OLIVIA:
Remus and Sirius were watching me closely, the pressure of their stares making me incredibly nervous. "Don't get discouraged," Sirius said comfortingly, "a Patronus is an incredibly difficult form of magic. You aren't meant to get it perfect on the first try."
Remus nodded. "Maybe we should call it a day and try again tomorrow," he suggested.
I shook my head defiantly, determined to get it right. So far, I had managed to produce small amounts of a silvery shield, but nothing that would protect me from a horde of Dementors. "One more time," I insisted despite the fact that I was incredibly exhausted.
"Only one more," Sirius said cautiously.
I took a deep breath and raised my wand. I attempted to focus my mind on my happiest memories, an image of myself alongside the Weasley family at the dinner table at the Burrow. Everyone was smiling, and I finally felt like I belonged. "Expecto Patronum!" I said confidently.
A stream of silver mist rose from the tip of my wand, curling up into the air. Unlike before, the mist didn't cease almost immediately, continuing to grow. A faint form began to take shape, growing brighter as I tried to remain focused.
"Yes!" I heard them cheer behind me.
"That's it," Remus exclaimed.
But I tried not to allow their excitement to distract me. I kept my eyes trained on the air in front of me, watching the form as it moulded into a large bird, a bird of prey.
I heard Sirius gasp, "a falcon!"
I smiled triumphantly. I had finally done it. After a whole morning's worth of work, I had conjured a full Patronus.
Through the satisfaction, a wave of exhaustion came over me and I fell back onto the couch. Immediately, they both rushed to my side. "Are you alright?" Remus asked.
I nodded, "just a bit drained."
They both looked at each other. "Perhaps this crash course style of learning wasn't the best idea," Sirius said, sounding worried.
"No," I persisted, "I'll be fine."
Remus raised an eyebrow, but he didn't question it any further. "That Patronus was incredible," he said, his eyes bright, "Producing a fully formed Patronus within a day is practically unheard of. You're doing an excellent job." He was beaming, clearly proud not only of me, but also of his teaching.
A racket of noise carried up from downstairs, Mrs. Weasley's voice echoing in the entryway. "Finally, boys! I've been worried sick!"
I grinned to myself, knowing that she was speaking to Fred, George, and Ron. "Mum," George's voice whined, "We've only been to Diagon Alley!"
Since the boys had recently passed that Apparition exams, they had taken to traveling for short day trips around the country, mostly to Diagon Alley, the Burrow, and occasionally to Hogsmeade to visit Zonko's, much to their mum's dismay. "I don't care! It's dangerous out there," She huffed.
Remus and Sirius were both smiling. "Reminds me of Mrs. Potter," Sirius chuckled. Remus nodded his agreement.
"Dinner!" Mrs. Weasley shouted up the stairs.
Remus extended a hand to me, "let's go get you something to eat, and then you can rest up a bit." I grabbed it and he helped me up.
On the way down the stairs, we passed by Fred and George, who were stashing away their purchases in their bedroom, probably to hide them from Molly. "Ollie!" Fred chimed, quickly snapping the bedroom door shut.
"Have fun out today?" I asked halfheartedly, secretly jealous that they were allowed to leave the house.
They were both grinning. "Loads!" George said ecstatically. But Fred elbowed him in the side, not wanting me to feel too left out.
"It's okay," I shrugged, "We had fun too." I looked to Remus and Sirius, who both nodded.
"Loads!" Remus laughed.
"Olivia cast her first Patronus!" Sirius said excitedly.
Fred's eyes grew big, "Really?"
I nodded proudly, feeling more confident in accepting praise. "
"What is it?" George asked curiously.
"It's a falcon!" Remus quipped for me.
Fred's smile grew even bigger, "Mum! Ollie's Patronus is a falcon!" He exclaimed as we walked into the dining room.
Her stern face changed to a bright smile, "Oh congratulations, sweetheart!" Arthur and Tonks, who were also sat around the table, gave a few congratulatory claps.
I could feel my face growing red, not expecting such compliments. "Thank you," I smiled, sitting down with the twins at my side. We all tucked in to the Scouse stew and cheese toasties that Molly had prepared. At one end of the table, the adults whispered in low voices, possibly either about my training or about Voldemort. Meanwhile, Ginny, Ron, the twins, and myself talked about what the boys had seen and done is Diagon Alley. When our bowls were emptied and our stomachs had been filled, Fred stood up.
"We got a little surprise for you today," He said with a sly smile.
I raised my eyebrows, "Did you now?"
"Go get it!" Ron grinned excitedly.
My heart started beating quicker as Fred disappeared out of the room. I was originally expecting something small, possibly a book from Flourish & Botts, but by the looks on everyone's faces, it didn't seem so.
Moments later, Fred's head poked out into the doorway. "Now, we can't take all the credit for this. It was Sirius's idea, we simply pulled it off," He said, the suspension rising, "We know that you've been a bit lonely this summer, so hopefully this will help."
He stepped into the room, something small and black cradled in his arms. It took me a moment to realize that he was holding fluffy little kitten. I gasped. "Guys!"
They were all smiling. "His name is Nox," George added as Fred handed him to me. I grabbed his tiny body and he curled against my chest.
I turned and looked at Sirius, who was smiling bigger than I had ever seen him smile before. "Sirius," I breathed, suddenly holding back tears of happiness, "thank you."
He shrugged, "It's nothing. You've been working hard. You deserve it."
"Do you like him?" Fred asked, desperately.
I smiled, "I love him." I planted a soft kiss on the top of him head and he turned to look up at me. He had big blue eyes that instantly melted my heart. "You guys are the best."
The next few weeks seemed to crawl by. Having little Nox around definitely made me a little less lonely and gave me something to do other than studying and pulling Doxies out of the curtains, though I was beginning to get a worried about Draco. I still hadn't gotten a response to the last letter that I sent, and naturally, I assumed the worst. With every passing day, I was more unsettled by the idea of him being in trouble, and there was nothing that I could do to help him. I spent a great deal of time sitting in my bedroom, hoping that his owl would come swooping down through the fireplace, but alas, it never came. Harry and Hermione both joined us at the house, taking refuge from the turmoil that was happening out in the real world. From what I had gathered from them, there was article after article in the Daily Prophet about Harry and about Hogwarts. Apparently there had even be a couple about me, speculating my involvement with the events at the Triwizard Tournament and my allegiances. That was exactly what I needed: more people talking about me.
Although, I was okay with the dragging weeks because there was a lesson ahead that I was dreading. But no matter how much I wished that it wouldn't come, it did.
"Legilimency," Professor Snape said as he paced the length of the landing, "the power to penetrate the many layers of the mind. I will be teaching you both how to master such a skill and to resist against it." I glanced towards Sirius and Remus, who stood at the edge of the room, watching. They both nodded. They were well aware of the fact that I didn't want to do this, but it was necessary.
He turned sharply towards me, "I will start by demonstrating its effects." I watched silently as he reached for his wand inside of his robes, intimidated by the intimacy of the lesson. I, unlike many other Gryffindors, had a rather neutral relationship with Snape. Of course he would always favor students from his own house and his teaching style was rather harsh and strict, but this pushed me to learn more and try harder. He seemed to be a believer in the idea of tough love. It seemed to work alright. Though he wasn't particularly one for praising students, he would address the fact that I did well in his class and had a knack for potion-making. I wasn't quite sure why he was impartial towards me, but I wasn't complaining.
"Do not try to fight it," he instructed, lifting his wand arm. With a sharp flourish, I felt my mind growing hazy.
Suddenly, I was eleven years old again. I was no longer in the dusty house on Grimmauld Place. Instead, I was inside of Ollivander's Wand Shop, my wand delicately balanced in my hand.
"Great power lies within that wand," Ollivander told me. I could feel the fear bubbling inside of me.
Bright white light flashed before my eyes, and then I was sat at the dinner table in the Burrow. Fred and George were laughing beside me, and everyone was happy.
Another flash of light. I was sat on the Hogwarts Express, surrounded by all of my friends.
Another flash and I was high above the Quidditch pitch, the stands around me erupting into cheers. We had just won my first match, thanks to Harry almost swallowing the snitch.
Another flash. This time, I saw Draco's face. He was leaning in to me, his eyes on my lips and his hand was on my cheek. I closed my eyes as our lips touched. When I opened them again, I was in the dark corridor of Hogwarts. Draco was still with me, but his eyes were now glistening with the hint of tears. "What am I going to do without you all summer?" He whispered.
My heart was racing and I was suddenly very aware that Snape was seeing all of this as well. I had to stop him.
I tried to force my mind to settle in an attempt to block him out. I focused on the backs of my eyelids, on the blank nothingness in front of me.
Light flooded my vision again.
I saw sitting on the sofa on the landing again, Snape standing over me with his wand hung in the air. "You're resisting," He said coldly.
"That's private," I said defensively.
Remus stepped forward, "What do you mean she's resisting? She doesn't know how."
Snape lowered his wand. "Well, she just did."
Everyone's eyes were on me. "I'm sorry," I muttered, "I won't do it again."
"Sorry?" Sirius said, stepping in, "What are you sorry for? That was incredible!"
Snape glared at Sirius, clearly unhappy that he was here during the lesson. "You're disrupting my lesson," He growled.
Remus waved his hand dismissively at Sirius, "Try it again. Try to fight it immediately this time. Okay Olivia?"
I nodded as Snape raised his wand once again. The same foggy sensation washed over me, this time pulling me into a scene that wasn't as familiar. I was sat on the floor in a large and exorbitant living room, a small blonde boy sat across from me, probably no more than a couple years old. I could sense a air of innocence. This memory, though I didn't remember it, must have been from when I was much younger. I could see a pair of women sat on a large sofa behind the little boy, both looking vaguely familiar. However, I didn't have time to think about where I had seen them before. Remus's words, "fight it immediately," echoed in my brain, so I did exactly that. I tried to shut my brain off,
Real life faded back into my sight. Snape was still in front of me, lowering his wand looking perplexed. "How?" He asked.
I shook my head, confused. "I just stopped thinking, stopped feeling."
Their eyes didn't move off of me. "Voldemort is one of the most skilled Legilimens in history. Do you reckon it's anything to do with that?" Remus asked, his gaze moving towards Snape.
"Legilimency and Occlumency aren't inherited, Lupin," He denied, "Certainly she has done this before."
"No," I insisted, "I haven't."
Snape looked dumbfounded, "You have sufficiently wasted enough of my time for one day, Riddle. We have a meeting to get to, so if you don't mind, we will be going now," He hissed. Him, Sirius, and Remus began to make their way down the stairs, but I couldn't hold myself back. If anyone knew anything about Draco, it would be him, and now he knew about our little affair.
"Professor," I called after him.
He stopped dead, just a few steps down. "Riddle?"
"Professor," I said, suddenly stumbling for my words, "Is Draco Malfoy alright? I wrote him weeks ago, and he hasn't responded."
He looked me up and down, as if judging whether or not to tell me the truth. "Malfoy is just fine," He said flatly.
It was the answer that I had been hoping for, but a strange sadness stirred in me. Of course I didn't want him to be in trouble, but I kind of wished for an explanation as to why he hadn't written me back. Now, I was left even more confused than before. I nodded distantly, "Thank you, Professor." I turned and retreated back to my bedroom.
Nox was curled at the foot of my bed, fast asleep. I smiled slightly at the sight of him, though it wasn't nearly enough to remedy my frustration. I threw myself onto the mattress dejectedly, halfway wishing that I hadn't asked at all. I would much rather still be worrying than feeling so crushed.
As I sat on there, stirring in my desolation, my mind wandered to the things I had seen while under Snape's spell. The last 'memory' played over and over inside my mind, particularly the faces of the women sitting on the couch. One of them was entirely foreign to me, though the other, the one with bright blonde hair and blue eyes, looked strangely familiar. I contemplated it for a long time, trying to place where I had seen her face before. And then it dawned on me. I had seen that face just earlier this summer, on Platform 9 3/4. It was the face of Narcissa Malfoy. The little boy was Draco, and the house was Malfoy Manor.
Draco's voice echoed in my mind. "They Obliviated you," he had said that night by the lake.
Instantly, I shot to my feet, anger coursing through my body. In a fit of fury, I threw the bedroom door open and stormed down the stairs. Nox scurried out after me.
"Was I Obliviated when my parents were arrested?" I demanded loudly as I strode into the dining room, interrupting the Order meeting. Every pair of eyes flashed my direction. "And don't lie to me. I'm tired of being lied to."
They all started to glance around at each other. "Olivia, dear," Molly said softly.
But I didn't want to hear her comfort or any excuses. "Tell me," I ordered again, "Was I Obliviated?"
There was a long silence. "I knew it!" I shouted, unable to contain my rage. My face was growing hot, sweat prickling the small of my back.
"It was at Dumbledore's orders," Remus said finally, attempting to remain calm, "You had seen things that no child should have to see. Your parents are some of the most evil people out there, they had already begun to place their influence on you. It was the safest option for you."
That response didn't make me feel any better. "I was four years old! Who Obliviates a four year old?"
But I didn't want to stand by and listen to their excuses any longer. Rather than waiting for a response, I spun on my heels and ran back upstairs into my room. "Olivia," Sirius called after me.
"Sirius," Molly's voice followed.
But it was too late. He was already headed up after me.
"Olivia," He repeated when he walked into my room.
I turned to look at him. "What?"
He blinked, startled by my abruptness. "Don't be upset."
My heart clenched at the idea of him telling me how to feel. "What reason do I have not to be upset? I haven't been outside in over a month. I've spent the whole summer locked up here practicing spells. With everything that I do, you all stare at me like I'm some magical freak. And now I found out that I've been lied to about my entire childhood." And the boy that I fancy is deliberately ignoring me, I thought to myself. "How could I not be upset?"
He was silent for a moment before answering. "Olivia, I'm sorry. I am so sorry that you have been put through this, but with the current circumstances-"
"I don't give a damn about the circumstances. I want my life back. Now, would you mind leaving me alone?"
The expression on his face changed as he deflated in defeat. "As you wish," he whispered as he turned away. He didn't close the door behind him.
I was finally alone. Completely alone. Nox was off wrestling with Crookshanks somewhere downstairs, and everyone in the house was no doubt talking about the breakdown I had just had. The only eyes on me now were those in the moving photos on the walls and the mantlepiece. I reached out and grabbed the Quidditch team photo.
My father was smiling. He was happy. And for once, he didn't look like the evil man that everyone made him out to be.
"Ollie," I heard behind me. I turned to see Fred standing in the doorway, a worried look covering his face. I quickly placed the photo back on the mantle, face down this time. "Are you okay?"
His face was the only one that I needed to see right now. For once, I was grateful that George hadn't followed at his heels. It was just us. I didn't say a word, but I stepped closer to him and allowed his arms to surround me in a hug. "I'm okay now," I whispered.
He didn't say anything more, simply holding me until I pulled away. When I did, I looked up and met his eyes. I needed something more, something I hadn't had since term ended. I needed the touch of someone else, and I didn't care who it was. Our eye contact hung for a moment as I tried to fight an urge that suddenly tugged at my heart. But I couldn't fight it anymore. I had to bury all of this anger, all of this misery.
I leaned forward and allowed my lips to crash against his without a second thought. To my surprise, he didn't recoil and push me away. Instead, he wrapped an arm around my waist and placed his hand on my cheek, as if he were trying to pull me closer even though our bodies were already completely melted together. He kissed me back, gentle at first and then with more fervor.
After several moments, he pulled back for a breath. "I thought you would never do that," he said breathlessly.
"Don't speak," I whispered, silencing him with another kiss. He accepted it thankfully, using his foot to kick the door closed. In one swift movement, his hands reached down and picked me up, tossing me onto the bed.
This chapter took a while, but I wanted to make sure that I picked the perfect patronus for Olivia. Here's a little snippet about the falcon patronus from MuggleNet that I thought fit quite well:
"Falcons have a keen eye and are among the fastest creatures on earth. If your Patronus is a falcon, you may have been a troubled soul who decided to cast away their old, evil habits to fly down the hard, right path. Your nature pulls you to the dark, but you've chosen to live for the light … The falcon also represents breaking free from slavery. Now that you are free, you are flying in the light, and no one can stop you, not even Dementors!"
I hope you enjoyed it! Do you like the patronus? What does this mean for Olivia and Draco? Olivia and Fred?
