Adelaide was shaken from the whole idea, and even though she wasn't admitting it outright, she was in deep turmoil. Now, her father rarely let any of them, especially Adelaide to go outside on their own. Dumbledore had also added to his paranoia, telling him to not let Adelaide out of his sight and to an extent, Adelaide was suffocating from her father's protectiveness and how he started to pamper as if she was a fragile and vulnerable child, not a fifteen-year old who fought to death(almost).
When William, asked her on a date, Adelaide, not being allowed to go out without supervision of an adult, refused him, apologising profusely. Of course, William had little to no sympathy and had grown cold when she did it, even though she told him her reason was due to a lack of safety and so Adelaide was forced to tell him the truth, since she didn't want anything to ruin their relationship, and after hearing her reason, he understood, but Adelaide felt uneasy how he was cold to her before telling him the truth, she thought that perhaps he needed to respect her wishes. Perhaps, he should have been more respectful, but it doesn't matter, Adelaide. He might have thought that I wasn't interested in him anymore or something like that. Anyone who was in his shoes, would have probably done the same thing.
Philip had came for dinner one night and when Elizabeth and him left to walk in the garden behind their house, he proposed to her with a lovely diamond ring, to everyone's excitement, and she accepted his proposal. Plans for a wedding was discussed, and Elizabeth laughed and said that even though they were now engaged, they were probably marrying in a low-key wedding, with only close friends and family members in attendance soon.
"When would that be?" Helena chirped happily.
"In October." Elizabeth said, looking at Philip lovingly who nodded in confirmation.
"But that's too soon? Don't you have big plans?" Victoria asked confused by the date.
"Oh, Toria. We had talked about marriage before and we always wanted something intimate and quiet. Especially in this time, it will be tone-deaf if we were to have a huge celebration. There will be minor plannings needed." Elizabeth replied.
"Well papa's going to love the peace and quiet in the house. Since i will be leaving and Elizabeth will be married and gone as well." Victoria observed, even though Robert laughed at her, he had some sadness in his eyes.
"Yes, soon you will leave here behind, and i will finally have my peace of mind." He replied.
So Elizabeth and Philip bought a big house in a town near Edinburgh a few days later, after looking for some place to live in after their marriage and the house had 10 rooms and a big kitchen, a small garden, two storage rooms, 3 bathrooms and two big halls and sitting rooms. Elizabeth was already starting to paint on the walls of the house and making it more beautiful and artistic than it was.
Adelaide definitely would miss Elizabeth, the sister who would scold them for tiring their father and mother, back when she was alive. Her oldest sister who always cared for her and nurtured her when their mother was too sick to care for them, those last few years and of course a confident and a person whom she could always ask for style tips and trust to make her beautiful clothes and knitted clothing, who painted and drew fantastic pieces of art. Then there was Victoria, her fiery sister who was considered the clown of the family, remarkable in every way and a genius (even though you would sometimes doubt it would be true), even though she could be too straight-forward, she usually didn't mean any harm and was very fierce and protective of those she loved. Yes, it was most definitely the end of an era and she knew that the moments with all of her siblings as young people, under one roof, with their parents (and later only with their father) would be something she would miss and crave for later.
She wrote letters to her friends, not telling them of the attack, but told them of other things, such as Elizabeth's engagement, Victoria's plans and of course of Edmund's shenanigans and Helena's baking and their three younger Winchesters' adventures. She also prepared for the OWLs, pre-reading the subjects and reviewing the previous years and working hard. The attacks and savageness of the death eaters were no new news, but it was getting worse and deadlier, they left victims wherever they went and they had gotten crueler and random in their attacks.
So when Adelaide wore a white dress with black Mary Janes and a pale cream jacket and a matching lace headband, to buy her school supplies, Robert also joined her and Helena, stating his worries. Adelaide's friends were all going on different days from each other and so they were not meeting one another until departing for Hogwarts.
"So, Lena, how do you feel about being permitted to go to Hogsmeade this year?" Adelaide asked her sister who was walking with her to the bookstore.
"Happy, excited and nervous."
"Well, why nervous? It's a trip that you will take with your friends to a wizarding village near the school, eating and buying sweets and purchasing random stuff and drinking butter beer."
"I know, i am probably silly, but new things do make me stressed sometimes."
"Change and new things are scary but hey, the worst thing that can happen in these trips is loosing the special discount on cauldron cakes!" Adelaide added cheerfully. Helena nodded and smiled.
"Oh, look there is Sirius." Adelaide whispered a little later, while Helena was searching for her books on a ladder, mischievously, lying about the boy's presence.
"Where?" Helena said as she turned suddenly and she fell down from the seventh level of the ladder on her back. "Ow." She muttered getting up, while Adelaide laughed at her sister's ordeal.
"You were joking, weren't you? I am absolutely not going to believe you ever again!" Helena said turning red.
"Oh, but come on, it was something. My days have been dull so far! You shouldn't be falling down ladders for getting a glimpse of a boy."
"Ah, and what of you? I am sure you are imagining Avery's face in front of you,snogging you until you're out of breath. Or i am just being stupid?" Helena replied slyly. Adelaide's red face and silence were definitely proving her point.
They payed for their books and supplies, going to their father, who was sitting on a chair bedside a table in the Ice cream shop's ground outside. After seeing them, he handed them their ice cream as they sat beside him, eating their own. Adelaide was eating her usual cheesecake flavoured one while Helena was eating coconut ice cream and Robert was eating a caramel one.
"Oh, Helena there's Sirius over there." Adelaide said looking behind Helena.
"Come on, Heidi, you think i am that dumb to fall for your stupid joke twice? Please, be more creative." Helena said as she continued chewing on her ice cream, giving her an unimpressed glare.
"No, seriously, Lena, he is walking towards us!" Adelaide told her, their father giving them questioning looks, clearly not knowing the subject they were discussing.
"Adelaide, just for goodness sake, choose another stupid person to bother."
"Helena, he is-" Adelaide said, feeling frustrated.
"Oh, Sirius Black is not here!" Helena shouted angrily as Sirius said: "Hello everyone!"
Helena turned red and nearly fell off her chair as Adelaide didn't know whether to face-palm or laugh as she only choked as their father was the only one to greet Sirius, who looked at them confusedly and shook hands with him. Robert stated that he needed to buy some potions supply and said that he would return soon.
"Well, hey there Sirius. How was your Summer?" Adelaide tried to defuse the situation.
"Not that good. My parents were over-bearing arseholes as always, Regulus was kissing their arses as always and well, their hating on random people and muggle-borns and everyone not to their liking was the cherry on top." He mocked dryly.
"Well any positive thing that may have happened?" Adelaide asked in a sad voice.
"Don't pity me, it's normal really. But yeah, i bought a few muggle posters to stick to my wall with permanent glue wand charm and it was all from muggle lingerie models and muggle girls wearing bikinis and all. Then there was some of them, that were of motorcycles. My parents, especially my mother, were livid, calling my taste in the latter stupid and the former as disgusting and outrageous." Sirius replied.
"What?" Adelaide replied in disbelief.
"Yeah, they called those girls, whores and bitches, how they would seduce wizards and taint them and their bloodlines with half-blood anomalies and how they like to bring ruin to a respected family. Blah blah." He said as Adelaide and Helena looked with shock at the statement and his language.
"And so i had a few flings with muggle girls behind their backs this Summer, i would have even had a one-night stand with them had i been 16. But i should wait a year for that. Ultimate revenge, huh?" He said proudly.
"Did they know you were having flings with them?" Adelaide asked not knowing how to take all that information in.
"Yeah, well no. But i guess they knew. I would also have some flings with some other non-pure blood or blood- traitor girls in school too. Both because i need to have revenge on those idiotic family of mine and also because i want a girlfriend, temporarily that is, and after some practice, a permanent one."
"Well, ok." Adelaide said as she gave Helena a look and Helena nodded slightly. Her crush was cute but Sirius would never notice her, and for her own sake, as he told them that he wanted flings.
"Uh, Helena, some ice cream has dropped on your chin." Sirius said as he softly put his hand on Helena's chin, wiping the small drop of melted ice cream. Helena blushed and thanked him, he smiled at her charmingly. Adelaide rolled her eyes, already a player.
"Well, i suppose i will be waiting here for a while, since my brother is hanging around with his mates here somewhere. I don't know how those 13 year olds can walk around freely, without being afraid in these times, but then again why should they be afraid? My brother is a Black and those two, Evan and Andrew's parents are definitely death eaters or supporters of them. Ah, yes, what fear may they have?" Sirius said sarcastically.
"The love that you share for your brother is tearjerking, Sirius." Adelaide replied with some humour.
"Ah, i don't hate him. I hate his friends, his companions, his beliefs. I am disappointed by his blindness and deafness. How can he just take everything from face-value and not question that bullshit that our parents forcefully told us? He sees and hears nothing."
"Then tell him, tell him of how much you care for him, how much you want him to become a better person. Tell him of your worries and disappointments. He might as well as be the only one that might truly under you. He has been through everything you went through, perhaps all he needs to hear is a single word from you, without any filter, humour or anything." Adelaide told him quietly.
"I don't know really. He loves our parents, he is a Slytherin, it might as well as be too late for him." Sirius sighed. "And he always wanted to be known as chivalrous and brave... he was the one to dream of honour and righteousness."
"Give him some chance, he might end up surprising you." Adelaide replied.
"He isn't a bad person, much better than all of the Slytherins in our year and some of the boys in our generation. Actually, he can be kind and humble." Helena added surprisingly, breaking her silence.
Sirius only nodded slightly, not bought by their words. They talked until Robert arrived, well mostly Helena and Sirius talked to each other and Adelaide only looked at them in worry. She needed to tell Helena to let go of her feelings, since Sirius' charm and slight flirtation was going to send her the wrong message and that annoyed Adelaide slightly. She was happy when Robert arrived and she quickly grabbed Helena's hand and pulled her with herself and said a goodbye and left quickly.
.............
"Come on, We need to leave now. We'll see them all in October." Adelaide said as she looked at Helena who was quickly hugging their sisters who were not coming to the train station this year, Elizabeth being busy with preparations for her wedding and house and Victoria was going to move out a few days from then. Helena nodded as they left with their father and Edmund, who was very silent.
When they arrived at the train station and stood at 9 3/4, Adelaide asked: "Ed, why are you so quiet? It's unlike you?"
"Why do you think when i am not talking, there is something wrong?" Edmund said as he looked at her annoyed.
"Because i am your sister, and i know you too well. When you're dead silent with that aura around you, i know there is definitely something wrong."
"Um, fine. I will be alone again this year at home. You know, like when mama died. You and Helena will go to school, Victoria is moving out and Elizabeth will leave soon too. I don't... i wish, you would not all leave. I d-don't want to be alone again." Edmund admitted his eyes were shining with tears.
"Oh, Edmund, i promise you even though you will be alone at home, it won't be like that year again. you will also come with us next year." He didn't look up and just stared at the ground.
"Hey look at me, Eddie. I promise you we will never leave you alone. I promise you i won't leave you behind ever. I will aways be with you even when i am not physically beside you. Ok?" Adelaide said as Edmund just looker at her and a tear dropped out of his eyes and he shamefully wiped it quickly,
"Edmund, there is no shame in crying. It's better to let go of everything and cry sometimes than to bottle it up. I learnt that lesson later than most." Adelaide gave him a hug. "You will be never left alone, when you'll have me, brother. Even then, there are Lena, Lizzie, Toria, papa and aunt Sophie and her family. Don't worry ever."
He smiled at her and hugged her back. Helena arrived: "What happened?"
"Oh nothing. Just Edmund was talking about how he is excited to leave for Hogwarts next year." Adelaide replied winking at him as he became his cheerful self again.
"I saw Dora and Maud, i will go inside the train. Bye for now." Helena nodded as she said her farewells to their family and Edmund. Adelaide after talking a bit to them, left for the train, giving them hugs and ruffled Edmund's hair.
As she walked inside the train, searching for her friend's compartments, she hit someone.
"Oh, i am sorry..." Adelaide apologised as she looked at the person and saw Somerset. He had grown taller and his features were stunning and at first Adelaide only looked at him with shock. "Oh, it's you. Forget my apology."
"Hello there, Adelaide. Oh i absolutely won't. It's not every day you see lady Winchester apologising, isn't it?" He smirked mischievously. "Oh and congratulations on becoming a prefect."
"And how do you know? And why are you not a prefect?" Adelaide asked accusingly.
"Well, Remus told me, and for your second question, i asked Dumbledore not to make me a prefect. Since i want to put all of my focus on earning as many Os in my OWLs." He replied.
Adelaide was now angry why she accepted it when she really didn't want to be one due to the same reasons and that he would have more time to study. Something that made her angry, as he could easily become better than her.
"Oh."
"Yeah." He replied, as he said: "We will do the rest of our plan at the weekend. Saturday at 6 AM. There is a good chance of a storm then."
"Very well." Adelaide replied coldly as she walked away, away from him, not letting him talk more as she went and found her friends in a compartment. When she found them, Lily was the first to open the compartment's door. She had grown to become such a beauty with striking green eyes and a more refined face.
"Dela!" Lily said as she hugged her and the rest of the girls followed her.
"Hello everyone. I really missed you a lot." Adelaide said as she looked at them.
"So any cool stories to share?" Maru said as she began chewing on her gum.
"Well, there is one... it's not exactly cool, but terrifying. I wanted to tell you in my letters but thought against it, since I preferred telling you in person. Do not ever tell anyone about it." They nodded confused by her as Adelaide recounted the night that the death eaters attacked her and her siblings, how they escaped and how she had faced Voldemort. They listened with shock and fear written on their features.
"...And that's that." Adelaide replied as she let some breath out.
"Wow, that was..." Marlene was the first to break her silence as she began looking for a word that would complete her sentence well, but there was nothing to say.
"You're something Adelaide, you faced them at just 15 with barely any help from anyone and you are alive. That's something." Alice said as she tried to bring some positivity to the situation.
"But i think he wasn't really expecting much, or if he did, i don't know, but he didn't try his all. I know that somehow." Adelaide replied.
"Nevertheless that was amazing. Imagine how powerful you will become when you're older! That would be crazy to see." Sarah said as she looked at her.
After some talking, about that night, Lily got up: "Adelaide, we need to go to the prefect's compartment for a meeting." Adelaide nodded as they got up. Alice also was going to leave to find Frank and Sarah had started dating another boy, a Gryffindor, a year older, whom she was going to.
Adelaide and Lily were the last to go to the compartment. William was there, a cold mask on his face, with Poppy beside him, who was waiting for the meeting to end as she was in a hurry to see her boyfriend. Remus was looking uneasy and Abbott and another girl were prefects for Hufflepuff. Jack greeted Adelaide with a nod. The head girl and head boy, were from Hufflepuff.
"Well now that everyone is here, let's start. i think you have a clear understanding of being a prefect. You take house points when someone is not following rules and causing trouble. Then there are the patrols, now we give you the schedule first..." the head girl said quickly as she made a papers appear and gave it to them. Adelaide looked at her schedule. She had two days to patrol, and she was thankful of that. As she wanted to see who she was with, a voice said: "I have issues with my schedule."
"Yes, Avery?" The head boy asked.
"I don't want to patrol with Parker." William said as he looked coolly at Jack, as Jack looked at him with a questioning look.
"Ok, and why is that?" The head boy asked patiently.
"Well, i don't want to associate with him." He said vaguely. Adelaide, Remus and Lily looked at each other as they found out what was his reason at the same time.
"Because i am a muggle born, you say it, don't you?" Jack snapped. William only elegantly shrugged, not refuting his claim. Adelaide was shocked. Why are you shocked so much? It was a matter of time... but i thought he had changed, he promised me... he promised me he would, and he got better but now...
The head girl just looked shocked and sarcastically said: "You are a Slytherin, of course, you won't like to taint your blood..." she waved her wand and the schedule changed, one of Adelaide's days was with William now and one with Lily, something that she was happy about.
"I hope his majesty is happy now?" The girl said as she gave him a look of authority. William nodded as he got up and left, not before looking at Adelaide. They also left and said farewell to everyone.
"What the hell is wrong with him? Seriously, was he... Adelaide do you hear me?" Lily asked as she looked at her friend. Adelaide only nodded in reply.
"Adelaide, what would you have done if he said the same thing about me?" Her question caught her off guard.
"I would have done what any good friend would have done." Adelaide replied. "I would have called him out."
"Only that? You're not going to break up with him? He is certainly hateful and a clone of his father now. Why would you continue dating this person who is against many things that you do or say?"
"And yet you forget that he and Severus had become like this. Then you need to cut ties with Severus with your point of view."
"No."
"And yet i even heard that Severus had spend time at Mulciber's. Quite interesting, isn't it?" Adelaide replied, not knowing who she was angry with; Lily, Severus, William..? She was just angry and wanted to cut deep.
"What?" Lily said surprised.
"They don't really tell us what they're up to... i will make sure to have a good word with him."
"Yet you know he won't budge and you try so hard... Adelaide you need someone who deserves you, either way you're going to have to accept him like the awful person he is or just break things. He won't change, last year he was like this whenever you were not there... he is only careful when you or some adult in authority is there."
Adelaide failed to respond, as they walked back to their compartment. After they reached Hogwarts, they had feast after sorting and afterwards she and Jack helped the first year students and gave them a tour. Afterwards when Adelaide went back to her dormitory, she was exhausted. Perhaps i should have refused like Somerset...
Adelaide quickly fell asleep, but it was not an easy sleep and she had night terrors all the way, filled with the events of that night but with a different outcome, seeing Helena and Edmund get hit by spells and her failure to protect them. How they died and she was tied, unable to move... the evil cackle that terrorised her sleep every time and her mother's laughter...