The car started up and I held onto the seat, on the verge of a panic attack. What was I going to do now? I knew I'd see Draco again at Hogwarts the second Umbridge brought it up, but I wasn't prepared to see him now.
"Put your seatbelt on, you'll go flying from the window otherwise," Draco said, and still staring at him, I watched as he pulled the seat belt over me.
"Wouldn't be the worst thing in the world," I said, my voice hoarse.
He rolled his eyes. "Trust me; throwing yourself out a window will be beautiful compared to where we're heading."
The car drove on through central London, and I began waging a war with myself. Should I tell him who I was? Or should I just lay low until I could make sure he wasn't under control by any death eater?
But could I trust him with a secret. One phrase Lacey told me throughout the years drifited to mind: two can keep a secret if one of them is dead. I couldn't tell him. I trusted him, but I didn't trust others not to pick around in his head for information.
Something clicked in my mind. Glancing at him, I saw the tightness of his jaw and fading bruises on his neck. What had happened to him?
"What—what did you mean about Hogwarts?" I asked timidly, worried that anything I said could sound like me.
"Ha," he said under his breath. He turned to face me, and I almost melted under his serious look. Any malice he might have had in his features two years ago was vanished—he looked just like the boy only I saw. "Whatever your fancy cousins told you about Hogwarts isn't true anymore. It's a nightmare."
"I heard you were a nightmare, once." I said softly.
He turned to me, the ghost of a smile on his face. "Don't tell me, you met one of the wonderful Weasley children, didn't you?" he shook his head. "There's no point in being a dickhead when the world is already crappy enough. Sometimes, circumstances and people change you."
The car trundled on through England, and I highly suspected the car had some element of magic to it—no way would a usual car be able to fly over a herd of sheep on the M6 or get through Manchester traffic in less than ten minutes.
"What's your name again, Rena?" Draco said, seeming to want to talk. Pride burned in me for him. Years ago, he would have been so cruel to a stranger in distress, and now, he was acting like a proper human being.
Shaking my head, I lied: "No, it's Lena—Lena Stark."
He nodded. "I've always liked the name Lena, for my daughter if I ever have one. Break the tradition of the constellation names."
"You could always name a kid after the dolphin constellation." I said, and he actually gave a smile to me.
"You sound just like somebody I knew...." He trailed off, lowering his head. "She would have cracked a joke like that."
Not daring to hope, I whispered, "Was she important to you?"
"She was my girlfriend once," Draco said, his voice low so the driver couldn't hear, leaning over to me. His hand brushed mine, and I felt an urge to wrap my hand around his. "And despite everything, she loved me and now—I don't even know where she is."
"If somebody really loves you they'll find their way back, no matter what the cost." I said, accidently on purpose I brushed my thumb against his wrist, just to feel his pulse, that this moment wasn't a dream or some cruel nightmare that Umbridge had made for me.
Draco pulled his hand away, straightening up. "You must love somebody a lot to think like that."
We sat in silence for the rest of the journey, and a lump in my throat formed when I saw Hogsmeade flash past us. All of the good times I'd had there.... The sneaking out with Harry and Cole.... The dates with Draco.... The forming of the D.A....It was always so full of life, and now it was as dark and desolated as the rest of the world.
"Take her up to the castle, I'll be watching." The driver said sternly. He looked back at me with a smirk. "I'm not afraid to use the killing curse if you try to run, girly."
Gulping, Draco took my arm and led me out of the car. The sky was stormy and dark, and the lump of fear grew in my throat as I noticed all the dementors surrounding the castle, lingering at the barriers for happiness to feed off.
The gates creaked open and I followed Draco through, not feeling like I was going back to my home, Hogwarts, but to Azkaban. Rooting my feet to the ground, I felt sick as I saw Snape and Cameron waiting at the doors I once entered with Alia, happy and carefree.
"Don't worry," Draco whispered. "I'm here."
Glancing at him, I noticed he wrapped a gold and red scarf around his neck. Not any scarf—my scarf. He'd taken it by accident in fourth year; but he'd kept it out of sentiment. And now, almost three years later, after hundreds of arguments, a break-up and countless deaths, he still had it.
"Draco, I see you brought Miss Stark safely to us." Snape drawled as we reached them. I resisted the urge to smack the smug look off his face.
"Of course, headmaster." Draco said, though he sounded irritated.
"Miss Stark, a pleasure to have such a delinquent with us," Cameron leered, leaning forward, licking at his lips hungrily.
Clenching my fists, I was grateful when Draco said, "Stop, Wilde. Just stop it,"
"Just because she's gingery like your old bitch," Cameron sneered. "Do I need to hit you again?"
"Cameron, go back to your classroom," Snape snapped, sounding almost angry.
Cameron glared at Snape but sloped off into the castle, and glancing at Draco, he gave me a small smile and urged me into the castle. The second I was inside the vast entrance hall, the doors locked and bolted behind me, leaving a sense of finality about me being here.
I was trapped.
"Draco, Carrow requires you to watch over detention. Go," Snape said, as Draco squirmed uncomfortably. "Go. Now."
Draco sighed and giving me a look which said 'Good luck' he disappeared up the spiral staircase. Snape turned to me. "I would sort you, but what Umbridge told me was enough to know where to place you."
"And where is that, Headmaster?" I said through gritted teeth.
"Gryffindor, with the rest of the want-to-be rebels." Snape said in disgust. "Don't move an inch, I will find somebody from Gryffindor to lead you to the common room. Curfew is soon."
He left, and I realised what was so weird about being back here. It was almost silent, even though Jenna's watch told me dinner would be ending soon.
Usually there'd be people running around the castle while people finished off dinner—at the beginning of term people would still be looking for friends for catch-ups. Spells would be sent down corridors, laughter and banter filling the air like a sweet music as the ghosts floated through the chaous, most people smiling gleefully.
It didn't feel like home anymore.
"Stark, this is Natalia Wilde." Snape said, and I came face-to-face with Alia. She glanced me up and down, not seeming to recognise me. "Wilde is of your.... Nature, and I'm sure she'll show you around."
Alia raised an eyebrow. "Do I have to?"
"Unless you want detention with the Carrows," Snape said maliciously, and Alia stood lock-jawed, nodding once. "Good. Now off you go—curfew is soon."
"Right then, c'mon new girl," Alia said, sounding exhausted. She tugged at my arm and led me up the stairs. We were half-way up the oddly silent castle before she asked, "So what's your first name, Stark? I'm Alia, ignore that twat."
"Lena," I lied, swallowing hard at the fact my friend didn't recognise me. "What was he on about, curfew?"
"Curfew is imposed after dinner, 7pm," Alia said in a montone which showed she was repeating what Snape had said. "So nobody—i.e me and my friends—can't run around causing trouble. And keep your head down, Lena. Seamus had lunch-time detention with the Carrows—it wasn't pretty. And my brother, oh watch out for that bastard."
"Right, thanks for the heads up."
We walked in silence, and I felt the silence growing between us. Alia nudged my side. "So, what'd you do to get chucked in here? I mean I nearly didn't end up coming, but my mum thought I'd be arrested."
"I was with Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Ministry. Umbridge caught me, the bitch."
Alia stopped dead, turning slowly around to me. "Harry—Harry Potter? Jesus Christ, do you know where his sister is? Who the bloody hell are you?"
The feeling of isolation took over, and I just wanted Alia to see me—not the mask, the real me, and seeing nobody was in the corridor, I dragged her into nearest broom cupboard.
"What—I swear to God, bitch I will cut you—"
"Shut up, Ali-cat," I said softly, and recognition shone in Alia's violet-blue eyes.
"Rory?"
Nodding, I unfastened the warp star necklace, and Alia clasped her hand over her mouth, swearing every single word she knew. "You finished?" I said, tears coming to my eyes.
"You arsehole!" Alia cried, and threw her arms around me. "I thought you were dead! Or good as dead—nobody's seen any of you in weeks.... But bloody hell, how did you get that fancy thing."
"Dumbledore left it to me in his will, but Sam knew what it was." I told Alia in a hushed, hurried tTone. We wouldn't have much time. "I was with Harry, but I got captured."
"So you don't know where Cole and Gennie are?" Alia said, her face falling.
I shook my head. "I wish I did."
"Cole said to me, the very last thing before he went back to the Burrow—we'll call you when it's safe. It's been over a month, why isn't he safe yet?"
Her eyes brimmed with tears and she wiped furiously at them. "And—and I nearly went to find him, but my mother shoved me on the stupid train, and Camille is being a really shifty bitch, Cameron is in my defence class, and Colin is in hiding—-my life is a mess."
"Welcome to my world," I said softly. "You can't tell anybody, Alia. If they know who I am, I'm dead."
Alia gave a single laugh. "There's no point in hiding from the Gryffindors—there's hardly any of us left. Either they were muggle-borns, or they dropped out. C'mon, curfew is soon, and we don't want to get caught."
Re-fastening the necklace we darted out of the cupboard, and hand-in-hand we ran up to the tower, and it might have been the touch of Alia on me—or the understanding of an ally in this unrecognisable place, but I felt much calmer and determined.
"Password?" The fat lady said as we approached, looking worried and anxious.
"Dumbledore's Army," Alia said quietly and the portrait swung open. "What? We had Hannah Abbott—she's head girl now—change the password."
Walking into the common room, there was an odd tense air in the place. It still had the same squishy sofas and roaring fire; but the radio station was on, humming out the names of the missing and the dead.
Barely over fifty Gryffindors were sat in the room, people I recognised—Lavender, Parvati, Neville, Seamus, Ginny—and other people who I didn't know, but trusted.
"Who's that, Alia?" Seamus said, looking up. He had a black eye and heavily swollen lip.
"Lena Stark—she was with Harry in the Ministry today." Alia said loudly and everybody looked up at the mention of Harry's name.
Looking at the hopeful faces, something struck a chord in me. I trusted these people—almost all of them were in Dumbledore's Army (bar the youngest students) and in the darkest hours, they needed a spark of hope.
"No," I said loudly, and everybody looked at me. Alia gave me a panicked look. "Alia, I'm going to tell them."
Alia raised an eyebrow but nodded. "I'll send a letter for Luna and Camille to get Hollie."
Hearing the sound of my sister's name I felt the muscles in my heart loosen as I turned to the crowd. "I'm not Lena Stark—this is the mask of a girl who died many years ago. And this—"I held the necklace out of my blood stained blouse, "Is a warp star necklace."
Most people gasped, and with a jolt I realised it was because there were no muggle-borns here at all. Ginny stood up, her expression one of pure, stripped back shock. "R-Rory? Is that you?"
Unclasping the necklace, a series of gasps went up from the group of Gryffindors, and I found myself tackled into an embrace by all of them. In a cocoon of limbs and warmth, I allowed myself to cry as these people—who rested every hope on me and my brother—welcomed my return.
"How—how are you here?" Ginny cried, her eyes full of tears. "Where's Harry? Were you with him?"
The crowd dispersed from around me, and I sat cross-legged on the floor, explaining everything I could to them. I explained the escape from the wedding, hiding out in a safe house—the fact we needed to find something which Umbridge had. The capture, the car—until the portrait hole opened again.
"I thought it was a joke!" An all too familiar voice cried, and I leapt up to see Hollie entering the common room, flanked by Luna and Camille.
My little sister ran to me, and even though she was rapidly catching up to me in height, I scooped her up like I would have when she was small, holding her close until I could smell her shampoo and feel the fluffiness of her long hair brush against my chin.
Pulling her back to examine her, she looked fine. There wasn't a scratch on her—the only change was her poor attempt at eyeliner, which made her look like a racoon. Notcing her new house tie, I smiled as I tugged on it.
"My little sister is a Ravenclaw, huh?" I smiled and she nodded enthusiastically.
"We've been looking after her, don't worry," Luna said with a dreamy smile, not looking surprised to see me. "The nargles haven't bothered her once."
"So Cameron hasn't gotten to you?" I said urgently.
Hollie shook her head. "No, but all the people in my class are afraid of him. I don't like him either, he kidnapped me."
"It was HIM?!" Alia shouted and I forgot she didn't know that. "I will go kill that mother-chucker—"
"Not now you won't." I said, putting a hand on Alia's shoulder. Turning to everybody, I asked, "So, is there any way of getting out of here? I need to get Hollie and me out of here."
"No!" Hollie exclaimed, and I rounded on her.
"It's dangerous here, Hollie, don't you get it?" I snapped. "There are murderers and death eaters here—and they could influence you, and get inside your head—and kill and torture you like they did to your mother!"
An eerie silence passed over the room until Camille, who looked thin and worried with her long jumper and gaunt face spoke up, "As great as getting out sounds—there is no way out. All secret passages are blocked off. We already tried after curfew yesterday."
"Even if there was a way out, I wouldn't let you take me back to Lacey, back to sitting around and waiting for the older people to do something!" Hollie burst out. "I've waited to come here since I was seven years old, and I'm not leaving because you're overprotective! And Cameron killed Sam and her girlfriend, and hurt Cole, so I want to help stop him!"
"Hollie—"
"No, you're going to let me finish." Hollie said fiercely. "And there are a lot of us here, who all want the same thing! We can take down all these evil people inside the school; turn it back into the stories you used to tell me about magic and adventure! We have the numbers, we have the determination—we have you!"
A silence went through the room. "What are you saying, Holl?" Alia said quietly.
Hollie stood on top of the sofa and addressed the room with a locked jaw and a power in her eyes I hadn't seen before.
"We're going to fight back. We're restarting Dumbledore's Army."
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A/N I love Hollie so much she's got so much development already, and I love writing Dory moments again after so long omg
Something big is going to happen in the next chapter.... And I feel like some people may be mad..... But y'all will see soon enough.....
Thoughts on what you think is going to happen to Rory in Hogwarts?
Also omg I almost always typed 'hoe' instead of home in this chapter and I nearly died I just hope none of those typos make it through