Alicia hesitated as Jamie went to follow Draco out the door with Emily in his arms. She moved in the other direction- towards the window. She could just about see the Death Eaters through the darkness that had fallen. They were too close for comfort as she watched them stroll around the grassy hill. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she thought of them being this close to where Emily had been all along. A hand fell on her shoulder and she looked round to find Remus.

“Thank you for finding her, Alicia,” he said quietly, leading her away from the window without looking at the four figures.

“You found her too, Remus, without my help,” she said, shrugging as she smiled up at him.

“You didn’t have to though,” he continued, ignoring her words as they entered the small tunnel.

“Remus…” Alicia started but he held a hand up to stop her.

“Wait- I don’t know how you feel about her anymore but I guess that you still care for her safety.” Alicia nodded as they crawled along the rocky floor. “And that’s why I’m saying thank you.”

“Remus, I owe you an apology too… I’m sorry I said those things back at the Burrow- I didn’t mean them. Emily will always be my sister- no matter what. I’m sorry I said those things and I wish I never had- look at what happened because of me… She ran away while it was too dangerous for her to be alone.” Alicia’s voice trailed off and they continued in silence for a while. Remus helped her out and they strolled across the moonlit grass, making Alicia laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Remus asked, turning to look at her with a curious look on his face.

“The last time we walked across this bit of grass together, you tried to kill us, Snape tried to protect us, Pettigrew escaped, and Sirius attacked you,” she explained, laughing again.

“How is that funny?” Remus said blankly, the thought that Alicia was insane running through his head.

“Maybe I am insane… But it’s just funny to me- how different things are now, compared to back then,” she said, grinning at him. He returned it before they sped up to the party in front of them.

Several minutes later, Jamie was opening the door to the Hospital Wing, where they found a rather large group of people waiting for them. Draco weaved through them towards one of the beds and lay Emily in the center of the soft mattress. Sophie hugged Alicia tightly.

“Jamie told us what happened! You’re a hero, Alicia!” she said as she pulled back to smile at the girl, whose hair was a navy blue color. Jamie eyed the curls as his mother kissed Alicia’s forehead and went to speak to Remus, who was standing with Sean, Molly, Arthur, and Tonks.

“What is it?” Jamie whispered as Alicia edged towards him. Draco stiffened as he sat beside Emily’s sleeping figure, showing that he was listening too.

“She hates me…” Alicia whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. Draco turned round to stare at her as Jamie wiped the moisture away.

“I don’t think she does,” he retorted and Alicia shook her head. “What makes you think I’m wrong?”

“I know why she ran now… because of me… It’s always me- I lose my temper and shout, I cause her to run away, I make Death Eaters stalk us- ” Alicia said, her quiet voice travelling in the sudden silence.

“Death Eaters? What do you mean?” Sean said sharply, staring at the three teenagers. Alicia hid her face into Jamie chest, intending to not answer him. “Alicia!”

“Dad- Emily’s asleep, remember!” Jamie said quickly, turning so that Alicia was behind him now. Sean’s gaze turned into a stern expression as it landed on his son.

“What was that about Death Eaters?” he ordered and Alicia nodded into Jamie’s chest.

“We’re being watched- and I mean Draco, Emily, Alicia, and myself,” Jamie snapped, glaring at his father. Sophie gasped and clutched at her heart.

“Why? You’re only children, for goodness sake!” she cried, looking over the four teenagers in front of her. They had their whole lives ahead of them.

“Ask Alicia,” Draco said simply, receiving a death glare from Jamie. He shrugged in return. “They have the right to know, Jamie- they’re your parents.” Jamie knew Draco was right and surrendered the argument. He stepped away from Alicia so that she was left with nowhere to hide.

“They wrote a letter addressed to the three of us the day after Emily ran away,” Alicia said tonelessly. “It was to threaten us... They boasted about getting to Alice, Edward, and Jasper... They told Jamie to hope that they didn’t go after you... They warned Draco that they knew Emily was gone and that he had to find her before they did... Voldemort wants me to join the Death Eaters,” she said and the room fell silent.

“How long have you known this?” Sophie whispered, her face horrified.

“Probably about a year now... I’ve known since Uncle Arthur got attacked,” Alicia said, shrugging and turning away from the adults. “Can we not talk about it now please? Emily really needs to sleep and if we continue to talk about it, she’ll wake up.” The adults left them alone after that, Sophie only speaking to them to ask if they wanted anything and Jamie said that Alicia needed a strong cup of tea.

A couple of hours later, Emily started to stir before waking up to the crowded room. It was mayhem for a while as the adults scolded her for running away but then showed their relief about her being unhurt and fine. She was hugged by all of them, Sophie kissing her cheek as she left. Draco and Jamie glanced at each other before looking towards Alicia, who was perched on the bed opposite Emily’s.

“Ems, you mind if we go to the loo? We’ve been waiting till you woke up,” Jamie said, motioning to Draco as they stood up. She nodded and watched them walk from the room, trying to stop herself from looking at Alicia. “Stay,” Jamie added, glaring at Alicia as he stopped by the door.

“I didn’t ask for them to leave, you know,” Alicia whispered, staring down at her hands.

“You can leave then, can’t you?” Emily said roughly and Alicia winced.

“Jamie told me to stay,” she whispered, knowing that the boys had wanted them to sort things out.

“Well, I don’t want you to,” Emily snapped and Alicia sighed, jumped off the bed, and walked towards the door.

“I really did mean it when I wrote those things, Emily... I do wish that I could take those things back- that I care if you’re okay or not... And I do love you, Emily,” Alicia said quietly as she paused by the door. “You will always be my sister.” And then she walked over the threshold and away from Emily for what could be the last time.

Alicia felt like she had lost a part of herself as she moved through the castle. She didn’t know where she was going until she felt the cool night breeze on her face as she reached the front doors. She looked round as she leapt down the stairs, her eyes locked onto the forest. She was half way across the lawn when she heard footfalls behind her. At first, she thought it was Jamie, having found her but then she recognized the sound that could only be hooves on grass.

“You know you cannot go in there, young one,” Firenze said, catching her shoulder and spinning her round. Alicia let the tears fall as her knees gave out, making her crumple to the floor in front of the Centaur. Firenze scooped her up and carried her back into the castle and into his classroom.

“I-I- I’m sorry, daddy,” Alicia stuttered as she curled up under a tree.

“Don’t apologize, young one, I understand what you are going through,” Firenze said calmly, folding to the floor beside her. She moved so that she was snuggled up into his side. “When they come to find you, shall I say that you are not here?”

“No, just say that I want to be left alone- the only person I want to speak to is Emily, but she won’t come looking.” Alicia sniffed and they fell silent after that, Alicia falling asleep into Firenze’s side.


TAG RIGHT BACK, EMS!