Written for .together's What Happened To Them challenge.
Where the Wolves Hide
Somewhere, far, far away in the cold forest, a wolf howled. The gentle swooshing of branches, rustling in the brush, and the soft sound of bugs filled the wood, making it even eerier than necessary. The forbidden forest, ever the stuff of legend amongst the students, had come to life this night.
The sound of heavy breathing, the pants of a wolf came nearer, and Marietta turned to run, trying to remember how she had even managed to turn up in this forest at all. She'd been chasing Death Eaters alongside her best friend Cho Chang when they fled all of a sudden in to the forest. They'd ran as fast as they could, throwing spells at the dark cloaked wizards, but got separated somehow. And now she was all alone.
The hulking beast appeared from behind a tree, jumping ferociously at her. Her mouth opened wide in a silent scream as she was simultaneously hit with a silencing charm from the side and the wolf clawed at her shoulder. She lay there bleeding as spells came flying over her emaciated body, the beast still clawing away at her.
That is where she always wakes, screaming for the help that had come too late, tears streaking down her face. Her husband, Marcus always wakes moments later and takes her in his arms, cooing to her softly as he nuzzles her scarred arms. They never healed, always remaining as red as the day they had sealed up.
The boys wake in the room next to theirs. Eight year-old Harris Belby comes running through to hug his mother strongly, his two year old brother Linus cradled in his arms as he too reaches out for his mother.
This is a nightly occurrence, one which will likely never leave. And Marietta can't help but wonder in the fact that such a terrible war brought about this family, and brought them closer each night. She kisses her sons on the forehead and sends them back off to bed, and he falls back in to her husband's arms, lying there softly, listening to him breathe as he gently nods off.
When the morning sun breaks she's still awake, and she quietly moves out from under the sheets to move to the kitchen. It's always the same methodical method for her, as she makes a coffee to chase away the remnants of her dreams and she sits waiting for the rest of the family. Marcus shortly arrives and gives her a goodbye kiss as he leaves for the ministry, and the kids get there two hours later, yawning from their rest. Hugs are exchanged before breakfast is given and the boys run out to the garden, darting amongst the trees, not knowing how their mother tenses as they leave her line of vision.
Marietta always avoids the trees.
That's where the wolves hide.
