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Fall has turned to winter and my first semester at Hogwarts has come to a close. Dad and I are going back to our home for holiday.
"You told Reggie we are coming?" I asked, sitting beside the fireplace.
"I sent him a letter last week." Dad is making sure he has everything before we go. "You're hoping to see him again?"
"Why wouldn't I? He is so nice!"
I said goodbye to my friends and gave them small gifts. They get new quills and ink. Wes will be going home to his family for Christmas and will stay with his uncle and cousin, Cedric Diggory for New Years.
We are ready to go and have he pair of us hold on tight to each other as we apparate from Hogwarts. "I feel sick." I said as I threw myself down onto the couch and closed my eyes. Apparation is the worst form of travel in my opinion and I don't think my stomach will ever get used to it.
"How about a ginger ale?"
"Reggie!" I sat up and fell into his arms, "thank you." I took the can from his hand and took a large sip of the bubbly beverage. "I knew you would come!"
"I wouldn't miss this for the world. Christmas with your dad usually is pretty boring but I know you'll liven things up!" Regulus winked at my dad. "Now let's have dinner before it gets cold."
We talked over homemade chicken pot pie and Regulus was caught him up on all that happened since we saw him last. We talked about my favorite class, astronomy and I told him about the few friends I've made, both the human and furry ones. I didn't tell dad that the dog I've been seeing around was the one who tore the Fat Lady's portrait and I didn't tell him that he is Sirius Black.
Dad was worn out and turned into bed early. The flames in the fireplace started to get low and a chill filled the living room. Regulus went to the back porch to get some more wood. I rest my head on the arm of the couch, my gaze getting lost in the burning of the embers.
"It is cold out there! Little one, can you grab me my wand?" The man asked, kneeling in front of the fireplace.
Sitting up from the couch I reach for the wand on the coffee table. Being to little to say more then a few words, I don't say a thing. I hand them the wand.
"Incendio." I watch as the logs are set ablaze in the fireplace. I take a step away, finding protection behind the caster of the spell. "It's ok." A arm pulls me forward to feel the warmth from the flames, arms wrap around me and pull me into their chest, "I will always be around to protect you."
"It is cold out there! Can you grab me my wand?" I open my eyes and see Reggie kneeling before the fireplace. Without saying a word I hand him his wand. "Incendio." The logs are being set into the fireplace. I step away, not for fear of the flames but because I've seen this before.
"Remus!" I hear names being shouted, I hear breaths becoming unsteady as are footsteps pounding and coming closer. "Remus I don't know what happened!" I feel drops of water. No, they're tears which are falling on my face.
"Hailey I got you!" I feel two hands hold onto my face, the icy cold of the palms on my cheeks makes me stir. "She's ok." I hear a voice reassure the person holding onto my hand. "Enervate." I open my eyes and look directly into dads. "Reggie she's ok." He lifted his head from the floor and looked at me with tears still streaming down his face. He catches his breath and calms down.
"What happened?"
"She was standing right beside me and just passed out. I'm- I'm so sorry Remus."
"Hailey, how are you feeling?" Dad rubbed his hand over my head, soothing the pain I felt.
"I don't know."
Dad and Reggie sat up with me for awhile to make sure I wouldn't pass out again before carrying me to bed. "You'll sleep in here tonight. Ok?" Dad said, tucking me under his covers. "I'll be back in a minute." I fell asleep before he returned but I felt a shift in the bed as he climbed in and his arms wrapped around me.
I wake up and memories pour in from last night. Was I dreaming? I don't even know. It was like I was living a film that I'd seen before and it felt so real. Dad is turned on his side with his back facing me. I quietly get out of bed to head for the living room. The bedroom door outside dad's is opened slightly, I hear someone restlessly stirring inside.
"Reggie?" I whispered.
He lifted his head up from his pillow and looked toward the doorway, "you can come in."
I stand beside the bed he slept in, the light from outside is being blocked out by the curtains. But I can still tell he's been crying. "I'm sorry for scaring you." He moved over, resting his head up on the headboard he patted the space beside him. The spot is warm.
"You don't have to apologize for anything. I just haven't seen someone so young pass out like that In awhile and I panicked. didn't know what to do."
"I had a dream. At least I think that's what it was."
"A dream?"
"I was laying on the couch but not the one here, it was similar but not the same. I opened my eyes and watched someone walk in with logs in their arms, they looked similar to you but not the same. They knelt down by the fireplace, placing the logs inside and asked me to get their wand which was resting on the coffee table. It looked similar to your's but not the same. They cast a spell, Incendio. They sounded similar to you but not the same." Regulus listened to what I said carefully, trying to make sense of what he was just told. "And then I heard you and dad. I remember you crying and then being carried to bed."
A knock at the door pulled our attention away from each other. The door creaked open and dad stood in the doorway, "good morning you two."
