Aurelia's Story

“What I want,
That’s what I want,
You, that’s what I want.
We could hide away, and I know just the place.
Drop your fears, come right here.
Bind each other in this great euphoric state.” Plan A

Aurelia ducked, and sent the Impedimenta jinx back in Voldemort’s direction. He chuckled, and fired yet more darts of light towards her. Whilst casting the Protego charm, Aurelia thought fast. He was unlikely to want to kill her after reading the letter; therefore, this was more likely to be some kind of a test. She hurriedly thought through all the Dark spells she had learnt, briefly considering Serpensortia before casting that aside – the Dark Lord was rumoured to be a Parseltongue, so that would not be a wise move.
Instead, she shot a Blasting curse directly at him, and then quickly followed it up with Petrificus Totalus.

Voldemort raised his eyebrows and smiled, a cold smile that did not reach his eyes. He shot a Reductor curse at Aurelia, before following it up with, “Serpensortia!”

A snake burst out of his side, and came hissing towards Aurelia. Frightened though she was, she stood her ground. Voldemort stared at her, and waited until the snake was mere inches away from her feet before lazily vanishing it with a flick of his wand.

“So,” Voldemort said, walking towards her. “What gives you the right to believe that you can set me conditions for your service? Those who serve me do so because they are honoured to do it, not merely because it would benefit them.”

Aurelia coolly cast a long stare at him. Despite all the stories she had heard, he was nothing like she had expected. Tall and thin, the most disconcerting things about him were his red eyes, and the slits that passed for this nose. His skin was deathly pale, and his limbs long and gangly. “I set conditions, Master, because I believe that my entering into your service will be mutually beneficial. You will gain as much as I will.”

Voldemort nodded. “Perhaps. I cannot deny that I have always wanted to have a Pendragon in my service, and one who is related to Dumbledore, too” – he spat the name as if it left a bad taste in his mouth – “Yes, it would perhaps be desirable to have you serving me. But tell me, why should I fulfil your conditions?”

“What else do I have to gain from joining you? I would be putting an awful lot at risk. After all, it is still not certain that you will be victorious. Whilst I agree with your philosophies, there is no reason for me to be so extreme in my support. I lead a comfortable life, in a position of influence and I have a beautiful ancestral home. The only thing left that I desire is Lucius, and whilst Narcissa is alive, I cannot have him.”

Voldemort looked intrigued. “What do you expect me to do about that, Lady Pendragon?”

Aurelia trembled. This was it, the moment the last few years had been building up to. “Remove Narcissa Malfoy so that I am free to marry Lucius, and I will spy upon the Order and my uncle for you. I am truly the last person he will suspect.”

Voldemort’s eyes widened, and he stared at her. Aurelia could feel him probing her mind; it was as if an ice-cold finger was plunged into the centre of her head. She knew that she must stay focussed – any sign of duplicity, and the game would be up. After what seemed like an eternity, he withdrew and Aurelia’s legs buckled underneath her. Voldemort quickly conjured a chair for her to rest on.

“I apologise for being so…thorough. However, I had to be certain that you were sincere.” He turned away from her, deep in thought, and then nodded decisively. “The terms are acceptable. You may expect fulfilment of my side of the deal within the week, and I shall expect you to enter my service after that. Till then, Aurelia.” With that, Voldemort Disapparated.

Aurelia closed her eyes, and sobbed. This was what she had descended to, offering to betray her family for the man she loved. Whilst she did not intend to spy on them, she would be putting them in deep danger, and it would be difficult to keep up the pretence without having to pass over some information. Fortunately, at that moment Lucius rushed into the room and knelt by her side. “Aurelia, I am so sorry. When he read the letter, he was determined to see you that moment. How did it go? Well, I suppose, seeing as you are still alive,” he said, a wry smile on his lips.

Aurelia shuddered. “It was painful. He studied the very depths of my mind – it feels violated.”

Lucius cursed. “I should have protected you from it –“

Aurelia quickly shook her head. “No, my Lord. I invited him to do it in the letter. I needed to prove to him I was sincere.”

“Did he believe you then?” Lucius asked tentatively.

“Yes. I…I hope you are certain that this is what you want, darling.”

He nodded fervently. “More than anything else.”

Aurelia exhaled. “In that case, we shall be permanently together by the end of the summer. We may have some difficult obstacles to overcome in the meantime, but the Dark Lord has assured me it will happen.”

Aurelia looked at the man currently kneeling at her side, and felt as if her heart would burst. This love was so, so much more than she deserved. She rose, and pulled Lucius to his feet. “I have a treat for you, my Lord,” she murmured huskily. She nibbled gently on his lips, then whispered, “Close your eyes, darling.” Lucius did so, raising his eyebrows, a small smile playing on his lips. Aurelia took his hand, and led him to their bedroom. Once there, she conjured a straight back chair, and tied him to it with the cords from the night before. Lucius went to open his eyes, and Aurelia shook her head. “Not yet, sweetheart.”

Aurelia moved away from him, and quickly changed before hastening back over and straddling his lap. She checked that his bonds were secure, and then allowed him to open his eyes. Lucius groaned with pleasure. Aurelia was wearing a black leather bra and pants, high heels and long velvet gloves – it truly was a fantasy come true. Aurelia smiled, and then trailed one finger down the middle of his chest, finishing just below his navel. With a whispered charm, his outer clothing flew off. She shifted slightly, and slid back onto his thighs.

Aurelia glanced down, and smiled. For a few seconds she just sat there, staring at the man she loved who so clearly desired her as much as she did him. Lucius’ groans of pleasure brought her back, and she wet her lips slowly, then lent forward. Very gently, she kissed his neck, then worked her way downwards, taking as much time as she dared with Lucius so close to the edge. When she had reached his navel, and the very top of the fine blond hair that curled just below it, she slid off his lap and onto the floor. Aurelia flicked her wand, and vanished the rest of his clothing. Lucius’ penis stood proud and erect, and his eyes were closed. Aurelia lowered her head, and flicked the very tip with her tongue, then moved back again.

Lucius cursed. “Damn, Aurelia! For Merlin’s sake, this is torture…”

She smiled wickedly. “Darling, we of all people know that the longer you wait for something, the sweeter it is when it finally arrives. However, perhaps I can put you out of your misery…”

She took him into her mouth, and expertly moved her tongue over him to give him the maximum pleasure. After nearly three years as lovers, their bodies had become attuned, and each knew what the other loved the most. Lucius shouted her name as he came, and shuddered deeply. When he had finished, Aurelia climbed back up onto his lap, and he kissed her lips and pulled her close before falling asleep again.

Aurelia, however, did not stay. She silently cast a sleeping charm to ensure that he would not awaken for a while, gathered her belongings and slipped out of the manor. After all, she now had less than a week to make her preparations.

Aurelia decided to go to Hogwarts first. She was in desperate need of some advice from her great uncle, although how she would get what she needed without revealing how deep in she had fallen, she did not know…

Albus Dumbledore was sat by the lake in Hogwarts, staring out across it. Aurelia had not been in contact with anyone for five days. Whilst in his head Albus knew that nothing terrible could have happened to her – after all, if Voldemort or his Death Eaters had done anything, they would certainly not keep quiet about it – it did not stop his heart from worrying. He scratched his long nose, and then decided to walk out to Hogsmeade to see if there was any news.

Aurelia spotted Albus rising from where he was sat by the lake, and rushed towards him. He swept her into a hug. “Aurelia! Where have you been? Do you realise how worried your grandfather and I have been?” He grasped her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes.

Worried of what he would see, she looked down. “I’m sorry, Uncle, truly I am… But for what I was doing, I needed to be away from here.”

Albus narrowed his eyes. “What you’ve been doing – it wouldn’t have anything to do with Voldemort, would it?”

Aurelia bit on her lip. “Is there anywhere a bit safer we could go to discuss it? I could use your advice.”

He nodded resignedly, and pulled a slip of parchment out of his robes. “Here, read this and memorise it.”

She looked at the parchment, and read the words, “The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at 12 Grimmauld Place, London.” She frowned. “Grimmauld…?”

“Hush!” said Albus worriedly, glancing around. “We’ll go there now. Take my arm, Aurelia, and I will Apparate us both there.”

They emerged in a dingy street. Aurelia looked around, and thought about what she had just seen. She suspected the house was under the Fidelius Charm, and this was confirmed when it appeared between numbers 11 and 13 as she thought about it.

“Quickly,” said Albus. “Let’s get inside, then we can discuss the events of the last few days.” He sighed.

He knocked on the door, and it was opened by a man whose face stirred memories deep in Aurelia’s mind. She was certain she had seen him recently as well, though. The man nodded at Albus, and looked questioningly at her.

“Hello, Sirius. This is my niece, Aurelia Pendragon. Aurelia, this is Sirius Black.”

Sirius stepped forward, and shook her hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Pendragon. Forgive me, but have we met before?” he asked, looking puzzled. “You remind me of someone I once knew.”

Aurelia looked into his eyes, and felt certain she could trust him. “We have, Sirius. Perhaps you’d place me better if I told you I was born as Aurelia Potter.”

Albus gasped, and Sirius stood there looking stunned. “Aurelia…Your grandfather and I took such care to keep your past hidden all these years –“

Aurelia interrupted Albus. “And I thank you for that. I accept that you believed it best for me, and I am fiercely proud of my Pendragon heritage, but being a Potter is a huge part of my identity. There are certain people I believe deserve to know the truth, and Sirius here is one of them.”

Sirius rounded on Dumbledore. “You told us you’d sent her away for her own safety! James hated not being able to see Aurelia after Charles and Edith were murdered, and he died with that on his conscience.”

“Why would that be on James’ conscience? It wasn’t his fault,” Aurelia said.

Sirius winced. “James blamed himself for the death of your parents. We thought that Voldemort was trying to get to Harry by killing them. None of us understood why you survived unscathed after that, but we were all too glad you did survive to question it. Then Albus took you away, and James and Lily went into hiding, and…well, we all got separated and things became difficult, to say the least. You weren’t at the forefront of our minds.”

Aurelia nodded. “It seems we have a lot to discuss, Uncle Albus. Sirius, if it’s ok with you, I’d like to stay here for a week or so. Would I be correct in saying that nobody outside of the Order could find me here?”

Sirius nodded. “Of course it’s ok. I’d be glad of the company, and it would be great to have a Potter kicking around again.”

Aurelia grinned. “Thank you. After dinner then, Uncle, I shall discuss with you and perhaps Sirius, Remus and Severus what I have been doing since the Order reconvened.”

Sirius scowled. “Why should you speak to Snivellus about it?”

Albus frowned. “Now, Sirius, I have spoken to you and Severus before about your attitude towards each other. But I would like to know why you wish to talk to them, Aurelia.”

“Remus and I became good friends whilst he taught me, Uncle, and I did tell him about my history, and a little of my relationship troubles,” she said with a wry smile. “As for Severus, he is a dear friend, and knows more of the details of my relationship than you. Also, I think he can give us a better perspective of Voldemort and how he may react. Sirius deserves to be there and involved after all he endured for my family.”

Sirius looked deeply touched, and grasped her hand, smiling slightly before pulling away and walking back into the house. Albus grimaced, then said, “Very well. I shall owl Remus and Severus and ask them to Headquarters tonight.”

After dinner, the five of them retired into the library. Albus cast a number of secrecy charms on the room, then turned to face them all. “Thank you for all being here tonight. I think I am correct in saying that what is said here tonight is not to leave this room?” Aurelia nodded, and they all agreed. “Aurelia, I leave it to you to begin then.”

She rose, and walked over to the far side of the room. “What I have to say may shock you all deeply, but I ask that you merely give me your opinion on how I should proceed, and advice on how to handle the situation into which I have gotten myself.” Aurelia then proceeded to summarise the events of the past three years, leaving out the most intimate details, but saying enough to shock her uncle into silence. However, once she got to the events of the past week, she found it more difficult to explain. How could they possibly understand why she would willingly go to Voldemort?

Remus gently prompted her. “So you told Lucius that you could not be together until You Know Who was risen again?” She nodded thankfully. “I don’t quite understand that. What difference would that make?”

Aurelia looked at Albus, and he nodded. “There was a prophecy made about Lucius and I when I was born. Basically, it stated that Voldemort could not be fully defeated unless Lucius and I were together. Thus, I saw no point in going through the pain of being his mistress until the time when it was unavoidable.”

Sirius flinched at her words. “What is it about the Potters and damn prophecies?” he asked.

Severus’ head snapped up. “What do the Potters have to do with this, Black?”

Aurelia looked away from her former professor. “Severus, I know that you didn’t get on with James Potter, so this may be difficult for you to accept. I was born Aurelia Potter, daughter of Charles and cousin of James. After my parents were killed, Uncle Albus and Grandpa decided it was not safe to keep that name, and I took on my Pendragon heritage.”

Severus paled, and turned towards the window and stared into the street.

“But as we know, You Know Who came back last week. What else changed since then to shake you so badly?” Albus gently steered them back onto topic.

“After the first Order meeting, I went home to Tintagel Castle for a few days to prepare myself for what was to come. Yesterday, I received a letter from Lucius, informing me that his wife and son would be absent from Malfoy Manor for a week. I went to him in the evening, and stayed there last night.” The men around her all grimaced. “I know you all dislike him, and with good reason, but you MUST understand that I do love him.”

Somewhat surprisingly, Sirius nodded first. “Unfortunately, we rarely have a choice who we fall in love with, Aurelia.”

She thanked him silently with her eyes, then continued. “This morning, Voldemort called Lucius to him. I asked Lucius to take a letter with him that I had written to Voldemort, asking him to meet with me to discuss a mutually beneficial arrangement. Voldemort arrived at the Manor shortly after.”

Albus started. “You encountered Voldemort this morning? How are you so calm now?”

“My studies in Occlumency seem to have been sufficient. We duelled briefly, then I explained my terms to him. He agreed, set his own, then departed.”

Severus turned back towards her. “What terms were these, Aurelia?” he asked softly.

This was the part that Aurelia had been dreading revealing. “The terms of the prophecy stated that Lucius and I had to be joined together by Voldemort himself. I merely asked him to ensure that that could happen. Voldemort’s terms… He wishes for me to enter his service once he has done it. He made it perfectly clear that he wishes for me to spy upon the Order for him.”

Severus nodded his head. “I suspected this would happen from the first day you became involved with Lucius Malfoy. It seems to me that you have no choice but to go along with this. If your skills were sufficient to make him believe that you were not deceiving him, then you may be able to keep up the pretence for long enough. Between us, we should be able to supply enough information to keep him satisfied without damaging the Order too much.”

Sirius leapt to his feet. “Everybody has a choice, Severus,” he emphasised. “If you were not strong enough to break away, that is your fault. But do not make Aurelia suffer the same fate.”

Remus placed a placating hand on his arm. “It is certainly a difficult situation. I think the most important question here, Aurelia, is whether or not you can live without Lucius.”

Aurelia felt her heart constrict. “Never,” she stated. “There would be no point in life without him.”

Remus nodded. “Then I think we will simply have to make the best of the situation. There can be little doubt that you will be in an extremely valuable position if you can pull this off. The extra person in the Inner Circle could be what we need to make the difference.”

Sirius and Severus finally nodded in assent, but Albus left the room. Before he left, however, they all saw the tears running down his cheek. Aurelia went to run after him, but Sirius caught her arm and pulled her back. “Let him go, sweetheart,” he murmured. “He’s had a big shock. Let him deal with it tonight, and you can talk it through in the morning.” Aurelia felt her carefully constructed defences begin to slip, and the tears began to break through. Severus slipped quietly out of the room, a pensive look upon his face, and Remus touched her arm gently before leaving as well.

Sirius wrapped his arms around her, and held her whilst she cried. He felt a responsibility to look after her. That should have been James’ role, and it was Sirius’ fault that James was not here to fulfil that. Sirius resolved to take care of Aurelia as well as James and Lily would have done. After all, she would badly need her friends around her with what she had to face.

When everyone woke in the morning, though, Albus was not there, and he had still not returned five days later. Aurelia had thrown herself into the cleaning of the house with the help of Sirius and the Weasleys, and spent the remainder of her time studying in the library. Severus joined them for dinner that evening, and he suggested that they work on her Occlumency that evening. The two of them went to the library, and were about to begin work when a black feather suddenly appeared in front of Aurelia, flashed twice then disappeared. Severus gasped.

“What was that?” Aurelia demanded.

“That, Aurelia, was a message from the Dark Lord that he requires your presence. It’s how he communicates with people before they receive the Dark Mark.”

“I presume he wants me to go to Malfoy Manor then.”

“Yes,” Severus agreed. “You should leave now, it would not do to keep him waiting. Good luck, Aurelia.” He surprised her by kissing her briefly on the cheek before leaving the room.

She went to Malfoy Manor, and gently tapped on the door, apprehensively awaiting what she would find within. Lucius himself opened the door, and pulled her to him, and he held her without a word.

Aurelia became aware that they were being watched, and looked over Lucius’ shoulder to see Lord Voldemort standing there staring at them. “Lady Pendragon,” he greeted her. “I have fulfilled my side of the deal. Now, it is your turn.”