The World and Her Stars

Chapter Fifty

ROSE POV

"Clear the table! Ginny, grab the Dittany and bring it here!" Molly ordered as August was carried into the bunker.

"Hermione, get Draco a crest, now. One for Daphne as well. Make it quick. I don't know how long the magic will be able to account for the sharing." Arthur ordered.

It was chaos amongst the bunker, as people were being bandaged up left and right.

"Here...here, here, here. They are already activated just put them on before you untangle yourselves." Hermione threw Blaise and I the crests before running off to help Ron with his broken nose.

I clamped a bracelet similar to Blaise's onto Draco's wrist before retuning my locket back to around my neck.

"What is this?" Draco looked at the jewelry with suspicion.

"Look," I turned his forearm up and pulled up his sleeve. "We're free."

Draco did a double take of his unmark, smooth forearm that no longer bared that evil mark.

"We're free." Draco replied. "Holy fuck, Rose."

He pulled me into a tight hug again, panting in disbelief.

"We can all hug and rejoice later, Rose. We are getting August down to the medical room, and I need you all to join me in my study right away. Alright?" Arthur raised his eyebrows and waited for my response.

"Okay, okay. I'll take them there right now."

Arthur smiled and nodded and went off to help move August, who was groaning in pain.

As soon as we got into Arthur's study, I was engulfed in the arms of Blaise Zabini.

"Blaise..." I sighed in relief, hugging him tightly back.

"I've missed you, Eros." He mumbled into my shoulder.

"I've missed you too, Zabini." I smiled warmly. "And Daph..."

I pulled away from Blaise and immediately wrapped my arms around Daphne.

"When did this happen to you?" I mumbled.

"After you...were gone. It was supposed to be Millicent, but I volunteered for her. I couldn't let either one of them get sucked into this." Daphne replied with a weak smile.

"Where are Pansy and Millicent?" I asked, pulling back from our hug but keeping my hands on her forearms.

"Back at Hogwarts." Blaise answered with a tinge of pain in his voice. "Severus is headmaster since Dumbledore passed. He's not letting anyone leave."

"Fuck sake..." I sighed, pressing my cold hand to my forehead.

"How the fuck are you alive?" I heard Draco asked behind me.

I turned around and nearly cried at the look on his face.

It was a mix of immense disbelief and astonishment. His eyes were soft and full of hope.

"Dolohov killed my mother. That was her on New Year's Day, not me. Someone...someone switched our places. I was knocked out and brought here, and she went out there and died so You-Know-Who would think I was dead." I recounted, stepping towards me slowly, "H-how are you alive? They said—"

"You thought I was dead?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

I nodded, looking up at him a little bit, "When I got here...August told me you were dead. That Dolohov killed you. He didn't seem the least bit surprised you were alive. No one did really it's like they—" I looked down at the floor and blinked for a few seconds, "Like they knew you were alive."