If I can't come up with one, I'm titling my chapters as John Mulany quotes until further notice. Thank you :)
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As the nights passed, the waning moon phased into the dark phase. Vague strips were indented into the countryside road by centuries of traffic, making the dirt path uneven, and unreliable to walk upon in the dark. But, it seemed a lone girl paid no mind.
With a steady pace and breath, Echo's feet landed softly, creating the barest of sound that would make a passerby dismiss it as their own imagination. Her eyes were set in front of her, though focused on nothing entirely. Just as her mind wasn't conscious about the dangers of running alone at night; concentrated on blocking her thoughts. Echo's shoulders were heavy with the weight of the gods' stares. She could feel their whispers of judgment whenever an icy chill would run down her spine; the subtle drop of a stone in her stomach every time her name rolled off their tongues.
Echo woke with sandy-like eyes, feeling the three symptoms of being the gods' next topic of discussion. Her attempt would be futile, but she did not wish for Moony or Padfoot to be within the gods' view. Still, she left. She didn't have a set destination in mind, perhaps, stumbling upon a spot to watch the sun rise over the horizon.
Echo was a . . . controversial subject, amongst the twelve gods of Mount Olympus. The power she possessed, was uncharacteristically not written in the stars. It caused quite an uproar, when Athena was unable to translate any stars regarding Echo's potential. With a trained eye, you could translate the billions of white specs; read the fates, the stories of old and far, and even bare witness to the creation of new creations; infinite knowledge at your disposal. The gods would hardly admit it, but as much of an enigma Echo was to the mortals, she was just as, to the ones who bled Ichor — well, all but one: the goddess who created her.
The goddess, who hid the truth of Echo's range of minacious power with the centaurs; removing the information from the constellations. The other Divinities would learn of her potential soon enough; the few years needed of Echo's life to fulfill the prophecy, were barely an inconvenience to a god. But when the day does come, when Echo reveals her abilities, it will be the day the gods will want to remove her; strip her of all divine sources — out of fear. The gods will grow to understand, that even the divine, could have a demon lurking in their shadows.
Ironic, isn't it? A creation, soon to be feared by her very own makers.
"Where have you been?" It was Remus, standing firm, arms crossed. His underlying worry was masked by the hardened tone. Echo's never seen him so stiff.
"Did you find her?" Sirius's voice carried throughout the cottage.
Echo gazed at Remus, thoughts of confusion hidden behind her eyes, searching Remus's own. Although they weren't completely guarded, he's definitely picked up a few things from Echo.
But, fuck. The death stare was terrifying.
There was no further, verbal communication before Sirius stepped into the room, standing next to Remus. He, too, didn't look happy. Nothing like his usual, expressive self.
"Where have you been?" Remus repeated, voice as firm as his stance.
"A run. On the back roads," Echo answered, neutral. Sweat glistened on her exposed skin, giving evidence her statement was true. Once the sun lifted over the horizon, so did the weight on her shoulders. It was her own given permission to return.
"The back roads," he echoed, a light scoff.
"And when were you going to tell us?" Black interjected.
"You were both asleep," said Echo calmly, not grasping the reason behind the faded urgency that filled the room's atmosphere.
"Asleep or not, I would like to know where you are, Echo," Remus stated. "I wake up in the middle of the night to find you missing! No note, bed empty — the only thing I could find was your wand! — The only thing I actually hoped to be missing with you; it would've given me some reassurance that you, at least, had protection."
"I had my knife," Echo assured, vaguely gesturing to the sheath on her upper thigh.
"That's not the point," said Remus quickly.
Echo listened and did not speak. Why were they so concerned? And why were they so dismissive? She's done it a few times before now, unable to sleep. The repeating nightmare did not settle well, on her conscious, so she used the loud cicadas and the night's sky for clarity; returning before morning.
Only because she was caught, now, did they worry.
"I—"
"— we —" Black corrected.
"— had no idea where you were. Or if you even left willingly," Remus continued, unfazed by the correction. He started pacing into his rant. "Neither of us could go out looking — Padfoot is a wanted man, and I, frankly, can't trust him enough to just leave him on his own — "
"— Hey! This is about Echo, not me," said Sirius.
Remus ignored him. His head was not registering anything that wasn't about the situation at hand.
"You could've been hurt — killed — or worse! What was I supposed to think? I don't know the area, the people in it, the creatures in it, what you were even doing. . . ."
Remus stopped in his spot, placing his hands on his hips. His face was worn, turning to Echo.
"Do you have any idea how worried, I was?" Remus's voice held an edge of exhaustion, giving away the answer. There was silence.
Echo watched his deep sigh escape, her stomach clenching. Although she did not fully understand the error of her actions, the small need to look away from Remus's hard gaze, loomed over her mind like a shadow.
"I'm sorry," she said, void of expression. This wasn't a fun feeling. "But, I'm not incapable of being on my own — with, or without a wand. I was on my own—"
"Precisely, Echo," Lupin interrupted. "You were alone. But now you have people — in your life — who want you safe. You can't just —" he paused, trying to find the right words— " . . . leave on your own accord. You may have been safe, but I need to know that. I need to know when you're coming back — that you are even leaving in the first place. It's foolish, making decisions for yourself like you're still alone. Especially when there are people, who care, and feel responsible for you."
Another lingering silence fell over, agonizingly still. Echo was suddenly aware of every breath her lungs made, every swallow that did not soothe her parched throat. She was desperate to hear something; to smell something, anything to concentrate on, other than the silence that left her alone with her thoughts. Hearing Remus express that he cared for her didn't help the twist of guilt in her gut that already, felt unbearable. She did not mean for Remus to worry, nor did she mean to come back this late. This was the longest the gods had given Echo their attention.
"What is this about?"
The silence was torturing, giving her the encouragement she needed to break it. So, she voiced her suspicions. She had to feel that there was something else, hidden between the lines of his worry. Remus knew she was experienced with the world; knew she wasn't reckless. It had to be more than Echo missing, for even Sirius to be- well, serious. The only time she's seen him so stiff was when she mentioned Harry-
"Is this about Harry?"
Lupin and Black flinched.
Moments like these reminded Remus that Echo was frustratingly perceptive, never missing a single detail, no matter how small or irrelevant. She was right to question the second-meanings behind his lecture. Echo returning late was not the only factor for his worry and anxiety; Hedwig woke them, tapping her beak on the window pane: she was delivering a message from Harry.
Echo watched as Sirius and Remus shared a quick exchange of eye contact. Moony swallowed, nodding to their silent discussion. It seemed Moony wasn't going to share the news so Sirius went on ahead, sighing. Instead of saying anything, he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment.
"Just read the last paragraph, the rest is private,"Sirius instructed, watching Echo carefully.
Echo controlled her curiosity, only soaking up the words of the last paragraph, not wanting to invade his privacy.
A weird thing happened this morning, though. My scar hurt again. Last time this happened it was because Voldemort was at Hogwarts. But I don't reckon he can be anywhere near me now, can he? Do you know if curse scars can hurt years afterword?
I'll send this with Hedwig when she gets back; she's off hunting at the moment. Say hello to Buckbeak for me.
-Harry
Rule number two: Don't be oblivious to the obvious.
No matter how much you want it to be untrue, take signs like they're your last words, because if you don't, you might just be saying them soon.
Echo locked eyes with Remus. Her gaze was heavy; freely, offering a window to her thoughts.
"I need to train," she stated, enough finality to leave no room for any argument.
She walked past Remus and Sirius, handing the latter the letter without pausing her fast pace. She climbed the stairs, two at a time.
"What was that?" Remus asked sharply, standing in the doorway of Echo's room. It was only seven minutes since Echo abruptly left, again.
She was standing, changed in all black athletic wear, in front of her mirror, braiding her hair into double-Dutch braids. Moony was visible through the reflection so she did not need to turn around.
"I've been neglecting my training. For over a year," she responded, unbothered.
"Training? What on earth are you talking about?"
"Fighting. Agility. Defensive and offensive magic."
"Why would you need to practice all of that?" Lupin said, completely bewildered.
"Voldemort."
That stopped all possible thoughts that could've crossed Remus's mind.
"V-Voldemort?"
"Yes," said Echo patiently. "It is not a coincidence that Peter escaped and Harry's scar is burning when Voldemort is not near. Voldemort is getting the assistance he needs to rise again."
"What does that have to do with you?" he questioned. Remus stepped further into the room. He looked over his shoulder, checking to see if Padfoot was listening or not — he wasn't. Remus locked the door.
Echo's fingers stopped twisting. Through the mirror, she peered at Lupin; his brows were furrowed and he had an unpleasant frown. She swiveled her head around, facing him; Remus stood baffled, and offhandedly angered by the idea of Echo having anything to do with Voldemort. He truly was clueless. Had he really forgotten? Or did he just never connect the dots?
"Why do I carry the blood of an immortal, Remus?" she asked carefully. If he was worried about her leaving with no note, than she was afraid how he would react to this.
What?
Yes, Remus thought, she was a demigod, but what did that have to do with anything? She was here to protect-
Lupin visibly went rigid, his eyes widened at the pace of his realization. He wanted to smack himself, multiple times.
How have I never noticed?
"You're here to protect Harry . . . from Voldemort . . . aren't you?" he whispered under his breath. He did not want this to be the truth.
Echo nodded, breaking the lasting eye contact.
"Fuck," he muttered. Remus ran his fingers through his hair, tugging hard. Echo was Harry's personal line of defense against Voldemort. She was his shield. He has gotten so comfortable to the domestic side of Echo, the truth of her purpose, only warranted denial.
"The gods sent a child to do their bidding?" It was to himself, wanting to hear it out loud; it didn't sound any better or morally correct than it did when he confirmed the realization in his head.
"Technically two," said Echo, turning around fully and folding her arms. There was no docile tones, but it was obvious the subject was unfavored through her eyes. "Although the gods did not directly send Harry, they knew that a boy born at the end of July would defeat Voldemort."
"So they let it happen," he stated, a mixture of disdain and disbelief. "Why? I mean, if they knew, how could they possibly allow something like this—"
"—I do not know what goes through the gods' mind when they reach such decisions, nor do I have any desire to do so," said Echo coldly. They could go fuck themselves for all she cared. "The gods would never concern themselves with my opinions or thoughts —unless they wish to read them. I'm in the dark as much as every other mortal that walks this earth."
There was a pause. She inhaled deeply, keeping her disgust for the gods at bay. She exhaled.
"The only thing I know is what I've learned through my own assumptions: they created this game called life, and now they watch their creation for entertainment and amusement; may even place a few bets. Only on an extremely, rare occasion, will they send down a player."
"Why did they choose to send a 'player' down, now?" he asked, trying to keep his own anger from rising. "Grindelwald had the same views as Voldemort. He was said to be more powerful than Voldemort. Surely, they should have sent someone down, then."
"The gods' greatest weaknesses are their prides. My guess is, Voldemort must've meddled with something that greatly offended the gods — something extraordinarily unjustifiable that the gods felt it was necessary to include their involvement."
"Their involvement," Remus scoffed, lazily gesturing to Echo. "They just decided to add another child into the mix."
Lupin calling Echo a child did not sit right with her — in this situation. Children were viewed as naive, dependent, and innocent. Children's opinions were dismissed; never taken seriously. Echo was none of that. She was aware she was a child by age. And she knew he was not meaning to, but it felt like he was discrediting what she's done, and what she can do, by referring to her as if she's merely a child, nothing more.
"Do you have a choice?" Remus asked, voice strained. Echo's boggart was taking shape in his mind.
Her response was immediate.
"I do, but not in the gods' eyes."
"And?"
"And you should know," she responded quietly. "You were there when I decided."
"But do you regret it?" Remus, himself, was conflicted. A part of him wanted her to say no. No, she didn't regret attending Hogwarts and making friends of her own. The other half wanted to hear a yes; she did regret it. She thought of herself as foolish to place herself into a role the gods had so selfishly given her.
Echo scoffed, catching Remus's full attention.
"Regret is a fool's game," said Echo. It was clear, confident, and completely set. "If I allowed myself to feel regret, then I would only make my soul suffer for the false hope of a better past; something that will never change."
If Echo allowed herself to feel regret, it would consume her until there's nothing left but the ghosts of her pasts, keeping her from living in the present and experiencing the future. She could have done things differently, but what's done is done. It's important to learn from your mistakes, but dwelling on them will only mislead yourself from what is current in reality.
Echo quietly sighed. Remus wouldn't feel satisfied with this answer, she knew that.
"But, no. I feel I didn't make a mistake."
He nodded, rubbing his chin with his palm. Remus wanted to tell her that she was making the wrong choice; to tell her that she should look after herself, that she's done enough for her age. He couldn't. He felt he hadn't earned the right, as an authorative figure, to force her into such decisions regarding her life. He hasn't been in her life for long. Echo would take his opinion into account, but she wouldn't agree. She was her own person. Echo has made her own decisions before, and she's gotten this far — not without a few scratches and bruises, of course. And there was no doubt that he was proud of her. The gods gave her a daunting task, and she's taking the responsibility like she's guilty of causing it.
Did the gods even view Echo's life as a child's, rather their personal soldier? Remus's hope would say yes, but his gut would scream no.
"Don't think you're off the hook," said Remus, pointing at Echo. "You made me stay up all night worrying about you." His tone was lighter than before; no longer holding the weight of Harry's and Echo's doomed fates. He decided he would go further into the topic when Echo saw fit or necessary.
"What do you mean?" The topic change was sudden, but it felt needed.
Shit. What did I mean?
"You- you . . . are . . . are- grounded. Yes, grounded," he started weakly, but came out strong.
"Grounded?" She's heard the word be used by Mrs Weasley, but never really got a grasp of what it meant.
"Yes. Grounded."
"You repeating the word isn't going to help me understand what it means," she said dryly.
"Oh, right," said Remus. " . . . It's like a punishment."
Echo raised a quizzical brow.
"It means you're not allowed to go out . . . without permission. . . . And you have to feed Buckbeak," Moony continued. He never thought he would have to explain what 'grounded' meant, to a teenager.
"So," she started slowly, "my 'punishment', is doing what I was supposed to do — in your eyes — and a responsibility . . .?"
"Yes." He nodded
"Is that what most 'groundings' consist of?"
"Generally."
"Won't that just make children, who receive groundings, grow to resent and feel that responsibilities are only punishments and not mandatory in independent life?"
" . . . Don't poke holes in it."
Echo carelessly raised her hands in feigned surrender.
"You know—"
"Okay! Now what the fuck?!" Sirius yelled, slamming the door open and stumbling through. He was looking between Remus and Echo like they went mental.
"Sirius! How'd you get in? It was locked!" said Remus, a look of surprise and horror.
Sirius straightened up, his appalled expression turned into a prideful smirk.
"Oh, you left your wand downstairs." He was twirling Remus's wand in his hand. "Turns out, I can still perform Alohamora non-verbally. Still got it." He gave himself a proud nod.
There was an awkward pause. Echo looked beyond bored with Black's antics.
"So, are you two going to tell me what that conversation was about?" Sirius demanded.
It almost hurt when Echo rolled her eyes.
~<^>~
Three weeks had gone by. Echo's stay with Remus was going longer than the originally planned two weeks; though no complaints were evident. The cottage never seems to lose its noise. Whether it be from Echo and Black's bickering, Remus and Sirius's quiet trips down memory lane, the odd dynamic filling Sirius in with Harry stories, or Sionna raising hell with Buckbeak, outside; for the size of Buckbeak's dinner, he was very protective of Sionna.
Sirius thought it was wise to not send a letter back to Harry until further into the summer, so he would seem farther than he actually was. Remus and Echo agreed. Echo herself, has written and received many letters from Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville. Ron, multiple times, asked Echo if she could help him prank Fred and George with her animagus form.
She honestly was taking it into consideration.
Every morning, before the moon fully fell, til after the sun hovered above the horizon, Echo trained — diligently. Her wand was never used; only to cast a spell to form men out of logs and sticks — most towering over six feet. It was an extremely complicated charm, Remus was sure. Echo would spar with them in the beginning of her sessions. She needed to ease into it after not doing much physical training for over a year. As the sessions went on, the wooden men became ruthless: never sparing any mercy for Echo, taking cheap shots and seeking any window of advantage. But, in the end, there would only be a pile of lifeless wood, and an unscathed Echo walking towards the cottage for a late breakfast.
Sirius would cheer from the sidelines like a proud uncle at his niece's soccer game. Remus would watch from the porch, his knee bouncing rapidly up and down. Merlin, he hated that she was doing this, but it brought him a bit of reassurance that she was far more than capable of protecting herself, and perhaps Harry.
Remus could not stray his eyes away, when he watched her. He's noticed Echo's face was never tensed with effort, yet it was always caked with a layer of sweat and dirt towards the end. She leapt, slid, avoided, dodged, struck, and decked. Her feet never paused, beating the ground like a dancer who's memorized the choreography of battles; dancing to the sounds that associated with every idea of death. They were balanced and skilled. They had to be, if they were to carry the weight of a warrior. A warrior who fought with the determination and strength of a hundred more.
Echo's eyes were still heavy with sleep as she trudged down the steps. She took a much needed nap, waking up in the dark. She ran her training session a bit longer than usual, trying to distract herself and let off some steam. The night prior, images played out, in her sleep. She dreamt of Lotus, again. Instead of the nightmares, this time, they were peaceful and pleasant. And Echo did not know which terrified her more.
"Ah! Look who decided to join us," Sirius said, his tone was playfully snarky.
Sirius and Remus were cuddling on the couch, the flickering flames in the fireplace casted shadows in the room. They were rarely separated from each other. Now, Moony didn't jump away when Echo entered the same room as them.
Echo responded with a dead-look. Even after sleeping for half the day, she was exhausted.
"What? Are you jealous because we're happy and you're too busy being dead inside?"
"Padfoot!" exclaimed Remus, scuffing the back of Sirius's head. He honestly didn't know why he kept trying to scold either of them. They're bickering was always impossible to stop.
"I do feel happiness. Just not when I'm around you," Echo responded dryly.
"That was pathetic! I've heard better from you."
"Whatever," she grumbled, plopping herself down in the arm chair next to them. Her eyes landed on the two whiskey glasses and bottle of fire whiskey.
"Want some?" Sirius asked, noticing she was peering at it. A small smirk tugged at his lips.
"Padfoot, no," said Remus sternly.
Black ignored him.
"Try it. I want to see your reaction," said Sirius excitedly, sliding the glass towards Echo.
"Pads, she doesn't need to try anything. She's barely fifteen."
"Please," he scoffed. "We were doing some ungodly acts at fifteen." Black looked expectantly at Echo, waiting for a reaction.
Almost instinctively, her head leaned back and an exasperated sigh came out. "Every moment spent with you, I'm never to far from murder."
"Aha! That's better. More of that." Sirius pointed at Echo enthusiastically.
Sirius took the news of Echo being sent from the gods to protect Harry surprisingly well. Apparently, he 'knew' that Echo wasn't fully human. Quote: "I fucking knew you weren't human! You're way to intense and uptight to be human." Whatever that meant. Instead of responding to the new information like a normal person, Black decided to make puns every chance he got.
Echo held back a smirk. She grasped the whiskey glass and downed it in one go. Her face remained unflinching. A laugh almost came out, noticing Remus and Sirius's shocked expressions.
"Damn," Remus mumbled. "I wanted to throw up the first time I tried fire whiskey."
"Teach me your ways," said Sirius, eyes wide in amazement.
Echo mildly rolled her eyes. "It wasn't my first time — believe me."
"What?" Remus asked, listening to her next words carefully. A sense of something washed over him. It wasn't protectiveness, nor disappointment. He was not sure what it was, but it was new.
Echo glanced between Remus and Sirius. They were legitimately waiting for an answer.
"My gods," she muttered in disbelief. "What do you expect when you let a twelve year-old travel the world for two years with no adult supervision — Besides from the occasional drifter, who would more often than not, share a drink with me over a campfire. I also had mass amounts of unresolved trauma with no guidance on how to deal with it. . . . Give me a bloody break," Echo grumbled, grabbing the bottle and pouring herself another. Remus snatched it away, not before she successfully filled two fingers. Echo raised the glass to her lips, letting the liquid sting her throat.
"Hey, that trauma builds character. Moony and I were the funniest in the group and we have loads of unhappy childhood memories," Sirius joked, hiding the painful truth in his laugh.
"Sirius," Remus scolded quickly. He turned back to Echo. "You're going to make yourself sick," he stated, expressing his concern and eying Echo with worry.
"I don't mean to sound cocky, but it takes more than three bottles of fire whiskey to get me at the very least, drunk," Echo replied, neutral. The two stared at her, confused. She went on to vaguely explain. "I'm a demigod. Faster metabolism. Stronger immune system. Don't make me spell it out for you."
"Wait, how do you know it's three?" Sirius questioned with narrowed eyes.
Echo shrugged a shoulder, leaning back in the chair. " . . . Like I said. I was alone . . . and may or may not of had a strong curiosity."
"Well, please, don't have a 'strong' curiosity anymore. You shouldn't be drinking at your age," Remus stressed, looking at her with all seriousness.
Echo internally smiled. "You don't need to worry," she assured softly. "I never found comfort in alcohol. I didn't find the worth in chugging three bottles that tasted like paint thinner for a small buzz."
"Speak for yourself," said Sirius. He grabbed his glass back, pouring his own amount.
The conversation continued for a few more hours, carrying into many different topics. Echo slowly felt herself become more . . . present. She curled up in moony's blanket, listening to Sirius and Remus tell their favorite memories that came out of the Marauders while a warm fire crackled. It was evident both Remus and Sirius missed Lily and James dearly. They had nostalgic smiles, but longing in their eyes. Echo wished she could meet them, the Potters. She wanted to assure them that their son will be safe as long as she's still breathing; that their sacrifice will not go wasted. They deserved that. But, something told her they already knew.
Call it a hunch.
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A/N — She/her or she/they. Idk. I'm questioning and I wanna try it out.
- I love protective Remus.
- Attention! Girls, gays and theys, we reached 5.95k reads!! And after I post this, we will reach 6k!
- I'm getting so many new readers. It feels weird, because I'm so used to my older readers commenting, I forget that other people exist lmao. But thank you, sincerely. I love reading your guys' comments.
- Can we talk about the last chapter's ending?? It was so rushed and cringe. But I have a valid excuse. I unintentionally only got like 3 hours of sleep, over the course of 48 hours and I'm super sensitive to sleep deprivation. So by the time I posted, I was hallucinating; my pictures were moving and shit. And I needed to post so I just said "Fuck it". I pulled a quote that I wrote in my notes and put it in.
Words: 40710
Lasts chapter's words: 5083
Days: 16 FUCKING DAYS! Smh. Remember when I used to think two days was a lot??