Casualty of Love: Turning Tables

You Have A Dungeon?

After much debate, it was decided that I would spend my Christmas break at my parent's house. Nobody wanted me to--besides my parents. All of the Death Eaters thought it might be too dangerous for me to stay there--that I might run away during the night or that my parents would help me escape. The only thing that appeased them was my grandfather volunteering to keep a special eye on me. I had no idea what that meant and I honestly didn't want to find out. So, the entire Christmas break, I felt as if someone was spying on me. As if I was being watched at all times.

I lay on my bed, watching clouds of dust dance in the sun that was filtering through my windows and envisioning my hands wrapping around Voldemort's throat when Draco came into my room. "Knock much?" I said, snapping out of my reverie.

"Sorry." He sat down on the edge of my bed with his hands in his lap.

"What's wrong?"

He turned to me. His gray eyes had a watery film over them. "Nothing, really. I mean, besides everything." I gave him a 'seriously?' look. "You know what I mean! They've just brought a prisoner into my house! Apparently they're keeping them in the dungeon."

I gasped. "You have a dungeon? And did you see who it was?"

He shook his head and swallowed loudly. "No, I didn't get a good look."

"I am so glad that I didn't have to stay over there... You know that I wouldn't be able to keep my mouth shut!"

"Oh, do I. You'd get yourself killed... Actually, they'd probably throw you in the dungeon too--you know, since you're carrying a couple of trainee Death Eaters and all."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. Right," I said shortly, just in case I was being listened to...or watched. 

"So...how are you feeling?"

"Actually, I'm exhausted. I think I need a nap..."

Draco yawned. "I think I could use one too. It's been a long year," he said with a laugh.

"You're telling me," I said, lying back down on my bed while Draco joined me, wrapping his arm around my waist.

Within a few minutes I was asleep.

I dreamed of a place I'd never seen before. I was entrapped in a room made of concrete walls with no ceiling. I tried to get out. I screamed and screamed but no one would come. Then, over the top of the walls, waves of water flooded over the top and I was gasping for air. Gasping and gasping...

"Allie." I couldn't tell how long it had been. Minutes? Hours? Someone was shaking my shoulders.

I opened my eyes groggily. It was Draco. His eyes were wide. "What?" My voice was filled with rasp, sounding like sandpaper rubbing together. He pointed at the sheets underneath me.

"Oh my God," I cried, my hand going directly to my mouth in horror. The sheets were soaked with blood. I knew what this meant. I might not know much about pregnancy, but I could put two and two together.

"Go get someone," I managed to get out right before Ben burst through the door. So he had been watching me...

The wideness of his eyes matched Draco's. "This is not good," he said, shaking his head. "That baby was keeping you around!"

Suddenly, I broke out in a cold sweat. Nausea overwhelmed me and the room started to spin. I could feel my chest rising and falling quicker than normal but I couldn't feel the breath reaching my lungs. I dug my fingers into my chest, breathing more rapidly. No air. I wasn't getting any air.

"She's hyperventilating!" I heard someone say. I couldn't tell who anymore. My vision was blurring and the walls were closing in. The ceiling seemed to disappear. Where's the ceiling? Where's the flood? Why aren't I drowning?

I woke up in my bedroom. The sun was no longer filtering through my windows. There were candles lit around me, giving off an ominous glow. My throat felt raw and every breath felt like work, but at least I was getting air. 

I reached up to place my hand on my chest and it stung. Running my fingers over the wounds, I realized that I had done that to myself. I scratched myself till blood had surfaced. I sat up slowly, trying not to upset my stomach once more, and felt underneath me. My sheets were clean.

Maybe the whole thing had been a dream. My hands reflexively went to my stomach. It was still as swollen as ever. As if in response, I felt a slight quiver sound deep within my abdomen. My eyes stung as I realized that was the first movement I had felt.

Where is Draco? I wondered. Maybe he hadn't even showed up in the first place. I put my heads in my hands so I could go over the insanely vivid dream I had had when my door opened, revealing Draco behind it. "She's awake," he yelled over his shoulder before coming to sit on the bed with me.

"What happened? How long have I been out?" I asked, still crossing my fingers for the dream explanation, though it was becoming more and more unlikely when Ben, my parents, Draco's mom, and a man I'd never seen before flooded through my door.

"It's been a few hours..."

"Were you aware that you were carrying twins?" the man asked. I guess the cat was out of the bag.

I looked at Draco and then directly at the man. "Yes," I said with no qualms about fessing up.

"That was very irresponsible of you two to keep such a thing a secret," Narcissa scolded. "Something much worse could have happened."

"What exactly happened?" I asked. I could feel my mother's hand rub my shoulder lightly.

"You were experiencing a subchorionic hemorrhage," the man said, who I now knew was a doctor.

"Are the babies alright?" I asked, gripping my stomach once more.

"Your babies are fine but I would advise you to stay in bed for the rest of your Christmas holiday."

"Thank you so much Doctor. We were all so worried," Narcissa said, walking the doctor out of my bedroom. My parents each kissed me on my forehead and told me I needed to sleep before walking out as well.

Draco took one of my hands in both of his. "You scared the shit out of me. You should have seen it. You looked like a fish out of water. You were breathing but...you were acting like you couldn't."

The memory flooded through my brain. "I guess I had a panic attack or something. I couldn't breath, Draco. And I scratched my chest till I made marks." I shook my head. "How much more could happen to us this year?"

"I wouldn't say that just yet." He laughed. "You really need some sleep. I can stay with you if you want," he offered.

"I definitely want," I said, and he laid down next to me, just as he did before this nightmare started.