The Years of Blue [2]

Chapter 34: A Time of Transition

My mother had a firm grip on my hand the entire walk back to our tent, as if she thought that if she were to let go, I'd flutter off again and never be found. I thought she would be reading me the riot act right now, but instead, she asked me if I was alright numerous times. Had I gotten hurt, was I black and blue, did I see something terrifying, am I sure I'm not hurt anywhere, etc. Looking down on myself as I walked fast to keep up with my mother's long strides, I saw no indication of being hurt. In fact, I looked almost perfectly average except for some broken leaves on my pants and mud caking the bottom of my shoes.

My brothers and father were waiting at our campsite with all our bags packed in front of them; the tent was disbanded. The moment they saw us coming up the hill, my brothers ran forward with my father in the lead, asking if I was alright.

"Where were you Ava?" Ed demanded hotly. "We made it out of the Irish pit only to find you were gone."

"We were worried sick-"

My father gave me a bear hug that felt unnatural but welcoming before looking up at my mother who was uncharacteristically silent.

"While you were away I was able to get ahold of a portkey. We were just waiting for you," Father said, directed at my mother who nodded slowly before ushering the boys and I toward our bags.

Damion remained silent and guarded as we followed father with our bags to the end of the campsite and passed the house where the no-maj family lived. I wondered where they were now? Hopefully being taken care of by healers, maybe even getting their memories wiped. I hoped so at least.

When we reached the fence, we were met with a line of various people arguing at two men in ministry robes. When they saw us coming, one of the two ushered my family forward and handed my father a field hockey racket covered in tape. My father handed the man a sack of what I could only imagine was money while the line of people behind us started calling out how our family got a portkey and they didn't.

"It's based on a system everyone, so if you please, stop pushing forward!" The other wizard announced while my family took hold of the portkey and disappeared.

The portkey deposited us on the streets of London, near the apartment my father had bought shortly after gaining his ministry job. It had been awhile since I had visited this place, so it did not have the comfort of home, I was so readily craving. But Oliver was there to greet me with his impish tail waving at me daringly at my arrival, so I was alright.

None of the family moved about the house until a quarter to 1 in the afternoon the next day, and even then, no one spoke about the events of last night until breakfast had been eaten and preparation for the next school year had begun.

Damion, who was under fire from the Ministry to return to work immediately, did not stay long enough to hear the detailed story I told of how Malfoy tricked me into escaping from my brothers, and the trio coming across the Dark Mark in the sky. By the time I had finished speaking, my parents were eyeing one another in a conversation I could not read.

"We will have to speak to the Malfoys about this," my mother said at last. "I would not expect such behavior from you Ava, but especially not from their boy, Draco. And to leave you alone the moment the chaos started!"

Ah yes, just to clarify, I had to lie about some subtle differences in order to not get yelled at by my parents. Telling them that Malfoy tricked me into leaving my siblings was a subtle lie but telling them that Malfoy ditched me instead of I him was blatant but necessary to avoid a screaming match.

"Only if you insist, Emmeline," my father said stoutly, as he reached for his half empty cup of coffee. "I'm just relieved to hear the dark mark came from a house elf and not something worse."