Written for 335 Pairing Bonanza on HPFC (AliceSeptima)

They Didn't Deserve This

The Ministry had become a dark place as of late; forlorn and scared. Alice's work as an Auror wasn't what it used to be with common people reporting every noise they heard as a Death Eater trying to break through their protective charms. Rather than focussing on what was important – stopping Voldemort – she was running across England assuring every witch and wizard that what they heard was just a cat attacking another cat and not the Killing Curse being cast. On top of that she was seven months pregnant with swollen feet and a very large belly. She was not cut out for this work right now.

"Alice!"

Alice spun to the voice of her husband and was walking briskly her way. He seemed worried.

"Frank? What is it?" she asked, panic climbing into her voice. Frank was the most relaxed man she had ever known. For him to look so concerned, something bad must have happened.

"It's the Ryans," he said. "They're dead."

Alice's hand covered her mouth, blocking a gasp. "What?"

Frank gave a solemn nod. "Massacred," he said. "Children and all."

Alice bowed her head. The Ryans were their Muggle neighbours; a beautiful family of four they had become dear friends of Alice and Frank since they had moved their seven months ago. Heather and Dean Ryan were in their early thirties with a little boy and girl they loved dearly. Just the other day, their daughter Emily had given Alice a bunch of flowers because she had helped her to tie her shoelaces.

A tear trickled down the pregnant woman's cheek and Frank drew her close, rubbing a hand up and down her back.

"They know," he whispered and Alice nodded into his chest. No further explanation was required. The Ministry was being infiltrated and Albus Dumbledore's secret order had been discovered. Just the other day Marlene McKinnon and her family had been attacked in their home, killed. They were getting to each Order member one by one.

"We'll be okay, Alice," Frank assured her. "All three of us will be." He placed a hand on her large belly and smiled. "I won't let anything happen to you or him," he promised.

Alice returned his smile and took his hand in her own. "I know, Frank," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I know you will. We'll be fine." She kissed his hand. "That poor family."

Frank nodded. "They'll be honoured," he said. "They didn't deserve this." He kissed his wife's cheek and then her lips. "Try not to worry." And with that he turned and walked back the way he came.

Another tear trickled down Alice's cheek. How many more would they lose before this was over?

…

The howling wind was enough to wake Alice from her already restless sleep. Every creak or bump in the night startled her lately and it was becoming increasingly exhausting to get up the next day and head to work.

A quick glance to her left told her that Frank couldn't sleep either for he was nowhere to be seen.

Working, she mused for she couldn't bear to think of any other possibility as to why he was not home.

Another gust of wind howled against the glass window and that was enough for Alice to get out of bed. Lighting her wand for guidance she crept through the dark hall and down the stairs into the kitchen which had been left a mess for the past week. She had been so busy with the Ministry and the Order that she had barely had any time at home. Frank was the same and that meant little housework had been done since.

She managed to find a mug and a teabag which she filled with boiling water.

This will never end, she thought as she sat down at the kitchen table. It was covered in weeks of Daily Prophets with each front page showing the terror Voldemort and his followers had brought to the wizarding world.

The wind continued outside as she sipped on her peppermint tea, thinking of the Ryans and how they had been innocent pawns in a power game they knew nothing about. Alice thought of all the possibilities that could have prevented what had happened, but in the end there was nothing that could have stopped them. The Death Eaters would have just found another way to hurt Alice and Frank.

"I will not let anything happen to you," Alice whispered, placing her hand on her belly. "I'd rather die before they hurt you."

"Well it seems to be his lucky day then, doesn't it?"

Auror training had taught Alice to react quickly. Even pregnant she was quick to her feet with her wand pointing in the face of someone she had come to recognise over the past months.

"How did you get in?" she demanded of Bellatrix Lestrange, who also had her wand out.

"Make a move and you die," Bellatrix hissed, not answering Alice's question.

"Kill me then," Alice spat. "Try your hardest."

Bellatrix sneered, delight etched on her dark features. "I'd be delighted," she said. "You and your spawn."

Alice placed her hand on her belly and gripped her wand tighter. No, Bellatrix could not kill her. Not while she was carrying her child.

Bellatrix laughed manically, throwing her head back. Her eyes returned to Alice. "I can't kill you anyway," she said. "I'm under strict orders to bring you back alive so we can fish information out of you."

"I'll tell you nothing!" Alice snapped.

Bellatrix ignored her again, but turned her head slightly to the side. The movement caused one of the stupidest mistakes Alice had ever made – one that would have her kicked out of the Aurors if they were to ever find out. She laxed in her hold for just a moment.

Seeing this, Bellatrix whipped back with her wand and shouted, "Potrificus Totalus!"

That was it. Alice's whole body stiffened and all she could do was lie there as Bellatrix and two more Death Eaters came in to retrieve her body.

Before Rabastan Lestrange placed a bag over her head the former Black witch leaned her filthy face close to Alice's. "We will get information out of you," she said, and although Alice couldn't feel it she knew what Bellatrix was doing.

If she didn't give them what they wanted she would harm her baby.

She would harm her dear, baby Neville.

…

Alice woke to a cold breeze coming from somewhere to her left. She turned her head, groggy and stiff from having been stunned, and then slowly sat up. She was in some kind of basement, she was positive. They had taken her here to torture her.

"You too, huh?"

Alice jumped, turning the other way.

"Who-who are you?" she stammered, backing up. If this person was a prisoner too, Alice doubted she'd harm her, but she couldn't take any chances.

"You don't recognise me, Alice?"

Alice squinted to get a better look at her companion and then nodded. "Septima," she said.

Septima Vector had been in the same year as Alice at school. A Ravenclaw, they had shared many classes together, but in particular Advanced Arithmancy in their Sixth and Seventh years.

"Why do they have you here?" Alice questioned. It made sense to hold her as she was an Auror as well as an Order member. But as far as she knew Septima was just a Hogwarts teaher.

"Information from the school," Septima answered plainly. "I assume, at least. I made a mistake going to Hogsmeade to collect some supplies. They were waiting for the first person to show up and I was it." She shrugged. "My mistake."

"I'm sorry," Alice said.

Septima shook her head. "Do not apologise when you are here whilst you are carrying a child," she said.

Alice didn't respond, but rested her head against the stone wall. "Where are we?" she asked.

Septima shook her head. "I don't know," she confessed. "One of their safe places, I assume. Why else would they put bags on our heads?"

Alice nodded. "Oh, this is just awful!"

Spetima moved closer until she was but an inch from Alice. She reached out her hand and took it in her own. "It is," she agreed. "But we will get through it, I promise. Whatever you do, do not give them anything."

Alice sniffed. "If I don't they'll hurt my baby."

"Oh." Septima was silent for a long while, thinking. Eventually, she patted Alice's hand. "Do what you must," she said and left it at that.

Tears flowed freely down Alice's face as they were left in silence. Would she even get out of this alive, or were these her final moments? Would she even get to meet her baby boy or would he perish in these dark rooms too? So many thoughts went through her head in those moments and she didn't know what to do. She just wanted to get out of this alive and give her son a chance to survive. If that was all she managed then she would be a very happy woman.

…

Days passed and nothing happened. Once a day food would appear – a bowl of less-than-desirable oatmeal and a glass of water – but that was all. Every once in a while noise could be heard from above and some screams which suggested they weren't the only two prisoners being held there.

It wasn't until the fourth day that something actually occurred. Alice had just settled down to try and get some rest when footsteps echoed on the stairs leading down to the basement. A moment later an ugly, unrecognisable face appeared.

"Ready?" it asked in a grizzly tone.

It was unclear if it was talking to Alice, Septima, or both, but neither of the young women responded.

"Stand up!" the voice snapped.

They obeyed.

"Over here."

Both of them moved to the door which separated them from the hideous creature (for Alice was not convinced he was all human).

"You first." He looked at Alice.

"No!" Without warning Septima moved to stand in front of Alice who was about to listen to the being in front of them. "No, you take me and only me," she said.

The creature ignored her. "Come here," he said to Alice.

Alice turned to her old friend with pain in her eyes. "It'll be okay, Tima," she promised.

Septima shook her head. Tears had now formed in her eyes and she looked set to grab Alice's hand and drag her away. Alice wouldn't hear of it.

"I'm an Auror," she said. "I'm trained in this. It is my job to stand up to these people and that is exactly what I will do." She placed a hand on her belly. "He'll be fine too," she said. "I know he will." She spoke with a confidence she did not feel, but she was not going to let Septima know that. She had to do this. There was more at stake than her own life or… "I'll be back."

She squeezed her friend's hand and allowed the creature to open the gate. Seeing that she was willing to go he did not grab her, but instead led her up some stone steps and into an atrium that was almost as dark as the basement was.

"Well, well, finally we meet again." Bellatrix greeted her with a wicked sneer that set Alice's teeth on edge. The woman in front of her was capable of anything and wasn't worried about how many people she hurt in the process. She was dangerous and Alice needed to treat her as such.

Alice swallowed hard, glaring at Bellatrix. "I'll give you nothing," she stated.

Bellatrix only laughed. "Oh, you will," she said, and she placed her hand on Alice's belly. "You'll tell me anything I want to know."

Alice didn't flinch – she refused to. "I'll give you nothing," she repeated.

Bellatrix only laughed again before she walked away to whisper something to another body in the room – Lucius Malfoy. Lucius sneered and removed his own wand from his robes. He looked Alice directly in the eye and said in a cold, deep voice, "I have no doubt, Longbottom, that you will give us all the information that we need. CRUCIO!"

Alice's screams echoed off the walls of the atrium and carried all the way down to a sobbing Septima below.

…

Alice was woken by a damp cloth being placed on her forehead. It was Septima, her soft hands gentle on the wounds she had received from Lucius.

"I'm so sorry," Septima whispered once she realised Alice had returned to consciousness.

"You… you have nothing to be sorry for, Tima," Alice whispered.

Septima smiled. "It was torture listening to you from down here."

"I gave them nothing, Tima," Alice said.

"I know. You did well."

Alice placed her hand on her belly. Was her baby okay?

"We know one thing now," Septima continued, dabbing the wet cloth on a facial wound. "They really want what information you have. If they didn't they would have killed you there."

Alice swallowed. Septima was right. They thought she knew something important.

"I don't know how much longer I can do this," she then confessed, a tear escaping. Her body ached from what they had done for her. She was weak and big and was not as agile as she could be. She was terrified they would break her.

"You can," Septima said. "If anyone can, you can resist them. Think of your child. Think of your husband. You can do it." Her hands caressed the wound of Alice's face and the woman's closeness brought her comfort. She was right. She had to resist for Frank and Neville's sake.

"I can do it," she said.

"You can."

…

It was Septima's turn two days later and her screams brought tears to Alice's eyes. It was torture no matter where they were and hearing the other was as painful as if it were being done to them.

The pain went on for weeks. They would come every few days, but neither gave into their requests. When a week passed with nothing happening Alice dared to think that perhaps they had given up.

"No," Septima said. "That is what they want us to think."

Alice chuckled.

"What?"

"Perhaps you should have been the Auror," she said.

"No way!" Septima laughed. "You think I have the patience for that?"

Alice smiled, reaching out her hand for the woman who she had become so close to. "I do," she said.

Septima smiled, squeezing back. For a long while they sat in silence, mulling over what had happened to them. Alice thought of Frank and how worried he would be. Was he searching for her? Were the Aurors involved?

Of course they would be!

"It's funny where life takes us, isn't it?" Septima's voice interrupted the silence they had become so used to.

"What do you mean?"

"I dreamed to be a Hogwarts professor, live peacefully there until I was old. You never think about death, do you?"

Alice shook her head. "No," she admitted. "You don't.

"There's a lot of things you don't think about," Septima continued. "I suppose we all think it will be a happily ever after ending." She looked at Alice with pain clearly on her face. "You have been a good friend to me these past weeks, Alice."

Alice smiled. "So have you," she responded.

Septima laughed, looking at her new friend with deep emotion. Alice returned her stare, heart beating inside her chest for a reason she could not explain.

Septima's hand reached up to stroke the healing wound on her face. Alice shivered at her gentle touch. "You've been such a good friend, Alice." And she leaned forward to place soft lips on Alice's cold ones.

The beating of Alice's heart increased as she responded to the kiss without much thought. This was a woman she had grown close to, someone she cared for deeply. Here they were, alone and close to death with only each other for comfort….

Septima deepened the kiss, drawing Alice closer. Her fingers tangled in her matted hair until they were almost one.

They broke away, breathless and sweaty, foreheads pressed together. Spetima kissed her forehead.

"Thank you for being the last one I kiss, Alice," she whispered. "I will die happy knowing you were there."

Alice refused to leave the woman's embrace, but she shook her head. "I will not be the last one," she said. "You will find someone better than me."

Septima pecked her lips once more. "There is no one of the like," she said seriously and she rubbed her hand over Alice's belly. "But I know if we were to escape, it could not be."

It was the first time since it had occurred that Alice felt guilty for what had happened. She was still alive, and while she was, she was still married to Frank. But she had come to love the woman with her, too.

"You will find someone to love you, Tima," she said. "Someone who loves you as much as I love you."

Septima smiled. "If that is the case I'd be happier than words could explain." She broke away and looked at the woman in front of her.

Smiling, Alice leaned forward one more time to kiss her dear friend. "I love you, Tima," she whispered. "I love you so much."

It took me a while to come up with an idea, but once I did I couldn't stop. I had fun writing this pairing, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please let me know what you thought if you read it. Thank you! HPFC is always an inspiration for challenges and Harry Potter writing. I would love to see you there!