Another day, come and gone. I woke up, thinking about how much time had passed. Having windows was something I took for granted. I pushed my back up against a column and shifted, trying to get my muscles to relax and loosen.
I decided to count the days I had marked. From where I was sitting, I couldn't see the first line but i could see the others.
It was July 31st.
Happy birthday Harry, I thought.
The gate opened but I didn't move this time. I didn't even think I could stand.
"Cora."
Draco had come for a visit. How nice of him.
I put my hand out from behind the column, resting it on the floor. He would have to search for me because there was no way I was making myself known so easily. His feet hurried to me and he hesitated once he reached me. I couldn't quite read his face but a part of me didn't want to.
He looked strange.
Maybe I was starting to go a little crazy.
He bent down and pulled out a satchel from inside his coat. He put it in my hand and clasped my fingers around it.
"You've got a small window. Mum says we have to go now or it'll be too late." Draco said in a rush.
I frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"We're getting you out of here." He said bluntly.
He put his hands over my mouth and pulled me to my feet. I let out a loud grunt of pain, muffled into his hand and leaned on him as he walked me out of the dungeon. I pushed my legs to move, knowing he wouldn't be able to carry me the whole way.
He pulled me down before we reached the top of the stairs and I pressed my back against the wall, taking deep breaths. If we were really doing this, I needed to push harder than I ever have before.
"Alright let's go." Draco wrapped my arm around his neck again and we walked quickly away from the living room and out to the garden. There would be deatheaters patrolling the grounds but usually they stay far outside of the garden.
I noticed this my last few times above ground and it was only when Voldemort was around did they patrol the garden. I didn't know what was going on or where everybody was, but I knew Draco would be in big trouble if we didn't hurry.
He stopped us behind a hedge and pulled out a piece of paper. "Instructions. Snape is part of the Order and they have a safe house. Go there and lay low."
"For how long?" I asked, holding my stomach.
"As long as you must." Draco kissed my forehead gently and put the paper in my free hand after wrapping the strings of the bag around my wrist.
"What is all this?"
"Clothes, potions. Food. Mum is great with extension charms." Draco smiled a little. "We have to go. Hold on."
Draco grabbed my elbows and a familiar tug made my chest cave. Suddenly we were standing in the middle of an abandoned street and my stomach finally gave way. I turned the other way and threw up. I hadn't eaten much so I wasn't sure what came up but I felt loads better when it did.
Draco rubbed my back as I coughed and leaned my hands on my knees.
"Gross." I whimpered.
"I have to go. The safe house is just down the street." Draco said. I stood up and wiped my mouth with my sleeve. "Be safe."
"You too."
He nodded and walked away, apparating almost instantly. I unfolded the piece of paper and read Snape's handwriting. I followed every instruction; finding the house, saying the spell, even going inside. I locked the door and stopped as the dust on the floor picked up with invisible wind.
Suddenly it took the shape of Dumbledore and came for me. I jumped back, screaming just as it dissipated and was gone.
Security measures. Smart.
I opened the bag and shoved my hand to the bottom, searching for my wand. Luckily it was easy to find. Closing the bag, I slowly walked down the foyer, keeping my wand up and listening closely. The silence was almost deafening and I hated how hard my blood was pumping in my ears.
I looked around and let out a breath of relief. I was alone. Truly alone.
The front door opened and I quickly slid behind the nearest wall. Maybe I wasn't as alone as I thought.
The same wind picked up and somebody screamed. A girl. She was familiar but I didn't trust my own mind. The hallway was long and someone else spoke. There was more than one but they were too far for me to hear clearly. Something clanged and I clenched my wand.
"Homenum Revelio."
I sucked in a sharp breath and came out from hiding. No matter how far away she was, I recognized Hermione immediately.
"Cora?" She breathed.
"Thank Merlin."
The relief washed over me so intensely, my whole body went limp. I hit the floor, the world spinning and going hazy around me. Hermione was suddenly over me and right there with her was Ron and Harry.
I was able to succumb to the darkness knowing I wasn't alone at all.
...
Pain. It was always the first thing I felt waking up. My head, my stomach, my arms and legs. It never left and it never surprised me. Sitting up, I realized I was on a couch and across from me, Hermione laid on the other one. Harry and Ron had the floor and Ron and Hermione's hands were close to touching.
It wasn't a dream.
I pushed the blankets off me and looked down, seeing I was in new clothes. Jeans and oversized black jumper. Hermione knew me. I carefully stood up, dodging Harry and wandering into the kitchen. The house was a mess but it felt a lot more homey than most. Especially mine.
I traced my hand along the table and walked to the other side, searching for anything to drink. I was thirsty and didn't know if Draco packed me any water.
"You're alive."
I turned around and there on the other side of the table was Harry. All that time apart did him nicely. His jaw was more angular and his hair wasn't as messy but still a little wild. He just woke up as well, so I guessed that was a reason too.
"If you can call it that." I replied, my voice cracking.
"After everything... I never thought I would see you again." Harry said.
"Me neither." It came out as a whisper as my eyes watered. They had been doing that a lot lately.
"What did they do to you?" Harry breathed.
I shook my head. "Doesn't matter. I'm out and I'm... safe."
Harry nodded and rounded the table slowly. I hadn't been hugged in months and I hadn't had a soft touch in the same amount of time. Just the thought of Harry's hands on me almost made me pass out again. I held out my hand to stop him but it just shook. I didn't know if I could handle it.
Harry stopped and looked at my shaking hand before taking another step and let it touch his chest. I breathed in sharp and looked into his eyes. He gently pushed a strand of hair behind my ear and cupped my cheek, forcing me to keep my eyes on him.
He pulled my head down and kissed my forehead gently before hugging me. I buried my face in his neck, willing myself not to cry and just enjoy being back in his arms. He would catch.
He squeezed and my back exploded with pain. I hissed and pulled away, leaning against the table.
"I'm sorry, are you alright?" He asked.
"Yeah I'm fine." I said quickly. "War wounds."
Harry rubbed my shoulder but I gently brushed him off.
"I'm going to have a look around." Harry said. "Maybe see if you can fix yourself up some tea."
I nodded and he left me there. I knew he didn't deserve the brush off but everything hurt too much. Ron, Hermione and Harry searched the house while I made everyone tea. There weren't many bags left and some of them were actually pretty bad but I was able to find four good ones.
Everything was done just in time for everyone to come back to the kitchen. I welcomed a group hug from Hermione and Ron, almost falling over but luckily they caught me. I didn't tell them it hurt, knowing they needed it more than I did.
"Your hair has grown." Hermione said, touching it a bit.
"Yeah." I blushed and ran my hand through it. "I'll need you to braid it though I uh... can't quite reach anymore."
Hermione's face turned worried but she covered it quickly with a smile and a nod. I sat down, handing everybody their tea as they took their spots. Harry pulled out a locket and opened it, reading the note left inside.
"I know I will be dead long before you read this. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it."
"R.A.B is Sirius' brother?" Ron frowned.
"We found his name on a door upstairs." Hermione explained to me. "And yes, Ronald."
I nodded. "Alright but... did he destroy the real Horcrux is the question."
"We don't know." Harry shrugged.
"How many are there?" I asked them.
All three exchanged looks before Hermione spoke. "We don't know."
"Great." I sighed.
Something clattered just off to my left and it was the same noise from the night before. We all looked at each other before slowly standing. Harry made his way over first, keeping everyone behind him. The noise came from a closet and Harry was quick to spring it open, pulling out whoever was inside.
I was not expecting to see a grungy old house elf.
He escaped Harry's clutches and we followed the little cretan as he hid behind the counter.
"You've been spying on us have you?" Harry snapped.
"Kreacher... has been watching." The house elf replied, his voice rough.
"Maybe he knows where the real locket is." Hermione offered.
I turned back and grabbed the locket, holding it up. "You ever seen this before?"
Kreacher hissed and hid even more.
"Kreacher." Harry warned.
"Uh... it's master Regulus' locket." He gave in, whimpering a bit.
"But there were two, weren't there? Where's the other one?" Harry asked.
Kreacher groaned quietly. "Kreacher doesn't know where the other locket is."
"Yes, but did you ever see it?" Hermione asked desperately. "Was it ever in this house?"
"You filthy Mudblood! Deatheaters are coming-" Kreacher exploded.
Ron grabbed a pot and raised it but Hermione was quick to stop him.
"Blood traitor, Weasley!" Kreacher screeched.
"Answer her." Harry said, stepping between them.
Kreacher looked at us then the locket a few times before lowering his guard. "Yes... it was here... in this house. A most evil object.
"What do you mean?" I asked, stepping up behind Harry.
"Before Master Regulus died, he ordered Kreacher to destroy it but no matter how hard Kreacher tried, he could not do it." Kreacher backed himself into the corner of another door and Harry and I followed, me still holding up the locket.
"Well where is it now?" Harry asked.
"Did someone take it?" I added.
"He came in the night. He took many things, including the locket." Kreacher said, cowaring more.
"Who did?" Harry asked. "Who was it, Kreacher."
"Mundugus... Mundugus Flecher."
"Find him." Harry commanded.
Without another word, Kreacher apparated away.
I relaxed my arm and stepped back. "I'm guessing you know Fletcher?"
Harry looked at me. "Yeah. You?"
"I've heard his name. Scum of the earth that man." I rolled my eyes. "Not good or evil just... stupid."
"And a thief." Hermione added.
"That too."
"Well... all we can do is wait now." Ron said.
Waiting was the worst part. We all changed our clothes, getting comfortable and making sure we were clean. Hermione braided my hair in silence and I knew all she wanted to ask is what happened that night. Her and Ron weren't there and I can tell Harry probably left out some parts. But I wasn't ready to speak about it.
Hermione just finished my hair when Harry walked up, looking much fresher than before.
"Can we talk?" He asked.
"Sure." I nodded.
Hermione went to go find Ron and Harry helped me up, holding my hand as we went to the kitchen. It was much more open than most of the rooms and I felt like I could breath there.
"I need to know what you told them. If you told them anything." Harry said.
I pulled my hand from his and looked at him. "You're joking."
"Cora I'm not playing games. I trust you, I do... I just... I need all the information I can get." He said.
Usually I could keep my anger at bay; maybe say something snarky. But these past few months I had lost all that.
"They were the ones to tell me you were being moved. They wanted to know where you were going and I said you would be stupid to go to Ron's. I said that, I told them there was no way you would go there." I spat.
"But we did. And they attacked during Bill's wedding." Harry told me.
I laughed. "And that's my fault? I don't know anything! Nobody tells me anything, how can I tell anybody anything!"
My voice bounced off the walls and the table set fire suddenly. Harry and I jumped back, watching it burn. Harry quickly ran to the other side of the table to the sink to get water. Staring at the flames, I willed them to go away and they settled before Harry could put them out. The table wasn't singed at all.
"You can still do that." Harry said quietly.
"Guess so." I replied, expressionless.
Harry put the pot back in the sink but didn't move towards me.
"I can't keep repeating myself." I said, shrugging. "I can't keep having to prove myself to you. You said you loved me that night."
"I do,"
"No this isn't love. I don't know what love looks like, but this isn't it." I said sharply.
"Cora, I can't let him win." Harry begged.
"So stop being a bloody idiot and look around you! If I really told them where you were, Voldemort would have been on your doorstep last night. And I know my friends. I know you went to the Weasley's you didn't have anywhere else to go and if I told them that's where you were, none of you would have even made it to a wedding." I explained.
"How did you know about this place?" Harry asked.
I scoffed. "Snape."
Harry tensed, his fists balling. "He wouldn't."
"In my bag, there's a piece of paper with instructions. It's his handwriting." I told him.
Harry took a step but stopped, his eyes never leaving mine. I dared him to check, to not believe in me. To need even more proof.
"He got you out?"
"Him and Draco. They think I'm safest with you." I said.
Harry nodded and his hands relaxed.
"I'm sorry." He said under his breath.
"You all... do what you need to do. I'll stay put, stay out of your way. Deal?"
"You don't have to-"
"Do we have a deal?" I seethed.
Harry was taken aback by my anger but I didn't care. I was done. I wasn't going to put myself in this anymore. I wanted out. I wanted out of the war, I wanted out of my family's business, out of Harry's. If he really needed me then fine but until then, I would just rest and lay low like Draco told me to.
"Deal." Harry choked out.
I turned and left, going back to the room we all slept in. Laying back on my couch, I let out a breath of relief at the cushion underneath me. Sleeping on the ground for months really did ruin my body and I never thought a couch would be so glorious.
"He's trying you know."
I sat up, ignoring the horrible pain in my stomach.
"Excuse me?"
Hermione walked over and I moved my feet, sitting up fully so she could sit.
Watching her take a seat next to me, I noticed something different. She seemed smaller, less prepared to be annoying and telling people off. Being in the amount of pain I was in, I could sense it off her no problem.
"He's trying to please everyone." She said.
I sighed and looked away.
"Harry... is the Chosen One, Cora. We chose to stand beside him and we chose to help any way we could. He has to be sure or... we're all dead."
"I know... just feels like I went through hell for nothing." I replied quietly.
"Not for nothing." Hermione shook her head. "Definitely not for nothing."
Hermione slipped her hand into mine and I tried to pull away but she held on. I didn't want her to feel the slight tremor I had. It showed up after the first week of torture and never went away.
But she didn't care. She squeezed my hand and I looked away, staring out the window straight ahead.
I was alive and kicking. The good thing was, I was definitely ready to keep kicking if I had to.
...
It was well into the night when Hermione and Ron sat down at the piano. I hadn't touched one since I was five and I hated playing it no matter how beautiful it could sound.
I made dinner, remembering what Fefe taught me a few things back before I went to Beauxbatons.
Fe... the first to die for me.
I was cleaning up, listening to the pitiful noises of Ron trying to make music when something crashed behind the door.
I dried my hands quickly and watched as two house elves practically strangled a man as he stumbled into the room. One was definitely Kreacher and the other was one I had never seen before.
Harry and Hermione came in and we all shared a glance. I laughed a little, jumping back as the man fell to the floor.
"As requested, Kreacher has returned with the thief." Kreacher said, closing the door.
The man stood up and bumped his head on some pots, knocking them off the wall. He was quick to pull out his wand but Hermione was quicker.
"Expelliarmus!" She caught the wand as it flew towards her.
"Mundungus Fletcher." Kreacher growled.
The man stumbled back, and I moved, forcing him to back away from us as we slowly pushed him into a corner.
"What are you playing at?" Mundungus asked angrily. "Setting a pair of bleeding house elves onto me?"
"Not the worst thing we could do." I commented.
Mundungus snarled at me.
The other house elf quickly climbed onto the table, following our footsteps. "Dobby was only trying to help. Dobby saw Kreacher in Diagon Alley, which Dobby thought was curious, a-and then, Dobby heard Kreacher mention Harry Potter's name." Kreacher tried to speak up but Dobby gently shouldered him out of the way. "And then, Dobby saw Kreacher talking with the thief, Mundungus-"
"I'm no thief!" Mundungus exclaimed angrily. "You foul little..." I gave him a sharp look and he stumbled over the next word. "Git."
"Watch it." I snarled.
"I'm a purveyor of rare and wondrous objects." Mundungus whined.
"You're a thief Dung, everyone knows it." Ron said, finally coming into the room.
"Master Weasley, so good to see you again." Dobby shook Ron's hand and I smiled a little, my chest feeling less achey with the house elf around.
"Wicked trainers." Ron said, nodding to his shoes.
Mundungus tripped, sending a whole stack of newspapers tumbling.
"Listen! I panicked that night, alright?" He cried.
I didn't know what he was talking about but I didn't stop cornering him. Ron even joined in and Dung quickly sat in the chair in the corner.
"Can I help it if Mad-Eye fell off his broom?"
Nobody replied. Kreacher stepped closer, poking a wand into the thief's face.
"Tell the truth." Hermione demanded.
"When you turned this place over - don't deny it - you found a locket, am I right?" Harry commanded.
My stomach fluttered at the control in his voice. Harry really knew how to make me swoon when it wasn't the time or place.
"Why? Was it valuable?" Mundungus asked quickly.
Kreacher poked him and he sat back.
"You've still got it?" I asked.
"No, he's worried he didn't get enough money for it." Ron chipped in harshly.
"Bleeding give it away, didn't I?" Dung sighed. I let out a breath, knowing it was possibly gone. "There I was, flogging me wares in Diagon Alley, when some ministry hag comes up and asks to see me license. Says she's a mind to lock me up. And would've done too, if she hadn't taken a fancy to that locket."
"Who was she? The witch, do you know?" Harry asked.
"No I-" Dung stopped when he looked down then quickly got up, picking up a paper and setting it on the table. "Well she's there. Look! Big bow and all."
We all looked at each other then back at the paper.
Umbridge.
Wonderful.
Harry and Ron took Dung out, letting the house elves take him away while I picked up the paper. It had been two years and still, seeing her face made my blood boil.
"We can't just go walking into the ministry." Hermione said once the boys got back.
"Course not, I'm wanted. And by association, so are all of you." Harry said.
"We need to get the locket." Ron said.
"Polyjuice potion." I said, not taking my eyes off the front page.
"And you've got some?" Harry asked skeptically.
"I should." I shrugged, looking at them.
"I have as well." Hermione smiled at me a little.
We were always prepared for everything, even now.
"How do we know you're not polyjuiced now, Malfoy?" Ron seethed.
I squinted at him. "It doesn't change your voice, Weasley."
"In high quantities-"
"Enough!" Hermione exclaimed. "This is ridiculous!"
"Hermione-" Ron fought.
"No! Not another word out of you. Any of you!" Hermione gave the boys her strongest look and I was grateful to not be on the receiving end of one of those. "Look at her! Standing looks painful enough for her and she cooked for us. She made it here to help us."
Harry looked at me but his expression was unreadable.
"Hermione it's fine, I understand-" I tried.
"Well I don't." She said to me sharply. Looking back at the boys she let out a breath. "It's three against one. She wouldn't attack without help. She wouldn't put us in danger. Just because she's not the same, doesn't mean she's a threat."
This seemed to loosen the boys a little. I rubbed my arm gently and bit my lip, wondering what they would say. Ron simply nodded and walked out of the room but Harry didn't move.
"We'll have the potion ready in the morning. You boys should find who we need to change into and we'll get it going after a good night's rest." Hermione said.
Harry nodded. "Alright."
He was next to leave and suddenly I felt like I could breathe again. I let out a breath and sunk into the chair Mundungus had been in.
"You're coming with us."
"Hermione-"
"No. Not an option. You're coming." Hermione said. "Because if anyone gets to call this woman a bitch, it's you."
I smiled, enjoying Hermione's potty mouth. The feeling of a smile felt odd on my lips but not unpleasant. This made Hermione giggle and she tossed the newspaper back onto the floor before leaving. I took one last look at the ugly hag and shook my head.
Umbridge would never know what hit her.