𝙱𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝙻𝚒𝚏𝚎

𝟶𝟷𝟻-𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚜

"Thank you, dear," Molly said gratefully, hugging him tightly before she and Marilyn left the ward. 

As they walked, Molly looked curiously at Marilyn. "You apparated to the Ministry?" She asked.

Marilyn turned slightly pink but nodded. "Yes, I've been able to do underage apparition for ages. The trace doesn't work on me." She said and Molly nodded.

She had heard about Marilyn from Dumbledore and knew there was a lot about the girl unknown to most of them. Her not having the trace was not to be discussed. 

"So you can apparate us to Grimmauld Place? I would, but I don't think I'm in the right state of mind..."

"Of course, here hold on," Marilyn said, offering the woman her arm.

Molly gripped her arm tightly as she spun on her heel and apparated them to Grimmauld Place, where they immediately walked up the steps. 

"He's going to be all right," Molly said when the entered the kitchen, her voice weak with tiredness."He's sleeping. We can all go and see him later. Bill's sitting with him now, he's going to take the morning off work." 

Fred fell back into his chair with his hands over his face. George and Ginny got up, walked swiftly over to their mother, and hugged her. Ron gave a very shaky laugh and downed the rest of his butterbeer in one. 

All of them sent confused looks at Marilyn and the bloody state of her robes but smiled at her nonetheless. 

"Breakfast!" said Sirius loudly and joyfully, jumping to his feet."Where's that accursed house-elf? Kreacher! KREACHER!" 

But Kreacher did not answer the summons. Marilyn frowned and glanced around the house. House-elves were bound to serve their masters and Sirius was his master, that meant he wasn't in the house and that couldn't mean anything good. 

"Oh, forget it, then," muttered Sirius, counting the people in front of him. "So it's breakfast for — let's see — nine . . . Bacon and eggs,I think, and some tea, and toast —" 

Marilyn walked over to the stove and took everything Sirius was holding from his hands, shooting him a reproachful look. She knew just how bad of a cook he was, having visited once or twice since Turner had mentioned it at Hogsmeade. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Oh, fine." He grumbled, but couldn't argue knowing he had been living off of burnt toast whenever Kreacher did not answer his summons. 

Marilyn began preparing breakfast as Molly hugged Harry tightly.

"I don't know what would have happened if it hadn't been for you, Harry," she said in a muffled voice. She had not been told that Marilyn had been the first one to know and it was to stay that way. No one else was supposed to know. "They might not have found Arthur for hours, and then it would have been too late, but thanks to you, he's alive and Dumbledore's been able to think up a good cover story for Arthur being where he was, you've no idea what trouble he would have been in otherwise, look at poor Sturgis. . . ." 

She soon released him to turn to Sirius and thank him for looking after her children through the night. Sirius said that he was very pleased to have been able to help, and hoped they would all stay with him as long asMr Weasley was in the hospital. 

"Oh, Sirius, I'm so grateful. . . . They think he'll be there a little while and it would be wonderful to be nearer . . . Of course, that might mean we're here for Christmas. . . ." 

"The more the merrier!" said Sirius with such obvious sincerity that Molly beamed at him, threw on an apron, and began to help Marilyn with breakfast.