Despite my protests, I didn't go back to work.
Mr. Mulpepper had been informed by Dumbledore himself that I was on medical leave and would return to work in a few weeks. Part of me was angry that the one piece of normalcy in my life had been ripped away from me, but another part of me was relieved; between the spots in my memory and other physical side effects of the curses, I was glad I didn't have to pretend to be at least somewhat functional in front of my boss.
The house was quiet. Kreacher was gone, taken by Dumbledore to an undisclosed location, leaving Remus and I to our own devices, grieving, injured, and alone. When I was doing some light cleaning in my room, I heard the soft beating of wings and the cry of a bird coming from down the hall. My heart broke – how would Buckbeak know that Sirius was never coming back?
One afternoon, I pushed the bedroom door open and found the hippogriff laying on the floor, head cocked in surprise and wonder as I entered. Slowly, I shut the door behind me and bowed as low as I could, trying to show the creature the reverence it required in order to be pet and cared for by humans. Buckbeak cawed, and I walked slowly over to him, extending my hand to stroke the downy feathers around his neck and chest.
He nuzzled my hand and arm softly, nudging me for more affection. I sat on the floor beside him and continued stroking his feathers, his breathing slowing as he closed his eyes and began drifting off to sleep.
"It's okay, Beaky," I whispered. "Everything's going to be okay."
He let out a low, long cry, almost as if he were trying to say that he didn't believe me.
"Cass, you are going to have to leave the house at some point," Remus said from outside my room.
"What for, Remus?" I challenged. "What if I pass out in front of strangers? What if I run into reporters from the Prophet to hound me about my dad? Besides, Dumbledore said I wouldn't be at work for another week or so, so I don't see the point in wandering about Diagon Alley, either. Mr. Mulpepper would know I was playing hooky, or at least that Dumbledore's story wasn't what it seemed."
He sighed, knowing that I was only a little bit right. Sure, I wanted to walk around London and visit my friends, sit with Fred in the shop, or even just go back to work, but I told myself I would do my best to follow Dumbledore's orders as best I could, a promise I wasn't keen on keeping before, but felt it imperative now. Circumstances had changed, and I had to change with them.
The only bright spots were when Mrs. Weasley would come to headquarters to check on me with Fred in tow. Often, he brought Exploding Snap cards, peppermint ice cream from Florean Fortescue's, and a bouquet of dogweeds to sit on my bedside table. There were even a few days we'd spent together that turned to nights, where he'd fall asleep with his arm draped across my stomach and his head resting on my shoulder. Come morning, he'd Disapparate to the bottom of the stairs as quietly as he could in order to avoid being spotted.
Being with Fred made things feel only slightly normal. Remus was, for the most part, withdrawn, spending a lot of time in his room and usually only coming out for meals and tea. Once I was feeling well enough, I started cooking three square meals a day and got back to brewing the household potions that we needed, in order to make him feel better. I could tell that he felt out of place without Sirius in the house, but going back to his ramshackle cottage in Yorkshire wasn't really an option anymore.
One night, I felt the sudden urge to go somewhere new, and to do something reckless to get there. Remus and I both needed to get out of this house, which felt even more haunted now that Sirius was gone. Some nights we would even hear Phineas Nigellus wandering in from his portrait at Hogwarts, calling out for Black family members who were no longer around, further contributing to the grim air that hung over Number Twelve now.
"Remus?" I whispered as I tiptoed into the kitchen. "Do you…do you want to maybe go for a walk?"
He looked up from his paper and gave me a knowing look, a look he always gave us in his classes when we asked too many questions.
"I don't think so, Cassie, it is a bit late- "
"I know it's late, but it's not the full moon, and you really need to get some sort of fresh air. It's really nice out now; I bet the stars are really lovely."
He paused for a moment, considering. Was my plan working?
"Alright," he said, putting his paper down gently. "Just a short walk down the block and then we're coming straight home. I don't want you passing out in the middle of the road in the dead of night."
I nodded fervently, then bounded toward the door, pulling my forest green jumper over my head. Behind me, I could hear Remus's heavy footsteps as he pulled his jumper around his shoulders as he walked. I pushed the door open and jumped off the front step, my feet landing on the sidewalk ever so lightly.
"You know, Cassie," Remus said, falling into step beside me, "I don't think we'll see any stars this evening. A bit too much fog, I should think."
I reached up to touch his forearm, wrapping my fingers around it tightly.
"I never said we'd be seeing stars here, Remus," I said playfully, before squeezing my eyes tight, turning on my heel, and praying we'd land where I hope we'd land, focusing in my mind's eye on the wide-open spaces I dreamed of seeing when we arrived.
"Cassie, you know you really shouldn't be apparating-Merlin, where'd you bring me?"
"Lake District!" I called over the wind. "Grasmere, more like!"
Remus surveyed the rolling hills and dark, blue lake below us, part concerned, part amused, and part bowled over by the beauty of the place I'd brought him.
"We used to holiday here when I was a kid," I continued, turning to walk through the tall, green grasses. "Some distant Malfoy relations had a summer home, and we came until I was eleven or twelve. Mother always said walking the fells was unbecoming of a young, pureblood lady, which made me want to walk them all the more!"
"Why'd you bring me, then?" he called as I trudged ahead, breathing in the fresh, cool air that rushed through my lungs.
"Because you need fresh air, and this is some of the freshest air I could think of!" I said. "Besides, I think we both just needed to run away to a beautiful place for a moment. Just say the word and we'll go back. I promise, Remus."
He opened his mouth to protest, but I turned away from him and continued to walk across the rolling, grassy hills. With every step, I breathed in deeply, filling my lungs with the cool, crisp night air of the lakes. Until now, my grief, shame, and pain made it feel nearly impossible to breathe; tonight, it had never felt easier.
"Sirius and I came to a place like this once," Remus called behind me, his breathing ragged as he caught up and fell into step by my side. "It was in Wales, I believe. I remember him turning into a dog so he could run around in the water. When he came out, he shook his coat off and splattered me completely."
"That sounds like Sirius," I giggled, stopping in my tracks to survey the land. The outline of the mountains and hills stood out against the blue-black sky, the tall grasses tickling my shins and my hair whipping across my nose. I remembered being ten years old and gazing at these hills from my window of the Malfoy summer home, even going so far as to run beyond the gates of the manor, hand in hand with Draco, who was seven at the time, my mind and feet focused on the vastness that lay beyond my field of vision. We didn't make it very far, as my father caught us and brought us back to our mother, who let my brother go and scolded me to no end.
"Cassiopeia, when will you learn to behave?" she asked me.
"It really is no use, 'Cissa," my father said from behind her. "You'd think we raised a wild beast, rather than a little girl."
"What's on your mind?" Remus asked me, bringing me out of my memories and back to earth. I blinked rapidly, now completely aware of the tears on my cheeks and the burning sensation behind my eyes.
"Nothing," I muttered. "Lot of memories on my mind."
He nodded, turning back to watch the crescent moon emerge from behind a large cloud. Both our faces, along with the hills, were now bathed in moonlight, and while the moon had never been a source of peace for Remus, he certainly looked peaceful washed in its pale, white light.
"I'm glad you brought us here, you know," he said finally. "I can't stand being in that house. It was alright before, because Sirius was there, but now that he's not…he was the only thing that made it home. Now…now I can't say I have one of those."
"Remus, we're in this together," I said. "We'll figure it out. I don't like staying there either, knowing that he's never coming back. But knowing you're there makes things easier. You've given me a lot of peace these last few weeks, taking care of me and all. I really can't thank you enough."
"It's really nothing," he said. "You know, I don't think I ever envisioned myself having children, and neither did Sirius, but we both really did regard you as a daughter of sorts. I still do, if that counts."
Once again, tears pricked my eyes. I scooted across the grass and gave Remus a tight hug around the shoulders, resting my cheek on his thin jumper.
"It counts for everything. More than you'll ever know, Remus," I whispered. "You and Sirius were – are – the dads I wished I had. It really won't be the same without him, but I've still got you, haven't I?"
"You do. For now," he said, drawing a shaky breath. "Dumbledore came to see me a few days ago. He's proposed I go on a mission. A…potentially dangerous mission, for lack of a better term."
I shrank back, studying his weathered, sad face.
"He wants me to live among my…my brethren, so to speak," he continued. "As a spy. To convince the wolves to fight on our side of the war."
Suddenly, I became hyperaware of the silence around me, the ground bottoming out as my mind went into freefall. Remus couldn't leave. It was far too dangerous, and what about the house? What about everything he just said about how he saw me as a daughter? It felt like I was being abandoned, and he hadn't even left yet.
"Do you – do you have to go? Do you really have to?" I asked stupidly. "There's got to be other ways for you to help the Order. Just because Dumbledore says so doesn't mean you have to go-"
"I trust Dumbledore," he said plainly. "I trust him. This mission he's given me…I have to see it through. And it's not like I'll be gone forever – you'll see me at meetings from time to time, and I'll come back to the house every so often. But I do need to do this, Cassie. If this is what Dumbledore thinks is best, then I have to trust him."
"But why? He thought it was best for me to live in Grimmauld Place-"
"And I think it was," he countered, holding his hand up to stop me. "I know you have a hard time admitting to – to me, and to yourself – but having you live there kept you safer than you'll ever know. And by continuing to stay there, even without me, you'll continue to be kept safe."
It took everything in me to not cry. Now I was supposed to live in the house of memories and ghosts all alone? Just me and the screaming portrait of Walburga Black and Phineas Nigellus coming in from his portrait at Hogwarts from time to time? I couldn't fathom living there alone. It wasn't home without Sirius, but it wouldn't be home without Remus either.
"I don't want you to go," I said in a strangled, tearful voice. I didn't even recognize the sound that came out of my mouth, because it was the mangled cry of a small child, trying to hold back from having a complete meltdown.
Despite my better efforts, I let the floodgates open and let myself break down in tears for the first time in what felt like forever. I hadn't cried this hard since Cedric died. One year ago, I was freshly grieving him, then Sirius, and now, apparently, Remus. For the first time in forever, I was about to be truly alone, and that terrified me more than any Death Eater or Unforgivable Curse in the universe.
"It's going to be alright," Remus said quietly, holding my shoulders gently as they caved in with each sob. "You'll be alright. I promise you will."
I nodded, trembling, trying to convince myself that he was right. From the tone of his voice, the slight crack when he said I promise, told me that he was going to cry as well.
We remained like that for what felt like forever, crying and clinging to one another on the fells of Grasmere, mourning the life we once had and fearful for the one that awaited us upon our return home.
Two days after our excursion to the lakes, I came downstairs to an empty house and a note on the mantle.
Cassie –
Left this morning. Unsure when I'll be back, but I plan to be at the Weasley's mid-July. Dumbledore might pay you a few visits in the next few weeks and may accompany you to the Weasley's when I am set to be there. When you see him, do try to be nice to him.
R.J. Lupin
With trembling hands, I set the letter down and surveyed the black walls and cobwebbed chandeliers around me. I was alone, and even though I was practically in a magically fortified fortress, I had never felt more afraid in my life.
A week after Remus left, I received the all-clear to return to work. I was thrilled, as it provided a distraction from the quietness of my day-to-day life. I'd usually wake up, make breakfast, then brew, read, draw cards, or listen to music, and then down some Dreamless Sleep before bed.
From time to time, Fred would come visit, but business was already booming at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and he usually snuck in after midnight, curling up on the pillow next to me and falling deeply asleep. Now that I'd be back at work, we could have short lunchtime visits, dinners together, and I could visit with Clo and Francis once again, which thrilled me more than anything else.
When I arrived in Diagon Alley, the air around me felt…different. It felt cold, like death hung over the streets in a thick haze of fog. When I walked through the doors of the apothecary, Mr. Mulpepper rushed to the door to help me take off my cloak, his hands trembling ever so slightly as he did so.
"My dear, I'm very pleased that you're back and feeling well again," he said with a small smile. "I was quite worried when Albus told me you were in St. Mungo's, and when he said you'd be gone indefinitely-"
"I'm okay now," I said, trying to focus on staying upright. "Really. Just…I'm okay. No need to worry about me, sir."
He nodded, then wandered away, giving me some breathing room. I was thankful that he didn't hover; between Mrs. Weasley, Fred, and Remus all worrying about me, and now with Remus being gone, I was focused on getting back to as normal a life as possible. If that were possible.
The day went by quickly, and I was content to brew Wiggenweld Potion and inventory lavender and honeywater until six, until I heard the bell over the door ring pleasantly. I heard footsteps, like high heels, on the wood floors, just beyond the curtain that separated the stockroom from the shop.
"Good afternoon-oh, good day, Madame," I heard Mr. Mulpepper say hurriedly, almost nervously.
"I wish to speak to your apprentice," a steely voice ordered. The voice of a woman. Mr. Mulpepper gulped.
"I'm afraid my apprentice isn't here-"
"Do not take me for a fool, Claudius, I know she's here somewhere," the woman snapped. "Now, will you fetch her or shall I?"
Suddenly, the curtain to the back of the store whipped open, Mr. Mulpepper's face was white, whiter than it normally was.
"Miss Malfoy, you have a visitor," he said, his voice low and cautious. "I'll step out until you two are finished."
I nodded, then stepped through the curtain toward the waiting guest.
There, waiting in the entrance of the shop, clad in velvet robes and a stone-cold expression, was my mother.
For a minute or two, we stared at each other, silently daring the other to speak first. I studied my mother's face as she studied me back.
She hadn't changed one bit, it seemed; her hair was pulled back in the same half-up, half-down style as mine, the black and blonde in her hair on display in equal measure, denoting her allegiance to the Malfoy family and the house of Black. Her robes looked brand new and expensive, but no amount of fancy dress robes could distract from how tired her face looked. I could tell she was trying to put on a brave face for us underlings in Diagon Alley, but she was my mother, and I could tell when she'd been up all night crying.
I opened my mouth to speak, but I didn't get a chance to utter a word. Before I could, she had crossed the room, her robes billowing out from behind her, and stopped short in front of me. She looked me up and down, her face still unmoving, and then stunned me by reaching forward tentatively and touching a few strands of my hair.
"You really must fix this," she said offhandedly. "The blonde sections are much too uneven."
"Mother," I snapped, pulling away from her as though her touch burned me. The word felt foreign and got stuck in my throat as I spoke. "What-why are you here?"
"I take it you heard about your father," she said evenly, recoiling from the touch as if it had never happened. "Do you have anything to say?"
"Nothing you'd want to hear," I said flatly as I turned away from her. "He deserves Azkaban, and much worse. You know that."
"I didn't come here to be lectured by my nineteen-year-old daughter," she snapped, pulling her robes tightly around her.
"Very well! You may leave," I said, pointing to the door. "What would Aunt Bella say if she saw you fraternizing with a blood traitor?"
"You are still my daughter," she said. "You will always be my daughter."
"See, that's rather funny, Mum," I snapped, leaning against the shop counter. "I don't remember hearing any of that talk when Dad threw me out. You going to tell me why you're really here or not?"
She sighed, then crossed her arms, eyes boring into mine. My mother and I always got along growing up, and she always made a point to say she admired how independent and loyal I was to those I loved. Little did I know that she only valued those qualities for what they'd bring to Lord Voldemort, when the time came.
"I understand how angry you are with me," she said evenly. "But I'm not here to fight."
"How could I possibly be angry with you for throwing me out and for selling out Sirius to your precious Dark Lord? I know all about how Kreacher found you, how You-Know-Who sent Aunt Bella and Dad and the rest of your Death Eater friends after Harry, and that Aunt Bella…"
My voice trailed off as I forced the tears down my throat. I couldn't bring myself to say the words 'murdered Sirius' or 'tortured me.' Not this soon after, and not in front of her. I collected myself instead.
"How could I possibly be angry about any of that? Why would I want to fight about that?"
She ignored me, as always.
"The Dark Lord…wishes to punish our family. With your father in Azkaban, we're not in his favor, and he's let us know it. Couple that with a traitor in the family and he…wishes to bring someone new into the fold. Someone whom, if punished or harmed in any way, would eat your father alive with guilt."
I stared at her blankly. Since my father didn't give a damn whether I lived or died, she couldn't have meant me. Then, I realized.
"You would really sell out your own son to the Dark Lord because he's pissed with Dad?" I said, my voice low and shaking. "Why? What possessed you to be this selfish?"
"Darling, I'm quite the opposite," she said coldly. "You know I've always done whatever it took to protect our family, and that's why I'm here. I need you to accompany me to a Muggle part of London – Spinner's End, they call it. I need you to come with me to convince…to convince Draco's godfather to help us."
"Draco's godfather?" I asked, feigning surprise. "Mum, you can just call him Severus, you know. Besides, what can Snape do to save his neck?"
"He will protect your brother," she said. "And he would protect you, even though your father would never allow it. I know we've had our differences- "
"Differences are an understatement," I said flatly.
"But I need you to stand with me, Cassiopeia," she said, her voice starting to sound slightly hopeful, like she was close to begging. "We need to appear united. For Draco. I can't speak of what the Dark Lord has asked of him but believe me…he'll never make it out alive."
"You'd go to all this trouble for Draco and you wouldn't even lift a finger when Dad told me to pack my shit and leave home within an hour," I hissed. "But say I did go with you on this…errand. What would be in it for me? You of all people know that I won't just do something because you asked me to."
She pursed her lips, then looked up at me. Her eyes were the same soulless gray as my father's.
"You'll be kept safe. No one – and I mean no one - will touch a hair on your head. I will see to it myself."
A loud, short laugh escaped my lips, like a balloon popping unexpectedly. I couldn't believe my ears. Here stood my mother, whom I hadn't seen in two years, asking me to go with her to Professor Snape's house because Voldemort wanted to recruit my brother.
My brother, who I'm sure would gladly join Voldemort anyway, who called Daniel and Hermione and countless others Mudbloods, who targeted the Weasleys just because he'd seen my father do it, and who targeted me for breaking away from my family's disgusting beliefs. My brother had made his bed long ago; now that he was forced to lie in it, I wasn't going to try and stop him.
"I'm sure Draco will be perfectly happy to do whatever your Dark Lord asks of him," I said defiantly, holding my head high. "I can see him now, groveling at his feet like Dad probably did. As for me, I don't need your protection – it'll be null and void the minute Aunt Bella sees me again. Did you really think I'd believe any of the promises you came here to make, Mum? Did you really think that after two years away, I'd be that stupid?
I crossed the shop in five sweeping steps, so that we stood less than a foot apart. I studied her pale, stony face, etched with a blank stare. I searched her eyes, and I thought I saw a hint of fear and a touch of regret in them.
"I may disgust you, and I may be a traitor," I whispered through my teeth, "but I'm still your daughter."
She stared blankly back at me, as if she couldn't believe that I'd reminded her of just how similar she and I were. It was true, though; I didn't trust easily, and I always wanted to know what was in any deal for me and mine. I didn't share many traits with my mother, but we did share that. I had no doubt she thought she could scare me into doing her bidding today; how delighted I was to prove her wrong.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work," I said evenly. "I don't suppose I'll see you again, Mrs. Malfoy, so I'll say goodbye."
And with that, I turned on my heel and disappeared behind the curtains and into the stockroom. I snickered slightly, because I knew how much she hated being called Mrs. Malfoy, but when I heard the door open and close behind me, my knees gave out from under me and I fell to the floor, burying my head in my hands and trying to steady myself, even though it felt as though my entire world was on the verge of crashing down.
"So, your mother came into your work today to ask you to…visit Snape, because he needs to help your brother?" Dan confirmed. "I dunno why she thought you'd agree to anything she said, she hasn't seen you in two years."
"Look Dan, I'm not really sure why she came in in the first place," I said, staring at the ceiling in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place. "Maybe she wanted to know what I was up to. Since my dad's not around to stop her, she probably made up that sob story about how my brother somehow got himself into trouble with the Dark Lord. To be quite honest, I'm not sure if I believe it; what would You-Know-Who want with my brother, of all people?"
"Well, maybe another powerful wizard is resorting to recruiting child soldiers for his army?" Dan offered, cocking his eyebrow at me knowingly.
I narrowed my eyes at him and giggled slightly. All this spending time together, and my snide comments about Dumbledore were now rubbing off on Dan, it seemed. This was our routine; he would leave work and usually be the first to headquarters before Order meetings, and we'd make tea and catch up before everyone arrived. After our attacks, it was nice to be together when everyone wasn't around and asking us if we were alright every five minutes.
Before I could reply, the front door opened and footsteps thundered down the hall. Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley all stood before us, rain dripping off their robes. Tonks looked like she'd been crying, her usually pink hair a mousy brown, and Kingsley's face looked somber. Even Moody's eye looked glassy.
"What's going on?" I asked warily. "What's happened?"
All three Aurors exchanged looks, then Moody spoke up.
"Emmeline's dead."
Dan and I exchanged looks, processing. Emmeline Vance was one of the original members of the Order. I first met her when we flew to Surrey to rescue Harry, and I always admired her conviction, her humor, and her gorgeous green robes. She couldn't be dead. One of our own couldn't possibly be dead. Not now. Not this soon. Not at all.
"No," I said foolishly, standing up. "That's impossible. That's – how?"
"How'd you suppose, Malfoy?" Moody said gruffly. "Happened just around the corner from the Muggle Prime Minister. The Muggle press, as well as the Prophet, are having a field day with it."
"I came to the Ministry as soon as I heard," Kingsley explained. "We figured we'd come straight here to tell whoever was around."
"Thanks, Kingsley," Dan breathed, shaking his head. "I…I'm so sorry. I didn't know her very well, but I know you all did. Is there anything we can do? Is it too dangerous for a funeral?"
"I'm afraid so," Tonks said, her voice breaking. "We can't do anything big, anyway. A public funeral would be fodder for another attack."
"But we have to do something," I said. "Even if it's just the Order, and even if it's just here. We've got to honor her somehow. We didn't do anything for Sirius, and if we're going to start dropping dead- "
"Malfoy, don't start with the doom and gloom," Moody snapped.
"Moody, I'm serious. We have to do something to honor our own," I snapped. "Like I said, even if it's just here and with the Order. We must do something. We just do."
"She has a point, Alastor," Tonks whispered to Moody, whose eyes were trained on me. I could tell he was trying his damn best to hold it together. I couldn't blame him; he and Emmeline had known each other in the first Order. She was also the last person any of us expected to die first.
"We'll figure something out when everyone arrives," he grumbled. "We'll have to do it here, and since he got her whole bloody family too, it'll only be us. It'll probably be this way if more of us drop like flies."
"That's cheery," Dan muttered under his breath. I gave him a knowing look, then excused myself to go to the bathroom before the meeting began. The minute the door shut behind me, I clicked the lock and slid down the back of the door, pressing my back into the wood as I let my head drop into my hands. In my head, Moody's words spun around and around like songs on the parlor record player.
Emmeline's dead.
He got her whole bloody family.
If more of us drop like flies.
If the war hadn't felt real before, it certainly was real now. Two members of the Order were dead, Death Eaters were attacking wizarding and Muggle communities, and my mother came to offer me protection in exchange for helping her protect my brother from the Dark Lord. So little and so much was happening at once; it already felt like we were losing the war, and it had barely even started.
Suddenly, the black spots came swimming into my field of vision. I press one hand to my forehead and the other into the cool, tile floor beneath me, trying to ground myself as best I could. Before I could pass out, a knock at the door startled me, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.
"Cass?" a voice asked softly. "Cass, are you in there?"
The sound of his voice was strong enough to pull me back to earth. It always had been.
"Freddie?" I asked, getting up to unlock the door. "What are you- "
"Mum and Dad are here for the meeting, and I figured I'd tag along to come see you," he said. "They've already started. Dan asked if I'd come get you."
I nodded, then held out my hands for him to help pull me off the floor. I stood slowly as he lifted me up, wrapping his arms around my waist to steady me as I found my footing. He was still in his work robes, but his hair was pulled away from his face in a haphazard bun, showing off the freckles and scars that dotted his handsome face.
"Thanks," I said, burying my face in his vest and breathing in his familiar scent. "You joining the meeting or what?"
"Nah, not tonight," he said. "I'll be waiting for you, though."
I smiled and shook my head, standing on my toes to lightly kiss his cheek.
"You better not be asleep by the time I'm done," I said. "I've got quite the story to tell you; if you thought you were having a bad day, you won't believe who came to see me at work today."
"Wait, your mum came into your work to ask you to go to- "
"Snape's house- "
"To ask him- "
"To protect my brother from the Dark Lord," I finished. "In exchange for the Death Eaters not going after me."
The look of bewilderment on Fred's face was one I'd never seen before. Shock, disgust, and fear all crossed his face simultaneously, and I could tell that I'd rendered him speechless for what seemed like one of the first times.
"Why would your brother need protection from You-Know-Who?" he asked. "Always seemed to me that Draco would be first in line to get the Mark after he left school."
"That's what I thought too," I said. "And that's what I said to my mum when I turned her down. Draco's made his bed, and now he's forced to lie in it. Besides, it's not like my mum's promise of protection will mean anything if I run into Bellatrix again, or if my dad escapes Azkaban."
"I'm just wondering why she asked you of all people to go with her," he continued, leaning back on my bed. "She hasn't seen or spoken to you in two years. She didn't bat a bloody eye when your dad threw you out. Why does she think you'd do anything for her, or your brother, or your dad, right now?"
I shrugged, leaning back on the bed next to him and resting my head against his chest.
"I dunno. Maybe she thought she could scare me into it, after what my aunt did to me," I whispered. "I think it scares her to realize that she and I are really similar."
"Why's that?" he asked, whispering into my hair.
"Because he knows that all those qualities she passed onto me, or that I learned from her…I'll use them to bring her, and people like her and my father and my aunt, down," I said finally, the words hanging in the air above us, immoveable and true.
I could feel Fred breathing next to me, the rise and fall of his chest nudging my head ever so slightly. He kissed the top of my head, and I could sense him drifting off to sleep. While he lay peacefully next to me, my mind raced.
Emmeline is dead.
My mother came to see me today.
My brother has been asked to do something dangerous by the Dark Lord, but what?
Is he taking the mark?
Committing a crime?
Taking my father's place as one of his little henchmen?
I had no idea, but I wanted to find out. No matter how I did it, how long it took, or what it took to get there, I would find out. And I knew exactly who I was going to ask to help me.
The next morning, Fred left before I'd even woken up. He left a note on my dresser in his familiar scrawl, which read:
I'm taking you on a date today. Come by the shop at lunch.
-F
I folded the note up and pressed it to my lips, stifling a giggle. The 'date' in question was probably just lunch and ice cream from Florean Fortescue's on the roof of the building, but that was good enough for me. With Fred, a fancy dinner or drinking slushies from a Muggle petrol station on the curb could be a date.
I had also resolved to recruit Francis to help me spy on my mother and brother, should they come into Borgin and Burkes. I figured out of everyone I knew, they were most likely to run into them, or at least any of the Death Eaters my family knew. If anyone could help with this, and would be up for a little spying, it would be Francis.
When I arrived in Diagon Alley, I quickly realized that no such date with Fred would take place today.
The streets were silent. Everything was dark, because the streetlamps had been shattered and the candles blown out. Shop windows were broken, doors ripped off hinges. To the left, Florean Fortescue's shop had been completely ransacked, a small trail of dried blood just outside the front door.
I walked forward slowly, wand drawn and ready to attack. Shards of glass shattered beneath my feet and burrowed in the soles of my boots. With every step, I peered into each storefront, looking for signs of life. In Madame Malkin's, I saw Clo pacing back and forth as she took measurements for a tense-looking gentleman. Our eyes met, and she gave me a small, sad smile from beyond the glass.
When I reached the apothecary, I noticed the door was slightly open and braced for the worst. I stepped inside, the bell still ringing merrily as the door swung open and shut.
"Mr. Mulpepper?" I called. "Are you here?"
No response. The shop itself looked fine; nothing appeared to be broken or stolen, but still felt as though someone had been there. I kept moving checking in closets and cabinets for anything or anyone hiding. Finally, I reached the back of the shop and the storeroom, where I really braced for the worst. I pulled back the curtain, wincing ever so slightly. What was I about to find?
There were signs of struggle back here. Broken vials, spilled lavender and valerian root sprigs, a container of dragon's blood spilled all over the wood floors. I tried my best not to step in it, but my shoes and the hem of my cape got stained all the same.
"Mr. Mulpepper?" I called out again. "Sir?"
No answer came. I don't know what else I expected.
After a few minutes of searching the rest of the shop, I stood still and looked around stupidly. My boss was missing, and our shop had clearly been messed with, but I didn't feel like cleaning up now. I was too terrified to make a move. Who was here? My aunt? More of the same Death Eaters who attacked us at the Ministry? The Dark Lord himself?
Suddenly, I heard a thump! at the front door. I nearly jumped out of my skin and ran toward the front of the shop, ready to attack. However, no one was there, save for a copy of today's Daily Prophet that a paperboy had just thrown at our door. I reached out to snatch it from the outside, unfolding it as I walked to the back of the shop once more.
The headline stopped me in my tracks, and the front-page article brought me to my knees.
The floor may as well have given out under me, because I collapsed in a cold, sweating, sobbing heap, without warning and without even truly processing the fact that I'd just lost another friend.
SKIRMISH IN DIAGON ALLEY ENDS IN LOOTING, KILLS FIVE
In what appeared to be another attack from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's Death Eater's, Diagon Alley was the victim of violence, looting and senseless murder last night.
"It all happened so quickly," said Leaky Cauldon landlord Tom Abbington. "One minute, I'm cleaning glasses and serving up firewhiskey to this young man. The next, windows are breaking, people are screaming, and the spells…I'd never seen Dark magic that close until last night."
The Death Eaters destroyed the interior of the Leaky Cauldon and killed five patrons in the ensuing struggle. Among them were three Ministry of Magic employees.
-Adaline Cross, 42, of the Department of International Magical Cooperation
-Dunstan Tarling, 34, of the Floo Network Authority
-Jermaine Pucey, 19, of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of the perpetrators or the attacks in general should report to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement immediately.