Never Again!

Chapter 2

Yes, my life was over. Those words had been running through my mind since that ill-fated day. Somehow, I ended up in the United States but how I had gotten there, I didn't know. What I did know however was that the Burrow had been found burned to the ground with the Dark Mark hovering above the ruins. No one has seen Harry, Hermione or any of the Weasley since.

Only I knew that there was one Weasley left alive. I won't return to England. There is nothing left for me there; my family was everything to me. I can't face the awful truth that I will never see any of them again. Instead, I got a job. I'm working as the secretary to the owner of the Daily Prophet, U.S. edition. The job itself is quite dull actually. I answer the phone, make sure the boss doesn't forget his appointments and I take care of other paperwork. The pay is pretty good, but I don't use much of the money that I make. The only thing that keeps me going is that I know my family would have wanted me to be happy. So, I try to be strong...for them. Still, I feel empty inside. I feel like a black hole in the universe, surrounded by beautiful, sparkling stars and I am just a black void. That pretty much sums up my life. My co-workers sometimes wonder why I act as if nothing matters. They've tried to befriend me, but realize quickly that I'm not interested in making friends. Now they whisper and shoot glances at me, wondering what could be wrong with me.

Right now, I'm home, reflecting on that fateful day. Could I have done anything to prevent that tragedy from happening? How did the Death Eaters breach the wards surrounding the Burrow? Sighing, I get up and head to the kitchen to get some ice cream from the freezer. Some things about that day just don't add up. Even though I know that it won't bring my family back, I still wonder about one question in particular. Was there ANYONE that could have prevented the attack on my family? When I think about this troubling question, I get angry. How could I not be furious with the person that murdered my family? Somehow, someday, I will have my revenge against Tom. I am sure of that one thing.

Sitting on my couch with the carton of ice cream perched on my lap, my thoughts go back to my family. I wonder what they would think if they could see me now. Mum would be so upset if she saw how thin I've become and that my house looks as if no one lives in it. I made a decision right then and there. I would not go on living like this; I would try to make something of my life. It's the least I could do. After putting the ice cream away, I grabbed my coat and headed outside. The air was frigid, but I was determined to get to the city and buy some things for my apartment. As I walked down the street, I glanced at my watch; it read 5:13 pm. I shopped for hours, buying art for my walls, plants, mirrors and other items. I had plenty of money and finally the desire to spend it. My shopping completed, I headed towards home with my purchases. I wanted to get home quickly as it was beginning to get dark, so I decided to take a short cut through an alley. As soon as I turned down the alley, an eerie feeling came over me; it was almost as if someone were watching me. All of a sudden, I heard a noise behind me. I whirled around with my wand drawn. The only thing I could see was some bins and bags of trash. I breathed a sigh of relief; it was nothing. "Don't be such a scaredy cat!" I thought as I started toward home again. Without warning, I heard another noise behind me, a sneeze. Slowly, I turned around and began walking towards the trash piled on the side of the street, my eyes straining as I tried to see what was hiding in the darkness.

"Is somebody there?" I said, hoping my voice didn't sound too fearful. After a few moments, the trash bags shifted and someone tumbled out from behind them. I took a few steps backward to put a safe distance between the stranger and me.

"Who's there?" I asked sharply. The street was now very dark. I muttered "Lumos!" and the tip of my wand lit up, bathing the alleyway with light. Sprawled on the ground before me was a little girl, no older than ten I guessed. She was wearing a flimsy green sundress despite the freezing temperatures and her exposed skin was covered with bruises. Whimpering, she looked up at me fearfully, tears shining in her big blue eyes.

"Oh...uh...hello," I said foolishly. The girl remained silent, staring at me as if I was the Dark Lord himself. "What's your name?" I asked. She still didn't answer, she was obviously terrified. As I looked at her, I could only imagine why. The bruises covering her body were an awful sight and her lips were blue from the cold. "Do you know where your mummy or daddy is?" I asked. Finally, I got a reaction. She scrambled away from me, hiding behind the bags of trash, trying to get as far from me as she could. I moved slowly towards her and knelt down beside her. "You don't want to go back to your mum and dad?" I asked. The girl shook her head vigorously. "Okay, I promise I won't take you to your parents and I promise I won't hurt you. Can you tell me your name?"

She answered hesitantly, "My name is Lizz."

I smiled at her, letting her know that I was glad to know her name. I reached my hand out toward her. "Would you like some hot cocoa? Maybe even a nice warm bath?" Lizz gave me a calculating look. She then stuck out her small hand and laid it in mine, giving me the tiniest of smiles. I stood up, still holding Lizz's hand and my bags in my other hand. We set off for my apartment. As we walked, I studied her, mystified. What could have happened to this little girl? She looked so innocent with her long strawberry blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. We continued walking in silence until we reached my apartment.

"Here it is!" I said. "It's not very homey, but I just bought some new decorations that will make it a bit brighter in here! And of course, we'll have that hot cocoa!" I added cheerfully. The girl's eyes grew wide at the thought of hot chocolate. I smiled at her and I set my bags on the floor. "I'll go and draw you a nice warm bath. Does that sound okay?" I asked in a soothing tone.

She nodded. "Thank you," she said and I knew she meant it. I drew her bath water, putting in a potion that smelled sweet and would help heal her bruises. Walking back into the living room, I found Lizz standing in the exact same spot as where I'd left her.

"Come on," I urged kindly. "You'll be nice and clean in no time."

While Lizz was taking a bath, I worked on putting all my new purchases around my apartment. After just a few minutes, the whole place was transformed; it finally looked like a home. I smiled, happy with the results. When I was finished, I walked to the bathroom door and knocked softly. "Are you almost finished? I have a nice warm cup of hot chocolate with your name on it!" Lizz stepped out of the bathroom; the transformation was amazing. The dirt and the ugly bruises were gone from her body, though she was still wearing her ragged sundress. "Let me change those clothes for you," I said. I transfigured her dress into a pair of jeans and a nice warm jumper. She smiled shyly; I returned her smile and handed her the cocoa. Suddenly, I realized that I had smiled for the first time in months. I was happy that I could help Lizz. I finally felt alive again, more like myself. We sat on the couch and drank our hot chocolate in silence. After a few minutes, I decided to try and find out how Lizz had ended up in that alleyway. "Well, I haven't told you my name yet, have I? It's Molly," I said. I started using my middle name when I ended up in the States. "How old are you?" I asked.

"I'm ten," she said quietly. She didn't say anymore, but I knew she was a witch. The city I had moved to was strictly a wizarding town; no Muggles lived here. Moreover, Lizz hadn't been surprised when she saw my wand in the alleyway earlier.

"Can I ask...was it your mum or dad that hurt you so badly?" I asked softly.

She shook her head violently, indicating that she didn't want to talk about it, tears rolling down her cheeks. It broke my heart that someone so young had been traumatized so much. I put my arm around her and she automatically stiffened. After a moment though, she calmed down and leaned into me. I touched her face gently, wiping away her tears. "I'm sorry Lizz, but I have to ask you again. If you tell me who it was that hurt you, I will make sure they can never hurt you again. Just nod your head if it was your mum or dad who did this to you." Slowly, she nodded her head, tears spilling down her rosy cheeks. Kissing the top of her head, I whispered to her soothingly, "Nothing's going to happen to you, you don't ever have to go back to them. You're safe now, Lizzie." We sat together on the couch and after a while, her breathing evened, then she fell asleep in my arms. I watched her resting peacefully, feeling complete for the first time in months. I smiled to myself, and drifted off to sleep.