Neither Here Nor There: Chapter Seventeen
Jul. 8th, 2015 11:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
author_by_nightTitle: Neither Here Nor There
Fandom: Harry Potter
Chapter: Seventeen
Rating: PG-13
Summary: It's been six months since the war, and everyone's ready to try moving on. Lyall Lupin and Andromeda Tonks are coming to terms with the death of their children, finding solace in one another - but how long can they stay close in the face of absence? Kingsley Shacklebolt is trying to lead a country that has been left bitter by war, so distrustful many even doubt him. And Hestia Jones is trying to harbor all she holds dear, which is hard when there's secrets she's never had the heart to reveal.
Author's Note: Full disclosure, I'm not sure about the pacing with this chapter, so please be honest.
Also, as we near the end of this fanfic, I will say I'm planning on making some revisions. So do let me know if there's anything I might consider fixing or changing!
Penelope was ready.
She'd prepared for this. Dreaded it too; it wasn't going to be easy. But for some reason, no one else seemed to know. Even Percy had insisted it couldn't be right. Not that he'd really understood, because Penelope had so much trouble getting him to.
There they were; that devil lady, walking a baby down the street in a pram. She was talking to a young woman with red hair... Ginny Weasley. Of course; Penelope had known Percy was wrong about her.
"Bitch," Penelope whispered as the two women chattered.
Why wouldn't they pick it up already?
"Harry'll meet us soon," Ginny said. "As soon as he gets off work."
Andromeda nodded. Inwardly, she was glad for the alone time with Ginny. They seldom spoke one-on-one, and that was Andromeda's favourite form of interaction.
"Have you heard from Lyall?" Ginny asked carefully.
Teddy began to fuss, and Andromeda closed her eyes as she lifted him out of the pram, thinking of Lyall.
She'd tried to get in touch with him over the past three weeks; but it hadn't done much good. He had sent Teddy a card and a present for his first birthday two days prior, at least.
Ginny looked apologetic. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay. He's always been solitary. I've always been solitary. We both ought to have known this was how it would end- what's this?"
There was a shoe at the front of the steps to Andromeda's house. Andromeda and Ginny grabbed it at the same time.
Andromeda felt a strange tug, and realized instantly what it was. But it was too late; she, Ginny and Teddy were already flying.
When they stopped, they were in a small room - a family room, perhaps? From the looks of it, it belonged to muggles. There was a small fireplace, in front of it Narcissa and Draco.
"You!" Ginny gasped, but Andromeda realized that they looked just as bewildered as her. Their wands were flying towards the ceiling.
"It's her," Narcissa said thickly.
"Who's her?"
"She's completely mad...."
"Good, you're still here. I was worried you'd escape."
Andromeda and Ginny froze at the sound of the woman's voice.
The door slammed, and they faced the woman. Ginny and Andromeda both reached for their wands, but she'd already retrieved them.
Her skin was pale, and her eyes were darting from Andromeda to Teddy. She had long unkempt hair.
"Penelope Clearwater?" Ginny gasped.
Penelope grinned. "You recognize me. Good."
"Do you recognize me? It's Ginny, Percy's sister."
"I know who you are."
Ginny exhaled. "Good. What are we doing here?"
"Percy said you weren't one of them. I knew better, I told him, but he said no, no, you weren't. Fancy seeing you with her then." Penelope pointed to Andromeda.
"She's my friend. Just tell me what you want."
"Revenge."
"For... what?"
"Sending the basilisk and - and the others - after my brother, his wife and children." Penelope laughed coldly.
"That's not what happened," Draco said at once.
"It wasn't her," Andromeda said. "Penelope, please, we're on your side..."
"Then give me the child."
"What?"
"Give me the child."
"Give me your wand, sweetheart," Bellatrix Lestrange said in a baby voice.
Penelope stood in front of her family defiantly. "No."
She still couldn't quite process that this was happening. One minute they'd been playing outside, watching the children blowing bubbles... now they were facing three Death Eaters.
"But it would be so nice if you did. Otherwise, I might have to kill them. Crucio!"
Kate fell to the ground and cried out in agony. Craig rushed to his wife's aide, and the children started screaming.
"Leave them out of this!" Penelope begged.
"Drop your wand, or she dies."
Penelope swallowed and put down her wand. "There. Now leave her al-"
"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix shouted.
"Kate!" Craig shook his wife, but her body was limp. She was gone... no, it couldn't be... but it was.
"Craig, get the kids and get out of here!" Penelope ordered, all the while fighting tears. She reached for her wand, but Rabastan pointed his wand at her, and she flew upwards.
Jeremy and Maggie were fighting their father's hands as he tried to get them to run... Penelope screamed loudly, and realized all she could do was scream....
Andromeda shook her head.
"I will not," she said, holding Teddy close.
"What could you possibly want with him?" Narcissa demanded,
"Babies grow up, unless they meet witches like you. Then I scream, but you still make sure they never grow, you shove them back into the ground like mandrakes. I've watched you care for him, but it's only a matter of time..."
"I'm not shoving Teddy anywhere," Andromeda assured her.
"That's what you said before. Then you killed them and turned me into Ophelia."
So Audrey was right about the Hamlet connection.
Ginny made a sudden movement, and Penelope pointed her wand in her direction.
"No," Penelope said. "You're not doing it to me again."
Ginny set her shoulders back. "You're right, I'm not. The basilisk is dead, and so is Tom. For good this time. He can't hurt either of us."
"Too late. Little Penny's gone now. The mirror couldn't save her this time."
"Why don't you cut out the gibberish and just tell us what you want?" Draco snarled. "We have places to be."
Ginny gave Draco a look. "There's a time and place for being a twat, Malfoy. Now's not it."
"I can't imagine what you've been through," Andromeda said. "I truly cannot."
"Of course not, you don't feel pain."
"I feel pain every single day!" Andromeda exclaimed.
Ginny made to put her hand on Andromeda's shoulder, but Andromeda inched away. She couldn't be emotional right now.
"I'm sure you do," Penelope agreed, not seeming to realize she was contradicting herself. She paced back and forth, caressing her wand idly. "Oh, yes, I'm sure you do, now that your Master has been slain."
"What - the - hell are you talking about?" Ginny stammered. "Are you saying Andromeda was a Death Eater?"
Penelope rolled her eyes. "Stop distracting me with nonsense."
"You're the one talking nonsense. Andromeda fought with us, she was-"
"-I'm not talking about this Andromeda person."
Andromeda's eyes widened, for after months of confusion, she'd finally understood.
"You think I'm Bellatrix Lestrange, don't you?" Andromeda asked.
Penelope rolled her eyes impatiently. "Who else would you be?"
Penelope fell to the ground mid-scream.
"You said you'd spare them," she panted as she stood.
Before they could react, Penelope grabbed her wand and yelled the first spell she could think of: "Stupefy!"
The bodies were too much... Penelope couldn't look at them. Instead she ran, shaking and crying. Or at least that's what she thought she was doing - everything was a blur. Penelope ran down the country road towards a highway... barely blinked when several cars blared their horns as she crossed... finally taking refuge in an empty home, its owners apparently having gone one place or another. They'd left a back door unlocked, to Penelope's advantage.
"Penelope," Andromeda began, "Bellatrix Lestrange is dead. I just look like her."
"Are you twins?"
Andromeda shook her head. "No, but she is my sister."
"Impossible. Her sister's right there." Penelope pointed to Narcissa. "And she's next."
"Tell us your grand plan," Narcissa sniffed. "I can't imagine what you'll do, you can barely string together a coherent sentence."
Penelope raised her eyebrows. "I managed to create three Portkeys, and got four people whose company I was owed out of it. Yes, Ginny," Penelope added, "I was going to leave you be. Percy asked me to, and I thought, maybe he's right. But you showed up with her, so clearly, he was wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. I should've known, he had the Minister at his house."
"Kingsley's not the worst Minister we've had," Draco told her. "He's less clueless than Fudge. I don't think Father would be able to fool him. Bad for us, but I reckon you'd like that."
"Shut up," Penelope hissed.
"I've done enough of it lately. I'd like to have my say. Stop shaking your head at me, Mum, it's unbecoming of a woman of your stature."
Andromeda snorted despite herself.
"You want to punish them?" Draco continued. "Go ahead. But you should know they're not the people you're looking for. The only reason Ginny here attacked you was because of my father."
"I remember the story."
"Then why are you blaming her?"
"Because I know she sent it after me again."
"Your memory's been modified poorly," Andromeda told her. "You're confused."
"I'm not confused!" Penelope insisted, but her face was reddening. "I remember it... I'll remember... no, no, no, I can't think it, I can't think of the things I told myself I must not. Too terrible to begin. She said they'd spare them, why didn't she keep her word? Of course she didn't keep it. She'd never keep her word, no feelings. You did this to me," Penelope finished with an accusing glare at Andromeda. "You know Jeremy would be seven today?"
"I didn't," Andromeda said, "but I know how much that hurts."
"Don't. You. Dare." Penelope's wand was on Andromeda's chest now. "You can't possibly know how much... how I think of them..."
"Every day? How you wonder what you could've done differently? What good were nursery rhymes in the world you knew they'd been born into? You should've taught them Duck, Duck, Run. To not believe in anything. To be selfish, even. Save your own neck. And your brother... on one hand, you're glad he doesn't have to live with that pain. On the other? He's the only one who could help you through this. You miss him so much it hurts, because he was the very best of you. He was the one who made you a better person than you thought you were capable of being."
Penelope was crying, but she didn't move. "No. Don't make me..."
"All I have is him." Andromeda hugged Teddy. "And yet sometimes, I think he's going to hate me, for not saving the rest of them."
"Oh, Andromeda-" Ginny began.
"Don't," Andromeda warned her sharply.
Even Draco and Narcissa looked sympathetic. Andromeda closed her eyes.
"Is that why you kidnapped him?" Penelope asked. "I know he isn't yours. I've been watching you."
"He's my grandson."
"You had children?"
Andromeda nodded. "A daughter. She and her son died fighting You-Know... Vol...Voldemort." She let out a shaky laugh. "I said it. Good for me."
Penelope frowned. "They were on our side?"
"So was I. Penelope... I don't know how else to tell you, but I promise, I am not Bellatrix."
"I remember it was you..."
Narcissa cut in. "She looks like her, that's all. They don't even have the same hair colour."
"You could be lying. You're trying to get me to break, to let you go!"
Penelope waved her wand, and Andromeda flew towards the back of the room; the last thing she remembered was a lamp falling on top of her.
Penelope stayed two nights; she couldn't sleep, constantly waking up to the screams of her brother, his wife, his children. They haunted her during the day, too. When she wasn't thinking about them, she was thinking about the Basilisk - an old scar that had never really gone away, brought back to the forefront. Were the nightmares about that not enough?
She drank two cans of beer, hoping it would calm her down; it only made her feel sadder as she thought about the muggles who owned the beer, their total oblivion to the danger they were in.
That was when she knew what she must do.
Penelope could forget. If she used the spell, she wouldn't remember any of it. Then she could move on with her life.
She wrote herself a note - no details, just telling her that her brother was dead and she had to keep running so she wouldn't be next. Don't remember, just run. Penelope drew in a deep breath, pointed her wand to her head, and prepared to modify her memory for good.
What she forgot, in her moment of grief, was Flitwick's warning that those spells could not only fail to work, but backfire terribly and wreak havoc on the mind.
Hestia and Audrey had exhausted every room, floor, nook and cranny in Greensleeves cottage. Before that, they'd gone to Penelope's parents' home. Harry and Percy were elsewhere.
They'd worked out that Penelope had taken Ginny and Andromeda when Harry showed up to Andromeda's late. He'd arrived to find a note in Teddy's pram.
Percy (if you get this) -
I'm sorry. I had to. Must pay for damaged goods. Ginny wasn't meant - I tried keeping her out, she's bad too, no time to write more, they'll escape.
"You don't think she'll hurt them, do you?" Audrey asked.
Hestia shook her head slowly. "Not intentionally. Part of her must have wanted Percy to stop her. It's a cry for help. At the same time, that doesn't mean she won't do something irrational."
"And we have something," Percy said as he rushed in with Harry. They were staring into a small mirror.
"It's Andromeda's," Harry explained to Hestia. "It was Sirius's, but - nevermind that. She must have had it on her, and... you should see."
They were looking inside a room; Andromeda's was on the floor, her eyes closed. Judging by the angle, the mirror had slipped out when she fell. Ginny picked up a crying Teddy, and Penelope was hurrying towards her.
"I killed her," she gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh Merlin, I..."
Someone's hand grabbed Andromeda's.
"She's breathing," a woman's voice said, "and there's a pulse. You didn't kill her, but we ought to kill you!"
The woman gasped as Penelope pointed her wand. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
"Penny, look at me!" Percy cried.
Penelope froze.
"Who's there?" She asked, looking around.
"On the floor."
Penelope looked into the mirror.
"Percy?"
Percy nodded.
Penelope picked up the mirror. "What do you want? And why are they with you?"
"We want to help you."
"I don't need help. I'm punishing them so they can't hurt anyone again. No more babies. Husbands. Wives. Brothers. Sisters. "
"You sounded pretty distraught when you thought you'd killed her," Hestia pointed out.
Penelope hesitated. "Don't want to be as bad as them. Just... feel pain. Remorse. Bellatrix Lestrange must pay."
"Bellatrix Lestrange is dead," Audrey said evenly.
"Death is the only thing that never dies."
"Enough with the macabre," the other woman's voice said impatiently.
"Who was that?" Harry asked.
"Narcissa Malfoy, and her stupid son. You remember him. He opened the Chamber with Ginny."
"He. Made. Me. Do. It," Ginny said through gritted teeth.
"Malfoy did?" Penelope sounded angry now.
"As much as I'd love to rehash the past seven years, we haven't much time," Percy said quickly. "Just tell us where you are."
"Percy, I told you, I have to do this."
"What? You just said you're not going to kill them. You don't really want to do any of this, and I think you know that."
"I'm a ghost, and I will haunt the people who made me like this so they'll become ghosts, too. The screams of my brother and his family are in these walls, you know, the walls I should have kept them in. I hear them as I speak. Don't let them outside, Penelope, what were you thinking?" Penelope let out a soft moan.
"She just told us where she is," Hestia whispered to the others. They nodded.
"Keep her talking," Audrey told Percy. "Ask her anything."
"Tell us about them," Percy said.
Penelope's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"I think you need to. We both know they need to know what they did."
Hestia, Audrey and Harry snuck away. They didn't need to be told where to go; they'd examined her brother's home many times. There was still "Do Not Cross" tape that was magically set to deter muggles, except for Penelope's family.
Sure enough, the door to the home was open. They roamed the house until they heard talking in the family room.
Penelope shouted in surprise when she realized Audrey, Hestia and Harry had run in. The Malfoys and Ginny also spun around. Towards the wall, Andromeda was stirring slowly.
"We're not here to hurt you," Hestia said as Ginny and Harry helped Andromeda stand.
"Get out," Penelope said.
Hestia pointed her wand at the ones flying towards the ceiling, and retrieved Penelope's. Harry gently took the mirror from her, and Audrey took Penelope's hand.
"You know I care about Percy," she said softly. "And you know he cares about you. So you have to trust both of us."
"I can't."
"You've already shown that you do. Penny... I know you're scared, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't know how hurt you were before, when we were at school. All of us Ravenclaws should've noticed. We dropped the ball, and I'll never forgive myself for that."
"I never said anything. Especially not to you, you were so... vanilla."
Audrey grimaced, but regained her composure. "You shouldn't have needed to. Let us help you as we should have before."
Penelope looked at Andromeda. "She's not Bellatrix Lestrange?"
"If she were, she wouldn't still be standing," Harry promised.
Hestia stepped in. "I know you're scared, Penelope. You think you're Ophelia, but the truth is..." Hestia hoped what she was about to say was accurate, because she mostly knew about Hamlet from what Audrey had explained. "You're not. You don't have to drown."
"What if I already did?"
"You didn't. I can see you as clear as day."
Penelope nodded slowly, but she still looked anxious, although her hand was lowering.
"Penny!"
Percy had entered the room. Penelope raced towards him and began to sob on his shoulder.
"It's okay... it's okay..." he whispered.
"I'm not okay, Perce."
"No, you aren't. But you will be."
"Let's go," Audrey said, and she, Percy and Penelope disapparated. Everyone watched them in silence.
"Well," Narcissa began, "there's no use in sticking around... are you alright, Andromeda?"
Andromeda rubbed her head. "I'm okay."
"You should get that looked at, though," Harry told her. "Just in case."
"I'll go with you," Narcissa said suddenly.
Andromeda arched an eyebrow. "Clearly I must have lost it, if I think you just said you'd come with me. Harry, take Teddy... don't tell Lyall."
"Shouldn't he-"
"I don't want to bother him."
With that, the two women left. Draco hesitated, nodded curtly at Harry, and also left.
Hestia's thoughts returned to Penelope. "I hope she'll be okay."
"There's good Healers at St. Mungo's," Ginny said. "They helped me when... well, let's just say I've met them, and they help."
Harry looked thoughtful. "I think I know someone who might be able to help her, too. Birds of a feather, as they say."
Andromeda couldn't believe that Narcissa hadn't left her side as they waited for the Healer.
"I really do think I'm fine," Andromeda said.
Narcissa hesitated. "It's not that. I just wanted to say... oh, this is rather difficult."
"Spit it out."
"I'm... I'm sorry. This wasn't your fight, it was mine, wrongfully ascribed to you."
"That's more Bellatrix's fault, isn't it?" Andromeda pursed her lips. "I hate looking like her."
"if it makes you feel better, she hated looking like you."
Andromeda considered the point. "It does make me feel a bit better, yes. Must have humbled her considerably."
"Oh, yes. It absolutely did."
The sisters laughed.
"I'll admit that I miss who she was before," Andromeda said. "I do remember when we were friends."
"So do I. I used to hate you two a little. Then you hated each other and I missed-"
Narcissa stopped.
"Missed me?"
"Maybe just a teeny bit," Narcissa mumbled.
Andromeda smiled sadly. "I missed you a little as well when I left. I thought of getting you to come with me, but I reckoned you didn't want to."
Instead of responding, Narcissa walked away from Andromeda's bed and peered out the window.
Andromeda was more than fine with this; she knew she would never have a normal relationship with her sister. But they were sisters, and in the end, it counted for something, and that "something" was all that mattered.
Two weeks later
Percy visited Penelope a few times each week, sometimes with Audrey, sometimes with Hestia, sometimes alone.
A few spells had been placed to safely restore her memory, though it wasn't perfect, and the trauma itself hadn't gone away. She was still skittish, and a little confused. The Healers weren't sure how much she would ever truly recover, but at the very least, she was more herself now than ever.
And today was a special day.
"I'm about ready to leave," Penelope told Percy. "Though they want me to consult two times a month..."
"It'll be good for you."
"I know."
"In the meantime, there's someone Harry wants you to meet. We're thinking of having you stay with him once you do. It's entirely up to you, of course, but-"
"-of course." Penelope smiled. "How's Audrey?"
"She's good. She'll be coming with him, actually."
"I like her. Don't blow it like you blew us."
"I almost did," Percy blurted.
Penelope tilted her head. "Well, don't do it again. My memory's not much to go by these days, but you seem happier now than the last time we met, and I expect she's got a lot to do with that."
Percy smiled. "Yes. She does."
"Penelope?"
Harry, Hestia and Audrey had come in with an elderly man who looked familiar.
"Aren't you the barman of the Hog's Head?" Penelope asked.
The man nodded. "Yes. I am."
Penelope looked confused. "And they think... you'd have room for me there?"
"Someone dear to me was a lot like you," the man explained.
"Let's let them talk," Harry probed.
Percy was unsure. "I don't-"
"-trust me. He knows what he's talking about."
When Percy came back, the man and Penelope were talking as though they were old, dear friends.
Fandom: Harry Potter
Chapter: Seventeen
Rating: PG-13
Summary: It's been six months since the war, and everyone's ready to try moving on. Lyall Lupin and Andromeda Tonks are coming to terms with the death of their children, finding solace in one another - but how long can they stay close in the face of absence? Kingsley Shacklebolt is trying to lead a country that has been left bitter by war, so distrustful many even doubt him. And Hestia Jones is trying to harbor all she holds dear, which is hard when there's secrets she's never had the heart to reveal.
Author's Note: Full disclosure, I'm not sure about the pacing with this chapter, so please be honest.
Also, as we near the end of this fanfic, I will say I'm planning on making some revisions. So do let me know if there's anything I might consider fixing or changing!
Penelope was ready.
She'd prepared for this. Dreaded it too; it wasn't going to be easy. But for some reason, no one else seemed to know. Even Percy had insisted it couldn't be right. Not that he'd really understood, because Penelope had so much trouble getting him to.
There they were; that devil lady, walking a baby down the street in a pram. She was talking to a young woman with red hair... Ginny Weasley. Of course; Penelope had known Percy was wrong about her.
"Bitch," Penelope whispered as the two women chattered.
Why wouldn't they pick it up already?
"Harry'll meet us soon," Ginny said. "As soon as he gets off work."
Andromeda nodded. Inwardly, she was glad for the alone time with Ginny. They seldom spoke one-on-one, and that was Andromeda's favourite form of interaction.
"Have you heard from Lyall?" Ginny asked carefully.
Teddy began to fuss, and Andromeda closed her eyes as she lifted him out of the pram, thinking of Lyall.
She'd tried to get in touch with him over the past three weeks; but it hadn't done much good. He had sent Teddy a card and a present for his first birthday two days prior, at least.
Ginny looked apologetic. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay. He's always been solitary. I've always been solitary. We both ought to have known this was how it would end- what's this?"
There was a shoe at the front of the steps to Andromeda's house. Andromeda and Ginny grabbed it at the same time.
Andromeda felt a strange tug, and realized instantly what it was. But it was too late; she, Ginny and Teddy were already flying.
When they stopped, they were in a small room - a family room, perhaps? From the looks of it, it belonged to muggles. There was a small fireplace, in front of it Narcissa and Draco.
"You!" Ginny gasped, but Andromeda realized that they looked just as bewildered as her. Their wands were flying towards the ceiling.
"It's her," Narcissa said thickly.
"Who's her?"
"She's completely mad...."
"Good, you're still here. I was worried you'd escape."
Andromeda and Ginny froze at the sound of the woman's voice.
The door slammed, and they faced the woman. Ginny and Andromeda both reached for their wands, but she'd already retrieved them.
Her skin was pale, and her eyes were darting from Andromeda to Teddy. She had long unkempt hair.
"Penelope Clearwater?" Ginny gasped.
Penelope grinned. "You recognize me. Good."
"Do you recognize me? It's Ginny, Percy's sister."
"I know who you are."
Ginny exhaled. "Good. What are we doing here?"
"Percy said you weren't one of them. I knew better, I told him, but he said no, no, you weren't. Fancy seeing you with her then." Penelope pointed to Andromeda.
"She's my friend. Just tell me what you want."
"Revenge."
"For... what?"
"Sending the basilisk and - and the others - after my brother, his wife and children." Penelope laughed coldly.
"That's not what happened," Draco said at once.
"It wasn't her," Andromeda said. "Penelope, please, we're on your side..."
"Then give me the child."
"What?"
"Give me the child."
"Give me your wand, sweetheart," Bellatrix Lestrange said in a baby voice.
Penelope stood in front of her family defiantly. "No."
She still couldn't quite process that this was happening. One minute they'd been playing outside, watching the children blowing bubbles... now they were facing three Death Eaters.
"But it would be so nice if you did. Otherwise, I might have to kill them. Crucio!"
Kate fell to the ground and cried out in agony. Craig rushed to his wife's aide, and the children started screaming.
"Leave them out of this!" Penelope begged.
"Drop your wand, or she dies."
Penelope swallowed and put down her wand. "There. Now leave her al-"
"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix shouted.
"Kate!" Craig shook his wife, but her body was limp. She was gone... no, it couldn't be... but it was.
"Craig, get the kids and get out of here!" Penelope ordered, all the while fighting tears. She reached for her wand, but Rabastan pointed his wand at her, and she flew upwards.
Jeremy and Maggie were fighting their father's hands as he tried to get them to run... Penelope screamed loudly, and realized all she could do was scream....
Andromeda shook her head.
"I will not," she said, holding Teddy close.
"What could you possibly want with him?" Narcissa demanded,
"Babies grow up, unless they meet witches like you. Then I scream, but you still make sure they never grow, you shove them back into the ground like mandrakes. I've watched you care for him, but it's only a matter of time..."
"I'm not shoving Teddy anywhere," Andromeda assured her.
"That's what you said before. Then you killed them and turned me into Ophelia."
So Audrey was right about the Hamlet connection.
Ginny made a sudden movement, and Penelope pointed her wand in her direction.
"No," Penelope said. "You're not doing it to me again."
Ginny set her shoulders back. "You're right, I'm not. The basilisk is dead, and so is Tom. For good this time. He can't hurt either of us."
"Too late. Little Penny's gone now. The mirror couldn't save her this time."
"Why don't you cut out the gibberish and just tell us what you want?" Draco snarled. "We have places to be."
Ginny gave Draco a look. "There's a time and place for being a twat, Malfoy. Now's not it."
"I can't imagine what you've been through," Andromeda said. "I truly cannot."
"Of course not, you don't feel pain."
"I feel pain every single day!" Andromeda exclaimed.
Ginny made to put her hand on Andromeda's shoulder, but Andromeda inched away. She couldn't be emotional right now.
"I'm sure you do," Penelope agreed, not seeming to realize she was contradicting herself. She paced back and forth, caressing her wand idly. "Oh, yes, I'm sure you do, now that your Master has been slain."
"What - the - hell are you talking about?" Ginny stammered. "Are you saying Andromeda was a Death Eater?"
Penelope rolled her eyes. "Stop distracting me with nonsense."
"You're the one talking nonsense. Andromeda fought with us, she was-"
"-I'm not talking about this Andromeda person."
Andromeda's eyes widened, for after months of confusion, she'd finally understood.
"You think I'm Bellatrix Lestrange, don't you?" Andromeda asked.
Penelope rolled her eyes impatiently. "Who else would you be?"
Penelope fell to the ground mid-scream.
"You said you'd spare them," she panted as she stood.
Before they could react, Penelope grabbed her wand and yelled the first spell she could think of: "Stupefy!"
The bodies were too much... Penelope couldn't look at them. Instead she ran, shaking and crying. Or at least that's what she thought she was doing - everything was a blur. Penelope ran down the country road towards a highway... barely blinked when several cars blared their horns as she crossed... finally taking refuge in an empty home, its owners apparently having gone one place or another. They'd left a back door unlocked, to Penelope's advantage.
"Penelope," Andromeda began, "Bellatrix Lestrange is dead. I just look like her."
"Are you twins?"
Andromeda shook her head. "No, but she is my sister."
"Impossible. Her sister's right there." Penelope pointed to Narcissa. "And she's next."
"Tell us your grand plan," Narcissa sniffed. "I can't imagine what you'll do, you can barely string together a coherent sentence."
Penelope raised her eyebrows. "I managed to create three Portkeys, and got four people whose company I was owed out of it. Yes, Ginny," Penelope added, "I was going to leave you be. Percy asked me to, and I thought, maybe he's right. But you showed up with her, so clearly, he was wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. I should've known, he had the Minister at his house."
"Kingsley's not the worst Minister we've had," Draco told her. "He's less clueless than Fudge. I don't think Father would be able to fool him. Bad for us, but I reckon you'd like that."
"Shut up," Penelope hissed.
"I've done enough of it lately. I'd like to have my say. Stop shaking your head at me, Mum, it's unbecoming of a woman of your stature."
Andromeda snorted despite herself.
"You want to punish them?" Draco continued. "Go ahead. But you should know they're not the people you're looking for. The only reason Ginny here attacked you was because of my father."
"I remember the story."
"Then why are you blaming her?"
"Because I know she sent it after me again."
"Your memory's been modified poorly," Andromeda told her. "You're confused."
"I'm not confused!" Penelope insisted, but her face was reddening. "I remember it... I'll remember... no, no, no, I can't think it, I can't think of the things I told myself I must not. Too terrible to begin. She said they'd spare them, why didn't she keep her word? Of course she didn't keep it. She'd never keep her word, no feelings. You did this to me," Penelope finished with an accusing glare at Andromeda. "You know Jeremy would be seven today?"
"I didn't," Andromeda said, "but I know how much that hurts."
"Don't. You. Dare." Penelope's wand was on Andromeda's chest now. "You can't possibly know how much... how I think of them..."
"Every day? How you wonder what you could've done differently? What good were nursery rhymes in the world you knew they'd been born into? You should've taught them Duck, Duck, Run. To not believe in anything. To be selfish, even. Save your own neck. And your brother... on one hand, you're glad he doesn't have to live with that pain. On the other? He's the only one who could help you through this. You miss him so much it hurts, because he was the very best of you. He was the one who made you a better person than you thought you were capable of being."
Penelope was crying, but she didn't move. "No. Don't make me..."
"All I have is him." Andromeda hugged Teddy. "And yet sometimes, I think he's going to hate me, for not saving the rest of them."
"Oh, Andromeda-" Ginny began.
"Don't," Andromeda warned her sharply.
Even Draco and Narcissa looked sympathetic. Andromeda closed her eyes.
"Is that why you kidnapped him?" Penelope asked. "I know he isn't yours. I've been watching you."
"He's my grandson."
"You had children?"
Andromeda nodded. "A daughter. She and her son died fighting You-Know... Vol...Voldemort." She let out a shaky laugh. "I said it. Good for me."
Penelope frowned. "They were on our side?"
"So was I. Penelope... I don't know how else to tell you, but I promise, I am not Bellatrix."
"I remember it was you..."
Narcissa cut in. "She looks like her, that's all. They don't even have the same hair colour."
"You could be lying. You're trying to get me to break, to let you go!"
Penelope waved her wand, and Andromeda flew towards the back of the room; the last thing she remembered was a lamp falling on top of her.
Penelope stayed two nights; she couldn't sleep, constantly waking up to the screams of her brother, his wife, his children. They haunted her during the day, too. When she wasn't thinking about them, she was thinking about the Basilisk - an old scar that had never really gone away, brought back to the forefront. Were the nightmares about that not enough?
She drank two cans of beer, hoping it would calm her down; it only made her feel sadder as she thought about the muggles who owned the beer, their total oblivion to the danger they were in.
That was when she knew what she must do.
Penelope could forget. If she used the spell, she wouldn't remember any of it. Then she could move on with her life.
She wrote herself a note - no details, just telling her that her brother was dead and she had to keep running so she wouldn't be next. Don't remember, just run. Penelope drew in a deep breath, pointed her wand to her head, and prepared to modify her memory for good.
What she forgot, in her moment of grief, was Flitwick's warning that those spells could not only fail to work, but backfire terribly and wreak havoc on the mind.
Hestia and Audrey had exhausted every room, floor, nook and cranny in Greensleeves cottage. Before that, they'd gone to Penelope's parents' home. Harry and Percy were elsewhere.
They'd worked out that Penelope had taken Ginny and Andromeda when Harry showed up to Andromeda's late. He'd arrived to find a note in Teddy's pram.
Percy (if you get this) -
I'm sorry. I had to. Must pay for damaged goods. Ginny wasn't meant - I tried keeping her out, she's bad too, no time to write more, they'll escape.
"You don't think she'll hurt them, do you?" Audrey asked.
Hestia shook her head slowly. "Not intentionally. Part of her must have wanted Percy to stop her. It's a cry for help. At the same time, that doesn't mean she won't do something irrational."
"And we have something," Percy said as he rushed in with Harry. They were staring into a small mirror.
"It's Andromeda's," Harry explained to Hestia. "It was Sirius's, but - nevermind that. She must have had it on her, and... you should see."
They were looking inside a room; Andromeda's was on the floor, her eyes closed. Judging by the angle, the mirror had slipped out when she fell. Ginny picked up a crying Teddy, and Penelope was hurrying towards her.
"I killed her," she gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh Merlin, I..."
Someone's hand grabbed Andromeda's.
"She's breathing," a woman's voice said, "and there's a pulse. You didn't kill her, but we ought to kill you!"
The woman gasped as Penelope pointed her wand. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
"Penny, look at me!" Percy cried.
Penelope froze.
"Who's there?" She asked, looking around.
"On the floor."
Penelope looked into the mirror.
"Percy?"
Percy nodded.
Penelope picked up the mirror. "What do you want? And why are they with you?"
"We want to help you."
"I don't need help. I'm punishing them so they can't hurt anyone again. No more babies. Husbands. Wives. Brothers. Sisters. "
"You sounded pretty distraught when you thought you'd killed her," Hestia pointed out.
Penelope hesitated. "Don't want to be as bad as them. Just... feel pain. Remorse. Bellatrix Lestrange must pay."
"Bellatrix Lestrange is dead," Audrey said evenly.
"Death is the only thing that never dies."
"Enough with the macabre," the other woman's voice said impatiently.
"Who was that?" Harry asked.
"Narcissa Malfoy, and her stupid son. You remember him. He opened the Chamber with Ginny."
"He. Made. Me. Do. It," Ginny said through gritted teeth.
"Malfoy did?" Penelope sounded angry now.
"As much as I'd love to rehash the past seven years, we haven't much time," Percy said quickly. "Just tell us where you are."
"Percy, I told you, I have to do this."
"What? You just said you're not going to kill them. You don't really want to do any of this, and I think you know that."
"I'm a ghost, and I will haunt the people who made me like this so they'll become ghosts, too. The screams of my brother and his family are in these walls, you know, the walls I should have kept them in. I hear them as I speak. Don't let them outside, Penelope, what were you thinking?" Penelope let out a soft moan.
"She just told us where she is," Hestia whispered to the others. They nodded.
"Keep her talking," Audrey told Percy. "Ask her anything."
"Tell us about them," Percy said.
Penelope's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"I think you need to. We both know they need to know what they did."
Hestia, Audrey and Harry snuck away. They didn't need to be told where to go; they'd examined her brother's home many times. There was still "Do Not Cross" tape that was magically set to deter muggles, except for Penelope's family.
Sure enough, the door to the home was open. They roamed the house until they heard talking in the family room.
Penelope shouted in surprise when she realized Audrey, Hestia and Harry had run in. The Malfoys and Ginny also spun around. Towards the wall, Andromeda was stirring slowly.
"We're not here to hurt you," Hestia said as Ginny and Harry helped Andromeda stand.
"Get out," Penelope said.
Hestia pointed her wand at the ones flying towards the ceiling, and retrieved Penelope's. Harry gently took the mirror from her, and Audrey took Penelope's hand.
"You know I care about Percy," she said softly. "And you know he cares about you. So you have to trust both of us."
"I can't."
"You've already shown that you do. Penny... I know you're scared, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't know how hurt you were before, when we were at school. All of us Ravenclaws should've noticed. We dropped the ball, and I'll never forgive myself for that."
"I never said anything. Especially not to you, you were so... vanilla."
Audrey grimaced, but regained her composure. "You shouldn't have needed to. Let us help you as we should have before."
Penelope looked at Andromeda. "She's not Bellatrix Lestrange?"
"If she were, she wouldn't still be standing," Harry promised.
Hestia stepped in. "I know you're scared, Penelope. You think you're Ophelia, but the truth is..." Hestia hoped what she was about to say was accurate, because she mostly knew about Hamlet from what Audrey had explained. "You're not. You don't have to drown."
"What if I already did?"
"You didn't. I can see you as clear as day."
Penelope nodded slowly, but she still looked anxious, although her hand was lowering.
"Penny!"
Percy had entered the room. Penelope raced towards him and began to sob on his shoulder.
"It's okay... it's okay..." he whispered.
"I'm not okay, Perce."
"No, you aren't. But you will be."
"Let's go," Audrey said, and she, Percy and Penelope disapparated. Everyone watched them in silence.
"Well," Narcissa began, "there's no use in sticking around... are you alright, Andromeda?"
Andromeda rubbed her head. "I'm okay."
"You should get that looked at, though," Harry told her. "Just in case."
"I'll go with you," Narcissa said suddenly.
Andromeda arched an eyebrow. "Clearly I must have lost it, if I think you just said you'd come with me. Harry, take Teddy... don't tell Lyall."
"Shouldn't he-"
"I don't want to bother him."
With that, the two women left. Draco hesitated, nodded curtly at Harry, and also left.
Hestia's thoughts returned to Penelope. "I hope she'll be okay."
"There's good Healers at St. Mungo's," Ginny said. "They helped me when... well, let's just say I've met them, and they help."
Harry looked thoughtful. "I think I know someone who might be able to help her, too. Birds of a feather, as they say."
Andromeda couldn't believe that Narcissa hadn't left her side as they waited for the Healer.
"I really do think I'm fine," Andromeda said.
Narcissa hesitated. "It's not that. I just wanted to say... oh, this is rather difficult."
"Spit it out."
"I'm... I'm sorry. This wasn't your fight, it was mine, wrongfully ascribed to you."
"That's more Bellatrix's fault, isn't it?" Andromeda pursed her lips. "I hate looking like her."
"if it makes you feel better, she hated looking like you."
Andromeda considered the point. "It does make me feel a bit better, yes. Must have humbled her considerably."
"Oh, yes. It absolutely did."
The sisters laughed.
"I'll admit that I miss who she was before," Andromeda said. "I do remember when we were friends."
"So do I. I used to hate you two a little. Then you hated each other and I missed-"
Narcissa stopped.
"Missed me?"
"Maybe just a teeny bit," Narcissa mumbled.
Andromeda smiled sadly. "I missed you a little as well when I left. I thought of getting you to come with me, but I reckoned you didn't want to."
Instead of responding, Narcissa walked away from Andromeda's bed and peered out the window.
Andromeda was more than fine with this; she knew she would never have a normal relationship with her sister. But they were sisters, and in the end, it counted for something, and that "something" was all that mattered.
Two weeks later
Percy visited Penelope a few times each week, sometimes with Audrey, sometimes with Hestia, sometimes alone.
A few spells had been placed to safely restore her memory, though it wasn't perfect, and the trauma itself hadn't gone away. She was still skittish, and a little confused. The Healers weren't sure how much she would ever truly recover, but at the very least, she was more herself now than ever.
And today was a special day.
"I'm about ready to leave," Penelope told Percy. "Though they want me to consult two times a month..."
"It'll be good for you."
"I know."
"In the meantime, there's someone Harry wants you to meet. We're thinking of having you stay with him once you do. It's entirely up to you, of course, but-"
"-of course." Penelope smiled. "How's Audrey?"
"She's good. She'll be coming with him, actually."
"I like her. Don't blow it like you blew us."
"I almost did," Percy blurted.
Penelope tilted her head. "Well, don't do it again. My memory's not much to go by these days, but you seem happier now than the last time we met, and I expect she's got a lot to do with that."
Percy smiled. "Yes. She does."
"Penelope?"
Harry, Hestia and Audrey had come in with an elderly man who looked familiar.
"Aren't you the barman of the Hog's Head?" Penelope asked.
The man nodded. "Yes. I am."
Penelope looked confused. "And they think... you'd have room for me there?"
"Someone dear to me was a lot like you," the man explained.
"Let's let them talk," Harry probed.
Percy was unsure. "I don't-"
"-trust me. He knows what he's talking about."
When Percy came back, the man and Penelope were talking as though they were old, dear friends.
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Date: 2015-07-09 03:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-07-09 07:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-07-09 12:25 pm (UTC)This was my favorite line:
"There's a time and place for being a twat, Malfoy. Now's not it."
Such perfect comic relief in the middle of a crisis.
When Andromeda says her daughter and son died . . . I think you mean my daughter and son-in-law, or my daughter and her husband . . .
I loved the ending of the chapter. :)
no subject
Date: 2015-07-09 07:20 pm (UTC)And whoops, thanks also for catching that!