A little bit of a filler chapter, just filling up the holidays with bits and bobs so we can get Atria off to school where the fun will begin, I still hope you like it.
Please enjoy.
It was busy in Diagon ally, filled with witches and wizards swarming in and out of shops. Atria kept her head down not being able to remember a time she hadn't bumped into someone she knew on the street, and right now that was not in her best interest. She had just come from Gringotts to take out a small sum to get her through the year and had told harry she would meet him at flourish and blotts were she stood now.
She was walking down the aisle looking down the row of books when all of sudden she felt hard hands grasp her arms from behind.
She jumped, turning around quickly as her assailant cried boo.
"Harry!" She exclaimed angrily looking at the boy, "Why would you do that," she said angrily.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said holding up his arms as if to surrender, "it was a joke."
"Well it wasn't funny," Atria snapped, taking a deep breath.
"Hello," he said bashfully, an apologetic look on his face.
"So you are capable of a normal greeting," She said straightening out her coat.
"Hello Harry," he said, mimicking the response he didn't get.
She looked at him languidly, "Hello, now come on I'm starving," Atria said before walking out quickly towards the door not checking to see if he was following.
"So, how have you been?" Harry asked as they hurried down the street.
"Alright," Atria said boorishly.
"Just alright?" Harry asked.
"I'm fine," she said stopping out the front of the leaky cauldron," here alright?" she asked.
"Of course," he said before she nodded and walked through the door.
They ordered their food before finding a small table in the corner, so if Atria turned her head no one could see her.
"It's a change," Atria said playing with the fork on the table.
"Do they seem nice?" He asked.
She shrugged, "Their lovely, I guess."
He gave her an odd look, "Their amazing," she said as if the fact displeased her, "I try to find something wrong and I can't find one."
"Are you looking for something wrong," Harry asked, the very idea seeming ludicrous to him.
"Atria that's great," Harry said earnestly, "everything sounds great," he said placing his hand on the table, so close to hers she thought he would take it.
Her eyes travelled up from his hand to his face. Only now that she could focus on him could she see the bags under his eyes and the paleness of his face, Atria recognized the face of someone who had had sleepless nights, she had seen it staring back at her in the mirror for most of her life.
"Harry," she began calmly, "are you alright?" she asked.
His brow furrowed as he pretended not to know what she was talking about but she knew better, "I'm fine," he said.
"You look," she paused, "mind me, terrible," she said bluntly making him smile.
"I'm just tired," he said making no big fuss.
"Why are you tired?" she asked quickly.
He shrugged, "Odd dreams."
"Nightmares?" she asked, knowing she was being intrusive.
He shook his head, "Something like that," he said dismissively.
"I wish I had more family, So I had the option," Harry said looking down at the table, sadly.
She was an idiot, why would she do that to him. Rub it in his face that her life had changed, for the better. In a way that he wanted his to, and instead of being grateful she whined like a child with superstitions. Absolute idiot.
"Maybe when Sirius is free." She heard him say sparking her interest further. He looked up at her, "We talked about it you know."
"Living with him?" She asked eagerly. He nodded.
"Really?"
"Yeah," he said shaking his head, so his hair fell out of his face, "and that would be-"
"Amazing," she finished.
He smiled at her, "It would be."
The waitress came by soon enough with their food and Atria found herself finally relaxing into her chair as the talked.
"Let's hope for a better year," Harry said. It might as well have been a joke to Atria, she had asked for the same thing the last two year running and things only seemed to get worse and worse, "I doubt it."
Atria looked down at the table, hiding her eyes, "I'm terrified," she said softly.
"Why? I'll be there," he said, a rather cocky thing to say, that made Atria smile.
"I haven't seen Draco since I left," Atria explained, "and I just have a terrible feeling he hasn't taken any of this lightly at all."
Harry shrugged, "Who cares."
"He's family Harry."
"Who did nothing for you while you were there," he said, an icy tone to his words.
He was right, but Atria couldn't fight the guilt she felt for leaving him behind, a betrayal she knew he would not forget, "You're right," she said shaking her head.
"Anyway," Harry said expertly changing the subject, "one of the reasons I asked you here, Rons invited me to the quidditch world cup next month and I was wondering if you would like to come."
"To the cup?" Atria asked.
"Yeah."
It didn't take long for Atria to decide, "I can't."
"Why not?" Harry asked, "it would be fun and something the Malfoys definitely wouldn't approve of."
Well, maybe she cou- 'No' she told herself, shaking her head, "I just can't, I've got a lot going on right now, best not to overcomplicate it."
"Well if you change your mind the offer will always be there."
Atria knocked on the door loudly, "Tonks, its been almost 45 minutes, get out of the shower."
"Just another minute," she heard her call out over the blaring music she was playing in the bathroom.
"You said that fifteen minutes ago," atria called back to which she got no reply. she let out a huff before turning and stalking down the hall.
Andromeda sat in the lounge room, reading, "Still not out?" she asked not looking up from the paper.
"No," Atria said irritably before throwing herself down on the couch.
"So," Andromeda said putting the paper down, "any idea on what you would like for your birthday."
"It's a bit far away to be thinking about that isn't it."
"Next month isn't that far away."
"I don't even know what I want," she asked before her eyes caught sight of the paper, her last name in dark bold letter across the top of the page, "Can I read that?" she asked.
"Of course," Andromeda said holding the paper out for Atria to take.
As the ministry, as well as the minister, continues to grow frustrated, the aura office's attempts to locate Sirius Black remain fruitless. Without a sighting since Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry and no trace to follow the question is whether or not he is still able to be found within the ministry's reach. Sirius Black, after breaking out of Azkaban prison, well known for its security, is now suspected to be in hiding, relying on his fellow followers of you know who for saftey. Black is the first known inmate to have ever broken out.
"Are you alright?" Andromeda asked as she skimmed over the paper. She could hear the older women's voice was filled with worry, had she been acting off, everything had been fine lately.
"Yes I'm fine," Atria asked folding up the paper and crossing her arms.
"I mean," Andromeda said cautiously, "after last year." Atria looked over to andromeda who looked awkward bringing it up, but Atria could understand why she would, "Nymphadora told me what happened and how he confounded you also poisoned."
Right confounded, her father had poisoned and tricked her and that was the story she had to go with, she had never had to lie about it because she had never been asked. She even felt guilty about lying to Andromeda about it, "yes," she replied, "it was awful."
"It's funny," Andromeda began, lamenting. "When he was a child he was a spoilt brat, running around causing trouble where ever he found the opportunity to make it, But he was always my favourite," she said smiling to herself. "But he grew out of it, After he was first disowned he used to come and stay with me and every now and again, he loved to play with Nymphadora."
"Really," Atria asked.
"Oh yes," Andromeda said nodding, "I remember when you were born your father walked you up to everyone and made them look at you before pronouncing 'have you ever seen such a beautiful baby," she said lost in the tender moment before shaking her head, "That's why the way he is now is just all the more shocking."
Andromeda looked back up back at Atria, before reaching over and squeezing her hand as if needing her own bit of comfort.
"So I hear you went to see Harry Potter today," she asked giving Atria a cheeky look.
"Yes," Atria said shyly.
"So your friends."
"Yes we are," she said pushing her hair behind her ear, "He asked me if I wanted to go to the quidditch world cup."
Andromeda smiled, nodding before leaning back in her chair, "And are you?" she asked.
"No," Atria said shaking her head, "my uncle goes every year so I'd rather not bump into him," it would have been fun, but it would be ruined at the very sight of him.
"Alright well, I'm going to bed, don't worry I'll make sure Nymphadora gets out of the shower," Andromeda said standing up from her comfortable couch." Good night dear," she said bending down and kissing Atria on the head.
"Goodnight."
August 22 1994
Her first visit had arrived, Narcissa had written and asked to see her on her birthday and Atria, while she did ask herself if she would or would not go, decided it was best if she did. Narcissa would be alone at the house today as Lucius and Draco had travelled for the quidditch world cup.
"Malfoy Manor," she said as she dropped the floo powder.
The flames engulfed her, and soon enough, the familiar walls of her uncle's office surrounded her.
"Cissy?" she called softly.
She walked out of the floo and into the room. A sharp crack broke out.
She looked down as she felt the familiar hand of her house elf.
"Mistress," Kreacher said softly, looking up at her.
Atria squeezed his little hand, she had missed him and his no-nonsense personality, "Hello Kreacher."
"Come, come, mistress," he said before starting to drag her out of the room, "Mistress is waiting."
He walked her to the parlour, the room she found her aunt spending most of the time, either playing the piano or with a glass of tea or wine. Her aunt was sitting at the small table by the window, the tea made up and a plate of small cakes in front of her.
"Happy birthday darling," she said, standing as soon as she saw Atria and approaching her with open arms.
Atria relaxed into the embrace she had to admit, she had missed her aunt, even after everything her hold still filled Atria with comfort.
"Thank you," Atria said, softly as they pulled apart.
"Come sit," Narcissa said, pushing her blonde hair out of her face as she led Atria to her seat.
"I've missed you, darling," She said as she sat down.
"I've missed you too," Atria said timidly, she wasn't expecting the warm welcome, If anything she was expecting passive-aggressiveness that her aunt had finessed into an art.
"So how has your birthday been so far," Narcissa asked as she poured the tea.
"Nice..." Atria said, "small nothing too big, I had a lovely cake this morning and I'll get a few gifts later tonight or something like that."
"Oh lovely," Narcissa said,"well here's my gift," handing Atria a small box from across the table, "You can open it now if you like," she said.
Atria nodded before opening the small box, inside was a beautiful silver ring with a large rectangular emerald in the middle, "It's lovely," she said staring at her reflection in the stone.
"Its an old family ring," her aunt explained, "from the vaults, Your fourteen now so your old enough to have it."
"What finger do you wear it on," Atria said taking it out of the box
"Here," Narcissa said holding her hand out. She took the ring from Atria and took hold of her left hand, "Your wedding finger," she explained slipping the ring on, "a symbol of your dedication to the family."
Atria tried to hide her shock at the words, A symbol of her dedication to the family. A thought that once would have made her happy now made bile rise up in her throat.
"So how are your new living arrangments?" Her aunt asked as she stirred her tea.
"It's fine," Atria said, soft-spoken, "it's nice."
"And you aren't touching too much of your money, I know Andromeda has to live frugally and I would hate to think you were supporting them," she said giving Atria a smile that failed to hide her cold intent.
"No its fine," Atria said shaking her head as she put her sugar in her tea, "I haven't really had to touch it at all."
"Really that's a surprise," Narcissa said seethingly, "I believed apart of her was only doing it because of the gold."
"Cissy stop," Atria said putting her tea down.
"Stop what?" she said feigning confusion.
"She's lovely," Atria said.
Her aunt put down her tea, "Yes she always was, but just be careful she'll turn around snap at any moment, mark my words."
Atria clasped her fingers in front of her on the table before she broke them apart and took hold of her Aunts hand, "I know it was hard losing her, but everything turned out okay, didn't it? she's happy, you're happy."
Her aunt's eyes bored into her's, "Do I look happy about this situation?" she asked.
Atria pulled her hand away," She has been nothing but supportive and protective of me."
Her aunt however was only growing more and more distressed, "Your replacing her with me."
"No, I am not because those were two things you never were!" Atria snapped.
Her aunt froze. Atria closed her eyes, she shouldn't have said that.
"Atria," Narcissa sighed.
"No, It was hell," Atria said angrily as she felt tears well in her eyes, "my life was hell and you stood by and let him do it every time."
Narcissa shook her head, "That's not true."
"Isn't it?" Atria asked leaning forward, her irritation showing, "because to me it was clear you were never going to help me, No one else was going to help me, so I helped myself."
"I love you," her aunt said reaching out and taking her hand tightly in hers, a hold Atria did not return, "you're my Child."
Atria shook her head, "Not in the same way as Draco."
"Please come home," her aunt whispered, Atria pulled her hand away and stood from her chair as her aunt continued desperately, "it will be better, you're just going through a hard time with everything, your father and that halfbreed."
"Don't put this on them," Atria said shaking her head in disbelief at her aunt's denial.
"Well, then who's fault is it?" Narcissa asked.
"According to you, everyone except your husband's!" Atria said, finally saying what she had wanted to say since the very beginning."I was always blamed. And for what?" she asked, wiping a fallen tear away from her cheek.
"You can't just walk away from this family Atria," her aunt said softly.
"I am not a Malfoy," Atria said defiantly.
"If you leave this family you have nothing," her aunt said standing from her seat, "you'll be out on the street with only them to support you."
Atria shook her head, "I have to go."
"You just got here," Her aunt said despondently, moving to follow her.
"And now I want to leave," she said before turning away, "Goodbye Cissy," she said before leaving the room quickly, leaving her aunt behind.
The rest of her birthday went by smoothly, Sirius sent her a simple letter saying happy birthday, Remus sent her, well Caspian a toy and Dora gave her a book which she claims got her through Hogwarts. It was full of simple, and untraceable spells, 'Basic Hexes for the Busy and Vexed' and just flipping through it she had to admit, it was pretty good. Andromeda and Teddy bought her school supplies, just some quills and the textbooks she would need for the upcoming year. It was funny, the Malfoys bought her all these little bits and expensive trinkets that she never appreciated because what did they mean, they had no thought and no matter how expensive they were they meant nothing. Atria wasn't blind, she knew Andromeda and Ted lived no easy life. And for them to buy her all of that, it was defiantly tough on them. So it meant the world to her that they did it.
She sat now in the garden Caspian by her side as she twisted her new ring on her finger.
"So, enjoyed your birthday," Andromeda said as she walked up behind her.
Atria turned back to face her, "Yes, it was lovely," she said, "thank you."
"Not too small or anything?" Andromeda asked as she sat down.
"No," Atria said, shaking her head, and smiling up at her, "I loved it."
Andromeda beamed at her as she reached out and smoothed out her hair, her eyes lowered, and she caught sight of the ring Atria was playing with around her finger.
"Is that new?" she asked.
Atria nodded, "Narcissa gave it to me. She got it out of the vaults."
Andromeda took her hand in her and raised it so she could see the ring better, "Black Family?"
Atria shrugged, "I assume."
Andromeda brow furrowed, "that's odd."
"What's odd?" Atria asked.
"As a child, I prided myself on knowing every bit and piece in that vault, but I never saw this one."
Atria looked at Andromeda, she was right, Atria too had heavily inspected the items inside her vault, and she to had to admit she had never seen this ring, "maybe it was at Grimmauld place or something?" she queried
Andromeda shrugged, "maybe."
Atira walked down the stairs. She hadn't slept very well the last night, some noise around the house had woken her up and she had tossed and turned for the rest of the night with an odd feeling in the bit of her stomach.
"Morning," she said wiping her eyes as she walked into the kitchen for breakfast.
Ted and Andromeda were at the table, both in their dressing gowns looking as if they hadn't slept that night at all.
"Were's Tonks?" Atria asked, moving closer.
"She got called in to work," a very groggy Ted replied.
Called in during the middle of the night? "Called in? what happened?" Atria asked, walking to stand behind Andromeda.
Andromeda placed the prophet down in front of her, Atria looked over Andromeda's shoulder at the paper. The headline read Scenes of terror at the quidditch world cup, below it a large photo, a skull made out of dark glowing green clouds and a snake Slythering out from its mouth, it was the dark mark, her eyes darted up looking between Andromeda and Ted, her eyes wide and as she went to speak.
"Harry's fine," Andromeda said holding her hand up as if steadying Atria's wild mind, "the paper made sure to make mention of it."
"The dark lord?" Atria asked softly taking a seat next to Andromeda.
"He who must not be named," Ted said somewhat sternly, correcting Atria.
"Isn't he dead?" she said trembling.
"Yes," Andromeda said, reaching out and smoothing a hand over atria's curls. "This is a bunch of old supporters no doubt, just stirring up fear."
"Did they get any of them? any of the death eaters?"
The small silence that happened left Atria only able to hear her heart beating on her ears. "No," Ted said woefully.
"Do we know if Dora's okay?" Atria asked breathlessly.
"We haven't heard anything from her yet," Andromeda said, with a fake smile of confidence, "But she'll be fine."
Atria nodded before standing up, "I'm going to go upstairs and start packing, the trains in two days and I haven't even started," she said trying to escape the suffocating feeling that was left in the room, making her feel smaller and smaller.
"Of course, dear," Andromeda said, Atria could see she was fighting as well to stop her nerves from getting the better of her in the situation.
Atria turned hurried from the room without making it to obvious she had to get out of there.
Words twisted and twisted more. The dark lord, he who must not be named, people spoke of the things he did. The great but terrible things, they let their imagination run wild with the things he had done or could do. Atria didn't need imagination when it came to him.
Tom Riddle was someone she knew all too well.
Platform nine and three quarters. They had just arrived. Nymphadora and Andromeda had had to go to work so Teddy had volunteered to take her to the station. The smoke billowed from the train chimney signalling it would soon take off, and the beginning of her fourth year at Hogwarts would as well.
"Alright," Teddy said as he turned to her, "and you definitely haven't missed anything?" he asked.
"No, I haven't," Atria said, smiling at his flustered state. It had been a rush to get here and they had only just made it as he went over list after list making sure she hadn't forgotten anything.
"No," he repeated back to her, to which Atria nodded.
"Sure?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm sure," Atria said.
"Dora always used to send us letters asking us to send stuff she forgot," he said as they stood still waiting for the goodbye which was to come. "Okay have a good year," He said as Atria stood awkwardly, "write to us whenever you want okay," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders.
"I will," Atria said nodding, and then Atria did something she never thought she would do in a million year, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, "Thank you, Teddy," she whispered.
He returned the embrace just as tightly, smiling gently as he did, "anytime sweetheart," he said softly.
"Now quickly," he said before pulling away, "you don't want to miss the train," he said.
Atria nodded, "goodbye," she said softly.
"Bye sweetheart," she heard him say before she turned around and made her way onto the train.
She had a feeling in her gut, well maybe not a feeling, but a hope, that this year would be better than the last. That may be because everything else was getting better, she just though maybe this year would too. If she had had more time, she would have maybe thought on that longer. But it wasn't long until her compartment door swang open.
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