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Chapter seven
Dumbledore´s proposal
/
A few hours after Angela hurried away from Grimmauld Place 12 as if the house was on fire, a post owl flew into her room, bringing a letter from Daria. She wrote that her grandmother was inviting her to lunch and if she should come around eleven o´clock. Angela's spirits improved immediately. She more than liked talking to Daria, since she did not have to hide anything from her, but there was one small problem. Mother was exceptionally home.
Well, Draco, you're out of luck this time, she thought as she tapped her bracelet at ten. You won't eat at home today.
If she had told her mother that she was going to see that Mudblood girl she was not supposed to contact anymore, she would have probably caught a few slaps. Therefore, she calmly announced that she was going to lunch with Draco and disappeared before her mother could have any questions.
She apparated to the park closest to Daria's house to the spot between the trees about which she knew it was hidden from all sides. Then she headed across the lawn at calm pace. As she walked down the street, she passed a teenager who was selling newspapers while shouting.
"Mass funerals after the disco tragedy! Culprits still at large! Bodies of the victims remaining under the rubble!"
A shiver ran down Angela´s spine. The exact number of victims was determined from the entry tickets, which were collected. Muggles had not even recovered all the bodies yet. Maybe there will be even more of them than what they wrote in the Muggle newspapers and the Daily Prophet...
She had not been to any Death Eaters gathering in a while – for which she was extremely grateful – so she did not really understand what was Voldemort´s big plan. Instead of focusing on wizards, he was eliminating Muggles. As if he wanted everyone in the wizarding world to shake in fear of what might come first and then attack.
She suspected that it would not be long before the turn of the magicians would come. Maybe she could try to get some information out of her mother…
/
Within ten minutes, she and Daria were sitting in the living room of her grandparents' house, waiting for Mrs Merrill to call them for lunch, after the old lady repeatedly refused their offers for help.
"So… Draco already told you about it?" Angela wondered.
"Yeah, at dinner last night," Daria nodded. "He explained it a little strangely, but I understood that neither of you wanted it."
"Not wanted it? I hate it!" Angela fumed. "As if I ever wished to be part of their clan!"
"Well, he was a little surprised, too," her friend noted.
"About what?"
"That I'm not surprised."
Angela stiffened when she realized: "Ah."
"He doesn't know about everything you´ve told me, does he?" Daria asked.
"No... Please, watch what you say in front of him. You know more about me than he does."
Daria just nodded her head: "Don't worry; I kind of talked out of it yesterday."
"Fine," she breathed out with relief.
"Did you see Harry?" the other girl asked unexpectedly.
"What?" Angela´s eyes widened. "How did you come up with that?"
"You have that strange look on your face like every time you talk about him. You're thinking about him, aren't you?"
Angela slowly nodded: "Yesterday, I was at my… My Dad's house again, and you know he lives there. He gave me one photograph," she added quietly.
"Of your father?" Daria figured.
"Yeah," she confirmed with a slight smile. "When we were alone in his room... I almost thought I would lose control and jump around his neck," she revealed gloomily then.
"Angela, why are you torturing yourself like this? Why do you even go there?"
The unhappy girl fidgeted: "I cannot help myself…"
"And what about him?" Daria raised her voice.
Angela shrugged sadly.
"For Merlin´s sake, you two are fools! After all, you love each other, so why aren't you together?" fretted Daria, troubled by her friend's sadness.
"You know it's dangerous..." she opposed feebly.
"So what? You think I don't know that Draco and I take great risks, too? That it could turn out very badly if certain people found out that we are dating?"
The brunette was silent.
"Angela, listen. You should grasp this chance to be together with him while you still can. Although secretly, but you will be together and happy, and not each alone, eating yourself up by desire for the other! So many things can happen to separate you forever and then you'll regret not taking advantage of the time you two had."
Daria paused, waiting to see what Angela would say. She stared at her for a moment and then sighed: "When did you get so wise, Daria?"
"After going through a similar ordeal myself," the girl replied right away. "There was a huge gap between me and Draco, but it was enough to take a welcoming step, not to think about everything that divided us, and it disappeared. Even though we've barely been together for a week, I can't imagine my life without him. And I suffocated my love for him for so long..."
Daria's words stuck in Angela's head and started repeating themselves.
To be together... To separate forever... To regret... To suffocate love...
She buried her head in her hands: "It's terribly difficult. I'm so scared…"
"Of what?"
"Of losing him," Angela straightened up sharply. "That something will happen to him because of me!" Daria replied only after a moment: "Don't you think he surely considers the same thing?"
Deafening silence fell upon the room after her words, which was only broken by Daria's grandmother calling them and her husband to come and eat.
/
As soon as Daria ran upstairs for a while after lunch, saying that she must show her something, her grandmother turned to Angela and began her interrogation.
"Daria told me that you know Draco Malfoy, is that right?"
"Yes, it is," Angela replied, a little surprised.
"How long?"
"A couple of years from school… But it's been only over a year since we became friends."
"And what do you think of him?"
"Pardon me?"
"What kind of boy is he since his father is a Death Eater and the murderer of Daria's parents?" Mrs Merill raised her voice.
Angela took a breath to keep herself calm. "Mrs Merrill, if you really want to hear my honest opinion, he is not such a bastard as his father. I can say that responsibly because I know both of them.''
Daria's grandmother flinched when she noticed Angela's cold tone.
"I'm worried about Daria," she said a little more quietly.
"I understand that, but it's her life, Mrs Merrill. Draco won't let anyone to even twist a hair on her head. They like each other," she emphasized, even though she wondered if she was convincing the older woman or herself.
Daria´s grandmother nodded her grey head thoughtfully.
"And one more thing," Angela said. "Don't talk about those two having a thing together, okay? In front of anyone."
"Why?" she frowned.
"It's necessary for your granddaughter's safety, Mrs Merrill, trust me in that," Angela replied, turning to face the door beyond which she could already hear Daria's footsteps.
/
For the next two weeks, Angela avoided the ancient seat of Blacks. Not that Draco would not go to see Daria, but every time they went somewhere, she wandered all over the city; she just did not want to go to her father's former house.
However, Daria's speech had been gnawing at her heart all this time. She thought about her relationship with Harry everywhere she went and could not shake the thoughts of what it would be like if they got back together.
There was a suspicious peace as came to Voldemort and his followers at the time. However, she knew from her mother's hints that they were up to something bigger. She was afraid of what that awful evil wizard could come up with again.
Her engagement date with Draco was also fast approaching. He was at her house several times and she saw him twice in town with Daria. They looked so happy and oblivious to their surroundings. She would not be at all surprised if someone was watching them and they didn't even notice.
In those two weeks, she also got used to not going out alone after dark. The hateful red eyes did not appear again, but they were still there somewhere, hidden in the forest… She just knew it.
The last week of July began and Angela, despite her determination, went where her heart led her. She had the perfect excuse for it. She received a letter from Professor Dumbledore asking her to come to the Order´s headquarters that afternoon. It said that he needed to discuss something with her.
Draco immediately took advantage of the fact that Angela was going away somewhere and he and Daria went on the famous London Eye observation wheel.
It was around three o'clock in the afternoon when she closed the door of the Black mansion behind her and heard unusual voices from upstairs.
/
"It´s great that you persuaded your parents, Hermione," Harry smiled. "I've already started biting my nails out of boredom. It was only your letters that pulled me out of it a little."
"I convinced them that the safest place I could be was here. I'm so glad to see you, Harry. And you too, Ron, of course," she added hastily as she saw him puff up and took his hand. "But you're kind of pale," she said as she returned her eyes to her friend.
"Are you surprised when I can't even take a step out of his house?" murmured Harry.
"I'd like to stay here with you too," Ron said, pulling Hermione closer to him. "But Mum wants to keep an eye on me... Do you think she would come for me if I stayed here against her will?" he wondered.
"I´m sure of it, Ron. Forget these stupid ideas," Hermione scolded him. "If your mother wants you at home, don't oppose her.''
Ron sighed: "She´s focused on me and Ginny now. The twins do whatever they want. That shop of theirs is still thriving."
"People need to relax a bit. Especially in these days," his girlfriend assumed. "And their products are definitely the best for that purpose."
Harry and Ron nodded grimly.
"And how comes your mother let you out of her sight today?" Harry asked Ron after a while.
"Well, I'm here thanks to Dumbledore's invitation, or she wouldn't have loosened the chain around my neck even a bit," Ron explained.
Harry looked surprised and was about to ask about that invitation, but before he could open his mouth, a girl's figure suddenly appeared in the open door.
"You got it as well?" Angela let them know about her presence with a question and entered the room slowly.
Everyone turned to her. Hermione let go of Ron and stood up.
"Angela! What are you doing here?'' she greeted her pleasantly surprised. "You know about this house?"
Ron just stared at her and Harry pretended to be suddenly very interested in the non-existing dirt behind his fingernails.
"Nice to see you, Hermione. Yes, I do… And as I said – I'm here at Dumbledore's invitation as well," Angela replied and she and Hermione sat down on the carpet next to Harry's bed.
"That's where it gets interesting," said Ron. "What can he want from us?"
Angela shrugged, although she might have suspected the headmaster´s reasons…
"We'll have to wait for him to come and explain it to us," Hermione reasoned as sensibly as ever. Then she turned to Angela again: "But I really wouldn't expect you here, Angela. After all…" Hermione did not know how to express herself politely.
"Are you implying that I'm a Slytherin, hanging out with Draco Malfoy, and living with his parents, yet I know about the main seat of the Order of the Phoenix?" Angela understood very quickly, what Hermione was trying to say.
"Exactly," Ron confirmed sharply, eyeing her suspiciously.
"You don't trust me much, right?" Angela figured.
"No," snapped Weasley.
"Ron!" Hermione poked him in the leg. "I´ve already told you more than once that you shouldn't form opinions based on what kind of acquaintances someone has! He didn't mean it like that, Angela."
The girl shrugged: "I wasn't offended."
"It's just weird, you know?" Hermione said, glancing at Ron menacingly. "We must be careful."
"Yeah, I understand. I would behave the same way if I were you."
Harry remained silent the entire time, persistently avoiding Angela's gaze.
"Then tell us why Dumbledore trusts you," tried Ron again. "Maybe then we'll believe you too."
Angela's expression hardened somewhat. But before she could say anything, Harry overtook her.
"Leave her alone, Ron," he urged coldly.
"Of course that you´d stand up for her," Ron muttered spitefully.
"Do you want to argue with me?" Harry frowned. "I trust her too. That should be enough for you. Both of you."
"Well, fine," Ron conceded, yet not very willingly.
A grumpy, sizzling murmur suddenly reached them from the corridor. Ron and Harry rolled their eyes at the same time. Hermione gave them a scolding look, and no one noticed how Angela stiffened.
"They are polluting this house again, the plucky redhead and that Muggle scumbag. Yes, yes, they are poisoning the air they breathe. As if cursed Potter was not enough..."
It was, of course, none other than Kreacher. He walked past the still wide open door with a menacing look, muttering curses under his breath. Then his eyes fell on Angela and he stopped in mid-motion. He ran into the room with respectful grunts and bows.
"Lady, you are home! Kreacher is glad to see you! Waiting for you every day, yes, yes. But why are you spending your time among these scumbags, lady?"
The house elf stopped right in front of pale Angela with a deep bow. Hermione and Ron stared at them in astonishment.
"Do you have any wishes, lady?" asked Kreacher as he straightened up.
Angela swallowed and looked up. Ron was still wide-eyed, and Hermione had a pensive look on her face.
They are Harry's friends, so hopefully they won't make any fuss about it… Angela thought, looking at Kreacher again.
"Yes. Bring us four glasses of orange juice with ice," she ordered.
"Four?" the elf sneered.
"Yes, four!" she snapped.
Kreacher bowed and disappeared.
"How come… How come he listens to you?" Ron gaped, while Hermione eyed her thoughtfully.
Angela looked at Harry, who finally returned her gaze.
He nodded encouragingly. "You can tell them. They know how to keep secrets," he said.
"All right..." she took a breath for the revelation. "He obeys because I'm the daughter of Sirius Black," she announced heavily.
Ron forgot to close his mouth and Hermione raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Was Sirius even married?" she asked quietly.
"Yes," Harry confirmed instead of Angela. "But it was a secret marriage… He had some problems back then."
"How long have you known about this Harry?" asked baffled Ron.
"Almost two months. Angela told me about it after the exams."
"I found out myself only shortly before them," Angela added.
"Well, wow. How come nobody knew?" scowled Ron.
"Somebody probably did – my Dad," Harry said softly.
Kreacher appeared with a full tray, which he placed in front of Angela and disappeared again at her command.
"But how did you find out?" Hermione asked as she handed Ron and Harry full glasses.
"It's not that important," Angela said, shaking her head. "Dumbledore helped me with the search."
"You said you live with the Malfoys, didn't you?" Hermione looked at her curiously.
"Yeah... Narcissa Malfoy took me in after my aunt died," Angela replied.
"And what about your mother?"
Angela fidgeted uneasily. She did not like this interrogation at all and being forced to lie again to Harry´s friends even less.
"She died when I was one year old," Angela answered slowly, looking Harry in the eye.
It´s safer for them not to know the truth, she spoke to him hesitantly in her mind after a long time.
Okay, Harry replied curtly, quickly looking away again.
"I'm sorry," Hermione said regretfully.
"Um, thanks," Angela drawled, which made the other girl confused about her cold tone.
"What does it even look like in that famous Malfoy mansion?" Ron wondered.
"Well… It is a very grand and spacious house, but cold. In my opinion, it's just a house, it was never a home," Angela replied thoughtfully.
"And then we're surprised that Malfoy is acting stone cold," Hermione remarked.
"And you didn´t happen to catch a glimpse of his papa?" asked Ron sarcastically.
"Ron, stop it!" Hermione yelled at him.
Another silence fell upon the whole room, which Hermione broke after a while and brought up the topic for which everybody was grateful – Quidditch. Ten minutes later, however, a kind voice interrupted their friendly discussion about the latest Quidditch season: "Good afternoon."
They all looked to the door where the tall figure of the Hogwarts Headmaster stood.
"Hello Professor!" they all replied in unison, a little surprised by how Dumbledore looked like.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you too much," Dumbledore commented with a weak smile.
"Not at all, Professor," Angela replied, studying the Headmaster's pale face, dark circles under his eyes, and overall tired and worried expression along with the trio. The only thing that had not changed, fortunately, was the strange sparkle in the pale blue eyes.
"In that case, I would like to ask you to come and sit with me in the salon."
"All of us?" Ron raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, absolutely everyone, Mr Weasley," Dumbledore confirmed.
The four looked at each other, got up and curiously followed the headmaster out of the room.
/
After a while, everyone sat down comfortably in the salon near the cool and dark fireplace. Angela took off her shoes and pulled her legs under her on the couch; Hermione sat down next to her on the other side and Ron on the floor at her feet, while Harry pulled up and turned one of the chairs to sit astride on it, his elbows on its back.
Dumbledore sat across from them in a comfortable armchair, looking from one to the other for a good while. Finally, he took a deep breath and began to speak.
"I still remember well that you expressed interest in becoming a member of the Order of the Phoenix about two years ago. Originally, I did not want to deal with it so soon, but... Although you haven't graduated from your last year of school yet, given that Miss Granger and Mr Weasley are already seventeen and Harry's coming of age is just around the corner, the three of you will have the opportunity to voluntarily decide, whether you want to enter it or not. Of course, it would be more convenient for you to enter it after finishing school, as was the custom so far. Therefore, you can do it later too, but I'm afraid at this time it would be best to have as many of us as possible. The more people are determined to stand up to evil, the better for everyone," Dumbledore paused thoughtfully for a moment, which Hermione took advantage of.
"What about Angela, Professor? When is your birthday?" she turned to the one person Dumbledore had not talked about.
Angela replied looking at the headmaster.
"I don't think that in my case it matters much that my birthday isn't until September… Am I right, Professor?"
"Yes, you are, Angela. We can make an exception for Miss Rosier…"
"What exception, sir?" Ron drew out with a curious question. Hermione dug her foot into his loins grumpily and he hissed.
"That's just between me and Miss Rosier," Dumbledore replied calmly.
When have I heard a sentence like that before, Harry thought cynically.
"To get back to the point. No one can force you to do this; it is your free choice. Surely, you understand that there is a certain rather high risk associated with it. We won't ask you to do anything dangerous before you graduate. Rather, I'd like you to do some surveillance at the school and report anything suspicious to me. So… I want to ask if you still want to become members of the Order of the Phoenix."
There was a moment of silence after Dumbledore asked that crucial question. The answer to it would definitely affect their entire future life. Harry had been waiting for this for a long time. He was determined to do whatever it took to stop Voldemort from going on with his rampage. Although he was subconsciously afraid of it… And he was also the first to speak.
"You know my answer, sir."
Dumbledore nodded his head slightly.
"Yes, I understand, Harry. I wouldn't expect anything less from you."
Hermione looked down at Ron who was looking at her. He held out his hand to her and she grabbed it tightly. Then they both turned to Dumbledore.
"We will do it, too, Professor," Hermione said for both of them. "And not just for Harry, but for ourselves."
Dumbledore nodded with a smile and looked at the last student, who was still silent: "Angela?"
"I already gave you an answer to this question back then, Professor," she said quietly.
"But I want to know if you want to do it yourself, not if you do it at my request," Dumbledore countered. "I know that for you this is the hardest decision..."
Of those present, only two people understood this remark. The young Rosier, and Harry, who was also looking at her.
Angela was silent for a while, looking at the ground. Once committed to the Order of the Phoenix, there was no turning back. Eventually, she would be exposed on the other side… She clenched her hands into fists. After all, the mere fact that she considered Death Eaters and Voldemort enemies gave her no other choice. Although while doing this, she was about to betray other people she cared about... Or rather, one person.
She finally looked up and said firmly: "Yes, I want to become a member of the Order."
"All right," Dumbledore said, seeming to stifle a sigh. "I repeat – we will not make any high demands on you until you graduate. You'll be attending Order meetings, and I'd like you to really pay attention to everything that's going on at school when the new school year starts. Miss Rosier being from Slytherin will be an advantage in this one. We just need someone else in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff too... When you're accepted, you take an oath of loyalty, and you each get a bracelet that shall inform you every time there's a meeting of the Order.''
Another bracelet? Merlin, no way, Angela thought dejectedly. I´ll be like a walking jewellery box…
"That's about it," concluded Dumbledore, slowly standing up. "If you don't have any questions..."
Only silence answered him.
"Good. Your admission will take place on the second of August around five in the afternoon, perhaps along with a few others. Bye for now!"
"Goodbye," four voices boomed at once.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Angela jumped up as if something stung her, put on her shoes and headed for the door.
"Angela, where…" Hermione began.
"I just forgot to ask something," she interrupted her already at the door.
The trio was left alone in the salon.
/
"Professor!" Angela called.
She caught up with Dumbledore in front of the door. He turned to her with an even more tired expression than when she first saw him today.
"Yes, Angela?"
"I just wanted to let you know about a few things," she began quietly and quickly. "I don't know why, but the Dark Lord wants, actually demands, that I shall be betrothed to Draco Malfoy at the end of this month."
Dumbledore eyed her surprised: "That´s kind of curious. Voldemort does have a weakness for pure-bloods, but… I have no idea what that could mean and if there is something he could gain from it."
"Me neither…" Angela sighed. "But I'll try to find out; it's in my own interest. I also think he's up to something big. There has been a suspicious calm since the tragedy at the discotheque. I'm sure they'll attack wizards now, not Muggles, but I don't know more."
"I agree with that, Angela. I've also had a bad feeling for a long time…"
"And there's one more thing… Looks like I've been tracked down by those… vampires," she swallowed hard. "I saw them about two weeks ago, in the woods behind our house. That is, behind the Rosiers´ house. I finally moved in with my mother. I just know they are still there…"
"That's very strange indeed," Dumbledore scowled. "How could they find you so far away?"
"That's what I don't know. And I'm kind of nervous about it, you can imagine," Angela replied with a glum expression.
Dumbledore squeezed her left shoulder and looked into her eyes: "Angela, take a real good care of yourself. Looks like you have some big enemies in them. And if they're cooperating with Voldemort…"
She shook her head: "Fortunately not. He tried, but their fervent collaboration did not last more than two months. Vampires are too proud to accept orders," she informed the headmaster, immensely comforted by the weight of his arm.
"Well, at least one stone fell from my heart," Dumbledore remarked, straightening up. "Goodbye for now, Angela. May you survive the engagement in good health," he noted somewhat cheekily.
Angela chuckled cynically: "Well, maybe I will, thank you. An goodbye, Professor."
