Chapter Twelve- The Last Day of Safety

Shell Cottage was beautiful, with it’s shell- encrusted exterior walls and it’s ocean views. I skipped out on every meeting with Griphook, either sitting by Dobby’s grave, flicking at the green shoots or standing at the cliff edge, watching the waves roll towards me. Yesterday, during one of my ‘private times’, as Bill was calling them, I’d seen Sean and Sophie bury my family. I vowed to visit them after I was free from hiding.

“Alicia?” I turned at Dean’s voice without a smile. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine... Did Jamie get you to come out?” I asked, my eyes darting to the window with closed red curtains.

“No... I was coming to say thanks, for getting us out of the basement... And to wish you luck with whatever you’re doing” He said, joining me at the very edge. I saw his eyes dart to my feet, where my toes were hanging over the edge. The ground was slowly crumbling away underneath them.

“I’m not going to jump, Dean” I said calmly and he seemed to relax slightly. “We’ll see you after this is all over... Can you do something for me?” I asked without looking at him.

“Course I will... I owe you a favour” He said, a smile in his voice.

“Tell Ginny that I love her and that I’m sorry about skipping out early the other day... Tell her that I miss her” He agreed and then went back inside to finish packing, leaving me alone again.

I looked out over the ocean again, sighing. Plans were being made by the others to leave our sanctuary and break into Gringotts, leaving more hurt behind us. I had broken out the dresses again. I was wearing a red cotton dress, the wind blowing the skirt flat against my leg and blowing my long blonde hair over my face. I must have looked like one of those old school movie stars, who wait at the cliffs for her beloved to return home after a war. It made me want to laugh- I was hoping that my family would somehow return to me.

“You will get ill, standing out ‘ere” Fleur’s voice scolded as she came up behind me. I turned and waved at Luna and Dean as Bill led them to the boundary line. “’Ow eez your side, today?”

“Fine, thank you... Look, Fleur, I know that you know we’re planning to leave again” I said and she sighed. The red curtain twitched, giving Jamie away. “We don’t want to hurt anyone else, so it’s for the best”

“You are not ‘urting anyone, Alicia! Zis eez where you are safe!” She said, taking my hands in hers. “We can look after you ‘ere!”

“I can’t let you do that, Fleur- what if someone found out we were here? You’d be in even more danger! If anything happened to you or Bill...” I couldn’t finish my sentence, swallowing back tears.

“We look after ourselves, Alicia... I want to keep you all safe, too” Fleur pleaded and I tried to sooth her.

“Okay... I’ll see if I can convince the others that we can stay here” I lied, knowing I wouldn’t even open my mouth. She smiled, leading me inside and asking if I wanted to help with dinner. I sliced up the raw steaks with a fake smile.

I kept quiet during dinner, sitting beside Jamie with my fake smile still on my face. Fleur kept glancing at the others and throwing looks in my direction. Bill glanced at me as if I were insane.

“What do you want for dinner tomorrow? We’re going shopping in the afternoon” Bill said in an attempt to break the awkward silence.

“Surprise us” I said in a flat voice, gaining every eye on my face.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Bill asked, using the usual name and leaning forwards in concern. “You seem...” He paused, trying to find the right word.

“Off” Jamie said helpfully, patting my knee in a reassuring way. Harry’s face said ‘Don’t worry, we’re leaving in the morning’. “Did you see something?” I looked up at Jamie as he tried to help me out of the corner and then at Bill’s worried face, nodded and felt tears pool in my eyes.

“What did you see, dear?” Fleur asked kindly and I blurted out the truth- well, sort of.

“I saw Sean and Sophie bury my family...” I whispered, using my vision from yesterday as an excuse. “Sorry...” I pushed my chair back, ran from the room and up the stairs, locking myself in the small room I was sharing with Hermione. I breathed deeply, getting control of myself before pulling my backpack out of Hermione’s charmed silver clutch bag. It was my favourite- shiny red vinyl in the shape of a corset, complete with the black lacing on the front- a present from Rosalie and Emmett when I had started Hogwarts. Unzipping it, I set about repacking everything I had bought with me- several dresses, shirts, jeans, heels, boots, a pair of black plastic welly boots, books, photo albums, the box of small mementos and the miniature dragon toy Jasper had given me before I had left.

“Alicia?” Bill’s voice came through the door and I froze, my bed covered in my things. “Alicia, love, just hear me out for a minute” He said and I flicked a hand towards the door as I dropped onto the bed, my face in my hands. Bill walked in and didn’t mention my half packed bag.

“It’s just too hard...” I explained and he nodded his head. “I hate goodbyes”

“I want to tell you something that I haven’t even told Fleur” He said, one arm round my shoulders. I rested against him, listening curiously. “Last year, when Greyback attacked me” I stiffened. I hadn’t spoken about the fight since it happened. “I thought I was going to die. I was ready for it- without saying goodbye to anyone... But then he got distracted” He said, nudging my slightly. “The brave woman sitting next to me said something that I remember to this day”

“Don’t you dare give up... You’re better than giving up” I said, remembering what I had shouted at him.

“Exactly... Fleur told me where she found you this afternoon... She was worried about you- being that close to the edge...”

“I wouldn’t jump- I couldn’t do that to Jamie” I said quietly.

“Well... Let me give you some advice... You’re better than giving up, Alicia, so don’t give up” I smiled and he nudged my arm.

“I’m not giving up...” I said and he shook his head.

“That ‘s what it feels like to you- to the rest of us, we can see that you’ve lost your fight... I want you to promise me something” He said and I jumped at the chance to do something for him before leaving.

“Anything”

“Promise me you won’t give up... I may not be a Seer, but I know something’s going to happen... I want you to look after Jamie and Ron, you know how they are” I laughed and he smiled at me. “That’s the Alicia I want to see”

“I promise” I said, nodding my head.

That night, I thought about what Bill had said and was still awake when Harry’s thoughts ran through my head in the early hours of the morning.

‘Time to go... Tell Hermione to drink up’

“Harry says time to go” I whispered, shaking Hermione awake. I dressed in tight black jeans and a short sleeved black shirt. I’d spent a good couple of hours drawing the Dark Mark onto my forearm with a permanent marker pen earlier. I slipped my feet into a pair of matt black, rounded- toes heels as Hermione took a swig of Polyjuice Potion. “That’s just creepy” I stated, looking over to see Bellatrix bent double on Hermione’s bed.

“She taste’s nasty” She said, pulling a face. I laughed and threw some robes at her to change into before slipping out of the door. The boys were already outside waiting for us.

“Nice...” Jamie said as I walked towards them in the faint light from the sunrise. I twirled and giggled as Ron pretended to vomit.

“Like my tattoo?” I asked, flashing the Mark at them.

“It looks real” Jamie said with a frown. I laughed and kissed him quickly. Ron mimed vomiting again.

“I should hope so- it took me two hours and four permanent marker pens, not to mention cramp. Hermione’s just checking the bag” I said, screwing my face up.

“Try shoulder length... Black? No, it still looks like you” Ron said and I changed the shape of my face, going for heart- shaped. “Better... Your hair, try longer... Longer... Longer... Perfect” He said and I opened my eyes. My black hair was now down to waist. I pulled at a scarlet ribbon that was tied round my wrist and pulled my hair out of my face. “I think your eyes should stand out... Like orange or something”

“I’m supposed to be a Death Eater, not a cat, Ron” I said, frowning at him.

“Well... I think you should be different- look at Bellatrix, she sticks out ‘cause she’s insane” Ron countered and I pursed my lips.

“All right... You’ve got a point... How’s this?” I asked, blinking and turning my eyes a bright yellow.

“Weirdly, it suits you” He laughed and I went to punch him. “No, seriously!” He said, dodging away from me. “What about a name?”

“How’s Tiger Lily?” Hermione said, appearing in the doorway.

“The Indian princess from Peter Pan?” Harry snorted, glancing at me. “Oh, I get it now... You do look something like her”

“What’s Peter Pan?” We ignored Ron and I started to transfigure Jamie. We’d come up with fictional characters for him and Ron. Jamie was to be Warren Peace, my husband. Ron was a Transylvanian who Bellatrix was supposed to be showing around. Harry and Griphook were going to be under the cloak.

“Right, stories straight? Let’s go” I said, cracking my knuckles. Hermione threw the cloak over Harry and Griphook and we Apparated away from Shell Cottage.