Black // Marauders

55. Don't Die

Persie flicked her wand back to the door behind her, watching it swing open, before she jerked her head towards it, "I'm assuming you don't want to die."

"Nope, good point. You first, kid." Moody said, giving Sirius a shove on the shoulder as they all headed for the door, slowly and cautiously at first, before heading full pelt into what looked like a drawing room.

"We need to get out. Quick. He'll be telling his followers about what happened right now." Kingsley announced, as he glanced around for some way out and took note of the stairs.

"No!" Persie said suddenly, reaching out a hand to stop Kingsley as he put one hand on the bannister and a foot on the bottom step, "Why?"

She put a finger to her lips, before whispering, "Listen."

They all stood still for a moment, before glancing up at the ceiling as the floorboard above them creaked under the weight of a foot. They all glanced at each other again, before scrambling for any door, cupboard or hollow they could find. Alastor pulled out an Invisibility Cloak and was going to throw it towards Persie before she looked at him angrily, "Don't you dare."

"Pers-"

"No." She pressed before turning away from him and looking around the room for somewhere to hide. At the sound of voices at the top of the stairs, the cupboard underneath them looked more and more appealing, but she was grabbed by the shoulder and pulled backwards, before a door pulled shut in front of her and she felt something silky glide over her face, "I swear to god, if you don't say you're Sirius in the next ten seconds I will punch you in the balls so hard-"

"Oo, interesting." He replied, as she let out a sigh of relief, "You're disgusting."

"Thank you." He answered, before she shook her head, "Why did you come? And why did you steal James' Invisibility cloak?"

"I stole James' Invisibility Cloak because I knew where I was going. And I came because I overheard Dumbledore talking about you being taken." He whispered in response, before she shook her head, "You shouldn't have come."

"Why not?" He answered, almost angrily as she sighed and glanced out of the cupboard, "Because you are in so much danger, Sirius. You've proved so many points by coming here."

"Oh yeah, and what are they?" He pressed, as she span around to face him, but was cut short by the cracking of the wood on the stairs. She froze and began to hyperventilate a little, listening out for any sign of noise outside of their wooden hideaway.

'It's okay.' Sirius mouthed to her, before Persie shook her head and twirled her wand in her hand before replying, 'It's her.'

"Potter, Potter, Potter. We are in a bit of a pickle." Bellatrix's teasing voice said in a patronising voice as Persie zoned out and stared off at a particular grain of wood in the cupboard door as she heard the foot steps thud down the stairs.

"Not coming out to play. That's not like you." She continued as she hit the floor and swung around the end of the bannister, "Come on. Don't be boring."

Persie waited it out, her face changing slightly in fear as she listened to the words echo out and around the room and Bellatrix continued to strut around on her own, "I'll tell you what. If you're hiding out with the rescue party, they might be up for a little trade."

She glanced up at Sirius, who's face was contorted in concentration, before looking away quickly and listening to what she knew was coming, as she heard more footsteps down the stairs and a soft crying noise.

"I have Ava. You have Persephone Potter. I propose ... we do a little swap." She suggested as Persie's face fell and she looked up at Sirius again, who she found looking at her. She blinked a few times to try and clear her head, before she moved the slightest fraction to go for the door and she felt Sirius' arm clamped around her waist, "No." He breathed in her ear.