Chapter Text
Bella pumped her legs faster as she heard the Aurors closing in on her. She dodged the low-lying branches that reached out like fingers and scratched her skin. She looked to her left to her husband and felt the urgency rising inside her. They would not make it. Apparition wards were surrounding them. They would have to stop and make a stand.
Except.
Rudolphus was holding their daughter, her precious child, one that wasn’t expected.
When the DMLE barged into their estate, they ran for it with Rabastan and Evan, carrying their daughter. She didn’t want to chance the DMLE taking her away from them.
The Dark Lord had fallen, and now the DMLE and the bloody Order of the Phoenix were after all Death Eaters. It was hunting season, and they were their prey.
“Here, Bella,” Rodolphus handed Bella their three-year-old daughter. “Cassie, go to your mother.”
“Daddy!” Cassie cried out as she was wrenched free from his arms and handed to Bella.
“Please, Cassie, we need to be quiet. Daddy will be back for you.”
The fog coalesced around them, the bare branches, their spindly-like fingers bowing down low, offering cover as Rabastan and Evan turned to protect their backs. Surely, everyone knew how much more precious her child's life was than theirs? Even the Dark Lord valued this child above all of them.
“Come, we make a stand here. We need Cassie safe.”
Bella looked around frantically and clutched her daughter to her chest. She took a few hesitant steps towards the north, the darkness and fog surrounded the area making a nice cover.
She jogged further into the woods as she heard the voices getting closer, her heart thundering in her chest, making her breathless. She had never been afraid to fight and to die for what she believed in. It was ingrained in her since she was a small child. But this was different. She had something to live for.
Cassiopeia.
There, ahead of her, was a large tree—a small opening at the trunk. Its inky blackness welcomed her as she knelt at the base, looking over her shoulder. She could see the flashes of red and green in the distance as shouting reached a fevered pitch.
Manoeuvring her daughter into the small hole, she tucked her blanket around her. “Do you remember when we played Catch the Muggle and Mummy had you hide and not make a sound?”
“Yes, Mummy,” Cassie said. “Mummy, I’m scared. I don’t want the Muggles to get me.”
“Shh, it’s alright, my darling girl. Mummy, Daddy and your uncles will be right back for you, but you must hide and not make a sound. Promise me you won’t make a sound.”
Cassie nodded and leaned back, her face covered by the shadows.
“Good, girl.” Bella leaned forward and kissed Cassie on the crown of her head, taking in her scent to keep with her, to keep herself strong as she fought the Aurors. They wouldn’t take her or her family. She couldn’t live without her daughter or her husband.
Standing up, she took a step back, the darkness of the night and the looming trees swallowing Cassie and making her disappear. She didn’t like it. Cassie was the light. Everyone loved her; especially the Dark Lord and his son.
Raising her wand, Bella cast a spell to hide Cassie, but Bella would remember where she was, and could easily find her. Besides, Cassie would come to her when she called. This should keep her safe.
Turning on her heel, Bella rushed forward, ignoring the branches that scraped against her porcelain skin and joined in the fight.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.
Cassiopeia leaned further into the shadows as she watched the colours dance in front of her eyes. She could see her mummy and daddy, and her uncles, too.
She shivered as the chill seeped into her back and legs. It was cold—so cold that she wanted to cry out and go to the warmth of her parent’s arms. Her small breaths came out as tiny puffs of smoke as the night air bit at her nose and cheeks.
They were casting spells. Her mother’s eyes would cut to her and then back towards the scary men and women who were trying to hurt her family.
Cassie made a promise that she wouldn’t make a sound, but she wanted to cry out when her daddy fell and didn’t move.
Her mother let out an anguished cry and moved with grace as she continued to cast.
Next, it was her uncle Rabastan that fell.
Uncle Evan let out a growl and hissed like a wolf would, shouting something as the mean men and women gathered around him and her mummy.
Then he fell.
Despite the encircling group, her mummy pushed forward, getting closer to Cassie. Was she planning to come and take her away once more?
Cassie shifted her body and cried out as something crawled into the back of her jumper. She wanted to run away from whatever was crawling and tickling her, but she had promised and she wanted to make her mummy proud.
Her breath hitched as her mummy fell on the sodden ground, the leaves dancing in the wind as her body hit. The mist from her mummy’s breath had stopped. Her eyes—her grey eyes, unlike Cassie’s blue ones, locked with hers and didn’t blink. Arms outstretched towards Cassie and she knew at that moment that the mean people had killed her mummy, daddy and uncles.
They wouldn’t be coming back.
The fighting had stopped. A large man looked around with interest. His eye was cut and half of his nose was missing, but he didn’t seem to notice as he stepped closer to Cassie and peered into the shadows. His face, half in shadow, half in the light, was hideous and mangled like a veritable beast. The meat from his nose hung loosely and shifted when he spoke.
Cassie held her breath.
“There was a child, wasn’t there?” The man growled and limped towards her.
“Moody, you’re hurt. Sit your arse down so we can tend to you.”
The man grunted and sat at the base of a tree near Cassie. His leg was twisted at an angle, and his face dripped blood. The other man leaned over him, swiped at the blood, then used his wand to heal him.
“I didn’t find a child,” another man said coming up to the pair. "I don't remember seeing one, either."
“We could have been mistaken,” Moody grunted and leaned his head back. “Make sure this lot is truly dead before we transfer them back to the DMLE. In fact, bind them for good measure before we search them.”
Ager filled Cassie's heart. She watched as they shoved her family carelessly and bound them as they levitated the bodies away. With a loud pop, they were all gone, leaving Cassie alone in the dark of night.