The Girl who Survived (Fred Weasley)

CH 92. The Astronomy Tower

"Have you ever known me to be one without a plan?" I asked, deflecting. Partly for the sake of ears listening in. But mostly for the sake of keeping my own contingency plan to myself. "I'll be able to apparate though the castle now. Though I could have used that sooner," I said hoping to lighten the mood.

Though there was something about the way he spoke that didn't quite sit well with me. An underlying feeling. One that worried me that I may be taking too long. Dragging things out over a longer time than I would actually have. A feeling, that even though I knew his secrets now, there was still one I'd yet to uncover.

"Is this a good bye then?" I whispered, trying to keep my voice even. All while I was begging for an answer I didn't really want.

He gave my shoulder another squeeze as his lips set into a firm smile. "All departures must feel that way," He said, turning to look at Harry. "At least until the next one. Harry. You need a shave, my friend," He said excitedly, looking at my not so baby faced younger brother.

"Alright El?" He asked looking over at me as he ran a hand over his face.

I took in a breath through my nose, stifling a sniffle, as I gave him a nod. "Alright," I said simply. "He's right, you have about two, maybe three chin hairs out of place," I joked. He made a sour face as he mocked my statement. Probably one of the most sibling like moments we'd ever had.

"At times I forget how much you've grown. At times I still see the small boy from the cupboard. Forgive my mawkishness, Harry. I am an old man," He said, playing everything off. Deflecting himself. Oh, he was good, much better than I gave him credit for.

"You still look the same to me, sir," Harry said, playing into it himself.

I looked between the pair of them. But it felt different. Not a single thing about the night felt as it should. And it took every ounce of my being to not look at Harry and want to tell him why. Instead, I kept the same smile plastered on my face I'd been wearing for weeks, months.

"I'll await your return. In the meantime, I ought to check in with the Auror's," I said, moving past Harry before I gave Dumbledore one last glance. Catching the look of distant approval in his eyes. He was sure of his plan, not that he'd ever wavered before. It was now my turn to take one last big leap of trust, and be sure of mine.

As I left the astronomy tower I knew that if I chose to go to Minerva's office, I'd feel even more guilty for having kept so many secrets from her. And suddenly, I felt like a hypocrite. Always tearing into Remus and Sirius for withholding from me. Yet here I was keeping just as many, if not more from everyone around me.

Sirius caught the signs. Not that I could have kept it from him much longer, especially seeing as he had a part of myself within him now. That was the odd factor I'd yet to consider. Just as Murphy's law would have had it, What could have gone wrong, was the single iota that went wrong.

He wasn't as easily convinced as Bill had been, not that I much expected him to be. He knew what I'd be up against. He knew the wicked ways of the most loyal of death eaters. But in turn, he also knew me. And as such, he knew with my mind made up, there wouldn't be anything he could say to make me change my mind. Not now that I was this far in.

Slowly, I walked down to the courtyard, stopping just before entering at one of the archways. From where I was I could hear the blackbirds song, just as it was ending for the day. Catching them just as their last tune came to an abrupt halt. I hadn't noticed as I'd been caught in my own mind of feeling my new found magic swirling around inside of me, but the sun had set, and a dark set of clouds had begun trailing in from the East.

Dumbledore said there was a chance they wouldn't be long, but just how much time had passed? Obviously enough for the sky to reflect the colors of a curfew, all students heading up to their beds. But this was different. Almost like a storm had come in unexpectedly. The sound of thunder tumbling from the center of the clouds sent a chill up my spine.