A/N: Hello my lovely lovies,
So this week I really didn't intend of posting late, but the holiday through my schedule out of wack a bit, and June/July are very busy months for me as it is anyway. This chapter and next weeks were originally one chapter, but I decided to split it in to two. fingers crossed that you enjoy.
Without dragging on any further, grab a snack (I have a pint of Ben & Jerry's) and perhaps a drink (I have chosen water - staying hydrated) and lets get to it!
Love and Redemption arcs
Val
Sometimes the hardest goodbye's are the ones we know are coming. because it's not goodbye at all. It's farewell.
My Dear Elodie,
I understand. And I understand how difficult it is for you to ask such a favor. To ask such a favor of me, more specifically. So it is with a full heart that I will agree, and do as you've asked. You mentioned if my husband would be a hurdle to cross, I must admit, he won't be exactly pleased to do this a second time around. But don't fret, I will hold my ground on this. I give you my word, as a mother, as your aunt, I will keep her from harm. Please allow me this chance to right a wrong, and make up for the mistakes of the past. I promise, she will be the most loved little witch this family has ever known.
Sincerely,
Petunia Dursley
~Elodie's POV~
"I need you to focus," I said with a slight giggle as I looked at Fred who couldn't wipe that slightly mischievous grin off his face.
"Alright, alright already," He said and let out a breath. "You know this isn't really how I pictured the first time doing this being," He commented, taking me slightly by surprise. I let out a slight snort, looking away for a moment before looking back at him. "Honestly, the floor of this dusty flat? Had I known I may have swept up a bit."
"Hey," I said, snapping my fingers in front of his face once. "Stop babbling about and do it already," I said.
He took in another deep breath, letting it reach to his core. Looking down, I could see the hair on his arms standing, the smallest bead of sweat rolling down from his hair line onto his forehead. He was trying his best, which was already more than I could have asked for.
"Ready?" I whispered, waiting for him to nod.
He didn't say anything, but before I knew it, he was moving his hand and fingers in the motion I'd told him would work best, at least, it did when I was on my own. And almost as if he'd known all along, as if he'd been practicing for years, a flame of bright orange fire began twirling through his fingers. Dancing through as they began forming little infinities.
"Open your eyes," I said gently, as I watched him take a look at the nonverbal wandless magic he'd produced all on his own. "Not bad for a beginner," I said, admiring the way he kept the flame balanced. Controlling it so that it wouldn't become too big where it would be uncontrollable, or too small where it would die out.
"Yeah, before you know it, I'll be lighting campfires," he said, holding his palm open before he crushed it in his hand.
I leaned back until I hit the back of the sofa, facing the front door of the flat. I saw the way that the sun was just beginning to crack through the window, painting it's own flaming stripe across the center of the dusty old flat.
"We could hide away in here you know," Fred said, scooting over until he was seated in front of me, legs crossed, leaning forward. He reached for my hands, taking them in his own, and placing electric kisses onto my knuckles. "No one would ever suspect we'd actually stay here."
This was the hard part of leaving. The part where I needed to decide whether I'd tell him the truth about what I was actually setting out to do, or if I let him believe that I was really leaving with Harry. Though, the part I haven't quite figured out yet, was how I would even reach the dark lord. I knew if I let myself get taken while we were moving Harry it would take the focus off of getting him to safety. Not to mention, Bill would have my head if I missed his wedding.
"I think if they were looking for a master joker and his wife, the flat above his joke shop may be the first place they take a look," I said, holding back a laugh. He didn't want me to go, and I didn't want to leave him. "We didn't sleep last night," I commented, watching the stream of light become brighter and brighter.
"I don't think I'm tired," Fred answered, moving a strand of hair to rest behind my ear.
The worst was a realization that hit seemingly out of nowhere. The kind that just popped into my mind as if it was blatantly obvious, and I'd just not given it attention before. From now on, there was a chance, though I'd never truly know how big it was, but there was a chance that some part of him would never fully trust me again.
And I couldn't even blame him for it. It had been me that was keeping secrets. Plotting and planning behind his back for months. Never once thinking to include him in all of it. And worse, it would be his brother to be the one to tell him the truth. The truth about why our daughter couldn't stay with his family, the truth about where I was really going.
"Hey," he said, bringing my attention back to focus on him. He held a hand on my face, rubbing his thumb back and forth, making sure I was present. "Where did you go?"
I gave him a smile, capturing the way he looked at me. I don't think there was anything in the world I could compare that way I felt when he looked at me too. Not the stomach butterflies, or the skin tingles. It was a feeling all on it's own. One that he was solely capable of producing.
"No where, just... Times up," I said, looking at the clock on the wall indicating it was just about seven in the morning. My countdown had begun. I stood to my feet, searching for my shoes, but only spotting one by the door that led downstairs.
"Please don't," He said, breaking through the space. I looked over to see the way he hung his head. "If you want to send Ruby away, I understand. But- Please... Let me come with you." Fred had never by any means been a weak person, but I had put him in a situation that turned him into one. And for that fact alone, I'd never forgive myself.
I let out a sigh and reached for my jumper that hung over the back of the sofa. "What does it say about me, if I willingly allowed you to stay in danger?" I asked.
He stood to his feet, quickly reaching for his oxford shirt, but didn't bother with it's buttons. "What does it say about me if I'm not able to protect my family? As I just sit and watch you be thrown to the wolves," he asked in retort. It wasn't just his heart I was hurting. It was his ego.
"You forget yourself Mr. Weasley," I said, stepping closer to him as I buttoned his shirt. "I am a wolf."
***
"Come now, Dudley. Hurry up," Vernon shouted from the front yard. Overhead I could hear Harry pacing back and forth in what I assumed to be his room.
"I still don't understand why we have to leave," Dudley responded to him. Their muffled voices carried through the window.
"I've written both the landline and my mobile number here. When you get to where it is you're going please just... let us know you've arrived safely. There won't be an answer, but just a message," I asked as I pointed out the letter I'd written and stashed in the baby bag. I stood in the doorway that connected the hallway to what would be the living room. Not wanting to invade her space more than necessary. "She sleeps through the night, but only with her magpie blanket. She'll take a bottle, but we're using glass bottles only," I said, running through things she'd already know, and others i'd just been repeating.
Petunia had given Vernon warning of what she'd agreed to. And true to her word, she'd stood her ground, and would not waver. My only hope was that she saw it through. That she wouldn't revert back to the same cold heartedness she'd raised Harry with. That this was one cycle, that wouldn't continue.
"Absolutely," Petunia said, placing the bag on her shoulder as she took a look around. Taking in the sight of her home, stripped bare as a product of War. This was the side I'd yet to see. The full effect of a family in hiding. The entirety of their lives, packed into the back of a car, and moved to an unknown destination.
The commotion outside continued, but it made no difference to me the rude words Vernon spoke about me. All I wanted was a moment more to hold Ruby. To breathe in the way she still smelled fresh and new, untainted by the wickedness of my world.
Footsteps approached, and by the current presence of the other residence of the house, the only person it could be was Harry. "It's time to go," He said as he stood just slightly behind me. Remaining in the doorway, reaching forward to place one hand on my back for a moment, and the other on Ruby's arm.
I breathed in, carefully wiping my tears on my sleeve so they wouldn't land on Ruby and bring her discomfort. Someday, she'd understand. Someday, she'd be back with her grandparents, her aunts and uncles. She'd be back with her father, and they would make her understand.
"I have lived in this house for twenty years," Petunia said, staring at the crown molding along the top of the room. "And now in a single night, I'm expected to leave," She said, looking between Harry and I.
"They'll torture you," Harry said, doing his best to pait the picture of what would happen should they return too soon. "If they think for a moment that you know where we're going, they'll stop at nothing."
A beat of silence fell between us, no one daring to add to the vile nasty things they would do to them. It was Petunia that dipped her head slightly to look at us. Her eyes, burning us to ash where we stood.
"Do you think I don't know what they're capable of?" She asked simply. And it was in that instance, as her eyes pierced into us, that I was able to see her. To truly see her. See past the resentment she held for her sister and her children. Why she had been quick to agree to take in her great-niece. "You didn't just lose a mother that night in Godric's Hollow, you know," She said, confirming the truth I was just now beginning to see. "I lost a sister."
I studied her, watching the way that she truly meant every word she was saying. And while there was no excuse for the way she had treated Harry, or the way she'd ignored me. All this time, she herself was mourning a loss. I gave her a nod, taking a step towards her, placing one last kiss on Ruby's head.
"Do you have any? Magic?" Harry asked obliviously, still stuck on the warmth he'd just witnessed from someone he'd only ever seen as cold hearted.
"What a cruel thing to ask," She said softly as she reached out her arms and waited for me. I handed over my child, knowing that as I had no other options, this was the right thing to do. "I'll take care of her," She said once more, giving me a chance to make sure her nappy was wrapped around her just right.
I nodded, taking a step back, and giving her a tight lipped smile. As soon as it was all over, I kept repeating to myself. As soon as it's all over, ignoring that for me, such a time may never come.
I turned as she walked out of the room and into the front yard. Hand on my back, Harry came out with me, properly seeing them off. We watched as Vernon tested the strap binding the small trailer hitched to the back of the Dursley muggle car. I would have offered to enchant their trunk, but seeing as Vernon wasn't taking kindly to Petunia's new found appreciation of magic, I thought it best I didn't interfere.
"This isn't just goodbye now, is it?" Vernon asked as he squinted his eyes at Harry. "This is farewell," He said, doing his best to hide the fact that through his mind he was comparing how much Harry and I looked like mirrored images of our parents. Comparing us to the last time he'd seen them. The thought heurt for a moment, but I only had myself to blame for looking in on a muggle mind.
Harry held a straight face as he gave him a firm nod. Not saying too much, just leaving things as they were. No need to try and reason with someone he'd never had a single decent exchange with.
In the car I could see petunia in the backseat as she easily fastened Ruby in. watching her dose off into a nap, not knowing what was happening around her.
"I don't understand. Aren't they coming with us?" Dudley asked his father.
"Absolutely not," Vernon said, opening the driver's door. His attempt at putting an end to their conversation.
"Why?" Dudley asked curiously. I thought about looking into his mind, but with the simplest wave of Legilimens I could sense that his mind had already taken it's fair share of magical blows in the past.
"Why- well- well- be- because" Vernon stuttered, scrambling to find words to a question he didn't think he'd be asked. "They don't want to. You don't want to, do you boy?" Vernon asked, aiming his question solely at Harry.
"Absolutely not. No. Besides, I'm just a waste of space. Isn't that right, Vernon?" Harry answered. I was shocked by the normalcy of his words. The way he almost didn't bat an eyelash in saying a single one of them. And while I'd known that they were cruel to him in his youth, the casualty of how there was a sense of himself believing it stung.
Vernon stared at Harry, almost as if he was a bit shocked by his words as well. Though I didn't bother looking in to know for certain. "Come on, Dudley. We're off," he said, and turned back to enter his car, where his wife, and my child awaited him.
Slamming his own door shut, Dudley moved away from the car, and crossed the lawn. Stopping just in front of Harry, he extended his hand out for a shake. Hesitating slightly. "I don't think you're a waste of space," Dudley said simply.
"Thanks," Harry answered as the features on his face softened.
They both looked at their connected hands for a moment, as if waiting for something bigger to happen. But nothing did. Just an olive branch, placing itself in place to be built into a bridge later on.
"And I'm sorry, I never got to know you," He said, directing his words at me.
I gave him a smile, unsure of what I could say to that. So instead I said a simple "Me too," in the hopes it would be enough. But the reality is, that if things could have been different, I would have wanted for Harry to have been with Minerva and I from the beginning. No for me to be with Harry and the dursleys. Better yet...
"See ya, Big D," Harry said under his breath as Dudley made his way back across the lawn, finally entering the car. Petunia, gave me one final look as her head moved up to look from where her eyes were glued to Ruby.
Slowly, they pulled away from the curb. Leaving the perfectly uniform neighborhood, with all it's perfectly uniformly identical houses. Driving away from the only life they had ever known. One of seemingly relative normalcy, onto another of seemingly relative normalcy.
Somewhere nearby, the distant sound of a clock chiming could be heard. I followed Harry back inside, not letting on that I'd began occluding the moment I handed my child over. I didn't want to feel it. I couldn't even bring myself to imagine feeling it.
Once inside, I wrapped my arms around myself, looking over the house that had never really been a home to him. Upstairs, his room untouched. Not even his trunk packed. Everything in place, as if the rest of the world didn't exist.
"Fancy a cuppa?" Harry asked after a moment, pulling his desk chair out for me to take a seat.
"I'm alright," I said, looking around. Feeling slightly confused as I'd possibly been using the occlumency too much. "I've never seen your room before," I commented as I looked at the few pieces of paper he had taped to his wardrobe.
"Wasn't exactly allowed visitors," He said, referring to it as a prison. Though, by the looks of it, he wasn't completely far off. "What was your room like? You and McGonagall lived in Godric's Hollow right?" He asked, taking a seat on the bed, watching me, as I kept looking over his things.
"Mmm," I said, bringing back the memory that seemed so distant. "Tell you the truth, it's been an awfully long time since I've been in that room," I said, trying to caste my memory back. "Just before the quidditch world cup, that would be about three years now," I said. "It was terribly bare when we first moved in. But over the years we'd find ways to fill the space. In all honesty, it was my own little Hogwarts away from the castle."
Harry's face dropped slightly, in quiet jealousy. "I don't think our lives could have been any more different," he commented.
I turned to look at him, my smile fading, but staying with me slightly as I thought his statement over. "But both affected by Trauma of the same sort, nonetheless. Everything had to happen as it did."
I removed my jumper, placing it over the chair he'd pulled out for me. I pulled at my sleeve, covering where my wand rested along my arm. Tucked into its harness. A fidget I started to notice was more apparent before a night such as this one.
"Do you really think she'll be safe with them?" Harry asked, bringing the pain back to the surface.
"You were," I answered simply. Looking out his window as the sun began to go down. Bringing a conclusion to another tortuous day. "Mad eye will be here soon," I said, pointing at his backpack on his bed. "Best grab what you'll need."
I walked out of his room and went down the stairs to wait in the striped living room. It's always a bit funny how much bigger spaces feel when everything is removed. I remembered back to when I was a child, and how I wanted nothing more than to walk through the threshold and meet my family. Last year, before I was married, I finally walked through, but instead it was to ask them to stay away.
At times I wish I was a better psychic. Perhaps then I'd have a better understanding of what my life was meant to look like. Instead all I have are pieces of a puzzle without a picture as a guide. Because the more I looked around, attempting to put myself in someone else's shoes, the more I realized that I needed to finally admit that I didn't have a clue what I was doing.
Because the truth was, I didn't know where I got the idea that it would be easy to watch as the life I knew slipped through my fingers only to be replaced with darkness. All that I knew, was that I wanted it to be over.
I heard the opening click of the cupboard under the stairs. I'd been so consumed in my train of thought I didn't realize that Harry and Hedwig had come down stairs. The hum of a motorbike approached prompted me to check my watch. On time, just as expected.
"That'll be Hagrid," I said to Harry, prompting him to open the door.
"Hello 'Arry! Elodie," Hagrid said, just as Ron ran through the door to wrap his arms around Harry. "You're looking fit!" Hagrid commented.
"Hey," I said to Ron as he pulled me into a tight hug, followed by Hermonie. Mad eye on the other hand, was having none of it.
"Yeah, he's ruddy gorgeous," Mad eye said, pushing his way through the threshold. "What say we get undercover before someone murders him?"
He carried a large sack with him. According to Remus, the plan had grown from what was originally intended, into something bigger. What was originally going to be just Remus Mad eye and I getting Harry to a safe house, had turned into us needing a diversion. One that came in a surprising manner.
"Kingsley, I thought you were looking after the Prime Minister?" Harry asked as Kingsley walked in behind Mr. Weasley and took a quick peek around.
"You, are more important," he said firmly.
"Hello Harry," Bill's voice said as I felt myself being lifted into the air by a pair of hands at my waist. "Hello little sis," Bill said as he put me down and pulled me in for a hug that Fleur joined in on.
I looked up at him, seeing his scars bare for the first time, just about as healed as they would become. "Well aren't these looking good," I said to him as he turned his face to give me a better angle to see them at.
"Oy! That's not your sister, that's my wife," Fred said, walking in with George, sporting a set of identical grins. I rolled my eyes at him, taking George in for a hug before reaching up to kiss Fred quickly.
"She's right though, you seem... better," Harry said to Bill awkwardly, not sure how to phrase himself.
"He wasn't always this handsome," Fred said, lightening the mood.
"Dead ugly," George added.
While Bill would never be one to lose sleep over something as trivial as a scar, everyone who knew him couldn't deny the fact that he was extraordinarily handsome. This made it slightly heartbreaking when Molly jumped to the conclusion that Fleur would decide not to marry him now that he'd been hurt in battle.
Much to my delight, because lack of knowledge of muggle music aside, I genuinely enjoyed Fleur's company. So long as she agreed to disagree on desired flavors of tea, I didn't see anything wrong with her. On the contrary, I actually thought that they were sort of perfect for each other.
"Well, you're still beautiful to me, William," Fleur said, giving him a quick peck. I watched Harry avert his eyes, and if I didn't know any better, I could have sworn I was able to hear the bi panic rolling through his head.
"Just remember Fleur, Bill takes his steaks on the raw side now," Remus said as he stepped into the living room.
"My best friend, the joker," Tonks said, standing by his side before coming forward to take me into a huge hug. "You okay darling?" she whispered into my hair, rubbing a hand up and down my arm.
"We'll talk later," I said, taking a step back after a moment, looking at Fred, and the way his brothers gave him comfort subtally. "You look different," I said to her, taking a look at her face and noticing her glow. "Radiant almost," I whispered, putting two and two together.
"Well, now that you mention it," she said, looking nervously at her shoes. Confirming what I thought, and had slightly hoped wouldn't be true. At least not yet.
"Oh, all right! All right," Mad eye said, storming into the room and putting an end to pleasantries. "We'll have time for a cozy catch-up later. We've got to get the hell out of here. And soon!"
Naturally, we moved around the room until we'd formed a half circle. Looking towards him. I hadn't been told the entirety of the plan, not since it had changed, but from the amount of control Voldemort had gained over the Ministry as of late, it was safe to assume there wouldn't be an easy way.