She'd written to her friends a few times and was trying to stay in touch as much as she could without giving away her location, her quill scratching at the parchment in the dim kitchen lighting, when Sirius swept through the kitchen, startled to see Jules awake at the late hour.
"Hi," he said softly. "Couldn't sleep?"
Jules motioned to the cup of tea making rings on the Divination textbook she'd opened but barely looked at. Schoolwork was often one of the only things for her to do in the manor, eyes skimming over pages of assigned reading until they nearly glazed over.
Sirius bounced Phoebe on his hip, glancing at his eldest with a soft gaze of pity. To carry the weight of the world on her shoulders was an unimaginable task for someone who was only 15. Ever since they'd sat her down and confessed to lying to her once again, she'd been angry with them.
"I thought I was going insane."
That sentence rang through his brain constantly. His sweet baby was such a tortured soul, even though that was the last thing he'd wanted for her. And in his guilt ridden mind, it was all his fault.
Clairvoyants were rare. They were born once in a generation in a spare few wizarding families. Cordelia's happened to be one of them. But Jules wasn't just clairvoyant. She was burdened by prophecy, a threat to a dark wizard, hunted by those she would've once called family had Sirius not escaped the cruel clutches of the House of Black.
Jules glanced up past Sirius's head, looking over his shoulder. "Marlene wants you to know that you look like a drowned rat."
Sirius laughed softly. He missed Marlene. She was his platonic soulmate. She'd found the love of her life in Stevie the same way he'd found Cordelia, but they would always have a special bond, almost like siblings would. In some ways, Sirius was glad that Jules could use her gifts to meet the people who'd died before she could remember them. They loved her so much.
"You may wonder why Dumbledore has had us live her and spruce up the place a bit."
Jules leaned back in her chair, teetering on two legs. Sirius reached forward and poured himself a cuppa, still cradling Phoebe in his other arm. "The Weasley's are coming to stay. So is Hermione."
She looked at him in shock, gunmetal eyes wide.
"Welcome to the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix."
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HERMIONE JEAN GRANGER was bookish. She was clever. Ask her anything academic and she had the answer. But she was also in love. And she didn't have an answer for that.
Jules occupied her thoughts at all times. At first, she thought it had been out of concern, awaiting her letters eagerly, skimming that familiar elegant handwriting for tidbits about her life during the summer with her family. The letters were dark but also loving, the same way Juliet was attractive to Hermione. A dark feminine energy seemed to pulse off of her, coupled with a sense of tenderness that made her on Hermione's mind at all times.
They were eagerly waiting being reunited, which was when the letter from Dumbledore arrived and Hermione found herself standing outside a London manor with the entire Weasley family.
The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.
Hermione squeezed her eyes together tightly as the house emerged between 11 and 13, her knees knocking nervously as she made her way up the stairs. "You're in loveeee," Ginny giggled softly, as Hermione elbowed her.
"Shut up Ginny," Hermione hissed as they stepped through the doorway, and she found herself in a house that looked like it belonged to the darkest of wizards. It was so dark inside, windows covered by moth-eaten curtains, old-fashioned gas lamps flickering insufficiently to illuminate peeling wallpaper and age-blackened portraits. A chandelier swayed overhead, covered in cobwebs, Hermione half expecting a spider to fall out and onto her. Both the chandelier and the candelabra on a rickety table nearby were shaped like serpents
Professor Lupin emerged from a room at the end of the hallway, a smile illuminating his tired face. "Professor Lupin!" Hermione and Ginny chorused with smiles.
"Hello," he said kindly. "Kreacher can take your stuff to your rooms. Cordelia has dinner ready in the kitchen if you all are hungry."
A scowling house elf begrudgingly emerged from the shadows to cart all of their things up and Hermione was mortified at the sight of the rags covering his frame. The house elves kept at the Valentine-Black manor lived in utmost comfort in comparison to Kreacher.
As they stepped through the door to the kitchen, they were immediately bathed in warmth, the smell of fresh baked bread and soup greeting them. "Hermione!"
Jules stood up from the kitchen table and flew into her arms, tightly squeezing her torso. "Hi Ron," she added shyly, hugging the lanky redhead. "Ginny," she nodded in acknowledgement. "Fred, George."
She smelled good. Like lavender shampoo and honeysuckle soap, her face devoid of any makeup. It made her look a little younger; Hermione had seen her with heavy eyeliner rimming her waterline since she was thirteen.
Jules was taller, much taller. She was taller than Hermione, approaching 5'9 while Hermione stood at a modest 5'5. Ron was still the tallest, towering almost a whole foot over Hermione. The three of them stood silently, pondering the elephant in the room before Ron finally spoke. "Harry's still with the muggles?"
"He is," Sirius interrupted, anger flashing across his face before it softened. "You all look well. Having good summers so far?"
Hermione and Ron glanced at each other. "It would be better if we could talk to Harry," Hermione said. "We can't tell him anything!"
Cordelia interrupted them, a full spread on the table for dinner. "Let's discuss the Harry situation at a later time shall we? Perhaps when Dumbledore arrives for the next meeting?"
"Er mum," Ron said, scratching his head. "What exactly does the Order of the Phoenix do?"
( AUTHOR NOTE ) long time no see :)) it's been a busy six months for me as i finish up my last year of school and apply to college, but i've finally finished applications and now have the time to focus on finishing this book. expect frequent updates once again.
also!! thank you for 90k+ we're almost at 100k reads!
