Scratches (Fred Weasley)

(41) Surprise, Surprise

With the many drama that she underwent that day, she did not have that much time to try and understand what the hell it was that was going on. Why now? Why couldn't it be another day? Didn't she go through enough shit with Nicolai and Fred?

"Marlene?"

Aunt Marlene. Was he referring to her Aunt? But why? What did this man have to do with a family member of hers that she had never met?

Florence had never moved so quickly in her life, whipping out her wand from where it was tucked safely in her pocket. She pointed it at the man, her gaze not daring to leave him. He looked much cleaner than his photos on the wanted photos plastered everywhere in Diagon Alley. His hair was trimmed and kept, unlike his wild, frizzled one. But she still knew he was dangerous, the man who had allegedly made a narrow escape from the Dementor's Kiss.

Her mum looked wide-eyed, gripping the hem of her shirt tightly as her gaze went from her daughter to their seemingly unwanted visitor.

"Mum, why is Sirius Black in our house?" she asked, the fugitive raising his hands in surrender, Jane standing up from her previous space on the couch. "Florence, don't be ridiculous. Put your wand away."

The other man who still sat in his seat was no other than her Defense teacher, Professor Lupin, who had a stoic expression on his face, as if he had anticipated all this to happen.

"The hell do you mean I'm being ridiculous? He's dangerous. What are you even doing with—"

"I said, put your wand away. Now." she ordered in a much authoritative voice. Florence stubbornly complied, shoving her wand back into her pocket as she continued to glare at the criminal. He had an unexplainable look on his face, staring at her as if she was oddly familiar.

"Remus," Jane spoke again, however her eyes not trailing away from her daughter. She absolutely hated startling her this way. She knew she had a lot of explaining to do from there; but she wasn't sure if she was ready.

"Florence and I need a little time alone. Would take Sirius upstairs, please?"

But she needed to be.

The horrors of the past was something that Jane could not just bring up. Talking about it brought along tears, and immense sadness. She liked to lock the memories in a box in her mind, and just tuck it away forever. Untouched, but not forgotten.

Florence watched Professor Lupin nod, then escorting the fugitive upstairs. She was trying to fit him into the equation, however she felt her head hurt as she did so. Too much for one day, she thought.

"Dear, sit down." Jane had told her daughter, settling back into her seat as well. Florence moved with hesitation, plopping down on a seat infront of her mum.

The look on her face was a strong indication that she was having a hard time as well. Seeing as she was too drained to even argue her mum to telling the truth, she just sat there soundlessly.

"Sirius and Remus will be staying with us...for awhile." she had put it simply. Too vague for Florence's liking. Why?

"That's not fair,' said Florence, "You can't just tell me that we're going to aid in concealing a fugitive for the whole summer, not tell me why in Merlin's name we're doing it, and just expect me to be okay with it, Mum."

Jane sighed, "I know. But Florence you have to understand... Dumbledore asked me to—"

"Dumbledore? He knows where Sirius Black is? That's—That isn't making any sense at all. He probably hates the man , seeing as he was the reason why soul-sucking creatures roamed the school."