Forgotten Girl

The Safe Place

Leo and Lilli stepped off the train, followed by Winna and Belle. A heavy silence hung over the platform as they searched for their parents and guardians. Lilli hugged the girls tightly, reminding them to take care of themselves over the summer. Her mothering brought faint smiles to their faces as they promised to write.

Then she and Leo found Thia and his mom, standing beside the muggle entrance. Both of the women hugged the teens, thanking whoever was up above that they were alright.

"I'll see you next year," Leo said, hugging Lilli around her shoulders. She leaned into him for a moment, then straightened.

"Come along, now, Ellie. We've got to go."

She stepped to her aunt's side, feeling the familiar squeeze of apparition. They reappeared down the lane from Thia's home, and they hurried to the safety of the house.

"Go and pack your things," Thia said as they stepped inside, waving her wand at Lilli's trunk, "I'll explain in a minute."

"Everything?" Thia nodded, and Lilli sighed, doing as she was told. It was times like this that she wished she was seventeen and could just wave her wand to put everything in her trunk. But no, she had to go through and hand-fold everything.

She wasn't sure why she felt so irritable with everything. Okay, really, she did, because it had only been a week since Cedric had died, and irritability was a natural response to grief, but she didn't know why. She had barely known Cedric, only ever meeting him when she hung out with Winna. So why was she grieving?

"Ellie?" Thia came into her room, sitting on her bed. Lilli looked up from where she sat in front of her dresser.

"What's going on? Where are we going?"

Thia shook her head, "Not we, you. You're going to live with Pads for a while, okay? It's safer."

"This is about He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. Isn't it?" 

"Yes. You remember Rem's and my's stories of the Order. It's being reformed, so it's not safe for us to leave you alone. You'll still see us during weekly meetings, and you'll have plenty of company."

~

"Read this, and memorize quickly." Thia handed her a slip of paper. On it, in spidery writing, read the words:

 The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.

She handed the paper back to Thia, who lit it on fire. When she turned back to the cold stone buildings in front of her, she saw a house emerge between numbers eleven and thirteen. Thia hurried her up the steps and inside, pressing a finger to her lips.

"Go down those stairs to the kitchen," she whispered, "Sirius should be in there. I'll be down in a minute." 

Lilli nodded, ducking around the fluttering portrait with a curious glance. Even in the middle of the day, there was a foreboding feeling to the house (Lilli wasn't quite sure it could be called a home). It wasn't just the decor, although that didn't help. Who hung the heads of their House-Elves on the wall?

"Ellie!" As she stepped into the kitchen, Sirius jumped up. She brightened, hugging her uncle. He grinned, laughing at the short girl. Lilli barely came up to his chest, and he received a jab to his stomach.

"Hiya, Pads," she stepped back, looking around the kitchen, "What is this place?"

Sirius's expression soured, "This, my dear niece, is home sweet home. Welcome to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."

Lilli raised an eyebrow, "I can't imagine you growing up here. It's so... dreary."

"Yes, that's my dear old mum's doing. That's her portrait in the hall. A right sweetheart." Sirius shook himself, settling back down at the table, "But anyway, how were classes? How was having Beauxbatons and Durmstrang at school?"

"Classes were classes," she sighed, dropping into the seat across from him, "Although I did make some friends at Durmstrang. That was nice."

"Oh? Any... special friends?" Sirius waggled his eyebrows.

Lilli rolled her eyes, "Gross, Pads. All of them were at least of age. Way too old for me."

He laughed, "That's the Lily in you. James, when he wasn't pining after her, would flirt with anyone."

"Sure you're not talking about yourself, Sirius?" Thia asked, sitting beside Lilli. The man scoffed while Lilli and Thia laughed.

"Aunt Thia? What about volunteering?" Lili asked, resting her chin on her knees, "Is that a no go this year?"

"Dumbledore's fine with it, as long as you go for the same shifts as me. So afternoons, Mondays through Fridays, for five hours. You don't need to actually volunteer the entire time, but we just want to limit the amount of coming and going." Lilli caught sight of Sirius's glum expression.

"Who else is going to come and stay here?"

"Pretty much all the Weasleys and Hermione Granger," Sirius supplied, "Although there will be lots of people coming in and out most days."

"When do they come?"

"Weasleys will be here by week's end, Hermione halfway through the summer." Sirius ruffled his hair, "It'll be stuffed to the brim."

~

Lilli sat curled in the corner of the kitchen, keeping one eye on the soup that was beginning to boil on the stove and the other on her book. It was peacefully quiet, as Sirius was up feeding Buckbeak (the Hippogriff who had helped him escape) and Thia was at an emergency shift at St Mungo's.

A clattering disrupted the quiet, and Lilli jumped to her feet, rushing up the stairs. It seemed as if the Weasleys had arrived. She made it just in time to see them open the door, and she hurriedly shushed them.

"Be very quiet," she whispered, holding the door open, "There are things that shouldn't be woken up in here."

The Weasleys eyed her, mercifully staying silent. Fred and George ruffled her hair, grinning. Ginny nodded to her awkwardly.

"Kitchen is down the stairs, rooms are upstairs. I'll go get Pads— Sirius." She shut the door, leading the way up the stairs as the Weasley children followed her, "Ron, there's a room through there for you, Ginny, you'll have to share with me and Hermione, I'm afraid. Twins, up here."

With a crack, they appeared in front of her, grinning. Lilli rolled her eyes, "Passed the test, I see."

"With flying colours, my dear Lilli." Fred grinned, disappearing into the room she pointed to. George tugged one of her curls as he passed. She hurried up the last set of stairs, knocking at one of the doors before stepping inside.

Buckbeak looked at her as she bowed, then folded his scaly legs in return. Carefully, she tossed him a slice of meat.

"The Weasleys are here. Kids are settling in, and I've vaguely warned them about your mother, as requested." Sirius grinned, feeding Buckbeak the last of the meat.

"Well then, let's go meet them."