𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝑋𝐶𝐼𝑉.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙮-𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

THEY WERE IN a forest, Caroline could tell from the pine needles over the dirt. It was like the Forbidden Forest, but without the monsters and murderers. Caroline coughed, her fall punching her in the stomach. There were scratches over her face, but she would be fine. She pushed herself onto her knees, instantly able to breathe better, but she was unable to find anyone. Caroline turned rapidly, hearing sounds. She exhaled and stood up, rushing over to where Hermione was kneeling in front of Ron, blood covering them both. "What the hell happened?" Caroline asked, landing on her knees on Ron's other side.

"Help me, Carol, keep him still." Hermione cried, and Caroline didn't question her further, just tried to calm Ron down.

Then Harry found them, walking over with the locket in his grip. "It's all right. It's okay." Caroline soothed Ron, ripping off her jacket and bunching it up as a makeshift pillow for Ron's head.

"Harry. Harry, quickly, in my bag. There's a bottle labelled Essence of Dittany." Hermione ordered once she saw Harry, and the boy dug around in his bag.

"Quickly, Harry." Caroline urged, panic in her voice at how long it was taking Harry to find the potion.

Hermione shushed Ron, taking off his shirt to reveal his splinched arm. "Accio Dittany." Harry said urgently, rushing over to the girls once he grabbed hold of the potion.

"It's all right. Unstopper it." Hermione said, Caroline holding down Ron, keeping him still while he seized in pain.

"Hermione, his arm." Harry said when he saw the splinching.

"I know, just do it." Hermione cried out, and Harry undid the bottle's cork, handing it to Caroline.

Caroline rose to her knees above Ron. "It's gonna sting a little bit. A lot, actually." Caroline warned Ron, dropping the potion into his wounds, Hermione holding him down.

"What happened? I thought we meant to be going back to Grimmauld Place." Harry asked, scrapes on his face.

"We were. We were. Shh." Hermione cried out over Ron's groans, Caroline continuing to drop the potion where she was told.

"Almost there, Ron. One more, one more." Caroline spoke, her hands covered in Ron's blood.

"We were there, we were there, but Yaxley had hold of me, and I... I knew once he'd seen where we were, we couldn't stay, so I brought us here... but Ron got splinched." Hermione sobbed, Caroline finishing up with the potion.

Ron's wounds started to close up. "All done, that's it." Caroline said, wiping the blood on her ugly skirt.

Once Hermione was sure she could leave Ron, she stood up with her wand, Harry taking her spot beside Ron. "Protego Totalum. Salvio Hexia." Hermione said shakily.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked as Caroline rifled through her bag quickly, coming out with a roll of bandages.

"Protective enchantments. I don't fancy another visit like the one we had in Shaftesbury Avenue, do you?" Hermione called behind her, frustrated.

Harry shook his head as Caroline began tenderly wrapping Ron's arm and torso. "Who taught you that?" he wondered, Caroline tying off a set of bandages.