Aunt Luna
"I hate knowing that slag was anywhere near Alice." Alice's dad mentioned to Alice's mum later that evening when they thought Alice was in bed. They were sitting on the swing on the porch together.
Alice had climbed down from her window behind Dusty to hide beneath the bushes together. Alice couldn't sleep, and she wanted to look at at the stars between the branches as Dusty hunted fireflies.
It was just quiet enough she could hear her parents whole conversation where they both had retreated. The only other sounds were crickets so it was difficult to drown their conversation out.
"Trust me, it was like one of my worst nightmares." Her mum said with a trembling vibration.
"Are you sure you are feeling alright?" He asked.
Alice could see their outlines in the dim porch light. Her mum had her head on her dad's shoulder. Alice knew if anyone was around, they wouldn't be so casually affectionate. They rarely were. Maybe she'd catch them holding hands around other people and dancing together at parties. However, Alice could count the amount of times she'd even seen them kiss on one hand.
"I'm fine." Her mum insisted, "Freya's a sticky subject, but at least we know that treatment worked."
Her dad whispered, "Remind me to send Malfoy a thank you card."
"Maybe you could invite him for dinner sometime. I feel sorry for the man, being alone and all." Her mum insisted.
"I suppose I could. I never thought I'd feel bad for the man, but I'd hate to be in his shoes." Her dad said. Alice knew the name, she'd read Mr. Malfoy's name a few time in several books and she'd read the article her mum wrote about his family's trial.
"You are in his shoes Nev." Her mum whispered.
"Are you kidding? You're still strong." He chuckled back to her, "I mean you did just attack Freya so hard her legs were off the ground."
Her mum laughed, "Didn't know I still had it in me. I'm not the woman I used to be anymore."
"You are still that strong woman," Her dad said back, "And still as beautiful."
"Oh hush you."
Alice heard the smack of a kiss, making her wince. She decided not to count that as one of the times she'd seen them kiss because she had no evidence other than sound.
"Hopefully something good comes from all of this. I mean, Duke couldn't keep living like that." Her mum sighed, "I already sent an owl to Godmummy, to see what arrangements we can make for Dusty at the school."
"I have a pretty good idea someone will be more than willing to help his favorite student work with his favorite creature." Her dad chuckled.
"I'm sure Hagrid will be thrilled."
Alice loved Professor Hagrid. He was the school's groundskeeper and the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. He was half giant but she wondered if his size was helpful when it came to creature care, she often worried she'd be trampled. It was why she worried about her strength and size. She'd come too close to multiple creatures.
"And maybe it'll cool Duke off, he hadn't been this attached since that whole Bridget Brenna incident."
"I agree with that." Her dad said gruffly, "Tonight's the first time he's really left us alone in a year, well without bribery. I could only offer so many steaks last Valentine's day."
Her mother laughed heartily, "Worth it though."
Alice wondered where Duke might be then, he wasn't in her room, or anywhere else she'd seen.
As she listened she began to feel tiny feet crawl up her chest.
She tilted down her chin to see Dusty was laying on her chest, her neck outstretched to her. Her eyes and scales sparkled in the moonlight.
"Still scary, I didn't want that woman anywhere near our babies." Her mum whispered. "Alice does want to be a dragonologist though, so what better way to start her into it? I guess it's just the universe saying she's really going to do it."
"I had thought maybe Alice would be spared what the rest of us have gone through." Her dad answered, his voice wistful. "I guess I was wrong."
"How are you wrong?"
"She's only fifteen."
"Exactly, she's fifteen." Her mother answered.
Her dad's voice became slightly deeper, "Sam, I thought we wanted our kids to have a better life, or at least a less dangerous one?"
"I do want that, I can't exactly control the universe." Her mum answered.
"I already worry Minnie's been through enough. She's now decided she's going to do the most strenuous career possible and now this for Alice." Her dad said his voice softening again, "It's even more dangerous."
Her mother asked, "You can't tell me you would have told her no."
Her dad said, "Of course not, saying something is dangerous, or saying no is going to make her want to do it more."
"Trust me, I know that." Her mother groaned, "I know how I would've been years ago."
"Yeah, and that girl got your ambition." Her dad laughed making Alice wonder if that was a good thing.
"Which scares me." Her mother said with a deep breathe.
Alice wondered what was so wrong with having her mother's ambition. Her mother had run an entire company, was a war hero, had written dozens of books, and so much else.
"What's done is done I suppose." Her dad admitted. "Can't worry about it tonight."
"Yeah."
She could hear her parent's footsteps a few moments later as they retreated for bed. Another sound, the light rustle of the bushes followed.
Duke crawled beneath the bushes, a large toad in his mouth.
"Duke." Alice whispered sitting up.
Dusty jumped to her shoulder. She didn't growl at him. She tilted her head as he dropped the toad beside Alice's knees.
"Is that for Dusty?" Alice asked.
Duke nudged it a bit closer scuffing the dirt beneath him.
"Dusty that's for you." Alice looked at the sparkly little dragon.
Dusty looked at it intensely before turning herself away from Duke. She lifted her head back, turning up her nose.
"Good try buddy." Alice offered the little dragon.
Duke slumped a little as he headed out from the bushes.
Duke tried again for the next few days. He brought toads, fireflies, mice and even a bunny. Each one Dusty refused, doing her own hunting.
Dusty and Alice on the other hand got along perfectly. Alice enjoyed having someone to talk to and care for. She didn't feel nearly as alone now. Dusty would sit on her books as she read. Since she liked mimicking, she learned how to flip pages. Dusty also learned how to sit on the end of her broom when she flew. Alice had a feeling she'd have to figure out how to keep Dusty away while she played Quidditch come school time.
Duke almost refused to leave with Minnie's parents when they were all dropped off at their Grandma and Grandpa Fyre's for the week. Her grandparents liked the little dragon, with her grandmother even sewing a few bandannas and bows for her. Alice watched movies with her grandfather with Dusty taking a deep interest in a movie series about dinosaurs.
The time eventually arrived that Alice had been most excited for, five days with Aunt Luna and Uncle Rolf. Aunt Luna was her Godmother and she only had sons, so this meant Alice was often spoiled with affection. They'd make jewelry, study creatures, do yoga in the moonlight and make delicious food together.
Alice arrived early in the morning with Dusty to her Godmother's open and very warm arms. Today her hair was covered in little beads and her clothing covered in butterflies.
Luna spun around making the beads in her hair clap, "They are your favorite right?"
Alice giggled, "Of course."
Dusty affectionately floated around Luna.
"And you must be Dusty?" Luna asked the little dragon as she landed in Luna's hand. Luna reached into her pocket before pulling out what looked like a tiny piece of ham. "You are doing an excellent job so far Lissy, she looks very healthy."
"I'm doing my best." Alice said pulling her shoulders back. Her Aunt led her inside their home. The front hallway was covered in nothing but long strands of beads. Dusty flew between each strand, making the beads ripple.
"This is truly a gift for you Lissy." Luna insisted as she put her hand onto Alice's shoulder, "She's chosen you, that's a high responsibility."
"I am aware." Alice said as the little dragon flipped over.
A loud roar came from the basement, making Dusty fly back to Alice's shoulder and cower between her braids.
"Oh that's the Crumpled Snorckacks. They are all suffering greatly from a bad bought of indigestion." Luna rolled her eyes. "I'm making a potion for them, join me in the kitchen, everyone should be arriving home soon."
Inside the kitchen Luna had a cauldron boiling over an open fireplace. Alice smelled star anise and mugwort.
"Your family blood must have a predisposition to attract dragons and their trust." Luna smirked as the potion on the stove began to bubble and change colors. She took a ladle and began pouring a bit of the potion into a vile.
"Is that why Duke chose mum?" Alice asked before sitting down at the table.
Luna shook her head, "Possibly, how can anyone really know?"
Alice shrugged as her parent's conversation lapped into her mind, "Aunt Luna, do you think this is a good thing?"
"Whatever could you mean?" Luna asked with a dopey look out the window.
"Mum and dad think it's dangerous I have her." She revealed, "They don't know I heard them say it."
"I doubt you are in much danger now. No more than you will be when you actually work with dragons. Yes even mini dragons can accidentally blow fire, but it rarely happens at Dusty's maturity level." Luna said before sitting down with the bubbling vials, "So I mean unless poachers hear of this, you should be pretty safe."
"Oh." Alice said, feeling her throat close. "So that's why it's dangerous?"
"Of course." Luna shrugged delicately, "Genetically modified dragons at one time made a lot of undeserving people rich, most died off in the early seventeen hundreds, but the gene will show up occasionally, and when they do, they are hot commodities in the underground world. Freya's done well keeping Dusty off of the radar."
Alice nodded, "Duke's famous though and no ones gone after him."
Luna giggled like a bell, "Of course not, he's a single male with no breeding possibility unless he has a mate."
Alice felt nauseous as she looked at her little friend, "Bu-"
"Now, don't you worry Lissy." Luna snapped, "You not only have amazing parents and family to protect you, but there's no place safer than Hogwarts, well most of the time."
"If you say so." Alice insisted.
If Alice had more skepticism, it was raucously disturbed by the sounds of laughter and the front door slamming open. You could hear the beads rustle as the entrants made their way to the kitchen.
"Oh Lorc." Josie's voice exclaimed from down the hallway. "You are too funny."
Alice felt herself fix her hair, merely by habit. Her heart beat faster and her hands felt sweaty.
"And you are too incredible when you laugh like that." Lorcan's voice said as the two stumbled into the kitchen. "Hey mum."
Lorcan and Josie held hands casually, like their hands were always meant to be intertwined. Alice felt like releasing her lunch at the familiarity of the couple.
Lorcan looked incredibly handsome in his purple uniform to work for the magizoologist center of London. He looked like a grown up.
"Hello Lucky Lorcky." Luna exclaimed with an unamused expression beneath her wide eyes. "You've brought Miss Weasley for supper."
"Of course mum. I'm going to go change." Lorcan said, his gaze avoiding Alice. He stormed out of the room.
"Hello." Josie said with an awkward wave. She also looked older, but she had always looked a little older seeing as she'd developed early. You could really see her shape in the tank top with Puddlemere United's logo on the front.
Alice felt ridiculously immature. Her dress barely showed any shape.
"Hey Alice." Josie said before putting her hand like a spider on Alice's head, "I forgot you'd be here."
"I'm here every year." Alice said looking up at her. She was rather upset her hair was now probably messier and frizzier from Josie's touch.
Dusty didn't growl at Josie's presence, almost ignoring her entirely.
Josie turned up her lip, "How fun."
"I personally enjoy having my Goddaughter here." Luna said as she finished lining up the potions on a tray. "My dear Lissy is the closest thing I have to a real daughter."
"That's cute." Josie said pushing her cheeks into a smile. She began playing with Alice's ponytail. "I like your ribbon Alice."
"Thanks, Lysander gave it to me." Alice revealed, it was loosing its sparkle on her wand, so she changed to wearing it in her hair. She wasn't sure why she kept it. "For my birthday when he checked my wand."
"Oh, he told me all about that." Luna smiled as she carried the tray out of the room towards the basement where the creatures loudly roared. "Now excuse me ladies, I must distribute medicine."
Alice couldn't think of a less enthusiastic scenario. Sitting across from Josie, her hair messy and feeling incompetent.
"Minnie mentioned that you got a dragon like your mum." Josie said looking at Dusty, "She's tiny."
"Yeah, I mean that's sort of the point." Alice said before biting her tongue, she wanted to prove she wasn't so talkative and loud. This backfired slightly as they sat in silence. Josie kept shifting in her seat.
"So, you are still Quidditch Captain right?" Alice said, trying to be kind.
Josie sat down into Luna's unoccupied chair, "Of course. And this year we are going to dig Slytherin's grave."
"Of course we are." Alice couldn't help but want that. However she also liked imagining Josie with a bludger smacked against her face, forlorn and sad because it had been her fault she'd lost the game.
"Hey, so, I'm actually glad you are here." Josie smirked, "I did want to tell you you don't have to tryout for the team."
"Oh." Alice began to panic. Her chest heaved as she asked, "You don't want me on the team? Is it because of that final game, I really should have been more aware of bludgers."
"No, no no." Josie shook her head and picked up her hands frantically. "I meant you are already on the team. I'd be mad to not have you."
Alice felt her chest stop heaving, "That's not fair to everyone else."
"No, but I need people to work as hard as you do." Josie chuckled, "We only got as far as we did because of you and I. Not to mention we will need a new seeker so I need to weed through the unlikely candidates without worrying about you."
"Oh yeah, I suppose we do since Carmichael graduated." Alice nodded to her.
Josie nodded as Lorcan made his way back into the kitchen.
Lorcan again said nothing to Alice, just proceeded to the ice box.
Luna reentered the room from the basement, her hair slightly askew. "Crumpled Snorckacks can truly be a pain."
"Mum, Josie's staying tonight." Lorcan revealed as he pulled a fizzy pop from the ice box.
"I'm so sorry Josie, but unfortunately we don't have the space." Luna said before waving her wand, making her kitchen clean itself from her potion making. "With Lissy here, the guest room is taken."
"She can stay with me." Lorcan insisted with a roll of his eyes.
Alice's felt like she'd been stabbed. She'd rather take a bludger.
Josie looked green.
"She can stay with you when you have your own home someday." Luna said with a tilt of her head. Alice supposed Luna meant to be stern, but she came across as mostly trepidatious, "But until then, I'm so sorry Josie but please refrain from your activities this evening."
"Mum, come on." Lorcan begged now, sounding like a whine.
"Lorcan Xenophilous Scamander." Luna now scolded back, her eyes fiery.
Lorcan didn't push it any further. Just rolled his eyes.
Luna seemed ready to scold him again, her eyes narrowing.
"Hello my family!" Came the joyful voice of Uncle Rolf. "And my beautiful Goddaughter!"
Alice felt Uncle Rolf pat her on the shoulders. He was dressed quite dapper, with a big briefcase in his hands. He worked at the Daily Prophet with Aunt Ginny.
"Hi Uncle Rolf." Alice pasted a smile onto her face.
He nearly tripped over his own feet before he traipsed over to Luna, planting a very large kiss her cheek, "Ridiculous day at the Prophet, it's so nice to come home to see everyone in fine moods."
Everyone in the room didn't look to be in fine moods. Other than Alice's pasted smile, everyone was scowling.
"Or not." Rolf's eyes dropped,
"Oh don't you worry dearest." Luna said plastering a smile across her face, "Our son is simply pushing our boundaries as a new adult who still lives beneath our roof. When he manages to get his own home and stops suckling like a giant squid's baby on our hospitality he may be in a finer mood. I'm more than happy to serve both him and his guest who he didn't warn me about, supper though."
Lorcan said just before he rolled his eyes, "Well, Josie and I won't be staying for dinner."
Luna smirked as she watched Lorcan grab Josie's hand, "That's a shame, we were having seaweed wraps with hummus and eggplant tonight."
Josie's face turned greener, "Oh that's really a shame."
"It is." Alice interjected, "It's honestly delicious, Aunt Luna's the best cook."
"Thanks Alice." Lorcan groaned before he and Josie left in a whirlwind.
As the door slammed behind them, Alice felt bile grow in her throat and hot tears begin to form. She said too much again.
Luna insisted that Alice had done nothing wrong, but the whole conversation ran through her mind, it was her fault they were mad.
Lysander eventually came home and the four ate dinner. Alice did actually love Aunt Luna's vegetarian lifestyle, if it was more conducive for muscle building, she'd consider doing it more.
Lysander played chess with her until she headed to bed.
The whispers and laughter in the room next to her later that night disgustingly revealed that Lorcan didn't listen to his mother's rule about Josie staying the night in his room.
Alice sighed and looked over to Dusty who had curled up on her pillow. If it weren't for Dusty and Lysander, this would have been a very uncomfortable situation.