The Allure of Darkness

Faith (Part II)

Riddle Manor [June 19th]

Draco greeted them in the parlour as soon as they arrived at Riddle Manor. His expression was grim, and Hadrian could see several cuts and bruises that travelled up the length of his pale arms, disappearing under his rolled-up sleeves. A large gash ran along his cheek, though Draco seemed rather unbothered by it as he approached them.

"What's wrong with him?" Draco asked, jerking his head towards the slumped over form of Blaise that Hadrian and Bellatrix were supporting between them.

"He passed out right before we left," Hadrian explained, readjusting Blaise's arm over his shoulder. He winced as he felt the sharp stabbing sensation at the back of his head again. "I think he should be alright, but he might've broken his leg."

"Again?" Draco huffed impatiently. "Maybe Daphne can take a look at him. My mother is working on Destiny right now, but she'll tend to his injuries next."

"Destiny?" Bellatrix gasped. She dropped Blaise's other arm in shock, making Hadrian grunt softly as the Italian's entire weight fell completely on him.

"What's happened?" She demanded. "What happened to my daughter?"

Draco shifted uncomfortably on the balls of his feet. His nervous manner only served to drive Bellatrix into more of a panicked state, and she grabbed the collar of his shirt, "Draco, you will tell me what happened this instant!"

"Aunt Bella, my mum is doing the best she can. She's in the sitting room." Draco spoke quietly, trying not to flinch as Bellatrix shoved him onto the ground in her hurry to search for her daughter. He quickly scrambled back up and gave Hadrian a look, "It's not good."

Hadrian felt his stomach drop. He fumbled for a second before pulling out his wand and pointing it at Blaise, relieving the weight crushing into his side by levitating his unconscious friend. Once Blaise was steadily floating in front of him, Hadrian quickly followed Bellatrix as she ran through the halls of Riddle Manor, with Draco trailing closely behind her heels.

"There–There wasn't supposed to be anyone else there," Draco began to ramble, "Potter and Weasley arrived first, but Neville and I could easily fight those two idiots off. We were doing fine...until the bloody Aurors came," He cursed loudly, remembering the way they had been completely blindsided by the sudden onslaught of their spells.

They followed Bellatrix down a long, brightly lit corridor and Draco ran an anxious hand through his hair, "Our forces arrived a few moments later, but we were outnumbered. Neville and I were so busy dealing with the Aurors, we didn't even notice that Potter and Weasley snuck away."

"My daughter," Bellatrix snapped, pushing open a set of double doors, "What happened to Destiny?"

Draco closed his eyes, "I didn't even realize when more of them appeared," His voice broke as he choked out, "I-I couldn't save her."

Bellatrix's thin lips twisted into a scowl and she quickened her pace as she saw the distinctive blonde head of her sister hunched over the floor. A cold shiver ran up her spine when her eyes fell on the limp body of her daughter sprawled out on the ground.

"Stay there, Bellatrix," Narcissa warned, having heard their footsteps long before her sister came into the room. "Do not come any closer."

"She's my daughter," Bellatrix growled, ignoring her sister and attempting to step forward anyways. A pair of arms reached out to hold her back, and Bellatrix whirled around in outrage.

"How dare you?" She shrieked, staring at Draco furiously and beginning to thrash wildly in his vice-like grip.

"If you love her, you will stay right there," Narcissa said evenly. She looked up and her hard gaze softened as it fell over Hadrian and Draco. She stared at them for a moment and an unfamiliar emotion flickered across her regal features. Her lips pursed into a thin line and she turned back to Destiny abruptly. She ran her wand along the deep wounds that crisscrossed across the younger girl's body, trying to hide the way her hands trembled with fear.