A/N: Please review!
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Cliodhna lay in the grass of the Quick's front yard, staring at the stars above her, unconcerned that she was out in the open alone. She had already walked briefly through the wood before the moon was at its full height in the sky and had seen only a pair of owls flying around in search of food. After all, who could hurt her now? Moody and her mother said that Hogwarts was the safest place in Wizarding England with her there even after Dumbledore's murder.
She clenched her fists at her sides, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath: she couldn't allow herself to think about Dumbledore's murder, not even for a second or she'd run the risk of losing control.
"That's what it was," Hermione had said to her on the train. "A murder."
Cliodhna took another deep breath and opened her eyes to stare at the stars, hoping to see a constellation or planet, but her mind wandered and the stars started to blur. She didn't want to stay in Ottery St. Catchpole for long - she needed to begin to move Muggleborns out of England - but she also needed to be in England to help Harry leave the Dursleys when he turned of age without being attacked by Voldemort. And Hermione asked her casually to help erase her parents' memories so she could send them to Australia. And, of course, there was Bill and Fleur's wedding.
"I'm sure you could protect them," Hermione had said hastily to her as they got off the train. "But they won't want to leave, unless," she shook her head.
"And you're a bit more important than some of the others," Cliodhna added, hugging Hermione tightly. "You let me know the day and I'll help. And when it's all over," she smiled at her friend, "we'll give them their memories back." She knew it would be hard, she knew they all might be dead, but it was a promise Hermione needed to hear. Hermione attempted to return the smile before saying goodbye to the others, blinking back tears.
Cliodhna sank deeper into the damp grass, relishing the cold of the air as it wrapped around her. She wasn't sure how she'd be able to sleep for the next few days and weeks and months, or even where she'd sleep. Were the Death Eaters going to try to come after her? Were they going to hunt her down? The adults of the Order didn't think so - or at least they hadn't admitted so aloud - but she and Harry and the others weren't so sure. Harry was at least safe while he was with the Durleys until he became of age, but where could she stay without putting others in harm's way?
With a deep breath she sat up to head back indoors even though she would have liked to stay outside for a while longer. She wanted to find Snape and make him suffer. She wanted to find Bellatrix and make her suffer. She wanted to find Voldemort and rip his bloody head off.
She clenched her fists and took a deep breath as she stood to walk slowly back into her parents' house. As she walked through her wards, she knew that her mother was awake and sitting at the kitchen table waiting for her.
"You were gone a long time," Catherine said gently as a second cup of tea landed next to her. "Tea?"
"Thanks," Cliodhna sat down, slightly embarrassed. "I needed to think."
"Yes," Catherine nodded. "I would think so." Cliodhna wanted to ask if her mother was mad she was outside alone, if she'd be reprimanded for the risk, but Catherine merely smiled at her daughter as she tilted her head slightly. "I know you can take care of yourself, dear."
"Oh," Cliodhna sipped her tea.
"I think I'd like to break into the Ministry," Catherine said so nonchalantly Cliodhna wasn't sure she heard her properly. She stared at her mother, her eyes wide and her mouth open. "And I'd like you to help me."
"Sorry," Cliodhna shook her head. "Come again?"
Catherine laughed lightly. "We want to help the Muggleborns, don't we? Well I think we'll need to steal the list of known Muggleborns out of the Ministry, won't we?" Cliodhna opened her mouth to argue but snapped her mouth shut. "I assume you can make a Polyjuice Potion? I have hairs of two night security wizards," Catherine opened her palm to show her. "I need you to start brewing soon," she closed her palm again. "But you can't tell anyone," her voice was low. "Not your brothers, not your father."
Cliodhna swallowed. She knew this would be the first of many secrets she'd keep over the next weeks, months, maybe even years, but she didn't like that they were already so monumental.
Catherine stood and kissed Cliodhna gently on top of the head, "Try to get some sleep, dear. We're going to be busy."
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"You can't go after Snape," Ben hissed.
"I can," she hissed back at him.
"You shouldn't," Jack interrupted them quietly. They were sitting on the steps of their front porch watching the sun rise. Jack was leaving in a few days to travel to Italy with Summer before he moved to the Romanian Reserve. "We know you can, Klee," Jack's voice was gentle but clearly exasperated. "But you shouldn't."
"Exactly," Ben agreed harshly. "It's a bad idea."
"He murdered -"
"We know," Jack continued gently. It was not the first time they were having this argument.
"Just because you want to be an Auror," Ben started and ignored Jack nudging him.
"I could be," Cliodhna jumped up. "I should be," her voice was ice.
"The Death Eaters may be after you," Jack sighed again and shook his head. "We've been through this."
Cliodhna turned away and turned to look out over the hill below the house, her fists at her side, taking deep calming breaths. She couldn't lose sight of what she needed to do. "I could be one day," her voice was small.
"One day," Jack agreed. "But in the meantime," he prodded her gently.
"In the meantime we all need to be smart," she sighed, defeated. "I know."
"All of us," Jack said pointedly to Ben. "And we need to stop riling each other up, yea?"
"Yea," Ben agreed reluctantly.
"Come sit back down, Klee," Jack asked her gently. "Let's watch the sun rise."
"Could use a tea," Ben whined softly. Cliodhna smirked and sat down as the front door opened and three cups of tea floated towards them. Ben grinned, "Brills."
Cliodhna excused herself and went back inside after the sun rose and her stomach growled. Jack turned to Ben and said firmly, "You can't poke and prod her like that."
"You know -"
"We can't let her," Jack shook his head. "She's got to be smarter than everyone else."
"She bloody is," Ben grumbled.
"Except when she's too angry or too caught up in getting vengeance," Jack continued firmly. "We've got to remind her what's important. And when I'm not here," his voice drifted off.
"I won't be with her all the time either," Ben watched his brother closely. "I'm not sure what -"
"You can always come to the Reserve," Jack shrugged. "Ministry doesn't care about it enough to watch who they're hiring."
"They don't care about us," Ben rolled his eyes. "We can't do any fancy magic."
"Speak for yourself," Jack winked and a clap of thunder resounded around them, making Ben jump up with a yell. Jack laughed.
"What the hell?" Ben looked wildly up at the sky. "You can -"
"No," Jack laughed loudly. "Your face!"
"What was that?" Ben was frustrated.
"That was just a lucky coincidence," Jack held his stomach as he continued laughing. "I can just do some wandless magic."
Ben sat down back roughly on the porch, "That wasn't funny."
"No," Jack agreed. "That was bloody hilarious."
Ben pouted and walked inside to ask his father if he could drop him off at the shop so he could help out the twins with their mail orders. Jack took a deep breath and looked out over the wood as the fog slowly lifted above the trees. He'd miss the wood and his family, and he worried about them already, but knew that going to the Reserve was helping Cliodhna. She'd already told him he had to move there, despite his offer to stay near their parents and try to get a job at the Ministry. "We can't let them win," she had said. "You want to work at the Reserve? You're going to work at the Reserve. I need you there."
Jack hadn't asked why she needed him at the Reserve, but agreed anyway. This trip to Italy with Summer was going to constitute their final time together before she moved to Egypt to work for Gringotts, as Bill had done years before. Jack was glad: she'd be safe in Egypt, away from Death Eaters. Her parents were a good deal older than his own: her Wizarding father was already planning on moving his wife to South Africa after they moved Summer to Egypt to be safe from the War and to retire in peace. He was glad they'd be safely away from Britain, and Jack and Summer had agreed the year before that their careers were more important than their school-years relationship. They were at peace ending things after Italy. Even if no one else understood, it didn't matter to them.
Jack let out a long breath and stood up, stretching before going inside himself, unsure what he'd spend the day doing but hoping to spend it with Cliodhna.
"I have to go to Gringotts," Cliodhna was telling Catherine. "I have to make sure everything's settled, make sure no one can go in and steal my money."
"Your father," Catherine started but Cliodhna cut her off as Jack entered the kitchen.
"I can go with you," Jack shrugged. "I'd like to go to Diagon and make sure my vault is settled."
"You want to see how much gold Cliodhna has," Ben said in between bites of toast.
Jack smirked, "Why would I want to upset myself?" Ben laughed and Cliodhna rolled her eyes.
"I'll see if anyone from the Burrow wants to go," Cliodhna said. "And Ben we can go to the twins' shop."
Catherine agreed and left to head into town for some 'Muggle errands'. "No way she's doing Muggle errands, right?" Ben asked his siblings. They both shrugged.
"Ready to head to the Burrow?" Cliodhna asked.
"What do you think the chances are Mrs. Weasley will let us take Ron and Ginny with us?" Ben asked genuinely.
"With us and Charlie?" Jack shrugged. "Likely."
"And we're going to Bill's place of work and the twins' shop," Cliodhna added. "That doesn't hurt."
"Should we bring him a raw steak?" Ben asked before Cliodhna shoved him roughly. "Too soon, sorry, sorry."
"Charlie's staying at the Burrow now?" Jack asked as they ambled across the field, his eyes darting around them despite Cliodhna's protections and shields.
"He helped Bill and Fleur move into their place -"
"I can't believe Mrs. Weasley let them -"
"They're getting married in a month and a half," Cliodhna rolled her eyes. "The man was mauled by a werewolf. She couldn't stop them."
"True," Ben agreed. "But I'm still surprised."
"Well he's here for a few more days," Cliodhna continued. "Then back to the Reserve."
"And what are you -" Ben started but Cliodhna glared at him. "Right, right, can't tell us until we absolutely need to know."
"It's for your safety," Cliodhna grumbled as Ben rolled his eyes, Jack letting out a deep sigh next to them.
"Just because they want you doesn't mean they don't want -"
"I'm sure the Order will have jobs and missions for you," Jack interrupted.
"Would be nice to think of my own mission," Ben muttered.
"You could," Cliodhna stopped walking. "Why can't you think of something to do?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, what do you want to do?" Cliodhna asked. "Do you want to help with the Muggleborns? Do you want to help Potter?"
"I -"
"Follow and spy on Death Eaters?" She talked over him and continued towards the Burrow. "If you don't think they're going to give you a mission, figure out one for yourself." She glanced at him, "We also need people here," she said softly. "To protect everyone, to keep a base. Just as we need people abroad," she glanced at Jack.
"So you've said," he said ruefully as they approached the boundary of the Burrow wards. Jack and Ben watched her move her fingers delicately next to her before continuing through to the Burrow which was now visible.
"I want to help you," Ben grumbled.
"You know you can't -"
"Only because," Ben started but let out an anguished sigh and shut his mouth. It wasn't worth having the same argument with her again: the girl was bloody stubborn.
"Hullo to the house!" Cliodhna shouted as they approached the door. "It's just us three!" She knocked three times and they waited as they heard the numerous locks whirl and move to unlock.
"Hiya," Ginny grinned at them as the door swung open. "What are we doing today?"
Cliodhna returned the grin and the triplets walked into the house. She knew Ginny was already bored of being at the Burrow all day and was desperate for a day away, as was Ron who raced down the stairs two by two; Mrs. Weasley yelled from the kitchen for him to be careful. "Are we going somewhere?" Ron's face was wide with excitement. "Oh please say -"
"It's dangerous to be without an adult!" Mrs. Weasley called out.
Charlie's deep voice was softer from the kitchen but they could all hear it as they walked inside. "They'll be with four -"
"The triplets -"
"Are of age," Charlie countered and winked at the triplets as they entered the kitchen.
Mrs. Weasley's face was pink, "A mother worries, you're all so young -"
"And everyone is afraid of Klee," Ginny smirked. "Moody said wherever Klee is -"
"Is the safest place in Europe," Ron finished. "I'd reckon the world but," he shrugged and shoved a piece of toast in his mouth.
Cliodhna tried to hide her embarrassment by looking at her shoes. "That's enough," Charlie said to his siblings gently. "Or it'll get to Cliodhna's head and she'll start leaving her guard down -"
"Oi!" Cliodhna's eyes blazed as she looked up at him only to see his smirk, Ginny hiding her own behind her hand. Ron looked confused as he continued to eat his toast.
Mrs. Weasley sighed, "Yes, all right. You can check in on the twins? I can send you with some food!"
She bustled back to the stove and Charlie met Cliodhna's eyes with a wink. "Only if you've got something finished already, mum. We should leave soon."
"Yes, yes," she agreed and Ginny ran out of the kitchen to grab her things and change her clothes. "Don't stay out late - "
"There's not much open in Diagon," Jack said gently to Mrs. Weasley. "We're just going to Gringotts and the twins' shop."
"Maybe a Muggle ice cream?" Ron asked hopefully.
Charlie nodded his head at Cliodhna and walked out of the kitchen; she waited a few seconds before she followed him. They hadn't spoken much or been alone at all since they'd both been back in St. Ottery and Cliodhna's chest tightened slightly as she remembered he'd be leaving soon for the Reserve. "How are you?" His soft voice broke into her thoughts.
"I'm all right," she smiled at him.
"Are we setting your affairs in order?" He asked her seriously, "Before you leave the country?"
She eyed him warily, "And before the Death Eaters decide they want to destroy me -"
"By stealing your money?" He tried to hide his smile.
She shrugged casually, "Wouldn't put it past them."
Charlie leaned against the wall and watched her, "Have you been sleeping?" His voice was gentle and she wondered briefly if this was how he spoke to dragons and other dangerous creatures.
"Not much," she admitted truthfully. "Have you?" She countered back.
"Fair dues," he acquiesced.
They watched each other for a moment, a lot unsaid, and Cliodhna felt like she should tell him what or how she was feeling, even if she wasn't entirely sure. "I've been spending a lot of time outside," she breathed out. "At night." Charlie watched her, his blue eyes locked on her hazel ones; he didn't tell her it was dangerous to do that, he didn't tell her she was foolish, although he probably thought it. "I can't bear to be cooped up inside," she tore her eyes away from him. "I want to spend as much time outside as possible before," she stopped herself and shrugged; before what she wasn't entirely sure.
"Sounds nice," Charlie admitted. "I spend a lot of time looking at the stars on the Reserve. Gotten rather good at identifying constellations and planets."
She smiled at him and opened her mouth to say something but Ginny ran down the stairs announcing that she was ready. "I can't bloody wait to get out of this house," she grinned at Charlie and Cliodhna as she walked by. "How long can we stay out?"
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Diagon Alley was eerily empty and the group walked closely and silently towards Gringotts, Cliodhna's protections around them. The goblins were not overly thrilled to see them and Cliodhna rather thought it was because of her - did they smell some sort of magic they didn't like on her? The way they avoided her eyes and stuck their noses in the air as she walked past she rather thought so.
"Who's vault?" A goblin asked Charlie who pointed to the triplets.
"Cliodhna Quick -"
"Benjamin Quick -"
"Jack Quick -"
"Is Bill Weasley around?" Ron asked, frowning at the goblin. "Can he take us down to the vaults?"
The goblin who had addressed them and looked rather disgruntled when the triplets had spoken looked at Ron and pressed a button. A few minutes later Bill was in the Atrium, grinning. "Well, well, well!" He laughed, "Come to see how much money you've made from Quidditch without even playing?"
Jack shoved Bill playfully and Bill guided them towards the cart, two goblins waiting for them. Cliodhna sat next to Charlie and closed her eyes - she didn't exactly love the feeling of flying through the dark and dank caves underneath Gringotts. Charlie turned his head slightly and saw her pale face and eyes squeezed shut but decided not to tease her as it wasn't exactly unusual for wizards and witches to get ill on the carts of Gringotts. They stopped at Ben's vault first and he hopped off with Bill and one of the goblins and Cliodhna finally opened her eyes. "I hate it," she leaned her head against Charlie's muscular arm. "I bloody hate it."
"Not the same as flying on a broom," Charlie said softly to her.
"Or a dragon?" She asked carefully.
"No," he chuckled lightly. "Not the same."
"You reckon Ben's going to get a job at the Ministry?" Ron turned around to ask Charlie and Cliodhna. "Or?" He frowned, "Not sure what else he could do without Quidditch."
Ginny turned around now too, "He could go to the Reserve but doesn't want to leave George."
Ron looked confused for a moment before his eyes widened, "Oh, right. I nearly forgot." He narrowed his eyes at Cliodhna, "How long did you know they -"
Cliodhna opened one eye to glare at Ron as Jack hid his grin behind his hand. "Longer than you, I reckon," she snapped her eye shut again just as Ben, Bill, and the goblin walked back to the cart.
"How much gold you got then?" Jack teased his brother.
"Enough," Ben winked. "Should last me until Quidditch starts up again," he shrugged. "Or I better hope George and Fred'll pay me for my services." Ron grimaced and Ben laughed, "Helping out at the store, Ronald. Mind out of the gutter, please."
The cart began to move again and Cliodhna lifted her head back up from Charlie's arm; Charlie immediately missed her warmth. He had barely seen her since they had returned from Hogwarts but he knew it was going to be hard to leave her again and return to the Reserve. The cart rattled and shuddered around corners and Cliodhna tried to keep her mind still and her breakfast down. For all the unknown powers and intense magic she had she couldn't prevent herself from getting sick?
"Your vault, Klee!" Bill shouted as the cart mercifully stopped. She swallowed and slowly opened her eyes to stand up, shaking slightly as she did so. Charlie hopped up immediately and gently helped her out of the cart and on to solid ground. "Thanks," she whispered and Charlie winked at her. He wondered how much money Cliodhna was going to remove from her vault - was she really scared of Death Eaters being able to steal her funds from her? - and if she'd exchange some to Muggle money. His mind briefly wandered to a story she told him once, years and years ago, about a book she was reading where girl sewed coins into the hems of her dresses; was Cliodhna thinking of doing that too?
Cliodhna took even less time in her vault then Ben, which was surprising, and soon they were rumbling off again, Cliodhna's eyes shut and her head resting on Charlie's arm once again.
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They all blinked into the harsh sunlight when they were back outside in Diagon Alley and they walked quickly to the twins' shop, the only storefront that was open and not destroyed. Cliodhna's eyes lingered on Ollivander's wand shop for a moment as she followed the others to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and discreetly waved her hand behind her back as they entered the store, a bell dinging lightly above them. "Ah!" Fred clapped his hands when he popped out from behind a rack of pygmy puffs, "Customers!"
"We brought you lunch," Ginny hugged Fred. "Mum sent -"
"Oh good," George was there, hugging Ben tightly. "We're starving." Charlie handed George the food as the others began to look around the store; he was aware that Fred followed Cliodhna around a row of items and disappeared from view.
"I put up more wards," Cliodhna's mouth barely moved and Fred nodded his thanks. "I'm not sure how long they'll last this time."
"We've heard people at night laughing and destroying windows," Fred's voice was quiet. "I don't know how much longer we can stay open at this point."
Cliodhna frowned. "I leave soon, but I hope to be back -"
"No," Fred shook his head. "No one's coming in anymore anyway. We've got orders from the Ministry but those are all by mail."
"I could," Cliodhna bit her lip. "I could Disillusion the building and make it look destroyed. That way people won't bother to actually -"
Fred let out a breath, "Not yet. But maybe -"
"When I sneak back?" She nodded. "I don't know when and -"
"We can keep secrets," Fred smirked at her. "You and Potter aren't the only ones who are good at that."
Cliodhna let out a laugh and followed Fred back out to the others, picking up a random item as she walked by, "Oh this is neat," she showed it to Charlie who pretended not to notice she and Fred had left the group. He smiled and nodded at her and wondered what exactly she was up to.
Ben wasn't especially keen to leave WWW and return to the Burrow, but George promised him they'd come by for dinner after they closed up the shop. They all said goodbye and walked back out into the empty Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron to Floo back to the Burrow.
Mrs. Weasley fussed over them and Cliodhna helped her make tea as everyone sat around the kitchen table quietly; even Charlie had a hard time shaking off the feeling of helplessness until he told his mother Bill and the twins seemed fine and hard at work. His eyes wandered to Cliodhna who looked out the kitchen window, not watching as she took mugs and tea bags out of the cupboards. "Tonks is here," she announced to the room; only Charlie seemed impressed that she could tell who was at the perimeter of the wards.
"Wotcher Klee," Tonks said as she walked through the door. "You really should," she sighed when she saw the look on Cliodhna's face. "Too right," she eyed the mugs. "Can I steal a cuppa?"
"Of course, Tonks," Cliodhna smiled. "What brings you out here?"
Charlie watched the two over his cup of tea and listened to their small talk, wondering how no one else noticed how stilted and rehearsed it seemed. Cliodhna rarely partook in small talk, especially with someone she was so friendly with, and he couldn't understand why she would now. Charlie knew Cliodhna had secrets, but this bizarre conversation with Tonks and disappearing with Fred earlier only made him more suspicious about what Cliodhna had been doing the last few days he was at Shell Cottage.
"Quit staring," Ginny whispered harshly as she nudged him. "You're being obvious." Charlie ignored his kid sister but tore his eyes away from Cliodhna and Tonks just the same.
"Do you need help with anything, mum?" Charlie asked Molly as she stood up, trying to shake off his concern for Cliodhna and focus on something else.
"Not with dinner, no," Molly patted his arm. "But I saw some gnomes out in the garden and -"
Charlie grinned and set his cup on the counter, "Say no more, mum."
"You can ask," she started quietly, her eyes darting to the others around the table but he shook his head. "They'll come out if they want to," he said quietly and slipped outside.
He didn't exactly fancy degnoming the garden alone, as it allowed his mind to wander, but he knew it was hard work and soon he'd be too preoccupied about Cliodhna and the safety of his family and leaving for the Reserve. He unbuttoned his flannel and tossed it on one of the chairs in the backyard before clapping his hands and crouching down to stick his hand as far into the hedge as he could reach, ignoring the small bites he received before swinging a gnome around his head several times and letting it loose.
"That must have been fifty yards," Ben said from behind him.
"At least," Charlie grinned. "Care to help?"
Ben reached into the bush, "Good to keep in shape, you know," he grimaced slightly when he felt the teeth of a gnome bite him. "Do you not even notice when a gnome bites you anymore? I mean, compared to a dragon?"
Charlie laughed, "Oh, I still notice." He swung another gnome around his head and let it loose, "But I've gotten good at pretending not to feel their little teeth anymore."
Ben let the gnome loose. "That was farther than yours, I reckon," he chuckled. "Are her shields that far out or are the gnomes being like, sucked into something?"
Charlie shrugged, "Not sure that I truly want the answer to that."
"Too right," Ben sighed and swung another gnome around. There was a long pause before he continued quietly, "I'm worried about her too." Charlie glanced back at the house but only saw his mother in the window. "I'm worried she'll go after Snape -"
"She's not -"
"No," Ben's voice was harsh, but he swallowed. "But after she finishes doing whatever she's set on doing and she gets mad enough," he shook his head. "I don't know what to do, Charlie. She won't tell us anything."
Charlie met Ben's eyes, "She won't tell me anything either."
That was clearly what Ben needed to hear: that his sister wasn't icing him out but letting other people know what her plans were. "What do you think she was talking to Tonks about?"
Charlie swung a gnome around his head before crouching down again, "You noticed that too?"
Ben snorted, "It was hard not to."
"She and Fred wandered off," Charlie started, feeling somehow guilty that he was tattling on Cliodhna.
"She's rarely in her bed," Ben's voice was so soft Charlie had to step closer to hear him. "I check on her sometimes, because I'm worried. And she's not there."
"Where do you think she goes?" Charlie suddenly felt very cold.
"I don't know." Ben looked out across the fields. "But I'm worried."
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The Polyjuice Potion was going to take too long. Cliodhna knew this before she even started brewing it; she wasn't even certain why her mother asked her to brew it, she knew she had to have as many Muggleborns out of England before the end of the summer, before school was back in session. It wasn't ideal for any Muggleborn students to miss school, but Hogwarts wasn't safe without her or Dumbledore there for those who Voldemort was targeting. She needed access to the records sooner rather than later.
She brewed it anyway, of course. Didn't hurt to have Polyjuice Potion at the ready.
She had asked Tonks to help her sneak into the Ministry of Magic; Tonks had been hesitant, wanting to know what exactly Cliodhna wanted to do in the Ministry, telling her how dangerous it was, but finally relented when it was obvious Cliodhna was going to do it with or without the Auror's help. Tonks, thankfully, had a late shift that night and was going to meet Cliodhna in Muggle London before bringing her into the Ministry through the main entrance.
"You can't bring your wand," Tonks had told her. "You'll have to go through security."
"I'll be invisible," Cliodhna replied. "It'll be fine."
"You don't have a cloak," Tonks frowned at her. "How can you be invisible?"
Cliodhna thought about going to the Dursely's and borrowing Harry's, but the less people who knew about what she was doing, the better. "I can make myself invisible," she shrugged. "It's not perfect but it's ok in a pinch."
Tonks looked nervous, "I don't know how many people will be there for certain. There could be loads -"
"I can make a distraction if you think that will help?" Cliodhna bit her lip, "But I think that could make it worse."
"They still may be able to detect your wand," Tonks shook her head. "But we can try to risk it."
"I'll be risking it, Tonks, not you. Once I'm in, you go to your office and don't worry about me. You'll know I'm gone when no one's arrested me," Cliodhna patted her hand. "See you tonight."
"I don't like this," Tonks hissed at her. "I don't like this at all."
"Not a word," Cliodhna warned her and slipped back into the kitchen. "Do you need help, Mrs. Weasley?"
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"Will you come by tomorrow?" Charlie asked Cliodhna over dinner. "Play some Quidditch?" He glanced at Ron who pushed his food around his plate morosely. "I think Ron needs more time outside before I leave."
'Before I leave too,' Cliodhna thought before smiling at Charlie. "I think that's a great idea." She took another bite of her food, feeling Charlie's eyes on her; she knew he could tell she was slightly distracted, but she couldn't tell him what she was planning to do tonight, or what she was planning on doing tomorrow night or the night after -
She turned back to look at Charlie who was now watching George and Ben talking conspiratorially with Fred and she asked softly, "Do you miss your dragons?"
"It's only been a few days," his lips twitched slightly as he glanced at her, his blue eyes unable to contain his happiness thinking about his dragons. "But yes, I do. Left them rather in a hurry," his voice fell slightly.
"Didn't get to make sure everything was in place before you left?" Cliodhna took a bite of food.
"No," Charlie admitted. "They're in good hands, but it's nice to secure everything and leave detailed notes before I go." He sighed and lowered his voice, "But I may not be able to do that next time either," he admitted; they both knew that was true. He watched her closely before leaning towards her to say something but thought better of it: he knew what she'd say. He had to go back to the Reserve. For his dragons, for Jack, for her. He wasn't sure what he'd be able to do in Britain anyway. No one was going after Snape, no one knew where Voldemort was, and no one knew how to defeat him. Everyone in the Order seemed rather lost.
"When do you go back?" Cliodhna asked and Charlie could hear the sadness in her voice even though she was clearly trying to hide it.
"My Portkey's in two days," his eyes flickered to Molly. "I've thought about staying longer for mum, but," he trailed off.
"You've got a life to get back to," Cliodhna smiled sadly at him and put her hand on top of his and squeezed it. He met her eyes and returned the sad smile. "Mum's here," she announced to the table, breaking their intense eye contact.
"I'll get another table setting!" Molly stood up in a hurry, "Slide down, won't you?" She waved her hand at Ron and Ginny.
Cliodhna's hand stayed on top of Charlie's and he didn't bother to move it.
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Cliodhna stood outside the Muggle pub in London, trying not to attract attention to herself as she stared through the window, watching the handful of Muggles (well she assumed they were Muggles) slowly drinking their pints and whiskeys. Most of them were sitting alone at the bar talking to the bartender (who was also drinking), alone in a corner, or drinking with one other person; they all looked like regulars, or what Cliodhna assumed what a regular would look like, and for a brief moment she wished she could be a regular at a pub, drinking with friends or drinking alone, not worried about an impending war.
She took a deep breath and turned away from the window, hopeful that no one could tell her hair was fake black (so black it almost looked blue) and that her eyes were clearly a fake, pale purple. She knew she'd be invisible in the Ministry, but if anything happened, she needed to look different enough that no one would recognize her.
"Wotcher," Tonks was there, her hair it's usual bubblegum pink. "Looks a bit grim in there, don't it?" She nodded at the pub before turning and saying, "Come on." Cliodhna walked alongside her, "So it's not just a Disillusionment charm?"
"No," Cliodhna shook her head. "It's a bit more than that."
Tonks could tell she didn't really want to talk about it more, "Ah, sure." She stuck her hands in her pockets, "So," she drew out the word. "You're not going to tell me what this is for."
"It's for your -"
"I'm an Auror," Tonks breathed out. "I'm in the Order. My dad's a Muggle and my mum's a traitor to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, if you hadn't heard," Tonks' voice was sharp.
"It's to protect the Muggleborns," Cliodhna's voice was soft. "That's all I can tell you."
Tonks sucked in a breath, "You know where to go? What floor? What department?"
"Yes," Cliodhna nodded. "I overheard," she trailed off.
"Course you did," Tonks shook her head. "I reckon Moody wanted you to overhear," she let out a long breath as they rounded the corner, Tonks' eyes roving around the dark street. "You know I've been friends with Charlie for a long time." Cliodhna eyed her, unsure where this was going. "He's a good sort."
"I've known him a long time too," Cliodhna replied warily.
"You can trust him," Tonks shrugged, "is what I mean.
"I do," Cliodhna said more defensively than she meant to.
"He worries about you," Tonks said, her voice more gentle this time.
"I worry about him too," Cliodhna looked straight ahead, her face hard. "I worry about everyone." She felt Tonks squeeze her shoulder before she stopped walking.
"I can get you to Level 2, but to get to Level 1 and back down to the Atrium, you'll have to use the emergency stairs," Tonks whispered into her ear. "They may sound an alarm, I'm not sure. They aren't used often."
"Risk I'll have to take," Cliodhna nodded before she looked at Tonks with a sad smile and seemingly disappeared.
"Bloody hell," Tonks whispered before straightening up and walking to the Ministry of Magic.
Cliodhna followed her, merely one step behind the Auror, relieved that there was no guard to check wands, although this made her skin crawl and her stomach drop; the last time there wasn't a guard here to check wands -
She closed her eyes tightly for a moment to rid her mind of the memory of the last time she had been in the Ministry. She swallowed. She couldn't get angry now; now wasn't the time to lose control. She had a mission.
They didn't see a single soul until they stepped out onto Level 2, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement where Tonks worked. "Morning, Peters," Tonks said brightly to the elderly wizard sitting at his desk clearly trying not to nod off. "They got you here late too?"
"There was a disturbance outside Yorkshire," he grumbled. "Told to stay here to take reports when they get back."
Cliodhna saw Tonks' eyes dart around, "What sort of disturbance?"
But Cliodhna didn't stay to hear what the disturbance was, how many Aurors had gone, or when they'd be back. She ran as quietly as possible to find the staircase Tonks had mentioned to get to Level 1. Thankfully there wasn't an alarm, and Cliodhna pushed through the door to the Minister of Magic and his support staff's offices. She looked around the huge room only to see what looked like hundreds of doors; it reminded her of the Department of Mysteries -
She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath. No. No, she would not think about that vile place and that terrible night. She ran along the doors until she found the Birth Records Room and tried to open it without magic. It was locked, of course, and a simple Unlocking Charm didn't work. Cliodhna laid her hands on the thick wooden door and closed her eyes, hoping to feel or see another way in. The door was charmed and warded more than any other door in the room, she could tell, and the hair on the back of her arms rose. Someone had expected or worried someone may try to break in and steal the records; but were they worried Voldemort was going to steal the records or were they worried the Order was going to destroy them?
Cliodhna took a step back from the door, knowing that she couldn't get in without causing an explosion or tripping some sort of alarm. She'd only have seconds, once she was in the room, to destroy everything inside and still escape the Ministry undetected. Would her electricity be enough? Could she use her wand or would they be able to tell it was her that did the casting of spells?
Taking a deep breath, she put her hands back on the door and with a strength she could not have possessed without magic, pushed the door so hard it flew back into the room with an ear splitting roar. Bells began to sound but Cliodhna ignored them, as she raised up her right hand and threw fire at the rows and rows of filing cabinets. The purple fire danced on top of the filing cabinets but they did not burn the drawers. With an irritated groan, Cliodhna closed her eyes; with her wand and her hand, took a deep breath and let out a yell as the drawers flew out of the filing cabinets and the papers burst into purple flames. She opened her eyes, swaying slightly on the spot and turned to leave, raising her left hand for the door to fly back into place behind her.
She could hear shouts somewhere nearby - were they on Level 1 already? Were they on the lifts? On the stairs? She waved her wand and hand at random doors as she ran by, hoping that some of them were unlocked, and they flew off their hinges. Cliodhna hoped this would be enough of a distraction so the Records Room could burn a little longer.
There were people on the stairs, she could hear them, so she waited by the lifts, still invisible - but for how long - and when 2 wizards jumped off the lifts, she hurried on, pressing Level 7 and hoping no one would notice one of the lifts going back down to the Atrium. Thankfully they were too distracted by the fire and the missing doors.
Cliodhna paled as the lift doors opened to the Atrium and she barely made it out before she was shoved back in by wizards and witches who couldn't see her. Who were all these people? Why were they all here so early in the morning? She very nearly lost her footing as she zigged and zagged around people milling around waiting for lifts.
"The Records Room!" Someone shouted.
"Who?
"Don't know!"
"They could still be here!"
Cliodhna's stomach dropped. She had to leave before they closed the front doors or closed the Floo. She looked around frantically, the Floo was closer, but where could she Floo to without getting caught? Where was safe?
"Close the doors!"
"Close the Floo!"
She was feet away, she could hear the grates moving before they started to close. She had to get through, she had to -
She jumped, head first, into the green flames, her tennis shoe just missing the grates as they closed, her invisibility charm forgotten as she shouted 'Knockturn Alley' and felt her body being pulled through the green fire.
She stood up in the dark and dank alley and didn't even bother to brush herself off before she was sprinting away towards Diagon Alley where she could Apparate again and again somewhere further away to lose whoever may be chasing her. When she made it out into Diagon Alley, still far away enough from a street light, she twisted and Apparated to Hogsmeade to catch her breath, waiting for someone to follow her, but no one had grabbed on to her, and no one had seen her. She took a deep breath and Apparated again to Muggle London, waving a hand over her hair and eyes so they were their normal dirty-blonde and hazel. She walked down the street for a moment and saw a pub, the door open, soft voices coming from inside.
She looked around warily, and knowing she needed to settle her stomach and calm her nerves before she went home, walked in, glancing around hesitantly at the other patrons, but no one paid her any mind.
"What can I get ye?" The older man behind the bar asked.
Cliodhna looked at the man and frowned slightly, running a hand through her hair. "Oh, um -
"Yer old enough to drink, aren't ye?"
"Yea," Cliodhna nodded. "Yes, I am. Pint of lager, please." That was pretty much all she knew anyway as this didn't seem much like the place for a whiskey.
"Late night studying?" The man asked as he pulled the beer, "Or escaping a bad date?"
"Uh," Cliodhna frowned. "Little of both, I'm afraid."
"Well, yer safe here," he winked at her as he put the beer down in front of her and Cliodhna must have looked startled because the man put his hands up defensively. "Bit of a joke, sorry, sorry." He nodded at the beer "That'll be 3 pounds."
Cliodhna pulled 3 pounds out of her pocket - she always had Muggle and Wizarding change on her person now since she had gone to Gringotts. "Thanks," she nodded and took a long sip of her beer. It was warm and it wasn't very good, but it was what she needed at the moment.
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"Well," Angus put down that Prophet. "Seems like it's a bit of a mess down at the Ministry," he stood up and kissed Catherine on the cheek. "Better go in early, see what the damage is."
"It's not your department, is it?" Cliodhna frowned at her father from the doorway.
Angus turned to Cliodhna, "No, not my department, but it'll be all hands, I think." He nodded at Ben and Jack who sat at the table eating their breakfast and reading the paper. "Be safe today, yea?"
"Yea," Ben and Jack said together as Ben shoveled more oatmeal into his mouth.
"Wow," Jack said as Angus left the kitchen and the Floo ignited. "The entire Records Room was destroyed, burnt by magical fire," he read from the paper. "Any records of any Muggleborns are incinerated." He looked up at his mother, "Are those really the only records?"
Catherine shrugged, "Don't know."
"Some of the other doors on Level 1 were open but nothing destroyed," Ben looked up at Cliodhna. "They think it was a distraction, those other rooms."
"Smart," Catherine sipped her tea, her eyes on Cliodhna as she grabbed a bowl of oatmeal.
"The culprit escaped just before the Floo closed," Jack read. "A witness said they heard the suspect yell Knockturn Alley but by the time they sent Aurors, the suspect was gone."
"You think that means it was a Death Eater?" Ben frowned. "Who else goes to Knockturn Alley?"
"Why would a Death Eater want to destroy records of Muggleborns?" Jack shook his head. "I think it was another distraction."
"Unless it was a Death Eater who wanted to turn his coat," Ben shrugged.
"And risk the wrath of Voldemort?" Cliodhna scoffed. "Unlikely."
"Definitely a distraction," Jack agreed.
"Another smart move," Catherine said before she moved to leave the kitchen. "Cliodhna will you come see me before you three leave for the Burrow? I know Charlie wanted to play Quidditch with you all before he leaves."
"Yes mum," Cliodhna swallowed her tea nervously.
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Catherine hadn't been mad at Cliodhna, nor had she made her confess that it was her who destroyed the records. Instead, she told her only daughter to continue to be smart and careful. "It's okay for you to keep secrets, darling," Catherine put a hand to Cliodhna's face. "Just be careful."
"Yes, mum," Cliodhna nodded.
"And if that was you," Catherine's lips twitched. "Very well done. Knockturn was a nice touch."
Cliodhna just smiled and left, meeting Ben and Jack at the bottom of the stairs to walk to the Burrow.
Charlie knew it was Cliodhna who had done the damage to the Ministry almost immediately. She had told him, more than once, that she needed to help the Muggleborns: and what better way to start to help them than by destroying the records of them ever existing?
As soon as she entered the Burrow, he was at her side, asking if she needed any tea or a second breakfast, asking if she needed to sit down and rest; all quietly of course so no one else could hear him. "Actually," Cliodhna smiled at him. "I'd love a cuppa outside since it's still a bit cool out there."
"Be careful, please," Mrs. Weasley said to Charlie as he levitated two cups of tea outside. "There's food in here if you want more before lunch," she added and Charlie kissed the top of her head before walking outside.
"It's rather strong," Charlie winked at Cliodhna as she took a mug. "Thought you'd need it."
Cliodhna eyed him carefully for a long moment before pulling her eyes away from his intense blue eyes and looked out over the field, "I think everyone needs a strong one."
He shook his head. "You'll be careful, won't you?"
She turned her head back to look at him again, "What do you mean?"
"With everything you're doing," he paused, "or not doing. You'll be careful, won't you?"
"I'm always -"
"Continue to be careful, Cliodhna," Charlie's voice was low. "I can't -"
"Can we play Quidditch?" Ron yelled from the kitchen door. "Oh, please, I'm going bloody -"
"Ronald!" They could hear Mrs. Weasley through the kitchen. "What did I say about leaving the door open?"
"It's okay, Mrs. Weasley," Cliodhna headed towards the house. "The wards are okay," Charlie heard her say as she walked into the house and closed the door behind her. He took a deep breath and looked out over the field, his mind in disarray yet again.
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Cliodhna threw her head back and laughed at Ben as he loop-di-looped on his broom in front of the three hoops to try to block Ginny's shot. The loud laugh made Ben smile; he hadn't heard his sister laugh in what felt like forever and the sound was so intoxicating it made Jack laugh too. "Quit showing off," Jack attempted to reprimand Ben in between laughs, but it was pointless to try because Ben did an even bigger loop-di-loop when Ginny tried to score again. It was worth it to hear his siblings laugh.
Charlie grinned when he looked over his shoulder to see Cliodhna laugh at Ben; this was what they all needed, what they all deserved. He wondered if they could play again later when the twins and Bill arrived; they needed this release as well.
"We should play again before dinner," Ron flew up alongside him. "They'd like to play too, I reckon," Ron shrugged at Charlie's huge grin.
"That's a great idea, Ron," Charlie agreed. When had his little brother become so considerate?
He turned as Cliodhna let out another loud laugh and hoped she'd be laughing again like this later that evening; if the twins were involved, he knew she would be.
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"You shouldn't be out here," Cliodhna's voice was soft on the breeze.
"Nor should you," Ben sat next to her on the porch step. "You should be asleep," he nudged her slightly. "But I know you haven't been sleeping." Cliodhna gave him a sideways glance and Ben sighed, "You need sleep."
"I know," she admitted. "I'll sleep soon."
"It was you, wasn't it?" Ben's voice was so soft Cliodhna wasn't even sure he had said anything. She nodded slightly and Ben let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "You could have been caught," he shook his head and looked out into the dark field; the moon was behind clouds so he couldn't see much of anything. "You were careful?"
"Yes," Cliodhna found his hand and squeezed it. "I was careful."
Ben nodded, "And what will you do now?"
"I can't -"
"I can help you, you know," Ben's voice was soft and Cliodhna could hear the defeat and sadness lingering there. "I've very capable of -"
"I know," Cliodhna squeezed his hand again. "I know you are. But I," she swallowed, clearly struggling with what to say. "I can't have anything happen to you or Jack," she closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his arm. "Nothing can happen to you."
"I can't bear for anything to - "
"I know," Cliodhna's voice was choked and Ben felt a wet drop on his arm. "I know."
Ben wrapped an arm around her and pulled her so tightly against him she wasn't sure she could take full breaths. "Let me help, Klee. You can't do this alone."
She warred with herself: she needed his help, his skills, but she needed Ben to be safe, she couldn't let anything happen to him.
"Yes," she barely managed to get out even as she let more tears escape her. "Okay."
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Charlie tried his best not to overly stare at Cliodhna during his last day at the Burrow, but it was hard. He knew he'd see her again soon at Bill and Fleur's wedding, but he was waffling telling her he loved her; some moments he felt as though it was bubbling up in his throat, wanting to explode out of him, and at other moments he wanted to bury the thought somewhere deep in his subconscious so he could forget. He didn't need to make her feel awkward now, he didn't need to leave things on a strange note before he left; they all had more important things to worry about.
But as he lay in his bed before the sun rose on his last day at the Burrow, he wondered if right now love was the most important thing they should be thinking about now.
And then the sun rose and for a brief second he saw the wards shimmer outside his window and he knew love wasn't the most important thing right now.
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"You're bloody transparent," Ginny whispered to him over tea that morning. "You're practically drooling."
"Don't be crass," Charlie's voice was harsh as he whispered to her. "That's -"
"The truth," Ginny cut in. "You should tell her -"
"Now's not the best time, Gin," Charlie clenched his jaw. "I'm leaving and -"
"She's trying to single-handedly save us all," Ginny rolled her eyes before laughing and drawing the attention of everyone else in the sitting room. "Anyone up for a game of Exploding Snap?"
Charlie sat back in his chair and tried not to glower as Ginny, Ron, Ben, and Jack, sat around to play Exploding Snap; Cliodhna, her teacup in hand, sat on the arm of Charlie's chair as she usually did. "Will you be able to see your dragons right away?"
He looked up at her and couldn't help the small smile forming on his lips; her eyes looked rather golden in the light of the sitting room - maybe it was the sunlight trickling in through the window? - and he sat forward slightly in the chair. "Nothing could stop me from seeing my girls right away."
Cliodhna hoped Charlie didn't notice her entire being shiver slightly at the way he smiled at her, the way his voice reverberated through her. "Only your girls?" Cliodhna asked with a small tilt of her head, hoping he could see this was her attempt at teasing and not masking her cheeks suddenly blushing.
"Hmm," Charlie hummed and leaned his head closer to hers. "What they don't teach you in school is that for most dragon species, they prefer same-gendered keepers."
"How -"
"Jealousy," Charlie shrugged, his lips upturned in a smirk. "Male dragons are very jealous of male Wizards on the reserve, and female dragons are very jealous of witches."
"So all your dragons," Cliodhna couldn't help her smile.
"My girls," he agreed, his eyes darting to the group on the floor when Ron whooped.
"That'll make anyone you try to date jealous too, I reckon," Cliodhna said softly, her eyes glued to her hands. Charlie's breath stopped as her words hit him and before he could open his mouth to say anything, something he'd probably regret, Cliodhna announced to the room, "Tonks is here."
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Charlie barely had another moment alone with Cliodhna the rest of the day before he was to take his Portkey to mainland Europe. It was probably for the best, he knew that, and he tried his best not to continue to stare at her: it was easier now that Tonks was there to reminisce and joke with him, and even better when Bill and the twins came by before dinner.
Bill slung his arm around his brother, "The wedding's soon."
"Very soon," Charlie agreed with a raised eyebrow. "Not getting cold feet, are we?"
Charlie watched Bill's eyes land on his fiancée and with a large, almost feral smile, he shook his head, "Never cold feet."
Charlie chuckled and took a sip of his butterbeer, "Mum's here don't forget. She won't like you tearing off Fleur's -"
"Stop it," Bill's voice was soft but violent and Charlie let out a laugh. Bill shook his head as though to clear it, "Have you told -"
"No," Charlie cut him off. "That's not really -"
"A war is coming, Charlie," Bill sighed. "We're in one already. If not now, when?"
"When she's done trying to save us, I guess," Charlie shrugged and took another sip of his Butterbeer.
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Cliodhna nodded her head ever so slightly and left the kitchen to the front hall of the Burrow and waited for Charlie to follow her. It was late, and everyone was either too exhausted to notice or too deep in their drink. When Charlie walked to the hall, she shook her head and waved her hand above her head before opening the front door. He gave her a questioning look when he closed the door behind her, "I didn't want anyone to hear the door."
Charlie nodded and stuck his hands in the pockets of his denim jeans, but waited for Cliodhna to speak.
"I just," she let out a long breath and looked up at the sky for a long moment before her eyes landed on Charlie. She tried not to shiver when she saw how intently he was looking at her. "I wanted to ya goodbye, privately," she swallowed. "And to tell you to be careful."
Charlie took a hesitant step towards her, his freckled hands still in his pockets, "I want to tell you the same, Klee."
"I'm," she shook her head, a small smile on her lips when she met his clear blue eyes again. "You work with dragons," she said incredulously.
"And you're fighting Death Eaters," he took another step towards her and Cliodhna had to crane her neck slightly to meet his gaze.
"I'll miss you," she confessed. "It's easier when you're here," her voice was so soft Charlie had to take another step towards her. "You aren't afraid of me, you helped -"
"No one's afraid of you, Cliodhna." His voice is deep and the way her name sounds rolling off his tongue, regardless of the number of times he's said it before, makes her shiver slightly.
"The ones I want to be afraid of me?" She said, her voice small and smiles when Charlie chuckles.
"They should be afraid of you," Charlie agreed. "But we aren't." He's standing right before her now, "I'm not."
Cliodhna stares up at him, "Come back in one piece to the wedding, won't you?"
Charlie puts a comforting hand on her arm and leans down to press his lips softly to her forehead."Stay safe, Cliodhna," he whispered before he did something he regretted later. "I'll see you soon." He leaned away from her, one final squeeze on her shoulder and turned to head back into the Burrow before he confessed his true feelings or snogged Cliodhna Quick.
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A/N: Please review! I know this is a short chapter, but next chapter will have everyone rescuing Harry and the wedding amongst other things...
