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THE RUMORS WERE TRUE, that much Kates knew the moment she returned to Kinley Manor that summer. Her parents, who had spent the war building their family, were planning to be much more active this time around. Three days into the holiday and her father returned home pridefully wearing his fresh Dark Mark, hinting that Wesley's wouldn't be too far behind.
There were parties and galas being hosted everywhere to celebrate the rise of the Dark Lord. His presence was, of course, being kept secret from the general public due to his "grand plan," as her father called it, but his followers were rejoicing, and the idea made Kates sick to her stomach. She almost wanted to see him, at least then she could tell everyone Harry and Dumbledore weren't full of it. They were doing a good job of it, though, keeping him in hiding. Only his inner circle had seen him, and even with all the parties it was going to stay that way.
Kates' parents hosted a party five days into the summer. It was mostly a family gathering, with a few friends attending as well, but her parents made it very clear that no trouble should be made.
"We want to show that we fully support the Dark Lord as a family," said Iris Kinley in the firm, unloving tone she often used when talking to her daughter. Something was different about it, though; she almost sounded excited. It was disgusting.
She was forced to wear a pair of midnight blue dress robes, and for once she didn't push back. The color wasn't bad, but more importantly, she was too scared of what may happen if she caused a fuss. They could win this round—besides, if things continued the way they were, Kates would find somewhere else to stay before long.
"Lovely party, isn't it?" Kates flinched, the voice of Ares Carrow pulling her back to the present and out of her thoughts. She stood leaning against a far wall, half hoping she could just blend in and no one would pay her any mind. Of course if anyone would find her, it was him.
"Charming," she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Ares was in her brother's year, one above her, and she had known him for as long as she could remember. That was the thing with the blood purists: their families all knew each other, and had for ages. Hell, most of them had married into each other about five times over. As they grew older, Ares took a liking to Kates, and there were whispers that a marriage would soon be arranged for them, one that would occur once she graduated Hogwarts. Kates, of course, would take no part in it, so she mostly ignored the whispers—and him in general—altogether. He was arrogant, self-centered, and she was certain that he didn't like her for her personality.
"I saw your father earned his Dark Mark, that must have been exciting for your family." Kates bit back a scoff. "My father's had his for decades now, as have his siblings, my aunt and uncle. I expect it's only a matter of time before Wesley and I get ours." And there was the sick-to-the-stomach feeling again.
Whilst Kates' brother could be a prat sometimes, she didn't think he had any of that in him. Even as she glanced at him now, she could see that his smile didn't meet his eyes as he mingled with guests. She reckoned the blood purist stuff sounded all fine and good when they were kids, but now he was seeing it for what it truly was. He hadn't said anything, but Cedric's death rattled him, she could tell. He hadn't said a word to her once they got home, and usually he was full of snide remarks. He hadn't been friends with Cedric, of course, but the Hufflepuff had been but an innocent casualty, and a pure-blood one, at that. From what everyone had heard, Voldemort hadn't hesitated. That wasn't what someone did when their cause was built upon strong morals.
"You're awfully quiet." Kates blinked, returning her attention to the boy in front of her. He lifted her chin with his finger, and she batted his hand away without giving it a second thought. She saw anger flash through his eyes, but only fleetingly. "Are you thinking about those filthy friends of yours? When are you going to realize that they're beneath you?"
"They're not beneath me," she said venomously. "In fact, they're above anyone in this room, including you." He made to say something, but they were joined but another person before he had the chance.
"There's my favorite niece," said the dreadfully smooth voice of Lucius Malfoy, and Kates resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He didn't give a damn about her—no one in that room did. Also, she hated any reminder that she was related to any of them.
"I'm your only niece," she muttered, but he paid her no mind, instead looking to Carrow.
"Ares. I hear you're looking to earn your Mark soon. The Dark Lord decided that there are many positives for recruiting someone of your age. Draco will surely get his next year, but I believe you and Wesley will have yours before the start of term. And..." he paused, turning back to Kates again. "Katherine, if you've finally come to your senses, the Dark Lord is looking for all the eyes and ears he can get inside Hogwarts this term. I'm sure if you agreed to assist, you'd be in line to get your own Mark—"
"And what if I don't want one?" She hadn't planned on saying anything, but it was too late to turn back now. She faced him, looking up into his eyes defiantly. Both Ares and Lucius stared at her in shock, as if what she said had actually surprised either of them. Lucius was perhaps the last person she wanted to argue with, but the words had just escaped her lips. The more he spoke, the more irritated she became. It was either run and cry, or stand and fight. In that moment, she chose to fight, and now she was terrified as to what the result would be.
"Well," said Lucius slowly, and she could see the fire of fury in his eyes in spite of his otherwise-calm demeanor. Blood purists were good at that, she realized. They were all about appearances, but had so much anger that their eyes couldn't always hide it. "Then, I expect the Dark Lord wouldn't be too pleased. And your poor parents...they would be heartbroken, I'm sure, to see their daughter stray so far—so far, perhaps, that she may put herself in danger." His last words sent a shiver down her spine, and it took everything in her to not back down. It was a threat, plain and simple. Her parents already despised her, they wouldn't be heartbroken. It was all in the details, and she read it for what it was.
He gave them each a nod and went on his way, then Ares gave her a nod of his own and left her alone. It was then that Kates decided she had to get the hell out of there.
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KATES SNUCK UPSTAIRS to her room and wrote to Aunt Jackie straight away, telling her about everything she has witnessed and heard in the time since she had returned home. Rather than going off in search of the family owl, she took a different approach, one that would get her results far quicker.
"Minky," she said into the emptiness, and moments later she heard the familiar pop of Apparition and her family's house elf appeared in her room. Minky was a sweet but timid little thing who was forced to wear black tea towel as clothes. The elf looked more relaxed around her alone than she did the rest of the family, and for good reason. Kates was always kind to her.
"Yes, Mistress Katherine?" she squeaked.
"For Merlin's sake, Minky," began Kates gently. "I've told you you don't have to call me that." The elf shrugged, but didn't reply. The girl knelt down to be at the elf's level, her eyes pleading. Technically Minky had to do whatever she asked, but she didn't take advantage of that when asking for help. "I need you to take this letter to Aunt Jackie, then stay there and wait to see if she has a message for you to take me. Can you do that for me?"
"Of course," said the elf, and Kates smiled ever so slightly. She had always liked her.
"Thank you, Minky." She handed the elf the letter and watched as she disappeared again. Kates swiftly changed out of the dress robes and into normal clothes, then she got to packing.
Packing wasn't a difficult affair for her, especially since she hadn't even completely unpacked to begin with. She was back to sitting on the edge of the bed when Minky reappeared, and Kates sprang up when she saw she wasn't alone.
It wasn't a message from Jacqueline Kinley the elf had brought back, but Jacqueline Kinley herself.
"Aunt Jackie," Kates breathed out, throwing herself into the woman's arms. Her aunt hugged her back tightly and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
"I'd make small talk, but I read your letter and now doesn't seem like the time," remarked Jackie as they pulled away from each other. Kates sat back down on the edge of the bed, whilst her aunt remained standing. The woman's gaze fell upon her trunk. "I see you've packed already, good. As much as I'd love to have you stay with me, I reckon somewhere safer would be better for everyone. I don't think they would hurt you, but you shouldn't be subjected to constant intimidation or their attempts to recruit you to their disgusting cause."
"Where will I go?" asked Kates, more curious than concerned. She trusted her aunt already had an answer. Jackie donned the faintest of smirks, confirming her suspicions.
"I know just the place."
Minky took Jackie back home, but only so she could travel outside the Apparition ban held by Kinley Manor—much like other households where Death Eaters resided or frequently passed through. Kates waited as patiently as she could, which wasn't saying much given her current circumstances. She always felt like she was walking on eggshells just by being in that house, but now she felt like that more than ever. She hoped like hell that no one would come looking for her.
Jackie returned with news that Kates would be welcomed with open arms in a secure location, one the woman refused to say out loud until they were out of Kinley Manor. Once more Minky transported Jackie, but this time Kates and her trunk were with her. Kates said goodbye to the elf and told her to look after Wesley, then Minky was gone.
"So where are we going?" Kates asked her aunt now that they were in the safety of the woman's living room. Jackie looked to her niece and smiled.
"Number 12 Grimmauld Place, also known as the new headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix."
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KATES KINLEY DIDN'T PLAN on spending her entire summer with Ron Weasley, but she certainly didn't mind the idea. Hermione was there too, as were the rest of the Weasleys who quickly took Kates in as one of their own. Aunt Jackie was there on occasion too, attending meetings for the Order of the Phoenix. And then there was Sirius, who Kates hadn't met before but somehow felt connected to almost immediately.
She had been there a week when she found herself standing alone in a room, staring at a tapestry on the wall. She recognized some of the names as members of her family: Narcissa, her mother's sister who was the perfect pure-blood wife; Bellatrix, the aunt Kates last saw as a baby and the one she never wanted to see again; Iris, her mother, not that she ever acted like a good one. Then, of course, there was Sirius, cousin to them all. As if on cue, Kates felt someone appear beside her, having quietly entered the room moments earlier.
"The house still has a long way to go before it's clean after being abandoned for nearly fifteen years, but I'm still debating on whether I want to take this down or not." Sirius spoke somberly, and his tone resonated with her. "I don't know if anyone's told you, but I grew up in a situation not so different from your own."
"Ron told me," Kates said quietly. She looked up at him. "How did you deal with it?" Sirius let out a chuckle.
"I moved in with my best friend and his family when I turned sixteen." He gestured to the scorch mark where his face had once been on the tapestry. "My mother did that when I left. That's one of the reasons I don't want to take it down. It's sort of a trophy." Kates felt a smile tug at her lips, but she could feel that it didn't meet her eyes. Sirius paused a moment, then looked to her, looking more solemn once more. "I know you may feel as if you can go through this alone, but allow your friends to help you, Kates. You'll find that they're more than willing to do so than you may think." With that, he gave her a comforting smile and left the room again, leaving Kates with the feeling that a significant weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
She thought her summer would consist of parties and tense family dinners, but instead it was filled with friends, laughter, and a sense of home she had never felt outside of Hogwarts before. She saw Seamus and Dean once, but only once because whilst they didn't think anyone would go after her, no one was too keen on taking any chances. Sirius had become something of an uncle to her—which wasn't far off, really, what with her mother being his cousin—and she met her cousin Nymphadora Tonks for the first time, and the two hit it off instantly.
She spent a lot of her time cleaning, which most people would find dreadful but she found quite entertaining. The others blamed it on her natural optimism, but really it was because she'd rather clean with friends than be waited on at Kinley Manor. Some mornings, she and Hermione would take Ron to a muggle coffee shop or bookstore, and they both found it immensely entertaining to watch him learn more about the muggle world. Kates may have been a pure-blood, but the happiest moments of her childhood were the ones where Aunt Jackie would take her exploring. It was why she knew so much about muggle culture, and she loved passing her knowledge down to Ron.
Fred and George were like the nosy and bothersome older brothers she never had (because Wesley was many things, but he was neither of those). They, much like their mother, took to her rather quickly, and Kates had the funny feeling they heard about her situation from eavesdropping on the adults. If they did, they hadn't told Ron, because she did so herself a few weeks after arriving.
She loved spending time with Ron and Hermione, but she knew they felt guilty about Harry. They couldn't tell him a thing about what was going on per Dumbledore's orders, and whilst they understood, they still hated it. Kates understood completely; she was barred from telling Dean and Seamus anything except that she was staying with a friend of Aunt Jackie's for the summer. The Order of the Phoenix was supposed to be the best-kept secret in the wizarding world until Minister Fudge got his head out of his arse (Tonks' words). For better or worse, they had to help maintain that secrecy.
"I just wish we could tell him something," sighed Ron about halfway into July when he and Kates were in the middle of cleaning out a rather eerie-looking cabinet in one of the rooms upstairs. Hermione was with Ginny in the next room, leaving the two of them alone. Kates and Ron enjoyed being each other's only company; they always felt comfortable confiding in the other.
"I know," sighed Kates. She had heard him say that about twenty times over the summer so far, but continued to sympathize with him each time. "He's your best friend, keeping something from him must be tough."
"It is," he huffed. Then his gaze fell to the floor, for he realized just how often he spoke of Harry and his guilt. "Sorry for bugging you about it all the time."
"You're not bugging me," said Kates, her voice kind but decisive as she turned back to the cabinet. "You could never bug me." She froze then and there; for the second time that summer, she spoke before she thought, words coming out that she hadn't intended to say out loud. At least these weren't likely to earn her a death threat, but they were likely to make her immensely embarrassed. Her cheeks grew hot and she was grateful that the cabinet door was blocking his view of her. "Sorry," she said with a nervous laugh. Kates Kinley rarely got nervous, but here the hell she was. "I, er, that sort of just slipped out—"
"It's all right," said Ron, and she flinched as he placed his hand on her shoulder, but quickly relaxed under his touch. He removed his hand and used it to push the cabinet door out of the way so their eyes could meet. His were kind but serious, and hers were uncertain, then reassured. They both wore faint smiles, and Kates noticed that his cheeks were as red as hers probably were. They held each other's gaze a moment...then Fred and George Apparated into the room, startling them both for more reasons than one.
Ron and Kates shared a look, shook their heads in amusement, and got back to work.
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