A Beautiful and Terrible Truth

Chapter 4

As soon as I was turned the right-side-up, I looked into the deep brown eyes of Ronald Weasley.  I was surprised to see him there at my house. I didn’t even think that he knew where I lived. I didn’t get a chance to ask him because he pulled me into a hug, one that was much too close as he breathed a sigh of relief. I smiled and pulled away from him as the invisibility cloak sailed gracefully in between us. It’s silvery glow giving me an eerie feeling.

 “Court,” he smirked as he reached out and grabbed the cloak before it could hit the ground and throwing it over me and Adeline. “Run,” he whispered and pointed in the direction of the woods. “They’re coming.”

I looked over his shoulder and up the hill to where the Malfoy Manor stood, and sure enough, there was some black figures running down towards my house; one of those with flying, wild hair that terrified me to my very core. I, reflexively, reached up with my free arm on the shoulder where the mouth-shaped scar still ran cold through my veins. Ron, of course, couldn’t see that I was still standing there. He was staring up at the hill, wand at the ready. Adeline then cooed softly in my ear, bringing me back to reality. I let go of my shoulder and turned and ran in the direction that Ron had told me to. After a few moments of running, I turned to see that Ron was close behind me and the dark figures where surrounding my house.

“What the bloody hell?” Ron asked when he ran into me for I had been standing in his way. “Court, what are you doing? Move it!”

I made to move, but he was standing on the cloak, which caused it to uncover me. I looked over my shoulder to scold Ron for being dimwitted, but I stopped as soon as I saw my house burst into flames. One of the death eaters must’ve hit it. Tears pricked my eyes. My childhood home – the one that I had so many memories with Draco in – was burning down right before my very eyes.

“Court,” Ron said more gently. “We need to move out of You-Know-Who’s range of power. Then it’ll be safe to apparate without him knowing where we’re going.”

I nodded and moved with his even more gentle touch. He offered to carry Adeline for me, but I reclined. I was the one that had to make sure that she was safe, that she was protected. It wasn’t anyone else’s job. My mom asked me to take care of her, and that’s exactly what I was going to do. I clutched her closer to me as Ron picked the cloak back up and covered us once more.

“Get to the Myers Day-“

“Park, down by the crooked bridge,” I said, remembering all the times Draco and I had raced down there with me winning every time. I think that he just let me win. I didn’t have time to remember it fondly though because Ron was tugging me in that direction.

I followed Ron through the trees, getting scratched by branches and briers on the way. Adeline was starting to fuss. I was really hoping that she wouldn’t cry or make any loud noises as we made our getaway. I shushed her as we ran, trying not to cry myself. I then stopped abruptly as I saw a figure standing by the bridge just at the edge of the forest. Ron must’ve heard me stop – or he sensed it – because he stopped and turned in my direction.

“It’s all right, Court,” he said. “That’s just Marcus.”

I breathed a sigh of relief as Ron reached out towards me, offering his hand. I silently slipped the cloak off and tucking it around Addie before taking it. The warmth from his hand seemed to warm me, and I didn’t even realize I was shivering until he put his arm around me. We walked in silence the rest of the way down to the destination that we were trying to reach only to see my brother with the biggest grin on his face.

“It’s nice to see that you’re all in one piece, dear sister,” he said, his grin turning into a smirk.

I shook my head. “Our house is not.”