Penny packed her trunk following the Leaving Feast. It had been a dreary affair, marked by the mourning of Cedric's passing, and Dumbledore revealing the truth of Lord Voldemort's return, Harry's bravery and the need for solidarity. Draco and his bodyguards had sat defiantly during the whole thing, despite Penny glaring at her cousin. He had simply sneered back, his face almost pouting in stubbornness.
The air in her dormitory was filled with a buzz of gossip as the girls packed their things, Juno coiled on Penny's pillow, observing as usual. Penny was folding down her school robes with unusual care, deep in thought before she sensed Heather's inquisitive gaze on her back. Rolling her eyes she turned to look at Heather, who was perched tentatively on the edge of her own bed.
"Yes Heather?" She asked as Heather's eyes flickered towards where Ursula stood between the Nettles twins beds at the other end of the dorm. Penny watched her eyes flick back to her, internally commenting how Heather's green eyes lacked the deep colour and shine that Harry's had. "Well?" She said, a bite of impatience in her voice as she pushed the thought away.
"About what Dumbledore said….about what Potter said…" Heather trailed off uncertainly. Penny glanced across to Ursula, who although she busied herself helping one of the twins pack, Penny could almost feel how hard she was straining her ears. Looking back at Heather, the brunette toyed with her bed sheets before continuing. "Do you really believe what Potter said? That You Know Who is back?" She asked hurriedly.
"Yes." Penny said shortly. "I believe Voldemort is back." She clarified, rolling her eyes as all the girls gasped and Ursula let out a small squeak.
"You sure Potter isn't just making it up? He seems to need to always be centre of attention." Heather said as Penny let out a sharp laugh, placing a set of robes carefully in her trunk.
"Trust me Heather, Potter is one of the few people who doesn't want to be the centre of attention." Penny said.
"But Skeeter says…" Heather began.
"If you believe everything Skeeter writes then you believe I am a manipulative psychopath hell bent on world domination." Penny scoffed, chuckling as Heather looked a little sheepish. Scooping a couple of books off the side, she tossed them lazily on top of her robes.
"Well I think she exaggerated" Heather mumbled, brushing a loose brown lock from her temple as Penny snorted.
"Dominating the world sounds like a hassle, I have enough trouble ruling over you morons" Penny said as Heather made an indignant noise but smiled slightly.
"So…what are you going to do?" Heather pressed flinching when Penny drew her wand.
"I am going to pack my trunk." Penny drawled shortly, swooshing her wand round her bed, the remaining books and clothes swirling rapidly to arrange themselves haphazardly in the trunk. When it settled Penny slammed the lid of her trunk, cursing when it pinged back open, the content bursting free. A few snorts behind her were rapidly stifled as Penny looked around at the other dorm girls.
"Perhaps Mistress should stick to healing rather than cleaning magic?" Juno suggested, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Shut it Juno." Penny retorted, shoving her belongings around in the trunk before clicking the lid shut once more.
After breakfast the next day she made her way to the Owlery to find Artemis. The Owlery was unusually quiet compared to its usual hoots and screeches, most students opting to carry their pets in a cage for the journey home. The Malfoys however, seemed to prefer to leave the work to Artemis, knowing he would fly home soon after the students left. A loud swoosh announced his arrival on Penny's shoulder, his large talons gripping her carefully.
"Hi Artemis." Penny sad, gently stroking his chest as he gave her a scathing look. "Yes, its another letter Narcissa isn't going to like." She clarified as he clicked his beak angrily. "Yer yer I know. Its not my fault. But I don't want to leave without giving her some sort of explanation. Can you just deliver it for me?" She said as his amber eyes stared at her a moment before reluctantly offering his leg. "Thank you." Penny muttered, attaching the letter before he took off with a huffy hoot. Looking after him Penny sighed before a weird screech caught her attention. If she had never heard an owl screech before she would have thought it was an alien. Listening carefully she moved round the Owlery before crouching down beneath a nest box. A tiny white fluffy Barn owlet was laying on the floor, screeching its lungs out like a demon.
"Hey little guy." She said, bending to look at it. It must be newborn Penny thought to herself, its feathers purely down. "You hurt?" Penny asked it pointlessly, noticing one of its wings pointing up the wrong way. Pausing for a while Penny conjured a small blanket and scooped up the tiny owl. "Unfortunately for you little one I treat humans, Care of Magical Creatures isn't required for that." She said turning towards the door and jumping a foot to see Luna stood there with a big smile across her face. "Honestly, do you float or something? Nobody else can sneak up on me like that!" Penny chastised as Luna smile widened even further.
"Who do you have here?" Luna asked peering at the fluffy bundle, unperturbed by its horrendous screech.
"I think it fell out its nest and broke its wing." Penny explained. "I was going to take it to Hagrid but as you are here." She went on, offering the bundle to Luna, who took it happily, pulling apart the blanket and drawing her wand. She chatted cheerfully to Penny, telling the taller witch all about different owls and their quirks as well as explaining where the wing was broken, tapping it gently with her wand to heal it and hushing the screaming creature. "See barn owls fly so silently, it is almost impossible to hear their flight, even with magically enhanced hearing." She explained as Penny chuckled.
"So you are part barn owl then?" Penny quipped, making the blonde let out an explosion of laughter, covering her mouth as the owl wriggled away unhappily from the noise. Lifting the owl gently Luna placed it in the nest box Penny indicated, still chuckling joyfully to herself. "Is it going to be alright?" Penny asked, looking up at the perplexed owlet. "What?" Penny asked as the light grey eyes watched her intently, unashamed in their admiration. A little smile formed the blonde's face as she answered.
"She will be ok, an older owl I would keep hold of for a couple days to allow healing, but the baby ones shouldn't strain themselves from flying." She said as she carried on staring. A moment later and Penny let out a noise of surprise as the other witch gave her a tight hug. A couple awkward seconds later Luna released her before departing with a cheery "Have a nice summer." Mental, Penny thought to herself as the other witch exited the Owlery, before leaving too.
Heading down to the Entrance Hall with the others Penny loitered with her Slytherin friends, brushing away Theo's invitation to visit his family estate over the summer as Juno weighed heavy on her shoulders. She saw Harry, Ron and Hermione make their way to the carriages, followed by Ginny who waved dramatically and called "Have a nice summer!" With a smirk and a wink as she followed her fellow Gryffindors. Draco and his crew went past too, her cousin giving her a piercing look as he past, a look she met with a calm expression. As he turned away Penny allowed herself to grimace, the deceit of her cousin and aunt weighing on her mind. Eventually she led her friends down to queue for the carriages. Reaching the front she made some excuse to double back into the castle, Juno following at her heels as she ascended the many stairs. "Mint Humbug" She said to the gargoyle before climbing to Dumbledore's office. He stood waiting for her expectantly.
"Ah Persephone." He said approaching her. "I would send you via this fireplace but both the Ministry and your father can trace the Floo Network and I suspect they are already trying to monitor my movements. I understand you have Side Apparated with Kingsley before, yes?"
"And with Lucy." Penny muttered as she nodded. Placing a cursing Juno in her Apparation safe tube, Penny took her trunk in one hand and reluctantly took Dumbledore's offered forearm.
"Ready Persephone?" He asked, his piercing eyes looking down at as she nodded. Turning on the spot Penny saw the office flash away and to her surprise instead of the Burrow, a rural pub came into view. Heaving slightly, she looked suspiciously at Dumbledore as he gestured she enter the pub. "The Ministry cannot monitor every fireplace on the network." He explained when she didn't move.
"Why not just Apparate the whole way?" Penny sniffed as she walked into the pub.
"I suspect that you are aware the greater the distance, the harder it is to successfully Apparate?" Dumbledore said as Penny nodded. "Side Apparition is also more difficult than regular Apparition. Safely Apparating us both the entire length of the UK without risking Slinching one of us is a little beyond my skill set." He said his eyes twinkling as Penny sneered slightly.
"I thought there was nothing the great and mighty Dumbledore couldn't do" Penny said haughtily as Dumbledore chuckled. A few moments later she threw her luggage and herself into the emerald flames and disappeared, whizzing into the Burrow where Mrs Weasley stood waiting for her.
"Penny! So wonderful to have you here again!" She said warmly, helping her take her stuff up to Ginny's room and letting Juno out of the tube, where she slithered straight out into the yard hissing angrily. "You unpack and settle in, it will be a few hours before I leave for London but Arthur should be home by then!" She said, her mouth thinning ever so slightly when she saw the state of Penny's trunk. "Oh let me." She said diving in to dust off school robes etc as Penny unpacked.
Many miles away Narcissa lowered her book as she saw Artemis appear at the window. Flicking her wand, the window latch undid and the eagle owl dropped the letter on her lap. Recognising her niece's handwriting she unfolded it carefully before reading it.
"Dear Narcissa,
You probably already suspected this, but I wanted to tell you myself. I will not be returning to the Manor this summer. Please do not be angry with me. The Manor is the closest thing to a home I have, and you are the nearest to a mother I have ever known. But I know Harry told the truth. I know that my father has returned, and I know you will be forced to choose between Lucius and Draco, and me. I can not ask you to make that choice. I hope one day this war will be over, and I can come home. Until then, I'm sorry.
With love,
Persephone."