Summer 93’
When she stepped out for the fireplace the first thing she saw standing before her was her mother, brother and sister standing in the living room holding a ‘welcome home’ banner that the kids had clearly made themselves.
“Awe thank you guys!” She said she said and pulled them into a hug after placing her things on the ground.
“We missed you love.” Erin said and pulled her daughter in tighter.
“I missed you guys too.”
“So!! Tell us all about school!” Erin said and had them sit down.
Ro seemed to be bouncing with excitement his floppy blonde hair getting into his eyes.
“Well….” She started and scrunched up her face.
By the end of the retelling the excitement in Ro had only grown but the look on Erin’s face told Ryleigh that she was less than thrilled.
“I… am not sure that you should go back there Ryleigh…” she said finally and Ryleigh widened her eyes. “They didn’t even inform me about this!”
“They had it under control though, no one got seriously hurt at all and… well where else am I going to go?” Was all she could muster up to defend the school with.
“You’ll have to let me think about it.” Erin’s said and Ryleigh sighed, “fair.”
“But for now, we made you a nice welcome home meal and I thought if you wanted we could have a picnic down at the beach.”
“I’d love that!”
Xx
Ryleigh had decided about two weeks into the summer that she needed to invest in an owl as both of her friends came from very wizarding family’s and didn’t have a phone. So she used the allowance money she had saved up and bought herself a spotted wood owl. She decided on Beau as the name of her new friend and sent messages straight away to Luna and Ginny. Luna told her that she and her father are going on holiday to Norway to hunt for Nargles and that they’d be by by July.
Ginny told her she’s bored out of her skull at the burrow and invited Ryleigh to come out and visit with her.
Ryleigh walked down the steps from her bedroom and into the kitchen where her mother was cooking lunch.
“Hi” she said with a sweet smile and Erin raised a suspicious eyebrow at her.
“Hello love.” She said back.
“So I was wondering—“
“Ah, knew it.”
“Ginny invited me to come and visit her at her house.”
“Ginny is your school friend, the one who got trapped with the monster…” Erin confirmed.
“Yes” Ryleigh said with a laugh.
“And where does she live?” Erin asked, “what county?”
“Um…” Ryleigh shifts. “She lives in Ottery St Catchpole.”
“I’m not familiar, what county is it Ry?”
“It’s, we’ll it’s in Devon.”
Erin stopped her movements.
“Devon, England?”
“Well yeah but I can just floo there and—“
Erin held up a hand.
“I just need…” she took a deep breath. “I know that your a witch and your range is larger than mine, and yes, you can go to Ginny’s but I want you to understand that this is difficult for me, devon is a 12 hour drive from here - if there were an emergency and I couldn’t floo to you…” she took another breath. “I’m sorry, yes, I’d like to speak with Ginny’s mother but you can go if it’s okay with her.”
After quite a lengthy fire talk conversation with Molly Weasley, Erin determined that Ryleigh could go visit Ginny for a week starting over the upcoming weekend.
She packed a small bag of clothes and was ready to go. They planned for noon so that Ryleigh wouldn’t randomly show up at the Weasleys home and scare someone.
She said goodbye to her family and climbed into the fireplace.
Xx
Ginny was waiting for her when she arrived and gave her a big hug.
“Mum, this is my friend Ryleigh Walsh.” Ginny said.
Ryleigh stuck a hand out for Molly Weasley to shake.
“Nice to meet you Mrs. Weasley.”
“Oh it’s nice you meet you as well dear, come, come.” She said and Ryleigh followed her.
The house was incredible, magical things everywhere cozy and warm feeling, full of life.
“Your house is amazing.” Ryleigh said to Mrs Weasley.
“Oh now, it’s alright. You’ve used the floo to get here so you can’t have come from a muggle house?”
“No, but my mam’s a squib so we don't have many magic things around, not like this.” She explained.
“Well your mother is just delightful. You girls run along and have fun. I’ve got to errands to run in town. Your brothers are upstairs somewhere, mind them would you?” Molly said and the girls laughed.
“Come on, I’ll show you my room.”
Ginny took Ryleigh’s hand and dragged her toward a winding staircase, going up to the first floor and opening the first door on the left. It was painted a soft yellow color with posters plastered all over the walls. Some things that Ryleigh recognized, like the Gryffindor quidditch team Jersey that had “Weasley” written on the back and the quidditch team poster. Other things like the weird sisters poster seemed vaguely familiar but she couldn’t place it.
“Come in, sit down.” Ginny said. Ryleigh awkwardly walked into the room and took a seat on the edge of the bed. Ginny climbed onto the bed and crossed her legs.
“Soo… how’s your summer going?” She asked and Ryleigh laughed.
“It’s good. I mean it’s fine. We live right by the beach so I spend most of my time there. I’ve been doing some p—“
“Ryleigh Walsh if you say potions work I’ll have to kick you out.” Ginny said and Ryleigh rolled her eyes.
“I like potions, so what?” She asked.
“Ron says Snape is a right twat, but then again, Ron is a twat as well so” Ginny shrugged.
“And how’s your summer gone so far?” Ryleigh asked.
“Eh it’s alright, not much to say really. Glad your here that way it’s not so miserable.” Ginny said. “Wish Luna coulda come to but”
“Nargle hunting in Norway” Ryleigh said, her tone and face especially serious before they both broke into a comfortable laugh.
“She’s so weird!” Ginny said and Ryleigh smiled, “I love it…” she caught what she said when Ginny looked at her, “I mean, I just think it makes her so unique ya know?”
“Right” said Ginny and raised a brow. “How long have you fancied her then?”
“What! No!” Ryleigh said awkwardly. “That’s not what I meant.. I just meant. Like as a person.”
“Mmmhmmm..” Ginny elbowed her in the side then and stood to grab something from her desk.
“Let’s go outside, it’s nice out.”
Xx
That night they were helping Molly set the table when Arthur Weasley walked in.
“Hello daddy, this is my friend Ryleigh.” Ginny said and gave her dad a kiss on the cheek.
“Hello Mr. Weasley, pleasure to meet you.” Ryleigh said.
“Would you look at the manners on this one Molly. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” He said kindly. He looked at her closely. “You look familiar,” then he looked to Ginny, “you haven’t had her over before?”
“No dad.” Ginny said and continued to set the plates on the table.
Arthur shook his head and thought some more.
“Come from a wizarding family Ryleigh?” He asked and she nodded.
“My grandparents were magical sir.”
“Maybe I know them then.” He said and Ginny shook her head behind Ryleigh but Arthur didn’t seem to notice.
“My grandfather died earlier this year… and my grandmother died in the first wizarding war..” she said and shifted in her spot. Molly stopped what she was doing and looked very at them.
“Oh my dear, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know—“ arthur said and Ryleigh smiled sadly at him.
“It’s fine, how could you…” she waved off his concern. “He was Ronan Walsh and she was Dahlia Walsh.”
Recognition sparked in both older Weasleys eyes.
“Oh yes… I had heard about Ronan’s passing, I hadn’t realized you were…” Arthur said.
“Your grandparents were phenomenal Ryleigh, good people with good hearts who put a lot of good into the world.” Molly said and have her a tight hug.
“Um… thank you? But I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She said and Ginny snickered from across the room.
“They fought is what they did.” Arthur supplied, “fought against you-know-who, and they did it well.”
Ryleigh blushed, she knew her grandparents had been on the ‘right side’ but not much else beyond that.
Molly smiled at her and tapped her face.
“Right then, back to the table.”
Xx
Ryleigh had a genuinely wonderful time at the Weasleys and she was sad to see it end.
“Next time you come to me.” Ryleigh said with a teasing smile.
“I will.” Ginny said and Ryleigh gave her a tight hug then looked to Mr and Mrs Weasley.
“Thank you both so much for having me. It was so fun.”
“It was such a pleasure to have you Ryleigh, you’re welcome anytime dear.” Molly said as she waved goodbye.
Xx
July seemed to come and go as fast as she could speak it’s name. She got an owl from Ginny telling her about how her father had won a lottery at work and they were going on holiday to Egypt to visit with her brother Bill.
Luna was meant to visit her just before classes began again and they would head back to Hogwarts from her house.
Today though was her grandads birthday, or it would have been. They’d made a little cake and eaten it for breakfast, he would have loved that. Quinn took her piece and wiped it on the tip of her nose just her grandad used to do. When they’d finished she was helping her mom to clean up the toys in the living room when a loud crack could be heard from upstairs. Both of them dropped the toys and ran as fast as they could up the steps.
In what used to be her grandads bedroom Quinn was knocked back on the floor crying. The wall looked blackened as if burnt in a circular area and the ground was a wand, it was a light wood tone with a slight bend in center. Her grandads wand. Erin rushed over to Quinn's side to check her over.
Ryleigh picked up the discarded wand.
“What happened honey?” Erin asked but Quinn just shook her head.
“I think she was playing with this…” Ryleigh said holding out the want to her mother.
“Oh quinny … you can’t touch the magic things okay? Not until you’re older.” She explained, “are you hurt love? Or just get scared?”
“Not hurt mammy…” the girl whispered.
Erin sighed and pulled her in tighter.
“Ryleigh would you keep that in your room where they can’t get it?” Erin asked and Ryleigh nodded. She took the wand and brought it into her bedroom, climbing up onto her bed she placed it on the floating shelf where Quinn couldn’t reach it.
Sometime later when she and her mother were alone again she looked at her with a knowing smile.
“She’s a witch.” Ryleigh said and Erin laughed, “you all are then.” She said and Ryleigh smiled. “Even Ro?”
“When he was 2 years old, Quinn was crying. She was just a newborn, I was at work and their father was here watching them. Do you remember when he used to come by?” She asked and Ryleigh nodded.
She’d liked Liam when she was younger, he hardly came around anymore, for the best he was a mess but he sent the younger kids letters and called, and on their birthdays he sent them all presents even though he wasn’t her father.
“Well he was fast asleep from working the night shift and Quinn was crying and screaming. As soon as I walked in the door I saw it. Ro was sitting at the side of Quinn bouncer and floating the toys in front of her to stop her crying. Sweetest thing.” She said and they smiled.
“Where was I?” Ryleigh asked.
“Asleep on the couch with Liam.” She laughed.
The fireplace blazed and Luna stood smiling from within it.
“Luna!!” She screamed and ran to her, pulling her into a tight hug.
“I missed you!” Ryleigh said sweetly.
“Oh I missed you to Ryleigh.” Luna said, her voice as aloof as ever. She set down her Hogwarts things and walked over to Erin.
“Nice to meet you.” She said, “your house is very nice.”
“Oh thank you dear.” Erin said.
“Mam this is Luna, Luna, my mam.”
“I thought there were more of you?” Luna asked.
Ryleigh laughed, “there are, they’re playing in the bath.”
“Did you see Ginny in the paper?” Luna asked.
“No! I didn’t know she was, that’s so cool.”
“I’ve brought one hold on.” Luna said and then went rummaging on one of her bags.
She pulled out a stack of news papers and tabloids.
“Woah, why do you have so many?” Ryleigh asked.
“I like to read them all and see what other people say about the same thing.” Luna replied as if it were the most obvious thing. She flicked through the pile and found a daily prophet from the end of July with a cover photo of the Weasley family.
“Look at that! So cool!” Ryleigh said as she looked over the moving photo.
“You could help me look through them if you’d like.” Luna said.
“We’re gonna go down to the beach okay?” Ryleigh asked her mother and the woman nodded.
“Be back before it gets too dark though okay?” Erin said and the girls nodded, grabbing the stack of papers they ran outside. Ryleigh led the way, holding onto Lunas free hand as they ran.
“Tada” she said when they pushed past the bits of brush and were at then rocky shore.
“Oh it’s beautiful.”
“My favorite place to be.” Ryleigh said, “come sit over here.” They walked over and sat on a patch of smooth stone.
“So how does this work?” Ryleigh asked taking the stack that Luna handed her.
“How about you read those daily prophet headlines and then I’ll look for the headlines that are similar in these.” Luna said.
“Okay. ‘59 ways to catch a filter bug’s wing without a filter bug’.” She read and Luna quickly read through the front pages of her stack took one out and then took the paper from Ryleigh, putting the presumably matching papers in a separate pile.
“‘Black still at large’” she read and jumped back a bit when the man on the front page started shaking and screaming toward the camera. “Who’s Sirius black?” She asked and Luna shrugged.
“The papers all say he’s a killer but I think he has kind eyes.” Luna said and Ryleigh looked back at the page with suspicion. The man looked terrifying but also terrified himself.
“I’ve never heard of someone escaping Azkaban.” Ryleigh said and Luna nodded.
“That’s because no one ever has.” She said.
Xx
As set up by Professor McGonagall at the end of last term Luna and Ryleigh both planned to floo back to Hogwarts instead of traveling all the way from Sligo to London and then taking the train back up to Scotland.
They had packed up their things the night before and were ready to go just after breakfast.
“See you guys at Christmas then?” Ryleigh said as she hugged Ro and Quinn. Beau hooted from the cage on top of her luggage.
“Yes I’m coming” she laughed.
“Love you guys.”
“Love you Ry.” They said together.
“Thank you for having me Mrs. Walsh.” Luna said and Erin smiled.
“Anytime dear.”
Luna stepped in first and flooed away then Ryleigh followed.
They stepped out into McGonagall’s office to find it empty which was odd but neither girl thought much of it. Instead they simply took their things and exited the office into the halls of the defense tower. They brought their things to the main hall and left them where they knew they would be collected later on and looked at each other. No one else seemed to be around yet as it was still morning and the train wouldn’t arrive until much later.
“I thought the professors would be here.” Ryleigh noted, “what with the murder on the loose who could just use the same floo we just came through.”
Luna shrugged.
“What should we do then?” She asked and Luna thought about it for a moment before grabbing her hand dragging her toward the astronomy tower. At the very top she pulled Ryleigh down to the ground with her. They lay together and watched the clouds move along the sky. It was raining and grey but the way that Luna looked at it with complete and utter delight made it beautiful. She watched Luna, her eyes wide in wonder as she gazed up at the falling rain.
“What’s that?” Luna asked, her tone suddenly scared and Ryleigh flipped over, pulling Luna with her. Something large and black was floating out in the sky beyond and moving toward them.
“I— don’t know…” Ryleigh said. It was moving closer to them now and Ryleigh took her wand out, holding it outright and ready, not sure what she was planning to do but willing to try anyway. Luna slid her hand into Ryleighs, interlocking them.
“Ry…” she whispered as the floating thing moved even closer.
“Let’s get out of here.” Ryleigh said and led Luna back toward the steps.
Luna suddenly shivered at the cold air surrounding them.
“What’s going on!?” She shouted and the tone scared Ryleigh as the blond was always so calm and upbeat.
“I— I don’t know let’s, let’s go.” She said and pulled Luna along with her.
The stone around them was beginning to frost over as they ran down the steps. Something was suddenly in front of them and they ran straight into it, screaming as they collided with it. A bright blue light formed around them as Ryleigh helped Luna to standing again.