March To The Sea - George Weasley ✔️

- 1 3 7 - FLOURISH AND BLOTTS

LORELEI HASTILY WALKED OUT OF GRINGOTTS AFTER HER EERIE VISIT. The goblins all glanced at her as if she was the enemy, and a part of her visit was arguing that she was, in fact, Regulus Black's daughter. She moved everything in her vault to her own name that morning; there was no more Regulus Black at Gringotts. She rather not have those problems again.

The goblins left everything alone in her vault, but the name on the outside changed along with the security, which was something she was not happy about. Since she was not Regulus, they took off the extra protective enchantments. She saw one goblin, the first one she ever met, Griphook, look at her wearily as he did it. He glanced around her vault as if he was inspecting the insides making her squirm to rush and finish her withdrawal. He took a liking to a particular goblet.

After her visit to Gringotts, she went to Flourish and Blotts. Once again, she felt odd in the shop. Maybe it was the feeling of someone following her, or maybe it was the way the shop owner glanced at her worriedly. She quickly moved to find the book she heard Remus speaking so highly about, and she grabbed two; one for him and one for her. Obviously, she would want to read it, too.

Remus had always loved reading, and during her time at his cottage, he read to her often. She loved hearing him read because it made her feel safe. She thought about how good he would be if he had a child, and she frowned inwardly at the thought of Tonks trying so hard to show how much she loved him. She couldn't wait to get this book to him and speak about their relationship.

While she was reading the synopsis of the book in her hand, she heard a dark chuckle from behind her. Quickly turning, she hastily took out her wand. Eyes widening at the plump man in front of her, she quickly glanced around the shelves to see the owner of the shop looking around dreamily.

"She won't remember seeing me," he said with a manic grin. With a flick of his wand, she turned and went to the window and shut the blinds and locked the door. Turning back around, her hooded eyes glanced at Lorelei with no emotion. "I do not plan to fight you, Lorelei Black. I only come with a warning."

"You know nothing, Pettigrew. Why are you acting as their puppet? Was James and Lily's death not enough?" Lorelei sneered, wand raising a bit higher. She saw him flinch at their names. Smirking, she knew she had gotten under his sickly skin already. "Yes, it hurts, doesn't it? Thinking of how they trusted you--"

"Expelliarmus--"

"Protego! What happened, Wormtail? You said you didn't come to fight," Lorelei hissed out, eyes darkening and teeth sharpening. She could see a flicker of fear after his wand left his hand. It was pitiful really, sending Pettigrew out to give her a warning. He quickly grabbed his wand off of the ground, hurrying to get the owner back under his control before she got away. "Coward. Expecto Patronum." The Patronus heard her thoughts: find Remus, find anyone in the Order. Tell them I need help.

"STOP IT! I only come with a warning, Black!" he quivered, trying to fire a spell at the crab Patronus, but it was too late. It was gone, and he was scared.

"Does it look like I care about your damn warning, Pettigrew!? I could have you killed right now for what you put Remus through--Sirius through! Harry! My mother! All of them! It's your fault!" she screamed, loving how he flinched under her voice.

"Yes, Lorelei. Get angry... you know you want to. Do it. Avenge Sirius. James and Lily. Amatheia. Do it for Harry and Remus. Kill him!" a voice snaked in her ear. Pettigrew paled as he must have heard the voice as well. "You know the spell, Lorelei."

Lorelei only chuckled with no humor in her tone. "See that, Pettigrew? He sent you to your death... that's the Dark Lord you follow. One who is too much of a coward to fight his own battles."

"Strong words for someone who couldn't save her mother or uncle."

"Get out of my head!" she yelled, wand faltering for a second. He let out a dark chuckle.

Suddenly, the room grew cold as she felt a force hit her head. She fell backward into the bookshelf as she felt her vision blur. She saw Pettigrew shaking and quivering as if he was frightened. She knew why when she saw an ugly man with no nose staring back at her.

"You'd rather speak to me face-to-face, then?" he hissed out, a snake climbing onto his shoulders. "Lorelei Black. It is very refreshing to finally meet you... however, I can tell you aren't reciprocating my satisfaction."

"You're correct," she hissed back, standing slightly but being forced onto the shelf by invisible binds.

Voldemort laughed mockingly. "You act so strong, but I can feel your fear. I wouldn't normally leave the shadows to come in such a crowded place, but from Barty Crouch's words, you were worth the meeting. I read your interview last year, refusing to join me and jumping to save Harry Potter. My followers can't be so loyal to Potter, you see. I'll have to straighten you out."

"I'm not your follower!"

"You will be," he hissed out just as Pettigrew whimpered in the background. "What, Wormtail?"

"P-People a-are growing s-suspicious on the o-outside, my Lord," he whimpered pitifully, glancing out the window. He was worried she had sent for help (what else would she make a Patronus for?), and he was worried that would cost his death.

Voldemort only nodded waving his hand to release Lorelei from her binds. "Send them in," Voldemort spat out. The door opened as a flash of blonde hair was all Lorelei could see before her vision was taken away. "Go back to Severus, Wormtail. Draco, Narcissa, it's good to see you."

A crack of Apparation was heard before there was a whimper that sounded feminine. The smell of blood hit her nostrils making her want to puke.

"The shop was too full to grab either one of the twins, my Lord. I know it seems silly, but this crab is very important to her. The last thing she has to remind her of her mother--"

"NO! YOU LEAVE BRIZO ALONE! YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lorelei screamed, voice going raw. She kept screaming, pleading. Brizo hadn't done anything to deserve this. She was restrained again as the Dark Lord only laughed. He glanced at the crab shaking and trying to fight away from Narcissa with a pathetic laugh.

Voldemort grabbed the crab roughly from the woman's hands. Draco glanced at Lorelei, feeling pity, guilt, and sadness growing in his stomach. He never got on with Lorelei at school. She was too close to the blood-traitor Weasleys. She was too worried about pranking than being a Black like she found out she was in her fifth year. She was too nice. She was too funny. She was too much on the other side of the war, and he felt terrible as he watched her fight against the restraints. The owner of the shop was dead, being eaten by Nagini as they spoke, but this crab, no matter how stupid it may seem, was important to her. He felt awful.

Lorelei's eyesight came back, furious tears streaking down her face. She glanced at Draco, guilt in his eyes. Narcissa only looked at her with pity. As a mother, she hated seeing children being brought into the war this way. She then glanced at Brizo who was about to be killed in Voldemort's hands.

"Avada Kedavra!"