Adeline
My heart thrashed vigorously against my lungs, the tranquility that was plastered among my expression was exceedingly contrasting to what the interior of myself was feeling.
My skin was pale, it felt numb and bitterly cold. Yet my palms felt as if they could throw a roaring flame any second. I sucked in a sharp breath as I noticed my breathing began to shallow.
The consistent drumming of my foot on the floor seemed to draw the tables attention as I tugged at the skin around my nails in a consumed state of anxiety.
A thousand thoughts sped throughout the walls in my intellect as my temples began to throb excessively.
I began reflect on my whole childhood, the lie it was. The heavy falsity that my mother had to weigh on her shoulders to retain our so-called family. The guilt began to crush at my sternum as I examined all the false smiles that she had to plaster on her face throughout the years.
And now I couldn't apologise for it, I couldn't comfort her and tell her it'll be okay, because it wouldn't. Because she won't be. She'll never be. All because of that pathetic excuse of a wizard.
I now began to register as to why I'd hear strangled sobs escape her room at early hours in the morning when Lumin was on so-called 'business trips'. As to why when I'd come home for Christmas breaks the appearance of a broken woman would stand weakly before me. Sunken red under eyes with her cheekbones visually about to break through her pale complexion.
Maybe I was naive to trust so easily, but shouldn't it be humane understanding to trust blood. To trust those whom raised you, you don't begin to construct a tower of trust for your family as you grow older. It's already inevitably mechanised to be perceived that way, there is no building of faith and devotion, because it's already born with you. Of course it's deemed definite to be that way, because we know no better than that at such a vulnerable age. And is it for that reason that i feel so utterly dejected and perturbed to know that, that birth of bond and trust was a lie, that it was artificial and simulated. I don't think I'd ever be able to psychologically reframe and kill this lingering resentment I feel towards him.
It feels as if the deadliest wound I could ever suffer from is his betrayal. It feels as if there's nothing more psychologically devastating than having someone I so deeply cared for, loved, trusted with my life, use that all in his favour to cold heartedly stab me in the back for his own gain.
I failed to notice the warm hand that concealed my own as I drifted back into materiality. I elevated my gaze from my ruined nails as Jayden offered me a feeble smile.
"Let's go, it's 5:44." Kol informed the table, the air was thick with tension and doubt. I inhaled another sharp breath before I began to hold it.
We headed for apparation point as we all held onto Draco's arms, with a crack we were standing before the manor. It seemed dingy and gloomier than last time I'd been here.
There was a chance that Lucius and Lumin weren't even present, but it wouldn't be worth the risk to determine wether they were or weren't.
Draco squeezed my hand tightly as we poured our souls into one another's eyes. A thousand whispers of love seeping into our skins. "it'll be okay," he mouthed down at me, barley a whisper as he held my cheek. Even on him there was a glimmer of uncertainty coursing throughout the blue speckles that now laid dimly in his eyes.
We all walked through the wards together, and it was as if a chill breeze seeped into the organ that drummed dramatically between my lungs. My pulse fluttered harshly against my neck as I gulped.
"Kol and myself will cause a distraction for Lumin and my"-he grimaced-"father." Draco announced as we stepped through the wards, he offered me a final glance as he stepped closer, shutting the space between us as he pressed his lips against mine. His hand pushed my head forward as if tasting me for the last time, his eyes were sealed tightly closed as I struggled not to sob against his lips. I refused to let the situation defeat me.
"We need to go, it's time." I whispered against his parted lips as his forehead fell against mine. He took a step back. "Yes of course you do" he huffed as he offered me a weak smile.
As Jayden and myself turned to walk against the hedge line of the manor I tilted me head to the side to offer Draco and Kol a final glance. "Come, hurry." Jayden tugged at my arm as we swept the insides of the carefully cut hedges.
We observed from a safe distance as the house elves pulled the latch on the door, snapping our gazes to one another's we offered each other a tense nod of acknowledgment and began to creep towards the entrance.
After we slipped safely through the kitchen and the small door, which was easier than expected, we were met with cold damp dungeons. The dark magic clung to the walls and the cells, i could smell the overpowering scent of murky, smoke-filled mist travel up my nostrils as the remainders of unforgivable curses grazed my sinuses.
I wrinkled my nose in repugnance as the magic smothered our bodies. Attempting to neglect the foul aroma we slipped meticulously throughout long hallway of the dungeons.
"Lumos," we both whispered the incantation as the path grew dimmer.
Our heavy boots trod feebly through the compact puddles of water on the stoned floor. The echoes of drips has us both on edge, looking over our shoulder every other second as droplets trickled off of the ceiling.
"That's it, there," Jayden whispered as he pointed the flash of his wand towards the heavy metal door at the end of the cells.
"Are you sure?" I questioned as an unsettling pit formed in my stomach, as if tugging at multiple nerves and stabbing my gut.
"I'm positive Adeline," he whispered lowly as he sped soundlessly toward the un-guarded door. Anxiety flew cripplingly throughout my veins as I gulped a ball of dry saliva.
"Alohmora."
Nothing.
I frowned at the door as I whispered the spell repeatedly growing frustrated as the door refused to budge.
I drew a sharp deep breath as I cleared my mind, "Annihilare," I whispered as my wand top pointed towards the lock.
Nothing.
Jayden attempted a few other incantations as his nostrils flared with impatience, repeatedly flickering his gaze towards the watch on his wrist.
I scanned my eyes angrily over the door, my eyes halted to a stop as I was met with the sight of a still snake chiselled into the metal. "Wait, Jayden there's a serpent engraved into the door at the top, look."
"Fuck!" He spat as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't even fucking speak Parceltongue" he growled as he ran his hands over his eyes.
I averted my gaze back towards the serpents, narrowing them as I cleared my throat.
I pointed my wand, whispering serpent incantations toward the lock as the snake began to slither around the doorframe, flicking its forked tongue against the lock.
"You're a Parcelmouth?"
I looked over my shoulder to be met with Jayden's wide eyes and knitted brows. I nodded weakly as I went to grasp the knob.
"H-how do you even, how are you?" He stuttered as he eyed me in disbelief.
"Marvolo Gaunt's forbidden textbook was hidden between the top shelves of the library," I shrugged my tense shoulders. "When I had lessons with Potter in Arithmacy we were fairly good friends, i told him about the book and he informed me that Salazar slytherin cast magical wards on the textbook so that only true Parcelmouths could discover it." I pinched the bridge of my nose "look we have a more important task right now Jay," I snapped as his mouth fell into a hard line.
"You're right, sorry."
I nodded my head in acknowledgement as I twisted the handle, the suspense of the door slowly widening sent me into panic as my hand trembled around my wand.
What if he's not even here, and they're waiting for me. Their wands already at the point to cast the unforgivable straight at my thrashing heart.
The door grew wider.
My breath grew heavier.
Ready to burn my body out of existence and dispose.
"A-Adeline?" A weak raspy voice trembled from the bottom of the staircase. My eyes grew wide instantly "lumos!" I whispered as I pointed my wand towards the basement.
A fragile body shook before my light as Theodore Nott squinted his eyes at the bright flash. "Fucking hell Adeline, you trying to bloody blind me woman?" he drawled as he snapped his gaze elsewhere.
"I—Theo," I gasped as I charged down the stone steps of the basement.
I knew it'd be Theo, I knew he'd be here. But that doesn't mean I'd hoped he'd be here, I'd hoped he was really at home, in the comforts of his own bed. Well and healthy. I felt a crack run down the organ that thudded heavily near my sternum at the vision of his wrists clamped to the walls by hefty shackles.
I fell to my knees next to him as I wrapped my arm around his body, he was still broad and a little muscular. "Yes yes darling, you're kind of squeezing my fractured rib there love," he groaned as he weakly smirked down at me, I knew he was masking his pain though as I hurriedly released my pressure from his body he groaned a deep rattle of discomfort as his head fell down. "Shit" he breathed heavily as he attempted to dismiss his injuries.
I stood hurriedly as I pointed my wand toward his shackles "diffindo!"
The heavy chains fell from around Theo's wrists, exposing the sore, bloody dents carved into his skin. "I can heal you but first we need to get you out of here Tho." I whispered as I knelt in front of him.
"Mhm...you're quite a sexy hero Adeline" he mumbled as he chuckled through his pain. "Watch it Nott that's my sister." Jay warned as he slumped Theo's arm over his shoulder. "It's just his coping mechanism Jay." I reassured him as I dropped Theo's over arm over my shoulder, myself and Jayden both now lifting Theo from his slumped position on the mouldy floor.
"Mm she knows me to well," Theo slurred as his head turned weakly to look at me. I fought to roll my eyes at his coping strategies as we pulled Theo's heavy body up the staircase.
**
"Argh fuck!" Theo screamed through gritted teeth as he laid on the stretcher i conjured in the cottage.
I fought back a smile at our success as I prepared to heal Theo, as I cast my eyes to look at him my smile faded. How could they be so cruel, those sick fucks. Reality consumed me as I rushed to grab ahold of the healing potions in the cupboard.
"Can I take your shirt off Theo?" I whispered as I lathered bruise removal paste on his deep blue and purple temples.
I watched his lip curl in humour, "please, do go ahead."
I raised my brow at him as he stared back. "Okay okay fine, sorry healer Roberts." he drawled as I attempted to fend of the smile tugging at my lips.
As I carefully removed his torn, stained shirt my eyes widened in horror at his torso and chest.
That same nauseating pit stabbed at my nerves as I attempted to fight off the tears swelling at my lower lids. I inhaled deeply as I conjured a small, warm damp cloth, gently patting it against the blood smothered gashes.
"Here take this," I held out a calming draught as he guzzled the potion back, some muscles visibly relaxing as his head fell back against the stretcher.
"And this." I demanded as I offered him a blood-replenishing potion. His face screwed in disgust at the taste. "You've lost a lot of blood from the gashes in your torso and chest, that should restore most of the blood loss you've encountered."
"I need to mend your fractured rib now Theo before the bone threatens to puncture any vital organs, I can offer this to you so you won't have to stay awake throughout the procedure," I mentioned calmly as I offered him draught of the living death.
He nodded in acknowledgement as he gulped back the potion, slipping into a death like sleep.
I pointed the tip of my wand onto the swelling of his rib, ensuring that the tip was directly hovering over the broken bone.
"Brackium Emendo" I announced as I observed the bone slowly move under his skin.
"Episkey" I now pointed towards his split, bloody lips.
I moved towards the open gashes in his torso and chest, I inhaled sharply as a wave of guilt and pity consumed my mind. I shook my head as I pressed the warm compact to the dry blood scattered around his frame.
"Vulnera Sanentur," I whispered weakly as I fended back a fresh set of warm tears threatening to overflow, i exhaled therapeutically throughout my nose, re-opening my eyes as I shook my head again.
His gashes healed before me as I offered a sigh of relief at his healed body, but then again...it wasn't truly healed. He'd always carry that with him, that pain and torture would always linger around his brain. He'd always be shackled to them memories. I gulped as I took a minute to awake him.
"Rennervate"
I observed as Theo's eyes batted open heavily. His eyes immediately downcast towards his wrists and torso, patting where the injuries lied.
"Quite the little nurse aren't you, Roberts," he spoke as he offered me a small brow raise and a relieved smile.
"You may have light scarring from the previous gash on your hip but it shouldn't be to obvious," I smiled as he traced the pad of his finger on his hip bone. His abdominal muscles clenched as he drew back his hand in grimace.
"I'm so sorry Theo i-"
"Hey, it's not your fault Adeline don't-
"But it is," I frowned as I twiddled my thumbs, looking down at the blurred floor. Still fending off the tears, no. I will not cry. I will not!
I felt a large hand engulf both of mine as my gaze snapped back to Theo's, he sat upright as he still held onto my hands with his. "I was the one who pissed off...Bellatrix,"—he grimaced at her name—"do not blame yourself for that, Roberts." he spoke lowly as he shook my hands in his as if trying to shake sense into me.
I nodded as he tugged at my hands pulling my body towards his, his hand fell to the back of my head holding me against his chest as he thanked me repeatedly for saving him.
"Shall i call the boys in now?" I asked.
"So eager to rid of me aren't you, Roberts?" He smirked as I pulled from the embrace. I rolled my eyes as I called out that Theo was ready from the door.
**
Hey loves!
Just letting you know...I'll use the words I want in MY fan fic periodt. :)
Sorry for the delay in chapters, as usual work has been MANIC due to Christmas. Honestly customers can be so rude you guys, the cheek on the oldies sometimes.✋🏼🤣
I've also been going over the chapters and editing the writing as I go along, I've come to love this book in stead of resent it as I've read on as it really does show my learning journey throughout this crazy ride! Thank you to those who've been there from the start...I recognise you ;) and thank you for the new readers also!
I've been deleting hate comments because I CAN because it's MY FIC and honestly f*ck the haters, we don't need your negativity thank you. I love you guys sm and you always have me CREASING at some of your comments!
I think by now we all know Adeline won't be sleeping with Kol. Honestly it's because it's such a rare and precious friendship it'd be horrible to just destroy something so special and pure. Of course you can find your friends attractive without it meaning anything. Yes their friendship is a little flirty but it adds ✨spice✨.
I wrote about their friendship because it reminded me of someone I used to have that with, it means something to me. I grew up with him and we were INSEPARABLE, and then he moved away and well I never really saw him again. And I guess that me resembling Kol to him makes it weird for me to create a sex scene between them. So thank you to those who haven't pushed Kol on me consistently in the comments.
I love you all! Mwah!
Stay safe my beauties, AND remember you're a bad ass bitch... ;)