The Sight Of Eternity With You

Be My Escape

"I'm blending in so you won't even know me
Apart from this whole world that share my fate
And I've been dying to get out and that might be the death of me
And even though, there's no way in knowing where to go,
Promise I'm going because, I gotta get outta here
And I'm begging you to be my escape."
-Be my escape, Relient K

****

Once the holidays were over, the real world seemed to take a drastic turn for the worst. Ron disappeared over Christmas, news that Bill whispered to Harper after an emergency Order meeting in regards to a sudden firefight in Godric's Hollow blew Bathilda Bagshot's home and the neighboring homes to cinders-the idea that Harry was involved was whispered around the meeting. Harper hurriedly began using whatever method she could to keep track of the futures and paths of her friends, she tried to scry for Sybill-successfully seeing her once with Lavender Brown enjoying tea together, which gave her the smallest bit of comfort. She was less than lucky with everyone else, trying particularly hard to get any sort of insight into Ginny's current state within the school.

Harper began to have nightmares almost nightly, often waking up screaming, George did his best to calm her in those moments but nothing stilled the terror that clenched her heart. It made her feel guilty knowing that her screaming was beginning to effect George, when he started waking with his own dark circles and irritable moods when the sun had barely risen. January felt like a stalemate as snow hounded everyone, Celeste and Joy applauding Harper's coordination with Angelina of the wide reach of the safe houses—a way to protect runaways from the brutality of winter all along the UK.

Harper was sitting up in bed staring at the wall across from her in mid February, her breathing stuttering as she thought over her newest nightmare. She had been in the small room of the manor, on the floor as her skin was peeled away, layer by layer, Bellatrix's laughter filled the room along with her screams. Icy tendrils made their way down her spine as she slowly rationalized that it was nothing more than a distant nightmare, she was no longer in danger.

You're safe
You're home now
She can't hurt you

Harper repeatedly reminded herself over and over that things were fine, resting her cheek against her knee she closed her eyes tightly—wanting her breathing to calm. She went through a list of current day facts, reminding herself that she could run across the hall to her best friends or downstairs where George was supposedly still occupying.

He'll be up here any minute
You're safe
You're home
No one can hurt you

"H? Are you alright?" Harper looked up from her fetal position, Angelina was leaning against the doorway with a worried look on her face.

"Y-yeah," she whispered, her breathing stuttering.

Angelina moved across the room and took a seat on the edge of the bed, later when Harper remember this exchange, she would realize this would've been the first hint something was wrong.

"What're you doing up?" Harper asked, individually twisting her fingers until they each popped respectively.

Angelina shrugged slightly, taking Harper's hand and moving closer to her friend's legs. "You're going to fail, Harper."

"What?" Harper asked with a frown, unsure she'd heard her properly.

Angelina continued to look toward the window across the room, a starless night looked back at them, Harper noticed Angelina's body twitching slightly. "It'll be here soon. You'll have to save us. But you're going to fail."

"Ange? Are you alright?" Harper spoke softly, moving to lean on her knees, slowly shaking Angelina's shoulder. "Ange?"

Angelina turned and lunged at her, Harper fell backwards on her pillows, yelping as she stared up into her friend's face in the dim moonlight that illuminated the room. Angelina's eyes were black, her nails dug into Harper's arms as she continued to hold her friend against her pillows.