The Girl Who Was Forgotten

Chapter 42

"Let them breath, Hermione."

Magnolia glanced at Ron, glad that he had stopped Hermione before she did. Magnolia wanted to know how long they had all been here. If Ron and Hermione were here, as well as Mrs Weasley and Ginny, then Fred and George must be too, and Mr Weasley. How long had they all been together, and hiding it from her and her brother?

Magnolia sat on the edge of one of the beds, watching her brother, Ron, and Hermione talking and feeling every bit the outsider. Hermione and Ron were so worried about Harry's feelings, they were so worried about Harry's summer, that they both seem to have forgotten about Magnolia. When Harry started shouting, after Ron and Hermione had told him for the umpteenth time that they hadn't been allowed in the meetings, Magnolia quietly slipped out of the room.

She wandered up the next set of stairs, not with a destination in mind, she just wanted to explore and have time to herself to think. The Order of the Phoenix. This was the headquarters. Somewhere in this house was her Godfather. Magnolia smiled briefly, at least Sirius wasn't having to hide out in caves anymore; he could be back in his home.

Although, Magnolia thought, it didn't feel much like a home. She couldn't imagine Sirius growing up here. She couldn't imagine anyone growing up here. She sighed. Was this how it would be from now on? Her and Harry being left out of the big picture. Her, at least. Harry and his friends were very good at leaving her out of the big picture.

Magnolia walked into one the bedrooms and paused. She hadn't chosen a specific room to go into, she hadn't really been paying much attention where she was going at all. But the state of this room was worse than the hallway she had been in.

Dust covered everything. There wasn't a surface that didn't have an unhealthy layering of dust upon it. Even the floor kicked up clouds of dust as Magnolia walked further into the room. By the window, Magnolia could see a massive sheet covering something and pulled it off to reveal two comfortable looking armchairs. Magnolia patted on the chairs, making sure it wasn't coated with dust, and sat down.

Pulling her knees up to her chest in the chair, Magnolia wiped a circle on the window so she could see out of it at the world going by outside. She leant her head against the side of the chair, absentmindedly watching the people hurrying past with no idea the house was even there.

She knew now why the Gryffindor's had been so quiet during the summer, but she still didn't know why her Slytherin friends had. A chill went through her body. The Order of the Phoenix was a group created by Dumbledore to fight against Voldemort. If the Order was the reason the Gryffindor had been quiet, was Voldemort the reason her other friends had been? Harry had been very eager to tell Magnolia that Draco's father had been one of the Death Eater's to arrive in the graveyard. Magnolia now worried that could be the reason Draco hadn't written to her. He could have been hurt.

"Interesting room choice."

Magnolia snapped her head to the doorway as the voice startled her out of her thoughts. Sirius was stood, leaning against the doorframe almost like he didn't want to step foot in the room.

"Why's that?"

"This was my brother's room." Sirius nodded to the wall that the bed was against, "He was a Slytherin, too."

Magnolia could see all the Slytherin things now, scarves, banners, flags, all attached to the wall. She sighed slightly and smiled a little at her godfather.

"Well, we Slytherin's do find solace through each other." Magnolia mumbled, "We have to."

Magnolia saw Sirius frown, and reluctantly walk into the room until he was perched on the arm of the chair opposite her. He looked uncomfortable in the room, like he shouldn't be there.