When I woke up the next morning I smiled in content. It was such an amazing dream; I wished I could have stayed there for longer.
With my eyes still closed, I put my hand under my pillow in search for my phone, but it wasn't there. I sighed and opened my eyes to look, but my phone wasn't there either. I looked at the floor, to see if it had fallen and jolted up. This wasn't my room.
My heart started to beat quickly as I realized it wasn't a dream. I jumped out of bed and started to walk quickly around the room in excitement. That was until I saw my reflection. I looked a mess. I was still wearing my bloodstained outfit, but that want the only problem. My hair was frizzed, knotted and looked like it had birds nesting in there. My eyes were black from where my make-up had ran and blood stained my neck and cheek. However, I looked different. The change wasn't drastic or anything, but my face was thinner. Cheekbones had replaced the annoying baby fat that I hated, and I seemed paler. My eyes were brighter, more inviting and my lips were fuller. I had a feeling this was one of the Vampire side effects Dumbledore was talking about.
A small knock at the door disrupted me from my narcissistic trace.
"Yeah?" I called out, feebly trying to squash my hair. Tonks opened the door and grinned at me warmly. Her hair was black today and she had it up in a bun. She was holding a pile of what looked like old material, but I had a feeling they were my new clothes.
"Wotcher, Alyssa. I've just come to see if you're ok, and bring you these," she said, holding up the clothes. Sometimes, I hated being right. "How's your neck?"
"Its good thanks, it barely hurts." To be honest, I had completely forgotten about it, I was too absorbed in… myself. I was becoming really vain.
"Oh good," she said brightly. She came inside properly and sat on the spare bed. "I want to say sorry about the clothes. They are really bad. But I'll be going to my parent's house next week, so you can have all my old clothes."
I grinned and took them off her. "Its fine, thanks. Is there a shower I can use, please? I smell, and look, bad."
She chuckled. "Yeah, it just across the hall. There'll be towels in there, so just use one of those."
She told me to come downstairs when I was ready for some breakfast. I looked at the clock and saw it was seven am. It had to be the earliest I had been awake in a long time.
I took a quick shower, using the pungent cologne smelling shampoo and ran back to my room quickly. All the towels were holey and threadbare, so I had to make a mad dash across the hall incase anyone saw me.
I wrapped my hair in one towel like a turban, and wrapped myself in another. I went over to the spare bed and began to sort through the clothes.
My initial thoughts were that I might get away with a shabby chic, but unless the fashion here was to look like a hobo, I'm screwed.
After a few minutes searching I found a red cotton lumberjack shirt that was acceptable. I tucked it into a pair of denim shorts (which were too big) and got to work on my hair.
I looked through all the draws in the room to find no hairdryer. I was about to go and ask for one before I remembered that they were wizards, and that they wouldn't have hairdryers, or straight irons. I cringed at the thought.
I took my hair out of the towel to find it half dry. I towel dried the rest and then put it into a topknot before going downstairs.
I was extra quiet when I walked, remembering that there was a picture of Sirius' mom somewhere.
When I got to the bottom of the stairs, an ugly grayish creature, which could only be Kreacher, stood there 'cleaning.'
"Excuse me," I said politely. "Could you please direct me to the kitchen, or Tonks or Sirius?" He looked up and stared at me for a long moment before going back to wiping the same spot over and over with a ratty cloth.
"Lost?" a voice came from behind me. I turned around quickly to find Lupin standing behind me. I nodded and smiled guiltily.
"Here," he said leading me down a small narrow staircase. "We all normally just sit in the kitchen. There's always someone in here."
He opened the door to find both Sirius and Tonks sitting at the large table drinking coffee. They looked up and smiled as I walked in.
"Hey," Tonks said, pulling out her wand and summoning two more mugs. "That doesn't look to bad." She motioned towards my outfit as I smiled meekly.
I sat down awkwardly next to Sirius and Lupin opposite me next to Tonks.
"Coffee?" Sirius asked me. I nodded and he poured me a mug.
"Do you have any milk please?" I asked. I absolutely hated decaffeinated coffee, it made me feel sick. He nodded and summoned a silver pot. The milk was warm and looked a bit old, but I didn't care. I hadn't eaten or drank anything for days. I poured it into my coffee and drank it quickly. It was heaven.
"Do you want some toast?" Tonks asked. I grabbed three pieces and scoffed them quickly. She laughed. "You best get used to toast. It's quite bad that three adults can't cook anything."
"Well, two adults," Lupin said, nodding towards Sirius. "I would classify him as a small child." Tonks and I laughed and Sirius sat there dumbstruck, not hearing what he had said.
"I can't wait until Molly gets here. Her food's amazing. I was always at the Weasley's when I was younger. I was so fat by the end of the summer." Tonks said.
"Molly and Arthur are other Order members," Sirius informed me. "They and their kids Fred, George, Ron and Ginny will be living here next week." I nodded along like it was new information.
"Have you sorted out an extra bed for Hermione?" Lupin asked Sirius. He nodded.
"Yeah, she can just have the one in the Master Bedroom. Buckbeak doesn't need it."
Tonks stood up and put on her coat that was hooked on to her chair.
"Unfortunately, I have to go to work." She stuck out her bottom lip and pulled a devastated face. "I'll see you later. Now be good Alyssa," she said winking at me before going upstairs.
"Can I ask a favor," I said. She stopped and turned around. "Can you call me Ally please? I hate Alyssa. I hate Ally too, but it's the lesser of two evils."
They all nodded. "Ok, see you later. Be Good Ally," I gave her a gurning grin as she departed.
"Awww," Sirius said. "Little Ally, who we found in an Alley; How fitting."
I stuck my tongue out at him but grinned, knowing that we would both get on fine.
0
Over the next few days at Grimmauld Place me and Sirius really bonded. Being the only two permanent residents in the house, (He being a wanted fugitive, and me under house arrest for being a possible Death eater) we were constantly in each others company.
Every morning, the four of us would eat breakfast together before Tonks left for work. After about an hour after she left, Lupin would then go job hunting as he hated living off Sirius' money. Then it would just be the two of us…
For the first hour, I found it really awkward, however after Sirius cracked some jokes and we had a laugh, it was fine.
We would do a different thing each day: play with Buckbeak, attempt to cook… He would tell me stories from when he was younger and I would tell him about my 'muggle lifestyle.' My stories had to be tweaked slightly, but they were mainly all true.
"I think you're going to Diagon Alley tomorrow," he said one morning. I had been there for over a week, but we had become very attached to each other. He looked sad when he told me this. Today, Sirius had pulled out his old guitar, and we were taking it in turns to play songs. After playing some songs from my real life that he had never heard, he was convinced that I was an amazing song writer. I was enjoying the glory to much to correct him.
"Another amazing 'Alley'," I said, after hearing the news. "Am I getting a wand then?"
"I think so," he said, handing me the guitar for me to play him something. "You're going to get some real clothes too."
The clothes situation wasn't too bad. No ever saw me in them except for various Order members, and they knew why I constantly looked like a homeless person. It was one of the only good things about house arrest: no one got to see me in these awful clothes.
"The Weasleys are coming tomorrow too." I was squealing on the inside. I couldn't wait for them to come. I was desperate to meet Ron and Ginny, and play jokes with Fred and George. I had fun with Sirius, but some new people my own age would be nice to talk to.
"Wait," I said, remembering suddenly. "Can you come tomorrow?" He shook his head sadly. "And, how am I going to pay for a wand, and clothes and stuff?" I asked sadly.
He smiled at me warmly. "Don't worry. I've got it all taken care off," he said, patting his pocket smugly.
"I can't let you buy my stuff; you guys have done enough for me already."
"Oh God, you sound just like Moony," he whined. I hit him playfully. He glared at me.
"Next time, it'll be the guitar," I said, holding it up like a bat. "But I've got to repay you some how."
He smiled at me loftily. "Your company is more than enough." I rolled my eyes at his cheesy comment and began to slowly play Coldplay's 'Yellow.'
"Did you write that too?" he asked appreciatively.
"Ermmm, Yep," I smiled, quickly handing him the guitar to take the attention off me.
The next morning I dressed in some old grey sweatpants from Tonks and the lumberjack shirt. She had shrunk it for me slightly; however it was still too big.
For security reasons, Tonks, Lupin and Mad Eye would all accompany me to Diagon Alley. According to them, it was incase the vampire came back, but it was so that I would contact any Death eaters and tell them 'secrets.' I knew that, they even knew I knew, but they still insisted on the vampire story. I think they must have completely forgotten that vampires can't come out in the day. Fools.
We arrived at Diagon Alley early. Today was the first day of the summer holidays, and they didn't want to meet any students. (Especially ones that would recognize 'Professor Moody'.)
We were a strange group walking down the High Street: The worn out werewolf, The Auror with the wooden leg and fake eye, the pink haired girl in a tutu skirt, and the homeless person. We were stared at by all. They decided to go to Olivander's first, something I was crapping myself about.
So you know how in the books and films, Harry waves the wand and all the stuff falls off the shelves. That's not going to happen for me. I am a muggle. I have no 'magical blood' or whatever. I knew a lot of spells and information from obsessive reading, but that was it. I began to panic slightly, but then I tried to calm myself. They would surely notice me freaking out.
The store was just like it is in the films; Old, quaint and beautiful. Mr. Olivander greeted us as we walked in.
"Hello, Miss Tonks, Mr. Moody and Lupin, how can I be of service to you?" his voice was quiet and strained.
"Good Morning Mr. Olivander, this girly here has lost her wand, and is need of a replacement, she starts Hogwarts next term." Moody said, putting his arm around my shoulder and then pushing me forward. I smiled meekly.
"Hi, I'm Alyssa B-" I began to say, but Tonks cut me off.
"Tonks," she said quickly. "Alyssa Tonks. She's my cousin."
I nodded and smiled to look as convincing as possible, but as soon as his back was turned, I glared at them. It would have been nice to be filled in on the plan.
"Well Miss Tonks," he said, climbing up a broken ladder and taking about twenty wand boxes from the top shelf. "Let's try these on for size." He took one out of the box. "Nine Inches, Cherry, Dragon Heartstring," he handed it to me carefully and I closed my eyes.
I waved it quickly, and to my surprise, I heard something crash. I opened my eyes to find a vase on the counter had shattered. I grinned triumphantly.
Olivander, mistaking my happiness, quickly snatched the wand off me. "No definitely not." He handed me another one. "Birch, Eleven Inches, Peacock Feather."
The process continued for another fifteen minutes. Olivander had almost completed his first shelve, but still had one more wand to try.
"Now this wand is unusual. The rarest in the shop." Tonks, Lupin and Mad Eye, who had looked bored up until this point, sat up and stared intently. "Nine Inches, Willow, and the core is lion's mane. The lion in question is rumored to be the lion of Godrick Gryffindor." I stared at him skeptically.
"That's impossible," Mad Eye said intrigued.
"But it is not though. The wand was made by my ancestor in the twelfth century. It has never chosen anyone. I tend to give it to difficult customers, to see how it plays out."
He smiled and handed me the wand. I shook my head.
"I can't hold it," I said. "It must be a historical artifact or something." He continued to hold it out for me. I sighed in defeated and took the wand off him. As soon as I touched it, my fingers began to tingle and a bright ray of light shot out of the end. It hit the wall and ricochet off it, creating a rainbow spectrum of colors. They all stared at me wide eyed as I looked down embarrassed.
I couldn't have this wand. Despite all of the lies and fakeness, this was the first time I felt like a cheat. This wand had direct links to Godrick Gryffindor. Some amazingly smart and powerful person should have it like Harry, not me.
"I can't have this," I said to Olivander, trying to give it him back. He held his hands up and stepped back.
"No my dear it chose you, it is yours." He seemed very excited about this. He took it out of my hand and put it back into the box before returning it to me. "Now it would be interesting to see what house you are in…"
Tonks stepped forward and took out her purse. "Trust you to have the most expensive wand in the shop," she joked. Now I felt even guiltier.
"I'm so sorry dear cousin of mine," I said, feigning a sad voice, trying to lighten the mood. Olivander saw her purse and shook his head.
"No charge," he smiled warmly. "I'm very curious about this one."
"Well, normally I would ask questions but…" she shrugged and put her purse away.
"Thank you so much Mr. Olivander," I said sweetly. He was always described as creepy and weird, but I liked him. He was like a grandfather or uncle that was mad, but really sweet at heart. Plus, he gave me a free wand, which gave him the third spot in my 'Favorite people I have met here' list. He was right behind Tonks and just before Lupin. Sirius, of course, was top and Snape was at the bottom. I had seen him once since our first meeting and he ignored me completely. Actually, that's a lie, he sneered at me from across the room. Bastard.
"This is where I leave you," Mad Eye said as we got to the Leaky Cauldron. We would be shopping in muggle London for clothes as they were cheaper and more versatile. Mad Eye didn't like going there as he got stared at, so he decided to opt out.
As we said goodbye, I was sure I got a small smile off him. I was happy that I was winning him around.
"Where too?" Lupin asked as we stepped outside. He looked like he would rather be anywhere then here. Two girls, shopping in London on a hot day… Good Luck.
"Vintage and thrift store?" Tonks asked me. I smiled and followed her down the street. I actually liked vintage, it was cool and unusual. Thrift however, I wasn't too happy about. I had enough second hand ratty clothes to last a life time. However, I wasn't paying so I couldn't really complain.
I picked up some blue skinny jeans, beige skinny jeans and some chinos at the vintage store as well as a tight black tube top that I would wear as a skirt. I also received some shorts and various T-shirts. Tonks got a few things for herself too while Remus stood on the side lines looking in the depths of despair.
She said she still had some money left of Sirius, so after some quick shopping math I asked to go to Oxford Street.
"It's kind of expensive there," Remus said sadly.
"I need some new underwear though, Bras and Stuff. We can get it from Topshop," I said. He led the way looking embarrassed.
"Nicely played," Tonks whispered to me as we walked down the street.
Topshop was my obsession and I spent almost all of my money there. I hoped that the store was open in this time and rejoiced when we got there and it was.
I picked up some Bras and underwear as I only had two pairs and had to keep alternating. On the way to the till I saw some black leather converse. Converse were my other obsession, and sadly missed them. They were a necessity, and I did need them. I only had the brogues that I came in and did not go with everything, the outfit I was wearing for example. However, Converse did.
"Please, Please, Please I'm begging you," I said to Tonks picking up the shoes.
She laughed. "I would but I don't know what Sirius would say."
"I know. He'd let me."
She laughed again and shook her head before proceeding to the till. "Wait, we'll make a bet. You win, you have them, I win, and I have them."
She thought for a moment and looked at them carefully. "Yeah, ok they're nice. What's this bet then?"
I put my hands to my temples for dramatic effect and closed my eyes.
"I bet you, that Ginny Weasley has a boyfriend, called Michael C." I opened my eyes and grinned at her challengingly.
She shook her head. "No bet, you must already know."
"How?" I asked. "The only people I've really spoken to is you, Sirius and Remus."
She thought for a moment before holding her hand out for me to shake.
Once we were done, we decided to get a few groceries. We wanted to show Mrs. Weasley that we were not completely helpless in the kitchen and make dinner for her and the other Weasley's when they arrive that evening. It wouldn't be fair if she had to cook as soon as she arrived.
We went to Tesco for our groceries. It was really amusing in the store. Having been brought up by a muggle, this was normal for Tonks; she and I walked down the isles with ease, picking up various ingredients and supplies we may need. The normally cool and calm Lupin though, was fascinated by it all, and we had to keep stopping for him to look at some 'amazing' trolley or something.
We had decided to make Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner and then Brownies for desert. I could actually make really nice brownies; it was the only thing actually could cook.
Once we had done, we apparated back to Grimmauld Place. Sirius met us desperately at the door. He looked at all of our bags, and took half off us.
"Do I have any money left?" he joked, walking through to the kitchen. He propped all of the bags up against a cabinet and sat down at the table. I put all mine down too, and grabbed to groceries bags to put on to the table.
"We brought some stuff to make stuff for when the Weasley get here," I explained. He nodded along with me while Lupin and Tonks stared at me confused.
Sirius pulled out the ingredients and raised his eyebrows. "Mince meat and cocoa powder. What the hell are we making?"
"Use some sense," I said, pulling out the rest. "We're making spaghetti Bolognese and brownies for desert."
"What?" he said, taking the ingredients off me and studying them. "There's a reason why we only eat toast, and take out" Tonks would sometimes bring us pizza or Chinese that she picked up after work. It was a life saver.
"I'll make the brownies, and you guys can make the spaghetti. Anyone can make pasta."
How wrong I was…
Hi, I know the said the Weasley's would be arriving in this chapter, but it's going to be towards the beginning of the next. I had to chop this chapter in half as it was getting a bit too long (and if you've read The Thin Line, Chapter 12, you know what happens when I write long chapters.
I want to say thanks to Sensula, Potter-Charmed Child, AllyAlly96423, . and anyone else who has reviewed.