Minutes to Midnight.

October 13th - 11:42p.m.

I sighed as I looked down at Mia's sleeping form. She knew I'd do something stupid and reckless, but I'm not quite sure she was aware of the extent of it.

With all of my inner strength, I forced off Draco's ring and put it with a note I was leaving for Mia.

MiMi,

By time you're reading this, I'll be long gone. You knew I was going to do something totally stupid and reckless, but I'm sure you never saw this coming. I know it's dangerous and life threatening, but you're just gonna have to trust me.

If I don't make it back in three days, don't come looking for me yet. Tell Draco that even though he's a complete douchemonkey sometimes, I still love him. And you know what to tell Adrian. I don't think I have to tell you that.

Only come looking for me after a week of reading this note.

Thanks for all the great years, hun.

Love ya like a sister 4eva&&always,

-NeeNee

Out of my pocket, I took out my decoy note and handed it to Val. As she took off flying, I changed and headed out as well. Figuring it was the safest way, I went horseback and followed Val.

~*~*~*~*~*~

I kept my hood up to cover my face as I rode through the cold, October night air. I have no idea how long I was riding, but it had to have been somewhere around an hour that I followed Val.

As Val started to lead me into the country, I noticed someone else riding horseback in the distance. From the looks of it, the person was a girl in the same outfit style I was.

Could it be...? I thought. Then I shook the thought from my head and kept riding, following Valkyrie and the mystery girl.

For what seemed like another hour, we rode through the countryside under the moonlight. I tried to keep towards the forest, hoping the girl wouldn't notice me.

Shortly after, the girl slowed to a trot towards an old cottege and I slowed in the woods to watch. Val swooped into a back window and the girl went straight up to the door, knocked, and went in. I couldn't tell anything from inside because it was either really dark, or they had blackout curtains. But whatever it was, this was where Val was bringing letters to and from.

I jumped off of my horse (whom I had named Midnight), and hid behind a tree to try to see anything. I clasped my little golden locket in my hands, only being able to think of my mother.

Was she in there? Was she alright? Would she want to see me? Should I go see?

I swallowed my hard, blinked, and landed on my ass with a 'thud' on a hard wood floor. I could barely see my surroundings for there was only candlelight. I heard footsteps and jolted upright, pointing my wand all around.

"I don't know what's going on here, but people know I'm gone! They'll come looking for me!" I shouted into the dim lighting.

"Isabelle, relax. We are family." Came a man's voice. I glanced to the doorway and saw a shadow of a man. I pointed my wand directly at him. Show no fear.

"Who are you?! And what do you want with me?!"

He stepped into the candlelight, raising his hands as a sign of surrender, and said, "Isabelle, I'm not going to harm you."

I looked closely at him. "H-Howl?"

He nodded. "Yes, it's me."

I paused, then said, "Prove it! How do I know you're not some Death Eater in disguise?!"

"My name is Howl Addicus Brimstone. I am married to Nikita Sin Bourdain, your mother. We have been on the run for many years due to the rise and fall of the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters that pursue us. You are the illigitamite daughter of Sirius Black and have a half-sister whose name is Annaleise."

Slowly, I lowered my wand and he lowered his hands. "Anna, come here." he said. The mystery girl who was also on horseback and dressed like me stepped forward, keeping her hood up as well as I. Though through the candlelight, I could just barely make out her face.

"Anna, there is no reason to show fear nor concern. This is Isabelle Maria Black-Bourdain. She is your sister and will not harm you. Correct, Isabelle?" Howl said.

"...Yeah..." I responded.

Hesitantly, Anna removed her cloak's hood and showed me herself. I did the same, and we couldn't take our eyes off each other: we looked exactly alike.

"The two of you are indeed twins. Identical twins. Well, minus your eyes." Howl said.

It was true. We looked like mirror images, besides the eyes. Mine were an ocean blue, hers a piercing arctic blue.

"How do we look alike?" I asked Howl.

"You mother's magic. She gave half to the both of you because you were such strange babies."

"How so?" Annaleise asked him.

"You were both born two and a half months premature so you were very tiny, you were born eighteen days apart, and both of you almost died when you were born."

We stared in silence for a moment before I spoke up.

"What's going to happen now?"

"Yes, and why have you kept us apart?" Annaleisa added.

"Because of your magic. If you are fighting, it will be destructive. If you are on the same side, it will be stronger, brighter. But the both of you are old enough now and need to stay together. You must protect each other."

"What about mom?" I asked.

"She is in hiding. I knew Anna was coming tonight and after she would leave, I would join my wife. But I believe it would be safer for the two of you to stick together. Anna, you will be joining your sister at Hogwarts."

Anna's face lit up as she turned to Howl. "Really? I can study magic now?"

Howl smiled at her. "Yes, yes you can. And I understand that Adrian Cromwell is also there so he can help the two of you."

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm already getting better control over my--you know, I'm not gonna go into that right now. Long story, no time. Let's go."

"The two of you must be cautious. Nikki and I will write as much as we can but with Death Eater interfearence, it is difficult. Just please, protect each other."

Anna and I nodded and were about to leave, when the scent of fire swarmed the little cottege. Fuck, we were found.