School started up again way too fast, Madeline didn't really want to go back, but of course, she had to, besides she'd be seeing Regulus, Alyssa, and Camilla every day so it wasn't all that bad going back, plus she had quidditch to look forward to.
The first night back Dumbledore announced some unsettling news. Kids, fellow students, friends, children, started to go 'missing' over the break. Most being muggle-borns, and some half-bloods who were unprotected and out alone. He made it known that no one was to go out beyond the lake and never near the forest. Not like a lot of kids did anyways. The head boys and girls and the prefects were to do rounds every hour making sure no one was out, and they were to take the first years straight to the common rooms after dinner. Quidditch practice would be monitored by a single professor. Curfew was pushed back to 9. And Hogsmeade was canceled for the rest of the year. Dumbledore also assured everyone that Hogwarts was the safest place to be for the students but that these precautions were necessary and they helped keep the parents at ease.
Madeline hadn't known anyone personally that was taken, she looked across the table at Alyssa and Camilla with a hint of worry washing over her face, worried that one of them could've or still could be taken.
"Don't look at us like that. We're safe here, you don't have to stress worrying about us, or yourself, no one is gonna be snathed inside this castle." Alyssa said with a smile.
"That's what you say now," Madeline said looking between the two girls.
"And it'll stay that way. We're safe here, M." Camilla told her.
~
Madeline rounded up the first years with Kaden outside of the Dining hall, they began to walk together with the kids behind them, after a few turns they decided to have one in the back and one in the front of the group, Maeve, the first year Madeline sorta took under her wing, wondered her way up to the front of the group.
"Hi, M." She smiled up at her.
"Oh hi, little M." Madeline smiled back down at her. "How was your break?"
"It was good, dad was busy so my brother and I spent most of my break together."
"Oh that's a bummer, work is always pulling grown-ups away."
"Yeah but it's for good reasons." She said looking upfront.
"How are you doing with all this news? Does it scare you at all?" She asked, assuming that an 11-year-old would be freaked out.
"Nope. Not really. My family's pure-blood. And we aren't 'blood traitors' so I've got nothing to worry about." She shrugged her shoulders.
Madeline looked down at the girl, "Yeah but I mean, doesn't it worry you at least a little bit?"
"Not really, no."
"Well," Madeline laughed slightly. "You're braver than I am."
~
After bringing the kids back, Kaden and Madeline walked to the head boys and girls corner of the castle while chatting the whole way.
"And tell me, Kaden, what are your thoughts on this situation?"
"What situation?" He joked.
"Oh don't play dumb with me." She laughed and hit his arm.
"You wound me, Madeline Potter," He grabbed his arm. Before laughing. "Well to be honest it's a bit terrifying, I'm a muggle-born myself. So I have a lot to worry about."
"You'll be okay." She looked up at him. "I promise."
He let out a small chuckle. "My hero." He smiled as he drifted towards the left to his door. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Kaden." She went into her own room. There was a piece of parchment on the floor a few feet from the door. She bent down and picked it up and walked to sit on her bed before reading it.
Astronomy tower, as soon as you read this :)
- yours truly, R.A.B.
She laughed as she set the note on her nightstand, she's kept every letter he ever wrote, no matter how short, just like that one. She slipped on her black hoodie before walking there.
~
She got to the top of the stairs and saw him leaning against the railings. He must have heard her walk up because he turned around to face her with a soft smile right before she could surprise him with a hug from the back.
"Rude" she laughed.
"What? How am I rude?" He faked a hurt expression?
"I was trying to sneak up on you." She looked up at him.
"I knew you were coming and you gotta be quieter if you want to sneak up on someone." He laughed as he cupped her face and leaned down to kiss her forehead. She grabbed his wrist gently and smiled at the small yet cute action.
"You know we shouldn't be up here," she said taking his hands off of the sides of her face.
"Since when do we follow those rules? Besides, we're head boy and girl now"
"I know that it's just with what's happening now and the new rules, it's not safe."
"M, Darling, sweets, beautiful amazing love of my life, you're gonna be okay, you have nothing to worry about, you'll be safe." He said softly and kept hold of her hands.
She pulled his hands behind her back to wrap herself into a hug which he gladly let happen, he held her tight and rested his head on top of hers which was buried into his chest. "I love you," she said quietly. "I love you" He responded.
"Why'd you call me up here?" She moved her head back to look up at him.
"Cause I wanted to see my favorite girl." He pressed his lips together.
"You could've seen me in my room, or your room."
"I know I wanted a new scenery, well an old one, we always come up here."
"Not so much in the winter, I mean I'm not complaining at all" she laughed softly. "Just curious. Is there something you wanted to talk about? I'm sensing that's why we're up here?" She laughed a little again.
"I just wanna talk, noting specific." He unwrapped his arms from around her waist and leaned against the railing.
"We can talk then." She smiled and leaned facing the other way against the rails.
"So, you're scared?"
She looked over at him. "Well- yeah. It's dumb, I know and you guys are all reassuring me that nothing will happen while we're here at school but I thought that about my own home. Yet they attacked us there. I still get nightmares everyone once in a while about it except we weren't so lucky. So yeah. I won't lie I'm quite scared. And I know I shouldn't be. And I'm 17 years old and a head girl and I should be the brave one but I'm not- at least I don't have to worry about you being taken from me..."
He turned around so he was facing the same way as her, he reached over and held her hand closest to him and looked down at her with a soft smile. "I know you get nightmares, my room is right next to yours, good thing too because I'm always there to run in and comfort you, and no you don't have to worry about me," he chuckled softly. "You never have to worry about me, M. Or yourself. As I said, you'll be safe." He looked down at his fiddling fingers.
"I know you always run into my room like it's the end of the world and five seconds later you're cuddling and reading me to sleep. I love it" She smiled and nudged his arm. "And I know you say that now and I really do wish I could believe you but-"
He turned to face her and grabbed her shoulders to also turn her to face him. Before talking, he cupped her face and pulled her into a passionate kiss like the world was going to end any second, not sure if he would have the chance to kiss her ever again after this. "You know I love you more than anything, and that I would do absolutely anything to keep you safe right?" He asked with his hands still cupping her face.
"Y-yeah I know and I love you more than anything and I would do the same. No matter what." She placed her hands around his wrist gently and looked up to meet his eyes that she loved to get lost in.
"Exactly. No matter what. Which is why-" he swallowed and pressed his lips together and looked away for a moment. He then took a deep breath, "which is why I have to do this-"
She furrowed her eyebrows trying to understand what he was getting at, what he was about to do. "Regulus, wh- what are you doing." She asked in a quiet tone.
"Look I thought about my options. I talked about my options and this is the only way, Madeline... it's the only way." He dropped his hands from her face.
"What is?" She let go of his wrist. "What's this 'way'?"
"I- he said he'd kill you-"
"The dark lord? Said he'd kill me? Why?"
"Because you know too much and he says your a distraction to me and I can't do what he wants me to if you're around to distract me..."
She started to back away unintentionally. She looked down at the ground in front of him thinking for a moment before slowly turning her gaze back up to his face.
A/N well talk about a cliffhanger, I just got stuck and so instead of making you guys wait longer I'm giving you this and we will see what it is he's doing next chapter ;) sorry for the super long wait!