James had been dragged away by two men who Rose realized were Rodolpholus and Rabastan Lestrange.

"Don't touch her," James pleaded, "Take me. Leave her alone."

"That's very noble of you," Bellatrix stated. "Shut him up," the women ordered.

There was a sharp pain in James's leg and he collapsed in their hold. He hissed as he tried to right himself. He wasn't sure what had happened but he was sure it wasn't good.

Rose held her head up high despite the fact that she was terrified. Bellatrix circled her, looking her up and down, "I'll give you three seconds to make the right decision."

"I already have."

"Crucio!" she shouted and James's eyes widened as Rose was flung a foot or so across the room. "Try again," Bellatrix suggested.

"No," Rose protested through gritted teeth.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix exclaimed, her wand pointed at the girl and anger laced in her features. James felt the color drain from his face and he fought against the hold of the men holding him.

"Rose!" James shouted as he struggled against the grip of the two Death Eaters who held them back. "No! Rose!"

She crouched down, "How about now?"

Although clearly in pain, Rose took the close proximity as an opportunity to spit in the women's face.

The women scowled as she stood and pointed her wand at the girl, "Crucio!" Rose's body writhed and thrashed as she did her best not to scream but failed.

James tried to get to the girl and while he knew it was pointless, he continued his efforts anyway, shouting for the girl.

After what felt like a lifetime, Bellatrix moved so that she sat on the girl who was attempting to get away but was barely able to move. The girl's body twitched under her as she spoke, "I think I've made your options clear," the woman informed her.

"Rose!" James shouted again but Bellatrix was quick to shut him up with a spell.

"You have a choice," Bellatrix said pointedly. "For reasons unknown to me, the Dark Lord values your skill despite your dirty blood." She leaned closer and Rose tilted her head to the side to avoid looking the women in the eye.

Rose's eyes caught James's and he kept fighting against the men's grip. She turned away from him quickly, unwilling to look him in the eye while whatever was bound to happen, happened.

Bellatrix grabbed Rose's chin and forced her to look her in the eyes, "So, what is it, Mudblood?"

"No," she answered definitely and Bellatrix scowled. Rose had no time to fight as a dagger was dug into the skin on her forearm. She let out a blood curdling scream as the tip of the knife dug deep into her skin.

Rose's vision blurred as the pain washed over her body and the psychotic witch continued to engrave her skin. She bit down on her lip, drawing skin as she tried to prevent herself from screaming but failed.

James closed his eyes, unable to bear watching the girl in pain. His heart rate had increased significantly and he continued to try and call out for her but failed due to the spell.

He stopped fighting the Death Eater's and they loosened the grip. He took this as an opportunity to yank himself forward, miraculously escaping their grasp.

He ran as fast as he could and as soon as he was a foot or so away, he threw himself at Bellatrix, sending them both across the floor and away from the girl.

The women reached for her wand but James was quick to act, tossing the wand closer to where Rose was. He didn't need magic for what he was going to do.

He raised his hand and brought it down on the women without a second thought. The crack of her nose breaking echoed throughout the room and blood immediately gushed out. He raised his hand again, sending it straight toward her face.

Confusion washed over him as he realized that no one had tried to stop him. The Death Eaters who had been holding him back somehow gone.

He raised his hand once more but before he could hit the women someone had grabbed a hold of his arm. It was a small hand and certainly didn't have enough strength to actually be successful at holding him back but he could recognize that touch anywhere.

James looked up to find an exhausted Rose looking down at him with pleading in her eyes. He looked down at the women in front of him and he scowled, wishing he could finish the job before he searched her quickly, finding his wand as well as Rose's a moment later.

He stood up and swiftly held Rose's weak body up. He brought them toward the center of the room and picked up Bellatrix's wand which had rolled into a pool of blood. He took it in his hand before snapping it in half and tossing it at the unconscious women.

He tightened his grip on Rose before apparating the both of them. As soon as they landed outside the Hogwarts gates, James and Rose fell to the ground. James propped Rose up and sent his Patronus into the school quickly to retrieve help.

"Rosie," he muttered as he took the girl's face in his hand. "Rose, can you hear me? Are you in there?"

She said nothing in response, her sight vacant. She was breathing, he knew that for certain but she was unresponsive. His gaze flickered down to her forearm and his heart stopped at what had been engraved. Mudblood.

James closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head. There was a noise from up ahead and his head shot up. He wrapped his arms around the girl protectively and despite her essentially catatonic state, she leaned into him.

"Who's there?" a familiar voice spoke up and James couldn't help but let out a breath of relief.

"It's James Potter," he announced. "And Rose. I need to get her to the infirmary. Er..." he trailed off for a moment in thought, remembering the new rules that had started being implemented as the war waged on, "In my first year, you pulled Sirius and I into your office and told us we were a couple baboons who needed to pull themselves together but had the potential to be great wizards if we only applied ourselves."

"And that you are." The gate unlocked and a light shone over them, "What happened?"

"It's a long story that can be told another time," he informed the women as he stood up, lifting Rose up in his arms. The redhead rested her head against his chest as her hands rested limply on her stomach. "I need to get her to Pomfrey."

McGonagall nodded before guiding them through the school. She offered to levitate Rose but he refused to let her out of his hold.

They entered the infirmary where Pomfrey appeared to already be up and working with a student. She peered out from behind the curtain and her eyes widened. "What happened?" she questioned quickly as James lowered the girl on to an empty bed.

He quickly grabbed a hold of her uninjured hand and looked up at Pomfrey, "You can fix it right? You can make it go away?"

Pomfrey grew confused at this before Rose's free hand fell limply at her side. She let out a faint gasp at the sight and even McGonagall's breath hitched in her throat.

"Can you?" he asked. If she had to live with this on her arm for the rest of her life, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. He didn't know what she would do.

"Prongs?" someone spoke up from the other side of the curtain. His head shot up at this and he grew confused as he realized it was Remus. How long had they been with the Death Eaters if it was already the morning after the full moon?

Pomfrey had disappeared to retrieve supplies for Rose and McGonagall crossed the room and moved the curtain seeing as there was no way James would release the girl's hand.

Remus's eyes widened as his sight fell on Rose. He sat up in his bed, "Merlin, what happened?"

"Death Eaters," James said as explanation.

"I'm going to retrieve the Headmaster," McGonagall announced before she left the room.

"Death Eaters did this?" he asked. "How?"

"In Hogsmeade, there was a Portkey," he explained. "Rose grabbed it and we were transported to a Manor. I think it was the Lestrange Manor but there's a chance it could have been Malfoy's." He shook his head as he looked down at Rose. "They wanted us to join him. They didn't like it when we said no. Especially when she did because-" his breath hitched in his throat. Because she was the word written on her arm.

Pomfrey arrived and immediately set to work. "I want to get a look at you too, Potter," she informed him and he shook his head. "You look rundown."

"I'm fine," he answered quickly. "It's her. She needs the help. I'm fine."

"Prongs, she's right," Remus pointed out as he swung his legs over the bed. "You need to lay down and get some rest."

"No," he protested, "I'm not moving."

"James-"

"No!" he cut his friend off. Pomfrey stopped what she was doing at this and he turned on her quickly. "Why did you stop? You need to help her. Make it go away."

"I'm not sure there's anything I can do."

"What do you mean?" he inquired. "Then we bring her to Mungo's and they can-"

"Potter," she interrupted, "Whatever was used to do this was cursed. It's not going away."

"So she went through that and now there's going to be something on her own body to remind her of it everyday?" he demanded. "What the hell is wrong with you? This is your job! You're supposed to keep the children safe. Keep us safe. Keep her safe. This isn't - This isn't safe!"

"Prongs," Remus said in a calm tone. James's head shot to the side where his friend was approaching him.

"No!" he shouted before he waved his hands, sending both Pomfrey and Remus backward. Neither of them fell but they were now feet away from James and Rose. James waved his hand again, creating a visible barrier, keeping them away from Rose. "You're not touching her. No one is touching her."

A moment later, McGonagall returned with Dumbledore and the pair took a moment to process the change of events.

"Minerva, if you would go retrieve Black and Pettigrew as well as Miss Evans," Dumbledore requested and the witch nodded immediately before leaving the room once more. "Let's give him some space," the Headmaster suggested as he gestured for Pomfrey and Remus to step back. "This is some powerful magic. I take it he's in distress."

"It was Death Eaters, sir," Remus explained from where he watched his friend hover over the girl's body protectively. "There was an incident with a Portkey and they ended up at one of their homes."

"I take it that didn't go over well?"

"No, it didn't," Remus replied despite the fact that it should have been obvious. "Look at her arm, sir."

Dumbledore turned to look at the hospital bed and his gaze flickered over to Rose's arm which still stuck out to the side. He nodded in understanding. He turned to look at Pomfrey, "Is she okay?"

"Physically, yes," she nodded. "It's him I'm worried about. I can't be sure if anything happened to him. He's running on adrenaline right now but that will run out."

"Oh, would you stop being so stingy with the details, Minnie?" Sirius requested from the hall. "If we're going to find out anyway, what good does-" He stopped talking as he saw James and Rose surrounded by a barrier. "Prongs?"

James moved at this, no doubt surprised by the new familiar voice. "Hey, Prongs," Sirius greeted as he moved closer. It didn't take a genius to figure out why he had been summoned and he was quick to step up to the job. "Is that Rose?"

"No one is touching her."

"No one will touch her," he informed him. "But we need to make sure you're alright."

"What's going on?" Lily asked and McGonagall placed a hand on her shoulder before nodding her head out to the hall. Peter joined Remus's side and they both watched the scene play out.

"I'm fine," James replied. "It's not me that needs help."

"Then you need to let Pomfrey get to her," Sirius pointed out. "We can't be of any help if you don't let us in."

James shook his head, "This is all my fault."

"No, it isn't."

"Yes, it is," he countered. "I dragged her out to Hogsmeade to begin with. I knew we were targets, I knew they wanted us, wanted her...Bellatrix wouldn't take no for an answer."

Sirius's breath hitched in his throat at the mention of his cousin, "Bellatrix was there?"

"I tried to get to her," he explained, ignoring his friend's inquiry, "But the two men held me back...I don't know who it was but I - This is my fault."

"Prongs," he tried again. "Let us in, let us help you."

"I couldn't stop it, Pads," he let out a choked sob and the barrier flickered. Sirius held up his hand and stopped Pomfrey from moving closer, "I couldn't save her."

"You did, James," he pointed out, "You saved her. You did good. She's safe because of you."

James broke at this, his once guarded demeanor relaxing and the barrier vanishing completely. Pomfrey and Sirius made their way over to James immediately. Sirius grabbed the boy's arm, "You saved her, Prongs."

Pomfrey took the opportunity to stick the needle into the boys arm and injected him with what the women hoped would grace him with a long and peaceful sleep.

"Tell her I'm sorry," he begged as he fell into Sirius's arms. "Tell her...tell her...I-"

"I know," Sirius nodded. "I'll tell her."