The colors of the pre-dawn sky began to tint the otherwise blackened sky.
I was drinking a cup of tea, enjoying the peace and quiet, while it lasted.
When I heard the distinct sound of rushing footsteps towards the kitchen.
I turned to see what was going on, only to wish I had never turned.
My aunt Grisha, James, and Bastan all crammed through the kitchen doorway, their expressions grave.
"Sophie. Please tell me you didn't do something senseless like send Tom something for his birthday." Bastan begged.
"It's in four days. I don't think she's that daft." James muttered.
I looked down at the floor for a second before looking back up to meet his terrified gaze.
I felt the sudden gravity of my own stupidity begin to weigh on my shoulders.
"I-I might've," I muttered.
All three of them let out groans.
I could almost see them roll their eyes towards the ceiling and shake their head in disbelief.
"Then again I've been known to be wrong about a lot of things." He muttered to himself.
"We have to leave, immediately. We just received an owl from Avery, Tom's set a tracker on your owl. Fortunately for us, Avery was able to catch it and sent it to Hogwarts' owlery." Bastan said.
"Go get the twins. Narcissa is going back to the Malfoy Manor tonight. She said she will try to deter any possible ambush." James said.
I nodded quickly rushing out of the kitchen into the room and quickly muttering a spell to put everything that I would need into my trunk, and shrinking it.
I slipped on my travel cloak on, slipping the trunk into my bag, and rushing to get the twins from their bassinets.
I slipped them into their slings before hugging them close to my body before I rushed down the stairs to meet all the others. James and Lily, Bastan and a tired-looking Bellatrix, and Grisha.
A feeling growing in my stomach made me believe that it wasn't Tom who was coming here tonight.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked cautiously.
"We're...we're not exactly sure," Bastan said, looking at me as if for guidance.
I sighed, trying not to let my anxiety and frustration rear their ugly heads, but he was making it incredibly difficult for me not to Crucio his arse with the lost look he was giving me.
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes in an attempt to calm myself, but it helped very little.
"This is what we're going to do, we're going to split up. James and Lily go to Sirius and Evangeline's home. Bellatrix, Bastan you go to the Lestranges or Blacks. I--I'll go somewhere else." I said, sighing.
"What?! No!" Grisha said, looking as if she was about to burst into tears.
"Do not argue. Do this for your safety, and your unborn child. I don't want anyone to get hurt. There are dangerous people looking for me, for what reason I haven't got a clue, so do what I say, no questions asked. Think back to when we were all at school. I would say 'jump'..." I said, in a commanding tone that left no room for argument.
"We said 'how high'," Bellatrix replied, understanding clear on her face.
I noticed she'd wince every now and then.
They all seemed to realize what I was getting to because after a few moments they nodded as well.
"Andromeda and Ted have a safe house. I'll go to their house first then go there afterward." I said.
"We'll go to 12 Grimmauld's Place. Sirius' house. Possibly a safe house near there." James said as he took the bag from Lily and they both disapparated.
"We'll go to Bella's parents, my in-laws, Druella and Cygnus," Bastan said, the corners of his lips twitching downwards.
I nodded before clutching the sleeping twins closer.
Closing my eyes in concentration before I felt the familiar pull at my navel and the tightening feeling.
Seconds later. I stood along the path that led to the Tonks residence.
I was just about to knock on the door when it flew open and out came running Andromeda Tonks.
When she realized it was me, she pulled me into a tight hug, releasing me when one of the twins began squirming.
"Oh, Merlin's beard! Let me see them!" She cried, excitedly. "You must be exhausted. Come on, let's get you inside. Come on then,..." She said, leading me into the cozy home.
Just as she was about to close the door when we heard three resounding pops behind us.
I stiffened in my place, as I heard the crunch of gravel in the path.
"The room is down the hall, lock the door, I'll knock our old password the moment I know it's safe. Take Nymphadora with you, please. Quickly." She said, pushing the one-year-old towards me.
The moment I got to the room, I laid the twins on the bed, sat little Nymphadora on a chair, and turned to pull off the travel bassinet Lily had given the twins after they were born, out of the bag, unshrunk it. and placed it slowly on the bed.
I then set to begin putting a shield and barrier around the entire house. When I finished I realized that both babies were still sleeping and little Nymphadora was sleeping next to them on the bed.
It was hours before Andromeda knocked on the door, I asked her a simple question to verify that it was her and let her in.
"What's going on?" I asked, cautiously.
"It's alright. It was just Ted, Torin, and Remus arriving. They're in the dining room if you wish to see them." She said.
"Thank you, but I'm rather tired," I said, trying to keep my eyes open.
"That's understandable. Get some rest. I'll watch over the twins for a while, while you rest for a bit." She responded, smiling as she peeked over at the bassinet.
"Thanks, I truly appreciate this," I said smiling at her in response.
"They really are adorable. Look just exactly like the smaller versions of Tom and you." She said smiling again.
I smiled sadly at her in response as I got into a comfortable sleeping position.
"Thanks again, Andi," I said as I began to close my eyes.
She smiled nodding before she walked out with her daughter in her arms. She left the door slightly opened, to check in on the twins.
The day's events seemed to weigh down on me, as I finally let myself slip into the comforts of unconsciousness.