Fatal Affair

Chapter 27: The Cup

When the ice left the river, the ground let go of Nova. For a moment, Nova barely registered this, overwhelmed with the acceptance of death, she let herself float. Suddenly, a hand gripped her collar, pulling her head out. Nova gasped and choked on water as Bellatrix pulled the rest of her body out with difficulty. 

Nova laid on her side on the snow, coughing up water, every bone in her body aching from the cold. 

"I'm not dead," Nova said in a hoarse voice, disbelief coursing through her. 

She tried lifting herself up but was too weak. Her eyes wandered until they landed on Bellatrix, who was peering down at the cube of ice. 

"Don't help or anything," Nova said through heavy breaths. 

"Don't make me regret pulling you out," Bellatrix shot back without taking her eyes off the ice. "How do we get it out?" 

Nova managed to turn herself onto her back, starring at the sky above her. "Try touching it with a branch," she suggested. 

Nova didn't have the energy to turn her head, but heard Bellatrix walk off, heard the sound of a snapping branch, then the crackle of flames. 

"Fuck, my hand!" Bellatrix shouted. 

Nova heard the splash of water as Bellatrix plunged her own hand into the water. She listened to her footsteps, and suddenly, Bellatrix's head popped into her field of vision, peering down at her. 

"You could have told me that was going to happen," Bellatrix said. 

"Now we're even," Nova said. 

"I save your life and this is how your treat me?" Bellatrix frowned, then looked to her right. "Get up, we need to go." 

With great difficulty, Nova managed to sit up. She looked at Bellatrix who was examining the cup in her hands. 

Nova slowly got up, shivering from head to toe as the adrenaline wore off and the cold set in. 

Bellatrix approached her, cup tightly wrapped in her coat. "You are going to apparate to the Malfoy Manor. I am going to hide this cup." 

"W-what?" Nova said, teeth clattering. "No, I'm coming with you. We're s-supposed to do it t-together." 

"We were meant to get the cup together. You were never intended to see where it is to be hidden." 

"That's b-bullshit," Nova said, frustrated. 

"Look at the state of you. There is no way you could keep up, regardless. You should probably put some dry clothes on before you get frostbit." 

"I'm going with you," Nova stated.

"The Dark Lord has asked me to do this alone. Should I ask to see him, then? Ask him to confirm this?" 

Nova bit her lip and balled her first. Her fingers hurt with every movement and she knew she needed to get warm quickly. She also did not want to bring Voldemort into this. At the same time, she didn't want to disappoint Dumbledore. 

"Where are you going to hide it?" Nova asked. 

"It does not concern you," Bellatrix said, turning away from Nova. 

"Bellatrix," Nova said threateningly. 

It was pointless. Bellatrix laughed and apparated away. 

Nova walked into Malfoy Manor, her clothes stiff from the below freezing temperature. Severus and Lucius were waiting for her. 

"What on earth happened?" Severus asked "You're soaked." 

"Am I?" Nova asked. "I hadn't even noticed." Nova looked down at herself, feigning shock. 

"Your skin is blue and you're trying to be funny," Severus said, grabbing a blanket from a nearby sofa and wrapping is around Nova. "Lucius, get one of the house-elves to draw her a bath." 

"Of course," Lucius said, giving Nova a concerned look. 

Once Lucius was out of the room, Nova allowed the panic to overflow. "Bellatrix wouldn't let me see where she was hiding the cup," she said quickly. "I fucked up. I didn't know what to do." 

"It doesn't matter," Severus said, rubbing her arms to warm her up. 

"Of course it matters. I let everyone down." 

"You almost froze to death and you're worried about letting us down?" Severus asked in disbelief. 

"What do I do?" Nova asked. 

"You take a warm bath and try not to die," Severus said. "I told you to be careful." 

Lucius re-entered the room. "I can take you to your bedroom. They're drawing a bath." 

"I know my way," Nova said simply and left.