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*~Chapter 13~*
After the welcome home party for Krista James and Lily had decided to stay the night at the flat. The girls and I had decided to have a nice little girly gossip. So we put our P.J's on and the guys were about to leave the Living Room when they spotted the food and decided to be in on this gossip. So Chris joined me on the couch and I snuggled up to him. Lily and James were on the other couch, Remus and Katie in front of the fire, Sirius and Krista in front of our couch and Kristine and Peter sat in armchairs. It was then I remembered about the owl off John.
"Are you going to go?" I asked Krista and Sirius.
"Yeah," Krista said.
"Are you sure you want to go?" Chris whispered. I nodded.
I still had nightmares about that battle. I kept re-living the moment Alex told me he liked me, then when he was killed the way his body hit the floor and lay motionless. How Luicus had held me to stop me helping. I hated that man for that. Yet I still couldn't bring myself to tell my friends he was a Death Eater. I hadn't even told Chris yet. Krista had now started to play a game where she asked everyone what he or she wanted more than anything in the world. Sirius wanted a flying motorbike, Katie wanted her brother to grow up but changed her mind to Sirius and Krista getting a room, Remus wanted Kristine to stay single so he wouldn't have to worry, Peter a job at the Ministry, James a professional Quidditich player, Lily for James to stop snoring, this sparked off another of James' and Krista's fights.
"Here they go," I said as they ran around the flat shouting hexes at each other.
"It's surprising how they can do that all the time," Katie chipped in.
"Yeah I can't argue with Kristine," Remus said. Everyone rolled their eyes. We all knew how protective of Kristine Remus was. It was because he was protecting Kristine from a werewolf he got the bite.
"We all know that Moony," Sirius said laughing. There was a sudden thud followed by another thud and then howls of laughter. Everyone scrambled from where they were to go see what happened. Krista and James had hit each other with the Tickling Charm at the same time and both were laughing on the floor still screaming at each other through their laughter. We all started to laugh.
"That was clever," Kristine, said as Lily and Sirius relieved them of the charm. We walked back into the Living Room and I sat on the couch with my head on Chris' shoulder.
"You tow have to truce so we don't have another outburst," Remus said. They gave in and truce. Krista then carried on asking people. Chris said he would like to go to Romania and work with dragons. Krista then asked me.
"I would like to take two months out and travel," I said thinking.
"If you're going I'm coming with!" Krista said smiling.
"Can I come with you?" Sirius asked hopefully.
"No! It's going be a girls only thing!" We both said. Sirius and Krista talked about this before Lily interrupted and asked what Krista would want most in the world.
"Socks for my feet! Be back!" She said and left.
"Will she really travel without me?" Sirius asked, as if James was going on a trip to the joke shop and leaving him behind.
"Yeah! It will be a girls only thing," I said smiling.
"I'll be all alone with you then Sirius," Chris said.
"Yep you will!" I said smiling. Chris grinned at me.
"Those two are slowly turning into you and Lily, Sirius and Krista and Remus and Katie the way they act!" Kristine said to James.
"Oh I hope so!" I said sarcastically. James took offence to this and threw a pillow at me, which I threw back at him. Krista then re-appeared.
"Come on! Answer the question!" I said. She finally said she would like to be an aunt. We stayed up for a while longer and eventually everyone fell asleep. I fell asleep with my head on Chris' shoulder and my legs were dangling down over his legs.
Krista and Sirius tickling James because he woke them up with a burst of ice-cold water waked us the next morning.
"My favourite way to wake someone!" I said stretching.
"At least someone appreciates it," James said laughing.
"I need a shower!" I said and went to the bathroom. I had a quick shower grabbed some toast and disapparated to work with Chris.
"Have fun!" I said as he disappeared into the Department of Magical Sports. He smiled.
"You'll be fine!" he said and left. I walked into the department to see John.
"Morning," I said pouring some coffee.
"How are you?" he asked. I nodded and shrugged my shoulders.
"I hate to say it, Claire. But Alex's re-placement will be starting today, you'll have to show them the ropes," John said. It struck me finally that I wouldn't be working with Alex no more. Alex was gone.
"That's fine! I have some work to be getting on with first," I said. John nodded and I went through to my office. I walked in and put my cup on the desk. My desk was scattered with loads of files and papers. I magically arranged them and set to work. My mind kept straying to the thought of Alex though. We had become good friends and he put up with my endless blabber. Like I listened to him. I felt guilty that he died. It was my fault, I could've broken Luicus' grip it's not hard. But Luicus seemed to have strength I had never known. I had been staring intently at a wall thinking all this over when I realised someone had walked into my office.
"Can I help you?" I asked. It was a boy around the same age as Alex had been.
"I am Sean Davies. I believe you are Claire Magford?" he asked. I nodded.
"Nice to meet you Sean. Now what should we do first? I know I'll show you your office then the big office/department then we'll go onto different bits in the Ministry," I said throwing my quill down.
"Sounds good," he said and we left my office. I showed him his office, Alex's old one, and then I introduced him to John and we went onto the rest of the Ministry with things that concerned our department.
"Basically we are here to protect Wizards. We deal with the spy's, the attacks and known death eaters," I told him as we left Bartemius Crouch.
"We are the newest department and if and when Voldemort falls we will be only run for a year at the most then close," I explained.
"Okay. Sounds an interesting job," he said smiling. We moved onto different departments before returning at the end of the day to our department.
"I'll finish all this on Monday. Although I have nothing over the weekend to do so I'll take some home," I said to John.
"That's fine Claire. I'll see you at Alex's funeral and stop blaming yourself," John said. I nodded and he left. I walked into my office and grabbed some files. I walked out locked the door and apparated to the flat.
"Hey!" I said to Kristine who was laid on a couch doing some of her summer homework.
"Hello. Doing some Potions homework. Are you making food tonight?" Kristine asked practically pleading.
"You are joking? Last time I cooked I burned everything and almost burned the kitchen down!" I said laughing. I had been banned from cooking because of that. In the end we decided on ordering food. A little while later Sirius appeared carrying a sleeping Krista in his arms.
"Right little snoring sleeping beauty," I said smiling.
"She fell asleep at work. I'm going to put her to bed, give me some food because I'm going to sleep too," Sirius said. I handed him a carton of Chinese food and he left.
"Kristine aren't you going shopping in Diagon Alley tomorrow?" I asked.
"Yeah. To get my school stuff. Why?"
"Just wondering. I'm going to go to bed, I am really tired and I have Alex's funeral tomorrow. Good night," I said and went to my room. I quickly changed into my P.J's and climbed into bed. For the first time since the battle I had a nightmare free sleep.
The next morning I was up early and I had a quick shower before going into the kitchen to have some breakfast before the funeral. When I walked into the kitchen in black robes and my hair pulled back, Sirius was stood eating some cereal.
"Morning!" I said smiling brightly.
"Morning. How come Chris isn't coming to the funeral?" Sirius asked with caution.
"He wanted to. But I would prefer to go alone. You and Krista don't have to come," I said pouring some coffee. My life seemed to revolve around pouring coffee.
"We'll come because I know your bound to start bawling half way through," he said drinking from his cup.
Krista appeared then and we set out to Matt and Lisa's funeral. Matt and Lisa were the couple who died in Krista and Sirius' department. The ceremony was beautiful and I was now feeling even more hatred towards Luicus. At the end Krista was crying her eyes out and we moved on to Alex's. I took a deep breath on the way in and sat down. I looked around and noticed Alex's sister from a picture he had shown me. I smiled and she smiled weakly back. She then came and sat by me.
"Hello, I'm so sorry," I said. She nodded and the ceremony continued. A lot of people were emotional at this funeral. I felt like crying all the way through. Which I did. Alex was an innocent person who had been killed because of me. Because I had been too weak to help him. At the end I was crying my eyes out. Krista came up to me and hugged me. I told her and Sirius about Alex telling me he liked me before he died.
"We'll talk more at the flat," Krista said and we disapparated. When we arrived Krista made us some hot chocolate.
"So what happened?" Sirius asked sitting down.
"Well we were in that shack thing. And he told me he may not get another chance to tell me he liked me," I said tears welling in my eyes.
"Then, we ran out and two Death Eaters surprised us. The one grabbed me and the other killed Alex," I said. I told them everything except the fact Luicus Malfoy was the person who had held me. He was the person who was responsible for Alex's death. An hour later Remus, Katie and Kristine appeared in the flat with parcels. Kristine was going back to Hogwarts tomorrow. Lily appeared a few minutes later to make dinner. We were all having dinner together to say good-bye to Kristine and Lily. Lily disappeared into the kitchen followed by Krista. I then went to see if Chris was in his room. I walked to his door and knocked.
"Chris? You in there?" I asked through the door. There was a sudden grunt and he answered the door smiling.
"Hey! I was sleeping!" He said.
"Nice to know. Come on we are having dinner soon," I said smiling up at him. He smiled and leaned in and kissed me. When the kiss ended we went into the Living Room. I jumped onto the Couch.
"Sirius! I never realised it before but I finally see what people are on about! You and Katie do look like each other," I said. Sirius looked at me and threw a pillow at my head. Followed by Katie.
"I do not look like him!" She said. I nodded frightened of another pillow attack and started to talk to Remus. A little while later lily served up dinner and it was delicious. We all decided on going straight to bed instead of having any girl talk and I wasn't one to argue. I practically ran to my room and changed. I scrambled into bed all the while thinking about Alex's funeral. I fell asleep a little while later.
I was up with Katie the next morning in the kitchen. We went to wake Krista when we walked in however she wasn't there.
"Where is she?" I asked looking under her bed.
"I think we know!" Katie said looking sickened. She then shouted down to Sirius' room for them to get a move on. Krista emerged from there a little while later.
"Two nights in a row?" I asked as Katie and I cornered her on her way to the bathroom.
"If you must know I had a night mare!" Krista said. I felt guilty then.
"Sorry," Katie and I said at the same time. After that everyone got ready and we apparated to Kings Cross to see Kristine off. After this I was going to go and see somebody.
"Bye Kristine!" I said hugging her.
"Have fun!" Katie said hugging her after me.
"Keep in touch. Stay out of my room. Krista, Sirius don't progress in your grossness and don't let Claire in the kitchen," Kristine said as if we were the ones going on the train.
"Bye!" We all shouted as she climbed on the train. After that we apparated back to the flat.
"It's going to be weird!" Katie said.
"I know," I said looking round. After a few minutes Krista left to take a nap, Sirius left after her.
"Katie, I said I'd go see my Mom and Dad. I won't be long. And I want food when I get back!" I said laughing. Katie nodded laughing and I disapparated to a place I knew well. It wasn't my parents house it was Luicus Malfoy's manor. I shook the hair out of my face and knocked on the door. A house elf answered.
"How can I help Miss Claire?" she squeaked up at me. I knew this elf well; she had been the elf that served me when I came to the manor.
"Is Mr Malfoy about?" I asked. She nodded and let me in. "I'll go and get Master Malfoy," she squeaked and ran away. A moment later she returned with Luicus. I glared at him. He walked up to me and told me to follow him. We went into his Living Room.
"What are you doing here?" He asked looking at me oddly.
"I don't really know. I do however know I can never forgive you for what you are and what you have done," I said. I though I would be angry but I was quite calm.
"I know that. I never asked you too," he said coldly. I stared at him; rage had started to take over.
"I can no longer stay and talk to you pathetic excuse for a human being. I don't know what I ever saw in you? Perhaps I was insane during that period of my life?" I asked even more coldly. Luicus looked shocked.
"I am leaving, before Mister-I-am-on-the-best-side decides to kill me too! One thing, I know who and what you are," I said smiling evilly before leaving. I slammed the door with force and apparted to the flat. Did I really have the guts to tell? I knew one thing; I wasn't Luicus Malfoy's favourite person right now. But I hated him. I never thought I would be saying that I hated Luicus Malfoy!
*~Chapter 13~*
After the welcome home party for Krista James and Lily had decided to stay the night at the flat. The girls and I had decided to have a nice little girly gossip. So we put our P.J's on and the guys were about to leave the Living Room when they spotted the food and decided to be in on this gossip. So Chris joined me on the couch and I snuggled up to him. Lily and James were on the other couch, Remus and Katie in front of the fire, Sirius and Krista in front of our couch and Kristine and Peter sat in armchairs. It was then I remembered about the owl off John.
"Are you going to go?" I asked Krista and Sirius.
"Yeah," Krista said.
"Are you sure you want to go?" Chris whispered. I nodded.
I still had nightmares about that battle. I kept re-living the moment Alex told me he liked me, then when he was killed the way his body hit the floor and lay motionless. How Luicus had held me to stop me helping. I hated that man for that. Yet I still couldn't bring myself to tell my friends he was a Death Eater. I hadn't even told Chris yet. Krista had now started to play a game where she asked everyone what he or she wanted more than anything in the world. Sirius wanted a flying motorbike, Katie wanted her brother to grow up but changed her mind to Sirius and Krista getting a room, Remus wanted Kristine to stay single so he wouldn't have to worry, Peter a job at the Ministry, James a professional Quidditich player, Lily for James to stop snoring, this sparked off another of James' and Krista's fights.
"Here they go," I said as they ran around the flat shouting hexes at each other.
"It's surprising how they can do that all the time," Katie chipped in.
"Yeah I can't argue with Kristine," Remus said. Everyone rolled their eyes. We all knew how protective of Kristine Remus was. It was because he was protecting Kristine from a werewolf he got the bite.
"We all know that Moony," Sirius said laughing. There was a sudden thud followed by another thud and then howls of laughter. Everyone scrambled from where they were to go see what happened. Krista and James had hit each other with the Tickling Charm at the same time and both were laughing on the floor still screaming at each other through their laughter. We all started to laugh.
"That was clever," Kristine, said as Lily and Sirius relieved them of the charm. We walked back into the Living Room and I sat on the couch with my head on Chris' shoulder.
"You tow have to truce so we don't have another outburst," Remus said. They gave in and truce. Krista then carried on asking people. Chris said he would like to go to Romania and work with dragons. Krista then asked me.
"I would like to take two months out and travel," I said thinking.
"If you're going I'm coming with!" Krista said smiling.
"Can I come with you?" Sirius asked hopefully.
"No! It's going be a girls only thing!" We both said. Sirius and Krista talked about this before Lily interrupted and asked what Krista would want most in the world.
"Socks for my feet! Be back!" She said and left.
"Will she really travel without me?" Sirius asked, as if James was going on a trip to the joke shop and leaving him behind.
"Yeah! It will be a girls only thing," I said smiling.
"I'll be all alone with you then Sirius," Chris said.
"Yep you will!" I said smiling. Chris grinned at me.
"Those two are slowly turning into you and Lily, Sirius and Krista and Remus and Katie the way they act!" Kristine said to James.
"Oh I hope so!" I said sarcastically. James took offence to this and threw a pillow at me, which I threw back at him. Krista then re-appeared.
"Come on! Answer the question!" I said. She finally said she would like to be an aunt. We stayed up for a while longer and eventually everyone fell asleep. I fell asleep with my head on Chris' shoulder and my legs were dangling down over his legs.
Krista and Sirius tickling James because he woke them up with a burst of ice-cold water waked us the next morning.
"My favourite way to wake someone!" I said stretching.
"At least someone appreciates it," James said laughing.
"I need a shower!" I said and went to the bathroom. I had a quick shower grabbed some toast and disapparated to work with Chris.
"Have fun!" I said as he disappeared into the Department of Magical Sports. He smiled.
"You'll be fine!" he said and left. I walked into the department to see John.
"Morning," I said pouring some coffee.
"How are you?" he asked. I nodded and shrugged my shoulders.
"I hate to say it, Claire. But Alex's re-placement will be starting today, you'll have to show them the ropes," John said. It struck me finally that I wouldn't be working with Alex no more. Alex was gone.
"That's fine! I have some work to be getting on with first," I said. John nodded and I went through to my office. I walked in and put my cup on the desk. My desk was scattered with loads of files and papers. I magically arranged them and set to work. My mind kept straying to the thought of Alex though. We had become good friends and he put up with my endless blabber. Like I listened to him. I felt guilty that he died. It was my fault, I could've broken Luicus' grip it's not hard. But Luicus seemed to have strength I had never known. I had been staring intently at a wall thinking all this over when I realised someone had walked into my office.
"Can I help you?" I asked. It was a boy around the same age as Alex had been.
"I am Sean Davies. I believe you are Claire Magford?" he asked. I nodded.
"Nice to meet you Sean. Now what should we do first? I know I'll show you your office then the big office/department then we'll go onto different bits in the Ministry," I said throwing my quill down.
"Sounds good," he said and we left my office. I showed him his office, Alex's old one, and then I introduced him to John and we went onto the rest of the Ministry with things that concerned our department.
"Basically we are here to protect Wizards. We deal with the spy's, the attacks and known death eaters," I told him as we left Bartemius Crouch.
"We are the newest department and if and when Voldemort falls we will be only run for a year at the most then close," I explained.
"Okay. Sounds an interesting job," he said smiling. We moved onto different departments before returning at the end of the day to our department.
"I'll finish all this on Monday. Although I have nothing over the weekend to do so I'll take some home," I said to John.
"That's fine Claire. I'll see you at Alex's funeral and stop blaming yourself," John said. I nodded and he left. I walked into my office and grabbed some files. I walked out locked the door and apparated to the flat.
"Hey!" I said to Kristine who was laid on a couch doing some of her summer homework.
"Hello. Doing some Potions homework. Are you making food tonight?" Kristine asked practically pleading.
"You are joking? Last time I cooked I burned everything and almost burned the kitchen down!" I said laughing. I had been banned from cooking because of that. In the end we decided on ordering food. A little while later Sirius appeared carrying a sleeping Krista in his arms.
"Right little snoring sleeping beauty," I said smiling.
"She fell asleep at work. I'm going to put her to bed, give me some food because I'm going to sleep too," Sirius said. I handed him a carton of Chinese food and he left.
"Kristine aren't you going shopping in Diagon Alley tomorrow?" I asked.
"Yeah. To get my school stuff. Why?"
"Just wondering. I'm going to go to bed, I am really tired and I have Alex's funeral tomorrow. Good night," I said and went to my room. I quickly changed into my P.J's and climbed into bed. For the first time since the battle I had a nightmare free sleep.
The next morning I was up early and I had a quick shower before going into the kitchen to have some breakfast before the funeral. When I walked into the kitchen in black robes and my hair pulled back, Sirius was stood eating some cereal.
"Morning!" I said smiling brightly.
"Morning. How come Chris isn't coming to the funeral?" Sirius asked with caution.
"He wanted to. But I would prefer to go alone. You and Krista don't have to come," I said pouring some coffee. My life seemed to revolve around pouring coffee.
"We'll come because I know your bound to start bawling half way through," he said drinking from his cup.
Krista appeared then and we set out to Matt and Lisa's funeral. Matt and Lisa were the couple who died in Krista and Sirius' department. The ceremony was beautiful and I was now feeling even more hatred towards Luicus. At the end Krista was crying her eyes out and we moved on to Alex's. I took a deep breath on the way in and sat down. I looked around and noticed Alex's sister from a picture he had shown me. I smiled and she smiled weakly back. She then came and sat by me.
"Hello, I'm so sorry," I said. She nodded and the ceremony continued. A lot of people were emotional at this funeral. I felt like crying all the way through. Which I did. Alex was an innocent person who had been killed because of me. Because I had been too weak to help him. At the end I was crying my eyes out. Krista came up to me and hugged me. I told her and Sirius about Alex telling me he liked me before he died.
"We'll talk more at the flat," Krista said and we disapparated. When we arrived Krista made us some hot chocolate.
"So what happened?" Sirius asked sitting down.
"Well we were in that shack thing. And he told me he may not get another chance to tell me he liked me," I said tears welling in my eyes.
"Then, we ran out and two Death Eaters surprised us. The one grabbed me and the other killed Alex," I said. I told them everything except the fact Luicus Malfoy was the person who had held me. He was the person who was responsible for Alex's death. An hour later Remus, Katie and Kristine appeared in the flat with parcels. Kristine was going back to Hogwarts tomorrow. Lily appeared a few minutes later to make dinner. We were all having dinner together to say good-bye to Kristine and Lily. Lily disappeared into the kitchen followed by Krista. I then went to see if Chris was in his room. I walked to his door and knocked.
"Chris? You in there?" I asked through the door. There was a sudden grunt and he answered the door smiling.
"Hey! I was sleeping!" He said.
"Nice to know. Come on we are having dinner soon," I said smiling up at him. He smiled and leaned in and kissed me. When the kiss ended we went into the Living Room. I jumped onto the Couch.
"Sirius! I never realised it before but I finally see what people are on about! You and Katie do look like each other," I said. Sirius looked at me and threw a pillow at my head. Followed by Katie.
"I do not look like him!" She said. I nodded frightened of another pillow attack and started to talk to Remus. A little while later lily served up dinner and it was delicious. We all decided on going straight to bed instead of having any girl talk and I wasn't one to argue. I practically ran to my room and changed. I scrambled into bed all the while thinking about Alex's funeral. I fell asleep a little while later.
I was up with Katie the next morning in the kitchen. We went to wake Krista when we walked in however she wasn't there.
"Where is she?" I asked looking under her bed.
"I think we know!" Katie said looking sickened. She then shouted down to Sirius' room for them to get a move on. Krista emerged from there a little while later.
"Two nights in a row?" I asked as Katie and I cornered her on her way to the bathroom.
"If you must know I had a night mare!" Krista said. I felt guilty then.
"Sorry," Katie and I said at the same time. After that everyone got ready and we apparated to Kings Cross to see Kristine off. After this I was going to go and see somebody.
"Bye Kristine!" I said hugging her.
"Have fun!" Katie said hugging her after me.
"Keep in touch. Stay out of my room. Krista, Sirius don't progress in your grossness and don't let Claire in the kitchen," Kristine said as if we were the ones going on the train.
"Bye!" We all shouted as she climbed on the train. After that we apparated back to the flat.
"It's going to be weird!" Katie said.
"I know," I said looking round. After a few minutes Krista left to take a nap, Sirius left after her.
"Katie, I said I'd go see my Mom and Dad. I won't be long. And I want food when I get back!" I said laughing. Katie nodded laughing and I disapparated to a place I knew well. It wasn't my parents house it was Luicus Malfoy's manor. I shook the hair out of my face and knocked on the door. A house elf answered.
"How can I help Miss Claire?" she squeaked up at me. I knew this elf well; she had been the elf that served me when I came to the manor.
"Is Mr Malfoy about?" I asked. She nodded and let me in. "I'll go and get Master Malfoy," she squeaked and ran away. A moment later she returned with Luicus. I glared at him. He walked up to me and told me to follow him. We went into his Living Room.
"What are you doing here?" He asked looking at me oddly.
"I don't really know. I do however know I can never forgive you for what you are and what you have done," I said. I though I would be angry but I was quite calm.
"I know that. I never asked you too," he said coldly. I stared at him; rage had started to take over.
"I can no longer stay and talk to you pathetic excuse for a human being. I don't know what I ever saw in you? Perhaps I was insane during that period of my life?" I asked even more coldly. Luicus looked shocked.
"I am leaving, before Mister-I-am-on-the-best-side decides to kill me too! One thing, I know who and what you are," I said smiling evilly before leaving. I slammed the door with force and apparted to the flat. Did I really have the guts to tell? I knew one thing; I wasn't Luicus Malfoy's favourite person right now. But I hated him. I never thought I would be saying that I hated Luicus Malfoy!