Helium | Harry J. Potter

22

HARRY's POV

Alura has left the room to go get something from the dining hall since I insisted she needed to eat something. I'm currently sitting at her desk waiting for her to come back. I find myself staring at the dog tag around my neck.

It's so little but I'd protect it with my life - hell, I'd give up my life for it. My eyes wander to the drawer of her desk. Should I open it? Absolutely not. But am I too curious for my own good? Yes.

I slide open the drawer only to see a small box. I pick it up and see that it has a lock on it. I use the Alohomora spell to unlock it.

Thank you, Hermione Granger.

Inside the box are two necklaces. One I do not recognize, and the other I couldn't forget for the life of me. Alura wore it up until her fourth year, and then for some reason, she stopped wearing it. The only thing I know about it is that it was her mother's.

Now that I think about it, it's very rare to catch Alura talking about her parents - or just anyone for that matter; Dumbledore won't even talk about them, or Stefan, who knew them best, considering that Alura's father is his brother and all. After fourth year she just kind of shut down on that concept. I've always wondered why, but I never pushed her to talk about them.

Under the necklaces is a small piece of paper. I don't open it; it looks private and is hidden well for a reason. I began to put it back when I realized that Alura had walked into the room.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked and sped over to where I am. She harshly takes the box and puts it back inside the drawer, slamming it shut afterward.

I don't even have a reason for snooping. "I don't have a good explanation," I admitted. "I was just being nosy."

Alura took a breath, probably trying to not snap at me. "Did you look at the note?" she questioned calmly.

"No, I didn't."

Something tells me that she hasn't opened it either...

"I'm sorry, Alura."

She just sat across from me, not saying anything back.

"It's okay."

"I know I-" Wait, did she just say it's okay? "Really?"

"Well, it wasn't okay," she tried to clarify. "I just meant that I'm not mad."

"I'm probably pushing my luck here, but can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Why'd you stop wearing it? The necklace, I mean," I asked. "And why do you never talk about your parents; your mother, more importantly?"

Alura looked me straight in the eye as she said, "This cannot leave this room."

What the hell is going on? Why is Alura looking at me as if she isn't supposed to tell me this?

I nodded and promised her that I won't say anything to anyone. She gestured for me to come sit next to her, and I followed.

"Remember how Pettigrew sold out our parents?" She doesn't wait for an answer when she continues, though I do remember vaguely. "It wasn't just him..."

Okay, now I am certainly interested. "What do you mean?"

"Sirius and Remus didn't know about this until after Stefan told me - after we got settled into the Grimmauld Place, Stefan told me that Genevieve was a follower of Voldemort."

Genevieve is her mother's name; though no one will even mutter the name in the house. But Genevieve was a follower of Voldemort? How could she betray her best friends like that? Or let Voldemort kill her own husband? More importantly, why was she willing to die for the cause? I have so many questions, but it's not my turn to speak.

Alura doesn't look affected. Maybe she has already dealt with the knowledge that her own mother is responsible for all this.

"I had my suspicions that Pettigrew had some help, tricking our parents and all. He wasn't as manipulative and convincing as Genevieve was - that's what Stefan told me, anyway," she told me.

I've dealt with Pettigrew's betrayal - in a healthy way? No - but Genevieve's? I don't know much about her, and I'm glad I don't. How could she set herself up for death like that?

"I'm sure you have questions, but however, I don't have the answers to them. Stefan told me as little as possible. The only other person that could tell you more would be Dumbledore, but I doubt he'll give us anything."

How is she not sick after retelling this whole story? I feel the same as I did when I found out about Pettigrew: sick to my stomach.

"And you've known this since summer?" I asked her.

She nodded. "You're the only person who knows except Sirius, Remus, Stefan, and Dumbledore."

"Theo, Blaise, and Katerina don't know about it?"

I'd hate for Katerina to use this against her. And knowing she's related to Bellatrix, she would.

"No, they don't."

I only just now realized our knees were touching. This is the closest we've been since the closet-party-incident, I guess you could call it.

"You promise that you won't say a word about this outside of this room?" she made me promise again.

"I solemnly swear," I tell her, which caused her to laugh.

-
You all should've learned from ILYT that moms are a sore subject for the OC's😩

Sorry I haven't updated in a while btw. I've just been busy and feeling lazy lately