Kassandra Bauer and the Deathly Hallows. (Book 7)

Chapter 33: Deal with the Goblin.

I fell asleep pretty soundly that night in the Shell Cottage. It was arguably one of the best sleeps I had in a long time. One step at a time... we would take back our home from the Death Eaters. And now... all that was left was London. I remember waking up just as the sun was rising over the sea. It reminded me of the times I would wake up in Greece outside and watching Apollo rising from the Sea. It gave me hope that one day... I would escape from the bonds of slavery and be a free girl. 

Little did I know that day would come when Larisa ordered me to observe Ethan.

I thought that I would be able to observe Ethan without him noticing. But I was wrong. He noticed me coming for him. He looked very intimidating when I first met him. His Leather Armor, his wand armed for battle. The face burn on one side of his face. I was terrified of him. Until I heard him speak. "It's just a little girl."  He spoke softly, but I could tell that he wasn't going to hurt me.

And from that day on. My life was changed forever. Between going into the Labyrinth, Ethan keeping me safe. And then coming home to East Anglia. I was already up by that point, so I quickly changed out of my pajamas and into some clothes that Fleur was kind to provide me with. Apparently, the whole idea of being in a Rebellion and fighting against tyranny to liberate a Country had given her romanticized ideas of what it was like for her Grandparents in the Second World War. With them joining the French Resistance and fighting Nazis. And in a way... I could see her point. 

"Ze war will not end until we liberate London." Fleur said over and over. 

Deep down though, I knew that the war would not end until Voldemort was defeated once and for all.

And we also needed to still destroy the Horcruxes. As Hermione reminded us every other day. It was getting kind of annoying now. 

I walked outside my room and down to the Shore Line. It felt strange that I didn't see Hermione in my room, considering that we shared it. Oh, well... she must've been already up. But I walked down. And I felt the water waves on my feet. And hearing the seagulls flying in the air. It all seemed so peaceful to me. It was times like this that made me thing of how far we had come. All of us. Now that I had a moment of peace. This must've been what it was like for Ethan when he came home from wherever he had been in the world. And I wanted to feel that moment of peace too. I closed my eyes. Drifting away any thought of violent scenes or... anything else for that matter. And just hearing the waves... and feeling the water as it rose to my feet. 

I must've been standing there for hours, but it felt like days... And that was okay with me. I then heard the sounds of someone else coming. The sounds of feet walking on the sand and standing right next to me. 

"Hey, Kassie." I heard Mater's voice. I looked to see Mater standing next to me. "How are you?" She asked.

"Just trying to enjoy peace." I answered. "You?" 

"I'm doing fine as well." Mater answered grinning. "Being Locked up in Azkaban doesn't give you a view like this. Let me tell you. The only thing you see in that Prison is Cell Doors, Dementors, and rain." 

"That place always gave me nightmares." I said as the waves fell on my feet. 

Mater nodded. "It also gave Jacob nightmares when he was 6." She grinned. "Whenever he got scared or he just wanted to find peace... I would always take your brother to a beach just like this. And we would just hear the waves and feel the sea on our feet. I took Ethan there as well at multiple points. Those were always some of our happiest memories together." 

And I didn't think I ever had a peaceful moment like this since my first morning in East Anglia and away from Greece.