The Price of War

The Strength Within

Harry was greeted with loud piercing screams the moment he landed inside the Manor. He closed his eyes tightly to stop the tremors that went through his body. He often had nightmares of these screams, but they had stopped after the Halloween Party second year. It seemed as if they would soon be disturbing his dorm mates yet again.

Harry looked down at Tinky and gave her a small grateful smile, "Could you take me to them please?"

She nodded violently, "Of course, you come with me, Mr.Potter.'' She held onto his hands tightly as if the screams bothered her more. After 10 years working under Moreeau's Tinky still wasn't used to the constant torture that occurred. After the dark lord's first defeat the manor had gone quiet, everyone had been afraid of getting shipped off to Azkaban if they were caught using any of the unforgivable curses. "This way Mr.," She said as she pointed towards a black iron door.

"Tell Draco, to meet us upstairs." He told Tinky. Harry took in a deep breath as another scream echoed throughout the house. His hands on the iron handles suddenly felt cold and limp. It was as if he no longer had the energy to fight back over the dark curses. He shook his head pushing the thoughts out of his head and entered the darkroom. The only source of light was the small candles lit in the corner.

The screaming suddenly stopped as Mrs.Moreau turned back and her connection dropped. "Harry dear!" She said, smiling brightly. "So glad you could make it." She turned to look back at her granddaughter panting on the ground. "We'll be done in a couple of minutes. Why don't you go find Malfoy."

Harry nodded politely, "Sorry Ma'am but Draco and I had planned to take Adeline out of the Manor to what we discussed yesterday."

She slowly nodded understandingly. "Alright, that's a good idea." She turned back to Adeline, "Get up you ungrateful girl. Just like your father." Mrs.Moreau sneered.

Harry saw Adie use her hands and push herself off the ground, but she fell back down.

Her grandmother gave out a small laugh. "Pathetic." She spat, walking out leaving both the Gryffindors alone.

Harry quickly dropped the act and rushed over to his best friend. "You're okay." He whispered, brushing the strands of her auburn hair that fell from her braid on top of her face. "You're okay." Although this time he said it to calm himself. He gently pulled her off the ground and led her towards her room where Draco was waiting.

Adeline looked up at Harry's face, which was currently just 5 inches away. She looked him over, trying to find any source of injury or pain. "How are you?" She rasped, her dry throat burned with the effort.

Harry looked at her and his mouth twitched, "Brilliant. It's you who needs to see a healer." He looked at her over observing all her new bruises and scratches, "Merlin Adie, why can't you just play the part? Do you enjoy getting hurt?"

"Of course not." She snapped. "I'm not getting married to Draco. Not ever. If I stay quiet, it shows I'm ready to bend to their wishes." She looked at Harry waiting for a response as she grunted with the effort of climbing stairs, "Which I'm not" She added sharply as if she could tell the thoughts running through her best friend's mind.

"Staying quiet doesn't prove you're weak Adie. You have to be smart about this, or you're going to end up dead within the next year."

She gave out a surprised chuckle, "You're sounding quite like a Slytherin, Mr.Potter."

He gave her the infamous James Potter smirk, "Sorry to disappoint Black, but my great-grandmother was a Slytherin. It's in my blood."

She mustered up her energy and smacked Harry's arm, "You twat."

"Where have you been? It took you lot ages to walk up a couple of stairs." Draco snapped as they entered the room.

"Give us a break Malfoy. I practically dragged her up here."

"Oi! Shut up!" Adie snapped.

Draco and Harry snickered, giving her an amusing glance. Harry began helping her into the chair before the thundering footsteps of Mrs.Moreau silenced them all.

"Hide," Harry whispered to Draco and as a switch turned on Harry Potter was a completely different person.

"Sit." He ordered Adie and practically dropped her into the chair just in time for the old lady. Her dark black hair was not tied tightly on top of her head. Her eyes no longer sagging but bright with the new applied makeup. With her bright red high heels, blouse, and pencil skirt, she looked as if she was getting ready for a party.

"Ah, I was wondering what was taking so long." She said walking up to examine Adie's bruises. "Cover these up, before you go out." She ordered and then turned to Harry with her signature fake smile. "How long before Draco gets here?"

"Tinky's gone to get him now." He answered.

She nodded and walked out.

Adie let out the air she didn't even know she had kept in. "Thank Merlin, that old wrench is really going to make me kill her one day if she doesn't kill me first.

"Shut up!" Draco snapped walking out of the connected bathroom.

"We have work to do, Adie. Go get ready, we have to be at Regulas's place in twenty minutes."

She nodded before limping away.

Draco looked at Harry and sighed, "She's going to end up dead with that mouth of hers. Talk to her Potter, she'll listen to you."

"I know. I will." He looked around the room before adding, "You should head downstairs, act like you just arrived."

That was one of the last things Draco would say to Harry for a while.