The Simple House of Duffrey

(55) The Never-ending Flame

Cold and wet, we were standing there when the Castle seemed to shake violently, as if it's foundation had shifted. Stephen, still weak at the knees, pushed me towards the exit. We got out just in time for the hallway to collapse in. Water trickled down now as the stones settled into place blocking the lake from pushing in. No one it seemed would be taking that stone back out now. Whatever curse magic had affected Stephen hadn't completely worn off. He was clinging to me for dear life.

I could tell from his apologies what exactly the voice in his head had been saying. "I could never...not hurt you...never that" he mumbled, to which I very quickly understood. It hadn't been saying to destroy the stone, but to destroy me. If I was unable to control my body, then perhaps so was he. Was he holding himself down to keep from hurting me? What was this bracelet all of a sudden? In the dim light, I could see a design on it. Yet, before I could make it out, a popping noise appeared next to us.

"Masters!" said Agarth, running straight for us. Baravis had a shocked face, he must have known something was wrong but been reluctant to interfere. He now had a very solemn look however, wracked with guilt and shame. There were footsteps coming too and wand light facing toward us. Likely a group of teachers coming to investigate the falling stones.

"Move us now, anywhere!" I yelled, as the voices angrily came towards us. Just before Baravis snapped his fingers my eyes caught the look of none other than Headmaster Dippet. I could only hope we wouldn't be expelled, or that his slippers would slide on the now wet floor.

When I opened my eyes, we were in the forbidden forest. Agarth was still crying a little and Baravis was rapidly assessing Stephen for injuries. He fumbled in Stephen's cloak and pulled out a yellow vial with almost a golden color to it... probably a cheering potion to help counteract the Slytherin curse. The moonlight was pretty, even if I was covered in slime. In fact, I'd say we were far enough from the castle to almost be near the shrieking shack, at the edge of Hogsmeade.

"Anna?" Stephen said, after taking some long breathes. Baravis walked Agarth out behind another tree to give us space, though I could still hear him panicking and sniveling. "...do you still think that we are together because of fate?"

It was a strange question, but this was a strange night. I made to sit down on the ground next to him, but something stopped me. The gleam under my sleeve, that's right the bracelet, in the moonlight I could have a better look at it.

"Don't!" Stephen said, as I started to pull back my sleeve. Instead he pulled off the bracelet again and wiped it on the clean part of his robes. Wait this position!? It was just like all those romance novels my mother would read... my heart began to pound louder than Agarth's cries in the distance.

"Anna Lynwen Duffrey, when I realized that there was one thing in my life I couldn't prepare for I decided to leave you behind." Stephen's eyes were very serious as he said this, and for a moment I felt a twinge of annoyance again at his running around. Still I wasn't about to stop what he needed to say, just because I was embarrassed.

"...but when I went to America I couldn't find what I was looking for. Instead something I needed had found me. This bracelet, is the same one that bound two houses together to make a world that had you in it. I am so very grateful for that world, and I want to make you a permanent part of my life. Will you accept this and accept me as your family?"

I had reached my limit and pounced on him. My face was wet with tears and we were rolling around on the forest floor like fools, but I couldn't stop kissing him. Finally, with a belly laugh falling on our backs and looking up at the sky, I felt the bracelet slip back on. We watched the stars that night holding hands on the grass out in the clearing. As I fell asleep, I thought about perhaps getting some thestrals to keep around the forest out at Duffrey Castle. In fact, I'm not quite sure I remember the walk back to the castle.