Louis and Victoire Weasley have one thing in common; they both seriously underestimate their middle sibling. Dominique, or Mini, as I normally address her, is cunning and mischievous and clever, behind a convincing façade of silliness, shyness, and blandness. I am one of the only people that recognize her potential as a dastardly partner in crime, and, being rare in nature, I take advantage of that quite a bit.
This was one of those times.
When Rose disappeared with the once-heavenly Scorpius, accusations, as I told you, turned directly to me. Something about my impertinence being “the last straw” and ultimately “driving them away” from the safety of Hogwarts. With Aunt Hermione M.I.A. and Uncle Ron incapable of even providing a proper hug, it seemed the target that now haunted the family would be turned on Rose and Hugo. Hugo was put under watchful lockdown, but freespirited Rose escaped before the same could be done to her. So naturally, I took it unto myself to return her to her rightful place - controlled. Imprisoned. Studious, uninteresting. Uncle Ron would probably place her in solitary confinement for running off with a Malfoy.
Security at Hogwarts had tightened, but we weren’t escaping an obvious route. I tricked Andy Longbottom into helping me gain access to the Floo in the Transfiguration professor’s office, then Mini and I snuck up there after dinner one night, after a Quidditch match that was so shocking in its outcome that every House was either partying or mourning to the point of apathy. We alerted the professor to the party that was happening in our own house, so he stomped off to the common room, believing us to be in tow. We fell back and hurried to the mantel, grabbing fistfuls each of powder and hurriedly tossing it in the flames. I decided that Rose’s house would be the first place to look, so Mini and I directed ourselves there, falling out of the fireplace on the other side in shock to see who stood there, wand pointed at our noses, face alive with fear, and sadness.
When they recognized us, their wand fell to their side, and they fell onto their recliner with an air of defeat. “How in the name of Merlin does everyone escape school these days?” Uncle Ron hissed, burying his head in his hands.
I shook with worry. We were in for it.
Mini straightened. “We want to find your daughter. We’re so worried about our dear cousin, Uncle Ron, and Aunt Hermione, and you.”
“How did you get out of Mungo’s, Uncle Ron? I thought you were dealing with the after-effects of an unknown curse that you were hit by when they took Aunt Hermione,” I spoke up, feeling suddenly suspicious. Uncle Ron was real chipper, for someone who could be taken as dead only week or two ago, then nearly dying for real even more recently. Very upright.
Mini caught on to my fear. “What was the name of the Chudley Cannons player who had the record for Most Quaffle Drops in the ‘97/’98 season?”
Uncle Ron lifted his head and fixed Mini with a glare quite unlike anything I’d ever seen him wear before. “How am I to know that? I hate the Cannons, just as I hate all Weasleys, for what they did to me.”
The effects of Polyjuice Potion take an hour to wear off. How long had the impostor been here, I wondered, as the red hair shrank to a black military cut, and the body widened, and the freckles melted into a menacing tan.
“Goyle,” Mini gasped, and I recognized him too. He was the villain that stalked my favorite aunt and uncle and cousin, and Rose, as well. He was the one who had destroyed the stamina of everyone I knew with the faked death of Ron Weasley. He was the reason fear bubbled now inside me, fear of death and fear of the effects our deaths would have.
He pulled out his wand again, his beady eyes filled with hatred as they fell on Mini. “The French Weasley and the werewolfy Weasley’s second spawn, Dominique,” he said, each word is a spit as he identified her. Then he turned to me. “The Potter daughter of the Weasley girl and the boy who ended any hope I had of acceptance.”
“If you kill us, you’ll only make it harder to find Rose and Hugo, or to reach any of our family. It will send a message to the world to be ready to catch you or defend themselves from you. You’ll never get a chance at victory. They’ll trace you to Aunt Hermione. You’ll die in Azkaban. You’ll rot with failure!”
The words fell from my lips like rain from a black sky. Easily.
He raised his wand at us, and I heard words, though his lips weren’t moving yet.
“PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!!” Rose yowled, coming up behind him and nailing him in the back with a spell. He toppled over.
“Rose!” I cried, unsure of how to proceed. Mini shot me a look of identical perplexity. She’d just saved our lives.
Scorpius ran in behind her, halting at the sight of the man on the ground and us, standing there in all kinds of awkwardness. “Lily! Dominique! How did you two get here? Did you leave school?”
I ignored him, and gathered up the courage to speak directly to my cousin. “Rose, I came to get you. You left when the two of us were in a bad way, and everyone is blaming me for your disappearance, and your dad is even worse now that you’ve put yourself in harm’s way as well.” I cast Goyle a look. His eyes searched my face frantically, and I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if Rose let her guard down much further, he’d break free of the enchantment, and one of us would die.
“Lily, you can’t honestly expect me to come back just so you can restore your reputation as everyone’s angel. And I know Dad will worry about me, but everything will be fine again once I get this to tell me where my mum is!!” she shouted back, her wand still pointed at Goyle, but I knew it wouldn’t take much for the instrument to swivel in my direction.
Scorpius was eyeing me knowingly. Hadn’t he been the one, to, for weeks, let me down easily about any potential between us? He knew the true reason I’d gone out to bring Rose back, and I had a burst of intuition tell me Rose knew too. Maybe even Mini.
“We’re staying here and we’re making Goyle tell us why Mrs. Weasley was taken and where. Lily, you’re only a first year. What could you expect to do? And Dominique, how could you consent to bring her out here? I think you both need to go back to Hogwarts before you escalate everything. Please.”
I gave him a pleading look, and he returned it with steady anger and a third year’s wisdom. I knew he would die if it meant Rose would be happy. I knew if I asked him to even pull a twig off the end of his broom to prove any affections towards me, he’d laugh in my face. My whole expedition for glory and love was pointless. I was wrong.
This only fueled my resolve. “Rose, come with us. I’m begging you.”
She shook her head, staring me down with all coldness possible. “I’m not missing out on my chance for an adventure like our parents had, Lily. I’m not just playing hero, here, I will be one. Go back to Hogwarts. Please.”
I turned, feeling upset about everything in my life, then, as Rose knelt to drag Goyle somewhere to interrogate him, I gave Dominique a signal I’d devised before we left. Stun her. Dominique, in all confusion, did as I asked, aiming right at Rose’s torso. Rose toppled backwards onto Scorpius, and Goyle rose menacingly, watching Rose with thirst in his eyes.
Scorpius stood and moved in front of Rose, his eyes gleaming with a dare. A dare to touch what he . . . loved. I gaped at the scene, fear and heartbreak burning in the back of my throat like breakfast sausages sometimes did around lunch. Mini shot a look at me, telling me to do something, guilt alive in her beauty like nothing else.
I breathed slowly. “What a pretty night it is, Mr. Goyle. A bit like the night your mate Crabbe died, right? Full moon, bright stars. Bella notte, eh?”
He turned to me. “This hatred isn’t only fueled by the death of a close friend, Lily Potter. Who’s to say that close friend is even dead? Fiendfyre doesn’t kill - it paralyzes. That’s what happened to Crabbe. He was believed to be deceased by the entire wizarding world. So he and I went to work, planning a return of dark magic’s reign. A return of triumph. His faked death was what inspired me to go after the man and woman who affect Harry Potter the most - Ron and Hermione Weasley. But you, your mum, and your brothers are next, so I’ll compromise.”
Rose’s scream echoed around my head, and the only thought I could think was this: “What a beautiful night.” Bella Notte.
My Brave Face by grangergirl35
Chapter Notes: Sorry guys about the long wait!! Thanks for reading My Brave Face, we're nearing the climactic chapters. I'm begging that you all REVIEW!! Review review review!! And please check out my other story, review on that one too!!
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