This chapter contains mentions of blood, death, and violent actions. Please read with caution.

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She'd almost forgotten what he scented like.

Isla had nearly misremembered how his hands felt wrapped around her, how he always pressed her back against him. She'd forgotten how warm he made her feel, even if he looked at her in a way that caused her heart to shatter.

She swallowed the words she wanted to speak, how much she wished to tell him that she never wanted him here, that she didn't ask for this, that she told Theodore no when he suggested that they'd ask for his help.

''Nott,'' Draco looked over her head, still standing close, ''Let me take care of that, so you can keep your little witch in check.''

Her heart ached. It craved to stop beating as he shouldered his way past her.

She was always his witch, his sweet witch. Now she wasn't anymore. Isla had to swallow again, hard and solid, to get rid of the lump lurking in the back of her throat.

Draco stormed up to Theodore, both of them rapidly nodding towards each other as Theo stepped back, making room for the blond to do as he wished.

Malfoy aimed his wand at the corner wall of the construction, and he fired a spell that caused the wall to shatter, to make the whole of it explode, but just as the ruins of stones were meant to crash down above all of them, he lifted his hands, mumbling a spell to turn the stone to water.

It felt like a heavy storm poured over them, and the mumbling of guards echoed from inside the shattered wall. Draco shot them a glare over his shoulder, cocking his head for them to follow him.

Isla was too stunned to understand as Theodore gripped her arm, dragging her with them further down the prison until they could take shelter behind the opposite corner of the building.

Whispering another spell, Draco waved his hand, and an opening in the wall suddenly showed, ''Get in, Nott. Take her with you,'' He harshly snapped, and Isla's eyes widened. He didn't even address her. He didn't speak to her. He didn't even look at her, ''Now.''

Draco acted like she wasn't even there.

Isla hated him more now.

She snuck behind Theodore into the basement of Azkaban, her steps timid as they all halted. Draco sealed the hole in the wall, and he turned to face them. Once again, he looked at Theodore, ''Did you tell her about the spell?''

Isla frowned. Her head snapped to look at the brunet too. His jaws slightly gritted as he watched the displeased mantle taking over her, ''What is he talking about? What spell? When did you go to see him?''

Theodore raised his brows before furrowing them, and he reached his hand up to scratch the back of his neck, ''Perhaps we shouldn't do this right now, love.'' He said, locking his gaze in hers, ''There's a spell that all children of Death Eaters can do to portray as one.''

Isla scowled, ''What are you—''

''For fucks sake,'' Draco cut her off, nodding towards Theodore's wand, ''Just fucking show her.''

Theodore rolled his eyes at the blond before he rose his wand, mumbling a spell that had her take steps back. Isla was gawking at the mask appearing on his face, the cloak as it magically draped over his shoulders.

''Like that,'' He muttered, shooting a nod towards Draco as Isla spun around, discovering that he'd done the same thing. She couldn't see if he was looking at her now. It felt better, not seeing if he spared her as much as a mean glare.

If she only knew how much Draco Malfoy was staring at her behind that mask. If she only understood how it took all of him not to throw himself at her right there and then.

''Now you do it.'' Theodore clocked her back to being, making her turn back to him, ''We don't have much time, Isla.''

''I'm not—'' She cleared her throat, brushing her hair off her shoulders, ''I didn't have the mark. I'm not like you.''

''Doesn't matter.'' Theodore said, pulling the cloak properly over his chest, ''We had the mark removed, but that doesn't matter either. It's about your blood. Your father was a Death Eater when you were born, yeah?''

Isla nodded as Draco tensed, remembering everything she showed him.

''Then it's in your blood. We were taught this spell by Professor Snape years ago, long before we got the mark. You can still use it even if you never had the mark.'' Theodore began to sound impatient, ''Just do it, Isla. We don't have time—''

She crossed her arms, backing up from the both of them. She shook her head, ''Isn't this really stupid?'' She asked, eyeing both of the boys down as they stepped to stand next to each other, ''I mean, three death eaters walking around? Without a guard?''

Both Theodore and Draco flipped the masks off their faces, staring at each other and the fact that they never thought about that.

''And you two have the audacity to call me both a maniac and a brat?'' She muttered to herself, rolling her eyes as she pulled her own wand out, aiming it at her chest and whispering the magic to change her pants and shirt into a guards uniform, similar to the ones she'd seen Ministry workers wear, ''Let's not call me names anymore when you both are more like them than I am, yes?''

Draco gritted his jaws, ''How come you didn't think about—''

''How come you didn't think about—'' Theodore fired back.

Isla sighed. Snapping the hair tie off her wrist, she began to gather the length of her hair to tie it up in a ponytail. Her deeds had both of the boys quieting down, staring at her with wide eyes.

''What?'' She frowned, before her entire face fell into a mess of annoyance, ''Oh my God. Disgusting, both of you.''

Theodore grinned, still looking at her, while Draco quickly looked away, swallowing so hard that she heard it.

Marching forward, she reached for Theodore's hand, tangling her fingers with his, ''Let's keep those thoughts to ourselves, shall we?'' Isla taunted them, dragging Theo with her down the darkened hall to where the smaller corridor connected with a larger one.

They halted as Draco cleared his throat, ''Wait.''

Turning around, she saw his wand twitching in his fist, and magically two sets of chains wrapped around both his and Theodore's wrists.

''What—'' She frowned as he tucked his wand back into the sleeve of his cloak, ''Really?''

Draco didn't speak anything to her back. He simply reached the ends of the chains to Theodore, ''Give her those.''

Isla rolled her eyes, snatching the metal out of his hands, ''I'm standing right here,'' She snapped, rudely, ''I'm literally right here. Stop acting like I'm not.''

Draco still didn't answer her, neither did he spare her as much as a glare.

''Fine,'' Yanking at the metal, she caused Draco to stumble forward, ''If you want to act like a child after you hurt me and walked away, fine.'' She forced him even closer by another tug at the metal, his chest nudging hers.

Looking up, she stared blankly at the mask he was carrying. She could nearly feel how he was holding his breath, ''But don't you dare forget that you are the one on my leash now, Malfoy.''

Isla took a rapid step back, glaring annoyingly at him before she turned around and continued her way down the corridor.

''Fucking hell, mate,'' Theodore grumbled silently, ''I'd behave if I were you.''

''Shut up,'' Draco lowly growled, ''Just shut the fuck up.''

Tugging the boys with her through the darkness, they slightly stopped at every corner they passed, looking out for guards and Ministry workers. They had a cover indeed, but to unnecessarily walk into someone was something they couldn't afford.

''The fifth floor, right?'' Theodore asked hesitatingly as they reached the stairs, ''That's where they keep the inmates standing trial?''

''Yes,'' Both Draco and Isla spoke at the same time, looking at different directions every time they felt like they were looking at each other.

Theodore gave them both an awkward glance, nodding for Isla to walk up the stairs, and she did.

It didn't take long until Draco noticed how Theodore tipped his mask down, slightly looking the girl up and down as she marched up the stairwell.

Grimacing disgustingly underneath his own mask, he shouldered his friend to the side, ''Focus, shall we?''

Theodore smirked, biting down his lower lip, ''As if you're not thinking the same thing?''

Draco stopped altogether, angling himself towards Theo, ''Show some God damn respect—''

Isla threw her head back, groaning irritatingly at the both of them before she flung around, pushing herself between them, ''First of all,'' She harshly whispered, her head snapping from Theo to Draco and back, ''Stop sexualizing every little thing I do. I can't tie my hair or walk up the stairs without the two of you acting like horny fifteen-year-olds.''

She had both of the boys gulping.

''Secondly,'' Her eyes leveled the blond, ''You don't get to lecture anyone about respect when you've spent the last year disrespecting me every damn chance you get.''

Theodore pushed his lips tight, looking away not to chuckle out.

''So I'd suggest for the both of you to start behaving, or I'll tie you to a wall so you can get all this sexual frustration out on each other and do this on my own.''

''Yes, ma'am...'' Theo grinned at her, ''Anything you say, love.''

The curls showing from underneath his mask had her heart hammering, her cheeks flushed, ''Good,'' She tried so hard to stay severe, ''Can we do this now? Are we done messing around?''

Draco's head tipped to watch the steps they were standing on as Theodore kept her mesmerized by his charm, ''We're done messing around, mom—''

''Don't—'' She cut him off, pushing her hand against Theo's shoulder, ''Behave, Theo.''

''Fine,'' He yanked at the chains, allowing her to move up the stairs again, ''We'll continue this conversation when we get home—''

''For fucks sake—'' Draco snarled, gritting his teeth, ''Just fucking go.''

''Jealous, are we?'' The brunet kept provoking, silently as they all kept moving up, ''I'd ask you to join, but you're not even looking at her, so that would be kind of hard....''

''You're fucking disgusting, Nott.''

''I'm the disgusting one? As if you didn't suggest that a few months back—''

''Shut up!''

''Why? You act all tough and cold now, but I remember that night you came in drunk and asked me to join—''

''Keep that fucking mouth shut—''

''Ask her to make me—''

''You God damn—''

''What? It's not like you said you didn't care a few days ago, right?''

''Just shut the hell up—''

''Oh, believe me. She'll have me quiet—''

''Enough!'' Draco cut Theo off, so dangerously that he actually stayed quiet now, ''I don't want to fucking hear it. Keep that damn sarcasm to yourself.''

''Sarcasm?'' Theodore smiled behind the metal, ''Who said I was being sarcastic?''

Isla sighed, loudly but she didn't fight them anymore. Reaching the first, the second, the third, and lastly, the fourth floor, she just ignored both of them. Not wishing to give them and their childish comments more attention than she already had.

''Here,'' She said, making them both stop again, ''There's supposed to be guards covering most of the fourth and fifth floor, so we have to—''

''Wand and Name, please?''

Her eyes widened. Her veins iced at the voice coming unexpectedly from behind. Both of her boys lowered their heads, portrayed as inmates being taken to their cells.

Isla spun around, meeting a guard who was at least twice her length, ''I—''

''A girl?'' He quirked a brow, not even giving the two Death Eaters behind her any attention, ''And a young one at that...''

Isla swallowed hard as she narrowed her eyes in his. She could feel the hostility radiating around him almost immediately, ''You wanted to see my wand?''

He let his tongue graze over his lips, eyeing her up and down, ''I'd like to see more than that.''

She grew visibly uncomfortable, arching back as he closed in on her. His beard covered most of his face, his hat pulled down over his eyebrows, ''That's a truly inappropriate thing to say—''

''Is it?'' He chuckled, shooting a swift look across his shoulder to see that the other guards weren't paying attention to them, ''I think that it's more than appropriate—''

Draco cleared his throat grimly at the way the guard was speaking, and it caught his senses. He looked up from Isla, noticing the two masked men standing behind her. Chains rattled as both Nott and Malfoy tried to keep themselves from losing their minds over his choice of words.

''Death Eaters?'' The man scowled, reaching for the notepad in his chest pocket. He flipped through the pages, ''We don't have any Death Eaters being processed today.''

Isla watched that twitch in the man's brows, the smirk as it faded from the corner of his lips. He knew. She could see how he came to the realization of them breaking in, and she began to panic.

''You asked for my wand—''

The guard laughed out, hewing her off rudely as he snapped his fingers, earning the attention of his co-workers, ''You thought you got me there, didn't you?'' He stared down at her, approaching her in a way that had her whole body crowd repulsively, ''A girl like you being a guard? Hah!''

Isla tried to conceal her shaking hands, clenching her fingers hard around the chains.

He traced his wand towards her, tucking it underneath her chin, and he brought her face up to properly see her, ''A girl like you belongs tied up at the gentlemen's club downtown.''

She could almost hear how both Draco and Theo's breaths ragged. Nearly could she feel how the rage was steaming around them.

''You're not even in proper age of being a guard, but you're just the right age for someone punishable down at the club.''

The other guards standing around them caught onto his words, every single one of them turned to the trio.

Her eyes broadened, seeing how all the guards raised their wands. Isla raised her wand back, straightly pointing it at the man speaking to her.

''This can go one of two ways, miss,'' He said, pinning her down with his intense stare, ''Either you surrender, hand over the two Death Eaters and we take you to the Ministry for evaluation, or you fight me, and you end up in a cage downtown.''

She drew a harsh breath as the tension around them all thickened. Everyone was held on complete edge as they waited to see what her next move would be.

Catching how both Draco and Theo's chains slightly shifted in her hand, she smirked provokingly at the man, causing him to drop his arm to his side, letting go of her chin.

''These two?'' She asked, raising her brows innocently, ''You want me to hand over these Death Eaters?''

He nodded.

''Suit yourself then.''

He frowned confusingly as she willingly handed him the chains, and just as he was meant to grab them — Isla whispered a spell that caused the metal to wrap around his wrists, and she quickly stepped out of the way.

Theodore yanked at his chain, making the man fly towards him, and with his arm wrapped around the guard's throat, he grinned underneath his mask, ''Only two options, you say?''

Draco scoffed, taking his hand up and lifting his own mask off his face. He stared at the man being held in Theo's grip, ''That's what you say about the marriage law too, isn't it? Two options? Two choices?''

Isla looked at the two boys as they taunted the man.

Draco rolled his tongue across his bottom lip, and his eyes for so a brief second snapped to hers. He finally looked at her, ''Looks to me like there are three ways this can end.''

That had heart heartbeat ringing in her ears, her chest tightening, and even if she knew he wasn't speaking to her — he was. She knew he was.

''Now...'' Draco continued, looking back at the man with darkness staining his irises, ''What were you saying to the lady over there? That she'd be suitable for your disgusting little gentlemen's club?''

The man gulped, and he nervously shook his head at the guards around them, making them stand down until he had control of the situation again.

''Remind me to burn that shit down, will you?'' The brunet asked Draco as the blond nodded in response, ''Can't have filthy places like that in London, can we? But for now... Do me the honors, Malfoy?''

Draco gripped the man by his hair, tugging his body away from Theodore and placing him straight in front of him. The guard was a tall man, but both Theo and Draco were taller, ''So... What were you saying to the girl?''

''Draco...'' Isla whispered, shaking her head, ''What are you....''

Malfoy ignored her as he settled his hands on the man's shoulders, ''Not so tough anymore, are we? Weren't you just speaking filth to her?'' Giving the guard's shoulders a hard squeeze, the man whined. Draco smirked, ''Let me tell you a little secret, mate.''

Theodore backed up, getting ready to fight the other guards that would storm towards them the second Draco did what he so viciously craved to do.

Isla held her breath, feet away. Something was wrong. He was too calm. Draco was too sincere.

She had no idea what he was about to do.

Malfoy's hands slowly moved up to the sides of the guard's head, holding his skull solidly in his palms. He leaned in, whispering, ''No one talks to our girl like that.''

''Draco!''

The sound of bones cracking echoed in path with her scream. Slamming her hand over her mouth, her chest tightened, and her eyes pinched shut.

Draco snapped his neck.

Malfoy broke the guard's neck with his bare hands, and he caused his body to helplessly fall to the ground. Cocking his head, he stared down at the numb man, ''No one.''

What followed Malfoy's actions was a nightmare.

Isla had seen a lot in her life, but nothing like this.

This was vile. This was more violent and excruciating than anything she'd ever witnessed.

The guards threw spells as they brightened in red color, trying to hit them all, but Theodore and Draco were quicker, throwing loops of green shade back and knocking out guard following guard.

They worked so rhythmically, so calculated with each other that Isla couldn't help but to think that this wasn't their first time fighting together.

Draco fired attacking spells while Theo secured them all three with protective ones. Slowly, they worked their way back to the staircase, giving Isla the chance to sneak upstairs and free Leo from his imprisonment.

''Go!'' Theodore shouted, blocking a spell from hitting her, ''Go and get him!''

''No—'' Draco growled, throwing himself to the side in order to escape a flash of cruel magic, ''Not alone! Are you fucking insane?''

Isla waved her wand in front of her, securing both her and Theo from being hit, ''They're too many, Draco. You can't—''

''The hell I can,'' The blond breathed as his magic scored loudly around them, numbing almost every guard fighting them, ''She's not going alone!''

''Damn it,'' Theo looked over his shoulder, seeing how more guards came from upstairs, ''They're too many, Malfoy!''

Draco spun around, staring blankly at the sea of uniforms storming down the steps, ''Fuck, watch out—''

A flash of green light aimed at Isla was thrown, and just as the cruel magic was meant to hit her, Theodore forced her into the wall, slamming his palms into the stone on each side of her, shielding her with his own body.

Her eyes snapped, her chest heaved against his, and for so a second, it felt like time slowed, like something unreal happened.

The curse hit Theodore in his back, and it caused him to frown, looking down at her with his jaws clenched.

Isla knew that spell. She'd learned about it in school. It was supposed to have him fall, to torture him like he'd never been tormented before, but It didn't.

Theodore didn't even seem bothered with the feeling of knives as they tore through his body, ripping him open from the inside out.

He didn't even blink.

Instead, he kissed her forehead, taking in that little moment of her standing pressed against him before the boy simply shook his head, letting his nails claw against the wall for a short second until he turned back around.

''Theo—'' Isla trembled, both shocked and confused that the magic didn't affect him, ''What the hell—''

''Get upstairs!'' He shouted, protecting her from another loop of light as it flew against them, ''Go get Leo, and get down here!''

She gulped at the severity in his vocals, and she did as told. Sneaking closer to the stairs again, she protected herself from the magic being thrown at her.

''I said no!'' Draco tried to argue, but neither of the boys had any chance of going with her, ''It's too fucking dangerous, she'll get hurt—''

''You can't fight them on your own!'' Theo yelled, aiming his wand and causing guards to fly across the corridor, ''And neither can I!''

Draco gritted his teeth, looking right at her for so a short minute. It almost looked to her as if he was sorry, as if he apologized with his way of looking at her, as if he didn't mean to leave her when he did, as if he would never leave her again.

Clocking back to being, he yelled at her to run. Draco shouted at her to run and to hurry.

Isla did.

She fired spells at the guards running down the stairs, making them fall to the ground as she stumbled her way across them. It still didn't feel real to her, almost as if she was frozen in time, almost as if it wasn't her moving her body, as if she was looking at herself from a distance as she fought her way past the armed men.

Reaching the fifth floor, she was heaving out of control. Panting and gasping for her breath, Isla tilted her spine against the wall, hearing how Draco and Theodore still battled on the floor below hers.

She took just a second to gather herself before she arched off the stone, tipping her head forward to see how many guards were standing outside the cages. To her surprise, the floor echoed emptily.

Not a soul in sight, she felt confident enough to move. Tiptoeing her way across the corridor, she looked through every hole in the doors to find Leo.

It took her minutes, several stretches up on her toes to see through the bars, and as she leveled the last door — her heart ached.

It hurt and ached and shattered within her as she watched her best friend sitting curled up against one of the corners in the tiny room. It wasn't humane what they'd done to him.

His clothes were the same as when he was taken. The only difference was that they were ripped and torn to pieces over his skin.

Bruises covered most of his body, his hair shaved, and a number had been carved into his neck.

She swallowed hard at the heartbreaking position he was put in before her knuckles lightly struck the door, ''Leo?''

Her voice had him flinch, forcing himself up so quickly that she took steps back from the opposite part of the door.

Both of them stared at each other, and it seemed to her as if he needed to blink, not once, not twice, but three times until he grasped that it was actually her standing there. His best friend.

''Isla?'' He whispered, shaking his head, ''Is this the magic again? Is this a trick?''

''Leo,'' Isla tried to comfort him. She couldn't even begin to understand what he'd been through the month he was locked up in that cell, ''It's me, Leo. I'm here.''

''No—'' He began to look around, snapping his head to the top corners of the room, searching for something, ''It's the game again... You're playing me... You've been here before. Mila was here yesterday... It's the magic. It has to be—''

''Leo—''

''No, magic... it's magic, magic, magic...''

''Leo, look at me.''

''Wicked magic... cruel magic...''

''It's me—''

''You think it's better now... that fairness rule this world but no... it's magic... magic everywhere...''

''Leo, what are you—''

''In the corners... in the walls... it's magic... it's magic... it's magic...''

He was so repetitive, so constant in the way he meant to convince himself that she wasn't real.

Isla shook her head, not even being able to imagine what they had done to turn him into this, into someone that was so far from the boy she knew.

''It's not magic, Leo. I'm here. I'm right here—''

''Then where is your mark?!'' He burst out shouting. It had her wincing back, ''You said he marked you! You said that he carved his name into you! But it's not there... it's not... it wasn't there... I looked for it...''

He withdrew again, hunching down on his feet with his arms wrapped around his legs.

''Magic, magic, magic....'' He kept mumbling, ''I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy. I'm not crazy.''

Isla had to think about what he meant, battling the reality of time running out and the belief that guards would storm in at any moment.

''Mark?'' She whispered to herself, ''What mark?''

''Magic, magic, magic...''

''The mark!'' She heaved out, her mind reaching what her best friend meant, ''I have the mark, Leo! Look—'' Isla dragged the shoulder of her shirt down, revealing Draco's initials, ''Look, Leo. I have the mark—''

The boy buried his head in his crossed arms, repeating the same word over and over, ''Magic, magic, magic...''

She looked at her sides, making sure that no one was there to catch her off guard, and then she looked back at Leo. She was running out of time. They needed to go, and they needed to go now.

''I'm sorry—'' She said, backing away and aiming her wand at the door, ''But we don't have time for this—''

Isla threw a spell that caused the whole floor to vibrate, and the door shattered to dust in front of her.

Rushing inside, she kneeled right at where the boy was seated, her hands grasped at his jaws, forcing his head up, ''Look, Leo. It's me. Look, the mark. It's here.''

She dragged her shirt down again, showing him the initials 'D.M' as they scarred over her collarbone, ''See? It's me. I'm here.''

Tears prickled in Leo's eyes as he stared so emptily at her, flicking his sight down at the mark and then back up, ''It's you?''

Isla nodded rapidly. The tie in her hair loosened slightly, ''It's me, Leo. I promise it's me.''

''It's you—'' He cried out, throwing his arms around her and burying his head against her throat, ''It's you—''

''It is,'' Isla hugged him back, but she was quick with withdrawing again, nervously looking over her shoulder, ''It's me, Leo, but we need to go—''

''Go?'' He frowned, confusingly, ''Is it time for the trial already?''

''No—'' Isla grew more and more impatient, not even wanting to think about the chaos downstairs, ''We're breaking you out, and we need to go, now, Leo.''

''Breaking me out?''

''Yes—''

''No!''

Isla froze in her movements, ready to stand up on her feet and help him do the same, ''What? Leo, we don't have time for this. We haven't spent a month planning to do this, for you to refuse. We need to—''

''A month?''

Isla blinked, puzzlingly at her friend as he stood up on his own in front of her, ''Leo, what—''

''What do you mean a month? It's been two days?''

Her eyes caught onto his bruised skin, his cuts, and marks over his shaved scalp. Her heart ached so vividly, ''Oh, Leo...''

''It's been—''

''No,'' Isla quieted down, slowly waving her head, ''It's been a month, Leo. You've been locked up here for a whole month.''

''A month?'' He asked, and the tears in his eyes started to fall, ''But father said... He said he would only keep me in here for a few days. Isla? He wouldn't do that to me, right? He wouldn't—''

That look on her face. That beaten, sorry look on her face had his heart ripped out, his lower lips quivering, and just as he was meant to kneel again, to cry and weep over his father's betrayal, she wrapped her arms around him, and she pushed him against her.

''I'm sorry, Leo. I'm so so sorry...''

''He—''

''I know,'' She comforted, ''I know, Leo. I know, but you can't think about that right now because we have to go. We have to leave now. Draco and Theo is downstairs, and we need to—''

''And Mila?''

Her heart ached again.

''She... She couldn't...''

Leo nodded, arching back from her as he wiped the tears with the ripped edges of his sleeves, ''It's been a month. I can't blame her.''

''We'll figure it out,'' She said, snatching his hand in hers and pulling him with her, ''Alright? We just need to get back to Theo's house, and we'll figure it out.''

Isla and Leo snuck their way through the fifth floor, cautiously moving down the stairs, and to her surprise yet again — Draco and Theo stood with their hands on their hips, panting for air.

Guards spilled chaotically over the floor, both deceased and unconscious.

Theo had a bleeding lip. His jaw bruised as Draco leveled forward, taking his chin in his hand and angling it up to see that it wasn't broken, ''Looks fine, mate.''

''What about you?'' Theodore tipped his head, staring at Malfoy's misplaced shoulder, ''Want me to take care of it?''

''Yeah,'' Draco swallowed, closing his eyes and preparing for the pain of Theo snapping his shoulder back in place, ''Just do it on three, I don't want to—'' His own grunt cut him short, stumbling back at the way Theo did it without him being prepared, ''You God damn idiot, I fucking told you—''

''Guess I'm faster,'' Theo smirked amusingly as he wiped the blood off his lips.

''That's not always a good thing, you know?'' Malfoy taunted him back, ''If you being too fast is why Clarke came to me—''

''And then came right back to me—''

Draco rolled his eyes as he spoke, and he hushed so rapidly. He quieted down the very instant he watched her step down the stairs, with Leo close behind her. Theodore scowled at his silence, knowing that Draco wouldn't miss a chance to offend him, and he looked back at what his friend was staring at.

''Love—'' He breathed, turning around in his shoes and marching up to her. Theodore slammed himself against her. Catching her jaws in his palms, he took in every inch of her, studying her face with an intense gaze to make sure she wasn't injured, ''Are you alright?''

Isla nodded, tilting her forehead to his as he bent down. She just wanted to be close to him. The shock of what they all just went through still had her trapped.

She closed her eyes, ''I am now....'' She whispered, her mouth close to his, ''Are you? Are you— Theo, you're bleeding—''

Shrugging her comment off, he tried to wipe more off the blood gushing from his lip, but she swiftly brushed his hand away, doing it herself, ''I'll fix it when we get back,'' Isla said, holding him tight.

A shy arch curled on his lips at her words before the blond cleared his throat behind them.

''Perhaps we should—'' He met her eyes with a look so drained in sorrow, it hurt looking at her, ''Go back—''

''Leo,'' Theodore nodded towards him, standing with his back facing Malfoy, ''Good to see you again, mate—''

Isla didn't have a chance to think. Her sight was so tangled with Malfoy's, so burnt and sworn to the icing eyes he carried that she barely caught the movements behind him. Isla hardly noticed how a guard raised his arm from the floor, pointing it at the blond boy.

Her arms were still bolted around the brunet, holding him as she found that slight movement in the corner of her eye.

No one else noticed. No one else understood what was happening.

Isla tried to shout Draco's name, but the blond boy wouldn't move. He didn't understand. He didn't even get that it was his name she gasped out.

Panicking. Isla panicked, and before she, herself, could come to terms with what she'd done — light ripped through her body. A flash of green light pierced her to the ground.

Isla had wrestled her way out of Theo's arms, and she threw herself at Draco, pushing him back just in time for him to escape the cruciatus curse. It hit her instead.

The pain ate her alive from the inside. It fed and tore and ripped her to pieces. It burnt her skin, stabbed her within, carved her skull open. She couldn't think. She'd never felt pain as intense as this one.

Isla whimpered lowly as Draco caught her numb body in his arms just before she struck the ground.

Dark.

Everything turned so dark around her.

Gone.

Everything faded.

_____