Family

Diana Maceachran Apparated to the Burrow one early Saturday morning. It was April, the Easter Hols, and the whole clan would be there. Diana wanted desperately for family to accept her. She was four months pregnant. It would not be long before the world knew she was having the ex-Death Eater, Severus Snape’s, baby. What would my parents think of me now? She shuddered to think.

She knocked briskly and Ginny answered. She was taken aback. “Diana?” she asked, unsure of the woman in front of her.

“Yes, it’s me. I wanted to see your mum.”

Ginny smiled. “Of course! After all, we’re cousins, aren’t we? Mum! Guess who’s here!”

Molly Weasley screamed in delight at the sight of Diana. “Upon my word! Look at you—little Diana. How are you?” She grabbed her, hugged her, and felt the small bulge. “Diana,” she said sedately, but with a knowing look, “meet the family.”

Diana stepped into the kitchen where all the Weasleys were crammed in for breakfast.

“Arthur, can you believe it? Constance’s girl!”

“Ah, yes! Pleasure to finally meet you.”

Molly continued with her introductions.

“Here are my sons, Bill with his wife, Fleur. She’s French.”

Diana smiled as she shook their hands.

“My son, Fred”—her voice wavered as she pointed to a portrait of a redheaded boy waving happily—“he died in the war.” There were tears in her eyes.

Diana swallowed and felt the sting of tears for her cousin. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered as she placed her hand on her shoulder.

“Oh… well… the war was hard on all… but here is Charlie, George—Fred’s twin—Percy, and there is Ron with his girlfriend, Hermione.”

Diana smiled in recognition. “Pleasure to see you again, Professor Granger.”

Then she caught the sight of Harry Potter next to her, his arm around Ginny.

“Professor Potter, nice to see you again,” she said breathlessly.

Hermione jumped in. “Please, no more ‘Professor’ talk. We were only too happy to step in at Hogwarts until things could get sorted out. Tell me, Diana, are you still at Hogwarts?”

“Just for a couple of months, I will be finishing school in June.”

Hermione went on. “Diana was my favorite in Potions. She is very skilled.”

“She was in Defense Against the Dark Arts, as well!” piped up Harry. “Tell me, have you been keeping up well? How is your Patronus?

“Still a gentle dove. But hopefully, I’ll never have to use her for anything other than sending messages.”

“Hear, hear!” cheered the boys in the corner.

“Sit down, dear,” whispered Molly. “Tell me, how are your parents?”

Diana looked around. “I don’t know. After Voldemort died, I told them I wanted to come back, to help with the rebuilding and continue my education. They never wanted me there in the first place, that was why I was a year older everyone else in my class. But when I chose to go back, my father took me aside and told me I wasn’t a girl anymore, I was on my own. I had my own dowry in Gringotts and was told not to return and make my fortune.”

“Blimey,” whispered George.

“You mean your parents abandoned you at—what age?” Arthur asked.

“Fourteen.”

Molly was strangely quiet. Finally she let lose. “Well, I’m not shocked! That Archimedes was just a—well, it takes all kinds to make up this world.”

Ginny asked, “Mum, how are we related, really? I never understood.”

Molly took a breath and started a plate of food for Diana.

“Well, Diana’s Mother, Constance, was a Prewett—a niece of cousin Ignatius Prewett, the one who married Lucretia Black. Constance’s father was Ignatius’ brother, Nigel, and they were cousins to my father, Septimus. But Diana is more connected to Ignatius, who married Lucretia Black, who was Sirius’ aunt, so Diana I think is in closer relation to Sirius and the Malfoys than we are, maybe—I’m not sure. Although it would only be through marriage, not blood. WE are blood related.”

Harry’s eyes lit up at the mention of Sirius, all the rest he disregarded. Here in front of him was a relation of his beloved godfather that he could actually have a relationship with that was around his own age. Sure, he had Andromeda and Teddy, his godson, but here was a person he could have a real connection with on an equal level! He thought he lost that type of connection forever when Tonks died. It was a dream come true. “That must have made things difficult for you,” Harry said grimly to Diana.

“The Ministry had to send McGonagall to retrieve me out of the Highlands. My mother was never one for emotional displays. She flat out told me, and I don’t mean to offend anyone, but the sentiment in our family was that all our relatives were either Voldemort fanatics or Order extremists, meaning the Malfoys and you all, respectively. She said there was no room to be in the middle, so she said to keep my nose clean, don’t get involved, and don’t stand up for any causes. Then I would be safe.”

Diana hung her head. She felt so ashamed of herself and her family.

Bill spoke up, “Look, Diana, you were a kid when we fought the war. You had no business anyway worrying about sides. Your time came when Hogwarts needed to be re-built. From what I recall, you were a hard worker and a natural with the basics of architecture.”

“Not a truer word spoken!” joined in Charlie.

Diana smiled. “That is my wish, to be an architect. Although the reason for the discovery of my passion for building had to come from such sorrow and destruction, I never felt so close to a group of people as when we all worked on the reconstruction of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. It was like almost having a family.”

Molly’s eyes grew wet as she embraced the young girl. “Well, you’ve a family right here! Right, you lot?”

“Absolutely!” said George

“Of course, cousin!” said Percy, very importantly as he reached across his hand to hers.

All at the table agreed wholeheartedly.

Diana smiled and shook it. She tucked into her food and enjoyed the conversation.

***

After breakfast, everyone started to talk about his or her plans for the holiday.

“Please,” said Diana. “Before you all go, I did have a purpose in coming here. I don’t want anything, except a family. No money, no favors. I just need a family because I’m going to have a baby.”

“What?” almost the entire men’s section shouted in unison.

Molly stood by Diana. She looked in her brown eyes. “I thought I felt something when I hugged you. How far along? Not much, I reckon.”

“I’m almost four months along,” she whispered.

“Who’s the bastard we have to kill?” said George, half-joking, half-serious.

“George!” Molly shouted.

“Well, she’s family, Mum!” yelled Ron. “We can’t let this go by without something being done!" He looked straight at Diana. "Who is he? Is he marrying you?” he demanded.

“That’s why I came first, to break it all to you, because he’s older—a lot older than I am. He wanted to come. I really had to put my foot down, and even then he was very angry that it would look like this to all of you—like he was trying to evade his responsibility. But he’s not—he wants to marry me as soon as possible.”

Harry started to breathe hard and his face grew dark as he stood up.

“Harry?” said Ron cautiously.

“Who do we know who needs to be chased down with something sweet because he’s such a bitter pill? Who do we know who is so paranoid that he would get angry over his intended coming to see her family first to break the news without him? Who is the only bastard in the world who would take advantage of his own student?” he roared.

Diana covered her ears. Harry practically ran to the Floo.

“Harry!” yelled Hermione. “Don’t—you know he’s an excellent duelist. You’ve never been able to best him!”

Ron’s mouth gaped open. “Harry, bloody hell—don’t do this!” he warned.

Harry didn’t care. He turned towards the Floo, but he was too late. Severus Snape was already stepping out.

A/N: Oh boy! Up next: the showdown. And how do you think Snape is going to deal with Harry's desire for a relationship with Diana? Uh-oh! There's trouble a'comin'!