Challenged Love

Chapter 25

The air was still, almost peaceful. All I could hear was the sound of my own breathing.

Abruptly, I sat up as a coughing fit overtook my lungs.

My eyes were opened, which seemed impossible.

I was breathing.

I should be dead.

I sat upon the cold concrete, ears ringing and my head throbbing. I stopped coughing and made sure to keep quiet unless someone was listening on the other side of the door. I was still in the dungeons, trapped in the large, empty room. Except, I was alone.

The Death Eaters were gone.

Narcissa was gone.

Kasper was gone.

Did Kasper manage to escape? If so, why didn't he wake me up? Maybe I could get to him if I hurried quick enough.

But someone opened the door.

Narcissa froze in the doorway, an expression of shock covering her face. Her face lost all color as she realized I was still breathing.

"We will meet you there!" called out a voice from the distance which sounded like it belonged to Jane.

"Be right there!" Narcissa called back as she quietly and quickly shut the door behind her.

"Holly?" she whispered, her voice gentle yet careful. "Am I dreaming? How are you still alive?"

She grew quiet as if she expected me to have an answer to that. However, I did not say anything. I just stared at her, waiting for the Death Eaters to pile on the room and discover I was alive. I needed to Apparate out of there, but I could not find the strength within me to do so.

"You need to get out of here," Narcissa warned. "They are expecting me to Apparate up there with your dead body."

A feeling of intense dread and nausea struck me. I could not move. The exhaustion in my body fought against me. 

I should be dead, I reminded myself.

How was I alive?

"Come on. I'll help you escape," Narcissa told me with a hint of urgency in her tone. She held out her hand for me to take.

I just stared blankly at her hand. Narcissa was the reason I was down here in the first place, yet suddenly she wants to help me?

When I didn't take her hand, she hurriedly stomped towards me and took my hand before I could pull away.

I opened my eyes to see I was in my bedroom.

"I'll be back. You have five minutes to pack a few things."

Narcissa swiftly rushed out of the room, leaving me to my own devices. Was she really helping me escape, or was this another trap? Was I to fall victim to You-Know-Who once more?

I could not let Narcissa betray me again.

I cracked open the door of my bedroom and glanced towards both ends of the hallway. I even held out my wand in front of me for protection. I then bolted towards Kasper's room and instantly shut the door behind me. His room was left the same as it normally was. Clothes were piled upon his bed. Ink bottles and multiple quills lined his shelves above his desk. Different pairs of shoes were scattered upon his rug. An assortment of tea cups were stacked upon his bed side table.

It was like his bedroom was frozen in time.

I was not exactly sure why I came in here, but I had to think quick before Narcissa came back. On Kasper's bed, I noticed that familiar leather journal lying on his pillow. Something within me told me to pick it up. When I did, something fell out of it. It was a small piece of paper which I discovered was the title to Kasper's bank account at Gringotts.