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T went to his room and pulled out the tickets he had bought for him and El. An escape, and escape they would. Trixie was gone to find El, the wolf knowing where to go, she could find El anywhere. T took a deep breath and let his form grow small so she would appear less threatening. Trixie sat by her feet, speaking in T's voice.
"You were correct mistress, but I advise you not to go into her room, do not push?"
T snorted but nodded, Trixie was right, don't push her sister too hard. She was still coping with the news she recieved. And she didn't exactly blame Elia for her frustrations. The girl was much too caring. Then she went to Malfoy Manor.
She smiled as she met with Voldemort, now appearing as the Tanya Sayre they all knew. The Death Eaters bowed before her, Voldemort striding towards her side. He looked prideful, red eyes beaming down at her.
"I bare good news, dear cousin." Voldemort said, as they greeted each other. Tanya waited for him to continue, "As a reward for ridding Dumbledore, Severus and you will be married. Once we've won, you two can wed as soon as possible and produce a strong heir. He should be honored to join our bloodline."
Voldemort left it at that, putting a hand on her shoulder before leaving to meet with more of his Death Eaters. Tanya stood there, the news weighing on her yet no excitement filled her. The happiness she should have felt wasn't there.
Of course, she loved Severus but to marry under these circumstances. For these reasons? Because the Dark Lord permits it? These were not the reasons to get married and it certainly wasn't how she wanted it to be. She would marry on her own terms. She wondered what Severus felt.
Finally pulling herself together, she then headed to get Draco from his bedroom upstairs. She needed her sister to forgive both of them if she wanted her plans to succeed. With a short talk, they decided to leave her to cool off for a time. At least until the snakes ran out of patience.
Heading back downstairs, T joined in on the celebration that took place for Dumbledore's death. She caught Bellatrix glaring at her from a distance, as usual. T laughed and pretended to drink, the alcohol in her hand dropping into a plant at most times. Most of all she listened, listened to the gossip. Listened to them as they spoke of plans, attacks, hatred, and fear. T leaned on a wall listening to Bellatrix bragging about Voldemort's trust for her, what she kept hidden.
Bellatrix laughed to the others, "As soon as Tanya has a son, I'll just take the little half breed and kill her. The Dark Lord would have what he wanted, an heir."
T slipped away after that, her curiosity sated. She knew if Bellatrix said that to either her or the Dark Lord, she'd be back handed or worse for the disrespect. Tanya let it go and went home that night, the Death Eaters all too drunk to remember shit the next morning.
T paused when a small fox appeared in her room, a soft voice she recognised whispering. "Please follow."
Tanya sent Trixie with a small twitch of her finger. Then followed as well when she got out of the house.
T found herself in the medical wing of Hogwarts, her magical signature still accepted in the school that she was welcomed within the wards. Fleur slammed into her, hard sobs shaking the slender female. Tanya changed forms, so Fleur would have a more solid figure to sob into. Bill laid on the bed, eyes half lidded and his face wrapped in bandages.
"You could at least wait till I was dead Tanya, I mean damn." Bill muttered, gesturing to Fleur clinging to T's body.
T laughed before gently moving, Fleur still holding tight as she was scared to hurt her fiance. If she couldn't squeeze the life out of him then T would have to take it.
"Hey buddy, I see you had a run in with a wild dog. How are you feeling?"
Bill gave a half shrug, the dried blood on his face not hiding the scratches.
"Please T, like this could bring me down. I mean I saw you had some to. Can you… can you give me the cure?"
T felt himself tense up before letting out a slow breath. Fleur looking up to him with desperate eyes, he could never say no to either of them.
"Bill— you and your fiance are cheaters, how do you even know about my prototype? How do you know you'll turn into a wolf?"
T felt the light pull as Fleur whispered her pleas, begging him to try.
"Charlie may have spilled how you thought you had one. He said one of the men you experimented on didn't turn after two moons. Plus, I don't know if I'll turn, but I need to be sure. I need to really be sure. I'm getting married after all, I can't bare it if I hurt Fleur or pass it on-"
"You won't! Tanya can 'elp you, won't you?" Fleur turned to T, her eyes heavy with tears that kept crashing, "Please, Tanya. Save 'im."
T nodded but looked away slightly, shame in his eyes.
"He also screamed through those nights, Bill. Nothing but screams met my ears. I didn't know if it was a side effect or not, so I never tried it again."
Bill reached over and took T's hand, T's from growing small to show Tanya again. Face concerned and scared. He glanced at Fleur.
"We're willing to take that risk, just don't let me hurt her."
T looked to Fleur who was nodding as well, Madam Pomfrey stood with a hand on her shoulder. Everyone was looking to her for the cure. Tanya frowned, sighing before she continued.
"Alright, get him a bite guard, Pomfrey. Fleur, strap him down so he doesn't thrash. It's not a cure all, if it worked like it worked for me then you can't turn or pass it on. But you may still feel some tendencies of a wolf."
T pulled out a small leather case, her small form going back into it's male form. He needed to be strong for this.
"Bill forgive me, Fleur forgive me. You will both hate me after this. If all goes well, you don't need it, better if you needed it and it fixed. "
Bill stared back with hurt eyes, the curse eating at him already. Fleur was done securing him, Pomfrey held out a thick leather strap.
"Will you drink it willingly or do I have to force it down?"
Bill tried to open his mouth but he couldn't, panic settling.
"Self preservation of the curse, it's fine."
T grabbed his jaw and forced it open before showing the vile down his throat, emptying the liquid, pulling back and shoving the leather into his mouth. Then they waited. Waited as Bill screamed through the strap, body shaking and twitching.
He strained against the straps, tears falling as he sobbed. Fleur sobbed softly, whispering her love for him and motivation to keep fighting as his body shook, his cuts healing into scars. Luckily not into black scars as Tanya had.
When the morning came, Tanya was finally able to remove the leather strap. Bill was panting, eyes barely open, and pale skin drenched in sweat.
"Thanks, little dragon."
Bill passed out. Getting up, Tanya summoned Maxwell, the patronus staring up at her.
"Meet me at Elena's house. Now. El hasn't said anything to anybody. We'll go to her."
The Patronus left while Trixie stared up at T.
"Shall I go back to her?"
"No, I'm going this time."
T went to Elena's house, knowing that Draco would arrive in no time. Once he got the message, he'd be there. He was already anxious prior, but she was the same if she was honest. She caught the elder Sayre shaking her head.
"You look like shit."
"Thanks, I feel like shit."
T then turned to open the door and pulled Draco inside. She gave a smidgen of a lie, saying she spoke to her dad. In truth, Trixie did all the communicating, it freaks out her dad, but it's easier on T's sanity.
They all spoke of how they treated El. Babied her, being too overprotective. T agreed out loud but internally she was snarling. Her sister was doing better at holding her own, but she's seen better witches and wizards killed, raped, used as target practice.
But that wasn't for her to say. She just needed to play along, play nice. Enough to get to Elia and prepare her and teach her things others lacked. At how to survive a war on her own. But they'd never leave El alone, though they realized they can't cage her forever. It was wrong.
They all went to the bakery to apologize to El. T focused all her attention on it, trying not to get hurt, yet running on no sleep didn't help. The three landed in the middle of the dining area, scaring Abraham.
"Fucking hell!" Her father shouted, still not used to them just appearing in his home, "Watch yourselves! I have bloody tea with me!"
Tanya just snorted as she pet Toast, "Hi to you too, Dad."
She couldn't help the amusement that slipped into her voice. He tried telling them El didn't want to talk, but T was barely listening.
"Later. We can't wait." Too much was happening, too much to explain. She banged on the bedroom door, "El. It's me, can we talk?"
T felt her magic drain slowly, not sleeping, not eating, and using so much magic to help maintain Bill. It was all taking its toll on her body. Not that she could let the others know.
"Christ, she has this enchanted good. I've created a monster." T smiled as pride filled her, the magic was good, but she could feel what was missing. She didn't say it, though knew Draco would reach the same conclusion. They were snakes after all, eyeing the cat at their ankles.
They spoke a short minute about her not needing to come out. T attempting to emphasize her sister coming out. As she hoped, Draco went in. Just in a different way. Elia hadn't set up wards in time to block out apparition, only enchanting the lock on the door. Hufflepuffs were quite predictable. After he was gone with Toast in his arms, Elena turned to T.
"Alright spill your guts, little girl. I've seen you break down wards when you were angry, you didn't bother trying to apparate in."
T sat on the floor, legs no longer able to hold her up.
"Tired is all, didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Just so tired."
T stood before Elena could comfort her, leaning on the wall by the kitchen where she finally got to speak with her father. He made her a strong brew of coffee, the witch didn't bother to wait before chugging what she could. She was close to collapsing and Elena shook her head at her. Later the door opened, T had her unbreakable facade back on.
"Hey puff." Tanya spoke coldly, eyes narrowed.
El frowned right back, "Back at you snake."
"Listen El, sorry about keeping shit from you." El's face turned red as T replied, anger boiling up.
"For shit? This was important information!" El yelled back at her sister while T raised her lip into a snarl.
"Important for who? Death is an everyday thing for me. I rather not add you to the list, nor have you get use to it either."
The two took deep breaths before trying again.
"Sorry sis, I just didn't want to tell you a secret that wasn't mine. How would you react to telling me a secret Severus had?"
"True, but this was a tad different. I don't want to be hidden anymore, nor anything hidden from me. I want to be all in. I'm not a child and I'm willing to learn all I can in order to hold my own in a fight. I want you to take me serious, T. And no more secrets. Promise?"
The girls grew silent in acknowledgment before El hugged her sister. T sighing, happy to have her sister back again before nodding. She'd train El, call in favors, be transparent of plans, and do all she could so her family could survive. Then they discussed what would be happening. T wanting El to have more training, some spells she thought she needed. Anything at all.
El wanted to visit Bill and Fleur, but T advised to stay under the radar. As well as the fact that Bill was still recovering from his body fighting the infection, she was sure he was exhausted. The girl patched up with the two snakes that ensnared her life, and it lifted a slight weight off Tanya. Another worry out the door.
Then they went to the funeral of Dumbledore's not long after. T in her male form to blend in. Although he felt nothing. Death was the cost of war, it was as simple as that. A cost that was high but she knew Dumbledore would no longer suffer, he would no longer hurt.
T looked to El hoping her sister could be strong, hoping this wouldn't be her tipping point. But she trusted her. Trusted that she was a strong puff who wouldn't break so easily. T then went with El to say their goodbyes. As she let her sister part with the others in the crowd, T glanced at the centaurs at the edge of the forest. They stared at her too, making him arch a brow before looking down at El again.
When El was done, T grabbed her and dragged the Puff to her apartment. There, she shed her male form and went back to Tanya. Shaking off her body, she fixed a few things in her house and brought out drinks. She knew the Order was coming, yet she couldn't stop remembering the centaurs back at the funeral.
As the girls waited for more Order members to show, they spoke of other things. Such as how Tonks returned with her pink hair, and a werewolf by the hand. The couple seemed content at the funeral and it was obviously recent if the girls didn't get the news yet. Tonks told them everything. Tanya smiled.
Then other things entered their conversation. Things like the war, loss, how things will just get worse. Tanya was glad to have this distraction, she needed to prep El for everything.
They were interrupted by a knock on the door. There, they found Moody, Tonks, Remus, Bill, and Fleur. Tanya couldn't help but notice how tired he looked and the bandages that hid what Frenrir had done. She also couldn't help but notice how El and Fleur clucked at him like mother hens.
"Just pour firewhiskey and I'll be good." Bill laughed while T snorted. She nodded, walking over to get the drinks.
She prepared them looking around at everyone in the room. Examining them slowly as she poured and mixed. These were her people, a small portion of the snake's pack. She knew these were the few people she'd do anything for, anything to survive the war.
And T couldn't help but smile as she handed out the drinks, Moody downing his quickly. She made sure to spike his with faery wine. He needed to relax more than the rest of them.
"I'll tell ya what, this isn't the end of it. We're going to need a lot more liquor by the end of this damned war. It's hard, but the Dark Lord is working harder. So always remember— stay-" Moody didn't get to finish his sentence as two pairs of ears perked at a phrase they knew all too well.
"Constantly vigilant!" Both Tonks and Tanya said at the same time, laughter erupted in the room. Moody could only glare at the two.
"This ain't no laughing matter. Dumbledore's dead and the Dark Lord is planning who knows what. We should be making the next move, than canoodling on the damn couch!" T grinned while Moody shot a look to Tonks and Remus. The couple just sat with flushed faces.
Elia jumped up, "I knew it! You two have been holding hands since the funeral! Say it!"
"Who gave the girl wine already?!" Moody questioned, noticing the flush on Elia's face and her sudden outburst. T just met his eyes with a smile. Her sister deserved to relax as well.
Remus readjusted himself on the couch, guilty, "Alright, I'll be the one to say it. Yes, we're together."
Everyone cheered, congratulations and well wishes were given. Moody crossed his arms while giving a deep frown. Tanya's lips curled up all while looking at her sister, seeing her eyes begin to light up. For all the darkness in their lives, they all deserve happiness. She was happy for Tonks but she was happier her sister was lighting up again that her best friend was happy.
"You finally came around." Tanya congratulated them in her own way, lifting her glass.
"It's not wise to do so at this time. Hell, you might as well cancel that wedding of yours." Moody said to Fleur and Bill beside him, T snarled but it was Fleur who was truly pissed.
"We will not cancel ze wedding! Bill will be my 'usband even if I 'ave to fight You-Know-Who myself."
T smirked at the Veela with a spine of sharp diamonds, wondering if in another life, she would have had a chance if she met that feisty blonde first. Looking to Bill, she was happy he had her though. He needed a woman who would stand up to Molly.
"Lighten up, Moody." Bill said, "No one's canceling anything."
T nodded silently letting them handle this as she handed him another glass from the table.
Moody cursed under his breath before saying, "Damn you all, you're drunk already because of this, hussy!"
He glared at Tanya who still stood behind the counter. Tanya just shrugged, she'd been called worse. She then raised her glass higher with Bill. "Relax Moody, get another drink. Yes, you're right, Dumbledore's gone. It's even more serious now. But after our day, we need a little pick me up. We never get moments like this."
T looked down at her own drink, still seeing her bloody face in the reflection. One that grinned when she didn't.
"Come now, Moody. Dumbledore wouldn't want you this grumpy."
Moody groaned, getting up from his seat in annoyance. He paced the room as Tanya handed out more drinks, raising it with everyone. Moody stood by himself by the walk, Tanya giving him a look, one that held as much mischief as a pixie. He glared back, eye wary of what she might pull this time.
"Anyone not drinking is disrespecting Dumbledore's name!" Tanya spoke in a sing song voice, practically grinning.
Moody cursed quietly before snatching a glass and chugging it with the rest. He sighed again, looking less tense. His shoulders dropped and the Auror sat down by Tanya. Tanya smiled at him before looking back around the room.
"I expected better out of the biggest sap in this room," Moody looked at Elia, "But I suppose love's all the same— makes you blind."
Tanya chuckled as she looked to her sister as well. Thinking of how both her and their father managed to fall for blondes. Like father like daughter.
"She can't help it. Her and Dad are the same, got a thing for the blondes."
Remus then chimed in, "Ah, don't fret. Sirius was once the same, you know. Fancied a blonde in his youth back in school. It was truly a sight I wish everyone could have witnessed."
T tilted her head in interest, noticing Moody pay closer attention. Though he wouldn't admit it. Hardly anyone heard about Sirius, even when he was alive. So this was news to everyone in that room.
T had talked to him a bit when he was alive, after some meetings they'd sit together with a few drinks. With Remus and Tonks or alone. Sirius even promised to wear leather if she wore a blonde wig if they ever ended up sleeping together. He said it as a joke while T took a mental note.
"I remember," Tanya added, smiling remembering that conversation. "You knobs called her, the blonde who got away. Wish I knew how she looked, she sounds crazy to have Sirius still pine over her after so long." "A blonde witch? Sirius was in love?" Elia asked.
"More than that, Elia. Sirius wanted to marry this girl. She ruined him." Remus answered as a matter of fact.
"What happened?"
Remus frowned slightly before he shrugged his shoulders as an answer.
"Who knows? Sirius always kept it to himself, I barely got the general idea of what happened out of him and he was my best mate. Besides, we don't have enough drinks or the time tonight to get through that story. Best leave it for another night, I promise it's worth the wait."
T remembered a time where she heard Sirius mumbling, while he was drunk, going on about her in between his slurs. She even changed her hair to blonde once to just see how he'd react. She couldn't tell if the man was going to cry or bed her right there.
"This is worse than any cliffhanger. I have to wait to hear about Sirius' secret lost lover? What a waste." Elia laid back on the couch and groaned.
"Serves ya right," Moody said in passing, getting another drink, T was glad he was, "We ought to plan our next step while were sober."
T almost laughed but bit her tongue. Even when getting drunk, the man couldn't stop working. No wonder the two worked well together.
Tonks scoffed, "No fun, Moody. The best ideas come when we're absolutely wasted."
He glared once more, "Enough, Nymphadora!"
Her hair turned bright red like fire, a tough glare on her face. The sisters were happy she was back, her powers and attitude were in full flux now. However, they still wondered about Sirius again, all while Tonks and Moody screamed at each other.
Tanya and Elia moved her suitcases to the guest room, away from the chatter in the living room so they could chat to themselves quickly.
"What's on your mind? I could tell you wanted to tell me something before the whole gang arrived." Tanya asked softly, worried her sister might need help.
The corner of Elia's lip turned down for a moment, sitting down on the bed in front of her.
"I do. We said we'd be honest and no more secrets. I want to tell you that-"
T felt her heart stop, "You're pregnant."
Elia's jaw dropped, throwing a pillow at her sister before Tanya giggled madly. It was obvious by her little sister's reaction that she wasn't.
"Fuck off! I'm not so don't jinx me!"
T snorted and shrugged, "I'm just double checking."
Yet, Tanya was being honest. A child would be too much for them right now. The war would not be kind to a baby at that time, nor to someone as young as El, or her status.
"Anyways— this is serious, T." Elia stated, making Tanya cross her arms, "Draco and I had a discussion. We realize how bad everything is turning out to be, and how fast. We wouldn't be surprised if something worse happens. We're all preparing for anything, which is why we want to go away."
T gave a soft smile, fighting back her grin. This was great. This was better than expected.
"You're going to run away with him?"
T tried not to sound hopeful, ready to crush the other snake's dreams.
"When you put it that way— yes I am. I wanted to tell you first because we all agreed, we'd be honest and transparent to each other. We want to leave. If we don't, we could all die. We won't be able to marry and we're ready. I rather not take off without telling you, Dad, and grandmother. Only you three, and we want you all to come with us."
Tanya was silent, letting a glaze cover her eyes, face like stone. Although she appreciated the sentiment of the plan, she needed to make her sister sweat for a minute.
"T, say something. What do you think?"
T reached into her enchanted pockets, pulling out two stubs of paper. She was already snickering to herself. The confusion on El's face become more obvious until he handed them to Elia.
"Next time, he'll have to try harder."
Elia read over the tickets T handed her. They were advanced Apparition point reservations meant for traveling by country. Her sister's brown eyes scanned over the letters, when the realization hit her and the color drained from her face.
The point lead to America.
T wouldn't give El up without a fight. And unfortunately for Draco, a garden snake had nothing on a Basilisk.
"Man may escape from rope and gun; Nay, some have outliv'd the doctor's pill: Who takes a woman must be undone, That basilisk is sure to kill." - John Gay