Penny scrubbed a dark stain at the bottom of the bedpan irritably, wishing she could have brought Kreacher with her to the hospital. Since their first meeting the elf had followed her like a shadow, his overt adoration almost nauseating. Seeing her help the others with the cleaning appeared to upset him greatly, and he wailed at her feet about his failings.
"A lady of the Noble House of Black should never have to trouble herself with cleaning. Kreacher is a bad elf, Kreacher has failed in his duty, so his Mistress takes up tasks that are beneath her, Kreacher begs forgiveness." He wailed pathetically, as Penny looked down at him, the sight of his pitifulness making her wrinkle her nose. Hermione had moved to comfort the elf but he recoiled from her, chewing his tongue in order to refrain from spitting forbidden insults.
"Instead of crying about it, you could do something useful and help" Penny said slightly impatiently, earning a stern look from Hermione. "Could you fetch us some refreshments please Kreacher." She added in a gentler tone. The elf nodded with enthusiasm, scurrying off to the kitchen. He returned only a few minutes later with a tray full of glasses of lemonade balancing on his head. Kreacher placed a large pint glass beside Penny, along with a small plate of biscuits, circling the room to hand out glasses to the others, including Sirius who merely sneered at the elf. Hermione was the last to receive a glass, a notably smaller scotch glass. Looking across at the older witch, Penny smirked as Hermione's eyes flicked between her own glass and Penny's, before smiling slightly in resigned amusement. Taking a biscuit Penny mumbled a thanks through the crumbs. Kreacher bowed so low his nose brushed the floor, before he jumped enthusiastically into the cleaning, apparently determined to prevent Penny cleaning for longer than necessary.
"You are going to have to tell the wrinkly snack to stop bringing you treats every five minutes Mistress. You are getting fat." Juno hissed from the top of the wardrobe where she was observing the room.
"I am not fat!" Penny protested scowling at her pet. Juno remained silent, which spoke louder than any response. Penny glanced down at herself critically. "You don't think I am getting fat, do you?" Penny whispered to Ginny who was sipping from her glass beside her. Ginny snorted, lemonade shooting out her nose, the others in the room raising their eyebrows before turning back to their work.
"Is that what your handbag said?" Ginny chuckled, grinning widely. Looking away with a pout Penny grabbed her cloth and carried on scrubbing the skirting board vigorously.
"Screw you, just cuz you're a skinny bitch." Penny muttered quietly so that Mrs Weasley didn't hear, making Ginny snicker.
"Well obviously you are bigger than me, but that isn't always a bad thing." Ginny said, looking pointedly at Penny's chest.
"Hey! My face is up here." Penny gestured, a Cheshire cat grin on her face.
"Something to remember when Hermione is getting changed." Ginny whispered back winking mischievously.
"Can't believe you are still insisting that's a thing! It's not a thing!" Penny protested, shaking her head in exasperation. In truth she had had to look away a few times to stop herself staring, but only, she insisted because the older witch had unfathomably smooth skin. Penny had found herself wondering if it was as soft as it looked. "And even if it was" Penny went on hastily, dragging her thoughts away. "There are more important things to be focussed on right now." She said. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Ginny still grinning widely, the sight annoying her greatly.
The next day Penny had woken up to find Kreacher asleep under her bed, Juno dangling off the side to stare at him hungrily. Blinking a few times, Penny noticed the bedroom had been thoroughly scrubbed, the walls and surfaces almost gleaming. Looking down at the elf she spotted he had badly bandaged his hands, red stains leaking through them. Sighing Penny had dressed quietly before scooping up the small figure, cradling him like a child. Clearly exhausted, the elf didn't stir, mumbling nonsense in his sleep as she carried him down to the kitchen where she found Mrs Weasley and two individuals she didn't know sat at the table. One was stocky and powerfully built, with red hair and an extremely freckled face. Penny immediately thought this must be Charlie, the only Weasley brother she had yet to meet. Next to him sat another man, a slim pale dark-haired young man, with a moustache and short beard. The three of them looked up at her as Penny came down the stairs, placing the elf gingerly on the table.
"What happened?" Mrs Weasley asked, looking down at the elf with cautious concern.
"I think he literally did clean my room until his hands bled." Penny said, rubbing sleep out of her eyes, as Mrs Weasley gently peeled back the bandages. "Do you have any Murtlap Essence?" She asked as Mrs Weasley gestured a cupboard on the other side of the kitchen. Walking round the table Penny stood on tiptoe to grab a bottle from the top shelf. Turning around she bumped into the dark-haired young man, who had stood to take his dish to the sink.
"Bocsánat!" He apologised quickly.
"Semmi baj!" She replied sleepily without thinking, circling back round the table. Glancing back she saw all three had their eyes on her. "What?"
"You speak Hungarian?" The dark-haired man asked Penny, a faint touch of pink colouring her cheeks as she turned away from him. Her Nana flashed briefly before her eyes before she forcibly emptied her mind.
"You haven't introduced me." She said in a flat tone to Mrs Weasley, the older woman passing her a couple of small bowls.
"Oh this is my second eldest son Charlie, he is visiting from Romania." She said with a proud smile, the tip of her wand washing Kreacher's skin. "And this is Péter, a friend Charlie works with." She went on. Penny noticed how as Mrs Weasley turned away from the young men, they shared a meaningful look behind her back. Charlie's eyes met hers and she smiled knowingly as he shifted uncomfortably. Swirling the content of each bowl with a spoon, Penny carefully placed a small hand in each, the sensation waking the elf.
"Mistress Penny?" He said blearily, trying to sit up. Penny placed a hand across the width of his chest, holding him down.
"Be careful or you'll spill the bowls." She warned as Kreacher turned his head from side to side, his large ears flapping. "I told you not to hurt yourself." She chastised him as he looked guilty.
"Mistress told Kreacher she would appreciate it. Mistress only said Kreacher did not have to go to extreme lengths." He worded sheepishly as Penny chuckled, mildly amused at the elf finding a loophole.
"Kreacher, as much as I hate cleaning it's not going to kill me." Penny said as Mrs Weasley placed a rack of toast in front of her. "Now you are not to clean or cook or undertake any chore until your hands are healed properly. And THAT is an order." Penny ordered, taking three slices of toast from the rack. Pausing, Penny looked at her plate before replacing two slices on the rack with a grumble. Looking back at the elf, Penny was horrified to see large tears spilling over his cheeks.
"Mistress is too kind to Kreacher, Kreacher is unworthy of such treatment." He howled loudly, making the three other occupants recoil from him.
"Be quiet Kreacher." Penny said hastily. "And don't let Hermione hear you say you are unworthy or she will talk about SPEW even more than she does. I mean, S. P. E. W." Penny corrected herself rolling her eyes. The older witch had managed to get four Sickles out of Penny for a badge for herself and Ginny, but had continued to pester the two of them about wearing them. The topic had been the cause of much tension between the girls, occasionally resulting in Hermione giving them the silent treatment, scowling into a book with her back to them.
The house had become a lot busier now the kitchen and a few bedrooms had become habitable. Most of the Weasleys had moved in, including Ron, much to Penny's dismay. Whilst they largely distanced themselves from each other, now forced into cramp containment, the insults became frequent, and vastly more graphic whenever the Weasley matriarch was out of ear shot, with the occasional spray bottle being flung across the room.
"Now that one" Penny told Kreacher, indicating the lanky wizard. "That one you can call whatever comes to mind. I mean, if you fancy giving him one of your famous battering's, I would not object." She informed the elf with a smirk, the elf's hands still wrapped in bandages. The elf stared at Ron intensely, his eyes narrowed as the ginger boy glowered back, looking a little unnerved. At dinner that night Penny felt a nudge on her thigh. Looking down she saw Kreacher's eyes staring at her, a wicked grin on his mouth. Raising an eyebrow Penny glanced down at Ron, who was shovelling his bowl of soup like a starved man. Within minutes the boy sprinted from the room and could be heard violently vomiting in an upstairs bathroom. Mrs Weasley disappeared up the stairs to check on him. Looking back down at the elf, Penny gave him an awkward pat on the head, which made the elf grin a content toothless grin.
"Penny did you put doxy eggs in Ronald's dinner?" Mrs Weasley asked Penny when she returned, looking cross. Sirius, Ginny and the twins were all sniggering into their own bowls, with only Hermione and Mrs Weasley looking unimpressed.
"I didn't even know there were doxy eggs in the house." Penny replied truthfully, swirling her soup with her spoon.
"You shouldn't be ordering Kreacher to hurt Ron just because you don't like him." Hermione chastised. "What if he really hurt him? You know how the Ministry treats house elves!" Hermione went on as Penny rolled her eyes.
"I didn't order him to do anything." She said stubbornly.
"House elves own laws dictate orders that involve harming a witch or wizard are not required to be obeyed." Sirius cut in, with a bored tone. "If he hurts anyone it's all his own choice." Sirius carried on, a slight sneer on his lips. Kreacher shot him a filthy look before scurrying off, muttering under his breath.
The first small secret meetings had been held in the basement on quite a few evenings. Penny had been furious to find herself barred from these on the very first meeting, along with Ginny, Hermione, Ron and the twins. Fred and George were particularly irate over this.
"You are too young! You are not in the Order!" Mrs Weasley said rather shrilly as she tried to force them out of the kitchen. Penny's stomach cramped painfully as she stood, her eyes trailing over the occupants of the kitchen. Less than ten adults sat down one end of the kitchen table, Professor Dumbledore, Sirius, Tonks, Lupin, Mr Weasley, his son Charlie, Mad Eye Moody, Snape and a shifty grubby looking man Penny didn't know watched the exchange with interest.
"We are of age!" Fred retorted, backing away from his mother even so. Penny's felt her Legilimency rippling beneath the surface, clearing her mind as best she could. Meeting Snape's black eyes Penny saw a flicker of recognition in them, scowling slightly as she looked away.
"You are still at school. All of you! Out!" Mrs Weasley ordered, Hermione going meekly, Fred and George hesitating, Ginny looking at Penny who stood with her feet fixed to the floor. She could see Sirius grinning widely at her from the far end of the table, whilst Snape sat at the near end his face clear except a slight curl of amusement on his lips.
"I am not going anywhere." Penny said stubbornly. She looked over Mrs Weasley's shoulder at Dumbledore who watched her passively from the other end of the table. "Aside from Harry I have the most reason to be told what is going on than anybody." Penny insisted staring at Tonks for support, the older witch hesitating as she glanced at Moody.
"You are far too young." Mrs Weasley repeated. The Weasley children looked from their mother to Penny rapidly.
"I am not a child! I am fourteen." Penny protested, hearing a laugh coming from where Sirius and Tonks sat beside Lupin.
"Thirteen." Penny heard Ginny mutter but ignored her. Her scowl deepened as she took a slow breath.
"You are not an adult either!" Mrs Weasley said. "Now go!" She said trying to grab Penny's arm, missing as Penny dodged her.
"Well that settles it doesn't it. We will just tell Voldemort to go away until Harry and I are of age." Penny said, the level of sarcasm pulsing off her voice. She could have sworn she heard Snape snort slightly. Sirius, Lupin and Tonks all looked at Dumbledore whose piercing blue eyes met Penny's unflinching. He gave the smallest shake of the head which caused Penny to make an enraged noise. "Pretty sure my father doesn't care if we are children. Neither should you." She argued scowling as Mrs Weasley took her elbow firmly.
"Well I do care." Mrs Weasley said, her tone taking a strange edge that made Penny meet her eyes, which were strikingly similar to Ginny's. With a lurch, Penny felt her mind flood with grief, a few flashes of images crossing her mind, two young men resembling Fred and George, a woman that might have been Molly's mother in floods of tears in the arms of a younger Albus Dumbledore.
Withdrawing with a hiss Penny rubbed her temple as it throbbed painfully.
"I have told you before to stay out my head!" Shouted Mrs Weasley hysterically. Penny backed away from her hastily. The air in the room seemed suddenly tense as the Weasley matriarch swelled up like a bullfrog.
"I can't always help it." Penny raising her voice defensively as Molly sent a spell at her, barely ducking out of the way in time. Swearing colourfully, she made a swift exit up the stairs with Ginny and the twins hot on her heels.
"What did you see?" Ginny asked the second they were out of ear shot.
"Nothing." Penny lied, keeping her voice neutral. "Nothing that made any sense anyway." She elaborated. The twins went up a floor whispering to one another whilst Ginny and Penny went to join Hermione in their room.
"You have gotten much better at lying." Ginny commented as she opened the door, a slight smirk on her face as Penny barely hid her surprise.
Sitting on the edge of her bed, Penny zoned out from Hermione and Ginny's chatter, her mind dwelling on what she had seen. She knew the men to be Mrs Weasley's brothers, Gideon and Fabian, having seen their picture in a book on the old Order of the Phoenix. She also knew they had been brutally murdered by Death Eaters. Her gut clenched as she felt an aftershock of Mrs Weasley's grief pulse through her. No wonder she didn't want her children involved this time around, Penny thought, she knew the reality of the risks too well. Penny sighed softly, feeling older than she ever had. Though she had already known what was at stake in this war, the realness of it hit her harder than ever. Her thoughts drifted to Narcissa and Draco, feeling a painful wrench in her heart as she wondered what they were doing now, if they were still safe. The thought of her father harming them almost made her want to go to them immediately, to hell with the consequences. But no, that was what he wanted, she told herself, he wouldn't harm them all the time they could be used as leverage against her, she reasoned, plus in theory if Uncle Lucy played his cards right his own usefulness would keep them safe. Her lips thinned at the thought of her uncle, furious but unsurprised by his eagerness to hand her over to her father like a prize. That said, she could understand his wish to keep his wife and son safe at any cost. A Malfoy looks after his own, she quoted bitterly.
My own, Penny thought to herself, on one side, her mother and father, her Aunt Narcissa and Draco. On the other, Aunt Andromeda, Tonks, Hermione, Ginny, Harry. She shook her head. What were the real chances of them all making it out alive? She thought her hand running through her chaotic looks distractedly. It didn't matter what she did, someone she cared about was at risk. Everything has a price, she recalled. But what was she willing to pay? She pondered.
A few moments later her dark thoughts were interrupted as the twins Apparated noisily into the room, a trick they had taken to showing off recently. In their hands dangled a handful of fleshy strings.
"Extendable ears" They said proudly, grinning from ear to ear as Ginny's face lit up in awe.
"There is probably a good reason they don't let us in the meetings." Hermione argued weakly, joining them on the landing with Ron despite her protests. Listening carefully Penny and the rest of them were able to pick up some limited information but for the most part the meetings seemed to be in the early days of setting up the Order. More than once they heard a heated exchange between Snape and Sirius.
"I don't trust her" They heard Moody growl, the others all glancing at Penny.
"You don't trust anyone, Mad Eye." She heard Tonks chip in cheerfully. "I personally think we should let her join the Order, she is more than capable of taking care of herself." Tonks stated, Penny feeling a rush of affection for her cousin.
"I second that." Sirius' voice cut through. "We need all the help we can get, and if she is as powerful as Tonks says she is…"
"Power isn't everything, Black." Snape interrupted, the distain dripping from his voice.
"I don't recall asking you, Snivellus." Sirius replied with equal dislike.
"Seen as I know her better than anyone else here, you should have." Snape replied curtly. Penny scowled slightly as she listened, though she couldn't deny his point.
"We are her family, we should be the ones to decide." Sirius said, his teeth gritting audible.
"How touching." Snape replied with a clear sneer. "Nymphadora may be correct in that Miss Black is exceptionally powerful. She is also extremely clever and cunning, just like her parents. But underneath that she is still a child." He went on, Penny feeling a stab of anger. "She allows her emotions to get the better of her. Her abilities make her arrogant and sloppy. She is rash and hot headed, both of which impair her judgement. Traits she and Potter unfortunately share." He finished with a note of disgust.
"Do not start on Harry, I am warning you Snivellus!" Sirius said his voice rising.
"This arguing over Persephone is not helpful." The voice of Professor Dumbledore said across them both. "Severus is right, Persephone's judgement is not one we can rely on." He concluded. "I have told each and everyone of you before, albeit for different reasons, it is of upmost importance that neither she nor Harry are told more than they need to know." He declared in a way that said there would be no further debate. "Now, Mundungus, if you could please." He said, as a rough voice took over.
The rest of the meeting seemed to be about recruiting members and sources of information. Tonks and Moody were focussed on the Ministry, Lupin on werewolves and other outcasts and the man named Mundungus relayed some information about suspected informants to the Death Eaters in Knockturn Alley.
About an hour later the meeting ended and they heard the kitchen door open, the Extendable ears being hoisted upwards rapidly. Mrs Weasley called up the stairs for them all to come down to eat. Making there way down Penny met Professor Snape by the front door.
"Miss Black" He acknowledged politely, his eyes scanning the rest of the children critically, the lot of them glaring at him.
"Professor." Penny replied a little stiffly, still cross about his comments. He said no more as she turned her back on him and made her way down to the kitchen. She could feel his eyes on her questioningly even as he remained silent. A click of the front door announced his exit.
Penny didn't say a word to Mrs Weasley about what she had seen as they sat down for dinner. Instead the two of them spoke to one another in an oddly polite way, neither addressing what had happened directly, though the air was still slightly tense between them. Tonks, Lupin, Moody and Mundungus had decided to stay for dinner, Dumbledore rising to leave. Penny gave him a dirty look as he swept past her, a stab of annoyance when the corners of his lips twitched. Penny sat opposite the twins and Mundungus, who eyed her nervously. Lupin and Tonks were deep in conversation whilst Moody kept shooting Mundungus dirty looks. Sirius moved to sit with Penny as Mrs Weasley scraped roast beef and Yorkshires onto everyone's plates.
"If it were up to me" Sirius began as Penny took a mouthful of food. "I would have both you and Harry in the Order." He said, Mrs Weasley's lips thinning as she took a seat next to Charlie and Arthur. "Your favourite Professor disagrees." Sirius said as Penny scowled.
"He isn't my favourite Professor." Penny retorted. "It's bad enough I get to go to the greatest medical establishment in the UK and all I am allowed to do is clean. And now here I am at the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters and still all I can do is clean." Penny moaned, her frustration clear in every syllable. Sirius' face was grinning massively. "And all I have been able to tell Harry is he is missing nothing, without actually being able to explain anything." She whined. After two letters from her ex-boyfriend she had sent a brief response outlining that she had nothing of interest to tell him, and informing him of her trivial work at the hospital. Somehow she doubted he would feel any satisfaction from her letter. Hermione had told her that she and Ron had received frustrated responses from Harry.
"Believe me, I understand." Sirius replied sympathetically. "Dumbledore feels that Wormtail will have told Voldemort about my Animagus abilities, so my disguise is useless." Sirius said bitterly, the smile turning into a grimace. "And with half the Ministry still looking for me…." He trailed off. "Whilst the Ministry refuses to accept Voldemort has returned neither you or I are able to do much without risk of persecution."
"You mean until Fudge grows a pair. Sounds like a long wait." Penny said dryly, Sirius letting out a bark like laugh. "So how does one become an Animagus anyway?" Penny asked curiously. They spent the rest of the evening talking about Animagus magic. Penny could see Tonks amusing Ginny and Hermione with her Metamorphmagus abilities, turning her nose and ears into funny shapes. Moody and Lupin spoke in quiet tones, Moody's magical eye frequently fixing on Penny, much to her annoyance. The twins and Mundungus seemed to be in deep discussion about restricted products. When the grubby man stood to leave Penny made an excuse and followed him upstairs into the hallway.
"Mundungus." Penny said softly, making him jump, a nerve in his chin jumping about. Penny put a finger to her lips indicating the snoring portraits. Pointing off the hall Mundungus shuffled in after her. "Tonks says you have a lot of contacts Mr Fletcher." Penny said politely, making the man blink in surprise.
"I suppose I do" He said warily, his cockney accent making Penny smile slightly.
"Well, I think, as a fella business person" She began, letting her voice switch to her Hackney accent and making Mundugus' eyebrows shoot up his face. "We might 'ave quite a…profitable relationship." She said.
"You? A business person?" He asked sceptically, looking slightly afraid as Penny looked mildly insulted. "I mean, what kinda business does a…young thing like you…erm…do?" He said clumsily as Penny smiled again.
"Well mosta my business ventures were in the Muggle world see." She explained. "Can't do no magic without Ministry gettin' involved." She went on. "You know that dodgy baccy you like t'smoke?" She said as Mundungus nodded, fingering his pipe nervously. "Well Muggles have their own versions, plus some others. I tended to work within…distribution shall we say." Penny said as Mundungus eyed her looking impressed. "Anyway, I am sure we shall do our own…business…in time."
"I…am certainly interested." Mundungus admitted as Penny smiled.
"You are a smart man then." Penny flattered as she walked back out into the hallway. "Oh and Mundungus," She added as he made his way to the front door. "A smart man will not mention any of this to anyone, least of all Dumbledore." She warned, giving Mundungus a very piercing stare that he recoiled from, a slight whimper escaping him.
"Yes Miss Black." He said, his voice squeaking slightly. A dark smile on her lips, Penny descended back down into the kitchen.