I'll Catch You (A Harry Potter Fan Fiction)

The Dullness of Freedom

"How far from civilization are we exactly?" I felt like an elderly muggle by the way I was speed walking.

"Far enough." My dad remained quiet throughout this conversation, merely squinting into the distance.

"And I'm assuming we can't apparate there because of some fancy protection spell?" Yet again, Moody laughed at me. Hearing him laugh was the oddest thing I had ever seen, his rough appearance throwing it off entirely.

"Smart as a whip, this one." I glared at the back of his head, which caused him to laugh harder. I think I might have enjoyed him as a teacher in forth year if it really was him teaching. "But don't worry too much, girly. We're here."

We rounded a final corner and a tiny house appeared, almost out of nowhere. It was a faded red, the siding at least two decades old. The dark windows were covered in a lair of dust and cobwebs, and I wouldn't place any bets on the stability of the roof.

But I had been in worse.

"Welcome to Chez Connors, the fanciest mansion in all of Mangham, Louisiana" Moody continued to laugh and climbed up the stairs, opening the door to the house for us. "Your home until further notice."

With a sigh, Dad and I followed him into the mansion of a shack, closing the creaky, wooden door behind us.

There wasn't much to do in Mangham, as I quickly discovered. Dad and Alastair didn't want me leaving the house and we didn't have cable so we were forced to watch the same films over and over again. There were only three upsides to the situation.

1) Dad quickly remembered that he had put Bart in his pocket, where he remained sleeping for our entire journey. He was just as fond of Mangham as I was.

2) All I really had to do to distract myself was study, so I got pretty far ahead in a majority of my subjects.

3) Everyone was safe. I couldn't say it enough.

So it would be the truth to say that I got bored fairly quickly. Somehow I began to grow fond of Alastair's random visits, although he brought the increasingly bad news from The Order. Of course, I wasn't told a single thing and was forced to obtain all of my information through extendable ears.

"Acelynne" Moody tilted his chin up in acknowledgment as he limped his way into the house.

"Hello Alastair" Dad yelled from outside of the main entrance. "I'm in the kitchen. Would you like some tea?"

I followed Moody into the kitchen as he shook his head. "No thanks, Jacobson. I have something that we need to discuss." His false eye swirled towards me unnervingly and he tapped his cane on the floor three times.

"I think it be best if she's out of the house for this discussion, Jacobson. Somewhere where she can't use those damn Weasley products to listen in" Moody gave me a wicked smile, causing mine to fall.

"Ace!" Dad practically gasped.

"I have no idea what he is talking about" I shrugged. "But if it would make you old bitties feel better, I'll just go into town and pick up some groceries or something. That is, if it's okay with you....And if I can have some money?" Slyly I leaned against the doorway and attempted to hide my internal struggle.

Perhaps I would finally get a chance to see the rest of Mangham, although something told me there wasn't much to see. But then again, this was obviously big if Moody didn't want me anywhere near the house when he told my dad.