Astray

Chapter 15

"Je t'aime, je t'aime toujour
I am forever yours

Sweet dreams, sweet dreams mon cher
You're always in my prayer

Softly, sweetly
Wrapped up in heaven's arms
Sailing, soaring over the moon
Gathering star dust

Be still, be safe, be sure
Je t'aime, je t'aime toujour..." a beautiful captivating voice sang from the darkness. Coralie wandered deeper into the darkness, following the hypnotic melody until she could faintly see the outline of a hallway.

She continued making her way down the hallway, everything got easier to see the farther down the long dimly lit corridor. As she neared the end she noticed the open door at the end of the narrow hall, and as she listened she realized that the beautiful voice was coming from there.

She walked in to find a beautiful woman sitting in a rocking chair in the far right corner of the room. The woman had long white hair that shielded her face from view as she gazed at her child.

Coralie took a look around the room, it seemed to be a nursery. Next to the mahogany chair the woman was sitting on was a matching crib and on the wall besides the crib was a wardrobe full of small clothes. The walls of the room were painted a deep purple, the color of royalty, and the crib had matching pillows and blankets of the same color.

Putting her attention back on the singing woman she noticed she was rocking a small bundle in her arms that Coralie soon realized was a baby.

"I will always love you, my little rose," the woman tearfully kissed her daughter's forehead and laid her in her crib. Just then there was a loud bang and the door flew from it hinges. The woman stood defensively in front of her daughter's crib and pointed her wand towards the door way.

"This can be done easily and no harm will come to you or your child if you just listen to me," a tall handsome man stood in the doorway. He was about as tall as the door frame with a gaunt but handsome face, sunken in strikingly familiar blue eyes, and thin button nose, along with messily strewn black curls on his head that looked to have been tamed at one point but was messed up and he couldn't be bother to fix them.

"My child? Last time I checked she was yours as well, I can't believe I ever loved you," she glared nastily at the man she once loved, at what he turned into.

"Come on, ******, you know deep down somewhere you still love me. As do I for you," the man took a step forward and smirked down at the woman's petite frame. The woman, though fear swam in her eyes, stood her ground and glared into his crazed eyes.

"You can't feel love, ***," she spitefully spit a him and ripped his arm away from cupping her cheek like it had been moments earlier.

"I don't answer to that name!" He snarled as he ripped his hand away from her weak grip and a satisfying "smack" rang out as it came in contact with the cheek he was just holding so fondly.

"Please, just leave me and my family alone. I'm begging you, please," she fell to the floor sobbing from the impact of his hand against her face.

"I need an heir, so I'm just coming to take what's rightfully mine," He cruelly smirked as he walked toward the crib in front of him.

"No! Please, not my baby!" She wailed and latched onto his leg but he could still move forward with ease as she was so small that she provided little to no restraint.

"Come to your father, Coralie," his cruel smile grew as he scooped up the wailing baby  and apparated away, leaving the woman to lay on the floor sobbing and crying.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Coralie screamed as she woke from her dream with a start. This was nothing new she had that dream frequently and every time she would be startled awake by her own scream.

"What's wrong!?" Within seconds the lights were flipped on and the boys were by her side.

"Coralie!" She could hear her name being called but she couldn't tell by who as she was too busy trying to regain her breath. Her tears were continuing to flow quickly down her face. Even though the lights were on her vision was fading in and out of focus, as well as her hearing.

"Professor!" The next thing she knew she was in someone's arms as they carried her down the hall. She had finally remembered how to breathe but continued to sob into whoever was carrying her's shirt as she clung to it and buried her face in it.

"Goodness Mr. Black, what happened?" She could hear Minnie's concerned voice and realized that it was Sirius that had carried her to the professor's office.

"I- I don't know, she just woke us all up with a scream and she couldn't breathe and- and she won't stop crying and nobody knows what to do s- so I came to you," she could hear Sirius' panicking voice now that her sobs turned silent as she continued crying into his chest.

"Of corse, follow me," she heard the clicking of heels on the floor and could feel that Sirius was following them. She then realized just how exhausted she felt from all her crying and her red swollen eyes shut as she quietly slept on his shoulder.

"Miss Dumbledore, wake up dear. Poor girl, she's burning up," Coralie felt a cool hand touch her forehead as she began to stir from her sleep. Her eyes adjusted to the bright light and sanitary smell of the Hospital wing.

"How are you feeling dear? Poppy gave you a calming agent so you would stay calm enough to tell us what happened," she noticed Albus and Minnie standing over her and Sirius sitting beside her bed.

"I- what?" She was confused before all of the memories of a few hours prior hit her.

"Mr. Black here says that you woke him and the rest of your roommates with a scream in the middle of the night," Albus explained the information the he was given by the young Gryffindor.

"Yeah, Cora, you really had us all worried!" Sirius butted in looking relieved to see his friend awake.

"I had the dream again..."