Lemon Grass and Sleep

THE BEGINNING OF THE END

"Why am I the one who's always passed out for the interesting bits?" I whined, letting my head slump down onto Fred's shoulder.

"Just lucky, I suppose," Harry sighed, looking annoyed.

"Oh yeah, says Mr. Interesting," I rolled my eyes, kicking my feet idly.

"Less bickering, more walking," Arthur fussed, picking up the pace.

We walked back to the Burrow quickly, all but tumbling down the grassy hill as we approached the property. The morning dew stuck to everyone's shoes and made the air feel wet, and for once I didn't mind getting a piggy-back ride.

"Oh, I'm so glad you got back safe," Molly burst out as soon as we got through the door, throwing her arms around Fred and George. "I shouted at you before you left, it's all I've been thinking about."

"Yeah, yeah," the two smiled, hugging her back.

"Oh, dear," Arthur mumbled quietly from the kitchen table, already pouring over a newspaper that had been published that morning on the incident. "This is not good."

"Has Hedwig gotten here yet?" Harry chimed in from across the room.

"I'll have to go into the office, this will need some smoothing over."

"Ah, not yet dear," Molly replied sadly.

"I'm waiting on a letter, from--ah, well, let's go to Ron's room." Harry turned to his friends and they scampered up the stairs.

"Ah," I sighed, plopping down on the couch, "I forgot how noisy it gets in here sometimes."

"I would think you've gotten used to it by now," Fred sat down next to me as George threw himself onto the armchair.

"Yeah, it's not like it ever stops," George agreed.

"Mm," I hummed, closing my eyes as I sunk into the soft cushions.

"I think we ought to go back to sleep," George yawned, "Only two hours is not enough for me."

"We're growing boys," the two mocked their mother, laughing lightly.

"C'mon, up you go, Soot," Fred dragged me up with him as he stood, causing me to let out a grunt of protest.

"Just leave me here to rot," I murmured as I was dragged up the stairs, stumbling a bit as I looked at them through blurry, half-closed eyes.

"You can rot later," George retorted, kicking open their bedroom door and tossing his backpack in a random corner before jumping face down onto his bed.

"Oh, goodie," I mumbled, sluggishly walking over to Fred's bed and not even bothering to pull the covers back.

Arthur was spending more and more time up at the Ministry, Percy following behind him like a little duckling all the way.

The rest of August flew by, with Arthur barely at home and Percy mimicking him. With two less Weasleys, things were a bit quieter and a bit more roomy, but that also might have been the result of rumors swirling around.

"Do you think he's really back?" I asked Fred as we unpacked school supplies Molly had gotten us. I rummaged around in a shopping bag and flinched when my fingers brushed over a soft fabric.

"I don't know, not just anyone can cast those things in the sky like that," he replied nervously.

I pulled the fabric out to reveal a striking set of deep emerald green dress robes, the coat being made of felt. The shirt itself was the normal white but the vest was a soothing green color that made me eager to run my fingers over it...smooth like satin.