Chapter 5
It was a weird tingling sensation that she had in the pit of her stomach; one she'd probably consider to be butterflies. She wasn't certain why she was so nervous, but she supposed it had something to do with the active role she was taking against the people who raised her.
She was one of the first at the meeting, Bill was sitting beside her and Tonks across from her. The other seats were empty, she was surprised even the Potters and Sirius weren't there considering it was there house. It wasn't as though they had far to travel.
"How do these meetings usually go?" she asked the other two.
Tonks shrugged but Bill responded, "he gets updates from everyone, see if anyone's made progress, then talks about what more we need to do," he said simply.
They sat in silence for only a few moments longer before the room began to fill. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she saw that the room was filled with people who she knew. The order was complete with the Weasleys, the Potters, Sirius, Remus, Mad-eye Moody, Severus Snape, and Minerva McGonagall.
"it seems small," she whispered to Bill.
"This isn't everyone… Some meetings there are more people, it all depends who's in attendance." At her frown he continued "Not everyone knows about Snape being a spy, so if he's here certain people are gone, such as Mundungus and Professor Sprout…"
"Does he not trust them?" she figured that wasn't a good way to gain allies. Trust had the power to either draw people together or tear them apart.
Bill shrugged "I think he does, but maybe he doesn't think it's necessary for everyone to be in the know… Don't keep your eggs in the same basket, eh?"
Ara snorted.
"Thank you everyone for coming," Dumbledore said, his usual ever-present twinkle in his eyes as he glanced around the room. "I'd like to welcome our newest member, Miss Ara Lestrange."
She got warm smiles from everyone in the room, even got a cheer from Tonks who was shushed with a glare from Snape. The only person who didn't greet her warmly was the one man that made her skin crawl.
"Are we sure she's safe Albus?" Mad-eye asked.
Ara sent him a glare. While she could understand his hesitation, she did technically save the guys life. Plus, he hadn't been entirely safe last year.
"I trust Ara, Alastor," Dumbledore said kindly, sending Ara a meaningful look.
"She saved Harry," James said simply fiddling with his mug on the table.
"She saved the muggles at the Quidditch World Cup," Sirius said proudly.
Ara looked at him sharply before shrugging. It didn't really matter anymore whether or not people knew about that.
"All I'm saying is she's a Lestrange and it would be the lengths a Death Eater would go to get someone on our side," he reasoned.
"And what Death Eater would that have been Moody?" Ara asked sharply. "Most of the Death Eaters denied Voldemort's return until he was standing in front of him…. My uncle is too stupid to think like that, or perhaps you think it was his most faithful servant… the one who I killed in your classroom after he took over your body." It was a harsh statement, but it seemed to get her point across. He grunted but otherwise remained silent.
"To catch you up to date Ara, we have two primary goals at the moment," Dumbledore began, his eyes still twinkling madly. "Our first is that we are protecting a prophecy in the hall of prophecies in the Ministry of Magic.
She frowned "what's the prophecy of?" She had never really put much weight to divination.
The table seemed to still as they glanced at each other. "It is believed to be a way to defeat Voldemort," Sirius said.
"So why are we protecting it? Why not listen to it and use it to our advantage?"
"It's only made out to three people," Sirius said with a hesitant glance towards James. "Harry and Voldemort are the only two alive."
Ara raised her eyebrows, her stomach twisting into knots. "What does Harry have to do with defeating Voldemort?"
James shook his head, a grimace overtaking his face "we've only heard part of it, but we believe Harry is the only one who can defeat him."
Her mouth dropped open "he's not even fifteen yet!"
The others around the table shrugged, it seemed they shared her sentiment. Seeing the glances shared between the Potters and Dumbledore made Ara realize that there was more to the story that they weren't being told.
"Voldemort heard part of the prophecy years ago, he missed half of it. It is imperative that we keep him from retrieving it." Dumbledore explained.
"Wouldn't it be easier if Harry just went and took it?" she asked with a shrug.
The others shared another look "Harry doesn't know the prophecy… and we'd like to keep it that way as long as possible," James said although his eyes held guilt that he didn't quite agree with what he was saying.
Ara disagreed, while she didn't entirely believe in divination, she knew there were true seers out there and if Dumbledore believed the prophecy held some weight, well he was probably right.
"Well who was the third person it was made out to?" she asked.
"Alaina," James said quickly, tapping his fingers on his mug once more.
She nodded, while she thought it would be easier if Harry was made aware, she understood why they made the decision they did.
"That brings us to our second goal," Dumbledore continued, glancing around the room through his half-moon spectacles once more. "We need to gather followers… or rather we need to keep people from following Voldemort."
Ara nodded remembering what Charlie had said.
"Charlie is of course working on gaining international supporters, particularly in Romania and Bulgaria. Hagrid will be leaving this year from his position as gamekeeper to visit with the giants… Of course, James, Sirius, and Arthur are working within the ministry and Bill is working on the goblins – "
"Is this an area where you can contribute Lestrange?" Moody cut across him. He didn't sound harsh, or degrading, but rather like he was trying to teach her something.
"I-I'm not sure," She said hesitantly. For one of the first times in her life she wasn't sure how she could contribute. "I can help you guard the prophecy I suppose but I'm not terribly popular in any community."
Dumbledore offered her a small smile but shook his head "I can't have you guarding the prophecy Ara, I'm sorry… It is too dangerous to expose you to the Death Eaters like that."
"I suggest you use your head Lestrange, I'm sure you'll think of something," Moody said giving her a pointed look.
She shrunk in her seat, glancing at the scratches on the table before her. She wasn't sure what he thought she could do. She could fight, she could train, but connections weren't her strong suit. She had worked hard on ignoring politics and although she understood it, she was never particularly successful at winning people over. Most of her professors hated her, she had a horrible reputation and it wasn't simply because of her mother.
"I suppose I have some connections in Bulgaria," She suggested softly thinking sadly of her friends.
Dumbledore offered her a small smile, "I'm certain you'll find you can influence far more than you realize," he said. "On another note, Severus, what is it that you have to report?"
Snape's eyes remained on Ara as he spoke "He's gained followers within the ministry. I don't have any names, but I know there is someone within the administrative offices to the minister. He is also sent envoy to the giants and is confident that they will respond favorably."
"What seems to be his primary goal at the moment?" Mad-eye asked.
Snape sighed, finally tearing his eyes away from her. "Ara…. Recruiting Ara. He has plans though no one in his circle know what they entail. He's very quiet about it but keeps saying 'soon Ara will be at my side in her rightful place…' it's almost an obsession" he said. His eyes were grim as he stared at his used to be niece.
The others shared varying looks of worry. Ara felt as though a weight had dropped into her stomach. She shared a look with Bill who wore a grimace. He wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her shoulder, offering her as much reassurance as possible. Neither of them were worried about Ara changing sides or about what Voldemort had planned, but rather they were worried as to why Voldemort believed her rightful place was at his side.
"Any idea why he wants you so badly Lestrange?" Moody asked, both his eyes locked onto her and Bill.
She shrugged "because I'm bloody powerful."
Sirius snorted "and bloody modest." He smiled at her, reassuring her that he was kidding.
She shrugged once more and was saved by responding from Bill who spoke up on her behalf "It's true though, as far as skills go in regard to fighting, I'm certain that Ara could give Dumbledore a run for his money, no offense sir."
"None taken, Ara is an incredibly powerful witch," he said giving her a meaningful look. Ara could practically her him referencing the storm, as absurd as it sounded.
"plus, she grew up in their lifestyle… she's pureblood and was raised a Malfoy. She's the daughter of two of his most loyal supporters," Bill continued. "He wouldn't really need another reason to want her on his side."
She was taken off guard. She and Bill had been on such shaky ground in the past, to hear him defend her entirely and offer support was touching. She knew they had quickly crossed some sort of bounds as friends.
The conversations had dwindled, changing topics from Ara to guard duty. It seemed she and Snape were the only ones exempt from guard duty, everyone else had the days they were scheduled.
When the meeting was finished, the others gathered their work and began to make their exit.
"we usually stay for dinner… well everyone except Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape," Bill said.
She nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. "James," she said quietly.
He turned and with one look at her he sighed. When it was just the two of them left in the room he started "you're thinking I should tell Harry," he said as though he had had the conversation many times before.
"I realize he's young, but if he's supposed to have something to do with this war don't you think he has the right to know?"
He ran his hands through his hair "he's fourteen –"
"Nearly fifteen… he'll be furious with you when he finds out."
"I understand that Ara, but you have to understand that I don't put much weight into divination. We haven't heard the full prophecy and truth be told, when it comes down to it, I'm not letting my son face Voldemort," he said passionately. "Screw the prophecy, he'll only face him over my dead body."
Ara sighed; it wasn't her decision to make. She only knew how she'd feel if she were the one a prophecy had been made about.
"you won't tell him, will you?" James asked.
"Of course not," she answered quickly. "It's not my decision and frankly it has nothing to do with me… Is the prophecy why they came after Alaina?" she asked softly.
"I don't know for certain… we were targets because of it. The prophecy could have referred to a couple of children, but Harry was one of them. I can only assume it was the reason they went after her."
"I'm sorry," she said softly, guild still stirring in her stomach at the thought.
James stood and pulled her into a hug, much to her surprise. Sirius always treated her like family, but James wasn't particularly affectionate towards her. She gripped him back tightly, the feeling was almost familiar.
"It's not your fault… no matter what your bloody uncle said" James squeezed her even tighter "you know we won't let Voldemort get you right?" he said quietly.
Ara sighed, if only he knew her worry in regard to him. "I know," she said.
"Is everything alright?"
Ara pulled back, it seemed Lily had come back to check on them. She wore a kind smile, but Ara could see the worry in her eyes.
"Sorry," Ara said quickly.
"Are you worried?" Lily asked "About Voldemort? Because you know we'll protect you-"
"Don't," Ara said quickly, looking at both of them. "Protect Harry…. And Draco, but I can handle my own."
"you always say that, but everyone needs help- "James said.
"I understand that… truly," Ara said. "but I don't want anyone else to be risked in my protection… I'm eighteen and if somehow Voldemort gets to me I can guarantee you that I will not take his side and if I die then I'll find a way to come back and ensure he can't get his hands on Draco or Harry," she said, the other two chuckled softly in response. "I mean honestly, what would you two say if I told you I'd protect you?"
James and Lily shared a look "we'd tell you not to," Lily said softly with a small nod.
"Well there you have it," Ara said with a smirk. "Shall we get dinner?" she asked ending the conversation before heading to the kitchen, missing the look that passed between the two.
She took her seat next to Bill "thank you," she said quietly not offering details.
Bill simply smiled in response "what are brothers for?" he asked.
Ara felt her breath catch in her throat and did her best not to tear up. Bloody emotions. They were such a new thing she was experiencing more and more often.
She sat in the living room, several letters laid out in front of her, not that she was paying much attention to them. She found it increasingly difficult to think of anything other than Voldemort, her lineage, and the Order. It had been three days since the order meeting and she was determined to help in any way necessary, especially if it meant keeping Harry safe for as long as possible. She certainly couldn't seem to focus on work, or what she wanted to do for work. Part of her wondered if it would be too horrible if she didn't work. She didn't need the money after all. It wasn't as though her uncle did any real work.
The room was cozy, like most nights the small group were lounging. Remus was over, playing chess with Lily while James was reading and Sirius was laying upside down on the couch, flipping through a magazine. The only ones gone were Harry and Draco. She had entertained the thought of finding them, they seemed to be gone most days, spending hour after hour in the library. She wanted to know what they were up to, but she was also grateful that they seemed to be getting on so well. Just the other day they were finishing each other's thoughts. She didn't want to interrupt the flourishing friendship.
A chime was heard throughout the house, the others shared a look. It was nearly 10pm and they weren't expecting anyone. Sirius flipped off the couch and he and James went to check the door.
"Bill, we weren't expecting you," Lily said with a large welcoming smile when James and Sirius returned with him.
"Sorry Lily," he said with a guilty smile before turning to Ara. "can we talk?... privately" he asked softly.
Ara couldn't quite place his look, he seemed tired, possibly upset. "Is everything alright with Charlie?" she asked quickly, her mind jumping to worst case scenario.
Bill rolled his eyes "well no, my darling little brother has the worst taste in women-"
"shove off," Ara said with a snort, but stood, gathering her letters and grabbing a blanket.
"my room or outside?" she asked.
"Outside," Bill answered quickly "I don't want you trying to seduce me or take advantage," he said with a small smirk.
Ara turned and hit him in the shoulder "you are ridiculous… Why on earth would I want to take advantage of you when you look like a pig's arse?"
Bill gasped, putting his hand on his chest "I have never been so insulted in my life."
Ara shook her head "you don't listen much then do you?"
"I hate you," Bill said with a straight face.
"Why? I'm lovely…" she responded causing Bill to smile. The others in the room laughed at the scene but remained curious about the two of them and their friendship.
They made their way to the back yard and sat in the comfortable chairs on the deck. Ara offered Bill a blanket, while it was summer, the night breeze was chilling.
"Is everything aright?" she asked, checking back to make sure they weren't being listened to.
"I think so," Bill said with a sigh. "I just got off guard duty and I have the tendency of overthinking when I'm there."
"what were you overthinking about?"
Bill shrugged "Voldemort."
She nudged his arm when he didn't respond.
Bill sighed "Maybe we're looking in the wrong places for how to defeat him…"
She curled both her legs underneath her "where should we look?"
"well we know that Voldemort didn't die that night he went to the Potters and Dumbledore believes the curse rebounded onto him, that would mean he was hit with the killing curse… There's got to be a way he survived that curse… I think if we were to go and cut off his head, he still wouldn't be dead."
She sighed, it made sense. He had made the claim that he had gone further than all others in evading death. Plus there was the ritual that he completed to gain back his body, "So where should we be looking?"
"I don't know… it's probably some obscure dark magic that nobody knows about."
"Do you think Dumbledore knows?" She asked, she always had the feeling that that man knew more than he let on.
Bill shook his head "He might have an idea, but I don't think he knows for certain… he usually tells others when he is certain."
"I'm sure the Lestrange homes have some obscure dark magic books," she suggested. "I could look."
Bill thought about the offer "I should come with you… we don't know how safe those houses are."
Ara nodded "I told the goblins no one was to have access to the vaults or homes, but you are welcome to come."
They sat in comfortable silence for a short while, each absorbed in their own thoughts.
"I met someone recently, who you know…" Bill said a slight blush staining his cheeks.
"Hm… must be a girl." She said with a small smirk.
Bill nodded "blonde, French, Veela…"
"Fleur?" she asked surprised, she hadn't realized she was back in England.
"She wanted me to tell you 'hello' and that she'd be writing to you soon because she's decided to move to England after all."
A large smile blossomed on her face "and you clearly have a crush."
Bill scoffed "I do not."
She rolled her eyes "Alright then, you don't have a crush but you think she's gorgeous and smart and perfect."
"Well," Bill said with a shrug not denying it.
"I'm glad," Ara said sitting back in her seat once more "Fleur helped a lot last year… I might not have made it through the year without her and Cedric."
"I didn't realize you all were so close," Bill said.
She shrugged "the competition brought us together… Harry too… We knew from the beginning that something horrible was happening. By the end we knew we were fighting for our lives." She explained, her voice catching in her throat at the thought of Cedric. His life had been so unfairly taken and she missed him. She'd been avoiding thinking about him.
"I'm sorry. The tournament was supposed to be fun, something to fight for."
Ara shrugged "it would have been had it not been for Voldemort."
Bill reached across and grabbed her hand tightly in his. "you don't have to feel guilty," Bill said. "About anything that happened last year or about Voldemort or about your lineage. I know this is odd coming from me, but you aren't who raised you and no matter what you do or how you do it, it doesn't change the fact that you're a good person."
She smiled, "it does seem odd coming from you… you hated me only a month ago."
Bill snorted "I never hated you, but my little brother has always been one of the strongest people I know. He's so different from everyone in my family. He's got a pure heart, he's giving, and he's even tempered. So, to see him broken hearted, it was hard to watch." He said with a shrug. She was grateful he didn't hold back; she knew she had hurt Charlie, but it hurt to know just how much.
He squeezed her hand tighter "you hurt yourself too," he added in reassurance. "I would have done the same thing had I been tortured and had the person I loved been threatened."
She nodded "He'd never gotten the drop on me before, well not since I was young anyways. It scared me that he could torture me, I always thought I was too powerful for him…. I suppose everyone can be brought down by something though, no matter how powerful."
The two of them sat in silence, gaining comfort from each other as they processed what had been said. While Ara's words had been made regarding her, there was more to it. If they applied to her, they also applied to Voldemort, and Dumbledore. People who seemed nearly invincible. With that knowledge they made plans to go further into Ara's vaults, into her homes, and into an inheritance that never should have been hers, not knowing what would await them.
True to her word, Ara had been far safer than when she initially moved in. She had only made two trips to the bank, one to see Fleur and the other to take some of the books in her family vaults. Both trips someone in the order had gone with her under disguise. They didn't want anyone thinking Ara was a part of the order or that she was under their protection.
She knew Draco was becoming stir crazy. He'd been cooped up in the house since they arrived back from Hogwarts. They were worried that should they leave, Lucius would be there and demand to take Draco home. It was a risk no one was willing to take.
"What if we left the country?" Draco asked. They were sitting around the kitchen table, Draco fidgeting restlessly, tapping his fingers on the table.
"Harry hasn't left this summer either," Ara suggested, she wanted him safe. She wasn't willing to risk it.
"I've been to the Weasleys," Harry said with a shrug.
"What if you spent a few days at the Weasleys?" Lily suggested "that place has enchantments, since Harry goes to visit… it's also probably the last place they'd expect you to be… That and the muggle world."
Ara thought momentarily, the Weasleys would be safe, it wasn't as though Uncle Lucius could simply demand entrance, not with Voldemort continuing his existence in hiding. The muggle world was probably also somewhat safe.
"Well?" she asked Draco who wore a bit of a grimace.
"They don't like me… jealous or something," Draco said arrogantly although Ara could tell there was insecurity and sadness underlying his voice. With a glance at Harry, who rolled his eyes, it seemed he realized it too.
"Ron likes you well enough," Harry insisted "Hermione does too and she's staying there for the rest of the holidays. It'll be fun, they have a pond and a small muggle village right down the road. Missus Weasley is amazing and she'll feed you til you pop."
Draco wore a small smile; it did sound fun.
"I'm sure Ara can come too," Harry suggested with a smirk at Ara's frown. "For safety and all," he suggested.
She hadn't made it to that Weasley dinner last weekend, she'd come down with a bit of a cold. She was nervous about spending so much time over there, she didn't want to get on anyone's bad side.
"Fine, I'll go if Ara goes," Draco said.
Ara looked between Draco and Harry; they both wore similar looks of pleading. If Draco wanted to go, she wasn't going to stop him, so she agreed. With the Weasley's permission, they'd spend the next weekend there, which happened to be the weekend of Harry's Birthday.
On Friday they used the floo network. They received rather stiff welcomes from the Weasleys. She was certain it was hard for them, considering how horrible her uncle was to them. Even Draco had been horrible to them over the last few years.
"Draco dear you and Harry will be in Ron's room, Ara I'll have you share with Ginny and Hermione, Ron you'll share with Bill," Mrs. Weasley said to the group.
Ginny seemed most excited to see the two of them. She offered Ara a large smile as she led her through the house to her room. The room itself was small, the walls were painted pink although it seemed Ginny wasn't too fond of the color for she taped large posters on her walls, covering most of it up.
"You like the harpies?" Ara asked pointing to one of her posters.
"I do," she said quickly, sitting on her bed closest to the door. "I think I'd like to play for them when I graduate."
"Yeah? Charlie says your quite the quidditch player," she said walking over to the window. It was a beautiful view, all countryside. There was a large orchard just outside, Charlie had told her they would all play quidditch out there when growing up. She looked back at Ginny who had a faint blush, but a pleased smile. Ara remembered that Charlie had also told her most of the brothers didn't give Ginny the time of day when it came to playing quidditch.
She put her stuff down next to the third bed, closest to the window. She was surprised three beds fit in the small room, although she figured it could have been magically enlarged somewhat.
"How about you? Draco says that you're excellent at quidditch."
Ara laughed "Draco also thinks that he is an excellent seeker." Ginny laughed; they both knew it wasn't true. "Don't get me wrong, he's not bad at quidditch, but he was always a better beater than seeker."
"Why'd he choose to be seeker then?" Ginny asked.
Ara shrugged "his arch nemesis was a seeker for the rival team… who knows."
"Well they aren't exactly nemesis anymore."
Ara nodded "it'll certainly be an interesting school year."
"Well if any of his snake friends don't agree, I'll take care of them," Ginny said and the look in her eye told Ara that Ginny Weasley wasn't someone to be messed with. She smiled at the girl, she was glad others would be watching out for Draco while at that school.
She was sitting by the pond, enjoying the peace and quiet. That was one thing growing up in a stuffy manor that she appreciated, it was quiet. This wasn't something that could be said for the Weasley household. While part of her was fond of the pranks, shouting and overall rambunctiousness of the Weasleys, the other part of her longed for the quiet. Potter Manor could be loud at times, but not nearly as much as this.
She continued flipping through the pages of her book. She knew there wasn't anything in it that talked of immortality, but she found it fascinating none the less.
"Charms of the twenty-first century?" Bill asked as he sat next to her, glancing at the cover of her book.
"Not exactly," Ara said waving her hand, so the true title showed: 'creatures of the dark.'
"ah, makes more sense… anything interesting?" he asked as the cover changed once more.
"just reading about Dementors… it's no wonder Dumbledore suggested they be moved from Azkaban… in the wrong hands they really are quite dangerous."
Bill nodded "they'll go to whoever can offer them more and generally light wizards can't offer them much."
Ara sighed; she hoped the ministry pulled its head out of its ass soon enough. She didn't want to see her mother again; she was perfectly content with her being locked up in that place.
"I don't understand how people can put them in a position where they're useful, protecting citizens, and then absolutely alienate werewolves who are only dangerous once a month… Dementors are dangerous twenty-four seven."
Bill shrugged "doesn't make much sense to me either."
"anyways," Ara said offering him a small smile. "What's up?"
"well… I believe I've found you someone who can help."
She frowned "with what?"
"your lineage… he's a wizard who spent many years studying in Egypt, he left a couple years ago and retired in the muggle world, somewhere in Ireland."
Ara let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding "and you think he can help?"
Bill nodded "he's well regarded, very trustworthy. I've met him once, but I have friends who say that he's the best of the best when it comes to curses… but apparently he studied under the late Gerald Kline and learned everything there is to know about genealogy."
"that's great," she said, "when can we see him?"
"Well… I didn't want to risk sending an owl, so I thought it'd be best to go in person…. We can go next weekend if you'd like?"
She nodded "that'd be great."
"all you have to do is think of what to tell the Potters and Sirius," Bill said with a smirk before leaving Ara to her thoughts.
"Gin you've got to stop moving," Ara said with a laugh as she swiped the black pencil across the young girl's eyelid.
"It feels weird… and I'm certain you'll poke me in the eye."
Ara rolled her eyes but stayed quiet, finishing the task at hand. When she was finished, she handed Ginny a dress and turned her back to her to give the girl some privacy as she changed. She knew Ginny was on the shy side when it came to her body.
"Shall we?" she asked as Ginny checked herself over in the mirror, flattening down her dress and messing with her braid that spread down her front to her mid torso.
"I'm ready," she said, following Ara out the room and down the stairs to where the others were waiting.
They had decided to go and see a movie and have dinner out. It was risky, but they made sure the number of adults was equal to the number of those underage.
"alright stay in pairs! No one should be without someone else," Molly said to the group.
James sighed, it seemed he thought it was a bit overkill, but went with it anyways. "Harry with me, Draco with Sirius, Ginny is with Ara, Ron with Bill, Hermione with Lily, and Fred and George stick together."
Draco had a disguise, while they were willing to take him, they would rather be safe than sorry.
They left the safety of the small house and headed down the road to the local theatre. Draco was nearly bouncing on his feet next to Sirius. She knew he was excited; he'd grown to love the television and to see something similar on the big screen was indeed exciting.
The movie itself had been a good one, albeit somewhat scary. It was called 'ice cream man' and showed some crazy guy turning ungrateful kids into ice cream. They had made a pact afterwards not to tell Molly what they watched, considering the movie was rated R and they probably shouldn't have watched it in the first place.
They walked to the local restaurant; Ara threw her arm around Ginny as they made the trek. She found herself becoming fond of the young Gryffindor. She was feisty and clearly not afraid of anything. It was a wonder that Bill and Charlie had described her as a princess, if anything it seemed like Ginny had all her brothers wrapped around her finger. She would definitely grow to become a force to be reckoned with.
The restaurant was surprisingly crowded for a Friday night. There were families at the tables scattered around the room and local drunkards sitting at the bar. Some were playing pool, and others were dancing to the small muggle band that was playing. They split up as they took their seats around the room, taking the last two empty tables.
"we should play quidditch tomorrow," Fred said.
"we've nearly got a full team," George added.
What positions do you all play?" Ara asked.
"Beaters" Fred and George said at the same time.
"Ron and I are keepers. Gin, Charlie, Harry, and Hermione usually play chasers. If the Sirius and James play, they're chasers as well. With you two we should have enough for a full game if James and Sirius come back."
Ara nodded "Too bad Charlie isn't here; he and Harry could be seekers."
"They've gone against each other before; I think they're tied. Pretty equally matched," Ginny said.
"that's because – "
"Charlie plays dirty," Fred and George said, finishing each other's sentence.
Ara snorted "how does he play dirty?"
The twins glanced at each other "well we can't prove it," Fred said.
"But he uses an invisible dragon – "
"to help him."
Bill, who was sitting next to them, snorted in his drink. Ara gave them an exasperated look. While she knew her boyfriend loved dragons, she'd never heard of an invisible one, especially not one that would follow him around and help him catch a snitch.
"Was it one you created?" Ginny asked with a small smirk.
Fred and George shared a look "not yet little sis."
Dinner itself was enjoyable, Ara and Bill found themselves at the bar after a short while. She kept glancing back at Draco as though to make sure he was still there.
"You're telling me that you've actually snogged Fleur Delacour," Bill said, shooting back whiskey.
She laughed feeling the warmth spread to her cheeks. "we were wasted, and it didn't last long."
Bill had a dreamy look in his eyes, and she was certain he was thinking of Fleur.
"I also snogged Cedric," she said.
Bill's reaction was entirely different, his eyes widened, and mouth dropped "you're with my brother," he said quietly.
Ara rolled her eyes "I wasn't when I snogged him! I would never cheat on Charlie," she said adamantly.
"Hm… well I suppose I'll let it slide," he said with a small smirk "but only if you set me up on a date with Fleur."
She raised an eyebrow at him "and pray tell why I would do that?"
"So I don't tell Charlie," Bill said as though it were obvious.
"But I don't care if you tell Charlie… I'm not hiding it from him considering I didn't cheat on him… If I cheated on anyone it was Birch."
"Don't even get me started on that bastard," Bill grumbled taking a drink of a beer that was set in front of him, spilling some down his front.
"this is going to be like the other night isn't it? I'm going to dance with some guy and you'll get a shiner,"
Bill snorted "not a chance… you have no reason to dance with anyone because you are getting me a date with Fleur."
Ara laughed and shook her head. She thought they may actually make a good couple. Fleur was a bit conceited, but Bill handled arrogance well. Plus Bill had a bit of an edge, something that Ara thought Fleur needed in her life.
"you may have to think of a way to bribe me," she said. "Can I get two bottles of this stuff?" Ara asked the bartender.
When he returned with the liquor, Ara stepped into the bathroom and shrunk it before heading over to the tables where the others were at. They were all laughing heartily at something Sirius was saying and from the looks on James' face it was likely it had something to do with him.
When the laughter died out, James sighed, looking at his watch. "we should go," he said regretfully. It had been a rather enjoyable evening, especially after everything that had happened recently.
They made their way back to the burrow as a group, the younger generation tucked safely between those that were of age. It was unnecessary, for they made it back safe and sound. James and Sirius bid goodnight to everyone as they apparated back to Potter Manor, leaving the others.
The evening found Hermione and Ginny sitting on Ginny's bed giggling. Ara had just returned from the shower.
"What's so funny?" she asked, untucking the covers on her bed.
"nothing," Hermione said with a blush staining her cheeks, tucking a piece of paper into pajama pants.
Ara snorted "did Viktor write to you?"
Hermione's blush deepened, but she pulled back out the paper. "How'd you know?"
Ara shrugged "he told me he's been writing to you."
Hermione's face fell a little, but Ginny's perked up. "So you and Krum are super close?" At Ara's nod she continued "have you guys ever… you know…" she trailed off, her face a deep shade of red.
"Had sex? Shagged? Bumped uglies?" Ara asked with a smirk, enjoying making the girls uncomfortable. She hadn't really ever been like that, shy about sex. Then again, she hadn't had an innocent childhood like most. She knew Anna had been the same as them, innocent.
Ginny laughed, but Hermione's face fell even more.
"No," she said softly, offering Hermione a reassuring glance. "Viktor wasn't ever like that.. He didn't sleep around. Plus, he was always more of a brother to me…. Like Harry is to you Hermione."
Hermione offered her a relieved smile, while Ginny looked briefly disappointed before seeing the relief on her friends' face.
"So, have you ever?"
Ara raised an eyebrow "had sex?"
At Ginny's nod Ara laughed. "more times than I can count… I'm assuming neither of you have?" At their nods, Ara sighed. "Well don't follow in my footsteps, take your time."
"Have you ever done it with Charlie?" Hermione asked.
Ginny coughed; her eyes wide. Ara wasn't sure what she was thinking, she'd heard Charlie had been a bit of a player before he'd met her.
"What? You can't honestly say you aren't curious," Hermione asked at Ginny's look.
"No! he's my brother." Despite her words, Ginny looked at Ara to continue.
"This isn't going to be something that come back to bite me in the butt?"
The two of them shook their head and Ara nodded.
"What was it like? Did it hurt?"
Ara raised her eyebrows; she supposed the question was a valid one. It was something she may have asked at one point, but they couldn't possibly think Charlie had been her first.
"Not when I was with Charlie… but I suppose my first time hurt a bit… It's not bad though."
They shared a look, but thankfully refrained from asking more questions. "goodnight ladies," Ara said with a sigh flopping back into the bed and letting the two whisper between them. With one silencing spell, she was surrounded by quiet and let herself be lulled into an uneasy sleep.
"Morning," Bill said walking into the kitchen where Ara was helping Mrs. Weasley with the dishes. She was still working on getting on her good side, while Mrs. Weasley was a bit stand-offish towards her, she was kinder.
"Goodmorning dear, what are you off to do today?" she asked with one glance at her oldest son.
Bill kissed his mother on the cheek "Ara wanted to run into town and get Harry a gift." He sent Ara a small shake of his head in response to her questioning look. She hadn't said anything about that, but now that Bill brought it up, she was grateful for it.
"I'll get ready… thanks for breakfast missus Weasley," Ara said softly.
"Of course dear, thank you for your help," she said kindly.
Ara got ready quickly, pulling on one of her few pairs of muggle clothes. She said her goodbye to Draco who was sitting comfortably, talking with Arthur. She couldn't help but shake her head at the pair, Draco was hanging on his every word and she was certain it had something to do with muggles. Draco really seemed to be fascinated by them. Getting away from his father had done him a world of good.
She and Bill made their way to town. It was a small town, and non-magical which made hunting for a gift slightly more difficult. It limited their options. There were mostly antique shops, ranging from seashells to books to heirlooms to junk.
"the Potters have a television, right? You could get him this game thing?" Bill suggested holding up an old box that had a wire and another box with buttons attached to it.
"Nintendo?" Ara asked, reading the brand. Bill shrugged in response, putting it back down into the stack of unknown junk.
"How about a record player? You can get a muggle one and make it magical," he suggested, pointing to a player sitting on a stand.
"I think Tonks is getting him that," she said, glancing at the small stack of books. "Bill look at this."
Bill leaned over her shoulder "Dark Minds?" he asked.
There was no summary on the back and as she flipped through the book, she noticed that it wasn't a muggle book at all. It was filled with detailed descriptions of dark arts. The cover was worn, and it was clear the book was very old.
"What's that doing in a muggle shop?" Bill asked after Ara handed it to him.
"They probably don't realize what it is…"
Bill shook his head "this isn't a wizarding book either," he said, the book held only inches from his face as he read it intently. "well maybe it is, but it's not anything I recognize."
Ara rolled her eyes "it's about dark arts."
Bill nudged her "believe it or not, I know far more about the dark arts then you realize… It's not uncommon in Egypt."
She looked at him curiously, he had hated her so much before, but then she supposed that probably wasn't because of the dark arts, but because she was horrible to Charlie.
"Anyways, this isn't like anything I've seen before."
Ara sighed "well let's get it… its worth overturning every stone." She continued looking when something caught her eye. It was a woven bracelet, made of what looked to be thick brown thread. There were various jewels interwoven with it. She grabbed it and a small feeling of warmth overcame her.
"that's a protective bracelet," Bill said softly, looking at the Jewels closely. "They're ridiculously difficult to make and generally require a lot of magic. See the way these three stones are set up? It's supposed to help in the strength of the enchantment."
"So it'll protect whoever wears it?"
Bill nodded "I don't know that it could stop the cruciatus curse or the killing curse, but it could certainly stop other curses and jinxes."
She nodded, clenching it tightly in her fist. She'd give it to Harry, if anyone needed extra protection it was him.
The two of them made their way to the front of the store and paid the man a small chunk of change. He didn't seem to realize just how valuable the items were.
"Keep the change," Ara said hoarsely. The world had gone dark, it was through the sun had fell, making it near night.
"Bill," she said nervously staring outside. A haze had covered the city as dark streaks flew throughout.
"Shit," Bill said, shoving the book in his jacket as he ran out of the store.
Ara followed him closely, the haze and the streaks… they were Death Eaters and there was only one place they'd be going.
"Here," Bill said turning down an alley, with pop he was gone. Ara followed suit and appeared at the burrow to see an air of black smoke breaking through the wards and through one of the glass windows in the kitchen. More puffs of smoke followed, one flying into the upstairs window of what Ara knew to be Ron's room.
A scream brought them out of their musings and the two of them ran to the entrance.
"I have the kids," Ara shouted, racing towards the stairs while Bill raced toward the kitchen.
She took the stairs two at a time, flinging open the door to Ron's room. What she saw make her heart drop into her stomach as fear overwhelmed her. A man in a black hood stood, Harry clenched close to him his wand held to his throat.
"I've instructed the kiddies to back away," the man said to Ara as she entered.
"Avery," she said softly, her wand held straight in front, unwaveringly.
"Ara, such a pleasure to see you… and Lucius will be so happy to know where you've been keeping his son…"
She glanced at Draco who had fury written on every inch of his face. Avery had always been a dick, but she knew it was more than that.
"I doubt you'll be telling my uncle anything, doubt you'll make it there to be honest," she threatened.
He snorted "such arrogance… the Dark Lord will praise me when I bring the Potter brat to him, then he'll have no need for you. He'll be able to stop looking."
Ara shook her head "the only way you're getting Harry out of here is over my dead body…"
Avery frowned. It was then that Ara noticed the wands that were lying around him. Wands of the others. Clearly, they had lost them when he first broke in.
"Well I've got what I came for, so I'll be off," Avery said, gripping Harry's arm tighter as he made to apparate.
Ara didn't hesitate, she threw a curse a Harry, hitting him in the stomach, causing him to double over, not in pain, but hysterics. She took the temporary confusion on Avery's side to hit him in the face with a bone breaking curse. He screamed in pain, releasing Harry from his hold and gripping his face.
She rushed forward, grabbing Harry by the shirt and threw him back to his friends who caught him. She hit the wands piled on the ground and they flew back to their owners, each of whom held it in front of them.
"Hide Draco," she said to the small group behind her. They shoved Draco behind them, standing uniformly in front as though protecting him. Ara grabbed Avery by the face, squeezing his broken jaw and pulling him close as he grunted in pain.
"Look at me!" she shouted. Avery opened two angry eyes. "Obliviate," she said, looking at him intently, watching as the memory left him with no recollection of Draco or what had transpired with Harry. She whispered a small spell, healing his broken jaw with a crack, but leaving his nose the way it was. "Hello Avery," she said softly.
"Lestrange," he said with a growl glancing behind her to the teens holding their wands in front of them, shaking only slightly.
"I have a message for your master," she said in a tight voice only briefly wondering if she should have run her plans by the others. "Tell him attacking purebloods doesn't help his cause, if he wants to win me over, he'd better find another way than murdering a child."
"Bitch," Avery grunted only to groan in pain as her hand tightened.
"Go," she said. When he took a step towards her she put her hand on his chest, causing him to fly back and hit the wall. The room got dark quickly as Ara called the shadows and with a whisper Avery was sucked through the black smoke, a look of fear etched on his broken face.
"Are you alright?" Ara asked looking at the small group of teens behind her. They were all in relatively good condition, minus Harry who was sweating and bleeding from his chest. It didn't seem to be too deep, but Lily would need to heal it.
There was a loud bang and the five of them jumped towards the door. With a flick of her wand, Ara made it snap shut. They looked at her angrily, clearly wanting to join the fight downstairs.
"portus," she whispered grabbing a shoe off of Ron's bed. She thrust it towards them "you need to go," she said softly.
They shook they're head adamantly, but it was Draco who spoke. "You're mad if you think we're leaving you here… we're fighting," he said while the others nodded in agreement.
"No offense, but you lot are more trouble than helpful. We can't fight them if we have to worry about you. Harry and Draco you are targets and while you are here everyone else is in greater danger. You need to go."
"We want to help," Ginny said with fire in her eyes.
Ara shook her head once more "if you want to help, get James and Sirius here," she said, thrusting the shoe at them once more.
They all looked hesitant, but knew she was right. With a grumble they grabbed onto the shoe and in a second they were whisked away.
Sirius was pacing, while James was grimacing, and Lily was glaring at him from her place on the couch. It had been a common argument, one about Remus. They all loved their friend dearly and felt he'd suffer enough for one lifetime, but to know what Dumbledore was having him do, made their blood boil. Especially since he didn't argue at all.
They were interrupted from there thinking when a small group landed hard on the living room floor, it seemed the portkey hadn't landed exactly where it was intended, since they fell a good seven feet before hitting the ground.
James, Sirius and Lily jumped up at the sight of them. James went and pulled Harry onto his feet, while Lily and Sirius helped the others. "Dad!" Harry said loudly, gripping his father's cloak.
"The Burrow's under attack," He said hurriedly, running towards the fireplace as though he planned on returning to the fight.
James grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back, beating him to the fireplace and ending the connection with a tap of his wand.
James turned and shared a look with him and Lily, their mind was on the same thing, Ara. It was clear she had stayed to fight, and she was in more danger than the Weasleys were. "Stay here and stay together."
The three of them raced out the front door and as they left, James tapped the wall of the front door locking it down. While they teens wouldn't be able to leave, it also meant the Death Eaters couldn't get in.
They ran to the end of the ward, Sirius sending off a Patronus to Dumbledore. With a pop the three of them were gone, landing in the yard of the burrow.
A crash was heard as they gathered their bearings and they saw Fred being thrown from the house through the window. Lily ran towards him while James and Sirius ran into the house. There were four of them; Molly, Arthur, Bill, and George being overpowered by ten death eaters.
"Stupefy," James shouted from beside him, narrowly missing one of the masked Death Eaters.
Sirius started firing off hexes, doing his best not to worry about what happened to Ara. One Death Eater was out cold when Bill was knocked off his feet, hitting the wall behind him hard as a cruciatus curse hit him in the chest. As soon as the screaming had started, it had ended as the masked Death Eater was hanging upside down in the air by his ankle, a situation that would have been funny had it not been so serious. Ara ran through the side door, her wand pointed at the hanging man, with a slide of her wand, the man was slid sideways until it hit the wall, landing unconsciously.
Sirius was amazed at the young witch. She was merely eighteen but was fighting the Death Eaters as though she were a seasoned Auror. With a slash of her wand, one Death Eater fell to the floor, grabbing his bleeding stomach. In another swipe another Death Eater was flown backwards to his comrade.
That seemed to do it for the Death Eaters for one by one they disapparated. One of them taking his unconscious friend with him.
"Cowards," Ara said with a huff before turning and heading towards Bill who was sitting on the floor taking deep breaths.
"The burrow isn't safe," James said running his hands through his already messy hair.
Molly had tears in her eyes as Lily came through the front with Fred following closely behind her. He was walking slow and trembling but seemed well despite flying through a window.
"You can come and stay with us… Potter Manor is as safe as can be."
Molly nodded with tears in her eyes as she pulled Fred into a tight hug, then George. She then made her way to Bill who was now leaning against the wall, holding tight to Ara's hand as she whispered something to him.
"Let's go," Bill said to Molly as she approached. "We should each pack a bag…" He trailed off glancing at Ara and heading upstairs to his room.
"Bill's right," Sirius said. "Ara and I will get the kids' stuff," he said before following Bill's path, gesturing for Ara to come with him. He opened the door and peaked around before heading in, making sure there were no lingering death eaters. "What happened in here?" he asked, noting the blood on the wall, the broken window shattered across the floor, and a dent in the wall. Worry filled Sirius' gut. He reminded himself that he saw the teens, safe and sound at Potter Manor. He glanced at the blood on the wall, thinking of his godson. Harry had been bleeding, but it didn't seem like it was nearly that much.
"Ara?" he asked although he wasn't even certain Ara had been in the room.
She hesitated briefly "does it matter?" she asked, not in a harsh way, but in a way that suggested she didn't want to talk about it.
He reached forward and pulled her into a hug, a tight one trying to convey that it was alright, whatever she did. That she and them were safe and that was all that mattered. She pulled back rather quickly "we need to go," she said, her voice softer than it had been.
Sirius pulled back and with a couple waves of their wands the bags were packed, shrunk, and placed in their pockets. Sirius waved his wand twice more and the blood disappeared and the window went back to normal.
The two of them left the room quickly, meeting James, Bill, and Arthur in the living room.
"The others have already gone to Potter Manor to check on the children," Arthur said.
Ara walked over to Bill and squeezed his hand comfortingly. If he hadn't known that she was in love with Charlie, he would have thought there was something between the two of them.
"Let's lock the place down then get out of here," James said.
They made their way outside before James, Sirius, and Bill turned towards the house, raising their wands in sync. It was sad how often they'd done this in their lifetimes. Sure Bill had done it for work, but James and Sirius did it for protection. They finished quickly, no one would be able to enter or leave the burrow until the enchantments were lifted. One by one the apparated out of there, feeling as though the war had already begun.
There had been an impromptu order meeting. It was brief, they described what had been done and what would come next. It was decided that the Weasleys and Lupin would be moving into Potter Manor. Sure, the home would be full, but at least everyone would be safe. Bill had tried arguing, saying he'd get a place of his own, but Molly had shut the idea down quickly.
For the most part Ara stayed close to Bill; not for her comfort, but for his. She could remember what it was like the first time she'd been hit with the cruciatus curse. All she wanted afterwards was for comfort, for someone to tell her everything would be okay. Sure, she had been way younger than Bill, but it didn't matter what age you were, it felt like ever bone was shattered and then lit on fire. In those brief moments' death was more welcoming. In those moments you wished you'd been hit with the killing curse instead.
"Ara, what happened with the Death Eater that was upstairs with the others?" Arthur asked kindly, it was the only thing that hadn't been discussed.
"when we saw that the burrow was under attack, I went straight upstairs to them while Bill joined the fight downstairs. The Death Eater had Harry… I'm not sure if he had orders to kill him or take him back… he'd gotten all their wands away from them. Well I got the upper hand and forced him to leave," she said simply, more like made the shadows suck him up and spit him out in a faraway forest, leaving him to crawl back to his master, but she didn't think that was necessary information.
Dumbledore and Sirius both looked at her as though they knew she were leaving stuff out.
"Thank you," Molly said quietly, she was still shaken. It was understandable of course; her children had been attacked and she could no longer return home.
She simply nodded in response. She wouldn't have let anything happen to Draco or Harry and they really hadn't been after the others.
Dumbledore and the other order members didn't stay long. Plans were made to better ward everyone else's houses, but considering they weren't super close to Harry, they were all relatively safe for the time being. When it was just the new occupants of Potter Manor left, James called for the teens to come in. They sandwiched themselves around the table, Draco sitting firmly between Ara and Bill and Harry sitting between his parents. The Weasley children gathered around their own parents. It was a subdued atmosphere to say the least.
"So there are only eight bedrooms here," James said, sharing a glance with Lily. Sirius frowned, but his eyes widened with realization shortly after.
"It'll be tight, but hopefully you all don't mind sharing. Remus is moving into Sirius' room, Fred and George will have a room. Ron can move into Harry's. Hermione and Ginny…. Hm..." He trailed off matching rooms to people. He grimaced when he realized there weren't enough rooms. "I suppose we could use the ninth room," he hesitated glancing at Lily who grimaced before shaking her head.
"What's wrong with the ninth room?" Ara asked.
"It was Alaina's," Lily said quietly.
The other occupants of the room sighed in realization. Ara had heard that some parents would keep their kids' rooms fully intact after they passed away, she hadn't realized James and Lily did it as well.
"I'll share with Ara," Draco said with a shrug, much to the surprise of the others in the room. "Then Bill can have his own room."
"Thank you, Draco," Lily said softly. Draco looked away uncomfortably, it wasn't often he was thanked.
"well I suppose that's it then," James said, pushing back his chair. He seemed intent on either going to bed or getting a stiff drink, Ara wasn't sure which.
"Dad," Harry interrupted, his voice strong as he glanced around the room. "I want to learn how to fight… we all do." The others nodded in agreement, it seemed that during the order meeting it was what they had discussed.
"I hardly think that's necessary," Molly started, only to be cut off by Harry.
"It is necessary… There were five of us and we were overpowered by a single Death Eater… This is the second time in three months that someone has tried to kill me and Ara won't always be there to save me… I want to fight," he said, looking his father hard in his eyes.
Lily had tears in her eyes, but one thing that was similar between her and James was that they were both proud.
"Alright," James said, patting him on the shoulder. "There's no magic outside of school, but we can start with theory – "
"They won't be able to trace it in a home that is as heavily warded as this," Bill said. At their doubtful looks, Bill sighed. "He'll kill me for saying, but when Charlie and I were staying here when he was thirteen and I was fifteen, Charlie did a bit of magic with his wand. Nothing ever came of it so I did research on it and they can trace when magic is done near underage wizards, but they can't trace if it comes from the person who is underage or if it comes from someone of age who is simply near them."
"He's right," Ara said with a shrug "I would do magic all the time at home and never got in trouble for it."
James nodded "alright… I can't give permission for the Weasleys and I don't know where we'll start, but we'll help you and Hermione train…" he said, glancing at Arthur.
"I think it's a good idea,"
"but Arthur –"
"Molly I'd rather our children be over prepared for something that may never happen than to be under prepared…. As much as we may hate it, they may very well be involved in the war when it comes. We are members of the order and Ron's best friend is Voldemort's number one target."
Harry's face dropped and Lily's hold on his hand tightened. "I'm sorry," Harry said softly, looking at the Weasley's with guilty eyes.
"Oh no Harry dear, we don't blame you at all," Mrs. Weasley said quickly.
"Harry, it's nobody's fault but Voldemort's… He's targeted you since you were a child. Besides, I think my life is better since I met you… Goodness only knows what I'd be doing no if I hadn't." Ara said softly. It was hard to think about, part of her wondered if she'd be in another country doing her own thing, but realistically she knew that she'd be fighting for the other side of the war.
Harry had a small smile, her talk did seem to do the trick.
"I'm going to bed," Ara said quickly. She didn't like having all their eyes on her. "Goodnight, see you all in the morning." She kissed Harry on the cheek before making her way to her bedroom. She knew it was still early, not even nine yet, but she didn't care. The house had just gotten a whole lot more crowded and she knew it would be that much harder to keep her secrets. She was unsure of many things, but one thing she was certain of was that father or not, Voldemort wouldn't make it through the war.