The Big Dipper

The Date

It felt very strange for Ursula to walk through the doors of her own home and feel like it was home, and not like she was just visiting. Like she was staying, and not waiting to leave.

"Mistress Ursula!" squeaked Dimsey. "Welcome home!"

He snapped his fingers, and Ursula's trunk zoomed away up the stairs. Agatha flew out the open door behind her and Betelgeuse jumped out of his basket and ran off towards the parlor.

"Hello Dimsey," said Ursula. "It's lovely to be home."

"Would Mistress like some tea?"

"Yes, thank you Dimsey," said Ursula. "I'll be in the parlor with Betelgeuse."

Ursula had barely sat down when the door opened and Helgie came hurrying in, levitating a tea tray laden with a steaming teapot and a plate of tiny cakes.

"Will Mistress Ursula be wanting anything special for dinner?"

"Did you have something special in mind, Helgie?" asked Ursula kindly. The house elf shuffled her tiny feet.

"Helgie does, yes Mistress," she said at last.

"Then whatever you have planned will be perfect," said Ursula.

She drank her tea — Helgie had included a cup and saucer for Betelgeuse — and spent the rest of the afternoon in the garden. Helgie had prepared a three course meal consisting of all of Ursula's favorites, so Ursula tried to embrace being alone at home. She sat at the head of the table, where her grandfather had always sat, and felt like the queen of an empty house.

Ursula didn't mind being alone in the grand manor. There was plenty to do, what with an enormous library to explore and acres of land surrounding the place. It was certainly easier than visiting Malfoy Manor.

Ever since Lucius's arrest, Narcissa was under increasing stress. Ursula could tell she was highly concerned for Draco's safety, as if it were only a matter of time before something awful happened.

Ursula was dreading the meeting she knew was inevitable: sooner or later, she would be asked to dine with her aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange. And then, she feared, she would be asked to join He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Ursula doubted she would ever be forced to join the ranks of the Death Eaters. Rather like Narcissa, she suspected she would be expected to play the silent hostess, which meant, if she could pull it off, she would be in the perfect position to spy for Albus Dumbledore.

Ursula had been practicing surreptitiously guarding her mind, concealing her memories in plain sight where she hoped no one would look for them. She had not been tested since the fake Professor Moody two years ago, but she hoped she was prepared enough.

Her greatest concern, should she find herself in the company of the Death Eaters, was delivering information to Dumbledore, Sirius, and the others in a way that wouldn't get her killed. She had a few ideas, but they were far from foolproof, and she knew the consequences of failure would be fatal, and not just for her. She decided that she ought to visit her aunt Cassiopeia's manor while she was home.

Ursula knew that even without the Dark Lord's return she and Hadrian were expected to advance their courtship. Leaving him would have been so much easier if they were not at the beginning of a war. Ursula had hopes of maybe one day living with Fred, but she couldn't rely on those hopes now, not when they had yet to go on a single date and her stay among those on the wrong side was so valuable.

Speaking of Fred, Ursula still couldn't believe he had asked her out, nor could she believe that she had actually said yes. She was so head over heels for him.