Chapter 2
Rebecca couldn't remember such a perfect dinner. Tucked between Fred and George, surrounded by so much happiness and conversation, no. There might not have been such a perfect dinner before.
"I have a question." Rebecca asked, looking to the one adult to crash the children end of the table. "What are we supposed to call you if not Nymphadora?"
Nymphadora looked up from her plate, laughing. "Tonks works." Tonks transformed her face so that her nose was turned up in a pig's snout before lowering her face to her plate and snorting. Rebecca turned to Fred amazed and thrilled, filling Fred with the same.
Harry sat himself closer to the adults as the laughter of the others spilled over. Arthur turned the expulsion he was reading towards Harry and underlined the section that had him intrigued. "This is interesting...it says here that your trial is supposed to be before the entire Wizengamot."
"I don't understand." Harry shook his head. "Why is the Ministry so against us?"
Rebecca looked around the table as Harry's questions brought about pursed lips, wide eyes, and a heavy silence.
"Show him." Moody said from where he stood, his tone dark. "Show both of them. They'll find out soon enough anyway." Kingsley picked up the copy of the Daily Prophet from in front of him and handed it to Harry who skimmed the title page quickly.
"What does it say?" Rebecca asked from her chair. When Harry continued to read and not answer her, she stood up and tried to take her hand from Fred's to read it for herself. "Harry?" Rebecca repeated. Fred let go of her hand with a hurt look, hurt because there was nothing he could do to get rid of this for Rebecca.
"The Boy Who Lies and the Girl Who Follows?" The cover of that day's Daily Prophet was adorned with a picture of Harry glaring at the camera, Rebecca at his side before one of the events of the tournament. They both looked angry and, without the context of the year before, like trouble.
"He's been attacking Dumbledore as well." Sirius folded his hands in front of him and looked at his godchildren. "Fudge is using all his power, including his influence at the Prophet, to smear anyone who claims the Dark Lord has returned."
Molly shot Sirius a warning look, telling him not to tell the children anymore.
"Why?" Rebecca asked, reading some of the article over Harry's shoulder. "Why would he do that?"
Tonks watched Rebecca curiously as she took the paper Harry was finished with and balanced it with one hand so the other could squeeze Harry's shoulder.
Remus spoke carefully. "The Minister thinks Dumbledore's after his job."
"But that's insane!" Harry exploded, too much being said and not said. "No one in their right mind could believe Dumbledore-"
"Exactly the point." Remus interrupted, leaning back in his chair. "Fudge isn't in his right mind. It's been twisted and warped by fear. Fear makes people do terrible things. The last time Voldemort gained power, he almost destroyed everything." The adults around the table glanced away from each other, the horrors of the war they'd grown up in coming to the forefront of every one of their minds. "Now he has returned and I'm afraid the Minister will do almost anything to avoid facing that terrifying truth."
Rebecca handed the paper back to Kingsley and patted Harry's shoulder one more time before walking back to her chair, disturbed by the fact that the article painted her as some blind-follower to Harry--doing anything he said and having no thoughts on her own.
Sirius' voice filled the silence left behind by Remus' statement. "We think Voldemort wants to build up his army again. Fourteen years ago, he had huge numbers at his command. And not just witches and wizards, mind you. No, he had all manner of dark creatures."
Fred was relieved to find Rebecca's hand back in his as she sat back down. "They're all lies, no one who actually knows you would ever believe any of that." He tried to keep his voice firm but gentle and had a much harder time of it than Rebecca knew. Rebecca nodded and scooted her chair entirely up against Fred's, leaning her head on his shoulder as Sirius spoke on.
"He's been recruiting like mad, and we've been doing the same. But, gaining followers isn't all he's interested in." Moody cleared his throat, telling Sirius that he had said enough. Sirius ignored it. "We believe Voldemort may be after something."
"Sirius?" Remus asked quietly.
"Something he didn't have last time." Sirius ignored him, too.
"You mean like a weapon?" Rebecca asked, trying to piece things together.
"No!" Molly said loudly. "That's enough! They are children, say much more and you might as well induct them into the Order!"
"Good!" Harry said just as loudly. "I want to join!"
Rebecca nodded her head, agreeing entirely though calmer than Harry. "I do, too. If Voldemort's raising an army, I want to fight."
Sirius smiled proudly at their declarations, feeling as if it proved him right.
Molly gave Sirius a deadly look, halting any other words on fighting. Molly slammed his plate in front of him and dinner continued on later as if the earlier altercation had never happened.
Fred was trying to find any trace of surprise at the fact that Rebecca would want to fight, but he didn't feel any. Perhaps, he thought, he was beginning to learn who she really was. "What about the dementors?" Rebecca's furrowed brow brought a smile to his face. "Your patronus, did you get it?" He knew how deeply she wanted to know her own after Harry had managed his.
Rebecca took a bite of her dinner and shrugged. "I'm starting to think I just don't have one."
Tonks pointed her fork at the two of them. "Impossible, everyone's got one. Must just be something you're doing wrong."
Remus scoffed. "Very, very reassuring Dora." He leaned back in his chair and Rebecca did the same so they could talk behind Fred, making it so there was less noise between them. "Corporeal patronuses are very advanced magic. You may need to choose a different memory if you're having difficulty, something stronger."
Rebecca nodded, filing away the advice and finding a silly look on Fred's face when she sat back beside him. "Is that the only way you're going to look at me now?"
"How am I looking at you?" Fred asked, distracting himself with his food as he knew exactly what she was talking about. He couldn't help it though, being back with her filled him with so much happiness he hardly knew what to do with it all. Fred felt like he was whole again.
George interrupted their moment by kicking at their legs under the table. "We have to talk after supper." Fred gave him a clueless look and George rolled his eyes. "About W.W.W?"
Realisation dawned on Rebecca after the abbreviation. "Yes, we do!"
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"Bloody hell." Rebecca said quietly, looking over Fred and George's trunks when they opened them with identical 'tadas.' "You've been...busy."
"Very, very busy. It's the only way I could keep him from moping." George said, hopping onto his bed and ignoring the look Fred gave him. "But, we've been able to ship out a few boxes to Lee who forwarded them on to our first buyers of the term."
"Plus," Fred said. "We've made enough to sell as soon as term starts."
Rebecca looked up from the trunks full of product with a problem. "Where are you going to put your robes and books?"
Fred and George grinned deviously. "Tonks has offered to shrink the products down. I can't wait until April."
George continued wistfully, imagining all the things he would do once he was able to do magic. "Magic all the time. Apparating! Oh, I can't wait to apparate!"
"Your birthdays are April 1st!" Rebecca said loudly, climbing onto Fred's bed to the spot beside him he patted.
Fred looked down at her confused, his arm around her shoulder. "For the last sixteen of them, at least."
Rebecca laughed into his chest, trying to explain. "No, it's April Fools day. It's like you were born to be pranksters."
George rolled over and looked at them, moving from his bed to Fred's so that he lay against Fred as Rebecca was. "I see why you like it here so much. Quite comfortable."
Fred looked at George suspiciously, the kindness warning of something else. "Why did you come over here?"
George grinned and took the lolly he had been holding behind his back and shoved it into Rebecca's mouth. She sat up, coughing and reaching for the sweet in surprise.
"Oi!" Fred shouted. "Not while we're laying down!" Fred scowled at George as Rebecca composed herself and crossed her legs underneath her.
"It's not too bad though." Rebecca said, sticking the lolly into her cheek. "It's horrible."
Fred put George's lack of thought behind him as he realised what Rebecca was trying. George nudged Fred, telling him to test it out further. "RJ, I love you."
"I do not love you, too." Rebecca clapped her hand to her mouth and shook her head quickly. "No! I don't love you!" George cackled and rolled off the bed as Rebecca repeated herself louder as if that would change her words. "I DON'T LOVE YOU!"
Ron stuck his head in the room, the shadows of Harry and Hermione over his shoulder. "Why're we shouting exactly?"
Rebecca looked at those in the door alarmed. "They did not give me a sweet!"
Ron glanced at George who was now crying through his laughter before looking to Fred for an explanation. "Prototype. Lying-Lollies. Lying's never tasted so sweet."
Harry turned his eyes up from the floor. "She come up with that?"
"No!" Rebecca shouted, nodding her head in the affirmative. "Bloody hell!" She groaned, resigning herself to a life of lying.
"Lights out in thirty!" The sound of Molly's voice from the bottom of the stairs made everyone pause. "And stop shouting!"
Harry rolled his eyes and left the doorway angrily, Rebecca entirely oblivious. He couldn't believe how she could act like such a fool with them hardly an hour after dinner. They had just learned that their world was falling into madness and no one would believe them, not too mention that their expulsion hearing was almost certainly going to be set against them, and she was playing.
"You can't be cross, Harry." Hermione said as she led Ron back into the room the two boys were going to share. "You should try to relax, too. You've got nearly a week until your trial and nothing you can do until then."
"So what?" Harry scoffed. "You're saying I should forget Voldemort is back and...and eat prank sweets? Laugh like nothing's wrong?"
"Yes, Harry!" Hermione snapped. "You are supposed to enjoy your lives where you can and if that means she's laughing with them, so be it!" Hermione got up from where she and Ron were going to sit and finish his summer homework. "Keep acting like this and you're going to forget what there is to fight for."
Ron sighed heavily. "We were almost done, too. Now I'm going to actually have to work."
Harry reached into his bag and tossed Ron his finished work before rolling over and putting his head under his pillow to try and sleep.
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"Oh fucking hell!" Rebecca gasped, trying to catch her breath from the laughter she hadn't been able to stop. "That is ready for the shelves."
"Are you lying?" Fred asked, his stomach nearly sore from how hilarious she had been.
"No, I'm not lying." Rebecca answered cheekily.
George leaned forward so that his face was directly in front of hers, staring into her eyes. "She's not lying." He declared.
Rebecca pulled the blanket on his bed over his head and leaned on him to reach Fred, kissing him quickly. "I've got to go take a shower and get to bed."
Fred frowned against her lips. "We've got an extra bed set up..."
Rebecca looked at the bed across the room and paused. "Well...the thing is--I was sort of hoping to chat with Hermione and Ginny. I haven't seen them either and-"
"You don't have to say anything else." Fred said. George stood and grabbed his pajamas, disappearing to brush his teeth. "As much as I'd like it to be true, I know I can't have you fully to myself."
Rebecca leaned forward and put her arms against his chest so she was laying on him. "I love you, you know that?"
Fred brought a hand to the side of her face and brushed his thumb across her cheek. "I missed you so much."
Rebecca kissed him again, softer than before. "I missed you more." She stood up and walked to the door, turning with a smile before she left. "Thank you for the letter, by the way. It meant..." She shook her head, changing her mind on what she was going to say. "It helped more than you could know."
Fred laid back in his bed and stared up at the ceiling, his arms folded behind his neck. His mind was entirely engrossed with thoughts of Rebecca.
The first door Rebecca opened in the hall revealed a closet with a single occupant, Kreacher muttering to himself in a bucket. Rebecca closed the door slowly, disturbed and relieved that the house elf hadn't noticed her intrusion. The second door was a bathroom which, despite the fact that it wasn't what Rebecca was looking for, was probably good to know.
Finally, the third door on the right, Rebecca heard a familiar giggling. Kicking the door open and stalking in slowly, Rebecca kept her face as serious as she could. Hermione and Ginny sombered as the intruder crossed her arms dramatically. "What's so funny in here?" Rebecca demanded.
"Shut it!" Ginny snorted. "You're going to try and scold us for laughing after all the noise that came from down the hall?"
Rebecca looked away, theatrically innocent. "I don't know what you're talking about. I just came out of a vow of silence, never shouted a day in my life."
This sent all three girls into mad laughter and Rebecca jumped onto the bed the others had been on before she had entered and put her arms around them.
"I can't believe you've gone and got yourself expelled." Ginny sighed and, after a moment of thought, added an addition to her thoughts. "Without Fred and George at that. Really thought they would have had something to do with it..."
"I always thought they'd be the first to get themselves expelled." Hermione tossed out.
Rebecca rolled away from them and went to her bed, finally ready to get into her pajamas and into bed. She had nothing to say about their thoughts, not disagreeing or agreeing with either.
"Woo!" Ginny whooped, clapping as Rebecca took her jumper off and put it into her trunk which, thankfully, had been brought up stairs. "Merlin's beard! When'd you get those?"
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The mornings were the busiest time of day at Number 12 Grimmauld Place and the next day was no exception. Rebecca and Harry were the last two out of bed, something entirely out of character for Rebecca. When she finally made her way down the stairs, it was just as those who left headquarters for the day were on their way out.
"Bill?" Rebecca asked, hugging him tightly.
"Hey you!" Bill hugged her back just as tightly, taking the lunch Molly offered over Rebecca's head. "Missed you last night, found myself quite busy." Bill raised an eyebrow. "Though not as busy as you for all I've heard. First Weasley to get expelled...never thought I'd actually hear the words."
"Pending!" Molly scolded heavily, flicking Bill's ear as she walked past.
"Where's Charlie? He here too?" Rebecca asked, looking around.
Bill frowned, but tried to hide it. "Charlie's abroad, pops in when he can. I'll be back this evening, yeah? Try not to burn the place down."
Rebecca nodded and gave him a salute, appreciating that he left the house with a smile. She didn't know that mentioning Charlie would upset him and she would be sure to suss out where Charlie's mission had taken him when the opportunity arose.
"Morning, love!" Fred called from the table. "Hungry?"
"I'm so glad you're down here." Arthur said as he walked alongside Rebecca to the kitchen. "That boy fits one more word in a minute, his tongue'll fall right out!"
Rebecca giggled, catching Sirius' attention. "What's funny? I like to laugh."
Rebecca masked her laughter and put on a very, very serious face. "Nothing's funny. Nothing at all."
Remus looked between the staring contest beginning between Sirius and Rebecca and shook his head before standing and muttering something about needing another cup of tea.
"I can do this all day, child." Sirius said lowly, tilting his head.
"Really?" Rebecca asked, seeing a flash of red hair come in through the door behind Sirius. George went directly behind Sirius and clapped his hands loudly, causing Sirius to blink and whirl on George instantly.
"He blinked!" George shouted as he began to run away, Sirius having pushed himself out of his chair to chase after the cause of his loss. The room collectively smiled at the man's childish behaviour, though Harry continued to stare at his plate in pensive silence.
Rebecca nodded to Fred to tell him that she was on his way, but she paused at the empty seat besides Harry and lowered her head so she caught his eyes. "Harry? What's the matter?"
Harry gave her a look and said nothing.
"Well," Rebecca sighed. "I meant besides all of that."
Harry shook his head and put his fork down, blinking away the tears that threatened to form. "What are we going to do if we end up expelled?" Harry asked quietly, only so Rebecca could hear. "I don't want to live in the Muggle world. I don't want to lose my wand. I am a wizard--You are a witch. How are we supposed to stop Voldemort at all, let alone magicless?"
Rebecca spoke levely, trying to make Harry see sense. "We haven't been expelled yet. We can't do anything and won't know anything until after the trial. So, for now, we're going to spend time with everyone. Catch up. Take a breath every once in a while. Okay?"
Harry's eyes settled on Sirius as he dropped back into his chair, holding his chest and panting heavily. "I didn't mean to be such a git last night."
"You were a git?" Rebecca asked, smiling to Fred who waved his hand at the best muffin of the batch--the muffin he had waiting for her on her plate.
Harry nodded and sighed. "I think I owe an apology to Hermione."
"Good on you." Rebecca said, patting his hand. "It takes a lot of character to admit you were wrong. What sent you into a mood anyway? It thought it was a brilliant evening." Harry looked anywhere but at Rebecca, making her mouth fall open. "Me? How could I have done anything? I hardly saw you!"
"You were laughing so hard, like nothing was wrong!" Harry justified weakly.
Rebecca leaned back and crossed her arms. "Would you rather I cry?"
Fred shook his head, hearing only that sentence of their conversation. "Please don't." He called. Rebecca stood and joined Fred, having nothing else to say to Harry at the moment. Fred, after pouring her a cup of tea, started to whisper about everything that they could do that day. "Our ratio is off on the Fever Fudge. We need more pre-packaged and sorted ingredients to make them fresh, but George keeps eating the chocolate after we've measured."
"Just George is?" Rebecca asked, knowing the truth already.
Fred nodded. "I would never, ever do such a thing. I'm happy to know we're on the same page."
Rebecca leaned closer to Fred and looked around everyone around the table. "Fred, where's Percy? No one's mentioned him at all."
Fred's face fell before he covered it with a scowl. Sometimes it was easier to be angry than hurt. "Yeah, he's left. He got that job at the Ministry, yeah? Well, he was promoted to Fudge's Junior Assistant and dad said something about how it was to keep tabs on the rest of us. Huge fight."
Rebecca slipped her hand into his and squeezed. "I'm sorry I asked; I didn't mean to upset you."
Fred gave her a little smile and pecked her cheek. "Not upset. Being upset won't change anything, anyway. I...I would never abandon family. Never." Fred took a slow breath, willing himself calmer before he let his anger spill onto someone who didn't deserve it. "But don't bring it up around mum, please. It's been really hard for her."
Rebecca nodded. "I know you wouldn't and I won't say anything else about it."
Fred smiled and scooped more breakfast onto her plate. "Eat up, busy first half of the day." Rebecca's confusion made him purse his lips. "Oh, I see. Mum didn't mention it. It's another cleaning day."
*******************************************
"Why wouldn't you have dusted before the protections were put on, Sirius!" Molly shouted from the room her and her squad of cleaners had just entered. "Do-" She coughed. "Do you not enjoy breathing?"
Sirius appeared in the doorway and looked around at the clouds of dust raising about as Ginny and Rebecca, the designated wall dusters, began at one end of the room. "Is it a little dusty in here? I hadn't noticed."
Molly turned her back to Sirius and saw that Fred and George were mucking about, not yet helping. "Oi! These rugs aren't going to shake themselves out!"
Hermione picked up another candelabra and used her rag to polish off the grime and tarnish of who-knows-how-many-years off, giggling at how Rebecca and Fred were miming choking themselves to each other. Molly stood up and faced them, Fred jumping out of her sight in time while Rebecca didn't notice and continued to 'strangle' herself. Molly put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow, waiting for Rebecca to open her eyes.
Rebecca jumped back to work, dusting madly. "There's lots to do! No time to mess around."
Molly pointed to the other end of the door, telling Rebecca and Ginny to start on the far end already. Sirius had Harry in a quiet conversation at the door and, when seeing Rebecca and Ginny nearing the painting under wraps, he raised his hand and shouted at them to stop.
The room collectively jumped and froze, not expecting such an outburst.
Rebecca--unaccustomed to being shouted at by a man after so many years--instinctively ducked a little as she turned and caught the sheet covering the portrait that began to screech horrors.
"Mudbloods and traitors and scum in my house! My HOUSE!! Kreacher!!!"
Sirius rushed across the room and put the sheet back up, hardly muffling the obscenities coming out of the painting. Sirius grimaced as he turned back around. "Molly? Perhaps we'll return to this room later."
Molly nodded, her heart falling as the portrait of Sirius' mother began to rant against his deviant ways, his impending suffering. "Yes, I think that's wise. Children? This way." Molly had them cleaning well into the afternoon in other parts of the house, stopping only because Ron's whinging for lunch had reached apocalyptic proportions.
Molly dismissed them for the day, telling them that they had worked hard and lunch would be ready in a few minutes. "Most of you worked hard, at least." Molly directed to Fred and George who had already sat on the couch of the parlour they had finished in.
After they were done eating, they were allowed to go about the house as they pleased. Fred, George, and Rebecca began packaging up snackboxes while Ron and Hermione tried their hardest to get Harry to crawl out of his misery.
The days began to blend quickly, Number 12 Grimmauld Place turning more and more into a home as its many rooms were cleaned and oxygen began to outnumber the sheer amount of dust in the air. The children watched as streams strange and familiar to them came and went, a surprising bond forming between Tonks and Rebecca.
"How do you deal with them?" Tonks asked as she took a seat around the table only occupied by Hermione, Molly, and Rebecca who were having tea. "I mean really, look at them! They are utterly ridiculous! You're not ugly, there has to be other boys at Hogwarts than this lot--certainly one other that could have caught your fancy!"
All four of them turned and looked into the hallway where Fred and George were standing on their heads, insisting that they could do it longer than the other.
Rebecca looked at Tonks "What? You don't do that?"
Tonks pushed on, genuinely curious. "Why him?"
Rebecca thought only a moment, smiling as Fred's upside down eyes caught hers. "Because he's Fred. There's no one else quite like him. George might look like him and they might finish each other's sentences sometimes, but that's only on the surface. There's no one else in the world quite like him."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "You should see the three of them when they're alone at school. Barbarians. Ruffians. Scoundrels." She couldn't help but feel a piece of herself, deep, deep down, jealous of what her best friend had.
Tonks cackled and Molly began to scold. "Please tell me you don't all behave like this at school! I'll keep right over!" Molly took a sip of her tea and eyed Hermione over the edge of her cup. "You'll have to deal with that firmly, dear."
Rebecca snorted. "Deal with what? She's already my master tie-watcher. I've only managed three minutes and twelve seconds before she noticed it was undone and she's stopped me more than once when I forgot my glasses...or trousers, actually."
Molly shook her head, beaming with pride. "Prefects! Ron and Hermione! We're so very proud, not shocked neither of those two ever got picked though." Molly nodded her head to Fred and George who were holding strong, though their faces were reddening quickly.
Hermione turned her eyes to her tea, talking quickly. "It's really not that big a deal. Ron and I both wanted to keep it quiet because of-well, you know..."
"Don't be stupid!" Rebecca nearly shouted, her mouth open in shock. "Prefects? That's fantastic!" Rebecca couldn't help her own degree of pride filling her, though it was soon replaced by other thoughts. "We'll get away with so much now. No more worrying about curf-"
"You certainly will not. If anything, I'm going to be all the much harder on you to show that I don't have favourites." Hermione edited herself quickly. "If all goes as it should, of course."
"Of course you will." Rebecca said slowly, winking.
Hermione shook her head ferociously. "I'm serious!"
"No, I am!" Sirius called from another room.
Tonks rolled her eyes. "I swear he listens in just to say that." She said quietly.
"I do not!" Sirius shouted back.
Molly looked to the hallway as Harry walked by, he absent-mindedly scratching at his head full of hair longer and shaggier than the year before. It was the wand that broke the hippogriff's back. "That's it. You're all getting a haircut this afternoon before supper. You look like you've been marooned on an island!" Fred and George fell to the ground in a tumble and tangle of legs, moaning that they liked it long. "I won't hear a single whinge! You could all be in a bloody zoo!"
Tonks followed Molly around the house, enjoying the show of watching her boss the kids into a line out of the upstairs bathroom with a paid or scissors and a comb in hand. The line went quickly, much to the displeasure of Fred and George who kept putting the person behind them in front of them. Tonks busied herself with chatting to whoever was having their haircut.
Rebecca, directly behind Harry, nudged his silent back gently. "I'm sure you'll look fine no matter what." Harry didn't respond, his despair only heightened by the fact that their trial was so close. She put on a phony accent, sounding like a posh butler. "Master Potter couldn't look bad a day in 'is life, no he could not."
Harry smiled at last and walked into the bathroom Ron had just left. Rebecca quickly began to compliment Ron's trim and that was what Harry heard as he sat down. He appreciated the fact that Molly and Tonks seemed to sense that he wasn't in the mood to converse as the women began to talk about this and that over his head.
"Fred! George!" Rebecca shouted from the hallway. "You're already at the back of the line! Stop pushing me before I-" Her words were cut off by a loud, heavy thump. "Ten out of ten." She clapped slowly. "Somebody get an award. Best faint of the year."
Molly shook her head and Harry found himself smiling again. Molly brushed his hair off his forehead, the backs of her fingers brushing against his scar lightly. Harry looked up at the woman and felt his heart pang horribly, wishing his own mother was able to mother him. Molly stepped back and tilted his head from side to side, snipping a few off hairs. "Smart, looking very smart."
Harry slid his glasses back over his ears and looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was much shorter than it had been before, the change in look maturing him greatly. "Thank you, Mrs Weasley."
"Molly, sweets. Just Molly." Harry nodded and thanked her one more time before poking his head out of the door. "George! Get in here." Molly commanded as no one entered.
George grunted and scowled as he sat on the stool, surrounded by mass quantities of red and black hair. "How about just a little off the top? A healthy trim, you know?" Molly reached forward and cut a huge chunk off the top of his head." Or not, whatever."
Molly and Tonks laughed as George began to say a eulogy for his lost locks. Fred and Rebecca took glances intermittently, but mostly stood in the hall. Harry had accepted their compliments and headed back down stairs, hoping to find Sirius to hear more stories about the adventures he and his father had had while at Hogwarts.
Fred put his hand into Rebecca's and faced her, looking down at her thoughtfully. "Are you okay?"
"Oh yeah." Rebecca answered. "I'm good. Fine." Fred looked at her another moment, leaning into her hand as she reached up to brush his hair away from his face while she could. "I'm just really happy to be here with you."
Fred bent down and kissed the top of her head. "What about tomorrow? Not long now, rest of today and tomorrow is it."
Rebecca gave a noncommittal shrug and turned so that her back was against the wall. "I don't think it's really clicked just what is at stake yet. I don't know. I don't feel like I can really be nervous with how..." She searched for the right word and failed to find it. "I feel like I need to be positive right now for Harry."
Fred put his hand out in front of her and slipped his other hand to her waist, beginning to sway with her in the hallway as they had at the Yule Ball what felt like a lifetime ago. "Forget Harry a moment then. How do you feel about the trial now?"
Harry froze at the bottom of the stairs, listening to Rebecca's answer with bated breath.
"I am worried." Rebecca admitted, feeling a weight leave her at the admission. "Magic is such a--It's become such a huge part of my life, our lives. How can we go on to Muggle lives after? Plain and boring lives?"
Fred chuckled. "Magic or not, life with me is never going to be 'plain or boring.'" Fred grew more serious before continuing. "Don't ever feel like you can't tell me something like that, especially with that reasoning. When it's you and I, it's you and I. We don't have to think of anyone else."
George came out of the bathroom, his hair cut up from where it had laid on his shoulders to just above his ears with a middle part. "George..." Rebecca said, looking him up and down and motioning her finger for him to spin so they could see the back. "You look positively dashing!"
George shouted over his shoulder. "Yeah? Well it's a one star rating in there! The assistant did nothing but mock me!" As George clumped down the stairs loudly, Fred grabbed Rebecca by the shoulders and entered the bathroom behind her, crouching down behind her like she was a shield.
"One of you get on the stool." Molly sighed, pointing at the two of them. "Now, before I give the scissors to Tonks!"
Rebecca hopped up onto it, smiling at Fred and Tonks as he moved behind where Tonks was sitting on the edge of the tub so that he was laying down inside of its dry bottom. Fred put his head back and closed his eyes. "Ah yea, exactly what every man fantasizes about: His mother, girlfriend, and an old lady watching while he's in the tub."
Tonks glanced down at him and smirked. "I don't mind the old lady jab because you're clearly rounding up if you're calling yourself a man."
Rebecca and Molly laughed heartily while Fred failed to think of a single response.
Molly snipped as she went, taking an inch or so off around before pausing at the locks in front of her ears. "I don't really know what we should do with these. They just really hang about." Fred rolled his eyes. Nothing about Rebecca just did anything. The pieces of hair in question were what she spun around her finger when she was doing school work, what she pinned behind her head when she needed to concentrate.
"Whatever you think looks nice." Rebecca said nonchalantly, an undertone in her voice that hinted to something more. "Perhaps the Wizengamot can be persuaded by looks. They've got Harry looking like a wild animal and my picture is me lying dead so...these aren't the best images to have."
Molly trimmed on slowly, bringing her hair short but not too much so that it could be pinned back if Rebecca chose. "How about that?" Molly asked. "Take a look."
Rebecca stood up and slide her glasses on, causing Molly to smile as the older woman noticed how brother and sister did so exactly alike. Rebecca smiled in the mirror and turned her head, relieved to find that her hair wasn't overwhelmingly shorter than it had been but that it was far neater. Just as Harry thought of his own haircut, Rebecca thought she looked a little more mature.
Fred lifted himself out of the tub and couldn't help but stare. When Rebecca noticed, she made a face at him. "Alright, mum. Good luck." Fred took his spot on the stool. "You've improved upon perfection and there's no way you can top it."
Molly laughed and shook her head as she had to tell Fred to sit still far more than anyone else who had gotten a haircut. Rebecca sat on the edge of the tub next to Tonks and enjoyed the show.
"He's not wrong." Tonks admitted. "You do look nice."
Fred grinned in the chair and shouted over the sounds. "Don't listen to her! You look brilliant!"
"That's exactly what I was saying." Tonks said, crossing her arms.
"Yeah, right." Fred scoffed with a wink off towards Rebecca. "Tonks offering compliments? Mum must have cut an ear off."
Rebecca giggled and stood up as Molly slapped the back of Fred's head. "Be nice." Rebecca warned. "We all know that she would beat you in a fight." Rebecca wanted to find Harry before dinner.
Fred called his disagreements after Rebecca and they followed her out of the bathroom, nearly into the hall. She skipped down the stairs, listening out for any sign as to where Harry would have gone.
"AWAY YOU BEAST!!" Sirius shouted from down the hall. Kreacher sulked out of the room, continuing his rant against blood traitors.
Rebecca had originally thought she would only find Sirius in the room, but it turns out that that was exactly where Harry had gone. The two men were talking quietly. "Face it, Harry." Sirius said before they knew Rebecca was on her way towards them. "You'll never understand a woman. Better get used to it know."
"I do understand her though!" Harry argued. "She is like she always is--putting everyone-" Harry paused, catching Rebecca's eyes at the doorway. "-else first." Rebecca hadn't heard a word that either of them had said, luckily.
"Well?" Rebecca asked, motioning towards herself. "What do you think?"
Sirius stood up and put a finger against his pursed lips, scanning her carefully. "You're wearing two different socks and your jumper looks old enough to have been one of Remus', not to mention your-"
"My haircut!" Rebecca interrupted, putting her hands on her hips and giving Sirius a quick once over. "You're socks don't match either and at least my pants don't have a tear in the bum!"
Sirius' mouth dropped open. "They do not! Take it back!" He turned sharply, trying to see the seat of his pants and astonished to find that there was, in fact, a tear along the seam. His pink underwear could be seen plain as day. "How long-"
"All day." Rebecca answered, laughing. "I owe Ron a galleon for being the one to tell you, but how could I resist after such a thrashing?"
Sirius ran out of the room, his hands held against his butt as he shouted for no one to look at him. "I'm indecent! Indecent, I say! Shield your eyes, hide your virtues! Anyone who gazes upon this arse is overcome with lust!"
Harry looked at Rebecca a long moment after Sirius' voice had trailed away. "He's just joking you. You look fine."
"Thank you. You do, too." Rebecca sat in one of the chairs behind him, sighing heavily. "Harry, what can I do to help you?"
Harry sat across from her, leaning forward so that his elbows were on his knees. "Nothing. There's nothing anyone can do."
"Then what-" Rebecca's voice reached a desperate plea. "What is anyone supposed to do to help you get back to-"
"To what? Normal?" Harry demanded, standing so that he towered over her. He couldn't believe that he would do that, try to intimidate her like this, but he wasn't thinking.
"Yes!" Rebecca said, standing as well and poking her finger into his chest to knock him down a few pegs. "To help you get back to the person we all love instead of this mopey, pathetic child that pouts incessantly!" Rebecca softened, not meaning to have insulted him like that though she meant every word. "Harry, we are surrounded by people who love us and we are together. Who knows how long we will be able to say something like that?"
"VOLDEMORT IS BACK!" Harry roared, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. "The man who killed our parents is back and gaining numbers and-"
"And what?" Rebecca asked back, not shouting as he had. "You think that making yourself miserable every second of every day is going to change that?" She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Our parents are dead. Nothing we do or say is ever going to change that. I can't change that. You can't change that. They're gone." Harry's breath caught in his throat. "But they are not our only family, Harry. We get to choose that and right now we are surrounded by the best choices we could ever have and you're not appreciating it."
Harry stood straight through her hug, closing his eyes as her words settled into his mind. "I don't mean to be mopey." He said softly, letting himself melt into her arms and begin to hug her back. "I don't mean to not appreciate this time. I just don't know how to-how I'm supposed to pretend to be happy like you are."
Rebecca pushed Harry back, holding him at arm's length away. "Pretend?"
"I heard you talking to Fred at the top of the stairs." Harry admitted. "You said you have to be the positive one because I'm not."
Rebecca shook her head quickly. "It's not 'because' of you. I'm trying to be positive for you." Rebecca squeezed his arms where she held him. "And I promise that my happiness is real. Nearly every person in the world who matters to me--who I would do anything for--pass through this house at one time or another every day."
Harry pulled Rebecca back into his arms, holding her tightly. "I don't know what I did to deserve you, honestly."
Rebecca stepped away from Harry and was relieved to find that he was smiling, the first time in days that she had seen it. The two of them quickly got over their peace and hurried from the room at the sound of a scuffle at the top of the stairs.
"Take it back!" Tonks shouted.
"You take it back!" Fred managed back, his voice strained.
Molly shook her head and went downstairs, ignoring them all and wondering where she had gone so wrong.
"Fred?" Rebecca called, turning the last corner of the stairs and clapping her hands to her mouth as she tried to halt the laughter that wanted to flood out of her.
Tonks was standing behind Fred, her knee against the middle of his back and an elbow tucked under her chin in a body lock. "You sure you won't take it back?" Tonks asked, mouthing to Rebecca that he was fine.
"Not until you do." Fred grunted.
Harry shook his head and turned around, unable to hide his own chuckles as Tonks released Fred and stood over him with a foot on his back, her arm raised in the picture of a conqueror. Tonks hopped off of Fred and went to the top of the stairs, patting Rebecca's shoulder.
Rebecca knelt on the floor next to Fred and rubbed his back gently. "What was that even about, nutter?"
Fred rolled onto his back and sighed, really quite fine but enjoying how she doted on him. "That she-monster tried to say that you should have been a Hufflepuff.
"And what did you say that made her do that?" Rebecca asked, knowingly.
Fred grimaced, she might be babying him but she also knew him entirely. "I said a lion would eat a badger for tea."
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