The Big Dipper

Escape from Malfoy Manor

Delivering the news of Ted Tonks's death was one of the worst conversations Ursula had ever had. Tonks, eight months pregnant, had burst into tears immediately, to be comforted by Remus. Andromeda, on the other hand, had gone pale, and quietly asked Ursula to help her into a chair. She did not cry, not then, but her eyes were broken.

Ursula's nightmares were back, and she was crying more often, breaking down in tears here and there for no apparent reason. She didn't have time to grieve, not now, but repressing her grief was almost as hard as expressing it.

She and Fred had quickly made up after their fight. It was the first real fight they had had during their relationship, but in the grand scheme of things it didn't matter. The troubles of war were taking their toll on everyone.

Every broadcast of Potterwatch reached more and more people. All of the Sector Seven dragonologists gathered around the radio to listen, except for Felix, who claimed he didn't want to risk it in case he was ever singled out by the Dark Lord. Ursula gave him recaps of the important news afterwards.

Ursula was exhausting herself Apparating back and forth between the sanctuary and Corvus Manor so frequently. She was returning every three days or so at this point, as she needed to be there for every Death Eater meeting, every new development. Voldemort had a renewed sense of fury about him, though Ursula and the others could not ascertain why, other than that the Order was putting up a phenomenally good fight. Neither side was winning, exactly, but it was no longer a one-sided slaughter.

In the middle of all this absurdity, Ursula's wedding was getting ever nearer. Her wedding gown was finished in mid March, RSVPs were flooding in, and the reality of it all sunk in as the event drew nearer. Ursula and Hadrian had created a tentative plan for escape, but there were so many moving pieces that until their wedding day was practically upon them, they couldn't be sure of their plan's viability.

"I had a letter from Edith this morning," said Ursula one day, when she was visiting Malfoy Manor. It was almost the Easter holidays, meaning Draco would be home soon from school.

"Oh? What did she want?" asked Narcissa, looking up from her embroidery.

"She's pregnant," said Ursula. "She writes, 'It is with the utmost regret that I must withdraw my participation from your bridal party, but know that my best wishes go with you.'"

"We're only six weeks away!" exclaimed Narcissa, suddenly flustered. "You must find someone to replace her, and at once!"

Ursula sighed.

"I suppose I'll ask Arabella," she said. "After all, it is important that I have some member of Hadrian's family among my bridesmaids."

Arabella, thankfully, accepted, although she was resigned to do so, and Ursula's plans were once again, regretfully, on track for May 2nd. Ursula had put her foot down about the catering, insisting that her house elves be the ones to cook, and Narcissa had at last relented. Ursula longed for a garden wedding, but her plans to escape necessitated that the ballroom be used for both the ceremony and the reception. Everything had been ordered, mailed, and tailored, and as the fateful day drew nearer, Narcissa wasn't the only one whose nerves were under siege.

Ursula's facade was so convincing that she found herself actually stressing out about things — like if the flowers would be the right shade or if the rain would make the walkway muddy — that didn't matter since her wedding was fake. Mostly, however, her anxiety was all due to her web of lies, and how no one, no one, knew how deep those lies went.

She had kept her promise to write to her father, exchanging frequent correspondence from across the ocean, but she still didn't tell him everything. At the sanctuary, Hestia was going stronger each day, and had claimed Persephone as her permanent mother. The Horntail fretted over the tiny hatchling, who had finally learned to walk with a slightly unsteady, lolloping gait, and loved her dearly.