Lifeline

5. Sister

Third Person POV

Previously...

Standing as well, Poppy held her hands tentatively in front of her.

"Now, Evelyn -"

"Why didn't you tell me?" She demanded. "I have more of right to know than you! I'm his sister! So why didn't you tell me, you stupid wench!"

Now...

Poppy had never seen Evelyn so angry, except for when Hunter had first gone missing. She stood, frozen, as Evelyn walked toward her, tears and rage evident on her face. I'm being paranoid, Poppy told herself. She won't actually hurt me.

And she would not. If she was willing, she would have done that back when Hunter had first gone missing. But Evelyn had never wanted to hurt Hunter that way, no matter her feelings towards Poppy.

"Evelyn, listen..."

"Only if you explain why you didn't tell me!"

"How could I?" Poppy screamed. Evelyn paused at her tone. "He was found in the house of Lucius Malfoy! I had no way of knowing if it is truly him or not!"

"And you didn't think I would want to at least try and find out?" Evelyn asked. " I don't care if it is him or not, it is still his face! You should have told me!"

Poppy looked down. Evelyn was right, and they both knew it. They also both knew she was lying. Poppy didn't keep this from Evelyn to spare Evelyn's feelings, Poppy just did it to spare herself. Because if it was Hunter... then that meant that all that pain, all that mourning, had been unnecessary. They could have found him. They never even really lost him.

Evelyn looked at her brother with a heavy heart. He hadn't changed. It was still him. She knew. She knew that this was her brother. She reached out and touched his face.

"Why isn't he waking up?" She murmured... Poppy looked down. "Well..." Poppy had guilt laced into her voice. Evelyn looked up sharply, a fire burning in her eyes. "What did you do?" Her voice was deadly calm, and oh Merlin it was scary. Poppy squirmed nervously. The way she was acting today, almost like she was the same age as Hunter again. She could almost convince herself they had gone back in time, and were fighting over something stupid. But she glanced to the side and saw her and Evelyn's reflection in the hospital wings window, and knew that wasn't true.

"I-I um... I may have put the coma spell on him... after he said his name..."

...

"WHAT!?" Evelyn yelled. Poppy winced at the volume, but Evelyn didn't care. "You-you talked to him, and then you used the morpheus curse on him?" Evelyn could swear, she was seeing red by now.

"Well... yes." It was a weak answer, and they both knew it.

"Well take the curse off!"

***

Harry and Hermione were both staying at the Weasleys for now. Harry might be staying there until he goes to live by himself, actually, now free of the Dursleys. Of course, he and Ginny were on entirely different floors, and there were numerous restrictions in place to ensure the couple didn't... you know.

Until they were a few years older, Teddy was staying with his grandmother.

Hermione, however, was only there until she could track down her parents, and lift the memory curse put on them. Her and Ron were also on entirely different floors, and again, there were restrictions in place.

George was... well, he was currently living in the joke shop. He was coping, but... he was very hurt.

Anyway, the trio knew something was up. The adults kept talking about something. And it seemed they were about to find out what, when the adults called them all down for a sort of meeting.

"So..." Arther began, "the other day, some aurors were searching Malfoy Manner. And... well... they found something interesting."

All the kids were paying attention now.

"What-" Hermione's voice was hoarse, no doubt she was remembering her last visit to that wicked place. "What did they find?"

All occupants of the room who didn't know leaned forward in anticipation.

None expected the answer.

"They found a person."

***

Hunter's POV

It was dark. I didn't immediately realise that that was because my eyes had been closed. I could not move yet though, even now being awake. My eyes refused to listen to me and open. The term 'sleep paralysis' came to mind. Comatose people who had not used their muscles in so long, their brain was unable to remember how at first. Or at least, I think that is what it means. I tried to move anyway, trying to remember how. I felt my finger twitch. Okay... try the eyes now...

I opened them, and immediately regretted the decision. To bright! I snapped them shut. Try again. I did, blinking slowly this time. It was all blurry and unfocused and dull, but after blinking a few more times, my sight came back to me. My other senses were still unfocused though, which is why it took me a few seconds to realise someone was repeating my name. Hunter, Hunter, Hunter...

"Hunter!" And I knew that voice. Somehow... I knew that voice. I tried to focas on it, looking for the souce. I found it, and oh, it was her. Hunter...

"Evelyn?" I asked in a croaky, dry voice. It was her. My sister, older and bigger with grey hairs and tears in her eyes, but still my sister. "Evelyn?" I asked again, my voice stronger now.

"Hunter!" She cried, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug. With some effort, I returned the embrace. From the corner of my eye, I saw Poppy standing in the corner, a wand in her hand.

Evelyn pulled away. She looked at me.

"Is it really you?" I knew why she asked. They were all older, older than I thought they would be. I had been there a long time, but I knew I was the same age. But it was me. But if she didn't beleive me... I needed her to believe me!

"Yeah," I said. "Yes, it is me."

She stared.

"Then what happened?"

Hey guys! So, I know I haven't done and AN so far, but that might happen more often now. So, sorry this chapter took me so long, I'll try to be better with the next one, but thank you for waiting! Hope you guys like the story so far.

Love you all! <3
- Kaylee