The Last Riddle

70. A New Year, A New Draco

"Angelica?" Sirius stands at my door as I lay with my back to him. I ignore his calls and stay curled up in a ball, Merlin knows how many days have passed since Moody took me to the Abbey. I have stayed in this same position only moving occasionally to eat small bites of food that Mrs Weasley has prepared for me.

Sirius sighs as he leaves my room, he has been coming to stand in my doorway at least once every hour since I returned. He never actually enters the room he always stays standing in the same spot, his calls to me soft but full of desperation.

When Moody had managed to get me back to Grimauld Place we were met by Kingsley and Lupin first, they stood in the hallway staring at me their faces grim. Moody stood besides me barely managing to hold me up, my body shivering so much it was making us both shake. Soon Mrs Weasley came running out pulling me tightly against her, her warmth was infectious but all it did was make me sob harder.

The maternal love I felt flowing through her opened up a dam I didn't know I had built, all the pain of being an orphan (in a sense of course) came crushing through. Knowing that my mother will never hug me like that killed me, I clung to Mrs Weasley desperately.

Sirius came running out of the kitchen next and took one look at me before he had his wand raised in Moody's face.

"What the fuck did you do?" Sirius' voice was chilling and his face was set in such a way that it terrified even me.

Mrs Weasley pulled me to the side of the hallway out of the way of Sirius' wand, I collapsed backward leaning heavily on the wall behind me for support.

"Sirius think" Lupin steps forward now his hand snaking around Sirius' wrist. Carefully he pushes down at Sirius' arm as he leans into his ear "think Padfoot. Moody didn't do anything to the girl, let him explain without our wands raised eigh?"

Sirius slowly drags his brown eyes from Moody and looks deeply at Lupin, it seems they are having a silent conversation between the two of them. Lupin clearly wins this argument as Sirius nods and places his wand back in his jacket.

"Kitchen now." Sirius' words are short and sharp as he leads the way for the other men to follow.

"Come on dear" Mrs Weasley gathers me up and wraps her arm tightly around my shoulders. Struggling to stand I lean into her small but mighty frame.

A door opens from besides us but my eyes have glassed back over at this point, the coldness has set in and my mind has grown foggy.

Mrs Weasley leads me to the large staircase, calling behind her she demands fiercely "Fred, George gather all of the blankets you can find okay? Bring them to me. Ron dear go make a large cup of tea, Hermione help him would you? Harry grab that sandwich I made earlier off the table and bring it up." Footsteps sound from behind us and it seems that everyone is doing what they are told without question.

As we reach my bedroom Mrs Weasley gently lays me down onto the bed, pulling the duvet up over me and tucking it around me. With a few taps of her wand I feel a warm sensation pass over my whole body and my clothes now lay dry against me. It's no use however, I'm still too cold. Always cold.

For the remainder of my days at Grimauld Place I remain in my room, occasionally I manage to get out of bed. Each time that I do I pick up Cedric's list and read over it once more, my eyes closed tight trying to remember how he had stood next to me at the Abbey.