I SPY || 𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪

Chapter 37. Half-Blood Prince

Lucius took Astrid's hand, and upon standing he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her he lifted her up into the air as he kissed her deeply.

            "You've made me quite the happy man," He breathed against her lips as he set her down gently. She kissed sweetly, and then smirked against his lips.

            "My dad's going to kill me," She whispered against him. He smirked back, capturing her lips again. A crack of thunder and flash of lightening caught his attention, the storm had well untruly brewed above them now.

            "I wish I could stay, but I have to go dearest," he whispered, his voice cracked as he spoke, how cruel could fate be, deciding that they could only share these fleeting moments together. He glanced up to the Astronomy tower and gulped, she followed his gaze curiously. The baby monitor at her hip began to sound now, Everly's whimpering indicated she had just awoken, and was threatening to cry out for her.

            "Seems I must go too,"

            "Go straight to her," Lucius told her firmly. "And don't leave your chambers... Hogwarts is not safe tonight."

            "What's happening?" Astrid asked, her brows furrowed.

            "Just do as I say...please," He pleaded as he stole one last rough kiss from her. "Stay safe." He whispered against her lips.

And then the two parted ways. Lucius headed for the Astronomy tower, whilst Astrid made her way quickly back to her chambers. Not noticing how silent the baby monitor had become.

            As she climbed the endless stairs up to the second highest tower she winds picked up, howling through the brickwork. No wonder Everly had awoken, the storm was atrocious up here, she thought to herself as she came to her door. Astrid froze suddenly, finding her door to be not only unlocked, but open, swung ajar. She tried her best to remain level headed, presuming it to be the strong winds, but she knew wind could not open an enchanted lock.

She pulled her new-new wand out of her pocket and entered her chambers cautiously. She felt a fool jumping through the door, her wand arm extended, to find she was pointing it at nobody. With a sigh she relaxed and approached the crib, ready to soothe her waiting daughter.

When she found the crib empty it was as if someone had stabbed her in the heart. Dropping to her knees she held one hand to her exploding chest, the other to her mouth as she cried out. When she gained some resemblance of strength, she pushed herself up off the floor and called out for her daughter.

"Everly?" She stuttered, looking around her quarters. "Everly?! My baby!" She screamed now, spinning around in a circle, the infant was not in sight. She swallowed hard, slapping her hand to her forehead she thought for a second, where could she be? Where should she search first? Who should she alert?

Astrid decided to run after the only other person in the castle she trusted with her daughter's life: Lucius.

Like a whip she was out the door, running down the stairs so fast there was a high possibility she could stumble and fall, but she didn't care, she ran as fast as her feet would carry her to the astronomy tower.

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At the astronomy tower an equally tense scenario... Draco Malfoy held Albus Dumbledore at the tip of his wand, threatening to end him permanently. Harry watched silently from below the floor, he had promised Dumbledore to remain silent and hidden no matter what, a promise he found incredibly hard to keep as he watched the younger Malfoy threaten the headmaster. 

"Draco... you are no assassin," Dumbledore told the boy calmly.

"How do you know what I am?" Draco whined, "I've done things that would shock you!"