The Truth | The Sister book 2 | HP Fanfic |

-Chapter 21-

The first week of Christmas break went slowly. We visited Arthur in hospital daily, cleaned the house and waited. We weren't really meant to wonder the streets of London alone and without reason, so we all spent most of our time indoors. Grimmauld place does have a small garden at the back through the kitchen, but it's so overgrown and tangled that you can't even get out the door. 

The twins and I have decided Molly must have locked most of the doors, as Sirius probably wouldn't mind us poking through the rooms to avoid boredom. We spend a lot of time cleaning, trying to make the house look respectable for Christmas. When we have downtime, however, we've been exploring. It only took us three days to run out of rooms. 

Despite the heavy layer of dust that just kept reappearing and the uninspiring wall colour, the house perked it's head up for Christmas.  With the decorations and the Christmas tree, and the smell of Gingerbread in the kitchen you barely noticed the grey colour that coated the house the rest of the year. 

I've been awake for at least an hour I know, eyes closed but ears listening, waiting for the others to wake up. Finally, I hear the rustling from the bed beside mine. Ginny. 

"Ginny? Are you awake?" I whisper, opening my eyes slightly to see our room. Sunlight spills in the window and onto the foot of Hermione's mattress, lighting the room up. 

"Yeah? Clara?" She replies, sitting up. I follow suit, sitting up and looking over at her. We grin at each other. 

"Merry Christmas," 

"Merry Christmas!" 

We look down at Hermione, still sleeping soundly on her mattress on the floor. I hear a knock on the wall. The boys are awake

"'Mione!" I hiss, slipping out of bed and pulling my trunk from underneath it. She doesn't move. 

"Hermione!" Yells Ginny. Hermione sits up, glaring at her. 

"I was asleep,"

"Merry Christmas to you too," 

We dress in silence, hurrying out and down the stairs. We won't be giving gifts until lunch, but we're all excited to see what Molly's made for Breakfast. When we arrive in the kitchen, the boys all look up at us, grinning. 

"Merry Christmas!" The chorus as my eyes fall on Arthur. He's back. Grinning I walk down to the table and sit next to Harry. I start dishing myself up some food, watching as the conversations fly across the table. Harry and I glance at each other, smiling. This is home.  Sirius sits at the table too; telling jokes and stories, talking about Christmas with our parents. It was like a real family. 

At midday Fred and I leave. We walk slowly through the fresh snow until we reach a small intersection. On the opposing corner to us, I see Draco. He stands, shoulders huddled forward, hands in his pockets, glancing around occasionally, looking for me. I cross the road, and Fred follows. I walk up to Draco, though he doesn't realise it was me. 

"It's me, Clara," I say, and he blinks, looking at me in surprise,

"Oh! I mustn't have recognised you in er, that hat," I grin, and he does too. He frowns at Fred, who stands to my left. "Who's that?"

"It's Fred," Fred says glumly, and Draco's eyes widen. 

"I see it now. That's so weird, why is it-"

"It's a disguising spell, you can't recognise my face, or Fred's unless you know it's us. Fred, if you please," I say, waving a hand forward. He walks up to Draco, raises his wand and says, 

"Invisiblia!" 

What looks like a cloud of dust settles upon Draco, turning invisible. It worked. Draco gives Fred and I a look. 

"Firstly, what was that, and secondly," He steps towards me, "Why is he here?"

"That was the disguising spell, and he's here because I'm not over the age of seventeen, duh. I can't perform these spells on you. I'm under enough scrutiny as it is, and after what happened to Harry after the dementor thing... I just can't risk it." He nods. I sigh, "Now, there are a few more things- Firstly, we have to blind you," Draco opens his mouth to object, but I cut him off, "But don't worry, we've practised tons and it's reversible. We'll unblind you after we get there. Secondly, We're going to put a memory spell on you,"

"Why? You really think I'm going to say anything?" Draco says, raising an eyebrow. 

"No," I glance at Fred,  "well I don't, anyway. It's so that if anyone finds out you were here and they look into your memory, they won't be able to decipher anything. They won't know where Headquarters is,"

"But I want to remember!" Draco hisses, stepping closer. "I want to remember this, I don't want to forget Christmas,"

"You'll remember the things you already know will be there, like me, and food, and the Weasleys, but other than that, it'll all be a pleasant blur at the back of your mind. Fred will initiate it here, and everything that happens between now and when I say goodbye and cut it off will be a blur." I grin at him, but he just gives me a worried look. I step closer to him, so close that I can feel his breath on my face, "You'll be ok, Draco. I promise," 

He sighs, nodding. 

"Alright you two, take a few steps away from each other before I vomit," Fred says, "Now Malfoy, look at me will you?" He raises his wand, "Obscuro,"

Draco stumbles backwards, blinking and look around bewildered. I take his arm, steadying him. 

"This is very strange," He says, his eyes looking over my shoulder, not at me. I chuckle, squeezing his arm.

"Immemores incerpe," Fred says, and the tip of his wand glows white, initiating the memory charm Hermione taught us. He gives me an annoyed look. I smile,

"You can go, thanks, Fred," He tips an invisible hat at me before apparating away. 

I turn to Draco, taking his hand, "Let's go then, Malfoy"

xxx

Hello!

In case some of you were wondering, most of the spells I talk about in this chapter aren't original ones, for example, the memory charm immemores incerpe is start forgetting in Latin. 

Thanks,

Taylor