Fate's Chosen (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter 20: Safe and Sound

Ashley lounged in her pajamas on one of the armchairs in the Black library, reading through the Soul Magicks book. She was seated sideways, leaning back against one arm while her legs were hanging off the other. Only half of her soul-bonded, Sirius, was with her, also in the midst of reading non-fiction literature on the couch. Remus was in the kitchen preparing the afternoon meal with Kreacher. The werewolf had taken up cooking as a hobby and was genuinely quite good at it. Unlike Sirius who had managed to burn soup. Remus and Ashley didn't know how but they never bothered to ask, nor did Sirius ever elaborate.

It was either one or the other, sometimes both, who accompanied Ashley around the house. Mansion, if you will. The Potter Heiress was rarely left alone. She was fine with that; she loved their company more than anything. Although with the lack of alone time, she did have to use glamours often with her book to keep it a secret. Sirius and Remus were still oblivious to many things but she knew that they had their suspicions. They just respected her enough to not ask and she greatly appreciated that.

But enough was enough, today was the day she was going to reveal everything she'd hidden from them. Well, mostly everything. She had no intention telling them that she was from a different dimension. It was past and unimportant, there was no use lingering further on the topic. Ashley was a new person now and that was that. She also wouldn't be able to relate her plans of helping a sane Voldemort rise to power. Sirius and Remus wouldn't understand her reasoning, no matter how much they tried to, if they did try. They'd feel too betrayed that she was allying herself with her parents' murderer. She didn't want them to...reject her because of that. However, they would be made aware of Dumbledore's years-worth of manipulations and her not-so-innocent actions against him. They'd want to help, and she'd happily let them.

That was why she scheduled a meeting with Griphook after lunch. She simply told Sirius and Remus that the goblin held the answers to most of their questions. She knew her soul-bonded would believe nearly everything she told them but having solid proof of the old man's meddling was much better. It would also make it easier for her to brief them regarding her other abilities, namely the mental shield and magic sensitivity, and future inheritances.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

She and Sirius both turned to the source of the noise, realizing that it was coming from the other side of the closed double doors. It certainly couldn't have been Remus. He would have either sent Kreacher or his wolf Patronus. Similar to Sirius, he man loved showing his prowess with charms and such to their cub, knowing the she had been forced away from magic for most of her life. She stood up and dropped the book on the chair, moving to open one of the doors. She was confused to be confronted with an empty hallway, until she heard hooting from down below. Hopping by her feet was Zafira, Alyssa's owl, carrying what she assumed was a letter. Ashley accepted the offered piece of parchment and guided the owl to the library window to send her off. Ashley shut the window and wandered over to the couch, plopping down beside a curious Sirius.

Ashley,

I'm panicking! I don't know what to do, what am I supposed to do?! You were right, Draco told his parents the day we came back and now, they've invited our WHOLE FAMILY for a Christmas Eve dinner! Give me a little advice here, what would you do?!

Alyssa

Ashley laughed at the clear trepidation exhibited through the usually-pleasant-now-chaotic penmanship. She showed Sirius who was equally as amused with the redhead. He found the irony of the whole situation utterly laughable. A Weasley soul-bonded to a Malfoy, the two couldn't have been more different considering the families' argumentative history. Ashley raised her hands, summoning an inked quill and parchment. Sirius was no longer surprised with her bouts of wandless magic around the house; he knew she was exceptionally advanced for her age. She had told him about her apparition the night they reunited. Albeit accidental, it was still very impressive. Ashley attempted to replicate it but she merely ended up splinching herself. Nothing major, just a gash along her left arm that, with a little help from a healing spell, thankfully left no scar.