29. THE ASTRONOMY TOWER

                                    

                                          
  "I warned you not to get involved with him, you know!" Theo hastily recalled as they scurried up the stairs towards the Great Hall. Lucy knew the plan like the back of her hand. Despite Draco's best efforts, Lucy would not let him carry out the task alone. 
"That's really helpful to hear right now, Theodore!" she snapped as they climbed up the dungeon stairs.
All of a sudden an abrupt bang and shouting echoed from above. Lucy began to bound up the remaining steps, desperate to see what was going on. Someone was shouting rather aggressively now, and the sounds of dueling filled their ears. 
"Lucy wait—!" Theo hissed under his voice, gripping her arm to pull her back. "At least look before you just jump into a bloody fight!"
She paused and cautiously peeked around the cool stone wall to see what exactly was occurring. It was dark, but she could make out about a handful of wizards and witches, dodging one another's curses and hexes that were erupting from their wands. Lucy noticed some were wearing all black, and presumed them to be Death Eaters. The chamber was an absolute mess, parts of the wall crumbling and scorched from the amount of curses flying about. However, her attention was quickly diverted to the flash of pale blonde hair that caught her eye as she watched Draco repel a curse that had nearly singed him. 
Unfortunately for Theo, the impulsive girl immediately ran towards her boyfriend, blowing their cover, to join the fight. She could feel Theo right on her heels as they urgently dodged a Killing Curse that whizzed right by them. A blonde Death Eater had began to shout and fire off the curse at random, turning the room into a death trap. 
"They don't know which side we're on yet!" Lucy told Theo as they ducked under a piece of rubble as yet another curse flashed towards them. It burned into the thick stone that protected them. 
"And which side is that, exactly?" cried Theo, fear evident in his voice. 
"I don't know!"
As she glanced over the rock once more, she noticed Bellatrix Lestrange dueling with what looked like her former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin. She also noticed multiple bodies lying on the floor, lifeless. 
"Avada Kedavra!" the brutish blonde Death Eater roared as he now noticed the two hiding behind the rubble.
"Protego!" gasped Lucy, shielding her and Theodore from their almost-imminent death. 
Theo pushed his sleeve up, showing his Dark Mark. "We're one of you, you fucking oaf!" 
This seemed to get the Death Eater to leave them alone momentarily. Suddenly, Lucy watched as Draco took off up the staircase to her right, one that led right to the Astronomy Tower. However, someone else had noticed Theo's bold remark, and she now had more pressing matters at hand.
"Evenin'," growled a big, rangy man with matted black hair and rasping bark of a voice. His voice sent chills down her spine, it was nothing like Lucy had ever heard, and it terrified her. She could smell a powerful mixture of dirt, sweat,and, unmistakably, of blood coming from him. His filthy hands had long yellowish nails.
"Greyback," Theo greeted calmly, casually putting a protective arm around Lucy. His name, she recognized. He was a werewolf, as well as a Death Eater, known for his strong hunger for flesh.
"And who's this pretty, sweet little thing?" he growled, baring his sharp, pointed teeth. Her eyes grew frighteningly wide as she watched blood trickled down his chin and he licked his lips slowly, obscenely.
"She's with Malfoy," Theo said cautiously as they backed up against the stone. "I wouldn't try anything," 
"Surely Malfoy wouldn't mind if I took just a bite," he leered, drawing closer to Lucy to drag a grotesque nail down her jawline. Lucy whimpered in fear, her eyes not leaving Theo's as her heart pounded rapidly against her chest.