Forever and Always Yours, SS [Book 3]

Chapter 126

Stones pattered around Amilia; she kept forcing the kid's heads down until all she could hear was screaming and crying.

She lifted her head in time to see Harry and his friends running off with a body in their hands. A large gaping hole in the castle wall told Amilia that they were no longer safe where they were. She rose from the floor and pulled Draco to his feet. "Run! Now!"

"What?" He sniveled.

Amilia could see a giant spider start to climb through the hole. "Get to the common room and stay there! You should be safe there! I will come back for you." She grabbed his shoulders and threw him in the opposite direction.

Draco grabbed Goyle's arm and went in the opposite direction of the hole in the wall.

Amilia placed herself in the center of the corridor,  praying to give the boys a head start. The first spider entered the hall, its body taking up a large portion of the hole in the wall. She pointed her wand at it, sending fire bolts at it, forcing it to back up, bumping into its friends.

The spiders squealed in agitation before advancing on her. Amilia turned, running down the hall, drawing the spiders into the narrow space. Amilia put her back against a wall. The spiders slowed their advance, clicking their fangs together.

She took a deep breath and pointed her wand at the first, waiting as it advanced. She counted to ten in her head and then lifted the tip of her wand to the ceiling, "Bombarda Maxima!"

The ceiling above the spiders exploded. Massive stones and beams fell on top of them. Dust rushed forward, threatening to ensnare Amilia and take her down with the foul creatures. However, Amilia jumped down the staircase to her right. Her feet hit steps, and she stumbled down several steps, trying to gain her balance but failing. She pitched forward, landing hard on her shoulder on the landing.

Amilia struggled to get off the floor with pain searing through her shoulder. "Fuck." She groaned as she sat up. She tried to listen to see if the spiders would come after her again, but all she could hear was falling stones and glass shattering.

Come on. Up we go. Amilia shoved off the ground, a silent scream on her lips. She clutched her shoulder as she descended the stairs, grateful no one was there despite the battle.

Amilia shook her head, her hair disheveled and a sweaty, clammy thing of agitation. She pushed it out of her face and peered around a corner. It was clear. Honestly as clear as her plans.

Severus. "Where are you?" a bottomless pit grew in her belly as she realized he was her next task.

She turned the corner and found an outcropping where a statue had once been. She hid herself in the darkness as she muttered spells while rubbing her shoulder. The physical pain slowly subsided, but magic cannot undo mental or emotional turmoil.

Amilia rested her head against the wall. Where are you, my love? Surely it would be best if you still were on the grounds.

Sitting there, she mentally ticked off places she knew were not ideal or safe. The common rooms were out of the question, as were the dungeons. Voldemort's forces kept creeping out of the Forbidden Forest. She doubted he would be there, but it was a possibility.

"A bloody possibility." She closed her eyes. Her body was heavy with exhaustion, and sleep kept caressing her, coaxing her to close her eyes even if it were for just a moment, but the battle raged on, and each scream and rumble pushed away any chances of sleep.

Amilia forced herself to her feet, keeping her wand ready as she wandered the halls. Portraits were screaming and running between the frames, Peeves could be heard laughing manically, and as Amilia passed a window, she could see Professor Trelawny throwing crystal balls at her victims below.