Waldosia/// George Weasley

Chapter 18

She was shaking.

She was shaking and there was nothing she could do.

Clover wrapped the blanket that she had managed to steal on her way out of Hogwarts tighter around Linny's trembling body. It was their first day of their first summer on their own, and currently they were cuddled together in an empty alleyway. It was cold, but at least they were safe. No one knew; not Babs, not Linny's friends, not Hogwarts, and most importantly, not him. They were safe.

"I'm cold, Clo."

A shudder crept down her own back at the lack of warmth during this cold summer night. But her shaking was nowhere near the intensity of Linny's. Clover wanted so badly to do something more for her sister, provide her with more. But for right now, safety had to be enough.

She pulled her sister in closer and held her tight against her body, wishing that things were different.

"I'm sorry, puff."

Clover shifted in her sleep at the memory haunting her as it morphed into a different one.

She pulled her sister in closer and held her tight against her body, wishing that things were different.

Her hand wrapped around the back of her sister's neck as she cradled her. But as soon as the color crimson began to stain her fingertips, she pulled back in fear.

A feeling of despair, disappointment, failure coursed through her body stronger than anything she's ever felt before. Safety was all she had to offer Linny, yet she couldn't even give her that.

There was rubble all around them, dust and smoke forcing its way into her with every breath she took. But, Clover didn't notice. She didn't care about the breaths she took, she didn't care about her own heartbeat thumping in her chest, she didn't care about the steady flow of blood in her own body. It didn't matter anymore to her, not when her sister didn't have any of it.

All she knew was that there was shaking again, but this time it was her own.

She was shaking and there was nothing she could do.

This time when she jolted awake from her plagued sleep, her body was uncontrollably trembling. Clover momentarily forgot where she was and immediately fell to the floor from the couch she was sleeping on. She pressed her hands against her cheeks tightly, trying anything to get both the shaking and the dark thoughts from out of her system. She would've laughed if she could've, she should've known better; the darkness would never leave her.

Feebly, she pulled herself up from the floor and stumbled her way around the familiar flat. Her hand gripped the wand tucked into her waistband and pulled it out.

"Lumos," her voice wavered weakly, yet it was the strongest tone she could muster up.

Clover numbly stared at the flickering light expelling from her wand and watched as a moment later it went completely dark. It was expected from how weakly she casted the spell, yet it made her steps falter and her heart sink into her chest. It was a different type of pain that came from watching your own light go out, watching your darkness burn brighter than any light you've ever known.

Pathetic, the words that he used so often danced around her head. She shakily shoved the wand back into her waistband as she began pacing the room, her thoughts spiraling into a pit of despair. Failure.