SLIGHTLY MATURE CONTENT
Everything seemed fuzzy, slow. Rigel and Eliza drew out their wands. Many people were only just realizing that something strange had happened; heads were still turning toward the silver cat as it vanished. Silence spread outward in cold ripples from the place where the Patronus had landed. Then somebody screamed.
"We're going! Now!" Rigel yelled.
They entered the tent and Eliza looked around desperately for her brother and friends. She found Ron first.
"Where are they? Protego!" He yelled, holding on to Eliza's hand. Rigel saw Hermione first and then Harry, time seemed to have lost all meaning as they fought their way over to them, there was no time to freeze, it was absolute chaos.
They met in the middle of the dance floor and as soon as they had all joined hands Hermione disapparated, pulling the rest of the quintet with him.
They landed and Rigel was immediately thrown into Eliza by a group of people trying to get to the Underground, one of them grunted an apology to him.
"Where are we?" said Ron's voice.
"Tottenham Court Road," panted Hermione. "Walk, just walk, we need to find somewhere for you to change."
Rigel did as she asked. They half walked, half ran up the wide dark street thronged with late-night revelers and lined with closed shops, stars twinkling above them. A double-decker bus rumbled by and a group of merry pub-googled them as they passed; Rigel, Harry, and Ron were still wearing dress robes.
"Hermione, we haven't got anything to change into," Ron told her, as a young woman burst into raucous giggles at the sight of him.
"Why didn't I make sure I had the Invisibility Cloak with me?" said Harry, inwardly cursing his own stupidity. "All last year I kept it on me and –"
It's okay, I've got the Cloak, I've got clothes for both of you," said Hermione, "Just try and act naturally until – this will do."
She led them down a side street, then into the shelter of a shadowy alleyway.
"When you say you've got the Cloak and clothes . . ." said Harry, frowning at Hermione, who was carrying nothing except her small beaded handbag, in which she was now rummaging.
"Yes, they're here," said Hermione, and to Harry and Ron's utter astonishment, she pulled out a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, some maroon socks, and finally the silvery Invisibility Cloak.
"How the ruddy hell – ?"
"Undetectable Extension Charm. Tricky, but I think I've done it OK; anyway I managed to fit everything we need in here." She said.
"Yeah, when did you do all this Hermione?" Rigel asked as he pulled on his shirt, Eliza struggle not to look at his bare chest.
"I told you at the Burrow, I've had the essentials packed for days, you know, in case we needed to make a quick getaway. I packed your rucksack this morning, Harry after you changed and put it in here...I just had a feeling, and then I went to get the blanket and..."
"Hermione, you're amazing." Said Ron beaming at her.
"Thank you, Harry please get that cloak on, Rigel can give her his locket." Harry disappeared under the cloak and Eliza took the locket.
They walked out of the alleyway and into a small all-night café.
"You know, we're not that far from the Leaky Cauldron..." Started Ron as they sat down on the plastic seats.
"Ron no, we can't!" Hermione said in a hurried whisper.
They moved back up the side street and onto the main road again, where a group of men on the opposite side was singing and weaving across the pavement.
"Just as a matter of interest, why Tottenham Court Road?" Ron asked Hermione.
"I've no idea, it just popped into my head, but I'm sure we're safer out in the muggle world, it's not where they'll expect us to be."
"True," said Ron, looking around, "but don't you feel a bit – exposed?"
"Where else is there?" asked Hermione, cringing as the men on the other side ofthe road started wolf-whistling at her and Eliza. "We can hardly book rooms at the LeakyCauldron, can we? And Grimmauld Place is out if Snape can get in there. . . . I suppose we could try my parents' home, though I think there's a chance they might check there. . . . Oh, I wish they'd shut up!"
"All right, darling?" the drunkest of the men on the other pavement was yelling. "Fancy a drink? Ditch ginger and come and have a pint!"
"Let's sit down somewhere," Hermione said hastily as Ron and Rigel opened their mouths. "Look, this will do, in here!"
It was a small and shabby all-night café. A light layer of grease lay on all the Formica-topped tables, but it was at least empty.
"You know, we're not that far from the Leaky Cauldron..." Started Ron as they sat down on the plastic seats.
"Ron no, we can't!" Hermione said in a hurried whisper.
"Not to stay but we need to find out what's going on!" He replied, looking across at the invisible Harry, and Eliza for support.
"We know what's going on! Voldemort's taken over the Ministry, what else do we need to know!" Whispered Hermione as the waitress shuffled over to them.
She ordered two cappuccinos a tea, for Eliza, and coffee for Rigel. The waitress bought their drinks and then walked away silently.
Two workmen approached the counter and Rigel looked at them as Ron and Hermione continued arguing. Rigel was looking at one of the workmen's hands and suddenly a wand was in it.
"Get down!" Rigel yelled pushing the twins off.
Rigel heard Ron yell and Hermione tried to stun one of them but missed.
"Expluso!" Rigel yelled and the Death Eater was violently thrown towards the wall and landed with a crunching thud on the mess of broken china, table, and coffee. Hermione crawled out from underneath the bench, shaking bits of glass ashtray out of her hair and trembling all over
"D-diffindo," she said, pointing her wand at Ron, who roared in pain as she slashed open the knee of his jeans, leaving a deep cut. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Ron, my hand's shaking! Diffindo!"
The severed ropes fell away. Ron got to his feet, shaking his arms to regain feeling in them. Harry picked up his wand and climbed over all the debris to where the large blond Death Eater was sprawled across the bench.
"I should've recognized him, he was there the night Dumbledore died," he said. He turned over the darker Death Eater with his foot; the man's eyes moved rapidly between Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"That's Dolohov," Rigel said. "He was one of my torturers," he said wincing a little bit. "How did I not see him!?"
"Never mind that!" said Hermione a little hysterically. "How did they find us? What are we going to do?"
"Should we kill them? They'd kill us" Rigel said with a dark look on his face.
"No!" said Eliza quickly, "Harry lock at the door and Ron get the lights, if we kill them they'll know something happened." Harry nodded and did as she had instructed.
"I'll fix this place," Rigel said with a wave of his wand, the china plates, tables, and glasses were all repaired as if it had never undergone a battle in the first place.
"We just need to wipe their memories, it'll throw them off the scent." Said Harry turning back to the others.
"You're the boss, I've never done a memory charm, have you?" Ron said, turning to the others. Eliza shook her head.
"I've read about them but..." Said Hermione, looking unsure.
"Hermione you can do it, you're the best at spells. If we need to transfigure a book into a bird or get your homework done then Rigel can do it but you're the best at Charms." Said Eliza, trying to interject a bit of humor into the darkroom. Hermione smiled slightly and nodded.
"Let's get out of here, where shall we go?" Said Hermione as Ron turned on the lights and they left through the back door.
"We need a safe place to hide, we need to think things through, come up with a plan." Said Ron, looking around them as though suspecting that everyone could be a Death Eater.
"Grimmauld Place." Said Harry from under the cloak.
"Don't be silly, Harry, Snape can get in there!" Said Hermione.
"He cants. I revoked permission. He cant enter." Rigel assured her and the others reluctantly agreed.
They ducked into another alley and Hermione and Rigel apparated them to Grimmauld Place.
"Home sweet home," Rigel said bitterly.
The others filed in behind him and then Ron closed the door.
"I think somebody's been in here." Whispered Hermione.
"That could've happened as the Order left," Said Ron pointing to the umbrella stand that Eliza had noticed was on its side.
"Yeah, Tonks was always tripping over it," Said Eliza.
"So where are the jinxes they put up against Snape?"
"Maybe they're only activated if he shows up?" Suggested Harry as he took another tentative step into the house.
"Severus Snape?" Moody's voice whispered and the quartet nearly jumped out of their skins.
"We're not Snape!" Said Harry desperately, before all of them experienced the same unpleasant sensation of their tongues rolling back in their mouths.
"That m..must have been the Tongue-Tying Curse Mad-Eye set up for Snape!" Said Hermione leaning onto the wall for support.
Then a dusty, ghost-like Dumbledore flew at them from the end of the corridor, Hermione screamed and Eliza jumped back onto Ron's foot.
Harry, alone, stood firm.
"No! No! It wasn't us! We didn't kill you!" The apparition exploded into a cloud of dust that coated the quintet.
Dust swirled around Rigel like mist, catching the blue gaslight, as Walburga Black continued to scream."Mudbloods, filth, stains of dishonor, the taint of shame on the house of my fathers –"
"SHUT! UP!" Rigel bellowed, directing his wand at her, and with a bang and a burst of red sparks, the curtains swung shut again, silencing her.
"That . . . that was . . . " Hermione whimpered, as Ron helped her to her feet.
"Yeah," said Harry, "but it wasn't really him, was it? Just something to scare Snape."
"Before we go any further, I think we'd better check. Homenum revelio!" Silence greeted Hermione's spell and Eliza felt herself relax.
"Well, you've just had a big shock..." Began Ron in a soft voice.
"No Ron, it worked. It was to reveal human presence but there's nobody here except us." Rigel answered as Hermione's face darkened.
They all decided to take a random room each on the first floor. Everyone except Rigel and Eliza took a separate room. Harry had been vocal about Rigel and Eliza sleeping in the same bed but Ron and Hermione managed to convince him to let it slide which Rigel was grateful for. The face of Dolohov unnerved him.
But Rigel couldn't sleep, the face of Antonin Dolohov kept coming back to him.
"Thank you," Rigel said sincerely. "I didn't feel like sleeping alone."
"It's alright." Eliza shrugged. "I mean if I saw my torturer's face I think I couldn't sleep for a week."
Rigel laughed tucking a strand of red hair behind her. "You're far braver Elizabeth Potter," he said kissing her lips briefly.
When he pulled away Eliza pouted and reached out to place a hand on the back of his head. "Where do you think you're going? " she mumbled, bringing his head down so she could kiss him again.
She kissed him gently at first and Rigel soon turned it into a passionate kiss. Eliza smiled into the kiss as she quickly parted her lips to allow his tongue entrance to her mouth.
They'd exchanged several deep kisses, each more passionate than the last when Rigel felt his girlfriend's hand tugging at his shirt. He moved his lips to her neck, focusing on her pulse point, which he'd quickly learned was a turn-on. He sucked on the sensitive skin while he watched her head tilt back and her eyes close in pleasure, while her hand slowly unfastened the buttons of his shirt.
She let out a moan as he continued his ministrations on her neck and momentarily stopped trying to strip Rigel of his shirt. Rigel took advantage of her lapse in the movement to switch positions so he was straddling her, resting his weight on his knees, which were either side of her body.
He leaned down to turn all of his attention to her neck again and was slowly trailing a line of kisses down her neck and the top of her breasts until he was at the neckline of her dress.
" Take this off," Eliza told him as she unbuttoned the last button of his shirt.
" Whatever you command," Rigel grinned, pulling his shirt off and throwing it away without looking or caring where it landed.
Eliza smiled in satisfaction and ran her hands across his bare chest as he positioned himself over her again.
Their kisses became deeper and more passionate and hands started to wander.
Soon, Eliza was lying flat on her back, Rigel hovering above her. Her hand ran through his messy jet black hair as he kissed her lips hungrily, his tongue thoroughly exploring her mouth.
Eliza was slightly breathless and Rigel had already pushed down the straps of her dress and discarded her bra.
They'd been this far before but not much further.
Eliza sighed as she felt Rigel's hands slide over her stomach, down her thighs, and take hold of the material of her dress. She made no protest as he started to push it up her thighs, his lips leaving hers to kiss her neck slowly and gently, but then suddenly his hands were gone completely from her.
His lips moved to plant a quick kiss on her cheek before he pulled away and Eliza opened her eyes, frowning because she couldn't see why he'd suddenly stopped
" Rigel? " she asked, looking up at him with a slight pout, " what is it? "
Rigel shook his head, still straddling her, all the weight in his knees. " I'm sorry," Rigel said, shaking his head, " but I'm afraid that if I don't stop now, I won't be able to. "
Eliza shook her head and licked her lips. " I don't want you to stop," she breathed, reaching out for the waistband of his trousers, fingers resting on the buttons.
He grinned, " You're sure? "
Eliza nodded, slowly unbuttoning the first button as she locked her eyes on his. Her eyes flickered to his trousers and back to his eyes - the evidence of his arousal was clear and she could feel him straining against his trousers as she unfastened them.
" Absolutely," she replied, " You're the boss. "
Rigel grinned and let Eliza remove his trousers.
Though both of them forgot the contraceptive charms.
The next morning Eliza woke up in her and Rigel's room fully awake, a wide grin crossed her face at the thought of the previous night's events.
Making love to Rigel had felt like cementing their relationship - this was it, and she knew it. It had been indescribable and as she threw back the duvet and got out of bed, as if he read his mind, Rigel woke up.
"Morning." Rigel mouthed.
They were in complete silence, just appreciating each other, but when Harry shouted, asking where they were, they shot up and made themselves presentable. Eliza hissed at the sudden soreness and Rigel laughed at her struggle. She stuck her tongue up at him, and after they got changed, they exited the room.
"That Dumbledore what?" Asked Eliza as she finished the letter, Harry shrugged and then turned to look at her.
"Why would Dumbledore have had Dad's invisibility cloak? He told me in the first year that he didn't need a cloak to become invisible"
"Maybe someone in the Order needed it." Said Rigel as they walked out of the room together.
"There you are!" Said Ron running towards them, "Don't run off like that. Hermione, they're here!" He called and Rigel was struck with a sudden vision of how Ron and Hermione would be as parents to small children. He turned to Eliza who shared a knowing look
"Don't run off like that! You scared us!" Said Hermione, doing nothing to help remove Rigel's vision, Harry also laughed and Rigel knew the twin bond had shared the thought.
"We didn't run anywhere, we just found this." Said Harry passing the letter and the photograph of a one-year-old Harry zooming around on a broomstick. Hermione smiled and Ron laughed. They discussed the letter for a while and then Rigel started to walk along the corridor, he really needed coffee.
He glanced at one of the doors he had passed and doubled back, staring at the nameplate.
"Rigel, are you alright? You look like you've seen a banshee." Said Ron, walking up to him.
"Look! Regulus Arcturus Black! R.A.B!" Eliza ran over to him and looked at the sign before swearing loudly, Hermione reprimanded her but she did not apologize.
"Regulus was a Death Eater, why would he steal a Horcrux?" Rigel asked, turning to the others confused. They search Regulus's room and then Ron and Eliza left to go to the kitchen.
"At least the cupboards are self-filling." Said Eliza, pulling out a box of tea bags and pointing her wand to the kettle.
"Mum can make food appear from thin air." Said Ron, opening one of the cupboards and pulling out a box of crackers.
"No she can't Ron, it's impossible. She can summon it if she knows where it is, she can multiply it, she can vanish it but she can't make it appear from thin air." Rigel answered.
"How do you know?" Said Ron, his mouth thick with crackers.
"Because we listen in Transfiguration! Hermione; Ron says that Mrs. Weasley can make food appear from thin air." Said Eliza as Harry and Hermione walked into the kitchen.
"Of course, she can't Ron. Food's one of the five exceptions to Gamps Law of Elemental Transfiguration"
"How do you know?" Ron repeated, opening another one of the cupboards.
"Ron you wrote an essay on it after Easter!"
"Did I?"
"You copied my bloody essay!" Rigel signed. "Well, anyway. Aunt Andi told me that old houses like this have self-filling cupboards, the money comes directly out of the Gringotts vaults," he said pouring himself and Eliza a cup of tea.
"So did you find the Horcrux?" Asked Ron
"Yeah Ron, that's why I'm so ridiculously excited," Said Harry sarcastically, Eliza glared at him.
"Well, it's not over yet, why don't we ask Kreacher?" She suggested.
"Why didn't I think of that!" Regel slapped his forehead. "Kreacher!" he said loudly.
There was a crack and the decrepit house-elf appeared in the kitchen and looked around at Harry.
"Master Rigel back in my mistress's old house with blood traitor Weasley, and his half-blood lover, and the Mudblood..." Said Kreacher bowing.
"I forbid you to call anyone "blood traitor" or "Mudblood" or "Half-blood lover," Rigel said with a slight smile at Kreacher's insult to his girlfriend. Kreacher nodded and looked around at them all with hateful eyes.
"I've got a question for you and I order you to answer it truthfully. Understand?"
"Yes, Master."
"And you shall not inform this Mistress Bella or Cissy."
"Yes, Master Rigel."
"Two years ago, there was a big gold locket in the drawing room upstairs. It looked like this." he said holding the fake Slytherin locket "I think we threw it out, did you steal it back?"
"Yes."
"Where is it now?"
Kreacher looked deeply disturbed as he answered.
"Gone." He said, shamefully.
"Gone. What do you mean gone, gone where?"
"Mundungus Fletcher. Mundungus Fletcher stole it all: Miss Bella and Miss Cissy's pictures, my mistress's gloves and, and...and the locket! Master Regulus's locket, Kreacher did wrong, Kreacher failed in his orders!" As Kreacher began having a tantrum Rigel was struck with a bizarre desire to laugh, why on earth had Dung stolen pictures of Bellatrix and Narcissa?
Then Kreacher began to tell his story and Eliza could tell how much it meant to the elf and Rigel. As he gave him the job of tailing Dung and then gave him the fake locket Eliza realized what a decent person Rigel was.
"Overkill, mate." Said Ron as Kreacher.
It took them nearly half an hour to calm down Kreacher, who was so overcome to be presented with a Black family heirloom for his very own that he was too weak at the knees to stand properly. When finally he was able to totter a few steps they all accompanied him to his cupboard, watched him tuck up the locket safely in his dirty blankets, and assured him that they would make its protection their first priority while he was away. He then made two low bows to Rigel, Eliza, Harry, and Ron, and even gave a funny little spasm in Hermione's direction that might have been an attempt at a respectful salute, before Disapparating with the usual loud crack.