Chapter Thirteen
I stole one last glance in the mirror. The bun I had my hair wrapped in was still perfect. My pale blue button-down was still free of wrinkles and tucked perfectly into my high-waisted jeans. I looked fine, and vaguely professional. I picked up my black cardigan once more and pulled it on, and then took it off, and then put it back on.
"Stop worrying so much," Sirius said, adjusting the cardigan around my shoulders. I glanced over at him.
"It's our first official meeting with the Order. We've happened to be there when a few members gathered and spoke, but we haven't met everyone yet. We've been caught in this weird limbo of not quite being with the Order but doing small tasks and trying to meet the members for months now, and- and Dumbledore's finally letting us in. I just don't want to mess this up."
"Then you won't," Sirius assured me, placing his hands on my shoulders. "Look in that mirror. What do you see?"
I met my reflection's wide, hazel brown eyes. "Panic."
Sirius chuckled. "I see a strong young woman who has led and participated in multiple different teams of different people coming together for different purposes, who is about to attend the beginning of the biggest thing she's ever done. I see a young woman who has overcome adversity after adversity, and come through stronger every time."
"You sound like my mother."
"You're also very sexy."
"That's more like it." I turned around, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I just… I can't stop worrying. I know Marlene is nice, and that you and James and Remus and Lily will all be there, but I'm terrified, Sirius. They're bound to be all be more experienced than us, and better fighters, and we still don't know how many there are-"
"They're our allies, not our enemies. Besides, we aren't there to make friends; we're there because we're all united against Voldemort. Don't forget that."
I sighed, and he kissed my forehead.
"Come on, Hazel. Let's go find Remus and get going."
X~X
My first official Order of the Phoenix meeting was in Marlene McKinnon's house. The woman, twenty-eight and strong-willed, had an exquisite home that she shared with her twenty-four year old sister Abilene, and had opened it to the Order due to its rural location in the West Country. It was a fine home, once the property of their parents, passed on at the death of their father and then their mother's mind. The older Mrs. McKinnon now resided in a nursing home in London, where her talk of magic and witchery would be passed off as the delusions of an old woman.
"So this is the McKinnons'," Sirius commented as we entered the foyer. I could hear boisterous arguments coming from the back of the house, and nodded in that direction.
"Apparently. Seems like the right place- oh, Merlin, is that James?"
From the back of the house, there suddenly came flashes of light, accompanied by James's familiar voice casting spells. Sirius sighed and patted my back. "Well, I suppose it's our duty to go find out."
We strode back through the house into the large, house-length room there. At one end was a large oaken table lined with chairs; on the other side were a collection of couches around a coffee table, bookshelves against the walls just behind. James had just been 'stupefy'ed, landing on his backside against the coffee table. Chuckling, he reached back and rubbed his neck, and I followed his gaze to the witch who had done it. She had short black hair in a side-parting, porcelain skin with fawn freckles scattered across her cheeks, and large, bright eyes so dark brown they were nearly black. Her small pink lips shifted up in a smile, and her arm dropped back to the side of her petite body.
"My apologies for ever doubting you," James said, rising to his feet. "That was the best bloody duel I've ever partaken in! Who are you, again?"
"As of this past weekend, Alice Longbottom," she answered, giving a half-bow.
"James Potter," he introduced himself, and then spotted Sirius and I standing confused in the doorway. "And these are my two friends, who are late."
Sirius glanced at a clock hanging on the wall. "The meeting starts at 5, and it's still a quarter till."
"If you read the letter, you'd know they said earlier is better."
Sirius shrugged. "Oh, well. We're late, then."
"Don't listen to that twit, you two are fine," Marlene said, walking into the room with a plate of pastries and setting them on the large table. "Come choose your places. And once again, Potter, Alice- no dueling in my house!"
"Sorry, Marlene," Alice said, a meek grin on her lips as she came and sat down. Sirius and I sat in the middle of one side and Marlene took the seat next to the head of the table, where I spotted Dumbledore. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of him; just seeing Dumbledore nearby made the room feel infinitely safer. Plenty of wards and charms had been placed around the perimeter of the property, but none of that made this place feel as Dumbledore's presence at the table head. Next to him, across from Marlene, was a man who looked strikingly like him, with slightly less gray in his hair and beard.
"Who is that?" I asked Remus quietly, as he sat down next to me. By now, James and Lily had taken a seat on Sirius's other side, Frank and Alice Longbottom sat across from Sirius and I, and Abilene had come to sit next to Marlene. Both sisters were remarkably similar in appearance; they both had a dark tawny complexion, long silky black hair, and long maple-golden eyes. They were beautiful sisters, their primary differences in appearance being that Marlene had darker clothing and more angular features, while Abilene had a soft, round face and dressed in pastels.
"Aberforth," Remus said, reminding me of my earlier question. "He's Dumbledore's younger brother."
"How do you know?" I asked; though the family resemblance was obvious- the same blue eyes, streaks of auburn in the hair, robust beards- there was no way to tell the exact relation just by looking.
"Just because the others played around while you were away doesn't mean we all did," Remus answered. "I visited Dumbledore and Marlene frequently to learn more about the other members."
"Useful."
He shrugged. "James and Sirius were more focused on the Death Eaters hanging around, so I suppose they were being useful in their own right."
"And how many games of Exploding Snap, Wizard Chess, and quidditch-related activities were played?"
"Innumerable," Remus answered, grinning.
We went around the room as I asked Remus for everyone's names. Some were easier to remember than others, and I had forgotten half again by the time the meeting started.
"Attention!" Dumbledore called, standing. Silence fell over the room; it was very likely we were all his former students, and more than accustomed to falling quiet under his orders. "Some of you are new here. Others have been in this Order since its formation. Our newcomers are Frank Longbottom, Alice's husband," he gestured as he spoke, "Hazel Drummond, Sirius Black, James Potter, and Lily Evans."
I glanced at Remus. No introduction? Then again, he already knew everyone; I guess he doesn't need one.
"I believe they have some news," Dumbledore continued. "Lily, if you will."
He took a seat, and the redhead rose, her face beginning to match her hair. She cleared her throat. "There have been Death Eaters around Godrick's Hollow for several weeks now. Lupin and I saw them in glimpses, and then Drummond returned from the auror training program to tell us she'd received confirmation that they were there. They're after Sirius Black; they plan to recruit him, due to familial relations."
"How do we know he isn't one of them, then?" asked a sallow, middle-aged man whose name I had forgotten.
"If he was, they wouldn't be so persistent," Lily replied easily, and I rested a hand on Sirius's forearm under the table; he was bristling at the accusation. Lily continued, "They have been quieter lately, but it's only a matter of time before an attack happens."
"Do you know who is in Godrick's Hollow?" Dumbledore asked.
"Not for sure, but we know Bellatrix Lestrange is present there," Lily answered. "It can be presumed, then, that her husband is there as well, and possibly her brother-in-law."
"Who would that be?" Marlene inquired.
"Lucius Malfoy."
"Do we have confirmation he's a Death Eater? He was rotten through at Hogwarts, but so were many others who aren't His followers."
"He's been spotted among them, and we've heard word that most of Sirius's family have alleged themselves to Voldemort by now. Malfoy, as Sirius's cousin's husband, would be part of that family."
"Dare I ask where this information came from?" asked the sallow man.
"A family member of his approached Drummond in London. He doesn't wish his name given away, because then he could be killed for informing her."
"Thank you, Miss Evans," Dumbledore said, and Lily nodded and sat down, her cheeks scarlet at this point. Dumbledore rose to his feet once more. "I have some assignments to give out, at our first meeting with all of us here. You will be assigned to teams with those I think you work best with."
He withdrew a stack of papers from a deep pocket in his robes.
"These papers hold what you'll be doing and who with. I will pass them along now; read yours only, and pass it to the other names on the paper."
Papers were passed out, Dumbledore calling names as he delved them out, and I couldn't help feeling almost like I was back at Hogwarts. A paper was passed along and reached me, and I read it quickly.
ALASTOR MOODY (LEADER)
FRANK LONGBOTTOM
ALICE LONGBOTTOM
HAZEL DRUMMOND
LILY EVANS
START DATE: 12 JULY 1977
Your task is to scout the Death Eater activity in Oxford. A troupe of Death Eaters has been spotted in the area and reports of unexplained muggle deaths have made the news there. For the next month, you are to scout the area and capture as many Death Eaters as possible. The next Order meeting will be August 21st; Alastor knows the location.
I passed the paper down to Lily, and turned to Sirius. He met my eyes with a glimmer of fear in his own, and I couldn't tell if it was fear for me or himself.
"He put us three marauders together," Sirius said quietly. "With the Prewett brothers. Gideon is in charge of us; we'll be scouting the woods around Godrick's Hollow for my cousin."
"That's a terrible assignment for you!" I gasped, keeping my voice low.
"Not necessarily. The Prewetts are powerful wizards, and they'll keep James and I rational, I think. Who's in your group?"
"Moody," I replied, eyeing the scarred auror at the end of the table, opposite from Dumbledore. "And the Longbottoms and Lily. We'll be in Oxford, trying to stop the unexplained muggle deaths there, which are possibly caused by Death Eaters."
"Didn't you see Professor Harley there?"
"I did, but I don't want that getting out."
Sirius eyed me closely. "Hazel, that's your job. You're supposed to be catching him. If it's the imperius curse or even just a bad decision, Dumbledore can get him on our side, but you have to catch him first."
I sighed. "I know. We'll talk about that tonight, alright? My mission doesn't start for two more days."
"Ours begins tomorrow morning," Sirius replied. "Ah, James is going to talk to the Prewetts; I suppose I should go with."
Sirius and Remus departed from either side of me, and Lily scooted over to where Sirius had been sitting. She smiled warmly at the Longbottoms.
"Ready for a month together?" She asked, and Alice grinned eagerly.
"Definitely! Hunting Death Eaters close to home sounds wonderful."
Lily smiled graciously, and I remembered with unexpected grief that she had lost both of her parents- her home was gone. No, that wasn't quite it; my eyes fell on James at the end of the table. He was her home now. That's comforting, at least.
"Hazel, you're from Oxford as well, aren't you?" Frank asked, and I nodded.
"Yes, my mother and my best friend both live there. Dumbledore knows I've spotted Death Eaters on my visits there; have you two?"
"They might be somewhat our fault," Alice said, chuckling. "There's a neighborhood full of muggles, and we're the only wizarding family in it. Since we arrived, all of our muggle neighbors have told us of dark figures lurking in the shadows and we've had quite a few unexplained deaths." She grew serious. "I think it's meant to be a warning, but Frank and I simply went to Dumbledore about it. So, if you only visit Oxford, where are you living now?"
This moved the conversation to a whole new path as I explained my living situation, and Lily explained hers. By the time we were back to Frank and Alice telling us about the small two-bedroom house they shared, the meeting had come to a close. Marlene stood at the end of the table where Dumbledore had been; the headmaster was now across the room eating crepes from a tray she had set out.
"Everyone!" She called, her voice coming out strong. We all paused our conversations and looked up, though a few men in the corner finished their closing statements before giving her their attention. She smiled at all of us. "I think this has been a very productive meeting. Now you all know where I live; this house is a safehouse as long as it stands. I keep wards up at all times, but if you appear at the perimeter I'll bring you in. Now as much as I'd love to keep you all, I've cleaning to do and preparations for my own task, which begins at midnight. So please wrap up your conversations before the hour turns; it's a quarter till. Thank you."
She finished and walked off, and conversation gradually resumed. Lily and I made our way to Remus, James, and Sirius, and waited as they wrapped up their conversation with Gideon Prewett, whose brother was already busy talking to the gaggle of chatty men in the corner. Gideon nodded at me and Lily as we approached, and hastily ended the conversation and left to find his brother, saying his goodbyes to the Marauders.
James wrapped an arm around Lily and, without hesitation, apparated. Sirius and Remus turned to me.
"Ready, love?" Sirius asked, and I nodded, taking both boys' forearm in my grasp and apparating.
When we appeared in our living room, I reflected on how good it was to be home- and how little time it seemed I would be spending there.
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A/N: It's been a whoooole year since the first chapter of the first book, yay! TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY!