The Aftermath (Sequel to The Fifth Marauder) (BOOK 2)

Vendetta

"Jade, are you sure you want to go? We'll understand if you-"

"For the last time, I'm going whether you people like it or not. I'm about to give Dumbledore a piece of my damn mind." I said as I fixed my hair and tried to ignore the writing on my left arm. "Who the hell leaves someone like a pig for slaughter? Honestly."

Sirius sighed and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Sunshine, I'm glad your back and all, but you've been with Pomfrey for almost a week and you're just now getting your strength back." Sirius said and kissed my temple.

"So? That doesn't mean that I don't want revenge. I missed two full moons, missed Remus' birthday, James had to spend our nineteenth birthday alone, and all of you have been an absolute mess without me. If that doesn't call for revenge, then I don't know what does." I said and grabbed my wand and looked at it. "That bitch almost broke it."

"Just promise me that you won't overwork yourself until you feel it's absolutely necessary." Sirius said and turned me so I was facing him. "I can't bare to lose you again."

"Pads, you can't expect me to lie around and do nothing when those assholes had me locked up for two months on the brink of death."

"That's exactly my point, Vixen. You were locked up and knocking on death's door. You have nightmares about it every night and if your dad haven't sent me the Dreamless Sleep, I don't know what I'd do because I fell asleep that day in class. I know you want revenge against everyone who captured you, I want it too. But there's a time for everything and I don't want you to face them without you being okay mentally." Sirius kissed me and glanced at my left arm.

"Don't look at it. Everyone thinks they have an opinion on it." I said and moved my arm but Sirius grabbed it and put it on his chest.

"No matter what everyone says, you're not worthless. If it's any constellation, I'm the bloodtraitor and I don't even care anymore. Don't let Bellatrix get in your head like this, sunshine. You're better than that and better than her in every way."

"You weren't there, Pads. I fucking begged for mercy. I begged for death because I couldn't take it anymore. I selfishly begged for something that I knew would break you and the boys. That's the problem. It's not the torture that I went through, it's the fact that I begged for a sweet release knowing that my boys would be here without me." I cried and Sirius immediately hugged me tight.

"You're back now and that's all that matters. We won't let anything like that happen to you again. You're safe now." Sirius said and rocked us back and forth as I sobbed into his chest. "You wanna skip the meeting and stay here? I could tell Prongs to tell Molly to bring the kids."

"No, no. I'm still going. I just needed to get that out of my chest." I wiped my tears and grabbed one of Sirius' leather jackets. "It's time I gave Dumbledore a piece of my damn mind."

"There's the badass I know and love."

...

"Our best move is to-"

"I'm back, everybody. And I have stories to tell." I smirked and sat down crossing my legs on the table.

"Jade, we weren't expecting you to-"

"Bounce back? Be alive? Or still have a small part of my sanity left?" I shrugged and looked at Dumbledore. "You didn't expect this at all, did you?"

"Jade, you must understand that-"

"No, you must understand a small part of the hell I've been through those two months. The torture I've had to go through is something that I wouldn't wish on anybody, no matter how much I may despise them. You seem to forget that we're not pawns in this stupid war that none of us asked to be a part of in the first place and yet here we are fighting so that our future generations will have a better life. Guess what, Professor? I'm not a damn pig sent to the slaughterhouse. I'm a fucking human being who has feelings and bleeds just as much as much as every single person in this room. Keep in mind that I've almost died twice, and somehow I always find a way to bounce back. This wasn't a sacrifice for the greater good, Professor. This was a maliciously thought out plan on both parts. If it weren't for my friends and husband, I would probably still be there being tortured or even on an unmarked grave six feet under. How's that for war strategies, Professor? Still don't regret not sending somebody after me and letting bloody nineteen year olds do the work that you should've done. They played my mind and they played it good. I have the word worthless sketched permanently on my body, I was fucking crucio'd more times that I could count and that's the parts where I was conscious. I was malnourished to the point where I was on the brink of death. Tell me Professor, was it worth it?" I crossed my arms and glared at him.