Promises Kept, Hearts Full of Trust

5

Remus was going to be our best bet for this.

Summoning Mad-Eye Moody was out of the question. Not only would Draco face immediate and harsh consequences, but I, too, would share his fate.

Nymphadora, Lyra's sister, was another possibility. However, she was trained by Moody himself as an Auror. She might resort to similar tactics, and that made her an unfavourable choice as well.

Kingsley just wouldn't understand me. Our perspectives were too different, and I doubted he would be able to fully grasp our circumstances.

Harry, a mix of the three, proved an even less appropriate choice.

So, I focused my mind, summoning Remus with all the determination I could muster. It had been a while since I attempted such magic, and I hoped I could execute it without drawing unnecessary attention.

As I closed my eyes and concentrated, I felt the familiar tingle of magic coursing through my veins. The air around me crackled with energy as I sent out my mental call to Remus.

A minute passed, and just as I was beginning to worry that my summoning had failed, a loud crash echoed from the entrance hall.

I winced, hoping fervently that it wasn't the entire Order come to investigate the disturbance.

While Draco remained in place, I made my way to the entrance hall with cautious steps, where I found Remus standing amidst a cloud of dust, his wand drawn and ready.

I was ready to walk into his arms, but the look on his face told me not to. It was disappointment to the max, any sign of concern struggling to show.

After a few seconds of deafening silence, Remus relaxed his shoulders, letting out a deep sigh as he lowered his wand.

Remus never looked at me the way he was looking at me now, and I felt very uncomfortable.

"Say something, please," I said quietly.

But he walked past me, heading into the kitchen.

I trailed behind him, my heart a leaden weight within my chest, burdened by the gravity of the unfolding situation.

Observing intently, I witnessed Remus's gaze dart to the left, settling upon Draco, who stood by the dining table, his countenance taut with tension, yet devoid of a wand in his grasp.

Remus's eyes then descended, fixating upon Draco's Dark Mark, its ominous presence faintly visible as his arm hung languidly at his side.

"Sir," Draco said calmly.

"Draco," Remus responded.

As I sauntered deeper into the living room, my steps deliberate and purposeful, I found myself instinctively positioning my lithe frame between Draco and Remus, my back facing the blonde.

The urge to protect him surged within me like a tempestuous tide, a primal instinct coursing through my veins, driving me to shield him from those who couldn't fathom his intricate complexities.

I fidgeted with my necklace, looking up at Remus. "You didn't inform the rest of the Order that I summoned you, did you?" I asked unsurely.

"I thought I'd spare you from a confrontation with the Order for now, Amelia," Remus said coldly, which told me a lot about the state of affairs between me and the Order's perspective on me.

"I can explain everything, really," I said truly, "I didn't mean to do any harm last night, and neither did Draco."

"You didn't mean to do any harm..." He scoffed, "A man died last night!"