Family Ties

Devious Devia

By Kyra Andros and Cleo Vadir

Sitting at her desk in the midst of second year Defense against the Dark Arts class, Willow Lupin wished she was somewhere else. To her right sat the Gryffindor house, her niece and nephew right up front. To her left sat the Slytherin house, Devia Malfoy in the back. Lara and Luke, Willow's niece and nephew, hated Devia. All with good reason. Devia was a Malfoy, and Luke and Lara were Potters. But now Willow's class was silent, for the three enemies had called a war of silence.

Willow admitted that she had hated Draco Malfoy with a vengeance when they had been children, but it had grown to an unprecedented high when they had graduated. Suddenly, he wasn't all that bad. But that didn't mean that Luke and Lara were planning on socializing with Devia.

Watching her class, Willow caught something out of the corner of her ever observant eyes. Devia Malfoy was leaned back, unhooking the pixie cage. She decided to let her continue her "harmless" little prank, for one reason and one reason only. She was going mad in the silence.

Suddenly the room was filled with giggling flecks of light. Lara screamed as one zoomed past her nose, and fell backward, sprawling across Conrad Finnigan. In the back, the female Slytherins were giggling beyond belief.

"Quick! Catch them before they kill you all!" Willow shouted dramatically. Immediately, the class began to scurry around the room, frantically trying to catch a pixie in their palms. But Devia leaned further back in her chair.

Watching the simply hilarious sight of her students chasing speeding balls of flickering light, Willow kicked her feet up on her desk, shoved her hands behind her head, and pondered the perfect punishment for Devia.

As Willow watched the pixies zoom around the room, she imaged the kind of havoc they would reek if they got out of the classroom. Removing her wand form her desk, she flicked it, flinging the door open. As fast as they had flown from their cage, they were disappearing from the room. There was a resounding groan as the class stood, unable to stop them.

~

"You let the pixies out," Harry Potter said, staring down at Devia Malfoy. Willow Lupin sat beside him at the desk, her legs crossed, and she was glaring.

Devia's face contorted with anger as she said, "I didn't open the door... It must have been one of those bloody Gryffindors." Devia's eyes narrowed at him. "Professor, I swear!"

Narrowing his eyes in return, Harry growled at the girl, "You will suffer insane humiliation before the entire school tomorrow." Without another word said, he pointed to the door.

Devia got to her feet and trudged out of the room. Sitting down at his desk, Harry pulled out a quill, and said, "Willow, you didn't have to let the pixies out."

Willow Lupin looked astonished, badly. "I swear, Professor," she mocked, a hint of a smile on her face. "I did no such thing."

"If you say so, Will. But if one of those buggers flies up your nose, I'm not going to let Madam Pomfrey get it out," Harry said calmly. Willow flounced herself toward the door, turning briefly as Harry said, "Oh, and make sure Ms. Malfoy's robes are turned to Gryffindor red for tomorrow's classes."

A smile on her face, Willow left the office, and headed toward the dungeons.

~

For some reason, Kalli felt as if there was something terribly wrong. "Mum!" came Lara's voice from the hallway. The moment the door swung open, Kalli wished her daughter could Apparate. A swarm of blue lighted pixies flew in with her before she could slam the door.

The flickering lights giggled mischievously, and Kalli found herself grabbing her daughter in fear. "What the?" she asked, holding Lara close.

"Devia let the pixies out, Mum!" Lara cried, hugging her close. "They followed me all the way down here." Kalli frowned, and Apparated herself and Lara from the room, appearing in the middle of the hall, clashing with Willow. All three women fell to the floor in a jumble of robes and hair.

"Really!" Kalli exclaimed, untangling herself from her robes. "Can't you control that girl, Will?"

Willow Lupin frowned at her cousin, then said, with slight annoyance in her voice, "No more then you can, Kalinda!" Lara grimaced, no one called Kalli by her real name. Kalli's eyes narrowed at Willow, and she huffed as she bolted upright.

Dusting herself off, Kalli stormed down the hall, muttering under her breath. About twenty feet away, she screamed, "Filch!" The poor man came flying around a corner, carrying a cage of pixies in his hand. "There are more of those horrid creatures in my classroom," Kalli announced, pointing down to the dungeons. Filch nodded, bowing low as Kalli walked past.

Lara found herself astounded, Filch bowed to no one. Without glancing up the stairs, he headed toward the dungeons, banging the cage at every chance he got. This action made the pixies within hiss and howl at him. Lara didn't want to know what might happen if those pixies got out once again. If pixies were bad when they were playing pranks, they were even worse when they were angry.

~

Down in the great hall, the Marauders were eating dinner by the time Lara joined them. Luke and Marina were gnawing on oversized chicken bones, and Lara had a hard time picturing how large the fowl must have been. Over their head, the enchanted ceiling was overcast, and stormy. As she plunked herself down, Conrad flashed her a smile across the table, and passed her a plate of baked potatoes. Accepting them, she flashed him a larger smile.

At that moment, a pixie flitted past his ear, and zoomed toward the head table. Lara and Conrad followed the flitting light, wondering what it was planning. It stopped above Willow's head, bobbing up and down as if trying to conceal laughter. Harry rolled his eyes to look at it. It ducked over to him, and seemed to whisper something to him. He nodded.

It flickered, and for a moment, disappeared. Scanning for it, Lara and Conrad watched with insane anticipation. Suddenly, they spotted it, making a beeline for Willow from down the table. It darted right under her nose, then straight up into it.

Startled, Willow tried to sneeze, but it wasn't working. Bolting upright from her chair, she stumbled toward the end of the head table. Hagrid was watching her with complete disbelief, as she fell to the ground, trying to sneeze and snort at the same time.

By that time, the whole Great Hall was watching, and Lara took this chance to glance across the room at Devia. She was standing, watching with wide eyes. "Look at Devia..." Luke whispered to his sister, "Wonder what Dad'll do to her..."

"Nothing worse then what her Dad'll do to her," Conrad whispered in return. Luke and Lara exchanged glances.

Finally, Harry and Kalli, who had been sniggering behind their hands, leapt up and ran down the table. Taking out his wand, Harry shouted, "Accio Pixies!"

Suddenly, a dozen pixies came zooming from various places in the castle, and into a cage that Harry had magicked into existence. Coughing from exhaustion, Willow fell to the floor, happy to breathe. That's when Devia sank into her seat, her hand covering her red face. But Harry turned and stared directly at her, making her turn a deeper shade of red then Lara had ever seen on anyone.

"Up to bed, the moment you are all done eating," Harry said, scowling over the Great Hall. "Devia, come to my office before retiring."

~

Lara was in Potions the next day, reading a book, when Conrad, Daynia, Marina and Luke strolled in, chortling. Glancing up at them, Lara cocked an eyebrow. "What?" she asked, watching them plop themselves down at the chairs around her. Conrad slipped into the seat in front of her, with Luke, while Marina sidled into the seat beside Lara.

"Wait for it..." Luke muttered.

They all turned to look at the door, just as it opened. Devia Malfoy sulked in, wearing Gryffindor red robes, with a gold lion. Lara's jaw dropped. A pack of Slytherins strolled in after her, sniggering behind their hands. Devia tossed her bag down and yanked her cauldron up on the table. Scowling, she plunked herself in the chair, crossed her arms, and glared at the board.

In the back, Lara exchanged glances with Luke, who grinned at her. "The color suits her," she said, smiling in return. Conrad tried to cover up his laughter with a loud cough, but Devia shot them a malicious glance anyhow.

At that moment, Kalli strode in, and stood before the class. Taking a brief glance at Devia, she turned back to the class without commenting. "Take out your notes... Today we will be working on the more interesting potions of the past two centuries." Lara and Marina exchanged glances. "I myself," Kalli began, "Have had experience with this particular potion, and I must say it's fun if you get it right." She gave the class a mischievous glance, and finished with, "Even more fun if you get it wrong..."

An hour later, half the class was fading in and out as they tried a simple Invisibility Potion. Lara had become completely invisible, and was poking various Gryffindors around the room. Luke kept fading in and out, from a liquid transparency to a fine chalk white. Kalli was giggling up at the front, as she watched children fade. An unfortunate Tina Longbottom had turned her blonde hair invisible, leaving the rest of her.

But Devia stood there, her hands outstretched before her, the only thing she had managed to turn invisible. Scowling, she cursed under her breath, and moved to stir the potion. But without the sight of her hands, she couldn't judge distance. Her hand dove right into the cauldron full of boiling potion.

She withdrew it as quickly as possible, spilling the potion down across the floor. Instantly, desks and chairs began to vanish, and students started tripping over invisible objects around the room. Several students fell into the potion, parts of them disappearing as they touched it. Kalli rushed forward, yelling for every one to get off the floor. This caused a larger scramble then she had intended, people tripping and falling into the mess.

The door flung open, and Willow flew in, having heard the commotion... Werewolf ears... She flew over to Kalli, and started helping her sweep children off the ground and onto the desks, which were hovering above the ground, invisible about an inch high.

Lara faded into vision, scrambling to jump onto a desk. She watched as Kalli and Willow turned invisible up to their knees. Most of the girls were crying, staring at the parts of them that were missing. One Slytherin had fallen in forwards, so her entire front half was gone, leaving the back half of her robes. Another Gryffindor had fallen on her bottom, and now was only invisible there. Luke had tripped, and landed with on knee in the potion, so he was a chalky white, and invisible on his left leg.

With a quick incantation, Kalli had most of the mess cleaned up, except for the fact that the floor had soaked the potion into the porous stone, and had turned invisible in most places. Willow arched a questioning glance to her cousin, who briefly explained the mishap. But Willow did not take it as a mishap.

She spun on Devia, who was perched on a desk, her hands flickering. "Come with me!" Willow screeched, yanking her from the table. The two of them flew out of the room, as Kalli turned back to gaze at her invisible floor.

The bell rang, and Kalli dismissed them. Lara grabbed up her books, noticing that one of them was half invisible. Thank goodness it wasn't Care For Magical Creatures... Which she had next.

~

Standing on the snow littered ground, the Gryffindors and Slytherins watched Hagrid cover the distance between them and his house. His tangled black mane looked more hideous then ever, covered in frost. But his smile was bright, and his eyes joyful. " 'Lo, everyone," Hagrid said cheerfully. "Where's Devia?" He asked, looking around at the children, some of which were still missing limbs. "What 'appened ter yeh all?"

Marina spoke up, the only one that looked normal, only the bottom six inches of her hair was missing. "Devia spilled Invisibility Potion, and we got hit," she said, calmly. Hagrid nodded, and turned to begin the lesson.

About halfway through, Devia showed up, her face as red as her robes. "'Ello, Hagrid," she muttered under her breath. He stared at her in the robes, but didn't say anything.

~

Sitting hunched over in the chair, Devia glared at Willow and Harry. "Why?" she asked. "It was an accident!"

Harry and Willow narrowed their eyes. "Just like the pixies?" Harry demanded, crossing his arms.

"Professor!" Devia exclaimed. "I didn't let the pixies out!" Harry rolled his eyes. "I can't sleep in the Gryffindor Tower! I'll be teased for the rest of my life!"

But Willow's arms were crossed, her eyes cold violet steel. "Follow me, Devia. I'll take you up," she said calmly. Scowling heavily, Devia got to her feet, casting a fleeting glance at Harry, who beckoned for her to follow Willow.

Up the flight of stair to Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady smiled down at Willow, then asked, "Password?"

Smiling in return, Willow replied, "Gold Rush!" The Fat Lady portrait swung open, and the duo stepped through the hole.

Over by the fire, Luke and Lara turned to see them, Lara's jaw dropping. Willow pointed toward the fire, then left again. Alone, Devia walked across the common room, all eyes on her. Finally reaching the fire, she glanced down at Lara and Luke, saying, "Professor Potter and Professor Lupin though it would be best if I stayed here tonight..."

Glancing to her friends, Lara caught the look of disdain on Malcolm and Daynia's features. But, she ignored their patronizing stares, and patted the couch cushion beside her. Looking very relieved, Devia Malfoy took the seat.

After most of the common room had drifted to bed, Devia, Marina and Lara all still sat around the fire, watching the flames flicker. Lara had already offered Devia her bed, and Marina had said that Lara could sleep with her. None of them spoke, none of them moved, they just watched the fire flicker on the hearth. A comfortable silence around them. Lara wasn't a Potter, and Devia wasn't a Malfoy anymore, they were just two girls sitting in the Gryffindor common room together.

~

The next day, Devia sat in the back of Divination, watching Professor Parvati Patil sit before the fire, her eyes closed droopily. "And deep within the axis formed by Saturn, you find passion," she was saying. Lara snorted, and tried to cover her mouth quickly. But Patil opened one eye, and stared at the girl. "Something you'd like to share, Ms. Potter?"

Luke flashed his sister a glance, telling her to stay out of it. But Devia looked absolutely thrilled. "Actually, Saturn's axis has nothing to do with passion. Saturn is the planet of intellect. Mars is the planet of passion," Lara said, watching Patil's face cloud over.

"Of course!" she exclaimed, placing her hand to her forehead as if faint, "I was testing you, and only Ms. Potter caught it..." she said.

Now, Devia jumped in, an overly large smile on her face, "Actually, Professor, you never taught us that."

Patil stared hard at the girl. "Young lady," she warned, just as the bell rang. Devia leapt out of her seat and raced for the door before Patil could call her back.

~

The Great Hall was full to the rafters as everyone prepared for Christmas Holidays. Lara and Luke watched as Kalli and Harry conversed in whispers behind their hands, obviously deciding what to do for the Holidays. Willow sat beside Harry, talking to Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black, who had shown up for the end of term. Lara caught Sirius' eye, and waved energetically. Sirius waved back, a huge smile on his face. Sirius was, by far, Lara's favorite person in the world, next to her parents.

Over by the Slytherin table, there was brief and intermittent giggles, and every once in awhile, a loud laugh. Suddenly, something white hot zoomed past Tina Longbottom's cheek, searing her slightly. She screamed and fell backwards. Instantly, Lara and Conrad were up, wands ready, staring over at the Slytherin table. No one at the table looked shocked, no one except Devia.

Just as Lara was about to pull something, Devia launched herself across the table at a fourth year, screaming, "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?" They sprawled across the floor, Devia pounding her fists into the girl's face. Luke stared in surprise as Devia flailed and kicked.

Almost instantly, Harry was on top of them, yanking Devia to her feet. Kalli forcefully restrained the other girl, who was trying to get at her wand. Next, Willow interfered, crying, "A hundred points form Slytherin! And detention for both of you!"

The words that slipped form Devia's mouth startled Lara and Luke beyond belief, they never thought she'd admit it in front of the whole school. "But Mum!" she shouted, halting in Harry's arms. No one moved, no one so much as breathed.

Daynia's head slowly swiveled to look at Lara and Luke, who both nodded calmly. The Slytherin table fell completely silent as Harry, Willow and Kalli led the two girls from the room. Moments later, Lara and Luke jumped to their feet, and ran after the group.

Catching up with them, Lara skid before them. "De?" she asked, eyeing her. "You know what you just did?" Devia nodded, glaring at the Slytherin girl. "Why?" Lara asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I don't want to be in a house where people do that, and I don't want people thinking that my father betrayed the Ministry, when he didn't," Devia replied, looking to her cousin. Harry nodded, reaching the gargoyle that marked his entrance.

"Café Au Lait," he said, and the gargoyle jumped aside. Lara and Luke followed them into the office, where they sat the two girls down.

The first one, a girl named Victoria Crabbe, stared hard at Harry as he told her that she had two weeks detention with Willow in the Defense class. After she had stormed from the room, Harry turned to Devia. "I think we should consult the Sorting Hat with what to do with you," he said, watching her.

Coal, Harry's phoenix, sat on its perch until Lara sat herself on one of the counters by the door. Then, he fluttered over to sit on her knee, cooing whenever she stroked his golden plumage.

From the cabinet behind him, Harry pulled the Sorting Hat, looking even filthier then ever. It seemed shocked as Harry handed it to Devia, who placed it snug around her ears.

"Well," it whispered to her. "This is certainly unorthodox. But never mind that. You are a Slytherin, if I recall. Of course, a Malfoy, like all the others. But there's something else about you. A compassion, from your mother, like her father. You do not belong in Slytherin, how could I have been clouded by the Malfoy name?" Devia exhaled softly. "Relieved, are you?" the old hat chuckled. "Yes, you are. All right, so says your heart, your soul and your head, GRYFFINDOR!"

Lara exhaled, glancing to Luke. "Hey," Lara said as Devia plucked the hat from her head, and handed it to Harry. Her cousin flashed her a gigantic smile, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. "De Malfoy, Gryffindor..."

"Granddad would kill me..." Devia snickered, embracing Lara.

Kalli grimaced, "If he was still around..." she trailed off.

Looping their arms, Lara and Devia left the office, giggling. Luke followed behind, saluting his parents as he shut the door.

"Well," Willow said, "Life's going to be interesting from now on..."

Flashing a smile at her cousin, Kalli whispered, "Is it ever dull?" Harry and Willow laughed as Kalli sighed in exasperation.