Rebecca, Lily and Marlene all walked down the path that led from Madam Dawson's house after having had spent a portion of the evening there and Rebecca stopped in her tracks and looked around.
"Becky, something wrong?" Lily asked and Rebecca held out her hand.
"I don't know, I think this war is starting to make me paranoid." She said with a light smile and raised her eyebrows in shock as she looked at Lily and Marlene. "Oh god, I am turning in to Moody."
"No you're not." Lily said as she looped her arm through Rebecca's and led her down the path.
"It starts with the paranoia, then I'm going to start saying things like 'constant vigilance' whenever there is a silence in the room and I am going to start lecturing people about wands in the back pockets talking about great wizards that have lost their buttocks." She said dramatically as she put a hand over her forehead.
"Hey you're even starting to limp like him." Marlene teased and Rebecca glared and stuck her tongue out.
"Crap, I forgot my keys on the counter." Rebecca said with a sigh as she felt her pockets.
"Alright we can just go back." Lily said as they all turned around to go back.
They were about to turn the corner and Rebecca felt her stomach drop as a green skull in the air came in to view.
"Oh god." Rebecca said breathlessly as she sprinted towards the house.
"Becky." Lily cried after her as she ran to the front door throwing it open and gasped as she saw the dead bloody body of Madam Dawson. Behind her on the wall was writing in what Rebecca was sure was blood and soon Marlene and Lily came in behind her and Lily gave a shriek as she gripped on to Marlene. Rebecca wondered how this could have happened. They hadn't even left the house ten minutes ago and Madam Dawson had been more than alive. Rebecca quickly hurried over to the body knowing there was no hope as she felt for the pulse and held back tears as she closed the eyes and looked around at the evident struggle. There was blood spattered all over the other walls making it look like some bloody horror film. A shiver ran down her spine as she looked at the body of Madam Dawson before looking away.
"I can't believe this has happened." Edgar said as he leaned against the mantle staring in to the fire.
"I know." Benjy said from the couch as he stared at the floor.
"Shit." Edgar said.
"I know." Benjy said.
"Shit."
"Yes, I know." Benjy said and put his face in his hands.
"Shit."
"Say it one more time Edgar and I will hit your face with a pillow." Frank said from the other side of the room.
Rebecca stared at the piece of paper in front of her. She had been the one to write down the writing from the wall. It was in several different languages, all different writing, at least 5 different people. Some of it was in Latin, some of it in French and the other three she didn't know.
A tabby cat appeared at the window and tapped with its paw and Frank rushed over and opened it up as it came in and transfigured in to Professor McGonagall.
"I do wish this were under better circumstances." She said softly.
"Join the club." Frank said as McGonagall walked over to Rebecca.
"Is that it?" She asked and Rebecca looked up at her and rubbed her face as she held out the paper.
"Yeah, that's it." She said with a sigh and got up.
"We'll have Professor Owens take a look at it." She said as she folded it and pocketed it. "Thank you Rebecca." She said and Rebecca nodded. "Why don't you get home?"
"Sounds like a good idea. I'll see you all later." Rebecca said with a sloppy wave towards everyone and headed towards the front door.
"Hey Becky, you going to be alright?" Frank asked as he walked over to her.
"Yeah…I'll be fine." She said and rubbed her temples. "I mean it could have been us too, we hadn't even been gone for ten minutes. All of us could have been dead." She said and looked out the window.
"I should probably get some sleep, I'm exhausted."
"Try and get some sleep." He said and pat her on the back and she nodded and walked out of the headquarters and headed back home to see Remus.
She stumbled in to the house and Remus appeared at the doorway of the kitchen. She hung up her jacket and sighed as she turned to him.
"Come here." He said as he held his arms out to her and she staggered towards him and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Remus there was so much blood." She said weakly, burying her face in to his neck as he rubbed her back.
"How about we get you a nice hot bath and get you to bed." He asked and she nodded as he picked her up and walked with her down the hall and got the bath running.
Rebecca walked down Diagon alley glancing in to the stores every once in a while. She stopped at the quidditch shop and looked at the newest broom on display, the Cleansweep Five. Oh how she missed quidditch. She couldn't remember the last time that she had even taken her broom out of its case. She glanced down the street and her breath caught in her throat as she saw Lucius and Rabastan step out of a store and she ducked in to the quidditch shop. She knew they probably wouldn't start a scene in the middle of the busy Diagon Alley but still, she wanted no such confrontation with some of the most dangerous Death Eaters. She watched them through the window carefully wondering if they had seen her and she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and she spun around and gave a sigh when she saw Fabian.
"Whoa, are you alright Becky?"
"Yeah, Lucius and Rodolphus are out there, just hiding out. What are you doing here?"
"Picking up a broom for the nephew, he is almost 5 now." He said as he held up a small looking broom, about half the size of a normal broom.
"A quidditch buff at five?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and he smiled and shrugged.
"I see a future beater like his uncle." Fabian said as he puffed out his chest.
"Right, hopefully he has more brains." She said with a smile as she poked him and checked outside.
"Alright I think they're gone, I'll see you later." She said and pat him on the shoulder before heading out.
"See you Becky." He said with a small wave and she continued down the street.
"Well, well, well." Someone said as she stepped out of Florish and Blotts and turned and her heart stopped for a moment as she looked at Lucius and Rodolphus. How could she have been so stupid? She wondered how fast she would be able to draw her wand if they went for theirs; she had always been a quick draw. Wait they weren't even wearing their masks or anything, they would not risk their reputations like this, she was fine.
"Hello." She said curtly and went to pass them but they stood in front of her, prohibiting her from passing.
"You know it's only a matter of time." Lucius said as he leaned in towards her.
"Oh yeah?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah." Lucius said as he looked her up and down slowly and clicked his tongue.
"Pity."
"Out of my way." She said through gritted teeth but they didn't move and she pushed past them, casting a glance behind her as she continued down the street and saw them still watching her and she made her way to the Leaky Cauldron.
"I assume that Alastor has filled you all in on why you are here. With Miss Walcott obtaining the portkey and with the help of our Potions Mistress Natasha Halding, we have managed to pinpoint the exact location of the portkey." Dumbledore said as he looked at everyone from behind his desk.
"I have at last accomplished my task." Professor Halding said. "And I can now tell you with great confidence that the Portkey location is exactly 1140km southeast of our exact location."
Benjy Fenwick produced a map out of thin air and he and Caradoc lent over it looking slightly perplexed to investigate where exactly 1140km southeast of the Scottish Highlands was.
"Where are we?" Benjy asked.
"Up here." Caradoc said said.
"Oh, I thought we were here."
"No, that's Egypt you git."
"Oh, haha... ok, which way's east?"
"That way"
"No that's west"
"Oh, oh yeah, whoops."
"It's Paris" said Remus almost straight away without even glancing at the map.
Benjy and Caradoc stopped their complicated location-finding and glared at him mockingly.
"I'm Moony and I know everything." James said sarcastically and Remus grinned.
"Yes Paris, the exact center." Natasha said.
"What is Voldemort doing in Paris?" Edgar asked confused.
"Because no one would look for him there?" questioned Emmeline Vance
"I bet he's in the Haunted Mansion in Euro Disney..." Rebecca muttered. "Or the Pirates of the Caribbean ride." She said and Remus gave a sideways smile at her.
"Our best form of action I think is to just start searching for him." Moody said.
"Paris is a big place." James pointed out. "Needle, plus haystack. Not easy."
"Albus... I do not have a good feeling about this." Elphias said. "Do not just go in swinging off the bat."
"Natasha's potion will pin point a location about forty five meters square once we get close enough." said Dumbledore, he glanced at Moody for a second, "I suggest we send a team down to attempt to find it. This is a find only mission though. If you seen anything out of the ordinary, anything that could even remotely be linked to a Death Eater lair, I want coordinates, descriptions and accounts, but under no circumstances will you be going in and confronting until we are ready. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal." replied Frank for the whole group as everyone looked at each other.
The Paris Group wandered around the streets of Paris, consisting of seven; James, Sirius, Rebecca, Moody, Benjy, Frank and Caradoc, all looking somewhat lost and a little too high strung in the middle of Paris.
"I thought French women walked around topless..." Sirius said sounding disappointed that all the females he had seen so far were fully clothed.
"You know that's really rude." Rebecca said dryly.
"I don't think Padfoot has ever tried to pass himself off as polite though." James said with a cheeky smile.
"Asshole." She muttered.
"Bitch." Sirius said as he gave her a small shove.
"Man whore." She shot back and put her foot out in front of him almost making him fall flat on his face.
"Ah, the good old days." James said with a sigh. "You'd never think we were part of an elite fighting force against the darkness threatening to overcome the Wizarding World." He said with a broad smile as Sirius and Rebecca glared at each other.
"Merlin! There's nothing here, it's all quite and perfectly normal... This is where the potion says the Portkey lead... well actually in the bush there, but that's not the point." Frank said as he looked at the map.
"Are you sure?" Rebecca asked as she leaned over to look at the map.
"We've done tests and there's been no magic done within 5 meters of said bush."
"But there must have been to have the Portkey lead here!"
"We know, it makes no sense." Moody said sounding extremely frustrated..
Benjy groaned. "Ok, where the hell are we? Frank can you hand me the map? Alastor's gotten us lost."
"Do you want fries with that?" Frank asked with a cheesy grin.
"We are not lost, we're near Notre Dame." Moody said confidently.
"Sure Alastor, you only know that because you heard the bells ten minutes ago." Caradoc said as he leaned over towards Benjy and looked at the map. "We're... Rue Dante? ...where the hell is Rue Dante? Is that even how you say it?"
"Oh this is brilliant... we're supposed to be saving the world and we can't even pronounce the street we're on." Benjy said with a sigh.
"Why don't we stop and ask?" Rebecca suggested.
"No, we don't need to, we are right here." Moody said as he pointed to the map.
"No, we just passed Rue Papin, that's right here." Frank said.
"No we didn't, Rue Papin was way back there." She said and leaned in towards the map again and Moody grabbed it and looked at it more clearly.
"We're fine." He said and folded the map and pocketed it away.
"Men." She grumbled. "You know what? I'll ask for help since you guys won't alright?" She said and walked off to talk to a couple standing in front of a café and walked back and held her hand out for the map. Moody pulled it out from his pocket and begrudgingly handed it to her.
"We're right here." She said as she pointed to an intersection and turned and continued down the street.
"Women, can't live with them, can't live with out them huh?" Benjy asked with a light laugh as Moody rolled his eyes.
And then it started raining...
"Thank you Mother Nature. We love you too!" yelled Sirius and then James offered to dance with him in the rain.
"Oh would you too stop that!" Benjy muttered casting a Dry Charm on himself.
"Come on Padfoot, don't you know how to lead? Dip me!"
"Fenwick! What do you think you're doing? A Muggle could have seen you! Constant vigilance man! Caution!"
"You know Moody you're so up tight." Rebecca said as she turned around walking backwards with a grin. "We really need to go get you drunk."
Lily stared at the little pink plus sign in front of her wide eyed.
"Lily, is everything alright?" Marlene asked from the other side of the door. Lily stared at the other three pregnancy tests on the counter and sighed to herself as she looked around the bathroom.
"Y-yeah." Lily said and bit her lip. Raising a child in the midst of a war had never been something that Lily had expected to do. Silently she wondered if she was ready to be a mother or James a father for that matter. They hadn't really discussed having a child. Would he want a child right now?
"What's it say?" Marlene asked and Lily got up from the toilet and opened the door and held up the pregnancy test. Marlene screamed and hugged Lily tight.
"Lily you're going to be a mommy!" She said and pulled back at the sullen looking Lily.
"What?"
"It's just- we're in the middle of a war, this isn't what I want to bring my child up in to." She said and walked over to the bed and sat down. "What if I'm not ready to be a mother? What if I'm a bad mother?" She asked and Marlene smiled and sat down next to Lily.
"I guess you never really know if you're ready to be a mother until you become one and as for being a bad mother, I don't think that's possible." She said and took Lily's hand as she smiled.
"I guess you're right." She said with a nod.
"So how are you going to tell James?" Marlene asked and she shrugged.
"I'll figure something out."
"He's going to be so excited." Marlene said grinning.
"I sure hope so."
"This is hopeless, there is nothing here." Rebecca said as they continued to walk around the streets of Paris.
"There has to be something, we're just not looking hard enough." Moody said and Rebecca glanced at the rest of the Paris Group who were all looking about as hopeless as she was.
"Alastor I don't think there is anything here." Frank said but Moody didn't say a word as he kept walking.
"Perhaps it was just something to throw us off; they would do something like that." She said as she looked around at the stores around her.
"You know what sounds nice?" Sirius asked as he stretched his arms behind his head and they all looked at him. "A nice drink." He said and they all but Moody gave a sigh of agreement.
"No time for that, keep focus." Moody said and Rebecca sighed.
"Come on just one drink Alastor?" Caradoc asked and Moody raised an eyebrow at Caradoc who looked at him sheepishly and Moody glanced at the pub not 100 feet from them.
"Alright one drink." He said and they group gave a small cheer as they all headed towards the pub with a sign that read "The Cat and Parrot."
Several hours later, the group came out somewhat less sober than they had been when they had walked in. They wandered around the streets for half an hour before deciding to return home.
James walked in to the headquarters with an off tune of "Honey I'm Home!"
Lily appeared at the doorway with a wide smile and rushed over to him and embraced him in a tight hug.
"How did everything go?"
"We didn't find anything, it led to nothing."
"Are you drunk?" she asked noticing his words were a little slurred.
"We got a little something to drink." Sirius said and gave James a small nudge who nearly lost his balance but Lily held him up straight and gave a stern look to Sirius who shrugged.
"Becky." Remus said as he walked over to her looking exhausted due to the full moon that night.
"Hey." She said dryly as he stood in front of her.
"What's wrong?" He asked and looked at the others.
"It was a dead end, there was nothing there, and the locket was a waste of time." She said and strode off to the next room with Remus following closely behind.
"Becky-."
"I'm fine." She said and sat down on the couch, staring at the fire.
"I'm sure we'll find something else."
"How is Professor Owen doing on the translating?"
"Well basically all they wrote was go to hell, you're going to die. There is one sentence that we can't seem to get."
"I need some sleep. I'm going home."
"I'll be there in a little while." He said as she got up.
"Alright see you." She said and leaned down and gave him a kiss.