Out of the Shadows (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

Chapter 18- Fresh Start (Ava)

Chapter 18 (Ava)

I stared at the murky bath water that I was sitting in. The water appeared to be almost opaque- a combination of blood and dirt.

My skin looked paper-white against the water and the dark bruises that had bloomed across my arms and legs.

"Ava?" Mrs. Weasley called gingerly through the door, "Are you ready to come out yet? I have some clean clothes ready for you here."

"Just coming, Mrs. Weasley," I called out as I stood up in the bath and reached over for a towel.

Despite all of the scrubbing that I had done to get rid of the dirt, as I dried myself smears of dirt and old blood still appeared on the towel.

Mrs. Weasley passed some clothes to me from the door and closed it to allow me to get changed. The feeling of jeans and a loose t-shirt felt wonderful compared to the shredded dress that I had been wearing for the past few months.

I opened the bathroom door and stepped out and Mrs. Weasley smiled, "Alright?"

I nodded, although it wasn't entirely true. I wanted to see Fred, but he was on a mission for the Order and hadn't returned yet.

"Ava?" Mr. Weasley appeared at the door, "Remus and Kingsley need to ask you a few questions, I'm afraid. They want to know more about the location of the Death Eaters and what they're up to."

Mrs. Weasley gasped, "Arthur! She's hardly in a fit state to talk about it! Plus I need to comb through her hair-"

I turned to face her, "I'm sorry Mrs. Weasley, but I understand that this needs to be done. And it's better to get it over with."

She nodded, "I'll do your hair when we're downstairs in the kitchen, then."

The three of us walked down into the kitchen silently. Mr. Weasley patted me on the shoulder reassuringly before we went in, and I smiled gratefully.

I sat down opposite Remus and Kingsley while Mrs. Weasley stood behind me with a hairbrush, some scissors and a wand. She began to mutter charms to untangle my hair, but they didn't do much to it. It was far too knotted for that.

"Ava, I'm- I'm sorry that we have to do this so soon," Remus sighed, "But we need as much information as possible. We really do."

I nodded, "I understand. I'll tell you what I can."

Kingsley and Remus shared a glance quickly before Kingsley began, "Do you know where you were being kept prisoner?"

"I think so. I'm pretty sure that it was Malfoy Manor- I recognised it from when I was there last summer." I answered quietly, glancing at the table.

"Which Death Eaters did you see there?" Remus asked.

"I... I only knew a few. Bellatrix Lestrange, Dolohov, Wormtail, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and Draco Malfoy," I paused at his name before continuing, "They were the only names I knew. There were many others, but I didn't recognise them."

Remus nodded slowly. I wondered what he was going to do with the information that he had. Would the Death Eaters even stay at Malfoy Manor after my escape?

The back door of the kitchen suddenly opened, and the twins walked in. They were both laughing at something, but when they caught sight of me sitting in the kitchen, the two of them seemed to freeze.

"Ava," Fred whispered, his mouth hanging open in shock.

Suddenly, the two of us moved towards each other in a rush. I felt Fred's strong arms wrap around me as I collided with his chest.