AN/- Hey everybody thanks so much for reviewing the previous chapter and I hope you'll review this one as well-enjoy
Chapter 42
They were told to go to sleep once they arrived and although Audrey had gone straight down and refused, Remus had gone short with her, snapped at her and made her more furious. What was with stupid men anyway? First her father, now Remus! Could no one understand her anymore?
It was around three in the morning that Audrey made her way down to the kitchens as quietly as she could manage, she knew Remus was in the living room dozing off in front of the fire while Tonks was heard snoring lightly on the couch while Remus slept on the cushioned chair.
She opened the door and stepped out in the snow, the wind was heavy and even made sounds that were often associated to something like 'whooshing'
It was cold to be standing there with only a Jacket and jeans on but she didn't feel it, she just wanted to feel numb she knew if she felt the pain of the frost she'd grow numb soon and maybe just maybe feel a little better. She hardly realised that she was actually punishing herself for even seeing that wretched—whatever it was, the fact that she couldn't help Mr. Weasley and watch his attack like on the muggle telly didn't go down well with her, she wanted to feel some pain, to get the emotional hurt of the horror show out of her head but she knew this was futile, her mind wasn't going to let her, not so easily anyways—after all when had anything been easy for her?
Audrey walked ahead and stopped suddenly as she reached the edge of the frozen pool; a layer of thin ice floated on top of the water with was covered in the freshly falling snow. Audrey shivered slightly as she carefully placed one foot onto the thin ice and then the other. It was a suicide mission!
"Audrey what the bloody f** are you—" began someone in the back as Audrey turned around and whipped her wand out placing a silencing charm on the owner of the voice. Harry flailed around and tried his best to shout and scream as she waited for him to stop moving and let her speak.
"Calm down," she commanded urgently from where she had been standing.
"Now—I'm going to take of the charm and you'll get your voice back but promise not to shout first!" said Audrey as Harry looked at her angrily and pointed urgently at her and then back at a spot next to where to he was standing.
"No! I will not come there—now promise not to shout!" said Audrey angrily as Harry let out an angry breadth through his nostrils but nodded crossing his arms across his chest. She pulled of the charm as he walked swiftly and angrily towards the edge of the pool.
"What are you doing—you'll kill yourself!" hissed Harry angrily throwing silent and urgent glances at the open backdoor.
"It's frozen solid!" she replied as she jumped on the ice a few times.
"Don't do that stupid!" he ordered worriedly trying to reach out to her from where he was standing but failed as she giggled and got out of his hands.
"Come get me," she said walking a little further as Harry's eyes grew wider and he shook his head.
"Are you scared?" she asked slowly as Harry stood looking at her silently, he didn't know what to tell her and whether the question had been meant for the situation earlier that night or the current one, so he chose to remain silent.
"Take my hand" she said placing her hand in front of him as he looked at it and then back at her, she was smiling at him, for him, it got as encouraging as it could possibly get as they stared at each other for a long time. Harry finally took her hand and slowly placed his one foot down onto the frozen sheet of thin ice. A small cracking sound was heard as Harry looked at her slightly pale but she pulled him down next to her.
A sudden hysteria took over them as their adventurous smiles broke into fits of silent laughter as they continued to laugh still holding hands, she walked further towards the other end as the snow storm grew heavier, she slipped and fell down hitting her bottom on the ice as she pulled him down with her.
"You think it can take our weight?" he asked her as vapour began pouring out of his mouth as he spoke, the same happened when she spoke as well.
"Seems to have so far," she said shrugging as Harry chuckled a little, he didn't know why but it felt like nothing was wrong, everything was perfect, everything was just fine and Harry was glad that he was feeling that way sitting on a thin sheet of ice, seeing that his life was just like thin ice, if the ice cracked he'd fall into the water and freeze to death just like if he was blatantly afraid he'd surely be killed. He looked at Audrey as she looked skyward as the snowflakes fell on her face melting at the contact with a warm body.
"I'm afraid Audrey—I am very afraid," he said seriously as Audrey looked at him sadly, he looked away in embarrassment.
"Don't be—I'm on your side—even if people think you tried to kill Mr. Weasley," said Audrey a little unsure as to what she was saying but Harry laughed lightly and turned to look at her dark eyes which looked hazier than they did always. It was instinct that made him brush a strand of hair away for her face and then let his finger linger around her face and brushed the outline softly as she didn't break eye contact, he was worried he'd jump on her to kiss on the thin sheet of ice and then it would surely break but she looked away disappointedly as she got up, he slumped a little and got up too.
"Wow! Umm...I'm tired already—think I'll go rest or something," she said stretching lazily as Harry nodded and they walked back shivering into the house.
Audrey woke up with a crick in her neck; she opened her eyes as slowly as she could manage but the smell of frying sausages filled her nose and made her empty stomach growl. Around her, people spoke in hushed voices, she knew they only spoke in front of her thinking she was still asleep so she pretended further, noticing someone's hand in her own. She pretended to change sides as no one really noticed, she looked at the person sleeping next to her, with her hand on his chest. Harry Potter looked so normal and serene while he slept so peaceful, only Merlin knew the amount of distortion that in his mind body and soul.
"This is crazy—at this rate he might just be controlling them!" said Moody gruffly as Tonks hissed in annoyance shushing him like he was a five year old.
"You'll wake them up!" said Tonks angrily as Audrey felt a hand brush the side of her face lightly, she could smell the sausages on it.
"Aye! They're fifteen year old monsters anyway!" chuckled Moody as Audrey did not take his joke very lightly, so now the order thought they were monsters!
"You don't suppose he's actually controlling them do you?" asked Sirius worriedly as Moody turned to him and Remus.
"You never know—Voldemort might just be able to hear what we are saying right this very minute—they could be his eyes and ears—ya—never know!" said Moody gruffly as Sirius looked extremely worried.
"Rubbish! Siri—he's just pulling your leg," said a woman Audrey did not recognize from the voice but she knew she had heard it somewhere.
"Aye! That's why I say Aurora! Constant vigilance—not necessary really while looking at stars is it?" snarled Moody as professor Sinistra looked at the man angrily.
"Really and where was this vigilance last year Mad-eye?" asked Aurora snarkily as Moody glared at her.
"Come on—I think we should go to the living room, we can't be talking here in front of them," said Remus seriously as a scrapping of chairs could be heard with the opening of doors and then shutting of them as a few noises were heard from above them stating that they had settled down in the living room.
In a few seconds Audrey felt Harry's hand draw away from hers as she felt his fingers brush down her hand and then his chair was pushed back and him out of the door and up the stairs to his room. Audrey followed suit, she could hear their friends outside in the snow of the backyard shouting and screaming behind their snow forts having a snowball fight with each other, girls vs. boys.
Audrey climbed up to Harry's room as she slowly poked her head through the door and saw what he was doing.
"What are you doing?" she asked him sitting down on the bed where lay an open backpack and the clothes that he was dumping in them.
"What does it look like?" he snapped glaring at her and then continued to pack his bag.
"Where will you go?" asked Audrey as Harry stopped will packing his jeans and looked at her.
"I dunno—somewhere—far away from here," said Harry as he looked at her, she got up and was as close as she could get.
"You're being stupid!" she complained softly.
"No, I am not—in fact I was going to ask you to come with me!" he said as looking away as he took a step away from her.
"If you promise breakfast first" she said jokingly as Harry glared at her.
"I am being bloody seriously Audrey—I mean what if Moody is right—what if Voldemort is controlling us?—what if he can see what we can?—what if he can hear what we do?—what is the point of the order then? What is the point of all this secrecy when he already might just know?—I can't control this!" shouted Harry angrily and the flumped down on the bed. She looked at him worriedly as she pulled his hand into hers and he turned to look at her.
"Harry—," she began as he shook his head and pulled away.
"I refuse to let any more people die for me Audrey—people I care for don't seem to last to long," he said disappointedly.
"So what are you going to do push them away—act as if you don't care for them?" snarled Audrey angrily as Harry turned around to look at her and shrugged.
"I have seen my godfather do that Harry—he loves Tonks—but he'll never admit it—he thinks he's too dangerous for her and that his heart is never meant to be given to anybody but death—he's a miserable man inside," said Audrey turning away as Harry let the information ink in, she wasn't lying, it was true and he knew it.
"Come on, I know what you need!" she said briefly as she pulled his hand into her hers forced him into a warm muggle coat and they were out of the front door in no time, Harry didn't know where she was taking him but he felt better being out of that house, out and away from those people—away from people who cared, but then there was Audrey how was he supposed to cut her loose when she stuck to him like she had put a permanent sticking charm on their hands.
"Where are we going?" he asked her as she shrugged and pulled him into the street full of last minute muggle shoppers. She pulled her hand out and stopped a taxi, pushed him into it and told the driver to drive them to the bridge over the Thames, when they reached it she paid the man pulled the boy out and didn't let go off his hand.
They spent half and hour staring at the river from over the bridge, he felt only a little better but it was much nicer than grim old Grimmauld place. Audrey laughed suddenly as he looked at her.
"My mum's going to kill me!" she said as Harry smirked a little although he did feel sorry for her, he was sure they must have started looking for them.
"What about your father?" asked Harry chuckling as Audrey cringed and gave him a faint smile as she then turned away to look at the river.
"You don't have to answer it—I mean if you think it's personal or something but what happened—you were fine with Snape the other day and what happened to you suddenly," asked Harry as Audrey stiffened and looked away instantly.
"He acted like a git—is all!" said Audrey looking around for another topic but couldn't find one.
"It doesn't end there does it?" he asked her as she looked at him sadly and sighed shaking her head.
"I called him—well—I was upset with the way he treated Neville so I called him a bully—and well he kind of lost it—he pulled my collar and said some stuff," said Audrey as Harry looked a little confused.
"So you're angry with him because he called you stuff and pulled your collar?" he asked her as Audrey looked at him, was he siding with her father, wasn't he supposed to hate him?
"When I was five...my mum kind of lost me in the crowd once and well I came in contact with this man there who pulled my collar and plunged a blade into my stomach and ran away with my favourite bunny toy and earrings—I never had a stuffed toy since, they remind me of that," said Audrey going a little cold.
"Have you ever been beaten with a belt and left to fend for yourself for a whole week just because you sneezed on your cousin?" asked Harry as Audrey felt her mouth go dry.
"Oh! Harry that's terrible!" she said shocked as Harry shrugged a little.
"I suppose but—I was too small then and my uncle was quite large you know—still is but—now—he's afraid of me and Sirius too—still thinks Sirius is a mass murderous lunatic—helps in some ways, I suppose," he said shrugging a little more as it brought back a smile to Audrey face.
"I get it—we've got to put our fears behind and look forward, right?" she said rolling her eyes as she found the moral in his story.
"No not really, just that Snape doesn't really know about this incident—maybe you should give him another chance—after all it is Christmas time," said Harry as Audrey looked stunned.
"You don't fail to surprise me Harry Potter," she said linking her arm around his as he chuckled.
"So you'll give him a chance?" he asked her.
"Maybe—I'll have to think about it," she replied slyly as he smiled at her while she beamed back.
"Do you want to grab some breakfast?" she asked as his stomach growled.
"Yea—but I don't have any muggle money," he replied as she smiled at him and pulled a hundred pound note from her pockets.
"My treat," she replied smiling as they stepped into the closest cafe.
"One de cafe and eggs—scrambled," said Audrey as the waitress wrote her order down.
"Bacon?" asked the waitress as Audrey shrugged and then nodded.
"And you?" asked the waitress as Harry looked up at her.
"Same," he replied the waitress rolled her eyes at him and then spoke to Audrey.
"Cute boyfriend!" she said and then walked away to the kitchen.
"Right—that was awkward," said Audrey blushing as Harry chuckled a little and then pushed his head down.
"Yea awkward!" he replied a little peeved, all he wanted to do was lean over the table and capture her lips into his, he felt guilty for feeling that way after all he was with Cho right now and he'd never want to break her heart, so if he was so guilty why was he thinking about Audrey again and again. Why did his mind take him to places friends were not supposed to go, why was he so into her? Friends were not meant to snog friends, that was inappropriate and wrong by all standards, but then why did he want to kiss Audrey so badly, tell her he liked her. She was his friend wasn't she? Then why did he want more, he had never wanted anything like this from Hermione, he was friends with her too. No, Hermione was different Hermione was like his sister, he could never like her that way and besides he knew his best friend was dying to make her his own and Hermione the same. Yes, Audrey was different, she was special, she came with his name written all over her lips, what?
"Harry?" she called again as Harry snapped out of his day dream he could feel a tight tingling down in between his legs as his face was rather warm and red, he had been blushing since the past five minutes and he hadn't even realised, that too in front of the girl who was doing this to him.
"Yea?" asked Harry snapping out of his trance as the waitress came back with their breakfast.
"You alright?" she asked him as he nodded shoving down food into his mouth, it would be less awkward if he didn't talk.
"Ummm Hmm..." he replied his mouth full of food as Audrey smiled and carried on with her breakfast, they ate in silence from there on seeing that Harry's mouth was always full of food whenever she said something.
Audrey opened the door to 12 Grimmauld Place as it seemed similar to before they had left, although much more silent. The shouts and laughs coming from the back yard were heard no more, the house felt empty and alone.
Audrey pulled out her wand in case something had gone wrong while they had been out, but someone's crack of apparition and Fred's booming voice could be heard a floor above them.
"Felt like they weren't there didn't it?" he asked her pocketing his own wand.
"Thank Merlin for Fred and George I suppose," she replied as Harry grinned, they entered the kitchen where almost half of the order had assembled Dumbledore was giving out orders to people asking them to go to some place. Right when they entered the kitchen everyone went dead silent as they stared at them.
"Well—there you are—lost and found!" smiled Dumbledore chuckling to himself as a few chairs could heard scrapping and people disapparated.
"What did he mean by that?" Harry asked.
"He means—we're going to get the shouting of our lives!" she replied sheepishly as she could see her mother turn red in anger while Sirius jumped on Harry and pulled him into a hug.
"You scared me—Harry—don't do that ever again! You get that—I thought—we thought you ran away or something—I swear you scared the lights out of me," said Sirius pressing Harry into his chest.
"What were you bloody thinking—no bloody note!—no bloody anything—what if you got lost—what if you were hurt or worst you stupid girl—what if you were bloody killed!—you know you're being targeted then why Audrey—why must you be so bloody stubborn and go against this—you think you know things—you think you can protect yourself with the meaningless spells you know—well you bloody well cant—do you understand me Audrey—you can't!" shouted Rachel shaking her daughter by her arms as Audrey clenched her jaws and refused to look at her mother.
"Go on tell her off!" snarled Rachel as she crossed her hands on her chest and pouted angrily, this was the first time Audrey noticed her father in the room.
"Umm...yes—umm...don't do that again," he said frowning as Rachel huffed in annoyance as Audrey couldn't really help but stifle a smirk as she looked up at him, he looked a little agitated to shout at her, he didn't really want to, rather didn't know what to say.
"I won't," she replied crossing her fingers in her mind and looking up at her father who seemed to feel satisfied with her answer.
"Are you kidding me? They said you are a mad punisher-what happened now?" asked Rachel angrily as Snape looking at her annoyed as Sirius chuckled a little.
"What she said she wont do it again—she wont—I trust her," he said shrugging as if accusing Rachel, she began to laugh and not just laugh she cracked up rather badly.
"Of coarse you do," she laughed loader as Audrey frowned and pouted a little.
"Right—you know the rules," said Rachel raising her hand and holding it front of Audrey.
Audrey sighed and looked at the outstretched hand and pushed her own into her jacket pocket, placing her wand slowly and painfully in to the hands of her mother.
"Up stairs now—and you aren't getting off this easy Audrey—we are going to talk about this!" said Rachel as Audrey slumped and made her way upstairs.
"Really and they told me you were frightening," smirked Rachel making Snape clench his jaws.
"Potter! You should go get some sleep too—go on—before I make Sirius ground you too," said Rachel menacingly as Harry gulped and then made his way to his room, for once he was thankful he didn't have parents to fuss over him, he knew how embarrassed Audrey had been and it wasn't the end of it, she had been stripped off her wand for the entire break and Audrey without a wand just seemed rather like sea water with salt—no fun in it.
"Audrey!" came a shrill shout from the kitchen as Harry noticed Audrey freeze on the top of the landing she was climbing, she quickly turned around to him and jumped a few flights, she pulled out a wand from inside her t-shirt and then looked at Harry pleadingly.
"Please—please—please—don't make her take it away Harry—please just duplicate it with yours," she said begging him for help as he nodded, he had never really duplicated anything before, he wondered how effective it would be.
"Gemino," he said waving his wand over hers as there sat two wands in her hand.
"Scorgify," she said pointing both wands at the banister, one wand brought out the spell but the other didn't do anything, she hurriedly hid the working wand into her t-shirt as her mother finally rounded the corner with Remus and Snape behind her.
"The real wand Audrey—I am your mother for Merlin sake—not that daft you know—I came with you to buy the bloody wand to Meteor Louie—you bet your lucky ass I remember what that hundred galleon wand of yours looks like!" snarled her mother angrily as Audrey looked utterly upset as she handed the fake duplicate to her mother who glared at her angrily.
"Disappointed Audrey," said Remus as Audrey's head fell even lower, she noticed her father although looked at her curiously, she wondered if he had read her mind again, she glared at him, she didn't like all this invasion of her privacy, first Voldemort, now her father and she knew this Legillimency thing was going to be a pain in the butt, that was why she had been so curious to learn it in the first place.
"Upstairs now," snarled her mother as Audrey dashed to her room and slammed the door shut.
"Potter—did you eat something?" she asked Harry suddenly as Harry shook his head.
"Good—now go to bed before I take your wand away too," said Rachel looking at him serious as he gave her a small smile and made his way up to his room and only when the adults heard his door shut did they start climbing down.
AN/- Hey, thanks fore reading I know I made Audrey a little like Luna in this one-But I thought it worked just fine-and sorry about the short update...promise a way longer one to cover up in one of the future 't forget to review.