Chapter 5: The Order
The Auclairs house was packed and shrunken, to be put in storage until they could find a residence. All their affairs settled in less then a week. The following day they travelled by Floo to Diagon Alley, where they took the Knight Bus to Kings Cross station and walked the remainder of the way. They huddled together, dark cloaks over their heads hiding their identities. Her father, Gabriel, cast a silent spell revealing a building hidden between muggle flats and rapped 3 times in quick succession. her mother, Ingrid, clutched Ètoile with a grip of steel.
The door opened just a crack and a middle aged man with bright red hair peaked through. "Gabriel! We have been expecting you! This must be your lovely wife and daughter!" The man was jovial even with such a grim reason for their meeting. They were led inside where another red head, a woman this time, also greeted them.
"Come into the kitchen, dears, I have a stew all warmed up for you." Their bags and belongings were neatly stacked in the entry as they entered." Dont you worry, the boys'll get those. FRED! GEORGE! RONALD!" the woman yelled "Come here this instant!" and within moments three more red heads popped into the door frame, two were identical. The jokers from Hogwarts she realized. And the boy who helped save Gabrielle.
"Bonjour." she smiled and waved at them.
"Well, if it isn't one of the French girls," said one of the twins. Ron blushed furiously and she felt his embarrassment, he did have a small (very small) crush on her. "Look Ronnie, it's one of the girls who gave you a kiss." The older boy wagged his eyebrows at his younger, beet red, brother. Her fathers head snapped to her. She rolled her eyes at the twins. "It was a kiss on the cheek Papa, he was the one who saved Gabrielle. We all gave him a kiss on the cheek for saving her. The twins, they joke at peoples expense even their own." her mother hid a laugh with a cough and her father scowled at the boys. He did not like rhw odea of his daughter kissing boys, even on the cheek.
"Could you three please take their belongings to their rooms while they eat? They've had a long journey." The boys mother ordered and continued ladelling steaming stew into three bowls.
"Thank you very kindly madam." Gabriel said with an incline of his head
"Ohh, pish posh. And don't call my madam, Molly will suffice, or Mrs. Weasley if you intend to go on being so formal."
Gabriel's face paled and he spoke again. "It is an honour to meet you Molly. Yout brothers were dear friends of ours and I'm glad to see you well." The womans eyes glassed over and Ètoile felt such sadness and love pour from the woman.
"This is Gideon and Fabian's sister?" Igrid asked. Gabriel nodded. The twins had been a part of the original order along with the Auclairs and Gabriel had been there when they had been tortured and killed.
"Molly, It is wonderful to meet you." She stood and embraced the woman. "We miss them dearly."
"Me too dear, me too." Molly wiped a lone tear away. A shuffling noise from the living room drew their attention away as a ragged looking man walked in. Once he came fully into view and took in the new residents, she felt happiness exude from her father and the scraggly man. Her father stood and stalked the man.
"Sirius Black. Look at you. It's good to see you old friend" Gabriel and the man, Sirius, shook hands and after a moment of grinning hugged each other and slapped each other on the back.
"Wait a moment, Remus is here somewhere." he stepped away "MOONY!" he shouted. "MOONY!" She heard an upstairs door open and close. Another ragged looking man appeared at the top of the stairs. "Look what the French cat dragged in." Sirius let out a raspy chuckle at his own joke
"Gabriel?!" This other man, Moony, exclaimed when he got a bit closer. "Gabriel, it's been too long, my friend." They hugged too. "And Ingrid?" He hugged my mother as well. She felt nothing but compassion from this second man. As he got closer she felt something else too something that seemed he was almost familiar with her. Perhaps it was because he knew her parents so well. Ètoile sensed something wild, something she couldn't quite get the sense of. She could see it behind his eyes it prowled. "And you must be Ètoile, we heard all about you when you were just a baby, Ètoile? It means Star in french does it not? You are of course as beautiful as your mother and as radiant as your namesake. Can I call you Etti? My friends call me moony." He held out his hand for her to shake and she took it cautiously trying to process his onslaught of information. He had a knowing smile on his face, as if he knew the joke and she knew the punchline. She caught Sirius' eye. He shared the same look with Moony. At least he seemed just as lost as she was.
"Pardon. Molly, could Ètoile be shown to her room while we all catch up?" her mother had a grin in her face and Ètoile felt an invigoration in her mother from remembering all these old friends and their cause.
"Of course my dears." She led Ètoile up the stairs and to the second floor. And after passing several rooms she opened a hand carved mahogany door. Ètoile couldnt hrlp but run her hand along it. "Here we are love. This is Ginny. I'm not sure if you have met already, she's my lovely daughter. You two will be bunking together. At the moment we are a bit short of un-cursed rooms." Ginny stood
"Ètoile? I didn't realise it was you who was coming, they just said a girl my age." she smiled.
"Lovely, dears! You know each other! Have a good night. Sleep well and I'll see you at breakfast." she closed the door behind her and the girls talked until it was time for lights out. The girls continued their conversation long after Mrs. Weasley shouted "LIGHTS OUT!" from downstairs. Ètoile thought that even the muggles could hear her shout like that. They whispered to eachother from their beds gossiping and making plans to go to hogsmede together.
The next morning Ètoile rose early as she always did. She grabbed her OWLS study books for Charms and for Potions and made her way to the kitchen downstairs. Her OWLS were set to be the weekend school began. She found Sirius sound asleep in an armchair with a fire whisky bottle clasped tightly in his hand. He was a burdened soul, it weighed heavy on her, a part of himself was missing and loneliness was filling in the gaps. She continued to the kitchen and made herself some french toast, she had found eggs and cinnamon, it was crude but delicious nonetheless. She sat at the large table and began pouring over the textbook, taking absent minded bites from her food.
Severus Snape rose early to eat and leave before anyone else stirred. He enjoyed the silence the sunrise seemed to provide. He passed by Sirius and his lip peeled up in disgust. The man reeked of alcohol, as he usually did these days. Severus made his way to the kitchen. He was a bit struck seeing her hunched over a book at the table, a half eaten french toast being pulled apart and popped in her mouth. She was so engrossed in the book she hadn't seen him yet. He had been aware that some previous members of the order had arrived last night bringing their daughter. Dumbledore had neglected to mention it was her. For a moment dread filled his gut. When he had known her Etti had never mentioned her parents, but once in an oversight on her part had alluded to them being dead. What if someone discovered her. When he offered to host an apprenticeship he expected her parents to board her. She would be separated from the worst of the coming war. He could set up protections, blood wards if needed. She would be safe, he would endure as much. He did not want her to be near the order let alone a part of it. Many if not most of these people would get killed eventually. Her parents and himsrlf were no exception.
He cleared his throat. She jumped at the sudden sound. And her jaw dropped a little. "Good morning sir." she nodded out of respect. "Are you part of the order sir?" She let her unbridled curiosity ask tge question.
"Obviously." her cheeks reddened. Embarrassed that she had asked.
"Sorry, I did not mean to be rude. I was just surprised. You were not part of the first order, you weren't in the photo."
"No I was not." he made himself some toast and lightly spread butter and a coating of marmalade. He sat at the other end of the table, maintaining the silence. He noticed she keep peeking at him from above her book, an OWLS potions textbook, good, she was taking studying seriously. Her amber eyes were intense, as golden as he remembered. After He finished eating, he stood. he felt her eyes tail him as he straightened his sleeves, flicked his wand to clean his plate and strode out of the room. He stopped at Sirius Black, with another flick water streamed out of the tip of his wand and soaked the man. "Get up and change, you reek of spirits." he spat out the words. "There are children here" with a swish he was out the door and apparated outside of Hogwarts.
Sirius staggered to his feet and turned to go to what Ètoile assumed was his bedroom. When he passed the kitchen door he stopped, pointed to her with his bottle of fire whisky. "Thank you for saving me. I don't think I told you when it happened. I was too proud then." he let out a burst of cold laughter "look at me now, not an ounce of pride left." his whiskey sloshed all over himself. He laughed again as he walked into his room. She remembered that conversation. It tickled at her mind but she filed it away. he was drunk and mistook her for someone else. His sincerity always struck her as odd.