Chapter Nineteen
"I'm sure you know this nice, young man. He looks promising, darling. You remember his name? His name is Alexander. He goes to Hogwarts, and he's here to keep you company. Have fun, and behave yourself, Daughter," Voldemort said, gently ushering the young wizard forward.
"Shove it, Baldymort," she growled, snapping at his direction.
Alexander walked over to her, sitting on her bed next to her. She was now in a more decent room, looking much like a room at Hogwarts. It had the basics, bedroom, bathroom, closet. It was well furnished, and she was dressed appropriotly. At the moment, she was sitting on her bed, looking none to pleased to see either of the boys, but having a much more problem with Voldemort. She didn't seem to mind Alex too much.
Alexander seemed shocked with the attitude that she used with her "father." Voldemort left without hesitation, leaving the two teenagers in the room. She rolled her eyes and jumped off her bed, walking over to the fireplace. She moved the logs inside with her tail and leaned against the wall, casting an irritated look at him.
"My peche, you look a lot more specta..."
"Save it, Alex," she said. "Just because I'm slightly converted doesn't mean you're my best friend."
She turned around, giving him the full view of her back, where the leather had been keenfully sewed around.
"Did that hurt? I know it hurt when I received mine, but I don't think I could imagine one that took up my entire back."
It was funny. She was half and half, part Death Eater, part against them. Now, Alex wasn't so much of a bad guy, and Voldemort was content on getting them together, but she would have none of it.
"Yeah, I couldn't sleep on my back for six days, but that's with the whipings and beatings that came with it."
The white blonde walked next to her, gently smoothing his palms over her shoulders. She flinched under his touch and politely brushed him away. He just leaned calmly against the wall, his eyes flashing at her.
"I can't imagine how much that..."
"No, you can't," she spat. "Look, forgive me for not accepting you. I've been through a year of torture, mutilation, stress, God knows what else. I really don't give a fuck about what Baldymort thinks. I don't want to marry you. I don't want to marry any damn Death Eater. You've gone from class A asshole to class A flirt. I'm just not interested."
He nodded. "I know it's been hard. I can't empathize with you, but the Dark Lord just wants to make you the best."
She shook her head once and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "He thinks he can turn me into his pawn like he has the rest of you. It doesn't work like that."
Alex put his knuckles on the back of her neck. "And through all that, you're still as soft as silk."
"Alexander, stop it. I don't love you. I really don't like you. You're just tolerable now." She sat on her bed again and watched him. "I just want to go back."
He looked disgusted. "Want to go back? Apart from this? You could live a life of royalty that you would never imagine if you would just be what you were born to be!"
"And what would that be?"
"Master's daughter!"
"I am NOT that beast's daughter. I am not his pawn."
"You are his daughter as much as you are Harry's. He and Harry were merged together when he impregnated your mother. Harry's only half your father. The Dark Lord's the other half."
"That may be so, but I will never accept him as my father. He doesn't know how to be loving. He's incapable of love. He's incapable of being a father."
Alexander sat on the bed next to her. "Excuse my language, milady, but if you would stop being such a bitch to him, maybe he would show more signs of fatherhood."
She drew her knees to her and nodded, but then shook her head. "If he was really a father to me, why is he so intent on letting me reach my full power? All I ever wanted was to have my mom and dad back, my friends. I wanted people to stop being afraid of me, and I wanted a boyfriend. Like that's ever going to happen, and I don't care how much you suck up to me or him, it will never be you."
His smile faded. "Why?"
"You nearly killed Diego, and you gave me a headache that lasted for two weeks, that's why!" she snorted.
"That little pest had it coming to him. If he hadn't interfered on the field..."
"He wouldn't have interfered if you hadn't been bothering me about the recent death of my family."
"True, but the runt should learn to mind his own business. I taught him a valuable lesson."
"Go near my friends again, Alex, and I'll tear your head off. You may have become tolerable, but I swear if you touch a hair on any of them, you're dead."
"We are supposed to be on opposite sides, Lilus. I will fight against your friends because they are the enemy. I know that once back at the school, you will fight against me, but we can keep what goes on between us a secret," he said, reaching over for her shoulders.
"Alex, touch me and burn."
"Fine, love, but I'm always open for you."
She smiled mockingly at him. "Thank you. I'll always keep that in mind."
"I must take my leave now. May I not have a farewell kiss? Just on the cheek?"
She didn't answer, and he took that for a yes. He leaned over and gave her a sharp peck on the cheek before rising from his seat and stalking towards the door. He turned around and caught her eyes.
"Farewell, my peche."
"Bye."
"And that's how it came to be. I have yet to fill you in on the details, but there's a little," said the figure from the window.
Jason had fallen asleep in the common room. The fire's light did not reach the shadow in the corner, and it moved in the darkness making no sound at all. He jerked up, grabbing his wand and waving it in the air towards the shadow. The figure stopped moving, and he slowly lowered his wand.
"L...Li...."
She slinked into the light, her short-cropped hair clean and dressed in Gryffindor robes. She climbed onto the back of the sofa and stared at him. He could plainly see the tail wave behind her. It had a bumpy ridge going down it, and it ended in a sharp spike. This was his friend. Lilus was alive. She was right in front of him, alive and back.
"All of it is true, then? The Dark Mark and everything?" Jason asked, trying to catch his breath.
She nodded, looking at the floor in shame. He stood up and walked to her side, just staring at her for a while. She was there. He reached out and gently brushed his fingers across her cheek. She flinched under his touch slightly, her body trembling. She was really there. This wasn't a dream. This wasn't another dream. It was real. She was right here.
"Oh, my God! Lilus, you're alive!" he cried, breaking into tears.
His arms were around her in an instant, and she nestled into his embrace, squeezing him tightly. One year away from this. One year away from his warmth was too much. One year away from her friends, the only family she had left.
"Jason, how I have missed you," she whispered, the blood tears overflowing her eyes as well. "You have no idea...what I've been through."
He looked at her, the tears flowing uncontrollably down his cheeks. "I hoped... I prayed that you were alive. I prayed. Everyday for one year, I prayed that you would come back."
He had, every night. He had prayed that she'd get to come back. His Seer visions had never given him anything that didn't include near death torture. All he knew of her was pain, but then, he wasn't so sure about those dreams.
"Jason, you can't mention this to anyone. You can't mention what I've shown you in the dreams. I am not a Death Eater, okay? Not entirely. I'm still going to fight against them. It's just now, Voldemort has a lot more influence in my life. Part of me wants to be...but the other half hates it."
Jason looked her straight in the eye and kissed her hard on her lips. It was the best thing he had ever felt. He had dreamed of kissing her, but it had never actually happened, but now, his fantasies were no where to be found. He was so damn happy to see his friend again.
"God fucking damn it! Lilus, I won't tell anyone, but, did you agree to it?"
She collapsed against him and started bawling. "No, but then, near the end of my time with them, it didn't seem so bad."
"Lilus, they killed your parents."
"I'm not all Death Eater. Voldemort knows that."
"Fuck Voldemort. You're alive, and you're back. Oh my fucking god! I knew it! I knew you would come back! The others thought you were dead, but I prayed."
Jason held her tightly against him. Suddenly, his hand traveled south, and he grabbed the flailing appendage behind her. Instantly, her knees gave way, and she snatched it from him.
"You're bleeding!"
"Look, Wolfie. Don't touch the tail. It's very sensitive. I'm okay. Just a scratch."
Jason laughed and nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."
She smiled at him, and he could see that inside, really, she was just the same as she had always been. His friend had changed a little, and he could see the faint outlines of scars on her body. Her hair was short, and her eyes were dark red. She wore gloves to cover her hands, and she had sharp teeth. She looked a little more demonic, but it was Lilus all the way. She was still his friend. She was still alive. She was here. She was still the Seeker. She was still Remy's best student. She was still the peacemaker with Snape.
"Have they kicked me off the Quidditch team?"
Jason laughed. "Of course not. You're a ... er ... still living legend."
She nodded. "That's good. Come on. We need to go see Remy. I scared him a little when I came back."
"Yeah, you want me to go get your cloak?"
Lilus shrugged. "We can fly over there."
Jason's eyes lit up. "Yeah, let's fly."
She grinned and walked over to the window sill, springing out of it and catching herself on her two wings that just materialized out of nowhere. Jason was right behind her, covered in bird feathers topped off with a beak. She flew around the towers, attaching herself to the side of a tower right next to a window. Jason hovered behind her, and she knocked the window open, slipping inside. The blood had been wiped off. Her wings turned into hands as soon as they entered the window. Jason flew inside and landed on the desk, transforming back and jumping off.
"Remy?" she whispered softly.
There was no sound. She walked into his bedroom, and she could see the sleeping mound in the bed. She walked over to a candle and gently blew a jet of fire out of her nose and onto the wick. She knelt down next to his bed, watching the older wizard sleep.
"Remy, wake up. I'm home..."
She gently prodded him in his shoulder, causing him to stirr.
"Remy, I'm home. Wake up!"
Remy's eyes opened as she shook him, and he sprung over the side of his bed, crashing into the floor. She jumped over it to check on him, but he just stood up and backed against the wall.
"Get away from me!" he said, grabbing his wand off the night table.
"MOONY! IT'S LILUS! DON'T SPELL HER!" Jason said, grabbing the wand out of Remus's hand.
Remus stared at Jason for a while as if he was retarded. Then his glance went to Lilus, and he collapsed on the floor, crying his heart out, his eyes staring at hers. Lilus knelt in front of him and wrapped her arms around him. His shaky hands groped for her back and he squeezed her tightly.
"Remy, it's okay. I'm home."
"You're alive! Oh, Lilus! I...thought you...were...dead! I...I'm..." He tightened his grip on her, crying into her shoulder.
"Remy, everything's going to be okay. Look, I'm not dead. I'm fine."
He suddenly started laughing, and he laughed so hard he started crying again. "OH MY GOD! LILUS! YOU'RE ALIVE! OH MY GOD! I HAVE TO GET THE OTHERS!" He threw on his robe and house slippers. "COME ON!"
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her along and Jason rushed behind them, laughing his head off.
"MINERVA! SEVERUS! FIRENZE! WAKE UP! WAKE UP NOW!"
Nearly three seconds later, the teachers fell out of their rooms in a heap of discomfort and emergency. "What's wrong?!"
Everyone of them crowded around him, and he was panting, shaking, and trying to talk at the same time. Jason stood behind him, grinning innocently.
"What's wrong, Remus?" Minerva asked.
"Lilus is alive! She..."
Everything was quiet. Remus turned around, but to his dismay, all he found was Jason standing there.
"She was right here, I swear it!" he cried.
"Mr. Alus! You are out of bed!" Minerva demanded.
"And your point is?" he snapped, giving her the cursed look again.
"Remus, go back to sleep. You're still having nightmares for Christ's sake," Snape said, rolling his eyes.
Jason shook his head. "No, she's...here... She's on the ceiling."
At about the same time, something long and thin slid around Severus's shoulders. His eyes got really big, and everyone glanced at the ceiling. Lilus jumped behind Remus, but her clawmarks could still be seen in the stone.
"...Lilus?" Firenze whimpered.
"Ms. Potter?" Minerva squeaked.
"..." (Snape was in shock.)
She stood up and nodded her head at the ground. "Yeah, it's..."
Minerva burst forward, throwing her arms around the girl. "OH MY POOR CHILD, I AM SO SORRY! ARE YOU OKAY? ARE YOU HURT? WHAT HAPPENED? HARRY WOULD KILL ME FOR TREATING YOU THE WAY I HAVE! FORGIVE..."
"Headmistress, please. It's done and over with. I just had to get out, that's all. As you can see, I've evolved over the last year." She stood up straight and turned around, letting the professors looked at her. "Am I still on the Quidditch team? When's our next game?"
Minerva looked at Severus. "Yes, dear, but using your wings is forbidden."
"I don't have to use my wings."
Remus wrapped his arms around his goddaughter and squeezed her tightly. "I'm going back to bed. Lilus is coming with me. We have too much to talk about."
As much as she wanted to punch Professor McGonagall, she was glad to be back. Every part of her had dreamed about coming back since she had been told that she would be back. Everything was unchanged. Everything was so right here. She missed the blasted mold on the bricks! Damn! She had missed all this too much. She couldn't wait to get back on the field again. In the air. Of course, in the air was her life now. She always wanted to fly.
"Lilus, where did you go? What happened?"
Jason rubbed his neck. "I'm gonna go to bed. Catch you guys in the morning. Lilus, we have all too much to talk about. You better be up bright and early tomorrow."
She smiled and nodded her head. "Okay. Be back in a little while."
She lifted her head and looked at Remus. He smiled happily, his eyes overflowing with joy, literally. She smiled weakly and looked at the disappearing Jason. How would she explain to Remus what had happened? How would she explain to him that she was now a Death Eater. Although Voldemort couldn't read her thoughts, if he spoke anything about the Order, it would be blown. She was a Death Eater. She could become a spy like Snape had been, once upon a very long time ago.
Lilus Potter, the daughter of Harry and Hermione Potter, the greatest aurors of their generation, a Death Eater. Talk about a teenaged rebel. Jason understood. But she could feel it that he wanted to know why she even began to agree to it. If anyone else knew, it would be splattered across the front page of the Daily Prophet for years to come. LILUS POTTER, TRAITOR TO THE POTTER FAMILY.
Voldemort forced her in, and once a Death Eater always a Death Eater, until death that is. Everytime he called the Death Eaters, she would be notified. She would follow his call, and be there. She'd have to live two lives. She wanted to be a Death Eater, some deranged part of her that was darker than anything else. She wanted that throne of power. She wanted to be feared. But she was her Father's child, both of them. She wanted to destroy him.
"I...adopted Jason."
Remy's voice broke the silence of the hallway. "What?"
"His parents were killed while you were gone. He didn't have anywhere else to go. Much like your father was," he said slowly. "He stayed with me over vacation. He's gotten the hang of the werewolf ways."
Lilus nodded her head solumnly. "Well, I guess that kinda makes us siblings, huh?"
Remus nodded, then smiled weakly. "One year ago, I didn't have any children, and now I have two teenagers."
Lilus threw her arms around him and crushed him against her. "Oh God, Remy! I've missed all of this so much!"
Remus cuddled her softly. "You have had no idea. The Weasleys will be glad to see you. That and you have a game against Ravenclaw next month. I think Kyle will have mixed decisions about you're arrival. He's gotten rather good at Quidditch."
She nodded. "I knew he had the stuff."
"What...happened to you? What did the Death Eaters do to you?"
There it was. She didn't know how to answer that question. What had happened to her? She wasn't sure she could tell Remy. How did he know about the Death Eaters?
"I...learned a lot of new things."
Remus gently took her hands in his and looked her in the eyes. "Please, tell me."
It was silent when they entered his office. She sat down slowly in her favorite chair, and he sat behind his desk. She stared into the fire and sighed. She had to tell Remus. He was her family.
"Don't tell anything," she whispered. "I really don't want to tell you, because under the truth potion, you'll spill it all."
Remy looked at his hands and nodded.
"But I want to tell you."
He looked up again.
"I learned...that Voldemort...is alive. I learned that...he is..."
My father.
Say it!
Voldemort is...
"my father."
Remus shook his head. "That's impossible! He was dead when your mother and father were married!"
Blackwing shook her head. "No, he wasn't. Voldemort couldn't die unless Dad died. It's like the incident when Dad was a baby. Voldemort just vanished. This time, he became a part of Dad. Their souls merged for a long time."
Her godfather looked dumbfounded.
"Voldemort didn't want to kill me. He...just wants to turn me into a pawn. He just wants the dragon. That's it."
Remus stood up and walked over to her. "Lilus, everything's okay now. It's all going to be alright."
Should she tell him that she was a Death Eater? No, she shouldn't. That was too important for him to know right now.
She hugged him again. "Lilus, you should get some sleep. You can still used the Room of Requi..."
"I really don't want to sleep there. The last time I did, I was locked in."
Remy looked ashamed. "Minerva is very sorry for what she did. She was just frightened, Lilus. Do you want me to take you back to your House?"
Lilus looked at the ceiling. "I don't know. I'm sure if everyone woke up with me there, they'd all have heart attacks. What about breakfast? Would that be a convenient surprise?"
Remus shook his head. "You're trying to turn this into a grand entrance? I think you should go see your friends tonight. They've missed you terribly."
She nodded. "I know, but...I really don't want to go there now. They'll ask a lot of questions, you know?"
They'd ask too many questions. They'd all want to know where she had been, what happened to her. God only knows what else. They'd just ask questions and be happy that their star Seeker and near sister was back. She could always wait until morning to show herself to the others. She could just talk to Jason tonight. No doubt he'd be in the Common Room waiting for her.
"I understand."
"I'll go back to the House. Jason and I have lots to discuss as well."
Remus nodded. "He doesn't like to talk about his parents. He's told me that he wasn't close to them anyway, that it would just be strange not going to his house again. He lives with me now, Lilus, but the house is still big enough for one more."
She smiled. "I'm taking you up on that offer."
"I'll walk you back to your house."
She was back. After one complete year of torture that would make Argus Filch cringe, she was back. Quidditch was next month. Ravenclaw. Their Seeker was good, but their Keeper and Chasers were not on track. Their bludgers were good, though. Another problem. Well, she was still the Seeker of the Century, having already been offered professional places since her fourth year. Ah, that fourth year, the bloom of her Quidditch life. So many owls asking about Quidditch scholarships. That was a fun year. The other Seekers had no idea what had hit them. At that time, though, she wasn't retarded to Bludgers.
What would Jason say?
She had to find Snid. She had to apologize to him. Snid, was he okay? Did he know she was back from Raphael's information?
She'd missed him. She'd missed all of them. Justin would be glad to have her back.
What would Justin say? What would happen if everyone found out about the Dark Mark, the parasite that lived on her back. He'd never be the same again. He'd never trust her with anything again. They couldn't know yet. Only Jason could be trusted.
"Okay," she said, standing up.
"It's going to be much better from now on. You're safe now. Just please, never try to run away again. I don't want to lose you."
"I won't."
She hugged him tightly, and he walked with her down to her House.
"I'm sure you know this nice, young man. He looks promising, darling. You remember his name? His name is Alexander. He goes to Hogwarts, and he's here to keep you company. Have fun, and behave yourself, Daughter," Voldemort said, gently ushering the young wizard forward.
"Shove it, Baldymort," she growled, snapping at his direction.
Alexander walked over to her, sitting on her bed next to her. She was now in a more decent room, looking much like a room at Hogwarts. It had the basics, bedroom, bathroom, closet. It was well furnished, and she was dressed appropriotly. At the moment, she was sitting on her bed, looking none to pleased to see either of the boys, but having a much more problem with Voldemort. She didn't seem to mind Alex too much.
Alexander seemed shocked with the attitude that she used with her "father." Voldemort left without hesitation, leaving the two teenagers in the room. She rolled her eyes and jumped off her bed, walking over to the fireplace. She moved the logs inside with her tail and leaned against the wall, casting an irritated look at him.
"My peche, you look a lot more specta..."
"Save it, Alex," she said. "Just because I'm slightly converted doesn't mean you're my best friend."
She turned around, giving him the full view of her back, where the leather had been keenfully sewed around.
"Did that hurt? I know it hurt when I received mine, but I don't think I could imagine one that took up my entire back."
It was funny. She was half and half, part Death Eater, part against them. Now, Alex wasn't so much of a bad guy, and Voldemort was content on getting them together, but she would have none of it.
"Yeah, I couldn't sleep on my back for six days, but that's with the whipings and beatings that came with it."
The white blonde walked next to her, gently smoothing his palms over her shoulders. She flinched under his touch and politely brushed him away. He just leaned calmly against the wall, his eyes flashing at her.
"I can't imagine how much that..."
"No, you can't," she spat. "Look, forgive me for not accepting you. I've been through a year of torture, mutilation, stress, God knows what else. I really don't give a fuck about what Baldymort thinks. I don't want to marry you. I don't want to marry any damn Death Eater. You've gone from class A asshole to class A flirt. I'm just not interested."
He nodded. "I know it's been hard. I can't empathize with you, but the Dark Lord just wants to make you the best."
She shook her head once and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "He thinks he can turn me into his pawn like he has the rest of you. It doesn't work like that."
Alex put his knuckles on the back of her neck. "And through all that, you're still as soft as silk."
"Alexander, stop it. I don't love you. I really don't like you. You're just tolerable now." She sat on her bed again and watched him. "I just want to go back."
He looked disgusted. "Want to go back? Apart from this? You could live a life of royalty that you would never imagine if you would just be what you were born to be!"
"And what would that be?"
"Master's daughter!"
"I am NOT that beast's daughter. I am not his pawn."
"You are his daughter as much as you are Harry's. He and Harry were merged together when he impregnated your mother. Harry's only half your father. The Dark Lord's the other half."
"That may be so, but I will never accept him as my father. He doesn't know how to be loving. He's incapable of love. He's incapable of being a father."
Alexander sat on the bed next to her. "Excuse my language, milady, but if you would stop being such a bitch to him, maybe he would show more signs of fatherhood."
She drew her knees to her and nodded, but then shook her head. "If he was really a father to me, why is he so intent on letting me reach my full power? All I ever wanted was to have my mom and dad back, my friends. I wanted people to stop being afraid of me, and I wanted a boyfriend. Like that's ever going to happen, and I don't care how much you suck up to me or him, it will never be you."
His smile faded. "Why?"
"You nearly killed Diego, and you gave me a headache that lasted for two weeks, that's why!" she snorted.
"That little pest had it coming to him. If he hadn't interfered on the field..."
"He wouldn't have interfered if you hadn't been bothering me about the recent death of my family."
"True, but the runt should learn to mind his own business. I taught him a valuable lesson."
"Go near my friends again, Alex, and I'll tear your head off. You may have become tolerable, but I swear if you touch a hair on any of them, you're dead."
"We are supposed to be on opposite sides, Lilus. I will fight against your friends because they are the enemy. I know that once back at the school, you will fight against me, but we can keep what goes on between us a secret," he said, reaching over for her shoulders.
"Alex, touch me and burn."
"Fine, love, but I'm always open for you."
She smiled mockingly at him. "Thank you. I'll always keep that in mind."
"I must take my leave now. May I not have a farewell kiss? Just on the cheek?"
She didn't answer, and he took that for a yes. He leaned over and gave her a sharp peck on the cheek before rising from his seat and stalking towards the door. He turned around and caught her eyes.
"Farewell, my peche."
"Bye."
"And that's how it came to be. I have yet to fill you in on the details, but there's a little," said the figure from the window.
Jason had fallen asleep in the common room. The fire's light did not reach the shadow in the corner, and it moved in the darkness making no sound at all. He jerked up, grabbing his wand and waving it in the air towards the shadow. The figure stopped moving, and he slowly lowered his wand.
"L...Li...."
She slinked into the light, her short-cropped hair clean and dressed in Gryffindor robes. She climbed onto the back of the sofa and stared at him. He could plainly see the tail wave behind her. It had a bumpy ridge going down it, and it ended in a sharp spike. This was his friend. Lilus was alive. She was right in front of him, alive and back.
"All of it is true, then? The Dark Mark and everything?" Jason asked, trying to catch his breath.
She nodded, looking at the floor in shame. He stood up and walked to her side, just staring at her for a while. She was there. He reached out and gently brushed his fingers across her cheek. She flinched under his touch slightly, her body trembling. She was really there. This wasn't a dream. This wasn't another dream. It was real. She was right here.
"Oh, my God! Lilus, you're alive!" he cried, breaking into tears.
His arms were around her in an instant, and she nestled into his embrace, squeezing him tightly. One year away from this. One year away from his warmth was too much. One year away from her friends, the only family she had left.
"Jason, how I have missed you," she whispered, the blood tears overflowing her eyes as well. "You have no idea...what I've been through."
He looked at her, the tears flowing uncontrollably down his cheeks. "I hoped... I prayed that you were alive. I prayed. Everyday for one year, I prayed that you would come back."
He had, every night. He had prayed that she'd get to come back. His Seer visions had never given him anything that didn't include near death torture. All he knew of her was pain, but then, he wasn't so sure about those dreams.
"Jason, you can't mention this to anyone. You can't mention what I've shown you in the dreams. I am not a Death Eater, okay? Not entirely. I'm still going to fight against them. It's just now, Voldemort has a lot more influence in my life. Part of me wants to be...but the other half hates it."
Jason looked her straight in the eye and kissed her hard on her lips. It was the best thing he had ever felt. He had dreamed of kissing her, but it had never actually happened, but now, his fantasies were no where to be found. He was so damn happy to see his friend again.
"God fucking damn it! Lilus, I won't tell anyone, but, did you agree to it?"
She collapsed against him and started bawling. "No, but then, near the end of my time with them, it didn't seem so bad."
"Lilus, they killed your parents."
"I'm not all Death Eater. Voldemort knows that."
"Fuck Voldemort. You're alive, and you're back. Oh my fucking god! I knew it! I knew you would come back! The others thought you were dead, but I prayed."
Jason held her tightly against him. Suddenly, his hand traveled south, and he grabbed the flailing appendage behind her. Instantly, her knees gave way, and she snatched it from him.
"You're bleeding!"
"Look, Wolfie. Don't touch the tail. It's very sensitive. I'm okay. Just a scratch."
Jason laughed and nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."
She smiled at him, and he could see that inside, really, she was just the same as she had always been. His friend had changed a little, and he could see the faint outlines of scars on her body. Her hair was short, and her eyes were dark red. She wore gloves to cover her hands, and she had sharp teeth. She looked a little more demonic, but it was Lilus all the way. She was still his friend. She was still alive. She was here. She was still the Seeker. She was still Remy's best student. She was still the peacemaker with Snape.
"Have they kicked me off the Quidditch team?"
Jason laughed. "Of course not. You're a ... er ... still living legend."
She nodded. "That's good. Come on. We need to go see Remy. I scared him a little when I came back."
"Yeah, you want me to go get your cloak?"
Lilus shrugged. "We can fly over there."
Jason's eyes lit up. "Yeah, let's fly."
She grinned and walked over to the window sill, springing out of it and catching herself on her two wings that just materialized out of nowhere. Jason was right behind her, covered in bird feathers topped off with a beak. She flew around the towers, attaching herself to the side of a tower right next to a window. Jason hovered behind her, and she knocked the window open, slipping inside. The blood had been wiped off. Her wings turned into hands as soon as they entered the window. Jason flew inside and landed on the desk, transforming back and jumping off.
"Remy?" she whispered softly.
There was no sound. She walked into his bedroom, and she could see the sleeping mound in the bed. She walked over to a candle and gently blew a jet of fire out of her nose and onto the wick. She knelt down next to his bed, watching the older wizard sleep.
"Remy, wake up. I'm home..."
She gently prodded him in his shoulder, causing him to stirr.
"Remy, I'm home. Wake up!"
Remy's eyes opened as she shook him, and he sprung over the side of his bed, crashing into the floor. She jumped over it to check on him, but he just stood up and backed against the wall.
"Get away from me!" he said, grabbing his wand off the night table.
"MOONY! IT'S LILUS! DON'T SPELL HER!" Jason said, grabbing the wand out of Remus's hand.
Remus stared at Jason for a while as if he was retarded. Then his glance went to Lilus, and he collapsed on the floor, crying his heart out, his eyes staring at hers. Lilus knelt in front of him and wrapped her arms around him. His shaky hands groped for her back and he squeezed her tightly.
"Remy, it's okay. I'm home."
"You're alive! Oh, Lilus! I...thought you...were...dead! I...I'm..." He tightened his grip on her, crying into her shoulder.
"Remy, everything's going to be okay. Look, I'm not dead. I'm fine."
He suddenly started laughing, and he laughed so hard he started crying again. "OH MY GOD! LILUS! YOU'RE ALIVE! OH MY GOD! I HAVE TO GET THE OTHERS!" He threw on his robe and house slippers. "COME ON!"
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her along and Jason rushed behind them, laughing his head off.
"MINERVA! SEVERUS! FIRENZE! WAKE UP! WAKE UP NOW!"
Nearly three seconds later, the teachers fell out of their rooms in a heap of discomfort and emergency. "What's wrong?!"
Everyone of them crowded around him, and he was panting, shaking, and trying to talk at the same time. Jason stood behind him, grinning innocently.
"What's wrong, Remus?" Minerva asked.
"Lilus is alive! She..."
Everything was quiet. Remus turned around, but to his dismay, all he found was Jason standing there.
"She was right here, I swear it!" he cried.
"Mr. Alus! You are out of bed!" Minerva demanded.
"And your point is?" he snapped, giving her the cursed look again.
"Remus, go back to sleep. You're still having nightmares for Christ's sake," Snape said, rolling his eyes.
Jason shook his head. "No, she's...here... She's on the ceiling."
At about the same time, something long and thin slid around Severus's shoulders. His eyes got really big, and everyone glanced at the ceiling. Lilus jumped behind Remus, but her clawmarks could still be seen in the stone.
"...Lilus?" Firenze whimpered.
"Ms. Potter?" Minerva squeaked.
"..." (Snape was in shock.)
She stood up and nodded her head at the ground. "Yeah, it's..."
Minerva burst forward, throwing her arms around the girl. "OH MY POOR CHILD, I AM SO SORRY! ARE YOU OKAY? ARE YOU HURT? WHAT HAPPENED? HARRY WOULD KILL ME FOR TREATING YOU THE WAY I HAVE! FORGIVE..."
"Headmistress, please. It's done and over with. I just had to get out, that's all. As you can see, I've evolved over the last year." She stood up straight and turned around, letting the professors looked at her. "Am I still on the Quidditch team? When's our next game?"
Minerva looked at Severus. "Yes, dear, but using your wings is forbidden."
"I don't have to use my wings."
Remus wrapped his arms around his goddaughter and squeezed her tightly. "I'm going back to bed. Lilus is coming with me. We have too much to talk about."
As much as she wanted to punch Professor McGonagall, she was glad to be back. Every part of her had dreamed about coming back since she had been told that she would be back. Everything was unchanged. Everything was so right here. She missed the blasted mold on the bricks! Damn! She had missed all this too much. She couldn't wait to get back on the field again. In the air. Of course, in the air was her life now. She always wanted to fly.
"Lilus, where did you go? What happened?"
Jason rubbed his neck. "I'm gonna go to bed. Catch you guys in the morning. Lilus, we have all too much to talk about. You better be up bright and early tomorrow."
She smiled and nodded her head. "Okay. Be back in a little while."
She lifted her head and looked at Remus. He smiled happily, his eyes overflowing with joy, literally. She smiled weakly and looked at the disappearing Jason. How would she explain to Remus what had happened? How would she explain to him that she was now a Death Eater. Although Voldemort couldn't read her thoughts, if he spoke anything about the Order, it would be blown. She was a Death Eater. She could become a spy like Snape had been, once upon a very long time ago.
Lilus Potter, the daughter of Harry and Hermione Potter, the greatest aurors of their generation, a Death Eater. Talk about a teenaged rebel. Jason understood. But she could feel it that he wanted to know why she even began to agree to it. If anyone else knew, it would be splattered across the front page of the Daily Prophet for years to come. LILUS POTTER, TRAITOR TO THE POTTER FAMILY.
Voldemort forced her in, and once a Death Eater always a Death Eater, until death that is. Everytime he called the Death Eaters, she would be notified. She would follow his call, and be there. She'd have to live two lives. She wanted to be a Death Eater, some deranged part of her that was darker than anything else. She wanted that throne of power. She wanted to be feared. But she was her Father's child, both of them. She wanted to destroy him.
"I...adopted Jason."
Remy's voice broke the silence of the hallway. "What?"
"His parents were killed while you were gone. He didn't have anywhere else to go. Much like your father was," he said slowly. "He stayed with me over vacation. He's gotten the hang of the werewolf ways."
Lilus nodded her head solumnly. "Well, I guess that kinda makes us siblings, huh?"
Remus nodded, then smiled weakly. "One year ago, I didn't have any children, and now I have two teenagers."
Lilus threw her arms around him and crushed him against her. "Oh God, Remy! I've missed all of this so much!"
Remus cuddled her softly. "You have had no idea. The Weasleys will be glad to see you. That and you have a game against Ravenclaw next month. I think Kyle will have mixed decisions about you're arrival. He's gotten rather good at Quidditch."
She nodded. "I knew he had the stuff."
"What...happened to you? What did the Death Eaters do to you?"
There it was. She didn't know how to answer that question. What had happened to her? She wasn't sure she could tell Remy. How did he know about the Death Eaters?
"I...learned a lot of new things."
Remus gently took her hands in his and looked her in the eyes. "Please, tell me."
It was silent when they entered his office. She sat down slowly in her favorite chair, and he sat behind his desk. She stared into the fire and sighed. She had to tell Remus. He was her family.
"Don't tell anything," she whispered. "I really don't want to tell you, because under the truth potion, you'll spill it all."
Remy looked at his hands and nodded.
"But I want to tell you."
He looked up again.
"I learned...that Voldemort...is alive. I learned that...he is..."
My father.
Say it!
Voldemort is...
"my father."
Remus shook his head. "That's impossible! He was dead when your mother and father were married!"
Blackwing shook her head. "No, he wasn't. Voldemort couldn't die unless Dad died. It's like the incident when Dad was a baby. Voldemort just vanished. This time, he became a part of Dad. Their souls merged for a long time."
Her godfather looked dumbfounded.
"Voldemort didn't want to kill me. He...just wants to turn me into a pawn. He just wants the dragon. That's it."
Remus stood up and walked over to her. "Lilus, everything's okay now. It's all going to be alright."
Should she tell him that she was a Death Eater? No, she shouldn't. That was too important for him to know right now.
She hugged him again. "Lilus, you should get some sleep. You can still used the Room of Requi..."
"I really don't want to sleep there. The last time I did, I was locked in."
Remy looked ashamed. "Minerva is very sorry for what she did. She was just frightened, Lilus. Do you want me to take you back to your House?"
Lilus looked at the ceiling. "I don't know. I'm sure if everyone woke up with me there, they'd all have heart attacks. What about breakfast? Would that be a convenient surprise?"
Remus shook his head. "You're trying to turn this into a grand entrance? I think you should go see your friends tonight. They've missed you terribly."
She nodded. "I know, but...I really don't want to go there now. They'll ask a lot of questions, you know?"
They'd ask too many questions. They'd all want to know where she had been, what happened to her. God only knows what else. They'd just ask questions and be happy that their star Seeker and near sister was back. She could always wait until morning to show herself to the others. She could just talk to Jason tonight. No doubt he'd be in the Common Room waiting for her.
"I understand."
"I'll go back to the House. Jason and I have lots to discuss as well."
Remus nodded. "He doesn't like to talk about his parents. He's told me that he wasn't close to them anyway, that it would just be strange not going to his house again. He lives with me now, Lilus, but the house is still big enough for one more."
She smiled. "I'm taking you up on that offer."
"I'll walk you back to your house."
She was back. After one complete year of torture that would make Argus Filch cringe, she was back. Quidditch was next month. Ravenclaw. Their Seeker was good, but their Keeper and Chasers were not on track. Their bludgers were good, though. Another problem. Well, she was still the Seeker of the Century, having already been offered professional places since her fourth year. Ah, that fourth year, the bloom of her Quidditch life. So many owls asking about Quidditch scholarships. That was a fun year. The other Seekers had no idea what had hit them. At that time, though, she wasn't retarded to Bludgers.
What would Jason say?
She had to find Snid. She had to apologize to him. Snid, was he okay? Did he know she was back from Raphael's information?
She'd missed him. She'd missed all of them. Justin would be glad to have her back.
What would Justin say? What would happen if everyone found out about the Dark Mark, the parasite that lived on her back. He'd never be the same again. He'd never trust her with anything again. They couldn't know yet. Only Jason could be trusted.
"Okay," she said, standing up.
"It's going to be much better from now on. You're safe now. Just please, never try to run away again. I don't want to lose you."
"I won't."
She hugged him tightly, and he walked with her down to her House.