Selene || Remus Lupin

Ch. 61 - And Then He Was Gone

"Merlin, this place is huge. I mean, how does someone find their way around here?"

"Selene," Sirius hissed. "You've said that like seven times now."

"She talks when she's nervous," Remus said. "Haven't you noticed?"

The trio was carefully following Moody's lead through the Department of Mysteries, accompanied by Tonks and Kingsley as well, and Selene felt as though her body was vibrating with anxiety. She couldn't believe that just an hour ago, Sirius had burst into the kitchen to tell Remus and Selene that Harry had somehow escaped Hogwarts with a group of his friends and ridden off to the Ministry, all with the intent of rescuing Sirius – who had been safely asleep in his bed at Grimmauld Place.

"This is the door," Moody growled quietly, tapping a door ahead of them with his wand. "The kids are in here. Are we ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Selene said under her breath. On either side of her, Remus and Sirius exchanged a glance over her head.

"Let's go," Moody said, and he kicked the door open.

Selene hardly had time to take in the scene. The room was deceptively large and made of stone.  In its center was a large dais, on which stood a fluttering veil – one that made Selene dimly wonder how it was moving if there was no breeze. Standing on the dais were a dozen or so Death Eaters, some recognizable to Selene – Bellatrix, Dolohov, and a particularly familiar man with long blonde hair – each holding one of Harry's friends captive.

When her eyes had found her brother, she – without hesitation – raised her wand and yelled, "STUPEFY!"

Lucius snarled, diving out of the way.

And the fight was on.

"Find Harry!" Sirius shouted to her, running in the opposite direction, pursuing a dark-haired Death Eater.

Selene nodded to him, turning on the spot. There were red and green jets of light soaring overhead, several whizzing past her, narrowly missing her, but she kept running, her eyes searching for Harry desperately.

Then, something hit Selene in the center of her back, knocking her flat onto the ground. There was a loud, sickening CRACK as the front of her face collided with the floor, and blood gushed out of her nose, coating her lips and teeth. She could taste it before she could feel the sharp pain that travelled from her face to the back of her skull, settling into an overwhelming throb. She pushed up on her hands and knees, trying to quickly gain a sense of who was attacking her, but then her head was yanked backwards, as someone grabbed the ends of her hair and pulled her off the ground with them.

Selene screamed; she could feel strands of her hair parting with her scalp. Black spots danced across her vision.

The pressure on her head was suddenly released, and Selene gasped for breath. Then, a hand seized her throat, yanking her upwards onto her feet – she gagged – and then her eyes met her brothers'. Her chest heaving, she managed to glare into Lucius' eyes, determined not to show weakness.

"A – brax – as," she choked out, glaring at him through her gradually darkening vision.

"What?" Lucius hissed, and he momentarily squeezed tighter, causing Selene's eyes to water.

She steeled herself. "A-Abraxas," she managed, and then she spat a mouthful of blood into his face, watching in satisfaction as he reeled backward, loosening his hold on her windpipe.

"You leave his name out of your mouth," he said darkly, pulling his wand from his cloak and jabbing it into her throat so hard that she could hardly breathe.