NARRATOR'S POV
Being at the Burrow this year somehow feels different - and not in a good way. Carina can't help but feel guilty every time Harry and her at in the same room. Even if it's only been a day since their discussion, the tension is palpable in the air. Harry hasn't told anyone else yet, and of course, Fred hasn't either. "I get it," he says, tracing Carina's wrist softly. They're sitting on the couch in the living room. "You didn't want to betray Draco's trust... he's your brother," points out Fred, understanding her position. "I must say, I would probably do the same thing if George asked me."
They'd been talking about this for a while, and all Fred had asked of her was to be fully honest with him about what she knew of Draco's plan. He'd even promised to help her however he could. Carina hums, resting her head on Fred's shoulder. "I really care for Harry, though... I don't want him to feel like I don't," murmurs Carina, sighing deeply. Fred nods in response. "There's a part of me that simply doesn't wanna deal with this," she admits shamefully. "I wish I didn't know anything, I just want to be left in the dark," she mumbles. "At least that way I wouldn't feel like a such a shitty friend."
"Woah, stop," says Fred, shaking his head. "You're anything but that," he tells the former Slytherin Head Girl, reassuring her. "Even if you can't tell Harry the full truth, even if you can't include him in every single plan, you have the best intention, and you're trying to help him!" He exclaims. "Please don't be so mean to my girlfriend, okay?" Carina laughs at his words, rolling her eyes dramatically, shoving him away. "Or be mean and suffer the consequences!"
Fred starts tickling Carina then, causing her to screech and throw her head back, her laughter ringing in Fred's ears. Nina tries to push him away, but he continues his assault, smiling wider when she tris to squirm away from his grip. "Where are you goin'?" He asks sarcastically, "Come back!" He wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her into his chest, on to his lap. Carina catches her breath, panting as Fred holds on to her. He reaches up, grabbing her chin tenderly, guiding her in for a soft kiss.
"Get a room!" George exclaims as he walks into the living room, causing the couple to pull away. Cass chuckles, nudging his boyfriend along.
"Piss off," retorts Fred, flipping him off with a small smirk on his lips.
"Yeah, piss off!" Adds Carina, sticking her tongue out at her best friend. George does the same thing back with even more energy.
In that moment, Harry, Hermione and Ron walk down the stairs, and the air thickens. Carina has no idea if Harry has spoken to his friends about what he learned. He'll probably tell them before telling Remus and Sirius as well. Thankfully, Carina bit that bullet through letters weeks ago. Sirius knows that Draco has something up his sleeve, but he's deposited all his trust in Carina, same as Remus - even though, he's way more against it than his husband. "Hi," says Hermione, clearing her throat. "Are - are Sirius and Remus coming?" She wonders.
"Yeah," replies Carina. "They're arriving with Tonks in a few minutes, probably. Molly's still cooking in the kitchen, getting dinner ready," she adds, offering them a grin. "She sent Arthur to the store for some last minute things she needed." Harry avoids eye contact as Carina speaks, staring at anything other than her. The trio leave the living room after that, Hermione giving Carina a couple of subtle glances. "He told them," mutters Carina under her breath, not that she's surprised or angry, just stating a fact.
Fred hums in agreement. "Told who what?" Asks Cassius, trying to join in on the conversation.
"Harry told Hermione and Ron that I'm the best looking twin," says Fred, smirking as George starts denying his words, effectively changing the subject.
Minutes later, as Carina expected, Sirius, Remus and Tonks arrive. They knock at the door, waving at their daughter through the window. She springs up, basically jumping out of Fred's lap to open the door. As soon as she does, Sirius and Remus all but hug the life out of her. "Star!" Sighs Sirius, moving back and pecking her daughter's cheeks. "Tu m'as manqué," he says, caressing her face after pulling away.
Carina places her hand on top her father's, "Tu m'as manqué aussi, dad," she replies before moving on to Remus and finally Tonks. The three of them walk in and Carina shuts the door behind them. "I need to speak with you," she tells them in a hushed tone. "All of you," she adds for good measure.
Tonks' gaze adverts from Carina's eyes to her belly. "Are you -"
"- MERLIN NO!" Cringes Carina, shaking her head violently. "No! It's - why would you - " she groans as Fred, George and Cass laugh loudly at the implication. "Let's just -" she takes Tonk's hand in hers and pulls her towards the living room. Carina doesn't need to say anything, Fred is standing up and taking George and Cass with him into the kitchen, claiming they should be helping Molly out. "You already know Draco has a... task... that he's working on, courtesy of the man Himself," she says. Tonks hums, she'd talked about that with Carina a few weeks back in the Castle. Sirius and Remus also knew because of Nina, who'd written to them almost as soon as she'd heard. "Harry found out," she adds, causing her parents to exchange a look, "and he's not happy with the fact that I knew and didn't tell him," she finishes, pursing her lips.
Sirius nods, understanding what Carina is getting at, "He'll want to talk about it with us," he points out. His daughter nods. "And you want us to be on his side, don't you?" Asks Sirius, already knowing the answer. While Remus doesn't seem fazed at all, Tonks tilts his head, unsure.
"Yes," murmurs Carina. She doesn't want Harry to feel lonely. Sirius is her dad, but he's also Harry's godfather - and he doesn't have any other father figure. Carina can't take that away from him. Not in a situation like this. "Listen to everything he has to say and just... be with him," she whispers, as to not be heard by Harry, Hermione or Ron. "He needs your support now that he feels like he doesn't have mine... Godric, I really dropped the ball on this one," she mutters, hanging her head slightly.
"Don't be so hard on yourself, puppy," says Sirius, patting his daughter's shoulder. "It's never easy to have to choose between people to help - let alone loved ones," he shares, sighing deeply. "Harry has us, all of us... Draco only has you," he reminds the younger Black, who's lips curl downwards at the thought.
Draco only truly has her. Not his mother, certainly not his father, not his friends. The only person in the entire world he can trust is Carina. "That's right," confirms Remus, nodding in agreement. "We have Harry's back and we'll make sure he knows that, don't worry anymore. We're to support you - both of you." Tonks agrees quietly, rubbing Carina's arm when she realises the girl still doesn't feel good about the situation. "Perhaps we can fix this together and make Harry see things from your point of view -"
"- What does that mean?" Comes Harry's voice from the living room entrance.
Carina turns around at the sound, pursing her lips when she sees Harry, Ron and Hermione standing there. "Harry," she starts, fiddling with her fingers, nerves overcoming her. "Listen, I was just -"
"- Telling them before I could?" Finishes Harry, interrupting her mid sentence with a scoff. "I get you don't trust me as much I thought but I could've told them! I wasn't going to lie to them or make something up, I was just gonna say exactly what happened!" He exclaims, bothered by Carina's actions.
"Yes, I know," says Carina, voice soft and nonthreatening. "I'm sorry, I promise I didn't even finish telling them everything, I simply told them I messed up by keeping it a secret from you, I just wanted them to know I was sorry." Harry narrows his eyes, not saying anything in return. Even though he'd said he understood where Carina was coming from, he was still mad at the older girl.
"Don't worry, Harry, you can explain everything to us," adds Tonks with an inviting nod. "We don't know how it went down quite yet so you can tell us the full story, yeah?" At that, Carina decides it's better if she leaves the room, but just as she's about to, Fred walks over, standing behind the trio. "You can stay," says Tonks, referring to the couple. "You were both there, right? It would be good to get everyone's standpoint."
Harry shrugs in response to her words, walking over to the couch and sitting down in front of Sirius and Remus. Carina bites her lip and does the same thing, taking another spot on the sofa and allowing Fred to sit between them. Ron and Hermione take the other armrests without complaint, sitting as far away from each other as possible. "What exactly happened then, Harry?" Asks Sirius, acting curious about the situation.
The younger Gryffindor starts from the beginning, telling them about how Draco had 'crashed the party'. "We all knew he was lying," points out Harry, shaking his head. "It was obvious, Malfoy would never crash a party, he's got too much pride for that. He would never risk getting caught." Carina nods, seconding Harry's words. "Snape suggested he'd be the one escorting him to the Slytherin dorms... That's when I decided to follow them. Hermione was too dr -"
"- Drowsy!" Interrupts Hermione, voice louder than she meant for it to be, startling the adults. "Sorry, carry on..."
"In any case, Slughorn didn't let her leave with us, he had questions about her parent's jobs or something useless like that," mutters Harry, ignoring Hermione's outburst. It's obvious he's going through something since he is being meaner than usual. Most of the time, Harry's sass would be taken lightly, but ever since the start of the school year, something's going on with him. He's been too immersed in Malfoy's business. That has to be stressing him out. "Carina and Fred came with me though. We hid under my Cloak and we spied on Malfoy as he and Snape talked."
The Gryffindor Seeker continues, "That's when Snape told Malfoy he wanted to help him with his Task. We don't really know what he's been asked to do, but it can't be anything good, can it?" Questions Harry, earning a few hums from the Order. "Until then, I'd assumed Snape was lying and probably pretending to help Malfoy but I was wrong. Snape claimed he'd done the Unbreakable Vow."
At his words, Remus frowns deeply, leaning into the conversation, showing more interest than before. "Snape said he'd made he Unbreakable Vow?"
"That's what I just said!" Retorts Harry, all but snapping at his former Professor. "S-Sorry, yes," he clears his throat. "Voldemort chose Malfoy to complete a mission. He's the one that cursed Katy, he's behind everything that's been going on at Hogwarts -"
"- Just the fact that Voldemort chose sixteen-year-old Draco Malfoy for a mission is disgusting," mutters Sirius, leaning back against the couch. "The things he must have seen..." murmurs the Animagus, tapping his fingers against his lips, deep in thought. Remus gives his leg a squeeze to stop him from shaking. "And Snape made the Unbreakable Vow, you say?"
Harry nods, turning to Carina. "Didn't he?" He asks her, even though he already knows the answer.
"Yes," Carina reassures Harry's words. "Snape was clear as day: he is to help Draco or he will die." That's what it meant to make the Unbreakable Vow.
"But we don't know if it's true," counters Remus, shaking his head in disbelief. "He could've just said that to get Draco to stop doing what he was doing or to get more information -"
"- That's not what it sounded like," says Harry, cutting him off. "I promise, Snape has turned. He is not on our side anymore, and frankly, I doubt he ever was!" Harry clearly holds some ill feelings towards his Potions Master, and who could blame him?
Sirius shrugs, "Perhaps he's right, Rem," he claims, turning towards his husband. "To make that sort of promise... It could mean -"
"- It does not matter," Remus stops Sirius in his tracks, staring at him without any emotion on his face. "Right now, it all comes down to trust. We have to trust each other; the Order's all we have," he explains, licking his lips. "I know the possibility of anyone betraying us is never zero, but we have to remain strong, and we are stronger together. Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard -"
"- Dumbledore has made mistakes before," says Harry, almost glaring at Remus through his glasses.
"Don't you think I know that?" Retorts Remus, clearly referring to the fact that Sirius was placed in Azkaban due to one of Dumbledore's decisions. Sirius bites the inside of his cheek to stop himself from saying anything. "You are blinded by hatred," at Remus' tone, everyone but Carina and Sirius flinch. "People are disappearing, Harry. Daily. We can only place our trust in a handful of people. If we start fighting amongst ourselves we're doomed," he sighs. "Excuse me," with that, the werewolf stands, fixing his shirt and exiting the room.
"It's the first night of the cycle... He's on edge," murmurs Sirius once Remus is out of earshot. "Listen, H... We're on this, alright? We'll be weary of Snape now and I'll make sure we don't inform him of our plans from now on. I'll talk to Kingsley," he offers. Harry nods, thanking him quietly as Sirius gets up, patting Harry's shoulder and leaving after his husband.
The black haired girl turns to Harry, a bit unsure about what to say next. "Harry... I know you don't think there's an excuse to my behaviour but there is an explanation," she insists gently.
"No, Carina, I know what you're going to say. He's your brother and you had to help him," he says, repeating what she'd been saying since yesterday. "I know that, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a shitty move. You chose to stand by his side instead of ours. Maybe if you had told us, we could've prevented this. Now we'll never know," states Harry, getting up from his spot on the couch. He doesn't know Carina had alerted her parents and Tonks a few days before Harry found out... and he couldn't learn that now or else he'd feel even more alone and left out.
"This isn't about sides, H," says Carina, stopping him by taking his hand. "I've made it clear how much I support you, how much I care... I wasn't picking Dray's side, I don't even know what his Task is because he doesn't want me involved. I was just there to listen to his problems -"
"- Can you promise me that if he asks for your help you'll deny him?" Questions Harry, staring at their joint hands. Carina falters at the question and Harry raises his gaze to meet hers. "Can you promise that when he tells you his plans you'll come to us instead of trying to help him on your own?" Insists Harry, demanding an answer, voice harsh.
Silence fills the room at Harry's request. Nina's breath stutters. "Harry..." says Fred, speaking for the first time in a while, glancing between the Slytherin and the Chosen One. Carina's heart flutters as Fred does his best to defend her. "You're asking for too much, he's her younger brother... He has no one else in his corner, you must understand what that's like more than anyone else -"
Before he could finish, a loud bang interrupts. Their heads snap towards the door, it only takes a second for all of them to rush to the noise that caused the disruption. Ron opens the door, all of the young wizards hold their wands tightly between fingers. "What was that?" Comes George's voice from the kitchen. Sirius and Remus push their way past Dumbledore's Army. Rem takes a few steps forward, raising his gaze towards the moonless sky, a frown on his face.
In that moment, a fireball comes plummeting down from the sky, drawing a circle around the house. "Stand back!" Orders Sirius, wand drawn and ready as the fire wall rises around the Burrow. The former Beater's eyes widen as he spots Bellatrix standing just behind the fire, a smirk on her face as she locks eyes with her cousin.
"Hi, Siri!" She squeals, waving at the man in a tantalising manner. "'S good to see you're still alive! Sad to hear about Pucey's son though."
At her statement, Carina sees red, pushing past her parents and running out of the house. Bellatrix laughs mockingly at the younger girl, almost jumping up and down with joy. "You're coming to get me!" She screams, running away in the other direction. Nina throws a spell at the fire, taking off after the Death Eater. She can hear Fred calling out for her, trying to get her to stop, but it's all drowned out by the thought of Adrian.
The black haired girl doesn't turn around, she continues to follow after Bella with her wand pointed, blasting curses left and right. Bellatrix shrieks with delight as she Disapparates, leaving Carina dazed in the middle of nowhere, tall grass surrounding her blocking her eyesight. "Fuck," she curses under in a whisper, trying to listen for the Death Eater. The green eyed witch tries to control her panting, since she can't hear anything other than herself, her pulse beating rapidly.
After a few seconds she decides to walk forward a little more, gripping her wand in a tight fist. Suddenly, she can hear a trickling sound; water from a stream. Before she even realises, she's standing in the middle of it, chest heaving as she finally catches her breath. Then, footsteps. Quick and light, running towards her. She turns around, wand pointed at the attacker. "Get down!" Screams Harry, pointing his wand at something behind Carina. The girl lets herself fall to her knees as Harry yells out, "Stupefy!" Nina looks back just in time to see Greyback blocking Harry's spell and she realises he was standing a few feet away from her.
Harry looks down at Carina for a brief second before looking around for anyone else. Carina gets up on her own, soaking wet and cold from the late night breeze against her damp clothing. The weeds around them danced with the wind, creating an eerie environment neither of them appreciated. "Where's Fred?" Wonders Carina in a low tone, her eyes darting around when more footsteps can be heard around them.
However, just as quick as the footsteps came, they went. The Death Eaters are obviously trying to get in their heads, and its working. Harry shoots a couple warning spells, trying to get a sense of where they are, but nothing happens. "Fred was right behind me," Harry mutters, "I lost him when I heard Greyback and I ran after him... Fred must be around here somewhere."
Carina shoots a spell towards a noise, impulsively standing in front of Harry. "This was a trap to get you out of the house," she tells him, throwing another stunning spell towards a shadow that soon disappears.
"What was I supposed to do?" Hisses Harry, shaking his head, using Lumos to make Carina's aim better. "Bellatrix killed one of my best friends. I couldn't allow her to run away... I know you felt the same way," he adds, gritting his teeth. Carina already knew that, but hearing it from Harry himself made her heart clench. "Carina, there!" Harry points somewhere, causing Carina to react and shoot.
"It's me!" Shouts Fred, blocking Carina's spell, taking a few steps back from the impact. Carina gasps, rushing towards her boyfriend, touching his chest to see if he was injured, relief flooding through her when she notices he's fine. "You're very strong, Black," chuckles Fred, placing his hand on top of Carina's, giving it a gentle stroke. "I'm good, I knew you'd do that, I was expecting it, thank Merlin."
"I'm so sorry," apologised Carina, pulling him in for a quick embrace. Harry's voice startles Carina, but Fred holds her tightly as he raises his wand and fires a couple spells at the Death Eaters, driving them away from the younger boy. "You okay, H?" Harry nods in response, a deep sigh leaving his lips when he hears Sirius' voice coming from somewhere within the tall grass. "Dad!"
Sirius, Remus, Arthur and Tonks emerge from the field, running towards the teens and standing in a circle around them. Sirius takes a second to inspect Carina, Harry and Fred, turning back when he sees it's all minor injuries. Bellatrix and Greyback decide to show themselves, smirking at the group. Furious, Remus throws a Jinx at Greyback, effectively scratching his cheek, drawing blood. "Leave!" Demands Arthur, pointing his wand at Bellatrix's chest.
The curly haired witch raises her hands in a defenceless manner, mocking the older man, "If that's what you want..." With that, the pair Disapparate. Carina follows Bellatrix's black aura with her wand, shooting at it whatever spell comes to mind. Tonks places her hand on Carina's, effectively stopping her. She's not causing the Death Eater any damage, she's simply tiring herself out.
"Shit," mumbles Carina once she realises there's nothing else to do.
"Is everyone okay?" Asks Tonks, glancing at the teenagers, who nod in response. Harry's staring at the ground, clearly disappointed by how it all turned out. "Merlin, Nina, you're freezing," she murmurs, casting a Heating Spell in her cousin's direction.
A loud crash interrupts them, their heads snapping towards the sound just in time to see the Burrow catching fire. "Molly," breathes Arthur, instantly taking off towards his wife, ignoring the rest of the Order completely. The rest take off after the Ministry worker, Sirius and Remus shouting after him, trying to get his attention. They don't know what to expect, they don't know if Bellatrix or Greyback have taken Molly, Ginny, George, Hermione... or worse.
As they near the Burrow, heat punches Carina in the face. The whole thing is on fire, crackling sounds emitting from the Weasley's home, taking everything they had. They stop in their tracks when Arthur reaches Molly, embracing her tightly against his chest. Carina goes to George, who's standing too to his childhood home, appearing to be in shock. She pulls on her best friend's hand, bringing him closer to the rest of them. Ginny cries into her hands, Ron rubbing her back, trying to comfort her. Hermione has tears in her eyes, but she doesn't let them fall as she hugs Harry, "Thank God, you're okay," she murmurs. "Why did you run off like that, Harry, for Merlin's sake!"
"What were you thinking?" Asks Ron, shaking his head at Carina and Harry. Fred tightens his grip around Carina's waist, ready to fight his brother, but Ron continues speaking. "You claim she's reckless for helping her brother, but you are just like her," he mutters, glaring at the younger boy. "You are so similar and you don't even realise it!" Chuckles Ron, no humour behind his voice. "Doing everything for the one's you love."
AN: hiii everyone <3 so sorry for the long wait! i will try to be better at updating! this hasn't been edited yet but i wanted to get the chapteer out to you lot <3
love youuu!
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