𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 | | 𝕝𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕦𝕤 𝕞𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪

𝐅𝐚𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞

All the places I've been and things I've seen
A million stories that made up a million shattered dreams

It had to be a mirage, a fabrication of her exhausted mind. There was no way that the bruised and battered body in front of her belonged to her sister. The younger girl had always been a strong fighter who had practically raised herself while Katherine was navigating her own path of adulthood. But the emerald green eyes that the Farrington family shared was the telling sign that it was in fact Elowen, dead before her.

"She died protecting me," muttered Luna softly, her fingers still running through Elowen's hair. Katherine kneeled down next to her fallen sister, her bottom lip trembling as she reached out a shaking hand to brush against her blushless cheek. "There was a group of Death Eaters who were fighting us outside in the courtyard. One-I think it was Lestrange-shot the killing curse at us. Your sister blocked it. I know it isn't much comfort but she did die a hero."

Out of all the things that she had gone through that evening, Luna's words were what made her break down into heaving sobs. All Katherine could think about was how absent she had been throughout her sister's life. She had missed her first day at Hogwarts, long summers spent at her aunt's house picking daffodils from the fields. She didn't even know how long her sister had been dating Luna, or how her final year of Hogwarts was doing. The updates from Snape were the only reason she even had some idea of the bright young witch her sister had grown to be. And now that she was gone, Katherine would never know the answers to her multitude of questions. Elowen's life had slipped through her fingers.

"I should've been there for her, you know," she uttered, her teeth digging into her lip so hard her tongue turned crimson with blood. "I mean, we were each other's only family besides our aunt. When you're a teenager and forced to navigate the craziness of life you should have someone who has been through it to look up to for help and advice. She needed me, Luna, and I wasn't there."

"She did speak very highly of you, I wouldn't guilt yourself too much," was all Luna could respond.

Wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her robes, Katherine lurched at the touch of a caressing hand resting atop her shoulder. Victor had plopped down next to her, his arm wrapped around her comfortingly. Letting her head rest atop his shoulder, Katherine seemed to melt into the brooding man next to her.
"I'm terribly sorry for your loss, Katherine. She was gone too soon," he said comfortingly. "That's why I despise He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and the Death Eaters, the whole lot of them. It's children being forced to fight dark, twisted wizards because why? A power-hungry bastard decided to make it his life's mission to kill a poor child? It's madness," Victor huffed in a disgusted tone.

Even though she knew she shouldn't feel the guilt that was eating away at her insides she still did. For two years she had sat beside the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange and Antonin Dolohov, the Carrow twins and Fenrir Greyback. And Lucius, of course. Despite him being against every one of her heavy morals she still loved him. With all of the bodies and crying friends and family around her, she hated herself for being blinded by his empty promises and caressing touches that distracted her from the man he truly was: A monster.

Victor broke the deafening silence, standing up beside her as he offered her a hand. She stood up as well, giving Elowen a final glance before he moved her away. "I know you love him, Katherine, how could you not? But tonight he has shown his true colors. No matter how much you try to convince yourself that you can sway him away from his bigotry you can't. I've been telling you this since the Masquerade and now look where it's gotten you. I'm assuming that since he did not follow you in here that something happened between the two of you?"

"Well, he begged me to stay with him. He said that if I followed through by his side he would marry me, isn't that absolutely mad? Me, the wife of Lucius Malfoy? I would positively be hated by everyone," she laughed, though she would be a liar if she said the option hadn't crossed her mind. Katherine Malfoy does have a nice ring to it. Victor's face flashed an expression of jealousy before he took her hand.
"I simply wouldn't let you marry a fool like him. It makes me so sad that you wasted so much of your life stuck in his little web. I am overjoyed that your...relationship with him is over."