Harry Potter and the Sorceress of the Stars

"Wotcher, girls! Long time no see!" Tonks called out to Oleandra and Daphne playfully. "I really thought I'd seen the last of you when you Disapparated out of the blue!"

"Not one step closer!" Oleandra barked out. "Are you a Death Eater in disguise?"

Tonks stopped in her tracks and glanced at her surroundings quizzically, before pointing at herself with her forefinger.

"Are you talking about me?" she said, flustered. "Of course I'm not a bloody Death Eater—"

"Are you currently being controlled by a Death Eater?" Oleandra pressed on. "What do you want from us?"

After their disastrous first meeting with Amelia Bones, the twins had been unceremoniously kicked out of her office. But just as they'd been about to leave the Ministry's premises through the Floo Network, the Auror Nymphadora Tonks had intercepted them in the Atrium…

"Oh, I see you've read our leaflets— good to know they're not just being used for kindling or toilet paper!" Tonks beamed. "Oh, I know— you should come up with security questions for me as well, just in case a Death Eater tries to impersonate me!"

Even though it sometimes didn't seem like much got through her thick head, Oleandra did actually learn from her mistakes.

For instance, she was always ready to dodge out of the way just in case someone reflected her spells back at her using the Shield Charm, and she didn't play around with lightning magic any more. And after having been fooled by a fake Hannah Abott and a fake Moody (and almost been fooled by a fake father), Oleandra was no longer taking any chances with friendly strangers, especially since they were now at war.

"This isn't just a social call, is it?" Daphne piped up. "Is there something you wanted from us, Tonks?"

"Right, I nearly forgot," said Tonks, slapping her forehead. "I've been assigned as your protector!"

So far, Tonks hadn't uttered a single lie.

Just by looking at someone with her Mystic Eyes, Oleandra couldn't tell if they were being impersonated or being controlled against their will; due to the fact that a Wizard's colourful aura would mask the colour of any passive enchantments on their persons.

Detecting magic was merely a secondary feature of Oleandra's eyes; their true power lied in uncovering falsehoods, but even so, passive lies wouldn't register very vividly in Oleandra's sight, either. Wigs, platform shoes, the Polyjuice potion… they were all equal before her eyes. All disguises, magical or otherwise, wouldn't produce much of a colourful reaction, and as a result, the falsehood signature would end up buried under a Wizard's magical aura.

(Oleandra's senses work just fine on Muggles, since they lack a Wizard's magical aura!)

However, if someone were to knowingly utter a lie in her presence, Oleandra would immediately know it with certainty. It was somewhat akin to a lie-detection test, except that the sharp spike of multicoloured aura was much more reliable than a change in heartrate…

"Your eyes!" Tonks suddenly exclaimed. "Are you part Metamorphmagus?"

Daphne sniggered.

Oleandra blinked, and her heart-shaped pupils quickly went back to normal. She really needed to get used to the fact that her Mystic Eyes weren't stealthy any more…

"We don't need protection," said Oleandra, who was now feeling very self-conscious. "I thought we made that exceedingly clear to Madam Bones…"

"Does Scrimgeour know that you're a member of Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix?" Daphne suddenly asked. "Now that You-Know-Who is confirmed to be back, the Ministry doesn't mind paramilitary organizations any more?"

"After the battle in the Department of Mysteries, I'm fairly certain Scrimgeour knows about me and Kingsley," said Tonks sheepishly. "But now that he's not our boss any more, it's not like he's got much of a say in who gets to keep being an Auror, innit?"

Even though Dumbledore had refused Scrimgeour access to the Chosen One, they still had to play nice with each other… even though they both hated the other's guts.

"So," said Daphne pleasantly. "Shall we go home, then? I'll leave the honours to you, Oleandra."

Oleandra looked at her twin sister in surprise. What exactly did she mean, shall we go home? Didn't she have to go back to her master, Lord Voldemort? She decided to send a mental query Daphne's way.

'Won't it look suspicious if I don't go back with you?' Daphne's voice echoed within Oleandra's skull in response. 'I can't afford to blow my cover.'

"Supposedly, our man on the inside says the Floo Network's still safe from You-Know-Who's grubby paws," Tonks whispered conspiratorially in the twins' ears. "But I s'pose it's only a matter of time, eh…?"

Oleandra grabbed a handful of Floo Powder from the container on the mantelpiece, and as she opened her mouth, ready to toss the magical powder into the fire and recite her address out loud, Daphne's voice rang out between her two ears again.

'Whisper. I don't want to hear your hideout's location,' said Daphne with utmost seriousness. 'Voldemort will torture it out of me, and he will succeed.'

Hearing such words coming of her sister's mouth so casually worried Oleandra. She had experienced Voldemort's Cruciatus Curse first-hand once— the mere thought of having to endure such an ordeal again was enough to make her limbs tremble uncontrollably.

===========================

Naturally, Astoria was overjoyed to see her eldest sister safe and sound upon the trio's return.

Dinner that night was a whirlwind of activity, centred mostly around Astoria and Tonks— but it had been a very long day for Oleandra, so she excused herself early and washed up, before returning to her room.

As Oleandra prepared to turn in for the night, she heard a knock at her bedroom door.

"I'm letting myself in," said Daphne, entering without even waiting for permission. "We need to talk."

"She speaks!" Oleandra gasped in mock surprise. "I suppose this is about what you told me back at the Ministry?"

Amelia Bones must not be allowed to return home tonight, Daphne had told her.

"I can't say any more without breaking my Vow," said Daphne seriously. "I daresay you can figure out the implications, without my having to spell it out for you, word by word?"

Daphne had doubtlessly overheard some sinister plot during her stay with Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

"They'll kill Madam Bones tonight, I s'pose," Oleandra said nonchalantly. "It's tragic and all, but what exactly does this have to do with us? You didn't seem to like her very much, either."

Oleandra found that she was only mildly surprised by her own callousness. After all, she had recently lost her human heart, and at the very core of her being, she had always been an inhuman magical creature…

"I'm asking you to help, isn't that enough?" said Daphne miserably. "Oleandra, listen— I've done something— something horrible. I have to find some way to atone, or I'll go mad."

Daphne's pleas tugged at Oleandra's heartstrings.

"I understand how you feel, but it's not your fault," said Oleandra softly. "Voldemort might have forced you to do some unspeakable things, but that doesn't mean you're to blame…"

Oleandra's voice trailed off.

"The Dark Lord didn't have to force me," Daphne whispered. "I was just so mad, and I didn't realize..."

"What did you do?" Oleandra asked with a hint of apprehension in her voice. "Daphne, what did you do!?"

"Just ask Tonks where Bones lives!" Daphne shrieked, burying her face in her hands. "Come up with an excuse for a rescue mission, or something— you're supposed to be a True Seer, aren't you!?"

Daphne turned on her heel and ran out of the room, while Oleandra just stood there dumbly, listening to her sister's footsteps growing fainter and fainter…