A/N: Welcome to story number five in my Lucy Jones series! For anyone who hasn't read the other four, you can start with This is Home. I am assuming that if you're reading this story, you have read the others that came before it.
I will be following my usual Monday-Wednesday-Friday posting schedule for this story. There are 33 chapters in this one, which is the longest in the entire series, so I hope everyone is looking forward to that. The rating is, again, T for language and one or two very mildly suggestive scenes.
Oh, and a happy belated Father's Day to all the dads out there!
Here we go!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.
No one needs you after all
That little social scene, it's just a hate machine
No one's here to take your call
And now your self-esteem ain't what it used to be
You've inspired the birth of ignorance, the death of innocence
Guess who's back and mad as hell?
The nowhere kids who wished you well
Nowhere Kids by Shinedown
Chapter 1 – Welcome to Number Twelve
Lucy Jones was exhausted. After everything that had happened in the past few weeks, and now that she had spent the whole day traveling home from school, she was ready to just get into bed.
Lucy had been born almost fifteen years ago to her parents Lily and James Potter. She had lived with her parents and twin brother Harry for a year until her parents had decided to temporarily send Lucy away for her safety. There had been a war going on in the Wizarding world, and Lily and James had been targeted by the evil Lord Voldemort.
To try and ensure Lucy's safety, they sent her to live in America with a couple named Dan and Sue Jones, who were unable to have children of their own. Unfortunately, a few months later, You-Know-Who had tracked the Potters down and murdered Lucy's parents. However, when the Dark Lord had turned his wand on Harry, his spell backfired. He disappeared, and the Wizarding world was safe—for the time being.
Therefore, Lucy remained in America with Dan and Sue, who permanently adopted her. Since they didn't have any other children, Lucy grew up as an only child. Dan and Sue were never told the identity of Lucy's parents, and so Lucy never knew who they were.
When Lucy turned eleven, she received an invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the magical school that served the United Kingdom. Dan and Sue then told Lucy all they knew about her birth parents—which didn't include their names—and Lucy found out that she had been born in England.
So, she decided to attend Hogwarts, especially since her birth parents had gone there. There she met her three best friends: Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and her own twin brother Harry Potter.
A few months into her third year, Lucy finally found out who her birth parents had been. She had overheard the headmaster Albus Dumbledore speaking with Remus Lupin, who had been the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at the time. Remus had been friends with both Lily and James, and when Lucy heard Remus and Dumbledore talking about her, she confronted them about it.
After discovering the truth, Lucy was sworn to secrecy. To keep herself and her new-found twin brother Harry safe, she couldn't reveal her secret to anyone. The only people who knew were Dumbledore, Remus, and Lucy's godfather Sirius Black.
Then, about a week prior, You-Know-Who—after a long plot that involved making Harry a champion in the Triwizard Tournament—had returned to full strength. The Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge refused to believe Harry, who had seen You-Know-Who come back. Lucy was anxious as to what would happen in the coming months if the Ministry refused to believe that You-Know-Who had returned.
~LJ:NW~
"Home sweet home," Molly Weasley, mother of the Weasley clan, said.
Lucy looked up at the Weasleys' home, the Burrow, and breathed a sigh of relief. Even though You-Know-Who was back, she couldn't help but feel safe at the Burrow.
"Come on, Lucy," Ginny Weasley said. She was a year younger than Lucy. "Let's take our stuff up to my room."
Lucy agreed, and the two girls began to pull their trunks towards the house.
"Need some help with those?" Bill Weasley, the eldest of the Weasley children, had exited the house and was walking in their direction.
"Yes, please," Ginny said.
Bill took his wand out and waved it at the girls' trunks. They levitated into the air, and he turned around and guided them into the house. Lucy and Ginny followed him up the stairs to the first floor, where Ginny's room was.
"Thanks, Bill," Lucy said after Bill had left the trunks in the bedroom.
Bill then turned and left, leaving the girls alone.
"You know, you don't look so well," Ginny commented bluntly, sitting down on her bed.
"Thanks, Gin," Lucy replied sarcastically. "I'm just worried about… everything. I'm worried about Harry, and I'm worried about Jeremy. I need a distraction."
Jeremy Whitlock was her boyfriend. He was a Slytherin who was the same age as she was—he'd be starting his fifth year in September just like she would—whom she'd started dating at the Yule Ball last Christmas. However, Jeremy's father was a Death Eater—a follower of You-Know-Who. Jeremy was against everything the Death Eaters stood for, but unfortunately, he was stuck living with his father for the summer.
"I can help you with that," Ginny said. "Did I tell you that I started dating someone?"
"What?" Lucy said sharply. "Who? When?"
"Michael Corner," Ginny replied.
"Isn't he in my year?" Lucy asked.
"Yes," Ginny answered. "He's in Ravenclaw."
"So, where did you meet him?" Lucy questioned.
"At the Yule Ball, actually," Ginny answered. "He didn't ask me out until just before the third task, though."
"Kids!" Mrs. Weasley called from below. "Go wash up and come down for dinner!"
~LJ:NK~
The first few days back at the Burrow felt very odd to Lucy. The Weasleys were as welcoming as ever, and she always felt like she was a part of their family. Now that You-Know-Who had returned, however, there was a tense edge on the atmosphere.
Lucy and Ginny, along with Ginny's older brothers Ron (who was the same age as Lucy), Fred (who was two years older than Lucy), and George (Fred's twin), had started spying on Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's conversations. Mrs. Weasley refused to talk about anything too important with her children, stating that they weren't old enough to be dealing with it.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were planning on joining the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society formed by Dumbledore to help combat You-Know-Who. None of the Hogwarts-aged children—not even Fred or George, even though they were seventeen and of-age—were allowed to join up.
So far, the kids had found out that Fudge had been going around the Ministry and making sure that nobody was in contact with Dumbledore. This made things very difficult for Mr. Weasley, who was trying to recruit people into the Order right under Fudge's nose.
~LJ:NK~
Things got worse when Percy Weasley, the third eldest Weasley child, came home from work about a week after Lucy, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George had gotten back. He stalked smugly into the living room, where his parents, siblings, and Lucy were sitting.
"Good news, Father," he began. "I've been promoted at work."
Lucy exchanged confused looks with Ron and Ginny. Percy had graduated from Hogwarts the spring previously and had spent the last year working at the Ministry in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. After everything that had happened with Barty Crouch Senior—who had been head of the department—there had been an inquiry, and Percy had gotten into quite a bit of trouble.
"I've been offered a position in Cornelius Fudge's personal office," Percy went on when nobody said anything. "I'm going to be the Junior Assistant to the Minister."
Lucy watched as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley shot each other concerned looks. Even Mrs. Weasley, who was always very proud of her children, seemed worried.
Percy seemed to notice this, as well, because he added, "Isn't that great news?"
"Why don't the rest of you go up to your rooms?" Mr. Weasley suggested.
Lucy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny all got up and left the room.
"This might be a good time to test them out, Fred," George whispered to his brother as they climbed the stairs.
"Test what?" Ron cut in, looking suspiciously between the two.
"Oh, just a new little invention of ours," Fred said loftily. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a long, flesh-colored string.
"What is that?" Lucy asked.
"This is an Extendable Ear," Fred announced. "Let's say that there's a conversation going on that you want to listen to, but you're not supposed to hear it. Simply stick one end into your own ear, like so—" He inserted one of the ends into his ear. "—and then you let the other end down—" He wiggled the other end of the ear, and it snaked its way down the stairs towards the sitting room. "Result!" he exclaimed.
"Here," George said, handing Lucy, Ron, and Ginny each an Extendable Ear. "Stick 'em in your ears and see if they work, would you?"
Lucy, though a little suspicious, put the end of the string up to her ear. Then she dropped the other end down the stairs like Fred had. Suddenly, she could hear Mr. and Mrs. Weasley talking with Percy as clearly as if she was standing in the room with them.
"They work!" Lucy gasped.
"These are brilliant," Ginny added.
All five of them grew quiet as they listened in to the conversation taking place downstairs.
"—just worried that maybe Fudge is trying to spy on Dumbledore through you," Mr. Weasley was saying.
"I've worked very hard at the Ministry, you know!" Percy said indignantly. "I would have thought you'd be proud of me for acquiring such an impressive job only a year after finishing at Hogwarts!"
Mrs. Weasley quickly said, "We're not saying that you didn't earn it, Percy—"
"That's exactly what you're saying!" Percy shouted. "I have earned this position, which is more than what you can say—"
"Percy!" Mrs. Weasley gasped.
"It's the truth!" Percy spat. "Father, you have one of the lousiest reputations at the Ministry, and I've been struggling against it for a year! I have worked hard to show the Ministry that, unlike you, I have ambition and am dedicated to serving them!"
Mrs. Weasley started angrily, "Don't you dare—!"
"Molly," Mr. Weasley intervened swiftly. "Percy, there are bigger things happening that the Ministry are completely overlooking! Fudge is insisting on putting his head in the sand—"
"The Ministry has stated quite plainly that there is no truth to Dumbledore's fear mongering," Percy said. "My loyalty lies with the Ministry, Father. Dumbledore has always tried to do things his own way, and now he's trying to take over the Ministry with his lies."
"How can you call Dumbledore a liar?" Mr. Weasley asked. "He is one of the greatest wizards in the world—!"
"Dumbledore is headed for big trouble," Percy interrupted. "If you mean to side with him, then so be it. I, on the other hand, am not an idiot. I know that the Ministry is looking out for all of us, and that is where my loyalty lies."
"Oh, so I'm an idiot because I believe what Dumbledore says about You-Know-Who returning to power?" Mr. Weasley demanded, sounding angry.
"Dumbledore is taking the word of a child," Percy replied simply.
"Harry saw You-Know-Who return to power!" Mr. Weasley cried.
"Yes," Percy scoffed. "Convenient, isn't it, that there are no other witnesses coming forward? Special Harry Potter—all he's looking for is attention, as he always has been."
"What about that poor boy Cedric Diggory?" Mr. Weasley asked. "How do you explain his death?"
"Obviously there was some kind of accident during the third task," Percy replied. "As I said, if you've decided to side with Dumbledore—"
"You are blinded!" Mr. Weasley said. "Your new promotion has gone to your head, and now you are refusing to see the truth!"
"The truth, Father," Percy shouted, "is that, despite your horrible reputation at the Ministry, I have managed to secure a position that you could never achieve! Your lack of ambition has made us poor for my entire life, and I refuse to be a part of it anymore! If you've decided to side with Dumbledore, it is clear that I am no longer welcome in this family!"
"I have worked far harder in my life than you ever have!" Mr. Weasley thundered. "Fudge has always put an emphasis on blood purity, and because of that, he will always see me as a blood traitor—!"
"I've heard enough," Percy said. "I am leaving. I cannot be a part of a family who doesn't support and serve the Ministry. If you wish to put your eggs into a basket with the likes of Dumbledore, then I will make it known that I am no longer a part of this family."
Lucy and the others heard footsteps, and they all pulled their Extendable Ears back to them.
"Quickly," Ginny hissed. "In my room."
The five of them scampered into Ginny's room but left the door open a crack. A moment later, they heard Percy stomping up the stairs.
"That evil little git," Fred said angrily. "How can he speak to Dad like that?"
"He's too wrapped up in his promotion," George said. "Of course he's too proud to admit that Dumbledore's right."
"He's always thought he was better than us," Ron added scathingly.
"I don't understand why he thinks that Harry would be lying about this," Lucy said with a frown. "I thought he knew Harry better than that—"
She stopped suddenly as Fred waved at her to be quiet. He peeked through the crack in the door, and Lucy could hear footsteps again.
"Percy—he's coming back down," Fred whispered. "He has his case in his hand."
"You mean he's really leaving?" Ginny asked.
Fred didn't answer for a moment. Once the footsteps died away again, he answered, "So it would seem."
~LJ:NK~
The entire Weasley family was in shock for a few days. Lucy still had a hard time believing that after everything Mr. Weasley had done for his family, Percy would dismiss it all in one heated argument.
Mrs. Weasley was very upset about everything that had happened; she even went into London to try and get Percy to come back home. When she arrived, Percy slammed the door in her face. She had returned home in tears, and that was when Lucy and the others knew for certain that Percy had sided with the Ministry.
Then one evening, only a few days after the incident with Percy, Mr. Weasley made a surprise announcement at dinner. "The headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix is ready for us to move into," he said. "As you know, it's the old Black family home, and Sirius will be staying there, as well. We'll be meeting with Dumbledore in the morning, because he's acting as Secret-Keeper for the house."
"We'll be a little bit cramped for space for the first few weeks," Mrs. Weasley explained to them. "Only a few of the bedrooms are actually livable at the moment, but as we start to decontaminate the others, we'll all have a little more space to move around."
"Will Hermione be coming, too?" Lucy asked.
"Yes," Mr. Weasley replied. "In fact, we will be picking her up at the Leaky Cauldron before going over to the house."
"What about Harry?" Ron asked.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley exchanged a glance. "He will be staying with his aunt and uncle for a little longer," Mrs. Weasley answered.
"Why can't he come with us?" Lucy demanded. "It doesn't seem fair to leave him stranded with his Muggle relatives for so long—"
"Dumbledore has his reasons," Mr. Weasley said firmly. "Now that we're going to be living at headquarters, you all will have to be very careful about what you put into writing, in case it gets intercepted. Besides, the fewer owls coming in and out of the house, the better."
"I want you all to go upstairs and pack your things," Mrs. Weasley said. "We will be there for the remainder of the summer, and you won't be coming back here before you leave for school again. So make sure you pack everything you'll need for Hogwarts."
Lucy and the others obediently rose from the table and started up the stairs.
"I still don't understand why Harry can't come and stay with us at Sirius's," Lucy murmured as they climbed upwards. "It seems really mean to be keeping him in the dark after all he went through a few weeks ago."
"Not to mention that his aunt and uncle are horrible to him," Ron added. "I'm sure Harry would love to get out of their house as soon as he could."
Lucy and Ginny parted ways with the boys when they reached the first floor. The girls entered Ginny's room and started to throw their things into their trunks.
"You know what's weird?" Ginny spoke up after a few minutes.
"What's that?" Lucy prompted.
"We're going to go and stay with Sirius Black," Ginny replied. "I know that you and Ron knew that he was innocent, but up until a few weeks ago, the rest of us were still convinced that he was a raving murderer. It'll be so strange spending time with him—what's he like?"
"He's kinder than you probably think he is," Lucy answered, "but he can also be blunt and to the point. He's very protective of Harry. He can be a bit reckless. At the end of the day, though, I think he's a good man."
"Well, knowing that you and Ron trust him makes me feel a bit safer about him," Ginny said. "Still—it's going to be a very interesting summer."
~LJ:NK~
The next morning, Mrs. Weasley woke them all up very early. There were a lot of yawns over breakfast, but nobody complained about what time it was.
After breakfast, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley ushered the rest of the family into a Muggle car that Mr. Weasley had gotten his hands on. They loaded up all five trunks, Ron's owl Pigwidgeon's cage, and Lucy's cat Evie's carrier. Then the boys and Lucy piled into the backseat, while Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny all squeezed into the front.
The ride into London was mostly quiet. Lucy was excited to see Sirius soon, and she was curious as to where they were actually going. She was also a little bit anxious about what condition the house would be in; Mrs. Weasley had mentioned that only a few of the bedrooms were currently livable, after all.
Soon they were pulling up to the Leaky Cauldron, a pub in the city that guarded the entrance to Diagon Alley. Standing outside on the curb was a bushy-haired girl holding the handle of a basket in both of her hands: it was Lucy's best friend, Hermione Granger.
"I want everyone to stay in the car," Mr. Weasley said as he pulled over. "We'll just be a minute."
He and Mrs. Weasley both exited the car, exchanging greetings with Hermione. Then they put Hermione's trunk into the back of the car with everyone else's. The basket, which was carrying Hermione's cat Crookshanks, was placed on top next to Pig's cage and Evie's carrier.
A moment later, Hermione was sliding into the front seat next to Ginny.
"Hi, Hermione!" the Weasleys and Lucy all chorused.
"Hello," Hermione replied, turning around to beam at the boys and Lucy in the back. "How are you all?"
"We're doing all right," Ron replied.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had gotten back into the car, as well, and Mr. Weasley merged back onto the road.
~LJ:NK~
It was another twenty-minute drive before Mr. Weasley was parking in front of a row of houses. He and Mrs. Weasley didn't get out of the car right away; Lucy wondered what they were waiting for.
They only sat in the car for a few minutes before they saw a man appear out of thin air with a crack. It was Dumbledore, and he was striding across the pavement towards them.
"Come along," Mrs. Weasley said, opening her car door and getting out.
The rest of the Weasleys, Lucy, and Hermione scrambled out of the car.
"Good morning," Dumbledore greeted them. He reached his hand into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a bit of parchment. Then he held it out to Mr. Weasley first. "Everyone needs to read and memorize what's on this paper," Dumbledore instructed.
The Weasleys passed the note between each other. Finally, George handed the paper over to Lucy, who read it.
The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.
Lucy read the sentence over a couple of times before giving it to Hermione.
Once they'd all read it, Dumbledore took the parchment back and set it aflame with a wave of his wand. "I want you all to concentrate on what you just read," he told them.
There was a moment of silence as they all thought about what had been written on the piece of parchment. Lucy was very interested to see what the house looked like. Then, suddenly, there was a low rumbling. Lucy stared as the two houses across the street—numbers eleven and thirteen—shuddered and started to pull apart from one another. Another house was squeezing its way in between them.
"Number twelve, Grimmauld Place," Dumbledore announced, gesturing to the house that had just appeared. "After you, Molly."
Mrs. Weasley led the way across the street. Her children, Lucy, and Hermione hurried after her, followed by Mr. Weasley and Dumbledore. When they reached the house, Mrs. Weasley rang the doorbell.
A moment later, the front door opened, and they could all hear a shrill screaming coming from somewhere inside the house.
"About the doorbell," Sirius Black said loudly. "We should probably refrain from using it. Come in!"
They all filed into the house. Lucy's eyes were immediately drawn to a large portrait of a woman, who was screaming horrible things about Sirius that echoed around the hallway. Remus Lupin was struggling with a set of curtains, trying to pull them across the portrait. Sirius jumped forward to help his friend. It took them another minute, but as soon as the curtain was pulled, the portrait stopped screaming.
"What—?" Mrs. Weasley started, but Sirius quickly put his finger to his lips.
"Come down to the kitchen," he whispered. "It's not wise to converse in here. It'll just wake her again."
"Who is that?" Lucy asked quietly, unable to help herself.
Sirius chuckled and answered in a tone dripping with sarcasm, "That is my dear, sweet, lovely mother."
He led the way across the hall and through a door. They walked down a set of steps and entered a large kitchen with a long table.
"Welcome to Grimmauld Place," Sirius said.
"Haven't you tried to take down that portrait in the entry?" Mrs. Weasley asked immediately.
"Of course," Sirius replied. "Unfortunately, it seems that she used a Permanent Sticking Charm on it. Until we can find a way to get it down, it's best to not wake her up, if at all possible. As you saw, she's, er—not very friendly."
"Before I leave you," Dumbledore spoke up, "I'd like to have a few words with you all."
Lucy, Hermione, and the Weasleys looked at the professor expectantly.
"First, I'd like to remind you to be careful about what you put into writing. We don't know who might be intercepting owls these days. Secondly—and I know this won't be easy—I must insist that you not tell Harry about what is going on here."
Lucy felt a little taken aback by this statement. It was one thing to be careful about what they wrote in letters; it was completely different to promise not to tell Harry anything. "Sir," she spoke up, "why can't Harry just come here to stay—?"
"Harry will be joining you at a later date," Dumbledore interrupted. "I want you all to give me your word that you will not tell Harry what is going on here."
Lucy wanted to argue, but she held her tongue.
"I think that's everything," Dumbledore said. "I'll now leave you in the capable hands of Sirius and Remus." He gave them a little bow, and then he swept from the room.
"I suppose we should show you all to your rooms," Sirius said. "There are only three bedrooms available right now. I figured the girls could share and the boys could share for the time being.…"
"I'm sure we'll be able to settle right in," Mrs. Weasley said.
"Follow me, then," Sirius said. "I'll give you the tour as we go."
He led the way back up to the main floor. "There's the main dining area through there," he whispered, pointing to a set of double doors. "Around the corner is a powder room. Both will need to be cleaned out this summer."
Across from the door to the kitchen was a staircase. Sirius went first, followed by the rest of them. They reached the next landing and saw four doors off this hallway.
"On the left is the parlor," Sirius went on, this time in a regular voice. "On the right are two bedrooms that are ready for people to live in. One of them is for you, Arthur and Molly—" He pointed to the one at the end of the hall. "—and the one just here is for Lucy, Hermione, and Ginny."
"Can we—?" Hermione asked tentatively.
"Oh, of course, dear," Mrs. Weasley said.
Hermione went over to the girls' room and opened the door. Lucy followed her inside, noting that there were three beds squished together. There was a large wardrobe on one wall and just enough room in the corner to store all three of their trunks.
When the girls were finished looking around at their room, they rejoined the adults and the boys out in the hall.
"The room at the end is a bathroom," Sirius told them. "It's the only bathroom in the house that is safe to use right now, so we'll have to get used to sharing. Moving on."
They moved up to the next floor, where there were four doors again.
"There are two bedrooms up here," Sirius said. "One of them is currently Remus's, and the other one is for the boys. When we finish up the extra bedrooms upstairs, the twins or Ron could move into one of them. The other rooms up here are a bathroom—which isn't safe to use yet—and my father's old study."
Ron, Fred, and George took a quick look at their room, and then the group moved on. The next floor had five doors off the hall.
"There are four bedrooms on this floor," Sirius explained. "One of them was my parents' room, and I'm keeping Buckbeak in there. The other three are not livable just yet, but when we fix them up, someone can move up here. The fifth room is another bathroom. It's also not usable yet.
"Well, I think that concludes the tour—" Sirius finished.
"What's up there?" Lucy asked, looking at the set of stairs that went up to another level.
"There's nothing much to see up there," Sirius said. "My bedroom's up there. There's another bedroom up there, too, but we won't be cleaning that one out."
"We'd better go and get our things," Mrs. Weasley said briskly.
"I'll help you, Molly," Remus volunteered.
They all trooped down to the main hallway, and Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, and Remus went to get all the luggage. The students, meanwhile, went down to the kitchen with Sirius to see what they could find for lunch.
They had just entered the kitchen when they heard a wheezing noise. Lucy was startled to see a very old-looking house-elf standing in the middle of the room. It looked around and bowed low to the ground when it saw Sirius.
"Kreacher," Sirius said, his voice sounding dismayed.
"Master Sirius," the elf croaked. Then he muttered, although everyone in the room could still hear him, "Who has he brought into the House of Black? More scum—more vermin—"
"That's enough, Kreacher," Sirius said harshly.
The elf bowed again before exiting the kitchen.
"Who was that?" Hermione asked. She had a bit of an obsession with house-elves ever since she'd discovered them the year prior.
"That was Kreacher," Sirius replied in a sour tone. "He was my mother's house-elf. He's been living here by himself since my mother died. I think he's been taking orders from her portrait for the past ten years."
Soon enough, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, and Remus had come back into the house. The Weasley children and Hermione went out to meet them, but Lucy hung back in the kitchen.
"How are you, Sirius?" she asked her godfather.
"I'm all right," he replied. "Dumbledore basically has me confined to this house. I'm not supposed to leave."
"Why not?" Lucy questioned.
"Well, the Ministry still think I'm a murderer, don't they?" Sirius pointed out. "Besides, Wormtail would have told Voldemort all about my secret, so my disguise is useless.… I've become the Order's secretary, for lack of a better description."
"I'm sorry," Lucy said, frowning. She knew that Sirius wanted to help, so it couldn't be easy for him to barricade himself in the house.
"It'll be all right," Sirius sighed. "Once the Ministry gets its head out of its ass and realizes that Dumbledore's been telling them the truth all along, I'll be able to help more." He paused and then asked, "How are you? I feel like we're always talking about Harry, but I'm your godfather, too."
"I'm okay," Lucy replied. "I miss Harry, though. I wish he could be here with us. Do you know why Dumbledore doesn't want us telling him anything?"
"I wish I knew," Sirius said, shaking his head. "I'm sure Dumbledore has his reasons. He always does."
"That's what Mr. Weasley said," Lucy mumbled.
"Well, it's the truth," Sirius said. "If we can't trust Dumbledore, who can we trust?"
"I know," Lucy said. "If we start to fight amongst ourselves, we'll never have the chance to beat You-Know-Who."
"Where'd you hear that from?" Sirius asked.
"Dumbledore, of course," Lucy said. "It was part of his speech at the end-of-term feast."
"Speaking of Hogwarts, how's school been going?" Sirius questioned.
"It's going well," Lucy answered. "I can't wait to go back, to be honest."
"I never pegged you for someone who loved schoolwork so much," Sirius teased.
Lucy swatted at his shoulder. "Shut up," she said. "I miss the people."
"What, do you have a boyfriend there or something?" Sirius asked.
Lucy felt her cheeks warm, and she avoided his gaze.
"Ha!" Sirius laughed. "Why didn't you want to tell me that you have a boyfriend?"
"You're just going to do the overprotective uncle thing," Lucy whined.
"So, who is he?" Sirius questioned. "Do I know his family?"
"Probably," Lucy replied. "His name is Jeremy Whitlock." Sirius's smile fell from his face, and Lucy said, "I told you that you probably know his family. Yes, his father's a Death Eater."
"Gareth Whitlock," Sirius said with a nod. "He was a few years ahead of your father, Remus, and I at Hogwarts. He was friends with Lucius Malfoy. So, what's his son like?"
"He's nothing like a budding Death Eater would be," Lucy assured him. "He didn't even want to go back home this summer. He's kind and sweet, and—you know—he fancies me." She blushed again.
"As long as he makes you happy and doesn't do anything to hurt you," Sirius said. "Tell him that your godfather will set him straight if he ever treats you wrong."
Lucy chuckled. "I'll be sure to do that," she said. "Right after I tell him that my parents are actually Lily and James Potter."
They were interrupted then by Remus entering the kitchen. "There you two are," he said.
Lucy hurried over to him and hugged him tightly. Sirius may have been her godfather, but Lucy had a similar relationship with Remus. He was like a long-lost uncle to her in the same way that Sirius now was.
"Hi, Remus," she said as he hugged her back. "How are you?"
"I'm all right," Remus replied. "You look taller; have you grown?"
"Just a little bit," Lucy answered.
"Well, I was told to come and get you, so that you can get your things settled in your bedroom," Remus reported.
"Okay," Lucy said. "I'll talk to you both later." She smiled between Sirius and Remus before leaving the kitchen.
~LJ:NK~
When she reached the girls' bedroom, Lucy found Hermione and Ginny dividing up the wardrobe.
"We figured that it would be silly to spend all summer living out of our trunks when we have space to store our clothes," Hermione explained.
"Mum said that we aren't going to start the cleaning until tomorrow," Ginny added. "That gives us all afternoon to get settled in here."
"Sounds good," Lucy said.
"How's Sirius?" Hermione asked as the girls began to put their clothes into the wardrobe.
"He's doing well enough, I think," Lucy replied. "He said that Dumbledore told him that he's not allowed to leave the house, though. I feel kind of bad about it."
"Why?" Hermione questioned.
"He doesn't seem to be very fond of this place," Lucy said. "Besides, imagine having to be cooped up in this house."
"I'm sure Dumbledore has good intentions," Hermione commented.
~LJ:NK~
Mrs. Weasley ended up bringing the girls some sandwiches for lunch, and later that evening, they all convened in the kitchen for dinner.
"Tomorrow morning we're going to start cleaning the house," Mrs. Weasley said as they ate. "We're going to start up on the third floor. I'm not sure how long it's going to take, so I want you all to get some good sleep tonight. Then we can start bright and early tomorrow."
After dinner, Lucy went back upstairs with Hermione and Ginny. The girls changed into their pajamas and snuggled into their beds. Lucy took the one in the middle, and Evie curled up on the bed next to her.
"Good night," Lucy said quietly to the others.
"Good night," Ginny and Hermione said back.
~LJ:NK~
A/N: I hope the confrontation between Percy and his parents was all right. I had to base it off of the conversation Harry has with the Weasleys later on, but I think I did pretty well. Also, it was the perfect place to introduce the Extendable Ears.
In this story, I have Remus living at the house with Sirius. I figured that Remus wouldn't have a day job and he'd want to help Sirius take care of headquarters. Remus would also be the one leaving the house to do the shopping and do guard duty for the Order.
I absolutely love the conversation between Lucy and Sirius in this chapter, especially Sirius teasing Lucy about having a boyfriend.