AN: Thank you to krikanalo and MySuperAwesomePenName for showing interest in my story so early on!
Chapter 1: Hold me Tight
1995 – June 20th
3 years before the final battle
Mavis twirled around her new room, moving her feet with the rhythm of the record. The old vinyl was about the only thing unpacked, save for a few clothes and the bedding that lay folded at the end of her bedstead. The wooden floor boards creaked as she moved across the room to pull more belongings from the plain brown box, springiness in her step. Her brother, peeking shyly from the doorframe, giggled when she twirled away from the box, a large pillow in her clutches. She hugged it as she sang along with the song, acting more ridiculous by the second.
It's you! You, you, you.
Flinging the feathered pillow onto the bed, she gently grabbed her brother's hands and led him to the middle of the room, spinning him a few times as he giggled wildly and flashed a toothy smile. They danced spastically to the heavy drums, until Mavis picked the young boy up, and tossed him on the bed. Then snatching a brush, she continued to sing in mock dedication to the bubbly eight year old.
It feels so right! Now hold me tight! Tell me I'm the only one and then I might never be the lonely one.
The squirmy boy quickly got up and grabbed his sister's arm, swinging her around and doing a quick and awkward dishrag, due to the extreme height difference. Locking arms, the pair shimmied down, Plover shaking his tail feather in an awfully comical way, as he ended up wiggling his entire body. The young boy attempted to sing along, but didn't know the words quite as well, and echoed his sister along with the backups on the record.
So hold me tight. Tonight. Tonight.
The two were so lost in their bubble of pure silliness that they didn't hear the stairs creak, or the footfalls in the hallway. One could imagine the surprise when Mavis spun around suddenly to see the bemused face of the infamous Sirius Black, murderer, and escapee from the most renowned wizard prison, leaning on the doorframe causally. Naturally, Mavis screamed.
There was a very exasperated male voice that called from downstairs, "Sirius!" and more heavy footfalls as people came up the spiral staircase. The wary and cross expressional face of Remus Lupin popped into view first, along with a tall and dark skinned man, that Mavis recognized from the Daily Prophet as Kingsley.
"I'm terribly sorry for him, mind of a juvenile, I swear." Remus babbled at the wide eyed and completely unresponsive girl. He cast a quick glance at Kingsley, who nodded and proceeded down the steps, where her parent's voices could be heard. Tentatively, the ex-professor approached the stunned girl, who continued to watch the chuckling convict.
"Sirius isn't dangerous, I promise you. Why don't you come down stairs? We can explain it all there."
Adding after a moment, "hello there," to her brother who also stared with wide curious eyes. There was a minute of dead silence, when the Plover suddenly screamed and ran out the door and down the hallway to his room, where he slammed the door shut. This seemed to snap Mavis out of her daze.
"Um don't take any offence, he's like with all strangers." She mumbled. "And sometimes with Aunt Kelly."
Once downstairs, Mavis hung back on the last step of the stair case, taking in all the unfamiliar faces. There was Kingsley, Remus, and Sirius of course; but several others as well, a man with a shock of bright red hair, a tall woman, with her back turned but recognizable grey hair that had to belong to McGonagall, a shady looking plump man, that was eyeing the half opened box of fine china, and many more that were seated on a variety of bar stools from the kitchen, and small stacks of boxes. Her parents sat on the couch, seemingly at ease.
"The Beatles are a nice choice," Sirius breathed in her ear and jerked his head up to the second floor banister, where faded music could be heard.
"Um, yes." Was all she could reply with, as she hurried away from him and sat down by her father's side.
"Mum, dad, what's going on? Who are all these people?" She whispered quietly.
Her mother, a short and thin woman, smiled reassuringly and reached over to pat her on the knee.
"Friends." She said simply. Mavis couldn't help but glance behind her shoulder at Sirius Black and wonder how her parents could describe or consider a criminal such as him, a friend.
The meeting was long, but incredibly important. Mavis had of course witnessed the events at the end of the tri-wizard tournament last year, ending with the death of a beloved seventh year boy, Cedric Diggory. She had also heard the wild stories going around about Voldemort's return. It was never an issue of not believing Harry Potter, she did, deep down. But it was a terrifying thought for a newly seventeen year old girl. Throughout the summer, she had pushed it to the back of her mind, willing the nagging sensation that there was something terribly wrong to disappear.
But here was the confirmation. Here was her most cherished professor telling her that it was all true, that there was a resistance forming to stop the tasks of the death eaters, and hopefully the war. And according to all the adults in the room, there most certainly would be one.
"But why are you telling me all this?" Mavis questioned as her nose crinkled in thought.
"We'd like for you to join. After you finish school of course." Minerva answered solemnly with a nod to her parents. Her parents, she learned, had been a part of the same organization, in the first war, and were happy to offer their new home and their own efforts the second time around; this was the main reason for an explanation, as these people and many more, would be filtering in and out of the house.
"But what would I do?"
"Many things, Mavis, many things. But it would all be to protect those around you. Those that you love." It was that crushing line, delivered by the gentle and humble Remus, that reminded Mavis of the little brother up stairs that she prized. In heartbeat she had made up her mind.
"I'll do it."
Minvera gave a wary smile and patted her knee softly before standing. The Order members began filing out of the house, but a few lingered. The man with the bright red hair came over and shook hands eagerly with each of the O'Reilly's, his bright eyes falling on Mavis at last. She took the time to take in his good natured expression and appearance. He had a splatter of freckles that dominated his cheeks and nose, recently brought out from the summer sun. His clothes were a little dull and faded, and his shoes pretty worn. Yet he seemed genuinely cheery despite his slightly dismal appearance.
"Hello there, Mavis." Taking her petite hands in his rough ones, he shook them enthusiastically, a smile plastered on that freckled face of his. "I'm Arthur Weasley."
"Weasley?" Once more, the girl's nose crinkled in thought. "I've heard that name before."
"Ah yes! You're in the same house as my sons, the twins, Fred and George, and of course Ronald." Mavis could tell that he was very fond of them, by the way that his eyes seemed to light up. "You might know Percy, he graduated last year."
His face fell a little at the mention of Percy, but he was still smiling all the same. Vaguely and image of two boys yelling something about the odds of the first task came to mind. She had been too busy at the time chatting with a friend to really pay them any attention and had walked right past. Ronald was the most easily recognizable of the names, as he was associated with Harry, who was simply the most famous kid at the school.
"I know who Ronald is, and I think the twins might have been running bets on the outcomes of the tasks from the tournament last year."
Arthur frowned a little, and rolled his eyes good naturedly.
"Those two." He sighed.
When it was all said and done, Mavis trotted up the stairs and knocked on her brother's door. There was a pitter patter of feet, and the door opened quickly.
"Mavis!" Plover shrieked and held his hands up expectantly. She bent down and picked him up, cradling him to her chest as he played with ends of her long brown hair. They moved to her bedroom, and Mavis picked up her cherry wood wand from the bedside table. Giving it a quick swish, the room began to unpack it's self with some guidance. The albums stacked themselves into the small bookcase that also served as a stand for her record player. Her school trunk, clad with the Gryffindor crest, slid to the foot of her bed, and the few new spell books that she had recently bought at Florish and Blotts arranged themselves on top of it. The bedding unfolded and floated above the mattress, before settling itself; while the pillows fluffed and piled.
Too exhausted from the long day, she carried a now sleeping Plover to her freshly made bed and laid him down first, before climbing in with him. Sleep was quick to overcome her that night.
AN: George in the next Chapter!:)