Grey Eyes (A Harry Potter Fanfiction)

41. By Your Side

"Portus!"

Immediately, the book glows a brilliant blue in my hands and I feel a jerk behind my navel. My surroundings turn into a blur as I soar through the Portkey stream away from the Scottish Highlands and towards the Malfoy Manor.

Mere seconds later, I hear Sirius' voice through the whirlwind of settings and sound. "Come a little closer, cousin dearest... and I'll show you just how threatening I can be."

"This is the last straw, you traitorous scum!" Bellatrix's voice shrieks. "Step aside, Lucius! CRUCI—"

Before she can even finish her curse, I feel myself hurled out of the Portkey stream and – thankfully? – straight into Bellatrix's body at the speed of a cyclone. We're thrown to the ground in a tangle of limbs and the Cruciatus Curse is flung into the ceiling, spraying a cloud of dust from the impact.

Coughing, I shove myself away from her and scramble to my feet. I point my wand at Lucius and Bellatrix before either of them can react and shout, "Expelliarmus!"

The force of the spell throws them back and their wands fly into the air and out of their reach.

"Cecilia!" I hear Sirius' gasp out from behind me, coughing in the dust. "What the hell are you doing here, you idiot?!"

I quickly turn to Sirius and point my wand at his binds. "Diffindo! Helping you, you bigger idiot!" I hiss at him as I rip the severed black ropes off of him.

"That's my job!" he retorts as I toss his wand to him. "You're supposed to be back at Hogwarts, safe and not about to bloody die with me! We only need one person making stupid sacrifices out of the two of us!"

"There's a difference between trying to be a hero out of panic and knowingly leaving you here when I know exactly where you are!" I counter angrily. "Don't tell me you're not the least bit glad I'm actually here saving your arse!"

Sirius makes a face. "Alright, fine, I'm glad you're here," he admits, the corner of his lip tilting upwards. "But all jokes aside..." He shakes the tension out of his arms and raises his wand to point at Bellatrix as I do the same for Lucius. "A bit out of the frying pan and into the fire, 'innit?"

Unfortunately, the two Dark wizards had used the short amount of time I took to help Sirius to grab their wands, both of which hadn't rolled nearly far enough away as I intended with my Disarming Spell.

Lucius straightens up, his wand pointed right back at me.

"Cecilia Vance," he drawls, a sneer forming on his face. "I have to admit, you look better now than with your face in the dirt. Missed me already?"

"You wish, Lucius," I spit back.

"How did they get in here?" Bellatrix demands, her eyes not leaving the tip of Sirius' wand. "Lucius, you third-rate, did you tell the entire world where you took Sirius Black?"

Lucius scowls. "I am no such fool," he answers scathingly. "I didn't give any indication of where we were going. Vance had no way of communicating with Black!"

"Then explain how she is standing in your basement, cretin!"

"You two are like an old married couple! SHUT UP," I bellow, finally getting tired of their quarreling.

Both Lucius and Bellatrix glare murderously at me and Sirius lets out a snort of laughter.

"It doesn't matter how or why or when I got here," I continue hastily. "The point is now I'm here, it's two-on-two. You no longer have the advantage."