Malfoy Wedding Ⅳ

A particularly loud scream pulled Rowan back to the present. Her brain and eyes seem to come into focus. A shining bubble-like shield surrounds her and Severus. Brightly colored hexes and curses splash harmlessly against the bubble shield unable to break the powerful spell.

The pale, tight-lipped figure of Aunt Georgine firmly stands before Rowan and Severus with her wand unfurled as she firmly maintains the magical shield around her great-niece and nephew. She would not fail them. She would protect them.

Recalling the presence of Regulus and Sirius, Rowan glanced around in confusion only to find they were gone. An unknown part of her brain supplies the much-needed information. In the very instant the killing curse hit Abraxas Malfoy, Walburga Black without any hesitation had instantly grabbed her two sons and apparated away with them to safety.

The rest of the Black family had instantly apparated as well except for Orion Black. Out of courtesy or respect, Orion Black remained behind as Georgine Prince covered the front and took the brunt of the attacks with the shield spell, while Orion attacked from behind at the otherwise engaged enemies.

With a fierce barrage of spells being cast on both sides, Rowan blinks again to see the desolate figure of her grandfather kneeling next to a still-warm corpse. Blinking again as if her eyes and mind didn't quite understand what they were seeing, Rowan gazes in bewilderment at the heartbreaking scene before her. Suddenly the puzzle pieces begin to snap together into place with a horrifying loud clatter. Her grandfather was cradling her grandmother, Sirsa, in his arms.

A soft almost inaudible whimper caused Rowan to flinch at the soul-cutting sound. Turning around in her haste, she almost trips in haste as her heart aches in staggering pain at the unbearable sight before her. She meets the opal-colored eyes of Severus which glitter with equally terrible heartache.

A terrible ache cuts across Rowan's chest like a lightning bolt striking a tree in half. Unable to stand the sight, Rowan finds herself whispering rather numbly, "Shh," while covering Severus's tearful gaze with one of her hands and pulling him into her arms, and turns her face away from the unbearable sight.

Severus doesn't even fight her as he usually would and limply allows himself to be held burying his face into Rowan's shoulder. Much like when they were children, Rowan whispers softly into his ear repeatedly, "Shh, don't look. Don't look." For they would be safe if they did not look.

Rowan didn't know how long they stood there, but when the barrage of spells finally ceased to roar around them her mouth was terribly dry. She felt cold and empty inside, unable to weep. Yet a terrible pressure is forming inside of her.

The bubble-like shield around them flickers for a second before vanishing. Georgine lets out a tired sigh at having maintained the defense spell for so long without letting so much as a single hex or curse pass through. She kept her promise to keep the children safe.

Georgine winces as she flexes her fingers that hurt from having so tightly gripped her wand. Glancing down, she notes that her knuckles and fingers are ghastly pale from her painful grip. A rustle behind her causes her to immediately whirl around to only find Orion Black holding up his wand and hands in a show of peace.

Georgine tilts her head in a tiny bow towards Orion in a show of her gratitude. Orion at any other point in time would have flashed a smug smile at Georgine Prince's gratitude, however, on this occasion he could not muster such a light-hearted emotion. "It was my sworn duty, nothing more," Orion hoarsely said.

Georgine nonetheless nods her head at Orion Black again, before turning to face the front. Georgine grows stiff as she takes in the figure of her older brother cradling the oh-so-still body of her sister-in-law, Sirsa. Georgine must have gasped in shock for Orion whirled around and also froze upon witnessing the tragic scene.

Orion opens his mouth to speak to only close it again at finding his mouth so very dry. His finger tightened around his wand as a trace of anger and pain can be seen on his face. Today was supposed to be the happiest day for his niece and to be nephew-in-law. And yet, why had it been so unjustly destroyed?

Despite Georgine's pain at the loss of someone who she considered more than a friend, but rather a sister, she blinked the moisture from her eyes. Pulling herself together, Georgine turns toward the children. Tucking her wand into her gown, she gently pulls the children apart and cradles them at her side.

"Come now, children, let's get you home and in bed," Georgine croaked not waiting for a reply. She only glanced up once to meet the cold, desolate eyes of her brother, Reginald. Reginald merely nodded at her in gratitude as she swiftly apparated away with the twins to Prince Manor.

The three of them all too soon landed on the gravel path at the edge of the woods, 7th Meadow Lane. The air is warm and humid as birds happily chirp in the woodlands, while squirrels and various other critters scurry around. A swarm of swallowtail butterflies emerged from between the trees and circled around them playfully before fluttering on their way.

The heartwarming scene does little to warm their frozen hearts. The three remain standing there beneath the warm sun for some time until in a rare gesture, Georgine gently reaches down to take one of the twin's hands into her own, before tugging them along behind her. A slow trail of tears is still dripping down from Severus's opal eyes when Rowan glanced up at the sky in surprise.

There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and yet Rowan had clearly felt a drop of water fall down her face. Blinking in disbelief, Rowan brings her free hand to her cheek to only find that it is wet-. With tears? She couldn't even recall the last time she had cried.

Georgine hid her sorrow much better than the children, constantly blinking the moisture out of her eyes, never allowing a single tear to fall onto her cheek. The walk across the green lawns of Prince Manor felt extraordinarily long.

Georgine's lips twitch with some emotion at seeing the two small figures waiting for them on the white marble steps of Prince Manor. Dawn loudly sniffed as Tadbey hugged his wife to his chest. They had felt the painful tearing of the binding vows between the house elf and the Lady of the house, Sirsa Prince. They had known instantly without a doubt that Lady Prince was gone never to return.

"Miss Georgine!" Dawn cried out with tear-filled eyes as Tadbey merely kept holding his wife up in his arms.

"And the master?!" Dawn bitterly asked, while her innocent son, Laldey remained sound asleep in his cradle.

"Reginald is with her," Georgine hoarsely whispered as Dawn burst into tears. "Prepare the manor to hold her body until cremation. And send for the craftsman to engrave the stone tombstone that is to be placed in the Prince family graveyard."

"We will," Tadbey obediently replied for once, before gently dragging his sobbing wife away.

Georgine glances down at the children and tugs them along to her quarters. It had been some time since Rowan had been to see Georgine's quarters, but she found that she couldn't appreciate the gorgeous artwork and exquisite furniture pieces. It seemed as if nothing in the world would ever seem right again.

Pulling off her outer robes, Georgine pulls the covers back from her bed, before solemnly saying, "Climb on in, you, two."

Rowan and Severus didn't need to be told twice as they both shed their robes and kicked off their shoes. The twins cuddled together in Georgine's bed as their heads lay to rest on her lap. Georgine softly hummed to the children until they fell asleep or at least pretended to be. Wiping a tear or two from her eyes, she patiently waited for her brother to return. No doubt, it would be much later, but he would return home.