Sage | H. GRANGER

thirty seven

Sage followed behind Hermione and Ron, her gaze studying the buildings and people around her. Sage had always wanted to travel, but was always told by her parents that the world outside of the wizarding one was dangerous. Now, Sage knew better than to believe their words of prejudice, but back then she had no reason to question their judgement. They were her parents, and her parents knew best. Sage studied her surroundings with curious eyes that seemed to shine brighter than the lights that illuminated the streets. Sage followed behind the trio as they walked into a small cafe. It was nearly empty aside from the waitress who bopped her head to the music she listened to. Sage had an eerie feeling residing in the pit of her stomach, but she shrugged it off as she took a seat next to Harry.

"Do you reckon everyone's alright at the wedding? Maybe we should-" Ron quickly cut Harry off.

"They were after you, mate. We'd just put everyone in danger going back."

Hermione nodded along with Ron's words, a frown falling on her lips. Sage sighed deeply, her eyes flickering between the trio. The waitress that stood behind the counter had finally made her way towards the four of them. She had music blasting from her ears and a careless look on her face. Sage frowned in distaste as she listened to the obnoxious smacking of the gum in her mouth.

"A cappuccino, please." Hermione spoke, watching as the waitress wrote down what she wanted. Harry mumbled he would have the same as Ron and Sage shared a confused glance.

"I'll have what she's having." Sage spoke, causing Ron to nod in agreement.

As the waitress walked away from them, Ron dived back into their discussion.

"So where do we go from here? The Leaky Cauldron?"

"It's too dangerous." Sage spoke up. "If He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named had taken over the ministry, none of the old places are safe."

Sage glanced at the security mirror that resided near the ceiling as she heard the squeaking of the cafe door. The eerie feeling came back even stronger as she felt the mark on her arm tingle with familiarity. Harry noticed the quick change in the demeanor of the girl next to him. Her skin grew a sickly pale color and her mouth opened and closed in fear. The two men that had walked into the small, rundown cafe were none other than Dolohov and Rowle, two fellow death eaters disguised as workmen. Sage's hand cautiously fell to her wand, trying to to make any sudden moves. She glanced at Harry who subtly nodded at her.The fear that brewed in the pit of her stomach stayed there, but she ignored it's cold tingle. Now was not the time to be scared.

The two men passed the four former students. Sage felt her heartbeat quicken as she kept her eyes trained on the two death eaters. She noticed Rowle quickly glance at the table through the table through the security mirror. This small action was more than enough of a reason to send Sage to her feet, alongside Harry, with her wand gripped tightly in her hand.

"Stupify!" Sage shouted, causing Rowle to slam into the counter. Dolohov sent a spell towards the four of them, sending the table they were sitting at to the floor. The moment was filled with pure chaos. Spells were whizzing through the air, hitting the wall behind Sage. The fear she once felt melted away and was replaced with the sweet, sweet touch of adrenaline. During the moment, as Sage got lost in the battle, she didn't notice Dolohov sending a curse her way. It had came out of nowhere. But, when it had hit Sage, a wasp-like stinging erupted throughout her body. Her screams of pain echoed throughout the small cafe, causing Harry to curse Dolohov. Once the focus was lost, Sage felt a brief moment of relief. She pushed herself off of the floor and gripped her wand tighter.