Come Back to Me (Don't Save Me Book 3)

Chapter 4: Men in Masks

"Crouch! Are you out of your mind?!" Arthur hissed.

"We've found her at the scene of the crime!"

"Y/n is Harry's godmother! Her best friends were killed by You-Know-Who! Why on earth would she summon the Dark Mark!?" Arthur said, trying to reason with Barty.

"Perhaps she was working for him all along!" Barty retorted. "Perhaps she was in on it with Sirius Black when the Potters were killed!"

"You bastard," I hissed, my voice dangerously low as I tried to keep my composure.

"Let her go!" Harry called, still trying to get to me.

"I suggest you don't interfere, boy, or you'll be next!" the man behind me said, holding my arm as the enchanted cuffs bound my arms behind my back, preventing me from using any magic.

"Harry, it's okay. It'll be okay. Arthur, you need to get them out of here! Whoever really conjured that could still be lurking somewhere. Take them back to the Portkey. Severus will be on the other side, waiting for you. Tell him I love him and to not do anything stupid. Go find Dumbledore. He'll know what to do!"

"There's no way we are letting this happen!" Arthur said, stepping close to me before he was stopped by Barty holding a wand to his throat.

"Back off, Weasley!"

"Crouch! We've worked together for years! I've known Y/n for longer than that! She wouldn't do this! You can't just arrest her when there's no proof! You and I both know that is illegal!" he hissed, stepping closer to Crouch. "How would the public feel if they learned you were arresting someone without any proof and before questioning the other witnesses. Did you even ask them if they saw anything? No! You simply accused them and then accused Y/n! I suggest you let her go before I take this matter to the Daily Prophet. I suspect that wouldn't bode well for your reelection campaign and I'm certain Cornelius Fudge wouldn't appreciate this either."

Barty looked down before turning to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Did you see who cast it?"

"I-I didn't see his face, but there was a man... o-over there," Harry said, pointing to an empty clearing between some tents.

"All of you! This way!" Barty called. "Let the girl go," he said before running toward the clearing. The cuffs released my wrists and I pulled them in front of me, rubbing the place they had dug into my skin. Arthur quickly moved toward me, grabbing my hands, looking at the marks the cuffs had left.

"Merlin's beard, they always tighten those damn things so much," he said angrily. "Are you alright, Y/n?"

"I'm fine, Arthur. Thank you for that. I'd be on my way to Azkaban right now if it weren't for you."

"Over my dead body," he replied, pulling me into a hug. When we separated, Harry escaped Hermione's hold and ran over to me.

"Aunt Y/n!" he called, crashing into me, wrapping his arms around me. "A-are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Harry... I promise," I assured him, kissing his forehead.

We made our way to the Portkey, leaving behind the burnt campsite and the Dark Mark that somehow left a burning feeling in my chest that I couldn't explain.

***

The earth swirled beneath us before we let go of the Portkey. Severus was standing in the woods near the kids when we gracefully landed. He ran toward me, pulling me into his arms.

"Oh, thank Merlin. Y/n I was so worried. Are you alright?" He carefully searched my eyes before his eyes settled on my wrists. "What the hell happened?" he asked, taking my wrists in his hands, looking them over.

"I was arrested. The Dark Mark was cast in the sky and they accused me of doing it. Thanks to Arthur they let me go."

Severus looked up at Arthur, his eyes softening. "Thank you," he said before quickly turning back to me. He lifted my hands to his lips, pressing kisses over the bruises.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you, my love," he whispered, pressing his lips to my forehead.

"It's fine, Sev. I'm sort of used to it. The Ministry is constantly accusing me. It was the same when they thought I was working with Sirius. I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't have to be used to it, my love."

I gave him a small smile, wrapping my arms around his waist, allowing myself to feel safe in his arms as my adrenaline began wearing off. I felt tears slipping down my cheeks as I realized I could have ended up in Azkaban tonight, simply because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. They would have arrested me without any proof simply because I was there. What would happen when they learned who I was related to? What would happen when they actually had a reason to suspect me? A reason to hate me?