Disclaimer: I own nothing and I'm making no profit.
Rating: PG-13
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"Rem, the orb isn't working! It refuses to answer and I – who's that?"
The woman who was talking and coming down the stairs was barely older than twenty-seven or so. Her light brown hair was pulled up into a messy bun with silver chopsticks and it was falling apart around her oval face. Her eyes were large and crystal blue, shining with annoyance and she held a dark green ball in her hands that swirled with a white mist. She wore jeans and a green halter, showing off her rounded shoulders. The people at the door took her in and looked to Remus for an explanation.
"Mara, these are the visitors –"
"Oh, hell, Rem, why didn't you tell me they were coming today? I had the chicken in the freezer ready to cook. I could've been doing something useful instead of using my abysmal divination knowledge to get this thing working." She appeared to be even more annoyed, if it was possible. "I don't know how you do it. Hi, I'm Mara Alexandria, Remus' cousin from his mother's side."
She set the orb down on the table and stuck her hand out to one of the boys. Harry Potter took it hesitantly, unsure of what to make of her. His green eyes swept over her, a light frown between his eyebrows.
"Let's see, what was it that Albus told me? You're Harry Potter, of course. You're Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, and... well, the rest of you are Weasleys, which is the best I can do."
"That's Ginny and those are the twins, Fred and George."
"Well? What are you waiting for? Go into the living room! And here –" She picked up the orb and shoved it at Remus. "You do the perimeter. I'm lousy at it. My strength is charms."
She shooed everyone into the living room and cautiously locked the door before bounding in.
"Nobody else came with you?" she asked brightly as she summoned a plate of tea.
"Er... Mad-Eye's outside..." Harry said.
"Remus will let him in," she said, brushing it off and serving tea for the guests.
There was a thump at the door and Mara paused for a moment before there was another thump. She gave a frustrated sigh and entered the hallway, opening the door to admit Mad-Eye, who looked at her up and down with his magical eye.
"Impatient, are we?" she said cheerily as he went off in search of Remus. She dropped the facade and scowled at his back, closing the door and muttering something about 'bloody magical eyes'.
When she reentered the living room, there was an annoyed look in her eyes again and the steady clenching and unclenching of one dainty fist gave away that she was angry about something. She sat down next to the twins and leaned back, placing one hand over her eyes.
"Every time he looks at me with that blasted eye, I get the feeling that he's looking at me naked."
There was a collective shudder around the room and the girls muttered consent. The twins merely grinned and George simpered, bringing forth a cup of tea.
"Thank you," she said, smiling at him and sipping at it. Within seconds, she was emitting the sound of a mewling cat... in the middle of mating. She held a hand to her mouth and then looked down suspiciously at the tea. "All right, who was the wise ass?" she asked after a moment.
The girls were laughing behind their hands, Harry and Ron were bright red, and the twins were looking completely innocent. She slapped George's arm and scowled at him.
"I'm not a complete idiot," she muttered. "Caramba, pero son peores de lo que pensaba..."
"I thought I told you, Mara: no Spanish since no one here besides you understands it!"
"Oh, shut it, Rem. Did you get the barrier up?"
"Yes. I don't understand what you find so difficult about it."
"I'm not a divination person, you know that." She almost sipped at the tea again and then thought better of it. "Bugger," she muttering and, with great deliberation, tossed the tea in the twins' faces.
Everyone burst out laughing simultaneously when they started making the same sounds of cats in the middle of sex. They both looked rather affronted and amused at the same time. Mara tossed her hair and stood up imperiously.
"You're not the only one who can play a trick," she informed them with a wink in Remus' direction.
"No comment," Remus said with a grin, leaning back in his chair.
"Do you know how long it's been since you've smiled like that, Rem?" she said, sitting on the arm of his chair.
He looked over at Hermione, who seemed flustered as he did so. Mara's eyes narrowed as she peered at the two of them and knew that there was another story behind that.
"It's hard for anyone to smile during these times," Harry said into the silence.
There was a glum agreement and Mara heard the wailing of the barrier. Everyone was on their feet with their wands in their hands in less than five seconds. Mara summoned something with a sharply barked command and a mirror appeared in front of her. There was an image there of two Death Eaters who looked rather surprised.
"Right. Two from the back and two from the front. The rest of you, to the roof. Harry, you're with me. Remus, go with Mad-Eye out the back."
Harry and Mara walked into the hallway and opened the door, the wailing still resounding in their ears. Two black cloaks were rushing into the woods and their Stunning Spells came out of their mouths at the same time.
"Stupefy!"
The two cloaks fell and Harry and Mara ran to them, Mad-Eye and Remus close behind. Remus stepped in front of his cousin as Mad-Eye prodded the bodies. One hood fell back and Harry hissed.
"Luna! RON! RON! IT'S LUNA!"
They heard a loud 'Bugger!' from the roof and the purple bruise on her face seemed to be a warning. The other made Mad-Eye suck in his breath.
"Malfoy."
Draco Malfoy lay there unconscious and Mara took Remus' hand.
"Stop shaking, Rem. You'll faint," she whispered and he hugged her.
"I got scared. I didn't expect an attack so soon, and with a hostage."
"It's all right, Rem, we're here for you." She ruffled Harry's hair. "We're all here for each other."
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This was just to let you know how Mara met Harry and company. If you've read this and you liked it and you'd like to read more with Mara, go to Occlumency. The story title is "The Conference".
Thank you!
-Mel