A/N: this was started before the sixth book came out. Therefore, nothing from the sixth book is true for this story.
Chapter 1: Memories
The first day of September dawned clear and sunny. There was a slight bite in the gentle wind, hinting of days of sweaters and jeans coming soon. Despite this peaceful feeling, inside King's Cross men and women in business suits ran about, trying to figure out which train they needed.
Among this entire hubbub, a boy and a girl stood between platforms 9 and 10. They were both eleven and, despite being brother and sister, looked nothing alike. The boy was tall and snooty-looking with an upturned nose and cold grey-blue eyes. His long hair was white-blond and lightly moussed, brushing his broad shoulders. The girl was also tall and aristocratic, but had a softer, gentler aura about her. Her eyes were the same grey-blue but with a slight hint of green. Her dark brown hair tumbled down to her middle back in loose ringlets. She shared her brother's porcelain skin, but her cheeks had a healthy rose hue to them. Both were well dressed, the blond in a black silk shirt and baggy jeans and the brunette in a burgundy tunic and dark blue jeans. The girl was looking at the divider between the platforms nervously.
"What time is it?" muttered the girl.
"Time for you to stop bugging me about the time!" the boy retorted. "It's 10:52." He was looking around the hold calmly, obviously searching for familiar faces.
"Shouldn't we get on the platform?"
"I'm waiting for Crabbe and Goyle," the boy said. The girl sighed heavily.
"Can't you wait on the platform?" she started to whine.
"No."
A few more minutes passed in silence. A man in uniform came up to them.
"Are you two lost?" he asked kindly.
"No," the boy said sharply.
"No, sir, we're waiting for our parents," fibbed the girl sweetly. The man smiled at her and left.
"Filthy Muggle," the boy muttered.
"You wouldn't have to deal with Muggles if you'd wait for your friends on the platform, Draco!" the girl reprimanded.
"Shut up, Aquila," the boy called Draco growled.
"Make me!" the girl snapped back. Draco heaved a tormented sigh as he spotted two people and waved them over.
"Hey, Crabbe, Goyle," Draco greeted his friends curtly. They nodded at him and Aquila, who glared indifferently back. She never really liked the thickly built duo that Draco had 'hired' as his bodyguards. The three walked into the divider between platforms 9 and 10, Aquila following.
When she materialized, she found herself on a dimly lit platform, even more packed than the platforms she had seen in the Muggle station. All its occupants were in either Muggle clothing or robes. She spotted her twin's blond hair; he seemed to have forgotten about her and was boarding the train, leaving his friends to load his trunk. Aquila rolled her eyes; even though her brother was supposed to watch over her, he never did. Aquila strode past a small pack of redheads and boarded the train. She wandered the length of the train, peering into compartments, looking for a seat. After a few tries, she found Draco's compartment. He was sitting next to Pansy Parkinson, a pretty female witch who Aquila hated with a passion. He looked up and, seeing Aquila, waved her in.
"Wanna sit with us?" Draco asked.
Aquila scanned the compartment's inhabitants. Draco and Pansy taken up an entire row to themselves. Crabbe and Goyle were looking haughty and brain-dead standing beside the door. Blaise Zabini, a gorgeous black boy, had folded his tall body in a seat and was reading an ancient book. He looked up and nodded to Aquila, smiling coyly. She decided she didn't feel like associating with these people. She shook her head and stepped out.
"What's her problem?" she heard Zabini say as she closed the compartment door. She kept walking till she found a quiet compartment near the end of the train. Inside were two boys she didn't recognized; she found this strange, as she knew most everyone through her father's many connections. The boy that was facing her did look rather familiar; he had red hair and dark brown eyes. He was tall and gangly and had something on the end of his nose.
"Hi, I'm Aquila, can I sit here?" she asked. The other boy turned his head to reveal a raven-haired youth with snapping green eyes and a lightening bolt scar on his forehead. Aquila took a startled step back. "You're Harry Potter," she said in shock. The boy nodded and looked bewilderedly at the red head, who shrugged.
"I'm Ron Weasley," he introduced himself.
Aquila's eyes widened. "Weasley? As in Arthur Weasley?" she stammered. The redhead nodded disbelieving; the boys shared another look.
"You going to sit?" Harry asked.
Aquila hesitated then lowered herself to the seat slowly, eyes squinted closed as if the seat would blow up when she fully sat. She shrank back, hiding her head from the door. A few minutes later, a girl burst in, introduced herself as Hermione Granger, asked if they'd seen a toad, then went off on a rant on how she was Muggle-born. Aquila groaned audibly. The girl turned to her.
"And who are you?" she demanded.
"Aquila," she said quickly.
"What's your last name?"
"Don't have one," Aquila said, giving her a threatening 'you-wanna-do-something-about-it?' look.
"Of course you do, don't be silly!" the girl laughed nervously.
"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered, not knowing he had just saved her.
"Harry Potter," said Harry. This distracted Hermione from extracting Aquila's surname. Aquila sighed, careful to keep inaudible. Finally, the Muggle-born girl left. What else could possibly go wrong? she thought.
Just then, after an awkward conversation about Houses, the bad went to worse: in burst Aquila's brother and Crabbe and Goyle.
"Is it true?" Draco more demanded than asked. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"
"Yes," Harry said. He seemed slightly nervous at the sight of Crabbe and Goyle.
"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said Draco carelessly, "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."
Ron coughed, hiding a snigger; Aquila shrank back in her seat even farther to avoid Draco spotting her.
"Think my name's funny, do you?" he spat. "No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."
Ron turned a brilliant shade of red and noticed that Aquila was trying to hide. "What's wrong, Aquila?" he asked. Aquila jumped and began shaking her head fervently. However, no one could keep Draco's mind from hearing Ron's innocent, but stupid comment.
"Aquila?" Draco asked. Aquila sat up to see a look of slight horror and surprise. "Good to see you. Glad one of us has gotten to speak to Potter." Aquila smiled sarcastically.
"How do you two know each other?" Harry asked.
"She's my younger sister. Obviously, not by much," Draco said, clapping Aquila on the shoulder in what would be a gesture of love.
"A few paltry months. We're nothing alike, though," Aquila added, stepping out of her brother's reach. Draco ignored her and turned to Harry.
"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. We can help you there," he said, offering a hand to Harry, instigating a handshake.
"Like you really want to make friends with him. You know and I know very well that Father made you promise to rub up on Harry," Aquila scoffed.
"Shut up, Quil. Don't talk about what you don't understand," Draco muttered through his smile.
"I understand perfectly that Father's looking for us to turn into spies for him! And I understand you are either naïve or stupid to be still following his orders," Aquila said sharply.
"Shut UP!" roared Draco. His face had begun to color in rage.
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks," Harry said coolly. Draco turned to him, his cheeks pinking slightly.
"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you."
"Oh, that's a great way to make new friends," Aquila said sarcastically. Draco ignored her. Both Harry and Ron had stood.
"Say that again," Ron said, his face going even redder.
"Oh, you're going to fight us, are you?" Draco sneered.
"Not unless you get out now," said Harry.
"But we don't feel like leaving, do we, boys? We've eaten all our food and you still seem to have some."
"Boy, you better get out or…" Aquila started, but she didn't get a chance to finish as Goyle began to yell. Ron's rat Scabbers had attached himself to Goyle's knuckle. Scabbers got quite a ride on Goyle's finger until Scabbers flew off and hit the window. Draco herded Crabbe and Goyle out the door, pausing only to shout at Aquila, "I'll be sure to tell Father about this whole…escapade."
o.O
A rather tall girl of nearly sixteen descended a spindly staircase. She still looked quite a bit like her eleven-year-old self. Her hair was still dark brown, nearly black hue, though it had been cut into shoulder-length shag. Her eyes were the same rainbow of shades: murky blue-gray surrounding pale blue-green surrounding yellow-brown flecks around an opaque black pupil. She was taller, nearing 5'9, and had a friendly yet mysterious aura about her.
As she rushed downward, she passed a tall white-blond figure. "Good morning, Aquila," the figure said in a dark, cold voice. Aquila paused, catching herself with the rail.
"Morning, Father," she said warmly, despite the chilling frown that she was given. She continued down the stairs and, looking left and right for anybody else, disappeared into the kitchen. A house elf, ragged, dirty, and out-of-place in its immaculate surroundings, had its back to her. "Morning, Flippy. What's for breakfast?" asked Aquila kindly.
The female house elf jumped at the sound of her voice, and turned. She bowed low, "Good morning, young Mistress Malfoy," Flippy said in a squeaky voice, her face hidden by her abnormally long ears. "Breakfast is at the table, as is the young master and my Mistress."
"Shit," mumbled Aquila. "The manor looks wonderful, by the way, Flip," she called over her shoulder. She attempted to sneak out quietly, but someone caught her arms. Aquila shrieked her surprise as a sneering voice called out from behind her.
"I found her! Aquila's in the kitchen!" the male voice yelled. Aquila spun around to find a smaller copy of her father.
"Draco, you…insufferable, stuck-up, arrogant little…" she hissed as a woman appeared before them. The new comer was older and blond with dark roots, as if she had tried to cover her true hair color like she had covered her life previous to marriage. She also had a sneering countenance, but it was a bit softer and delicate.
"Mother, Aquila was in the kitchens again," tattled Draco.
"…arse," finished Aquila, looking venomously at her slightly older brother. Narcissa Black Malfoy opened her mouth to reply when the elder blond man from the stairs appeared behind his wife.
"Do my ears deceive me?" he asked in a deathly whisper. Narcissa closed her eyes, trembling involuntarily. "Lucius," she pleaded quietly, but Lucius' only response was to push her roughly aside. Aquila made a move toward her mother as to aid her, but Draco's grip on her wrists had turned ironclad. She tossed him a quick, surreptitious glance before meeting her father's icy stare.
"What…have I told you…about hanging around servants and commoners?" Lucius Malfoy asked, moving dangerously close to Aquila. She felt Draco's grip tighten.
Aquila kept her eyes on her father when she answered, "Um…don't?"
Lucius' hand connected with Aquila's jaw. "Don't you take that tone of voice with me, young lady!"
"But I –" she started to protest, but stopped when her father's hand flew back once more, threatening to strike again. Instead, the hand pointed a solitary finger at her accusingly.
"I don't know how you managed to become a Gryffindor brat," her father spat out the last words, as if they were some sort of foul substance on his tongue, "but rest assured, you will get yours for this…filth you have dragged into our house…that has besmirched our family name."
"Yes, sir," Aquila mumbled, hanging her head. On the outside, she appeared humble and subservient, but inside, she was fuming and longed to lash out at Lucius. However, he father fell for her sheep act and turned on his heel. She felt Draco's grip loosen and he dropped Aquila's wrist. Aquila looked at her twin. It seemed as if he was stone; they had both been trained to hide their true feelings. Draco must have felt her gaze because he looked back at Aquila. His face softened slightly and looked halfway compassionate.
"Now, sit," Lucius commanded. Aquila and Draco faced their father. "SIT!" he bellowed. They hurried to the table, laden with porridge, eggs, bacon, toast, and tea. Narcissa struggled up and sat at the foot of the table, facing her husband at the head. Aquila sat at her father's left and Draco at his right. They were perfectly silent as Lucius picked up the first plate and began to fill it. The birds were singing somewhere in the distance; no animal dared to set foot near the Malfoy manor. Lucius put the first plate in front of himself, then filled a second and handed it to Draco. Draco took it, but didn't start eating. The third plate went to Narcissa and Aquila got the fourth. They all waited for Lucius to unfold his napkin and take the first bite before starting their own meal. Aquila and Draco kept their heads down and didn't dare speak unless their father addressed them. Aquila, however, listened carefully to everything that was said, like she had for most of the summer. After a bit, her thoughts wandered, away from breakfast and the Malfoy manor to elsewhere.
No one outside the manor believed she was a Malfoy. Not like she spent too much time convincing them of that fact. The only characteristic she shared with the Malfoy part of the family were her father's blue eyes, though none of their ice, the pale complexion, and his strong, tall figure. Most everything else came from her mother's side, the Blacks, especially the man whose name was like a curse word in her family, Sirius Black. Aquila hated her surname and everything it stood for. On the other hand, the rest of the Malfoys were proud of their pure-bloodiness and were very displeased when they heard Aquila was in Gryffindor and had become friends with a Mudblood, a blood traitor Weasley, and the famous Harry Potter.
It was with fear Aquila came back to the manor that summer after first year, but instead of being angry, her father greeted her enthusiastically. He obviously hoped Aquila would reveal everything about Harry and become a sort of spy for the Dark Lord. Aquila refused to say anything of importance. Finally, her father had given up in about her third year after she helped Sirius escape. He began to physically abuse her, trying to beat the information out of her. It had only worsened this summer after she helped smash the prophecy he had wanted. Aquila unconsciously brushed her jaw and winced as the fresh bruise screamed in protest. She was brought sharply out of her thoughts as she heard the words she had been waiting for her father to say all summer.
"…as well as a few business partners, so make sure that elf fixes something nice for lunch. And I don't want any disruptions of the punishment will be…severe. Understand?" Lucius' voice dropped to a seething hiss, narrowing his pale blue eyes to slits.
"Yes, Father," Aquila and Draco responded monotonous, dull, and robotic. They didn't even bother raising their heads from their plates. Narcissa mumbles a weary, "Yes, dear," although her heart did not seem to be in it.
Aquila was the last to leave the table. She walked slowly up the seemingly delicate staircase again, returning to her bedroom.
She opened her window to let her usual flock of morning owls enter, noticing her own barn owl, Moony, among the crowd that started to perch at various points in her room. A tawny owl, carrying a scarlet moneybag, dropped a newspaper in her hands.
"Oh, thanks. Hang on a sec, don't get feisty!" she said as the owl squawked loudly and started attacking her robes. She snatched her own navy moneybag and extracted five little bronze Knuts. "There, pleased?" she asked as the owl nipped her ear and took off through the window. "Goodness," she muttered, turning to the remaining four owls, including her own Moony, who was sitting quite comfortably on her shoulder.
She recognized the snowy Hedwig and eccentric Pigwidgeon from Harry and Ron respectively. Aquila snagged Pig, who'd started buzzing around her head like an oversized fly. Untying the letter, she handed the little owl a treat to keep him quiet while she cracked open the letter's seal. Hermione's perfect script, instead of the expected untidy scrawl of Ron, greeted her.
Dear Aquila,
Hi! You don't know how much we're all missing you. But I suppose we'll see each other soon.
Hopefully your family isn't being too much of a nuisance. Is your father livid? I suspect he is after you hit him with that Body Bind just when he was about to kill me. Thanks again for that. I know I've said it a lot, but bear with me. It's hard to forget when someone saves your life. Reckon you know what Harry goes through, huh?
Speaking of, I think he's going to send you a letter in response to his birthday gift. That practice Quidditch set was genius. Harry and Ron won't stop moaning on how unfair it is that they can't get it out. They nearly killed me when I told them to deal with it. Whatever pleasure they get out of chasing enchanted balls is past me.
Love from,
Hermione
Aquila chuckled merrily at Hermione's letter. She never did enjoy the boys' constant chatter on Quidditch while Aquila could endure it, joining in when she could. Placing it aside, she removed the letter from Harry's owl Hedwig.
Aquila-
All I want to ask is 'Why!'
Why'd you have to send me a Quidditch set when you know I bloody can't even use it? Thanks a bunch, though, for the thought. It'll really come in handy later, but it's killing me that we can't try it out. Ron feels the same (no offense, but he really could use the practice, ehInstead, he's been helping me come up with new plays, cause guess what? I'm Captain! Are you going to try out for Beater? I'm making Slope and Kirke try out again along with anyone else who wants to. There'll also be Chaser as Angelina, Katie, and Alicia left last year. Ginny's already vying for a position and, if she does as well as she did filling in for me during my ban, she'll most likely be on the team.
Will you be at Diagon Alley tomorrow? Hopefully we'll run into each other; it's been forever since we've seen you. If not, meet you on the platform on the first day of term.
Hang in there,
Harry
P.S. Dumbledore told us your dad's back home. Hope it isn't too bad. Remember, only two days until we're all back at Hogwarts.
Aquila ran a fingertip gently over her jaw again, gasping as pain shot through her entire profile. She felt a slight imprint of a snake on the darkening area; it was from the carving on her father's ring that he wore on the hand that struck her. Guess it could be worse, she thought grimly. She took up her favorite eagle feather quill and jotted a quick response.
Hey Harry. Congrats on getting Captain! And thanks for the invitation for Beater; I'll keep it in mind. I'll try my hardest to make it to Diagon Alley. I'll need to talk to Lupin anyway, if you understand…
See you then!
Aquila
She tied the response to Hegwig's outstretched leg and sent her on her way with a slightly sticky, yet satisfied, Pigwidgeon. Turning to the final foreign owl, who was sitting quite contented at the top of her wardrobe door. It flew down promptly, seeing Aquila was free, dropped an official-looking letter in her lap, then flew back out again. Aquila picked up the heavy parchment envelope, recognizing the familiar Hogwarts emblem. She pulled out the first letter and scanned it. The last sentence made her heart skip a beat. "Your OWL results and book list are enclosed." She plunged her hand back in and removed a piece stamped by the Ministry and signed by Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge. She ripped it open hungrily.
Official OWL Results
Name: Aquila Narcissa Malfoy
Class: Written Practical OWL
Ancient Ruins Outstanding N/A O
Arthmancy AcceptableN/A A
Astronomy Ex. Expec.Acceptable E/A
Care/M. Creatures N/AEx. Expec.E
CharmsEx. Expec.Ex. Expec.E
Defense/Dark Arts Ex. Expec.Outstanding O/E
DivinationN/ADreadful D
HerbologyAcceptable Ex. Expec. E/A
History/MagicAcceptableN/A A
PotionsEx. Expec.OutstandingO/E
TransfigurationEx. Expec.Ex. Expec.E
Aquila grinned happily; she had gotten the classes she had hoped for. She placed her OWL results and her booklist on her bedside table and finally took Moony from her shoulder. She had been named after Remus' nickname in school after he gave the owl to Aquila. In fact, Moony carried a letter from her namesake whom Aquila was sure to keep a running conversation with. She cracked the seal of her final letter as Moony flew to her usual place on Aquila's square marble headboard.
Dear Aquila,
Thank you for your last letter. Events around here are few and uneventful since you left over a month ago, save Harry's first birthday party. You should have seen Molly, or Mrs. Weasley as you address her. She was all of a dither with preparations, astounded and sympathetic to Harry's abysmal past of birthdays.
You said in your last letter that you didn't want your father's recapture to occur while you were around for the summer. And while I can see your perspective, may I remind you who your father is? With him and Wormtail out and at large is putting the entire Wizarding world at risk, and that's not to mention Bellatrix Lestrange. Please consider this and let me know. I am well aware of the protection spells your father will have undoubtedly put on your property, but as we both well know there are ways around them.
Continue to let me or Dumbledore know what you hear. Though your absence here is pronounced and miserable, your silent presence at your family's is an immense aide. We will try to have you before term begins, but I'm not promising.
Until later,
Remus Lupin
Aquila sighed and tossed the letter aside. She flopped onto her soft, cream corduroy bedspread and looked up at her ceiling. Deep hunter green walls closed in on her sides, details of gold and cream flashing in the mid-morning sunlight streaming in from the open window. She closed her eyes and pressed them with the heels of her palms, welcoming the white flashes and slightly uncomfortable pressure. She exhaled loudly, opening her eyes and waited for her vision to clear.
Right after arriving at the Malfoy manor, after leaving Hogwarts after her fifth year, she had been invited to Grimmauld Place, location of the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. She had seriously debated going back to Order Headquarters. She didn't know if she could face Sirius' old house after seeing him die at the hands of her aunt, Sirius' own cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange.
Aquila felt her throat tighten; her heart raced as flashes of Sirius' final night played behind her eyelids. Sirius' laugh and mocking tone as a red beam of light missed him barely. Then, laughter became shock. Bellatrix gave a triumphant laugh as Sirius, still wearing that look of surprise, arced majestically and fell, through the dais and through the black curtain that buzzed and whispered of voices, unheard by those who never experienced death before them.
Aquila opened her eyes again, and felt tears overflow thickly over her cheeks. She ignored them as her thoughts progressed. She had been very close to Sirius, him being one of the few people she could say she was proud to be related to, Grimmuald Place had been a second home, a haven from her family, when Sirius had been there. Now that he was gone, all Number 12 held for her were memories, most still painful to recollect.
After much consideration and fervent pleas from her three best friends and fellow Gryffindors, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter, as well as others at headquarters, she decided to come back to Grimmuald Place, convinced there would be enough to distract her from remembering. She had been partially right. The old Black residence, although moderately livable, still had a lot of scouring that had to be done to even come close to mediocre. Aquila immersed herself in the battle against the house, aided by Ron, Hermione, and Remus. This soon proved ill. It seemed to her that everything she saw, touched, heard or removed had Sirius tied to it. She distinctly remembered blinking back tears, forcing them down with every fiber of her being, as the tapestry beholding the Black family was burned before her, no ceremony given. One tear managed to escape as Bellatrix and her husband's names caught and burned to ashes. Ron had asked why she was crying, she wasn't on the tree. Aquila had then fled, tears streaming, from the room while Ron was given a cold glare from Hermione and a brief story of why Aquila had been burned off and Draco had remained.
That incident made Aquila begin to reconsider her return. She had resolved to go back to the Malfoy's for the remainder of the summer. That was when Harry came, accompanied by a guard of no less than 27 witches and wizards, and talked with her and finally made her unpack her bags. Harry, as he himself said while handing Aquila a stack of robes from her trunk, had been almost, if not as close to Sirius as she had been, Sirius being his godfather as well as being Harry's father's best friend at school. In her mind, it was Harry and Remus who had kept her from leaving early. It was close to comforting that they, who had also known Sirius as well as her, were also mourning, but managed to keep themselves, each other and their companions strong.
The remainder of Aquila's brief stay was by no means unexciting. Sure, she still had some emotional moments, but they were short-lived. In fact, she got to experience something even the Weasley twins, Fred and George were being denied: attendance at an Order Meeting. Oh, how the twins had howled about this indignity. They argued that they, unlike her, were of age and out of Hogwarts and therefore, unlike her, were eligible of induction. They calmed significantly, however, when they heard about her assignment.
Aquila's presence was required at an emergency meeting held on what would be her final night. She vividly remembered entering the kitchen, rosy-cheeked and still laughing slightly at the twins. Her merry countenance fell automatically at the grave, tense expressions that surrounded the table.
Flashback:
"There's been a breakout," Remus' voice seemed to echo through her mind. The scene played out, as if she was an observer of the anxious people Aquila knew so well. She saw herself sink heavily into an empty chair, eyes unfocused.
"What?" she had asked in a subtle whisper, hoping no one would confirm what she feared.
"Your father and the rest of the Death Eaters we captured last year have escaped. They've broken out of Azkaban," Remus slid her a copy of a letter from Dumbledore; in it, Dumbledore explained what had happened and urged someone to mark them, especially those close to the Dark Lord. As she read it over and over, the others began discussing what to do. Finally, after what had happened sunk in, Aquila spoke up.
"I'll do it," she said. The rest of the table looked at her stony face. Aquila could see the stun on their faces. A young girl, at least half their age, was volunteering to do something any of them feared. "I'll go home," Aquila repeated, "and keep an eye on my father."
"No, you will not!" shrieked Mrs. Weasley. "The thought of you being in company with that…" she shuddered.
"I'm the only one who can go without raising suspicion!" interrupted Aquila loudly. "Dumbledore is extremely clear in his wish for someone to act as a spy in Voldemort's circle. He is already suspicious of Snape. My father is the next best link we have to Voldemort, so someone should be deployed to watch him." Aquila drew a quick breath and continued. "I will return home and keep an ear out for what happens, just like I always have."
"If anything happened…" Remus broke in quietly, gently. "All I'm saying is don't be irrational. Think of Sirius…"
"Do you think I haven't?" Aquila said darkly, her heart twinging at Sirius' mention. "Sirius would want me to do this."
"Which is exactly why I'm wondering if it's the right thing to do!" bellowed Remus.
"Don't you dare judge Sirius on what happened last year!" Aquila shouted, standing. "It wasn't Harry's fault what Voldemort put into his mind. It wasn't Kreature's fault he lied to Harry to make him go to the Department of Mysteries. I don't think it was even Dumbledore's fault. He was only trying to keep himself, Harry, and Sirius safe by keeping them all separated. And it certainly wasn't Sirius' fault for anything that happened!" Aquila paused, and continued with a calm, serious tone. "It was my father's fault. If he hadn't whispered orders into Kreature's ear and told him to lie to Harry, none of this would have happened…and Sirius wouldn't have died.
A shocked silence followed this outburst. Remus cleared his throat. "Well, if you're sure…" he trailed, unsure of what he was saying.
"I am," Aquila said, stony-faced.
"Then …I suppose…it's settled."
"NO!"
"Molly," Remus soothed, "don't worry. She'll be careful. And it's not like we're abandoning her."
"And it's not as if I've never lived there before. He's my father. I'll be okay," Aquila let herself be hugged tightly by a tearful Mrs. Weasley.
"I know that," sniffled Mrs. Weasley. She twisted the napkin she had been using as a tissue in her hands. "Suppose I'm being stupid, really. All you kids are growing up faster than you should. I can't help getting attached to Harry and Hermione…and you, being Lucius' daughter." Mrs. Weasley broke up into new tears. "J-Just…be careful, dear."
"I will, Mrs. Weasley," Aquila promised. With that, Aquila quit the room and discovered about half a dozen flesh-colored strings in the middle of the hallway. She scooped them up and whispered into them. "Meeting's over, boys, and unless you wanna be busted…" The strings slithered quickly out of her loose grip and disappeared up the side of the staircase. Aquila ascended the case as well and retired to the room she shared with Hermione and Ginny. She stood in the doorway and smiled slightly at the crowd that had gathered inside. The two girls were sitting on the bunk bed they shared. Hermione was seated on the bottom, joined by Ron and Harry. Ginny had perched herself on her top bunk and let her bare feet dangle down. She was flanked by the twins, one on each side. All were looking at Aquila with the same look, sorrowful and grave.
"You heard everything, I suppose?" Aquila inquired from the doorframe.
"Enough to know what's going on," Ginny spoke up.
"We don't envy you, Quil," Fred said from Ginny's right.
"Thanks. I don't envy me either," Aquila gave a grim smile and flopped down next to Hermione.
"Aw, Quils," George's head appeared upside-down and looking reproachfully at Aquila, "we didn't mean it like that."
"I know," she sighed. She stretched out and leaned against the post. "Dunno what possessed me to volunteer myself like that."
"Who knows?" Hermione said. "But good on you. Like you said, you are the only one who would raise the least bit of suspicion."
"Yeah," mulled Aquila. "Besides, it seemed that Dumbledore was hinting in his letter that I should be the one to go."
"Yeah, that's Dumbledore. Send the one person that no one would suspect," grinned Ron.
"Are you sure you want to go?" George asked, his face turning pinkish from the blood rushing to his head.
"No, I would much rather stay here then face my father again. But someone has to keep up the spying. It's only for another month or so, then we'll be back at Hogwarts," Aquila sighed.
End flashback.
Aquila shook herself from her thoughts and sighed herself. This month had seemed endless, what with coping with her immense boredom and her father's wrath. She was looking quite forward to returning to Hogwarts. She glanced at the clock on her wall; it read eleven fifty-nine. Lunch was served promptly at noon. Aquila rolled off her bed and opened a hidden door beside her bed. It revealed a large dumbwaiter, big enough for Aquila to fit in. She climbed in, closed the door and let herself down slowly. Aquila's amusements were few and restricted. You couldn't Apparate in or out of the manor anymore because of the protection spells her father had placed on the house. She couldn't Floo anyone as her father monitored all the fires in the house, even the kitchen fire as she had found out the hard way. She had taken up spying on her father and mother to fill the long hours of the day and the dumbwaiter had proven its use to sneak from floor to floor.
The dumbwaiter landed on the ground floor with a quiet thump. Aquila put an ear to the door and listened for any passing voices. Hearing none, she opened the door slowly and slunk out and rapped quietly on the kitchen door. Flippy answered the door and squeaked.
"Oh, miss, Flippy is sorry you got in trouble from talking to her, miss. Flippy punished herself quite well by shutting the door on her fingers repeatedly."
"No, Flip, hush. You didn't do anything wrong. I forbid you to punish yourself any further because of what happened this morning."
"Miss is so good to Flippy. Thank you, miss," cried Flippy.
"Shut up, Flippy. I'm not supposed to be here. Let me in," hissed Aquila. Flippy stepped aside and Aquila rushed in just as her father knocked on the kitchen door.
"Open up, elf!" he barked. Aquila went pale and Flippy started squeaking in fear.
"Flippy, Flip," whispered Aquila, grabbing Flippy by her dirty pillowcase that she wore. "Don't say anything about me being here, okay. I order you not to breathe a word of my presence."
"Yes, miss," breathed Flippy. She ran to the kitchen door that opened into the hall. Aquila jumped into the butler room that would open into the dining room. She left the door open, so that a crack of light spilled in the room, and turned. She stifled a scream as her brother's pale face glowed in the slight light.
"Good afternoon, dear sister. I wasn't aware goody Gryffindors would lower themselves to a Slytherin's level of spying. Oh, did I say lower? I meant raise," sneered Draco. He was keeping his tone level and hushed so that the guests in the dining room wouldn't hear him.
"Nice, Draco, real classy of you," she said sarcastically. "Who's all in there?" Aquila shoved her brother over so that she could peer through the keyhole.
"The Lestranges, Rookwood, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Macnair, Avery, just about all the Death Eaters your Muggle-loving Dumbledore put in Azkaban," Draco said.
"Will you stop with the cracks for a bit?" hissed Aquila. She received a shove in return and she fell to the floor with a dull bump. She tried to sit up and a shooting pain screamed from her shoulder. She ignored it and huddled close to the door to listen as her father began to speak.
"Lunch should be ready in a few minutes. Shall we get down to business?" Lucius said. A scraping was heard, a small creak, and another creak; Lucius must have sat down in a chair.
"Right," a new male voice spoke up. He paused before speaking quietly. "Are you sure we won't be overheard?"
"You doubt my security measures?" Lucius hissed. "I have placed spells all over my property and sealed this room from entry and eavesdroppers."
"What about that door?" the voice asked again.
"Really, Avery, you are paranoid," a woman's voice shrieked with laughter. Something in Aquila's throat clenched at Bellatrix's voice.
"That elf is the only one in there, she told me herself, and she is bound to the property and forbidden to outside contact. We are quite safe," assured Lucius.
A long pause and clattering of dishes suggested that the food had appeared on the table. Finally, someone spoke up.
"Our Lord sends his regards. He is still with Wormtail, hidden in Wales. He grows impatient for Potter, however. He is too well protected. We need someone he trusts to lead him away from Dumbledore and to the Dark Lord," a new voice spoke up.
"What about infiltrating his mind again? That worked wonders last year," someone said.
"Last year, we had that elf," Lucius reminded. "Dumbledore is wise to that and had no doubt made sure it doesn't happen again. Besides, who else would Potter go to any lengths to rescue besides Black?" Aquila felt aching pain shoot through her. She bit her lip hard and tasted blood.
"What about setting a teacher at Hogwarts, like what happened that memorable year our Lord returned," suggested another.
"Dumbledore had already filled the Defense position and no doubt it is one of his Mudblood-loving friends," Lucius shot that down as well.
"So we must find someone to lure Potter to the Dark Lord. Someone close to him that we can control," mulled Bellatrix. "What else does our Lord wish his humble servants to do?"
"Simply continue serving him and keep an eye on Harry, Dumbledore, and Hogwarts. Listen for anything new and report to him," a voice said. Another pause and the scraping of a bunch of chairs. Aquila started and jumped out of the butler room. She said a rushed goodbye to Flippy and disappeared out into the hall and up the dumbwaiter. She flopped onto her corduroy spread and breathed hard, staring at the ceiling. She reviewed every thing that had been said at her father's lunch. She had considered putting it all in a letter, but it was too risky if it was intercepted. Remus and she were writing in varying codes and she already struggled with them. She would just have to wait and pray she ran into them at Diagon Alley tomorrow.
o.O
Early the next morning, Aquila dressed and examined herself in the mirror. She touched the day-old bruise her father's ring had given her. It had faded slightly to a light plum, but the snake still showed. She sighed and, grabbing her list and running a brush through her hair, traipsed down the stairs to meet her mother and brother. She was thankful her father could not join them; it would be too dangerous for him to be spotted on the street, as he would be thrown in Azkaban again. Her mother saw them off through the fire as they Flooed to Diagon Alley. Draco was automatically called off by a bunch of his Slytherin friends and Aquila was left alone to go to her Gringotts safe. She emerged into the bright sunlight thirty minutes later, blinking. She heard her name be called. She glanced down and spotted Hermione's bushy brown hair. She grinned and raced down the stairs. Harry, Ron, Remus, Tonks, Kingsly, and whole Weasley hoard joined her.
"Oh, my goodness, I've missed you all!" Aquila greeted them after she had hugged each.
"Do you think you will be able to join us for the rest of the summer?" Mrs. Weasley asked, giving her an extra hug.
"I wish I could, but with my father…" she trailed and Mrs. Weasley nodded. She took Aquila's chin in her hand and turned so that Aquila's bruise was visible in the light. A collective gasp went through the group.
"What happened to you?" Ron asked bluntly.
"Oh…it's nothing," Aquila pulled away quickly. "Shall we get going?" the other nodded and they started down the street. Remus pulled Aquila to the back to the group.
"You needed to talk to me?" he asked quietly. Aquila nodded.
"My father had some meeting yesterday at lunch. Bunch of Death Eaters. The Lestranges, Rookwood, Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, Macnair, Avery, just about everyone who broke out this summer," Aquila closed her eyes, trying to recollect everything.
Remus grabbed her elbow; Aquila had nearly run into a barrel of beetle's eyes outside the Apothecary. "What all did they say?" he asked eagerly.
"Wormtail managed to somehow get back to Voldemort and they're in Wales. Voldemort's growing horribly anxious to kill Harry. They're going to have spies on him…bet anything Draco and I are going to be employed again. It sounded like Harry's still all Voldemort cares about," Aquila finished.
Remus was quiet. "Are you sure that's all?" he said, sounding almost disappointed.
Aquila nodded. "I told you, nothing much new was said. I'll tell you if anything new happens before term starts," she promised.
Remus smiled. He clapped her shoulder. "You've been a big help this summer, you know that?"
"Moony, you and I both know I haven't given any spectacularly useful information," Aquila retorted.
"You'd be surprised how much you may have prevented. I have a feeling your father may be wary of your involvement in the Order, simply because of how close you are to Harry and Dumbledore. You may have prevented him from joining up with Voldemort as Wormtail has done," Remus said.
"Glad to have been of service," grinned Aquila. Remus chuckled and pushed her away.
"Get going, Quil. Have fun with the remainder of the summer. I'm very sorry to have robbed you of that," Remus called. Aquila waved and took off after Hermione and Harry and Ron, who were entering Flourish and Blotts.
"Aquila!" shrieked Hermione, hugging her.
"Mione, haven't we been through this enthusiastic greeting? I missed you too," Aquila laughed, spitting the bushy brown hair of Hermione out of her mouth. Hermione drew back.
"So," Aquila said, "how much do you hate me for sending you the practice Quidditch set?"
Ron and Harry groaned in unison. "It's been killing us, Quil!" moaned Ron.
"Thanks for the thought, though," Harry added. "You have got to try out as Beater. We could really use you. I never did understand why you didn't try out last year, though."
"I had detention with Snape that night. I still think he knew I planned to try out," said Aquila.
"Wouldn't put it past him," muttered Ron darkly.
"Well, you're trying out this year, right?" Hermione asked, "so no harm done."
"Lots of harm, Hermione! With competent beaters, we might have actually won a few games last year," Ron retorted.
"Can't change the past, Ron," Harry butted in before Ron and Hermione could start fighting.
"Yeah, I'll try my best to be able to try out this year. And don't hand me any favors, Captain," Aquila shot at a grinning Harry.
The four proceeded to gather all the books on their list. After they had finished, Hermione cautiously ventured to address the bruise on Aquila's jaw line. Immediately, the atmosphere became tense and uncomfortable. Aquila attempted to play it off by pretending to be searching for a certain title.
"Oh, you know, just a normal bruise. Tripped and fell on the corner of my bed," Aquila said in what she hoped was a nonchalant tone.
"That doesn't look like a normal bruise," Hermione said, looking fearfully at Aquila. "Is anything wrong…h-has your father…?"
Aquila snapped her gaze up at Hermione's pale, worried face. No, a voice inside her said, Malfoys don't reveal anything. Revealing secrets is weakness. Aquila tensed slightly.
But Hermione is my friend. Someone I can trust, another voice said.
Don't, the first voice hissed.
"Nothing, 'Mione," Aquila heard herself say.
"Are you sure?" Ron piped in. He walked up close to her and squinted at the little round mark. "There's some kind of imprint in the middle," he mulled.
Aquila drew back, placing a hand over the bruise. She bit her tongue hard to stifle the gasp of pain. "It's nothing," she snapped sharply.
Her three friends looked stunned at her sudden outburst. It was hard to deeply peeve Aquila, to penetrate the hard shell she had grown to protect herself, but Hermione and Ron were rather close to sending her over the edge.
"C-C'mon, I need to go to…" Aquila stammered out, slipping past and half-running to the counter to pay for her books. Her friends, after recovering, were close behind and the four continued their shopping, talking about trivial matters like Quidditch and school. Aquila felt like the others were purposefully refusing to refer back to her bruise and her father, afraid she would blow up at them.
It was true; she often had a short fuse lately. After Sirius' death, everything in her life just fell apart and she had fallen into a deep depression. She began to understand why Harry had nearly bit all their heads off in fifth year; he seemed to have unconsciously transferred all his crude feelings to her. He did seem to be in much better spirits than he was a year previously.
She hated this. She hated having such a short temper with everyone. But what was she to do? She couldn't hardly tell anyone her father abused her. They'd report him and take him away, giving her a spell of peace. But he'd find a way back; he always did. And when he did, the punishment would be, as he always said, severe.
"Aquila?" ventured Hermione. Aquila awoke from her reverie. Somehow, she and Hermione had ended up in front of Gringotts again.
"Where's Harry and Ron?" asked Aquila.
"They ran over to see Fred and George. We'll meet up with them in a second," Hermione said hastily. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Hermione, stop asking already," Aquila rolled her eyes, exasperated.
"No, you're not," Hermione said sternly, forgetting her quiet voice. "You don't just wake up one morning with a painful bruise on your jaw. One that looks remarkably like your father's ring, may I say?"
Aquila opened her mouth and closed it quickly. She was silent. She would have to proceed with utmost caution. With a heavy sigh, she spoke, choosing her words with utmost care.
"Okay, I didn't get that bruise from by bed," Aquila said. She paused, gathering her thoughts. "Draco and I…we got in a fight yesterday. In this long hall that's lined with tons of portraits…well, anyway, Draco got really mad and pushed me into this frame. My jaw hit the corner of the frame rather hard."
Hermione still looked skeptical. "Are you sure?"
Aquila squirmed internally. "Yes," she lied.
Hermione looked her over. "Okay," she said. After a moment, she smiled and linked her arm with Aquila's and they traipsed down the street. "C'mon, let's meet up with the boys."
Outwardly, Aquila was all smiles and cheerful. Inside, she still felt awful for lying bald-faced to her best friends in the world. All her emotions churned inside her constantly, beating away at her like a rampaging river. She knew she wouldn't be able to hold in the hurt forever. It was only a matter of time before she broke down.
o.O
A/N: well, that's chapter one. long i know. most of my chapters will be about this length. I WANT NO FLAMES saying im not staying true to the book! flamers will be fed to my starving pet skrewt.
now on that happy note, kindly submit a review!
