Emerald Slippers- [Ginny Weasley]

One

Hogsmead trips were supposed to be fun little social hang outs between school friends which occurred in the local town to the castle disguised as a school. Ones in which you got the chance to feel like normal teenagers walking around this happy little village. Shopping to your hearts contents in the sweet shop, trying to convince the bartender that you had finally turned 18 and staring at the shrieking hut that nobody dared enter. It was all supposed to be for teenaged shenanigans away from the prying eyes of your teachers and a fresh breath of air from the boarding school life. Yet the first trip to Hogsmead for Naomi and her older brother Theodore was not going to be spent with their friends fooling about in the fresh snow and then warming up with a drink shortly afterwards. Rather they were off to a meeting. One of which neither were looking forwards to. 

The siblings had received a rather ominous looking letter a few days back now. Considering it only had a time, date and location upon it meant one and only thing. They were being given orders by the Dark Lord to fulfil. This meeting would be by one of the highest Death Eaters who would then go on to relay the information regarding what their tasks were to be. The Dark Lord would never threaten his own safety by coming out to give such orders. He would always send someone else. 

Therefore, that Saturday morning, Naomi got up to get ready for this meeting. The air was still crisp with that winter chill which showed no signs of moving on as the seasons changed. Naomi had been greeted with an overcast sky that morning, which only seemed so fitting for the events which were to play out before her own eyes. She dressed in a simple emerald green long sleeved blouse tucked into a black a line skirt. A pair of thick black tights on underneath and her black cloak she could only pray that this would be able to keep her from the harsh elements. 

The siblings had been called to a dingy looking house off a beaten path from the centre of Hogsmead. The house from the outside looked as though it was ready to crumble. Fitting really. And upon entering the inside mirrored. Accompanied by the floorboards that groaned with every step the Nott's took, the barely standing foundations and walls of the building did nothing to control the seeping cold from outside pouring in. Naomi clutched onto the arm of her elder brother trying to ground herself and move away from the panic she was struggling to control. However, it was barely working as she could feel the tensing of his muscles as he too feared what they were about to become involved with following this meeting. 

Wondering through the little house, if Naomi could really call it that it was more the ruins of a house, it took the Nott siblings a good couple of minutes to find who they were supposed to be meeting. Yet upon entering the dining room they came across two figures. It was only a small shock to the both to see two very familiar faces sat waiting on them at the table. No words were spoken as the siblings went to take a seat opposite the pair. Theodore, following every rule set out for him as a pureblood, went to pull the chair out for his younger sister before pushing her in and taking his own. It was then that Naomi was able to take a proper look at the two adults sat across from her. 

The first face she came across was the ever friendly face of Narcissa Malfoy. Naomi would forever greatly appreciate the older woman for taking her in over the summer period and treating her as her own. It wasn't an easy task, yet the other woman had always pulled it off spectacularly. The second face which was one Naomi perhaps didn't exactly expect to have been chosen was the ever familiar face of her house head. Professor Snape would always have a certain soft spot for the Slytherin's in the same situation the siblings were in. Often allowing them to get away with much more than even his precious normal house students would get, their missing of classes he would often brush under the carpet and argue against teachers giving them detention. He would even go as far as punishing any Gryffindor who taunted or tried to say something about those students, especially if they tried to spread that particular rumour around the school. He had been rather good with Naomi throughout the entire year in general even having an inkling to the girls feelings for a particular red head. Having found Naomi's situation rather similar to his own whilst he was a student, he had refused to give Naomi a detention after discovering her sneaking in one night after meeting said ginger. But having both familiar adults sat at the table Naomi felt a small amount of ease wash over her. Despite what she was about to be told to do, she felt calm knowing who it was coming from. 

Though she wished she hadn't allowed herself to feel that way when professor Snape spoke the task to the siblings. The task that heavily featured only Naomi and not both heirs of the Nott family. 

"Heir and Heiress Nott, pleasure to see you both."  Professor Snape greeted once the siblings were seated beginning the meeting officially. 

"The Dark Lord has taken his time to consider whether it was appropriate for you both to be sent on a mission for our cause. After great consideration he decided that it would be best for anyone your age to only be working within the walls of Hogwarts. We have currently a single manned task force within the walls and the Dark Lord wishes for you Naomi to join this particular team." Professor Snape started as he indicated what Naomi had feared that she would have to d something so dastardly within the walls of the safest place in the country for young magi folk. 

"My Godson is the solo member on this task force. Yet his progression is not to the liking of the Dark Lord. He is hoping that with your advanced knowledge in the subjects Draco is laking in, together you will be able to accomplish this task." Snape continued to drawl on very much in his normal 'teacher' tone. To the point where to Naomi it did not seem dissimilar to her being in the dungeons for her Potion's class. 

"What is it that my younger sister will be performing for this task?" Theodore was the first one to speak up regarding the very little information they had been provided with thus far. 

"The task or goal by the end of the academic year is for you to get the Death Eaters into Hogwarts. You must find a way for them to get around the wards of the school. Naomi is also to help Draco in his other task, ensuring the death of our Lord's strongest opponent. Albus Dumbledore must die." Snape concluded. Naomi didn't like the sound of her task. She didn't want to do this, her eyes widened in shock, she was to aid in the death of her Head master?

"I am to aid in the death of the headmaster?" Naomi spluttered her shock filling into her words. 

"Not entirely, get the death eaters into Hogwarts successfully and then you should not have to do no more. Fail to get them inside then you will be responsible for ensuring the death of Dumbledore." Snape's words were no more useful than his earlier statement. 

"I do hope you understand the severity of this task. And the consequences shall you be unsuccessful." Snape droned on and Naomi knew what he meant. She was not fickle. If Naomi was unsuccessful, if her and Draco were unsuccessful it would result in her death. And no Death Eater would blink when ending it. 

It would turn out that having Narcissa there would be no aid in the youngest Nott's mission. For the older woman did not speak out against the task being assigned to her surrogate daughter. Instead she waited until the two men, well professor and male student, had walked ahead before pulling Naomi aside for further words. 

"I understand this may be a lot to take on Naomi, but I plead with you to try your hardest. I cannot bare the thought of loosing either you or Draco to this scheme." Narcissa seemed to beg Naomi. Yet the words of the woman were not comforting in the slightest, they would only continue to weigh on Naomi as the day progressed on. 

The walk back to the castle that afternoon, was like no other the young girl had taken in her years at Hogwarts. She no longer felt as though she was returning that same student she had been that morning. How could she? She no longer was a student with a stupid branding on her arm who couldn't really pull any weight in this war. She was suddenly thrown into being a very vital role in the war. 

How could you return to a place where you were tasked with ending the life of someone living under that very roof?

Naomi wasn't sure she would ever feel comfortable sleeping under the roof of Hogwarts ever again.