"What do we do?" She asked, looking somewhat panicked, "I don't want to just stay - "

"Then we go, of course," Her eyes drifted longingly to Florian's selection before she nodded and they dashed off after the other two. They didn't actually manage to spot them but the man with blue hair walked precisely down an alley and suspected their friends were there too.

Their hunch was correct and when they turned the alley corner, Lee and George were at the end.

" - George, why did we walk down an alley?" Lee asked.

"Yes, why did you? You made my job so much easier," The blue hair man was advancing. His voice was odd, the intontation sporadic and random, "You are so ... easily - "

"Stay the fuck back," All three of them turned to see Fred with his wand out.

"Fred, I saw him before," George garbled, "That's why I was so jumpy."

"Saskia warned us..." Aubrey whispered eerily.

Weirdly, George and Lee looked far more shocked than the blue-haired man who still didn't turn to them although the corners of his lips curved upwards. "You think a wand can scare me? When I just want to talk?"

"Alright, talk but try anything else and I will send a bolt of fire up your arse," Fred said, his voice trailing off as the man turned to face them. 

"That sounded wrong..." Lee murmured, looking a little queasy.

Only now did Fred start to feel slightly afraid yet remained in front of Aubrey, the Gryffindor in him taking over. It wasn't just the blue hair that was off about him, it was everything. His eyes were fox-like, the colour shimmering and changing every few seconds and his eerily pale skin looked oddly taut around his bones, some parts randomly rippling as if something was underneath. 

His eyes drifting over to Aubrey who was weirdly smiling back, the strange half-smile of a girl's whose homemade mystery was all fitting perfectly into place. 

"A curse?" The man looked half confused, half amused, "No ... that won't work ... I believe you know what I want ... don't you?"

A silence fell between them. Lee was the first to reply, not as overcome by shock or (in Aubrey's case) fascination, "No."

"You were with her ..."

"Saskia," Aubrey breathed.

The blue haired man looked confused, "No, that's not it. We all sensed her though ... we just need to find her and when we checked ... you were the ones with her. Where is she? Is she hiding amongst you? We just want to talk to her..."

Even Aubrey seemed a little lost now. Again it was Lee who talked, "Um ... who's she?"

The man shook his head, "Aali did tell me but I ... I would know if I sensed her?"

"Um ... no," Lee murmured after a moment, "We have no idea what you're talking about."

The blue haired man blinked before doing a funny little bob and nod, "I must be mistaken then, you all look so alike."

"Two of us are black," Lee countered, "Well, half in Aubrey's case..."

"I don't see colour really."

"Explains the hair," Lee murmured.

The man clearly didn't recognise the insult," Sorry for having troubled you, it's been a while since I was around. Good day to you."

With that, he left, concluding the weird encounter. After he was gone, Lee gave a weak laugh.

"Well ... you sure do meet some weirdos in Diagon Alley," He laughed as George slumped against the wall. Aubrey emerged from behind Fred, her head turned back over her shoulder before it flicked back, "Why did he just leave though?"

"You seemed pretty sincere," Fred shrugged, "Maybe he just guessed you weren't lying..."

"AUBREY, WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU SMILING?" Lee exclaimed to which Aubrey shrugged.

"I ... I'm not smiling because I'm happy," She lied, "But he said he hasn't been around for a while, Saskia ... or whoever she is said people would come looking ... " She looked up to see Fred and the others looking back with vague concern. It appeared that she suddenly remembered Lee was there and shook her head, "I mean, let's go and get some ice cream! I've been craving Passionfruit all day!"

After a pause, George accepted this, "Okay. I could use it after that."

As they left the alley, Fred put a hand on Aubrey's shoulder pulling her back. Her face was calmer now but he could tell excitement was still bubbling away underneath. She'd told her theory to him, that Saskia was resurrected but unlike the man they'd just seen, Saskia didn't have rippling skin.

"Fred," She turned the rest of her body to face him, "Ice cream, hon."

"Eh, it's not going anywhere. Aubs, you look - "

"Intrigued?" She whispered back excitedly.

"Yeah ... definitely not how you should look for a girl who just a confrontation in alley? Even I was creeped out," He held out his hand, "See? Trembling?"

"Would you like me to kiss it better?" He snorted with laughter as she continued, "I was creeped out but ... did you hear what he said? Fred, he hasn't been around for a while ... isn't it obvious? He was probably dead too, they're trying to bond together or something - "

"I don't know if that's it, he doesn't seem dead ... when's the last time you saw anyone looking like him dead or alive?"

She shrugged, "Um, maybe he altered his face? Maybe the magic altered it!"

"But Saskia ... or Gillian, whoever she is, doesn't look like that."

"Well..." This stumped Aubrey for a few moments, "She looked a bit turquoise the other day so perhaps it's to do with that. I'll just have to get Gillian to tell me. It's alright, Fred, I'm not going to rush into anything, you know me. I like to have all the information in front of me before I make stupid decisions."

"How are you going to do that?" He asked, smiling slightly, "Please tell me not books."

"No, not books. I'm going to find out what Gillian was like, really like and when I'm sure," She made a fist, "I'll confront her then. I would ask McGonagall but I don't think they were friends. I need someone who really knows her..."

"Your Dad?"

"No ..." She trailed off, "No, my Mum banned me..."

Angela's suggestion suddenly came drifting back to him but he was unwilling to put it, he didn't particularly want Aubrey getting anywhere near their demented Defence Teacher. Still, it sounded a damn sight better than losing his girlfriend to books again, especially as the Quidditch ban would leave a gaping hole in his life too. He was yet to purchase a sexy book costume anyway, they were all comedic and didn't flatter his legs very well.

"Aubs, I think I might have a way ..."

• • •

Isabelle definitely seemed surprised to see Aubrey already there when she returned to collect her younger sister several hours later. She wasn't the only one, the entire family minus Cynthia being rather perplexed when Aubrey recounted the events of the day with such a beaming smile.

"You were ... followed?"

"Uh huh," Aubrey nodded, hovering on the stairs. From the kitchen door, she heard a mug clatter to the floor; Mary looked horrified.

"Aubrey, honey, I am calling the Aurors - "

"Mary, calm," Jasper said, "If he arrives here, we'll take him on as a family."

"If a stalker comes, I'm hiding in the bloody shed and locking the door," Dulcie murmured.

"Charming," Isabelle didn't really seem to mind though.

"Dulcie, we're in a war, we need to work together," Jasper said, "Let me tell you, there was this man I worked with at the Ministry before ... well, you know ... and he - "

He was cut off as Aubrey planted a kiss on his cheek before darting up the stairs, "Sorry, Dad, I've got to rush, I have ... things to work on."

With that, she left them in silence before Dulcie remarked, "She looks so happy."

"And she's missing the story."

"That's probably why she was happy," Isabelle dryly remarked.

Over the final weeks of the holidays, Aubrey's sisters did seem to notice a change in her tune, bizarrely excited at being sent back to school. Of course, this brought out the 'niceness' in them, hoping the reason behind it was dramatic or at least interesting.

Fred wrote to Angela and she got back to him, saying she'd be honoured to help Aubrey befriend Umbridge. Aubrey was surprised it hadn't occurred to her before really. Perhaps it was the fact Umbridge seemed to hate her for something she couldn't control, but Aubrey had never really felt the urge to talk to her personally. But looking back some inside knowledge would be better than any book or letter from Mary (even though Aubrey was hoping this would be revealed to, perhaps by Umbridge herself).

Oddly, Fred seemed sceptical in their letters, claiming neither Saskia nor the man seemed ghost-like or even human at all for that matter. But she was sure he'd be won round, once she had a complete grasp of everything, she'd explain it to him far more thoroughly. She was already planning it out now on the last day of the holidays as the three sisters lounging in Isabelle's attic room

"I bet your constant smile to do with Fred," Dulcie theorised on Aubrey's current state, "Or Fred's bed rather... hey, Isabelle, did you hear what I said?"

Their stoic sister barely looked up from her papers, "Yes. I did."

She pouted, "You didn't laugh though."

"How old are you? Six? You don't need my validation."

Dulcie rolled her eyes, resting her cheek on her hand and turning to face Aubrey, who was resting on the window sill, dreamily gazing outside. For no reason at all, she chose to flick Aubrey who looked up with a start, "What was that for, hon?"

"Why not?" She asked, before outstretching her leg and resting it on Aubrey's lap, "Why are you so happy? I was never this happy to go to school. Hell, I'm going back to work tomorrow and I look like death warmed up."

"That's just your face."

"NOW YOU CHOOSE TO TALK, ISABELLE?!" This was met by a small smile from their older sister before Dulcie turned back to Aubrey who had gone back to dreaming again, "Aubrey!"

"Oh, right, sorry, hon," She sighed, "I don't know ... me and Fred have a new plan."

This peaked Dulcie's interest, leaning forward, "Oh, yeeeaaah?"

"Promise not to tell Mum and Dad?"

"We won't!" Dulcie inched forward.

"I try not to talk to them much anyway," Isabelle stated which was her equivalent of Dulcie's promise.

"Ang said she'd help too which will be nice. We had a falling out but she offered so ... who knows. We'll see," She leant forward, before sleepily whispering the plan, "You know, Umbridge? You probably read about her in the Daily Prophet - "

"Of course not," Isabelle huffed, "Only we can be rude to you, Aubs. I haven't picked it up since."

"I did," Dulcie said, finally tearing Isabelle's gaze from her work, "What? I adore the agony aunt..."

Aubrey waited until they were done before finishing with a simple, "Anyway, I think I'm going to try and befriend Umbridge."

At this, Dulcie recoiled, "Oh no..."

"You know her?" Aubrey's eyes widened, "Did Dad tell you about it because if so, I might ask him - "

"No, he didn't... why?... DID THEY DATE?" This was met by awkward silence.

"I hope not..."

"Well, anyway, a friend of mine from work used to work with Umbridge ... she's a creep, Aubs. Apparently, she's so obsessive, work is her life, she doesn't want to talk to you and is obsessed with making everything her way. It's as if she has nothing else at all so she just ... works."

"So? I work too."

"Not like her. You have a boyfriend, friends, a life... Umbridge just has work to an obsessive degree," It clearly wasn't registering what Dulcie was saying so she merely sighed, "Look, I don't know her, alright but people who only have one thing that they latch onto are often - "

"Temperamental?" Isabelle suggested.

"I was going to say a creep but sure, be fancy," Dulcie grinned, "I'm just saying be careful around her."

"Dulcie, when am I not careful?"

"When you were five, you launched yourself head first off the kitchen counter," Dulcie giggled.

"Yes, because you three meanies told me the floor was lava ... literally!"

"Still, doesn't explain why you'd try to dive headfirst into it," Isabelle pointed out.

"Because I take risks," Aubrey said, leaning against the window sill, "And trust me, I can handle them..."

• • •

I don't know why but I love writing the Jackson sisters so they'll appear whenever I'm in the mood for them. Not randomly but in holidays and stuff as Aubrey/Fred didn't go back last year - E x