CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE:

Riding on a wolf-shaped Jacob's back was a marked improvement on riding a thestral- for one; I could actually see him (although that wouldn't be a problem anymore, should I ever need to ride a thestral again). And then there was the fact that he was running, with all four of his legs currently on the ground, not flying through the air.

My legs gripped his sides tight, while my hands bunched in the thick fur of the ruff of his neck. It was sort of like riding a horse, his steady gait was oddly soothing, even as he ran fast enough that the wind turned my face numb and made my ears ache.

Alice was right when she warned us of the weather- the wind shook fiercely through the trees around us, and it felt like it was blowing straight off a glacier. The sharp sound of wood cracking echoed off the mountain. Though the thin light of the sun was vanishing as the grisly cloud covered the sky, I could still see the little white specks that fluttered past us.

It took us a little under an hour to reach the point we'd arranged to meet Edward, who was pacing back and forth across the little open space. Flurries were falling around us, but the wind was too fierce to let them settle anywhere.

"Bella!" Edward called out in acute relief. He flashed to my side, sort of blurring as he moved so swiftly. I could feel Jacob cringe and I swung my legs around, sliding off his side. Edward caught me before my feet could even touch the ground and pulled me into a tight hug.

"Thank you," he said over my head. His tone was unmistakably sincere. "That was quicker than I expected, and I truly appreciate it."

I twisted to see Jacob's response, the large wolf dipping its head before making a small noise that sounded almost like a growl, but not quite.

"We'll be at my house tonight," Edward assures him, in response to whatever Jacob had been thinking. I poke Edward, who murmurs, "He wanted to know if we were spending the night here."

"Way too cold," I shake my head, "plus now I know where it is, I can apparate here tomorrow, no problem." Jacob made a sort of growling noise, bounding off towards the murky forest.

"He's going to head back," Edward informs me, his mouth in an unhappy twist as he looks up at the sky above us. It was black now with the storm, sprinkled with the swirling bits of snow- I hoped the weather would clear up before tomorrow so I wasn't hiding out up here during a snowstorm.

I apparated back to the Cullen's house, taking Edward with me, and I kissed him on the cheek before going to find Luna. She was sitting up in her bed, awake, while Malfoy looked basically unconscious next to her he was sleeping so deeply.

I carefully sit down beside her, and pull the thick blankets up so they're covering my legs. "It was pretty bad, huh?" I murmur. Luna sighs.

"I barely managed to convince Draco not to be present for the execution, and then some of the Wizengamot wanted him to stand trial for his part in Professor Dumbledore's death. Harry convinced them that everything Draco had done since accepting the Mark was under severe duress. He was quite impressive, really. Demanded to know how they would have stood up to V-Voldemort, if they would've stared down his wand and stood their ground while he tortured them with the Cruciatus Curse for an indeterminable amount of time, would've continued standing up to him even while he threatened their family's lives and allowed his other Death Eaters to take turns tearing their flesh apart and crushing their bones into irreparable fragments, making their loved ones suffer right before their eyes, only to leave them on the brink of insanity, leave them just that much alive so that they wouldn't even have the kindness of a quick death after they have lost everything, when they didn't even have the balls to say a dead man's name."

Voldemort. Despite Luna's words, I couldn't help but shudder, just the word alone enough to make me cringe inside. I knew it was silly and it was only a name, and the name of a dead 'person' at that, but it was a name associated with fear, death and loathing.

Voldemort had hated everything I was and everything I stood for, and as if that wasn't bad enough, he had done with utmost best to bring everyone else onto his side, and had attracted an immense number of followers. I knew, of course, that this had been because so many people were afraid, but that didn't make it any better. If only more witches and wizards had been willing to stand up and fight, then maybe Voldemort wouldn't have had the opportunity to get as strong as he had; ignorant attitudes had aided his bid for domination and power, and with people scared to even say a dead man's name, it made me wonder what else there had been left for him to taint and destroy.

Still, Harry was right- bloody hypocrites. Condemning Malfoy for his actions, when they would have done the same in his place.

"So he's safe from prosecution then?" I ask, before quickly adding, "not that I care." Luna looks like she wants to roll her eyes, except I've never seen her do that before- ever- and this is no exception. Instead she pats my cheek in a sort of condescending way.

"Yes, Bella, he's safe from any legal repercussions for his actions during the war, except..." she hesitates slightly then sighs. "He's not welcome in Britain anymore."

"What?" I ask, shocked.

"He's been given a month, starting yesterday, to wrap up any business he has in the United Kingdom, before being banned to ever set foot within its borders ever again."

I feel more then just slightly horrified by the idea that Malfoy is being forced to leave the only home he's ever known, never to be allowed back.

"That's harsh," I say, shaking my head. Luna sighs again.

"Yes, it is, but I think it's half for his own safety, to protect him from people who are still angry- so, so angry." She shakes her head lightly, with a small shudder. "They're not scared, Bella, not anymore, and they want revenge." We sit there, silent, for a moment. I speak up first.

"What business does he have to wrap up?" I ask, "you mentioned that they seized Malfoy Manor and froze the Malfoy accounts."

"He's petitioning to have his accounts unfrozen, but Malfoy Manor is considered a crime scene, and Harry said it's going to be pulled apart."

"Oh hell," I say, unable to help feeling sorry. "And there's nothing he can get out of there?"

"Harry told him to write up a list and he'll see what he can do," Luna leans into me, and I wrap an arm around her waist. She looks tired. 

I feel tired, and sort of like I want to lay down on this wonderfully soft mattress and just doze off, but I've got one more trail to set today before I can finally rest.

-

"So how do we do this?" I wonder, aloud. "Should I cut myself and splash blood down, or should I leave signs, like, 'here I am, come and get me'?"

Beside me Luna shivers, drawing her cloak tighter around her body. "I think your scent should be enough," she says, and I nod, blowing on my fingers, trying to warm them up.

It's a little past six in the evening and we're both standing on the stony peak where Jacob had taken me earlier today. Earlier, Luna had claimed that she wanted to talk to Harry about his possible help for tomorrow. I'd been immediately horrified at the thought of including Harry in my problems, but Luna had given me a look and I realized what she was doing.

Edward wasn't aware of the fact I was planning on luring Victoria to me so I could finish this grudge match she had against me for once and for all, but Luna was, and it had been her idea to set a third trail, this one to catch Victoria's attention.

"Okay- so how far do I need to walk, and in which direction?" I ask her and she tilts her head to the side then points in a direction I think is roughly east.

"I'll tell you when to stop," she says and I cast about my fifth Warming Charm since apparating here, and start traipsing through the snow.

Before long, my teeth are chattering against each other so hard I feel like my jaw is going to crack and my teeth all shatter; my feet are frozen, my hands are frozen, my face is frozen and my nose and ears feel like they're about to fall off- and they hurt so much I'll be glad of it. Beside me Luna isn't doing much better.

"God, I'm freezing," I mutter, under my breath, tucking my hands under my armpits.

"It's supposed to be a good sign that we can still feel the cold," Luna offers.

"Well I can't feel my fingers or toes properly," I sigh. "And I'm pretty sure my nose and ears are about to drop off- what sort of sign is that?"

"Probably not a good one," Luna admits. She conjures us two scarves, applying Warming Charms to them, and I wrap mine around the lower half of my face. The snow is falling heavily enough that any footprints we leave behind are quickly filled.

I stumble multiple times along the way, as does Luna, but we manage to keep from falling into the snow, though I do step into a snow drift at one point, and Luna has to pull me out of snow that reaches up to my waist, thick and freezing.

"Th-this is wh-where she'll p-pass," Luna says, finally, and I look over at her hopefully.

"D-does this m-mean we c-can go b-back to th-the warm?" Her apologetic expression makes my heart sink and I groan. "W-we h-have to m-make our w-way back, d-don't we?" I ask, miserably.

"Y-your scent d-disappearing w-would be v-very s-suspicious," she points out, gently.

"W-we were w-walking for n-nearly an hour," I moan.

"And n-now w-we have to w-walk back." Luna says, looking just as miserable as I feel. I sort of want to cry, but I'm pretty sure my tears would just turn into ice and then I'd just be even colder- not that that feels possible.

Pulling off my glove I resist the urge to start swearing, instead I scratch my nails against the scrape on my palm from earlier. Tiny drops of blood well up and I shake my hand, scattering small ruby droplets out into the wind, and the snow.

"L-Let's g-go," Luna shivers as I pull my glove back on, and I gladly agree. I have to squint against the whipping wind and heavy darkness as Luna and I start making our way back to the peak. The trees are sparse and large, pine, and all as deep in the drifts as Luna and I are. My legs feel icy and wet up almost up past to my knees. As I walked, I could feel the dull solid thud of cold pressed patiently against me.

When we finally stumbled onto the open space of the stony peak, I almost did cry, and gratefully grasped Luna's gloved hand with my own. She's the one who apparates us, and I'm surprised when its to Charlie's house, not the Cullens. Then I look at her, and see her blue lips, and the way her hair is plastered to her scalp, and realize that we can't go to the Cullens looking like we've just spent the last few hours trekking through snowy mountains during a snow storm- that would probably raise questions I had no intention of answering.

"W-We need to g-get w-warm," Luna says, and I don't hesitate to strip out of my cold, wet things. Being naked in front of Luna doesn't bother me any more then it bothers her. Making our way to the bathroom, I gratefully accept the towel Luna offers me, drying myself as vigorously as I can make my frozen limbs move, before we both make our way back to my bedroom.

Curling up together under the thick blankets, I can feel my shivers finally slowing. "Well that was awful," I tell her, and Luna giggles, the sound high and breathy, before sobering.

"She'll take the bait," she murmurs. I feel my heart stutter slightly in my chest, before I steel myself.

"Good- it'd be a shame if we'd risked hypothermia for nothing." I say, and Luna giggles again, the sound just as shaky and nervous.

"Is it ridiculous to be so scared of one vampire when we've fought Death Eaters, fought Bellatrix Lestrange, V-Voldemort's best lieutenant, and survived?" she whispers, her voice hushed as though sharing some sort of secret.

"I think any situation where your life is in danger you're allowed to be afraid," I whisper back, even though there's no need to whisper- there's no one else around, Charlie is at Billy's, the Cullens are back at their home, its just Luna and I, all alone in my childhood home. Almost on reflex, I hug her tighter, feeling the still chilled bare skin of her back pressed tight against my chest, our legs curved to fit together, like two pieces of a puzzle slid in place. We stay like that until I can feel the warmth of her skin again where it's pressed against mine.

It's a little past one in the morning and we both dress back in the clothes we were wearing under our thick snow gear, before apparating back to the bedroom Luna and Draco share.

Luna kisses my cheek before tucking herself into her bed, under the squishy comforter, curling up next to Malfoy. I quietly exit her room, and make my way to where I know Edward will be waiting.

"Did you talk to Harry?" Edward asks, and I nod, remembering the cover story, and then yawn. I'm exhausted from my long trek and Edward scoops me up, cradling me in his arms. I don't complain; just let my head rest against his chest. He's cold, but it's a good cold.

"Let's get you to bed," I think I hear him say, but I'm asleep before I even feel him start moving.

-

When I woke up in the morning, it was very bright- the sunlight streaming through the window hurt my eyes. My heart sunk and I sighed, quietly. Edward's lips brushed against my forehead and I opened my eyes. "Morning." I said, glumly.

"Morning, love," he says, his face looking just as miserable as I'm sure mine looks.

Breakfast is a tense affair. I force myself to eat the eggs Edward had cooked up for me, even though I can't taste them. After I dressed in the outfit Alice had laid out for me; thermals, thick, winter-weight socks, waterproof pants, a light fleece top, hiking boots and a quilted forest green hunting jacket. I'd have thought it was overkill, was it not for my memory of the night before, trekking through the snow.

The storm has stopped, at least, and when I step outside the wind is icy, but there's no snow, and the sky is bright above us. Luna and Draco are already outside, waiting. I don't see the rest of the Cullens, and assume that's because they're already waiting for the newborns, ready for the fight.

"How long?" I ask Edward, quietly. He sighs.

"A little under an hour." I shudder, terror flooding my body. I'm not afraid for myself, though- I'm afraid for Alice and Esme and Rosalie, and for Carlisle and Emmett and even Jasper, who more then knows how to fight newborns. I'm afraid for the wolves, the silly, silly wolves who have no idea what a real battle is like. I'm afraid for Luna and Draco and Qiang, all of whom have been dragged into this fight because of me. And I'm afraid for Edward, who I don't think I could ever live without.

As if he's reading my thoughts, an impossibility, for my mind is one of the very few into which Edward will never be able to look inside, my husband-to-be pulls me into his arms, and I cling to him with a desperation that shocks me.

"Be safe," I tell him, and my voice is choked, my throat thick.

"I will, I promise," Edward breathes, before he's kissing me, kissing me with a frantic sort of intensity that has my heart racing and tears stinging my eyes. When we finally pull apart, I can see the agony in his eyes. "I love you." He tells me, and I wipe my eyes with my sleeve.

"I love you too." I tell him, and then he's darting away, vanishing from me. I let out a gasping breath, struggling to pull air into my lungs at the realization that I won't see him again until this is all over.

Qiang squeezes my shoulder and I turn to her, and hug her. Compared to Edward she's warm and malleable and fragile, so fragile, but there's a strength in her grip that has my racing heart slow until I can breathe properly again.

"Are you ready?" she asks me, when I finally pull away. I wipe my eyes again, scrubbing away the moisture on my cheeks, and nod.

"Let's do this," I say, in a voice that only shakes slightly. I hold her hand in mine, and turn, apparating us both to the stony peak where our fight will be taking place. I almost scream when I see that it's already occupied, and my wand is out and pointing at the figures before I realize who they are.

"H-Harry! Hermione! Ron! What are you doing here?" My voice is nearly a squeak, and despite the situation, my cheeks still go pink as I blush in embarrassment.

"I told you I was talking to Harry about his help," Luna said, and I turn to her, my eyes wide.

"I thought you were saying that so we could lay the trail!"

"Technically, I was just saying that," Luna says, thoughtfully, tapping her wand against her lips. "I'd already talked to Harry, earlier, while you were setting the other trail, with Edward and Jacob."

"But... but why are you here?" I ask the Golden Trio, confused, with a small hint of hysteria building inside me. "Why are you helping?"

"Because the DA sticks together," Harry says, with a smile. "We wouldn't just leave you to face off against vampires on your own. We may not be Hufflepuffs, but we do understand loyalty."

"I... thank you," I say, not sure what else I can say. I feel almost dizzy with gratitude and warmth and relief. "Thank you."

I notice Seth, standing to the side, looking awkward, and I remember the Portkey in my pocket. Giving the Golden Trio a relieved smile, I make my way over to him. "Hey," I say, quietly, and he smiles back at me.

"Hey Bella. How are you feeling?"

"I've certainly felt better," I tell him, before wrapping my arms around him in a gentle hug. As his long, gangly arms wrap around me, returning the hug, he doesn't notice the Portkey in my hand be slipped into his pocket.

We gather in a loose half-circle, Luna and Malfoy closest to me. Ron and Harry are talking quietly together, voices too low for me to hear, while Hermione and Qiang are discussing something to do with healing spells and Seth stands sort of awkwardly to the side. I look at my watch and my stomach lurches when I see that it's time.

Seth tilts his head suddenly, and when I strain my ears I think I can hear a low howl in the distance, or maybe I'm just imagining it, because that's what I'm expecting to hear.  "That's my cue," Seth says, and I realize my mistake when he strips off his jacket, then his t-shirt and jeans, toeing off his runners. Dressed just in his boxer shorts, Seth gives a short of shake before his form seems to explode out, a tan wolf standing where the young teenager had stood before, while the portkey, along with his jacket, lay in the rumpled pile of abandoned clothes beside him.

I swore internally, but I didn't have time to try and think up a back-up plan, because Seth let out a sharp growl, and my heart started pounding hard enough to break my ribs.

There were times that called for the use of ancient and powerful words, the acknowledgement of humans in a crisis everywhere and every-when, since language was first invented, and seeing two vampires entering the clearing, instead of just one, was one of those times.

"Shit." I said.