All characters belong to the brilliant JKR...
Except for the one, the only one, that belongs to me. She is not completely good, but is definitely not evil. She is troubled, complicated, powerful, yet vulnerable. Hmmm... does she remind you of someone else we all adore? All I am asking is, give her a chance. Don't write her off just because she is an OC. =)
An Unlikely Ally
A Story of Revenge, Redemption, and Love
Prologue
It was early dawn; the room was still dark. The flames in the fireplace were slowly dying down. The remaining magic of the fire enveloped the room in a dim orange glow. All was quiet, except for the couple talking softly in bed.
"I have to admit," Gently the young Headmaster tugged a strand of the witch's raven hair behind her ear, "that was quite extraordinary."
The witch shot him a mischievous smile and closed her eyes.
"Tell me," he began again, "is there anything you are not good at?"
"I'm terrible with potions." She answered without missing a beat, "I should never touch potions for the safety of myself and everyone around me. I also think I should not be allowed to drink anything with qualities more than water."
He let out a quiet laugh, "I have already established that based on my own observations. Tell me something I don't already know."
"Hmmm," She thought for a moment, and looked back at him with her clear blue eyes, "I'm not very good at committments."
"Not very good?" He asked curiously.
"Not good at all. I usually run when I see one coming." She answered plainly.
He nodded quietly, and traced his long pale fingers along her cheek, to her long ivory neck, down to her porcelain shoulder.
"Tell me something that you are good at." She asked.
"There is quiet a long list!" He answered quickly, a smirk spread across his face. "But at the very top of the list has to be secrets." He stated plainly. "I'm good at keeping secrets."
The witch let out a small laugh, "You can keep whatever secrets you want, Severus. Just keep in mind that there are certain things you will never be able to hide from me. You are practically an open book to me as far as your emotional states."
He frowned and looked at her suspiciously, "Are you that certain?"
She arched an eyebrow at him and nodded confidently.
"Alright. Tell me, how would you describe the emotion that I am feeling right now." He challenged her.
She got up a little and rested her head on her hand. Looking at him straight in the eye, she frowned. A moment past she closed her eyes and let out a sigh.
"Well?" He urged for her answer.
"What you are feeling right now absolutely terrifies me." She whispered.
.
.
.
Chapter One - An Old Flame
August 1979
"Olivia Hamilton, will you marry me?" Sirius Black gracefully got down to his left knee, gazing upon the young witch in front of him affectionately. Slowly he produced a small velvet box from his coat pocket. As he opened the box, a beautiful sapphire ring came into sight.
The young woman stood before him froze. Her beautiful blue eyes widened with surprise. A sudden swirl of autumn wind ruffled her ebony hair. But she did not seem to notice. She was momentarily lost in thought as if she was in a different world. She opened her mouth but no words came. Then she pressed her lips tight together and frowned. Finally she asked, in a small quiet voice, "Sirius, what are you doing?"
An exaggerated frown spread across the young wizard's face. "Oh come on, Livvie. What do you think I'm doing? We've been together for over eight months! I love you and you love me. So I am proposing that we spend the rest of our lives together." Sirius ended his explanation with a charming smile that would probably melt any girl's heart if they saw him that day.
But his words didn't make the witch named Olivia Hamilton smile. "But Sirius, we are too young. I am too young. I'm only seventeen! How do you know we are right for each other?"
Sirius smiled warmly at the young witch and reached for her delicate hand, "Love, you know me well. I have dated many girls and I know you'd hate it if I started to count. I know for a fact that none of them is like you. You've changed my perspective about everything. You've made me a different man, a responsible man that I didn't know I was capable of becoming. You are the one for me, love. I love you with all my heart. Please, what more do you want me to say?"
Slowly the black-hair witch rubbed the back of Sirius' hand with her long fingers, "I need to go home and finish my last year of school first. I am leaving in a week! And you know I also have plans to continue my training back home after that."
"That's exactly why I am asking you now. I can't bear to see you go. Why can't you stay and be an exchange student for another year at Hogwarts. After that, they may offer you similar programs here just like what they have in North America. I will find a job and wait for you. We can have our wedding after you graduate." Sirius cheerfully laid out his plans. "Or, do you want me to send an owl to your father first? I didn't think you would be so traditional."
"No that's not it." Olivia took a deep breath and went on, "Why don't you come home with me? Britain is in the middle of a war right now. And I don't think this is where I want to be."
The wizard's playful expressions slowly disappeared, "But you do know we are fighting on the right side, don't you?"
She nodded.
"And you know Voldemort is wrong. And he has to be stopped. Don't you?"
She nodded again.
"And you do like my friends. James, Lily, Remus, Peter?"
She nodded for the the third time.
"I can't leave my friends here fighting alone. I can't leave them Olivia."
The young witch played with the edge of her coat silently. She kept her gaze locked on the fallen leaves on the ground. For the longest time she did not say a word, nor did she look back up at him. And finally she whispered, "It's your war, Sirius, not mine. I am too young to commit to anything this serious right now."
Sirius closed his eyes and dropped his head. Slowly he got back on his feet and closed the velvet box. Quietly he put the ring away, and said in a strained voice, "So I'll take it as a no."
"That's not what I meant!" The young witch replied quickly as she heard the pain in his voice. "It's just... not today, Sirius. I need a little more time. Ask me again in three years. I will be done with my training. The war will probably be over. And if we are meant for each other, a little extra time shouldn't be a problem, right? Please, will you do that for me?" She grabbed hold of his hand and asked hopefully.
Sirius sighed and pulled the young woman in his arms. "Anything love, I'd do anything for you."
August 1997
"Coming! Coming!"
Tonks was nervous and irritated both at the same time on this early Saturday morning.
She was still quite shaken by the recent fall of the Ministry. Not that she had ever had any high expectations from Scrimgeour when he was in charge. However, it was disheartening to see that with the assassination of Scrimgeour, the Ministry had officially fallen into Voldemort's control. Tonks and Remus had been trying everything to stay in contact with other Order members and reach out for new recruits. But they had made very slow progress. People were frightened and wary, and seemed to only venture out when they absolutely had to.
On this quiet morning, the Lupins were working on their garden together. If it was not because Tonks needed to get a drink of water back in the house, she wouldn't have been startled by the urgent knocking on the door.
"What's happening now..." Tonks murmured to herself as she hurried to open the door. As she ran through the hallway she tripped by the runner and almost fell flat on her face. She cursed silently and felt her anger rising. Whoever that was standing on the other side of the door had better have a good reason to be there.
As she swung open the front door, she was greeted by a tall pale witch dressed in a black suit and a black traveling cloak. The witch was in her late twenties, or maybe early thirties, Tonks could not tell. Her long black wavy hair fell gracefully down her shoulders, complementing her elegant face. But the beautiful appearance did not bring along any trace of warmth. The witch stared at Tonks coldly and frowned, "Who are you?" She asked in a stern voice.
Tonks' jaw dropped to the floor. What? This was the woman who made an intrusion to their privacy on this Saturday morning yet she dared asking the question?
"I'm Tonks, or Mrs. Lupin if you will. Now who the heck are you?" Tonks decided that rudeness was the perfect reply for rude behaviors.
The witch raised an eyebrow and ignored Tonks' question completely. "Tonks? That's a funny name. Are you related to Andromeda and Ted Tonks?"
"They are my parents." Tonks frowned and replied. What did this woman know about her family?
"I see," a quick smile appeared briefly on the witch's face, "I know your parents. They are nice people. Looks like you are all grown up."
"Well thank you." Tonks was getting a bit impatient, "But that still doesn't answer my question. Who are you?"
The witch looked at Tonks for another long moment, as if thinking hard, and she said, "Did you just say you were Mrs. Lupin? As in Mrs. Remus Lupin?"
"That's damn right!" Tonks replied. For some reason she could not bring herself to like the early visitor. How could she not know that Remus was married if she was here looking for him? In the back of her mind Tonks began to worry, could this be an old flame of Remus' that he never told her about?
"Now tell me who you are before I slam the door in your face!" Tonks raised her voice.
The witch simply stared at Tonks in amusement. Just as Tonks was about to shut the door, she saw Remus hurried through the hall way. He must have been getting worried for not seeing her back out in the garden.
Tonks was shocked to see all colors drained from her husband's face as he took a good look at the witch at the door. He stared wide-eyed at the woman and when he finally found his voice he murmured, "Merlin's beard! Could this really be Olivia Hamilton?"
The black-hair witch walked straight passed Tonks as if she was nonexistent. "Nice to see you too, Remus," She said quietly as she walked passed Remus and made her way into the living-room.
"Hey!" Tonks began to protest, "Who are you? Is anyone here going to tell me what's going on?"
Remus walked to his wife's side and quietly closed the door. He hugged her gently and whispered to her, "She's alright, sweetheart. Don't worry. She's Sirius' ex-girlfriend. I haven't seen or heard from her for years. Can you make us some tea?"
Tonks mouth opened into an O and she looked at Remus in disbelief. Quietly she made her way to the kitchen and set the tea kettle on the stove.
By the time Remus made his way into the living-room, the witch in black was already sitting in the sofa by the window. She was examining her nails as she waited for him. Remus took the seat across from her and asked, "How did you find us?"
"You are not very hard to find, Mr. Werewolf," The witch in black said matter-of-factly, "as long as your Ministry still has that law in place, your whereabouts are always public knowledge, unfortunately."
Remus chuckled lightly. He knew she meant him no harm. They used to spent hours hanging out as a group after school when the Marauders were in their last year at Hogwarts and Olivia Hamilton was there for an exchange program.
"So, how have you been?" He asked gently.
Olivia looked up at him and narrowed her eyes, "could have been a bit better if I was a little more informed."
Remus frowned and looked at the unexpected guest searchingly.
"Well, tell me how you'd feel if you were me." She began, "One day I was told he was fighting on the right side for a noble cause. The word next day was that he betrayed his two best friends and murdered another. And then it was silence, complete silence for over a decade. Then all of a sudden a package showed up at my door, with his best wishes stated in his will, along with a piece of paper telling me he was locked away by mistake for ten years and was killed soon after leaving Azkaban. Why didn't anyone tell me anything all these years!"
Remus took a deep breath and sighed, "it's a long story."
"And I have plenty of time." The witch hissed.
Remus looked back at Olivia curiously, "But I thought you turned him down. You told him no, didn't you?"
"That's not what I said." the witch said bitterly, "I needed more time. I asked him to wait for me."
"So he did." Remus said quietly, "I'm sorry Olivia. But all I can tell you is... he didn't date again after... after you left. He was waiting for you."
"No he wasn't." The witch inhaled sharply and continued, "I know him. He had given up on us."
Remus wasn't sure what he could say about the seemingly confusing relationship between the witch in front of him and his diseased best friend. He considered her inquiries earlier and decided to fill her in with the details.
"We really didn't know it was Peter that betrayed Jame and Lily for all those year. I thought it was Sirius myself!"
"And besides," Tonks entered the room with a tray with the tea set, "no one could have been able to get him out of Azkaban anyway."
"I would have gotten him out of there if I knew he was innocent." The witch in black said plainly.
Tonks' eyes widened and she shot a quick glance at her husband, "But no one could have done that. It is Azkaband for Merlin's sake. Right Remus?"
Remus sighed and shook his head, "Olivia might have been able to find a way."
Tonks looked back at the witch surprisingly, she wonder why Remus would make such an assessment. However by the look at the woman's face, she decided not to ask.
"So tell me," Olivia asked quietly, "Who did it? Who killed him?"
"Bellatrix Lestrange." Remus answered quietly, "one of the Death Eaters following you-know-who."
"Death Eaters... They are back again?" Olivia frowned, "is she close to him? Vol..."
Remus raised his hand and stopped Olivia from saying the Dark Lord's name. "There is a jinx put on his name. Do not say it. And yes, she is very close to him."
The three sat in silence and drank their tea, until Olivia looked up and asked, "who do you have inside?"
Remus and Tonks asked in unity, "inside where?"
"The Dark Lord's inner circle, of course." Olivia rolled her eyes and said, "you are in the middle of a war, again, right? Don't you have spies?"
"We used to have one." Remus said bitterly.
"Who?"
"Severus Snape."
"I remember him..." Olivia searched her memories briefly, "What happened to him? Did that Bellatrix Lestrange kill him too?"
"No," Remus answered darkly, "But sometimes I wish that was the case. But no. We just recently discovered that he was not our spy after all. He was the one who killed Dumbledore."
Olivia did not say another word. A few moments past she got up from the sofa. "Thanks for the information, Remus. Tonks, nice to meet you."
"Wait! You can't just leave like this." Remus stood up quickly after the witch, "Where are you going? What are you going to do?"
"That is none of your concern." the witch answered quietly.
"You can't fight him alone Olivia. Let us help you." Remus pleaded.
"Who said I was going to fight him?" the dark-hair witch raised her eyebrows at the wizard, "I only want to find HER. And besides, what can you do to help me? The two of you? The Order? I heard the words in the street. You are counting on a teenage boy to save your world." She shook her head disapprovingly, "There is nothing you can do to help me, Remus."
"At least tell me your plan. You never know when you may need a hand." Remus insisted.
"That's very kind of you," Olivia smiled briefly, "I will keep that in mind. But I can't tell you what my plan is, because I don't have one yet. All I know is that a goal is all you need to get started."
Quickly she walked around the coffee table and began to make her way towards the door.
"So you won't fight the Dark Lord at all?" Tonks called after her.
"Well," the witch stopped in the hallway briefly and looked back at the couple, "if I can get rid of him, just consider that my dumb luck and your benefit."
She flashed them a quick smile and before they could catch up with her, she was gone.
"I don't like this," Remus sighed, "Why do I have a bad feeling about what she's going to do..."
Severus Snape was surprised by the party music as he entered Malfoy Manor. He thought the Dark Lord had summoned them for another meeting, and did not expect a party taking place when he entered the hall.
"Severus," Lucius Malfoy quickly walked to the entrance way to welcome the newly appointed Headmaster of Hogwarts. "It's a special party... the Dark Lord will explain later. People are just getting their drinks. May I have a word please."
Snape nodded curtly and followed Malfoy into his study. Malfoy quietly closed the door and said in a low voice, "You have to help me Severus. Please keep an eye on Draco for me. I don't know what to do. My boy has lost all his respect for me. He is ashamed of me. And he will not listen to a word that I say. I'm really worried about him Severus. Could you please promise me, that you will keep an eye on him when he returns to school next week? I just want him to be safe."
Snape looked at Malfoy curiously, "what makes you think your son will listen to me, if he doesn't even listen to you?"
"The Dark Lord adores you. And Draco adores the Dark Lord. He will listen to you Severus. I know he will."
"If that's what you think," Snape replied, "I will try."
"I really appreciate it Severus." Malfoy clasped his hand over Snape's shoulder as he opened the door leading to the hall way, "Go, join the others, have a good time! I'm going to look for Narcissa. She went to the kitchen a while ago."
As Snape made his way towards the great hall, he suddenly heard a woman pleading in a whispering voice from a room in the opposite end of the hall. He took a few quick steps towards the room, and within seconds he recognized the voice, it was Narcissa Malfoy.
"Please... I'm scared. What do you want me to say? He will find out about this! He will kill me, he will kill all of us! Don't make me do this..."
"Hush, Narcissa" another woman's voice stopped Narcissa's trembling one. The second woman sounded slightly irritated but her voice was calm. Snape could not recognize the voice, but he decided to listen.
"You will do what I told you to do." the woman said sternly, "I've put a charm on you, so no one would know what we had discussed. Do I have to keep reminding you of those good stories I can share with your darling husband? Do you honestly think he would appreciate it? By doing me this favor, you may just make my memory a bit blurrier. And I may just forget about the urge to share those old tales. Now come on Narcissa, let's get out of here. If I'm not mistaken, isn't this my welcome party?"
Snape quickly walked down the hall as he heard the women's footsteps walking towards the door.
As he finally join the group of Death Eaters mingling in the great hall, Snape carefully turned around to look for Narcissa. The hostess appeared to be quite nervous tonight. Her face was even paler than usual. As she walked through the crowd she kept apologizing to the guests that she was not well prepared for the gathering. Walking next to her, was a tall young witch with long wavy raven hair. She was wearing a short black dress with a revealing neckline. The dress hugged her body perfectly, emphasizing her perfect hourglass figure. As she made her way across the hall, Lucius' Death Eater friends watched her with great interest, while the ladies shot her envious glances.
The mysterious friend of Narcissa's did not seemed to be bothered by the hungry stares as she walked across the hall. Instead her interest seemed to be somewhere else. Snape watched as she scanned the room discreetly, searching for something unknown to others.
As she turned towards Snape, her cobalt blue eyes briefly locked upon his deep dark ones. Snape frowned, he had seen her before. But where? He could not remember.
Slowly he made his way towards the hostess and her friend. Snape was not usually interested in socializing. But tonight he was intrigued. Was she the woman that was threatening Narcissa? Why? Who was she?
When he came upon the two women he nodded, "Good evening Narcissa." Snape said smoothly, "May I have the pleasure of meeting your friend?"
Narcissa swallowed and answered quickly, "But of course Severus. Olivia, this is Severus Snape. Severus, this is Olivia, Olivia Macmillan, my cousin from America."
So here we have the premises. Does it sound interesting to you? Look forward to your reviews and comments. For me, that is the best indicator that I should continue this attempt.