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twelve grimmauld place
That was the address Hermione had given Rory. The letter that held the address had arrived two days after Rory last saw Hermione. There was nothing surprising about getting a letter from Hermione but for her to ask Rory, the rest of the March sisters and Olive to meet her at Twelve Grimmauld Place was somewhat odd.
Rory had asked Miss Moore for phone privileges so she could call Hermione and ask her about their upcoming meeting but Miss Moore declined her request in a heartbeat, not thinking twice, which meant that Rory had no choice but to wait two days.
The days went by fast but not fast enough for the March sisters. Miss Moore had given them and a bunch of other children millions of chores to finish, each and every chore more ridiculous than the other; since when
"So we just go in?" Rory asked, her brows furrowed.
The March sisters and Olive were standing in front of a big, dark building. They had travelled to King's Cross Station early in the morning to meet up with Olive before taking a bus to Borough Islintong, London. They still didn't know why they had been asked there nor could they see Hermione anywhere.
"We can't just go in," said Lara. "It's someone's house."
"And I don't see number twelve anywhere," Via pointed out the obvious. "Didn't Hermione ask us to meet at number twelve?"
Rory nodded. "She did."
"Maybe she forgot?" Olive wondered.
"I don't think Hermione Granger would ever forget a meeting," Effy said and started to approach the building in spite of its missing number twelve.
"What are you doing?" Via asked, her eyes knitted together as she watched her eldest sister.
Effy didn't say anything but crossed the street to seek for the missing housing. She couldn't quite explain it but thought something was off. The letter Hermione had sent to Rory was clutched in Effy's hand like it was a key of some sort. In all honesty, the eldest March sister had no idea what she was doing but it turned out that whatever subconscious thoughts she was having were correct.
The two buildings, number eleven and thirteen started to move as if there was a massive earthquake travelling all through London but the people in the buildings did not seem to notice this.
Suddenly number twelve was there for them to see.
"I still can't get over how cool magic can be," gasped Via, who out of the March sisters, was the one who loved magic the most.
"How did you know how to do that?" Rory hurried next to Effy who was blankly staring at the newly appeared building.
Effy shrugged. "I didn't."
"I don't like this," said Lara quietly. "Maybe we should just wait for Hermione."
"I bet she's in there," Via pointed to the building and noticed a doorbell in the process. "We should go in."
Lara sighed, turning her attention to Olive who seemed to be more than eager to enter this secret building no one else knew about. Rory however didn't look too excited — the Triwizard Tournament had knocked out all the excitement in her for adventures.
"I'm going to ring the doorbell," announced Via and before anyone could have done anything, a loud ringing could be heard inside the building and in just seconds, Hermione opened the door with a wide grin.
Rory nearly leaped to Hermione before remembering that she, her sisters, Hermione and Olive have not been in the same place together since her relationship with Hermione had started.
Perhaps the twin-thing was actually real since Lara immediately noticed the sudden hesitation in Rory.
"We don't mind," she said to her in a quiet voice only Rory could hear.
Instead of going for a kiss, Rory hugged Hermione before the latter let the March sisters and their friend in.
It wasn't until they had all gotten inside before Hermione spoke.
"I'm so glad you came here. I hope Miss Moore didn't give you any trouble," she said and began to walk further into the house, everyone else following her.
Effy shook her head. "She thinks we are at Mr Bee's."
"Good," said Hermione.
The inside of the building was as dark as the outside. There hasn't been love or laughter in ages — it was easy to tell. Cobwebs decorated almost every corner, there was dust everywhere which made Via, who was allergic to dust, sneeze every two seconds. The wallpapers on the walls around them were peeling off and the carpet under their feet was worn out.
Maybe once the place had been wonderful, there was a beautiful and expensive looking chandelier hanging from the ceiling but the glamour was all gone.
"Blood-traitors and mudbloods in my home!"
A shrieking, high pitched voice interrupted any peace and quietness there had been just moments ago.
"What the fuck is that?" Olive asked, her eyes wide and question directed at Hermione.
"That lovely woman was my mother," said a voice.
The girls turned their heads towards the threshold which separated the narrow corridor and a room where the voice was coming from. A tall man with dark and curly hair stood by the threshold, a solemn look on his face. Rory was sure she'd seen this man before but wasn't sure when. She stared at the man, uncertain of what to do or say.
The cogwheels in her brain were working over time.
"Who are you?" Effy asked carefully, placing a hand on Via's shoulder.
The man huffed lightly, his solemn look turning into a small but shy smile. He walked further into the corridor whilst the March sisters and Olive backed several steps back, Hermione remained still and was unbothered by the man.
"I am Sirius Black," he said.
Suddenly Rory could tell where she'd seen the man before. The wanted posters of Sirius Black were still covering half of Diagon Alley. In the flesh, Sirius Black looked nothing like in the poster — he didn't look mad, possessed or evil.
He looked rather normal.
"S-Sirius Black," Rory repeated, a rush of mixed feeling travelling through her mind. She was supposed to fear the man — he was a convicted felon — but he didn't seem too scary.
"At your service. You must be the March sisters," said Sirius. "I need to talk to you."
Soon Rory and her sisters were sitting by a long table in the kitchen. Hermione and Olive were waiting outside the kitchen with the Weasley clan and Harry Potter. The whole scene was strange if not absurd. There was no perfect reasoning or any for that matter, why Rory and her sisters needed to have a conversation with Sirius Black.
It had not been in Hermione's plans to introduce Rory to Sirius so soon — she had not even told her friends about her and Rory's relationship yet — but Hermione's latest conversation with Rory about the world around them changing had made her think. Sirius was an ally and a powerful one and that was what Harry needed, and so did Rory.
Harry and Rory were in the same boat. Both enemies of You-know-who one way or another — they were both obstacles Voldemort needed to remove.
The name Sirius Black had once brought fear to them but now, looking at the man whose dark eyes were not full of anger and hatred, they could tell he wasn't someone to be afraid of. He seemed like a nice but tortured soul.
"So you four at the infamous March sisters I have read so much about," Sirius Black said, looking at the four girls through narrowed eyes.
"And you are Sirius Black," said Via with a complete deadpan expression. "We have read about you too."
"I'm sure you have," said Sirius and the suspicious look he's been holding ever since meeting the girls began to melt. He has heard nothing but the best of the March girls — they were brave, smart and skilled witches but beyond all that, Harry and his friends trusted them, so Sirius trusted them too.
Sirius straightened his back, squaring his shoulders as if he was about to interrogate the girls. In a way he was going to. He needed to know more about them before letting them into every secret and plan created by the Order of the Phoenix. He observed the sisters for a little longer — something in them reminded of things long forgotten. He had thought so the very first time he saw their faces on the front page of the Daily Prophet but now the feeling was stronger as the girls were sitting across from him.
"What is it that you want from us?" Asked Effy as her own suspicions grew stronger.
"And why did you ask Olive to stay behind?" Rory added a follow-up question. When Sirius had asked the sisters to the kitchen, he had asked Olive to stay behind.
Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "I figured she wanted a tour of the house."
"Right," Via rolled her eyes.
"You will see her soon. I wished to speak to you in private," Sirius started, his hands clasped together on the wooden table. "I am well aware of your current situation and the one you, Rory, were during last semester. I am sorry for what you went through and I truly hope you will find out who played that cruel trick on you."
"Lara, I am also sorry for your loss. I didn't know Cedric personally but I had only heard great things about him."
"Thank you but I don't think you are here to apologise," Lara commented.
Sirius nodded, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "You are right. Now that Voldemort is back, things are greater than ever and that is why you are here. He named one of you as his enemy but I fear that he meant all four of you."
"Why do you care?" Asked Rory, making Sirius grin sheepishly.
"You four are really straight with your words, aren't you?" He chuckled before continuing. "Now I believe I should start from the beginning..."
Outside the kitchen, Mrs Weasley was pacing around the corridor. She didn't like the idea of involving the March girls into anything nor did she like to involve Harry, Hermione or her son into any of it either. She had tried to reason with Sirius, telling him that they were children and not some pawns in a battlefield but even she couldn't ignore the harsh truth — those children have been pawns for years now. But it still didn't mean she was all right with any of it.
"Do you know what he's talking about with them?"
Mrs Weasley turned to look to her left where Olive stood, her hands deep in the pockets of her jacket and a look of concern flashing across her face.
"Things," Mrs Weasley said vaguely but there was irritation in her voice — irritation caused by Sirius.
"You don't like it?" She asked.
"No I do not," Mrs Weasley shook her head before sighing deeply. "But I am not the one in charge here so there isn't really much I can do about it."
Olive nodded. "But it's bad, isn't it? If it wasn't, then Sirius bloody Black would have not asked to see them."
"You-know-who is back so of course it's bad. But Sirius and the others think they have a plan or at least a part of a plan. I don't know what it is but I fear that their ambition to win or have revenge might compromise the safety of everyone," Mrs Weasley expressed her worries. "But then again Harry, the poor boy, has survived so much already so perhaps things will be fine."
"My father mentioned that once upon a time, there was a group of witches and wizards who were trying to stop You-know-who," said Olive, looking down at her feet so that Mrs Weasley can't see the worried expression finding its way on her face. "Is Sirius recruiting?"
Mrs Weasley swallowed. "They are still in school so Sirius can't recruit them into anything."
Back in the kitchen the March sisters were trying to wrap their heads around all the information Sirius had given them. He told them about his wrongful imprisonment and who he was to Harry. He had tried to talk to them about the order but Remus Lupin — who had entered the kitchen midway the conversation — stopped him by reminding him of how the girls are still in school. Except for Effy of course.
The sisters were more than surprised to see their old professor sitting beside Sirius but the two men quickly filled them in and told them how they have known each other since they were young boys.
"So technically, Effy could join this order or whatever it is," Lara said — she didn't like the idea.
"She's of age so yes," said Sirius, earning a stern glare from Remus who clearly didn't like the idea of placing anyone in danger or harm's way.
Lara shook her head. "They won't allow it at Raffedy."
"What's Raffedy?" Asked Sirius.
"A children's home," said Effy bluntly, her eyes narrowing as she watched the man's expression change from confusion to a look of guilt, perhaps?
Sirius cleared his throat before reaching for the glass of water in front of him. He took a sip, his eyes scanning the sisters with great comprehension. Remus noticed Sirius' strange change of behaviour but didn't say anything.
"You live in a children's home?" Remus asked instead. "I don't recall you ever mentioning that when I still taught at Hogwarts."
"It's really not worth mentioning," said Rory.
Soon Mrs Weasley entered the kitchen, Mr Weasley just behind her and ushered the girls out so they could have a word with Sirius and Remus. Waiting them out in the narrow and dark corridors were Olive and a bit further behind, Hermione.
Olive immediately shot about twenty different questions, asking the sisters what did Sirius Black want from them. Her questions were answered quickly and so far all the answers pleased her — none of them had any interest in joining the order although they had promised to let Sirius know of any strangeness that might occur once they get back to school.
"I am sorry for not telling you about Sirius before," said Hermione, her eyes locked in Rory's when they were walking around the house, exploring its dusty and sad rooms.
Rory shook her head and smiled. "It's fine."
"No. It's not. I had every opportunity before but I never told you," Hermione sighed. "Though I should have not told you at all. I didn't know what Sirius wanted from you."
"He just wanted to talk," said Rory, who much like Hermione, was surprised. "He wants us to let him know if anything changes."
"So if You-know-who asks you on a Hogsmeade date, you will inform Sirius?" Hermione frowned.
Rory grimaced. "Yes, so he can tell the Order. Harry has been given the same instructions."
"What if Sirius asks you to join the Order?" Wondered Hermione, not sure if she wanted an answer. "Will you?"
"I might," confessed Rory. "But only because I think we need to be allies. Sirius, the Order, me and my sisters. We are a target and we need people who are not just students to be by our side. Harry needs that too. Maybe more than we."
Soon Harry and Ron asked Hermione to help them with something. Hermione casted a questionable look at Rory who nodded, letting her know she was going to be fine by herself.
She walked around the corridors, trying to ignore the shrunken heads of house-elves that decorated the wall by the stairs. The house was like a haunted one in old films where eventually someone dies. Rory shuddered at the thought — she could not handle another death ever again.
Taking a turn to her right Rory entered a room that had a peculiar looking tapestry. She's heard of family tapestries before — thanks to Caleb — but has never seen one in flesh before.
The family tapestry was eerie. It was full of burnt pictures and names, reminding the people walking past it of the traitors of the Black family. Rory couldn't wrap her head around the whole disowning - concept. It sounded stupid, outdated and just purely ridiculous. She went through the names on the tapestry, even the burnt ones. Every person there was named after a star or a constellation, much like Sirius.
Rory focused her eyes on the tapestry to trace a line from Pollux Black to Cygnus Black the III. Next to Cygnus was a woman's name, Druella Black née Rosier and under them were the infamous Black sisters; Bellatrix and Narcissa. Between the two was one more name and a small portrait of the person although it was burned like so many others. Rory knew it to be Andromeda — the healer she had met some weeks ago.
She thought of Andromeda and how she's been separated from her sisters only because of different views. Because she was in love with someone she shouldn't.
"This family is nuts," said Via.
Rory had missed her sisters' presence in the room. When they had entered the room, it was like it had swallowed them whole, letting them see the ugly truth behind the once The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. The sisters were not jealous of the people in this family — it wasn't really even a family but a cult of people who share blood but when convenient, they cast each other aside with no remorse.
"I can't blame Mrs Tonks for leaving this place behind," Lara said. "Although she was forced to leave, but still..."
The eldest March sister was staring at the tapestry, a strange feeling as if someone was choking her, making it very hard for her to breath. It was like the room was sucking all the air out of her for some reason. She looked at all the names in the tapestry and just couldn't bring herself to understand why a family would be this messed up. She knew that no matter what her sisters do — she would be there for them.
Automatically — being aware of the tale of the three sisters — Effy found Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa's names although the middle name was burnt and smudged. The eldest sister was married, no children. Andromeda had one daughter whom, when Effy came to think about, she met during her years at Hogwarts. Then there was the youngest daughter of Cygnus and Druella Black, Narcissa.
Now Narcissa was someone Effy has met several times when attending some of the obnoxious balls Eudora hosts. Narcissa was also the mother of Little Shit and the wife of Lord Malfoy.
"You know it sort of makes sense that all these people are related," Effy said suddenly, tearing her eyes from the tapestry. "They are all bigots."
"No way!" Grinned Via and walked next to Effy who was pointing at Draco Malfoy's name and the small portrait of him. "He does resemble a ferret."
Lara chuckled. "He sure does."
"Let me see," Rory walked closer to the wall to see Draco's little portrait. She crouched down slightly to have a closer look, resting her hand on the tapestry in the process. "My god that's a bad picture."
bringing in the order and sirius