Fixing Old Traditions | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑯𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑭𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒚-𝑬𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕

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autumn 1981,
you can't save 
them both!
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31st October 1981, Halloween

Amelia Burke was visiting Burke Manor, as the children wanted to show their mother and father all the sweets that they had gotten while they were trick or treating. A parade of children ran through the door, Sirius and Aimee hardly recognised their children. The three girls, Laura, Rhea and Phoebe had their hair up in high ponytails.

One redhead, one brunette, and one blonde. Hadrian and Carden chased each other through the house. The last time they had seen their parents, they were barely able to walk. Ethan was the calm of the children keeping the younger ones in check.

"Hi, grammy," Aimee hugged her grandmother "I can't believe how much they've grown,"

"Yes, I actually came, because I believe your friends are in danger," she said, Aimee creased her brows

"You mean Lily and James?"

"Yes, dear you need to hurry,"

Aimee rushed through the house to get Sirius and Regulus, Marlene and Dorcas offered to have Hope and Larissa. Aimee remember, Phoebe's fear of Peter, that's where she was heading. The two brothers went to help James and Lily, she inform Remus hoping he could lend them a hand.

She found herself, outside a home that she had never visited before, Peter Pettigrew's home. She knocked on the door, Peter reluctantly let her in, she looked around his home, he definitely didn't spend a lot of time here. She stood with her arms crossed.

"Peter, I know you're James' secret keeper, and I know you're one of his followers, how could you do this to us?"

"There was no other way, I had no choice-

"There's always a choice!" she yelled, "Is that how they found Remus, it that why they turned up at our house, where our children were, the same children that called you their uncle Pete."

"I didn't have a choice-

"Stop saying that, I have to tell the Sirius," she said, walking to the door, he blocked her path.

"Don't do that, if you do, I'll have to kill you,"

"Then kill me," she challenged, holding her arms out.

"Don't make me do this," he begged

"I'm not making you do anything,"

"Join me," he offered

"You know, I can't do that," she shoved past him

"You can't save them both!" he said

"What?"

"He's going after your brother tonight too,"

Aimee darted through the street, apparating to the village where Daniel and Melissa lived, she was immediately grabbed by two wizards. She turned around, Amycus and Alecto restraining her with various spells, they headed towards the house.

She did everything she could to try and loosen the ropes that bound her, she morphed into a dog, tearing at the ropes, she slipped out of the ropes. She ran towards the pair Alecto warned Amycus to run ahead, she prepared for the white dog jumping at her.

"Crucio,"

The dog winced in pain, in front of her, violently jerking as the power of this curse was a lot stronger than her mothers were. Through the corner of her eyes she saw a flash of green light, she bit Alecto's leg, which caused her to stop the curse.

The dog darted towards the house, she jumped through the window, as Amycus was preparing his wand to kill baby Max. She jumped at him, biting down hard on his arm, shaking her head, which causes her teeth to sink deep into his skin. He dropped his wand, quickly leaving the house.

She morphed back to herself, she weakly stumbled towards Max, he was crying loudly. She glanced in the direction he was looking in, she saw Daniel and Melissa laid on the floor, she fought back her own tears to comfort the distressed child. She flicked her wand at the door, closing it so he couldn't see them.

"Shh," she cradled him, despite her body being frail from the cruciatus curse. She took him away from the house, she attempted to apparate but the risk of splinching was high, as she walked further, building up her strength.

Fireworks soared into the sky, 'there wasn't any need for Fireworks' she thought. Unless Muggles set them off, on Halloween night, once she felt her strength come back. She was able to apparate home, she was glad to see Lily, with Harry and their little girl. Regulus ran over to her, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"OW, OW!" he ripped himself away from her, "I had a run-in with my cousins,"

"You could have a broken bone," he helped her, towards the children and Lily, Marlene and Dorcas.

Alice and Frank were also present with their little boy. Regulus sat her down, Marlene took Max from her, she didn't have the added weight of a 6-month-old on her. He rolled up her shirt, her entire left side was heavily bruised, Lily handed her daughter to Alice, while she looked over Aimee's bruises.

"Where's James and Sirius?" she asked,

"They went after Peter," she attempted to move "don't move," Lily warned her

"What happened?" she asked, as Lily applied some paste which would heal her bruises a little.

"We don't know, we think he's gone" Aimee creased her brows

"What do you mean?" she questioned

"I don't know, I just know that James, Sirius, and Remus, went after Peter,"

"How long have they been gone?" she asked, Lily didn't answer right away.

"Too long,"

The Dark Lord was gone. Marlene and Dorcas comforted Lily and Aimee as much as they could, Alice and Frank had left to help find James, Sirius and Remus. They had been gone for hours, they knew that their confrontation with Peter wasn't going to be easy.

The night grew even darker, many muggle children were running around going to many different houses trick or treating. She couldn't sit around any longer she stood up, which prompted the older children to stand up too.

"Hadrian, Carden come on," she said, gesturing for the boys to stand

"Where are you going?" Marlene said, holding Max and Hope.

"I can't sit around any longer," she said,

"You can't just go wandering around," Regulus said, grabbing her preventing her from leaving

"Daddy!" Phoebe said, running over to Sirius, Rhea followed her, Carden and Hadrian toddled behind their sisters. Ethan and Laura ran too, beat all the other children to him

She froze seeing the disappointment on his, James and Remus' faces though they put smiles on for the children. She and Lily approached them, wrapping their arms around their husbands, Remus received a group hug from the two women.