Chapter Four: "Burning"
"You alway's said the card'll never do you wrong. The trick, you said, was never play the game too long."
-Bob Seger; Still the Same
The train ride back to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was uneventful, because besides the witch that pushed the sweets cart, Sirius had chased away every single person who came too close, or attempted to enter to their shared compartment. He'd become fiercely protective of Hermione in the last few days, and Hermione didn't have the energy to rein him in as he bellowed at a group of first years. She just stared out the window as the countryside flashed by with tears streaming down her face.
It had gotten so bad that Sirius had chased the Marauder's away earlier. He sat back down and Hermione curled up in his lap, head on his chest, and drifted off to sleep listening to his steady heartbeat.
"Love," Sirius said jostling her awake, you need to get your robes on, we're almost there."
"Okay, she said sleepily as she got off the bench and pulled her robes out of her luggage in the overhead compartment.
"D-do you want me to, uh, step out," Sirius said swallowing nervously.
"Don't bother," Hermione said as she pulled her shirt over her head, and quickly buttoned up her white dress shirt.
"Hey," Sirius said, suddenly coming closer, "I want you to know, that nothing changes," He said backing her into the back wall of the compartment until she was pressed up against the glass of the window, one of her arms at his waist and another on his shoulder, his own hands, one cupping her face gently as if she would break if he were too rough, and the other resting on the arch of her back, holding her to him. "I'm just Sirius," he said, running his nose along her jawline, "and you, you're still Hermione," He whispered, his lips playing on the edge of her mouth, making shocks like lightening run through Hermione's veins.
"Ah-hem," The obnoxious voice of James Potter broke through her concentration. She had no clue how long he'd been standing there, but he was blessedly alone. Hermione continued to dress as Sirius chased James away.
By the time Sirius had returned the train was at Hogsmede station, and Hermione was completely dressed.
However Sirius was not, he pulled his own shirt over his head, and Hermione was greeted by a delicious sight, it seemed that five years of quiddich had made Sirius very buff. He had a well defined chest with a set of lines leading down in a trail to parts unknown, he was quite literally delicious. "Ah-ah," Sirius admonished, "can't touch," And with that he pulled his robes on, and exited the compartment, leaving Hermione staring dazedly after him.
Hermione took her seat in the Great Hall for the start of term feast. Headmaster Dumbledore welcomed them back from their winter holiday's and wished them a brilliant new year.
The Great Hall was nearly unbearable for Hermione, she could literally feel the stares of her classmates burning holes into her back. She felt as if their gazes automatically honed in on her audacious engagement ring.
"So it's true," A seventh year Ravenclaw girl said in that way that Ravenclaw's had of acting superior to other's.
"Yeah, bitch. What of it?" Hermione sneered. "Go sit down, you half-blood wench," Hermione hissed, looking down her nose at the suddenly terrified girl who had seemed to remember to whom she was speaking.
Hermione sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. She sent death glares at all whom so much as glanced at her on her way to her place at Gryffindor table.
"Is that the ring?" Lily asked as she took her seat beside Hermione.
"Yes, it is," Hermione said, trying her hardest not to snap at Lily as she had that Ravenclaw. "Is that yours?"
"Yeah," Lily said, as she blushed deeply. "James proposed on Christmas,"
"Oh, so did Sirius, though I'd have to venture a guess that your circumstances were much different than ours." Hermione said brusquely and turned to the minuscule amount of food on her plate.
"I-I guess," Lily looked thoroughly confused, but as James leaned over to whisper in her ear, her expression changed from one of confusion to one of pity. But before Lily could open her mouth to say anything, Hermione bid her friends goodbye, and made her way up to the Gryiffindor tower.
Hermione ignored her dorm mates when they came up after the feast, and she pretended to be asleep. However when she woke up, she saw only three other beds occupied. Marlene was gone, her bed untouched, and her trunk missing.
Hermione wandered the halls for a few hours in the dark, only going to the Great Hall for breakfast when the hallways were filled with sunlight.
After Hermione had sat down to breakfast, a harassed looking Professor McGonagall marched up to the benches where Hermione, the Marauder's and Lily were sitting told them that Headmaster Dumbledore was expecting them in his office. When the six of them arrived, they discovered that the rest of Lily and Hermione's dorm mate's as well as Leo Zabini were also present.
Professor Dumbledore looked as though he hadn't slept in weeks, his hair quickly graying, and deep lines had formed around his eyes. He sat behind his desk, his hands steepled, and as they entered he summoned more chairs for the six of them. "I'm sure you're all aware of the presence of a dark wizard in our world." Professor Dumbledore paused for a moment as they all nodded
"This Dark Wizard and his followers have been systematically cutting off wizardkind off from muggles for quite some time, but for the first time, this man, no, this monster, he has gone after one of our own," Hermione understood what Professor Dumbledore was telling them, but it was as if this were happening to someone else.
"On the night of January first Lord Voldemort-" Several voices hissed a gasp at the use of the Dark Lord's name. "Murdered the McKinnon family, in cold blood, for their refusal to join him. Your friend, your classmate, Marlene, is dead. I'm so-" Professor Dumbledore cut off. His azure eyes, usually so full of life, now brimming with tears. "Hogwarts will always offer refuge to those who need it. We will allow you all time to grieve. Please use this time wisely. Marlene's Grandmother is having a burial for her family on Saturday, you all may attend it, if you wish."
Alice, Molly, and Lily were all sobbing quietly, Three of the four Marauder's were standing stock still, not reacting. But Sirius, he had his arms wrapped around the frozen Hermione, cooing in her ear.
Hermione looked up to see Leo Zabini with this look of utter terror frozen on his face. His entire demeanor frozen in this horrified expression. Hermione could see him struggling to control his emotions. She knew well that the dark italian had real feelings for Marlene, and that he couldn't keep his facade up much longer.
Hermione swallowed, her throat thick with emotion. "P-professor, can we all be excused? I think we need to..." Hermione trailed off, the emotion of what had happened finally hitting her in full force. She tucked her head into Sirius' chest and began to cry silent tears.
"Of course," Professor Dumbledore dismissed them.
"Sirius, tell the marauder's and Lily to meet us in front of the tapestry of the dancing trolls on the seventh floor, in ten minutes," Hermione told him.
"I'm not even going to ask, I'll see you then," Sirius said as he went to go get them.
Hermione made her way up to the seventh floor and paced three times in front of the empty wall all the while in her mind repeating, 'I need a place in which we can be safe, and happy.'
At last the door appeared, Hermione waited for the Marauder's and Lily to show and when they did, they all entered the room silently. It was an expansive garden, with a towering gazebo in the middle. The trees swayed in the breeze, and the sound of water babbling in the distance filled the air. It was Marlene's favorite place.
Hermione bent to pick a rose from the bush to her left. They were Soul Roses, very rare. Generally the color they turned when you picked them determined the shade of your soul. Hermione plucked the rose that looked crafted from glass and immediately a bright gold began to ooze into the bloom. It reflected light beautifully, and it was a vibrant, and virile color.
"Hermione," James called from the gazebo, where he, the other marauders, and Lily were already seated.
"I just, I wanted, I-" Hermione began after she had sat down on the bench.
"We know," Remus interjected suddenly. "You want retribution, for Marlene, for her family. Personally, I want this bastard "Dark Lord's" head," Remus snarled.
"Don't listen to Moony, it's nearing his time of the month, he doesn't know what he's saying," Sirius said trying to smooth over the savageness of Remus' words.
"No, Sirius. Remus is right. We need retribution. I want revenge personally. I know what this is about. He had no right to kill her," Hermione said with a savage light in her eyes. It was the same light that shone in the eyes of revolutionaries, of leaders, of King's and of Queen's. It was a light of power, of influence, of determination.
"Here, here!" Lily said from her place next to James.
"What about you Sirius, are you with me?" Hermione said, testing her soon-to-be Husband.
"Always and forever," Sirius promised solemnly. His eyes now shining with that same manic light as Hermione.
"Now the only issue left, is what we should call ourselves..." Hermione trailed off, leaving the floor to the others.
"Well, we could be the anti-death eater league," Lily suggested.
"No, it has to be something catchy, something that signifies all we've gone through," Hermione said almost absentmindedly.
"What about a Phoenix?" Remus suggested, ever intuitive to things.
"So what, we're the 'Phoenix-squad now?" James asked sarcastically.
"That's perfect!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly. "We can the Order of the Phoenix," She paused for her audience to take in the magnitude of what she had said. They were that legendary bird, the one that had perished within its own flames, and one that is rising up to burn bright again.
"So how are we going to do this...?" James asked with an eager note in his voice.
It took the six of them a week to hash out all the details, but when they had them hashed out they took their idea to Dumbledore. It was Saturday, the day of Marlene's Burial, when Hermione corner Professor Dumbledore to ask him about the Order of the Phoenix.
"Professor, if their were a resistance within Hogwarts, one that opposed the Dark Lord, would you lend it your support?" Hermione asked the wizened Headmaster.
"Oh course, Dear Girl, nothing would delight me more. Tell me about this resistance," Dumbledore looked truly intrigued.
"There is an Order, The Order of the Phoenix, specifically," Hermione told him, to which the greying brows of the headmaster rose to new heights. "This Order, it strives to oppose Lord Voldemort. And surprisingly this Order is made up of the same type of people that would make the strongest supporters of his, had be not killed our friend. Five out of six of the Order's original member's are of pureblooded families, who on their own do not oppose this Dark Lord," Hermione told Dumbledore, hoping he would get the message.
"I see, Miss Black," The old Headmaster said, toying with his beard. "When's the next meeting?" The headmaster asked, and for the first time in a while, his blue eyes twinkled mischievously.
"Tomorrow night, 9 o'clock, in the room where things are hidden. Sirius and I are teaching dueling to all who'll listen. I don't want what happened to Marlene to happen to anyone else at Hogwarts." Hermione said with that same crazed light of power in her eyes. Dumbledore just nodded, and continued on his way through the floo to Marlene's Burial.
Wizarding burial's were usually a magnificent sight to behold. And since the McKinnon's and Parkinson's(a/n: Marlene's Mother was Pansy's Paternal Aunt) were such influential families, anyone who was anybody was in attendance.
Marlene's body was laid atop an unlit pyre. Her body shrouded in the colors of Godric Gryffindor. Hermione's blood ran cold at the sight of her. This was it, seeing Marlene's cold dead body is what really made this real. "She really is dead," Hermione whispered to herself.
Hermione kept her distance from the pyre for the whole of the service, until the very end, when it was time to light it. Hermione was totally calm and collected until the first member of Marlene's family hit her pyre with sparks from her wand, then other wand sparks hit Marlene, and she burned. Oh, she burned.
"N-no!" Hermione sobbed, sinking to the ground, hoping for all the world that it would swallow her up, so she wouldn't have to do this anymore.
Lily, Molly, and Alice joined her on the ground weeping. This was it, these were the flames that consumed the Phoenix, that flames from which the Order of the Phoenix would rise. It was Marlene, she was their bird, and this was The Rise of the Phoenix.
A/N: Thoughts? Writing this chapter gave me goosbumps. *shivers aggressively* So what did you think? Let me know. I kind of want to post the next chapter today, but I'm literally twelve chapters ahead, and sometimes I have to go back and change things as I shape the story so... I'll try to see what I'm doing, and get it posted sometime today/tonight/tomorrow morning-ish. Thanks! ^_^
-Elena