After her last encounter with the dark wizard, Maria was even more on edge, retreating further and further back from any sort of social life. The only time she left the Astronomy Tower was for order meetings, seldom they were.

So as she sat down on the floor of the tower, making meaningless balls of magic, a silvery light shot through the air, catching her off guard.

The light dissipated into a Patronus of a large, handsome Phoenix. Then it opened its mouth, Albus' voice echoing through the wind, "An Order meeting is being held today, at three p.m."

And then, just as soon as it had all happened, the Patronus vanished from the tower, leaving Maria befuddled at the least, not doing anything to settle her nerves.

Looking down at her wristwatch, Maria huffed in frustration, the small hands pointing at just over ten to three.

"I swear that man thinks I'm a witch, " she inhaled, transforming into her fairy form.

With a quick flutter of her wings, Maria flew off the tower, the harsh March gales beating against her exposed skin. After around ten minutes, the wind became too much, leaving Maria to use her magic.

Casting a quick spell, the fairy was able to manipulate the wind around her, creating almost a bubble of warmth that encased her being. Headquarters was located in north London, almost an hour's journey as the crow flew.

Now, though Maria isn't a witch, that didn't stop her from finding her own way to travel as efficiently as apperating. Tapping into her wind energy once more, Maria used it to her advantage, wrapping it around her as she sent herself whisking forwards at tremendous speed.

Maria slowed down around two streets from headquarters, swooping down gracefully into a small alleyway. Transforming back, the fairy let out a cold shiver, swiftly conjuring up a cloak and scarf to go over her dress.

To a passer-by, the building was impossible to recognise. Repeating the password over in her head, Maria stood back a bit from the gates of the terraced houses. No sooner had she thought about it, an old-looking dwelling started to appear between two others.

Upon entering, the fairy was greeted by loud curtains framing the dusty windows. An almost vomit green wallpaper covered the walls of the entryway, darkening any light that escaped through the windows.

Walking down the hallway, Maria apologised to the group in the kitchen, not noticing the eerie silence, " I would have been earlier if someone remembered-" Though she stopped in her tracks when she not just her godson at the table, but Sirius and Remus as well.

Turning to face Albus, Maria spoke sharply, "What's the meaning of all this, Albus? You're recruiting children now!? Surely you didn't allow this Euphemia?"

"No I did not, and I won't allow it either!" Fi replied pointedly.

"They are not kids anymore, ladies, you're well aware of that," Dumbledore gently explained. "They are adults. They can decide for themselves."

"Well, someone had to tell them about it, didn't they!?" Maria injected, glaring at Albus for going behind her back.

"M, it's all right," Sirius confessed, putting his hands behind his head. "We want to be here. This was our choice. We had the option to say no."

"Yes, but —"

"And didn't you always say we would make good Aurors like Mum and Dad?" James added.

"Yes, but that was before! Things are worse now!" Maria protested, Euphemia, agreeing strongly, "It's more dangerous!"
"Which gives us all the more reason to help," Remus challenged.

Fi turned to face her husband, digging with her elbow, "Back us up here, Fleamont!"

Silence.

"Fleamont!"

"W-well — they are old enough—"

"They're just children Montie! Not some pawns to be thrown around!" Maria snarled, refusing to look at the man she called her friend.

"This is their choice, Maria, you're not their mother," Dumbledore concluded.

That seemed to silence the fairy, sitting down at the far end of the table next to Lily, a frown cemented to her face as she scanned all the students that sat around her.

"All right, then," Moody grumbled, "if they're prepared... then we mustn't waste time. Let's get started."

For the next hour, the members of the Order sat and talked, arguing and trying to come up with strategies, somehow moving onto the topic of Voldemort's recent excursion.

"I'm telling you," Elphias Doge started, "He's out recruiting again! Sightings all over Hogsmead and said he went into the dark forest!"

"Well, did you investigate this or are you just spitting codswallop again?" Dorcas Meadows retorted.

"Constant vigilance is critical," Moody growled. "We can't trust everybody that gives us information. Or have you forgotten what happened to Boris Atwood? We only found bits of what was left of him."

Maria remained silent, looking nowhere but her hands in her lap. Elphias, who noticed her uncomfortableness around the subject questioned her about it, drawing the group's attention to her.

"You're awfully quiet Maria, want to get something off your chest?"

Immediately the fairy felt burning eyes on her, a sharp pain entering her head. Latching narrowed eyes with Albus, she gritted her teeth," Don't, use legilimency on me. I'm perfectly capable of talking on my own."

"Well spit it out then!" Doge urged.

"I've — I've seen him."

The whole group went into an uproar.

"Do you want to get us killed, woman!" Moody shouted down at her.

"Alastor calm-" Dumbledore interrupted but was cut off by Maria, standing up from her seat.

"I've lost everything to him!" the fairy screeched over the ruckus.

"You could've ruined everything we worked for! All those months just down the drain." Alastor roared back.

"Don't start at me on what we could've lost Alastor, you know right well I can handle these things by myself."

"Oh yes, and how did that work out for you the last time you 'handled it'?" Now, Moody crossed the line.

The order commenced into chaos again, wands getting waved around.

"Take that back, Moody," Euphemia threatened as she rose from her seat, pointing her wand at his chest.

"Darling, calm down-, " Fleamont pleaded with his wife.

"Or what?" Moody taunted.

"HOW DARE YOU BRING MY CHILDREN INTO THIS YOU SELFISH, HEARTLESS PRICK!" Maria balled, quieting the room, " Nobody wants Tom dead more than me, and I will do everything in my power to do so!"

"And blow up the rest of us while you're at it!"

Shaking with anger, Maria charged at the wizard, fighting off the hold of Fleamont, "You- you— bloody bastard!"

"Alastor! Please leave the room." Albus commanded.

"What? You know I'm right. She's more of a hindrance than a help 'round here." he argued, but was rapidly shunned over by the other members

Raising his voice, Albus grabbed a hold of the man's arm, pulling him to the hallway, "Alastor! Out now."

Yet before he could make it out, James stood up, gathering the attention of the others onto himself, " Her son and daughter were murdered by death eaters, if anything she's got more balls than you will ever have. My godmother has lost the one important thing in life that every mother looks forward to experiencing."

"So what Moody? You rounded up a few bad guys, anyone can do that. While she, she is twice if not four times braver than you will ever be!"

They all then scrambled around Maria, telling her it was alright and other words of comfort, but her mind was somewhere else. All the memories cycled through her head, words falling on dead ears, as the images clouded her eyes.

One day sticking out in particular, the day she ruined her life.

12th of November, 1944.

~~~~~~~

5.5
Guess who's back! I wasn't anticipating how long that chapter was going to be, so be on the lookout for part 2 soon! Have a great weekend xx

*The_lost_flower*