If I Fall for You [Harry Potter: Next Generation]

14. Almost

A/N: hey unicorns, I'm back to retrieve you from the cliff... and possibly hang you off another
~
The name echoed around the cavernous chamber, and the temperature seemed to drop by 100 degrees. A table stood near Vanessa. On it a sinister-looking glass bottle was placed, filled with a sort of grey vapour that twisted and writhed as if it were attempting to assume some kind of form. Rose shivered involuntarily. Her eyes once again found the motionless figure lying between the statue's feet.

A horrible feeling settled over her. Why was he lying so still...?

Vanessa, seeming to guess Rose's thoughts, turned and looked at the person with a sort of grim triumph. "Ah, yes, before I kill you... why don't you come say goodbye to your little friend?" She lowered her wand and stepped out of Rose's path, bowing mockingly.

Rose now had a clear view of the statue. She stared, and the glint of blonde hair confirmed all her fears.

Her stomach gave a jolt, but Rose tried hard not to let it show. She advanced slowly, her gaze fixated upon the base of the statue. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Vanessa cross her arms in a laid back sort of way, watching Rose with barely suppressed mirth on her cold features. Letting down her guard.

Too bad for her. Maybe she wasn't fully aware of what she was up against.

"Go on," Vanessa purred as Rose drew level with her. "I am not trying to stop you, am I? I would never - "

"Expelliarmus!" Rose yelled, spinning around. Vanessa stumbled back, wand flying out of her hand to clatter onto the floor and skid all the way over to the foot of the statue.

Vanessa spat something in French and dove for her wand, but Rose was faster. She sprinted across the floor and snatched up Vanessa's wand, turning around to point it and hers at Vanessa threateningly. Vanessa skidded to a halt a few meters away from Rose, watching the two wands warily.

"You should have seen that coming," Rose panted, anger bubbling up inside her. "You didn't expect me to walk meekly to my death, did you?"

"Fool," Vanessa hissed. "You can't win. Your beloved Scorpius Malfoy won't be waking up anyway."

Rose moved to stand protectively in front of him, an icy fear chilling her to the bone. "What do you mean he won't wake up? What'd you do to him?"

"Silly girl. You won't get an answer out of me."

"Tell me!"

"Why? Why would I tell you? What can you do if I don't? You're only - "

"Stupefy," Rose interrupted. Two jets of red light hit Vanessa squarely on the chest; she flew backwards and collided with the table. The jar was jolted over. It rolled off and smashed open on the floor, and the grey vapour rose into the air, rising, rising -

Rose screamed as it twisted upwards, seemingly struggling to maintain a sort of humanoid form. Something about the stuff was so evil, so menacing...

Without thinking, Rose yelled, "Impedimenta!" The two spells were immediately swallowed up by the column of vapour like a sponge absorbing water, but even as she watched it began to shrink, melting with a hissing sound until it was a puddle-ish thing moving sluggishly across the floor.

She didn't know what it was, but she knew someone would have to kill it, and soon. Rose wasn't too keen on attempting to use an Unforgivable Curse; would it still count as murder if what was killed was a patch of evil-looking grey stuff...?

Rose shook her head. Vanessa was out. Getting Scorpius to Madame Pomfrey was Rose's first priority, she could get reinforcements and deal with the grey stuff later on -