metanoia

Chapter Ninety-one

"It's nice to get out, even if it is just to get cleared by the Healers," Alex hummed, skipping to match her companions pace as they walk up the cobblestone path

Dorcas Meadows laughed at the young mother's eagerness to have a moment away from her crying newborn that she tended to alone now that Remus returned to his undercover position with the pack of werewolves, "You must be beside yourself having Sirius flock you and your little one all the time."

"I love Sirius, don't get me wrong, but it's hard enough tending to Addie with him watching my every move."

"Well, look who we have here," a cool voice laughed, making both the women draw their wands and stand back to back to protect themselves.

Lucius Malfoy smirked at the two Order Members, watching them as they analyzed the possibilities of this encounter. He cleared his throat, meeting the blonde's narrowed eyes, "Now, now, ladies. No need to be defensive. We've been looking for you."

"Don't you think that's plenty of reason to be defensive?" Dorcas challenged, keeping her wand trained on Parkinson's throat.

"If that's how you want to think about it," a chilling voice slowly murmurs, appearing behind Lucius Malfoy.

The two girls were caught completely off guard at the presence of Lord Voldemort, neither expecting to see him on their errand to the hospital. Their surprise gave the Death Eaters ample opportunity to contain them. When Lucius' hand reached Alex's wrist, she wrenched it out of his grasp and punched him in the jaw. And Dorcas did the same when Parkinson touched her.

But Voldemort swiftly circled his wand at them and ropes appeared at their wrists, tightening around them as his followers pushed them to the ground.

"I got to say, I'm flattered," Dorcas dryly laughs, struggling against the ropes that bound her wrists behind her back as she looks up from the end of the wand that was trained on her head and it's owner.

Lord Voldemort stared down at the bloody and broken member of the Order of the Phoenix, moving a stray curl from her forehead to meet her dark, fiery eyes, "And why might you be flattered?"

"I've clearly pissed you off enough that you felt the need to come down here and kill me yourself rather than sending in more of your lackeys to go down in the process of taking us down," she spat, aiming her mouthful of blood at the Dark Lord's bare feet.

The snake-like man couldn't help but laugh, confusing the hostages that knelt before him on the cold tile floor, "Oh foolish girl, I'm not here for you. I'm here for her and you are just collateral damage to getting to her."

"What?! No, you leave her alone!"

Voldemort raised his wand, snapping his arm at the Hufflepuff with the speed and accuracy of a viper, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Dorcas Meadows limp body hit the floor, her head landing right in front of Alex as she screamed. The blonde fought against the ropes that bound her together, wanting nothing more than to launch herself at the Dark Lord. But she couldn't.

Lord Voldemort rolled his eyes at her yearn to avenge her fallen friend, ignoring her as he turned to his Death Eaters and instructed them to leave them. When they Apparated away, he dropped the ropes that bound her wrists together with a flick of his wrist.

"Alexandra Worth, you can only imagine how long I've been waiting to meet you since learning about your abilities," Voldemort's cold voice greeted, causing the hair on the back of her exposed neck to stand on end.

The blonde met his dark, snake-like eyes, turning her glare deadly as she cleared her mind and tightened her grip on her wand, "Tom, you can only imagine how long I've been wanting to avoid you learning my abilities."

"You must be brave to call me by such a name," the Dark Lord cackled, circling her slowly as a shark would it's prey.

"What can I say, I am a Gryffindor through and through."

Unamused by her remark, he stopped circling her and stood firmly in front of her and examined her. When he looked into the mind of James Potter, learned of a girl who prophesied the future he did not expect the petite twenty year old before him. "You're a Seer."

"You're a murderer," she retorted, crossing her arms firmly over her chest as she counted the seconds before she would Apparate out of St. Mungo's.

Voldemort stared at Alex in astonishment, not knowing whether he wanted to laugh at her gall or curse her into oblivion. He chose the former, catching the girl off guard, "I suppose you're right. Alex, I am willing to make you the same offer I made your friends. Join me, provide your skills to me and my cause. Or you deny me and die, fighting for the side that will know no peace."

"Thank you but no thank you. I don't do bullies and bigotry. Not to mention hypocrisy, seeing as you're a halfblood, Tom. So much for blood supremacy," she taunted, accepting her fate that she may never see her daughter again.

"Avada-"

"You do realize, if you kill me you change the course of fate," she quickly squealed, having a moment of self preservation despite her readiness to die. Seeing that she got his attention, she took a moment to breathe and came up with a lie, "There's a reason you haven't been able to look into my mind, that I can see the future based on the decisions you make. If you kill me now, you will never know the truth."

"What truth?"

Alex laughed silently, beginning to Apparate before he could realize what she was doing, "You got played."

"Alex?"

The blonde looked up, finding Sirius standing across the room with Adhara in his arms. She started crying, looking down at the cold body of Dorcas Meadows at her feet. Sirius followed her eyes, realizing what happened at St. Mungo's.

He laid his goddaughter in her crib, crossing the room to hold his weeping friend, "What happened, Alex? What happened to Dorcas?"

"Riddle," she sobbed, choking on the consonants. She drug the heel of her hand under her eyes, sniffling, "He found us at St. Mungo. He wanted me to join him, he knew about my visions. And he killed her."

"I'm so sorry."

"This is all my fault. She's dead because of me."