Persephone's screams pierced through the night like a poison-tipped arrow; deadly with a promise of something worse to come. Cassius wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and pulled her close to his side, as if he could protect her. But it was as if he were a ghost, one that Persephone couldn't see or feel. Her screams continued as her stare remained fixated on the Dark Mark swirling above them.

Cassius knew what that mark was and what it represented. According to his mother, it was the same mark that was left over his own house when Cassius was very young, no more than two years old. He and his mother had been out shopping that day, and when they returned, the mark had been painted in the afternoon sky. His father laid dead on the kitchen floor inside.

The Dark Mark decorated Cassius's nightmares for years afterwards, even after he left for Hogwarts. He was terrified that one day, he'd return home and the mark would once more be slithering above his home, and his mother dead.

But Persephone. . .her past was different. Darker. The Dark Mark was more personal to her, though Cassius didn't know why. Persephone had never offered the information, and he had never pressed for it. He knew her boundaries, and Cassius would never dare cross them.

But as Persephone's screams echoed through the night air, Cassius's eyes tracked a large mass of people running from one direction, fleeing like a herd of frightened deer. He frowned, and squinted his eyes, searching for the pursuers of the running wizards and witches.

And then, Cassius saw them.

Illuminated by firelight, a large group of masked figures approached in the distance. From his vantage point, they moved in silence, their black robes fluttering behind them in the stale wind. Though he couldn't be sure, Cassius thought he could see people floating in the sky above the masked figures, as if they were puppets being held up by invisible strings.

Then, it dawned on him. They were Death Eaters, a group of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's most devoted and evil followers. The same group of people who murdered his father.

This was dangerous. Persephone was still screaming, and Cassius knew that the sound of it would be like a red flare to the Death Eaters, who preyed on weakness of any form.

He had to protect her.

"Persephone!" Cassius shouted as loud as he could, pulling on the girl's arm. He gripped her hand inside his own, and squeezed it hard.

Her screaming stopped immediately, it's echo disappearing into the dark night. Persephone's eyes were wide and wild, and they clutched onto Cassius's. He held her gaze steadily, not daring to look away.

"We need to get out of here," he said slowly, watching each word sink into her skin.

Persephone nodded, her dark hair falling loose from her ponytail. "They'll kill me if they find me," she said, her voice hoarse and raw.

Confusion laced Cassius's heartbeats, but he didn't question her. He pulled her into the woods, into the darkness.

Together, they ran. Warm summer air inflated their lungs as they fled, feet tripping over hidden tree roots and faces hitting invisible branches. They didn't dare look behind them in fear that they'd find a masked face staring back at them.

Persephone's hand was warm inside Cassius's as they ran, arms pumping in unison. Cassius didn't dare pull out his wand, not even to provide light. He continued on, even as his ankles rolled in hidden holes. Even as Persephone cursed colorfully as she tripped. But each time, Cassius pulled her to her feet, and she did the same for him.

They ran blindly, unaware of what was in their path. But all that mattered was putting distance between themselves and the Death Eaters.

Then, Cassius collided into something solid and hard. His hand was ripped away from Persephone's as he fell backwards, his body roaring in agony. His head pounded violently.

"Bloody hell!" an indignant voice rang out.

Cassius cradled his head in his hands as pain rattled through him. His eyes searched blindly for whoever he ran into. A vague figure was outlined by the little light provided.

"Cassius?" Persephone's voice hissed through the inky blackness.

Cassius groaned in response. His head throbbed in different shades of pain.

"Who the hell are you?" Persephone's voice asked accusingly.

"Who are you?" a new female voice asked in response, every bit as demanding as Persephone.

At the same time, a boy's voice said, "Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger."

The female's voice released a barely audible sigh at the same time the boy's voice said, "sorry."

Persephone laughed humorlessly. "Of course. Death Eaters are right behind us, and we run into Harry fucking Potter."

"Death Eaters are behind you?" the girl, Hermione, asked, as casual as it would be if she were asking a question in class. Her voice was lined with curiosity, not worry.

"Death Eaters?" the boy's voice asked, his voice overflowing with anxiety.

The difference between Hermione and the boy was that one was sane and the other wasn't.

"Who are you?" Harry Potter's voice asked, making the sane boy Ron Weasley.

"Don't worry, children, we're much older. We'll protect you," Persephone said, her voice lined with the sarcasm that only came when she was anxious.

"Cassius Warrington and Persephone Avery," Cassius answered for the both of them, well-aware that Persephone wouldn't.

"Slytherins?" Ron's voice asked full of disgust.

"Shh!" Hermione hissed.

"What? I was just-"

"Shut up!" Hermione's exasperated voice sounded. Ron obliged.

"Hello?" Harry Potter called out hesitantly.

There was silence. Through the painful throbbing of his head, Cassius strained to hear what Hermione had heard. The silence told him that Persephone and the others were doing the same.

"Who's there?" Harry's voice asked again, louder this time.

Then, the silence was shattered by a shouting voice not far away from where the small group of young wizards and witches were keeping their vigil.

"MORSMORDE!" the voice shouted.

A smoky green serpent slithered into the sky, writhing in and out of a skull's mouth in between distant stars. Another Dark Mark. It provided just enough light for the four people around Cassius to be barely visible.

"What the—" Ron muttered.

Persephone's wide gaze was pinned onto that mark in the sky. Cassius grabbed her hand, and squeezed three times.

Screams pierced through the warm air, sounding all around them. Cassius gripped Persephone's hand to ensure that her voice wouldn't become another one of them.

"Who's there?" Harry called out again.

Hermione's voice was filled with urgency as she said, "Harry, come on, move!"

"What's the matter?" Harry asked, apparently oblivious to the significance of the Dark Mark.

"That's He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's bloody mark!" Persephone hissed violently, pulling Cassius to his feet. Not for the first time, he was glad that the hostility wasn't directed towards him. "It's the Dark Mark. And if it's there, then he's here."

"Voldemort?" Harry asked. Cassius winced at the mention of his name.

"Don't say his name, you idiot!" Persephone roared.

"Come on!" shouted Ron.

And then they were running again. Persephone was leading the way, dragging Cassius behind her. He stumbled to keep up with her fear-driven pace, and he could hear the three younger Gryffindors doing the same behind him.

The popping sound of Apparation filled the air, and Cassius could envision the Death Eaters surrounding them. His heart sank; of course they were following Harry Potter. And now, Cassius had brought Persephone into danger by not leaving when they had the chance.

Persephone said the Death Eaters would kill her on sight. Cassius didn't doubt it.

"DUCK!" Harry's voice shouted, pulling Hermione and Ron to the ground. Somehow, Hermione's hand had found Cassius's back, and she pulled him down with her.

"STUPEFY!" twenty voice sounded, and the light from the Dark Mark showed that each person was pointing a wand at the group. The world was illuminated by strands of fiery red light.

"Stop!" a voice shouted above the shattering spells. "STOP! That's my son!"

And for a second, it sounded like Cassius's father was protecting him. He searched wildly for the source of that voice, expecting to find a ghost standing between him and the jets of light.

But all that he saw was a red-haired man approaching them, looking equal parts terrified and angry. Cassius's heart sank as a hope he shouldn't have believed shattered.

"Ron," the man said. And Cassius noticed how both of them shared an identical hue of red hair. "Harry—Hermione," Ron's father said shakily. "Are you alright?"

"Out of the way, Arthur," a cold voice sounded.

Cassius recognized Bartimus Crouch striding over to the clearing on which they stood. Harry stood up, almost defiantly, at the same time Persephone did.

"Which of you did it?" Crouch barked. "Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"

"We didn't do that!" Harry exclaimed, his hand pointing upwards to the skull and snake in the sky.

"We didn't do anything!" Ron added indignantly. "What did you want to attack us for?"

"Do not lie, sir!" Crouch continued, pointing his wand into Ron's face. The boy paled. "You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!"

Persephone snorted. "You think that Harry-bleeding-Potter conjured the Dark Mark? Are you mad?"

Crouch darted his wand into Persephone's face. Without thinking, Cassius moved, standing between the older wizard and the girl with fiery defiance burning in her eyes.

"Barty, they're kids," a voice said from behind Crouch. Cassius glared at him, silently daring him to use his wand on him. "Barty, they'd never have been able to."

"Where did the Mark come from?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Over there," said Hermione, slowly standing to her feet. "There was someone behind the trees. . .they shouted words—an incantation."

"Oh, stood over there, did they?" Crouch said nastily, whipping his wand out of Cassius's face and into Hermione's. "Said an incantation, did they? You seem very well informed about how that Mark is summoned, missy."

"Yes, because every other spell in existence doesn't required an incantation. They just happen for no reason," Persephone drawled, crossing her arms over her chest.

All the wizards surrounding them raised their wands to where Hermione had pointed, and Cassius sighed in relief as none of them seemed to hear Persephone's words.

"We're too late," a witch said. "They'll have Disapparated."

"I don't think so," another wizard said. "Our Stunners went right through those trees. . .there's a good chance we got them. . ."

Some wizards called out warnings as the man stalked out of the clearing, and into the blurry darkness beyond.

"Death Eaters are still out there," Persephone whispered softly.

"But they're not here," Cassius responded. "You're safe."

"Yes!" the wizard's voice exclaimed from the darkness. "We got them! There's someone here! Unconscious!"

"I've never heard someone so happy to discover an unconscious person," Persephone said, sounding amused. Her voice drowned out the rest of the wizard's words.

"We all have our own ways of finding happiness," Cassius whispered, smiling.

She smiled back at him, that familiar wicked grin illuminated by the fading green light above them.

The wizard came out of the darkness carrying an unconscious House Elf in his arms. Several surprised exclamations erupted.

Persephone tugged on Cassius's sleeve. "Let's go. They haven't really noticed us; I think it's safe to leave."

"But why is there a House Elf?" Cassius asked, craning his neck to get a better glance.

"Why is there a Dark Mark? So many questions we don't have the clearance to get answered. Let's go."

Cassius allowed Persephone to drag him away from the bustling group of confused wizards and witches, and into the dark woods. Hopefully to safety.

•••
- AND THEY'LL BE RUNNING, RUNNING, RUNNING -
[ young god / halsey ]