Dark AIAOY 5

"Bloody hell, Ron!"  Rebecca held her stomach as they left the Great Hall days after the summoning by Dumbledore.  "How do you eat that much every damn meal?"

"We really didn't even eat that much!"  Ron laughed.

Rebecca climbed the steps slowly, weighed down by the additional dishes she'd let Ron convince her to eat.  "Not eat that much?  I've got food up to here!"  She held her hand to her neck.  Harry and Hermione laughed at both of their antics, especially as Ron threatened to go get more desserts for them.  Rebecca looked at Hermione with narrowed eyes.  "You laugh now, but I'll explode if I eat one more thing."

"I said you'd be sick if you ate another piece of tart!"  Hermione argued, laughing still.  "You didn't listen!"

"It would have been lonely!  There was only the one left, all alone!"  Rebecca didn't think there was anything wrong with this argument.

Draco looked up from where he had been pausing his return to the common room to look out the window.  The castle was like an entirely new place with the changed energy, this one filled with joy and laughter just like the Gryffindor group passing him.  Draco scolded himself, but allowed himself one more look at them all.  "Just a Mudblood and blood traitors an-and no one worth looking at anyway."  Draco turned away from the window and trudged back on his way until a boy who hadn't been paying attention to where he was going either bumped into him.

"Sorry!"  Louis stepped to the side with a smile.  "Didn't see you there."

Draco stopped and glared at how Louis continued his skipping happily.  "What's got you in such a bloody good mood?"

Louis paused and gave the older boy a happy little shrug.  "What's not to be?  Nearly time to go home, exams are done, things are pretty good!"

Draco put his back to the Hufflepuff and continued his sulk.  "Almost time to leave."  He echoed in a bitter mutter.

*******************************************

"Let's go!"  Rebecca called into the bathroom where Hermione and Ginny seemed to be getting ready in slow-motion.

"Merlin's beard!  If she hurries me one more time I swear I'll-"  Ginny's threat met Hermione's defensiveness.

"You know she's just looking forward to the day."  At a concerning thump from their room, Hermione pursed her lips.  "Though she is a little, erm..."

Ginny gave Hermione a knowing look.  "Rebecca-like?"

"Yes, exactly."  Hermione shuddered.  "Let's just get to Hogsmeade before she tests something again."

Rebecca had taken the opportunity of lessened school work to focus near-entirely on the prototypes Fred and George were trying to get the kinks out of before they officially opened.  Ginny scowled as she remembered the toothpaste from a few days before.  "Who the hell even thinks up 'Two-Headed Toothpaste?'  Really, what kind of a loon just comes up with that?"

Rebecca poked her head in the bathroom, her jumper over an arm and a devious look on her face.  "I happen to be that loon and--I'll have you both know--you happened to look great with a second head."  Rebecca raised a hand, a little black shape between her fingers.  "I'm heading down for breakfast, are you two ready yet?"

Ginny glanced at the fuzz and met Rebecca's eyes.  "I don't know what that is and I better not find out."  Ginny's voice was terrifyingly calm, just as Molly's was when Rebecca, Fred, and George were about to push her over the edge.  Ginny was making it clear Rebecca's life was on the line if the prank was released.

Rebecca weighed the risks and tossed the shape at Ginny with a continued grin.  Ginny jumped back and covered her face, cowering to the floor.  Rebecca's laughter came so strongly she could hardly breathe while even Hermione was trying to hide her giggles.  "It's-it's a ball of lint!"  Rebecca gasped.  "Jumper!"

Ginny climbed back to her feet and launched herself onto Rebecca, sending them both toppling to the ground.  "Think that's funny?"  Rebecca dodged Ginny's hands expertly, laughing harder all the while.  "I swear, I will ask for a new roommate!"

"No you won't!"  Rebecca caught Ginny's wrist.  "And it was hilarious!"

Hermione put away her things in the bathroom and eyed them warily.  "I'm headed to breakfast.  Will you two be coming or do you plan on staying up here all day?"

Rebecca squirmed out from under Ginny and smoothed her shirt.  "I'm coming!"  She glanced into the bathroom one last time to fix the curls she had become accustomed to leaving out from behind her ear to cover the scar around her eye.  Time had lessened it slightly, but it would do nothing else.

"You don't have to do that, you know."  Ginny murmured to Rebecca, both behind Hermione.  "Fred won't care, that's for certain."

"But I do."  Rebecca stepped through the door to the stairs with Ginny.  "Believe it or not, but not everything I do has to do with him."

"It hides your face!"  Ginny argued.  

"Yes, it does."  Hermione added, stepping between Rebecca and Ginny as Ginny moved to tuck the hair back.  "But it's none of our business, Ginny."  Hermione looked to Rebecca.  "You're just as beautiful as you were before the scar.  If anything..."  She sighed, knowing her two friends were about to give her hell.  "It's pretty badarse."

Ginny whopped, raising her hand to her mouth.  The previous topic was entirely forgotten.  "Call the Head Girl!  Prefect cursing!  Prefectu cursing!"

Rebecca put her arm through Hermione's as they descended the stairs, unable to help how she scanned the common room for Fred and George as she did every morning.  "Thank you."

"I didn't say anything I didn't mean."  Hermione grabbed Rebecca's arm tighter.  "Let's get some breakfast, yeah?"

"About time."  Rebecca's smile returned at full strength as Harry and Ron joined them and no more conversation continued about her scar.  If no one ever looked at her, she might have been able to forget about it, but since that was impossible, it plagued her.  "If it weren't so long..."  She would barter with herself.  Where it had slit through her eyebrow hadn't returned and it most likely wouldn't.  Then, it followed the curvature of her eye socket and went down her cheek ending roughly in line with the bottom of her nose.  

Harry had made it his sole purpose as a brother to end any talk when they had all first returned to the castle.  Nigel wanted so badly to tell Rebecca how cool it looked, arguing with Harry harder than he had ever argued with him before.  "C'mon!  She looks totally wizard!  I'd want to be told!"  Harry tried to explain that she didn't think it was 'wizard,' and that as a friend Harry needed Nigel to not bring it up.

That had only been a few days after their return and hadn't been the first time Harry had to end chatter on the subject.  Whispers had been ended quickly, with threats, warnings, explanations.  Ron and Hermione had been on perfect prefect duty when it came to this.

Lavender had been the hardest to silence, but after just a week of them being back, she had pushed too far.  No one spoke about it anymore, but they all remembered:

Lavender had howled as Rebecca walked past her in the common room and then froze in her tracks.  "What was that?"  Rebecca asked.

Lavender looked around, gaining bravado from the eyes of the other Gryffindors around her.  Angelina shook her head slowly, sighing at the fifth year's stupidity.  "A howl.  You'd know, wouldn't you?  Aren't you wolfy now, just like your fag-"

Rebecca had Lavender by the collar in a second, a comical sight any other time as Lavender was inches above Rebecca now.  "Here's the thing, Brown.  I think you're a bad person."  Rebecca pulled Lavender closer, leaning forward so her lips were closer to Lavender's ear.  "And I don't care what bad people say about me, but I won't have you badmouthing either of my godfathers.  Does that make sense?"

Lavender tried to answer, but Rebecca interrupted.

"No, don't talk.  The sound of your voice makes me want to dive off the Astronomy Tower."  Rebecca jerked Lavender by the collar suddenly, drawing a frightened gasp from her.  "You're lucky I'm not a werewolf, aren't you?  You'd certainly have something be afraid of then."

Lavender nodded, not realising it was a rhetorical question.  Rebecca let her go quickly, sending Lavender stumbling back.  Looking over everyone in the common room, Rebecca's voice was level and calm.  "Professor Lupin taught us more as Defence Against the Dark Arts students than any other professor we've had.  He is, as of recent, also now partnered with our godfather."  Harry took Rebecca's side, nodding.  "Speaking badly of him will go very, very poorly for you."

"Harry?"  Rebecca asked, waving her hand in front of his face and pulling him out of his reminiscing.  "Aren't you going to eat something?"

Harry looked at the table in front of him, shocked that he had thought his way through their walk and arrival.  "Yes, sorry.  I was thinking."

"That's dangerous."  Rebecca giggled.

"He had to be thinking about Cho again."  Ron started, talking about Harry as if he weren't even there.

"Again?"  Rebecca echoed, lowering her voice to Harry with only the slightest hint of scandal.  "How are-"

"I've got to run."  Harry said quickly, seeing how Cho waved to him at the door.  She had told him that she had to talk to him while they were in Hogsmeade and he was nervous as to what ill-omened words Cho gave him could be about.  "See you later."  He stopped a few feet away and went back to Rebecca's side, meeting her eyes.  "Four, okay?  Don't be late?"

Rebecca's mouth dropped in surprise.  "Late?  I would never dream of it!"

Harry stifled a groan at her playful tone.  "Just don't be late!"

Rebeca stuffed the rest of her piece of toast in her mouth as Harry disappeared out of the hall.  Hermione looked at she and Ron disgustedly.  "You two are horrid?"

Ron and Rebecca looked at each other before turning back to Hermione confused.  "What?"  The asked at the same time, both of their mouths full.

*******************************************

"See you all later!"  Rebecca called over her shoulder, jumping out of the carriage before it had come to a full stop and immediately jogging off into Hogsmeade town.  

"Four o'clock!"  Hermione shouted after her, shaking her head.  "Well, just the three of us now."

Ginny sighed heavily.  "Just what I wanted.  To be stuck with you two on our last outing of the year."

Hermione followed Ginny's brisk pace off with Ron at her side.  "What's she mean, 'stuck with us?'"  Ron shrugged, not caring all that much.  "Honeyduke's?"

Rebecca turned off Hogsmeade's main road, her legs carrying her faster and faster until she was flying over the cobblestone roads in the early morning sun.  The breeze was cool and carried with it the scent of fresh baked goods from Madam Puddifoot's and the telltale of chocolate from Honeyduke's.

Rebecca slowed at the back of the bakery just off the main row of shops, trying to decide if she should bring the boys breakfast.  Too excited at the prospect of sweets for her sweet, Rebecca was grateful the shop was entirely empty.

"You're rather early!"  The boy behind the counter called happily.

"Hey, you!"  Rebecca tried to think of his name, coming up blank.  He was a younger man, seemed to work in all the Hogsmeade shops at one time or another.

The boys eyes crinkled as he grinned.  "I can see the panic in your eyes, you don't remember my name do you?"

Rebecca winced.  "Of course I do?"  She laughed with him.  "I'm too busy wondering if you have any pastries ready."

"Pains au chocolat?"  He asked, taking a box off the counter and flicking his wrists so it opened.  "It's one of our most popular morning treats."

"Then yes, those it is!"  Rebecca pulled out her coin pouch.

"Just one?"  The boy asked, scoping out those that were laid out.

"I need, well...let's see.  Probably six?  Yeah, six please."  Rebecca thought a moment longer.  "Actually, seven.  That'll be enough."

He scooped them impressed.  "You've certainly brought an appetite!"

Rebecca laughed and moved down the counter to the register.  "I'm bringing them as a surprise for someone, two someones--my boyfriend and his brother."

The boys eyes fell.  "Ah, I see."  He tapped in her price, his kindness noticeably tapered.  "Thirteen galleons."

Rebecca counted out the coins, confused by his change in attitude.  "Thank you."  He turned around and busied himself with fixing the perfectly ordered boxes as Rebecca picked up her goods and left.  She ducked down an alley, finding the promise of seeing how much work had been done on the shop more than enough to wipe away the clerk's shift.

"One of those for me?"  Aberforth asked knowingly.

"Of course.  Are you really going to ask me that?"  Rebecca opened the box and slid it back when he went for one on the side.  "No, not that one."

Aberforth stared at her.  "What's so special about that one?"

"Look at it!"  Rebecca pointed at it.  "It's got the most chocolate."

Aberforth grumbled and surveyed the others.  "Maybe I like chocolate..."

"If you need it, well," Rebecca smiled.  "It's not like they'll know."

"They?'  Is there a reason you're here with such delicacies or are you hoping to use my fireplace and head to Diagon Alley?"  Aberforth studied her carefully, teasing her all the while.

"Well, I was sort of hoping to.  Brought my own powder and..."

"And?"

"I did share this flakey, chocolatey treat with you."

Aberforth grinned and waved his hand at her to shoo her towards the fireplace.  "I'm only ribbing you.  Go for it; not like I give it much use anyway."  Aberforth sighed.  "You tell those boys to make their way back here, alright?  They've got a round on the house.  Can't believe the stories I hear about what you three did.  Didn't they leave part of that swamp up?"

Rebecca put the lid back on the box and dug around in her pockets for one of the bags of powder.  "I only watched, but yes.  Professor Flitwick left a fair amount of the swap up, even added some benches I think."

Aberforth grunted his disagreement and pointed to the newest, cleanest frame on the wall.  "Look at that and try to tell me that again."

Rebecca looked at the scrap of napkin inside, remembering when Aberforth had them all sign it.  They had all thought he was teasing them.  "Is this-"

"Yes!  It's not everyday that companies are made in here.  Don't say you didn't play a role in it because I've seen those boys at work: they're smart as a whip but need help actually getting to anything."

"Companies?"  Rebecca echoed.

"Companies!  You heard me, don't be a wise arse.  Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes is going to be a name feared by parents and professors alike for years to come."

"Me?  A wize arse?"  Rebecca raised her hands in surrender as he turned back to her.  "Alright, I hear you.  Can't argue with that.  How late are you open today?"

"Pubs don't usually close before four."

"Ah yes, four.  I will be back by four."  Rebecca tapped her wrist.  "Four."  She stepped into the fireplace and waved.  "Thank you, Aberforth!  That thing you said, 'feared by parents and professors,' you mind if I pass that on?"

"Not if you get out of here already!"

Rebecca tore the corner of the bag with her teeth and closed her eyes eyes.  "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes!"  The flames wrapped around her and filled the Hog's Head with a flash of green before Aberforth was back to wiping his glasses once more.

"Damn kids."  He chuckled.

*******************************************

Rebecca looked around the downstairs of...she wasn't quite sure.  There were half built shelves along one wall, a drawing board in the center with so many papers tacked onto it it looked more like a confetti bomb test, stools sat nearby stacked with dirty dishes.  

Though the mess was a shock, she couldn't help but smile at the work that had been done.  There was a map circled in red at the very front of the mess on the board that seemed to be the plan for product placement.  

Rebecca set their breakfast down and looked at the map more carefully, taking it off the board and orienting herself so it made sense.  

Footsteps pounded down the stairs and Rebecca dropped the map as she was swept into Fred's arms.  He spun in a slow circle, showering the top of her head in kisses.

"Why wouldn't you owl first?"  George shouted, waving his wand angrily from where he was recovering on the bottom stair.  "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Don't listen to him."  Fred whispered by her ear.  "He's still cross he got the smaller room."

Rebecca put her arm around Fred's waist when he stopped spinning them, keeping him close but freeing an arm to show them their treat.  "What were you saying, George?"

"I was saying it's wonderful to see you--you shouldn't have waited so long!"  George reached for a pastry with a grin.

Both boys occupied for a moment, Rebecca crouched down and looked for the map that she hadn't finished looking at.  

"Whob's Jobas?"  George asked through a full mouth.  

Fred narrowed his eyes at George's and plucked the box of pastries out of his hand to see what he was sniggering about.  Fred's hands tightened on the box, reading the invitation to get a butterbeer sometime.

"Someone has an admirer!"  George sang as Fred set the box down ungently.

"Well, explains why he turned into such an arse."  Rebecca noted as she found the map under a pile nearby.  "Don't be silly, Fred, it's still a perfectly good breakfast."  Fred pursed his lips, unconvinced.  "The note was on the bottom of the box anyway," she continued, nearly reaching the paper.  "He's probably written on a whole stack of them."

"How can I take part in such a scandal?"  Fred asked, holding the rest of his breakfast at arm's length away.  "Three weeks away and the snakes start circling!"

"Do snakes circle?"  Rebecca wondered as she made it back to her feet and brushed her trousers off.  "Stop while you're ahead of yourself and eat the damn breakfast."  She pecked his cheek and went back to the middle of the downstairs, map in hand once more.  "We've only got a couple hours, so no playing."

*******************************************

"Thank.  Fucking.  God."  George gasped, falling to the floor.

"We're...so...tired..."  Fred added, falling to the floor beside his brother and adding his own level of drama.

Rebecca brushed her hand across her forehead, her glasses askew.  "Got quite a bit done today!  I wish I could come tomorrow."  George's eyes shot open, his head shaking quickly in fear.  "Very funny, George.  Look around though!  This looks so good!"  

The shelves were all constructed up to the second shelf, giving them an opportunity to go over layout and reconsider without too much deconstructing having to be done.  Fred put his elbows back and watched as Rebecca marvelled over their progress.

"Really, look at all the work we got done!"

Fred nudged George with his foot, mouthing a reminder for what George had been especially waiting for.  "There's one more thing we can do today, now that you're here."

George sat up with a newfound excitement, knowing exactly what Fred was talking about.  "Yes, there is!  It's upstairs!"

Fred stood and held a hand out for Rebecca to grab.  "Let's go upstairs, love."

"Half an hour, that's it."  Rebecca checked the time.  "That leaves extra time for any last-minute distractions and enough left to get to the carriage in time."

Fred held a hand to his chest, waving for Rebecca to go up the stairs first.  "Are you accusing me of last-minute distractions?"

"Well, when you're dressed like that..."

George gagged and threw Fred's shirt at him as he ran past them.  "I'm going to find it while you give her the tour.  And, put some clothes on, slag!"

"You aren't wearing your shirt either!"  Fred called after George before lowering his voice to Rebecca.  "He's just jealous Cedric's not here to see him."

Rebecca nodded and shushed him before George heard.

Fred guided Rebecca to the right once they were in the flat itself.  "Here's the kitchen."  Molly had clearly been by, the kitchen had enough of a home-like feeling to know so.  There were red and yellow tea towels hanging on the oven knobs like at the Burrow and tea cups waiting on the counter to be used.  "Here's the table for business and eating, though we really just get takeaway and eat at the telly."

"Cheeky!"  Rebecca gasped.

"I know, I know."  Fred pointed to the wooden writer's desk in the corner of the living room.  "That's where we send our mail."

"You mean where you nag the hell out of me?"  Rebecca raised an eyebrow.  "And Dumbledore?"

Fred paused, not aware that she knew he had been writing him too.  "Well, that too."  Fred pointed down the hall that crossed the length of the flat.  "Down there, that's George's room.  There's a third room, smaller than the other two we've made a workshop and storage room."  He was rambling and he knew it, Fred's heartbeat was in his throat as he reached for the handle to the last bedroom.  "And this...this is our room.  If you want, that is."

Fred stepped in and watched as Rebecca took it in--he had taken the bigger room because he had always planned on sharing it with her.  As she looked around and failed to say anything, Fred assumed he had been to presumptuous.  "If you don't want to though, we can always rearrange!"

"You can't live like this."  Rebecca said sadly.  She gestured to the clothes on only half the rack, how he had only made half the bed.  "This-this isn't right, darling."

Fred grabbed her hand and turned her towards him, looking down at her.  "I thought you would want to share but we can always move the storage-"

"That's not it at all."  Rebecca said quickly, laying her hands on his shoulders.  "It would be kind of silly to have separate rooms and sleep in one another's beds."  Rebecca looked back at his stuff and frowned.  "But I've got two more years of school, Fred.  You can't live in half a room for two years."

Fred sighed and brought his hand to the side of her face, curling that which she had left out to cover her scar around his fingers and tucking it back.  "I like it like this.  It reminds me of what there is to look forward to."

Rebecca turned her head so that he couldn't see the side of her face.  "Two years though?  That seems like forever."

"For you," Fred reached a hand under chin and tilted her up to him.  "I would wait forever."  He bent down and kissed her deeply, bringing his hands to the sides of her face and letting his thumbs lay on her temples before drawing the hair away from her face again.  When they parted, Fred kept his face near Rebecca's before moving so that he held his lips to her lightning bolt scar.  Then, he brought his lips to the top of the scar around her eye, making his way down it until he was at the very bottom.  From there, he went to the soft of her jaw under her ear.  "Trust me, love?"  He whispered.

Rebecca nodded, not sure why he asked.

Fred raised his voice back to conversational tone.  "My love, you know I love you, don't you?"

Rebecca was shocked and confused by the question.  "Of course!"

"Then don't worry hiding this--it's a part of you now."  Fred brushed his thumb along the scar.  "That's what love is, isn't it: loving someone entirely, every bit of them.  Inside, outside, old scars, new scars.  Everything."  Fred's eyes flickered back to the door to the hall where George's shadow was retreating.  Fred relaxed and kissed Rebecca one more time.  "Sorry, love.  I don't normally like to use you like that but I think George has been worried about telling me-"

Rebecca cut him off and pulled him into a kiss, tangling her fingers in his hair and grinning at the gasp that escaped him.  "I just don't like when people look at it."  She murmured against his lips.

Fred's bodily control returned to him and he pulled himself away from her.  "RJ, they're looking because you look fierce."  Rebecca blushed, but Fred wasn't through.  "As if you weren't already the most beautiful person in the castle, now you are most-assuredly the most badarse."

Rebecca laughed.  "That's what Hermione said."

"Well there you go!  She knows a lot!"

George had composed himself enough to get back to himself and he pounded on the door jam.  "Are you ready yet?"

Fred entwined his fingers through Rebecca's and led the way back out of the flat after the very eager George.  George was tapping his wand on his leg out on the street in front of the shop impatiently, though he smiled when they got to him.  "Let's go, wands out."

Rebecca looked over her shoulder like he had to have been talking to someone behind her.  "Erm, I'm not seventeen."

George rolled his eyes.  "Pretend then, wise one."

Rebecca did as she was told, holding her wand backwards just for extra security.  She was not going to give anyone a reason to try to expel her again.  

"On the count of three, okay?"  George instructed and waited for Fred to start the countdown.

Fred's attention went from the storefront where you could clearly see how much they had gotten done to the backs of George and Rebecca's heads.  There was no one else in the entire world he would have wanted to be doing this with.  "One."

George looked their store up and down, glancing back at Fred and Rebecca.  A brown-haired badger went came into his mind as he thought about what would have made this moment all the much sweeter and in an instant, George knew what he had to do.  "Two."

Rebecca looked away from Fred, to George, back to the shop.  They had all come so far, not just that summer but since they'd met each other.  From the first prank they had showed her that was, admittedly, in poor taste to all the trouble they had caused since.  "Three."

"Wingardium Leviosa!"  Fred and George cast in unison, sending the little square from George's hand up into the air.  George whispered another spell as it reached the space for the sign so that it enlarged to the right size.

A circle was formed around three interlocked W's, purple and orange filling the circle while the W's themselves were filled with patterns and confetti.  Three bright orange rectangles hung below it, glittering chains connecting them to the main sign.  Each rectangle said a word of the shop's name: Weasleys', Wizards, and Wheezes.

George grinned and backed away from Fred and Rebecca, pointing up to the sign.  "Watch this!"  When he entered the shop, the top most rectangle turned a marvelous purple.  Fred laughed loudly and danced away from Rebecca, hopping in the doorway and cheering as his rectangle turned purple too.  "C'mon," They beckoned.  "Last one!"

Rebecca looked up at the sign one more time before running to the boys and launching herself at them, her arms wrapping around them both and sending them all to the ground.

George groaned and laid his head back, sticking his tongue out of the side of his mouth.  Fred smiled and moved his arm slightly so that she fell into the gap between both he and George.  Rebecca laid her head on George's chest and patted his arm.  "The sign is brilliant, George."

"Thank you, thank you."  George nodded his head before it shot back up.  "We need a photograph!"

Fred snuck his arm around Rebecca in the space that George emptied before she could move away from him.  "He'll be a minute, he can't ever remember where it was last."

"Hope not too long."  Rebecca said, craning her neck to try and find a clock and failing.

"You've got some time."  Fred reassured.  

"Good."  Rebecca settled in his arms.  "I really do wish I could stay longer, but if I'm late coming back the first time...this won't be an option next year.  Plus, Angelina's asked to talk to me tonight and I think it's going to be about quidditch next year."

George laughed as he hopped down the last few stairs.  "Angelina?  Talk about quidditch?  You're nuts!"

*******************************************

"I've got to go!"  Rebecca laughed, pushing Fred out of the fireplace he was still inside of to get 'one more kiss.'  "Aberforth wants you to go back soon, too.  Said something about a round in celebration."  Her head perked up.  "We should add him to the gift list, he'd get a kick out of it!"

"Look at her," George teased.  "On her way out the door and making more work."

"I know!"  Fred joined in and acted as if she couldn't hear them.  "So bossy!"

Rebecca tore open the bag of powder and grinned at them.  "Yeah, yeah, get it all out of your systems now.  As soon as school's out I'll be here so much you're both going to be sick of me."

Fred shook his head.  "Impossible!  You're going to be late!"

"The Hog's Head!"  Rebecca called.  The green flames wrapped around her ankles before she was engulfed and sucked through the floo system to the Hog's Head's worn, but familiar fireplace.

"Cutting it close, aren't you?"  Aberforth enquired from behind the bar.  The patrons around whispered confusions as to why a teenager had stumbled into the fireplace.  

"Damn!"  Rebecca cursed, righting herself and running to the bar to thank him.

"Thanks can wait!  Get!"  Aberforth shooed her with an exasperated twist of his mouth--maybe even almost a smile.  Rebecca waved a hurried goodbye as she made it out of the pub only to find the streets of Hogsmeade frighteningly empty.  The clock at Hogsmeade's centre showed mere minutes until four o'clock, spurring Rebecca into from a hurry into a sprint; the slapping of her shoes on the stone walkways echoed above.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were waiting in the middle of the carriage's loading area where only one remained.  "She's going to be late."  Harry sighed.

"One minute or two?"  Ron asked, his shining with a devious glint.  "I'll take one minute for a sickle."

Hermione shook her head at their joking.  "You two are horrible!"  Harry turned away from Hermione and held up two fingers discreetly, raising the wager.  "Let's get in before the carriage leaves, there's only a minute left."  Hermione loved Rebecca, but sometimes she made it exceptionally hard to do so.

Rebecca's side pinched horribly, but she ran on.  "Wait!"  She shouted, tearing through the stone archways separating the carriage platform from Hogsmeade's streets.  "I'm not late!"

The carriage jerked forward, leaving at exactly four as it was supposed to.

"Hurry up!"  Harry laughed, holding his hand out for her to grab as she neared the back of the carriage.  Ron stood up too, holding his hand beside Harry's so she had two to take.

Rebecca jumped forward, using the last burst of speed she had to grab their arms and get a foot onto the step.  Hermione had her eyebrows raised unenthused as Rebecca pulled herself up into a seat as she panted heavily, one hand to her chest.  "I...was...on time...I swear..."

Ron nodded.  "Sure you were."

Rebecca stuck her tongue out at him.  "I was!"  She took a deep breath and tried to explain.  "We put the sign up and then had to take a photo, took a minute longer than it was supposed to."  She reached into her pocket and held the picture out proudly.

"Did you at least get a lot done?"  Hermione asked, smiling down at the photo.  All three of them looked so happy, it was impossible to not feel happier just looking at them.  

"Loads!"  Rebecca's hands moved in front of her as she tried to explain their basic lay out.  "Shelves built, stock organised, map made.  Took a tour of the flat, too."  She thought for a moment.  "And put the sign up, like I said."

"And?"  Ron raised his shoulders expectantly.  "How wicked was it?"

Rebecca didn't understand the question.  "The flat?"

"Yes!  They're the first to move out and be visitable!"

Rebecca shrugged, not having thought of it that way.  "They have some towels like from the kitchen, if that's what you mean?  Fred showed me his room and-"

"His room?"  Harry asked, leaning forward.  "Strange."

"Strange how?"  Rebecca asked hesitantly.

"It's just strange considering he'd written a letter to me a while ago for permission for the two of you to share a room."

Rebecca's jaw dropped.  "Permission?"  She scoffed.  "Fine, I wasn't going to say anything so you don't get your knickers in a twist but it's our room and it would have been even if you hadn't approved."

Harry smiled smugly.  "I know, that's exactly what I told him when I'd answered."

Ron handed her photo back, the last of them to have seen it.  He sensed an argument coming and had had too enjoyable a day to end it on a sour note.  "I'm ready for supper.  Today was a long one."

"Where did you two end up?"  Rebecca reached up and lifted her hair off her neck, leaning into the breeze that was highly appreciated after her running.  "And where's Ginny?"

Ron groaned and looked at Hermione with narrowed eyes, his wanting of a sweet evening forgotten.  "She had me looking at parchment thicknesses and shades of ink for hours!"

Hermione gasped.  "Minutes, maybe!  Ginny went back early because she was sick of his complaining!"  She leaned closer to Rebecca, seriousness lowering her voice.  "All he wanted to do was look in the window at Wiseacre's in case he could get a glimpse of some broom."

"'Some broom?'"  Ron echoed, sitting up straight.  "SOME BROOM?"  Harry covered his ears beside Ron.  "That 'BROOM' is supposed to be the next Firebolt!"

Hermione rolled her eyes.  "And you don't even know if it exists!"

"It was calling to me!"

Hermione and Ron bickered back and forth giving Rebecca the perfect opportunity to talk to Harry.  "And what about your day?  What did Cho want?"  Harry frowned and shook his head once, saying everything he needed to without saying a word.  "I'm so sorry, Harry.  She doesn't know what she's missing out on."

Harry sighed and looked up at the castle they were approaching.  "Next year will be different."

Rebecca patted his shoulder.  "Sure, if you think so.  I'm pretty sure we've said something like that just about every year now and--I'm not sure about you--but I haven't seen much difference."

"IT'S A BROOM!"

"IT'S A WORK OF ART!"

"No, nothing's really changed."  Harry smiled at Rebecca, not wanting her to worry.  "It might be for the best.  She cried so much, like a human hosepipe."

Rebecca winced at the description.  "Very nice?"

"Well, it's true."

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<3