Forgotten Girl

Chocolate Turtles and Careful Truces

A crash reverberated through the house that September 1st. Lilli looked up from her conversation with Sirius as two sets of voices followed.

 "— COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS —" 

"— FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS —"

Lilli and Sirius ran back into the hallway, where Mrs Weasley was shrieking at Fred and George and Ginny was sitting on her trunk with an ice pack held to her forehead. Lilli went to her side as Sirius struck up a conversation with Mad-Eye Moody.

"What happened?" She asked, settling beside her. Ginny huffed.

"My darling brothers tried to float their trunks down the stairs, and I was caught in the crossfire," Ginny readjusted the ice pack.

Lilli winced, "Ouch." She reached out, sweeping some hair away from Ginny's head only to find a cut, "Mrs Weasley! She's bleeding."

That brought the matriarch's attention away from the twins, who saluted Lilli behind their mother's back. Lilli rolled her eyes.

"Lilli, will you grab the others? We need to leave." Mrs Weasley said, and she nodded, hurrying away. Up the stairs she went, stopping first to see if Hermione was in their room. She wasn't. Lilli pushed open the door across the hall, where the Golden Trio sat huddled together.

"Time to go. And I'd hurry, Mrs Weasley is not in a good mood." The three nodded, and Lilli went back down the stairs, catching sight of a large black dog sitting beside the door. She kneeled in front of him, "This is a bad idea, Pads. You know that, right?" The dog licked her, "Gross, Pads. And I told you so."

"Ellie, you, the twins, and Ginny are coming with me," Remus called her to his side, and she went, tucking an arm around his waist. He draped his over her shoulder as they waited for Harry and Mrs Weasley (and Sirius) to leave ahead of them. Then Moody with the luggage. And Mr Weasley with Ron and Hermione.

"Alright, boys. Down the street, take a left into the alley and disapparate. I'll follow with these two." The twins grinned, nodding. They all hurried away from the decrepit old house that had been home for the summer. Lilli kept one eye behind them, looking for anything suspicious.

"Hold on tight, girls," Remus turned the corner, and Ginny and Lilli took his arms as they disapparated.

~

Lilli hugged her uncle tightly, wiping tears away, "Say goodbye to Aunt Thia for me?"

"'Course, little light," Remus ruffled her hair, "Keep out of trouble, yeah? I'll see you at Christmas."

"Bye." She stepped away, kneeling beside Sirius, who butted his head against her chin, "Be careful, Pads. Okay? Nothing foolish."

He just licked her cheek. Lilli made a face, wiping it away. Tonks offered her a hand, pulling her to her feet.

"Careful, Lils, okay?" Lilli nodded, hugging her friend. The two had gotten close over the past few weeks, mainly because of the tension between Lilli and Harry. Tonks had noticed and decided to distract her.

"Keep an eye on Uncle Remus for me?" Lilli grinned at the blush that coloured the older woman's cheeks as she nodded. Her eyes caught on Harry, and Tonks followed her gaze.

"He'll come around, Lils. I know he will."

"I hope so." The whistle blew, "Bye!" 

She hurried to the train with the rest of the stragglers, immediately going off to search for her friends. Winna and Leo were the first she found, and she sank into the empty seat, closing the door with a snap.

"I told him," Lilli sighed when the two looked at her, "Didn't go very well."

"You did? I thought Dumbledore didn't want you to." Leo asked. Lilli shrugged, laying her head in Winna's lap.

"Wait, told who what?" The older Slytherin looked between the two of them.

"You know, Harry." Lilli looked up at her friend, who still looked confused, "That I'm his sister?"

"WHAT?!?"

"Winna, I thought I told you this already."

"NO!" Leo laughed at Winna's expression. 

"Well, I am. When I told you at my Sorting that my parents couldn't take care of me, it's cause they're dead." Lilli shrugged, "Not important right now. I need good news."

"Okay... umm..." Her friends tried to think of something good, "There will probably be pie at dinner?"

"Oh!" Leo reached into his trunk, retrieving three things, "Pea took me to Switzerland over break, and I brought back chocolate! They're turtle-shaped."

Lilli sat up as he tossed her one, "I'll take it!"

~

"Hey, Elliana?" She looked up from her conversation with Leo and Winna to see Harry in the doorway, "Can we talk?"

Nodding, she followed him into the hall and down a ways to avoid the open compartments, "What's up?"

"I'm sorry," he said, his words stilted, "For how I reacted."

"Honestly, I was expecting worse," Lilli admitted, "If I was in your spot, I'd have resented you quite a bit."

He chuckled, "Yeah, I guess. Um, who else knows?"

"The two I'm sitting with, Leo and Winna, and Draco. Dumbledore, McGonagall, Pomfrey, and Snape. Aunt Thia and Uncle Remus, Mad-Eye, Tonks, and Andy, Tonks's mum. That's all."

"You told Malfoy before me?" Harry looked disgusted, "He's a bloody Death Eater!"

She rolled her eyes, "He's not. I trust him, Harry. He's had a rough go at life, just like you."

"Yeah, okay," Harry scoffed, and Lilli fought the urge to roll her eyes again, "What about Snape?"

"I look almost exactly like Mum, Harry. I'd be surprised if he didn't know. They used to be friends." She shrugged, and they fell silent, unease stretching between them.

"Do you mind if I tell Ron and Hermione? About this?" Harry waved between them awkwardly.

"I'm fine with anyone in the Order," her voice dropped at the last word, "knowing, just... don't tell the whole school? No offence, but I'd rather not be known as your little sister."

Harry laughed, sparks lighting his eyes, "Yeah, that's fair. There are days I don't want to be me."

Lilli gave him a crooked smile, gripping his shoulder, "I'd better get back before those two send out a search party. I'll see you later."

"Later, Elliana."