Chapter 4

Sirius sat with one hand gripping a steaming mug and the other fidgeting restlessly against his leg. It was one o'clock in the morning and Ara was nowhere to be found. What was even more frustrating was that they had no way of getting ahold of her. Sirius had meant to give her a two-way mirror but hadn't gotten around to it yet.

"Why did she go to you before she left anyways?" he asked for the fifth time. He grimaced at the sound of jealousy in his voice. He knew it was absurd.

James sighed "I don't know Sirius."

Sirius fidgeted uncomfortably; it was rare that James ever used his first name. Usually only when he was mad at him or sometimes even annoyed.

They had been awake all night, when she didn't return home around 5 they started to worry. By the time 10 hit they had called for help to find her. Now it was early morning and they were left wondering what could have happened to Ara Lestrange.

"Any word?" the soft voice came from the door. Draco was as white as a sheet and had clearly ignored all encouragement to 'get some rest.'

Sirius shook his head "Dumbledore's asking around."

"you don't know what's been going on with her?" James asked when Draco sat at the table. Lily jumped up to get him something to drink.

Draco shook his head "it's not unusual for her to disappear," he said. "I just never thought she'd disappear in this situation."

"What do you mean it's not unusual?" James asked.

Draco shrugged "she was always running off, staying out after curfew… I remember one time she disappeared for two weeks; she'd gone somewhere with Connor… she'd always tell me when she was leaving though… She only kept it from mum and dad."

Sirius shook his head "maybe she's just out with friends."

Lily looked disbelievingly as she set a hot cup of cocoa in front of Draco. "Surely she knows how dangerous it is?"

Sirius shrugged "the war had started when we graduated from Hogwarts and I was just as reckless if not more so," he said almost as though he were trying to convince himself it was no big deal.

James shook his head "but when we graduated, we weren't even a crumb in the food chain… We weren't being hunted or recruited, not for the first year."

"All I'm saying is maybe she doesn't realize how big the risk is."

There was a small noise from the fireplace in the living room and Sirius jumped to his feet. He hadn't made it to the door when it opened and Albus Dumbledore walked in. Sirius sighed, disappointed and sat back down.

"No word?" James asked.

Dumbledore shook his head sadly but took the offered seat next to Lily.

"Draco, was anything troubling her lately?" he asked, his voice calm as he stared at the young blonde intently.

Draco shrugged "I – I don't know headmaster…. I know she's been having nightmares and hasn't been sleeping well…"

"Has she done anything out of the ordinary?"

Draco scoffed "well everything's really out of the ordinary sir…" he said sarcastically before frowning "actually…. There was one thing… after the picnic last week I had gone up to her bedroom to see if she wanted to play games… she had a box and when I asked her about it she shoved it in a drawer and locked it…. I didn't really think anything of it… then this morning she said there was something I needed to tell her, but she didn't seem upset about whatever it was."

The adults in the room looked curious, but no one had an answer as to what the box could have been. James and Sirius shared a look before bolting down the hall to Ara's room. Sirius knew he shouldn't be looking through her things, but if there was any way to find where she was, they needed it.

The two of them looked through the drawers of the dresser, none of which were locked. That only suggested to Sirius that she had the box with her, whatever it was.

"Mate, look at this," James said, handing Sirius a piece of parchment. It was flattened out as though she'd read it a hundred times.

Sirius gut clenched into knots at the first couple words. Happy birthday.

He left the room with James following closely behind him and made his way back to the kitchen, the letter still firmly in his hand.

"Draco when's Ara's birthday?"

Draco frowned "I hardly think that's important right – " his face went whiter as he glanced at the clock and the calendar. He dropped his head onto the table in front of him. "I'm the worst cousin ever… that's what I was supposed to tell her"

"it was today? Or yesterday I suppose…" James said.

"I had no idea," Lily said quietly.

"Is that why she ran off? Because we forgot it was her birthday?" James asked.

Draco shook his head "she wouldn't leave because we forgot… Birthdays have always been important in our family, but she's more likely to take the micky out of you for forgetting then get hurt over it… but she may have gone out with friends," he added with a shrug. He seemed far less worried than he had initially.

"Who's the letter from Sirius?" Lily asked, motioning toward the letter in his hand.

"Charlie," he grumbled.

"Is it possible she went to see him?" James asked.

Draco shrugged "I wouldn't put it past her to make an illegal portkey and go all the way to Romania."

James sighed and went over to the fireplace, throwing a handful of floo powder into the flames. He wasn't in there for long, but long enough to have a conversation. Sirius was hoping that he had found Ara there, even if it meant James got an eyeful.

When James pulled out, all hopes that she was there vanished. He still looked dejected.

"He hasn't seen her or heard from her… He wants me to floo him in a couple hours and if she's still not back, he'll be on the next portkey out here," James finished.

"I'm surprised he's not coming now," Sirius grumbled.

"He said there's no portkey until tomorrow evening and he doesn't know how to make an illegal one," James snorted.

Dumbledore pulled out his pocket watch before looking outside. The night had grown dark, very dark, very quick. It didn't take long for the rain to start; it was loud as it landed on the window with a million 'pings.' The wind increased and it didn't take long for thunder to be heard and lightning to be seen.

All occupants of the room had gone completely silent. A storm had come, and they knew it wasn't an ordinary storm, but one caused by magic. Suddenly their fear for Ara grew even stronger.

They watched the rain hit the window for a short while. When it started to die down Sirius stood and started pacing. He grabbed his jacket of the coat rack and made his way for the front door; James wasn't far behind him.

He walked out onto the front lawn when he heard "Draco, you can't go."

He turned around and watched as James blocked his way from moving further down the lawn.

"She's practically my sister," he insisted. Harry was there now, holding Draco back.

"I understand, but if you leave and something happens to you, she will never forgive herself," he insisted.

Draco scoffed and wrenched his arm free from Harry "she might be dead!" he shouted.

Sirius turned and walked back, grabbing ahold of Draco's shoulders. "Voldemort doesn't want her dead; he wants her on his side." He thought the statement was more frightening than the idea that Ara might be dead, but Draco seemed to gather comfort from it.

Sirius and James made their way to the end of the wards, Lily helped usher the other two back inside. As soon as they reached the point where they could apparate when a bright light appeared in the shape of a dragon.

"She's here," was all that the voice of Charlie had said before the Patronus disappeared.

Sirius let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding at the sight of it. Ara was there, and while Sirius wanted to be furious with her that she went all the way to Romania, he was simply grateful that she was alive. He'd be angry later.

Ara landed flat on her back. She groaned and simply laid there. She was tired and she wasn't sure if it was the liquor or the magic.

"Ara?" the face that peered over her caught her by surprise. She sat up quickly, her face coming only inches from him.

"Charlie?" She asked shock. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Bill stand up and make his way towards them, confusion on his face as well. She leaned forward and kissed Charlie chastely on the lips. She felt him smile but was relieved when he ran his hand through her hair and turned the kiss more passionate.

"Gross… let's go inside," Bill said making his way towards the cabin.

Ara looked around realizing they were somewhere new entirely.

Charlie helped her onto her feet and grabbed her hand pulling her back to the cabin.

"Hello brother," he said throwing one arm around Bill who was slouching, making it easier.

Bill sighed "thank merlin you're here…. I can't handle your girlfriend."

Ara couldn't tell if he was kidding or not. He didn't look at her, there was no smirk or flirty smile. She let go of Charlie's hand and walked back towards the cabin. She opened the door and was surprised at the homey feeling. It wasn't huge but was bigger than it looked. It had a living room and a kitchen and two bedrooms that branched off from a small hallway off the living room.

"where are we?" Ara sked turning to Bill and Charlie. Bill had plopped onto the couch as soon as they were through the doors.

"Charlie's place," Bill said with a small groan leaning sideways, letting his head land on the pillow.

"we're in Romania?" she asked surprised glancing at Charlie who wore a smile.

He shrugged "I have no idea how you ended up in my front yard." Charlie turned and made his way to the kitchen while Ara sat across from Bill.

"how did you apparate us all the way to Romania?" she asked.

Bill shook his head "it wasn't apparation… it was something different, another spell I learned in Egypt. It's called naql."

Ara frowned "If it can take you this far, why isn't it taught instead of apparition?"

"It's illegal. It's far more dangerous and isn't exactly 'light magic'" he emphasized.

Charlie came back in carrying a couple of potions and a couple drinks handing them to Bill and Ara. "I sent word to James and Sirius… they were worried," he said.

Ara grimaced, she had been out all night and told them she'd only be gone for an hour. While she used to disappear all the time, she knew she shouldn't be doing it anymore, not with how much danger they were in.

Bill groaned once more, letting his head fall back onto the pillow.

Charlie rolled his eyes "Let's get you to bed," he said grabbing one of Bill's arms and hoisting him up off the couch. Ara knew Charlie was strong, but Bill wasn't a small guy and Charlie had picked him up as though he weighed very little.

"I'll be right back," Charlie said as he led Bill towards one of the bedrooms.

Ara was grateful. That meant, she hoped, that she'd get to share Charlie's bed.

She stood up and walked around the small living room. There were pictures on his mantle place. Most of them were of his family and him, there were several of him and Bill, even one of him and a dragon. Ara bit back her disappointment that there wasn't one of her up there. She was still so confused on where she stood with Charlie.

"There's a picture of you by my bed," Charlie said as if reading her mind.

She turned around quickly and smiled.

"It was a toss-up though," he said with a lilt in his voice and a smirk on his face "between the one of you and I or the one of me and the dragon…"

Ara shoved him in the shoulder "well I'm glad you chose me."

Charlie smiled sweetly and wrapped him arms around her waist. When she put her arms around his neck he pulled her into a tight hug.

"I was worried when James called," he said, still gripping her tightly.

"I'm sorry… I swear we weren't really in danger."

"Still," Charlie said, pulling back slightly but still keeping his arms around her waist.

"I really didn't mean to worry anyone… I went to the bank and Bill took me out for drinks and we got a bit shit faced," she said with a shrug.

Charlie gave her a look, one that said he knew there was a lot she was leaving out. "and it was the liquor that caused you to be covered in water and scratches?"

Ara sighed she wanted to talk to Charlie, she'd been wanting to talk to him for days, but now that she was with him, she didn't. It was too fresh, and she was far too tired.

"Come on," Charlie said, grabbing her hand and leading her down the hallway to the other room.

It was sparsely decorated, it seemed clear that Charlie didn't spend much time in there, except to sleep. Her picture was indeed sitting next to his bedside.

Charlie stepped forward in front of Ara "it's not much," he said, "but it's home."

Ara smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck once more "I think it's lovely."

"thanks," he whispered leaning forward and kissing her firmly on the lips.

Ara pulled him in closer pressing her body tightly against his. She missed this, missed him.

"I know you don't want to talk about what happened just yet… but I do have one question," he said resting his forehead against Ara's and unbuttoning her jacket.

"yes?"

"Why are you soaking wet?"

Ara laughed nervously "it's a bit of a long story…."

Charlie leaned forward and kissed her deeply, pulling off her jacket. Her breath caught in her throat. "I have nothing but time," he said.

He leaned forward and kissed her again, running his hands under her shirt. Ara moaned into the kiss and reached down to unbutton his pants.

"I'm not wet," he said smirking.

Ara rolled her eyes "you're still wearing too many clothes." She pulled up his shirt and pulled it over his head.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him once more, pressing her body into his.

Charlie laughed and pulled back slightly "you're still soaking," he said, pulling up the hem of her shirt. "how did this happen?"

Ara sighed "I may have been upset and caused a small storm."

Charlie's hands stilled and he looked at Ara in bewilderment. "what?"

Ara shrugged "it wasn't that bad, I apparated Bill and I to the beach because I just wanted to get away and then I was angry, and I don't know… a storm started."

"hm…" Charlie said kissing her once more. "I guess that would explain why you are wet…" he reached down to unbutton her shorts "I think we've been talking too much."

Ara nodded and it took no time for Charlie to attach himself to her once more pushing her back onto the bed. Ara kissed him hungrily, it had been far too long since they'd been together. Ara let herself get taken away by the man she loved, feeling the tension that had been in her chest earlier ease. She may not have known exactly what they were or where they stood in their relationship, but it was clear they were far from over.

She awoke warmer than normal and far more content. She also noted that she hadn't had a single nightmare. She smiled at the arms wrapped tightly around her.

"morning," Charlie said, his voice gruff with lack of use.

Ara glanced back at him over her shoulder "good morning…. I could get used to this."

Charlie chuckled "me too," he leaned forward and kissed her on the neck. Charlie groaned as Ara rolled around in his arms so that she was facing him. "If you move it means we're going to have to get up soon and I'd rather stay in bed all day."

Ara sighed "me too, but I'm sure Bill would rather we get up."

Charlie snorted "oh yeah… him."

Ara rolled her eyes "he's your brother."

"no no no no no," Charlie whined as Ara moved out of his arms, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Come on," she said fondly, pulling on her clothes and throwing her hair up into a messy bun.

Charlie groaned once more but stood up and started pulling on clothes (at a much slower pace).

When the two of them were dressed they headed to the kitchen of the small cabin. They were unsurprised to find Bill was already up, reading the Romanian paper and sipping coffee.

"Hello," Ara said hesitantly.

Bill looked in her direction and Ara had to hold back a gasp. She covered her mouth with her hand.

"Get a good look Lestrange… this is all your fault," Bill said glancing back to his paper.

Ara scoffed at him while Charlie laughed and went to get the two of them some coffee.

"It was my fault you got attacked by a muggle?" she asked.

Bill simply glared.

"you got attacked by a muggle Billy?" Charlie asked as he sat. He stared intently at his brother taking in the bruising. "he got you good."

Bill glared at his brother, rubbing his face with his hands before grimacing as one hand ran over the bruise.

"So, are you going to tell me how you got the bruise?" Charlie asked Bill although with a small glance towards Ara it was clear he was asking her as well.

Bill sighed, looking at Ara for permission. "I took Ara to a muggle bar and got into it with some bloke who got a bit handsy with her."

Charlie set down his coffee mug. He looked angry. "He got handsy with her?" he asked wanting more information.

"Bill was ogling this blonde… So, I asked her brother to dance while she danced with Bill," her gut twisted guiltily, she knew the dance had meant nothing, but she did wonder if she had led him on at all. "well he grabbed me, and Bill attacked him when I pushed him away."

Charlie's face softened "well thanks," he said to Bill.

Bill shrugged "he was an arse. I would have come out on top, but Ara distracted me, and he managed to hit me."

Charlie nodded "you did get quite the shiner… what are you going to tell mum?"

Bill snorted and shook his head "I was hoping you had some bruise salve?"

Charlie shrugged and shook his head "sorry mate."

Bill sighed "oh well… you don't get the Daily Prophet do you?"

Charlie shook his head "they have it at the rec center if you want one."

Bill shrugged "I just wanted to see if the storm Ara caused made it into the papers."

Charlie snorted "I'm sure it did if it was clear it was caused by magic… I'm pretty certain there's only three people in existence right now who can change the weather."

Ara tensed, her earlier thoughts of the night before flooding back. The thought of her father. Bill glanced in her direction and Ara gave him a slight shake of the head.

"Well I'll go to the rec center… I think you two need to talk," Bill said folding up the paper and standing up.

"Do you remember how to get there?"

Bill nodded at Charlie's question and with a small wave he left the house.

Ara gripped her mug tightly, not making eye contact.

"Ara," Charlie said, grabbing her hand tightly in his "what's going on?"

Ara huffed "Rodolphus Lestrange isn't my father," she said quickly.

"what?" Charlie asked surprised.

Ara shrugged before running into Charlie's room and pulling out the shrunken box from her coat pocket. She walked back into the kitchen, set it on the table and opened it letting the tree fill the room.

She explained the tree to him, pointing at her father and the detached flower. "I went to see Bill yesterday because he had already seen the tree. He took me to another goblin, Plasar, who told me that I had no Lestrange blood in my system and was only a Lestrange through adoption."

Charlie was quietly processing the information. "So you don't know who your father is?"

Ara stilled at the question before shaking her head. "I have an idea, but no, I don't know for sure."

Charlie glanced at her and it was clear he was thinking the same thing as her. "You know I'll love you no matter who your father is?"

She felt her eyes burn at the statement but nodded.

"I think before you start worrying about who it is, we should have more tests run about your lineage. We should be certain."

Ara nodded once more "I suppose."

Charlie gripped her hand once more "Do you want to see Lady?" He asked with a flirty smile.

Ara chuckled; she knew he was trying to distract her considering there was nothing she could do until she met with a specialist. She figured she may as well let her considering she wasn't sure when she'd get to see Charlie again.

"Alright," she said leaning forward and kissing him on the cheek before heading to his bedroom to get ready.

Ara was in awe of the reserve. It was massive in size and there were dragons everywhere. While you couldn't get too close unless you were a handler, you could still see them flying far overhead.

The first stop they made was to see Lady. Ara found herself enjoying it much more now that she wasn't a part of a competition. What amazed her most was being able to see how she interacted with her children.

"want to go in?" Charlie asked giving Ara a small nudge.

"Yes," she said instantly. She hadn't thought she'd be able to get up close to them.

"Just don't tell my boss," Charlie said as he waved his wand, grabbing Ara's hand with his free hand and pulling her into the enclosure.

She felt like she was drenched in water as she passed through the barrier only to come out the other end dry. She sucked in a deep breath as they made their way closer to the dragon.

"You want to approach her first, before you approach her kids…. Or she'll just wipe you out."

Ara nodded and followed shortly behind Charlie. There was another handler in the enclosure at a distance, checking on one of the dragon babies.

It didn't take long for the dragon to notice them. They approached slowly, it seemed that while she recognized Charlie she didn't recognize Ara.

"Hey Lady," Charlie whispered reaching his arm out even though they were still a good twenty feet away from her. "We wait for them to approach us," Charlie said standing still with one arm held in front of him and the other gripping his wand tightly.

They both were caught off guard when the dragon rushed at them closing the space, it's large clawlike foot landing directly in front of her. She knew Charlie was saying something to her, but she couldn't distinguish what it was. The dragon's head was mere inches from hers and everything in her gut told her to stay still.

Ara wasn't sure how long she had held her breath, but after what felt like hours the dragon shifted, lowering its body so it was laying on the ground and lowering its head so it was at Ara's feet, not that it made the dragon much lower considering how large it's head was.

Ignoring Charlie's mutterings from beside her, Ara raised a shaky hand and ran it along Lady's scales.

"You're beautiful," she said quietly, taking in the magnificent creature.

It's head tilted and Ara could have sworn the dragon was smiling.

"Ara…" Charlie sounded confused and concerned. She spared him a glance only to see a look of astonishment on his face. "Dragons don't usually let humans do that."

Ara shrugged she didn't know why the dragon seemed taken with her.

"I should go Lady, but I'll come back to see you," Ara said hesitantly. She knew Charlie was worried that the dragon would suddenly change its mind and decide to eat her, she didn't want to worry him more.

The dragon huffed but didn't seem to mind as Ara took a step back. Charlie grabbed her hand in his and led her out of the enclosure, both walking backwards, keeping their eyes on the creature.

"I've never seen a dragon do that… Usually if they like humans they'll just let them in their enclosure without attacking, or they'll let them fly alongside them… I've never seen one be petted," he said in awe.

"What language were you speaking?" he asked.

Ara stilled and turned to look at him. She hadn't realized it was another language. It wasn't parsletongue, she knew that much. She was able to speak it, but she knew when she was speaking it. It was something she had kept quiet, even from her family. She knew they would have approved but when she was a kid she wanted her friendships with the slithering creatures to be between her and them.

"I don't know," she said quietly "please don't tell anyone."

Charlie was looking at her intently, he ran his hands up and down her arms, trying to provide her comfort. "Was it parsletongue?"

Ara shook her head "no, I can tell when I speak that…"

Charlie nodded "I'm not even surprised you can speak it... I can just picture you laying in your backyard at that big manor covered in dirt and talking to a little garden snake."

Ara snorted "My aunt would get so mad… She hated when I was dirty," she remembered fondly.

"I think being able to speak to snakes is pretty cool… wish I could do it," he said with a sad sigh. "Harry's parseltongue," he added as an afterthought.

Ara nodded "That was in the article that skeeter wrote… I wondered if it was true or not."

"Yeah, it became common knowledge in his second year at Hogwarts."

Charlie's face fell at the memory, he smiled sadly before turning and continuing his walking.

Ara grabbed his hand once more, in there time together, it wasn't the first time he'd mentioned Harry's second year. While she knew Harry had had some exciting years, she wasn't sure what they had to do with Charlie, what made it difficult for him to think about. "what happened?"

Charlie sighed; they were at a large building with a wooden sign on the outside labeled 'rec center.' "Take a seat," he said gesturing to one of the wooden picnic tables "I'll get us some food."

She wasn't sure if that meant he was going to ignore the question, or if it meant it was a long story and he needed a distraction.

She didn't have to wait long before a red head plopped down across from her.

"Lestrange," Bill said with a heavy sigh.

Ara smiled "I don't know that you can really call me that anymore."

"Why?" he asked taking a drink from the steaming cup in front of him "have you decided to reject your lineage and heritage?"

Ara snorted and shook her head.

Bill shrugged "Then you are still Lestrange. We made the paper by the way." He shook his head in exasperation but offered her a kind smile. "Thankfully they have no idea who started the storm, just that it was caused by someone very powerful. 'A new dark Lord? Or a new warrior?'" he said changing his voice as he read the title.

"well I suppose that's not too bad… I couldn't even imagine what they'd say if they got wind that it was a Lestrange who caused it," she said tiredly. She was relived no one saw them.

Bill shrugged "it definitely would have read 'new dark lord' and who knows maybe it wouldn't have been so off…... I'm kidding," he added with a smirk at Ara's glare.

A tray of food was set in front of her and Ara sighed of sadness at the sight of it. It was a meal that was served frequently when she was at Durmstrang. Charlie sat across from her, already beginning to eat, not looking up or acknowledging that he was sitting beside Bill.

"Charlie, I didn't mean to upset you," Ara said quietly, pushing the food around on her plate.

He shook his head swallowing thickly and putting down his fork "it was just a rough year," he said.

"What year?" Bill asked looking at Charlie with a frown.

"Gin's first year at Hogwarts."

"Oh," Bill said nodding in agreement. He turned back to Ara "you have to understand, we're older than five highly obnoxious siblings and while we left because we wanted some freedom and peace, we were always a close family."

"Bill and I have always been close, best friends really… Percy was a bit of an outcast. While Bill and I were closer to him than the others were, he played by the rules and hated that we didn't," Charlie said with a shrug.

Bill continued and Ara was briefly amazed at how close the brothers were. They seemed to know exactly what the other was thinking. "Fred and George came as a package deal. They're twins obviously, but I swear they share one brain."

"Then there was Ron and Ginny… While they're not as close as Fred and George or even Bill and I, they are close considering how close they are in age. Ron was always picked on the most considering Fred and George didn't feel like they could pick on us, we'd always win," Charlie said with a smirk.

"but Ginny was different. None of us had ever had a sister and she became a bit of a princess," Bill finished.

Ara frowned "I don't know Ginny well, but she doesn't seem too stuck up."

Bill and Charlie smiled and Ara was caught off guard by how much they looked alike when they smiled.

"Not in that way," Bill said fondly "she's a tomboy, always wanted to be like her brothers. She tough and fearless, but every one of us brothers have been overly protective of her."

"I'd write to her at least once a week when I was at Hogwarts and Billy would write to her nearly every other day," Charlie said. "It all stopped once she started at Hogwarts," he said sadly.

"It didn't stop because she thought it was lame… but the few times we did talk to her, she was… different," Bill said his frown deepening. "she didn't make much sense and she was trying to be reassuring while being absolutely terrified of something."

"I went to Hogwarts shortly after Christmas and she looked like she hadn't been sleeping or eating… she would flinch whenever I'd try to hug her, it was horrible and I'll never regret anything more than leaving her that day." Charlie was upset, he seemed near tears and all Ara could do was grab his hand and encourage him to continue.

"Ron hadn't been as close to her at Hogwarts since he was always around Harry and Hermione, but he started to notice the changes as well… the next time we heard from them it was a shaky letter from mum telling us to come to the school because Ginny had been killed," Bill finished.

Ara gasped but didn't interrupt.

"Billy and I arrived around the same time, when we made it to Hogwarts it was to find my sister being smothered by mum and Harry holding some bloody sword…. Afterwards we learnt that Ginny had been possessed for most of the year by Voldemort and there was this basilisk roaming the halls petrifying students… Ginny had been taken and Harry and Ron went after her and Harry killed the basilisk… and that's when we learnt he could talk to snakes," Charlie added as an afterthought.

"Shit," Ara said, trying to process the whole story. "Poor Ginny… I had heard of the basilisk from Draco, but I had no idea how serious it was."

The brothers nodded "She still has nightmares," Bill said. "I don't think it's something she'll ever be fully over."

Ara shook her head, the girl had been possessed by an evil man and being that close to something so evil damages the soul at least a little bit. Her frown deepened "how was she possessed by Voldemort? He was… well a ghost of sorts until the final task."

The two shared a look, it seemed Charlie was asking for permission. When. Bill shrugged he turned back to Ara "we're not entirely sure, but we've been researching it… what we've gathered is that Ginny had been writing in this diary… a diary that had once belonged to Voldemort and somehow that diary was some sort of carrier or was possessed itself by Voldemort… we're not sure exactly how, but we have some theories…" Charlie trailed off with a frown realizing how crazy it sounded.

Ara nodded, opening her mouth but was cut off by Bill "I really don't mind filling you in, but we probably should do it in the open."

Ara and Charlie nodded in agreement. "We'll talk about it another time," Ara said, squeezing Charlie's hand once more unsure of when that other time would be.

They had spent most of the day at the sanctuary. The portkey wouldn't be leaving until the evening. Charlie had made a day of it, telling Ara it was all in celebration of her birthday. She had been surprised when he had thrown a party for her. While most people who were there, were there because they were friends with Charlie, they all seemed rather interested to meet her. It seemed Charlie had talked about her quite a bit and of course they had all heard about how she did in the tournament.

She stepped outside into the brisk air. She needed a break from the questions and from the heat of the room. As she stared over Charlie's small porch, she couldn't help the longing burning in her stomach. The desire to live there, not only with him but with the dragons.

"Are you alright?" Charlie asked, leaning up against the railing beside her.

Ara nodded "of course… just wishing I didn't have to leave."

Charlie sighed and pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her waist and turning her to face him. "Do you want me to come home with you?" he asked quietly.

Ara looked at him confused. Did he mean permanently? Or just for the night?

Charlie laughed "I never thought I'd leave my dragons, but part of me feels like I need to be in England with you… and my family."

He did mean permanently then. Ara shook her head "no, you should stay… this is your home and I couldn't ask you to leave."

Charlie nodded, he seemed almost disappointed by her answer.

Ara ran her hand across his face "I'd love nothing more than to see you every day and be here with you and hopefully someday I can do that… I think there'll come a time when you have to come back to England, but I also think you should take care of your dragons and your work family as long as you can. They need you too. Besides I'm sure there's something you can do for the Order from here."

Charlie smiled sadly "Dumbledore's asked me to start gaining foreign supporters. He thinks there'll be a war and when that happens, we'll need as much support as we can get."

Ara sighed and nodded "then you have your work cut out for you."

Charlie closed the distance between them and pulled her into a tender kiss. There was no heat, but there was passion. It seemed they were trying to fit month's worth of comfort into that kiss for they didn't know how long it would be until they saw each other again.

The clearing of a throat broke them apart.

"Sorry, but we have to get to the portkey," Bill said, walking off the porch and heading through the front yard.

Ara and Charlie smiled sadly but made their way to follow him. They made their way back to the rec center and into one of the traveling offices. Inside the room stood a lone bucket.

Charlie pulled Bill into a hug each of them patting each other on the backs.

"Thanks Billy," Charlie said quietly.

Bill pulled back and clapped him on the shoulder "anytime little brother." He glanced at Ara "I think the two of us have some work to do when we get back," he said.

Ara knew what he meant. He meant her lineage and possibly the discussion of Voldemort.

Charlie nodded and looked away. "I wish I could be there with both of you for it," he said before turning to Ara.

She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"Keep me updated," he said. "we'll find a better way to talk than by letters."

Ara chuckled as they pulled apart "that'd be great…" Charlie gave her a chaste kiss on the lips, one that held promise, promise for more in the future.

"Don't forget that Dragon handling is much cooler than curse breaking…" Charlie said. He smirked at Ara's frown and Bill's groan.

Ara turned to Bill and rolled her eyes before hitting Charlie on the chest. "Don't be daft, there's only one red head for me."

"Please," Bill said from near the bucket "I'm letting you have her Charlie… I could get her if I wanted her… and curse breaking is thrilling, have you ever been chased by a mummy?"

Charlie snorted "have you ever been chased by a fire breathing dragon?"

Bill simply glared. It was clear this was a common argument.

"I'll do my best Char, not to steal your girl," Bill said with a smirk, pulling Ara to his side.

Ara rolled her eyes, leaning forward and kissing Charlie once more. "I'm pretty sure it's my decision."

The bucket started to glow, both Bill and Ara reached out to touch it.

"Stay safe," Charlie said more so to Ara than Bill, "No more storms!" he added as they felt the familiar hook behind their navel as they were sucked through space. Ara landed upright, laughing as Bill landed in a heap on the ground.

"I hate portkeys." He said, standing up and brushing off his pants.

She looked around, they were in front of a house. It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it were held up by magic. Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, the burrow. Around the front door lay a jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard.

"It may not be a fancy manor like you're used to but it's home," Bill said.

Ara stepped closer part of her dreading going into the house considering Molly would be there and she wasn't entirely sure she'd be welcome. Part of her was excited to see the place Charlie had grown up.

"It's lovely," she said honestly. "Believe it or not Manor's aren't always what they're cracked up to be… 'don't go beneath the stairs Ara', 'no running in the house Ara', 'Stop breathing so loud Ara', 'don't touch anything that shines Ara', 'stop stealing my silver and giving it to your friends to sell so you can sneak into the world cup stadium Ara," she said, mimicking her uncle.

Bill laughed "that sounds awful… you snuck into the world cup stadium?"

Ara nodded "it was brilliant… we played quidditch there before the actual players."

"Wish I would have known you back then," Bill said before opening the door to the Burrow.

It was very cluttered inside, there seemed to be stuff in every nook in cranny, the walls were covered in poor art that she could only assume had been done by the kids. Nevertheless, the home was welcoming, comfortable even. She couldn't help smiling fondly as she thought of the house. It was clear that this house had been lived in and wasn't some stuffy old manor. It was clear that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley loved their children and that it was the love that came first.

"Bill! Where have you been? I was expecting you back last night," came the voice of Molly Weasley.

Ara took a step back, suddenly feeling guilty. She had kept him out and although he was in his twenties, it was natural his mum would worry.

"Sorry mum," Bill said with a small smile kissing his mother on the cheek.

Molly stilled at the sight of Ara.

"It's a pleasure to see you again missus Weasley," she said softly.

Molly nodded "you as well… although it's a bit of a surprise. I hadn't realized you two were… friends."

It was clear what she was thinking, and Ara couldn't blame her. It was suspicious considering she'd been out all night with Bill.

"Bill was nice enough to take me out for my birthday," she added, hoping it eased her worries.

"And does Charlie know?" she snapped.

"Of course, mum, we met up with him last night… I didn't think Ara should go all that way alone considering the danger she's in."

Molly hummed thinking over the information.

"The Potter's seemed worried, they sent word last night to see if she was here," Molly added.

Ara grimaced and Bill groaned "it was my fault… She didn't really know what was going on and I surprised her with the portkey. I forgot to let the Potter's know, but I'll straighten it up with them," he added.

She offered him a small smile, she wasn't sure why he was taking the blame for the previous night, but it was clear he didn't want her to be on anyone's bad side.

"and how did you get that bruise young man?"

This time Bill grimaced; it was clear he had forgotten about the large bruise on his face.

"Oh… um"

"Don't you lie to me Bill Weasley," Molly said with her hands on her hips.

"I'm afraid that was my fault," Ara said. "we were playing this muggle game and I accidently hit him in the face with a ball… none of us had thought to pack bruising salve."

"you ought to be more careful," Molly said quietly.

"Of course," Ara responded with a small smile.

"Ara should probably get back mum, you don't mind if we use the floo?"

"Of course not dear," she said pulling an apron off the counter and wrapping it around her waist.

"Thank you Missus Weasley," Ara said following Bill into the living room.

"Oh… Ara," Molly added before the two disappeared into the other room. "We're having dinner here on Sunday if you'd like to come... the Potters are coming as well."

She smiled brightly "thank you that'd be lovely."

With a small wave Ara followed bill into the comfortable living room and through the fireplace to the Potter's. She took a deep breath as she followed Bill through the flames, not wanting to face the Potters' questioning.

She stepped out of the fire and followed Bill through the living room and towards the kitchen, where Ara had suspected they were gathered.

Her suspicions had been right, all the adults were in the kitchen although it seemed Harry and Draco were doing something else.

"Hello," Bill said flashing them a charming smile before sitting at the table.

Ara took the seat next to him, trying to ignore the eyes drilling into the side of her head. "well it's late," she started "thank you for making sure I got home safely Bill, but you should probably head home."

Bill snorted "no way, you gave me the black eye, so I'm very much looking forward to you being scolded," he said pointing to his face.

Ara rolled her eyes and finally made eye contact with Sirius, James, Lily, and Remus. They were all looking at her with a mixture of confusion and worry. It seemed Sirius had a bit of anger in his eyes as well. Ara had to resist pushing into his mind to see what he was thinking.

"So would you like to start explaining," Lily said, her voice hard.

Ara grimaced "I really am sorry for worrying you," she said glancing at Bill.

"Well that's all fine and dandy, but you were gone for a day. We hadn't heard from you for twelve hours before we finally got word from Charlie and you told me you'd be back after an hour," James said.

"We are trying to keep you safe Ara… you owe us an explanation," Sirius said softly, making Ara cringe. She hadn't meant to hurt any of them, she was just so used to not answering to anyone.

"I had only meant to be gone for an hour" she said, sending a small glare towards Bill. "I went to the bank where I ran into Bill and afterwards, he offered to take me out for my birthday." At that the other occupants of the room grimaced, still feeling bad about not realizing it was her birthday.

"We were there late," Ara said with a shrug. "We had a bit too much to drink and when we left I made us a portkey to Romania… I guess my drunk brain wanted to see Charlie."

James and Sirius frowned, exchanging a look that suggested they didn't believe her.

"So how did you get that shiner Bill?" Sirius asked.

Bill grimaced "we were playing this muggle game and Ara hit me in the face with a ball… she denies it but I'm pretty certain it was intentional."

Ara rolled her eyes and shook her head, she wasn't sure why they couldn't just be honest with the Potters, but part of her was scared they wouldn't understand. That they would be upset she had caused a storm. Part of her was worried they might suspect what her true parentage was if she said too much.

"And that's all that happened last night?" Sirius asked staring intently at her, almost as though he were trying to see right through her.

Ara shrugged "pretty much… "

Sirius scoffed and shook his head "alright we'll see you later Weasley," he said before standing and leaving the room.

Bill frowned and sent Ara a reassuring look. "See you this weekend Lestrange," he said pulling her into a brief hug before disappearing into the other room.

Ara glanced at the Potters only briefly before following in the direction Sirius went.

She found him in the lounge pouring himself a small glass of single malt whiskey.

"I wish you wouldn't do me the deservice of lying to me… I'm not stupid, I was your age once and I was about as rebellious as they come," He said as he turned, handing her a glass in the process.

She sighed and sipped the burning liquid before sitting on chase lounge. "I'm generally a private person Sirius, I don't think there's anyone alive you knows everything about me."

"I'm not asking you to tell me every lie you've ever told, I'm asking you to tell me the truth about what happened. We were worried… I was worried. You can't keep keeping everything to yourself, we are here to protect you and believe it or not we all care about your well-being and your happiness. So cut the crap and stop lying."

Ara downed the rest of her glass in a single gulp causing Sirius to snort and pour her a second.

"I went to see Bill at the bank," she said slowly. "I was upset when I was leaving so he took me to a muggle bar in London… We were sloshed, both of us and he got into it with some muggle, so we left. I was even angrier so I apparated us to the beach, lost control of my magic and we almost drowned so Bill used some special for of apparition and we ended up in Romania."

Sirius stared at her hard "alright, that was the truth but I believe you are missing some important details," he said, sitting beside her on the chair. "why were you upset after the bank?"

She shook her head "I… I don't know I'm ready to talk about that…"

Sirius sighed "did you run out of money? Because if you did I can give you some,"

Ara shook her head and laughed "no, I still inherited all of the Lestrange family vaults… I have more than enough money and heirlooms and homes."

He paused momentarily "does this have something to do with that box that was hidden in your dresser?"

Ara frowned, tapping her pocket to make sure it was still there. "How'd you know about that?"

Sirius smiled and shrugged "I have my ways."

Ara rolled her eyes "well then yes I suppose it did."

"Is it filled with dark artifacts?" he asked.

It was clear he wasn't going to let up on the subject.

"I'm not getting involved in anything dangerous Sirius."

"So then why are you so intent on leaving me out of the loop."

She sighed in frustration "because, I don't know how I feel about it."

He nudged her encouraging her to tell him.

"Look, I'm sorry, I'm just not ready to talk about it," she said firmly.

He smiled sadly, but thankfully dropped the subject. "so why did Bill get into it with some muggle?"

She sighed, it shouldn't have been hard to talk about, but it had brought back so many unwanted memories. Memories that she seemed to be thinking about a lot lately.

"I had asked some douche to dance with me so Bill could get this girl… he got a bit handsy and before I could make a fool of myself and react magically, Bill attacked him… believe it or not, he did come out on top."

Sirius looked upset "some muggle touched you?"

She glanced at the door to the kitchen, hoping that the other three hadn't heard. "I'd rather not everyone know what happened," she said quickly.

Sirius frowned "why not? They care about you – "

"Its embarrassing," she said, emptying the contents of her glass, letting the contents burn her throat. "I let some muggle touch me, put myself in that situation, I'd just rather it stay between us… and Bill and Charlie."

Sirius frowned, but sat next to her, throwing an arm over her shoulder. "I don't think they would think any less of you," he said reassuringly "but I won't say anything if you really don't want me to."

"Thanks" she said quietly, leaning her head back against his arm. She paused, knowing he was waiting for the rest of the story. "I started that storm last night," she nearly whispered, gladly accepting the addition to her empty glass.

"What?" he asked, a disbelieving smirk forming on his face.

Ara shrugged "I didn't know I could do it, I was just so angry at everything that happened, I lost control and before I knew it there was a ten foot wave right in front of me… aurors appeared and Bill got us out of there."

Sirius simply stared with his mouth gaping open. "well shit," he said with a small laugh. "In all my years of being rebellious, I never started a storm..." he said with a kind smile showing he wasn't upset in the slightest.

Ara smiled back, sipping her drink. "The papers were trying to guess if it was a new dark lord…"

"they were trying to figure out if it was a new dark lord or a new warrior… I think that decision is yours."

She sat in silence for a moment, she was grateful that Sirius didn't seem to think any less of her. She shook her head, Connor had been right last year, she needed to stop caring what they all thought of her. If the day came when they feared her or hated her, well she'd cross that bridge then.

She sighed "I need to talk to Dumbledore," she said quietly smiling in response to Sirius' large grin that was widening on his face.

"You're in luck, there's a meeting here tomorrow evening… I'll let him know that you want to speak with him before hand." He tightened his arm around her shoulders and leaned over, kissing her on the side of the head.