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Temptation	By : ceruleanblue Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 1359 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Author's note: Bonus points if you can pinpoint where I derived my title...*snicker*

Lachlan woke up at half past six to an incessant tapping at her bedroom window. She rolled over, mumbled a few curses on the ancestry of whatever was waking her up at such an ungodly hour, and got out of bed. Archie sniffed loudly and curled into the warm spot that her body left, trying to ignore the fact that it was time to wake up.
Lachlan pulled her ratty, terry cloth robe tight against her body and went to the window, her eyes still heavy with sleep. It was wl, wl, and, from the looks of it, it was from her sister. Damn Isobel and her early-bird tendencies.

She opened the window and took the parchment from the white owl, who hooted disdainfully as he settled on the perch beside Lachlan's desk, shoving her own owl aside. Hestia was none too happy about sharing her perch with a haughty stranger and tried to keep from sharing her food with him. Lachlan laughed at this and then began to read the letter which was, of course, from her sister. Nobody else would draft a casual letter in perfect calligraphy.

Dearest Tara,
I saw this in an old issue of the Daily Prophet when I was cleaning out my bin and thought it might be of interest to you. I know how you love to keep up with the Chudley Cannons, and there is a two-page spread inside. Also, I thought your friend Mr. Weasley at the Ministry might like a clipping from when he won the Galleon Draw. It's not often that a Weasley is recognized for something other than flaming hair.
Of course, these were not the points I intended to make. Earlier, while setting out the tea for breakfast, I had a vision. Someone is going to attempt to attack a child at Hogwarts. I cannot tell at the moment which house, but, as you know, the vision will probably repeat over the next few days and I shall have more details. The only indication I have is that it is in one of the common rooms I do not recognize. Thus, Ravenclaw is eliminated from your search. Also, I highly doubt Slytherin would be in danger, since I feel the attack was from a Death Eater. I have no physical evidence of that, just an overwhelming sense of darkness. At any rate, do see about things at Hogwarts. I would be delighted to have you here at the cottage unless you want to stay in Hogsmeade. Either way, I look forward to seeing you.
Love,
Isobel Lachlan-Kincaid

Lachlan huffed. Leave it to her sister to sign her full name at the bottom of a personal letter as if it were a formal invitation. Nevertheless, she was grateful for the tip. True Diviners were rare, and having a tip off from one of the best Diviners in the century was always a positive. Lachlan tossed the old Daily Prophet on the bed, having more important things to do at the moment than clip out Arthur Weasley's picture. Still naked from the night before, she hurriedly threw on robes and began to pack for the trip to Hogwarts. She had no idea how long she would be gone, so she performed an Engorgement charm on her suitcase and began packing well over a week's worth of robes and other items. Archie had woken up to the noises of her banging around the bedroom and blinked sleepily. He yawned widely and then began starin the the Daily Prophet tossed on the bed.

A few minutes later, he was hysterical. Lachlan stared at him curiously, trying to offer him food or a walk, but Archie was insistent upon putting his bowl and leash in her suitcase. It was then that she understood. He wanted to go with her. Lachlan got down to her knees and stared him down, face to face.

"Archie, I want to take you. I have work to do, though. Can you behave yourself for Hagrid while I investigate at Hogwarts? After that, I promise I'll let you run around the Highlands at Isobel and Keith's estate, okay?" Lachlan was surprised when the dog seemed to not only understand her, but wholeheartedly insist that he was going to be well behaved. It was amazing how sentient animals could be at times.

Lachlan finished throwing the last few things in her suitcase, performed yet another Engorgement charm to keep it from bursting at the seams, and finally let out a sigh of relief. Okay, so her suitcase was now flashing pink and green�it was bigger. Somewhat. Damn her and her inability to do magic sometimes. Archie curled up on her feet as she sat on the edge of the bed, trying to catch her breath before apparating into Isobel's kitchen and subsequently into Hogsmeade for the walk to Hogwarts.

Apparition was nasty business. Wizards weren't even allowed to attempt it until they were seventeen, and then only under the supervision of a licensed mediwizard. Apparition was the root of many Accidental Magic Reversal squad calls, due to the likelihood of becoming splinched during first attempts. Splinching was, in essence, splitting the body in two different places because the mind was distracted. Needless to say, Lachlan was very happy she hadn't been splinched before. The only thing remotely close to splinching that had ever happened to her was once thinking about getting ice cream when she was supposed to be apparating into the Ministry late one evening and ending up in front of Florean Fortescue's instead. She justified this by saying that at least she was close. Needless to say, nobody else ever heard about that particular incident.

Her pulse sufficiently down to about normal and her wits about her, Lachlan grasped the handle of huitcuitcase and tried to pick it up. Ooops. She forgot to perform a lightening charm on the bag and it was heavier than a case of bludgers. She pulled her wand from the pocket inside her traveling cloak and whispered "claros," the incantation for light. Of course, her bag merely changed to a lovely shade of carnation with pale green splotches. Ahh. "Claros" was a color charm. Good to know. She finally got sick of it and used the Reductor Curse on it, causing the bag to shrink to the size of a matchbox. Now that was more like it.

Holding her miniscule bag and placing a hand on Archie's head, she thought long and hard about her sister's kitchen. She thought about the smooth, pale yellow walls that Isobel called buff, the polished oak cabinets and the perfect china, all of which contributed to the general aura of a museum that Isobel's entire home seemed to communicate. Closing her eyes, she felt the slight pulling feeling that always accompanied a long-distance apparition.

***********************************************************

Isobel Kincaid was barely surprised to see her sister apparate into her kitchen looking disheveled and in the company of a large dog. She swept a piece of dark hair behind her ear and went back to writing in her journal for the day. She barely tipped her head toward the stove and murmured lightly.

"Tea's on the back left and there are biscuits in the tin. Do wipe your crumbs when you're done, I've given Blinky the day off. She's had a bit of a cold lately. Of course, I'm sure she'll have burned herself with the iron for not working, but I made the gesture all the same."

Lachlan wondered how Isobel could carry on a decent conversation while in the midst of writing things that were surely personal in nature but apparently it was a trait of Diviners to be able to multitask. Isobel often induced her visions by completing mundane activities, so perhaps she was trying to provoke another viewing of the Hogwarts attack. Of course, her activity of choice was usually needlepoint because of its repetitive nature, but Lachlan was sure that she could induce it with anything. What sort of Diviner had to do needlepoint all the time in order to See a thing or two?

"I hear you, Tara. You would do well to take Occlumency lessons from Dumbledore or Snape while at Hogwarts. I should not be privy to the personal musings of an Auror, and not one so highly lauded as you. I will never understand why the Ministry thought you would be an asset in catching dark wizards. I suppose it is because you are in the dark about most things."

Tara had just taken a rather large bite of tea-soaked chocolate biscuit and nearly spewed it across the room before she remembered Isobel's warning about the house elf. She swallowed quickly and slipped the rest of the biscuit to Archie, who was glancing up at her with sympathetic eyes. Why did her sister have to be so cold?

"Well, excuse me Miss 'I-got-NEWTs-in-every-subject!' I wasn't aware of the fact that you were the sole authority on the requirements for catching dark wizards! I..I�" Tara whipped out her wand to hex her sister, incredibly childish, yes, but oddly satisfying. Anything to ruffle that cool, calm, and PERFECT exterior. Yes. Perfect. Isobel Lachlan-Kincaid was the perfect woman with the perfect husband and perfect house. Her hair fell in a perfectly straight sheen of black and her eyes were a perfect grey surrounded by long, perfect lashes. She was everything that Tara would never be and she despised her for it.

However, before she could get out the words for a really nasty tooth-enlarging hex, Isobel lazily raised her wand and said "Expelliarmus" in the bored, aristocratic tone she had perfected. She then performed a Silencing Charm and watched while Tara moved her lips in several particularly nasty curses while no sound came out.

"Now, if you're done acting like a petulant child, I suppose you would like to hear what I have to say. My vision came back, and I am almost certain that the portrait door I keep seeing and the subsequent bedroom are in Gryffindor Tower. There is an abundance of scarlet and gold for one thing and I seem to remember Remus Lupin telling me there was a portrait of a woman leading to his dormitories." Isobel waved her wand then and whispered "Finite Incantatem," and smiled when she dropped in on a particularly vicious stream of curses.

"Remember dear, we have the same mother. I wouldn't use that particular expression to insult me. And besides, I am merely trying to help. Perhaps my manner is a bit cool, but you know how I am and should deal accordingly." Tara sed bed but conceded the point. There was no use in quibbling with her sister when she had much more important things to do.
Tara drafted a quick note to Albus Dumbledore, asking whether or not she would be allowed to do a little investigation on Hogwarts grounds even though she had no tangible evidence that Black was even involved in the attack that may or may not occur. Funny. When she thought about it that way, Isobel didn't seem so perfect after all. There was always the off chance she could be completely wrong about the whole thing. Of course, it was just an off chance.
- 7
- 8
- 9
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Temptation