Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
~
It took Eleanora three days to drag herself through the forest behind Malfoy Manor. The rain started on the first day and didn't stop the entire time. Eleanora was covered head to toe in mud. Her skin, hair, and clothes were caked with it, but that was the least of her concerns. Her injured leg had given out completely. Every time Eleanora took a break from crawling, leaning against the nearest tree to catch her breath, she would do whatever she could for the wound. There wasn't much. It was impossible to keep the wound dry in the pouring rain and she had no clean bandages. With no wand and no bag, she didn't have any supplies at all. She tried to ignore the growing hunger and weakness she felt, but it was getting more difficult by the minute.
The only good news was that Draco seemed to be doing his job. Nobody had caught Eleanora yet, which was good because if they did she'd be a goner. She had a constant fear gnawing at her, especially when she stopped moving. She was starting to wonder if she'd ever make it out of the forest. Every time she felt like she couldn't go any further, she'd sit in the pouring rain and think about Bill. She could picture his face so clearly. When they'd first acknowledged their feelings for each other at the third task of the Triwizard Tournament, the first time they'd kissed, when they'd spent the night together. She had to get back to that, she just had to.
Her fingernails raked through the mud and she let out a small gasp at the pain in her hands. She looked down and saw that blood was mixing with the mud below her. A jolt went through her body and she retched towards the ground. Nothing came up. She hadn't eaten in days. Eleanora dry heaved for a minute, and then sank down into the mud. One side of her face rested on the ground and she felt her body give out. She couldn't go any further. She couldn't make it. She tried to think about home, but her mind was too fogged up for any coherent thought. Her eyes blinked slowly and she only caught glimpses of the land ahead of her. There was something odd about it.... The trees seemed to just... stop.
"Head that way until you reach a field," Draco had said. "You'll know you're there when you see it."
Eleanora stared at the ending of the trees. It was hard to see through the sheets of pounding rain. She squeezed her eyes shut and set the palm of one hand on the ground. Ever so slowly, Eleanora managed to pull herself into a half sitting position.
It took her nearly an hour to drag herself to the edge of the tree-line. When she got there, all of the breath was knocked out of her. Eleanora's eyes filled with tears as she stared in awe at the field expanding in front of her. There were no trees for miles. She let out a strangled cry of joy mingled with pain.
Carefully, Eleanora managed to pull herself onto her knees. Then she screwed up her face and pulled one knee up, pushing herself into a standing position. Pain racked her body, but she fought through it. Eleanora took one more deep breath and finally managed to turn on the spot and apparate.
~
The first thing Eleanora noticed when she appeared in the backyard of the Burrow was the sudden dryness in the air. A few tears ran down her face as a cold, dry breeze washed over her. She winced as she fell to her knees, her injured leg landing in the soft grass. She stared at the house, and then realized something was wrong. The house was all dark. She had no idea what time of night it was, but the Burrow was never all dark. There was always someone up late, working or talking or getting a midnight snack in the kitchen. The place looked unlived in.
When Eleanora unlocked the front door, she immediately knew nobody was home. The house was freezing cold and there were none of the usual smells of cooking food and explosions wafting from the twins room. She stepped in, holding onto whatever she could for support. Eleanora was pleased that there was some moonlight shining in through the kitchen window, just enough that she could see a note sitting on the table. She eased herself into a chair and pulled the paper closer. Eleanora's heart leapt when she saw that it was written in her and Bill's code.
Dear Eleanora If you're reading this, I assume you're confused as to why there's nobody home. We've all moved to Headquarters for extra protection. You need to go there as soon as possible.
12 Grimmauld Place, London, England
Please hurry, I miss you, El. I love you. I can't wait to see you. Love, Bill.
Eleanora slumped back in the chair, holding onto the letter tightly. She didn't know if she had it in her to apparate again, but she needed to see him. She couldn't wait another minute.
