Serenity | 1

THIRTY TWO

"Help Us"

September 1971, 6 months later

Serenity was lying upside down on the couch in the Hufflepuff common room. Her fingers tapped against her stomach, and she waved her feet around in the air. The room was nearly empty. A few of her fellow seventh years were sat in the corner, studying at a round table and two fifth years were curled up in the circular windowsill mumbling to themselves.

To put it simply, she was bored. Lakita was in her care of magical creatures class and Filch had caught her trying to sneak into the Slytherin common room with Juliet. After their short-lived argument with the caretaker, she had half expected Juliet to join her on a walk around the school, perhaps to an emptier hallway but, instead, Narcissa had tugged her into their common room. Now alone, she had shuffled her way around the dungeons back to the Hufflepuff common room.

Huffing once more and looking away from the dim fireplace, she reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out the most recent letter she had received from Lucius. Hugging it close to her chest, she closed her eyes. It's her final year at Hogwarts and Lucius had graduated a few months ago along with Vaughn and Andromeda. In the letter, he had mentioned the rumours surrounding Andromeda running away with a muggle-born wizard. Andromeda had told her a few days before she sat her N.E.W.Ts about Ted Tonks- he was Ravenclaw and definitely not the sort of wizard her family would approve of and, upon seeing him, she vaguely remembered him from her first morning where she had healed Arthur Weasley.

Serenity was happy for Andromeda, despite the way Lucius seemed to portray her as a villain. For years now, the two of them felt more comfortable and supportive of each other than they did with their own sisters and cousins because, the fact was, they were each the outcast in their own family.

The paper under her fingers rustled and, with a longing sigh for her friends, she opened her eyes... and screamed.

Erin's upside down smile shocked her into falling sideways and sitting upright. Scowling, Serenity looked around, finding Dexter sitting on the couch opposite with an amused grin. Twisting her prefect badge on her robes, she looks between her cousins, which caused her loose ponytail to swing around wildly.

"Uh, hi." Taking a seat beside Dexter, who waves, Erin grips the seat cushion and watches Serenity expectantly. The three of them say very little. Dexter fidgets in his seat, Erin pursed her lips and glanced around the room, and Serenity slumped down while staring at the two.

"What do you want?" Erin and Dexter looked at each other, hesitation passed between them. Crossing her arms, Serenity raised an eyebrow at them. "Well?"

"We need your help." Erin blurted out. She was sat on the edge of her seat, pressing her hands together. "Great Grandfather and Dara have gone, insane?" She looks back at Dexter. "Yeah, it's crazy. When Merritt came home with Uncle Chris, Auntie Dara went absolutely crazy and practically kicked them both out of the house." Serenity's eyebrows lowered at that as Dexter drew in on himself.

"Great Grandfather threatened to kick me and mum out at dinner when she defended them." He picked his feet up on the couch and peered over at Serenity, watching her eyes darken.

"They're treating us like we're guests, 'Ren, and there's nothing we can do about it. Grandma told mum and I that she can't talk them down anymore. She's lost control, and we all know that Great Grandfather is more powerful than all of us combined... we're scared, 'Ren, please help us." Crossing her arms, Serenity rests her head back and grits her teeth.