Thicker Than Water {a Draco Malfoy story}

seven.

- O L I V I A -

When I thought about the summer to come, I never imagined it to be any different than normal. I thought about living with Ms. Emmeline Vance in our maisonette near Whitehall, spending most of my days alone while she worked at the Ministry. I thought of my occasional weekend trips to the Burrow, tossing around a quaffle with the boys in the front garden. I thought of a summer as unremarkable as all of my others. But what I got was far from that.

When the train arrived at King's Cross, I got off with Fred and George behind me. As always, Emmeline stood with the Weasleys. But there was something different about it this time. Several other people stood around them, all looking incredibly stern. I recognized them as Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"What's going on?" I asked as I approached, instantly knowing that something was up.

Emmeline looked distressed, her eyes darting from me to the others around her. "Olivia, dear," She sighed, but Kingsley cut her off.

"Not here," he growled. He, along with the others, was tense and on edge. None of them looked at me directly. They glanced around the platform as if they were expecting something to jump out at any moment. "We will discuss it when we get back to headquarters. Let's get a move on."

I followed as they began to push through the crowd towards the exit from the platform without another word, more confused than ever. What was this 'headquarters' that Kingsley spoke of? Were we in danger?

Behind me, Fred and George spoke in low voices. I couldn't quite make out what they were talking about, but I caught the words "You-Know-Who" and "hiding". I tried to look calm, but my mind was racing at a million miles per hour. I hated not knowing.

As we were leaving, I caught a glance at Draco and his parents. His mother embraced him, and his father lay a firm hand on his shoulder, emotionless. I pulled my eyes away when Arthur Weasley's arm fell across my own shoulders. "I hear it has been an interesting year for you," he said.

I nodded, but a smile crept onto my face. Arthur was like a father to me and his presence, much like his sons', was incredibly comforting. "When is a year at Hogwarts ever not interesting?" I joked, though the statement held truth.

He chuckled, "Very true." His hand positioned me in front of the plain brick wall and we broke into a run, passing through the wall.

As we pushed our way through the station, I kept catching Lupin and Tonks glancing at me nervously, as if they were expecting something to pop out and sweep me away. Their looks of concern didn't make me feel any more comforted. I wasn't exactly afraid of any present danger, because I knew that while I was surrounded by these strong witches and wizards, nothing would hurt me. But I was certainly disconcerted. Nonetheless, I followed without question. They knew what they were doing.

The streets of London were incredibly crowded, as usual. We probably looked like a right odd bunch carrying trunks, owls, and broomsticks, but the muggles didn't seem to take any particular interest. We walked in silence, blindly following behind Kingsley. Emmeline walked a few paces ahead of me, clearly restraining herself from saying anything to me.

We walked for what felt like forever, winding through the dark streets of London. We gradually grew farther away from the crowds and into a quiet residential area. Finally, Kingsley stopped in his tracks and raised his wand.

On the rather unassuming street lined with muggle houses, the buildings began to rattle and shove apart, revealing a dark looking home.

Kingsley approached the house, Lupin following closely behind him. When the tip of his wand touched the door handle, it swung open. Arthur's hand was on my shoulder again, ushering me towards the house. I climbed the steps and stepped inside. I found myself standing at the mouth of a long hallway, lit by gas lamps and a large chandelier looming overhead. Ornate portraits lined nearly every inch of the paper covered walls, the most prominent one depicting a wild looking grey woman. At one time, it may have been a beautiful grand entryway, but now it was gloomy and cobwebby, with the wallpaper peeling off, moth-eaten drapes, and the carpet worn thin. "Welcome to Order headquarters," said a voice deeper inside the home. From one of the many doorways appeared a distantly familiar face, crowned with a head of stringy black hair. "I'm Sirius," he greeted, "you must be Ms. Olivia."