the secret of Erised {s.b.}

chapter 39: clam's cave

 Esmeralda did not sleep well at all that night, not even when Sirius rolled over and hugged her in his sleep. The vision she had had when she held the not playing over and over in her head. She could not get the images of fire out of her mind. A stag, a dog and a dragon in the middle of everything. Killing curses flying around like fireflies in the middle of summer. She could not help but wonder if there was anything she could do to prevent her visions from becoming true. Not because of the one about the battle, but the one of a hand reaching out to her from behind a veil in the Department of Mysteries. A hand she now knew to be Sirius'.

The next day was filled with silence. The whole Order was gathered in Perla's house, but, other than a few whispers here and there, it was completely silent as they waited for news. Dumbledore had decided to send a few members to Clam's Cave in France as a stakeout. They had taken some enchanted coins to notify the rest once they saw Death Eaters approach the cave. It had been decided that not the entire order would be going, it seemed a bit ridiculous to send everyone to France. Among the members that would stay behind at Headquarters were Perla, Clara, Marlene and Dorcas. A few other members would leave to their normal posts once the ones assigned to the mission had left, they were only there to get instructions from Dumbledore.

The young members of the order were sitting outside in the garden chairs. They had been enjoying the sunset silently, all of them too focused on their own thoughts to had noticed the beautiful orange and pink colours before they faded into darkness and the moon was their only source of light. 

"It smells putrid in there," James said as he exited the house, he had gone inside to get some food for the group.

"It's probably Moody's eye," Sirius sad, "I don't imagine he takes it out and cleans the skin behind it daily."

The group laughed. Not a hysterical laugh, a nervous one. They figured it couldn't hurt to laugh a little and crack a few jokes here and there.

Just as James was about to sit down next to Lily, Dumbledore opened the door to the garden.

"It's time," he said.

Inside, the members of the Order were gathered around six Portkeys. The Prewett twins were waiting for the rest of the young members to join them around an old lamp.

Esmeralda took a detour to the Portkey and went to hug Perla.

"I love you," she whispered to her aunt, not wanting to let go.

"I love you more, kid," she whispered back, "When you come bac-"

"If I come back,"

"When you do," Perla insisted, looking her niece in the eye, "I'll have your favourite supper ready."

Esmeralda smiled.

"Can't wait," she said, hugging her aunt one more time before joining the group around the Portkey.

Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Everyone," he said, "Remember the plan"

And with that, the members of the Order of the Phoenix touched their Portkeys.

Esmeralda preferred Portkeys to Apparating. She still didn't like feeling like water going up a pipe, but at least with a Portkey she had something to hold on to.

When they finally reached their destination, she could see a cave in the distance. They were on top of a hill overlooking it. Sirius walked next to her and held her hand. They looked at each other and smiled, assuring the other that they would not die fighting this battle. No matter what, both of them would make it out of there alive.