Inside My Mind (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter LXXIV

Hogwarts, Unplottable Location, Scotland, Great Britain

Sunday the 17th of February 1997

8:20 AM

"Did you see the Daily Prophet?"

Christine Jackson looked away from the pale and worried forms of Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, and Draco Malfoy. The others sitting with them looked worried but not quite as much as them. Luna was the only relaxed one of the group. Daphne Greengrass was reading the Daily Prophet aloud to them and they were all listening intently. Christine glanced, worriedly at Gideon one more time before she took the Daily Prophet from Michael Brown.

"No. What'd it say?" Ginny asked.

"There was a Death Eater attack in Liverpool yesterday. Voldemort was there, burning down the whole town. And Bella was there too. She dueled with him and then stopped. She talked to him about something and then he just walked away and disappeared," Michael summarized. Gideon looked up sharply and his eyes widened.

"She talked to Voldemort again?"

"Again?" Ginny asked, surprised. Christine was just as surprised. Gideon nodded.

"He was there at the cemetery earlier yesterday. He had her under a thrall and he was trying to kidnap her. I broke the thrall by calling her name and then he left. She started screaming at me. She cursed me and damned me. She was angry for some reas—"

He cut off as the young woman he had been talking about came through the door. Her curly hair fell around her and Christine frowned. She was dressed differently than how she had been before. She wasn't dressed in tight leather pants or blood stained boots. She wore form fitting trousers, tucked into dark normal boots and a button down white shirt. She wore her robe and tie and she looked rather morose. She walked, slowly and Gideon reached for her as she passed.

"Bella—"

"Gideon we need to talk."

Her voice was monotone and Gideon flinched at the words. Christine winced. She knew what those words meant. Everyone knew what those words meant. Gideon nodded, slowly and he stood. Her siblings reached out to her and she gave Hermione a tight hug. She gave Malfoy and Zabini equally tight hugs and she allowed a small smile. She waved at her friends before turning back to Gideon.

She walked with him out of the room and just down the hall and into a deserted corridor. She looked at him and Gideon flinched at the intense stare. She gave a rueful smile and she crossed her arms.

"I think we should take a break."

Gideon looked at her in complete shock and he winced again. He ran a hand through his thick curly hair and he looked at her as if he'd never seen her before. She was looking away from him.

"You mean…you want…to break up?" Gideon asked, slowly. Bella blinked at him and she sighed.

"No…just…take a break. I have a lot to do. I promised the Order that…that I'd kill or at least help kill Voldemort. But, I don't want to and I don't think I can. I'm sorry but you're a distraction…" Bella said, softly. She didn't sound sorry at all. To Gideon, she only sounded incredibly tired. She sounded like she didn't want to be there. He looked at her sadly and she looked away. She sighed and buried her face in her hands.