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C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - E I G H T | Carpe Redactum
spell. shoots a rope from wand to snag things.
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HERMIONE STAYS BY PANSY'S SIDE.
The group landed in the outlying forest and were tossed into the path of Fiendfyre. The hot air forces their throats to constrict dryly and their eyes blink furiously as they attempt to keep the conjunctiva moist while still corralling the monster into a singular space.
As the others attempt to quell the beast, Pansy and Hermione sneak into the castle.
"Looks like everyone abandoned ship," Pansy quips, glancing at the knocked over chairs and empty space.
"I saw the little girl go up these stairs. Narcissa is bound to be up there, I'm sure of it." Hermione turns on her heel and bolts up the stairs with Pansy right behind her.
There are only three doors on the uppermost floor and after Pansy kicks down the first two, the third reveals itself to be more difficult to open. The girls look at one another before Pansy extracts her wand and attempts to disarm the locking charm that has been placed on the door. After a few minutes of tinkering with the ward, Pansy clicks her tongue in satisfaction.
"Got it," she says as she shoves open the wooden door.
Inside the room is small and windowless, more of a closet than a proper bedroom. They discover Narcissa cowering on the far side of the giant bed with the little brunette girl.
Hermione rushes to them, kneeling on the ground in front of them.
"We're here to rescue you. Do you know where Y'Zara is? Draco is in danger."
Narcissa looks to the girl before shaking her head.
"I have not left this room in over a week, but Juniper came to me just an hour before. She says that a horrible fire threatens to consume this entire castle. The wolves left us here to die." Tears glisten in her eyes as she clutches the girl closer.
"Well, if you don't want to burn to a crisp, then I suggest we get going. The others are probably having one Hell of a time down there." Pansy taps her foot on the stone floor.
As they enter the ground level foyer, they notice a haze from the smoke hovering near the ceiling. Through the group's ragged coughing, Hermione's ears prick at distant shouts and she abandons the others to investigate.
In the basement, the yelling continues to get louder, but the smoke has gotten thicker as well.
Her sleeve does little to protect her from inhaling the powerful fumes; she calls out to the person.
"Where are you? I'll help you get out of here."
"Back here!"
She slithers through the tight corridor until she comes to the source of the shouting and rattling of chains. Theo is chained to the ancient brick, his chest heaving as he gasps at the thick air. She extends her wand out to the lock on the cell door before blasting it to pieces. The door swings open with a squeal and she rushes in, directing the same spell at both of Theo's restraints, setting him free.
"Let's go," she says as she grabs his arm and wraps it around her neck. She struggles to lift him and she begins to cough, the smoke finally having begun to irritate her lungs. Then, she feels an arm around her waist and the pressure of a body beside her. She looks up and meets Theo's hazel eyes.
"Draco would never let me live if something happened to you," he says with an exhausted grin.
They manage to escape the basement and head into the cool night air. They collapse on the scorched grass and suck in the sweetness of the oxygen surrounding them.
"Hermione!"
Ginny and Luna race toward the pair on the ground despite the raging inferno still attempting assaults on Ron, Harry, and Neville. Blaise and Pansy are nowhere to be found, and neither are Narcissa and Juniper.
As Ginny laces an arm around Hermione, Luna helps Theo to his feet.
"We're going to Malfoy Manor. That's where the others are," Ginny says with ferocity.
Hermione's vision blurs, but she still attempts to see Ron amongst the flames.
"What about Ron?" Her voice is a mumble.
"Ah, he'll be fine. They've nearly got the fire under control."
Hermione hardly believes Ginny's cool reassurance, but she is too weak to argue and they DisApparate to the grounds of the Manor.
Theo falls to his knees in the gravel, but Ginny refuses to stop.
"He needs more help than me," Hermione grumbles.
"Luna's a big girl. She will handle him."
The pair hasn't joined them by the time they make it to the porch and they enter the foyer alone. To the left, Pansy and Blaise chat in rushed whispers until their attention is drawn to Ginny and Hermione. They then race over to help settle Hermione on the sofa. As her head hits the stiff pillow, she looks up at Blaise.
"In the yard," she manages between gasps. "Help him. Help Theo."
She falls into a never-ending tunnel of darkness and her subsequent dreams are filled with snarls and distant howling. No one hears her pleas, no one answers her screams. She's driven mad by the endless weeping, the infinite whispers of her name repeated throughout abstract darkness.
When will she wake up?
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LUST | dramione
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