Voldemort's Death Eater

20) Wrong Team

The sight of Ron made my heart soar with happiness as he stepped from behind a tree, a bag strung over his shoulder.

     ‘Ellie?’ He said, running towards me. ‘What are you doing here?’

     ‘I couldn’t be happier to see you! Get me out of these ropes, please!’

     ‘Alright, hold on!’ Ron said, hurrying to untie the ropes.

     As soon as I was free, I pulled Ron into a tight hug and never wanted to let go. But one thought pulled me from the hug.

     ‘Wow. I never thought you’d be the hugging type, Ellie,’ Ron grinned.

     ‘We … we don’t have much time. We have to go!’ I said quickly, hugging him again and apparating us to my parent’s house.

     Letting go of Ron, I panted hard as I dropped to the floor, wrapping my cold arms around myself. My parents’ house had a built in muggle heater and it was like stepping inside a warm igloo.

     I was sure someone was keeping an eye on me in that forest. I was positive they were. Why would they leave me out for bait if they weren’t watching?

     ‘Where’s Harry?’ Was the first thing I asked Ron.

     He stood awkwardly in my room, confused. ‘Harry? Umm …  I don’t know.’

     ‘What do you mean you don’t know?’ I almost shouted. If I remembered correctly, both of my parents were out at work during the day. ‘Aren’t you running from The Dark Lord with him?’

     Before Ron answered, he did the kindest thing. He knelt down in front of me, unzipped his jacket and put it around me. Looking up at him, I wasn’t sure what he was playing at. We weren’t really friends, we never talked to each other when we were at school; why was he being so nice to me?

     ‘Thanks,’ I hesitated to say.

     ‘I left Harry a while ago, actually’ said Ron. ‘We had a bit of a fight.’

     Two seconds later, my hand collided straight across his cheek.

     ‘WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT?’ I yelled at him, standing up to my full height. ‘YOU LEFT HARRY? OVER A LITTLE FIGHT?’

     ‘It wasn’t just a little fight,’ Ron shouted back, standing up. ‘You weren’t there!’

     ‘You left Harry Potter! On his own! Alone! Just when he needs you the most! I thought you were his friend!’

     ‘I still am. It’s just … ‘

     ‘What’s your excuse? Please, I am dying to hear it! As well as the rest of the world.’

     ‘I want to find them again, but I – ‘

     ‘Them? So he’s not alone?’

     ‘No, Hermione’s with him,’

     Exhaling a sigh of relief, I was glad Harry wasn’t completely running from the dark side on his own.

     ‘Why did you apparate to that forest? You couldn’t have known I was there?’

     ‘I didn’t; I was looking for Harry and Hermione. I wanted to go back to them as soon as I left but they were gone. I’ve been looking for them ever since.’

     As silence drifted, a tiny owl’s screech broke through the air, turning our attention over to the snowy owl sitting on my window sill.

     ‘Is that … Hedwig?’ Ron asked, shocked.

     ‘Yeah, I’m pretty sure it is,’ I answered as he strode over to her. ‘I found her almost dead on the road one night. So Harry’s alright, is he?’ I just needed to hear the words said out loud.

     ‘Yeah, Harry’s fine,’ he said, stroking Hedwig. ‘I’m sure. There haven’t been any articles about his capture, have there?’

     ‘No,’ I said quietly to myself, feeling a little less nervous.

     ‘Why were you tied to that tree in the first place?’ Ron asked after a few moments.

     ‘I was … ‘ I couldn’t bring myself to tell him the truth but I wanted to. ‘I … was there because …  some Death Eaters tied me there.’

     Ron frowned at me in confusion. ‘Why?’

     ‘To lure Harry, I think they said. I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about it!’

     ‘To lure Harry?’ Ron stopped, thinking and looking at me strange. ‘Is there something you’re – ‘

     ‘I’m a Death Eater, alright?!’ I had said it and Ron’s reaction as exactly how I imagined but I didn’t stop there. ‘I am the Dark Lord’s favourite Death Eater and have been for almost a year. I am also muggle born and in Gryffindor but all he sees is the Slytherin in me. But I don’t want to serve him anymore! I want out! I want to find Harry and end it all.’

     It was a few moments before Ron said, ‘Well, you don’t even know how to end it.’

     I looked at him confused but the next few minutes, Ron had told me everything and I had opened up and told him everything I hadn’t told anyone. It was a strange feeling to share so much with someone I had known for years but never talked to. He was just like his older brothers. A faithful, strong Gryffindor.

     Something I wasn’t.

     The scene in front of me started to change and I was being pulled to another place. The Dark Mark on my arm burst hot with pain but quickly stopped as I fell to the same cold, wooden floor with a pair of pale feet standing inches before me.