Splintered Flames

Chapter 4

The first store we came to happened to be a charity store on a street corner. True, I did feel really bad about breaking into a charity shop and taking a pair of clothes for me and Oliver to fit into (since Harry's clothes were far too big for me and too small for Oliver), but I figured if I left a large donation on the counter it should be okay.

Now armed in a warm, new set of clothes, we put our hoods up and started walking down the streets in the hopes of finding a telephone box or a street sign of some sort. We had already been walking for an hour or so and figured that we had lost the trail of Death Eaters who flew across the sky.

"Minnie, I like to think that we've lost them by now." Oliver whispered to me as we carried on walking down the cobbled streets of this small village. "I suggest we get under cover and I create a portkey. I think I can manage that."

Just before we crash landed, Oliver had been hit with a curse that has made him slightly disoriented, we would have apperated to a safe location otherwise. His spell work was a little off and I couldn't do anything with it sending up a massive flare screaming 'here I am, come and find me'.

"Melissa. Oliver." I heard being hissed in the distance, Oliver seemed to hear it too because he dragged me around a corner and we hid, both holding our wands in defence. "Is it really you? Please say it is and I'm not going mad."

I could recognise that voice anywhere, "Lavender?" I questioned looking at Oliver, who simply shrugged. I felt a little more confident as I tilted around the corner a little. "Prove it's you, what did you buy Ron as a present last Christmas?" I quietly yelled over holding up my Gold DA coin.

" It was a thick gold chain, with large gold letters spelling 'my sweetheart'." She called back in an equally hushed tone holding up her DA coin as well. Oliver let out hod exhaled breath and we ran over, hugging her on the street. "I saw you guys breaking into that shop when I was doing my safety run, I knew I had to check if it was really you both."

"Thank god it is you Lavender. I've never been happier to see you in my life." Oliver sighed in relief as we quickly went undercover for a brief moment. "Do you have anywhere we can sit down and can perform a healing spell. I've been seeing two for a while now."

"Yes, we can go back to mine. I swear it's safe, we can get you fed and give you a meal." Lavender smiled pulling her hood up and leading us through the back streets.

**************

"Mum and dad haven't been home for a few days, but I got a fire message this morning saying that they were hiding underground until the coast is clear." Lavender informed us as I curled up on her couch. "So what happened?"

I started to tell her the plan and what had happened with Mad-Eye as she worked on healing Oliver. I didn't stop talking until I had told her everything up to meeting her on the street.

"And now we have to figure a way of getting a message or actually getting to the Weasley's since they will have no idea where we are." I finished up holding my tea closely to my chest. "I also have no idea if the rest of them are still alive."

"Hold on a second Missy." Lavender said, checking Oliver's eyes with her wand. "Don't forget that you're the only underage witch in this room. I also passed Charms with flying colours, I can make you a portkey no problem. And you should be better now Oliver, it's the best I can do, but I suppose an adult can help you in a moment."

"You'd do that for us Lavender?" I asked, a little surprised that she'd be willing to do something as risky as this so we could get to safety. Also if anyone found out that she did this, they would kill her or do something much worse.

"If you guys can stop you-know-who, then I'd do much more." Lavender paused from looking through her draws for an old object. "Actually, I feel like I should be doing more." She sighed before picking up a broken hand mirror and setting it down on the table.