Skin Of Pure Ice

chapter twenty two

We arrive at the Order with a snap and a thing of bile attempting to rise. There are six people with six wands to our throats. We all stand perfectly still considering we just apparated miles and miles and my vision is dizzy.

"Astoria." A woman who seemed to be one of Astorias' old professors and the way they are looking at each other... they seem to have been very close. The professor's eyes are watered and her hand holding the wand is shaking. "Your tea cup?"

"Death." Astoria responds.

There are no words exchanged but a nod. The rest of the wizards put their wands down. I can't seem to place any of them in my mind beside one and I could tell he noticed me too. He's wearing a green jacket, dark hair to his shoulders, bulky. He looks too much like my father for me to even wrap my head around. Anyone could have mistaken that man for my father. I decide to stay behind Draco and in front of Blaise as we walk to the cottage.

"Are you okay?" He questions me for what feels like the hundredth time but I'm not complaining. He could sense my energy and I could sense his right back. He's putting up walls upon walls. I start to do the same thing.

"I'm good, Draco." I told him. Was it a lie? Perhaps. I'm tense. "I just thought I noticed someone."

He gets closer to me. "Who?"

"Green jacket." I mouth to him. Draco's gaze shifts to the man and keeps it there. Is there something he knows that I don't... again?

"Going to the Order today for not just everyone else but for is a dangerous game, okay."

I let what my mother said to me go behind walls but still stay alert. After what seems like three miles of walking, we stumble upon a cottage next to a beach. Wooden and old. With the wind, I could hear the creaking of it. It seems like it could tumble over with just a touch of a finger. If I was part of the Order I would put into my agreement for a new safe house.

I walk up closely to Blaise with a question in my mind. "Why were we able to see and why were we aware of the house but they have wards? They can't put them down or the Death Eaters would know that they were here."

He keeps his voice low. "You're right, they couldn't put them down. I'm sure Astoria did something. We apparted into the wards."

I raised a brow and that's when Astoria bumped into the conversation. "All of you are very very hard sleepers. Besides Draco. I walked past your room to get to the bathroom and he was up in a second asking me what I was doing. He didn't like my answer and made getting a piece of each of your hair not fun anymore."

"You took a piece of hair from us in the middle of night when we were sleeping?"

"Do you want to make peace with the Order to take down the Dark Lord and get Gabriella back or not?" She replied sharply.

I let her have that.

We all eventually get up to the door of the cottage and they take our wands. They don't trust us, out of everyone me, and I get that but taking away our only way of defense makes my stomach turn. It doesn't feel right to be here.

The six wizards lead up to the kitchen and seeing Hermione Granger for the first time since the battle made my heart drop. She doesn't look like Hermione Granger, but I knew it was her. She had cuts on her collarbones, her hair was thinning, and her cheek bones were more prominent than ever. Hermione meets my eyes for a second before she runs them all over Astoria, Blaise, Draco, Theodore, and Narcissa.

Madeye Moody is there along with Kingsley, Molly Weasley, George Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Bill Weasley and Ron who was a sight for sore eyes. Hagrid sat low and Luna sat beside him. There were six extra faces added to this group of people including the one with the green jacket. Out of everyone that's where my focus lies the most.