✔️ 𝐔𝐍𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃 → 𝑐.𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

08 | A W A K E N

   WITH A GRIM look upon his face, Charlie leaned against the kitchen counter, staring out of the window. Ana's precious primeroses were stomped into the ground. She wouldn't like that, that much he could predict.

   Behind his back, there were small movements heard; Ana was shifting in her bed. He turned his head without much expectations. Her eyes were still closed, breathing flatly, Ezra, the Kneazle, sitting by her bed, not turning his eyes off of her.

   Charlie didn't know what spell had hit her. It hadn't just been a stunning spell, so far he could tell.

   A motion outside caught his attention and his neck snapped around, eyes scanning the still barely enlightened trees surrounding them, as the sun was about to rise. With narrowed eyes he stared into the shadows, his hand on his wand, waiting, preparing ...

   A bird. A small little blackbird landing on the elder tree in Ana's frontyard. Charlie released a breath he had held without noticing.

   Anastasia Voinescu wasn't save here no more. He needed to bring her away. But on the other hand, who was save in a place he would bring Ana to? Charlie didn't dare to take her to his family. Whatever mood she would be in when finally waking up, it wouldn't be delightful.

   But she couldn't stay here anyway. Charlie turned around and watched her: a fragile small woman, her long her framing a pale face, big round eyes closed, her chest heaving up and down slowly to her breathing. Like that, she looked like she couldn't harm a fly. Nevertheless, this woman had beheaded a man without a second of hesitation, without a sign of regret.

   Charlie stepped closer to her bed under the examining glare of her Kneazle. His mind was running. Ana had been attacked. The unbeatable Anastasia Voinescu had been hit by a spell, had been brought to fall, her body had hit the ground with an almost human disgrace. How was this even possible? She was supposed to be unbeatable!

   Another movement outside had him jerk around. Just the blackbird again, sitting on the balustrade of the small porch in front of her house.

   Charlie's eyebrow shot up, his feet mechanically dragged him back to the window. The bird chirped, and he flinched as it did, as it hit him with the force of a fiery dragon breath.

   Out there in a forest, where no bird had been seen for half a decade, there was sitting this small black bundle of feathers, singing cheerfully in the crimson light of a rising sun ...

   Twirling around, he lifted the Kneazle off the bed. It held still, placed his paws on Charlie's shoulder and purred. Charlie took Ana's hand. It was a risk, but one he had to take. He just begged her weakened body would be capable to take the effort of apparition.

   Another quick glint to the window showed him the bird was gone. It was just a matter of time that the Death Eaters would return, more of them this time. Busy saving Ana, Charlie had to watch the two remaining men flee. But them now knowing, that a chance existed Anastasia Voinescu was defeatable, they wouldn't let the opportunity pass to give it another try.

   With a last deep breath, Charlie spun around, his hand tightly clasped around hers, and the three of them with a loud crack got sucked into a tiny pipe and vanished into nothingness.

 •✧• 

   Something soft was tickling her nose, but that wasn't what did wake Ana. No, it was a growling, a roaring not that far away, that didn't fit into the peaceful silence of her home.

   Her eyelids were heavy as she tried to open them, her body felt like being run over by an Erumpent. But another roar and she sat up, her eyes flung open, and an ache shot through her spine.

   Darkness was surrounding her, but it only took her eyes a couple of seconds to get used to it. The shapes of a mediocre sized room became clearer, and with a jolt of unknown panic she noticed that this wasn't her home.

   She was sitting on a bed, covered in a white blanket that had slid off of her shoulders, revealing that she was still wearing the nightgown she had worn the night ... that night ... the attack!

   Eyes widened to red glowing orbs, she frantically looked around. Had they captured her? Was this her prison? But it didn't look like one. Another growl had her flinching.

   Ana took a deep breath, trying to shake this new feeling of fear out of her mind. She tried to focus on her surroundings; a bed, a closet standing by the wall next to a desk, a couch — a figure laying on that couch ...

   She threw the blanket aside, eyes narrowed to slits, as she flung her legs out of the bed, bare feet feeling the cold ground underneath her toes. Striding towards the couch, the energy was already flowing through her body, flaming red glowing fingers clenched to fists, ready to take her revenge for what they had done to her. They thought they could lock her up in here? They'd not have the time to regret that decision. Ana wouldn't live as anyone's prisoner ever again!

   Muscular shoulders revealed that it was a man laying on that couch, his big turned on her, softly breathing with a barely audible snore. Flaming red hair glowing in the light of her hands, and Ana felt her stomach jump and fall.

   So he did betray her. He had led Voldemort's lackeys to her place, he'd used her sympathy towards him, her mercy, just to sell her to the Dark Lord. And now he was here to make held her captured. The dragon tamer was sent to watch over the monster ... Oh, what a fool he was to think he could stand a chance.

   Charlie Weasley stirred in his sleep, turning over so she could see his freckled face. Another twist in her stomach she ignored, and a red glowing hand was rising to give him what a betrayer like him deserved ...

 •✧•