Scratches (Fred Weasley)

(154) Brink of Death

Splitting up was a regrettable decision, Florence thought, as she stumbled blindly along the dark hallways, using the walls as her guide. She could still hear voices, others screaming and fending for their lives, others in deep battle. Taking a leap of faith, she turned a corner, coming in contact with a raven haired boy, Marshall, if she remembered correctly, nearly out of breath. She whipped out her wand, ready to face off the Death Eater he had been battling for Merlin knows how long, the two managing to stun them to the ground.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt in any way?"

The panicked boy shook his head no, his chest rising and falling rapidly as a look of relief settled on to his face, "Thank you. I thought that was going to be the end of me."

"Don't thank me just yet. You still need to get to safety."

Pointing Marshall to the direction of the exit, she swiftly turned back, with every intention of continuing to look for other people.

"Wait!" Came Marshall's panicked voice, "You can't leave me alone. I-I might run in to another Death Eater."

"Just follow the path. I have to help the others."

"But--!"

"Please just go!" she insisted, before turning down another hallway, feeling the sweat build up on her forehead as she broke in to a light jog, following the sound of another voice. This time, it was a group of three girls that she distinctly remembered from hand to hand combat, as they were particularly skilled and trained. The smallest girl, Jenna, had a large gaping wound on her forehead, dried blood running down the side of her face, her wand gone from her grasps, and cluttered a few feet away. She was surrounded by Natasha and Evelyn, the two witches having their wands raised against the Death Eaters surrounding them. They were cornered by five of them. 

Florence snuck around the corner, getting to a position where she was comfortable enough to take a risky shot, one of the girls spotting her. Her eyes went wide, Florence bringing her finger up to her mouth, telling her not to be too obvious.

With a hex, she was able to take one out in surprise, the other four swiveling around, chasing after her as soon as she was spotted. "Run!" she told the other three girls, wishing she had the time to point them to the direction of safety.

"Fuck...fuck.." Florence seethed under her breath as she continued to run, turning down hallways and hallways, trying to lose the other four, but they were much too fast.

"Stupefy!" she threw the spell blindly over her shoulder,  miraculously hitting one of the four, leaving three more, and even angrier, death eaters hot in her trail. 

Her heart was pounding wildly against her ribcage, doubt beginning to cloud her mind. She was beginning to think that she might not be able to make it out alive this time. No one was there to help her, she was all alone. Stopping and facing three death eaters was not an option she could take. Tears welled up in her eyes. This was how she was going to die. 

Florence felt her feet slow down, fatigue creeping up in her system, ready to shut down and finally give up. It was as though her lungs were closing on her, finding it harder and harder to breath, feeling herself grow lightheaded from exhaustion. 

Suddenly, she heard a deep voice yell out the killing curse, Florence diving to the ground as she saw a bright green glow from behind, only to be followed by the sound of bodies dropping dead on the floor instead of what she thought was going to be her inevitable death. She dropped her head down in to her arms, tears of fright streaming uncontrollably from her eyes. Slowly, she turned her head  to find the death eaters who were chasing her laying lifelessly on the floor. At the end of the hallway, a lone masked Death Eater stood, his wand still out. It was as if he was staring directly at her, but looked as though he had no intentions of advancing towards her.