Summer Holiday

Chapter 26

Sophie began to quickly throw on a jumper as she grabbed her wand. She created a fake body out of her clothes and placed them on her bed. She turned out the light and quietly left her bedroom. The stairs creaked slightly as she carefully snuck down the stairs and to the front door. The entire Order was here. She couldn't risk getting caught. The door was silent as she opened it and she was thankful no one heard. She was outside Grimmauld place once again.

The air was crisp and the road was dim, only a few street lamps illuminating the ground. She raised her wand and the Knight Bus appeared in front of her. She wouldn't be able to apparate to see Theo.

"Where to?" Stan Shunpike, the ticket collector, asked Sophie.

"What's the closest stop to here?" Sophie had written the coordinates down on a piece of paper. She pulled the paper out of her pocket and showed them to Stan.

"Going for a late night swim?" He asked arching a brow.

Swim? Where was Theo meeting her?

Sophie cleared her throat. "Yes. In the need of some vacation time." She looked away nervously.

"A little young to be out alone aren't ya?"

"No sir. Just old enough." She avoided his eyes.

He paused for a long time. He slammed his hand against the wall signaling the driver to began driving.

The drive was about an hour when they finally stopped. She began to walk off the bus.

"Keep walking straight and you'll be there." Stan said. She turned to say goodbye but the Knight Bus had already taken off.

Sophie looked down at the coordinates one more time. She folded the paper and placed it in her pocket, then grabbed her wand and clutched it tightly.

The wind was cold and she hugged her jumper tighter around her. She glanced around to see nothing but black in the distance. She was on a long road that stretched left and right with a couple street lamps, but no buildings in sight. It worried her to not follow the road, but Stan had told her to go straight. She stepped off the road and headed straight, walking on grass.

After 20 minutes of walking, the grass turned into sand. A small fire was in the distance, illuminating a figure. She carefully continued forward examining her surroundings. She quickly realized she was on a beach. She could hear the loud waves crashing against the shore, and could smell the ocean. She paused and took a deep breath, this was her first time at the beach.

As she approached the fire the figure turned to look at her.

Theo.

Her eyes began to fill with tears. She began to run towards the fire. She stopped running when she reached about 20 feet away from Theo.

"Why did we go to the hospital wing last year?" Theo asked with his wand pointed at her.

"You tackled me after you thought I was going to jump in the black lake."

Theo's body crashed violently into Sophie's as he gave her a hug. He began crying into her shoulder. "He's really gone. Quigley is dead." Theo sobbed. "And I can't even talk to Bronson. I have no idea if he's alive."

"He's alive Theo." Sophie reassured.

"How do you know?"

"Here." Sophie handed him the letter Bronson wrote her.

"Oh thank Merlin." Theo collapsed his head into his hands. "I was so worried. There's no way I could've written him. My parents are watching my every move. I'm going mad." He looked up at Sophie with watery eyes.