The Muggle Project

Breathing

Night had long since fallen and Harry still hadn't returned.

At a quarter to eight I gave Eleanor her bath and by nine she was fast asleep tucked in between Draco and I. Within the hour Draco had dozed off too, but I remain awake. It was near impossible to sleep after what had happened earlier this evening between myself and my brother.

The way I told him wasn't the way I wanted it to happen, but I got caught up with Ron and his attitude.

Was he mad at me?

Carefully I rose from the bed, taking care to tuck my side of the covers around Eleanor, and pulled on a robe before I left the room.

I made my way downstairs to the kitchen and froze when I saw a silhouette in the dark.

"Who is there?" I called out into the dark as I carefully slipped my hand into my robe to grab my wand, preparing to defend myself. "You are breaking and entering, and unless you want to be scattered across the room in tiny pieces I suggest you place your wand on the table and step back." At this point I had my wand held aloft and directed at the individuals heart.

"If I was out to kill you, you would have been dead by now." There was a familiar click and the room was flooded with light.

"Ron." I stowed away my wand. "What are you doing down here at this hour?" I asked as I crossed my arms, staring him down.

He lifted a glass to his lips and drank heavily before setting it back down and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Harry's still not back." He said, ignoring my question.

"I've noticed. He's probably just-" I paused, not knowing what to say next.

He's probably trying to find out more?

He's probably at my "mum and dads" having a friendly conversation?

To be honest I had no idea what he could be doing right now, or where to even find him.

"Yeah... So about that?" He mumbled. "Hmm, for being his big sister you obviously don't seem to care."

I slammed my hands on the table. "How dare you say that to me Ronald!" I took a step towards him, my body trembling with the loathing I felt for him. "I was there with him every step of the way! Every step of the way."

Ron smiled at me, shaking his head as if I was telling a joke. I wanted to reach across and slap him. Punch him, repeatedly.

"You are such an ass."

"Yeah, I may be an ass but I think I deserve it after everything I've been through this past year." He sneered. "You may have forgotten but my brother died last year."

"Don't you dare pull that card with me. You can't keep using that as an excuse for your behavior."

"It's not an excuse."

I crossed my arms. "Okay then, if you want to play like that then how about I pull mine. Let's see... When my brother was just a baby Voldemort put a hit out on him. Because of said hit I was taken from my family and given to a couple of strangers who raised me and had me believing that I was truly there's. Not even a year later my mother and father were murdered and my little brother was attacked by Voldemort."

I paused, watching his expression. He was speechless.

"Yeah, and I'm just getting started. I started Hogwarts and that is when I finally was reunited with my baby brother, only I didn't even know it was him because... Well you know that part of the story. That year my brother was almost killed, twice.

"And second year, I was attacked and almost killed and my baby brother was almost killed, again, trying to save not only me but your sister. Third year, our God Father escaped from Azkaban where he was falsely put away by his own friend Pettigrew. If it wasn't for him Harry and I would have grown up together with Sirius as a family. But of course, being a Potter something had to go wrong and it did. My baby brother was constantly attacked by Dementor's."