|| Star-Crossed ||

54

Stop Fighting

DRACO MALFOY

As I snuck in the front door, I could hear people talking in the drawing room. I ran as fast and as quietly as I could upstairs. I got to the third floor, to the abandoned bedroom near the basement and brought Caroline inside. It was good enough. A bed, a bathroom, a window. I could bring her some books and clothes. She'll be fine. I cleaned the room up with a few different spells and laid her on the bed. Then I began to put up the protective wards and charms. I put one on the door, the window, the hallway and the top of the stairs. Someone would have to get through 3 layers of intricate spellwork to reach her. I added my magical signature and as an afterthought, I added Theo's. Then I sent my dragon patronus with a message to Theo at school. Within 10 minutes, I heard the crack of his apparition. I went to the top of the stairs and I saw him. He snuck up and I brought him in. Once the door shut, he looked at me. "Are you mad?" he exclaimed. "I had no choice," I said. "You brought Caroline Potter to Voldemort's house!" he said. "It's my house. The dark lord is more an intruder than a guest," I said. "What if she gets found?" he asked. "She won't. There are wards. Only you and I can access her. Plus you and I both know nobody comes up here." I said. He sighed and rubbed his temples. "We both thought it was haunted until we were 9." he said. I chuckled. "What are you going to tell her when she wakes up?" he asked. Before I could answer, I felt the burning on my arm. "It's going to be you here when she wakes, I have to go be tortured for not killing my headmaster," I said. He looked at me with sorrow. "Go. I'll stay and be here when she wakes up," he said. I nodded. "Thanks, mate." I said. Then I left.

THEODORE NOTT

Draco left and I sat down in the chair across the room from the bed. I watched Caroline sleep and tried to figure out what to tell her when she woke up. Unfortunately, that came sooner than I was hoping. Her eyes opened and I quickly stood up. She sat up and looked around and I could see the pure terror in her eyes. "Caroline, just breathe. You're safe, I'm here." I said gently. She stood up quickly and stumbled back, frantically trying to get away from me. She got to the corner and tears streamed down her cheeks. "Where am I? Where's my wand?" she asked. "Somewhere safe Your wand is hidden. Draco will be back in just a-" I started. "Draco is a death eater!" she yelled. Her voice was shaky and her breathing was fast and shallow. "We can explain," I said. "Are you one too?" she asked. "No, I'm not." I said. "Prove it!" she yelled. I lifted up my sleeves and she shook her head. "I saw Draco's arm too. He didn't have a mark. There's a way to hide it. I don't know how but he did it. How do I know you aren't?" she said. I sighed. "I'm not a death eater. Draco and I can explain everything. Just let us-" I started. "No! I want my brother! Where's Harry?" she said. "He isn't here. He's safe and alive but he isn't here." I said. "I'm leaving! This is crazy! I'm leaving!" she said. She ran for the door and I grabbed her. "Let go of me!" she screamed. "I can't do that, Caroline." I said. She fought and kicked and scratched and screamed. Then she kicked me in the shins and I fell over. "Fucking hell, that hurt!" I yelled. She ran to the door and banged on it. "Help!" she screamed. She tried to open it but her magical signature kept her blocked. "Let me out!" she yelled. "It won't work," I said. She ran to the window and banged on it. "He put up wards. On the door, on the window, the hallways, everywhere. He wanted to keep you safe." I said. "No, he wanted to keep me prisoner." she spat. "Caroline, this is Draco we are talking about. He loves you." I said. "He is a death eater! He is helping the man who killed my parents, the man who wants to kill me!" she yelled. "But he-" I started. "No! Let me out, Theo. I mean it." she said. "You know I can't do that," I said. She grabbed the lamp off the nightstand and threw it at the window. "What the fuck?!" I yelled. The window didn't break but the lamp did. She grabbed a big shard of the glass and held it up like a weapon. "Let me out, Theo," she said. She was distraught. She was gripping the glass so tightly, it cut her hand and blood was dripping down her wrist. I put my hands up in surrender. "Caroline, calm down. Put the glass down, you're bleeding." I said. "No, let me out of here." she said. "I can't. Even if I wanted to, there's about a hundred death eaters between you and the front door." I said. Her face dropped and she ran to the window. "Malfoy Manor?" she said. I sighed and nodded. "He brought me to Malfoy Manor?" she asked. "Yes, but only to-" I started. "Oh my- he is one of them." she gasped. "What?" I exclaimed. "He brought me here as a back up plan. In case he ever needs to impress Voldemort, he can just run up to his basement and bring out Caroline Potter!" she yelled. My face dropped. "No, no, no. He brought you here because he knew this is the one place they would never look." I said. "I don't want to hurt you, Theo. But I will. So let me go." she said. "I'm not going to do that," I said. She screamed and charged at me with the glass. I quickly grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm behind her back. She cried out and the glass fell. "I don't want to fight you, Caroline." I said. "Too bad!" she yelled as she struggled. She shoved me back and hit me in the face. I barely felt her punches. I drew my wand and pointed it at her. "Incarcerous," I said. Ropes wrapped around her wrists and tied them together behind her back. She fell and hit the ground with a thud. She let soft cries as she realized her defeat. I sighed and helped her up. "Come on, let's get you up." I said. She tried to run again the second she was standing and I picked her up and threw her on the bed. "Please stop! Stop fighting me!" I yelled. She looked at me with anger. I sat her up against the headboard and untied her wrists from behind her back. "Are you done?" I asked. "I'll never stop fighting," she said. "That's what I thought," I said. I drew my wand again and spoke. "Serpentes Alligant" I said. A rope wrapped around her left ankle and bound it to the bed. I left a few feet a slack so she could move around. She looked at me and tugged on the rope. She tried to pull it over and rip it, she tried everything. "That's a serpents bind. It's dark magic. You won't get it off." I said. She looked at me as more tears fell. "I'll be back with the healer's kit. Stay here," I said. She just glared at me.