Chapter 121: For the Heart of a Lioness (4)

The Gryffindor Common Room was dark and empty, illuminated only by embers in the big fireplace at its centre. Greg McMahon navigated through the maze of chairs and cushions left haphazardly by his housemates, silently vowing that the next person to leave without tidying up would face three days of detention. He settled onto the red sofa beneath one of the windows, rubbing his shin where he had bumped into an unseen obstacle moments before.

A subtle movement caught the boy's attention as another dark figure silently joined him on the sofa, the clock on the mantel striking 2 in the morning.

"What's so urgent that we had to meet like this?" – Greg asked in a hushed tone.

"I wanted to warn you that next time you decide to snog with Lily, you need to find a more private place." – Catherine responded flatly.

"What? We didn't… where did you see us?!" – the young wizard sputtered, thankful for the darkness that hid his burning face.

"Near the Quidditch Pitch. But honestly, Greg, what were you thinking?!"- the girl asked, annoyed – "You're lucky it was just me and Sirius who saw! Aren't there any other girls in this school? Do you realise the situation you've put me in, torn between you and James? And what happens if things don't work out between you and Lily?"

"Wait a bloody minute!" – Greg snapped, forgetting to keep his voice down – "It might be hard for you to comprehend, Catherine, but not everything I do revolves around you! First of all, Lily and I are not a couple…yet. But I won't lie, I do want us to be. Second, I don't give a damn about what Potter wants! He doesn't have any claim over Lily, and if he continues his ridiculous behaviour, I'll personally put him in his place!"

"Alright, you're right about James, and I'll talk to him about his actions." – Catherine admitted, gesturing for her brother to lower his voice – "However, couldn't you have chosen someone else? She's my friend, for Light's sake!"

"I told you, it has nothing to do with you, Flame!" – the boy insisted, rising from the sofa and turning his back to his sister – "Is it that difficult to understand that I like Lily for who she is?! She's smart, beautiful, kind, and fun. I like being around her, and I'm not planning on giving up on her just because you feel uneasy about it. Grow up! I've sacrificed plenty for you!"

"Pardon?!" – Catherine snapped jumping to her feet – "I don't recall asking anyone to do anything for me!"

"But we did it out of love for you, sis! You never needed to ask because we were there, doing what needed to be done." – Greg's voice softened – "I don't blame you; I just want you to understand that we all have our struggles and do things we'd rather not. Mom deals with hurtful comments about being 'half-breed,' and Dad faces gossip about his intimate life – all to shape public opinion and find allies who could support us when the truth about you is revealed! You could surely cope with the minor inconvenience of me dating your friend."

"I didn't know Mom and Dad had to put up with such things." – Catherine replied, almost whispering – "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"Because it was their choice and they don't want to burden you with this." – the wizard explained, turning back to face his sister once again – "I probably shouldn't have told you, but I think you're old enough to know what your family does for you, and that we're not going to give up on fighting for your rightful place, no matter how dangerous it is. And that includes me as well. Can't you cut me some slack, Flame? I need a break from time to time."

"Do you know their names?" – the girl suddenly asked.

"What?" – Greg blinked a few times, confused – "Whose names?"

"The names of all the vessels sacrificed by our family." – Catherine stated, her voice drained of all emotion.

"I… well, I know about those who were killed by us after the Pact, but we haven't discussed the ones who came before." – he admitted uncomfortably, wondering where this conversation was heading.

"Too bad. It's quite fascinating." – the young witch continued, her tone unsettlingly casual – "After all, those girls weren't helpless babies. They had their own personalities, dreams, hopes, and fears. And every single one of them was destroyed by something beyond their control. They were doomed from the moment they were conceived. Yet, they never truly rebelled against their fate. I suppose they were far better at restraint than I am. Perhaps, they were also better people than me. Imagine this sweet innocent creature who ripped her siblings into pieces and enjoyed slowly burning people alive because then their screams were the most desperate. Imagine what I'd be capable of, Greg!"

"Why are you saying this out of the blue?" – the wizard asked with concern. He couldn't quite discern his sister's features, but he could feel her fragility – "How do you even know about those girls? Did Dad tell you about them?"

"It doesn't matter how, brother. All that matters is that it's pointless to put so much effort into something that may never work out. I'm not giving up, but I also don't want you all to suffer in a fight that's only mine to win. I do care about you, and I can hardly live with myself knowing I might completely lose it and murder all of you in a despicable way." – Catherine murmured with great difficulty. Her nails dug painfully into the soft skin of her palms as she clenched her fists tightly. Tears streamed down her cheeks, falling silently onto the plush carpet.

Greg quickly approached the sobbing girl and embraced her tightly. She shifted slightly but didn't try to pull away. The young wizard rested his chin on top of his sister's head and whispered gently, caressing her back.

"You won't do it! I know you, and I'm absolutely certain that no demon stands a chance against you, Lady Catherine McMahon! Believe in yourself, Flame, because we all bet our lives on you, and it's quite a safe bet in my book!"

Catherine smiled through her tears. Her brother's words felt so soothing and encouraging. In the safety of his arms, her fears seemed completely unfounded, like they were part of a persistent bad dream he would shoo away.

"You can date Lily if you wish. I'll make sure James doesn't bother you too much." – she finally proclaimed.

"Uhm, thanks, I appreciate it, but I haven't asked her yet. She may not be interested." – the boy chuckled, releasing his sister.

"I think she may say yes." – Catherine smiled – "Plus, if things between the two of you work out, I'll be very happy to have her as a sister-in-law."

"Well, let's start with a simple date and take it from there." – Greg smiled, feeling a wave of relief – "Are you feeling alright? Is this because your started your lessons with Dumbledore?"

"No, we haven't seen each other yet." – the girl shook her head – "Are Mom and Dad going to be fine?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it." – the young wizard reassured her – "Dad made quite a scene during the Great Summer Ball. They almost had a duel with Adrian Borealis, can you imagine? Apparently, that knobhead offended Mom in front of everybody, but fortunately Duke Prince intervened so both of them got a good scolding."

"Adrian Borealis seems like someone you don't want to anger." – Catherine noted, mostly to herself.

"Indeed. He's quite dangerous. Interestingly, he was the second son of the family and he somehow became the heir of House Borealis. I'm not even certain what happened to his older brother." – Greg mused thoughtfully – "But regardless, you should not worry about this - just steer clear of him as much as possible."

"Believe me, I have absolutely no interest in mingling with aristocrats." – the fourth-year witch scoffed – "I have enough things on my plate as it is, and I plan to focus on resolving those issues first. Speaking of that, I strongly advise you to stop following us, or I can't guarantee you'll remain unharmed."

"Why? What are you up to?" – Greg asked, his voice tinged with hesitation.

"Nothing you need to worry about, brother. Just give me some space, and you have my word nothing bad is going to happen to anyone." – Catherine replied cryptically.

"You do realise this sounds way too suspicious to just ignore it, right?" – the boy sighed audibly.

"For a Gryffindor, perhaps. However, in this instance, you should rely more on your Slytherin instincts."

With that, the young witch turned towards the girls' dormitory, leaving the stunned Prefect to ponder the balance between duty and personal safety. A faint noise drew Greg's attention to the sofa, where a pair of green eyes glowed in the darkness.

"Nyx, sometimes I think you're much more sensible than your owner." – the aristocrat murmured softly, stroking the silk fur of the Kneazle, which purred contentedly under his touch.

***

The clock on the mantel in Gryffindor Tower showed 3 in the morning as a petite silhouette slipped through the hole behind the Fat Lady's portrait. She moved cautiously through the shadows, pausing frequently to listen for approaching footsteps. Finally, she reached the staircase leading to the girls' dormitory and hurried through the door marked 'Fourth-years'.

Mary MacDonald quickly shed her cloak, her hands trembling with a mix of excitement and fear. She hurriedly exchanged her wrinkled, dirt-stained clothes for a cotton nightgown. Using a fresh handkerchief, she wiped stains from her face and brushed out leaves and grass tangled in her long, curly brown hair.

Taking a deep breath and trying to push thoughts of her evening with Ronan aside, Mary smiled dreamily as she prepared to slip under the covers of her four-poster bed. She glanced at the other beds one last time to ensure her housemates were still sound asleep. However, a troubling sight caught her eye—each heavy chest at the foot of the beds was open, its contents scattered across the floor in disarray.

Mary stood stunned for a moment, debating whether to acknowledge the disorder or pretend ignorance until morning, when she could confront it with her dorm mates. Deciding on the latter, she climbed into bed, attempting to relax despite the discomfort radiating through her body. Soon, she drifted into a peaceful sleep, unaware of the faint red glow emanating from the bed across the room.