Disclaimer: yeah, I don't own anything except the Malfoy girl. Everything
else belongs to J.K Rowling.
A/N: The rest of chapter 2!
~* Chapter 2 ½
"Sorry, I thought Remus had already told you about me. My name is Selena Lupin, and yes I am married to Remus," Selena smiled helpfully knowing what they would ask. Harry sat dumbstruck. He had never noticed the ring on Remus' finger before, but then he had never asked. He had known him for three years and never thought or even bothered to ask Sirius. Had Sirius been married or engaged? He felt another pang; there was still so much he never found out about Sirius. So much he had never been given the time to find out. Or, so much he had not bothered asking.
"Okay, I think that is all," Dumbledore's voice seemed to float back into Harry's thoughts. "I'll see the Members tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll see you back at Hogwarts." Then he left swiftly talking in hushed voices with Moody. Remus and Selena seemed to be talking hurriedly about something and then Remus stood and walked over to Harry.
"We need to talk," Was all he said and he led Harry from the room and upstairs into the Drawing Room. Remus or Mrs Weasley had completely changed Grimmauld Place and it looked like a normal house. The House-Elf heads had gone (much to Hermione's pleasure) and they had even decorated. The drawing room was now in a white and pale blue the Black Family Tree still hanging on the wall.
"Harry, there is so much you never got the chance to ask Sirius. Like, how old he was when he and James first met or anything like that. I would like to give you the chance to ask me so you can find out and hopefully get some closure. I know it's something that is eating you alive Harry; it's doing the same to me. Maybe if we talk, it'll help us both," Remus said slowly and calmly. Harry nodded. It was worth a try. He had a feeling that if he kept snapping at Ron Hermione was going to hex him.
"I-um-never knew you were married. Was Sirius best man or my Dad?" Harry said rather uncomfortably. Remus smiled widely and warmly.
"Yes. They both were. Selena and I married the summer before that Halloween. You kept screaming and Lily looked so funny. She was not backing down from the glares everyone was giving you and her and she kept talking to you loudly," Remus said fondly. Harry smiled, he could not remember it, but he just smiled. "Sirius and James actually had a fight at the reception. Sirius wanted to do a strip dance, James told him to stop being obscene. So, they ended up having a playful fight. I hope Sirius was only joking," Remus laughed. And to Harry's surprise, he found himself laughing as well.
"Did Sirius ever marry or get engaged?" Harry asked suddenly.
"Yes," Remus said shortly with another smile. "He got engaged to the most beautiful girl in our year, apart from your Mother. Her name was Cassie McIntyre. She was a Slytherin, strangely enough. She and Sirius fell in love after they left school and became inseparable. He proposed one Christmas Eve, and of course they were already living together. She accepted," Remus finished.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"She was killed. Voldemort knew that James, myself, Lily, you, Selena and Cassie were weak points of Sirius'. And he knew James had only a few people in his life that he cared about, Sirius being one of the main ones. Voldemort knew he could inflict pain on someone close to James to show James he could break into James' inner circle. Naturally, he couldn't go after James and Lily quite yet. Selena and I had only just married and were living in Hogwarts, so we were no go areas. That left; Cassie and Sirius. Sirius was called into work one Saturday Evening, and Death Eaters got into their house and tortured her for information, then killed her," Remus sighed quite upset.
"Sirius seemed to be a broken man. He would not eat, sleep, and drink. He just survived on air. He would come to Order meetings depressed, half asleep," Remus continued. "But, lets not talk about that. Lets discuss something brighter," Remus said trying to lighten the mood. And it began, an afternoon of Remus telling Harry all about the Marauders pranks and jokes at Hogwarts. As Harry left the drawing room, he felt like a weight in his stomach had been lifted. He felt he knew Sirius as well as he possibly could now. And he embraced the memories. He fell asleep peacefully for the first time in weeks that night. Ron smiled as soon as he saw Harry come into the room not looking too depressed, and also not to hear him talking in his sleep.
~*~
Narcissa Malfoy was angry beyond belief. She had screamed, stunned, yelled some more and broken her favourite ornament by mistake. Lucius had escaped from Azkaban and arrived back at the Manor bringing with him, Bellatrix. Narcissa and Bellatrix did not get on. But good news had arrived her daughter would be attending Hogwarts next year. She had called her children to the dining room and sat at the long, dark wood table. She was draped in fine black silk robes and looked like the Ice Woman. Her eyes were piercing her hair fell around her face, perfectly straight and sleek. Lucius came into the room and sat next to his wife while they awaited the children.
"She has changed, you say?" Lucius asked. "How?"
"She is changing because the Order and that scum have not noticed she needs or needed help, Lucius. So, she is turning her attentions to you and what you believe in," Narcissa explained for what seemed the thousandth time.
"That is good news," Lucius said.
"The bad news is, Kreacher has been killed. On his way to bring me news, he was trampled on by horses," Narcissa said through gritted teeth.
"You seem on edge," Lucius pointed out.
"I am past the edge, Lucius. When will that woman be out of my home?" Narcissa snapped her delicate and bony fingers clenched into two balls.
"When the Dark Lord finds her accommodation. You are sure the Ministry will not come and check here?" Lucius asked.
"They already have. I told them you were in Azkaban and I did not appreciate being checked up on. They took the hint," Narcissa said distracted as her children appeared. Draco sauntered in first and took a seat in one of the large dark chairs. The girl came in second, wearing the same jeans but this time she wore a black shirt, the same collar and her hair was pulled back off her face. She had the same features as Draco, only much more softer.
"Well?" The girl asked calmly.
"Athena, I do not appreciate being spoken to in that tone, we have gone through this," Narcissa warned. The girl's name was Athena. Lucius had named her after the Greek Goddess of War, Athena Malfoy. Athena loved her name, she loved the fact she was named after such a great Goddess.
"You will attend Hogwarts next term," Lucius said his white-blonde hair was tied softly with a black ribbon. He looked no different to before he had gone to Azkaban. Athena was no longer paying attention and was staring around at the portraits in the dining room. Her favourite was the portrait of the Goddess Athena. It did not show a person but there were a lot of reds and blacks and what appeared to be a battle. It was a war.
"What? No way! You can't just make me move schools! I've spent the past 15 years of my life living like an outcast, and I was perfectly happy with that! I love Salem's, all my friends are there," Athena tried to protest.
"What friends?" Draco snorted. Athena shot him an icy glare and elbowed him off his chair.
"Athena!" Narcissa snapped. "You will go to Hogwarts and you will uphold the Malfoy name. You will not speak of your Father's escape, you will not discuss any of the things that happen within this Manor and you will be in Slytherin."
"Well when do I get sorted?" Athena asked in a stupid voice. She was the perfect Malfoy when she wanted to be, and at times Lucius was strangely proud of his daughter. He knew she could be groomed to do great things for the Dark Lord, but also could be groomed by the Order. But as he watched her sit there, he knew all the hopes she had had pinned on the Order, no longer existed.
"You will travel to school with your brother, and be sorted separately by Dumbledore," Narcissa said. When it came to Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, the people who actually knew them knew that the phrase "Behind every powerful man is an even stronger woman." Had been invented for them.
"You are dismissed," Lucius said. Athena stood up and left the room, she walked over the white stone entrance hall and marched up the winding staircase. She carried on up another flight of stairs and threw herself into her bedroom. She kicked her shoes off and jumped onto her four-poster bed. The hangings were black velvet and the covers black velvet with the golden M on and the snakes winding around it. Athena sat against her pillows, her legs drawn up. She hated this. Hated it. She knew she could do nothing to stop them sending her to Hogwarts. Nothing.
"We are going to have to be best friends at Hogwarts," Draco's voice drawled from the doorway. He leaned against the white door and finally he came in and closed it with a small snap. He took a seat on Athena's black fainting couch and looked at his twin sister, long and hard.
"I know, I am not stupid," Athena warned. "What are the girls in our year like?"
"Not worthy of you," Draco said simply. "You are far too high and mighty for them and I predict some rather entertaining arguments between yourself and Pansy Parkinson," Draco added, almost as an after-thought.
"Then, you will have to defend me," Athena spoke with an amused tone.
"I know what I have to do to gain respect for being a Malfoy, even though the name is beginning to mean nothing. We will have to show that school we are still as proud," Draco said.
"As long as Crabbe and Goyle stay away from me," Athena said. They were coming over for the rest of the summer tomorrow with their parents, and Athena hated them. She did not care who knew it. She found them stupid and time wasting. Athena was always on the go, often reading various literature, doing something productive. Athena looked at her brother and for the first time in her life felt a sibling connection. What was happening to her? She suddenly felt proud to be a Malfoy. Proud to be the daughter of Lucius Malfoy, proud to be the sister of Draco.
"We will no doubt benefit each other. For example, you will keep Pansy away from me and I shall keep Crabbe away from you," Draco said lightly. And they had reached an unspoken agreement. To look out for each other in the way brother's and sister's do. Athena smiled
A/N: The rest of chapter 2!
~* Chapter 2 ½
"Sorry, I thought Remus had already told you about me. My name is Selena Lupin, and yes I am married to Remus," Selena smiled helpfully knowing what they would ask. Harry sat dumbstruck. He had never noticed the ring on Remus' finger before, but then he had never asked. He had known him for three years and never thought or even bothered to ask Sirius. Had Sirius been married or engaged? He felt another pang; there was still so much he never found out about Sirius. So much he had never been given the time to find out. Or, so much he had not bothered asking.
"Okay, I think that is all," Dumbledore's voice seemed to float back into Harry's thoughts. "I'll see the Members tomorrow. Otherwise, I'll see you back at Hogwarts." Then he left swiftly talking in hushed voices with Moody. Remus and Selena seemed to be talking hurriedly about something and then Remus stood and walked over to Harry.
"We need to talk," Was all he said and he led Harry from the room and upstairs into the Drawing Room. Remus or Mrs Weasley had completely changed Grimmauld Place and it looked like a normal house. The House-Elf heads had gone (much to Hermione's pleasure) and they had even decorated. The drawing room was now in a white and pale blue the Black Family Tree still hanging on the wall.
"Harry, there is so much you never got the chance to ask Sirius. Like, how old he was when he and James first met or anything like that. I would like to give you the chance to ask me so you can find out and hopefully get some closure. I know it's something that is eating you alive Harry; it's doing the same to me. Maybe if we talk, it'll help us both," Remus said slowly and calmly. Harry nodded. It was worth a try. He had a feeling that if he kept snapping at Ron Hermione was going to hex him.
"I-um-never knew you were married. Was Sirius best man or my Dad?" Harry said rather uncomfortably. Remus smiled widely and warmly.
"Yes. They both were. Selena and I married the summer before that Halloween. You kept screaming and Lily looked so funny. She was not backing down from the glares everyone was giving you and her and she kept talking to you loudly," Remus said fondly. Harry smiled, he could not remember it, but he just smiled. "Sirius and James actually had a fight at the reception. Sirius wanted to do a strip dance, James told him to stop being obscene. So, they ended up having a playful fight. I hope Sirius was only joking," Remus laughed. And to Harry's surprise, he found himself laughing as well.
"Did Sirius ever marry or get engaged?" Harry asked suddenly.
"Yes," Remus said shortly with another smile. "He got engaged to the most beautiful girl in our year, apart from your Mother. Her name was Cassie McIntyre. She was a Slytherin, strangely enough. She and Sirius fell in love after they left school and became inseparable. He proposed one Christmas Eve, and of course they were already living together. She accepted," Remus finished.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"She was killed. Voldemort knew that James, myself, Lily, you, Selena and Cassie were weak points of Sirius'. And he knew James had only a few people in his life that he cared about, Sirius being one of the main ones. Voldemort knew he could inflict pain on someone close to James to show James he could break into James' inner circle. Naturally, he couldn't go after James and Lily quite yet. Selena and I had only just married and were living in Hogwarts, so we were no go areas. That left; Cassie and Sirius. Sirius was called into work one Saturday Evening, and Death Eaters got into their house and tortured her for information, then killed her," Remus sighed quite upset.
"Sirius seemed to be a broken man. He would not eat, sleep, and drink. He just survived on air. He would come to Order meetings depressed, half asleep," Remus continued. "But, lets not talk about that. Lets discuss something brighter," Remus said trying to lighten the mood. And it began, an afternoon of Remus telling Harry all about the Marauders pranks and jokes at Hogwarts. As Harry left the drawing room, he felt like a weight in his stomach had been lifted. He felt he knew Sirius as well as he possibly could now. And he embraced the memories. He fell asleep peacefully for the first time in weeks that night. Ron smiled as soon as he saw Harry come into the room not looking too depressed, and also not to hear him talking in his sleep.
~*~
Narcissa Malfoy was angry beyond belief. She had screamed, stunned, yelled some more and broken her favourite ornament by mistake. Lucius had escaped from Azkaban and arrived back at the Manor bringing with him, Bellatrix. Narcissa and Bellatrix did not get on. But good news had arrived her daughter would be attending Hogwarts next year. She had called her children to the dining room and sat at the long, dark wood table. She was draped in fine black silk robes and looked like the Ice Woman. Her eyes were piercing her hair fell around her face, perfectly straight and sleek. Lucius came into the room and sat next to his wife while they awaited the children.
"She has changed, you say?" Lucius asked. "How?"
"She is changing because the Order and that scum have not noticed she needs or needed help, Lucius. So, she is turning her attentions to you and what you believe in," Narcissa explained for what seemed the thousandth time.
"That is good news," Lucius said.
"The bad news is, Kreacher has been killed. On his way to bring me news, he was trampled on by horses," Narcissa said through gritted teeth.
"You seem on edge," Lucius pointed out.
"I am past the edge, Lucius. When will that woman be out of my home?" Narcissa snapped her delicate and bony fingers clenched into two balls.
"When the Dark Lord finds her accommodation. You are sure the Ministry will not come and check here?" Lucius asked.
"They already have. I told them you were in Azkaban and I did not appreciate being checked up on. They took the hint," Narcissa said distracted as her children appeared. Draco sauntered in first and took a seat in one of the large dark chairs. The girl came in second, wearing the same jeans but this time she wore a black shirt, the same collar and her hair was pulled back off her face. She had the same features as Draco, only much more softer.
"Well?" The girl asked calmly.
"Athena, I do not appreciate being spoken to in that tone, we have gone through this," Narcissa warned. The girl's name was Athena. Lucius had named her after the Greek Goddess of War, Athena Malfoy. Athena loved her name, she loved the fact she was named after such a great Goddess.
"You will attend Hogwarts next term," Lucius said his white-blonde hair was tied softly with a black ribbon. He looked no different to before he had gone to Azkaban. Athena was no longer paying attention and was staring around at the portraits in the dining room. Her favourite was the portrait of the Goddess Athena. It did not show a person but there were a lot of reds and blacks and what appeared to be a battle. It was a war.
"What? No way! You can't just make me move schools! I've spent the past 15 years of my life living like an outcast, and I was perfectly happy with that! I love Salem's, all my friends are there," Athena tried to protest.
"What friends?" Draco snorted. Athena shot him an icy glare and elbowed him off his chair.
"Athena!" Narcissa snapped. "You will go to Hogwarts and you will uphold the Malfoy name. You will not speak of your Father's escape, you will not discuss any of the things that happen within this Manor and you will be in Slytherin."
"Well when do I get sorted?" Athena asked in a stupid voice. She was the perfect Malfoy when she wanted to be, and at times Lucius was strangely proud of his daughter. He knew she could be groomed to do great things for the Dark Lord, but also could be groomed by the Order. But as he watched her sit there, he knew all the hopes she had had pinned on the Order, no longer existed.
"You will travel to school with your brother, and be sorted separately by Dumbledore," Narcissa said. When it came to Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, the people who actually knew them knew that the phrase "Behind every powerful man is an even stronger woman." Had been invented for them.
"You are dismissed," Lucius said. Athena stood up and left the room, she walked over the white stone entrance hall and marched up the winding staircase. She carried on up another flight of stairs and threw herself into her bedroom. She kicked her shoes off and jumped onto her four-poster bed. The hangings were black velvet and the covers black velvet with the golden M on and the snakes winding around it. Athena sat against her pillows, her legs drawn up. She hated this. Hated it. She knew she could do nothing to stop them sending her to Hogwarts. Nothing.
"We are going to have to be best friends at Hogwarts," Draco's voice drawled from the doorway. He leaned against the white door and finally he came in and closed it with a small snap. He took a seat on Athena's black fainting couch and looked at his twin sister, long and hard.
"I know, I am not stupid," Athena warned. "What are the girls in our year like?"
"Not worthy of you," Draco said simply. "You are far too high and mighty for them and I predict some rather entertaining arguments between yourself and Pansy Parkinson," Draco added, almost as an after-thought.
"Then, you will have to defend me," Athena spoke with an amused tone.
"I know what I have to do to gain respect for being a Malfoy, even though the name is beginning to mean nothing. We will have to show that school we are still as proud," Draco said.
"As long as Crabbe and Goyle stay away from me," Athena said. They were coming over for the rest of the summer tomorrow with their parents, and Athena hated them. She did not care who knew it. She found them stupid and time wasting. Athena was always on the go, often reading various literature, doing something productive. Athena looked at her brother and for the first time in her life felt a sibling connection. What was happening to her? She suddenly felt proud to be a Malfoy. Proud to be the daughter of Lucius Malfoy, proud to be the sister of Draco.
"We will no doubt benefit each other. For example, you will keep Pansy away from me and I shall keep Crabbe away from you," Draco said lightly. And they had reached an unspoken agreement. To look out for each other in the way brother's and sister's do. Athena smiled
