Wicked

Chapter Sixteen: Summer Before Seventh Year

The sounds of clattering woke you up, you turn around from your slumber in a daze as Lupin and Sirius come bursting into your room. 

"Good Morning to you too" you look at them dumbfounded mumbling groggily as Lupin opens the blinds and Sirius dumps some letters on your lap as you slowly sit yourself up. 

"This is an intervention. . ." Lupin sits on the end of your bed, you look down at the letters from friends.

"The first few weeks of your summer have already gone and you've not even opened the curtains" Sirius looks at you softly. 

"I thought I could just smile my way through it" you look down and then back up at them both "but I can't, what if that had been. . ."

"It takes a while, loosing a friend like that. . ." Lupin and Sirius look at each other and then back to you" trying to interupt your thoughts about it being anyone else, because you had thought about it. What if Fred had succeeded? "But . . ." 

"But this isn't going to help, nor honour his memory" you say finishing Lupins sentence. He nods confirming your choice of words mirrored his own thoughts and you sigh looking though all the letters, one from Jade, Lee and Hermione. Three from Fred and two from George. "I need to get up don't I?" you look back up at them, a small smile on your face mirrors the one on theirs. 

"Theres the fighting spirit your. . ." Sirius is stops himself.

"That my mother had?" you raise a brow and he looks at you. 

"Perhaps we should talk about this later?" 

"I'll be down in an hour" You say firmly "I want some answers, uncles" you look at them with an air of authority about you.

"We know where that look comes from" Sirius says too Lupin as they leave. You get up and look at the pictures on your draws. A picture of you and Cedric smiling after a Quidditch win in your Hufflepuff colours. A picture of you and Jade in Hogsmeade last year and a picture of you, the twins, Lee and a few others at school just before you pranked Filch again.  On the end of the row, stood a stunning photo of you and Fred, matching jumpers, smiling as he spins you round and playfully and hugs you. Your heart tugs as you watch the moving picture. You'd planned to see him this summer, before The Order gathered here in Grimmauld Place, but hadn't because you'd fallen into a bit of worry and grief.  But you wondered then, watching that picture, if shutting him out was the worst thing you could have done. Would he still love you? The question popped into your mind which was of course the most ridiculous thing but, it could happen, you'd been out of bed once these last few weeks and it wasn't to see him or even let him know you were ok. It wasn't his fault. Trying to shrug the feeling off, you start to get ready.

. . . . . 

"You look lovely, much more like yourself" Lupin hugs you as you join him and Sirius on the kitchen table, tea's floating down to your places as you did so. You were dressed in some nice jeans and a cosy jumper, make up on and hair styled in your favourite way.

"Come on then spill the beans, I've missed a lot I feel." You sip your tea "easing them into the conversation gently. 

"We believe Harry, about the Dark Lord, the whole Order does" Lupin starts. 

"But many others do not" Sirius's tone went cold "to be associated with Harry is going to be very dangerous" You look at Sirius, but you could see in his eyes he wasn't wavering in his support, just warning you. 

"Good job you have me then" you say with a smile, Sirius returning it brightly. 

"You need to be careful this year Y/N, you may well have hit Wizard maturity" Lupin also shares his concern  "but to us" he motions to himself and Sirius "your like our own daughter . . you're family. . . you're"