Chapter 18
When the last child had fallen asleep, the large room they had been given went quiet. The adults conversed amongst each other around Sirius' bed and the subject-matter grew more serious as the Order convened.
George patted Fred's back as he stood and stretched. "I'll tell you what happens."
Fred nodded so that George knew he had heard, but couldn't bring himself to speak. His eyes stayed on Rebecca and his hand had stayed in hers as well.
"No, this isn't for kids." Molly pointed for George to go right back to where he had been as he approached.
"That's good. I'm not a kid." George planted his feet and looked around the circle of adults, one of them.
Tonks saw this especially--man taking the place of boy. "Guess that is good then." Tonks restarted the previous conversation. "We have to figure out what to do next." Molly sputtered a moment as no one else fought against George--and subsequently, Fred--joining them.
"Molly, they've left school." Remus said tiredly. "They're not returning. There's nothing else to discuss about that right this second, it's not urgent in comparison."
"Comparison to what?" Arthur asked, holding Molly's hand tightly. It pained him as much as it did his wife to see their children as adults, especially as adults at war.
Moody was the only one to break the silence that formed after the question. "Lestrange was watching." Faces paled and knuckles went white.
"When she-" Molly shook her head, rephrasing her question. "During that?"
Kingsley nodded. "The Dark Lord knows by now, we can be certain of it."
George looked between them all as confused as those who had yet put together what everyone was talking about. "Know what exactly?"
Sirius looked up from his hand in Remus', his eyes haunted. "He knows that Rebecca brought me back."
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Rebecca, not surprisingly, was the last to wake. Fred's head was sideways and cradled by his elbow, soft breaths leaving his opened mouth as he slept leaning on the side of her bed. He had only lost the battle to stay away an hour or so before, and he had told himself he would just rest his eyes a moment.
Rebecca tried to sit up further in bed, her eyes adjusting the best they could without her glasses to the bright room she found herself in.
Molly noticed the movement and stood from Ron's bedside, making her way quickly across the room. "What hurts?" Molly put a hand on Rebecca's shoulder to keep her from moving any further, afraid that Rebecca was trying to get up. "No, no. You're not going anywhere, not yet."
Rebecca leaned back in the bed, leaning against the pillows so she was mostly upright. "I'm alright." She managed, trying to sound better than she felt. Rebecca's body was crying out with every movement like she had been hit by a train.
Molly have her a sharp look. "Do not lie to me!"
Rebecca didn't say anything but she did bring her free hand to the soreness down the side of her face. Her skin was ridged, eyebrow to cheek in a hook. She was afraid to see herself, but more afraid of what had happened when her recollection of the night before ended. "Voldemort, is he-"
"They Ministry is announcing his return." Molly said, sinking into the seat opposite of Fred. "All of that can wait, don't make me ask again." Rebecca brought her hand away from her face and wondered how much she should tell and how much she should hide. "And don't try to hide anything, I'll know."
"My head hurts." Rebecca admitted softly. "It-"
"RJ!" Fred gasped as he jumped up and interrupted her unknowingly. She was in all of his dreams, but he thought he had heard her outside of his head too and that was what had brought him from his sleep. "Oh love, are you okay? What hurts? Can I get you anything?"
"I'm okay." Rebecca tried to smile but only managed a grimace. "Just a little sore."
"You children will be the death of me." Molly shook her head. "Marching off to the Ministry--not getting us? What were you thinking?"
Rebecca looked to Molly and met her eyes. "We did what we thought was right, what I thought was right." Rebecca tried to turn to face Molly but stopped immediately, her hand in Fred's jerking itself out of his grasp to hold at her side.
"It doesn't matter right now." Fred assured Rebecca, looking to Molly before back to her. Molly had thought Fred had never looked older, but there was a feeling--a different sort of pain at the realisation. "What does is that you tell the truth--what hurts and how badly?"
Rebecca's eyes shut lightly. She was embarrassed, of all things. Embarrassed to admit that she was in tremendous pain. "My body hurts, like I've played the hardest match of quidditch...then maybe went a round with a troll."
Fred nodded, not smiling. "And your head hurts?"
"Always." Rebecca opened her eyes and was able to take her hand from her side without the pain welling up. She took his hand in hers again. "Please don't go."
Fred had moved to stand, they needed one of the healers so that Rebecca's pain could be lessened but then she had asked him to stay and Fred wasn't sure what to do.
"I'll go." Molly's fear was making itself known as anger. "Off to the Ministry on their own...how much more stupid can you get?"
Rebecca held onto Fred tighter though even her hands were sore. "I only-"
"I know, love." Fred may not have known the details, but he did know that Rebecca would have had a reason.
"No, you-before we left, Umbridge was interrogating us." Rebecca's throat felt like snitch was inside, a hard lump that made it hard for her to speak even though she had so many thoughts running around her aching head that some had to leave. "She was going to torture us."
"W-what?" Fred's blood ran cold.
"Umbridge thought that we had a weapon, that we were hiding it for Dumbledore." Rebecca shifted in her discomfort; it felt like her bones were aching. "She almost used the Cruciatus curse on me to know where it was."
"But she didn't, though?" Fred caught Rebecca's eyes and scanned them for a lie harder than he ever had before. "Right?"
"No, no she didn't. Hermione came up with something."
Fred moved his chair closer to the head of Rebecca's bed as Molly returned with a healer who began to speak with Rebecca about how she was feeling and where it was the worst. Fred wanted to listen and part of him was, but part of him was also stuck in his own head. "Nearly crucio-ed, my Rebecca. Fought Voldemort, my Rebecca. Here, alive...my Rebecca."
The healer nodded and walked a few steps away with Arthur and Molly rising and following. The conversation was short, it was really just a formality. The healer thought that it would be best to go with another draught, though with less of the rest-additive and doubling down on the restorative qualities.
"Will it make me sleep again?" Rebecca asked as she took the vial.
"Does it matter?" Arthur asked. "You're going to take it anyway." Rebecca looked down before drinking the vial in its entirety. Arthur stayed at her bedside while Molly spoke in hushed tones with the healer all the way back to the door. "She is right. We are your guardians, Rebecca. You never, ever should have left Hogwarts."
The potion loosened Rebecca's tongue and sent her mind swimming, she couldn't tell if Arthur was being seen with her eyes or imagined in her head and she couldn't tell whether she answered him with her mouth or her thoughts. "O-or what?"
Arthur balked, his face reddening with anger. They had almost lost her, he and Molly. Lost, forever. "Or what?"
"If I..." Rebecca couldn't get her eyes to focus anymore, so the world was as blurry and dizzying with her glasses on as it was with them off. "If I hadn't left, Sirius would be...gone."
"It doesn't matter!" Arthur shouted, truly shouted. "It doesn't matter because you very well could be gone too!"
"Dad, let's-"
"You are forbidden from ever bringing someone--anything--back again? Forbidden!" Arthur continued over Fred.
"No." Rebecca answered immediately, closer to unconsciousness than not.
The other kids looked over at the interaction, various levels of surprise covering them all. Ron and George were startled to hear Arthur shouting as he was, especially considering Rebecca, her past, and how she had yet to even begin starting to recover. Hermione was surprised mostly by Rebecca's response, and she was certain that it wouldn't have that way had she been more in control of herself.
Harry...Harry didn't know how he felt. He agreed with Arthur entirely, more so even. Rebecca played a game with stakes they didn't understand every time she dared use this ability she had; but if she hadn't used it on Sirius, if she hadn't brought their godfather back, Remus would be without a second half. Tonks would be without a menace. His thoughts left him so conflicted his stomach hurt.
"Arthur?" Remus had only left Sirius' side at his partners request, demand really. Sirius hadn't been brought back from the dead to watch this spectacle. Arthur's heart might still be recovering from the preempted pain of losing a child, but Rebecca could no longer hold her head straight. "This needs to wait."
"This needs to-" Arthur looked at Fred, how his son had stood from his seat to whisper assurances and apologies to the very person Arthur had loved so much he couldn't imagine a life without her playing a part forever. "You had no idea what you were doing, did you? No idea you'd make it back." Arthur sank into the chair Molly had left and began to cry.
"I..." Rebecca wondered if the potion she had been giving had turned her mouth into a cement mixer because she had to think about every sound to get her body to cooperate in making it.
"Love, this can wait until later." Fred repeated himself to Rebecca as she looked to him. He wished he felt angry with Arthur, but he didn't. Fred had been at war with himself every second since he had first heard how Rebecca had brought Sirius back, wondering if she knew what she was doing or if she was risking herself. "If you're tired, close your eyes and get some rest."
Rebecca didn't want to go to sleep, but she was hardly given a choice in the matter. Exhaustion combined with the potion and sent her back into the darkness.
Fred held his hand over Rebecca's legs and reached for Arthur. "Dad, she's going to be alright. The healers have said so and-"
"Oh, I'm gone for two minutes!" Molly hurried to Arthur's side and looked at Fred's face and Rebecca's sleeping self. "What now?"
Arthur stood and hugged Molly tightly, whispering softly into her ear. "What would we have done? How could we have-"
"Arthur," Molly sighed and rubbed his back. "I don't have all the answers, despite what you might think." He only seemed to cry harder. She led him to the back corner of the room.
"Why are you so calm?" Harry asked as he stood from his bed, which he wasn't entirely supposed to do, and went to Rebecca's bedside. "Now, I mean. You weren't yesterday."
Fred shrugged.
"That's not an answer." Hermione followed Harry. "And I'm not sure if you taught that to her or her to you, but it's a horrible habit."
Fred could have spoken only on the shrug comment, but Harry looked at him with so much dependent on his answer, Fred thought about his answer. "I guess, I'm okay because she's here. She is right here."
"So?" Harry didn't understand.
"So, if I have her right here." Fred laid his hand on in Rebecca's on top of the back of her hand gently. "If Rebecca is right here, then it doesn't matter what might have happened."
"What about next-"
"What if we all got dragonpox and dropped dead?" Fred said harsher than he intended.
Harry nodded. "Right here." Harry and Hermione sat with Fred beside Rebecca for a long time, well after Molly and Arthur rejoined them with matching sets of tear-worn faces.
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The next time Rebecca opened her eyes, the sun had long set. Her body didn't alarm itself as she lifted her head, and the weight that had been pushing on her bones seemed less angry. Sitting up seemed the next thing to try.
"Hey," Fred said quickly. "Don't go mental now, yeah?"
"Never." Rebecca continued as she had been, trying to sit up. Fred moved her pillows, helping where he thought he could. "Thank you. Where is everyone?"
Fred looked over his shoulder at the room that was far emptier than it had been. "Supper. Sirius threatened the healers with mutiny if he didn't get to leave the room for a few minutes."
"Sounds like Sirius." Rebecca wished she didn't feel relieved at the absence of the others, but she did and Fred could see it plain as day. "Is-Are Molly and Arthur still mad?"
"They're not mad, not really. At least, I don't think so." Fred held her hand to his mouth, brushing his lips against her knuckles. "They were hurt, love. Not angry."
"Hurt?" Rebecca repeated, not having previously considered that as an option.
"Yes!" Fred said quickly. "And still recovering from being very, very afraid!"
"I don't-"
"RJ," Fred turned in his seat so he could look at her more directly. "My love, nothing has ever, ever come back through that stone. Nothing has come back at all--fullstop!"
"Yeah, but-"
"You haven't realised this yet, not since you first signed the paper to stay as part of a Weasley, but you're a part of us now. Do you know what that means?" Fred was serious, no exaggeration or joke in his tone. "If you hadn't been able to come back through, you would have left us all! What are we supposed to do if you aren't here--one of us? What would mum and dad do? Ron or George? Ginny? Harry? Any one of us would be absolutely lost without you, but you act like your life is expendable. And it's not, it's really not."
Rebecca was silent a long moment, feeling his words searching out all the fear and worry inside of her that hadn't faded since she had first thought to reach through the arch. She hadn't known that she would make it back, just had an instinctual feeling that she would. If it had been wrong...Rebecca would have been just as he said, gone. "Not you?"
"What do you mean?" Fred asked gently. The emotions across her face had gone by clearly as they occurred, and he was grateful that she had listened to him and not gotten upset.
"You mentioned everyone else but you."
Fred grimaced and lowered his eyes. "Please love, I-"
"Tell me." Rebecca shifted to the side of her bed, managing with only the slightest of winces. "Come up and tell me what you're thinking."
Fred sat beside her as if she were made of glass, terrified of shifting the bed in a way that would hurt her before he settled. "When he was over you--Voldemort--and your face was bleeding, you were already all bloodied up, I learned something."
Rebecca closed the distance he had left between them so their arms touched, but she didn't push him as he was working through his thoughts.
"Rebecca," Fred turned his head. "I don't think I have a life without you. If you had gone through that arch and managed to save Sirius, if I had lost you...I would have been right behind you."
"You-you can't talk like this." Rebecca shook her head. "Fred, don't be ridiculous! Mu-I mean, Molly and Arthur, everyone else, they all need you!"
"And I need you!" Fred said sternly. "If this is all that will convince you to treat your life with some worth, then so be it: I will not live without you. It wouldn't even be living, it would just be breathing and sleeping and waiting until we were together again anyway. That's why mum and dad are having such a hard time right now, they cannot imagine losing you."
Rebecca felt something hard in her stomach grow and grow, and she was ashamed of herself. "I...I'm so sorry." She began to cry; hard, body-felt sobs. If she hadn't come back, what would Fred have done? He was her Fred, as she was his. What misery would she have subjected her pieced-together family? "I'm so, so sorry."
"No, love." Fred put his arm around her so her head was on his chest and he could hold her. "I don't want you to be sorry, not at all. What you did was amazing and a miracle and just as I couldn't have lived without you, it's clear Remus wouldn't have been able to lose Sirius so soon after having him again. Harry will have a chance at a better home, an actual home."
"But-"
"But, now you'll know how the stakes really are in the future." Fred laid his head against the top of hers. "You are everything to me and so many people, not just a part of our lives but a necessary function of them."
Fred was still in her bed when Molly and Arthur managed to escape the loud, largely-happy dinner. It pained them too much to try and join in on the high-spirits while one of their--for all intents and purposes--children lie in a hospital bed.
"Oh, are you certain that's a-you're awake!" Molly's questioning of Fred ended as Rebecca's eyes opened. "Your idea, young lady?"
Rebecca cracked a half-smile, nodding. It was gone as quickly as it arrived and she grew somber. Fred's hand was still in hers, it could have been an eternity and she would still cherish every second it was, and she held it a little tighter. "I didn't think about...about what I would do if I-"
"No, sweets." Molly and Arthur sat on either side of the bed and Arthur took over Molly's interjection.
"I should not have shouted at you like that, not then and not at all." Arthur lowered his head. "I love you, Rebecca. We all love you and I cannot imagine a summer morning without splitting the paper with you, or an evening where the sponge is ticked because you two hand washed, or any number of parts of life with you." When Arthur looked at Rebecca again, both of their eyes were teary. "And I let my fear choose my actions instead of my heart or my head, and for that I am sorry."
"No, I am." Rebecca's lip trembled as she continued as composed as she could be. "I didn't-I can't explain it. I felt I could come back. It was-My hands had-I knew if, damn!"
Molly didn't even bat an eye, leaning forward and laying her hands on Rebecca's leg. "Think a moment, find the words and try again."
Rebecca did, starting again once she had everything lined up. "My hands had done that before, even though I know they haven't. It doesn't make sense, but something was with me when I crossed the arch and it helped me back."
Molly gave her a sad smile. "No, no it doesn't make much sense."
"I'm afraid that would be too much to ask though." Arthur added on, looking to Fred next. "I owe an apology to you as well, for failing to set the example I should have and for failing to follow the very example you were for me."
Fred shook his head. "Impossible. I only acted how you've taught me. And you shouldn't apologise for something that doesn't need it. 'An apology given and not needed is as bad as-"
Rebecca nodded, rubbing her thumb along the back of Fred's hand. "'An apology kept when in need.'"
Molly beamed at Arthur. "I told you something I've said to them would sink in eventually."
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Although they were all feeling far better than they had been by the end of the next day, they were to spend one last night under observation before being released to go back to their varying daily lives.
Rebecca had refused the offer of a healer for a mirror hours earlier, not wanting her first look of whatever still left a hook of her face tender to be so public. Fred was only waiting for Ron to finish his conversation with them for a moment of privacy to return to the subject.
On the opposite end of the room, however, Tonks had managed to corner Harry without anyone else noticing. Their hardly audible conversation went without notice. "And you're certain?" Harry clarified.
"As certain as we can be, yes."
"What does this mean for us? She'll figure it out eventually, she's not blind." Harry glanced over Tonks shoulder at Rebecca.
"We don't need her to be blind, Harry." Tonks grit her teeth. "The Order will tell her when it's decided to be the right time."
"Yeah, because that's proven a fantastic idea." Harry scoffed.
"I know, okay? I don't agree with it either but it's not my place to tell you everything." Tonks made sure none of the other kids were near them, not wanting any opportunity to be blamed for the information she knew would be spread among them all anyway. "I fought tooth and nail to be able to tell you and it was only agreed so that one of you will be aware."
Harry sighed. "Thank you for telling me and for fighting for us." He shook his head, his eyes drawn to his twin once again. "But she has to know. I won't keep this from her, I'll have to tell her."
Tonks ruffled his hair. "Good, I knew you would." She made no move to clear the path so he could leave and tell Rebecca that Voldemort would have--more likely than not--learned about how she brought Sirius back by now.
"Are you going to let me go tell her or..."
Tonks shook her head, turning her head to see how Fred was speaking to Rebecca as quietly as she and Harry were talking. "Wait until she's fully recovered, okay? No need to add trouble before then."
"I never pictured you as a romantic." Harry teased before making his way back to Cedric who he had been going to talk to before the whole detour.
While Harry and Tonks were glancing at Rebecca intermittently, Fred didn't let his eyes leave hers. "I need you to listen to me, okay?" Rebecca averted her eyes, knowing that this topic was going to come up sooner or later after the healer's offer. "Don't." Fred titled Rebecca's chin back up.
"Really Fred, we don't-"
"I need you to know that this scar is nothing to let bother you." Fred said, a perfect balance of firm and soft. "I don't care if you don't look in a mirror for the rest of your life, because I will look at you enough for the both of us. This," He raised his hand to the side of her face and traced his finger down the shape of it as gently as anyone had ever touched anything. "This is beautiful."
"You don't have to say that." Rebecca's cheeks warmed. "It's just another scar, darling. I've had them before."
"Never like this, love." Fred pulled his hand back. "And we certainly don't have to talk about it more than that, but I needed you to know that nothing could ever, ever change how perfect you are."
"Oh my, you sap!" Rebecca laughed, pushing at his shoulder.
Fred grinned a cheeky grin, not done yet. "Well, I guess I should elaborate: I mean change for the negative. You get more beautiful every-" Rebecca covered his mouth with her hand, ending the cheesiness for the time being.
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Hermione and Ron put their arms through Harry's as they walked with their group to St Mungo's floo set up. It had been a slow few days, but they had all been given clearance to leave and Hogwarts was waiting their return.
"Did you get a glimpse of the Prophet this morning?" Hermione asked happily. "Officially reporting Voldemort's return."
Harry nodded and looked ahead where Fred was straightening Rebecca's jumper as they said their goodbyes. "Tonks told me something else, something their not reporting."
Ron connected Harry's gaze to Rebecca and paused their walk. "What is it?"
"He knows." Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, knowing that the three of them would have to find a good time to tell Rebecca and knowing that none of them would choose sooner over later. "Voldemort knows what she can do."
Fred, entirely unaware of everything being said down the hall, began his umpteenth rehearsal with Rebecca. "And you'll be..."
"You're causing traffic!" Rebecca laughed, pushing him ahead to close the gap between them and the next bunch for the floo powder. "Really? Okay, fine. I'll be staying at school, perfectly behaved and waiting for your every owl until term is finished."
"And then I'll be..."
"Waiting for me at the station!" Rebecca beckoned him down to kiss his cheek. "A little trust, Frederick."
Molly looked up confused. "Frederick?"
Harry leaped forward, already having assurances from Hermione and Ron that promised their secrecy. "It's better to not ask them questions. Ask them the wrong one and suddenly an hour's gone, you're horribly confused, and somehow, they're still talking."
Molly nodded, not needing any more explanation as she had found that this had happened to her many, many times throughout her children.
Fred leaned down and pecked Rebecca's lips quickly, Tonks herding them all along with calls for them to hurry it along. "Please, please, please, let this be an uneventful end of term?"
Rebecca grinned. "I'll do my best?"
Fred groaned and called rule after rule to her until she was in the fireplace.
With Cedric the last to floo back, the adults were left in the hall on their own. "It's only a few more weeks, then Ced's graduated." Amos tried to comfort his wife as he led the two of them away.
Sirius sighed heavily. "Oh, bloody hell."
"What? What's wrong?" Remus asked quickly, frantically.
Sirius sighed again and put his arm around Remus' waist. "Nothing's wrong, Moony. I just miss them already."
Remus shook his head. "You can't do that." He exaggerated Sirius' sigh, drawing a laugh out of Arthur. "That makes it sound like you're in pain and-"
"Don't encourage him." Sirius rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at Arthur. "Really, he doesn't need it."
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"Are you still behaving?"
Fred's second owl of the day was nothing more than a torn scrap of paper he'd given Darcy--their newly purchased business owl--with the usual question and a stick figure wearing glasses she assumed was her.
Rebecca thanked Darcy and gave him a few seeds from the Owlery bowl. She had just barely managed to escape Hermione's watchful eyes for a few minutes and wanted to send a letter alone.
They had been back at Hogwarts for three weeks and things were slowly returning to normal: Classes had resumed for review over topics they had felt unprepared for in the O.W.L.s and excitement was building throughout the castle for the last Hogsmeade trip of the year.
Dumbledore's return had lifted the castle's spirits as well, and the fact that there were only two more weeks of term certainly helped. Harry and Rebecca had gotten a summons that morning to report to the headmaster's office before dinner. Harry shrugged it off and with the guess that it was some form of follow-up, but Rebecca disagreed. Something was off with the note and this didn't even take into account the strange behaviour the others had had around her.
Too many times had Harry, Ron, and Hermione fallen silent as she joined them; too many times had the subject been changed abruptly after.
"I wish you were here." Rebecca spoke, though there was no one to hear her. She attached her letter to Fred and George on Darcy and pet his head before giving him leave. She watched the dark brown owl spread his wings and soar off into the distance.
"Absence, they say," McGonagall spoke out from the door as she entered the Owlery's main room. "Makes the heart grow fonder."
Rebecca shrugged. It may have been true, but it sure was hard.
"Though, that doesn't take into account absence's difficulties." McGonagall stood in front of the window, motioning for Rebecca to join her. "I am certain you two will manage them."
"We will, that's for sure." Rebecca smiled. "Summer's coming soon and Molly and I have been talking about me working in the shop a few days a week. There's so much to do with production and set up and George-well, George keeps changing his designs at the last minute. I was hoping I could floo in for the opening and then go back when-" Rebecca looked up at McGonagall, eyes wide. "I'm sorry, you don't want to hear me ramble."
McGonagall's smile brought back Rebecca's. "It's quite alright. I wanted to find a moment to catch you before the Hogsmeade outing anway." McGonagall reached into the pocket of her robe and pulled out two small sachets of black powder. "I think you'll find the Hog's Head has a functioning fireplace, if you care to look."
Rebecca's eyebrows furrowed. "Professor, are you saying I can go to Diagon Alley instead of Hogsmeade?"
McGonagall turned and walked away, pausing at the door. "I'm saying nothing of the sort; I'm simply saying that the last returning carriage leaves Hogsmeade at four and all of my students had better have made it on one."
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"Rebecca!" Hermione's scolding had begun before Rebecca even had both feet in the common room. "Where have you been?!"
"Bed's empty...no note...car gone..." Rebecca mumbled, remembering Molly's thrashing of the boys before her second year.
"What?" Hermione shook her head. "It doesn't matter. You're not supposed to go off like that, someone needs to know where-"
"Why?" Rebecca raised her hand in apology to the few others in the common room whose heads had jerked towards her at her shout. Lowering her voice slightly, Rebecca continued. "Why are you doing this? All of you, there's something you're not telling me and it has you all stalking me."
Hermione paled and said nothing, but her eyes flickered to Harry.
"Harry?" Rebecca demanded, taking the seat across from all three of them and looking at them in turn. "This has gone on long enough, I deserve to know too."
Harry sighed. He had been putting off the inevitable everyday since they had got back; at first because Rebecca seemed to be lagging a while, still recovering. Then, because he saw how happy she was having nothing hanging over her and Harry didn't want to end that before he had to. "There is something, you're right. I've asked them to keep it from you so you could have some peace."
Rebecca said nothing, her face remaining unchanged as she waited for Harry to continue.
"The thing is..." Harry swallowed his fear. He looked around made sure no one was near enough to hear his words. "He knows." Harry went silent, hoping Rebecca could connect dots he had hardly provided.
"Are you going to expand on that or should I start listing every 'he' I know?"
"Voldemort knows about you." Harry elaborated poorly.
"I don't understand. He's always known about me, at least from first year on." Rebecca's head tried to come up with possible meanings of Harry's words, but she had nothing.
Hermione leaned across the distance between them and put her lips near Rebecca's ear. "Bellatrix was watching when you...when you helped Sirius."
Rebecca's mouth fell open slightly, her eyes darting to Ron and Harry. "You knew? You knew this whole time? That's something I needed to know! Tha-that's clearly about me!" Harry tried to jump in with more of an explanation, but Rebecca didn't pause long enough to give him a chance. "Does Fred know? I-does he know to be careful? What about George? How-"
"They all know." Harry reassured, though his words had the opposite reaction than what he intended. Instead of soothing Rebecca, she looked incredibly hurt and she stood abruptly.
"Where-"
"I'm leaving!" Rebecca snapped.
"Where are you-" Ron tried to ask.
"Wherever I please!" And walk wherever she did. Despite the fact that it wasn't especially out of the way or hidden, Rebecca found herself at the table she and Fred had shared by the Black Lake countless times. The anger rushed out of her as soon as she sat, a deep longing taking its place.
"If you were here," Rebecca began quietly. "You would say that they only kept it quiet because they care. You would tell me, 'you'd have done the same thing, I know it.'" Rebecca put her elbows together on the table in front of her so she could rest her chin on her arms, squinting at the beautiful sight in front of her and finding nothing but disgust.
She scowled at the budding and flowering trees, the birds flitting about as they filled the air with sweet melodies of spring.
"Cynical is not a good look for you." Cedric's voice rang out behind her. "It's a little frightening, actually."
"Cynicism tends to work best in solitude."
Cedric smiled and swung his leg over the bench next to her, waving his hand over the view ahead. "Look at this! There is beauty and life all around you, what can be distracting you from it?"
"Voldemort knows I brought Sirius back, he has since the Ministry break-in." Rebecca glanced at Cedric and noted how unsurprised he looked. "But you knew that too, didn't you?"
Cedric bit his lip before nodding. "Yes, Harry told me shortly after we had returned."
"So even you lied?" Rebecca turned her attention back to the sights ahead as her eyes stung with betrayal. He could see into her head, and even he kept this from her. "You know why this isn't as beautiful as you said? Because it'll all die again in the winter; nothing lasts."
Cedric laid his hand on the table in front of them, inviting her to feel his intentions instead of listen to him voice them. She considered not taking it to spite him, but rest her hand on his palm eventually. "We wanted you to be able to miss Fred and plan for the summer without the extra. Normal problems, for once. Now that he knows..."
Rebecca took her hand off of Cedric as his fears were made too clear. He had faced Voldemort once and died because of it, he was terrified of that happening to her too. "He's only going to try and get us more now." Rebecca realised at once that this was what had truly had her so upset. Of course she wished that they others had been honest from the very beginning, that was a given. But knowing that it was her fault, her doing, her ability that would make Voldemort's attempts to get them so much stronger, that was what hurt. "We've lost our one advantage then: surprise."
Cedric looked ahead, following the ripples of the water. "That's not quite true." He glanced at her for a moment, hating how weighed-down she looked. "Voldemort will never, ever be able to imagine how many people you have behind you." Cedric gestured back out to the greenery ahead. "You're right, nothing lasts. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy it while it's here."
The two of them sat quietly for a while before it was time to head back to the castle for supper.
"Cynical doesn't really suit me, I think."
"No, no it doesn't."
Rebecca hugged him quickly before they would have to separate. "I can't believe you won't be here next year. I'm going to miss you."
Cedric laughed and shook his head. "I have a feeling you'll be up to so much trouble you won't even realise. And besides, my wisdom is only ever an owl away."
"Wisdom?" Rebecca snorted and shooed him off to the Hufflepuff group by the edge of the Great Hall's entrance. "Okay, whatever."
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"Ready?" Rebecca asked Harry as she appeared at the end of the hall where Harry was pacing. He was afraid that she was so upset with them that she wouldn't make Dumbledore's summoning.
"Yeah." Harry opened his mouth to apologise as she got closer, but Rebecca was ahead of him.
"No, no need." She hugged him tightly, holding the back of his head. "I'm the one who needs to be sorry. You were only doing what you thought was right." Rebecca stepped back and took his side. "What was right, in all honesty. It was incredibly normal to have spent the past few weeks thinking only about Fred and summer. A little boring, almost, to have gone so long without the threat of the world ending."
Harry rolled his eyes at her jests, giving the eagle guarding Dumbledore's office the password.
"I'm sorry I was so cross."
Harry stepped up the first step, motioning for her to follow. "We're late as it is, can this happen later?"
"Absolutely not. I already said that you were right and I won't be repeating it." Rebecca smiled cheekily. "Not even if you threaten me."
Harry smiled at her and greeted Dumbledore as they were asked to sit on a bench opposite the old, wooden chair Dumbledore was sitting in. The headmaster wasted no time on pleasantries, his words heavy in his thoughts. "A lot has gone on this year, many circumstances that are my fault." Dumbledore looked at them both carefully. "I knew Voldemort would find the connection between you, it was only a matter of time."
Rebecca didn't bother hiding her reactions as the shone through on her face: betrayal, hatred, fear. Harry blinked, not understanding at first.
"I thought," Dumbledore spoke on. "That by distancing myself from you two as I have all year he would be less tempted and, therefore, that you would be more protected."
"We weren't though, were we?" Rebecca's voice was shaky. It took everything in her to not start breaking things, letting the inferno inside of her burn itself out. "You put our housemates, our friends, our school in danger."
Harry gripped the lip of the bench so hard it hurt, outrage coursing through him.
Dumbledore lowered his head. "If you are to attack me, as I know you are both close to doing, I will have thoroughly earned it."
The resolve of both Potters broke at his acceptance of an attack. Rebecca spoke first. "I can't exactly judge you for holding onto information or distancing yourself to protect someone. We've done it, to each other, to others, to our family."
Harry leaned forward on the bench and laid his hand on Rebecca's knee, asking the question that bothered him the most and was far more important than figuring out who was to blame for his distance through the year that was nearly over. "Professor, the prophecy said that 'neither party can live while the other survives.' That means that means that one of us will have to kill the other, in the end. Us or Voldemort."
Dumbledore's eyes lowered as he slid his half-moon spectacles off and polished them on the edge of his robe. "Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me? Tell us?" Harry demanded.
Dumbledore slipped his glasses back on and leveled his eyes with Harry's. "The same reason that you," He gestured to Rebecca. "Brought back Sirius without absolute certainty that it would work. For the same reason your friends went to the Ministry with you. For the same reason Mr Weasley--Fred, that is--has owled me twice a day since you have both returned."
Rebecca's face warmed at the look Dumbledore gaver her at mentioning Fred's writing. She hadn't known that Darcy had had more than just letters to her.
"After all these years, after all that you have both suffered, I didn't want to cause you any more pain. I care too much about you." Dumbledore stood up and made his way behind his desk, Harry and Rebecca following after him. "Do you know why I didn't make you two prefects?"
"Because you knew we'd be shi-horrible at it?" Rebecca offered, taking one of the sweets Dumbledore offered them.
Dumbledore chuckled at what she would have said. "No, because I thought you would both enjoy not being responsible for a change."
Harry stuck the sweet he was sucking on in his cheek. "We have enjoyed it, professor. Plus, we really would have been terrible prefects."
All three of their laughter faded into a peaceful silence as neither party had anything left to say on their original topic. "Before we part for dinner," Dumbledore said as he sorted through a stack of parchment on his desk. "I received this the day we we returned and thought you would appreciate reading it as well."
"Dear Professor Headmaster," Rebecca rolled her eyes at Fred's formalcy. Harry made no secret of leaning over to read too, and Rebecca didn't hide the letter from him. "I am writing because you are currently safeguarding my most prized person, my reason for being. It would drive her (Rebecca, of course) mental to actually follow every rule--though she had promised to 'try.'
I am asking that you take any action of hers with understanding. She has faced more this year than any before, as many of us have. She has acted as a guardian and protector for those Umbridge sought out--frequently attracting negative attention if it meant drawing it away from those younger.
Rebecca has helped keep Hogwarts as much a home for as many as possible. This year has been a hard one, and there is so much that I haven't mentioned and, as sure as I am that you have enjoyed reading this, I did actually have a point.
I write to ask you to make sure that she is safe in every moment that we are apart.
(Also, I have included our updated Puking Pastilles which we hope you'll find much more flavourful.)
Fred Weasley
Rebecca refolded the letter along its seams and handed it back to Dumbledore, her heart panging.
"No, I think I will have to insist you keep that one." Dumbledore smiled and gestured to the pile he had sorted through. "It's not like I have a shortage."
"Thank you, professor." Rebecca looked at Fred's handwriting on the envelope. "He tried really hard on this, if that's worth anything. I've never seen his handwriting so neat."
"I'm well aware, Minerva thought it to be a fake solely for that reason."
Rebecca paled. "Professor McGonagall's read this?"
Dumbledore offered a little shrug. "I had to ensure the...validity...of the sender."
Harry laughed loudly, bringing Rebecca into his joy. The clock outside struck once, signifying the mere half hour before dinner.
"Go on," Dumbledore advised. "Supper will begin soon and I do believe we've touched on everything we needed to."
Rebecca and Harry made their way back to the stairs, but she paused and looked at Harry a moment. "Professor?"
Dumbledore's eyes lifted from the correspondence he'd picked up. "Yes?"
"What will happen with Harry this summer?"
Dumbledore sighed. "I have been pursuing this adamantly, though I have yet to find an ideal solution. The Ministry has declared that he will be staying with your aunt and uncle for a minimum of three weeks."
Harry frowned at the words. "Why? Why can't I just go with Sirius? He's family, too."
"The Ministry has their beliefs." Dumbledore answered vaguely, leaving it to the children to draw their own conclusions.
"Because he and Professor Lupin are-That's disgusting!" Harry stammered, his anger clouding his thoughts. "That-I don't even-"
Rebecca nodded her head to Dumbledore and put her arm through Harry's, bringing him out of the office so Dumbledore could work and so that Harry would have the opportunity to vent. Though Rebecca was there to listen, Harry didn't speak until they had made it outside the Great Hall. There, he caught her wrist and stopped them. "Rebecca?"
"Yeah?"
"Three weeks isn't that long." Harry's resigned sigh let the last vestige of his anger leave him. "Three weeks and then I'll be anywhere else." He looked at her with a scared look in his eyes, something occuring to him for the first time. "Do you think Sirius will let me go with them? I've never actually asked."
Rebecca nodded. "If you write them and ask, I know that it will make their days." She grew more serious, thinking about the future beyond the summer. "The prophecy...what it says has to happen. Don't you think we should-"
"Not just yet." Harry tightened his hold on her comfortingly. "Let's let that be the future's problem for a little longer."
"Works for me, for a while at least. Now, can we go eat?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "You sound just like Ron."
Rebecca gasped. "I do not! Lunch was ages ago and this was a very emotional afternoon!"
Hermione's quiet conversation with Ginny paused when Harry and Rebecca joined them, triple-apologies poised and ready to fall out the second there was a chance.
Rebecca beat them to it, though, and shocked them all. "I'm sorry." She looked over the three of them. "To all of you. I was mad you hadn't told me but...but I would have done the same thing were it you."
Hermione looked at Rebecca warily. "You're strangely calm about this."
Rebecca shrugged and scooped a heaping, Ron-like scoop onto her plate. "I was hoping it would be contagious."
Narrowing her eyes cautiously, Hermione glanced at Rebecca's hands to make sure no prank was on its way to them. "And why would we need to be calm?"
Rebecca grinned sheepishly. "Well, about our plans for tomorrow..."
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