𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄 - 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 (𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟒)

14 - Snatchers in the Woods

Four death eaters came searing through the house, the floors above us crumbling in flames as we screamed. The windows shattered, glass flying inwards, hitting me in the side.

"Hold on!" Harry screamed as we all put our hands together, apparating into a forest. I stumbled back as we landed, groaning in pain as I lay back on the forest floor.

"That treacherous little bleeder, is there nobody we can trust?" Ron scowled.

"They kidnapped her because he supported me. He was just desperate," Harry mumbled.

"A little help here," I growled, blood running down my neck from the glass that had punctured right under my jawline.

"You two start setting up, I'll help her," Hermione exclaimed taking out her bag. I took off my sweatshirt, which had caught most of the glass, to reveal the full extent of my wounds. A few small pieces of glass had gotten in the side of my arm, but overall it wasn't too bad. The only one that hurt was the one in my neck.

Hermione took out her wand, cleaning supplies and a pair of tweezers. She started with the large one. I winced as she removed it from my neck, using the tweezers to extract any excess glass, then cleaned it with alcohol wipes which burned like hell.

Thank God for Ron's muffliato charms, because I screamed like a baby. I bloody hated alcohol wipes. She bandaged my neck, then cleaned up my arm.

"You should be alright for now," Hermione exclaimed.

"Thanks," I said, standing up to go inside the now set up tent.

"You alright?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," I sat down next to him.

"Do you um, ever think about Christmas Eve?" he asked quietly.

"Every night," I mumbled.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Don't worry about it," I shook my head, grabbing the radio, standing to go outside. I needed to clear my mind.

I sat down at a nearby tree, turning the music on, breathing in the fresh air. Hermione left, entering the tent.

"Is she alright?" I heard her ask Ron.

"Just give her some time," Ron said.

"She's been through bloody enough already, more than any of us, and that's a lot coming from me," Harry mumbled.

"I'm worried about her," Hermione said quietly.

Silent tears began to fall down my cheeks. I shut my eyes, leaning my head against the back of the tree, biting my lip so hard it bled to contain myself.

I will not cry.

Even though a good cry was all I needed.

March 10th

We'd stayed in the forest for about two weeks now. We were sitting at the table, eating our dinner.

"So how do we find the next horcrux?" I asked through bites.

"Not sure, where do we even start?" Ron asked.

"I don't know, but we need to figure out places that are important to Voldemort," Harry slipped.

"You can't say that name anymore Harry, it's taboo," Hermione hissed.

"I'll go out to redo the enchantments," I breathed, picking up my wand to go outside.

"They'll already have our location at this point, we need to pack up and leave," Hermione yelled.

We swiftly packed the tent, and as we were about to leave, crunching could be heard in the nearby woods.

We were surrounded by snatchers. At least a dozen of them.

"Hello beautiful," one said quietly, looking over at Hermione, then to me. We began to run.

"Don't just stand there. Snatch em'," he yelled. Wand in hand, we ran through the twisting trees, jumping over roots and rocks as we scampered away. But they were right on us.

My ring began to glow as we continued running, shooting spells backwards at them in an attempt to slow their pace. They were too fast.

Shots of explosions hit our feet as we ran. And as I rounded a corner, I was met by a fallen tree. And it was large.

My heart began to beat faster and faster, filling me with adrenaline. I shut my eyes as I leaped over it, hitting the ground hard on my feet, stumbling to keep running.

"Ron!" Hermione yelled. He had been captured, chains around his body.

"KEEP GOING," He screamed. We ran as fast as we could, Hermione shooting a spell behind us, causing two to pass out on the ground.

We all met up in a clearing. But we were surrounded and Ron was captured, currently being held in one of the snatcher's grasp.

Hermione shot a spell at Harry's face, causing it to swell.

"The hallows exist, but he's only after one, the last one. He's going to have it by the end of the night," Harry exclaimed as we sat down next to him.

"How do you know-"

"I saw it," he exclaimed.

The snatchers had enclosed around us.

One of the snatchers grabbed Hermione up by the collar.

"Don't touch her!" Ron screamed.

They punched Ron right in the stomach.

"Your boyfriend will get much worse than that if he doesn't learn to behave himself," One spoke.

One dragged me up by the ponytail.

"Get off me," I growled.

"Shut it," he covered my mouth with his hand.

"I'll do it, I'll fucking do it," I said, my yelling muffled through his hand.

"Don't, there's too many," Harry looked at me, shaking his head.

"I will," I yelled, biting one of the guy's fingers. He shrieked in pain.

"You little bitch," he growled, slapping me across the face.

I shut my mouth.

"What's your name?" the main one asked Harry, who was being held my two of them.

"Dudley. Vernon Dudley," he exclaimed.

"Check him," he yelled.

"And you, my lovely, what is your name?" he asked Hermione.

"Penelope Clovewater. Halfblood," she exclaimed. He touched her face gently.

"And you, darling?" he turned to me.

"Astoria Greengrass. Pureblood," I said confidently. He ran a finger along my jawline.

"Don't fucking touch me," I growled, spitting in his face.

"So you're the spitfire, eh?" he smiled. "You'll be punished for that later," he wiped his cheek with his sleeve.

"There's no Vernon Dudley on here," the guy spoke.

"Why'd you lie to us, boy?" He asked.

"I've told you who I am, the book must be wrong," he stammered.

"You're the Golden Blood Witch, I recognize you from the papers," one of them breathed suddenly, looking into my eyes as he approached me. Fuck.

"Change of plans," the main one exclaimed, looking over at me.

"We're not takin' this lot to the Ministry."