she isn't what she says

Chapter 21: Relief

Just as the Dark Lord was about to speak, every Death Eater in the room's marks started moving. That was strange, Bellatrix thought to herself. Everyone was in the meeting, then it dawned on her. Valencia is in trouble. She's asking for help. She then screamed and nearly collapsed.

"VALENCIA'S IN DANGER!" Bellatrix shrieked. No one was used to seeing her like this, but Valencia's her daughter, one of the only things that actually means something to her. "Bellatrix, Lucius, Draco, Theo, Yaxley, Fenir and Doholov, you are going to go and rescue Miss Lestrange."  The Dark Lord ordered. "She's one of my most important Death Eaters, she needs to be safe!" He demanded before all the names that were called quickly dissaparated in search of Valencia.

That's the only thing she can think of–This is not happening–as if somehow, thinking it is going to douse the flames and save everyone–as if it made the truth any more bearable, any less terrifying. The Death Eaters had arrived at the Burrow, where Valencia was being held captive. Valencia knew it was them as the house was now on Fire.

Worried about not getting answers, Bill continued to interrogate Valencia. "I'M NOT GOING TO ASK THIS AGAIN, WHERE IS THE DARK LORD AND YOUR FELLOW DEATH EATERS?" She continued to smirk and laugh not giving in. "I'm a loyal Death Eater, Bill, I will never give in." She smirked playing with the ropes which were tying her down. "You will need a great deal of luck to get out of th-"

"I think my luck is already here." Valencia interrupted as soon as the fire reached the room in which they were in. The fire surged throughout the burrow, the flames creeping through the tunnels and out into the surface, spitting at the nights sky. The burrow's entrance was glowing crimson, plumes of black smoke billowing out into the sky, fogging the air. Bellatrix rushed to the burrow, trying to make out anything through the flames below. "VALENCIA!" She shouted, coughing as she breathed in the smoke. "VALENCIA, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

There was no reply. Bellatrix's heart sank.

She was still inside.

Bill continued to shoot spells at the Death Eaters including Bellatrix. However, Bellatrix is too quick for him and she hurtles the killing curse straight towards him. His limp body soon falls to the ground. Five down, she thought to herself. Bellatrix was looking everywhere for her daughter but she couldn't find her.

This is not happening, Valencia thinks, and falls to her knees while the heat and smoke burn her eyes, hands grappling for the sky, for a friend, for anything to hold onto. Her small body can't take the smoke anymore so she collapses....

                                                                            *    *     *

Valencia woke up with a pounding headache, disoriented as she tried to make out where she was and whose beard was tickling her nose. The immediate feeling of being trapped eased into comfort as the heaviness of Theo's arm around his hip grounded her. So much time had passed since she had allowed somebody that kind of intimacy, so it was a strange yet wonderful feeling.

They lay leisurely on the bed, Theo half sprawled over Valencia, softly kissing her neck and shoulder while Valencia was on the verge of dozing off. This time, she didn't jump straight out of the bed to clean herself up, nor did she even think about doing that; there would have been time for self deprecation later, she couldn't really do that while Theo was kissing and cuddling her like she was the most precious thing he had ever touched.

Valencia turned her head a little to focus on the satisfied smile of the man beside her, "You really are a teddy bear," she felt Theo's warm laugh on her skin and she couldn't help but smile back, her hand coming up to stroke Theo's arm lazily. "Is that why you got the bear tattooed?"

"Kind of, I felt like it represents me and," Theo took a deep breath and turned more serious, "every tattoo has a meaning or a memory linked to it," -he placed a little kiss on Valencia's lips, his eyes piercing and expressive and Valencia understood there was so much more he wanted to say and so much Valencia wanted to discover about the man- "nothing is random."