Daughter of Black

5.12

Christmas snow fell from the sky. I could hear the children laughing and the snowball fights that were being played outside as I wrapped myself in George's sweater. Everyone was in the other room; I could hear the cheers and the laughter as Mrs Weasley gifted them all with presents. Even in the happiness, I could still feel the fear. Mr Weasley had only just gotten home from the hospital. And frankly, it was a close call. But if anything, Voldemort wanted to use him to send a message; at least, that's what I was thinking. Harry walked down the stairs wearing some of my dad's clothes, making me smile. "Happy Christmas, Harry." I greeted him, still looking out the window at the snow. Harry sent me a smile, but I could tell he was still having a hard time sleeping. Dad followed closely behind him, kissing the top of my head.

"Happy Christmas Mira." He greeted me. He nodded his head towards the kitchen door and I followed the both of them into the brightly lit room. Molly had just finished passing out gifts, George and Fred wearing matching scarves. I smiled as I made my way over to them, sitting in between as usual. I spared a look over to Arthur but the sight of him was disarming. He was still scratched up, bruises and scabs marking where he was attacked. He was also in a wheelchair. Hermione and Ron were making googly eyes at each other, making Ginny giggle. George grabbed my hand under the table as Molly passed my gift over to me.

"Merry Christmas, Mira dear." I smiled at her, letting her kiss my cheek.

"Happy Christmas, Mrs Weasley." She walked over to Harry, handing him his gift as well. As I unwrapped my gift, I found the most beautiful pair of handmade mittens and I smiled up at her.

"It's for the snow, dear. Georgie told me how much you love to be outside when it's snowing." I sent a smile to George, kissing his cheek.

"Thank you, both of you." Molly smiled at me, wider than she had in a while. The stress of Arthur's well being had affected her more than the rest. Fred and George passed out the glasses, pouring more of Molly's homemade punch into them. I smiled as Arthur raised his glass.

"A Christmas toast. To Mr. Harry Potter... without whom I would not be here." Arthur looked at Harry as though he might cry, but Harry looked rather guilty. I sent him a smile. From what I had heard, none of this was Harry's fault. Voldemort was trying to get to him, through everyone else. "Harry." We all smiled at Harry, raising our glasses to him. I kissed George's cheek as we all sat down to eat our Christmas meal.

♡☽

After dinner, Fred and George were helping their mum clean up after dinner. Usually they'd run far from it, but George was still trying to impress my father and Fred wanted to make sure his mom had help so that their dad could rest. I followed Hermione, Ron, and Harry down the stairs, Ron complaining about the gift that his mum made for him. Harry and I just rolled our eyes. We loved everything that Molly had ever made for us. They were my favourite gifts every year. But Harry stopped suddenly when he saw an open door. I hadn't been in this room before; the door had always been locked. Harry and I walked inside, the room quiet and the walls burned. "Nasty brat, standing there as bold as brass." I looked down at Kreacher, shaking my head. I hated him. "Harry Potter, the boy who stopped the Dark Lord. Friend of Mudbloods and blood-traitors alike. If my poor mistress only knew..."

"Kreacher!" We saw dad on the stairs and Harry looked surprised to see him. "That's enough of your bile. Away with you!" Kreacher put his hands together, avoiding making eye contact with any of us.

"Of course, master." I rolled my eyes as he walked out of the room, dad walking in. "Kreacher lives to serve the noble house of Black." I rolled my eyes again. Sure. I still wasn't convinced that he wouldn't try to kill us all in our sleep.

"Sorry about that. He never was very pleasant, even when I was a boy. Not to me, anyway." I shook my head at Kreacher.

"What, you grew up here?" I looked over at Harry and my father nodded.

"This is my parents' house. I offered it to Dumbledore as headquarters for the Order. About the only useful thing I've been able to do." Dad looked hesitant to step into the room but did when he saw me staring at the family tree. "This is the Black family tree." When my eyes fell over Bellatrix, my nose scrunched. She was in Azkaban for being absolutely batshit crazy. "My deranged cousin. I hated the lot of them. My parents with their pure-blood mania." Both Harry and I looked at the spot that was burned. It used to be where my father's name rested, but now it was just a black spot. "My mother did that after I ran away. Charming woman. I was 16." Dad looked over at me. It was just before they had me.

"Where did you go?" I asked him, staring under my father's name. I knew I wouldn't be there, but I wanted to check... just in case.

"Round your dad's." Dad said, looking at Harry. I smiled. "I was always welcome at the Potters'. I see him so much in you, Harry. You are so very much alike." I smiled down at Harry, ruffling his hair.

"I'm not so sure. Sirius, when I was... When I saw Mr. Weasley attacked, I wasn't just watching. I was the snake." Harry breathed out and I knew he felt good about confiding in my dad. "And afterwards, in Dumbledore's office... there was a moment when I wanted to..." Harry struggled to find the words. "This connection between me and Voldemort. What if the reason for it is that I am becoming more like him? I just feel so angry all the time. And what if, after everything that I've been through... something's gone wrong inside me? What if I'm becoming bad?" Dad and I looked at each other, neither of us liking what Harry had said.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully, Harry." He put his arms on Harry's shoulder and shook his head. "You're not a bad person. You're a very good person who bad things have happened to. You understand?" Dad looked him in the eye.

"Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are." I tell them, wiping the tear that had fallen from Harry's eye. I watched as Harry nodded, leaving the room to go pack his stuff. We would have to leave soon. I looked back at where my dad's burnt face was.

"I'm sorry that you aren't on the wall. No matter how much I hated them." I shook my head at my dad.

"Don't be. I wouldn't want to be up there with Bellatrix anyways." I grabbed my dad's hand.

"When all this is over, we'll be a proper family. You'll see." I smiled up at him and nodded. I believed him.

"One day, when I have my own family, we'll make our own family tree. And it'll be you at the top with me and Harry underneath you and George and Fred and Mrs and Mr Weasley, all of them. And it'll be our family tree. The family that we love and the family that we chose." My dad kissed the top of my head.

"So George treats you well then?" I smiled at the thought of George, every moment with him flashing through my head.

"Yes. He's a good one, dad." I looked up at him. "I know we're young, but I love him. And if a war really is coming, there is no one I'd rather have fighting by my side. I was so scared for so long to fall in love with my best friend, but it is the best decision that I've made." I didn't say anything else, but I was thinking about how maybe one day we'd have a family of our own, with kids running around and learning magic, most likely doing pranks. And the thought of that future with George, made me happy. I didn't want anyone else by my side. It was George. It has always been George. Speaking of George, he peeped his head in the door and smiled at me and my father.

"Sorry to interrupt, but it's time to go, love." Dad looked at me with a sad smile. It was hard for him to let me leave, especially now with Voldemort on the loose. I nodded at George. Dad pulled me in for a hug that neither of us wanted to let go from.

"Take care of her, George." I heard my dad tell him.

"I will."