Those Left Behind

Twenty

Olivia awoke to birds chirping outside the bedroom window, it was open just a crack, allowing the warm summer breeze to blow through her hair. George was sleeping soundly with his face buried in his pillow. She turned towards him and propped herself up on her elbow, watching his chest rise and fall. It wasn't until Beau began to whimper behind her, that she finally tore her eyes away.

"Shhhh, it's okay. Give me one minute Angel.", Olivia hushed him softly, as she jumped out of bed and went to retrieve a fresh pair of clothes. She made quick work of getting dressed before returning to the bassinet and lifting him out of it. He fell silent as she kissed him on the forehead, and quietly carried him out of the bedroom. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, Molly dropped what she was doing in the kitchen and ran over, scooping Beau out of her arms.

"Good Morning Sweetheart, how was your sleep? Did you keep Uncle George and Aunt Olivia up last night?", Molly directed her words to Beau, but Olivia knew that the questions were for her to answer.

"George was up with him, so I thought I'd let him sleep in.", she explained, glancing back at the table. Hermione and Ron sat side by side, leaning over a newspaper, while Charlie sat across from them, absent-mindedly stabbing at his breakfast.

"I'm sure he could use the rest. Come eat, Arthur will be home shortly.", Molly directed her to the kitchen table, where she sat down on the opposite side of Hermione. Olivia leaned in to get a glimpse of the article that she and Ron were reading, and Hermione moved her hand to let her get a closer look. On the front page, sat a large, moving photograph of a Minerva McGonagall smiling proudly in front of a partially reconstructed Hogwarts. The headline read, Hogwarts Head Mistress, Has Every Intention Of Welcoming Students Back In September.

Molly sat down at the head of the table to feed Beau his bottle, just as Arthur walked through the front door, dragging his tired feet. He gave everyone a friendly smile before sitting at the end of the table, opposite his wife. Olivia, Hermione, and Ron were too distracted by the newspaper article to give Arthur a proper welcome, prompting Molly to clear her throat loudly.

"Hi, Dad. How was work?", Ron stammered, lifting his gaze.

"Quite tedious.", he sighed, looking down at the heaping plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast in front of him.

"Any luck in retrieving the paperwork?", Hermione inquired, referring to all of the Muggleborn and Halfblood documentation, that the Deatheaters had destroyed during the war. Arthur's face dropped and he shook his head sadly.

"Unfortunately not. They got into the backup vaults and destroyed that as well, so now the other departments have been put on hold, while the entire Ministry retrieves the data manually.", he explained lowering his gaze.

"But what does that mean for my plan to return to Hogwarts?", she cried, throwing the newspaper down in frustration.

"Now my dear, I'm sure Minerva will make an exception, given the circumstance", Molly insisted, trying to ease Hermione's fears.

"I still don't understand why you want to go back. I adored school just as much as you, if not more, but I wouldn't be returning.", Olivia interjected, folding up the newspaper and sliding it out of the way.

"That's easy for you to say, you completed your seventh year."

"Well not quite, I left when the twins did-"

"You know what I mean! You got all of your necessary credits and more. I need mine if I want to be taken seriously."

"Right, because being part of the trio that saved the wizarding world, isn't good enough?", she scoffed, prompting a laugh out of Ron and Arthur. "Say! Has she talked you into returning with her yet?", she asked, turning to Ron.