Chapter 10 Discoveries
Mara gave a piercing stare to the dark man that stood in front of her.
"Really," came the seemingly uninterested tone that belied what was going through her mind. After scanning once over, she turned her attention to the tall blond that accompanied Snape.
"And you would be," she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Lucius Malfoy"
Mara turned to just enough to glance at Harry out of the corner of her eye. He looked nervous and was playing with the hem of his sleeve, while watching them and then the exit.
Mara pulled out a small hand full of gallons and slapped them onto the counter that was directly behind them. Returning her attention to the two men in front of her, she gave them a dazzling smile.
Reaching out with her left hand she grasped Harry's hand and her right to grasp the nape of Red's neck.
"Well I hate to say goodbye so soon. But we got some other plans for the day."
Snape, moving around them to create a barrier between them and the door, stopping them from leave, or so he thought.
Giving them a shrug indicating that she did not seemed to worried about him black her 'only' exit. She cheerfully said "its' been fun," and her and her companions seemed to be sucked into the shadows.
Snape stared in shock. What the hell just happened?
If it was not for the fact that Malfoy was…well a Malfoy, he would have let his mouth hang open in shock. However he being who he was only opened his eyes a fraction farther than normal. After taking a moment to compose himself, his eyes narrowed in thought. He had thought that he had been dreaming when he had first seen the large cat. A fen tiger here and in broad day light! Not much was known about fen tigers. They were rarely if ever seen in the past and were now thought to be extinct, since there hasn't been a recorded sighting of them since the founders of Hogwarts.
He had also recognized what they had done to escape them. Shadow walking. The feline could of as well have done it, considering not much was known about what their abilities were. If the cat had not then that would mean the girl (Harry was of course a wizard, a half blood at that) had not been totally human, if at all. After all there was only one type of peoples that could shadow walk.
Bringing his eyes to meet Snape's, he saw that his friend had come to the same basic conclusion. They needed to inform Dumbledore of Potter and his new 'friend.'
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Mara, Harry and Red came out of the shadows that had engulfed them into a small alley in muggle London.
I seem to be in more alleys now than I have been in my entire life, Mara thought. Shrugging she turned her attention to the youngest of their group.
"You alright there Harry?"
Taking a shaky breath, Harry nodded his head.
Sighing she reached out and gave a comforting squeeze to his shoulder. Noticing with a smile that Harry did not jump at the touch.
Harry turned to smile and her only to have it turn into a frown. "You know Snape is going to tell Dumbledore that he spotted me. He will have the whole Order searching London."
Mara nodded her head in acknowledgement, and then shrugged. "Which gives us only a short amount of time to grab you some clothes. So hop to it. Come on move it. We have a lot to buy for you." Dragging Harry out by the hand, pausing long enough for Red to turn into a common house cat, began to shop like mad.
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Red and Mara had been talking quietly to each other ever since Harry had begun to try on some clothes in the changing room. It seemed to be of something important by the look of concentration on Mara's face.
When he came out with a bundle of clothes that he wanted, he noticed the odd and slightly apprehensive way Mara was looking at him.
"Harry…what do you know of blood siblings?"
Startled by the out of the blue question, Harry stopped to look at her.
Unlike what most people thought Harry was quiet the studious person. And because he and Voldermort Share blood, he had done extensive research into all types of blood rituals.
"I know that after it was preformed that by blood you are considered to be of blood relation. To do this you have to say some ritual spell and share blood willingly with your chosen sibling. And that a bond will develop between the two."
Mara hesitated a moment. "And let's say if someone was trying to make you live somewhere and you did not wished to do so could live with said sibling if they were of age."
Harry seeing where this was going looked at Mara in wonder. "You would want me to be your brother?"
"Yes, I would like that"
Harry thought for a long moment with his head down sending Mara into fidgety mode. When he looked up at Mara once again, he did so with tears in his eyes. He dropped the clothes that he had been hanging onto, into a near by chair. He rushed over to Mara and hugged her with everything he had. "I would like that too."
They stood there for a while just hugging each other until Harry pulled back to look at Mara, but not enough to let go. As if he did let go then it would all just disappear. "But you're a year to young to be of age. So I would still have to go back."
Mara just smiled.
They quickly went to pay for his things and left to find a secluded spot to perform the ritual.
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Returning to their room at the Leaky Caldron, the trio was only some what surprised to see Snape, Malfoy and what Mara perceived to be Dumbledore. He kind of reminded her of Gandalf.
Not saying a word Mara pushed past them and entered into there room followed by Red and Harry. She noticed that Snape was about to follow them in when the old man put a restraining hand on his shoulder. Scowling Snape shifted back to were he had been.
Harry had noticed it as well and turned to Mara. She nodded and then went to put Harry's bags on top of his trunk.
Harry motioned the three men into the room and shut the door behind them.
Mara leaned back against one of the walls closest to the bed were Harry had sat upon cross legged. Red shifted onto the bed next to him and laid his head onto Harry's lap, which Harry promptly scratched behind his ears. They waited silently for the 'leader' of the men to speak, which they did not have to wait long.
Dumbledore took not how Harry had front and center, while the other two were close by for support if needed. And it would seem none of them were inclined to start speaking any time soon.
"Well Harry, you have given use all quite the scare." He waited for a response but all he got was a shrug. Waving his hand to create another chair in the room for himself, as Malfoy had already sat in one and Snape did not seem inclined to sit just yet.
"Harry" Albus started again, "what prompted you to leave the protection" here Mara gave a un-lady like snort" at your aunt and uncles'?"
Harry turned his head away from him in shame. Mara moved forward and put a supporting hand on his shoulder. Harry looked up at her, searching for something. He turned back to Dumbledore and shrugged.
"Harry you know you are going to have to go back. It is for your protection that you do so." At this Harry paled and Mara's grip on his shoulder tightened in anger.
"You will not be sending Harry back to those people."
Dumbledore turned to look at the dark haired girl with a questioning look.
"Mr. Potter must return to his legal guardians," Snape snarled.
"Harry is staying with me"
Snape sneered at her, "you are not even of age or a relative of Potter. Therefore you have no say on the matter."
The girl just looked at him with a small smirk.
"On the contrary Mr. Snape, I am both Harry's sister and am of legal age."
"Potter has no siblings!"
"He would if he happened to perform a sibling blood bond with someone now wouldn't he Mr. Snape"