Till the End of the Road.

Chapter Two

After another boring day of selling vases, bowls and other pottery, Erin was once again sitting in her room, Marty was cooking dinner and Buddy was in his den. Erin heard Marty call her, she put down her pencil; looking down at the rose she was drawing, it looked nice; she was half way happy as she walked into the kitchen to find Marty cooking still. Marty was a good cook, not as good as Molly Weasley, not many were. But Marty and Molly Weasley both used their wands to cook and Erin liked to do it the muggle way, Erin thought food tasted better the muggle way.

“Can you take Max for a walk?” Marty asked, her back turned to Erin; Erin got the leash and Max came running, he wagged his tail as she hooked his leash to his collar and they walked to the back door “Hurry back, were having roast pork.”

They went down the street, it was getting dark, and there was only a red glow in the horizon. The street lamps were on now, but as she turned off of the street and onto Perkins Street the light suddenly grew faint, she was heading out of the small muggle town now, heading for the woods. Erin watched as Max jogged a bit ahead of her, wagging his tail still, smelling the ground as he went. Once she got to the end of the road, where most children who lived in the town had to stop, she unhooked Max from the leash, and they disappeared behind the trees.

Erin walked through the heavy trees until she came to a clearing, where there was a hill, she took a seat in the heavy grass, she had a clear view of the sunset now. Max ran ahead of her chasing a folk of birds, making her laugh, they all got out of his reach before he could bite one, and so she pulled out her wand; it had been hidden under her left jean pant leg, held in place by her boot, she did the Avis spell and had him run back and forth trying to catch the birds. The dog nearly got ahold of one; his jaw would have clenched down on the yellow bird if Erin hadn't heard a loud POP noise and forgotten all about the spell, making the birds vanish. She got to her feet quick and looked around, it sounded as if someone had just apparated, but no, this was a muggle town, other than her, Buddy and Marty no other wizard lived there, so it must have been something else... she blew it off and sat down again, conjuring the birds once again for the black, shaggy dog to attempt to catch. When the sun finally set fully and the half-moon shown bright, the girl and dog started their journey back to the house. The town seemed eerily quiet as they walked, but it was after dark, the town as always dead after five, it just seemed to be extra dead...

When Erin and Max arrived back at the little white house with red shutters everything seemed as though it was perfectly normal, until they walked around to the back door; the door was hanging by its hinges and nearly about to fall off, Max went ahead of her and climbed the tree steps.

“Wait a sec” she whispered, pulling out her wand again, she held it out arm’s length as she climbed the stairs too and walked inside the kitchen, the smell of roast pork was still in the air, but as she looked around a sinking feeling fell over her. Erin walked forward, Max right next to her. The kitchen table had been split in two, water was flying everywhere because it seemed that someone had blown up the kitchen sink. She saw a few cupboard doors had been blasted off as she rounded the corner that lead to the hall-way and living room. But just there, between the hard wood floor and the beginning of the carpet lay a body... Marty Anderson.

Erin gasped seeing her face down on the floor, no blood was around her, it didn't seem to be a stretch on her, but Erin knew right away she was dead, Max went up to Marty and sniffed her, then gave a little whimper.

“It will be alright Pal...” Erin trailed off, trying to tell herself more than the dog, they then went on, down the hall, she was shaking madly, she couldn't breathe, she saw that all the doors had been blasted off their hinges, she went right passed her room and into the den...Buddy's den, and there he was, lying flat on his back, his square glasses astray on his face; he had obviously heard the yells from the kitchen and being a good auror and husband was trying to rush to the aid of his wife, but he had been cut short. She didn't have to guess who had done this, the same people after Erin's kind, Mudbloods... most found this name offensive, but after being called that by a bitchy house-elf she didn't seem to care anymore. She turned around quick and went right to her room, careful not to have another look at Marty, she pulled out a bag from her closet that no longer had a door, she was only concerned about three things. One; making sure Max was safe. Two: getting the hell out of there. And finally three... she turned quick to see the wall of drawings she had hung, there had only been a few added to the old ones, but none as important as the one that stood above the rest, a few had been blown up, but that one was perfectly fine, the Death Eater's must have been daft, and without the bitch Bellatrix Lestrange, Erin knew for sure that if Bella had been there this picture would have been in pieces, she hurried and pulled it off the wall, careful she didn't rip it, it was important after all. She then got down on all fours, Max; who was lying on her bed looked at her weirdly as she pulled a box from under the bed and opened it to see an ascent fan, a few dark arts books and the Hogwarts A History book, along with some wizarding money. She dumped the whole lot into the bag and then got her clothes, stuffing them all in, she then turned to the picture she had set on the dresser, she placed it on top, making sure nothing would mash it. She zipped the bag and threw it over her shoulders.

“Come on, Max” Erin patted her side and the dog jumped up, they walked out of the room and Erin looked up at the sealing, so she didn't have to see Marty laying there again, they walked out of the front door and onto the street, she looked around worried, she didn't know if the Death Eaters had gone or not, all she knew is that she had to get out. “I'm sorry, little man, but I don't know if I'll even make it, and if dogs can apparate, your gonna have to stay here.”

The dog just perked his ears at her, she knew he understood though, he was so much like Sirius... but he really was a dog... Erin shook her head and looked around, she then saw the young couple, that lived next door, come out of their house, she ran over to them quick, she had talked to the wife a few times, but never the husband, she had a distant thought that he might think she was insane for the look he was giving her as she jogged over to them.

“Hi” she said out of breath. “I need you to watch my dog because I have to leave... it’s...it’s err...important.”

“Sure” said the wife. “How long will you be gone?”

“I have no...”

“Now, wait a moment, dear, you can't just agree...” the husband trailed off.

“No, really, I have to go and I can't bring Max with me... he’s a great dog and I'll be back as soon as I can to get him but... I just really have to go” she looked around nervous.

“What's the matter?” the wife asked.

“Someone's after me... they...they broke into my house and...and... can you just watch him for me?”

“Yes, sure” said the wife.

“Sweetheart that is a bad idea... let the police handle this” said the husband.

“Oh shut up, Jim” said the wife, smiling, the husband looked taken aback but did as he was told.

“Thank you so much, and,...er... could you call the police and tell him that there's been a brake in...” Erin pointed with her thumb to the little white house with red shutters.

“Oh, um, yes, yes...” the wife said, looking a bit more worried now.

“Don't worry... the people who broke in won't be back” Erin said, she patted Max on the head, and turned around to leave. “Please take good care of him...”

“We will,” said the wife then ushered the dog and her open mouthed husband into the house. “I hope you will be alright.”

Erin then walked down the street, much like she had when she was taking Max for a walk, but she wasn't coming back this time, when she got to the shade of the trees she pulled out her wand again, she had put it back in her boot so the muggles wouldn't think she was a crazy girl carrying a stick. She reached the hillside again and heaved a sigh, with that she closed her eyes and hoped it worked...

“To the burrow.”

She felt the ground leave her feet and the jerking of apparition, she was going somewhere, she just hoped it was the Burrow. It seemed to take a long time for her to find land again, she didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing, and now she was slightly afraid to open her eyes, for she didn't want to see where she was if she hadn't gone to the right place, but she had to... and so every slowly she peaked open her right eye; it was dark, there was a poorly built building and or house in front of her, there was light on in the kitchen but the rest of the windows were dark. She could see two red heads and then one walk out of the room, she knew she had made it... she was back at the Burrow. Erin walked ahead, breathing deeply, Marty and Buddy were dead and she... she who was supposed to be daft... at least it felt like they thought she was, had made it out, she had devised a plan and left, if Albus Dumbledore still thought she needed a babysitter then he was daft, and cutting ties with the Order wasn't so bright after all was it? Erin knocked on the door of the Burrow and saw the red headed women freeze, she was obviously not expecting company, and when she turned around and walked to the door, her wand drown, she gasped seeing Erin and pulled the door open, quick.

“Erin... what in the name of Merlin?”

“The auror's are dead... I think it was Death Eaters...”

“How...what... ARTHUR!”

The other redhead walked back into the room, he was holding a bowl in his hand and looked rather tired.

“What is it, Molly, dear?”

“This” she shrieked, moving so Mr. Weasley could see Erin; Erin feeling awkward smiled slightly and waved. Suddenly she was being held at wand point.

“What were the first words I, Arthur Weasley spoke to Erin Evans?”

“What in the hell?”

“Just answer me,” yelled Mr. Weasley.

“You said it was nice to meet me and asked me what you do with a TV” Erin said quickly, he dropped his wand and sighed.

“I'm sorry, it’s getting so you can't trust anyone anymore” he sunk into a chair and put a hand through his reseeding hair. “What happened?”

“I took the dog for a walk and I thought I heard someone apparate or dissaparate.... I don't know, either way when I got back to the house the door was broken, everything was smashed and Marty and Buddy were dead...”

Mr. Weasley sighed again.

“I think it was Death Eaters... I don't know what they were doing there... but it was defiantly magic that killed them....”

“Well, I think you just need a good meal and to get some sleep, Arthur, I think you'd better owl Professor Dumbledore,” said Mrs. Weasley.

“Your quite right, Molly, dear” said Mr. Weasley, getting up and hurrying from the room.

“Now, Erin, dear, let's get you something to eat.”