Story: Let It Be

Author: theherbflower

Chapter 1: Blackbird

Disclaimer: I disclaim anything that J.K owns. Its not mine and I disclaim all legal rights to it.

Playlist: Any way you want it~ Journey. Lovin Touchin Squeezin~ Journey. Sweet Caroline~ Neil Diamond.

Chapter 1: Blackbird

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night,

Take theses broken wings and learn to fly.

All your life you have only been waiting for this moment to arrive."

The night was cold, much colder then nights back home in England. But on that note, I didn't much care. Germany was an interesting country. It was filled to the brim with culture, great food, dancing and ever greater beer. I am disheartened that I must leave this wonderful place that has kept sanity at bay for the last two years. But I needed to go home. To feel the rough rains of summer; the harsh sopping cold during winter; warm breeze's in spring. While England held many of the nightmares I still wish to escape, I had to return. Part of me I know will always remain here in Deutschland. Because part of me was reborn here. Facing the reality that was home was a hard muffin to eat, but in my gut and in my heart I knew that I must do it. And on the bright side, once I got there I'd get to see Ginny and Luna again. And sweet Merlin did I miss those two.

It was nearly noon, the moment my portkey would take me back home to England. I took one last look at Munich and smiled, I'd be back here one day. And by that time I'd have made it to the top of the gormet baking chefs in Europe. At least that's what I hoped. I reached down and picked up my guitar case that was plastered over with stickers from the various clubs I'd played throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland. And with my guitar in one hand, my suitcase in the other and my messenger bag strapped on my side I was gone. The floating almost flying feeling of traveling by portkey caught me off guard a little, it had been two years since the last time I'd done this. I just kept calm and before I knew it I found myself on the ground in a deserted field in Ottery St Catchpole. I sat my luggage down on the ground and flopped down onto the grassy knoll that I was standing on. I flipped back to look at the clouds that were passing over head in the bright blue sky. I sighed. As much as I missed this place, I could have spent the rest of my life running from it.

The battle at Hogwarts was ghastly. I was a sixth year when it all went down. I along with all of the other Gryffindor's fought valiantly against the clutches of Voldemort. I'll never forget running down the corridors of the castle as it was falling apart piece by piece from the bombardment of the enemy. I'll never forget when the battle was over and we'd won. And it was triumphant. The safety of the Wizarding world was out of the clutches of that sick megalomaniac. I was on cloud nine, for a moment. Then the death's had been tallied and listed, and I'd lost friends. Good friends. People died that I respected, that I'd always looked up to. Professor Lupin; Fred Weasley; Professor Moody and countless others. I'll never forget the freedom of being able to go home. I caught the next floo out of Hogwarts after saying goodbye to Ginny, Luna, Neville and the rest of my friends. The house was quiet when I got there, and cold from lack of heat. I screamed out for my mother or father. No one called back. I yelled out for my brother Richard, and still there was no reply. I ran into the living room happily, expecting them to be there watching Television or something. What I found was my mother, dead. Had been for what looked like weeks. Her eyes had caved in and there were flies and maggots covering her. My father was in much of the same position. But the worst thing, god the worst was my brother Richard. His face was covered in dried blood, there were flies swarming him. A wooden stake had been jammed through the back of his skull. And in horror I fell to my knee's.

I remember screaming and screaming until my lungs gave out. Eventually I'd gotten up enough courage to run back to the floo and floo strait back to Hogwarts. I remember Professor McGonagal helping me. I got someone in to clean the place out with the money willed to me. Then I had someone go in and appraise everything. By that time I had them buried in the graveyard two blocks down from the house. I sold everything that I didn't want to keep which was most everything. I kept my mothers antique china tea pot passed down to her from her grandmother; my father's favorite tee shirt bearing the Chudley Cannons logo on it; and my brothers guitar. After that I left England to go to Germany where I got a job at a bakery. And not until this day have I been back here. I didn't want to hear about England; see England; think England. All I wanted to do was escape that memory that's tattooed into my brain. Then one day I decided the only way to get on with my life was to come back and deal. England was my home, and I know my parents wouldn't want me to stay away just because they died at the hands of the enemy. And so, here I was.

Ginny had owled me two weeks ago telling me to just come to the Burrow. Luna and Neville were going to be there with her waiting for me. It was hard for me to go back and face them, as I havent had contact with either of them in two years. Just Ginny a month ago when I owled her that I'd be moving back to the country. I sighed and sat up before standing, brushing off my clothes and picking up my luggage. I walked down the knoll in the direction that was the Burrow. It looked ancient, yet had a very appealing charm to it. As if it were a home. I walked up to the back door and was about to knock on it when the door swung open and Ginny popped out.

"Heather! Oh my gosh I'm so glad you're back!" she chirped flinging herself around me. "I've missed you so much." she hugged me.

"Missed you too Red." I grinned pulling off of her. "How are things?"

"Great! Well as great as can be." she smiled sadly. "How are you?"

"Sad at leaving Deutschland." I shrugged. "But glad to be home."

"Germany couldn't have been that great."

"Oh no my dear. It was and then some." I smiled. "Luna and Neville here?"

"Err. Well no. See Neville and Luna are both in New Zealand looking for the Ellein… something or another. But they said that once they got back they'd beeline for you."

"Alright."

"Come in though." she smiled grabbing my suit case from me. "Its mum's birthday. My brothers are in the kitchen making a cake. Though with Charlie being the one to orchestrate it, it might not be edible."

The inside of the Burrow was just as inviting as I'd thought it would be. The kitchen had a long wooden table down the length of it. On one end of the Kitchen a tall red head I assumed was Charlie was making something in a bowl. I grinned at her.

"Perhaps I could be of service. After all I am a gourmet baking chef…"

"Charlie!" Ginny called over to her brother. "I've brought a chef to make mums cake. You'll just give us all food poisoning."

"Stuff it Gin. I can make the cake just fine!"

"Its all good Red. If he wants to give you food poisoning then he's entitled to." I grinned from Ginny to her brother who raised his eyebrow.

"I could use some help I suppose." he smiled sheepishly. "But I don't give people food poisoning."

"He spent thirteen years chasing dragons. I think his mind's a bit addled." Ginny smirked. "And take off your damn sun glasses. Do you really need them?" she asked pulling my ray-vans from my face. "See look! You have actual eyes!"

"Can it Red. You know that sunlight gives me migranes. Did I not wear sun glasses most of Hogwarts?"

"Well yeah but… we're indoors!"

"Whatever." I smiled before rolling my eyes and setting my guitar case down. I turned and walked over to the other red head in the room and pulled an apron off of a hook next to the counter. "I need eggs, flour, milk, sugar, vanilla, baking powder, soda, a bowl and a whisk."

"And what might be wrong with this batter?" he asked pushing the bowl over to me. I took a sniff and backed away with my nose wrinkled. It smelled like paste.

"Did you add sugar?"

"Yes brown. Thought I'd give it a little color."

"Did you put in coconut?"

"Yes. For flavor."

"Did you put in eggs?"

"Eggs?"

"Yes eggs."

"No…"

"And there is the problem. So go get me those items stat." I barked with a smirk. "I'll show you how to bake a real cake…"

…scene…change…

"How in Merlin's wrinkly balls did you pull that off?" I asked the short blonde next to me who had pink frosting smeared in a strait line on her chin. "It looks like some cake rich and famous people eat! Its all perfect and just wow…" I trailed off at the cake. It was square, had three layers all square, pink roses all over it and Happy Birthday Mum written on it in Green icing. There was pumpy looking frosting on the side around the edges. The thing almost looked to good to friggin eat.

"I'm a gourmet baking chef…" she trailed off with a grin. "Its what I do for a living…"

"You must get paid bank!"

"Not really. I do it for the love of it, not the price tag it will get me." she smiled tossing a rag she had in her hands to the side. "Pretty nice on such short notice huh? If I had more time I could have done better."

"Then that?"

"Yeah."

"Wow…"

"Uh huh. So now that I have successfully made for you a cake to give your mother on her birthday. I need to go and check into the Leaky Cauldron." she pulled pink apron she had on off and hung it back on its rack. "Tell Red I'll owl her yeah?"

"What? No you have to stay and have dinner and cut this… Art piece."

"Its not that great Charlie. Its kind off crooked here." she pointed to the side. "And the icing on the rose's stem isn't good enough."

"It looks just fine." I shook my head at my sisters friend. Perfectionist much? "Plus if you leave before Ginny comes down and sees what you did she'll have you head on a stick."

"Uh huh…" she rolled her eyes at me. "Sure."

"Whatever!" I flipped my arms up. "Have it your way. Now lets get the kitchen cleaned up. And for that I need music." I grinned flipping on the wireless.

"So do I." she grinned grabbing it and flipping around the dial until muggle music came out.

"And what is this?" I asked her with interest. "It sounds pretty good."

"It's a smash up of two Journey songs. I don't know where it comes from, but I like it."

"I know this! I listened to a channel in Romania that played this. But I think only the originals."

"Probably." she grinned picking up the dishes off the counter. "Make your self useful and wipe this down."

"Yes Ma'am!" I saluted before going to work. It gave me time to think, as cleaning often did. She was a weird one alright, just like my baby sister to bring the oddest friends home. Lovegood takes the cake though. She was a bit too calm, almost obscenely passive. She had butter colored hair and dark blue eyes. Half of her looked like she walked out of the sixties while the other half screamed modern. Weird… but not so bad in my opinion. I mean I am a guy, and she's not bad on the eyes either. Shorter then anyone I'd ever met, but in a cute way. She had on skinny jeans and a green shirt with a big flower on it. Just like my sister to bring her oddball friends home. But no matter. After we cleaned the counter and kitchen from top to bottom she leaned back on the counter and yawned.

"So what did you make for dinner?" she asked me with a smile.

"Dinner?"

"Did you forget to make dinner?"

"Yeah…"

"Alright. Lets go and get something. I know of a really good Chinese place in Leeds."

"Leeds? That's half way across England."

"And we're wizards so we can I don't know apparate right?"

"Oh yeah." I grinned sheepishly at her. "What's Chinese food?"

"Wow. Prepare to be in for a treat." she rolled her eyes.

After we left a note for Ginny she side along'ed me to Leeds. The restaurant was small and dingy and I half about wondered about her sanity. We walked up to the counter where she promptly started to talk in fluent Chinese. After a few minutes of her jabbering on is some foreign tongue she turned back and smile.

"Antoinette told me its on the house for coming back. It saves us forty pounds."

"Wait this is a muggle shop?" I asked scratching my head. "Ok wow."

"Don't look so freaked out about it. I thought you worked with dragons for 13 years? And your afraid of a muggle Chinese restaurant?"

"No of course not!" I muttered. "Its just different. How do you know muggle stuff anyways?"

"My mother was muggle. So I grew up in the muggle world as well as the Wizarding world. It was great." she smiled sadly. "Got a two-for."

"Where are your parents now?" I asked her curiously. "You must be excited to seem them again after such a long stay in Germany."

Her faced paled greatly and suddenly I felt like an ass for asking.

"They died in the war." she told me quietly. "S'kind of why I went to Germany in the first place."

"Wow I'm sorry." I apologized. "I didn't know."

"Then you have no reason to be sorry right?" she smiled at me lightly. "Don't worry about it. I don't tell many people so consider yourself lucky."

"I know how you feel. Well kind of. I lost a brother in the final battle."

"I know." she sighed. "I couldn't be Ginny's friend and not now that."

"That's true." I nodded at her. "So why did you come back to England?" I asked her softly. Our order came up and I walked over to grab the… fifteen bags of food. "Fifteen bags?" I turned to her with half of them in my hands.

"I heard that the Weasley family is extensive. Thought it better to cover my bases." she grinned grabbing the rest of them. "Now lets go back and get them all ready ok?"

"Sure." I nodded.

After that we walked out of the restaurant and back the apparating point.

…scene…change…

Charlie Weasley was absolutely drop dead gorgeous. Like how in the name of sweet Merlin did someone create something this… just wow. I know these are pretty incriminating thoughts as his erm baby sister is my best friend and… older then me but… still wow. So anyways back to the task at hand which was getting all thirty five pints of food out onto the table and the table set.

"Heather! Ok so you have to some and see this!" Red came into the kitchen rapidly with a big giant grin on her face. "Look at this letter!" she thrust the afore mentioned into my face.

Dear Miss Weasley,

It is a pleasure I have as manager and owner of the Holyhead harpies to inform you that you were selected to fill the open position of chaser for the team. We anticipate a reply as soon as you are able. Again, congratulations.

Beth Turner

Owner/Manager of the Holyhead Harpies.

"Sweet Merlin!" I cheered pulling her into a bone crushing hug. "Congratulations Red! I'll come every game!"

"Charlie look! Read!" she pulled the letter from my hands and passed it over. "Isnt it great?"

It took him a minute to read the parchment but when he did he looked up at her with a big grin on his face and pulled her into a hug before swinging her around happily.

"You made the Harpies? That's amazing!"

"I'm so happy." Red said beaming with tears brimming her eyes.

"Oi! what's everyone going gaga about in here?" came a familiar voice from the doorway to the kitchen. "Holy crap Charlie did you cook all of this?" Ron asked walking over to the food. "That looks good." he pointed to the orange chicken. "What the hell'd they teach you in Romania?"

"Ginny made the Harpies." Charlie told him with a grin. "And I didn't make any of that. We bought it. I didn't make the cake either, that was all shortie here." he jabbed his thumb at me.

"Wait… your Ginny's friend Heather. Did'nt your brother get a stake stuck though his head?"

I paled at this. My mouth fell open at him.

"I'm sorry Heather. Ron has never ever had any tact at all." Hermione called as she walked into the room. "What he really means is Hello, nice to see that your back in the United Kingdom."

"Its fine…" I stammered. "I think we need some… something to drink!" I chirped heading for the door. "I'll just pop over and get something from the Leaky Cauldron and be back in a jiff." I told them before leaving the Burrow quickly.

…scene…change…

"Ron you are the most tactless person I've ever met!" Hermione yelled at Ron.

"What? I didn't mean to upset her…" my brother babbled. "Honest."

"Just leave her family alone. How would you like to come home all happy because the sodding war is over only to find your parents dead decomposing bodies and your dead brother with a stake sticking out of his face?"

"Wait a minute…" I asked looking at Ginny. "Her parents were the Rose's? oh god…" I trailed off. "Bill and Kingsley cleaned up that mess. Bill told me it was the most horrible thing he'd ever had to do in his life!"

"And now you see why she ran off. She left the country right after that. She never even finished her schooling. She just up and left. I cant imagine it. It was so hard when Fred died, I cant imagine loosing all of you in one go." Ginny told me with a horrified look. "And on top of that, she was the reason they died. Or at least she was in Voldemort's book. I don't think she'll ever forgive herself."

"Poor girl." I mumbled. "That's got to be heartbreaking."

"I'd imagine so." Hermione sighed. "Maybe one of us should go after her. I nominate Ron, as he's the one that oh so nicely put it that her brother had a stake stuck in his head."

"No. I doubt she wants to deal with that right now. She wont want me, because I know she doesn't want anyone to tell her that its going to be alright. I tried that in the first place, didn't work. Charlie will you go and get her?"

"Leaky Cauldron." I asked. She nodded. "Got it." I told her before apparating with a pop.

The Leaky Cauldron was busy on Saturday nights, and this night was no exception. Tom the barkeep was cleaning glasses. Witches and Wizards were drinking and socializing. George was at the bar with his girlfriend Alicia, I waved them before moving on. I scoured the whole building for what seemed like forever before I finally found her in a corner in the back with two bottles of firewhiskey. One was already open and half gone. She reached for the bottle again and poured another glass before downing it and filling up another. By the time I got to her she'd had three glasses and was most likely piss drunk. She went to pour another when I pulled the bottle out of her hand.

"Hey give that back!" she demanded before hiccupping. "And I've already checked in. So I'll come get my bag and stuff tomorrow." she hiccupped again. "Go home and celebrate your mothers birthday like a good boy."

"No. You are going to come back with me, after of course we've gotten you a sobering potion. And your going to like it." I pulled the second bottle of whiskey off of the table and popped them away. I grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her up to stand. "It will be fun. You will have fun." I told her. "And my idiot brother wont make anymore stupid comments ok?"

She nodded at me sadly before allowing me to tow her though the crowd of people over to the bar where George and Alicia were.

"What's up? Aren't you supposed to be making dinner for mum right now?" George asked with a grin. "And who is this? I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

"This is Ginny's friend Heather Rose. Dinner is already done. I need a sobering potion. And I know you don't go drinking without one."

"So wait? Your dating our baby sisters friend?" he laughed at me before being slapped on the arm by Alicia.

"Stop being a git George." she reached into his robe pocket and pulled out the potion. "Here Charlie. We'll be there in a few ok?"

"Thanks Ally. You're a lifesaver."

"Your welcome. And get her somewhere safe. A bar alone isn't somewhere a young woman should be alone getting drunk. Trust me I know. That's how I ended up with this git." she pointed to my brother who gave her a sour puss look.

"See you later then." I turned around to Heather who was swaying back and forth. I sighed at her, poor kid. "Come on. Hop on." I turned around so that she could get on my back. After a rather painful bit of her climbing on we left the pub. When we got to the back alley I told her to hold on and apparated us to the Burrow. I had her hop off and sit on the ground where I gave her the potion to drink.

Like its normal reaction, she doubled over to the side to be sick. I sat down next to her and pulled her hair back so that she could be sick without her hair getting in the way. After all of the alcohol in her system was up she started to cry. I sighed and swished my wand for a glass of water to appear. I handed it to her and told her to drink, which she did. She still cried. And hell I wanted to cry. Poor thing, have to come home to see that… cant even imagine it myself. I did the only gentlemanly thing that I could think of and pulled her into a hug. She cried for a good while before sitting up and sniffing her tears back. I pulled my handkerchief from my pocket and handed it to her. She wiped her eyes with it and sighed. She handed the handkerchief back to me and moved to get up. I pulled her back down and looked her dead in the eyes.

"I'm not going to give you the everything is going to be alright speech ok? But I think you need to just sit there and take sometime to think for a bit ok?" I told her before turning my gaze up at the nights sky. I looked back at her and reached over to move her hair from her face.

"No. I'll be ok." she told me standing up. "You really need to get in there. Red told me that your mums party started at nineteen hundred and its…" she looked at her wristwatch. "Its just that now."

"Alright." I nodded standing up. "But no more alcohol ok?"

"Fine." she sighed before taking off towards the Burrow.

I looked back up at the darkening autumn sky and shook my head. Merlin what was I getting myself into…

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night,

Take these sunken eyes and learn to see.

All your life you were only waiting for this moment to be free."

Authors Note:

So this is a test run that will likely go nowhere but eh… got to try.

Cheers.

Theherbflower ps, review!