Brave [2]

Chapter 70

I'm not ready. I'm not ready for the sudden gut-wrenching feeling, for being squeezed into a tube and feeling like the air is tearing violently at my skin. I'm not ready for the ruse to be up yet, because there's still so much I need to do. I'm not ready to be confronted by the people I called friends, that I still call friends, but they don't call me theirs...

My heart's pounding as we land on wet sand, and it's so familiar. I know where we are, at Shell Cottage. I came here during the Christmas Holidays, to try bring Ron back to Hermione and Harry. Funny how everything I do is for them, yet they're still trying to kill me.

I turn slowly onto my hands and knees, feeling my chest heaving, but I haven't eaten anything to throw up. Pain radiates in my body and I feel my arms go weak, but it's with a grunt of exertion I pull myself to my feet. The air is salty, stinging my throat, but I gulp down heavy breaths and stumble forward, catching sight of Hermione in Ron's arms.

"Mione," I breathe, ignoring how Ron's lips turn into a snarl, but he doesn't make a move against me, surprisingly enough. I put my hands on her cheeks, wiping the tears away, but she just stares with wide eyes. Ronald tries wrenching her away from my grasp but I don't give in so easily. "Are you alright? Did she hurt you?"

"Why would you care?" Ron spits. "You're a bloody Death Eater! You betrayed us, betrayed Fred! You broke his heart!"

That sends a jolt of fury in me, adrenaline still pumping in my body from earlier, and I grab my wand and point it at him. I'm not sure what I intend to do but I don't get the chance to think with my groggy brain before Harry's disarmed me, Dobby seeming worried and frantic.

Something in my mind processes, remembering the Elder Wand. Belongs to me, but Harry disarmed me, and maybe he shouldn't have done it this soon but I'm just relieved to have it over and done with already, a new weight taken off my shoulders.

"He lives," I mutter uncontrollably, feeling my brain going into hyperdrive, the voices clamouring loudly. "He lives for the sake of death. He lives so he can die at the hand of that who is held most hated in his heart. The endgame is near, and only one shall survive, and it shall be the one with all three Deathly Hallows, and none shall be able to stop him."

"Cassia," Hermione breathes.

I realise she's staring at my shoulder, and it takes me a moment to follow her gaze, then my eyebrows furrow a little bit at the sight of Bellatrix's dagger sticking out of my shoulder. "Oh." I frown a little, finally feeling the adrenaline starting to leave my body. "So... slight problem."

"That's slight?"

"I've dealt with worse," I brush off, finally starting to feel the pain in my shoulder, but all I do is grit my teeth and try ignore it. Pain is just a construct of the mind. I snatch my wand out of Harry's hand, taking him by surprise, then start to head down to Shell Cottage.

I can hear the boys following, Ron in a panic about my presence, talking quietly about how they're meant to get rid of me and what to do with me considering I'm a Death Eater. Hermione protests on my behalf, knowing I didn't want the boys knowing I'm on their side, but I guess there's not much I can do then.

"Luna!" I smile tiredly, relieved. I didn't get the chance to talk to her over the last two days so I'm glad she's okay and finally out of there. I know Bill and Fleur will take care of her here, along with Dean. "We've all missed you. The DA's been going wild without you."

"Cassia, you've got a knife sticking out of your shoulder," she observes as she steps outside the house, staring at me.

"I'm aware," I reply, not quite sure what to do about it. "Let me see how long it'll take till I can get back to Hogwarts and ask your boyfriend what to do about it."