Disclaimer: Own nadda…this gets boring…It has to be done because the authors deserve the credit for their stories. Anything else that belongs to other people isn't mine either.
Twin Slayers, Twin Watchers
Chapter 6: Reminiscing, Azkaban and New skills.
Astronomy tower
"So I'm guessing this story isn't over quite yet?" Remus said to Draco.
"Are you kidding? This is just the beginning I mean…come on we had to stay at the Weasleys for another 2 weeks before we found out that Alex was locked up in Azkaban. Stupid idiots…"
Flashback
"SHE'S WHERE!" Alicia screamed at Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"Alicia calm down, we will be able to get her out soon…just…sit…down!" Remus was trying to pry Alicia off Kingsley.
"MY DAUGHTER IS IN FUCKING AZKABAN FOR NO REASON AND YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN!"
"Yes I want you to calm down…now SIT!" Alicia sat. Remus was beet red and he looked livid. "Now Kingsley, can you elaborate on why Alex is in Azkaban?"
"Well…"
"ALEX IS WHERE?" Draco had just come into the kitchen. "WHY THE HELL IS SHE THERE!" Remus started hitting his head on the table.
"Calm down Damien…you need to sit…"Alicia said.
"YOU WANT ME TO CALM DOWN!" Alicia smiled.
"No…Remus does…now you should sit down or you'll get the same treatment I did." Draco sat next to her. Remus just kept hitting his head. Finally he looked up.
"Ok…I know how to fix this…" He stood up and opened the kitchen door. "WE FOUND ALEX!" In a matter of seconds the Weasleys were all in his face.
"Where is she?"
"Why did it take so long?"
"Why do we care so much?" Everyone turned to look at Ron. Draco stood up about ready to kill him.
"RONALD! Up to your room! What a horrible thing to say!" Ron turned and went back up to his room. Ginny could have sworn he was skipping.
"Ok sit down everyone…" They all sat. Remus took out his wand and pointed it at the group. "Crustulum"
"Remus what is this…"
"Silenco. Now Kingsley, if you will proceed…" Alicia gave him a dirty look.
"Right as I was saying before Alicia's outburst…" He absent mindedly rubbed his neck. "Tonks and I were checking around trying to find out what had happened to Alex…we couldn't find anything. Finally I was allowed access into the confidential files…I told them I needed something from there for the case I have been working on. Since I couldn't find anything on her outside I figured that it has to be in there somewhere. I found it. Operation Chimaera. Don't give me those looks…I have no idea why it was named that, must have run out of magical creatures. Anyway, I was looking through the file and apparently it was an operation directly led by the minister himself." Alicia looked about ready to burst with anger. A look of clarification flashed crossed Draco's face. He looked up at Remus. Remus took the silencing spell off him.
"That's why he was nervous about sending a search team into the house…How long ago did this operation take place?"
"Two weeks before we took the house."
"How did he get in there? The place was crawling with deatheaters then."
"I don't know the file wasn't specific. I tried to take the file but I was unable to because someone else entered into the room."
"I would like a look at that file…is there any way you could get in there and take the file…or get me in?" Remus said.
"I don't know about me getting in there and stealing it but there might be a way to get you in there…I would just copy the files but this one has almost every type of anti-copy charms you could think of…"
"Ok, what else did you find out?" Draco asked.
"Alex was taken from Riddle Manor and placed in solitary at Azkaban…" Everyone shuddered. Alicia was scarlet. She was pissed. "She was in there for a week and a half apparently the 30 dementors surrounding her cell have no effect on her, that they can tell. They make her work now. Physical labor. In her file it said that they scanned her mind and found the thing she hates to do the most. Scrapping plaster. Taking out, cleaning up, and replacing dry wall. That's what they have had her doing 24/7. She gets twenty minutes for dinner and fifteen for breakfast. Then she gets 5 hours to sleep, which she refuses to do." Alicia looked up at him, confusion across her face. "They say that she declined to sleep. They forced her to and said that she woke up screaming worse then a banshee thirty minutes later. They didn't make her sleep after the forth night they tried."
"Nightmares…" Draco said staring at the table.
"Apparently it was more then just nightmares. After I left the room I checked through the prison records and the guards reported that she said things to them…stuff that happened a few days later…she was their 'personal fortune teller'. She was having visions and it also said that there was an outbreak."
"An outbreak?"
"Yes somehow Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, and Marcus Flint got a hold of her."
"Wait a minute…Marcus Flint?"
"Yes he's been in there for almost two months now. They got out of their cells and into hers. Attacked her pretty badly. Bellatrix carved the dark mark into the skin of her right arm with her fingernail…" Draco looked up at Kingsley in shock. He looked over at the Weasleys. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were both extremely pale and when they looked over at Draco they all nodded.
"It was what caused my dream thing."
"Yes."
"So what about this work they've been forcing her to do?" Remus asked.
"Well. They charmed her cell so she has to do this thing that she hates so much. She must first break down the walls, clear it all out, then replace the walls and cover it with new plaster. Then they force her to take all the bags and carry them through the prison and throw them outside. Apparently the bags can only be filled up about a quarter because the drywall is so heavy. Then of course they make her do it all over again afterwards." Kingsley finished. Remus took the charms off and everyone just sat there, unable to speak or move. Alicia was slowly getting redder and redder. Remus saw this and hid behind Kingsley. Alicia exploded. Every obscenity you could think of, come out of her mouth. She cursed Fudge, she cursed the guards, she curse everyone involved, she cursed Remus, she cursed herself, she cursed Sirius, and then she proceeded to curse Snape and Dumbledore.
SLAP!
Mrs. Weasley had stood up and slapped Alicia. Alicia didn't look shocked at all. Draco and Ginny, who were sitting on either side of Alicia, were more shocked then she was. Remus looked around Kingsley trying to figure out if she was done or not.
"Woman! Get a hold of yourself! We all want to see Alex home safely and you know it. There is no need to curse Remus or Sirius or Severus and most of all not Albus or even yourself." Mrs. Weasley had stood up very straight and had that same look in her eye that she got when yelling at the twins. Alicia put her head in her hands and started bawling. Mrs. Weasley embraced her. Alicia was mumbling stuff into Mrs. Weasleys shirt and only Mrs. Weasley was able to understand her.
All of a sudden Draco went rigid and fell off his chair hitting his head on the table. He passed out. When Alicia turned around and saw this she cried even harder.
"IT NEVER STOPS!"
Remus tried to pull Draco into a sitting position but it had proved useless. As soon as he got Draco into a sitting position, he just slid back down to the floor. Then Draco opened his eyes, they got real wide and a slash mark appeared across his face. His eyes glossed over and then he closed them shook his head a couple of times then opened them again.
"What the fuck is up with this shit? Seriously. We have to get her out of there…Now! She is exhausted, I can feel it. I don't want to feel it anymore, I can't stand it…"
"Ok Damien, we are going to get her out. We have to talk to the minister…don't look at me like that Alicia. We have to act like we don't know anything." Alicia had stopped crying and was now looking at Remus like he was some sort of traitor. Then Alicia calmed down.
"Ok, but I'm going with you…and don't even try to stop me…"
End Flash back
"Yep. That was an interesting few weeks…" Remus smiled down at Draco.
"Totally. That wasn't the end of my summer, breaking Alex out, getting Dad out of the veil, then the Vampire colony…"
"Well, would you look at those two…you know what they remind me of?" Draco and Remus looked up and saw standing in the doorway of the astronomy tower was a smiling Harry accompanied by Alex.
"What Harry?" Alex was equally smiling now.
"They remind me of two old blokes from Alabama who are reenacting they're days in the world war." He looked down at her and she smiled wider and looked back over at them.
"Yeah I see what you mean, but they're missing the big southern porch, the patch-work quilts, rocking chairs and of course the chess board and their pipes." They both laughed so hard that Alex had to lean on Harry. They stopped for a second and looked at each other then back over at Remus and Draco and burst out laughing again.
"I see you two are getting along well…" Draco looked annoyed.
"Yeah well…you know…we just sort of clicked…" Alex said.
"It kind of helped that you didn't run away from me in anger." Harry pointed out.
"Bethanie is worried sick you know…She was very confused when we left." Alex said.
"Yeah she looked pale and her eyes were glazed over…kind of like a donut…" Harry looked off into space.
"That sounds good right about now."
"Alex, any type of food always sounds good to you." Draco said with a smirk. Remus looked down at him and they shared amused smiles.
"I do not always think that any type of food sounds good…I hate tofu…does that even count as food…?"
"I don't think so." Remus said.
"Well I don't like spinach either, or sushi…except I do like California rolls and those cucumber and avocado ones…I don't really even like fish, except tuna, and I don't really like fresh tuna, only canned tuna…" She continued on mumbling to herself. Remus decided to ignore her.
"Maybe you three should be getting back to your rooms…and don't forget to come down to the great hall for dinner, Dumbledore's orders."
"Yeah…" Draco stood up and dusted himself off.
"I HEARD THE BURRITOS OUT IN CALIFORNIA COULD FLY HIGHER THAN THE BIRDS! ROGER MCGINNIS HAD A TWELVE-STRING GUITAR
IT WAS LIKE NOTHING I'D EVER HEARD…" Harry was in shock. Draco shook his head and grabbed Alex's arm trying to push her out the door.
"AND THE EAGLES FLEW IN FROM THE WEST COAST LIKE THE BIRDS THEY WERE TRYING TO BE FREE!WHILE IN TEXAS, THE TALK TURNED TO OUTLAWS LIKE WILLIE AND WAYLON AND ME" Alex was holding up an invisible microphone.
"Just ignore her, she does this a lot." Draco said. Remus couldn't stop laughing. "Shut up Remi…god, she's not right in the head and you stand there and laugh at her."
"Well, it's funny…and she perfectly sane! If I recall correctly…you burst out singing all the time…Come on Eileen, well I swear (what he means)…" Alex joined in with Remus. "…At this moment, you mean everything…With you in that dress my thoughts I confess…Verge on dirty…Ah come on Eileen…Come on Eileen!" They both burst out laughing.
"Oh and you can't forget that one time after he came back from that one mission in the Galapagos…"
"…OH! I remember…Feeling I've been lost for years…You can never understand me…Unless you've seen those tears…But you never get to sleep…When I'm away
I don't mind…The deeper that you lay…Out of time" They stopped and looked at each other then put up they're invisible microphones. "PAIN, I CAN'T SLEEP...!" They looked over at Draco and Harry. Harry was having trouble controlling his laughter. "Running, running from those days…There's another one inside me…Guess I've gone insane…But you always run away…When I come around…I don't mind…The day I'll track you down…Run you down…"
"OK! I've got the point!"
"Really Mr. Maple? I don't think you do…"Alex said with a smirk.
"Why do you insist on calling me that? I really don't get it! IT MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL!" Draco smacked himself in the head a couple of times.
"Actually it does… but I guess since you lack all the brains in this relationship then…"
"I AM NOT STUPID!"
"I never said you were. I said you lack brains, meaning…I have more…" Alex was grinning. "I just love to rile you up dear brother. I walked along the avenue…I never thought I'd meet a girl like you…"
"Ok!"
"Ha! I win again." With that she skipped out of the tower.
"You know sometimes I really wonder about her sanity…She's a bloody genius, but she's as crazy as Gilderoy Lockhart or even Voldemort himself…" Remus said looking out after her.
"There's no reason to wonder…She a blooming nut!" Draco followed her out the door. Remus and Harry exchanged glances; they both shrugged and followed them out.
The group minus Remus had returned to the common room. Harry and Alex were still laughing at Draco. Hermione had heard them coming and went down to the common room now wearing the jewelry Draco had given her. Draco walked in a few feet after Alex and Harry. Alex suddenly stopped and turned around to face Draco.
"Oh, for the love of gods! Will you stop fucking sulking!" Draco looked some what surprised at her outburst. "You are being so stupid! I told you that she does care what you said!"
"I don't care! Nothing you say will change it!"
"I never said it would."
"It doesn't matter what anybody says…I still said all those things and I can never forgive myself! I'm sorry…" With that he stormed up to his room stopping only for a second to eye the jewelry on Hermione.
"Well that could have gone better. We have to go down to dinner in an hour so let's hope he's cooled down by then. I'm going to go get something to eat."
"You just said we're going to dinner in an hour…and you're going to get something to eat!" Harry looked shocked. Alex smiled and patted him on the back.
"Harry, Harry, Harry…I'm a compulsive eater, we've already gone over this." She patted him on the head and went up to her kitchen.
"Well Harry I'm going to go get ready for dinner."
"Yeah, ok…Beth…"
"You know, that fits…it seems…right…" She went up the stairs.
Harry went and sat on the couch and waited for the rest of the group. He was reading some magazines when Alex came down with orange juice a huge burrito and a mini pizza.
"You're going to eat all that right before we go to dinner." She sat down next to him and answered.
"Well…yeah…and you can't have any either." She clutched her burrito protectively.
"Alex I don't think he wanted any…" They looked up and saw that Draco and Hermione had just walked down. Hermione was hiding her laughter behind her fist.
"Let's just get down there."
Remus had walked into to the great hall to see that all the tables were gone except the head table. Alicia and Sirius were there. The only teachers that were there was Minerva, Snape and Filius Flitwick and of course Dumbledore. Sirius was talking with Minerva and Dumbledore about god knows what while Finius, Snape and Alicia were talking about muggle music. Remus walked over and sat across from Sirius.
"So I see you two made it. I thought you were going home?"
"Well we decided we might as well stay and get to know Alex and Damien better you know…and Alicia can help with slayer training as well as Albus."
"Yeah, they could use that…oh and speaking of them, I just had a little run in with them in the astronomy tower…" Sirius gave him a look that just screamed 'What-kind-of-run-in-could-you-be-having-with-my-children-in-the-astronomy-tower'.
"I saw Damien run up there in a heat and I followed to see what the matter was with him…apparently this was has been a tough summer for him." Remus's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"No shit…"
"Well we talked and then Harry and Alex came up. They said some things; Alex started singing, and me and her started making fun of Damien's singing…"
"By having a singing contest? And why wasn't I invited?" Sirius said and then Alicia's voice rose over the others.
"Because darling your singing is lousy…" He glared at her and she just smiled innocently. Just then the great hall doors opened and the only students present in the school entered. Hermione and Draco were laughing at something that was unknown to all the teachers and Harry was glaring straight ahead obviously trying very hard not to look at Alex who was stuffing down the last bit of a burrito. All of a sudden they just stopped. Harry and Hermione looked around the room in shock.
"It looks totally different!" Hermione said.
"Well yeah! What did you expect them to keep the house tables in here when there aren't any people to sit there?" Sirius said to them leaning forward a little bit. Alicia smacked him.
"You better shut up because you looked the same way when you walked in!" Remus snorted.
"That was very mature of you Remus." Snape said with a grin.
"OH MY GOD! Snape smiles!" Draco said with mock surprise.
"Why don't you four come over here and eat instead of standing there in astonishment." That got Alex moving. Dumbledore twinkled that twinkle of his.
"OK! Can't let the food get cold! That would be barbaric!" She beamed and ran the rest of the way to the table and sat next to Remus. Hermione went over and sat next to her. Draco dragged Harry over and took a seat next to Hermione. Alex was already heaping food on to her plate. Nobody seemed effected by this except Harry and Flitwick.
"Hey Alex?" Harry asked.
"Mmmph?"
"……" He stared at her.
"Yephs?" Alex asked and Remus chuckled to himself while everyone else looked amused.
"How much do you eat?"
"Oh I don't know…"
"I'll answer that for her…She eats literally enough to feed 20 people, and not well fed people either…I mean those people who have all been starved for fourteen days and have just been invited to an all-you-can-eat feast." Remus said in laughter.
"Well that just about sums in up." Damien answered.
Everyone was having a great time just talking a laughing and joking around. Everyone was involved in there own conversations. Hermione and Alex were talking about Halo techniques and all their favorite books, Harry and Draco were talking about music and clothes, Alicia and Flitwick were still talking about whether or not A-ha was better then La Bouche and if the singer from 3rd Party could out sing Amber, Remus was talking to Minerva about wizarding soap operas, and Sirius and Dumbledore were talking about lemon drops. About halfway through dessert Dumbledore got everyone's attention.
"I wanted to get this over with while we were together. Minerva…I think you should take care of this…"
"Yes well I just wanted tell everyone that I have decided to retire…" There was a lot of talk at this. "Sirius, I wanted you to take my place as Transfiguration professor." Forks clattered. Everyone stared at her.
"Y…you want me to take your place!" He looked shocked. "Me, be a teacher?"
"Yes, of course I do you were my best student, even if you were a pain to deal with sometimes." Alicia snorted at this.
"That's not all, Filius." Flitwick stood up on his chair a looked at Alicia. She stared at him with her mouth hanging open.
"Alicia, just as Minerva wishes Sirius will take over for her, I wish that you will take my position as charms professor so that I can retire as well." Flitwick said in his squeaky little voice. "I would be honored if you will do this."
Alicia looked from him to Minerva to Dumbledore and then over to Alex and then to Damien. Even Alex had stopped eating and stared. Alicia looked to Sirius and they both nodded.
"We'll do it." Dumbledore nodded and started to speak.
"Good. Now Remus…"
"Don't tell me you are retiring and want me to take you place because I will only tell you that you are crazy old fool and you need to totally lay off the lemon drops because they are rotting your brain." Remus leaned back in his chair as he said this. Dumbledore chuckled.
"Remus I want you to Co-teach Defense against the dark arts."
"Oh…sure I'll do it…wait co-teach? With who? Not…" Remus turned to Snape. Snape grimaced.
"No with Narcissa Malfoy…" Remus didn't have an answer for this. He blinked a few times then feinted.
"So I guess this year is going to be even stranger then I thought...dusting" Hermione opened the portrait hole and walked in.
"I know! Having Sirius for transfiguration and then Alicia for Charms and Remus with Narcissa in Defense. This will be interesting. What do you think went on between those two?" Harry said.
"Who? Narcissa and Remus?" Alex turned to Damien. "Do you know anything?"
"Well while we were talking I got the impression that something went on between them while they were at school. Then she married Lucius, and it wasn't on her own terms either."
"Oh so it was one of those "either-you-marry-him-or-we-will-dissown-you-and-say-horrible-threats-to-make-your-life-a-living-hell" kinds of thing, right?" Hermione said.
"Exactly."
"I think something defiantly went on. Well we will find out soon enough because she's coming in a week to get ready for the term."
"Yeah well, let's not think about it any more tonight. I am going to go to bed now. I'll see you in the morning." With the Draco left the room.
"Alex, did something else happen over the summer? I mean besides all this?" Hermione asked.
"Well I can't really tell you everything that happened to him, because it isn't my choice, it's his…but I can tell you that we both did undercover work for the ministry and well some of his missions didn't go very well."
"Oh."
"It looks like he took the changes well…the new family thing."
"Yeah I don't think he really felt at home with the Malfoy's. I heard that he spent most of his time at the Zambini's manor and shops." Alex said.
"Hey you two were staying at the Weasleys right?" Alex blushed a little and nodded. "So do you know why Ron was stripped of his prefect badge?" She laughed.
"Ron was being an ass. It was a couple of things really. You see…George was helping me a lot, I have nightmares and stuff and well…he was…ah…staying with me at night and well Ron didn't like it because well he didn't like me and he tried to strangle George…then after when I got up he hit me over the head with a vase and Damien came in and Ron pulled out a knife…"
"WHAT!" Harry's and Hermione's eyes were popping out of their sockets.
"George knocked him out with the bedside table when he slashed Dame. That was why. He was in St. Mungos for three weeks. He is going to get out in a few days I think…"
"So what is going to happen to him?"
"Well...shit!" Alex grabbed her wrist and fell to her knees.
"What! What's wrong?" Hermione asked in concern.
"What…time…is it…?"
"10 o'clock…why?" Harry was kneeling next to the two girls.
"Curfew…Another one of the stupid rules of being on house arrest…" She took her hand off her wrist and they saw that the 'bracelet' that the ministry made her wear was burning bright red. "Can you guy's help me to my room?" The both nodded. Hermione went to pick her up and all of a sudden picking up Alex felt like picking up a feather.
"Your slayer powers are forming." Alex said as if reading Hermione's mind. "We better get to my room fast…this part won't be very fun for you."
"Why not?" Harry asked.
"Keep walking and I'll explain" They nodded. "Because…I'm going to be brutally honest…It's painful…very painful. My mom said it was like getting your insides ripped out then pumped with steroids and stuffed back into your body…It only lasts for a few seconds…well, that pain…Your body has to adjust to your new strength. Unfortunately it's not only your slayer strength forming…"
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked her looking worried as Alex stumbled.
"Your enzymes and cells are changing…the slayer in you has been there since you were born. The slayer blood stays stored only coming out when the powers will it to. There are potential slayers all over the world with this. You probably noticed you can stand more things then others…Well anyways your body is going to merge your slayer blood into your system with the blood circulating now…that's painful…have either of you ever had to have your blood flushed before?" They both shook their heads. "Oh well that would have prepared you better for it…anyways your white blood cells are going to change also…they become stronger…helps fight infections and stuff…part of the reason why you will heal so fast. Your DNA is going to change too…"
"But then…"
"Don't worry it doesn't change your identity or anything like that…the slayer molecules blend in with the structure…it becomes more complex then a normal persons DNA. It only takes approximately five minutes…that's an average, almost every single slayer has had different reactions…I studied it when I wasn't doing things for the ministry…don't worry though because the longest that ever happened went for eight minutes." Harry and Hermione exchanged glances.
"Is that all of it?" Harry asked opening the door to her room.
"No…"
"What else is there? What else could possibly change?" Hermione was getting nervous.
"Well its actually not painful…its knowledge…knowledge of basic attack strategies and basic maneuvers for killing vampires…basic knowledge of vampires themselves…stuff like that…Got it?"
"I think so…painful right?" Harry said helping Alex onto the bed. Alex laughed a little.
"Yeah something like that. I'll be fine now, you two should get to your rooms…I doubt you'll want to be out in the middle of the hall when it happens."
"Yeah…let's go. Thanks for the warning. Harry and Hermione walked out and closed the door behind them.
"So I guess this is real then?"
"You guessed it. So sis, I'll see you in the morning."
"Night Harry."
A/N: HA HA HA HA HA! I did it! Ok Yay! I will try to do more tomorrow but no guaranties. Thank you for your reviews and I am grateful for your sympathy. I better get on it then.