THE DOLL PEOPLE; Theodore Nott

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"HE'S ESCAPED TED!" ANDROMEDA'S VOICE CARRIED INTO THE HALL, EMERY LISTENING INTENTLY PRESSED AGAINST THE HALL. "What if he- what if he comes for her- after killing all those innocents." Her voice shook, "Reggie was good but I don't know about him, Regulus didn't snap and murder his best friends." She cried, Ted sat at the table while his wife paced stressfully.

"Are you sure he knows she even exists my love." Ted, the voice of reason, soothed, his fingers tapping along the wooden table rhythmically.

"Of course he does!" Andromeda snapped, just a flicker of her sister's tempers in tone, "Rita Skeeter, loathsome hag, writes about the students daily, have you seen the stuff about this Potter boy. Let alone the daughter of a death eater, sorted into Hufflepuff, the last of a noble family." Emery swallowed, twirling her dark curls nervously.

Emery had read both the Prophet and the muggle papers earlier that morning. Infamous Sirius Black, Andromeda's cousin and Emery's uncle had escaped Azkaban after 12 years.

Sirius had killed Harry Potter's parents, murdered his best friends in a rage. He had served the dark lord throughout the war and had murdered countless muggles. Her father had been in a similar predicament however instead of being caught, Regulus had just disappeared, assumed dead.

"He wouldn't dare come for her, Dromeda." Ted spoke softly, Andromeda completely forgetting the presence of Emery supposedly upstairs. She seemed too worked up.

"Ted, what do we do?" Andromeda collapsed into the seat beside Ted, her head in her hands, "Send her to Hogwarts again, or do we hide? It feels.. It feels like last time Edward." Emery's eyes widened she had never heard Andromeda call Ted his full name.

"Dumbledore would offer better protection than we ever could Dromeda." She nodded dragging her hands over her face, "Write to him tonight, tell him you're worried, I'm sure he'll give us some comfort." Emery left at the last bit, sneaking back upstairs.

Soon after Sirius's escape, Emery's school term came quicker than Andromeda had hoped and soon the pair found themselves in Diagon Alley. Emery took a few more steps forward as her Aunt scanned the crowds beside her, a soft hand on her shoulder.

Emery had grown a few centimetres taller than her first year and she had discovered over the holidays that she had outgrown her robes. She also needed new textbooks, Nymphadora losing all of her textbooks in the past year.

Andromeda had asked the girl to clean out her mess of her room and naturally. Dora had lit it on fire.

Hence, Andromeda had decided they would venture to the magical street a week before school begun. The first shop Emery was dragged into was the Madam Malkin's, new robes bundled in her arms as her and Andromeda ventured back onto the street.

"Could I look at some books?" Andromeda's eyes snapped to Emery's surprised she had asked for something, usually Emery just bit her tongue. Andromeda's worried expression dropped and she smiled kindly.

"Of course my love, which store?" Emery led the way, thankfully Andromeda taking the robes, shoving it in her bag that never seemed to run out of room.

Emery entered the store of her choice scanning over the more advanced textbooks for her age. Selecting, a few she looked to Andromeda shamefully. Emery didn't have access to her father's vaults leaving Andromeda in charge of the young girl's money.

Andromeda waved her off quickly paying for the books without a second thought. Emery thanked her profusely as the pair left, Andromeda seemingly ready to leave the bustling street.

Emery sent a grateful smile to her Aunt, as her hand squeezed her shoulder again, the pair almost making it just past Knockturn alley when a voice cut through the air.

"Andromeda." Emery felt the soft hand squeeze her shoulder, a little tighter than she wished. Swivelling to face her sister, Andromeda held a tight lipped smile. Emery noticed Draco beside his mother, her eyes widened.

Draco had grown taller than she thought was possible, at least a few inches. She could not imagine what her own friends looked like now.

"Narcissa." Andromeda breathed, her face pale, a little haunted. The sisters remained in silence a moment longer before Narcissa spoke, Emery noticing her hands were wringing together almost as a nervous tic.

"So, you've heard then." Narcissa's cold eyes met Emery's. She paled as Draco's mother scanned the girl over searching for some form of familarity, "About.. him." Andromeda nodded, still rather frozen in her spot.

"Protect the girl." Narcissa breathed quietly, "If she needs somewhere safe, she'll always have a place in my home." Andormeda's eyes widened, until her features hardened and she stepped forward.

Emery watched as Andromeda leaned in a little quiet, although both Draco and Emery could hear, "The dark lord will not get his claws on her as he did our Reggie," Narcissa swallowed, "You'd do well to remember that." Emery had never seen Andromeda so cold, so withdrawn.

Snatching Emery's hand, she led the girl away from the mother and son, Emery looking back just once. She watched a single tear fall down Narcissa's face until she wiped it quickly, Draco sending a small wave to Emery as they too left.