This chapter contains mentions of suicide, character death, blood, abuse, and other traumatizing topics. Please read with caution.

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''Bring hell upon them, Amelie. Let them burn.''

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''You're absolutely sure about this?'' Adrian asked again, closing the door to his cell and avoiding the shocked stare Blaise possessed. With a yank of her shoulder, the boy pushed himself in between them.

Zabini rose his wand, aiming it at Adrian without hesitation, ''What are you—'' He breathed through his gritted teeth, ''No, Avery. I don't agree with this. If Malfoy finds out, he helped us. He'll kill me.''

''Blaise—''

''No,'' He stated, more firmly now, cocking his head and staring down at her from above his shoulder, ''You don't understand, Avery. Yeah, I'll be doomed for rescuing Malfoy for sure, but that's nothing compared to what he'll do to me if he knows that I let you anywhere near this monster.''

''You call me a monster?'' Adrian angrily hissed, his eyes darkened, ''You followed me and everything I did like you were my damn tail, Zabini. Until you chose to side with Malfoy instead. You're as much of a monster as I am.''

Blaise blinked quickly as the sounds of skin-crawling creatures echoed around them, and the dimmed hallway began to cool. It was terrifying. Shivers stabbed her skin at the situation she caught herself in.

Amelie didn't like this. She didn't enjoy this one single bit. The two boys bickered over who hurt her more and who took the wrong side within it while she peered around, her body close to Blaise's.

Not finding much comfort after Draco was taken from her, she robbed the boy, thinking he was protecting her, of the inches of solace he gave.

Both of them had failed her. Adrian, by being the boy her whole past crumbled because of, and Blaise by assisting him in it. Even if he'd never placed a vicious hand upon her or hurt her with rough actions — he still scared her back in school. He'd still talk to her as if she wasn't a worthy human.

Yet, Amelie let that go in a heartbeat as he apologized three nights ago, and she allowed it to slip. He looked worn, beaten, and drawn. The year he'd spent in imprisonment, working in that basement was time served for him, she believed.

He wasn't iniquitous, she knew that, and if anything, in the ways he'd been serving Draco to a fight for a brighter world — he earned the chance of benefit over doubt.

''Don't you dare pin this on me,'' Blaise spat furiously, ''This is on you, and I'd rather kill myself than suffer the consequences of Malfoy coming for me because of it.''

''What happened to you?'' Adrian growled, taking a step forward as it caused the tip of Zabini's wand to dig into his chest, but he didn't budge. Pucey stood his ground, ''You used to be reasonable, someone worthy, and now?''

Lifting a brow as he inched even nearer and Blaise began to falter, sensing how his wand prod into Adrian's body. The boy he once feared so gravely wouldn't stop daring him, ''Now you're nothing. All I see is someone scared, a meaningless shell. So I'll ask you again, Zabini. What happened to you—''

Blaise dragged his wand back, looking away with a sigh. His arm fell to his side, ''She can't get hurt, not in the slightest, Pucey. He'll come for us both, and he'll—'' Zabini flinched by the hand Amelie placed upon his shoulder as he spun around, staring down at her unclearly.

''I won't let him,'' She nodded, feeling as her bones rose to ache and collapse within, ''Help me get him back, and he'll mercy the both of you. I promise.''

She knew she couldn't be speaking in the terms she did. Never could Draco find out that she'd been doing what she did. He could never know about Adrian being alive or her going to Blaise for shelter.

Amelie didn't even bring Theodore. She came here on her own, all for him.

Snapping his neck, Adrian looked at Blaise, and both of them clenched their jaws, silently groaning at the act they'd based themselves in.

''We owe them this,'' Blaise rolled his eyes and straightened his shoulders, proving a point in the corridor. They couldn't be doing this if they weren't on the same page, ''This is the least we can do.''

''I know it is,'' Adrian swallowed his temper, trying to focus on everything Theodore had taught him. He stepped past them both, marching to the massive metal doors. He knew that they couldn't apparate from inside the cellars.

''One of us stays with her at all times,'' Adrian ripped the entrance open, Amelie's wand still solidly hugged to his fist, ''I don't want her to be left to chance, and if Malfoy catches her without protection, we're as good as dead.''

''Excuse me—'' Amelie cleared her throat, sounding frankly annoyed with the two boys making rules above her head, ''I'm capable of taking care of myself—''

''No,'' They both muttered, blankly overlooking her wish to speak and her arms crossed, her eyes rolled, ''Be happy we're even bringing you.''

''Oh?'' She rose a brow, her steps halted, ''You didn't even want to help me, so I don't—''

''Don't test me right now,'' Adrian didn't stop as he kept marching, and he spun around, pressing his spine into yet another door as he shoved it open, rolling his back off of it, and he looked at her, ''You said I owe you, and I do, so don't test me, Amelie. I'm doing this for you, not Malfoy.''

Amelie didn't walk after him. She stood secured in the middle of a hallway, exposed if anyone chose to reveal themselves, and he tipped his head for Blaise to hold the door open.

With harsh steps as they mirrored along the stone-covered ground, he paused and now edged a foot away from her. Adrian's eyes bored through hers, rich shades of verdant differed her blooming bronzed one, and she challenged him in silence.

''Why do you hate him so much?'' She whispered, her thin voice mused across the rocks, ''All he did was save me, and I might see why you loathed him before, but now? I don't understand, after all you went through the past month.''

Adrian towered her, his frame huge compared to hers and her neck arched to see the eclipsed pupils looking as if they'd blown, ''I don't hate him, but he took something from me and changed man or not, that isn't something you just let go of, Amelie.''

''I didn't say you should let it go but considering you hurt me for most of the years we spent together, I'm here, trying to make it work. Aren't I?'' She frowned, her fingers twitching.

''Because you need something from me,'' He held the coldest look she'd seen in a while, ''You're here, trying to make it work because you need me to save him, and I will. Like I said, I owe you everything — you, Amelie, not him. All he did to me was locking me up in his basement for months. I don't owe him anything.''

Her breaths trembled off her lips as they parted. She felt her courage as it faded, ''I know he did that, but you tried to hurt me—''

''I know I did, and for that, I am more than wrong. I will pay for what I did to you. I will never let anyone forgive me for it, but when it comes to him — I consider myself out of debt for what he put me through. Perhaps he didn't tell you how he practiced death on me?'' Adrian hovered, his back slightly curved to match her, ''And I don't blame him for doing what he did. I had it coming, but he still took you from me, like you were a pawn in some wicked game, and for that — he'll never be worth saving in my eyes.''

Tears formed, her chest felt heavy. Her throat tightened.

''But you are,'' Adrian continued, lowly, ''You are worth all of it, and that's why I'm doing this. That's why I'm defying the Dark Lord as we speak, and that's why I'm going against everything I've ever stood for, because you are worth it, Amelie.''

Her eyes snapped across him, crowded in a pained dash, ''I love him, Adrian....'' She whispered, not intimidated by his body as it held close to hers, ''I love him more than anything or anyone.''

''I know you do, and that's more than alright. I don't want you back, Amelie. Suppose that's what you're thinking. Malfoy keeps you safe, and he makes you happy. That's all I could ever wish for.''

Her mouth parched at the dry taste, and she looked away.

It ached her heart, hearing him say that. She'd been scared of him for years, and he'd never wished her any good during their time together, but he did now. His sight flared at the flames of honesty as he spoke. He didn't lie. Adrian truly wished her the best even if he didn't care for the blond — he'd save his life if it meant he would ease hers.

''So, are you going to stand there and fight me on this, or are we saving your boyfriend, Amelie?''

''Thank you,'' Amelie held so much emotion within, but she couldn't let it out, not when Draco's life was at stake.

''Never thank me,'' Adrian threw a nod across his shoulder, towards the entrance Blaise stood glaringly at, ''I never want you to thank me. I owe you my life.''

Rolling his eyes, Blaise cursed annoyingly at them, ''Finally, are we done with this now? Can we go get Malfoy and hope we never see each other again?''

She marched after them, and they all reached the end of the basement, at the lower steps of the stairs where the traveling magic was once again allowed.

Adrian snapped his flaming stare between them, and he bowed his head towards Blaise's wand while handing Amelie hers back, ''Give me your wand.''

Zabini dubiously scowled, ''What? Why—''

''Because she has a habit of sneaking away. I'm not leaving her unprotected if she does. You're a Death Eater. You have a reason to be there if you get caught. Amelie doesn't, and they will kill her on sight if she's trapped.''

Amelie gawked, wide-eyed, and she hugged her weapon in between her fingers, ''Blaise, you don't have—''

He wavered for a slight second as he thought about the outcome, quickly realizing Adrian made a fair point in his demand, and he stretched his hand to the boy, giving him the wand.

''Azkaban will be crawling of Death Eaters and if one of us gets caught....'' Adrian lowered his voice, looking agonizingly at the girl, ''You know what that means.''

''I know,'' Amelie whispered, grounding her pained eyes and holding her breath, ''I know the spell.''

Suicide. All three of them would rather face death than being robbed of their memories to grant Voldemort the win he so wickedly craved.

''We get Malfoy, and we get out, fast.''

Every last of them nodded, agreeing to the spoken words as both Amelie and Blaise held onto Adrian's arms, and he whispered the magic to take them away.

The wind hauled at her so violently as they appeared on the grounds outside Azkaban. Sounds of waves slamming against the rocks keeping the prison afloat tore through her ears.

It was horrific, to say at least as if all happiness had drained from the sphere. Inky clouds of skulls hovered the skies, and the darkness as it embraced all of them was suffocating.

She'd heard of it, Azkaban, but never had she seen it with her own eyes, and right now — she wished she never did.

''Follow me,'' Adrian shouted, over-voicing the swell of water around them, and he stormed past the gates, not halting until they stood below a line of symmetrical windows, covered in bars.

He turned in his shoes, and he aimed Blaise's wand at the both of them, whispering a spell to cover all of their faces with masks. A darkened cloak clothed her shoulders.

''You can't go around in that dress. They'll take you out immediately,'' He said, and she could feel the silver smeared to her features as it burnt her skin, ''Now, stay close to me and keep your heads down.''

Amelie obeyed every bid Adrian made as he fired a spell to one of the windows, causing the bars to bend aside for them to crawl inside, and they did.

It was even more alarming within the walls of the building.

''Up here,'' He muttered, keeping his neck arched and his head low, ''If someone—''

Men approached them, Death Eaters walking in a line down the stairs, and Adrian snatched her wrist, dragging her down the levels instead of up, and Blaise threw himself down the stairs to go undetected.

Adrian's chest pressed into her spine, shielding her body with his and their cloaks hid most of their frames, ''Shhhh...'' He whispered against the shell of her ear as he caught her shudder, ''It's alright, Amelie.''

Blaise stood against the opposite wall, across from theirs, and they sighed out at the voices fading further away in the corridor.

Taking a minute, Adrian peered around before he pushed himself off her, and he strode towards the stairs again, marching up to them with tender steps not for the noise to echo. Reaching the upper floors, guards stood on display. It was heavily patrolled, and at least a dozen men held ready if an impersonator would show.

Amelie glanced up at the two boys, hunching over the stairs not to be spotted, and she swallowed thickly. Pushing away the weighted feeling in her chest and the strain her heart carried. All she wished was for Draco to make it out in one piece, the rest she could live no matter how it shifted, but leaving this ghastly place without him, was out of the question.

''I have to take them out,'' Adrian whispered, harshly and it caused Amelie to clock out of her haunted thoughts, ''Every last one of them. We can't move past them.''

''Pucey, for fucks sake, that's at least ten of them. There's no way you can—''

Adrian didn't stall. He rose to his feet, and Blaise threw himself at Amelie. Fending the girl with his own body as screams and shouts along with thuds and loud slams were heard.

''I'm—'' Amelie shook, her hands grasping at Zabini's shirt, ''I'm—''

''I know,'' Blaise whispered, calmly and he could feel how her skin shivered, her breaths unsteady, ''It's alright to be scared.''

''Yeah?'' Adrian breathed, his hands placed on his waist as he looked down at the two tangled bodies, ''There's no way that I can — what, Zabini?''

Blaise's eyes grew at the sight of limbs being spread across the floor and how his hands were coated in blood. He hauled his mask off, and so did Adrian, ''Fucking hell, Pucey—''

''Like I said, changed, but God knows that you'll never be able to forget what the Dark Lord teaches you,'' He dragged the spine of his hand over his jaw, wiping the blood that had shattered, and he reached a hand out, meaning for Amelie to take it.

But the girl stood up on her own, feeling Blaise's touch as it rested across her spine for support. It was intimidating to her, all of this, and she didn't dare to speak against it.

''Do you—'' Amelie heaved, grabbing the fence next to the stairs, and she let her mask fall to the ground, ''Do you know where he might be?''

''They bring the dangerous ones higher up. There's a lower chance that they'd survive a fall if they manage to escape,'' Blaise said, pulling his hand away from her and marching up to parallel Adrian, ''Murderers are placed up here, while thieves and rule-breakers are prisoned on the lower floors. It won't do as much damage if they escape.''

''Isn't Azkaban the place you can't escape from?'' She questioned, raising a brow. She tried not to look at the bodies covering the floor.

''Don't believe everything you hear, Amelie,'' Adrian pitched his tone, ''Not everything is as it seems. People have fled this place before.''

''What—'' She frowned, bewilderingly. She sensed as if he knew more about this than he'd ever told her, ''What are you— you were the one who said that if I ever came forward of what you did to me, you'd end up here, and I'll never get to see you again—''

''Malfoy, Amelie,'' Blaise sent Adrian a mean glare, frustrated with his way of keeping her in the dark, ''He was sentenced here when he was sixteen, and he escaped. His family needed to side with Voldemort so that the ministry couldn't send him back. They were already sided with the Death Eaters, but he did something...horrible, and he was caught.''

Her face fell, her persona diminished.

Draco never told her that. She never saw it in his mind.

''For the love of God, Zabini,'' Adrian huffed, turning around as he walked towards the door, leading into a different floor, ''There's a bloody reason that I didn't tell her about that. She doesn't need to know every little detail.''

''He never told me about that,'' She uttered, silently for only Blaise to hear, ''Thank you for telling me.''

His features softened but just enough for her to see it before the troubled look smeared to him again, ''Don't tell him that you know. He blames himself for everything following that, every deal he had to make, his father being taken from their house — everything. He's ashamed, and that's probably why he didn't tell you, Avery. It has nothing to do with you. Narcissa was getting out of it, and he messed up. It kept them allied with the Dark Lord.''

She gulped, nodding rapidly as Adrian called out for them, and they walked up, joining him outside the doors.

He stared at her again, a scared loop twirled his pupils, and he drew a breath, gathering the strength he knew he'd need. Adrian was indeed surprised with himself that he managed to fight as he'd done before clearing his mind.

''In here, there will be a lot of soldiers, and we need to be cautious, only Death Eaters can apparate beyond these walls, so when we get him, we need to get out here to leave,'' He didn't take his eyes off her until he received the confirmation of her understanding what he'd told her, ''We need to take Malfoy out here.''

''Here,'' Amelie whispered, reaching her hand in between her and Blaise as she gave him her wand, ''I'll stick with you, and you probably know how to protect us better than I do—''

''No chance in hell—'' Adrian tried to snatch the wand out of Zabini's fist to hand it back to her, but she wouldn't have it that way, and instead, Amelie stretched for the handles on the doors, and she ripped them open.

''Amelie—''

''Don't—'' She countered, ''You have his wand, and he needs mine more than I do.''

Anger bolted through the boy as he cocked his head and he strode inside.

What happened after that felt like a nightmare to her. They were ambushed, almost instantly and spells of deathly magic were fired and shielded from both sides.

Adrian put up a fair fight. He slaughtered anything that came too close to her, but that wasn't enough.

They were shorthanded, and with the lack of Adrian's own wand — they barely stood a chance, and she was exposed, bare to be harmed at any minute.

Walls exploding, along with bricks shredding and fire as it spread, it would soon be over for the three people that came into this to rescue their friend.

''Amelie—'' Adrian yelled, throwing an icing light her way as he saved her from being slammed into a wall, ''For fucks sake, we can't be here! We need to leave—''

''I'm not,'' She coughed out at the dust floating through the air, ''I'm not leaving without Draco!''

Amelie's voice was hardly heard by the ignition and detonation of spells, scoring violently around them in the hallway. The Death Eaters didn't second guess it. They urged to kill all three of them.

''We'll come back for him, but this won't—'' The boy shouted, his magic wasn't measured, and even if he indeed made men drop numb to the ground, it was too overwhelming, ''We won't survive this, Amelie. We're bloody doomed—''

Watching a man, his cloak dragged behind him, and he strode past the fray as if it was nothing. Halting across the corridor, with his mask glued to him, the darkened fog vividly misted around him, he lifted his wand.

He was pointing it right at her as Amelie began to back away. Her feet stumbling over the ruins they'd created, and before she knew what was happening — a frosted, emerald light flung from his wand, and she understood what this meant.

The feeling of time as it slackened, Amelie didn't fight the lethal magic. She didn't run. She didn't hide. She stayed, not caving in to the fear.

If Amelie's time was up — she'd never show them the fright she truly held. She'd leave with the grace she ever so carried, and just as it was her time, as she inhaled, her lashes fluttering shut, she was ready for the light to embrace her.

It was heard as thunder, something heavy crashing over her, and it caused her to fall to the ground with weight as it pressured upon her. She flayed her lids wide.

Blaise.

It was Blaise.

Her bones crushed the instant she reached the stones below her, and his body collapsed to her lap.

''No—'' Amelie breathed. Her veins crumbled in panic, ''No, Blaise—''

She knew what it meant. Amelie had seen death so many times before.

Grasping at his hands, she brought both of them up to his chest, holding him steadily in her lap. Intertwining her fingers with his, ''Blaise, don't you dare,'' She felt tears rimming in the brim of her eyes, ''No, no, no, you don't get to go yet — you don't—''

Still holding her fingers around his hands, she pathed one of her palms up to his cheek. She let her thumb brush along his sharp cheekbone, ''You served your time, Blaise,'' Amelie was begging him to stay now, pearls of tears rolled from her skin and landed on his, ''You were supposed to be free—''

Amelie's forehead fell against his, and she banned the world around them.

''Please—'' She sobbed quietly, ''You're too young, Blaise. You can't go, you can't go yet.''

His eyes hooded, on the tipping point of going completely numb, ''Amelie...'' He barely heaved anymore, still a twist in the corners of his parted lips arched, ''Bring hell upon them, Amelie. Let them burn.''

And then — then Blaise Zabini was gone.

The boy who'd earned mercy died in her arms. He faded from the world, and he took a piece of her with him.

She cried, holding onto his body so tightly that her limbs began to turn senseless. She didn't bother to pay any attention to what happened around her until she felt two hands gripping her waist and lifting her off the floor.

Adrian was shouting things at her, but she didn't hear a thing. She only heard that last trembling breath as it fell off Blaise's lips, and it played on repeat in her head, over and over as the boy carrying her settled her in a corner.

Adrian left her in that corner after ripping her breaking self away from Zabini's lifeless body. She was surrounded by the sounds of voices and spells being thrown. She knew she had to fight on her own. Amelie couldn't depend on Adrian to help her while battling the mass of Death Eaters. Not when Blaise had faded from this life right in front of her. Giving his life to keep hers intact.

Her eyes pinched shut, tears still soared at her skin, and she banned all the sanity she carried. Thinking widely, her mind clocked the one thing she could do — something that would require them to take her to Draco.

Inhaling so sharply that it burnt through her. Every nerve in her body shaking, she pleaded for the mercy that this would work out. That if she and Malfoy lived to see another day — he'd forgive her for this.

Looking at the boy, lying dead across the corridor, she dragged her wand out, freeing herself from the cloak Adrian ruled for her to wear, and she whispered the magic to hide her weapon in plain sight. Her wand visibly vanished from her hand, but she still felt it, and she stepped out from the shadows.

''Amelie, don't you fucking dare!'' Adrian shouted from afar, but she shut him out, ''Amelie, no—''

Amelie's whole self was on display for the guards as they stared right at her. Not wasting a minute, she fell to her knees, knitting her fingers behind her neck.

She surrendered.

They marched up to her. One of the men gripped her jaw in a rough move, angling her face towards him, and he studied her for long moments until he yanked her head back, making her chin drape across her chest.

Amelie kept her head down.

''It's her.''

''Are you sure?''

''Look at her. She's a replica of the mom.''

''It really is her.''

''Does she own a wand?''

''No, she doesn't carry a wand.''

''The Dark Lord will be enjoying this.''

''Take her to the chambers.''

''But Malfoy—''

''It's time for him to pay.''

''Without waiting for the Dark Lord?''

''Yes.''

''She was supposed to be taken untouched and unharmed.''

''I don't care.''

''He'll kill you if he realizes that you harmed her.''

''He doesn't need to know. I want to see the look on Malfoy's smug face when we kill her.''

Both of the men snatched Amelie by her arms, and they dragged her with them. Her feet scratching against the stone as they stormed through the hallway. They reached a room sealed with magic.

The doors squeaked as they opened. She was thrown onto the floor. Her bones aching, and her limbs were sore from colliding with the rocks.

Amelie crawled away from them, finally daring to look up. The masked men strode past her, causing her to shift around against the ground, and her breath hitched.

Her heart stopped.

Draco was sitting in what looked like a cage, standing in the middle of the room. The glass-coated roof brought the dimmed light from the clouds to gloom right at him. Chains trapped Malfoy by his throat from all four corners of the squared hutch.

As the men stood in a far corner of the room, whispering to each other and glaring at her from time to time — she rose on her feet. Amelie stumbled up the cage.

Her fingers grasped at the bars, and ice-cold tears spilled down her cheeks as she whispered, ''Draco—'' Lowly, beneath her breath, ''Draco, please—''

Scars and bruises carved into his pale skin. She could cease from life just by the look of him. He looked so beaten, tormented.

''Draco, I'm here,'' She whimpered, clawing at the metal, ''It's Amelie, Draco, I'm here.''

It was her name that caused a reaction from him. A flicker in his closed eyelids as a faint arch in the corner of his mouth twitched, ''Amelie...'' He whispered, almost as if he was dreaming, ''My Amelie.''

''Draco,'' She spoke up a bit louder, ''I'm here, Draco, it's me.''

His head snapped unexpectedly at such a movement that it caused the girl to coil back, but she was quick to stretch closer again, her arm threaded between the bars, and she tried to touch him.

Malfoy blinked, hauntingly as if a ghost had appeared, and he shook his head, loosening himself from his tortured mind.

''No—'' He breathed like someone had ripped him apart. No torture could compare to see her in there without a chance to protect her, ''No, you can't be here. Amelie, leave—''

''Shhh...'' She gasped, withdrawing her arm and the tears kept leaking, ''It's okay, Draco. It's okay. I'm here.''

''No—'' He yanked at the chains that tied him down, ''You need to leave, Amelie. You can't be here. They'll kill you—''

Her heart ached out of the emptiness in his eyes as he realized that there was no way out for them. He was trapped, and so was she.

''Get out, Amelie. Get out and save yourself now, before it's too late—''

She shook her head. The pearls stained her dress as the cuts and marks from the fight caused blood to shade upon her, ''You always say that you will find your way back to me....'' Her voice broke, rips of hurt shredded her soft vocals apart, ''But I will always find my way back to you too.''

He paled, his skin ashen as he felt tears in the corners of his eyes.

He never cried, but he did now with the heartbreaking truth that she'd die in front of him.

Malfoy always said that. He knew he did, and he ever so believed that he'd be able to keep that promise. Never did he think he wouldn't, until now.

He had been trying to escape his imprisonment for days, and he'd failed every time.

Draco gave up. He was determined to face his fate. He was going to die in here and happily so because she was safe. Amelie wasn't supposed to be here. He had made sure that she was meant to be safe if he ever faded from this world, and now she wasn't.

Now she rested on her knees in front of his cage, deemed the same verity he was.

''You need to leave, Amelie. You're not supposed to—''

''I love you.''

That was all she said as she rose from the floor and she backed away.

Amelie couldn't look at him anymore, in case it all went to hell — she couldn't risk him seeing life as she was drained of it.

The door behind her was slammed open, then shut, and more masked men entered.

She could hear, as it was from far away, how Draco was shouting at her, how he was begging her to go and leave him behind. He rattled the chains until blood gushed from his skin.

But she didn't listen. If he was meant to leave this sphere, so was she. If he left, she'd leave too, just like he always told her.

Death Eaters gathered around her, and they all aimed their wands in her direction as one of them stepped forward.

His tone was low and dangerous, ''So the cursed little girl finally came to face her destiny?'' He darkly spoke, ''That's a shame.''

Amelie didn't answer. She kept her eyes closed and waited for the right moment to do what she came here to do.

Moments passed. Cruel words and insults were thrown at her.

'Whore.'

Inhaling as properly as she knew how she peeled her lashes wide. She looked straight at him. Clenching her fist around the wand they couldn't see, and it all shifted so abruptly for her.

'Worthless.'

Thinking about all the lives the Death Eaters had ruined.

'Disgrace.'

Keeping her brother living in secret, her mother hidden from the world, the power they held over her father's head, how they caused Draco to void all his humanity.

How they'd killed her friends in school, they slaughtered teachers, Hermione, Ron, Harry, and now Blaise.

Everyone was taken from her, and all of it combined caught so much fire to flourish within her.

She was sane. She was controlled, never had Amelie went too far. She restrained herself every time. She'd never harm a soul — until now.

Draco was still shouting behind her, crying out plea following plea, but she couldn't focus. Amelie was so angry, so furious. She refused to be chained anymore. She wouldn't be bounded, scared into obedience.

Swallowing all the fears she held for this world, she let herself embrace all the rage as it fumed, and she, with a swift move in front of all the men standing around her — whispered the magic she needed for her wand to be put on an array.

Tears still coated her skin, and she rose her wand up in the air. Amelie shouted a spell to break the glass, allowing oxygen to fill the room and with a beat of her heavy heart.

Amelie whispered, yet crowded with so much power, ''Incendio.''

Flames spiraled from the tip of her wand, catching onto every wall, every piece of furniture in the room. Draco stared shockingly at her from his cage as the deadly firestorm caused the room to blaze.

Death Eaters hazed into mist as they fled the scene. Not even debating the fact that anyone could survive what she'd done and Amelie threw herself to the ground, close to the square Malfoy was captive in, ''Turn away,'' She gasped out, ''Turn away from me now, Draco.''

He startlingly blinked, and he did as she said. His spine facing her, and she muttered, ''Bombarda.''

The first layer of bars shattered to pieces by her magic, and Draco's chains fell to the ground. Amelie set him free.

''We need to leave—'' Flames sparkled around them, ''Draco—''

He was so weak. He'd been going through hell during the days he'd been locked up, and his limbs couldn't take it for much longer.

She noticed, and she bent forward, her arms tugging at his as she crossed it over her shoulder. She helped him with all she had.

Amelie stumbled across the floor with him close to her, trying to use the last of her strength to get them out of there, but he was so heavy to her. She wasn't strong enough.

She knew that she had to make it to that door — as Adrian had told her, she couldn't apparate from within it if she wasn't a Death Eater.

Falling to the ground repeatedly, she managed to get back up, and she pulled Draco with her.

''Amelie?''

The voice caused her to flinch. She lost hold of Draco as he dropped to the ground.

It was her mother, standing with a wand pushed into the brim of her neck and a man having a cruel grip on her, ''Your mother or Malfoy, Avery,'' He spat as the fire spread, ''You don't have time to save both.''

''I—''

''Stupefy!''

Adrian pushed her aside as he appeared surprisingly from behind her. He aimed for the Death Eater, but as his magic was thrown, both the man and her mother vanished out of thin air.

''Amelie—'' He spun around, looking right at her as the flaring flames were closing in on them, ''What the hell did you do—''

''Draco,'' She was shaking, ''He's hurt—''

''Damn it,'' Adrian growled, and he kneeled, flipping Draco's arm across his shoulder, just like Amelie had done, and he trembled from being wounded himself. Never had the boy, even in his most lively dreams, imagined that he'd save Draco Malfoy from death, ''What about you? Are you hurt?''

Amelie rushed a bit ahead, keeping her wand sharp and alert if there'd be any more sudden moves from the darkness around them, ''No, I don't think so, but Draco, he's—''

''I know,'' Adrian grunted, brawling to drag the blond with him down the hallway, ''He'll be fine. We just need to get him out of here, but what the hell happened? Did you just set the entire room on bloody fire?''

''I had to. They were going to kill us,'' She shouted through the flashing fire as it slowly sucked the air out of the corridor, ''I had to save him, Adrian. I had to—''

''Then why didn't you listen to me, why didn't you stay—''

''He always finds his way back to me,'' She coughed at the thick smoke, and it stung in her eyes, ''I need to do the same.''

Gritting his jaws, they reached the door she'd been focused on. She forced the doors apart, ''Here, just get him out here, and we can—''

Shouting cut her short, and she shot the fire a feared look, seeing how more masked men landed in front of it. Amelie knew they weren't going to make it.

If those men came any closer — it would be finished. She couldn't fight more. She was so tired.

''Fuck,'' The awake boy nervously faltered until he met her gaze. He sighed out.

Adrian Pucey knew what he needed to do.

''Here,'' He nodded towards Draco, and she strode closer, just across the ledge of the doorway, and he gently slipped the blond's arms from his and over hers, giving her Malfoy to carry.

''Adrian, what are you—'' Amelie called out for him as he backed away, through the doors and into the corridor again, ''Adrian, stop!''

''I lied to you,'' He muttered as the voices closed in, ''We're not vowed anymore, Amelie. When your heart stopped, mine stopped too, but the Dark Lord never wanted Theodore to know that. He knew that the second my life wasn't of value to you, he'd stop healing me.''

She frowned, feeling as Draco shifted heavier, ''Adrian, what are you—''

''And I lied too because if Theodore knew that we weren't bounded, he'd never come back for me, and I was... lonely, Amelie. I was so lonely in there. I needed him.''

The Death Eaters were so close now, and Adrian smiled. A kind curl arched on his lips as he nodded comfortably at her.

''I was always meant to die for you,'' He said, as he backed further, ''All because I love you, Amelie.''

The girl couldn't breathe, stars began to prickle in her eyes, ''Adrian, please. Don't do this, just come with us—''

He could see how she was stepping forward, settling Malfoy onto the ground, but he couldn't have that. He couldn't risk her safety to save him.

Amelie spent all their time together, saving him over and over. It was his turn to save her.

''Go save the world, Amelie,'' Adrian twitched his wrist, making the doors lock in front of her, and he could only see her through the glass of it now, ''Go save the world, and let me save you.''

''Please!'' Her palms struck the metal, her nails digging into it. Amelie couldn't lose one more person, not even a wicked one like Adrian, ''Please, please, don't do this—''

''Set it on fire, Amelie,''

Her hand covered her mouth as she watched Death Eaters wrestle him to the floor, flames escalating around them. It all passed so quickly, ''Adrian—'' She was crying. Her throat tightened, ''Please don't—''

He couldn't risk getting captured. Adrian needed her to kill him.

''Burn it down, Amelie!'' He shouted through the pain of men bringing hell upon him. Adrian's eyes still hooked in hers through the glass of the door, and he'd rather die than to see her cry for him.

Never did he deserve her tears.

''Burn it down, Amelie. All of it, burn it to the ground—'' Adrian screamed out as they tortured him, right there and then, in front of her, ''Now, Amelie!''

''I'm sorry—'' Her body ached. Her verity crumbled. She couldn't do it anymore, none of it, ''I loved you too, Adrian. I love you.''

Shaking as she nodded quickly, her wand shook so violently in her hand, and she nearly tripped over Draco, still lying unconscious on the stone when she meant to back up.

And then — then Amelie did what Adrian Pucey told her to do. She set the whole of Azkaban on fire.

Amelie burnt every inch of it to the ground. The flames she'd caused unrolled, and the boy that she once loved so deeply went with it.

''Apparate.''

_____