Bound By Blood.

ch.98~The nerve.

"It wasn't supposed to happen this way.

I knew it, I fucking knew it and I did it anyway.

All of this, to not even have you."

Recovered Translated Correspondents from Order Member Brooks, to Death Eater Mattheo Riddle, 2004.

The safe house, 2004.

Alexandra.

This past month flew by with such an ease, that it made me nauseous.

Not as nauseous as I got when I read the papers, or what Mattheo was up to, but nauseous nonetheless.

I had to have faith in Draco, which was an absurd thought to even have, but I knew he would keep up his end of the bargain.

He had to.

Thats all I thought about as I sat in my chair of the meeting room, George's hand firmly on the back of my chair, while Rons eyes were locked on Harry.

Harry's voice cut through the tension in the room, steady and resolute. "Right now, we have the upper hand," he began, catching everyone's attention. "We've got four of the Horcruxes, and if we want to keep it that way, we can't afford to let our guard down."

A murmur of agreement rippled through the group. My stomach twisted again, less from anxiety than from the weight of the responsibility that lay before us. But hearing Harry speak with such conviction was oddly grounding.

"There's no time to move them now," he continued, "and their sights are only on the two paired together, so we need to ensure they're protected. We can't let them fall into the wrong hands, especially not now. We need a solid plan to guard them."

He leaned forward, his brow furrowed in concentration. "First, we split into pairs. One team will stay with the Horcruxes while the other patrols the perimeter."

Ginny, sitting beside Ron, leaned in closer, "If we set up wards around the area, we can alert each other if anyone approaches," she suggested, her voice strong and clear. "We can use that to our advantage."

Ron chimed in, clearly thinking with the same tactical mindset. "And we could take shifts, right? That way, everyone gets some rest. But not too much—just enough to stay sharp."

Harry nodded, but I could see debate flickering in his eyes. He wanted something foolproof, something that wouldn't leave room for error. But Ginny's suggestion ignited a spark of agreement in him.

"What about adding the Patronus charm?" I interjected. "Those who have mastered it know how to send them as a messenger. We could enhance the wards so that if anyone approaches, we not only know but can have a visual warning."

Harry looked around the room, assessing everyone's expressions. "That could work," he finally said, though I could tell he was still on the fence about it. "We'll need everyone together for this, though. It'll be an all-hands-on-deck situation."

He agreed with me, which was more than we've spoken all month, but enough for me.

As the details of our plan fell into place, I realized just how real this was all becoming again.

How similar it felt to last time.

And, more importantly, it meant I would finally see him again.

As the meeting drew closer to an end, my thoughts turned wildly as I contemplated what he might say, what he might feel.