Willow's Story

Willow's Story

Prologue

Everything's changing when I turn around

All out of my control, I'm a mobile

Everything's changing everywhere I go

All out of my control, I'm a mobile.

-Mobile by Avril Lavigne

She was running. Running away from her life. Well what was left of it anyway. Her eyes were full of tears. She had honestly thought that it could have worked out. But she had been wrong. She knew now how daft she had been. It had never been love with him; it had been lust. Nothing more, nothing less. She could hardly believe how blind she had been. She was running like a mad woman. She was out of control. She could not have stopped even if she wanted to.

It was getting dark. Still she ran on. A little girl saw her cloaked form pass by her window like a shadow. It was midnight when she reached a forest. She stumbled over a root and fell. Her richly embroidered cloak was covered in mud. She lay there for a long time. She didn't know how long. It was well into the morning when she decided to test her legs. Her ankle was twisted in a weird way. She could no longer put her weight on it. She lay down in frustration. Her hand went unconsciously to her swelling stomach. She was worried. The baby might not have survived the fall.

Someone was coming; she could feel the vibrations of the earth. It was a woman holding a little girl's hand.

"See Ma, I was right, I did see a lady go by the window."

The woman kneeled next to her; her face was round and kind looking.

"Are you alright Ma'am? Of course you aren't, silly me. Well, we'd better get you into the house shouldn't we? Be girl Ginny and help me carry her into the house," the woman smiled at her, "I'm afraid it will be rather crowded inside the house, by the way I'm Molly Weasley."

She smiled weakly, "Pleased to met you Molly, I'm Lucinda."

They had now reached the house. It was as if it was held up by magic. It twisted in many different directions.

"The boys have all gone to see their Grandma. It's a real blessing. Ginny and I are having the time of our lives. Now I imagine that you would love to have some rest. Afterwards you may tell me about why you are here."

Molly led Lucinda up to a room. It was painted in blue and the bed was covered with a simple azure bedspread. Lucinda went straight to the bed and lay down. Molly bustled to the window and closed the curtains. She turned to Lucinda,

"Sleep tight sweetie. Remember the baby needs you to be strong."

Lucinda's eyes snapped open, "How do you know that... I'm...going to have a...a baby?"

Molly laughed, "Oh, when you have had seven children, two of which are twins, you do start to recognize the signs...Go to sleep, you're safe here from whatever you were running before."

Molly closed the door after herself. Lucinda heard her go down the stairs. Lucinda felt completely safe for the first time in her life. She went to sleep. Her sleep was peaceful and dreamless.

Lucinda woke up to a contraction in her gut. She cried out in pain. She heard footsteps in the corridor. The door swung open, Molly ran in. She went to Lucinda's side at once. " It must be the baby. I think it's coming."

Lucinda cried out in continuous pain for a few hours, then the baby decided to take its first breath of air and finally its head peaked out of Lucinda's womb. Molly helped the baby make the rest of its journey into the world. Lucinda took one look at the baby in Molly's hands and said, "Her name is Willow. It's the only name I can give her, if she had been a boy I could have named her otherwise."

She looked at Molly, "Molly, I'm going to die soon. It is the ways of my people. Please just promise me one thing. Please find another home for Willow. Not yours mind, I wouldn't want to burden you any more than you are. Oh, yes, thank you, and tell Willow that I love her."

Lucinda died in the only place she had ever felt safe.

As for Willow, well her life went on. She was given to a Muggle family, the Marsdens.