Grudges

Chapter 34

Victoria rarely went back to Grimmauld Place the rest of the summer, she wandered around Diagon Alley with a cigarette in hand. Occasionally she would stand in the alley across from Weasley's Wizards Wheezes and watch as people went in and out. She would see Skye at the cash register, smiling happily at every customer. Laughing when Fred would talk to her. She missed Skye. She wanted to walk in there and apologize for everything she'd ever done to make her best friend hate her so very much.

She missed sneaking out and ranting about her roommates, and helping Skye play pranks on Slytherin's by getting her into their common room. She missed Fred and George, she missed Harry. She missed feeling calm. During the summer a pit in her stomach formed, it never left. She had smoked boxes and boxes of cigarettes to try and rid the feeling, it never worked.

September 1st arrived a little too quickly for her liking. She didn't want to see anyone anymore, she wanted to sit in the alleyway and watch people walk past, not one noticing her.

She received a letter not long into the year, the seal of the Ministry on it. At first she thought it was from her mother, as she hadn't seen her for a while. The letter was far from good news.

To the living family of Adeline Moreau,

We regret to inform you that Adeline Moreau has passed in the line of duty. Her life has been given in the fight against evil. She will be remembered.

Regards, The Ministry of Magic

She went numb for a while after that. She couldn't eat or sleep. She just stared at the letter, and read it over and over again. Her father had gone missing a month back, they all assumed he ran but Victoria knew better. Her father was a coward, if he could join the side of the people he thought would win he would. Her mother was dead, and her father was a Death Eater. All she had was Draco. She barely even had him anymore.

The year went by slowly as well, Draco continued fixing the cabinet. He was so scared of everyone he loved being hurt, he wanted to protect them in anyway he could, no matter the cost. On the fateful night that Draco finally fixed the cabinet he warned Victoria to stay away, stay in her room with the door locked and hide beneath the covers. She looked him in the eyes and told him no, that if he was going to be in danger so was she. She would protect him if something went wrong. No matter the cost.

She was hiding in Dumbledore's office, out of sight from the many Death Eaters stood above her. She was shaking, her wand in hand. Ready to fight at any second. A warm hand touched hers and she jumped, pointing her hand towards it only to see Harry Potter there.

"What the hell are you doing here? You need to go!" They both whispered to each other. Harry shook his head at the same time Victoria did, both of them refusing to leave. A red light shone through the room as Draco disarmed Dumbledore, he was crying as he spoke.

"I'm sorry. I have to do this."

"Draco, I know you are not a killer. Just put the wand down."

"NO! I can't they'll kill them. They'll kill her." Draco was shaking badly as he pointed his wand at Dumbledore. A sound came from beside them as Snape made his way up the stairs, putting a finger to his lips as he looked directly at Harry and Victoria. He flipped his cape and stepped in front of Draco and pointed his wand at Dumbledore.

"Goodbye, old friend." Dumbledore smiled at Snape before he cast the spell.

"Avada Kedavra." With that, Dumbledore flew backwards and out the window of this office. Everything seemed to go in slow motion to Victoria. Bellatrix cackling and grabbing onto Draco, pulling him towards the exit.

"No-" Victoria tried to rush towards them to save Draco but Harry held her back, covering her mouth as she cried for Draco.

"They'll kill you. You heard him earlier! They'll kill you."

"I don't care! I don't care Harry! Draco is all I have left they can't take him from me! Harry they can't take him from me please I don't care if I die let me save him." She struggled against his grip until she fell limp to the floor, her sobs echoing through the now empty room. They were all gone.

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Victoria didn't know why she was here. A wedding in the middle of a war, people were dying and here she was, celebrating a couple she barely knew. She was wearing a black dress, she didn't feel like celebrating. She hadn't for months. Her style had changed drastically, she went from bright happy colors and dresses and skirts to black everything. Jeans, boots, long sleeved shirts. She didn't feel like wearing happy colors, she wasn't happy.

"May I have this dance m'lady?" She'd recognize George's voice anywhere, even though she hadn't heard it in months.

"I don't really dance."

"Well that's total bullshit. You love to dance. Now come on. You don't have a choice." George pulled her up and towards the dancefloor, he met very little resistance from Victoria as she glared at him. "Well c'mon. Now you place on hand on my shoulder and the other in my hand. There you go. Now we step. C'mon you taught me how to waltz why am I the one telling you how to do it?"

"Because I don't want to dance." Victoria complained as she stepped with him to avoid getting stepped on.

"What's wrong?"

"Seriously? You haven't made a move to contact me for months and now you care?"

"Viki-"

"Don't call me that. That's reserved for people that at least pretend to care about me." She snapped at him.

"Will you please just tell me what's wrong? I want to help."

"Ok. You wanna know? I have no friends, my boyfriend is being forced to be a Death Eater, my mom is dead, my father is a willing Death Eater, a war is brewing. And i'm here celebrating a couple i've met once, and that was yesterday. So forgive me if I'm not in the dancing mood." Victoria sighed angrily.

"Your mom...?"

"She died a few months ago." Victoria explained quietly.

"Your dad?"

"He's a damn coward." She growled.

"I'm so sorry."

"So am I." Victoria sighed and rested her head on his shoulder as they danced. "Sorry, you didn't need to know all that. I just....no one has really spoken to me about anything in months. I kinda just needed to get that off my chest."

"It's fine. Hey Victoria?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll always be your friend. I didn't mean to ignore you. Running a shop is a lot harder than it looks." George chuckled sheepishly "I haven't really contacted any of my friends."

"You all are doing a really good job."

"You've never even been Vicki."

"I've been around. You guys may not think of me as your friend but your all still my friends." She missed them.