ad astra per aspera - {♕ f.w.}

4. An Uncomfortably Familiar Threadbare Cardigan

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Mrs. Weasley had been all too right in scolding you for staying up.

The following morning you blinked awake tiredly to the sound of a knock on your door, your mom's voice calling from the other side that it was time to get up. The sun outside was bright, too bright. It felt like you had barely slept, like you had just laid down and started dreaming.

Luckily, your trunk had already been packed for weeks, so you weren't frantically running around to gather your things. The hurried footsteps in the room next door and outside in the hall painted the picture that you were likely the only one besides Hermione who had packed early.

After changing into some casual clothes, you did a final check over your belongings to ensure that all your books and supplies were in order. Then, you got Athena into her cage and slipped your Prefect's bag into the front pocket of your bag.

You had just locked your trunk when loud voices came through the wall. Straightening up, you listened for a moment, but the sound was too muffled to discern who was yelling and what they were yelling about. So, you crossed the room, opened the door and stuck your head out into the hallway, glancing around to find the source of the noise. The voices had clearly caught Harry's attention as well, as his head appeared out of his own room almost at the same time yours did.

Neither of you bothered with a good morning's or a greeting. You and the boy exchanged a confused glance, before looking down the hall. The door to one of the rooms was ajar and, now, with your head out in the hall, you could tell that it was Percy that was doing the shouting.

"It was right here, on the bedside table -"

"I haven't touched it, alright?" A voice, Ron, roared back.

With another quick glance at Harry, the two of you started towards the room to see what was going on. Upon reaching the open door, you were met with Percy's back, towering over Ron, who was kneeling in front of his open trunk, it's contents half spilled out on the ground.

"What's going on?" You asked.

"My Head Boy badge is gone." Percy said angrily, rounding on you and Harry. His face was red.

"Alright." You said defensively, as his tone had been a bit too accusing. "I haven't taken it."

"I can't find Scabbers's Rat Tonic." Ron told you, sounding less than bothered about Percy's problem, throwing another jumper out of his trunk to look. "I think I left it down in the bar -"

"You're not going anywhere until you've found my badge!" Percy yelled as Ron stood up.

"I'll get Scabbers's stuff, I'm packed." Harry offered in an attempt to diffuse the tension.

Ron looked slightly distressed, because this meant he would have to stay with Percy, but under Percy's harsh gaze, he nodded. Percy turned his back to you again to tower intimidatingly over Ron once more, and you and Harry stepped away from the room.

Harry continued down the hallway, disappearing down the stairs to try and find Ron's bottle of rat tonic. Instead of following after him, or going back to your own room to finish packing your things, you decided to make a quick stop in the room where the twins had slept for the night.

Their door was ajar as well, and as the room came into view, you were surprised to find them both packed. The beds were made and the side tables spotless. You had a feeling that Mrs. Weasley had slipped into the room sometime that morning and performed a few cleaning spells, as compared to what it had looked like the previous night, it was exceptionally clean.