It was dark outside, as it ought to be seeing that it was ten minutes past midnight.
Cordelia tip toed to Harry's room as quietly as she could and opened the door to him room dramatically slow. Not wanting to startle him.
But Harry had never been much of a heavy sleeper, he lazily sat up and through his blurred vision figured it was Cordelia from her short height and long hair.
Cordelia crept closer to him with a cheesy smile on her face.
"Happy Birthday Harry" she said in a sing-song voice and held a muffin with a candle on it in front of him.
Harry sat up on his bed and rubbed his yes lazily.
"Thank you," he blew out the candle and kept the muffin aside, pulling the girl in bed with him.
"It's late" he grumbled, falling back asleep.
"I wanted to be the first one to wish you" he heard her sweet voice and felt her play with his hand that was placed on her stomach.
"I love you Black" Harry snuggles further as he said that.
"I love you too Pottah"
Cordelia giggled when Harry went on his elbows to tower over her and gave her a dirty look before slumping back down and turning away, making her giggle more.
"Alright sorry sorry" she breathed as a soft chuckle escaped her lips and pulled at him hand to turn him over.
"You better be" Harry grinned and closed his eyes again.
Cordelia smiled as she saw Harry slowly falling back into a dreamless sleep. A sigh escaped her lips as she stared up at the ceiling.
Harry had told not only Cordelia but it looked like almost everyone about Draco going into Borgin and Burke. He was constantly dotting on him every hour of the day.
From whatever she had heard, Cordelia had her guesses that Draco had joined the Death Eaters in place of Lucius Malfoy. Oh how she loathed that name at the moment. But she didn't want everyone knowing it just yet and having Draco shoved into Azkaban. Whatever it was, Cordelia knew Narcissa would have never wanted for Draco to join the group and Draco..... he was too big headed to think it through. He is rather impulsive and regrets his choices later on.
Cordelia fell asleep with Harry's arm around her waist. He was sixteen now.
Harry was showered with gifts from Sirius and they spent the first half of the day at Cordelia's. Sirius had decorated the living room with every sort of decoration available and had a big cake waiting for his godson.
"Thank you Sirius" Harry's voice cracked slightly but he quickly shook it off and hugged his godfather tightly.
The four had a lot of fun it seemed, to dancing on songs and singing together, they did everything they could for a party.
"This is the best birthday" Harry smiled gratefully at the three in front of him.
"You're welcome" Cordelia smiled and brought him in for another hug.
Harry tightened his hold around her waist, his mind for a moment went back to Draco Malfoy in Borgin and Burke but he shook his head to get rid of the thought. He had been observant and had seen how much the topic annoyed Cordelia.
"Thank you" he kissed her head softly.
It was soon time to leave but Cordelia was not ready at all.
"It'll take time to get ready. Why don't you guys go ahead and enjoy..... I know I'm not that welcomed anyway" she tried to persuade them to leave her behind but it seemed too risky for Remus.
"Nonsense, go hurry up now. We won't be there for long" Remus shooed her up the stairs.
Cordelia reluctantly trudged back upstairs and got dressed in better clothes than her casual ones.
While getting dressed her mind went to the drawer she hasn't opened in some days. It had the locket in it.
Going to the Burrow again with something to think about seemed better than going their with a false hope that the evening would go by smoothly and people won't be throwing shade on you.
Cordelia couldn't help but roll her eyes at the pettiness. But she was most gobsmacked by how Remus, Sirius and Harry behaved when they were with the others. They were being ignorant. It did upset the dark haired girl but she resided to going outside.
She never felt so disrespected ever at the Malfoy Manor, even she didn't see eye to eye with Lucius all the time. They still acted civil. But Cordelia didn't want to give them the pleasure of their words affecting her and specially because she didn't want to ruin Harry's birthday.
"Zey can be pretty rude....." she heard Fleur's soft voice, as the blonde girl sat down beside Cordelia.
"How do you manage this? Doesn't Bill say anything to Molly?"
"e doez but I don't wanz him to argue wiz hiz family because of me" Fleur sighed as she stared off into the distance with Cordelia.
The two sat together and talked about some other things as they talked before Fleur heard that dinner was ready.
Fleur gestured for Cordelia to come in and eat as well. Cordelia didn't want to eat anything. She had lost her appetite it seemed.
"I'm not hungry" she said to no one in particular as she came in.
"Yeah, it wouldn't taste the same if not made by hands which bear the dark mark" Ronald Weasley tried to sneer but it looked like he was constipated.
"YOU!" Cordelia had her wand out and pointed towards the boy. Molly shrieked as Harry and Bill held Ron back while Fleur and Sirius tried to stop Cordelia.
"Stop! Stop!" Everyone fussed about as they held back the two.
"This isn’t over! You better watch your back this year!" Cordelia shouted angrily at the boy as Sirius pulled her outside.
"Going to call your death eater--"
"Ron!" Harry yelled as he cut off his friend with an irritated expression.
"You twat! At least no one from my family was tying the knot over and over while everyone was at war!" Cordelia managed to pick up a spoon and throw it at the boy but it was not aimed accurately.
That had Molly flush with embarrassment as Sirius pulled the struggling girl outside of the Burrow.
"Stop it" he breathed as he let go of her. Standing in between her and the Burrow.
"You're telling me to stop it!" Cordelia screeched with a surprised look.
"What I mean-"
"KREACHER!"
The elf came at once and threw Sirius off. Knowingly or unknowingly, Cordelia didn't care.
Cordelia and Kreacher vanished away from the spot in a spilt second after that.
Remus and Harry rushed out to see Sirius groaning on the ground.
"What happened?" Harry questioned as he helped Sirius up.
"She apparated away with Kreacher" he coughed softly.
-
Cordelia was back at 12 Grimmauld Place and had been crying her eyes out ever since she arrived. And much to her surprise, Walburga was the one who tried to distract her from crying.
"What did the blood-traitors say so nasty that it has you bawling your eyes out. You're a Black for Salazar's sake" Walburga spoke with her brows furrowed.
"It's not them! It's Remus--"
"Filthy half-breed"
"--Sirius and"
"Ah my traitor son. How is he still alive..."
"And Harry"
"What's he got to do with everything? He's a halfblood--"
"He's my soulmate!" Cordelia cried out loud as fresh tears welled up in her eyes.
There was a deafening silence after that. Kreacher who was standing near by was startled by the newfound information.
"You're still a Black. And woman of the Black House have always been better than any man out there" Walburga stated with her nose high in the air.
Cordelia sniffed as she stared up at the portrait.
"And as I say.... you could join the dark Lord and--"
"The Dark Lord's a half-blood himself and I wouldn't join someone my father detested" She rolled her eyes at the portrait.
"Detested? Regulus joined the--"
"Because you forced him too. He wanted out and got himself killed in the process" she stated bluntly.
Walburga winced ever so slightly. "A half-blood killed my son!?" She screeched.
"It's more complicated than that!"
"What do you mean?"
"Bold of you to assume that I would pour my heart out in front of you grandmother dearest" Cordelia scoffed.
Walburga gave her a sharp look before nodding. "Cannot blame you, I haven't given many reasons on which you can trust me"
"Many she says... none at all."
-
Cordelia had a visitor the next morning. One whom she had least expected.
"Why did I suspect this" she lied as she sat down on the dusty chair in the living room of 12 Grimmauld Place.
"Good Morning Ms.Black" Dumbledore greeted with a smile.
Cordelia's eyes fell on his hand, it was dark and somewhat shrivelled. It looked almost dead.
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about, if you were wondering" Dumbledore said placidly.
"I wasn't" Cordelia said bluntly.
"What brings you here Ms.Black?"
The question baffled Cordelia and the audacity more than the question. She stayed quiet and averted her eyes to see Kreacher standing near the door, eyeing Dumbledore with malice.
"This happens to be my house Professor"
Dumbledore nodded and moved thoughtfully around. "I happen to know what occurred at the Burrow..... I'm not saying who's or who's right but I'm here to talk about why I think communication is the best. Last year I avoided talking to Mr.Potter and it didn't do us good, I don't think you would want to do the same."
"But communicating isn't enough if one doesn't comprehend" Cordelia replied sharply.
"Let me help" he offered with a sympathetic look.
"Don't you understand. I don't want your help"
"Perhaps you don't. But I think returning back seems a better option.... People are waiting" with that the headmaster apparated away.
Cordelia scoffed at the once occupied place.
Later that day, Cordelia had Kreacher apparate her back to her house. Walburga chimed in as she got ready to leave, reminding her to keep in mind their conversation.
Harry, Remus and Sirius were sitting in the living room when Cordelia had came back.
"We were worried!" Remus exclaimed.
"Really" she scoffed what looked like to be the hundredth time that day.
There was a pregnant silence in the room.
"Ron shouldn't have initiated it...." Harry said with a sigh.
"We don't blame you for lashing out, we realise--"
Cordelia stopped Remus from saying anything else, "That's the thing! You don't realise and you think I don't either! I'm not YOU. I can never be you! And I don't want to be!" She yelled at them as she gave out a sarcastic life.
"I wish you had never came to my grandfather asking for work! Then I wouldn't have been here. You wouldn't have to pretend to look after me" she added as her voice wavered.
"I don't pretend--"
"Yes you do! You act your most ignorant self when people from the Order badmouth me. Specially around the Weasley's and not you alone. Even my own fucking soulmate would rather suck up to a mudblood than take a stand for me, for once! But I don't need you to anyway."
The three winced at the harsh words and the even harsher words. But the look of hurt on her face made them wince with guilt the most.
"I'm sorry.... I acted like a git" Harry spoke apologetically.
"I'm sorry as well. I should have intervened...." said Sirius.
"Why didn't you? Because they're more of a family than I am? After everything I do. I gave up my godmother to save your sorry self and this is how I get repayed by being disrespected repeatedly....." she sniffed, "Don't be surprised if you see me on the other side. Because trust me, I won't have any regrets if I go there. At least I'll have some family...."
"You don't mean that!" Harry raised his voice.
"Why wouldn't I!"
"We are your family" Remus and Sirius argued.
"Some family"
"We're sorry, we haven't been the best and Harry is sorry too" Harry nodded rapidly in agreement, "But we are on your side. We want to be, you have to also let us be with you."
"How can I trust you?" Cordelia squinted her eyes at Remus.
"And you can trust Narcissa? How!" Sirius was irritated.
"Because she figured out about Harry being my soulmate and didn't tell anyone! Not even her son or husband! And she isn't telling anyone anything even now, after Lucius was thrown into Azkaban!"
"Look whatever we say..... it's going to backfire. So all we are saying is that we are sorry and I know it's getting annoying now. For you. Having to constantly forgive us, but this ought to be the last time. Let us help you. We are on the same side as you!" Sirius said with sincerity in his voice.
"Yes, my loyalty lies with you.... whatever you tell me. I'm not telling anyone, not even Dumbledore or-- or Sirius" Harry added hastily.
As he had imagined. Their argument was because of the very people around them and not because of something in between the two soulmates.
Cordelia mentally rolled her eyes at her own self for forgiving the people in front of her. Again. For being a fool in love.
____________________________________________
Note:
My humble apologies for this repetition of fights but I am only trying to portray some of Cordelia's instincts.
—> She has a survival instinct which makes it hard for her to open up because she assumes that the person is going to hurt her..... which is not right. You cannot just assume, which is what she needs to work on. And she will.
—> It was also necessary to portray that they trust each other, for the plot and for the story to go on as I have planned for it.
—> The story will have the biggest of plot twists from now on, so uh.... yes it's a heads up.