𝘒𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 •°𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴

[89]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The sound of the ocean was the most beautiful sound she had heard in her life.

Fleur finished tending to her, making Sara drink a series of disgusting potions, then eat a full bowl of porridge, then down some more potions.

The feeling of home, that's what it was like.

"Thank you," Sara muttered as Fleur walked out of the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

From the little window, she had a clear view of the ocean, the first sound she heard before she passed out. It was magical in a way how the waves hit the shore, how to water had a darker color the farther you tried to look.

The potions helped Sara regain more of her strength than the food at The Manor did; she cracked her knuckles and began dressing into the pair of clothes Fleur left for her on the bed.

She was still full of sand and processing the news of Dobby's death.

Several moments later, there was a knock at the door. "Come in."

Harry looked physically and mentally exhausted as he stepped through the door, his eyes holding so much pain that Sara couldn't look directly at him.

"Sara," he croaked, nearly falling to his knees as the redhead hurried towards him and he caught her in a tight embrace, burying his face in her messy hair. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I can't even begin to apologize about it, I'm an asshole for leaving you behind to get caught like that, you can beat my ass and do whatever after we kill You-Know-Who, I promise."

The redhead laughed and ran a hand through his hair. "I would've beaten your ass if you died tonight, you idiot."

Harry chuckled, being comforted by the familiar scent of his sister. "Sure you would," he leaned back a little, bringing his hands to her cheeks and holding her like she was going to disappear again, like he didn't quite believe that she was there in his arms, hopefully safe at last. "What happened in there?"

Sara's expression grew guarded and she took a few steps back, hugging the pullover she had retrieved from her purse to her chest; another one of Nico's.

"Sara," her brother whispered, fear lacing with his tone.

She took a few shaking breaths, looking at him after some time. "For a long time it was hell, then it wasn't, and then it was again. Bellatrix tortured me for the first few months and then discarded me like I was the toy she got bored of playing with, promising me that it wouldn't mean I was safer. And then You-Know-Who decided to have a little play with me, you know? I'd spent most of the remaining of December after Christmas and then January sleeping it off so I could have the energy to not let him torture my mind, because you escaped him, he wanted everything I had because you escaped him that night. After that he was going to come for you, like anything stored into my mind would help him discover your location."

Harry shook his head slowly, barely believing what he had heard; torture had been inevitable knowing who she ended up with after she was kidnapped, but having to use Occlumency for that long against Voldemort was outright torture and Sara survived every minute of it all for him.

The redhead held up a hand, her features softening. "I don't need pity, Harry, I need this war to be over, I need to see Nico and make sure he's already, I want you to tell me every shitty situation you've been through this past months and I want you to trust me. I'm far more stronger than I let you believe, I might look attached and depending on my boyfriend and yes, he was one of the reasons I fought You-Know-Who for so long, but I did it myself, because I've decided to teach myself advanced Occlumency when you struggled with Snape, and hell if I'd take everything I did back. I should've kept my wand with me back then, but I was stupid enough not to, but I'm here now, aren't I?"