𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 • (𝐝.𝐦.)

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐲-𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

♔

The next few weeks were lonely. Although there were people everywhere, I didn't have the one person I wanted to see exceptionally.

The constant battle was raging on, and I could barely hold myself together. We were no longer at the Burrow, no, that was off the table. The Burrow was attacked. Burned down by Death Eaters.

My father was not among them.

It was their plan to lure Harry out of the house. Voldemort wanted to kill Harry himself, he always had. He had to be the one to do it, hence the violent theatrics.

Fred and I were not on speaking terms, unfortunately. I wanted nothing more than for him to forgive me, but on the same token, I was sure I had done nothing wrong.

I had tried talking to him, but he would always tell me the same thing.

"We're in the middle of a war, Maggie. Leave it alone," He would say.

It was infuriating, really. I never thought he'd be so stubborn and hard-headed about this. I knew it was a touchy topic, a controversial one, but I also thought he was my friend.

We were at Grimmauld Place prepping for battle, and we had been for a little while.

I was upstairs in one of the bedrooms that had been named mine. I shared it with Hermione and I was happy about that.

We were closer than ever now, although the circumstances weren't fantastic, and we told each other everything that had gone on in our lives since shit hit the fan.

We got ready for bed that night after dinner and I lit the candle next to my bed.

The window rattled slightly, but I thought it was from the storm outside.

When it rattled again, Hermione stood up, peering through it. "It'a an owl!" She exclaimed, opening the window and letting in the black owl from outside.

It had a letter in its mouth protected by a waterproofing charm, and Hermione took it graciously, letting the owl warm up and dry off inside.

"It's for... Elizabeth? Who's that?" She asked, and my eyes darted to the letter in her hand. I knew who that letter was from, and it took every within me not to bubble over with joy.

"It's for me," I said in awe, and she handed the letter to me. "Why does it say Elizabeth?" She asked, and I smiled.

"It's a little joke... a code name of sorts. It's from Draco," I said.

"Really?!" Hermione enthused, trying to hush her own excitement, but failing. I giggled too, and we both gushed over the letter without even having opened it yet.

"Well? Go on, then!" She nudged, and I nodded swiftly, peeling the letter open to reveal its contents.

♔