The Weasley's
“Where HAVE you been? Beds empty! Car gone! No note!” Mrs. Weasley screeched when they came in. “You could have died! You could have been seen!” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared so hard at her sons that Holly thought she might turn them to suit with sheer will power.
“They were starvin’ them, mum!” Ron said. “There were bars on their window!”
“You best hope I don’t put bars on your window!” Mrs. Weasley scolded. Then she looked at Harry and Holly. “Oh dear-” She gasped, at the sight of Holly, “are you alright, deary?”
Holly curled in on herself, not wanting to appear weak, but not really having much of a choice, with the pain she was in. “Her uncle threw her into a wall when we went to get them out…” Fred explained.
“We gave her some dittany,” George added.
“But she still seems pretty out of it.” Fred finished, with a worried glance her way.
Mrs. Weasley looked somewhat murderous. She stepped closer to the Potter twins, eyeing Holly a moment longer before giving Harry a once over as well. “Are you hurt?” she asked him. He shook his head and she waved him off along with her boys. “Alright then, you four, go help Ginny set the table.”
Mrs. Weasley led Holly away from the kitchen and the people-there-in and up to a bathroom on the second floor. “I need to take a look, deary, is that alright?”
Holly hesitated. Mrs. Weasley seemed kind, like Tracey’s parents, but she had only met her briefly one other time and… what if she would just hurt Holly more? “I-” she broke off because she knew the way the Weasleys talked about her was different. She knew anyone like the dursleys wouldn't have allowed their kids to bring in strays, like Harry and Holly… “okay…”
Mrs. Weasley nodded and pulled out her wand. She spoke a spell Holly had heard Madam Pomfry use on Harry at the end of last year, after he’d nearly been killed by Lord Voldemort for a second time. It was a scanning spell, Holly was pretty sure…
Mrs. Weasley breathed a sigh of relief. “No internal bleeding, just some badly bruised ribs and a mild concussion.” she stepped back a little, giving Holly some much appreciated space, and began to rummage through the medicine cabinet. She pulled out two tincture bottles, one much larger and darker than the other. “Two drops of each and you should be right as rain in a few hours.”
Holly took the two drops of the first - it tasted sweet, like spring meadow air, and then the second, which did not taste good at all. She scowled at it. “For my concussion?” she checked, because the awful taste was at the very least, a familiar one.
Mrs. Weasley smiled softly at her. “Yes, dear. Now, would you like a spot of breakfast?”
“Yes please!” only then did she remember PuffPotter and hedwig. “What about our pets? They haven't eaten in three days and-”
Mrs. Weasley steered Holly towards the stair railing and pointed to two owls - Hedwig and an old gray one she guessed was the ‘Errol’ the weasleys had talked about on the way over, happily pecking at some kitchen scraps together while PuffPotter sat nearby, tongue reaching out of her mouth and snaking all the way into the kitchen. “I always forget she can do that…” Holly admitted, a little grossed out by it.
Mrs. Weasley patted her shoulder. “C’mon now, time for you to eat as well.”
“-I’m Harry, Harry Potter,” Harry was saying to Mr. Weasley when Holly and Mrs. Weasley reached the kitchen, where a decent mountain of food was being demolished by the seven people sitting around the table.
Mr. Weasley looked stunned. “Good lord. Are you really?” He sort of marveled. Then his eyes snapped up to Holly. “And you must be Holly?” He realized. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both. Say, can either of you tell me the function of a rubber duck?”
Holly saw Harry open his mouth to answer, so she wandered over to an open seat beside the youngest Weasley, a little girl called Ginny, she remembered from the train station last year.
Ginny smiled sweetly at her. “Hi, I’m Ginny,” she said. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Holly mustered a smile for her. “Holly,” she said, “I remember you, from kings cross…”
Ginny blushed a little, but covered it up by drawing Holly’s attention to the food. “Hungry?” She asked, already piling Holly’s plate with breakfast. Holly, who was starving, scarfed her food down savagely. She felt a little ashamed by this, but as soon as her plate emptied, Mrs. Weasley had reached across and filled it again.
Ginny kind of giggled, but when Holly looked over at her, scared she was being made fun of, Ginny shook her head. “It’s just, I don’t like mum’s eggs. None of us do. She’s a great cook otherwise but…”
Holly looked down at her now empty plate. “Oh.” Holly said, smartly.
“Don’t worry,” Ginny said, with a broad smile, “you’ll have plenty of chances to eat her good cooking.”
After breakfast Harry went with Ron and Fred and George to de-gnome the garden, but Mrs. Weasley insisted that Holly needed to rest while the potions did their job. So, she went with Ginny up to her room, where she found her own things waiting for her.
“Are you excited to start school?” Holly asked, looking at the scattering of posters, and the partially accumulated school things passed down from Ginny’s older brothers.
Ginny lit up. “Yeah!” She said, brightly. “But I wish I could bring my broom… Harry was so lucky getting to play Quidditch in his first year! I’m better than all my brothers, you know! They don’t think it’s true - but it is!”
Holly laughed, which hurt her ribs a bit. “I believe you.” She promised. “Do you think you’ll be in Gryffendor too?”
Ginny looked a little panicked at the question. “…I don’t know what Mum and dad will say if I’m not…” she admitted, quietly.
Holly felt herself melt a little at the familiar nervousness. “Everyone told me my house was bad and so when Harry was sorted into Gryffindor and then I wasn’t… I was really scared. But, even though some of my housemates definitely live up to their reputation I really like being in Slytherin. And my best friend is in Slytherin with me, too, so it’s going to be okay no matter what. You’ll make friends in whatever house you're sorted into.”
Ginny looked at Holly, wide-eyed. “You're in Slytherin?” She asked, shocked. “But… you seem so… nice?” Ginny kind of squeaked the last part, cheeks going red in embarrassment.
Holly snorted. “I am nice.” She agreed, though it was only really true for people who deserved her niceness. Otherwise Holly knew she could be quite mean. “So long as you don’t piss me off.”
Ginny looked terrified now.
Holly laughed, ignoring the pain it brought. “Don’t worry, Ginny! I have a feeling we’re going to be good friends!”
Ginny brightened again. “Really?” She asked, hopeful.
“Absolutely.” Holly agreed. “No matter what house you’re in.” She added.
Late that night, once Ginny had gone to sleep, Holly *Finally* took her small stack of letters out and began to read through them.
Holly,
My parents aren’t doing well, still, so I’m still with my grandparents… They think I’ve been to a muggle boarding school. My dad told them I had been homeschooled but that I went to this muggle school last year. I suppose it’s not too far off… anyway… It’s risky to write to you here, but I had to. Please write back. I miss you. Are you well?
-Tracy
Holly,
I miss you. Are you okay? My parents still aren't doing well… please write soon!
-Tracy
Holly,
I’ve read some really fascinating books this summer! My favorite was Ancient Magicks & The Origin Of Wands In Northern Europe. Would you like me to send it to you? I really think you’d like it and I’m dying to talk to someone about it!
Best wishes,
Hermione
Holly,
Please write back! Are you angry with me? Please don’t be! You’re my best friend!
-Tracy
Holly,
Ron’s said he’s been trying to write to Harry all summer but that he hasn’t answered. Are you well? Please let us know!
Best wishes,
Hermione
Holly,
Ron says he hasn’t heard from you, either, and I got a letter from Hermione. She says nobody has heard from you or your brother all summer? Please, if you need help… well, I’m not sure what I could do but I think one of the others could! Please tell someone if you need help!
-Tracy
Holly was crying, she realized, when she went to write back and the tears fell onto the parchment making her ink run slightly.
Tracy,
The Weasleys came to get us last night. We are safe now. I’m so sorry to make you worry, and to hear that your parents still haven't recovered. Please forgive me for the silence… Do you need me to pick up your school things since your grandparents don’t know about magick? I don’t mind. You’ve been more than generous to me already!
Love,
Holly
Hermione,
Fred and George and Ron came and busted us out last night. When will you be at Diagon? We can try to coordinate!
Love,
Holly
Holly sealed the letters and stuck her head out the window, whistling for Hedwig, who was perched in a window two stories up. She came silently over after only one call, and perched on the desk. “Deliver these to Tracy and Hermione for me please?” She whispered. Hedwig lifted a talon to take the letters with and flew off.
Holly watched her go until she could see the snow white owl no more.
“Are you okay?” Ginny whispered.
Holly crawled into the bed Mrs. Weasley had transfigured for her. “I will be.” She promised, but when her eyes fell shut, only nightmares followed.