"I said no Albus. Give it a rest will you?" We had been arguing for weeks, no months now. Ever since we had learned about Umbridge. I refused to refer to her as Aunt Delores.
And after having father send me my Mum's photo albums and comparing pictures there was no doubt about her identity.
"Well… at least there is no family resemblance…" Scorpius looked back and forth between me and the pictures.
Albus and Scorpius wanted me to go to Uncle Harry. To tell him everything. My Mum. Umbridge. All of it.
"Why won't you let Uncle Harry help? He is an Auror and…?" Scorpius was ramping up again, probably because I was getting ready to spend spring break at Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny's.
"Help with what exactly, Scorpius? We know my mother was a witch. I am related to a family I don't exactly WANT to be related to." I reminded him for probably the hundredth time. "I don't need help. Unless it is with Charms, and from what I understand that wasn't his best subject."
"Your Mum was murdered! Don't you want to know by who?" Scorpius waved his arms over our parchment.
"We don't know that!" I pulled at my hair. "We don't know HOW she died. She could have had some kind of… condition. We only have my grandparent's word. And like Albus said they are the first sort to tell lies."
"We could know more if you would just ask your father…" Scorpius wheedled.
"NO! I am not bringing up painful memories for my father! I told you that!" I grabbed my charms book. "Now seriously, I actually DO have to pass this exam."
"You could let Uncle Harry ask…" He was determined you have to give him that.
"Since I am not telling Uncle Harry how would I do that?" I pointed out.
"Well…" He pretended to think it over. "I guess Albus could…"
"Guess again." Albus called from the floor. He had taken a hands off approach. I knew I came from smart stock. Some of it evil. But smart.
"Why are you so interested? Are you…." I was a little concerned. "Are you getting grief for hanging out with a mu… muggle born?"
"What? NO!" He looked at me with such shock and horror I knew I was way off base. "Whoever killed your Mum could you know… come after you…"
I put my book down and sighed. "OK, first, we don't know that anyone killed my Mum. Second even IF someone did, they have had a really long time to come after me, don't you think?"
"Maybe…" Scorpius didn't really sound convinced.
"Let's just try to focus on here and now and the holiday. It is really nice that the families let me come hang out sometimes." I changed the subject.
"You ARE family." Albus pointed out.
"Do you miss your Dad and brother?" Scorpius asked.
"Sometimes." I admitted. "Father works a lot though because it is just him so he isn't at home much. When Angus and I were in primary school together we saw each other more but then he went to Smeltings and that is a sleep away school like Hogwarts so I didn't much see him before I came here either."
"So when you come with us on Holiday we take you away from the little time you do get to spend with them?" Albus looked a little sad.
"I don't know… maybe at first." I sighed. "But Father would still work all day and come home tired and now Angus is usually off with his friends from Smeltings…"
"That is a muggle school?" Scorpius asked.
I nodded.
"I guess even muggles have to learn stuff that helps them drive pandas and be bobbies and… whatever… they do at their desk jobs." Albus laughed form the floor. "No getting out of it for them."
"If you had been a muggle would you have been a muggle would you have gone to Smeltings with Angus?" Scorpius asked curiously.
"Oh no, Smeltings is just for boys." I giggled. "Sleep away camps in the muggle world are not usually as progressive as in the wizard world. They are mostly not coed. I would have gone to Queen Alexandra's School for Fine Young Ladies."
"Queen Alexandra is one of your muggle rulers?" Scorpius flopped across my lap and shoved my books away.
"Yup." I dragged my books back. "I guess you don't keep up with those."
"Not much." He shrugged. "I mean William the Conqueror gave us some titles and our land in Wiltshire but…"
My jaw dropped. "You have titles from William the Conqueror but don't care enough to keep up?"
"Come on Lils you know muggle stuff doesn't interest Scorp! Well, not unless it is in our library." Scorpius threw a couch cushion at Albus making us all laugh.
The next week we all got packed for the two weeks at the Potters. As much as Albus complained about his family, I adored them. Aunt Ginny gave me great tips on Quidditch in general and I was really looking forward to showing off my new moves to Uncle Harry.
Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny were there to pick us all up. Aunt Aly and Uncle Draco would pick Scorpius up from their house later.
They picked us up in a car from the Ministry. After an hour of driving Aunt Ginny declared next time she would be picking up me and Scorpius and Albus and James who had been bickering the entire ride home could walk.
It had all started because I told Uncle Harry I wanted to get his seeker opinion on my new move. Scorpius and Albus looked scandalized.
"You can't show him that move!" Albus all but shouted.
Scorpius crossed his arms and shook his head. "You can show it to my dad."
"Why not?" I was confused. I looked to Aunt Ginny for help. She was hiding a grin behind her hand.
"He is our Quidditch enemy!" Albus threw his hands up looking at Scorpius like it was all his fault I hadn't been taught better.
"You two are being ridiculous." I laughed. "Uncle Harry has been out of school far too long for any of that to matter."
"OK, ouch, I am not that old." Uncle Harry laughed. "But I think I can manage to be impartial in this case."
"I want to see this new move too." James pouted.
"YOU are definitely the enemy!" Albus shouted.
"Yeah!" Scorpius agreed.
"I am your brother. And your cousin!" James pretended to be hurt.
"My Gryffindor brother." Albus pointed out.
"My Gryffindor Quidditch Captain cousin." Scorpius added.
"Do you two share one brain?" James teased. "Besides, you don't even like Quidditch. You only started come when your best friend" he pointed at Albus, "and your girlfriend" he jerked a thumb at Scorpius "started playing."
And that started the argument between Albus and James and the silence from Scorpius that prompted Aunt Ginny to threaten to expel them from the car next trip and just keep me and Scorpius.
A little later Uncle Harry leaned down and whispered "Is it a really GOOD move?"
I giggled and nodded.
"Better than the Wronski Feint?" He whispered again.
"Much better!" I assured him.
He held out a pinky. "If I swear not to tell James can I see it?"
We pinky swore on it and three days later we were out on his pitch.
Scorpius had not been picked up yet and this happened to coincide with Aunt Aly's visit as well. I was glad to see her normally, but this time I had a special reason.
I pulled her aside. "Aunt ALy, do you think I could get you to keep Scorpius busy?"
She grinned. "Planning a surprise for him?"
"No!" I waved my hands. "I am trying NOT to surprise him! The last time he caught me practicing this particular Quidditch move he knocked me off my broom and shouted words at me I am not certain were English."
"Well, Scorpius can be excitable." I wasn't sure we were talking about the same person, Scorpius likes to study not break a sweat… but whatever. "I will take the three to get new robes, will that work?"
"Perfect!" I hopped up and down happily.
"What is?" Scorpius came in looking at me suspiciously.
"Your Mum is going to keep you from knocking me off my broom and shouting at me." I grinned at him.
"Scorpius…! You… Why would you knock a young lady off of her broom…outside of Qudditch..?" Uncle Draco sputtered.
"She claimed that was what she was doing, Dad." Scorpius explained.
And what were YOU doing?" He still looked confused.
"Saving her." Scorpius pushed his glasses up.
And did she… er… ask you to save her?" I think Uncle Draco was starting to catch on.
"Ummm… as it turns out no she did not." Scorpius blushed.
"Yes, well, females can be funny about being saved against their will." The corners of his mouth were twitching. "You might want to be mindful of that in the future."
Aunt Aly was watching her husband with a twinkle in her eye. "I am going to help him with that lesson by taking him and his cousins robe shopping."
Wrapping his arms around Aunt ALy's waist he grinned. "Capital idea, my love. Stop by Pria and Mora's place for me? Just to say hello, you know."
Aunt Aly clearly wasn't fooled for a second. "Just to say hello? And nothing at all to do with that new shipment she got from home probably filled with those sweets you like?"
"I always did like her best of the Vipers." He grinned.
"You mean of my friends right?" She gave him a mock glare.
"Take it anyway you want." He swatted her on the rump on her way out.
An hour later I was pulling on my gloves and my Slytherin robes. "Those look good, kiddo!" Uncle Draco called!"
I grinned and started warming up. When I was ready I nodded to Uncle Harry to release the snitch and waited until I could see it behind them. With no warning I began my vertical climb and sudden drop into a tight spiral.
Just before I slammed face first in to the ground I pulled up and presented the snitch from my sleeve like a muggle illusionist.
"Tada!" I took a bow.
They had both sat hard on the ground. Uncle Harry had his hand over his face.
"I know why Scorpius knocked you off your broom. Yes I do." Uncle Draco looked like he was considering knocking me off the GROUND for my own good.
"It is a good thing we aren't rivals anymore." Uncle Harry told him. "I am too old for this shit."
I hadn't been able to take my eyes off of Uncle Harry's hand. There were words carved in to it. "I must not tell lies". I had not been able to speak. Or move. We had read up on Umbridge. I knew why those words were there.
Uncle Harry looked up and saw where I was looking. "Not pretty, I know. Hey, Lilliana, it is OK. It is not like it hurts anymore or anything. If it makes you feel better the woman who did it is in… well now what did I say?"
I didn't want to look like a big crybaby so I ran back up to the guest bedroom I had been staying in.
Two people had ever left permanent scars on Uncle Harry. One was a terrible dark wizard who wanted to take down all muggle borns, and the other… well, she was pretty much the same with a stupid bow and I was related to her.
I pulled out a picture of my Mum. I wished I could remember her. In this picture we were at the park. She was pushing me in a swing and father was helping Angus chase some ducks. We all looked so happy.
I heard a gentle knock on the door. "Come in." I called softly.
Uncle Harry came in and sat on the floor. He nodded with a cocked eyebrow at my photo.
"My Mum." I smiled at the picture. "I don't really remember her."
"Pictures of my Mum help me too." He smiled down at our family. "She was beautiful." "So what is up kiddo? It can't be the scar." He motioned towards his hand. "What is bothering you really?"
"No, it really is the scar. I mean… sort of. Not like it is ugly or anything!" I added quickly when he covered it up self consciously. "It is just… the woman who gave it to you…"
He laughed a bit. "You don't have to worry about her Lilliana. I promise she can't hurt you. Have some of the other kids been telling you scary stories about her? I promise you. She is locked up. She is not ever getting out….no?" He trailed off when I shook my head.
"Scorpius wanted me to come tell you right away. See he thinks my Mums death maybe wasn't just one of those things..." I had no idea how to start this…
"Lilliana I promise she didn't kill your mother, she was in prison." Uncle Harry was confused, I can't blame him.
"No, I know that, and I told Scorpius, that." I was making such a mess of this! "But Scorpius is a worrier."
Uncle Harry took a deep breath. "And what is Scorpius worried about?"
"He thinks that muggles, can't… don't… just you know… die. And no one was there with my Mum." How did I explain this when even I didn't understand?
Suddenly I got an idea! I pulled out the photo album from under my bed.
"My mother's brother Orford would come visit us when I was a baby, Angus told me and left some photo albums. Said he knew she didn't have a lot when she left because he didn't. Angus said he was a LOT older than Mum. Like a LOT a lot. He thought he was Mum's Dad. This is Mum. And this is her older sister."
Uncle Harry's face went kind of white and grey.
"My Mum's maiden name was Umbridge. Scorpius thinks someone killed her and might kill me too. That… has to be crazy right?" I did not like how serious Uncle Harry looked.
...