belladonna | marauders imagines

Regulus | Another Mask

tw: blood

"We have to move, now!" Frank Longbottom yelled, and the Order did what they were taught to do when cornered by dozens of death eaters — split up and run.

You took comfort in knowing they'd disapparate as soon as they can, but the wound on your shoulder restricted you from doing the same.

While you knew atleast one of the Dark Lord's followers would chase you, you didn't expect to feel so scared when it actually happened. The forest was dark, deadly and now haunted by death eaters.

Finding safehouses was always a trouble, which is why everyone used Dorcas's cabin for meetings in the last few months. Dumbledore did warn them to change the spot, but they kept putting it off. Somehow, the death eaters came to know, and now they came to get them.

If given the chance to change history, you wouldn't have backed out of joining the Order. If anything, you would have said yes faster. Because as much as terrifying as it was, it was better than doing nothing. Besides you had James, Lupin, Sirius, Dorcus, Marlene and Lily, all of whom became your unofficial family. And you never give up on family.

Your heart pounded as you ran, faster and faster, hoping the rocks and dirt and branches sticking out would clear themselves, and that you wouldn't fall down. For all that talk about family, you were currently alone. You were tired. And you were being hunted.

If someone knew about the shoulder wound, they wouldn't have left you behind. In that second of being cornered, everyone was startled, and you hoped all of them were back in their homes safe and unharmed.

You tried to calm down by reminding yourself that you had a knife and a wand. Judging by the sound of boots, there was only one death eater chasing you. Sooner or later, they'd have to get tired, right?

You had hoped the trees would help hide you, but they were the ones who betrayed you. All it took was one moment to glance behind you and see the person wasn't in close distance, and you hit the bark of a tree.

One moment of pause — that was all it needed for the death eater to collide into you. The two of you fell into a small clearing, which was lit only by the moonlight.

If you need to do something, do it now. They won't hesitate to kill you. You shook off their body and focused on all your remaining energy. It was either taking a risk and getting splinched doing a disapparation, or dying in the hands of whoever was in front of you. The former was a much more honorable way to fail.

Just as you turned, the person grabbed your hands. You took out the knife and slashed it across their chest. Blood spilled, but you knew it wasn't that deep. You had to leave and you had to do it now.

You turned again, thinking of your house, vaguely aware of the person who still had their hands on yours.

You breathed when you smelled home, then gasped when you realized you had a bleeding death eater on your hands.

After a bit of scampering, both of you were on your feet, wands out and chests heaving. The death eater looked like a man, but that's all you could guess about him. He was skinny and tall and looked a bit familiar, but as long as the mask was on, you could only speculate.

You said the first thing that came to your mind.

"Coward."

"Says the one who ran," he replied and you did a double-take. You did know him. His voice, it was very distinct. You could almost remember his name.

"You're the one wearing a mask," you struggled to keep your voice steady. The pain in your shoulder was definitely distracting, but it felt better now that you were in your house. You grew up in this place. You knew where the knives and weapons were. You knew which way to run and where the phone was.