Bad Romance

Keepsakes

-From your POV-

I had landed on the roof of the manor and then turned back to origin form so I could actually fit in through a window.

I gently climbed in, stealthily and quietly just in case anyone was in the house, when I made my way to the bedroom. On my side of the room, I had a box of keepsakes; it's where I kept anything left over from teenage. It had diaries, pictures, notes, old Slytherin pins, everything. Once I grabbed it, I tucked it under my arm and began to look around the room for anything else that might be helpful.

Once I didn't find anything, I knew I had one more stop before I returned to the Weasley house.

I wasn't in fear of anything happening to me, so I just used floo powder to go to my father's house. I appeared in the fireplace and stood up, scaring my father half to death. He looked at me with wide eyes before hugging me. "The news just got out. I thought he killed you." he said softly.

"No, he can't kill me." I tell him. The hug splits and he looks at me in confusion.

"What d'you mean?" he asks. I take in a deep breath before I break the news to him about my horcruxes; I have no idea how he'd react, honestly. Being upset is a reasonable reaction given the nature of it and the past connection with my mother, but being proud of how skilled of a sorceress your daughter is wouldn't be surprising to me either.

"Many years ago, when Tom and I started dating, we began collecting horcruxes together." I say. His eyes widen. "I started out by just offing anyone who had done me very wrong, including my mother." I explain. "But he has taken a sharp twist; he is on a massive power trip and he will not stop until his empire is built on the ashes of what used to be." I say. He's speechless for a few minutes and then finally finds the words to speak.

"Wow..." is all he manages to spit out.

"I know, it's bad. And at the end of all of this, I'd be heavily surprised if I don't get sent away to Azkaban. But as for right now, he's on a hunt for Violet- as well as Albus Potter- and that is something I simply cannot allow. I don't intend to be a hero of any sort, as a matter of fact I'm not a hero of any sort, but nonetheless I'm going to destroy him." I say. He lightly squeezes my hand.

"Every villain is a hero in their own mind." he begins, softly but sternly. "Clearly, he thinks he's doing what's right. So if you don't see yourself as a hero, well that must make you one, doesn't it?" he explains. I take in a deep breath at his words.

"Father, make no mistake; the world we need won't be built by men loyal to the world we have." I say. We stand there in silence, staring at each other, for a minute or two more before I let out a low breath and speak. "Now if you'll excuse me, I left something in the attic and I need it for safekeeping. If anyone, anyone at all, asks if I've been here or collected something, do NOT tell them I was here. I'll put a protectorate spell over the house, but I'm expecting I'll have a shadow or a tail on me very soon." I explain. He nods and with that, I go upstairs and collect some more items I left in the attic. I hug him and charm the house for his protection before I morph back and fly to the Weasley's.

When I arrived, I saw Smaug lazily lying on the ground, grooming his talons on the ground as seared and slashed bodies of Death-eathers lie on the ground. I use a spell that disintegrates them so nobody inside is scarred by the sight, and then charm Smaug to let me into the house.

I step inside and everyone inside nearly had a heart attack. I raised my hands in surrender. "It's just me." I say as I gently set down the boxes of stuff I had brought back on the kitchen table.

"What's in it?" Ron asks. I place my hand on the left one and look at them.

"These are things I collected from his manor, things that might help me remember what all of his horcruxes are, and this," I say as I place my hand on the right one. "are my horcruxes." I say. All of their eyes widen and they fall silent, telling me Hermione explained to them while I was away.

"Jesus Christ..." Fred mumbled out under his breath.

"I know, it's bad. I know I'm, bad. And in a perfect world, people like me do not exist. But this is not a perfect world." I say with a stern and solemn tone. They all just watch me with wide eyes, still silent. "Now, everyone begin combing through these items. Dates, siginificant notes, highlights, anything that hinted towards what any of his horcruxes might be. I already know two of them-- and possibly where one might be." I say as I dump out the keepsake box on the table. I turn to Albus and Violet. "As for you two, the safest place for you is at school. Get your things, I'm taking you back." I say. Violet's eyebrows immediately scrunch up.

"What?? You're taking us BACK to Hogwarts??" she asks. I nod my head.

"Yes, I am. And it's not for discussion." I say confidently.

"But he's going to check there for us." she returns.

"He stands no chance at Hogwarts; you two are safer there than anywhere else, and I like I said this is not for discussion. So get your belongings, and let's get moving before it's dark outside." I tell her. She rolls her eyes before her and Albus go collect the very few things they actually had with them.

The three of us stood outside of the school, on the grounds. Violet looked very hesitant to leave. "If I need you, how will I reach you?" she asks.

"Write to the Weasley's. That's the safest and best bet you have of reaching out to me." I say calmly. Her eyes soften with concern as she looks down and then back up at me.

"Violet, the biggest way you- and you too, Albus- can help me right now is by being courageous and brave. I know that's hard, you're only 13 and you're scared, but that is the only time a person can show real courage." I reason with her. She doesn't say anything just looks at Albus who looks back at her. I give her a hug and then stand up straight, maintaining a serious expression and straight posture.

I said nothing more to her, as her and Albus slowly turned and began walking towards the castle. Rarely did anyone in our family ever express our love for each other; it was even surprising that I hugged her, in all honesty. I watched them get into the building to make sure they were inside safely before I rolled my neck and sprouted wings again, turning back into a dragon and flying to the Weasley's.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I opened the door and stepped inside and saw that the three brothers and Hermione were still closely digging through the pile of contents I had given them, and Hermione's eyes seemed to have lit up.

She held up a picture of something and looked at me. "I think I found his first horcrux." she says, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and look at her. She looks at everyone and then back to me. "If I'm right, and it is his diary, that means it's still at Hogwarts.".