Noyade | Rabastan Lestrange [2] ✔︎

61 | KEEP FIGHTING

If Phoenix had anticipated how badly the fight at the tube station would actually turn out she would most likely not have agreed to be part of the plan of either side.

It was cold down in the tunnels and the trains passing through adjoined ones kind of sounded as if a prisoner was rattling their chains. Both made shivers run Phoenix' spine as she waited for the members of the Order to arrive. She was playing with the ring on her finger which helped her calm down. It almost felt as if it brought Rabastan close enough to place an arm around her shoulder and whisper all the right things into her ear to make her relax. But in fact, he was standing far enough away that she could barely make out his silhouette in the darkness.

How was she supposed to know who to conceal and who not to conceal in this darkness?

She found no other way than to close her eyes and reach out for her power, letting it flow out into the tunnels, hoping she would be able to feel if anyone was approaching. And when she actually did, she almost pulled her spell back. She could feel the aura of power radiating from him, as the Dark Lord himself neared them and didn't even bother to hide in the shadows as he knew that Phoenix would cloak him along with the other Death Eaters.

Only she wasn't planning to.

Phoenix bit her lip, trying to concentrate. So, she was able to identify people by their auras without seeing them, but having the Dark Lord at the scene of the ambush made her feel uneasy. What if he found out what she was trying to do and executed her despite her worth in the ongoing war?

It took a lot of willpower to do as she had told Dumbledore in her letter and cloak the members of the orders despite her fear of the consequences. But when she heard a scream as the first spell hit a Death Eater she opened her eyes and realised with relief that her illusion was more perfect than ever before. Where the spells were coming from there was nothing but the walls of the tunnel and station to be seen and even as somebody yelled "Lumos Maxima" there were no members of the Order to be seen.

Then all hell broke loose. More and more members poured into the abandoned tube station and with every single one of them, it seemed to take up more of Phoenix' strength. The station was illuminated by spells and Phoenix was flooded with relief once more as she felt Dumbledore's presence.

If there was one person able to keep Lord Voldemort in check, it was definitely the headmaster of Hogwarts.

The only problem with the plan she had figured out with Dumbledore was that her friends and family were fighting against it. Apparently her illusion could only take so many spells before it had to be renewed, making her weaker and weaker and both sides pretty much equal at times. Despite her hands shaking from the amount of strength the illusions required, Phoenix built them up again and again. At one point she even started to make members of the Order look like Death Eaters, however, she dropped that as soon as she realised that it was hard for their own to keep track of whom they had to arrest and whom they didn't.

As she made Sirius become one with the wall behind him, she suddenly felt a stabbing pain in her stomach. She hissed and lifted up the hem of her shirt. The cut she had once received when healing Rabastan was burning red although it had healed perfectly after Madam Pomfrey had treated it. Despite the pain, she gritted her teeth and threw her hands forward making a wave of air push three Death Eaters backwards who were about to cast spells in Dawn's direction. Despite what she has done, Lexa can't lose her mother.

Reaching deep inside her she conjured up a train rushing through the station with an ear-piercing sound. It made both sides stare in astonishment and Phoenix felt triumph as she watched another Death Eater being captured but then her view seemed to go black for a second and she felt the strength leave her body all of a sudden. No.

Out of instinct, her eyes met Rabastan's. She had promised him.

Rabastan was closest to her when she fell and the illusions disappeared. She heard him scream her name and saw spells being fired from the corner of her eyes and then he was there. His features appeared in her line of vision and suddenly all the pain was gone. Her body felt light like it was hovering a few inches above the ground.

"You promised," Rabastan said, his eyes widened in fear. "You promised you'd stop."

He softly placed her head in his lap and brushed her cheeks with his hand. Rabastan Lestrange wasn't stupid. Just like her, he knew all too well that she had taken it too far. But she wasn't stupid either. She knew how he tried to share his energy with her through his touch but she mustered up all her energy to shake her head.

"You have to let me go."

Immediately he was the one to shake his head, his lips pressed into a thin line. "No." Tears brimmed in his eyes. "No, you can't ask me to do this."

"There is no going back now," she choked out, coughing up blood.

The spell had started to eat away on her. Despite her protests, he tried to let his energy float into her body but there was something he had never experienced before. A wall. His energy bounced back without an effect. He stared at her in shock.

She was right.

"No, no, there must be a way." Frantically Rabastan turned his head for any way to find help. The abandoned Tube station was being lit up by different spells, shouts and screams but nobody was paying them any attention. Not even Phoenix' brother, Sirius, who was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange not too far away from them.

Fear gripped Rabastan's heart, closing his fist around it. The tears started to fall as he tried again. But the wall shielding her from his energy just wouldn't budge. What good were those stupid powers if they wouldn't let him save the one he loved the most?

"You just have to hold on. I'll get you a healer. You'll be fixed up in no time," Rabastan persisted but even he had to admit that the shade of Phoenix pale face was alarming.

She would never make it.

And then he saw it. Her bare arms were covered in blood as well as her stomach. His eyes widened as he looked at her. Those were the wounds she had received from healing him. Without a second thought, he stripped his cloak off and bound each of her arms, but Phoenix grabbed his hand.

Her voice was barely audible when she said, "I want to see the stars one last time."

Her hand moved ever so slightly and when he looked up he saw the ceiling covered in tiny, bright stars. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He wanted to yell at her to stop, that it would only make her weaker but as he looked at her face he couldn't bring himself to do it. There was a soft smile playing around her lips. She looked peaceful and if there was one thing in life he wanted for her, it was to be happy.

"I want you to keep fighting, no matter what. I'll always be up there, watching over you and fighting by your side. You're my hero," Phoenix choked out, tears rolling down her own cheeks.

Rabastan softly caressed her hair, ignoring the pool of blood around her body. With a sob, he recited the one line she had once told him when he had been talking about heroes. "I'd rather not be. Name one hero who was happy."

He waited for her to answer but when she didn't open her eyes again, he looked up at the ceiling. The stars were gone and there was nothing left of the beauty there had been only a few seconds ago.

Sobs racked his body as he bent over hers, pulling her close to his chest. 

"May we meet again."