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Alastor had made many rules during his lifetime. He had lived through one war, and was now in another. Rules kept him safe; rules kept him alive. The most important rule he had was the only one had had broken. And by God was he paying the price for it.
He had sworn to not let anyone in, people cause pain, people make you weak to others. And if it was anyone other than her, he wouldn’t have gone against his rule. But it was her, and he had broken his rule for her.
She was the sun. Lights seemed to shine brighter around her. He could almost believe there was a happily ever after for him if she was there. But she wasn’t, not anymore, and life isn’t made of fairytales.
Her last words still rung around in his head, never letting him have a moments rest. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine her saying it once more: “Alastor? Are you here to break me out?”
The corridors of Malfoy Manner were cold, almost as if Death himself haunted the walls. On any other day, Alastor would have thought twice about being here, but it wasn’t any other day and he wasn’t on any other mission. He was here to find her and bring her home.
Tonks and Kingsley had taken the two floors above ground, leaving the basement for Alastor to hunt through. He usually preferred to be alone when out for the Order. It meant that he had one less back to look behind.
The solitude would be something he would come to treasure and resent.
The basement would’ve better suited the title of dungeon, he noted as he passed by the arches, looking up and down to find her. He had almost missed her with how small she made herself.
His approach was slow, as not to startle her. She had been through enough without Alastor adding to her torment.
“Alastor? Are you here to break me out?” She said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I’ve got you now.” He said as he moved her body into his own, trying to warm her with his body heat. “I’ve got you; you’re safe. I’m here.”
If he was capable, he would’ve laughed at what he said. “You’re safe now.” She wasn’t safe, and he hadn’t saved her. He had failed her.
He didn’t notice the blood flowing from her abdomen until the stickiness of it had reached his fingers and by then it was too late. She had lost so much blood. He hadn’t realised just how much blood there was in the human body. It was fascinating just how much could gush out in a manner of seconds.
Pushing his hands into the wound, he tried to keep her awake. “Now. None of that. Keep your eyes open. I need you to keep your eyes open.”
But it was for naught. He had come to late. He had been too late to save her. He had brought her home, leaving Tonks and Kingsley to find their own way back. He had cleaned her up, brushed her hair, and taken her wedding ring from where she left it in the bathroom and placed it back on her finger.
He laid her to rest alone.
It was only as he walked away from her grave did he realise the depth of his situation. The true consequence of breaking his cardinal rule. But he would be damned if he wouldn’t do it all over again.