Her Majesty

by Witch of the West

The daughter of a famous American Quidditch star finds herself unwillingly thrown into the new war. She must deal with her loss, the impending job she is to take and falling in love with a Weasley. Can the Quidditch star’s daughter, who is a Quidditch p

Title: Her Majesty

Author: Witch of the West

Disclaimer: I own everything you don't recognize as belonging to JK Rowling, who is pregnant again! Jeez woman! Anywho, since I'm not richer than the queen, I don't own anything that made JK Rowling that rich.

Summary: In the middle of the new war, where you have to watch your every move, one family is targeted. A famous American Quidditch star and his family is tracked by He Who Must Not Be Named. Unwillingly Natalie Brankovitch, the youngest child and only daughter of Maximus Brankovitch III (QttA), is thrust into the world of the wanker himself while she just tries to enjoy London with her family after her graduation from school. Now she must deal with her loss, the impending job she is to take and falling in love with a Weasley. Can the Quidditch star's daughter, who is a Quidditch phenomenon in her own right, handle the pressure, the rumors, jealous friends and the real world?

Chapter One:

Standing outside of Her Majesty's theatre in London in a slightly chilly air, Natalie looked around and enjoyed her surroundings, grinning broadly. She pulled at her white knee-length skirt a little and looked down at her black sling-back shoes. She loved dressing like a Muggle, especially when going out to the theatre. She was extremely lucky as her mother was not only a Muggle, but was an up and coming fashion designer. Natalie was always willing to try out her mother's new designs. Her father on the other hand was a famous Quidditch player for the Fitchburg Finches. He was known to the world as Maximus Brankovitch, III; but to Natalie and her two brothers, Max (named after his father) and Eric, he was just Dad. Natalie jumped a little as her older brother, Eric, put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed a little. She turned her head to look up at him and smiled. Eric smiled back and engulfed his little sister into an enormous hug.

"Congratulations, kid," he told her. Natalie had recently graduated from Salem's Academy, her father and brothers' alma mater. She was the Head Girl and a fantastic Chaser on her house's Quidditch team. All six years she was on the team, they had won the Inter-House Championship. She loved flying and playing Quidditch, as did her brothers and her father. Her mother once remarked that it was in the blood. Her children hadn't wasted time in agreeing. Although her father played in Massachusetts and her school was in the same state, Natalie and her family lived in Newport, Rhode Island.

"Theresa, what time does the show start?" Natalie heard her father address her mother.

"It starts at 7:30, dear," her mother responded. Natalie looked up and saw the name of the musical they were about to watch. She smiled as she read the title: "Phantom of the Opera". She loved the show immensely but had never seen it live. She longed to hear the familiar music and see the gorgeous costumes and scenery.

Her family entered the lobby of the theatre and Eric kept a firm hand on his sister's shoulder as to not lose her, which was prone to happen. He loved his sister and the amazing bond they shared. They were family, best friends and confidantes. He enjoyed watching her grow up into the extraordinary woman she was fast becoming. At first he had laughed when she was struggling in the hotel bathroom of the room they shared, as she tried to master the curling iron she was using on her ponytail. But when she was finished, her brown hair looked great. He noticed that she had piled it onto her head and pinned it there with many bobby pins. He liked that she only wore a minimal amount of make-up that only enhanced her blue eyes. He also wished that the less make-up she wore, the less number of boys would notice her and only the ones who liked her for her would try and talk to her. He knew what came with being a child of a famous sports star. He had had his bad luck with love and vowed to keep Natalie from sharing in his heartbreak. Eric's thoughts were brought back to reality when his sister tripped a little. He steadied her and they shared a small smile.

The family made it to their seats and looked around at the theatre. Natalie smiled as she saw many people file into their seats and waited for the show to start. She sat between her older brothers and studied her eldest brother, Max, as he read a program. Each passing day he looked more and more like their father. Her father's blue eyes and blond hair had been passed on to his carbon copy of a son and had treated Maximus IV, with looks that were envied and admired. Natalie noticed that she and Eric looked the most alike; perhaps that was why they were so close, despite their close age difference. Eric was the ripe old age of nineteen while Natalie was set to turn eighteen in a few months. Eric shared the same brown hair and blue eyes with Natalie. As she was about to think about the shared love of Quidditch between the three siblings, a scream ripped through the theatre. The audience currently in the balcony, which included the Brankovitch family, looked over the edge down to the source of the scream below. As they did they saw and heard many others screaming as they faced some people in black robes and masks. The family exchanged frightened looks.

"What are we going to do? There are Death Eaters down there," Eric said.

"Just stay here. There's no use fighting them, as we're not armed. We'll stay here and hope help comes quickly. We'll be fine," his father told him. He nodded and continued to survey the murders happening below him. As Natalie watched over the situation, she caught the glance of a Death Eater. He seemed to look right through her. He quickly averted his gaze and stole a hurried conversation with a Death Eater beside him. Commotion was coming from behind the family and they turned to see what could be happening. Several Death Eaters had made it to the balcony and were setting furniture and curtains aflame. Chairs were being blasted apart and pieces were flying every which way. Eric pulled Natalie to the floor as an arm of a chair flew above their heads. They were crouched down beside their other family members. Natalie took a look around at the situation that was going on around them. As she looked around she felt a large piece of a chair hit her in the back of her head. Her eyes widened in surprise before her world went black.

An hour later Fred and George Weasley stood on the steps to the balcony of Her Majesty's theatre in London. They surveyed the wrecked balcony in front of them and sighed simultaneously. Chairs were ripped from their original positions on the floor of the balcony. Debris was scattered everywhere, over bodies and hanging from the walls.

"You take the front of the area while I take the back," Fred told George. George nodded and made his way to the front of the charred balcony. It was amazing that the balcony was still standing. He stepped over burnt pieces of chairs, wall and floor. He made it to the front of the balcony and came upon a family of five. The family looked awfully familiar. He felt he had seen them before, like on the front page of the newspaper, or something like that. But he couldn't place them. Was it someone from the Ministry? No, that wasn't it. Quidditch? Yes! That was it. He'd seen them on the front page of a Quidditch magazine, Quidditch Weekly, to be exact. They weren't English; they were American. But what were their names? He remembered that the father and the children were dressed in Quidditch robes but the mother was dressed in Muggle clothes. There was a huge article on the family, but he couldn't remember for the life of him who they were. He could remember many details from the article, but no names. He knew that the children had played Quidditch at their school in the States. He knew that all three of them were Chasers and for three years they had played together. He also knew that the daughter was a phenomenon. The article mentioned how many international teams had scouted her, yet she hadn't chosen a team yet. It wasn't even certain if she was going to play Quidditch after she graduated. She must have graduated by now, George thought, that article was written months ago. If only I could remember the family name. It was certainly a big article; the captain of the American national Quidditch team was going to retire after one more season.

"Oi, Fred!" George called. Fred looked up from behind a burnt chair.

"Yeah? Did you find anyone alive?" Fred asked.

"No, not yet. Who was the American captain?"

"For the National team? Brankovitch, I think. Ask Charlie," Fred responded, then resumed searching, ducking back behind the chair.

"I think his family is here," George said. Fred popped back up and walked slowly over to his twin.

"Are you sure?" he asked as he walked toward George. George nodded as his brother got closer. Fred stopped beside him and looked down at the five people in the front row.

"Merlin," he whispered. "All of them. Gone. Did you read the article in Quidditch Weekly about them?"

"Yeah. I did," George said. The brothers watched in mourning for the lost family. As they did they surveyed the bodies. How could someone be so cruel? To all of these people? No one deserved this.

"What do you think they were doing here in London? They're American," Fred stated/asked.

"Holiday?" George guessed. "Didn't their daughter just finish school?"

"Yeah, I think so." Both watched the daughter for a minute. She had finished school and was about to step out into the real world. She still had offers from many Quidditch teams to join their ranks and was now unable to do so. As they surveyed her, they watched her hand. On her middle finger of her left hand was an interesting silver ring. It was simple, yet interesting at the same time. It seemed as if she never took the ring off. Perhaps it was a gift? But that didn't matter.

Then something extraordinary happened; the finger with the ring twitched. Both Fred and George jumped. They looked at each other and then back at the hand. It moved again.

"We've got someone!" Fred yelled over the balcony as George checked her for breathing and a pulse. Several popping noises echoed throughout the theater. George looked up and saw that Tonks, Bill, Charlie and Kingsley had joined them on the balcony.

"Who do you have?" Charlie asked.

"You'll know. Just take one look at them," Fred told him. Charlie moved to join Fred and George where they were standing.

"Bloody hell! That's the Brankovitch family," Charlie said.

"We know," Fred and George said.

"Their daughter's alive," George continued. Charlie looked at her.

"Natalie," Charlie said. "She just finished school. She was about to take the open Chaser position for Ballycastle."

"How do you know?" Bill asked.

"Rumors. You hear a lot in a dragon camp, especially with Quidditch fanatics all around," Charlie said.

"Like you?" Fred asked. Charlie just smiled.

"Why so much talk about this kid?" Kingsley asked.

"Apparently she's very good for her age. Scouts were looking at her in her fifth year in school," Charlie explained. "She and her brothers were very good."

"I hate to break this up, but we need to get her to someone fast," George said. "Her pulse is really low and her breathing is very shallow."

"He's right," Bill said. "Where should we take her? St. Mungo's?"

"Yeah. Good idea," Tonks said. "Why don't Kingsley and I take her. Fred and George should come too. Bill and Charlie stay here and help everyone else." There were nods all around as Kingsley easily picked up Natalie and shifted her in his arms to get a better grip on her. She hung limply in his arms. The only sign of life coming from her was the subtle movement of her chest with every shallow breath she took.

"Let's go," Tonks said. She followed Kingsley down the stairs to the main floor, closely followed by Fred and George. As they entered the main floor the other Order members accosted them. Remus, Arthur and Mad-Eye came up to them when they saw the body Kingsley was holding.

"Is she alive?" Arthur asked.

"Barely," Kingsley responded. Remus looked over her.

"Get her to St. Mungo's quickly. She may not linger much longer," Remus told him. "Apparate. I know it's not safe but it's the quickest way to get there." Kingsley nodded and quickly disapparated. Remus breathed a sigh of relief when they didn't splinch.

"She's magical?" Mad-Eye asked.

"Yes," Tonks replied before she and the twins disapparated. They arrived in the lobby of the wizard hospital and asked the witch at the desk where Kingsley went. She pointed them in the right direction, knowing the severity of the situation. Tonks, Fred and George reached the room quickly and waited. The door was closed and had no window. Tonks began pacing as Fred and George slumped down onto the floor against the opposite wall. A few minutes later, Kingsley emerged from the room and Tonks immediately stopped pacing as Fred and George stood. Kingsley sighed before he spoke.

"She's going to be okay. Her situation was worse than what we thought. She had burns on her body and cuts and bruises. They helped her. She had a nasty laceration on the back of her head, but they fixed that up and bandaged her. She'll be alright," he informed them.

"Is she awake?" Fred asked.

"Yes. But she's pretty out of it," Kingsley answered. "She doesn't know about her family yet."

"Should we tell her?" George asked.

"I don't know. Would the Ministry do it? Or should we before she finds out from the Ministry? We wouldn't want her to be mad at us because we didn't tell her when we knew the whole time. Does that make sense?" Tonks spoke.

"We should tell her," Fred said. They nodded grimly and started to enter the room. As they did, they could see a Healer attending to her. She was sitting up and hugging her knees as the Healer put a bandage on the back of her neck. The Healer finished and let her sit against the pillows propped up on her bed.

"We should change the bandages twice daily, just in case," the Healer said. She nodded. "And of course, Dreamless Sleep Potion will be available if you need it. Feel better, Natalie."

"Thank you," Natalie told the Healer. The Healer smiled at Natalie before addressing the others.

"You're welcome to visit for as long as you want," she told them. "But just make sure she does get some sleep." With that she left the room.

"Of course," Kingsley said. Natalie turned to look at them. She smiled a little before frowning at their grim faces.

"What's wrong?" Natalie asked as they took seats around her. Fred and George were on one side while Tonks and Kingsley were on the other.

"We need to tell you something," Tonks said.

"They're dead, aren't they?" Natalie asked. Tonks nodded with tears in her eyes. The tears were mirrored in Natalie's eyes. She closed her eyes for a few seconds then opened them. The amount of tears seemed to double but none fell. George was amazed at how well she was handling herself.

"Did you know?" Kingsley asked. Natalie looked to him and nodded. Fred and George looked at each other, both wearing an identical expression of confusion.

"Of course I knew. My father reminded us everyday how careful we had to be. It's amazing how dressing like a Muggle can disguise you so easily. But it seems that he finally caught onto our game," Natalie said.

"So he has," Tonks said. "How long had you known?"

"I think my father knew for about six years. He didn't let us know until about two years ago. Of course my mother knew for as long as my father did. They never had secrets," she said.

"Do you know why?" Kingsley asked.

"My mother. We were a high profile family with a Muggle mother. He never would have let that slide," she said.

"What are you going to do?" Tonks asked.

"Go back home for the funeral, then move out here. Training for Kenmare starts soon, I need to be there."

"Charlie was wrong," Fred said.

"What?" Natalie asked.

"Our brother, Charlie, said you were going to Ballycastle," Fred explained.

"He was wrong," Natalie said. Then she turned to Kingsley. "Do you mind doing any introductions? It might help to know who I'm talking to." Kingsley laughed a little.

"Sure. This is Tonks," Kingsley said. Tonks and Natalie shook hands.

"Nice hair," Natalie said genuinely.

"Thanks," Tonks said, smiling. Natalie returned the smile. Tonks grinned broadly then took Natalie into a hug. They parted and Kingsley continued on with the introductions.

"Fred is the one by the foot of the bed and George is the one closest to you," Kingsley said. "Right?" he asked the twins for confirmation. They nodded. Natalie shook their hands and laughed a little. The Healer entered the room with Natalie's clothes and shoes. Everyone turned as she entered.

"You can leave in a few minutes. We've gotten clearance to let you go as long as you go to a safe place you can call home for a while; special orders from Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster at Hogwarts. You can change and then leave whenever you feel free," she informed Natalie. The door to the room opened again and in stepped Arthur Weasley followed by Professor Dumbledore himself. They approached the bed and stood at the foot.

"Hello, Natalie. I'm Albus Dumbledore. I hear you've had a rough night," Dumbledore addressed her kindly.

"Yeah, so it seems," she said.

"What play were you to see?" Dumbledore asked gently.

"Phantom of the Opera," she answered. Dumbledore smiled.

"A fabulous show," he said. "But onto the matters at hand, we need to discuss the place you are to call home for the next few months, possibly years. Arthur Weasley, along with his wife Molly, has graciously offered a place for you in their home. I do believe they still have an empty room available."

"That's very nice, but I don't want to impose on anyone," she started.

"Nonsense," Arthur said. "Molly insisted on letting you stay as soon as she heard what happened." Natalie smiled.

"Thank you," she said. Fred and George grinned. A famous Quidditch star's daughter was going to live with them. And she could become a famous star herself.

"I assume the funeral has been arranged," Dumbledore inquired.

"For years now," Natalie said. "We'll have to tell them four instead of five."

"Yes, we will. I'll contact them if you don't mind."

"I appreciate it."

"It is to be held in the States?"

"Yes, in Newport, Rhode Island, where we lived." Dumbledore smiled sadly. "In three days." Dumbledore nodded.

"Thank you, dear," he told her.

"You're welcome."

The clock on the wall of the Weasley house chimed for the hour of two in the morning when Arthur, Fred, George, Tonks and Natalie arrived in the living room via Apparation. Natalie was back in the clothes she was wearing as she stood in front of the theatre only six and a half hours earlier. She looked around the Weasleys' living room and smiled. She liked the room; it seemed so comfortable. She could just imagine the fun the family had gathered in the room. She followed Fred and George up the stairs as Arthur and Tonks brought up the rear. They made their way up but stopped on the second landing. Fred opened the door and George led the way into the room. Natalie looked around at the spacious bedroom. She smiled as she took in the bed, desk, wardrobe and window. She noted that her trunk from her initial room in London had been brought to the room she was going to occupy for a while. Arthur came into the room behind her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be best for you to get some sleep. We'll need to discuss the finer details of the coming days and weeks in the morning, well, later morning. Just try to get some rest," he told her quietly. Natalie nodded.

"What's going on?" a tired voice asked from behind the group of people. They turned and saw Ginny and Hermione standing in the hallway. "Who's that?" Ginny asked, trying to see around Tonks. Natalie stepped closer to the door and Ginny gasped.

"Hi," Natalie said to the young redhead.

"Hey," Ginny replied. Then she turned to her father. "Should I go wake up Mum and the others?" Arthur sighed.

"Maybe you should," Arthur said resignedly. He turned to Natalie as Ginny and Hermione left up the stairs. "We'll have you meet the family and our guests now, if that's alright."

"It's fine," Natalie said quietly.

"Would you like to change before?" Arthur asked, noting the state of her clothing. Her skirt was ripped and charred. Her shirt was bloody and burnt. Natalie looked down at the clothes she was wearing. She played with her skirt where it had tore. She nodded as she looked up at Arthur.

"We'll let you change. We'll be downstairs in the living room when you're done," Arthur told her. Natalie nodded again and watched as the others left the room. She sighed and opened her trunk.

Outside the room, Arthur motioned for George to wait for her. George nodded and waited against the wall. He saw Ron, Harry and Hermione come down the stairs. The former two were looking very sleepy as they walked down the steps. They stopped in front of George.

"Everyone's meeting in the living room," George told them.

"Why?" Ron asked grumpily. "Someone wouldn't say anything." He shot a glare at Hermione, who returned it with one of her own.

"I don't know who she is and have no idea what's going on. There's nothing to tell, except that someone's staying here now," Hermione told him. George fought back a grin. He loved watching those two bicker. It was quite amusing at times.

"Go on downstairs, little brother, and you'll find out what's going on very soon," George told Ron. He watched as his sixteen year old brother and friends walked down the rest of the stairs. Hermione was leading and Harry was bringing up the rear. Before Harry could get very far, George reached out a hand and stopped him.

"Make sure they find out about everything this year. I like the tension but I need more material," George told Harry. The Boy Who Lived grinned and nodded.

"Alright," he said before walking down the rest of the stairs. The door to Percy's old room opened and Natalie joined George on the landing. She had changed into plaid pajama pants and a Fitchburg Finches t-shirt. She looked a little surprised but relieved to see George standing there. She looked at him expectantly and followed him as he started to walk down the stairs. They entered the living room to find the entire Weasley family and their guests sitting around the fireplace where a fire was crackling merrily. Arthur looked up as George and Natalie entered.

"That's better," Arthur said. The rest of the people occupying the room turned and looked at Natalie and George. George showed Natalie over to the unoccupied loveseat and sat down on it with her. She pulled her legs up so her chin rested on her knees and George marveled at how small she was. The Quidditch Chasers he had known were all a lot bigger than she seemed to be. There was no doubt that she was strong though. Her arms and legs were muscular but very flexible, as he could tell from the way she seemed to easily curl up into a ball. She watched George's father expectantly, waiting for him to begin.

"Natalie, I want to introduce you to my family," Arthur started.

"Wait a minute!" Ron yelled. "That's Natalie Brankovitch!" Natalie and George shared a look as Fred spoke.

"Very good Ronnie. Why don't you tell her again? I don't think she quite heard you," Fred quipped. Ron blushed and remained quiet. Hermione scoffed beside him, earning herself a glare from her best friend.

"Are you really?" Ginny asked. Natalie nodded. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen. I'll be eighteen in November," she told Ginny.

"Natalie, I'd like you to meet my two youngest, Ron and Ginny," Arthur said. Natalie smiled at them in turn.

"Nice to meet you," she said. Ron and Ginny nodded in response. Molly came into the room through the kitchen.

"Hello, Natalie, dear," Molly said.

"Hello Mrs. Weasley," Natalie responded.

"Would you like anything?"

"Some apple cider, if you have it," Natalie requested hopefully.

"Of course, dear," Molly responded kindly, with a smile. She left the room and went back into the kitchen. Natalie smiled then turned back to Arthur.

"Next to Ron is Hermione Granger, an honorary family member," Arthur said. Natalie and Hermione smiled at each other. George leaned over to whisper in Natalie's ear.

"An actual family member if Ron gets a move on," he said quietly. Natalie successfully stifled a grin.

"And next to Ginny is Harry Potter, another honorary family member," Arthur was saying. Natalie and Harry nodded at each other.

"Again, permanent family member if he and Ginny quit beating around the bush," George whispered in her ear. Natalie's grin was camouflaged by Molly entering with a steaming mug of apple cider.

"Here you go, dear," she said as she handed Natalie the mug. Natalie took it and inhaled the aroma of the cider.

"Thank you so much," she said to the older woman. Molly smiled and joined her husband. Natalie tentatively took a sip from the mug and sighed after she swallowed the cider.

"You already know Fred and George," Arthur began again. Natalie nodded and smiled with the twins. "Next to Molly are Charlie and Bill, respectively." At the mention of Charlie's name, Natalie, Fred and George shared amused looks.

"Nice to meet you," Natalie said. Bill nodded and Charlie smiled.

"Are you really as good as they say you are?" Ron asked, sensing that introductions were now over and questioning could begin.

"I don't know," Natalie replied. "How good do they say I am?"

"They say you're a phenomenon," Charlie said.

"They being Quidditch Weekly," Fred added. Natalie's eyes widened in realization.

"That article about my dad said that?" she asked. "I thought the article was supposed to be about how my dad contributed to the game, not how I play."

"So you're really that good?" Ron asked, desperate to know the answer. Natalie just shrugged.

"You should play with us. We've got a place out back where we fly around," Charlie suggested. Natalie nodded but George noticed there was an added sparkle in her eye.

"I'd have to get my broom. It's at home," she said.

"What model?" Harry asked. She turned to him and smiled before answering.

"Firebolt 16," she responded.

"That broom doesn't exist!" Ron exclaimed. Natalie smirked.

"New model. It doesn't come out until next month," Natalie said. The Quidditch players in the family stared in awe.

"You're going to let us give it a go?" Fred asked.

"I'll think about it," Natalie said smiling.

"Alright, on to more important matters," Arthur started. "When is the funeral scheduled for?" The mood changed full circle.

"In a couple of days. We scheduled it for three days after the initial deaths," Natalie said somberly. Everyone in the room seemed to find the floor interesting, except for Natalie and Arthur. They looked at each other as they spoke.

"And people will know of it?" the head of the Weasley clan asked.

"Yes. It was arranged that once the deaths occurred, invitations would be sent out to guests on the guest list and they would then be informed of the time and place of the funerals," Natalie explained quietly. "It will start at eleven in the morning and the actual funeral should only last until noon. The gathering at the house would last until about four in the afternoon."

"How many people are expected?" Arthur asked.

"About three hundred," Natalie said. "People from all over. The Finches, my old Quidditch team, my brothers' friends and my mother's clients to name a few." Natalie took a long sip of her cider, which was surprisingly still hot, as she hadn't touched it in a long while.

"And what will you do after?" Arthur inquired.

"After the gathering? Probably go up into my room," Natalie answered.

"And do what?" Ron asked. Natalie looked at him sadly.

"Cry," she answered. She felt one of George's hands rest on her shoulder and squeeze it gently. She looked at him and saw sympathy etched into his eyes. She looked away and drained the remaining cider from her cup.

Two days later at ten thirty in the morning, the Weasley family Flooed to the Brankovitch residence in Newport, Rhode Island. They ended up coming out of a large fireplace in a vast living room. Footsteps were heard in the room off to the right of the fireplace and the family, led by Arthur, tentatively entered the room. As they entered, they discovered the area to be the kitchen. They watched as Natalie paced around the white, large kitchen. She looked up as the Weasley family entered. She smiled as she took in their Muggle dress and the comfort she found when being with the family. Natalie, herself, was already dressed in a black dress and black shoes. Her make-up was natural and her hair was how it had been the day her family had been killed: in a ponytail, curled and piled on her head. As she looked back down at the island she had come to rest at, she pushed a bobby pin back into her hair. Once the family was fully in the kitchen, Ginny, Arthur and the twins joined Natalie at the island.

"Please, feel free to sit," Natalie said in a quiet voice. She sounded as if she couldn't bear to talk; as if she was afraid she'd lose her composure. The people who had not joined her at the island sat around the large table set up in the kitchen. She felt them watching her. George noticed that she looked very tired. Even with the make-up she wore, he could see the bags and circles under her eyes. They were faint but he could see them.

"Is anyone else coming beforehand?" Molly asked softly. Natalie looked up.

"Just the teams," Natalie said.

"Yours and your dad's?" George asked. Natalie looked at him and nodded. The silence was broken by the sound of a doorbell. Natalie hurried out of the kitchen to the front door. She opened it and sighed.

"Hey," a male voice could be heard talking. There was no verbal response from Natalie. Ginny and Hermione watched the door Natalie had hurried out of as she entered followed by six teenage boys. The boys looked very athletic. Each was tall and stocky in the suits they wore.

"These are the Weasleys, the redheads. Molly, Bill, Charlie, Ron, Fred, Ginny, Arthur and George. Hermione Granger is next to Ron and Harry Potter is on the other side of him," Natalie introduced. "This is Gabriel Spencer, Zachary Aldridge, Ethan Duncan, Matthew Bristol, Michael Sullivan and Joshua Barton. We all played Quidditch together." Natalie watched as her teammates shook hands and exchanged hellos with the Weasley family.

"How are you holding up?" Ethan asked Natalie. She just looked at him and he nodded. The doorbell rang again and Natalie moved to go to the door. Gabriel stopped her.

"I'll get it, Talie," he said, using the nickname the team had come up with for her. She smiled slightly for her thanks. As Gabriel left the room, a solemn silence filled the air. It only lasted a minute as six men joined the company in the kitchen. Each greeted Natalie with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, a few used her nickname. Natalie never spoke but acquired an unattached look and stared at the kitchen island. She glanced up at the clock on the wall opposite her and sighed.

"We should go," she said softly. The occupants of the kitchen made their way to the front door and out of the house. As they left, Natalie locked the door, magically and Muggle-ly. George looked back and saw the house. He had never seen one like it. The large house was made of brick. He remembered seeing something like it in a history book for History of Magic. He couldn't wait to get in the house and explore. His thoughts were brought back to the present when Natalie stepped away from the door and joined the large group at the foot of the stairs leading to the porch of the house. In front of the group in the circular driveway, waited four limousines to take them to the church where the funerals would take place. The Weasley family took their place in the first limo. The second was occupied by Natalie's former teammates. The Finches went into the third and Natalie went alone in the fourth.

The limousines took them to the graveyard where the late Brankovitchs would be buried. The graveyard was a beautiful, large piece of land. Many trees lined the roadways to the graves. Monuments and family crypts could be seen from the main road leading into the final resting place for many. A large crowd, all in black, was gathered at a spot underneath some trees. Natalie couldn't watch as the limos pulled up the spot where they would be dropped off. If she had looked out of the window, she would have seen four coffins lined up next to each other. Behind the coffins, the empty graves would be seen waiting to be filled. As Natalie stepped out of the last limousine, she kept her head low and watched the ground as she walked to where the crowd was assembled. She took her seat at the end of the first row of chairs. She sat next to one of her dad's teammates but couldn't bear to look at anyone for she would lose her composure.

As the preacher began to speak, Natalie finally brought her head up to look at the four coffins that lie before her. Grand bouquets topped the wooden cases that held her mother, her father and her two brothers. She didn't even notice when the preacher asked everyone to lower his or her heads in prayer. She didn't notice when he had mentioned her in the prayer, to ask God for His help in seeing Natalie through the ordeal she was experiencing. All she noticed was that there were only four coffins where there should have been five. She was forced back to reality when the man sitting beside her rose and took the preacher's place. The preacher sat down next to her and took her hand. The man who rose, one of her father's teammates by the name of David, stood in the place the preacher had once occupied and took a white piece of paper out of his inside jacket pocket. He unfolded the paper and cleared his throat.

"We are all here on a sorrowful day. We have lost four amazing people. Max, a great captain, teammate and father. Theresa, an amazing designer, a great friend and a wonderful mother. Max the fourth, a bright young man setting out into the world, a great son and brother. Eric, fresh off a year out of school, an amazing person and the greatest brother in the world..." David's words were lost on Natalie as she recalled memories with her father, mother and brothers. She was shaken out of her thoughts when she heard her name.

"... Natalie with all that we can. She will need our help now more than ever," David shifted his focus to look Natalie in the eye before he continued speaking. "Do you remember the day the team came to see the final match of the season in your last year?" He continued when she had nodded. "We all sat together. I was next to your father. Halfway through the game he leaned over to me and said he was so proud of you. He wasn't proud of the game you were playing, although I've never seen someone play like you do. He said he was proud of the smart, beautiful woman you had become and still are. He told me that he had no doubt when it came to you. You could get through anything because you possessed a strength your father said he didn't have. He told me of the day he had informed you and your brothers of your family's fate. He said that after everyone had left the room, you came running back in and climbed up into his lap like you did when you were younger. He told me that his fifteen year old daughter had said 'Daddy, don't worry. There are worse things than death. But even if we do die, we'll still be together.' He told me that after you had left, he wept. He loved you more than you will ever know. He was so proud of your strength, compassion, beauty, knowledge and wisdom. I know that you will continue to make him proud," David told Natalie before shifting his attention to the rest of the crowd. "We all loved and knew Max well. We will forever miss him. His love of the game and his children kept his spirit alive. He will live on through those he touched. We love you Max." David took the empty chair by Natalie as the preacher had stood to stand behind the crowd.

A small choir took their place in two rows by the coffins. The conductor took out a pitch pipe and blew a note. The choir hummed the note while the conductor put the instrument back into his pocket and raised his hands. The choir started singing.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see

If George Weasley looked the right way he could see Natalie barely move her lips in the shape of the words being sung. Her eyes began to glisten as she listened to the haunting song. George barely noticed as his own eyes began to do the same.

T'was Grace that taught...
My heart to fear
And Grace, my fears relieved
How precious did that Grace appear...
the hour I first believed

The choir's harmonized rendition of the song was all anyone needed to begin crying. George felt his own tears drip onto his cheeks. He didn't bother to wipe them away. All he noticed was that one lone tear had escaped from Natalie's eyes. She let it get halfway down her face before she wiped it away. He had never seen anyone look so heartbroken as she did at that moment. He had seen families sob openly for their lost relatives. As a member of the Order, he often told people of their loss or losses. He had seen many weep openly, yet he had never seen someone look so somber, so lost. He reached out his right hand and tentatively touched her left hand. She looked over her shoulder at him and took his hand fully in hers before turning back to the choir as they continued to sing.

Through many dangers, toils and snares...
We have already come
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...
And Grace will lead us home

They interlaced their fingers as the choir sang. Natalie turned when she felt a hand on her right shoulder. She saw Fred, with an expression similar to his brother's on his face. He squeezed her shoulder lightly and kept his hand resting there for a few seconds longer before he returned it to his side. Natalie lowered her head as the choir finished the song, two more verses having gone by before she started listening again.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see

The preacher resumed his place at the front. He turned to Natalie.

"Miss Brankovitch, if you would be so kind to join me here," he said. She nodded, reluctantly stepped out of George's reach and joined the preacher. Now Natalie could see the entire congregation. She gasped softly as she took in every single tear-stained face. Everyone had been crying, from the Weasley family to her father's teammates. Her former teammates were crying still, an act she didn't know they were capable of. As she looked out she saw many familiar faces, friends and distant family members. She even saw her future teammates standing near the back. Every person had tears glistening in their eyes and staining their faces. Natalie's vision began to blur and she tried desperately to keep down the tears. She lowered her head in vain, begging her body to comply with her demands. However when she looked up, she too had tears streaming down her face. Sobs could be heard throughout the large crowd.

"Would the pallbearers please join us," the preacher requested. Movement was heard through the crowd. Once the rustling had stopped, twenty-four people had joined Natalie and the preacher. Among them were the Finches, Gabriel, Ethan, Joshua and Zachary and several of Theresa's co-workers. A group of six people went to each coffin. The Finches went to her father's. Six of Theresa's co-workers went to her mother's. Gabriel and Zachary joined four of Max's closest friends at his coffin. Ethan and Joshua joined four of Eric's closest friends at his coffin. Natalie watched as they started to lower the coffins into the graves magically.

"Wait!" she said. They stopped and looked at her. She went over to the coffins and touched her father's. Tears were streaming down her face as she rested a hand on the coffin.

"Goodbye, Daddy," she could be heard saying quietly to the coffin. Sobs from the crowd heightened as she spoke those words. "I'll miss you. I love you." Molly, Ginny and Hermione clung onto each other as they watched Natalie say goodbye to her father. She watched as they slowly lowered her father into the grave. She stepped to her mother's coffin.

"I love you, Mommy. It's not your fault," she said quietly. Her mother's coffin was lowered into the grave set for her by her sobbing co-workers. Natalie stepped over to Max's coffin.

"I'll miss you, big brother," she told Max. "I love you. I'm sorry I never told you every day." Her voice cracked and she watched tearfully as her eldest brother's coffin was lowered into the ground. She stepped tentatively over to Eric's coffin. She placed her hand on the coffin slowly; not wanting to believe it was real. It was a while before she started to speak.

"I love you. I'll miss you so much, Eric. You meant more to me than you ever knew," she said quietly before her sobs finally overcame her. The preacher came over to Natalie and put his arm around her shoulders as she cried. She watched her brother's coffin float slowly into the ground and out of sight. She began to sob again. Her cries, although mingled with those of others, carried far and could be heard above the rest. They were gone. They were really gone. She would never see them again. And she would forever want revenge.