A Lighter Shade of Black
Take and Break
Draco turned the handles of the shower right until the warm water ceased running. He was so tired. The day before had been one that scared even him. The way Ginevra had been in the fight, Nicole coming back around, those memories… But the thing that had disturbed the blonde the most was the way his girlfriend had acted when he pulled her out of the blood-tinged water.
"Can't you see that after what I did today, I don't feel like walking around labelled as 'murderer'?"
Wrapping the blue towel around his hips loosely, Draco stepped to the mirror with a sigh.
"You could always just walk around like that." the looking glass commented with a giggle.
"Oh be quiet." he snapped, not really in the mood for flirting with his mirror.
He sighed and flicked the lights off with his wand, moving into the living room to lock the door.
"You know, Draco dearest, she's right," murmured a feminine voice in his ear, "you really should walk about in your towel all the time."
Draco froze. He knew that voice.
"Hello again, lover."
"Pansy?" he murmured.
Then there was nothing but black as she stunned him.
Laura felt a shiver run down her spine, waking her from her nap while leaning on the window.
"Ladies, I believe we have arrived." Dumbledore stated from the front seat of the vehicle.
The four teenagers and the little girl all piled out of the car and into the street, staring at the empty, dumpy little lot between number 11 Grimmauld Place and number 13. Cole and Laura cocked their heads to the side at once and looked to Dumbledore with puzzled expressions.
"This is it?"
The headmaster opened his mouth to speak but stopped when Katie shivered.
"Yes, Kathleen?"
The child looked worriedly up at the elderly wizard. "Ric says it's dark there."
The others regarded her with arched brows and questioning looks… with the exception of her mother.
"Katie, luv, what did I tell you about talking to them?"
The child sighed and turned to a space next to her, looking upwards. "Sorry Ric."
The others shrugged it off as Albus handed the group a slip of parchment.
"Read it to yourselves."
Gin looked down at the parchment and read quickly, as she had only once before.
The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.
They all looked up to the supposedly empty lot and were shocked to see that a house had suddenly popped up from thin air. And what a magnificent home it was… though, a bit dark. Laura could feel the tingle of black magic seeping into her skin, making her shiver in disgust.
"Welcome, ladies, to the Black House."
T.J. stepped forward first, staring up at the knocker in the shape of twisted serpent. It seemed familiar. The large group stepped into the gloomy house and saw the many signs of life roaming about.
"Ah, Miss Greemhorn?"
"Yes, Professor?" the girl replied absently, taking in the many serpentine objects in the hallway.
"I take it you have discovered your parentage by now?"
Gin and Nicole's eyes snapped to their friend. She had forgotten to mention it to the others in all the rush of the past couple of days.
"Yes sir."
"You know of your father then, Regulus Black?"
"Yes."
"Then you must realize that this means you, Miss Black-Lupin, and Miss Potter are cousins, and the last of the Black lineage, with the slight exception of Katie."
There was a moment of silence before the three exchanged a glance. They were cousins.
"And this means that you three have joint rights to this property, the Black estate."
Their eyes were as wide as saucers.
"You mean, this is where our dads and Laura's mum… grew up?"
"Yes."
It was later on in the afternoon when the girls located Charlie in his room that they met the infamous 'Tonks'. She was a bit odd, but in the way that they all got along brilliantly. With her short, spiked hair colored bright bubblegum pink color and those pretty gray eyes, which Blacks were famous for, she was as weird as the rest of them.
But, the way Charlie acted with her didn't really suggest that he wanted to rip her clothes off and shag her right then and there. Not that Ginevra quite felt that way about her beau all the time, so who knew…
"Well, it's getting about that time." Nicole sighed with a smile, "I'm off to check that Katie hasn't annoyed the pants off any one."
Nicole stood and started down the stairs. The poor girl, having the luck she did, tripped on a rubber wand and fell down about five or six stairs with a startled cry.
"FILTHY BLOOD-TRAITORS IN MY HOME!" screamed a shrill, feminine voice.
The black-haired witch looked up to see the worn portrait of a middle-aged witch with the same black hair as she.
"What the-?"
Nicole regained her composure and stood gracefully, dusting off the blue sundress she wore. She marched confidently up to the picture, oblivious to the on-looking male peeking out of his room. She pressed a hand over the woman's mouth, muffling her vulgar ranting. There was a fire burning in the girl's eyes, and she was not happy.
"Look here, you horrible old hag," snapped Nicole, her other hand on her hip and her foot tapping on the step, "I am not in the mood for this bitching and screaming bit. I have a daughter and she is only a child. She had better not pick up any of your vocabulary, or I'll personally see to it that you're ripped down and burned into ash. Got it?"
The teen removed her finger and arched her brow at the portrait.
"Who are you?" the witch asked, eyes narrowed, "Another mud-"
"Language," the teen hissed, "and no, I am not. I am Nicole Black."
The woman pursed her lips. "And your parents?"
"Winnie Lupin and Sirius Black."
The hangings about her fame snapped shut and Nicole turned to see one of those twins with his wand aimed at the picture. He tucked it away and walked up to her.
"That was very nicely handled, Miss Black."
"Thanks. You're George, right?"
He nodded with a faint smile.
"DINNER!" rang out Molly's voice, causing the two to jump in surprise.
Ginevra looked to the floor when she heard her mother's voice cry out. Tonks, Laura, and T.J. quickly made their ways down while Gin hung back and glanced at her brother.
"What?" he asked, smiling slightly.
"Y'know, the way you and Tonks act together, it doesn't really seem like you two are tonsil-tennis partners."
For the first time in a long time, Gin could see her brother's cheeks and neck flush bright red. He was getting embarrassed at the mention of snogging the pink-haired witch?
"Are you blushing?" she admonished, grinning from ear to ear.
"No."
"Oh my goddess! Charlie Weasley, the great ladies' man of Hogwarts, is blushing at the thought of kissing a girl? Alert the media!"
"Shut up." he snapped, though he had a small smile on his face, "I guess the way I sounded in that letter would seem a little misleading; Tonks and I are just mates… friends."
Gin wasn't quite sure how, but she knew that there was more to the situation than her brother was letting on. But she wasn't concerned; she would find out eventually.
"We better get going before Mum sends a search party."
After dinner the girls had taken to Ginevra's room and were trying to amuse themselves. Laura and T.J. were singing something close to a Wicked Witches' song while Gin flicked the words to it out with her wand and Katie was in the kitchen with Molly baking cookies. Nicole sat at the window of the room, staring out at the streets below.
They knew nothing of the magic around, nothing of the war that could end up destroying the lovely life that they had spent so much time creating. She felt like running out into the street and screaming that they should run and hide, take their kids and go far away. This whole thing was driving her absolutely crazy.
"I'm gonna go down to the garden." she said, standing and shaking her thoughts out of her head.
"Mmkay." Gin said, concentrating on remembering the words to "Charming the Prince".
Cole smiled and quietly shut the door behind her as she left. She was glad her friends could still be normal enough to have at least a little fun. As she opened the back door and stepped into the moonlit garden, she could hear the woosh of wings in the distance; it was an owl. Looking up into the night's sky, she could see a gray owl coming towards her.
Greg? she asked herself skeptically; she had not seen the creature in a very long time.
The owl, Sid, perched himself on the bench in front of her and held out his leg. As she undid the small scroll from his leg, Nicole had to say that Sid looked a little less that perky. As soon as the letter was free, the gray fowl glided off into the night, leaving Nicole staring after him.
Why would Greg be writing her if she didn't want anything to do with him?
She sighed and read:
Nicole Black,
I only want you to know that I loved you more than you
could imagine. You were- No, you are amazing. I
could never have allowed myself to be with you. I'm
not worth your tears or your pain. Don't mourn me;
I'm pathetic and weak. You don't deserve the horrors
I would have brought on you.
Nicole, my dear Nikki, I am a traitor. I am a complete
bastard and I am so very sorry. I have become a slave
to the Dark Lord and I cannot turn back.
Do not love me or miss me… I'm not worth it.
- Gregory C. Goyle
… Only Ginevra can save him.
Nicole stared down at the slip of parchment in her hands in shock.
"I loved… a t-traitor."
Tears sparkled in her eyes and rolled down onto the parchment.
She sat like that for a while: shaking with silent tears and silent anger. She wanted to hurt him, to make him feel all the pain that she had ever felt because of him. She hated him now. She abhorred him. Despised, reviled, detested, and loathed him. She pitied every inch of the earth that his feet touched.
And she was going to show him just how much.
Nicole's head snapped up as she felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see George Weasley.
"What's wrong?"
She quietly handed him the parchment and stared up into the sky as he sat and read it. He finished and set it beside her.
"He's right, you know." the redhead said quietly.
"What?" she croaked, voice hoarse.
"You deserve some one better than a traitor."
She sighed and jumped a little as he wiped a tear off of her cheek. Turning and staring into his eyes, she could see something that made her body hum a bit. Compassion. Something she had never seen in a boy's eyes. But he's not a boy, whispered a small voice in her head.
She never got to hear the rest of the sentence as George leaned down and gently pressed a kiss to her lips, as though she could break if he were anything but gentle. She felt her throat tighten as she thought about it.
She had already broken.
End Chapter
A/N: For a little help on the bloodlines of ADSoR and ALSoB go to - www. geocities .com/ drakenginger4eva/ untitled.jpg