Dark AIAOY 5

"Don't be absurd!"  Rebecca wrote quickly, her quill scratching on her letter beside the announcement Sirius and Remus had sent alongside their apology for only sending one for both she and Harry.  On it was a date for their 'celebration,' as both men were calling it, where their loved ones could celebrate there marriage with them since they had opted for a private ceremony.

"Harry will never even know as I'll let him keep this under the condition that I get a photo of you two.  I can't not have one any longer!  Harry and I send our congratulations, our thanks, and our love."

Rebecca gave Hedwig her letter and brushed her feathers before the owl flew out of the common room window.  Remus and Sirius had sent both Harry and Rebecca new quidditch gloves when they had heard of their co-captaincy for the next year.  Angelina had decided that, with Katie in so many N.E.W.T. classes, Harry and Rebecca taking over as dual captains would lessen Katie's stress and raise the chances of a third year in Gryffindor's streak.

Rebecca's head was pushed to the side as Ginny sat on the arm of her chair.  "C'mon!"  She gave her a cheeky smile.  "You know how Ron feels about the end of term feast!"

Rebecca laughed and followed her across the common room.  "Yes, yes I do."

Hermione linked her arm with Rebecca's as Ginny took off for the front of their group, beginning to talk about the summer's plans and how nervous she was for their O.W.L. results.  Hermione, as with everyone else with them, went silent at the sight of the Great Hall.  In as much splendour as any other end of year, the hall had banners of all four houses hanging.

Dinner started without Dumbledore's annual welcome, but the headmaster gathered their attention from his podium before dessert was conjured.  "This year..."  He looked over the body of students slowly.  "This year has proven most irregular.  For this, I must apologise."

Rebecca saw farther up on the table, closer to the teachers, how Seamus put his hand over Dean's; how Colin put his arm around Dennis.  Loved ones, family members, friends, everyone seemed to draw closer to one another.

"This castle is your place of learning, the place in which you grow into the witches and wizards your professors and I know you to be.  And that reputation was tarnished this year.  That is why, in efforts of replicating a modicum of fairness, the house cup will not be awarded this year."  Dumbledore ended the growing conversation with a raise of his hand.  "Instead, I want us to celebrate our wisdom and our loyalty and our ambition and our bravery.  That is all."  He raised his hand once more as the conversation built up again.

"That was a joke."  His eyes crinkled as a few students humoured him with laughter.  "While we will not be recognising a single house tonight, there are a few mentions that must be made.  First, for remaining strong in your beliefs, Louis Yorksmith."  The Hufflepuff table stood and shouted, the ones nearest to Louis slapping his back as the boy's cheeks burnt a scarlet Gryffindor's ties envied.

"For coordination and planning expertise, Nigel Wolpert!"

The Gryffindors took over the cheering now.  Nigel stood and gave a little bow, his eyes flitting towards the Hufflepuff table where Louis sat before he took his seat once more.

"For keeping one's cool in the face of tensions, Yara Bellington!"  

Yara was pulled to her feet by the proud Ravenclaws on either side of her.

Dumbledore applauded with the students a moment.  "There were too many instances and students that deserve recognition.  If I had not been convinced otherwise, I would make you sit while I called each and every one of you."  Ron's eyes widened at the prospect of the last bits of dinner and then dessert being so far.  "But, I shan't!  Bon appetit!"

"At least it's only a few weeks again."  Rebecca continued their earlier conversation.  "With the Dursleys, that is."

"Yeah, for me."  Harry scoffed.  "Can't believe they're not making you go."

Rebecca shrugged, focusing on her plate a moment.  She wanted Harry to go to Grimmauld Place straight off and never have to go to the Dursleys, but there was nothing she could do about it though she had tried.  "I do believe Vernon threatened twin-icide if both of us were sent there again."

Hermione's head shot up concerned.  "Are you joking?"

Rebecca nodded until Hermione looked away, then she shook her head to Ron.  They both sniggered and went to joke on further, but Harry rolled his eyes.  "I can see you doing that, you know."

Rebecca abandoned her playing with Ron to push around the last bits of her dinner, not hungry enough to eat them with Harry seeming to get angrier and angrier with her.

"Not everything has to be funny.  I swear, the closer summer gets the worse your behaviour gets." 

Rebecca lay her fork down, keeping her eyes turned down.  She did not want one of her last dinners with Harry to be filled with a fight that she took part in, though her anger made her ears hot.

Harry grit his teeth; he'd been harsh and was too proud to apologise immediately.  

Ron tried to keep the conversation going, but stopped after his attempts failed.

Rebecca was grateful when a voice called out her name from behind her, especially when it was Cedric.  "I wanted to talk to you about something, if you're done of course."  He smiled at them all, picking up on the tension and not certain who it was emanating from.

"Brilliant, I just did."  Rebecca nodded to them all curtly as she left with Cedric.

"Good going, mate."  Ron nudged Harry. 

"No, it's not 'good going.'"  Hermione held her fingers to the bridge of her nose, wondering how she had made it so far with friends like these.  "Now she's off doing who-knows-what and with the end of the year..."  She shook her head and looked at Harry.  "There's one positive though."

"And that would be?"  Harry asked.

"Well, she's left before dessert.  Bring a piece of something or other with an apology and all will be forgotten."

"How can you know?"  Harry sighed when Hermione only looked at him.  "Yeah, never mind.  That'll work."

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

"Are you kidding me?  That's what this is about?"  Rebecca asked incredulously.

"What did you think it was about?"  Cedric countered, confused.

"Erm, nothing?"  Rebecca tried and failed.  

"Yeah, that's believable!"  Cedric looked at her for a long moment.  "What did you think I wanted to talk to you about, really?"

Rebecca chewed at the inside of her cheek.  "I thought...maybe, that you-well, I wondered if this would be about Geor-"

"He told you?"  Cedric gasped, holding his hands together and wringing them nervously.  "W-we weren't telling anyone!"

"He didn't tell me!"  Rebecca said quickly, holding her hands up.  "He hasn't said a word, I swear."

Cedric took a slow breath, and then another.  "I'm sorry.  I'm not used to...all of it yet."

"Don't be an idiot."  Rebecca patted his shoulder.  "Now, where did you see her last?"

Rebecca and Cedric walked around the corridors off the Great Hall quickly.  Both were looking for any glimpse of white-blonde hair or the sound of bare feet dancing on the stone floor.

"Luna!"  Cedric called at last.  "You still haven't gone to the feast, thought you were going to grab something to eat."

"No, not yet."  Luna looked to Rebecca and smiled, unaware that Rebecca knew what was going on already.  "It seems all of my possessions have gone missing."

"What's this?"  Cho called, hurrying down the hall with one of Luna's posters in her hand.  "Luna, we talked about this.  You should've gotten me."

"My belongings, they've gone missing."  Luna repeated in explanation unnecessarily.  She lowered her voice.  "Apparently people have been hiding them."

"That's awful."  Rebecca caught Cho's eyes, a discreet nod was the answer.  

"No, no."  Luna disagreed.  "It's all good fun, I'm sure of it.  I do need them back though, especially since it's the last night."  Cho and Cedric walked away a short ways, Cho filling Cedric in on where Luna's belongings had gone and how this wasn't the first time it had happened.  Luna looked at Rebecca, her eyes tracing the scar Rebecca hadn't hidden as she had been studiously.  "I'm sorry about what happened, Rebecca."

Rebecca tried to keep herself from shrinking under her friend's gaze.  "There's nothing to be sorry about."

"It's miraculous, what you did.  It's all some people would like--to have someone lost back again."  Luna grabbed Rebecca's wrist gently.  "I'm happy to think of you as a friend, my friend that is."

Something in Rebecca warmed pleasantly at the compliment.  "I'm happy, too.  You're a great person to have as a friend, Luna."  Cho turned away from Cedric and waved to Rebecca to join them.  "Don't worry about your stuff, maybe it's nargles?"

Luna's attention raised so that it was on the light above.  "Maybe, I'm not worried anyway.  My mum always said that things we lose end up coming back to us in the end."  She pointed at her trainers hanging by their laces.  "If not always in the way we expect."

Rebecca walked between Cedric and Cho, grateful that there didn't seem to be any awkwardness between the ex-romantics.  "You know who's done this?"  

"Yeah, and I already told them once to return it all."  Cho answered angrily.

"Guess we'd better ask again."  Cho added with a smirk.

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

Rebecca crossed her arms and stared down at the Ravenclaw third years who had thought it would be oh-so-funny to torment Luna one final time before the year ended.  "Do you know who I know?"  The boys paled, knowing the pranks she had not only participated in but also that which she had helped create as well.  Reached into the pocket of her coat, rifling around in the pockets carefully.

"No, Rebecca!"  Cedric gasped.  "You can't!  They're just kids!"

"Do it!"  Cho countered.  "I warned them once already and they're still being wee bastards--this is what they've earned!"

The boys grabbed at each other tightly, forcing one another ahead of themselves with tears filling in more than one set of eyes.  "Please don't!"  They overlapped and chorused.  "We'll return it all, we promise!"

Rebecca paused, looking at them from over her glasses.  "Tonight?"

"Right now!"  The boys cried out.

Rebecca looked over her shoulder at Cedric and Cho to see what they thought.  They both nodded and Rebecca faced the boys one more time.  None of them had moved, too frozen in their fear.  "So go?"  

They tore off to the right, sprinting in different directions to gather Luna's things before any of the older students could change their mind about letting them go.

Cho was the first to laugh when they were alone, but all three of them were soon sitting in the hall in stitches.  Cedric reached a hand up, gasping for breath.  "W-what did you even have?"

Rebecca laughed harder and shook her head, unable to answer at first.  "Nothing!"

All three of their stomachs hurt by the time they were able to compose themselves in even the slightest fashion, tears running down their joy-reddened faces.

"What's going on here?"  Harry asked, looking everywhere but at Cho.  She stood and left as Cedric began to explain what had happened with the boys, but he was laughing too hard to finish the story.

"So then," Rebecca took over.  "I was going to get out this little thing we've been working on that's perfect for-"

"I'm sorry!"  Harry nearly shouted.  He went to raise his hands in surrender and nearly dropped the plate he'd smuggled out of the hall.  "Please, I'm sorry!"

Rebecca laughed, though not at the intensity Cedric was.  "And then I pulled out nothing because we were going to dinner and I learned my lesson after last time."

"I brought this for you."  Harry said, trying to make up for his actions and how terrified he'd been when Rebecca had gone for the non-existent prank.  

"How'd you know?"  Rebecca asked, smiling at the tart.

"Because we like the same dessert?"

Hermione sighed.  "Sarcasm, Harry."

"Oh."  Harry turned his eyes down, not meeting Rebecca's

"Alright, I'm okay."  Cedric climbed to his feet.  "I've got to know what happened between you two."

Rebecca and ate a piece of the crust directly from the plate so she could hold a hand out to Cedric for him to grab.

Cedric winced at the memory of the dinner.  "Tense, Harry?  What's wrong?"

Harry rolled his eyes, hating how they did that.  "Yes, a little.  Just...just not ready for the year to end, I guess."

Cedric nodded, understanding the best he could as someone who had never hated summer could.  "Well, did I tell you lot the good news?"  All four fifth-soon-to-be-fifth years shook their heads.  "I've got a job lined up."

"Where?"

"Really?"

"About time."  Rebecca smirked, knowing what he was about to share.

Cedric grinned and bumped Rebecca at the cheek.  "A new prank shop needed a clerk."

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

"Rebecca?"  Hermione called from her trunk as she packed away the last of her belongings.  

"Yeah?"  Rebecca had her pajamas on already and poked her head out of the bathroom she was nearly finished with.  "Need something?"

"No," Hermione looked over her shoulder and made sure Ginny wasn't in the room.  "I wanted to make sure that you know that you can owl me about anything.  Anything at all.  You also have my number, so you can call too."

Rebecca sat on her closed trunk, unsettled.  "What's up, Mione?  This isn't our usual goodbye."  Hermione sighed and closed her trunk, sitting on the edge like Rebecca was.  "Is something wrong?"  Rebecca added on.

"I don't know. I-"  Hermione met Rebecca's eyes, relieved to find that she was paying attention to the conversation entirely.  "You've been talking in your sleep again."

Rebecca hadn't felt any pain to tell her that she had seen something, nor had she had any disturbing or strange dreams.  "I haven't seen anything, if that's what you're worried about."

"No, that's not it.  I figured you would have said something if you had."  Hermione frowned.  "I just want you to know that I'll listen when you do or if you need to talk about it.  Anytime."

"I will, I mean it."  Rebecca frowned as well.  "Things have been quiet.  Even Sirius said so in a letter, it's like Voldemort just dropped off the map."

"Isn't that a good thing?"  Ginny asked as she entered the room, catching the end of the conversation.

"Who knows."  Hermione squeezed Rebecca's shoulder as she passed her to get to the bathroom.

Ginny laid out on her bed as Rebecca plucked the last of the things off the walls, the things she had forgotten.  "Alright," Ginny groaned.  "Go ahead."

"Go ahead and what?"  Rebecca asked, laying out their Gryffindor pennant on the top of her trunk and double-checking the Muggle clothes she had out.

"Talk about your stupid summer plan."

Rebecca beamed and began happily.  "Molly and Arthur have agreed that I can go weekdays until three.  I told Fred and George that I'd floo in, but Fred's insisting I apparate and that he'll pick me up.  I think he's rubbing it in, but I also think he likes the idea of seeing you all for a few minutes every day."

"And what will you be doing in the store?"  Ginny intoned.

"Don't rush me, I'm getting there!"

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

"Do it again, nancy-boy!"  Crabbe's taunting turned Rebecca's head away from their conversation down to the Hogwarts Express.  "Show us some more tears!"

Ron had his wand ahead of him as he rushed forward, Cedric taking the longer route to get behind Crabbe and Goyle both.  Nigel, Louis, Yara, and a few others from Dumbledore's Army stemmed out of the stream towards the train.

Crabbe and Goyle were oblivious, of course, and hoisted Dennis higher into the air.  They'd sprung on him quickly for as much revenge as they could get for his trick.

"Put him down!"  Colin bellowed, the loudest and most commanding any of the D.A. had ever heard him.

"Or what, Creepy Creevey?"  Goyle stepped forward.  "Gonna take a picture of us?"

"Or else you'll regret it."  Nigel answered, raising his wand to Goyle's head.  Luna, Cho, and Neville joined and filled in the gaps that were left so that a circle of angry, protective students were around the Slytherin bullies.

Draco paused higher up on the hill, feeling like he would be expected to intervene but hesitating.

"We're not scared of a bunch of..."  Goyle's brain blanked.

"Sissies!"  Crabbe finished with a cruel laugh that seemed to boast of his brilliant insult.  He raised his fist to hit Dennis in the stomach again and never made his mark.  Both Slytherin boys were hit with such an array of hexes and jinxes that Dennis was dropped to the ground unharmed.  Both boys that had threatened him lay in groaning, writhing piles.

"Almost done..."  Dennis said under his breath, tapping his wand to his chin as he thought.  With the perfect cherry-on-top, he flourished his wands over both boys.  Instantly, their underwear was wrapped around both of their heads.

"Wicked!"  Ron congratulated, raising his hand to Dennis for a high-five as Colin made sure his brother was truly unharmed.

"Wait!"  Colin called before the now-reunited Army could separate again.  "He's right, I am going to take a picture."  Colin set his camera on his trunk and ran back to the others, tucking himself under the arms that there thrown over whoever each was next to each of them before the spell lapsed and Colin's camera went off with a flash.

"The train waits for no one, Mr Creevey."  McGonagall warned from behind them.

Colin smiled sheepishly as she glanced at the mess of Crabbe and Goyle.  "Yes, professor."  McGonagall shooed them all along again before beginning to undo the effects of their defence.  

Harry's smile didn't fade as they walked along.  The last act of the year, the final reminder of how together their group had become, left him feeling particularly filled with joy.

"What's got you so smiley?"  Rebecca asked, nudging him with her elbow as they climbed the stairs to the train's platform.

"I was just thinking that, well..."  Harry turned his head so that all of the D.A. could hear him.  "Voldemort is back."

Cedric blinked and reached his hand for Harry's forehead.  "You well, mate?  That's not good news."

Harry ducked away from Cedric's hand.  "No, no it's not.  But we've got one thing he never will."  Harry met Ginny's eyes, a strange light reflected in the youngest Weasley.  "Things worth fighting for."

"Too right, little poet!"  Rebecca said with a posh accent.  "Shall we reminisce more on the past inside?"

Harry groaned and lowered his head.

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

"Sweets?"  The trolley lady asked at the doorway of the compartment Rebecca and company found themselves in for the long trek to King's Cross.  "For you or others?"  The last question was directed solely at Rebecca, who laughed and followed her out to the selection.

Hermione looked at Harry questioningly, neither knowing who she would send a treat to with Fred and George gone.

"I'll have a licorice wand for me and then a chocolate wand to the usual."

"I assumed so."  The trolley lady smiled.

"Could I get some droobles too?"  Rebecca asked as she counted out the coins.  She'd glanced back at the others and saw how Ron had his head thrown back in laughter.  "Thank you!  Have a good summer."

The trolley lady nodded her head and wished the same to Rebecca before continuing down the train.  

"I was the fiftieth purchase, got these."  Rebecca tossed the droobles to Ron.  Harry smiled and took a bite of her licorice; Ron may have been too happy with his treat to notice how her face had reddened, but Harry did.  "You couldn't have asked for one?"

Harry shrugged.  "I didn't want one then."

Rebecca tore it in half and shared with him, finishing quickly and pulling her jumper over her head as a chill seeped into their seating.  Rebecca glanced at Hedwig's cage in with them and had an idea.  "Do you mind?"  She pointed at the cage as she searched for parchment.

"I don't have anything to send off."  Harry rolled his eyes.

"Well, now I do!"  She scribbled a little note and opened the window, sending Hedwig off but not before leaving a kiss on top of her snow-white head.

"We'll be there in less than an hour."  Ron sighed.  "So needy."

"Haha."  Rebecca tossed her bag over her shoulder as Ginny knocked on the door.  "I've got to step out, enjoy the show."

"The show?"  Hermione, Harry, and Ron echoed in varying degrees of horror, nerves, and excitement.

Rebecca giggled as Ginny crouched and snuck down the hall, ducking and rolling between compartment doors and under windows as she hummed a theme.  Rebecca froze, her feet stopping in her tracks.  A memory came to her, one that she hadn't thought of in a very, very long time.

"Walking, walking more.  Dense forests with trees that seemed older than time, no destination in mind.  Hunger.  Thirst.  Distracting herself worked for a short while, playing a long as if she were the sole agent left.  Tree to tree until she was upon another field, then the game was too hard to keep up alongside her aches."

"Coming?"  Ginny asked, noting the strange look on her face.  This wasn't the first time it had happened, all of them had noticed.  Ever since the night at the Ministry, the night that Voldemort had spoken from inside of her, things were jogging and catching at the slightest of similarities.

Rebecca shook the fog away from her thoughts, returning to the present.  "Yeah, right behind you."

"You would have joined, what's wrong?"

Rebecca looked away.  She didn't intend for any of these memories to resurface, but she couldn't keep things locked down as well as she had been able to a couple of weeks ago inexplicably.  "I think I played like that."  Ginny didn't know what emotion this was that Rebecca was showing, pain or fear, nerves or shame.  "Before you lot.  I was-I think I'd still been walking."

"I'm sorry."  Ginny said quickly.  She hadn't meant to push, she shouldn't have.

"Sorry for what?  Having fun?"  Rebecca put her arm around Ginny and held her tightly before continuing their walk to the toilets.  "Don't be mental."

"Are you kidding me?"  Ginny scoffed.  "With what we're planning, we are mental."

"That's a good point.  Change your mind?"

Ginny grinned.  "Never."

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

"Bloody hell!"  Rebecca hissed, straining to open the window.  "This is a lot harder than it was supposed to be!"

"Want me to try again?"  Ginny asked from the floor where she had already given up to ready everything else.

"We're running out of time."  Rebecca ran through every possibility and found one that could work.  "Is there a tube of paste in there?"

Ginny reached down into the bottom of Rebecca's backpack, pulling out the assortment of oddities that were there.  "You've got some sweets...a magnifying glass--why do you need that?...Let's see, there's a toothbrus-"

"Don't touch the bristles!"  Rebecca shouted, jumping off the toilet she'd been standing on to pluck the brush out of Ginny's hands gingerly.

"I'm not reaching back in there."  Ginny backed away.

Rebecca smirked and dug around in her bag.  "Scared?"  Rebecca found the paste she had been talking about and twisted the top off before climbing back up to the window.  Applying a thin, thin line to the seam where the window was jammed, there was a small stream of smoke before the window popped open.  "Yes!"

Ginny picked up the tied bundles and handed them up to Rebecca.  Happily, Rebecca dabbed the fuses into the bead of glue that had welled out of the tube and tossed the bunch out of the window.

Ginny handed her her bag before leaving the bathroom calmly, two steps ahead of Rebecca when the first explosion went off.

The booms echoed from outside the train into the hall where Ginny and Rebecca were weaving through the growing crowd in the hall to get back to their compartment.  The whispers of their classmates filled Rebecca with pride, though she tried to seem as innocent as possible.

WWW--Opening Friday
Bring your KNUTS

Harry and Ron were piled up on one another for the best view of the firework-formed advert when Rebecca slipped back in and took her seat again.  "So, what do we think?"

"It's..."  Harry started, a lecture playing at the tip of his tongue.  Rebecca's face fell at the impending scolding.  "It's great!"  He swerved and changed his message, turning back to look out the window.  "Talk about starting the conversation!"

"That's what I said!"  Rebecca launched into a vivid reenactment of the conversation she had had with Fred and George about why this was the best way to get their opening day out to the students.

"Are you really opening on Friday?"  Ron asked, not turning away from the window yet.

"Yeah."  Excitement from the launch as well as the effort the window had left Rebecca feeling as if she'd just come in from a long summer's broom-adorned adventure.  "Only a few days, can't believe it!"

Harry squeezed into the spot next to her, his lips pressed together tightly.  "I'm sorry I won't be there for it."

"Don't be."  Rebecca assured.  "There's going to be so much to do and things are going to be so mental, by the time you get there, all the kinks will be worked out!"  Harry nodded once, but didn't improve his expression.  "Don't sulk, it's a horrid look for for you!"  Rebecca wrapped her arms around him tightly and stood, bringing him with her.  "Look, they said the end would be the best!"

Fred and George had been right, the end of the fireworks advert was the best.  The words (made out of constantly exploding fireworks) separated into individual lights that formed an image: Umbridge performing a slow jig in an outfit completed with devil horns and a frown.

The train blew its whistle shortly after the fireworks faded from existence--but not conversation.  It was all that anyone was talking about though Rebecca paid it no mind.  She was bouncing from foot to foot by the door to the hall, just waiting for them to actually stop at the platform.

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

"Who sent you that?"  Pansy demanded.  "Who's 'the usual?'"

Draco's small smile at he and Rebecca's routine was wiped away in an instant.  "If it doesn't make sense to you, then I would imagine it's not for you to know."  Pansy scoffed and scooted away from him on the bench with a huff.  

Draco unwrapped the treat and took a small bite.  It was the first thing that had tasted good in days.  He had been in agony ever since his father had written with sparse details of an important topic they would talk about as soon as Draco returned home.  

Of course, with the Dark Lord's return, there was only so many things his father would want to talk about and one was-

"No."  Draco steeled himself, not in a private enough environment to think about such darkness.  "Not here.  Can't think about it here."  He glanced at the others around him to make sure no one else had noticed how frighteningly pale he had gone or how his hands had started to shake around the chocolate wand.  

Draco knew exactly what his father was going to talk to him about and it filled him with a fear he had never known before.

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

"Now arrived: King's-"

Rebecca didn't wait for the announcement to end, slipping through the doors as soon as it had opened enough for her to slide out.  There, on the far end of the platform, were the Weasleys, Sirius and Remus, and a few members of the Order.

Fred and Molly were talking animatedly, Molly's voice carrying through the distance Rebecca was quickly shortening between them.

"Merlin himself, Fred, if you so much as dare!  They're all going home first."

"But mum, we want-"

"After supper now!"  Molly shook her finger up at him.  "Don't make me push it farther."

Harry and Ron were talking to each other quietly behind Hermione and Ginny, leaving it to the two girls to weave through the crowd after Rebecca.  "You're headed to their place in a few weeks, aren't you?"  Ron asked, looking down towards Sirius and Remus.

"Yeah, why?"

"Dad's been working on a new car."  Ron looked away.  "If they try to keep you locked up--from getting to us all again--we'll be there."

Harry found his eyes elsewhere, too.  "Thanks, mate."

"Any time."

Rebecca was, clearly, the first to reach the adults and she launched herself into Molly and Arthur's sides with her arms as far around them as she could manage.  They laughed, hugging her quickly and then moving onto the next group of children that made it to the group.  

Sirius and Remus were next, then Tonks and Moody.  Moody stayed straight as a board through the hug, muttering.  "I find this entirely unprofessional."

"I'm not in the profession, am I?"  Rebecca quipped, exchanging a quick hello with Tonks before turning to Fred and George who stood side by side with their arms identically crossed.

"Don't you feel like a last choice, Freddie?"

"Yeah, yeah I do, Georgie."  Fred shook his head sadly.  "I don't know how to deal with this pain."

Rebecca opened her arms to them both, both melting into her embrace that neither had felt in far too long.  "I told you I was saving the best for last!  Didn't Hedwig come?"

George wiggled his way out of her arms as Cedric cleared his throat behind them.

"Just giving you a hard time, love."  Fred kissed the side of her head and stood her on her feet once again.  "Good train?"

"Too long," Rebecca looked up to him, smiling shyly.  "Knowing you were on the other side, that is."

Fred's ears burnt and he wondered how he had gotten so lucky.

Molly had Ginny held against her with one hand and the other was used to have a hand on Hermione so she didn't leave without another hug.  Tonks was mussing Harry's hair as he tried to talk with Sirius and Remus.

Fred and Rebecca fit in to the conversations they passed, but continued on their way until they were at Harry and the godfathers.

"Well, if it isn't the trouble makers?"  Sirius teased.  Remus shook his head with a slight smile on his face.  "On the train?  Really?"

Rebecca blushed and shook her head.  "Not sure what you're talking about."

"Oh, their right."  Sirius looked up at Remus.  "That is atrocious!"

Fred chuckled and slipped his hand under Rebecca's where she was holding her bag, taking it from her.  "Sorry, love.  You have other strengths."

Tonks leaned over and laughed at Rebecca's face.  "Aren't Gryffindors supposed to be good at lying?"

"Aren't Hufflepuffs supposed to be nice?"  Rebecca retorted.  Sirius and Remus laughed boisterously.

Fred kept his hand in hers as they left Platform 9 3/4s to the Muggle side of King's Cross station, but he gave let go when Harry slowed beside her with a morose expression.  "I'll be right here, okay love?"

Rebecca nodded.  She wrapped her arms around Harry tightly and turned her head against his chest.  "I'm sorry I can't come with you."

"No, I'm sorry I can't come with you."  Harry countered, hugging her just as tightly.  "But I know you're going to be very, very busy shop-keeping and all that."

Sirius laid was next to embrace Harry, less so with the sense of reunification as before and far more finality.  As Rebecca stood beside Remus, Tonks and the Weasleys--as well as Moody and the other members of their massive party--stood at Harry's back though only Sirius, Remus, and Rebecca walked Harry to the Dursleys.

"Hello," Sirius held out his hand but Vernon only looked at his tattoos.  "Okay then..."

"So it seems you'll be having Harr-"

"Not her."  Petunia interjected, her eyes wide and focused solely on the scar marring her memory of Rebecca's face.  If she had ever looked like the perfect mixture of Potter and Evans, it was the ferocity of the scar that doubled it.  "Just the boy."

Remus narrowed his eyes at her and continued as if Petunia had said nothing.  "It seems you'll be having Harry for three weeks.  We expect daily communication to be allowed between he and Rebecca, as well as between us and Harry."

Vernon opened his mouth to argue, but Sirius cut him off.  "I'm afraid these points are not up for argument, they will happen.  To not allow them would be unwise."  Sirius' head shot up and he glanced up at Remus with faux-surprise.  "I'm sorry, I don't think we introduced ourselves!  Sirius Black.  Previously convicted mass-murderer just proven innocent, but not dead set on it when it comes to our godchildren."

"Our?"  Dudley echoed not rudely, but for clarification.

Remus looked down at the pudgy boy.  "Our."

Vernon glowered.  "I knew that was something originating from you people, you-"

"Vernon, big V, main mustache."  Sirius raised a hand between his mouth and Remus for 'privacy.'  "Look at everyone around you and then look at Harry.  I'd stop while you can, especially before you get him going."  Sirius used his thumb to gesture to Remus who was wildly unimpressed.  "Once he starts, I can't stop him--in more ways than one at that!"

Rebecca and Harry tried to wipe what Sirius had said from their minds, but it was stuck.  Luckily, Vernon was so close to becoming undone he left without another remark to any of them.  "Let's go, boy."

Harry hugged Rebecca one more time.  "Three weeks."

"Three weeks."  She tried to look as positive as she could for him, though her heart panged miserably.  "It'll fly by, you'll see."  Rebecca didn't turn away until the back of Harry turned around the corner.

Molly clapped her hands to gather their attention once they were back through to the wizarding area, ready for the departing.  "We're going to split up, adult to child for a nice, early supper at home before you go off on your separate ways."  Rebecca's head shot up, bringing a laugh out of Molly that she wasn't able to stifle.  

"Yes, you may."  Arthur stepped in with a chuckle of his own.  "Dinner first though!"

Fred and Rebecca were one of the last to leave, though neither noticed.  Fred had to make sure she was okay after Harry had left as he knew it was so, so hard for her to let him go off to that place.

"He'll be okay."  Rebecca said with only the slightest of wavers in her voice.  "I know it."

"Are you ready to go then?"  Fred held his hand out for hers to apparate, but she didn't take it.  She pulled him down into a deep kiss, one they would never have shared if their family's eyes had still been around.  "Woah."

Rebecca kissed his cheek as he failed to stand back up straight again, frozen in the fervor of her kiss.  "I am now."

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