After we evasdropped on Mr Weasley, Harry wouldn't speak. I tried to talk to him about it, but it was hard when Mrs Weasley was fussing over me, and I was talking to Mr Weasley about how he was.
I promised to myself to speak to Harry when we got back. Gennie, Sam and I were finally heading to Grimmauld place with the others, as Elena suggested (more like commanded) us to go home for a bit, and that she should look after her son for a bit.
Which was basically code for 'we want some alone family time'. Which was fair enough. I had a feeling Elena wanted to try and reconcile with Alia.
Sam was rather excited to see the headquarters, as she was going to become a member of the order after Moody suggested it. She told me in an excited whisper 'I feel like a proper war rebel now!'
Harry was quiet on the tube as we all squashed on to head back to Grimmauld Place. I nudged him with my shoulder. "You okay?"
He didn't answer. He shook his head violently and then concentrated on a poster hanging on the tube door.
When we got back, Mrs Weasley began fussing over him. "Harry, dear, are you sure you're all right?" said Mrs. Weasley in a worried voice, as we walked around the unkempt patch of grass in the middle of Grimmauld Place. "You look ever so pale... are you sure you slept this morning? You go upstairs to bed right now and you can have a couple of hours of sleep before dinner, all right?"
As soon as we entered the house, Harry ran straight upstairs to his room, not even saying hello to Sirius and Remus who came out of the kitchen.
"What's the matter with him?" Remus asked as Gennie hugged him tightly.
"Who knows what's really the matter with anyone these days." Gennie said tiredly.
I ended up playing exploding snap with Hollie until dinner was ready, and Harry still hadn't surfaced. "Should I go get him?" I asked Mrs Weasley as I helped Ginny set the table.
"Yes dear, he's been up there for a while." Mrs Weasley said worriedly. "Tell him I'll save him something if he wants to sleep."
I headed up to Ron and Harry's room, and knocked on the door. When there was no reply, I peered inside. Harry was sat on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Molly says food is ready," I said. "Are you coming?"
He shook his head. "I won't press you for what's wrong." I said quietly, my words sounding loud in the quiet room. "But if it's about earlier, you aren't possessed Harry, I would know if you were. Your head would be doing one-eighty and you'd be on a murder spree."
Harry didn't reply. "Okay. Well Molly said she's saving you some food, so come down later, yeah?"
He still didn't reply, so I went back downstairs. Everybody looked up. "He's not hungry." I lied. "I think he'll have something later though."
So I sat with everybody at dinner, eating chicken while Hollie babbled on about all the accidental magic she'd been doing recently, and for once--I felt like I was the twin with the most mental stability.
After food was finished, Lacey picked up the plate of food that had been saved for Harry. "That's it, he's not moping around without eating something." she said firmly. She stormed out of the room with her face determined and honestly a bit terrifying.
I looked at George and sarcastically told him, "She'll be a fantasic mother to your children."
George almost choked on the glass of butterbeer he was drinking. "--What?"
"Dude, it's going to happen." Sam chuckled, putting her feet up on the table. "Someday or later, it'll happen."
"Feet off the table, Samantha." Mrs Weasley snapped, and Sam withdrew her feet. "It's like having another Fred and George, I swear..." she muttered as she began washing the dishes.
Lacey came back down the stairs without a plate. "I tried to give him the food, but he shouted at me to get out. So I left it outside his door." She looked over at Ron. "Ronald, don't step on it, or I'll kick you in the gut."
Ron looked terrified, but George was grinning. "God I love you," he grinned up at Lacey.
She grinned at him, and sat on his lap. "Love you too, you ginger idiot." She looked over at me. "What are you looking at, sis?"
"My sister and future brother-in-law being adorable." I grinned.
George and Lacey both gave me withering looks. "Oh come on!" Fred burst out, looking up from his game of exploding snap with Hollie. "It's going to happen, don't be embarrassed!"
"And you might pass being best friends with a nine year old, but that's not going to happen." George said dryly, as Fred was also wearing one of Hollie's dress up tiaras Mrs Weasley had gotten her.
"Well I'm the most fabulous princess in the land, and you're not, Georgie." Fred grinned.
* * *
Harry didn't come out of his room all the next day. Lacey was still leaving his meals outside his door, but he still wasn't touching them. Ron ate Harry's tea, and Lacey hit him with a tea towel which made us all laugh.
But we spent the morning decorating Grimmauld place with Sirius, which seemed to make him happier than I'd ever seen him. He kept singing Christmas carols as I helped him tinsle the kitchen, he seemed happy at the company over Christmas. While decorating was fun (and something I hadn't done since I was twelve) I still worried about Harry.
At six o' clock, the doorbell rang and Mrs Black started screaming. Sam started covering up the portrait and shouting at it to shut up. "Get the door would you?" she said. "It's probably just an order member."
I opened the door, and I was slightly surprised to see Hermione. "Hermione!" I cried, and I gave her a hug. "What are you doing here?"
"Skiing wasn't working out." Hermione said simply, shaking the snow off her hat. "Hey, Sam."
"Sup," Sam said, still struggling to shut up the portrait.
Soon everybody realised Hermione was here, and everybody was greeting her and she was asking if she could stay for Christmas. Everybody agreed, and then Hermione was taking her bag upstairs to Ginny's room.
"Where's Harry?" she asked as I lent on the door frame and watched her unpack her books from her bag.
"He's been in his room since yesterday." I explained. "Or he might be with Buckbeak, a few of the rats we feed him have gone missing."
"Well why's he doing that?"
I explained about yesterday at the hospital, and how Harry hadn't spoken since. "Well we need to form an intervention!" Hermione said suddenly. "Come on!"
Dazed I followed her around the house as she gathered Gennie, Ron and Ginny (Sam didn't come, as she thought it was none of her bueiness) to find Harry.
We headed to his room, but it was empty. Sam, Gennie, Ron and Sam stayed in his room, as they thought less faces would conivnce Harry to come back to his room. So Hermione and I headed down to the room Buckbeak was kept in.
Hermione hammered on the door. "I know you're in there," said Hermione's voice. "Will you please come out? I want to talk to you."
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked her, pulling open the door and I saw Buckbeak resume his scratching at the floor for any rat he may have dropped. "I thought you were skiing with your mum and dad?"
"Well, to tell the truth, skiing's not really my thing," said Hermione. "So, I've come here for Christmas. But don't tell Ron. I told him it's really good because he kept laughing so much. Mum and Dad are a bit disappointed, but I've told them that everyone who is serious about the exams is staying at Hogwarts to study. They want me to do well, they'll understand. Anyway," she said briskly, "let's go to your bedroom, Ron's mum has lit a fire in there and she's sent up sandwiches."
"See?" I told Harry as we followed Hermione to his room. "You can't refuse Hermione Granger."
We went into his room, and he looked startled to see the rest of our friends sat on the bed.
"I came on the Knight Bus," said Hermione airily, pulling off her jacket before Harry had time to speak. "Dumbledore told me what had happened first thing this morning, but I had to wait for term to end officially before setting off. Umbridge is already livid that you lot disappeared right under her nose, even though Dumbledore told her Mr. Weasley was in St. Mungo's and he'd given you all permission to visit. So..."
She sat down next to Ginny, while I wedged myself between Gennie and the other two girls.
"How're you feeling?" asked Hermione.
"Fine," said Harry stiffly.
"Oh, don't lie, Harry," she said impatiently. "Ron, Ginny and Rory say you've been hiding from everyone since you got back from St. Mungo's."
"They do, do they?" said Harry, glaring at Ron and Ginny. Ron looked down at his feet but Ginny seemed quite unabashed. I just stared straight ahead, staring right at Harry who avoided my gaze.
"Well, you have!" she said. "And you won't look at any of us!"
"It's you lot who won't look at me!" said Harry ang rily.
"What am I doing now, again?" I said sarcastically, staring back at my brother.
"Maybe you're taking it in turns to look, and keep missing each other," suggested Hermione, the corners of her mouth twitching.
"Very funny," snapped Harry, turning away.
"Oh, stop feeling all misunderstood," said Hermione sharply. "Look, the others have told me what you overheard last night on the Extendable Ears -"
"Yeah?" growled Harry, his hands deep in his pockets as he watched the snow now falling thickly outside. "All been talking about me, have you? Well, I'm getting used to it."
"We wanted to talk to you, Harry," said Gennie, "but as you've been hiding ever since we got back -"
"I didn't want anyone to talk to me," said Harry, who looked irritated.
"Well, that was a bit stupid of you," said Gennie angrily, "seeing as you don't know anyone but me and Ginny who's been possessed by You-Know-Who, and I can tell you how it feels."
"Wait a second--" I said. "How was Ginny posessed as well? Weren't you the one dragged into that toilet chamber thingy?"
"Well I stole the diary from Gennie in the summer." Ginny said, looking awkward. "We hated each other then, and I wanted to read her diary and tell everybody what was in there. But then only Tom Riddle was in there, so we talked until the end of the summer--when Gennie found out she whacked my around the head, if I remember rightly."
"I did, sorry about that." Gennie said, looking equally as awkward. "And then he moved onto me, as I'm sure you all--excpet Rory--remember."
"I forgot," he said.
"Lucky you," said Gennie cooly.
"I'm sorry," Harry said, and he sounded like he meant it. "So... so, do you think I'm being possessed, then?"
"Well, can you remember everything you've been doing?" Gennie asked. "Are there big blank periods where you don't know what you've been up to?"
"No," he said.
"Then he hasn't ever possessed you," said Gennie simply. "When he did it to me, I couldn't remember what I'd been doing for hours at a time. I'd find myself somewhere and not know how I got there."
"That dream I had about your dad and the snake, though -"
"Crap, I had that as well." I muttered, and everyone stared at me. "What? I thought you'd all know that by now. Harry and I generally have the same freaky dreams. But mine was flashes... It was weird."
"Harry you've had these dreams before," Hermione said. "You had flashes of what Voldemort was up to last year."
"This was different," said Harry, shaking his head. "I was inside that snake. It was like I was the snake... what if Voldemort somehow transported me to London -?"
"One day," said Hermione, sounding thoroughly exasperated, "you'll read Hogwarts: A History, and perhaps it will remind you that you can't Apparate or Disapparate inside Hogwarts. Even Voldemort couldn't just make you fly out of your dormitory, Harry."
"Plus, Rory couldn't either--even though you were more concerned over Cole than snakes--"Gennie said. "Sure, we were in London, but I was awake the whole time. She was just twitching in her sleep."
"You didn't leave your bed, mate," said Ron to Harry. "I saw you thrashing around in your sleep for at least a minute before we could wake you up."
Harry started pacing up and down the room again, seeming to be thinking. Soon a little smile flickered on the end of his lips. He was actually listening to us for once, it seemed. As he absently shoved a sandwhich in his mouth, I nearly cheered. Harry wasn't self-loathing any more, and that was the best news I'd heard all day.
He even looked like he wanted to join in with Sirius and Hollie as they came past the bedroom singing "God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs" at the top of their voices.
Things were better with Harry in the lead-up to Christmas, he would actually come down for food and he apologised to Lacey (who gave him an awkward hug--typical Lacey affection). Without my medication I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders, and I could almost feel some old festivity creep into my smiles and thoughts for once.
It was almost like my mind had been cleared out for Christmas--but I knew of course it was down to everybody around me being healthy and happy, not my mind actually wanting to fix itself.
But Sirius was making the biggest effort for it to be an amazing Christmas. The house was cleaned from top to bottom, with Christmas decorations hanging from every crevice and even the stuffed elf-heads on the hall wall wore Father Christmas hats and beards.
I woke up Christmas morning to find presents at the foot of my bed and Sam and Gennie opening presents on their respective beds. Sam had been staying with us because she saw no point in going back to Bulgaria with Elena when her parents could come around and easily rat her in to Voldemort.
"Happy Christmas." Sam said with a smile, her short hair tousled. "Thanks for the novelty earrings by the way."
I'd been unsure what to get Sam for Christmas, so in the end I just bought Christmas earrings thinking it'd be cool with the amount of rings that jangled in her ear. She had half of them in already, reindeers and stars and snowmen glittering in her earlobe.
"S'okay." I yawned, grabbing the first present I could grab. "Are we visiting Cole today?"
Gennie nodded, unwrapping a book from her dad. "We're going to Diagon Alley to pick up his kitten, then we'll see him, and then we'll visit Mr Weasley as well."
"I still can't believe the rehab place said they'll let him keep a cat." Sam said as I unwrapped a new jumper from Mrs Weasley (black with silver stars). "I mean some physcos go there, wouldn't they kill it?"
Gennie shrugged. "I'm just lucky he can keep it. I mean Alia would have kept it anyways, but it's nice Cole gets to keep it."
I had a sizable amount of more presents from the year before, as now I was getting presents from Lacey, Hollie, Sam and Arthur (and I was still feeling incredibly guilty I hadn't gotten him anything--I was seriously slacking in gift giving).
I ended up with quidditch gloves from Harry, a homework planner from Hermione (everybody got them--Sam seemed to be the only one to appreciate it though), new boots from Lacey and a new tiger toy from Hollie (which I cried at, because it was a replacement for the one she got me for my thirteenth).
Then Ron of course got me sweets (though I wasn't compalining), Remus gave me a purse with ten galleons in, I had a mix tape from Sam (and I was very pleased to see Nirvana and Blink-182 on there), a new quidditch helmet from Gennie, The Hobbit from Cole and the Wicked book from Arthur.
Then there was the present I'd been half-dreading to open from Draco. It was a small paackage, small enough to fit inside a jacket pocket. I hoped it wasn't jewelry, as I had so much jewelry from everyone it was hard to decide what to wear--excecpt my memory ring, my mother's locket and bracelet from Kayley which I never took off--.
Slowly I unwrapped it to find a small black book with the word Smile on the front. Frowning in confusion I opened it to find a post-it-note from Draco inside.
Rory,
So I didn't know what to get you since we're kind of in a fight at the moment (we always pick the best time to fight, don't we?) until I thought of all that's happened over the last few months. I know you've been unhappy inside that head of yours, so I thought I'd make something to make you smile.
I had to go around to a few of your friends to get these, but inside are some photos and momentos to make you smile (by the way, I don't even want to know how the heck Blaise managed to capture the photo on page six).
It's small because if there is a war... Well things are going to get dark and sad, and you might need to go on the run. This is small enough to fit into your pocket and keep close.
Love you,
Draco
P.s Gennie put some photos in that she thought I shouldn't know about? I don't know, hope you like those ones
Smiling already, I opened the book to find an asortment of photos of Draco and I from our good old days from third year and early fourth year, when we were friends and everything was simple. There were also several of me and my friends from third year--including the one that was on Cole's table.
There were photos of Alia and I posing from fourth year, Cole and I pranking Gennie... All of us girls before the Yule Ball, before everything changed.
I found a surprise on page six, like Draco said. It was a photo of me and Draco kissing. Our second kiss, when everything was peaceful with our arms around each other. A happy ache came to my chest. I'd always regretted I didn't have a phot of me and Draco from that night together, but now we did--even if Blaise had been creeping at the time.
I soon found which photos Gennie had put in. There was a photo of the DA list, and pictures of us at meetings. There was Sam and I jinxing each other, Alia leaping onto my back for a piggy-back, Harry teaching us...
I wiped at my tears and hugged the book to my chest. It was the best present Draco had ever given me. For a second, I thought my present of a kiss was pretty crappy--until I realised I gave him more than that. I gave him hope.
"Are you crying over that photo album?" Gennie said amused. "Oh Rory..."
She was laughing as she hugged me, and I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, well it's because I'm happy you idiot. What did Cole get you?"
She showed me a necklace around her neck, which was golden and delicate with a heart hanging off the end and a wolf paw and kitten head charm attatched. "He says he considers himself a cat in the relationship." she said fondly. "What did Mira get you, Sam?"
Sam smiled shyly. "This." It was also a necklace but silver and had a locket on the end. When she opened it, there was a picture inside of Mira and Sam hugging before kissing.
"Awh, how cute." I said. "Looks like we all got cute presents from our other halfs."
Gennie laughed quietly. Sam and I looked at her. "It's just weird... Last year we all hated each other--"
"You all hated me," Sam corrected. "And I hated the two of you, if it helps."
Gennie rolled her eyes. "I was saying, that it's amazing. A year ago we all hated each other, and now we're all best friends..."
"I prefer it this way," Sam said honestly. "You guys are much better friends than death eaters, not surprisingly."
She absently rubbed at her left arm of her tight black sleeves, probably pain from her dark mark.
I looked between the three of us, how we'd changed from happy, bitchy and afraid to depressed, kind and strong...
"I prefer it as well." I smiled.
Moments later, there was a cracking sound and Fred and Hollie appeared. "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Hollie cried, and threw herself onto me.
I chuckled and pushed the Christmas hat from her eyes. "Having a good morning so far?"
"Thank you for the Quidditch match tickets!" Hollie cried, attatching herself to my neck. "I love them! I can't wait to see the Holyhead Harpies!"
"Where's the happy couple?" I asked Fred sarcastically, as he ruffled Sam and Gennie's hair, which they complained at.
"Well after we exchanged presents they told us to get out... So probably some fun Lacey and George time..." Fred shuddered. "It's disgusting, honestly."
"Remember what we had to tell them, Freddie?" Hollie asked Fred, tugging at his new jumper.
"Oh yeah!" he said. "Don't go downstairs for a while. We've been passing the message around the house to everyone."
"Why?" Sam asked.
"Aunt Molly is crying again," said Hollie with a frown. "Percy sent back his jumper."
"Without a note," added Fred. "Hasn't asked how Dad is or visited him or anything."
"We tried to cheer her up." Hollie said solemely, her hat falling down her face again. I pushed it back up before she continued. I told her Percy is a humungous pile of rat droppings."
Gennie, Sam and I all laughed at that, I couldn't bring myself to tell Hollie off for saying the truth to an adult.
"Surprisngly, it didn't work." Fred said, snatching one of Sam's chocolate frogs. "So Lupin took over. Thought we'd let him take over and let her calm down before breakfast."
The morning passed with Hermione attempting to give Kreacher a present (only to find he'd disapeared) to Fred and I making vomit noises at George and Lacey when they arrived to lunch with each other's jumpers on and ruffled hair. Needless to say, Lacey and George may have tackled Fred and I for that one.
But after lunch, Sam, Gennie and I headed to Diagon Alley to pick up Cole's kitten. "I thought you were never going to come," the shop-owner said as she passed over the cat carrier to Gennie. "I heard your young man was in hospital."
"He is." Gennie said cooly, paying the woman. "But this little bundle of fluff is going to immensley cheer him up."
"So what's the matter with him?" the shop owner asked, her eyes narrowed curiously.
"Whoops guess what, none of your business." Sam grinned, and with that we grabbed onto her phoenix and we disapeared to St Mungo's.
We appeared in the corridor of Cole's ward, and we could already heard laughter from the direction of Cole's room. I knocked, before somebody shouted at me to come in.
I opened the door to find Cole cross-legged on his bed with a party hat and Weasley jumper on, a smile on his face. Arthur had just finished pulling a cracker with him, and his face was covered in soot and a scowl.
Alia and Camille were sharing a chair, the tension from the other day seemed to have vanished. Elena was in another seat clutching a present, looking amused by the situation.
"Rory!" Arthur cried. "Merry Christmas!"
I made my way around the room, giving Christmas wishes before throwing a present at Arthur. He frowned. "What's this?"
"Your present, you idiot." I rolled my eyes. "It is Christmas."
"You didn't have to." Arthur said, but he was grinning.
"Well consider this an apology for not getting you one last year either." I grinned, sitting next to him.
"I'll take that." Arthur said, and he ripped off the paper to find a dark blue jumper I'd seen yesterday that I thought would look nice with his eyes. "Aw thanks Rory!"
He gave me a friendly kiss on the cheek, before attempting to put it over his head. Attempting to. He put his head through the sleeve.
While I helped Arthur actually put his jumper on, Cole frowned. "Where's Sam and Gennie?"
"They have your Christmas present from Gennie, and wanted to come in once I'd given my present to Arthur." I said. I looked towards the door. "Come in!"
Gennie and Sam burst in, the cat carrier between them. Cole's mouth dropped open. "What's in there?"
Gennie sat on the bed next to him, and put the carrier next to him, while Sam wedged in-between Camille and Alia. "Well look in there," Gennie grinned.
Cole apprehensivley opened the carrier, and let out what was a cross between an excited giggle and a squeak. He reached his hands inside, and pulled out his kitten. He held it up in the air, like that scene in the beginning of the lion king, his face in full awe.
The kitten was a tabby colour, with wide amber eyes and four litle white sock feet. It mewed quietly, and Cole's grin intensified on his face. "Is this mine?"
"Do you really think I'd give you a kitten and then take it back?" Gennie shook her head. "Of course it's yours. Plus they said you can keep it in rehabilitation... so you've got a friend there."
Cole gave Gennie a quick kiss and mumbled thank you during it, before he became preoccupied by his kitten, holding it to his chest. "It's so freaking adorable! And has little cute socks on it's feet, it's equiped for domestic life!"
"What are you going to call it?" Camille asked, coming to stroke it. Alia hung back, shuddering. She didn't like cats.
"Lucifer, all cat's are evil." Alia muttered.
Cole stuck the middle finger towards his sister, which made Elena yell at him, but he didn't seem to care as he held the kitten inches away from his face, still in awe. "Bilbo." he announced.
"Bilbo, like Bilbo Baggins?" Gennie asked, stroking Bilbo's head.
"Nerd." Alia coughed, and Cole shot daggers at her.
"Well this little kitten will be coming on an adventure with me to rehab, so why not?" He shrugged. "Plus that book was the best, I cried like a baby reading it."
"I read it to you when you were little." Elena said fondly. "You couldn't get enough."
"Yeah, because he was a kid and his mother actually read to him." Alia said hottly. It was clear why she was so snappy--it was the presence of her mother. "I wouldn't know."
"Alia, I don't know what you want me to say." Elena said, standing up.
"Maybe sorry for abandoing me while you rose my other three siblings?" Alia shouted, her face red. "Maybe sorry for not coming to find me, ever."
Elena's eyes filled with tears. "I was not given a choice!" she shouted, her face red.
"You took the line that I was cursed?" Alia snorted. "Great parenting. A mother never gives up her child willingly!"
"I didn't give you up willingly!" Elena screamed, and Alia fell silent. "I was forced to! He put me under the imperius curse!"
Everybody fell silent, and Cole's eyes filled with tears. "Mama... Is that true?"
Elena straightened herself up, tears in her proud face. "Yes, it is son. I didn't believe him about the curse, so he used it--convinced me to sign the adoption papers. By the time I fought it off, I was in a meeting with the Fawcett's. So knowing I couldn't deny these people the child they wanted, I just asked them to name you."
Alia stared and then I saw tears come to her eyes. "I... They said that my real mother named me, but I never believed them. I didn't think you cared enough to name me."
"Well I did care, I cared too much." Elena held her head higher. "I cared so much that I left your original birth certificate and baby photos around the house just so Camille would find them and contact you."
"Really?" Camille said, raising an eyebrow. "So I wasn't being an amazing sleuth?"
"As much as you wish you were the next Sherlock Holmes, Camille, you are not. It was all me." Elena said.
Alia rose to her feet, and then slowly walked towards her mother. "I--I'm not saying that I forgive you, or that I love you, okay? All I'm saying is that it's Christmas and we're meant to be happy on Christmas, so I'm going to give you a chance."
And then she wrapped her arms around her mother's middle in an awkward hug, which Elena accepted willingly, looking about as peaceful as I'd ever seen her.
Cole howver, didn't look touched by this reunion. He stood up, looking as serious as one can holding a kitten and wearing a paper party hat. "Why did you never tell me?"
"The same reasons that you never told me." Elena said crisply.
"B-But, you could have left." Cole said uncertainly. "He used the imperius curse on you, mama! You could have told the ministry and taken us away, found Alia... You could have stopped this before it ever happened!"
"I thought it was a just punishment at the time, for my adultery." Elena said, her eyes shining with tears. "But... I realise I was just giving into him."
"Whatever." Cole scoffed, and he gave Bilbo to Gennie before pulling on his hoodie. "Come on, girls."
"Where are you going?" Elena said, letting go of Alia.
"Don't worry, I won't hang myself." Cole said, taking Bilbo from Gennie. "I'm going to visit Mr Weasley and actually see my friends, because I can't stand the sight of you at the moment."
And with that, he walked out of the hospital room. "You two go." Sam said finally, looking at Gennie and I. "You can calm him down.. I'll stay with everyone else."
So the two of us escaped the hospital room, finding Cole waiting at the other end of the corridor for us. "I can't believe her." he ranted as we began to walk through the corridor. "She kept this from me my whole life!"
"She had reasons, Cole, just like you did." Gennie said softly.
"Yeah, I know that." Cole said impaitently. "But she's the parent, she's meant to stand up for herself, do what's best for her kids... And she didn't." He paused. "I'm also very fucking mad with my father and if I wasn't holding this adorable ball of fluff, I would probably punch the wall."
"We can tell the ministry." I said, trying to cool Cole's rage. "We can get him thrown in Azkban, just like what happened last year."
"Like father and son, that's what this is about." Cole said briskly. "And honestly, I really cannot be arsed to go through the court process again, so let's go see Mr Weasley and the gang, because they are happy people."
Cole's plan failed when he realised he didn't know where Mr Weasley was in the hospital, so we went to the main desk. He went up to the desk (handing me Bilbo first, because he thought that would be awkward) and gave the receptionist a dazzling smile.
"Hi, I was wondering where Mr Arthur Weasley is? He came in a few days ago from a snake bite." He grinned. "I'm not very good at finding things."
"First floor, that's where creature induced injuries are." the receptionist said. She squinted at Cole. "Aren't you on the third floor, wizards with muggle medication induced injuries? What are you doing out of bed?"
I'm guessing she was looking at the bracelet around Cole's wrist which said his ward number on. He pulled his hoodie sleeve down further. "I'm sucididal not legless, but thank you for your assiastance, Carol."
Cole took Bilbo back from me, and with a roll of the eye, led us towards the first floor. We soon found the right ward after some misdirection on Cole's part, and found Mr Weasley and everyone gathered around him.
"Hello, everyone!" Cole said breezily, coming across everyone first.
Of course, it was pandemonium. Everyone was asking how Cole was and hugging him--Mrs Weasley nearly strangled him as she declared him stupid for not seeking help--and soon everyone calmed down enough to sit around Mr Weasley's bed.
"But it's good to see we both came out of this mess unscathed, eh Cole?" Mr Weasley smiled, and leaned over to shake Cole's hand.
"Arthur," Mrs Weasley said suddenly, with a snap in her voice like a mousetrap, "you've had your bandages changed. Why have you had your bandages changed a day early, Arthur? They told me they wouldn't need doing until tomorrow."
"What?" said Mr. Weasley, looking rather frightened and pulling the bed covers higher up his chest. "No, no - it's nothing - it's -I-"
He seemed to deflate under Mrs. Weasley's piercing gaze.
"Well - now don't get upset, Molly, but Augustus Pye had an idea... he's the Trainee Healer, you know, lovely young chap and very interested in... um... complementary medicine... I mean, some of these old Muggle remedies... well, they're called stitches, Molly, and they work very well on - on Muggle wounds -"
Mrs. Weasley let out an ominous noise somewhere between a shriek and a snarl. Remus strolled away from the bed and over to the werewolf, who had no visitors and was looking rather wistfully at the crowd around Mr. Weasley; Bill muttered something about getting himself a cup of tea and Fred, Hollie, Lacey and George leapt up to accompany him, grinning.
"Do you mean to tell me," said Mrs. Weasley, her voice growing louder with every word and apparently unaware that her fellow visitors were scurrying for cover, "that you have been messing about with Muggle remedies?"
"Not messing about, Molly, dear," said Mr. Weasley imploringly, "it was just - just something Pye and I thought we'd try - only, most unfortunately - well, with these particular kinds of wounds - it doesn't seem to work as well as we'd hoped -"
"Meaning?"
"Well... well, I don't know whether you know what - what stitches are?"
"Oh sweet lord." I muttered.
"It sounds as though you've been trying to sew your skin back together," said Mrs. Weasley with a snort of mirthless laughter, "but even you, Arthur, wouldn't be that stupid -"
"I fancy a cup of tea, too," said Harry, jumping to his feet.
"Yeah, uh I haven't had one in days, let's just..." Cole drifted off, before tripping getting to his feet and nearly dropping Bilbo, who let out a hiss.
We all sprinted to the door, and as it swung shut we heard Mrs. Weasley shriek, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, TH AT'S THE GENERAL IDEA?"
"Typical Dad," said Ginny, shaking her head as they set off up the corridor. "Stitches... I ask you..."
"Well, you know, they do work well on non-magical wounds," said Hermione fairly. "I suppose something in that snake's venom dissolves them or something. I wonder where the tearoom is?"
"Fifth floor," I said, remembering when I got coffee from Lacey.
"Ah," Cole said, letting out a sigh. "And the gang is back together. It's so beautiful, I might cry."
"Cole have you taken your medication?" Gennie asked wearily.
Cole giggled. "Noooo.... But I'm happy, so let's just leave it alone, okay?"
Gennie sighed, and linked her arm through Cole's. "Okay, but as soon as we're back to your room, you're taking it. And making things right with your mother."
Cole let a huge sigh out, but kept quiet. We walked in relative silent to the coffee shop, and paused on what I thought was the fifth floor. "Is this it?" Hermione asked.
"No, it's the fourth." Harry replied. "What the--"
He was looking towards a set of doors that read SPELL DAMAGE and a blonde man was staring at us all.
"Blimey!" said Ron, also staring at the man.
"It can't be..." Gennie trailed off.
"Oh, my goodness," said Hermione suddenly, sounding breathless. "Professor Lockhart!"
Their ex-Defenseteacher pushed open the doors and moved towards us, wearing a long lilac dressing gown. Cole and I stood there awkwardly, considering neither of us were taught by him.
"Well, hello there!" he said. "I expect you'd like my autograph, would you?"
"Hasn't changed much, has he?" Harry muttered to Ginny, who grinned.
"Er - how are you, Professor?" said Ron, sounding slightly guilty. Apparantly it'd been Ron's fault that obliviate had back-fired on him, permenantly damaging his mind.
Even though I heard how self-centred and arrogant he was, I couldn't help feeling sympathy for him. I mean I'd lost a year of my life, and while that was painful--I was a baby and would have forgotten it anyway. But this man had lost everything--even his sanity.
"I'm very well indeed, thank you!" said Lockhart exuberantly, pulling a rather battered peacockfeather quill from his pocket. "Now, how many autographs would you like? I can do joined-up writing now, you know!"
"OH!" Cole exclaimed. "I know who you are! I read your books--well my mother did."
"Er - we don't want any at the moment, thanks," said Ron, raising his eyebrows at Harry, who asked, "Professor, should you be wandering around the corridors? Shouldn't you be in a ward?"
The smile faded slowly from Lockhart's face. For a few moments he gazed intently at Harry, then he said, "Haven't we met?"
"Er... yeah, we have," said Harry. "You used to teach us at Hogwarts, remember?"
"Teach?" repeated Lockhart, looking faintly unsettled. "Me? Did I?"
And then the smile reappeared upon his face so suddenly it was rather alarming. "Taught you everything you know, I expect, did I? Well, how about those autographs, then? Shall we say a round dozen, you can give them to all your little friends then and nobody will be left out!"
But just then a head poked out of a door at the far end of the corridor and a voice called,
"Gilderoy, you naughty boy, where have you wandered off to?" A motherly-looking Healer wearing a tinsel wreath in her hair came bustling up the corridor, smiling warmly at Harry us.
"Oh, Gilderoy, you've got visitors! How lovely, and on Christmas Day, too! Do you know, he never gets visitors, poor lamb, and I can't think why, he's such a sweetie, aren't you?"
"We're doing autographs!" Gilderoy told the Healer with another glittering smile. "They want loads of them, won't take no for an answer! I just hope we've got enough photographs!"
"Listen to him," said the Healer, taking Lockhart's arm and beaming fondly at him as though he were a precocious two-year-old. "He was rather well known a few years ago; we very much hope that this liking for giving autographs is a sign that his memory might be starting to come back. Will you step this way? He's in a closed ward, you know, he must have slipped out while I was bringing in the Christmas presents, the door's usually kept locked... not that he's dangerous! But," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "he's a bit of a danger to himself, bless him... doesn't know who he is, you see, wanders off and can't remember how to get back... it is nice of you to have come to see him."
"Er," said Ron, gesturing uselessly at the floor above, "actually, we were just - er -"
But the Healer was smiling expectantly at them, and Ron's feeble mutter of "going to have a cup of tea" trailed away into nothingness. They looked at each other helplessly, then followed Lockhart and his Healer along the corridor.
"Let's not stay long," Gennie said. "I didn't even like the guy."
The Healer pointed her wand at the door of the Janus Thickey Ward and muttered, "Alohomora." The door swung open and she led the way inside, keeping a firm grasp on Gilderoys arm until she had settled him into an armchair beside his bed.
"This is our long-term residents' ward," she informed usin a low voice. "For permanent spell damage, you know. Of course, with intensive remedial potions and charms and a bit of luck, we can produce some improvement. Gilderoy does seem to be getting back some sense of himself; and we've seen a real improvement in Mr. Bode, he seems to be regaining th e power of speech very well, though he isn't speaking any language we recognize yet. Well, I must finish giving out the Christmas presents, I'll leave you all to chat."
I looked around, and I realised almost immeadiatley that this was where I wanted to work after Hogwarts. I knew it was strange to know that straight away, but I wanted to help these poor people who's life had been damaged by magic. Mine had been damaged by obliviate--and I would love to try and improve the lives of people worse off than me.
"You can put them in envelopes," Lockhart said to Ginny, throwing the signed pictures into her lap one by one as he finished them. "I am not forgotten, you know, no, I still receive a very great deal of fan mail... Gladys Gudgeon writes weekly... I just wish I knew why." He paused, looking faintly puzzled, then beamed again and returned to his signing with renewed vigour. "I suspect it is simply my good looks..."
I looked around the ward, which seemed quite homey with personal touches of pictures and quilts on each bed. A part of me really ached to start working here straight away, to help people smile who didn't have reason to.
"--And look, Broderick, you've been sent a potted plant and a lovely calendar with a different
fancy Hippogriff for each month; they'll brighten things up, won't they?" said the Healer, bustling along to a mumbling man, setting a rather ugly plant with long, swaying tentacles on
the bedside cabinet and fixing the calendar to the wall with her wand. "And - oh, Mrs. Longbottom, are you leaving already?"
I looked around. A woman wearing a stuffed vulture as a hat and a boy with a downcast face were walking away from two closed beds--Neville and his grandmother.
With a sudden rush of understanding, I guessed who the people in the end beds must be. Harry and Cole seemed to realise and their eyes widened, but they couldn't stop Ron from shouting out: "Neville!"
Neville jumped and cowered as though a bullet had narrowly missed him.
"It's us, Neville!" said Ron brightly, getting to his feet, despite Cole's protests. "Have you seen -? Lockhart's here! Who've you been visiting?"
"Friends of yours, Neville, dear?" said Neville's grandmother graciously, bearing down upon us
Neville looked as though he would rather be anywhere in the world but here. A dull purple flush was creeping up his plump face and he was not making eye contact.
"Ah, yes," said his grandmother, looking closely at Harry and I and sticking out a shrivelled, clawlike
hand for Harry to shake. "Yes, yes, I know who you two are, of course. Neville speaks most highly of you both."
"Er - thanks," said Harry, shaking hands. Neville did not look at him, but surveyed his own feet, the colour deepening in his face.
"And you two are clearly Weasleys," Mrs. Longbottom continued, proffering her hand regally to
Ron and Ginny in turn. "Yes, I know your parents - not well, of course - but fine people, fine people... and you must be Hermione Granger?"
Hermione looked rather startled that Mrs. Longbottom knew her name, but shook hands all the same.
"And Cole, dear it's been so long," Mrs Longbottom cooed. "Was it last summer when you last popped by?"
"Yeah, sorry about that Augusta." Cole smiled. He looked at us staring. "What I have other friends?"
"And this is your little girlfriend, Genesis?" She said, and shook her hand as Cole nodded.
"Yes, Neville's told me all about you all, Helped him out of a few sticky spots, haven't you? He's a good boy," she said, casting a sternly appraising look down her rather bony nose at Neville, "but he hasn't got his father's talent, I'm afraid to say." And she jerked her head in the direction of the two beds at the end of the ward, so that the stuffed vulture on her hat trembled alarmingly.
"What?" said Ron, looking amazed. (I wanted to stamp on Ron's foot, but that sort of thing is much harder to bring off unnoticed when you're wearing jeans rather than robes.) "Is that your dad down the end, Neville?"
"What's this?" said Mrs. Longbottom sharply. "Haven't you told your friends about your parents, Neville?"
Neville took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling and shook his head. I felt my sympathy rise.
"Well, it's nothing to be ashamed of!" said Mrs. Longbottom angrily. "You should be proud, Neville, proud! They didn't give their health and their sanity so their only son would be ashamed of them, you know!"
"I'm not ashamed," said Neville, very faintly, still looking anywhere but at us.
Ron was now standing on tiptoe to look over at the inhabitants of the two beds.
"Well, you've got a funny way of showing it!" said Mrs. Longbottom. "My son and his wife," she said, turning haughtily to us, were tortured into insanity by You- Know-Who's followers."
Hermione and Ginny both clapped their hands over their mouths. Ron stopped craning his neck to catch a glimpse of Neville's parents and looked mortified. Gennie turned pale, and I felt sick to my stomach.
"They were Aurors, you know, and very well respected within the wizarding community" Mrs. Longbottom went on. "Highly gifted, the pair of them. I - yes, Alice dear, what is it?"
Neville's mother had come edging down the ward in her nightdress. She had bright white hair and dead eyes. She did not seem to want to speak, or perhaps she was not able to, but she made timid motions towards Neville, holding something in her outstretched hand.
"Again?" said Mrs. Longbottom, sounding slightly weary. "Very well, Alice dear, very well - Neville, take it, whatever it is."
But Neville had already stretched out his hand, into which his mother dropped an empty Drooble's Best Blowing Gum wrapper.
"Very nice, dear," said Neville's grandmother in a falsely cheery voice, patting his mother on the shoulder.
But Neville said quietly, "Thanks, Mum."
His mother tottered away, back up the ward, humming to herself. Neville looked around at the others, his expression defiant, as though daring them to laugh, but I'd never found found anything less funny.
"Well, we'd better get back," sighed Mrs Longbottom, drawing on long green gloves. "Very nice to have met you all. Neville, put that wrapper in the bin, she must have given you enough of them to paper your bedroom by now."
But as they left, Harry was sure he saw Neville slip the candy wrapper into his pocket.
"See you soon, Nev." Cole smiled weakly as he passed.
The door closed behind them.
"I never knew," said Hermione, who looked tearful.
"Nor did I," said Ron rather hoarsely.
"Nor me," whispered Ginny.
Gennie shook her head, looking distraught. "I never..." I said. "I thought his parents were dead."
They all looked at Harry and Cole.
"He told me last year," Cole said softly. "After that lesson with Crouch... I told him about my brother then. It's why we're such good friends--we're connected."
"I knew," Harry said glumly. "Dumbledore told me but I promised I wouldn't tell anyone... that's what Bellatrix Lestrange got sent to Azkaban for, using the Cruciatus Curse on Neville's parents until they lost their minds."
"Bellatrix Lestrange did that?" whispered Hermione, horrified. "That woman Kreacher's got a photo of in his den?"
There was a long silence, broken by Lockharts angry voice. "Look, I didn't learn joined-up writing for nothing, you know!"
- - - - - - - - - - - -
A/N Yup another chapter.
Draco's present is so cute I couldn't stop smiling. And Elena's backstory makes me sad. But that ties up the whole Alia facing her family side-plot.
I've been sorting out playlists regarding Dory and Connie (hehe new ship name) relationships and I can't wait until I can show you guys them.
I've also been planning out character deaths... That's always fun.
I won't be on much for a bit because I'm seeing Wicked tomorrow (Why Arthur gave Rory that hehe) and then I'm going to London with my cousin, getting gcse results (AGGHH) and watching the doctor who episode in the cinema :D
P.s as you can see this wont be finished by September. Probably Christmas.