Part II: Regency
Chapter III: In Which Corinna Meets her Family
The next morning, Corinna walked down the stairs with her bag slung over her shoulders when Hermione ran up to her. "Have you seen Ron or Harry?" she asked quickly. "They usually meet me, and we head down to breakfast together, but I haven't seen them yet."
"Hermione, I've been in the same room as you all night," Corinna said, although she had to admit that her dreams may have involved a certain bespectacled wizard. "Would they have gone down without you?"
"They only do that if we aren't talking," Hermione said, still looking concerned as she let herself get dragged by Corinna. "Or if they have quidditch practice, but Harry's not on the team and they don't practice this close to the holidays, anyway."
"We'll check the Great Hall. If they aren't there, we can ask Professor McGonagall."
The Great Hall was a dead end. Not only wasn't there Harry or Ron, but none of the Weasleys were there, and they were easy to spot thanks to their hair. They went up to the staff table and stopped in front of where McGonagall usually sat.
"Mr. Potter and the Weasleys were sent home," McGonagall explained without preamble, already knowing why Hermione and Corinna had approached. "There was an incident with Mr. Weasley, and he was sent to St. Mungo's." She glanced over at Umbridge who was not-so-subtly leaning in to listen in to what McGonagall was saying.
"What's this?" Umbridge demanded. "I did not authorize any students to leave before the official start of break."
"There was an emergency, Dolores," said McGonagall coolly. "And it was on Albus's request that they were allowed to visit their injured father."
"Not Potter," Umbridge said with a scowl.
"I have sent Mr. Potter's letters more times than not to the Weasley residence." McGonagall looked back over at Hermione and Corinna as if just realizing they were there. "You are dismissed. The train leaves the station at eleven."
The two of them were still going at it as Hermione and Corinna quickly retreated from the staff table. Hermione looked shaken at the news she received. It makes sense that she was also concerned about Mr. Weasley. "I just hope everything's alright," she said as they continued out of the hall when it was evidence Hermione was no longer interested in having breakfast. "But, St. Mungo's. That means it's fairly serious, especially if they had taken them out of school."
Corinna decided to stay with Hermione until they were supposed to set out to Hogsmeade Station, even if it was just sitting on her bed while Hermione paced nervously in their dorm room. Finally, it was time to leave. They grabbed their trunks and trudged down to the station with snow clutching to their hair and gear. It was odd getting a compartment for just the two of them when there was seven last time.
"You don't have to stay," Hermione said stiffly as they sat opposite each other. They let their cats out of their cages, and they merely tolerated each other. Crookshanks was content to sleep in the corner while Zelda insisted on trying to curl up with either girl. "If you want to meet up with Terry."
"His parents are picking him up in Hogsmeade," Corinna explained. "They are going to France since that is where Terry's sister is working."
"Alright," Hermione said with a slight nod. "I went to France once on holiday. It's quite nice. I'm sure he'll like it."
"Yeah, I'm sure," Corinna said as she looked out the window as they started away from the station.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked gently.
"Yeah, just…" She sighed heavily. "I guess I just realized that this will be my first holiday without my dad and brother."
"Oh." Another beat of silence. "Who will you be staying with?"
"I have some family on my mom's side," she explained. "I don't know them very well, but I guess they are excited to see me."
"Of course, they're family," said Hermione. "I was actually supposed to go skiing with my parents. But, with what happened, I'm not so sure. I'm lousy at it anyway."
Corinna just nodded as if she knew what skiing was. At some of the things that muggleborns mention, it is sometimes best to go along with it, or else you have to deal with explanations of things that they really don't know how to explain since it was so familiar to them. "Is it hard having parents who really aren't part of this world with you?"
"They try their best," Hermione admitted. "I think they just nod along whenever I talk about the things I study or the things I do with Harry and Ron. They are happy that I am doing well in my studies and that I am a prefect but there still seemed to be this…divide. Like they will never fully understand."
"I'm sorry if that sounded invasive," said Corinna.
"No, it's fine." For the first time that day, Hermione gave a slight smile. "In fact, I remember our first train ride to Hogwarts our first year. I kept asking you so many questions about the wizarding world. I think it's only fair you're also curious about the muggle world. What do you want to know?"
Corinna thought a moment before something came to mind. "I was on the London Underground over the summer and I saw this little boy with this rectangular device. I think it was tan in color, or at least mostly tan. It had a grey square he somehow put in it. He pressed buttons and the device acted like a picture, like it was moving, but it also made sound and he was getting annoyed with it."
Hermione laughed. "I think you're talking about a Gameboy. I don't even know where to begin explaining to you how those work. There is absolutely no magical equivalent." She thought a moment before asking, "Do you know what a television is?"
And that's how they stayed for the afternoon. It was a nice distraction for Hermione, and Corinna learned a little more about the world outside of where she lived. Just before they got to the platform, they gathered up their cats and trunks and headed out.
It was easy to spot Tonks with her bright pink hair. She veered in that direction, but so had Hermione. "Tonks, what are you doing here?"
"Wotcher, Hermione," Tonks greeted. "I'm not here on official business. I'm here on a family one."
Hermione looked between the two of them. "How are you related to Tonks?"
"Mum's side, like I said," Corinna said quickly.
"Okay, well, there's my parents," Hermione said, looking concerned. "Have a Happy Christmas."
"You too, Hermione." She had glanced back as she approached her parents and greeted them with a warm hug.
Tonks took Zelda from Corinna and they filed off the platform. Some muggles rushing around gave Tonks a second look, but for the most part didn't think twice. "You haven't told anyone who your mum really is, have you?"
"Harry knows," Corinna said with a shrug. "It's bad enough that the person they think it my brother is a Death Eater. How do you think people would react to find out that I am not only really his daughter, but my mum is a Death Eater and was sentenced to life in Azkaban for torturing one of my classmate's parents into insanity?"
"Yeah, don't really like claiming a lot of that part of the family," Tonks admitted. "There are a few good ones, like my mum and my cousin. And you, obviously." Corinna got a jolt when Tonks said that. "Have you ever done side-along apparition?"
"No," Corinna admitted.
"Lucky for you, it's part of my training." They left King's Cross and made their way to a secluded alley perpendicular to the street. "Just hold on. Don't want to end up falling to Merlin knows where." Corinna kept a tight grip on Tonks' arm and on her trunk. She felt like all the air was sucked out of her chest and she dared not move until the scenery around them changed from a London alley to a field with a house in the distance.
Corinna walked with Tonks up to the house. It was on the small side, but it seemed to be very homely. It was picturesque with the gently falling snow and smoke billowing out of the chimney. She could only hear her pounding heart as she approached the house, but there was a familiar hum of the wireless going and the strong smells of cooking.
"Mum, Dad," Tonks said as she strolled right into the house, which made sense since this was her parents' place. She knelt down and opened the door to Zelda's carrier. "We're here."
Although she had only seen her mother in old black and white photographs from ancient copies of the Daily Prophet, she had a good sense of what she would look like in the flesh. She just did not expect Andromeda Tonks to be almost the exact replica. The most notable difference that, where Bellatrix Lestrange had a wild, deranged look in her eyes, Andromeda had nothing but kindness. Her hair was also lighter as, in the newspaper photograph, Bellatrix's hair looked black. She beamed when she saw Corinna and immediately enveloped her into a hug, despite the fact that she had flour on the front of her. "Sorry," she said as she pulled away. "It's just…" There was a glint of tears in her eyes.
"Mum," Tonks said, shaking her head. "It's okay. She's safe."
"I know." Corinna wondered if she saw the little toddler that was taken away when her sister was sent to Azkaban. "You don't look much like her, but you also don't look like Rudolphus, either. But Dumbledore reassured me you are the same child."
"There was also truth serum involved when my, er…my father was interrogated." It still felt foreign to refer to him as such. "I also found the forged birth certificate my grandfather had."
"I'm sure he got rid of any evidence of your true parentage," said Andromeda. "But it does not matter. You are here. You are alive. And you are safe. Now, let's get you some supper. I know that they do not feed you a proper meal on that train. Dora, get your father from the attic. He's been running amuck in there all afternoon claiming to be looking for the Christmas decorations." When Tonks headed up the stairs, Andromeda followed suit with her arm around Corinna's shoulders. It was almost as if she was afraid that Corinna would disappear if she let go. "I'll show you where you will be staying. It's not much, but I hope you will be comfortable."
It was evidently a guest room with pale yellow walls, a plain wardrobe and bookshelf full of the ugly tchotchkes that were given to them in the past. The covers were a hideous floral pattern, and the carpeting was well-worn. "It's brilliant," Corinna reassured. "Thank you."
"'Brilliant' is not the word I would use to describe Ted's great-aunt's bedspread," Andromeda said with a slight chuckle. "Oh, Ted." They turned to see a man descending another set of stairs with Tonks behind him. "This is Corinna."
"Pleased to meet yah." Ted Tonks vigorously shook Corinna's hand, his being filmy from rummaging through the dusty attic. "I hope you brought your appetite. Dromeda had made more food this past week than she had the entire time we've been married."
"I figured Dora could bring some over to the Weasleys," Andromeda said as they all headed back downstairs. "How is Arthur, dear?"
"He's expected to make a full recovery," Tonks reassured. "I asked someone else from the Order to take the family and Harry over to visit him at St. Mungo's. They understood why I needed the time off."
"What's the Order?" Corinna asked. "You mentioned them when we first talked at the Three Broomsticks."
"Dumbledore said that it was alright to mention it," Tonks said as she carefully selected a biscuit from the platter on the table. "It's secretive, but not to the point that I have to kill you if I say anything. ("Dora!" Andromeda hissed under her breath.) Its full name is the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore founded it when You-Know-Who was first in power, and he brought it back since…well, you know what happened at the end of last year. Anyway, since the Ministry is doing bugger-all about You-Know-Who being back, we're doing what we can despite our small numbers."
"Can anyone join?" Corinna asked, figuring Harry, Ron, and Hermione would be a part of it in a heartbeat.
"Anyone in their majority," said Tonks, "so you might want to hold off in submitting an application. Besides," she gave a slight smirk, "heard you were busy learning Defensive magic from Harry Potter."
Corinna sputtered and Tonks laughed harder, nearly knocking a glass to the ground, but she stopped it before it shattered. "I think it's brilliant," she said. "Mind you, I should technically be telling you off for defying the Ministry like that since I work for them, but that is exactly the type of thing I would be a part of in school if she were around when I was there."
"How often did I get an owl from Professor Sprout because you got into trouble?" Andromeda asked when she went over to check something on the stove.
"If you didn't get an owl every week, you wrote asking if I was still alive," said Tonks without missing a beat. "I got the necessary OWLs and NEWTs to become an Auror, so I think I did something right." She handed a biscuit to Corinna and she nibbled on it. "Never got me the prefect spot, but who would want to do that? It takes the fun out of everything."
"I didn't get it either," Corinna said with a shrug. "It is annoying when my friend, Terry Boot, can't hang out because he has to roam the halls or whatever. He's a Ravenclaw prefect." She picked at a crumb before it could fall to the floor.
"It's alright," Ted reassured as he grabbed a biscuit from the tray as well. "The prefects always got a load of it from everyone else, even back in my time. In fact, I remember one time that I had—"
"Let's not give her any ideas," Andromeda said dismissively. "Dora, set the table. Ted, did you manage to find the Christmas decorations after spending all afternoon up there?"
"I found them, but I did a fair bit of organizing up there," said Ted.
"We won't be able to find anything," said Andromeda, shaking her head. "Well, go grab them. We'll decorate after dinner."
"Is there anything I can help with?" asked Corinna.
"Yes, feed that ruddy cat of yours so she'll quit trying to get the roast."
Corinna found it almost odd how easily she seemed to fit into the family. Although it still confused her at times, she at least found a place within their routine.
Andromeda and Ted were both Healers at St. Mungo's. They occasionally had overlapping shifts, so it left Corinna alone for a few hours. The only thing they asked was that she didn't leave, but she was welcome to do whatever she would like. She would be nice and make sure things were cleaned up so they didn't have to worry about it at the end of the day, but it also gave her time to do some owl-order shopping for Christmas. Tonks hardly stayed at home, usually opting to stay in London so she was closer to the Ministry and to this Order, whatever they were doing. There wasn't much she could talk about, but she gave them updates about Mr. Weasley who was recovering slowly, but was hoping to be out of the hospital by Christmas, which was quickly approaching.
It seemed to be a holiday that the family very much liked to celebrate. The house had transformed the night Corinna arrived with baubles hanging from garland and a Christmas tree. Ted had charmed a toy train to move about the house, but it easily stayed out of everyone's way whenever they were walking. The snow continued to fall outside, and tea seemed to be poured in this house by the jug.
They liked to tell stories about their family. Just the three of them. Corinna noticed that they didn't talk much about Andromeda's family, the Blacks. If she asked, they would probably give her some answers. The problem was that she didn't know what she wanted to know, so she didn't know what she should ask.
The days leading up to Christmas Eve seemed to blend together for Corinna. But unlike those days where all she did was go to class, study, and worry about her family, she spent it with people who seemed to genuinely like her company. They would ask her about her life in Hogwarts, and she did notice that they never asked her about her home life before (or after, for that matter) the events of last year. She was glad it focused more on which subjects she enjoyed and what she could possibly want to do with them some day.
As a second year picking out her electives, she didn't know what she had wanted out of life. She just picked a couple things that were recommended to her either because they were interesting or because they would be easy. She knew before the end of next term, she would have a meeting with McGonagall about what she wanted to do with her life and help her create a map on how to get there. But, what did she want to do? She was a fairly good potioneer, but she didn't know if she wanted to make that exclusively her career once she got out of Hogwarts.
Christmas morning, Corinna woke to a small pile of presents at the foot of her bed and her heart sank slightly. She did not expect to get anything as she thought the Tonks family were generous enough for just taking her in so she wouldn't be alone at Hogwarts or at Crouch Manor.
The first that Corinna unwrapped were a couple of books about potion-making (So that's why they were asking me those question, she thought), with some of them covering material she wouldn't even learn for her NEWTs. There was a nice quill set and matching hat, scarf, and gloves. The label on them said that they were never-wet so they wouldn't succumb to the winter chill as easily. Those were from Tonks.
There was the soft clanking of teacups onto their saucers as Corinna crept out of her bedroom, shrugging on her dressing gown. She didn't think she would meet people who would consistently get up earlier than ever her father did. Despite the fact that the early rays of dawn were just lightening the sky, they had already been up for a while, simply enjoying their tea and reading through the Christmas edition of the Prophet. Tonks had came home the night before as she had managed to get the time off for Christmas. She mentioned doing something for the order the day of, but wanted to make sure that she was there for Christmas Eve dinner.
With a steadying sigh, Corinna stepped down the stairs. Despite the creak, Ted and Andromeda did not look up. The first few times she had joined them in the morning, they had looked up and leapt up to help her with whatever she needed, even if she didn't need anything. Now, they were used to her presence and let her fix her own cup of tea in the morning as she knew where the cream and sugar were.
"Happy Christmas, Corinna," said Andromeda as Corinna rejoined them from the kitchen. "Did you like your presents?"
"They are lovely," Corinna reassured as she sat down on the couch opposite them. She noticed Ted looking over the pocket watch that she had owl-ordered for him the very next day he had talked endlessly about the time pieces in his collection. Andromeda had her favored quidditch team's gear folded neatly on the armrest of the sofa. Corinna had gotten Tonks the same thing, but simply got her preferred team instead. According to Ted, when those two teams compete in a match, the house can become a very hostile place until it is over. "I hope I did alright with picking out your presents."
"You didn't have to get us anything," Andromeda insisted. "You being here is a gift enough, but they are still appreciated."
"You're welcome," she said softly and then focused on her tea. "What do you normally do for Christmas?"
"We actually go visit my family today." Ted was Muggle-born. She knew that the Black family, like many of those who were prideful of their pureblood and wanted to keep it that way, probably did not take too kindly to the union. Although she did not ask about it outright, she deduced by the fact that all the family pictures were of just the three of them or the stand-still portraits created by muggle cameras, that they had little to no contact with the Blacks-whoever was left. "We wanted to talk to you about that."
"We are so happy that you are here with us, Corinna," said Andromeda as she set her tea down. "I know it has been confusing for you, and the last thing we are expecting you to do is sit around with even more people you really don't know. That's why we were wondering, if it is okay with you, if you went with Dora while she took the Weasleys and Harry Potter to visit Arthur in the hospital this afternoon. At least this way, you would know the people you were spending time with today."
Corinna's heart thudded in her chest as she choked down an accidental large gulp of tea. "I suppose that would be alright," she said. "As long as everyone else is okay if I tag along."
"Of course they would," Ted reassured. "Besides, with the Weasley brood, they would hardly notice you are there."
"Edward!" scolded Andromeda.
"Well, it's true, Dromeda. We knew it was going to happen even back at school, remember? And they probably would have started then if they weren't constantly caught whenever they tried to sneak off and be alone."
Corinna silently wondered how red Ron would turn if he heard them say that about his parents. She would have loved to see that.
After a huge breakfast that could rival one put on in the Great Hall, Corinna and Tonks (who had gotten up by the smell of frying bacon) dressed warmly. Tonks had a hard time putting on earmuffs as she had changed her hair to be dark green and piled her hair in a way that resembled a pine tree. "Hey, you're wearing the stuff I bought you," she said. "Mum said to get you something practical. Apparently dungbombs aren't practical."
"As much as I love a well-timed prank," said Corinna, "I will leave it to the professionals."
"Fred and George?"
Corinna nodded. "Fred and George."
"Speaking of," Tonks said as she held out a piece of paper. "Read this."
Confused, Corinna took the piece of paper and unfolded it. The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London. "Why do I…?"
Tonks took the piece of paper back and set it on fire. "Dumbledore's secret keeper," Tonks explained. "He wrote it so you can get in."
Corinna vaguely remembered learning the theory behind such things. They were designed that no one but the person deemed "secret keeper" were the only ones who can disclose the location of something. Others can know about it, but they cannot tell anyone. Corinna did not know what happened to people who tried to say, but she did not want to find out.
They had walked a few meters from the house and then Tonks used side-along apparition to get Corinna back to London. She didn't know the neighborhood very well, but she had to admit that it did seem like a perfect hiding spot for a group of people to plot against You-Know-Who.
They had stepped up the stairs. "Just be quiet," she suggested. "There's a grouchy portrait that will start screaming if we—oh, no."
As she was walking in, Tonks and stumbled against a coat rack and struggled to stay upright, but it knocked against the wall. Behind a large curtain, a woman started shouting. "Mudbloods and traitors. Defiling the ancient and—"
"Shut up you wretched woman!" a man with black hair shouted as he came from what looked like the kitchen door to close the curtains again. It took a few moments, but the portrait eventually stopped shouting obscenities. It was just the right about of time for Corinna to look over the man and start backing up towards the door in horror.
"Oh, sorry, should have warned you," Tonks whispered as she grabbed Corinna's arm before she could knock into the umbrella stand and start the portrait up again. "Corinna, meet our definitely-not-a-murderer cousin, Sirius Black."
In hindsight, it seemed oddly silly to Corinna for not considering that Sirius Black was part of her family considering their third year was plagued by his escape from Azkaban and, subsequently, his secondary escape after Ministry officials had captured him on Hogwarts grounds. Unsurprisingly, it all lead back to Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
It was hard to believe that the man standing before her was her blood relation in some way as cousin could mean just about anything when it came to extended family.
"He didn't actually murder thirteen people," Tonks reassured as she nudged Corinna to follow her down the hall and back the way Sirius had come. "I'll explain later."
The kitchen table was full of people that she knew from school or was obvious to be a Weasley. Except for a couple. "Professor Lupin? Professor Moody?"
"Hello, Corinna," Lupin said with an easy smile. "It's been awhile."
"And why do you lot constantly call me professor?" Moody asked. "I didn't do a lick of teaching."
Guilt settled in Corinna gut as her brother was the reason why Moody was locked in a trunk for an entire school year. But, before she could say anything, a stout woman came from behind her and nearly shoved her onto the bench.
"Since I had to tag along, I thought I would drag Corinna along with me," Tonks explained. "Better than hang out with a bunch of muggles."
"Just having a spot of breakfast," Mrs. Weasley said as she was already loading up Corinna plate. She tried to protest that they had already ate, but Tonks gave her a subtle shake of the head, and she smartly kept her mouth shut.
Now that she was here, Corinna wished she had come up with an excuse to stay at the house. All of her classmates, which included all the Weasleys and Harry and Hermione (who must have flaked out on skiing with her parents), were looking at her in a confused manner. The conversations were muted as Corinna tried to choke down some more food.
Hermione kept looking at Corinna in a similar look that she would give a particularly difficult question during class. Harry didn't look her in the eye, focused on his food as Mrs. Weasley kept piling food on his plate even before he finished the previous helping. Corinna was more than relieved when she didn't seem to do the same to her. As soon as they were all done, Hermione grabbed Corinna's arm before she could say or do anything else.
The question died on Corinna's lips when they had gotten into the hall and no one wanted to wake the horrid portrait again. They snuck up the stairs and Corinna expected to be dragged to wherever they were sleeping, but they entered what, at one point, would have been a drawing room. It had seen better days, but the telltale smell of magical cleaner meant that someone had been in here fairly recently.
"I cannot figure this out," Hermione said as she stood in front of a tapestry of the Black family. It went back for generations, and Corinna was easily lost. "I have not been able to find Claudia Crouch, née Zima anywhere. Nor have then been any Crouches or Zimas in recent history, according to the tapestry."
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked, looking confused. Harry pretended to be very interested in what was in a cabinet.
"I am trying to figure out how you are related to Tonks," Hermione said. "It has been driving me crazy. It can't be from her father's side since he's Muggle-born and you're pureblood. So, it would have to be on her mother's side, the Blacks. But, if you were related in a significant enough way to spend Christmas with them, you should be on here. Or, at the very least, some sort of indication of your mother, as I had considered she was disowned by Sirius's mother since her husband put away Death Eaters without a trial."
Corinna was used to the lies. They were a necessary evil her entire life. In fact, she couldn't remember a point before where she didn't have to constantly lie or evade the truth. But she knew Hermione would never let up, and any excuse Corinna could come up with seemed flimsy at best. She glanced back at Harry and he caught her eye. With a huff, she straightened slightly and looked at the tapestry. Her eyes passed over the burned mark of Andromeda and the intact one of Narcissa. She gave a slight jolt when she saw a line connecting from Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange. "I'm right here," she said as she pointed to the spot that said "Carina Lestrange."
Before Hermione could ask any of the myriad of questions she had, Corinna explained what happened when her brother—no, father—was under the influence of the truth serum. She finally admitted out loud that she was the child of infidelity and that her father—really, grandfather—had forged documents to the point that he had changed Corinna's name and made her believe that she was his child for fifteen years.
"So, you're the kid of a couple of You-Know-Who's nutters," said Ron. "You don't support them, do you?"
"Merlin, no," said Corinna at the same time as Hermione hissed out Ron's name. "I hope she continues to rot away in Azkaban for the rest of her life. I'm not about to search her out so I can join in on whatever fun You-Know-Who has been up to."
"But how do we know for certain?" asked Ron.
"Because I was there," Harry said, finally speaking up. "I was there when Corinna heard the truth from Crouch. She looked absolutely disgusted. Besides, look at what I have been dealing with. Do you think I'm on his side?"
Corinna didn't know what he was talking about, but Ron seemed to as he shook his head. She thought about asking, but it didn't feel like the right time. "I am not asking you to trust me," she said. "All I ask is that you don't go around telling everyone who my mother really is. You lot are the only ones who know besides the Tonkses and those who witnessed my…I don't even know what the hell to call him anymore."
The four of them jumped up when the door opened to reveal the youngest Weasley. "What are you guys doing up here?" She waltzed in with the twins on her heels. "Mum's having another fit about Percy. I vote we hide out here until it passes."
They went to visit Mr. Weasley later that afternoon after Christmas lunch, escorted by Lupin, Moody, and Tonks. Another order member by the name of Mundungus Fletcher showed up while they were all getting ready. He managed to borrow a car as the Underground did not run on Christmas Day and there were too many of them to try to side-along apparate. Mrs. Weasley made a snide comment about how it might be stolen, but it was charmed with an Enlarging spell so the inside could easily accommodate everyone comfortably, so everyone seemed to look the other way about the legality of the vehicle.
Corinna had been to St. Mungo's a handful of times, mostly for her usual checked ups. She never even broken a bone or had a large enough cut that it needed to be healed by stronger magic than Episkey. It was still the normal storefront to make muggles think it is a defunct department store. One at a time, they walked through the window and into the reception area. It was decorated for the festivities, for which Corinna had never seen before.
As it seemed that the lot had been there already, they knew their way to Mr. Weasley's room that he shared with another wizard who seemed to be in some sort of shock. They all greeted him and some handed him out presents. He seemed a bit cagey, especially when Mrs. Weasley was asking him about why his bandages were changed a day early. After he admitted that a trainee healer agreed to try a muggle remedy (stitches), the younger members of the group decided that it was best to go get a cup of tea from the tearoom on the top floor.
"Typical Dad, said Ginny as Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Corinna trailed down the corridor. "Stitches…"
"Well, you know, they do work well on non-magical wounds," Hermione pointed out. "I suppose something in the snake's venom dissolves them or something. I wonder where the tearoom is?"
"Fifth floor," Harry said automatically.
The continued up the stairs as they made their way up to the tearoom. "What floor is this?" Corinna asked.
"I think it's the fifth," said Hermione, but she didn't sound wholly convinced.
"Nah, it's the fourth," said Harry. "One more."
Everyone stopped on the landing as everyone's eyes moved towards the inset window on the double doors. The sign read "Spell Damage."
"Blimey," said Ron, staring at the man in the window with the vacant smile.
Hermione gasped. "Professor Lockhart!" she said breathlessly.
The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher from their second year (Ginny's first) opened the door. "Well, hello there!" he greeted. "I expect you'd like my autograph, would you?"
"Hasn't changed much, has he?" Harry muttered. He said it lowly enough that only Ginny and Corinna could hear, so they tried to stifle their giggles.
"How are you, Professor?" asked Ron, sounding guilty. Only he, Harry, and Lockhart had gone down to the Chamber of Secrets, so naturally everyone knew what happened. It was Ron's malfunctioning wand that caused Lockhart to lose him memories, but it didn't seem to not have changed his personality much. He was attempting to erase their memories so that he could take the glory (or at least get out of that situation). He was stripped of his accolades and accomplishments as it came out that he was taking the glory from those who actually accomplished such things. Corinna thought that his class was a complete joke, but much more entertaining than Quirrel's classes.
"I'm very well indeed, thank you," said Lockhart. "Now, how many autographs would you like? I can do joined-up writing now, you know."
"We don't want any at the moment, thanks," said Ron. "Professor, should you be wandering around the corridors? Shouldn't you be in a ward?"
Lockhart adverted his gaze to Harry and studied him closely, making Harry visibly uncomfortable. "Haven't we met?"
"Yeah, we have," said Harry hesitantly. "You used to teach us at Hogwarts, remember?"
"Teach? Me? Did I?" The smile reappeared as if it never left. "Taught you everything you know, I expect, did I? Well, how about those autographs, then? Shall we say a round dozen, you can give them to all your little friends and then nobody will be left out!"
It was almost a relief when someone poked their head out of the door at the end of the corridor. "Gilderoy, you naught boy, where have you wandered off to?" A motherly Healer headed down towards the group. "Oh, Gilderoy, you've got visitors! How lovely, and on Christmas Day, too! Do you know, he never gets visitors, poor lamb, and I can't think why, he's such a sweetie, aren't you?"
"We're doing autographs," Gilderoy told the Healer with another glittering smile. "They want loads of them, won't take no for an answer! I just hope we've got enough photographs."
"Listen to him," the healer dotted over Lockhart as she ushered him back towards the door and beckoned the others to follow her. She explained to the others what happened to him as she got him back into the ward, despite their albeit halfhearted attempts to continue on their way to the tearoom. They looked at each other helplessly as they were led to a ward. After a simple "Alohomora," they followed her inside. "This is our long-term residents' ward for permanent spell damage, you know. Of course, with intensive remedial potions and charms and a bit of luck, we can produce some improvement." With that, she left them to finish passing out presents. Lockhart was signing them and placed them in Ginny's lap to put them in envelopes, much to her chagrin. Corinna was only half paying attention to the healer as she passed out presents to the other patients, announcing loudly what they received and how lovely it was. "Oh, Mrs. Longbottom, are you leaving already?"
Five heads immediately swiveled over when they heard the name of one of their peers. A formidable looking witch stood in front of some drawn curtains with Neville trailing behind her. Corinna's heart sank when she realized who was behind the curtains. "Neville?" said Ron without any tact. "It's us, Neville!" He stood up from where they were seated by Lockhart's bed. "Have you seen? Lockhart's here. Who've you been visiting?"
When Neville hadn't said anything, his grandmother asked, "Friends of yours, Neville, dear?" He looked like he was trying to apparate to be anywhere else. "Ah, yes," his grandmother continued, looking right at Harry. "Yes, yes. I know who you are, of course. Neville speaks most highly of you."
"Er, thanks," Harry said and accepted the hand Mrs. Longbottom had held out.
"And you two are clearly Weasleys," said Mrs. Longbottom as she looked over Ron and Ginny. "Yes, I know your parents—not well, of course—but fine people, fine people…Speaking of fine people. You must be Corinna Crouch. I will always be thankful for what your father did. Allow me to give you my condolences now. The Prophet didn't say when or where his funeral was, or else I would have gone…and you must be Hermione Granger?" Hermione looked surprised by that. "Yes, Neville's told me all about you. Helped him out of a few sticky spots, haven't you. He's a good boy but he hasn't got his father's talent, I'm afraid."
"What?" said Ron, as everyone's eyes averted to the closed-off curtains. Corinna wanted to join Neville wherever he would rather be, even if it was her own personal hell. Because her grandfather may have sentenced those who tortured Frank and Alice Longbottom to the point of insanity, but those people were, unfortunately, her real parents. "Is that your dad down in the end, Neville?"
"What's this?" said Mrs. Longbottom sharply, turning back to Neville. "Haven't you told your friends about your parents, Neville?" When he shook his head, she continued. "Well, it's nothing to be ashamed of! You should be proud, Neville, proud! They didn't give their health and their sanity so their only son would be ashamed of them, you know."
"I'm not ashamed," Neville mumbled, looking at his feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the world right then.
"Well, you've got a funny way of showing it! My son and his wife," Mrs. Longbottom turned to the five of them, "were tortured into insanity by You-Know-Who's followers." Everyone reacted in a shocked manner, except for Corinna and Harry, who both looked lost. "They were Aurors, you know, and very well respected within the wizarding community. Highly gifted, the pair of them. Well, we'd better get back. Very nice to have met you all."
Neville didn't look any of them in the eye as he shuffled past. The door closed at the end of the ward and the five of them were oddly silent for a few beats. "I never knew," said Hermione.
"Nor did I," said Ron and Ginny shook her head.
They all looked at Harry and Corinna. Harry looked at Corinna. She just gave him a slight nod. She didn't want to be the one to say it, but he might as well tell them. Whatever snide remarks they could say about her parentage can't be worse than the guilt she felt over something she had nothing to do with.
"I did," said Harry. "Dumbledore told me but I promised I wouldn't tell anyone…that's what Bellatrix Lestrange got sent to Azkaban for, using the Cruciatus Curse on Neville's parents until they lost their minds."
Corinna was at least glad that Ron and Hermione hadn't commented about Bellatrix being her mother so she didn't also have to include Ginny in the ever-growing list of people who know the worst things about her. In fact, there was only silence until the forgotten Lockhart piped up, "Look, I didn't learn joined-up writing for nothing, you know!"
Corinna was relieved when they had met back up with the others and Tonks told her that she received an Patronus from Ted saying that they were back early (she also mentioned something about a grouchy great-uncle, but Corinna wasn't paying attention). It was easy for her to say goodbye to the others and they side-along apparated once they left the hospital.
The remainder of Christmas with the Tonkses was quiet. They were ones who preferred to put on the wireless and do a quiet activities while drinking tea. She tried to read one of her new potions books, but her mind kept wandering away from the page, both mentally and physically it seemed as Ted eventually said, "You have been staring at the wall for five minutes, Corinna. What's on your mind?"
She looked over at Ted and Tonks who were in a surprisingly heated game of chess. They had asked Corinna if she wanted to join in, but she was lousy at the game. She left that to the likes of Ron who would not shut up about how he had gotten past McGonagall's enchanted chess pieces at the end of their first year. Andromeda, like her, had opted to read and sat on the opposite couch.
"It's nothing," Corinna mumbled as she turned her attention back to the book.
"Does it have anything to do with how quiet you lot were after you got back from the tearoom?" Tonks may have been carefree with her pink hair and cool attitude, but she was still a trained Auror.
Corinna swallowed thickly as she closed the book without marking the page she was on. She hadn't retained anything to make it relevant. "We didn't make it to the tearoom," she admitted softly. "We were sidetracked to the spell damage ward where we saw Frank and Alice Longbottom."
A hush fell over the already most-quiet room. Andromeda closed her book as well and went to sit down next to Corinna. She steeled herself as she looked to find the right things to say. "I know this conversation was going to happen sooner or later," she admitted. "I just wanted to make sure you were ready for this. Maybe I should have mentioned it sooner."
"I first wanted to say that I came to terms with who my family was years ago," said Andromeda. "I never agreed with them, especially as many of my family supported what You-Know-Who was doing. I kept my mouth shut until Ted proposed to me after we graduated from Hogwarts. They would never have allowed such a union. I was supposed to marry someone of pureblood status, even if it meant I wasn't happy. These are the sort of people we are unfortunately related to. But, I had learned after I left was that, their thoughts and opinions did not define who I was. I did not care that Ted was Muggle-born, but they disowned me for it, and it was the best and worst day of my life when I walked out of my family. I would not do anything differently. I was willing to still have a relationship with them, but they weren't willing to meet me halfway." She sighed heavily and placed her hand on Corinna's knee. "I suppose what I am trying to say is that we cannot change who our family is. That is something we have to live with until the day we die. But what we decide to do on this Earth is something we can control. We forge our own path, Corinna. We aren't defined by what other people have done or will do, even if we are related to them."
"So, I shouldn't feel guilty because of what my mom did," said Corinna in a soft voice. "I should instead focus my efforts into doing what I think is right."
"I guess I should also say that not everyone is going to think that way," said Andromeda. "There are those who are going to lump us with everyone else just because of our name. The Longbottoms may never like you, but that is okay. They have been through enough, and it isn't on us to change their opinions. I used to have Alice and Augusta over for tea from time to time, but after what my sister did to Alice, I was not about to invade in Augusta's space, even if I wasn't the one who raised the wand."
Corinna didn't really considered Neville a friend, but he was a fellow D.A. member, and they did sit next to each other in their various classes together so they weren't alone. "I think I understand," she said softly.
"While we're on the topic," said Andromeda, "is there anything you would like to know? Our family has a dark history."
"How did you and Ted meet?" Corinna asked, as she did not really care about her mother or the Blacks. She wanted to know about Ted, Andromeda, and Tonks. "I know you were in Hogwarts together."
Corinna's book sat unopened for the rest of the evening as she listened to the light but varied history of the family she cared about.
The rest of the holidays passed by much too quickly for Corinna's taste. She wasn't just fitting into their routine, she felt like she was now a part of it. She helped with dinner, and even offered to make it herself a couple of times, but Andromeda intervened because of how slowly Corinna worked since she couldn't use magic. It was fine with her. She almost preferred working with them.
The night before Corinna was to take the Hogwarts Express back to school, her and Andromeda made roasted chicken with various roasted vegetables and Corinna's first attempt at making bread from scratch. They only had kind words to say, even if they had a hard time getting past the crust and Ted more butter on it than what should have been necessary.
Tonks even managed to get the evening off as it seemed that the Auror's office was busy. Corinna picked at her vegetables, slightly nervous about what she was about to ask.
"So, I have been thinking," she said during a lull in the conversation, which was mostly Andromeda and Tonks discussing quidditch standings. "If it is alright with you, I would like to come back for the summer holidays."
"Of course," Andromeda said. After their conversation on Christmas, she seemed relieved that Corinna was being more accepting of their love and affection. "We were actually going to suggest the Easter holidays, but we figured you wanted that time for studying for your OWLs." Corinna just nodded in agreement, realizing just how close the tests were. "Is there anything you need to grab from your house? We can go to London early tomorrow and we can bring back whatever you might need."
Corinna thought about her trunk that was already packed. It already had all the clothes that fit her, and she didn't really care about anything that she left at what she would soon call the old house. "We don't have to," she reassured as she speared a carrot. "I have everything I need."
For the first time ever, Corinna was not looking forward to going back to Hogwarts. It was nice to be surrounded by people who wanted her, and she was not looking forward to the mounting work or Umbridge who was going to keep harassing her about spying on Harry and the others. Hogwarts was no longer the escape she always looked forward to whenever she was trapped in that manor.
"In that case, you can join me when I take Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys to the Platform tomorrow," Tonks suggested. As much as Corinna did not look forward to seeing them, she remembered Andromeda's words. She would just have to accept that people were going to treat her differently now that they know the truth.
Andromeda looked like she wanted to suggest something else, but kept quiet. "There's something else," Corinna mumbled. "I know it's just…well, it seems silly, actually. Would you be alright if I started calling you aunt and uncle? I know it's just a formality, but…it just seems like the right thing to call you."
"We would be honored," Ted said with an easy smile. "I wanted to suggest it right away, but Dromeda thought we should ease into this whole family thing."
Andromeda looked at Tonks sharply and she rolled her eyes. "And I suppose you can call me Dora. But if you call me Nymphadora…"
"Dora works for me," said Corinna. Them talking about names drew something up from her memory. "Actually, you remember how you mentioned that you didn't even know my name, which is why you had a hard time finding me?" Tonks—no, Dora—nodded. "Well, apparently I was put on the Black family tapestry. I saw it in Grimmauld Place. My name was Carina."
"Is that what you want us to call you?" Aunt Andromeda asked, keeping her face neutral.
"No," she said firmly. "Corinna is just fine." Although it was still the name her lying grandfather gave her, it was better than the name her mother gave her.