Written in the Stars | Sirius Black

XXIV. Gimme Shelter

A U G U S T  1 9 7 7

.・。.・゜✭・.・✧・゜・。.

JAMES. DUMBLEDORE WANTED JAMES IN THE ORDER. Not only that but all of them. Remus, Peter, and Sirius as well. All of this information had been dumped on her before her first Order meeting had even taken place.

The revelation came when Clara had finally worked up the courage to open Dumbledore's letter. It was just after her first day at St. Mungo's. While Fabian cleaned up after tea in the small kitchenette of their Diagon Alley flat, she sat at the nearby table and broke open the wax seal.

The truth inside that letter hit her like a punch to the stomach. All air was stolen from her lungs as she read the words. It was a mere courtesy, she realized. Dumbledore wanted no input on the matter, nor any help from her in convincing James. He was merely informing her that he intended to recruit her brother and his friends at the end of their last term. Telling her was out of kindness. That's what Dumbledore surely thought. But to Clara, the information felt more like a threat.

In the days since, Clara had been left feeling numb. All she'd done was go to work, avoid replying to James' latest letter, and go to sleep. Of course Fabian had noticed the change in her, but she'd brushed off all his concerns. The excuse of their first upcoming meeting with The Order seemed to be plausible enough for him to stop pressing her about what was wrong.

And now, she was sitting inside a stranger's dining room. The familiar faces who could offer her comfort were scattered around the room as Marlene and the Prewett twins sat at the opposite end of the table. A man by the name of Frank Longbottom had bravely volunteered his modest home to an army of a dozen or so witches and wizards. 

Before the meeting could even get well underway, all Clara could think about was how she was going to get her brother out of this.

"Miss Potter?" Dumbledore's soft voice carried across the room to her.

She gazed at the elderly wizard, mind blank, "Yes?"

He smiled warmly. An expression that should've been disarming forced bile to rise in her throat.

"Would you care to introduce yourself?"

A meet and greet. That's essentially what her first meeting with The Order had been. Though she had admittedly been tuning everyone out as she had been trying to formulate a plan on how to confront Dumbledore about James' future involvement. If she had only opened the letter much sooner, she would have been much more prepared for this scenario.

Clara stood, wiping her sweaty palms along her jeans as she glanced around the room. Fabian gave her a reassuring nod when their eyes met. But it was Edgar Bones who held her gaze.

The two had met on her first day at St. Mungo's where he worked as the lead Healer in the medical ward she was assigned to work in - The Janus Thickey Ward. As they got to know each other, Clara quickly learned of his own involvement in The Order. The thought quickly dawned on her that Dumbledore had likely had a hand in her placement within the hospital. 

How much power and reach did her former Headmaster truly have?

Despite the unnerving circumstances of her employment, Edgar had quickly won her over. Not only did he have a warm nature to him, but he also immediately showed trust in Clara. Taking her suggestions on treatment of their patients seriously and not disregarding her thoughts merely because of her youth and inexperience.

Edgar almost felt like having an older brother. She'd never had anyone take her under their wing before. Not having to look out for someone herself was surprisingly refreshing. But perhaps she only felt a connection to him so quickly because they were bonded by war.