Sorry this took so long to upload, I've been experiencing some writer's block. I know how this fic is to end but just not sure how to get there. I have a lot of ideas and memories of Meg's but it's putting them all together that is the hurdle at the moment but thanks for sticking with me, I truly appreciate it!
As the Hogwarts Express picked up speed the landscape beyond the window started to blur.
Lily was sitting opposite me, already wearing her Hogwarts uniform and held out her closed fist in front of me.
"C'mon Meg," she giggled.
I frowned at her over the top of The Standard Book of Spells: Grade Two glancing at her hand then looking up.
"I don't understand," I said bemused.
"It's a secret handshake -"
"Why would a handshake be a secret?" I interrupted her, placing the book at my side.
"Oh, maybe it's a muggle thing-" She frowned briefly "- look, I'll show you."
She grabbed my hand and forced my fingers down into my palm and turned her arm up. She then pushed her closed fist into mine and then opened her fingers instructing me to do the same. She twisted her fingers in mine and moved her arm around so that she was holding my hand.
I smiled up at her as we grasped each other's hands.
"See, it's easy and no one else would know it!" She grinned at me. "It's our secret,"
I groaned as I opened my eyes, my head pounding from the numerous intrusions of my mind. Memories I had long forgotten were making regular appearances as though the Legilimency was digging them up and bringing them to the front of my mind.
I sat up rubbing my face and looking around the empty room. I didn't know how long I had been unconscious. I was usually only left alone for a couple of hours at a time.
A soft knock on the door made me look over at it, frowning. Usually, people just stormed their way in.
"Meg?" My mother's face peered around the door as it opened. "Oh good, you're up."
I glared at her as she came inside and closed the door behind her.
"Your father wants to see you," she said. She didn't come close to me. She just stayed standing up against the closed door as if I would bite her or something.
I looked away from her, spotting myself in a mirror that hung at the end of the room by the window. I could hardly recognise myself. The parts of my skin that were not bruised or grazed were ghostly pale, my cheeks were hollowing out and my eyes appeared to be sinking in my skull.
"Let me heal you up," My mother had followed my gaze. I turned my head towards her as she pulled her wand out of her robes.
"Don't touch me," I snapped at her.
She looked hurt as she lowered her wand as I jumped off the bed and approached her.
"Sweetie, please know that -"
"Just take me to him or get out of my way," I said dangerously. She seemed to cower slightly as she nodded hurriedly opened the door and held it open for me.
I flounced past her as if she wasn't there even though I had no idea where I was going.
She quickly caught up with me and tried to link her arm with mine but I pulled it away from her angrily. Was she oblivious to what she was doing?
I didn't care that this was hurting her feelings. I had no interest in anything to do with her anymore.
We walked in silence until we reached the drawing room. "In here," she said as she pushed open the double wooden doors.
The fire was crackling in the fireplace and there the room smelt of smoke, which instantly made me think of my childhood.
I looked around at the few people huddled in twos and threes around the sofas and chairs, talking softly. I noticed my uncle in the corner of the room, sitting alone and looked as bad as I felt. My eyes landed on my father who was sitting behind a desk absorbed in writing.
"Sit." My father demanded without looking up. I walked closer to his desk but did not sit down. I was not a pet that he could command.
"You will attend the Ministry with me tomorrow morning." He said as he continued to write.
"Why?" I asked curtly, becoming aware that the people in the room had now fallen silent.
My father stopped writing, the quill he was holding hovering above the parchment and he finally looked up at me. He looked tired and like he was falling ill. His hazel eyes searched my face as though he was trying to figure out what I was thinking.
"I don't need to tell you why," he said eventually, his voice low. He looked at me for a moment longer before his eyes flicked down to his desk. His hand pushed a small bag towards me. "You will need these to enter the Ministry,"
"What is it?" I asked as I reached for the bag. It clinked gently as though it was full of gold.
"Tokens to enter the Ministry," he said, watching me open the bag and looking inside at the large golden tokens. "You'll need those in addition to your Ministry ID." He paused for a beat before adding "You'll get your wand back tomorrow."
I raised my eyebrows at him. "How generous of you,"
My father narrowed his eyes as he scowled at me. "Don't get any ideas about trying to escape me." He said to me as he lowered his gaze and dipped his quill into the ink pot.
"Right, because I would be that stupid," I said sarcastically.
"Well, you are certainly acting like it," he said calmly, looking up at the state of my face.
I rolled my eyes. "I wouldn't dream of evading you, father. Are we done?"
"You will meet me at the Ministry tomorrow at 9 am," he said, still eyeing me.
I turned and flounced out of the room, my mother hurrying to catch up with me.
"Meg, please let me help you-" she pleaded to my back. At her voice, I spun around glaring at her.
"What don't you understand?" I growled. She instantly stopped at my words.
"Meg, please I never wanted it to end up this way-" she started again but I cut her off furiously.
"What way?" I shot at her. "If you want to help me, don't ever talk to me again," I warned her, my voice shaking with anger.
The next day, I arrived at the Ministry before 8 am. I rolled my eyes as I pulled out a token from inside my robes silently cursing the new stupid way of actually getting into the building.
Looking up as I clambered out of the fireplace, brushing off my robes and pausing, staring at the new statue inscribed with "Magic is Might". Feeling slightly sickened I went straight to my office, ignoring my intern, who had looked up as I entered the area and slammed the door behind me.
I looked around at my office, it had been ransacked obviously by Death Eaters trying to see if I had concealed anything here. As if I'd be that stupid. I sighed, waved my wand and watched as everything flew into its rightful place.
A soft knock came from my office door and it slowly opened a second later, my intern meekly peering around the door. I turned around to him and saw the shock register on his face briefly at the sight of me. I hadn't bothered to heal my face when I was given back my wand this morning because what was the point? It wouldn't be long before it was back to this state.
"Madam Megera!" he squeaked "Wha-"
I raised my eyebrows at him and he quickly cleared his throat composing himself "Madam Umbridge wanted me to tell you she wants to see you as soon as you get in."
"Great" I mumbled sarcastically.
He didn't move.
"Did you need something?" I asked.
"Um - are you ok?" He asked quietly.
To be honest, I was surprised I was even standing but, I forced what I thought would appear as a smile at him "Of course" I said.
He looked at me cautiously as though he expected me to collapse at any minute.
"Anything else?" I queried.
"No, Madam Megera" he squeaked and disappeared, closing the door behind him.
I sighed deeply as I stood staring at the closed door deliberating on what to do next. I supposed I couldn't avoid Dolores forever and grabbed the door handle, forcing myself to open it and pulling the door open.
I made my way to Dolores' office ignoring the whispers regarding my appearance as I passed other ministry workers in the hallway.
I reached the first floor and stepped out into a large space full of workers busily making pamphlets that, I suspected, if I sat down and read, would most likely make my blood boil.
I strode over to her mahogany office door and spotted a large, round eye with a bright blue iris set into the wood gazing blindly upward and not moving. I paused as I stared at it, as it looked strangely familiar to me. I shook this feeling off as I read a plaque below it: "Dolores Umbridge Senior Undersecretary to the Minister" and below that, a slightly shinier new plaque read: "Head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission"
I frowned at this, racking my brain trying to remember the details of a particular conversation I had overheard my father having with Corban Yaxley, about their puppet Pius Thicknesse, and his new regime and deluded idea that muggle-borns had "stolen" their magical power from "real" wizards and witches.
"Come in!" sang the sickly sweet voice of Dolores Umbridge from the other side of the door.
Vaguely wondering how she knew I was there, I pushed the door open and stepped into her pink office. The soft mewing of the kittens on the wall and her smug face made me want to rip my hair out.
"Merlin, you look awful my dear!" She gasped as she looked me up and down, although her expression held no concern for me.
I said nothing but gladly took a seat on the opposite side of her desk, my legs shaking from the physical exertion it cost me to just walk here.
"Well, Madam Megera - I'm sure you've noticed a few changes around here while you've had some time off from your Ministry duties," she said, propping her chin up on her clasped hands.
"I wasn't exactly having time off" I snickered, frowning at her. Is this what my father had been telling people? "But yes, I have noticed your 'changes'" I finished, laying a heavy emphasis on the last word.
"Oh no, not my changes, dear - our new Ministers" she simpered.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and leant back in my chair.
"What exactly is it you want Dolores?'' I asked curtly. I was too tired for pleasantries.
Dolores giggled and I watched as she shifted some papers on her desk, my eyes landed on a long piece of parchment titled Muggle-Born Registration Commission Administrative Registration Order. It had a few official looking stamps one of them being "Confidential".
I saw my name on the top of it and notes about being pure-blood with "unacceptable pro-muggle leanings". I saw Sirius' name as my spouse and a note that we possibly had a deceased child.
Where the fuck did she get this information from? I frowned at it, feeling my chest tightening slightly.
Dolores, who was obviously watching me looking at the form, placed her hand on it lightly and giggled softly.
"Luckily, you are a pure-blood Meghana, although I will give you a bit of advice." I looked from the form to her round face which was almost shining with glee. "You might want to keep your opinions to yourself around our new Minister." She smiled sweetly, as though I had complimented her.
"Anyway -" she went on narrowing her eyes slightly at me "- I brought you here to tell you the exciting news!"
I remained silent, enjoying the fact that my nonchalance was most likely irritating her.
"We, that is to say, the Minister and I, have decided your skills are better utilised elsewhere and that it's time you move from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to the Muggle-Born Registration Commission," her smile grew as she saw my face drop momentarily before I composed myself.
"And if I refuse?" I asked quietly.
"Well, it's either work under me or Azkaban. Your choice my dear." She giggled sweetly but I knew her well enough to know that was a direct threat.
I had to restrain myself from saying that I would rather be in Azkaban. I wasn't exactly keen on the idea of Azkaban but would prefer it to work under the control of this dictator.
However, I was no use to Harry locked up, I reminded myself.
"That's what I thought," she said quietly, taking my silence as acceptance and her grin grew even wider.
"Are we done here then?" I asked, sitting up straighter in the chair.
"Until 10 o'clock," Dolores replied, smiling at me. "You'll meet me here and we will go to the hearing together."
"Hearing?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
She surveyed me for a beat before smiling and said "I would have thought, from your time in court that you would know what a hearing is. 10 o'clock."
I rolled my eyes, not even attempting to hide my annoyance and stood up and walked out of her office.
I headed toward the lifts intent on making my way to the Atrium, my head reeling with my very limited options. I didn't care about my job at the Ministry anymore, it had cost me too much, but what I was aware of was the fact that I didn't have too much leniency anymore. I wasn't sure what I was going to do next, but being locked up at Malfoy Manor wasn't exactly helping anyone.
There was only one person I could ask for help and as much as it sickened me, contacting Severus without Voldemort knowing, was going to be difficult. But I had to try, after all, that was on of the last things Dumbledore had said to me. "Severus can fill in the gaps for you" I hadn't thought much of it back then, but lately his words had been playing on my mind.
I walked out of the lift once I had arrived at the Atrium when I heard my father's voice ringing out from a few metres aways from me.
"There you are my darling" I sighed as he strode over to me. "I was just on my way to meet with the Minister."
"Good for you," I replied, trying to step around him but he blocked my way and spun me around to face the direction I had just come from.
"It is good for us both -." He said, smiling as he pushed me towards the lifts "- you are coming with me".
The grille to one of the golden lifts opened and there stood Arthur Weasley who froze as he saw my father and I.
"Meghana!" he gasped his eyes wide with shock. "What has happened to you?"
"Move aside Weasley," my father shoved Arthur aside and walked into the lift "Unlike you, I've places to be."
I met Arthur's eyes, they were full of concern. I gave him a small smile as my father barked "Meghana! In!" I stepped around Arthur who turned around and started to walk away quickly towards the fireplaces.
The lift reached the 1st floor and I followed my father in silence like an obedient puppy. Once we reached the Minister's office, my father didn't even bother to knock and opened the door like it was his own house.
"Maximilanus!" Pius Thicknesse drawled jumping around at the sound of the doors flying open. "What do I owe this pleasure?" he peered uneasily at my father, who, even though Pius was slightly taller, gave off an aura of extreme power.
He stood in the middle of the office and observed Pius for a beat before a sneer crept onto his face. I silently stood so that I could see my father's face but was out of his direct eyesight.
"I'm here on the Dark Lord's orders," he said silkily. "To discuss Hogwarts."
Pius looked at my father as though he was looking at a dangerous animal that could strike at any moment. My father's look of satisfaction told me that he was aware of the effect he was having on the Minister and was thoroughly pleased with this.
"Oh," Pius looked at my father a frown appearing on his face "Lucius is usually who I correspond -"
"Yes, this is usually my brother-in-law's area but he is - er - indisposed at present." My father interrupted looking down at his hand and inspecting it as though this situation was extremely boring to him.
"Ah yes," Pius said quietly. "Please take a seat-" gesturing to the seat in front of his desk "-can I offer you a drink?"
"No, I don't think this will take long," my father said, looking up and glancing at the chair as though it had offended him. "I'm not one for chit-chat."
I stared at the side of the father's head wondering how long this would take. My body was beginning to protest again at this prolonged standing.
Pius raised his chin slightly and muttered "Very well," he was prickling at my father's tone.
"The Dark Lord's orders are that attendance at Hogwarts is now mandatory for every child 11 years of age and over. Alecto Carrow is to take up the post of Muggle Studies after the unfortunate disappearance of Charity Burbage -" I frowned and started to actively listen to what he was saying. I hadn't thought about what was going to happen to Hogwarts without Dumbledore, but if Voldemort was appointing staff - well, this wasn't going to be a good thing.
"-and her brother Amycus will be appointed to the role of Defence Against the Dark Arts, which, for all intents and purposes will simply be known as Dark Arts. Both subjects are now compulsory in the curriculum - why are you not writing this down?" My father snapped suddenly "I will not be repeating myself Thicknesse."
Pius jumped and quickly moved around his desk pulling a piece of parchment and quill towards himself and started to write very quickly.
It always amazed me at the authority my father thought he had over everyone, albeit Voldemort himself, but I supposed this is why he climbed the Death Eater ranks as quickly as he did. He remained silent whilst Pius wrote and glared at him when he lifted his head. Pius cleared his throat. "Er - So who is to be the new Head?"
My eyes snapped from watching Pius to glancing at my father, the sneer had returned to his face.
"The Dark Lord has chosen Severus Snape as Headmaster."
My heart felt like it had stopped and my chest felt heavy with the weight of this knowledge.
"What?" I breathed and saw my father's gaze briefly lock on me.
"And the Carrows will act as his deputies." He continued. I wondered briefly if these "Carrows" were the same siblings who had witnessed Dumbledore's murder.
"Very well," Pius jotted this down and looked up once more. "Does the Dark Lord require any other changes?"
"No, all previous staff will remain," his eyes flicked from me back to Pius.
He wanted me to return to Hogwarts? I wondered.
Pius looked at me and I met his eyes, a slight frown creasing between his eyebrows.
"Are you sure that's wise?" Pius looked from me to my father.
"I sincerely hope you are not questioning the Dark Lord's decision," My father said darkly, his eyes narrowing.
"No, no of course not" Pius said quickly.
"Then I shall take my leave." My father turned on his heel, striding out of the office grabbing my arm above the elbow and pulling me along with him, closing the door behind him.
"You will return to Hogwarts" he said quietly to me as he marched me down the corridor.
"I kind of figured that out for myself" I said in a low voice.
My father glared at me, "However, you will not be teaching the same subject."
My heart once again felt like it had stopped.
"The Dark Lord has created a new subject for you to broaden the minds of young witches and wizards. Wizarding Genealogy."
"What?" I snapped, stopping dead in my tracks causing my father to stop as well "I don't know anything about Wizarding Genealogy." I scoffed the last words as though it was something disgusting.
My father peered at me with a nasty smile on his face "You're smart, I'm sure you'll figure it out!"
"Oh there you are!" Dolores' voice rang out as both my father and I turned our heads to look at her. She gazed apprehensively up at my father whilst clutching at her ridiculous handbag and a clipboard.
"We're heading down now, Meghana," Dolores said, her voice shaking slightly.
My father's face was expressionless as he raised one eyebrow as he took in Dolores. He looked back at me and gave me a pointed look before letting go of me as though I was something disgusting. I watched him as he swept by Dolores without so much as another glance at her, his long robes billowing out behind him. As soon as he was out of sight, her confidence returned as she smiled sweetly up at me.
"Come along Meghana, we're going to be late"
She turned around and led the way to the lift as I rolled my eyes.