become one of your followers? After all, you did kidnap and torture someone very important to me."

"Every great movement requires a great sacrifice." He said, waving away 'kidnap' and 'torture' as though they were mere trifles, "I've seen your marks. You're a very gifted wizard. You could be great, you know. You could be even more famous than your dear father. Even more revered. Besides, my dear boy, you don't really have a choice."

"And why's that?"

"Because if you agree to join me, and convince me of your loyalty, I'll let you keep her." He motioned to the corner where Vera lay, unconscious.

"Keep her? Like what? A pet?" I asked.

The Prince shrugged unconcernedly, "Purebloods aren't good for much else. Too much inbreeding. She's quite attractive though, I'll give you that."

I raised my eyebrows, "What on earth makes you think I'd agree to that? From what I understand, you've observed me, and you know I'd never accept that."

"True. But I also know that you would do anything to keep her alive, and at the moment, this is the only way. If you do not agree, I will kill her, right here, right now. And I'll be creative, and I'll make you watch. However if you do agree, I'll only kill the boy. And I will allow you to keep the girl as your...companion. It's an excellent offer. I'd highly recommend accepting."

Right here, right now. I cursed internally as my eye flitted to the large father clock in the corner. My father had said within the hour. I needed to keep him talking.

"Why me? Why would you give me this offer you deem so excellent?"

The Prince's mouth curled into an amused smile as he caught my glance, "Keeping me talking? Clever boy. All part of your special plan I imagine? And as for your question, I would've thought the answer would be obvious. As I've already said, you've proven to be an extremely talented wizard. 'O's' in all of your classes if I remember correctly? Plus, you'd be in a position that is valuable to me. I need eyes and ears inside the ministry. My current contact in the Aurors' Office is not as high level an employee as I would like, and as the son of the Head of the Aurors' Office, you'd have an extraordinary amount of security clearance, even as a mere trainee. I have many friends in high places. I could help you too."

"From all you know of me, you really think I'd betray my own father?" I asked, less offended than simply bemused.

"Of course not, my dear boy. I would never dream of asking you to do such a thing. I appreciate your father's contribution to the wizarding world as much as any good wizard. And besides, I plan on extending an invitation for recruitment to him as well. As the Head of the Aurors' Office, I know he his required to condemn some of my more extralegal activities. He is merely doing his job in enforcing the law. But that will no longer be the case in the near future."

"You really think he would join you? You really think he'd approve of you torturing and murdering innocent people because of things that happened nearly thirty years ago? What makes you think he would ever allow you to continue this way?"

"Because, my dear boy, I'm planning make him an offer he won't be able to resist."

"How do you intend to do that?" I questioned.

The Prince let out a short giggle of laughter and pressed a finger to the lips of his mask, "I'm sorry dear boy, you've run out of time for questions. The moment has come for you to choose. How many Malfoys am I killing today? One," He directed his wand at Scorpius. He collapsed to the floor, writhing in agony, apparently biting hard on his lips to avoid crying out, "Or two?" He pointed his wand at Vera. Her motionless body bucked once but she otherwise remained out of commission.

"Can I negotiate for both of them?" I asked urgently, as an unseen force lifted a panting Scorpius back onto his haunches.

The Prince let out a barking laugh, "What do you think this is? A hostage negotiation? No, I have given you your options. Now you must choose."

Time, I thought, I need more time. I desperately searched my brain, trying to find something — anything, that my stall him further. He stared at me while my mind raced, his empty black eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Tick tock, Mr. Potter. You can't stall this forever." He was now positively glowing with excitement. Several more moments past as I attempted to stare him down, searching for anything that might forestall him.

"Very well then, I'll just kill them both." He raised his wand and aimed it at Malfoy's chest, "Avada Ked - "

An echoing bang split the room as the doors to the drawing room thundered open. It took me a split second to ascertain what had happened. When I did, I twisted around to Malfoy and yelled,

"Now!"

There's really nothing better than a well-timed explosion. Malfoy responded to my signal with expert timing. The metal chain connecting the ornate chandelier above our heads snapped, and we both rolled out of the way hundreds of glass shards flew in every direction, striking down several the unsuspecting cloaked figures. I rocked onto my feet in time to see a herd of aurors descending upon the Prince's followers with a vengeance. Covered by the blazing wands of her compatriots, a red headed figure flitted from the pack and sprinted toward me.

Rose slid to a halt beside me and undid my bonds with her wand without a moment's hesitation. She shoved my wand into my now free hand (though how she had come across it I had no idea) and demanded,

"Scorpius?"

I motioned to where Malfoy was now on his feet on the other side of the shattered chandelier. Rose picked her way deftly around the mess and threw her arms around his neck, kissing him heatedly. I didn't waste any time watching their reunion, however.

I quickly located Vera, still unconscious and now forgotten in the far corner of the drawing room. I was at her side in and instant, kneeling to shake her lightly awake. She stirred when I touched her and blinked her green eyes at me. She looked dazed and confused, like one who has just been awoken from a very deep sleep.

"James?" She croaked in confusion, "What…what are you doing here?"

Passing her confusion off as sleep haze, I pulled her into a sitting position.

"What's going on?" She asked as she surveyed the chaos around us idly.

"I'll have to explain later. Right now we have to move."

She nodded unconcernedly and allowed me to loop her arm around my neck and pull her to her feet. We made for the exit, ducking here and there to avoid escaped spells and curses. We were out of the drawing room and in the entrance hall within moments, with Scorpius and Rose immediately in front of us.

Vera appeared to be coming around now. Her glazed eyes were rolling back into focus and the cogs in her brain seemed to have lurched into motion.

We were almost there now. The doors to the main exit were flung wide and I could see the front lawn laid out beyond. As soon as we made it past the front gate we were free…

I skidded to a halt as a sudden explosion rocked the floorboards beneath my feet. I threw my weight backward to avoid falling into the now exposed foundation of the house and rolled both Vera and myself behind an overturned grand piano, narrowly avoiding another blast directed at us. After giving Vera a once over to ensure she had not acquired any new injuries, I peeked over the top of the piano — only to duck immediately as a third blast narrowly missed my head. It was long enough for me to spot the source of the blasts though. Directly to our right, framed in the entrance to the drawing room, stood the Half-Blood Prince. Rage burned in what I could see of his black eyes as he directed another spell at us. It rocked the piano and I quickly pushed against the glossy wooden surface to prevent it from toppling over and crushing us.

I fired a curse back at him, but without a proper vantage point it went wide.

"Oh come on little Potter," His voice was a lazy drawl, "only cowards hide behind pianos. Come out and duel me. If you win, I'll let you go."

Considering that wizard's duels were generally to the death, I didn't consider this as generous an offer as he appeared to. Nonetheless, I steeled myself and stepped out from behind my makeshift barricade. I had done a split-second assessment of the Prince's character and concluded he would prefer to toy with me than to kill me outright. I was counting on keeping him distracted long enough for help to come.

"Wonderful." The Prince nearly purred. He swept me an elegant bow as I faced him and I crooked my posture slightly in return. We raised our wands and began circling one another. I knew I was severely outmatched — severely — but hoped whatever prowess I had at duelling would be enough to keep me alive. A flash of light shot suddenly from the Prince's wand and I managed to dodge it. My answering spell was strong, but the Prince waved it away as though it were merely an obnoxious fly. I managed to conjure a shield just in time to deflect the bizarre orange jet of light he sent in return.

We continued like this for what seemed like ages, with him firing powerful curses while I managed to narrowly avoid them and offer whatever meagre offence I could. I felt my movements begin to slow as we fought on. It was clear I was no match for him.

My defences finally failed and a particularly strong curse knocked me backwards. My head slammed against the floor and I became horribly aware of an agonising pain suddenly adorning my thigh. I seized my leg and felt wet, hot blood spreading across my palm. Then I heard laughter. Horrible, spine-tingling laughter. I glanced down and saw the fall had impaled the side of my thigh on a particularly splintered portion of floorboard. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Prince approaching me slowly, menacingly. I rolled to avoid another burst of light that wreaked further havoc on the nearby floorboards. I briefly and offhandedly wondered if the Malfoy's had a decent magical contractor.

I pointed my wand at the Prince in a weak show of defiance, but he disarmed me with a casual flick of his wand. He had reached me now, and was standing over my fallen form with his wand pointed directly at my face.

"This isn't how I intended our acquaintance to end, Mr. Potter. You know, there's still time to beg for mercy."

My first instinct was to reply with a valiant, "Never!" like heroes always do. Realising that these may be my last moments however, I decided if I was going to leave this world, I may as well not do it looking like an idiot. Instead I said,

"You'll never win, you know."

The Prince tipped his head to the side, halted by curiosity, "Why is that?"

"Because your cause is idiotic. The only people who will follow you are nut jobs whose opinions aren't worth a salt to the rest of society. You can kill me. You can kill Vera. You can kill all the purebloods in the world. It doesn't matter. You'll never take over the world. You'll never finish what you started."

"Dear boy, you clearly haven't been paying attention. Where on earth did you get the idea that I wanted to take over the world? And when did I say I wanted to kill all purebloods? I don't want to kill all of them. Just a few. Seventeen, to be exact. They can't be just any purebloods either. Only then can I get what I want."

A realisation hit me with the speed and ferocity of a freight train.

"You're working for someone else. Who? Who is it?"

The Prince looked delighted at my revelation. "That's the wrong question."

"What?"

"Exactly."

I stared at him in bewilderment for a moment, the pain in my punctured leg slowing my thought process considerably. Then it clicked. "You mean 'what.' What are you working for?"

The Prince seemed to decide at this point that our little natter had gone on long enough. Instead of answering my question, he pointed his wand at my chest. I refused to close my eyes as he stared me down and yelled,

"Avada - "

The Prince and I were both taken by surprise when an explosion of light threw him bodily across the room. I lifted myself laboriously onto my elbows to catch sight of my saviour.

Vera now stood on the near side of the fallen piano, my wayward wand held firmly in her hand. It was she who had cast the curse that saved my life. I didn't have any further time to observe, however. The Prince was back on his feet in moments, swinging his blazing wand like a sword. Vera managed to dodge his curse, but the piano behind her erupted into flames. Apparently unfazed, Vera leapt back into action, dodging, weaving, and firing as she took my place, duelling the Half-Blood Prince.

I knew I should have been more urgent, that I should be searching for ways to aid her fight, but as I lay there, drenched in my own blood, I couldn't help but watch her. She was stunning, illuminated in the flickering light cast by the burning piano. A fury I had never seen before lit her eyes. She was fast. Faster than I would have thought possible. She looked less like a fighter than a dancer as she weaved, apparently effortlessly through the wreckage. She was a better dueller than me by far, though I had no idea where she could have learned such advanced skill. She was glorious.

Shaking myself from a daze, I gingerly lifted myself into a sitting position so as to examine my unfortunate leg situation. A sharp sliver of wood, about the length and width of a wand (though I pitied anyone who would have such a hideous wand) had delved deep into the back of my thigh. Knowing that removing it without the proper supervision of a healer would lead to an unfortunately quick death, I ripped a strip of fabric from the hem of my robe and tied it tightly around the wound. Tremulously, and with much cursing, I managed to stand.

My ministrations had taken longer than I thought, however. I refocused on the battle with just enough time to see Vera fall to the floor. She cried out in pain. My heart was still for the moments it took for her to return gingerly to her feet. The Prince paused his onslaught of spells.

"Give it up little Malfoy. We both know you can't beat me." He jeered.

Vera opened her mouth. For one horrifying moment I thought she might surrender, but instead she yelled,

"Reducto!"

Caught unawares, the Prince was thrown across the room, where he promptly slammed into the opposing wall. With the precious amount of time it took him to right himself, Vera directed her wand at the flaming piano. It lifted lightly in the air, only to promptly hurl itself directly at him. I managed to catch the look of surprise that adorned the Prince's face just before it collided with him.

Sparing only a moment to verify the success of her spell, Vera dropped to her knees, panting and clutching herself. But there was no time to rest now. I limped over to her, cursing every stab of pain this motion triggered. She raised her head at the sound of my approach and, to my utter relief, cast me a weary smile. Her smile promptly dropped into a look of concern as she took in my injury.

"What - ?" She started.

"I'll tell you later. Right now we need to get out of here before more of them come."

She nodded and rose to her feet, "Are you able to walk?"

Hoping to prove my capability, I took a confident step forward - only for my leg to fail me immediately. I teetered inelegantly for a moment before Vera swooped beneath me and looped my arm around her neck. She let out a small grunt as I leant heavily against her but otherwise made no complaint as we started forward and out of the main entrance. In the distance, past the elaborate maze of hedges and trotting white peacocks, I could make out Rose and Malfoy waiting for us just beyond the gate.

"Go!" I yelled to them, "We're fine. Just meet us at St. Mungo's."

Rose seemed to deliberate for a moment before nodding, seizing Malfoy's hand, and spinning on the spot. With a crack, the two disappeared from sight. And apparently just in time. A moment later, a jet of light flit over Vera's left shoulder and hit the gate at the precise location Malfoy's head had been just moments before.

Somehow knowing in my gut exactly who was behind us, I seized my wand from where it dangled loosely in Vera's right hand and shot a stunning spell over my shoulder. Understanding the danger immediately, Vera sped up, almost dragging me along. We were still halfway to the gate when another spell narrowly avoided Vera's ear, singeing her loose, tangled hair in the process. I twisted around in her grasp to view our attacker. The Prince stood just beyond the entrance to Malfoy Manor looking, to my dismay, more or less intact. It the split second before I tugged Vera down to duck yet another spell, I managed to take him in. He was limping heavily on his right leg. His robes were burnt in several places, with the hem above his left ankle still curling slowly into ash. A piece of his porcelain mask had broken away. Beneath it I could make out the cleanly shaven outline of his pale, left jawbone. His hood had fallen back to reveal a shock of jet black hair. Something about the suddenly exposed part of his visage scratched at a memory in the back of my mind. I didn't have time to dwell on it however as Vera and I broke into an all out run. I knew my ailing leg would fail me soon, but for now I was propelled forward by adrenaline. We were nearly there now. Just a few more feet and…

Vera suddenly keeled forward and landed hard on her hands and knees. I stumbled slightly but otherwise managed to stay on my feet. I seized Vera's hands and yanked her back up.

"Are you alright?" I asked, scanning her form quickly.

"Yeah I…I guess I just tripped."

I glanced briefly behind us. The Prince had stopped his pursuit. He stood stationary now, waving his wand in a complicated motion and murmuring an unfamiliar string of words. He was not casting for now, but I knew whatever he was working on couldn't be good for Vera or me.

We began to sprint forward again. Vera shouted what sounded like a password and we passed easily through the gate as though it were made of smoke. The instant we passed the boundary, I clutched Vera's body closely to mine. I spun on the spot and our surroundings began to dematerialise. Time seemed to slow down as we passed into darkness, and just before we disappeared completely, I caught sight of a flash of violet light hurtling toward where Vera had stood, fully formed, only moments before. But then we were gone, out of sight of Malfoy Manor and surrounded by the sensation of being pushed through a very tight tube.

Then we were free. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes to appraise our surroundings. I let out that breath in a sigh of relief as I recognised the dreary London street where we now found ourselves. To our left was a department store window fronting a shop that had clearly gone out of business multiple generations ago. The mannequins within displayed fashions that must not have been in style even before my parents were born, but nothing had ever looked so wonderful to me. Because those hideous mannequins meant one thing: we were free. We were safe. I had gotten Vera back, and the horrors of Malfoy Manor were now far behind us…

Vera suddenly slumped in my arms.

"What - " My head whipped around to examine her face. Her normally golden skin was chalky white, her delicate pink lips pale. My heart stopped when I noticed something else. She was clutching her side, and upon her tattered blouse, scarlet blossomed like a flower in spring as blood soaked through her clothing. Her weight combined with my own horror brought me to my knees.

"Vera?" I whispered. Her blue green eyes, so focused and lively only a few moments ago, were dazed and empty. "Vera!" I yelled, pressing my hand desperately against her chest. Her heartbeat. It was there, but it was faint. "Vera, no." My voice was quiet once more, pleading. Of all the times I had pictured a moment like this, and considered just how terrible it would be to lose her, I had never truly appreciated the horror of the moment. Because I had never experienced it before. The moment where I was really and truly faced with the possibility of her demise. This moment.

Mustering all my focus, I pointed my wand toward the shop front and conjured a patronus. When the silvery lion came to attention before me I yelled,

"Go get a healer. Tell them to come quickly. Someone is dying out here."

It raced off without any further encouragement. Vera's blood was now pooling onto the pavement at a rate I wouldn't have thought possible before seeing it. I didn't know how much time she had left, but I could sense it wasn't long. I didn't know any healing spells, especially none that could heal a cursed wound, but I couldn't allow myself to feel powerless either. I needed to keep her here. I needed to keep her talking until help arrived. Surely someone would get my message.

"Vera, please don't go. Stay with me, please." I begged. Her eyelids were fluttering. It seemed as though she was clinging to life but slowly losing her grip. And then it struck me, harder than ever. The words I had never gotten to say to her. The words she may yet never hear. "Vera," My voice was low, a murmur only she could hear, "Vera…please…I love you."

Her weak grip on my robes tightened. "James…" Her voice was broken. She swallowed heavily and tried again, "James, don't let me go."

I nodded once. "I promise." And then we were surrounded on all sides by a flurry of Healers and reporters. Vera's eyes slid heavily shut and her grip on my robes relaxed, and then she was ripped away from me, torn toward the people who could, with any luck, save her life.

Author's Note: That was rough. I hope you enjoyed it though. I apologise for typos and grammatical errors. I know I let comma rules fall by the wayside in this chapter, but I hope you'll pardon me. Special thanks to sarahmichellegellarfan for encouraging me to keep writing. Also, the conversation between Scorpius and James in the cellar was the idea of one of the readers. I've forgotten who it was now but thank you to that person! That scene rearranged the whole outline of the chapter.

Any who, cheers to all my readers! I hope you enjoyed. The final chapter should be finished much more quickly. This one was super long. Please review.