The night before leaving for Grimmauld Place, Violet tossed and turned in her bed. She heard Pansy calling out Draco's name in desire. She saw lights flicker on and off as seventh year students who had stayed up late studying went in and out of the bathrooms before laying down to sleep. She didn't even notice that she was sleeping or dreaming.
At first she was in the Slytherin Common room. Pansy was standing before her growling. You don't even love him, and you know that I do! Let me have him! Pansy was making a scene of it not just in front of Violet and her crowd, but Draco was watching. He approached her. Is it true, Violet? Are you really looking to join the Muggle lovers after all? Violet protested strongly. No Draco, she shouted. I love you. It is only about you. I have to stay with those …
The dream changed …
Her body felt smooth, powerful, and flexible. She was gliding between shining metal bars, across dark, cold stone. She was flat against the floor, sliding along on her belly … It was dark, yet she could see objects around her shimmering in strange, vibrant colors…. She was turning her head … At first glance, the corridor was empty… but no … a man was sitting on the floor ahead, his chin drooping onto his chest, his outline gleaming in the dark….
Violet put out her tongue….she tasted the man's scent on the air.
Violet twisted in her sleep and pushed something between herself and that strange vision. This time she was again standing with the TriWizard Cup in her possession. Many were standing around her, singing her praises. All hail the real Hogwarts champion. Someone shouted from the other corner of the room, but someone in the colors of Gryffindor with red hair came up. She is a lying snake. She cheated. And not only did she cheat, she was a witness to the Dark Lord's return. She saw it. Ask her. One by one every eye looked at her questioningly – looks that were knowing. Violet shook herself awake from the nightmare.
Violet looked around the dark 5th year girls dorm in Slytherin. She saw Pansy now sleeping quietly not far away. Daphne who never made noise in her sleep was also close by. Violet took a deep breath. Each dream had felt so real. She could sense Pansy's jealousy and Draco's confusion. She could taste the air and the desire to bite on her mouth. She could see those questioning eyes on her. She used her Occlumency training so that she was able to properly gain perspective through the dream.
Despite her ability to calm her mind and heart, it was a long time until she got sleep.
The ride back on the Hogwarts Express was quite uneventful. The unusual thing was that Ginny had not been present on the train back. For that matter, none of the Weasleys had been on the train to give her trouble during her hours of patrol on the train. Violet understood when she returned to her Godfather's home.
When she arrived into gloomy number twelve Grimmauld Place, there were long faces – sleepless faces at the table. Kreacher had disappeared muttering quite angrily about Blood Traitors and the dirty master. Sirius had walked by and one look spoke volumes. "Keep your mouth shut and don't make trouble!" Is what she understood. Other members of the Order of the Phoenix were there, but it was clearly not a meeting. Mundungus Fletcher was there in a drunken stupor.
But it was the four faces that either glared at her or that looked at her with tears that started to explain it.
"What's going on?" Violet asked quietly.
"My dad's been badly injured – " Ginevra whispered.
"Don't tell her," said Fred.
"Anymore," George added. "She isn't one of us."
The twins, Ron and Ginny all were looking at her. It was Ron who growled it at her.
"If you must know, you slimey snake, one of your own, another snake – Voldemort's snake bit da last night while he was doing Ministry business." Ron said.
That opened the flood gates. "Perhaps if you had spoken the truth none of this would have happened," Fred had added.
Violet looked at them from one to the next. She now understood her godfather's look. She slowly approached Ginny to offer her a comforting hug.
"You stay away from her or I'll hex you to tomorrow!" George said.
Violet didn't look at him – ignored him. Ginny jumped up and ran into her best friend's hug and began to cry uncontrollably. At the moment Sirius came back in. He had not been far away. He looked at the two Slytherins still in their House robes – for that matter so were the Weasley boys. He finally said.
"I just spoke to Molly," he said. "She said that you guys can go see her. Your dad –" he stopped, looking at each face and then said, "It doesn't look good."
"If he dies, Potter, so help me," Ron growled pulling out his wand at her.
Violet barely gave it a glance, but looked down and contrite, continuing to whisper encouragements to Ginny. Sirius approached her. "You are not welcome there, Violet," he said.
Violet nodded stiffly. One by one the Weasleys went to the Floo in the kitchen and disappeared. Sirius took one look at her, glaring and then he also disappeared.
The next few days at Grimmauld Place were chaotic. Sirius Black would come through the Floo only to run to his office for a quick minute and then leave again. He would return late at nights and early in the morning. A few of the Order members would also come in and out, but none of them would speak with Violet. Violet heard no news about Arthur Weasley or his daughter Ginny.
The time was quiet. In those few days Violet was able to finish all her Holiday homework. She also got to read several books in the Black family library unperturbed. The meals were often taken by herself wherever she felt like taking them. Kreacher would bring her meals in the library or in her room or in the family parlor.
It was Christmas Day that had a very forlorn Weasley clan, Dumbledore, and Sirius Black returning to Grimmauld Place. It was probably a good thing that Violet was in her room. Ginny had subtly able to ask Kreacher where Violet was. While her mother and brothers cast about the house looking for somewhere to go and something to do, she had run upstairs to the room she shared with Violet, opened the door and ran into Violet's arms.
"Violet!" She cried.
Violet wrapped her arms around her best friend and held her. By the sobs and the shaking that Ginny was doing, she was starting to assume the worst. At last Ginny let go and looked her friend in the eye.
"Da is dead," she sobbed.
As if she said those words, made it all the more real, so Ginny just fell back into Violet and cried some more. Eventually Ginny exhausted herself by crying on Violet.
It was a disheveled Violet and Ginny that came down at Kreacher's calling for the evening meal. But it was clearly different. No one sat in Arthur's chair. Every eye was down and very few had any real appetite for eating.
When the meal was over, Violet stood up and said, "Would you like me to clean up, Misses Weasley?" She gave her a soft look, trying to show that she did care. The woman's eyes flashed as she looked at her.
"Nonesense!" She said. "There is no reason for you to do that, girl!" She looked a little harder at her. "Now, get! My boys and Ginny can help me."
Violet shrugged her shoulders and whispered to Ginny, "I'll be in the library if you need anything."
But as she did, Fred growled at her. "You stay away from our sister." And George added right away, "You have done enough to our family."
Violet turned around and looked at them. Her godfather gave her a warning look and she decided that nothing needed to be said.
With the Weasleys planning a funeral while living at Number 12 Grimmauld Place things became very tense. It quickly became clear that the Weasleys other than Ginny were blaming Violet for Arthur's death. When the Weasleys had all gone back to the Burrow for the final preparations, Violet went into her godfather's office.
Violet helped him with his tie, with little thanks. As Sirius was about to go, she asked. "I admit that I don't get on with the Weasleys – all but Ginny – why is it that they treat me as if I am at fault for their father's death?"
Violet had to jump out of the way as her godfather spun, pulled out his wand and pointed it at her. He glared at her.
"Oh," he growled. "Don't even begin to give me that kind of line! You aren't the innocent little Slytherin. They know it. I know it. Dumbledore knows it. The only people here you are fooling are yourself – not likely – and Ginny. You knew that by not coming clean about Voldemort's return that someone was going to die. You got visions of Arthur being attacked in the Department of Mysteries and yet you let him sit there overnight. It is a miracle he lasted as long as he did."
Violet shouted back. "I got visions? What makes you think that I got some vision of this? I don't even take Divination!"
"Well, you have that connection to Voldemort. You see it every time he does something." Sirius shouted back.
Violet leveled her eyes at him. "I don't have visions of the Dark Lord –" she hissed.
"Now excuse me," Sirius said. "I have a funeral to get to."
He swept past her leaving her quite confused in her wake.
That evening many exhausted faces came back to Grimmauld Place. Ginny did not go to bed, but seeing Violet in her bed crawled into bed with her.
"Violet – " she whimpered.
Violet opened up her arms and let Ginny climb under the sheets with her. Violet didn't ask Ginny to speak, but held her throughout the night.
The talk with Dumbledore or her godfather that Violet had been expecting never happened. What did happen was on the morning that everyone was packing for the Hogwarts Express, Violet and Ginny stood watching the chaos of getting Ron and the Twins packed and ready for the train. Violet was holding Ginny's hand in support of the girl who had lost someone dear to them. Suddenly, Molly came up and slapped Violet hard across the face.
The house shook and Ginny pulled out her wand and yelled at her mother. "MOTHER!" She said. "Why did you do that?"
Molly Weasley started shrieking. "It is all her fault. This all happened because Violet allowed that bastard to come back using her blood. She refused to speak the truth and tell everyone what happened and no one would believe that the Bastard was back. She had visions of Arthur's attack and did nothing."
Violet whispered, "I had no visions –"
Ginny defended her friend. "Violet did not give up her blood. If what you say happened, it had to be forcibly taken. Violet has continued to say that she doesn't remember. We all know that there is no way she would have such a vision. I don't know where you get that idea from."
"Dumbledore said that she should have had a vision, and if Dumbledore said it is good enough for me and it should be good enough for you, Ginevra Molly Weasley." Molly shrieked back.
Ginny said, "Visions are a part of Divination and Divination is not an exact science."
As the argument continued everyone that was present in the house had come into the entry to hear the argument. But it was Fred, George, and Ron that said the damning words.
"Ginny, would you stop?" Fred shouted. "Why do you keep choosing her over family?"
George added, "It is as if you wanted dad dead too."
"I bet in your slimy dungeon, she told you her vision, and you laughed and said, 'Good riddance to my father." Ron added.
Ginny's face turned red. Violet stood up in front of her friend. She finally spoke up. "I think it is time to get going for the Hogwarts Express."
"I agree with the slimy snake on one thing. If we get her out of this house, perhaps we can exact our revenge on her for killing dad." Ron said.
Violet pulled out her wand, but did not point it at any Weasley. She pointed it at her baggage and shrunk it.
"I don't know about you, Ginny," she said haughtily, "But I am going to take the Floo to the station."
Then, Violet stalked past them all, and no one stopped her. Ginny shrunk her luggage and quickly followed. As Violet let Ginny go into the Floo first, Molly shouted.
"If you don't take your family's side soon, girl, don't bother coming back to the Burrow!" Molly shouted.
Ginny had just said the words of Platform 9 ¾, but Violet was certain that Ginny heard those words. She quickly followed in the Floo and then ran to catch up with Ginny.
Since Ginny and Violet were early, they were able to get in their carriage before any of the other Slytherins. She was able to get her tears and anger out. But just before Tracey and Daphne were about to enter, Ginny said quietly to Violet.
"They aren't my family. In fact, I'm going to kill my brothers."