Serenity | 1

FORTY FIVE

"On the run"

Serenity stumbled as she landed in Knockturn Alley. A wizard in a tattered cloak looked her up and down, smirking as he ruled up the expense of her dress and the rush she was in. She caught their eye and rolled her eyes, she leaned down and unbuckled her heels and tossed them at the wizard who scrambled off with them.

She dashed out of Knockturn Alley and into Diagon Alley. The lights were off, the sky was dark and, suddenly, a cat-like siren split through the shrill air. Her hands covered her ears and it suddenly dawned on her that she had dropped her wand somewhere. Picking up her skirt, she ran down the cobblestone street. Past the owlery and the second-hand robe store. She was forced to a halt when a dark cloud appeared in front of her, her toes hit a stone at a dodgy angle as she stumbled.

A second cloud appeared behind her, and she spun around wildly. Her hair now fell out of its already loose grip and whipped around her face.

"Lakita, Vaughn," she sighed out on an unsteady breath, her lips in a smile despite her distress, "we're all friends here." As none of them made any movements, she tightened her grip on her skirt. "Right?" As she watched Vaughn in her peripheral vision draw his wand, she made sure to keep her eyes trained on her sister. "What are you gonna do? Kill me?" She stepped towards Lakita carefully. "Lakita, please, after everything we've been through..." Lakita nodded, and she raised her wand, Serenity threw herself to the ground. Above her, a green spell lit up the alley. Raising her head from where she'd hid it in her arms, Serenity looked up to see her sister's hand in front of her face and Vaughn lying not too far away. He was sprawled out on the path and his wand lying a few metres away.

Taking her sister's hand, she stood up.

"Thank you." Lakita nodded.

"I can't keep killing people for you, Ren. Especially not our friends." After a few seconds of hesitation, Lakita wrapped her arms around Serenity. "I was so scared for you."

"I'm okay."

A light turned on beside them, the door to the shop opening.

"Miss Rier! In here!" Hurrying into the store, she waves her hands and shuts off the lights, the blinds falling shut and the door locking.

Curling her hand into a fist, the room dimly illuminates from the light peeking between her fingertips, she gasps at the face in front of her.

"Mr Fortescue?" Spreading her fingers ever so slightly, the light spread further into the room, she recognised the ice cream parlour. Pinching her lips, she looks to her sister and back to the elder man at a loss for words. "Why- why are you helping me? You must know what is happening."

"Yes, I know." He spoke in a hushed voice, the three of them turning to the door wildly as the sound of multiple apparitions appeared outside, the white glow around the door signifying the arrival of the aurors. Placing his hand between her shoulder blades, Mr Fortescue guides them through to the back of the store and out of immediate sight. "I have heard rumours..." He turns to her and grasps her shoulders. "You're a good kid, Serenity, and don't I know it." With a small smile, she reaches up to pat his hand.

"Thank you, Mr Fortescue," she begins, a sad look on her face as she steps out of his grasp yet still keeping her hand on his, "but I can't let you do that." She looks over at Lakita. "This is my other sister, Lakita, please take care of her." The two of them lower their eyebrows as she places her hands on the two of them, Lakita begins to protest, but they are transported away from the store and find themselves in a dark corner of The Leaky Cauldron.

Stepping out of the ice cream shop, Serenity raises her hands by her head, allowing light to pour from her palms and illuminate the street. As the aurors spin to point their wands at her, the tips illuminated, she banishes her own light and looks down in defeat. "I'll be nice if you are."