Just to let y'all know, updates on this story will be slow coming until I finish my Bleach fanfiction, as I want to prioritize finishing my primary works before focusing more on this one. Also, French-thick accent-not typing out the 'Arry's' and the 'e's and the 'zat's. Just use your imagination.
Thin, pale fingers traced dark pen on yellowing parchment. Teeth gnawed on a red lower lip, burgundy painted nails drummed on dark wood, and finally with a sigh Dahlia Beausoliel folded the letter from her cousin's son and threw it to the corner of her desk. The wastepaper basket below her desk was filled with failed attempts at a reply, and auburn hair was mussed from being pulled at and run through in stress, and wide brown eyes were still locked on the letter. She had been sitting at her desk for hours now since the gorgeous white owl had come, looking exhausted from what she knew to be a very long flight. Dahlia had racked her brain for hours and hours, and eventually her mind settled on the fact that she had only one option in regards to what to do.
Standing from her desk she was quick to start packing with a flick of an ivory wand. The owl hooted softly in question, and Dahlia gave the bird a soft smile.
"It's time I return to Britain." The words felt foreign on her tongue after just over 20 years of speaking French primarily, and another 11 years of not speaking English at all. She would have to get used to it, rapidly, considering she would be spending who knows how long back in the homeland of her birth. She was done packing and dressed in a simple emerald skirt, white blouse, and thin black traveling cloak in a manner of moments. Another 20 minutes to get her affairs in order and then she was away in a flash of flames, brushing ash from her clothes. She had shrunk her trunk and slipped it into the pocket of her skirt alongside the letter and her wand. Her left hand held the snowy owl in a silver cage, and in her right a small box wrapped in dark red paper.
"Excuse me." Dahlia approached the barkeep at the counter, smiling politely. His eyes racked over her form for a moment, probably trying to figure out who she was considering her accent and short stature made her fairly memorable, before smiling back.
"How can I help ya, miss?"
"I was wondering if you knew where I could find a map of London and the surrounding areas." The barkeep nodded slowly with a hum before nodding towards the door off to his left.
"Well, fer a wizarding one you can get 'em at Flourish & Blott's just past Olivander's in Diagon Alley. 3 up, 2 down to enter. Big red sign, quill on it, hard to miss." This time he nodded to the door on the far right.
"Ye can can a muggle one at an 'Information' by turning right out that door and following the street until you reach a little stand with a big ol' blue sign." Dahlia nodded, stepping back from the bar with a smile of thanks before heading to entrance to Diagon Alley. She wasn't an absolute stranger to the Muggle world, but it had been a few years and she wanted to get a bit used to the wizarding part of the country before exploring the other side. With a few taps of her wand she watched as the brick wall in front of her unfolded, smiling softly. It wasn't as refined as the various wizarding shopping areas she was used to, but it was magical all the same and magic movements like this were always fun to watch.
She headed through the alley with curious eyes, holding the owl's cage close to her front to stop anyone from bumping into it as the alley was extremely busy. It took her a bit longer than she would have preferred to get into Flourish & Blott's, though she was quick enough to leave and head back through the tavern and onto the street on the muggle side. With a tap of her wand the map shimmered and appeared to be a muggle one to the few nosy glances sent her way. Another tap and a line crawled from the centre of London where she stood, to a town about an hour away and her brow furrowed as she considered the fastest way to get there. She could fail a muggle taxi but she didn't much feel like explaining the Owl and she racked her brain before it came to her. Britain had the Knight Bus! She had only been on it once with her cousin, about fifteen or sixteen years ago now, but it had been such an experience that it was hard to believe she had ever forgotten about it.
"Oh, I'm such a fool." She told herself with a 'tsk' as she refolded the map and slid it into her pocket. Sliding her wand up her sleeve she raised her hand and with a loud crack no one else around her could hear, a garishly purple bus snapped into view in front of it. The doors popped open to reveal an acne ridden teen who did a quick once over of her body and face before leering.
"Why 'ello, 'ello, Muffin. My name's Stan Shunpike, your faithful conductor for the day. Where can I take ya' today?"
Muffin? Really? Dahlia resisted the urge to hex the perverted teen to show him some manners and instead smiled politely, taking out her coin purse.
"How much to get to Surrey?" The Conductor held up two fingers and leaned in close, and Dahlia quickly pressed some coins into his palm before brushing past him and heading to a seat as far away from him as possible, about two rows down from an elderly man who was repeatedly coughing up bubbles. She was quick to stick her seat to the floor when the bus took off with a flash, her stomach clenching at the gross speed. It was only a few seconds later she was rushing off the bus with a huff, fixing her hair and patting down her skirt. She looked around in a very serious effort to memorize her location in an effort to never had need for that dreadfully inelegant transportation again.
The houses were neatly lined, all perfectly painted the same beige, all lawns perfectly groomed. The only variations between the houses was the type of car parked-though those two all looked eerily similar- and what flowers were lining every living room window. Dark brown eyes jumped from golden plated number to golden plated number as she walked, lips pursing as eyes peered out from curtains to watch this new unknown interrupt their lives. The owl within the cage hanging from her fingers gave a hoot and a flurry of wing and Dahlia paused to release her, watching her flutter about before swooping into the upstairs window of a house three doors down. She picked up her pace to said house, slipping through the gate and up the walkway. She rolled her eyes at the movement of curtains as she approached the door. Dark eyes clashed with ashy blue and her knuckles rapped harshly against the door as coral pink curtains fluttered closed again. There was a series of hushed whispers on the other side of the door before it swung open with what Dahlia knew to be great reluctance. The long woman who answered the door sneered down upon her, and Dahlia had to crane her neck to meet her icy gaze.
"Petunia."
"Get in. I don't want the neighbours to see you."
Dahlia 'tsked' her tongue and brushed past her eldest-well, only now-cousin and sneered slightly at the sheer amount of pink and beige that accosted her in the entrance room. Petunia was quick to lock the door behind her and bustle past her to what she assumed was the living room, clipping a 'Sit!' at her as though she was a dog before rushing past to the kitchen, most likely to make tea. She wandered around the living room for a few seconds, taking note of the pictures of Petunia and her morbidly obese husband and son. The three of them all had the same false-smile and the pictures looked similar to ones you would get from a dog show. Petunia trotted back into the room with a huff, setting a sterling silver (polished steel) tray down with an entire classic china tea set-which Dahlia's parents had given Petunia for her wedding years ago and perching on the edge of a thin high backed chair, leaving Dahlia to sit on the couch. It was silent for a few moments as Dahlia stared across at Petunia as the older woman stiffly made herself a cup of tea and took one sip she most likely thought looked delicate.
"The boy told me he wrote you. He found one of the letter's Lily wrote to you in her old trunk." Petunia finally spoke up, giving in to the fact that Dahlia much preferred to stare blankly at her rather than talk.
"He did." She answered cooly, not saying much more else. It was far too fun to watch Petunia squirm and try to figure out what best to say to get someone like Dahlia out of her house.
"Well. He asked why he had never heard of any other relatives. I told him, of course, of your father's abandonment and your mother's death years ago." Dahlia kept her face set into a cold smile as Petunia attempt to be hurtful.
"I of course also told him that you were in France and had no interest in coming back." Dahlia laughed lightly, a tinkling sound that would have sounded sweet had it not been so false. Petunia flinched back slightly, trying to hide it with another sip of tea as Dahlia stood.
"Petunia, dear," Dahlia almost purred, clasping her hands together elegantly in front of her skirt and sneering down at her cousin.
"Had I known Lily's child would go to someone like you I would have come back to either take the boy myself or force you to do so." Petunia paled slightly, setting her teacup down as it rattled in her fingers and leaping from her perch as if it had burned her hind end.
"Take him then! Take him! He should be with your kind anyway, not being a burden on us normal people."
Dahlia's lips curved up as she slipped her ivory wand from her sleeve, raising it high in preparation.
"I shall then. Merlin forbid you have to deal with family." Her wand sparked blue as she prepared to cast, before she was stopped by a a dark blur racing into the living room, followed by a much much much larger pinkish-blonde boy stumbling in with tears in his eyes to hide behind his mother. The petite dark haired figure had come up to Dahlia with a frightened look in his emerald gaze, his bony fingers wrapping around Dahlia's wrist as he stood on tip toe to stop her from casting.
"You can't hex her!" He cried, and Dahlia blinked widely before lowering her wand arm. The boy backed away and a cautious look washed over his gaze until she had her wand properly tucked away up her sleeve once more. The other fatter boy was still clutching at his mother's skirt, crying that he wouldn't live if she died, he'd starve, and a bunch of other blubbering mumbles she wouldn't be able to make out properly, even if she had listened to English on a daily basis. She ignored him in favour of getting a proper look at her cousin's son, smiling widely at the similarities she saw in his face to other family members.
"You look just like your father." She had only met James once, but his features were very dominant with the wild dark hair, except of course for-
"And my mother's eyes, I know." Dahlia blinked once in surprise at the boy's dry tone before laughing and giving him a warm smile.
"Yes! And your grandmother's nose and chin! I should know, I have the same one."She said with a tap on the button of her nose. He seemed surprised at that before awkwardly smiling back, seeming to enjoy the information but being unsure what to do with it.
"I didn't know you'd come here-when Hedwig returned without a letter I thought you wouldn't want to see me." He said so quietly Dahlia had to strain herself to listen.
"Oh, Harry. I'm sorry for not replying. But come now, let's go back your things." She said, gently nudging him out of the room. He started towards the stairs, pausing awkwardly for a second as he almost went past them towards the kitchen before heading up the steps and to the room on the farthest side.
"Where are we going?"
"Well, today I need to go to Hogwarts and talk to Dumbledore. I also need to go to the bank in Diagon Alley to get my funds transferred, and I'll need to go house hunting and oh dear," She watched him stuff massive baggy t-shirts and school robs into his trunk and shook her head.
"We'll have to get you some new clothing! You simply can't go around in those." She lifted her wand to help him finish packing, but the kid was fast, flying towards her again and grabbing her wrist as he had before.
"You can't use magic here! I'll get expelled!" Dahlia furrowed her brow, but lowered her wand nonetheless.
"Whatever do you mean?" He went to his desk and rifled through the papers before handing one to her.
Dear Mr Potter,
We have received intelligence that a Hover Charm was used at your place of residence this evening at twelve minutes past nine.
As you know, underage wizards are not permitted to preform spells outside school, and further spellwork on your part may lead to expulsion from said school (Decree for the Reasonable Restrction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C).
We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offence under section 13 of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.
Enjoy your holidays!
Your's sincerely,
Mafalda Hopkirk
Improper use of Magic Office
Ministry of Magic
Dahlia read the letter twice over to ensure she understood it before scoffing and tossing it back to her desk.
"Harry, that only applies if you cast the magic yourself. I'm perfectly safe to help you pack the correct way without you getting expelled."
"But you're not! I didn't use any hover charm! Dobby did it trying to get me to not go back to school!" Harry explained as soon as he saw her fingers twitch for her wand.
"Dobby?"
"Yes, Dobby, he's a house elf! He stole all my mail to make me think my friends didn't want to talk to me anymore so I wouldn't go back to school because there's a 'great danger'." He scoffed at that and Dahlia smiled slightly, patting him on the shoulder.
"Alright then, remind me to bring that up when we go see Dumbledore. It sounds as if the magic-detection wards around this house need adjusting. Now finish packing and we can go shopping."
Harry groaned and Dahlia could only laugh. Lily had done the same thing when she had visited her just before her wedding, and Dahlia had exhausted the poor girl with her shopping. She hoped Harry had more stamina.
"Um," Dahlia was brought out of her memories by Harry's quiet voice, and she smiled sweetly at him.
"I...nevermind." He turned back to his bed, slamming his trunk closed and latching it and her smile dropped.
"I'm not a legimens, Harry. You'll have to tell me what you want in order for me to answer you." He was quiet for a moment and she continued to stare at the back of his head.
"CanIhavesumfriescumwitus?" Oh Merlin what a garbled mess that was.
"Harry, dear, it's been over ten years since I've last spoken English this long. I thought I was doing pretty well but you've absolutely lost me."
He turned to face her with a mumbled apology, face red and Dahlia smiled softly.
"Can I, um, invite some friends...to come with us...sorry to ask..." He trailed off into a near whisper as he went, but it was slow enough she could get most of it.
"Of course you can! Why don't you pen them a quick letter and we'll head out? Oh and Harry," He looked up from where he had rushed to his desk with a grin, his face dropping almost as much as the ink from his Quill.
"Feel free to ask me anything you want, whenever you want. I'm not Petunia."