Love Made Us Blind

Marie-Adelaide knew the game she was playing required a difficult balance. She couldn’t make the fact that she was dating Harry Potter too obvious as it would just look fake and manufactured, which, granted, it was. She couldn’t also not make it clear that they had been seeing each other for two weeks as it would cause the charade to be quite useless if no one was talking about it. Hayley had already helped. The day before the new term started, she returned from hanging with her friends from the Slytherin common room and reported to her housemate.

“He stormed out.” Hayley summarized. “Parkinson ran after him, and they weren’t seen for the rest of the evening.”

Alice smirked, satisfied with the results. So, it had bothered him, even if it was just a little bit.

“Thanks for doing this. I realize this is so childish, but-”

“But he hurt you, and you want to get back at him.”

“I wouldn’t be able to endure it. The whispers, the rumours... It’s not just about Draco; I want them all to know that Draco moving on doesn’t bother me.”

“But it does bother you.”

Alice sighed, conflicted. She couldn’t even answer that question to herself.

“I’m not sure,” she responded as honestly to her friend as possible. “It bothers me not knowing if his feelings are sincere or not. It bothers me not knowing how deeply he cares about her. Or not knowing whenever or not it’s as real as it was between us.”

Alice felt her heart contract. She wasn’t sure anymore whenever Draco had actual feelings for her or had been dating her because his parents told him to. No, Alice told herself, no matter what he knew or didn’t know, Draco had real feelings for me.

The day before the whole school would know of her new relationship, and she would once more be the center of everyone’s gossip, Addie had a welcomed distraction. The fifth years were due to have their career advice sessions with their house’s head of household during the first week of term and to help them prepare for the meeting, a bunch of pamphlets detailing different career options were left in the common rooms for the students to peruse.

Alice had never once given a thought of what she would do once she left Beauxbatons or Hogwarts. Her whole life, she knew she would have to marry a respectable pure blood, have children until she birthed a son to carry the line and raise them. Until recently, she was sure that a few months, maybe at most a year or two after finishing school, she would be happily married to Draco, finally, part of a family she had been dying to join.

But now that she was a Blood Traitor, everything was different. While her maternal family situation was still very undetermined, she was all but written off by the Lestranges once they would get wind that she had rejected the Dark Lord’s way. Her father had preferred to go to Azkaban rather than stay and raise his daughter; Alice had no doubts whom he would choose if it came down between them.

As she stared at the multitude of pamphlets, she was faced with different possibilities for her future for the first time. It simultaneously thrilled and terrified her.

“What do you think? Alice?”

The girl raised her head at the sound of her name being called. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all looking at her, expecting an answer.

“I’m sorry darling, I didn’t hear you; what was that?”

The effect was immediate; both Ron and Hermione both bristled in their seats, looking first at each other and then away. Harry simply smiled.

“I thought we were waiting until term started tomorrow.”

“I’m trying to avoid that tomorrow at breakfast,” Alice explained, nudging her head towards their friends.

“Fair enough. I was just asking your opinion on some of these. You’ve been awfully quiet.”

“I was just musing on the fact that a few weeks ago I had one option, and now I have at least twenty.”

“Are you glad at least?”

“A bit scared. But mostly glad.” She gave him a warm smile. “What do you think of all this?”

“I think I want to be an Auror.”

Alice laughed.

“Of course you do.” She hesitantly brought her hand to his forehead, delicately pushing the hair that was covering his scar. “You would be an excellent Auror.”

“So, how long are you guys going to play at this?” Ron finally asked, making Addie quickly retract her hand towards her.

“We’ll see how it goes.” Alice lifted her shoulders, eyes back on the pamphlets. “Or as soon as Harry wants it to stop.”

“I’m in it as long as you need me to.”

“Glad to hear so.” Alice stood up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He blushed a little, but Alice felt a lot less tension than she did before they struck the deal. “I’ll be going to prepare for term tomorrow. Goodnight.”

She bid Hermione and Ron goodnight as well, and they barely murmured it back to her. As she walked up the stairs to her dormitory, she couldn’t help but feel glad that she had this to rely on tomorrow. Once Draco would start snogging Pansy for all to see, she would at least have a pair of eyes to gaze into, a person to direct her smiles. She wouldn’t appear the heartbroken fool.

Alice knew the charade she was about to pull required delicateness. She was glad that Harry came down alone, she was feeling so nervous, and a third person would just make matters worst.

“Last chance to back out.” Addie warmed her friend just as he reached her.

“I won’t.”

“Good.”

Alice reached out her hand. As soon as they were out of the portrait hole, they laced their fingers together and walked. In the first few hallways, they didn’t speak to each other. Alice expected it to feel so false and wrong, but to her delight, it felt... okay. Good even.

“So what class are you missing today for the discussion?”

“Divination,” Harry responded with a wide smile. “Couldn’t ask for a better subject. Well, maybe potions.”

“Or defence against the dark arts. I would take any excuse to be out of that wile woman’s company.”

“That one too.”

“I’m missing part of History of Magic. I expect detailed notes for everything I missed.”

Harry laughed.

“You’re better off asking Hermione. I don’t know if there’s much that can compel me to pay attention to more than three consecutive minutes of professor Binn’s lecture.

“Not even for me?” Alice gazed into his eyes and gave him a mischievous smile. “What if for every inch of notes I’ll give you a kiss?”

The forwardness of her statement threw Harry off guard for a moment. He didn’t realize that they had reached the Great Hall and were in a place where they were probably overheard. His first instinct was to take back his hand and call it off. But it only lasted a second. He gave her another smile.

“Well, when you put it like that... how can I refuse?”
Alice beamed. She pecked him on the lips as a show of thank you. A quick peck she judged was called for. A peck wasn’t a spectacle, but it attracted a few glances. The balance she was trying to achieve.

“You might want to be on the lookout for Hermione today.”

“How come?”

“She’s on the mission. I’ll be doing something rather risky later, and I have no doubts she’ll try and recruit you to try and stop me.”

“And what is your daring mission today?”

“I can’t tell you here. But I will tell you later, I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

Harry had been quite right that she should avoid Hermione. After quickly briefing Alice that Harry had every intention of breaking into Umbridge’s office to speak to his godfather, Hermione kept a constant barrage of arguments why he shouldn’t go through with it.

“Tell him, Addie! He won’t listen to me but many if he heard it from someone else.”

While Addie had her own suspicions on the likely hood of Harry being caught, she couldn’t simply not offer Harry some of her support.

“I have complete faith in Harry’s decisions. Besides Hermione, I’m pretty sure the last thing you tried to talk him out of was this,” Alice said, gesturing between her and Harry. “So clearly, not all your suggestions should be followed.”

She could tell Harry was grateful to her as he relaxed even more in her company. Alice was quite glad to leave History of Magic that morning. She didn’t even remind Harry to take the notes he promised; the poor boy had enough on his plate to ignore Hermione.

She walked into McGonagall's office with time to spare. She didn’t understand why exactly she was nervous. Was it because a tiny part of her feared that her Head of Household would tell her she wasn’t suited for any job? That her best hope was to let her family arrange a marriage? She took a few deep breaths and walked into her office. Her eyes immediately spotted the intruder and stopped walking. Why was Umbridge in the room, sitting, a clipboard at the ready? As the new headmistress, didn’t she have more important things to do than evaluate Alice’s interview?

“Please sit down, Miss Lestrange.”

Alice did as she was told and sat in the designated chair. At least from this angle, she didn’t have to see her least favourite teacher. She shot McGonagall a nervous smile.

“This meeting is to see what future you’re thinking about pursuing and to see if you’re on track to get the required grades. So, Miss Lestrange, have you thought about what job you wish to have once you leave school.”

Alice blushed as she thought back to the future she was supposed to have. Draco holding their child. A future that was no longer viable. She shook her head.

“Miss Lestrange, can we be honest with each other? As a rule, I haven’t had many purebloods from old wizarding families in my house. I said I was going to be honest,” McGonagall said as Alice’s eyes widened. “But I have taught many. Many of them were bright, clever and full of potential that was eventually wasted once they got married. Now I am not one to discourage you from getting married and have children. But before you settle down, I’d encourage you to work a little instead of relying on your father’s gold and then on your husband’s. Don’t lock your potential away in your husband’s household. You can be a mother, a wife and have a career as long as you don’t jump into a role right away.”

“I agree. I think, I think I’d want that.”

She heard a giggle from the corner behind her and resisted shooting the woman a glance by keeping her focus on her teacher, who was also ignoring the intrusion.

“Good. Now then, was there anything that caught your attention?” She gestured to the multitude of pamphlets on her desk.

“There are so many options that I haven’t started yet.”

“Would you be open to suggestions?”

“Yes, of course!”

“Would you consider becoming a Healer?”

“A Healer? Don’t you need exceptional skills?”

“Yes, you do. But after looking at your grades this year, I think you can pull it off. You should pay special attention to Potions as Professor Snape only accepts students with Outstanding OWLs. You’ve been averaging between an O and an E this year, so with a little bit more practice and studying; you should be able to secure your place. As for the other classes, you seem to be in range to continue the classes. Maybe pull up your Herbology since you seem to have the lowest results, but Professor Pomfrey accepts students with E, so you should be able to reach that. Before we continue, I must warn you that passing with high grades in the OWLs is not enough. You will have to have at least an E on your NEWTs in Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Herbology, and Defence Against the Dark Arts, and the course load is much harder than the OWLs course load. If you manage to achieve the required grades, you will have to undergo an extra three years of schooling. After your first year, you will be examined to see if you have what it takes to continue. If you do, two years later, you will pass your final series of examinations, and you will have only three tries to pass them all successfully.”

Alice stared at her head of house. All her confidence of being told she should suggest being a Healer evaporated as McGonagall continued to list the many ways she could fail.

“I know this sounds overwhelming, but so far, I’ve seen that you have potential. It won’t be easy, and you will have to work hard for years. But if you truly apply yourself to this goal, I believe you have not only the necessary skills but characteristics to become an excellent Healer.”

The same giggling but louder was heard again.

“What do you think of this, Miss Lestrange?”

“I’m truly honoured that you think-

“Can I interject, just a moment?” Alice’s stomach churned. Nothing that Umbridge had to say could be good for the boost of confidence that McGonagall just gave her.

“If you must,” McGonagall replied. Her tone had gone ice cold.

“I simply must address an alarming concern with this. Should we be intrusting the people’s lives with someone with a reputation-“

“I haven’t realized that a 16-year-old could have possibly developed a reputation outside of Hogwarts that could be considered alarming.”

“I just fear her predisposition toward violence- “

“My predisposition?” Alice knew flaring up would simply prove her point, but the thought of Umbridge accusing her of being violent as if she didn’t make Harry carve words into his flesh enraged her.

“It must certainly run in the family, does it not? How do you explain both you father and uncle-“

“Speaking this way to a student is inappropriate! We are here to discuss her future, and I hardly see how her family history is relevant!”

“How will the public react to putting her in such a prestigious position. Who will want to put their loved ones in the care of a Death Eater’s daughter?”

“What a ridiculous notion. Was Marie-Adelaide at the scene of the crime, taking part in it? How old were you back then, one? Two?”

“No matter how old she was back then, she is sixteen now, a year away from being of age. And she hasn’t come forth with any information about her father and uncle’s whereabouts.”

“That’s because I have no information to give!”

“I’ll be the judge of that. I’ll see you tomorrow at six in my office. We’ll have a much more realistic discussion about your future, Miss Lestrange.”

Later that evening, the Weasley twin’s flight from school almost put her in a better mood. Almost. As everyone around her was celebrating and were retelling their now former housemates' last act of defiance, Marie-Adelaide couldn’t stop thinking about her meeting with Umbridge tomorrow. What did she want with her? If Umbridge was making her come down and discuss her father’s hiding location, it meant the ministry really believed that she, Alice, a sixteen-year-old student was in league with her Death Eater father. The thought enraged her, and she took out a quill and parchment. She didn’t know what her goal was, but she decided to write to her mom. Her mother couldn’t do anything but her uncle, as the leader of the magical government in France, was capable of talking to Fudge to let his dog in Hogwarts to ease up on her.

“What are you doing?” She heard Harry and felt him sit next to her, but she didn’t raise her eyes away from the parchment

“I’m writing a furious letter to my mom complaining about Umbridge. I don’t know if it will do anything, but at this point, we’ve tried everything. Maybe it’s time to put some International pressure on Fudge.”

“Addie, what’s wrong?”

Alice looked up. Harry’s good mood faded a little as he saw the worry on her face.

“Umbridge was at my career advice session.”

“Yeah, on me too.”

“Hold on, who was there?” Hermione asked as she joined Alice and Harry at the table near the fireplace.

“Didn’t you also have Umbridge sitting there with her stupid quill and clipboard taking notes of all the way to crush their student’s hopes and dreams?”

“She wasn’t there for mine,” Hermione confirmed.

“Well, good for you.” Alice looked back to her parchment, wondering what words would convey the gravity of the situation.

“What did she tell you two?” Ron asked, now intrigued

“She basically implied that as long as Fudge is Minister, I have no chance of ever become an Auror,” Harry responded as Alice kept quiet, trying to organize her letter despite the conversation around her.

“Well, you’ve only got Fudge to worry about. Apparently, convicted Death Eater’s daughters can’t become Healers. And now I have a meeting with her to discuss my father and uncle’s location, whom I’ve never technically met.”

“She actually said that?” Hermione asked, horrified

“In those very same words. I didn’t have to interpret anything. McGonagall was furious.” Alice said with a smile. Her teacher’s reaction was a small comfort. “What will I do... I mean, even if Fudge is sacked or quits in the next few years... what are the chances his successor will hate me any less.”

“Have you ever considered... changing your name? You first came to Hogwarts with a French name.”

“I can’t change my name in England without forfeiting my vault. It’s a stupid prevision to make sure the fortune stays in the family.”

“Is a Gringotts vault really worth it?”

Alice gave Harry a pointed look.

“It’s about the principle of the matter! Why should I change my name? I have every right to that vault! My father or uncle didn’t contribute anything to it; it’s my right as well as theirs! I have a right to my legacy!”

“But that legacy is-

“My ancestors were more than just Death Eaters, Ron! You do realize that, right? The Dark Lord’s been around what, fifty years? My family spans over centuries in England and centuries more in France!”

“I have never understood why you families - obsessed with blood purity - care so much about your history. I suppose it goes together, doesn’t it?”

Alice was at a loss for words. She tried to conjure up a reason quickly but failed. She looked down, embarrassed. Wasn’t it that pride in family history that made people believe that they were superior to wizards who didn’t have the same background? That feverish belief that drove her family to commit crimes.

“You’re right.”

“I am?” Ron looked shocked. He fully expected to get yelled at.

“You’re right. I shouldn’t care so much about my family. It’s what I was raised to believe, but you’re right.”

She looked down at her letter. Trying to get her powerful uncle to solve her problems. A typical Malfoy move. She ripped the letter in pieces and threw them in the fire.

“Look at me, Harry.” She came and sat beside him. “We will pass all our required OWLs. And you’ll become an Auror, and I’ll try my best to be a Healer. We will help each other and make sure we make it. I won’t have that hag dictating our future. Do we have a deal?”

Harry smiled. She took his hands in hers as if that meant that their deal would be sealed.

“When you put it like that, I can’t see how we’ll ever fail.”

She stared into his warm eyes for a bit before resting her head on his shoulder.

“Oh, I completely forgot to ask you? How did your conversation with your godfather go? I assume that you didn’t get caught if you’re here.”

“It certainly put certain things in perspective. But I did get the answers I wanted.”

Harry smiled softly, which warmed Addie’s heart a little.

“Did you tell your godfather about me?” She asked to tease him a little. Harry chucked in response.

“Briefly yes. I had to cut the conversation short. Sirius had a lot of questions.”

“I can imagine. It’s not every day you learn your godson is fake dating your despised cousin’s niece. You won’t mind if I don’t mention this to my father. You know, since I’m holding weekly meetings with him at a secret location, according to Umbridge.”

They both shared a laugh. Alice noticed it was getting late as most of the common room was empty.

“I’m going to go to bed,” she said, giving him a quick peck. “I’ll see you tomorrow at breakfast.”
She was about to reach the stairs when Harry’s voice interrupted her.

“Addie!” He caught up to her, hugging her, despite there was no one else around. “Don’t be too nervous about tomorrow. If she hasn’t found a reason to expel me, there’s no way she has anything on you.”

Still in his arms, Alice laughed. Somehow he had just said the thing that would allow her to have a peaceful sleep.