August 31st - Potter Estate
When Sirius woke up that morning, the realization of what day it was hit him immediately and he fell straight back into bed.
He didn't want to go to the Ball, not in the slightest bit. He ran away from that life for a reason, and the raven-haired boy dreaded the fact that he'd have to immerse himself back into that world, if only for a single night.
However, according to Monty and Mia, it was important that Nephera were to attend. With the amount of Death Eaters attending that evening, Sirius didn't want to leave her alone, despite knowing that she could do a much better job at protecting herself than he could.
The threat of Voldemort's plan still loomed over their heads, and Sirius hated it. The most infuriating part of all, was not knowing when Voldemort would actually strike. If it were up to him, he'd lock the girl inside a room and throw away the key until the war was over, but alas, Nephera refused to back down or go into hiding.
That was the thought that eventually managed to get him out of bed that morning, and he groaned as he sat up, stretched his back, and made his way into the bathroom.
It was close to midday, which meant that the Potters and Lily would most certainly be up, yet the Slytherin would still be sleeping. Despite the fact that she was a very light sleeper, the brunette could, and probably would, sleep all day if no one woke her up.
His suspicions were proved correct when he descended the stairs and found her sleeping on the couch, the rest of the family sitting outside, chatting quietly amongst themselves.
She had been staying with them for the past four days, but would be returning back to her apartment that night after the Ball, only to meet them tomorrow at King's Cross.
The boy still hadn't grasped the fact that they would be starting their seventh year of Hogwarts, it seemed like yesterday that he was introducing himself to James on the train.
A lot of things had changed since that introduction. He had been sorted into Gryffindor, he had found a true family, he had run away from home and from his parents, and perhaps the most shocking of them all, he found himself caring for Nephera bloody Winchester.
"Ah, the sleeping beauty arises," teased James when Sirius walked outside, "Have some bloody coffee before you snap on us all,"
The raven-haired boy muttered something under his breath, but accepted the ug nonetheless, sipping happily the bitter-tasting liquid it contained.
"Is Nephera still asleep?" asked Lily
"She is, surprisingly," answered Mia, "I suggested waking her up but-"
Sirius snorted, "Yes, I'd advise against that unless any of you fancy getting flung onto a wall,"
"That's what James said," agreed Fleamont,
Euphemia stood up, "Well, since you haven't taken a seat yet, Sirius, come help me in the kitchen,"
The Gryffindor was stupid, Euphemia had wanted to talk to him about the fact that he'd be seeing Walburga and Orion again ever since it was announced that they were going to the Ball, but the boy had been expertly avoiding her.
He didn't have that choice now, however, so he did as he was told and followed after the older witch. The second they entered the kitchen, she placed a silencing charm around the room so as to not wake up the girl sleeping inside and motioned for him to sit down.
"Sirius," breathed the witch, "About tonight, I just wanted to remind you once more that you don't need to be there,"
"I know, Mia, but I told you, I'm fine," he insisted, but then continued when she sent him a pointed glare, showing that she didn't believe him, "Alright, sure, they'll be there, and sure, I'd rather not see them, but it's like Nephera said, they won't try anything in front of the bloody Minister of Magic,"
Mia sighed and shook her head. The boy was stubborn, and refused to tell anyone what he truly was feeling, she had known that for quite some time, nevertheless, he was seventeen now, and she should respect his decisions, "Very well, I'm trusting you on what you're saying. But if at any point one of those two assholes approaches you, you have my full permission to hex them,"
Sirius laughed in response, "I can live with that."
A cheeky grin overtook the witch's features, "So... Nephera,"
Euphemia had noticed the sly glances Sirius sent to the girl, as well as the way the two seemed to be touching each other in some form as often as they could. What truly gave it away, however, was the way he'd look at her whenever she spoke. Sirius was one of the most hyperactive teenagers the Potter witch knew, so the fact that whenever the Slytherin opened her mouth, he'd fall silent instantly and stare at her until she finished talking was a feat in itself.
"Yes, what about her?"
"What do you mean what about her? Are you planning on making a move, or will you wait until someone else does it first?"
"I'm not doing anything about anything, Mia. We're fine the way we are,"
"You use that word so much, it's begun to lose its meaning by now,"
He huffed out a breath, and leaned back into his chair, saying nothing in response. He knew the witch was right, the situation was far from fine, but there was also nothing he could do about it, no matter how much everyone told him he should.
He looked out to the window, where James was going over the waltz with Lily once more, and let out a small chuckle. As good as Lily was at everything else, she seemed to be unable to grasp the concept of proper dancing, no matter how hard Sirius and Nehera tried to explain it to her.
A half hour later, Nephera decided to wake up from what was bordering a coma, and trudged her way into the kitchen only to find everyone eating Lunch.
"Merlin," she yawned slightly, "What time is it?"
"Two p.m.," answered James, "I never thought I'd find anyone worse than Pads, but then here you are,"
"Oh, James leave the poor girl be," reprimanded his mother, putting together a small plate of salad for Nephera
In reality, since she had to wear a rather tight dress that night, the Slytherin would've prepared not to eat, or at least that's what her mother always told her. However, something told her that if she announced she didn't want any lunch in front of the three Potter's, they'd tie her to a chair and force feed it to her.
"What time are we leaving tonight?" asked Lily
"Around seven," replied Fleamont, "The ministry's sending carriages to take us,"
"Why not apparate?"
"Because not everyone knows where Rosier Estate is-" started Euphemia
"And because purebloods are posh twats that wish to demonstrate their wealth at every single opportunity," snorted Sirius, and Nephera nodded her head, showing that he was right
"Now, listen kids," started Fleamont, "Mia and I have something to do there, which means that you'll most probably be left alone. I know that in the case of Nephera and Sirius, that's impossible, but James, Lily, try not to attract too much attention to yourselves while you're there, we don't know who's working with who,"
They all nodded, while Sirius muttered something about the fact that he can be discreet when he wants to, at which point everyone looked at him with raised eyebrows. Fleamont and Euphemia left shortly after, probably to meet with Dumbledore and go over the details once more, leaving the teenagers to clean up the dishes.
"We just have to make through the dancing," said James, levitating a couple of glasses to the sink
The redhead nodded, wiping the table, "How does the dancing sequence thing work again?"
"First, the top ministry officials and their dates dance, then it's all the other adults, and then it's the underage couples," explained Nephera, "Those are the only three that are coordinated, after that, it's whoever and whenever"
"It sounds boring," commented James
"If you think that's boring, you should be thankful you've never attended a debutante ball," snarked the raven-haired boy
"Oh you have no room to talk about debutante balls!" exclaimed Nephera, "You weren't the one paraded around the room like a bloody prize,"
Lily's eyes widened at that, "Debutante as in..."
"As in trying to find an appropriate husband for me? Exactly," sasses the Slytherin, taking out her aggression by wiping a glass, "Needless to say, I didn't exactly do as I was told,"
"And by that, she means that she kneed Lestrange right between the legs once while they were dancing,"
"What?" yelled James, "When? And why are there no pictures?"
"My first debutante ball," she explained nonchalantly, "In third year, that git let his hands wonder too low on my back, and Sirius was lucky enough to witness it all,"
The Slytherin guessed that that was when Lestrange's obsession with her started. She had made a fool out of him in front of everyone, including his parents and brother, and his friends. After that, he became almost meticulous in his attempts to get her under control, and of course, continued to fail each and every year.
"It really was a magnificent sight," added the Gryffindor
Soon enough, it was time for everyone to get ready, and Nephera swore she had never seen Lily more stressed than she was at the moment. The redhead had kicked James out of the room, kidnapped Nephera and locked the door behind them.
"I'm really stressed right now," said the redhead in a sing-song voice
"You don't say," sassed the brunette, "And- Oh for Merlin's sake stop pulling at your hair like that, you'll end up bald,"
Lily stopped brushing her hair for a moment, before taking a deep breath, "How the hell am I supposed to act there? Merlin, I don't belong there, I'm going to make a fool of myself,"
"Look, as long as you walk in there confidently, no one will be able to tell. Just act like you're better than everyone else,"
"That's your area of expertise, not mine," mumbled the Gryffindor
"No it isn't, mainly because I don't act like I'm better than everyone else, I am better than everyone else. So, you can either keep feeling sorry for yourself, or you can get dressed and go downstairs and give James a bloody heart attack,"
Lily huffed out a breath, although she knew that the other girl was right. She also knew that she shouldn't have expected any words of comfort from Nephera, the Slytherin had proven over and over again she wasn't the comforting type, she was more like the slap-you-in-the-face-with-logic type.
The Gryffindor also knew how illogical she was being at the moment, but she couldn't help but compare herself to the girl next to her.
Nephera was beautiful, anyone with eyes could see that, but her physical appearance was only part of her charm. The other part rested with the way she carried and presented herself, with a confidence that few people managed to achieve in their lifetimes.
For the first time in her life, Lily Evans was jealous of another girl.
Willing those thoughts to the back of her mind, the redhead stood up and took the light green dress from the hanger and moved to the bathroom to put it on.
In the meantime, Nephera was focusing on her hair and makeup, while rolling her eyes at the redhead's behavior. She did not understand why someone would be so comfortable with admitting their own insecurities out loud. It was unbecoming and largely stupid, since it helped no one.
Her hair had grown over the summer, now reaching her collarbones instead of her shoulders, which allowed her to pin it up in a bun, letting a few strands loose to frame her face.
Since the dress was rather detailed, she decided to go for a simpler makeup look, not wanting to overbear it.
She heard a chocking noise coming from downstairs, which she assumed was James seeing Lily all dressed up.
As usual, the Slytherin was right, for when James saw Lily coming down the stairs, he choked on the water he was drinking.
"No, we're going right back upstairs, now," he demanded, taking her wrist and tugging her up
"We only have ten minutes until we leave," replied the redhead, but smiled at her boyfriend's reaction
"Bold of you to assume I can't make you finish in ten minutes," he whispered in her ear, but the girl shook her head
Sirius had to admit, the muggleborn looked amazing. There was no way anyone would be able to distinguish between her and the other girls of 'proper pureblood descent' as his mother always used to say.
In fact, it would probably anger them to no end, knowing that all eyes were on a muggleborn instead of them.
He heard one of the stairs creek and he turned his attention from the couple in front of him to the where the sound had come from.
At that moment, Sirius stood corrected, for there was no way all eyes would be on Lily Evans that night, at least not while she had Nephera Winchester standing next to her.
She had decided to pay homage to her namesake it seemed, Lilith. For she descended the stairs looking like the perfect clash between heaven and hell, purity and sin, light and dark.
Appearing as though she had been personally crafted by God and Lucifer themselves, for, in Sirius's opinion, it would take more than one celestial being to achieve such virtue. He was certain he'd drop to his knees if she asked, although he was unsure whether he would beg for absolution or condemnation while doing so.
He snapped out of his daydream by Fleamont's voice, "I think Sirius is having a stroke," joked the eldest Potter, nudging his wife
"Oh, hush, it's cute," replied his wife
Nephera, however, was far too busy staring at Sirius to listen in on what thy were saying, although, to her credit, she did a better job at hiding it. No matter how hard the boy tried to denounce his upbringing and his descent, the aristocratic way in which he was raised shown through daily. From his knowledge of french and Latin, to the way he always stood tall and proper, to the way he looked at that moment wearing formal dress robes.
As attractive as he was in his leather jackets and jeans, Nephera thought that those moments didn't even hold a candle to the way he looked at that moment.
"You look good, Snuffles," she mused, walking up to him and tying his tie for him
Sirius gulped forcefully, trying to ignore the way the skin of his neck tingled whenever she brushed her cold fingers against it, "I figured since I was escorting you, I'd have to kick it up a notch, love,"
"Now that you two are done eye-shagging," came the voice of James, "I think the carriages are outside,"
The duo laughed, rolling their eyes and following the others outside. There were three carriages, one per couple apparently, that were being pulled by some invisible creature.
They were the same ones they used at Hogwarts. Many people thought that the carriages pulled themselves, but Nephera always thought that was ridiculous. An invisible animal sounded much more logical.
Sirius opened the door of one of the carriages for her, and held out his hand to help her climb inside, something that she was rather grateful for considering the height of the heels she was currently wearing.
Nephera could see how tense Sirius was from the way he sat next to her, and the way he kept twisting the many rings on his fingers. The Slytherin placed a hand on top of the boy's hands, to stop his fidgeting, "Relax, it'll be fine. Boring, but fine,"
"I know," he sighed, taking her hand and playing with her fingers instead of his rings, "I just never thought I'd have to go to one of these again,"
"Me neither," she admitted, "I mean, you'd think sending your parents to Azkaban would mean a lifetimes ban from the Balls,"
He snorted out a laugh, "And you'd think calling your mother an 'inbred wench from hell' would also be reason enough to revoke the invitation,"
"Well, at least we'll have the element of surprise tonight,"
"Godric, imagine their faces," he smiled maliciously
She smirked too, "The Black who's in Gryffindor and the Winchester who called their overlord 'pathetic'," hummed Nephera, "We make quite the pair,"
"That we do, mon coeur, that we do," he breathed out, lifting his arm to warp around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him
She ignored the way the nickname made her feel, a warm sensation slowly festering inside her stomach and climbing up her spine. She felt his rest his head on top of hers, and took a deep breath, relishing in the moment of peace and quiet. It was as though her slight worries about what would happen that night fade away.
It was a common feeling when she was around Sirius, she though, the feeling of safety.
Sirius too found himself staring out the window, simply enjoying the girl's presence next to him. If it was up to him, he'd make sure she spent the rest of her life there, by his side, but alas, Sirius had never been so lucky.
Before long, they arrived at the Rosier Estate, a place that both purebloods had visited multiple times before. It was a beautiful manor, and the exact opposite of most pureblood homes.
The Estate had huge gardens, filled with many trees and colorful flowers and carefully cut bushes. The manor in itself was made out of white marble, with blue accents throughout.
"Here goes nothing," they heard Lily whisper, and they all walked inside
They stood in the sidelines as the top ministry officials took the floor. It really was ridiculous how big of a deal this Ball was, but then again, if there was anything pureblood families loves, it was drama.
"Surprised to see you here," came a voice from besides the four teenagers
That voice belonged to none other than Lestrange, who apparently couldn't let them spend five seconds there before sauntering over and pestering them.
He was accompanied by his date, one of Nephera's roommates, Ophelia Greengrass, who was looking at the brunette through narrowed eyes.
"Salazar, I didn't know they allowed animals in here," replied Nephera
"Neither did I," mused Sirius, tightening his hold on the girl
Now, Lestrange, in all his stupidity, knew how he should behave in an event like that. So, he knew not to say anything concerning Lily's blood status out loud, in fear of being overheard by someone, and simply settled with sending her a nasty glare.
"Something you want to say, mate?" asked James, noticing the other boy looking at his girlfriend
Lestrange simply sneered at him, while Ophelia let out a shrieking laugh, "Merlin, look at them, acting as though they belong here," she spat, "It's almost comical,"
Nephera looked at her up and down, raising an eyebrow, "The only thing that's ridiculous here, Greengrass, is that God awful dress you're wearing. Tell me, how many poor peacocks did you have to skin?"
Ophelia laughed once more, although that time it was slightly more malicious, "Look at you, Winchester, parading in here with your... company, pretending you're one of them, one of the good guys. At least I don't act like something I'm not,"
The others were looking back and forth between the two girls, as though they were watching a high-intensity tennis match. The argument was like nothing they'd ever seen before. The girls' faces were smiling, and they barely raised their voices above conversational level, so much so that if anyone would observe from far away, they'd think it was merely a conversation between two friends. Yet, the insults were sly and malicious, aiming to hit the other persons deepest insecurities.
"Maybe you're not the one acting like someone else, but I can assure you, sweetheart, Lestrange wishes you were," she smirked, "Still got that crush on me, don't you, love?"
James and Lily sniggered between them, knowing that if there was one thing one should never do, was get into a verbal argument with Nephera Winchester, for she would always win. Sirius, once he heard that, pushed her closer to him, and bore his eyes straight into Lestrange's, smirking proudly once he saw the other boy's nostrils flare
Ophelia took one step forward. After the arranged marriage between Nephera and the boy had been broken up, the Greengrass had replaced her. She was his second choice, and Nephera made sure to remind her of that.
"Please, Winchester, despite what you may believe, not everyone wants to be you,"
"Not everyone can be me love," she corrected, once again looking the girl up and down and scowling, "Certainly not some second-class jealous little girl,"
The other pureblood had nothing to say in return, but thankfully, she was saved by someone annoncing that it was time for all the young couples to take the floor.
Sirius took Nephera's hand, still looking right into Lestrange's eyes, and led her to the center.
It was a scene they were both familiar with, and so they quickly arranged themselves in the proper positions opposite from each other, looking out to help James and Lily in the process.
The music started, and the raven-haired boy bowed while the brunette curtseyed, before meeting each other in the center and beginning the intricate dance.
"They're all looking," whispered Sirius, smirking, as the pair expertly danced to the music, surrounded by other duos
"And since when have you shown away from attention?" she asked as he twisted her
The boy let out a soft laugh, pulling her closer to him in time with the steps of the waltz, "Trust me, I'm not the one they're looking at," he complimented, his irises blown out and his voice slightly husky
Nephera looked around, trailing her eyes over everyone, "I suppose you're right, they are all looking at me,"
He shook his head and rolled his eyes. He really should know better than to try and make the girl blush, it was practically impossible.
They continued dancing until the song was over, their movements intricate and well practiced over the many years of dance classes they had to endure.
The song ended, and yet, they could not find it within themselves to pull away from each other, and so they kept dancing.
By that point, everyone was looking at them, ignoring everyone else on the dance floor. The young pair was certainly captivating, comprised of the disgraced children of two of the most powerful families, dancing gracefully, the entire image of the two together screamed power and elegance.
Unfortunately, two of those pairs of eyes belonged to none other than Walburga and Orion Black, who were fuming at the scene in front of them. Not only had their eldest son been sorted into Gryffindor, made friends with people of lesser status, but he was now the center of attention at a ball that was meant for their benefit, a ball where Orion was meant to make more connections.
The girl he was dancing with didn't help their anger either. Sure, Nephera Winchester was pureblood, and from a nice family, but she had offended and opposed the Dark Lord one too many times.
"Regulus got the Mark last week," muttered Walburga, "If anyone were to tell the Dark Lord that a Black was dancing with her, it will double back on us,"
"I know," growled Orion, "But it's not like there's anything to be done. Not here, not under the eyes of the Minister. Especially concerning Winchester, she's somewhat of a hero these days around the Ministry, for rebelling against her parents,"
Walburga scowled, "As if that should be praised. Pity, truly, beautiful girl, from a good family, she threw it all away,"
"I do not care about her at the moment, all I care about is that disgrace that still bears my name,"
Nephera and Sirius had finally stopped dancing, and were now approaching the drinks station, slightly out of breath. Sirius poured some whiskey for himself, while handed Nephera a glass of champagne, which the girl accepted eagerly.
"I must say, you've gotten better at dancing," she hummed, "Certainly a long way from when you used to step on my toes every damn second,"
"What can I say, I've practiced," he replied cheekily, twisting his glass with the whiskey in it
"I'm sure you-" she was cut off by someone approaching them, a Ministry worked by the looks of it
Sirius Black soon learned what it meant being Nephera Winchester's date. It meant having to stand next to her while multiple people walked up to her and praised her, either about 'the bravery she showed during Easter' or the fact that she's 'gained the favor of Moody, something as impossible as Merlin being written out of the History Books'.
He wasn't annoyed though, not like he should be. No, instead, he was proud, proud to be standing next to such an amazing girl, and happy that she was getting the recognition she deserved.
After one particular man had been talking to them for the past twenty minutes, he could tell that the girl's patience and facade was beginning to fade.
As he saw her eyes narrow and her chin raise slightly, both tell-tale signs that she was about to say something not so nice to the Wizengamot member in front of them, he tugged on her wrist to stop her, "Play nice," he whispered in her ear, his lips slightly grazing the shell
"Get him away from me and I will," she whispered back, while nodding her head to pretend that she was listening to what the older man was saying
The Gryffindor smirked slightly, and let his eyes wander through the crowds, trying to find an excuse for them to leave, "Mr. Loher," he said, his tone falsely positive and cheedul, "I think the Minister is waving you over,"
The second the man turned his head around, Sirius took the girl next to him by the wrist and rushed to leave the room. The classical music echoed behind them as they ran through the empty halls, all the way out to the grounds.
The sun had set by that point, and the music could still be heard in the distance, merging with their laughs. They came to a stop a safe distance away from the manor, panting heavily and laughing breathlessly.
"That was-" she started
"Brilliant? Ingenious? Amazing?" he finished for her
She shook her head and smiled, "Yeah, something like that," she whispered, her eyes moving from his to his lips, that were tugged into that ridiculously attractive smirk he always wore
His gaze too moved to her lips, which were coated with a sheer lipgloss that seemed to reflect the light of the moon above.
He moved a hand to cup her cheek, his thumb grazing her cheekbone.
She moved a hand to his wrist that was holding her face, her fingers circling it affectionately.
He pushed her chin upwards, leaning in as she did the same.
"I did not know what to expect, but it seems like the bloodtraitors have found comfort in each other," came a voice that Sirius knew too well, and feared as much, "How utterly disgusting,"
The two pulled away from each other, only to find Walburga and Orion Black standing in front of them, staring at them with hatred and disgust.
Nephera could only imagine how Sirius must feel at the moment, so she quickly stepped forward to put herself between the parents and their son, but was tugged back by Sirius himself.
The boy was scared, there was no other way to describe it. However, the scene of his father getting his hands on Nephera was one that frequented his nightmares all too often, and he'd be damned if he let his own kin hurt her.
Adamant on protecting the boy that always managed to make her feel so safe, Nephera once again made to move forward, but she barely took half a step before Sirius's grip on her tightened and he paced himself directly in front of her.
"Yes, Father?" he said, his voice steadier than it should've been given the circumstances, "You wanted to say something?"
"Watch how you speak to your father you disgrace!" exclaimed Walburga, "If you show respect now, we might consider taking you back in,"
To their surprise, Sirius only laughed at that, "You know, I didn't see it before, but I do now," he stated, "You're entire lives, you've had no control whatsoever, over anything,"
The eldest Black pair stared at each other, realizing that this was not the same boy that had left Grimmaulds' place a few years ago in tears.
Nephera, though, knew where he was going, and she smirked at the pair over the boy's shoulder, an undiluted sense of pride filling her as she watched him stand up to them once more.
"Forced into a loveless marriage, with your own cousins at that. Pressured into acquiring positions in the ministry you never wanted, father, to host galas and events you couldn't care less about, mother,"
Orion opened his mouth to say something, but the way Nephera's glare hardened made him shut it instantly.
"And then, I was born," continued Sirius, "And you finally had something, someone, completely at your disposal. Someone for you to exercise that control over. But all that changed the moment I got sorted into Gryffindor, didn't it?"
Sirius let out a cold laugh, and continued, not giving them any chance to reply to the rhetorical question.
"Because that's when the jealousy started," he seethed, his glare hardening and his eyes being overcome by the same darkness Nephera found so attractive, "And you realized that I finally had a shot at the life you've always wanted, even though you'd never admit it, not even to yourselves,"
Walburga sneered, while Orion took a step forward, "I beg your pardon?" he growled
"Then beg," stated Nephera, her harsh tone cutting any opposition that the older man might've had
She stepped forward, right next to Sirius, "And while you're at it, do go back inside, there's enough mud in this garden without you two trotting around,"
The older witch and wizard stared at the pair of purebloods in front of them. Both of them wearing similar smirks, and hardened glares, the perfect image of power displayed before their eyes.
Walburga didn't know what it was that made her do it. Perhaps the way Sirius was still standing tall, his hand clasping Nephera's, with an air of arrogance and superiority around him. Or perhaps it was the way Nephera was staring at her, like she was nothing more than filth in the bottom of her heels. Whatever it was, she tugged on her husbands sleeve, and turned around, dragging him with her.
Both teens released a breath of air they didn't know they were holding when the older purebloods left, and Sirius wasted no time in pulling Nephera into a hug.
He didn't know why he felt such an urge to hold her, but he did know that he needed something to ground him, to help clear his mind of the many emotions that were coursing through it at the moment.
"I'm proud of you Snuffles," she muttered against his shirt, and held him tighter when she felt how badly he was shaking
The Gryffindor only let out a small laugh in response, resting his chin on top of the girls' head.
They don't know how long they stayed like that, the kiss they almost shared lingering in their minds. Neither of them made a move to talk about it, though, not wanting to risk ruining the moment.
No sooner than they walked inside, they were greeted by the Potters and Lily.
"There you two are," said Fleamont, "Everything alright?"
"Yeah, everything's fine," breathed Sirius, sighing a silent agreement with Nephera to keep what had just happened to themselves
Mia beamed down at the two, "Right, well, we should be going, after all we did what we came here do to, and I doubt any of you want to stay any longer,"
"Couldn't have said it better myself," muttered James
The Slytherin hesitantly untangled herself from Sirius's grip, "I'm going to apparate straight to Diagon Alley from here, I still haven't packed anything,"
Sirius wanted to tell her to stay, to not go alone in the dead of the night while Voldemort was still after her, but kept his mouth shut. After all, Nephera would do what she always wanted to do, and that was part of the reason he was so attracted to her.
Bidding everyone goodbye, Nephera waved her wand and within seconds, was greeted with the familiar sight of her apartment building. She would've apparated inside, had she not already placed the anti-apparition charms.
Everything that happened after that, happened too fast for her to comprehend.
She felt someone pull a hair from her head.
She whirled around with her wand outstretched, but saw no one.
She felt someone grab her wrists, and the dullness of the silencing manacles overtook her.
Someone else grabbed her arm, and side-apparated with her to an unknown location.
"Hello, Mrs. Winchester," said Voldemort, smiling sickly at her, "Long time no see,"
A/N
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