Ink and Parchment ~ blood and bone

48

“We don’t need to go out and-

“We need to go out and celebrate”

They do go out and celebrate, at first it was just the four of them. And then Narcissa and Lucius joined with Draco and well, they couldn’t leave everyone else out could they? She and her court piled into the restaurant together laughing brightly. They had kidnapped Daphne from her parents and Lord Nott had practically shoved Theo out the door – although the man himself had rejected their invitation to join them citing ‘old age’

Looking around at her family, for that was what they were, Eliza couldn’t help but reflect on how far she had come. Eleven and alone, no family, no friends, just learning about magic in an old run down orphanage where she had to fight and claw her way for even just a meal. And now here she was, going into her sixth year at Hogwarts with her family by his side and what felt like the world at her feet.

She should have known her summer holiday had been going too well.

~

Eliza scowled as another person bumped into her as she trudged down Diagon. She still hated crowds but sometimes sacrifices had to be made, she was here on business afterall. Obnoxious, brightly coloured, horribly loud, Weasley business.

Shoving past another brainless dolt Eliza finally slipped into Diagon’s newest prank shop – Weasley’s Wizard’s Wheezes.

The shop was absolutely hammered, full of parents and students alike as they all bustled about the store. When Eliza caught sight of the love potion products in the corner she wasn’t surprised that some of the products around her started rattling ominously.

She could admit that sometimes her temper got the best of her.

She weaved around to the backroom where she planned to ambush the Weasley Twins only to find that they had ambushed her.

“Little Ellie!”

“What brings you to our humble abode?” Fred questioned, throwing an arm over her shoulder as Eliza scowled.

“I told you not to call me that” she muttered and Fred and George exchanged mutual looks of surprise.

“Really-

“We can’t recall”

Eliza sighed but couldn’t stop the small smirk that appeared on her face as Fred and George took over leading her through the crowded store until they eventually reached the backroom. The second the door shut behind them blissful silence filled the room and Eliza was thankful for the obvious secrecy charms the twins must have placed on the room.

“I take it this isn’t just a casual visit?” George asked seriously and thankfully they seemed to have mercifully dropped the twin speak for now.

“No” Eliza responded bluntly and took a seat at the table, rummaging around her bag for the leaflets “In fact you can consider this to be somewhat of a recruitment”

“Lord Gaunt might be attractive Eliza but no I will not have a threesome with you”

Eliza shot a wandless stinging hex at Fred (or at least who she thought was Fred) and glared at him mulishly before pushing the leaflets across the table. They were old leaflets from the Knights of Walpurgis although Eliza had updated them a bit.

“What’s this?” George asked, scanning through the leaflet curiously.

“Blaise is a good liar” Eliza said and their heads snapped up to look back at her “But he’s never been a good liar to me. Now I know you know Thomas Gaunt isn’t exactly who he says he is – and I think I’m safe in saying you have a pretty damned good idea about who Tom Riddle actually is”