Summer had faded away and the cold breeze returned. It had become routine for Emilie to stay at the Burrow every weekend, this being her last for a while.
She sat on the stairs, sucking on a sugar quill as she wrote down her list of things to pack. Books, potions ingredients, clothes, her wash bag, plenty of empty parchment for letters, uniform and her wand. Well her wand being stuck behind her ear so she ticked that off.
It had been settled last week that herself, Ginny and Hermione would return to Hogwarts to complete their seventh year. Over the course of the summer, everyone and more had gone up to the castle to fix the structure, replace statues and thousands of other equipment that was damaged. Thankfully Kingsley, the new minister had given Professor McGonagall as much money as she needed to replace everything and offered more than he was allowed. The castle was now back to its original state along with a few more secret passages thanks to the twins.
"Emilie dear, dinner time. You wouldn't mind going upstairs and telling the boys?" Mrs Weasley called up the stairs. She nodded and popped her notebook and quill in her hoodie pocket and ran upstairs to find Harry and Ron asleep.
"Alright sleepyheads, time for dinner." Emilie said softly rolling her eyes. Well it was their fault for staying up at the castle for the whole night finishing it and only getting back at lunch. Ron groaned, rolling over and Harry slowly got up and rubbed his eyes.
"Ronald, dinner now." Emilie said in Ron's ear, imitating his mother. Like a bang he shot up, Emilie laughed and rushed downstairs.
Fred motioned to the seat next to him and Ginny. The table was really a feast; Mrs Weasley had cooked Emilie's favourite, mashed potatoes and chicken, Hermione's favourite, pasta and Ginny's favourite, chicken wings. They all dug in, and the table was a buzz of conversation as they discussed what Hogwarts would be like after the battle. Harry informed them, that they had build a wall of the fallen; portraits of those who died, Snape, Colin, and many other students and staff.
Soon after Molly had made sure everyone had finished their third helping of dinner she allowed them to leave the table; Percy and George offering to help clean up. Harry went off with Ginny somewhere, most likely apparated to Grimmauld Place and Ron dragged Hermione upstairs. Emilie laughed, the last night for the couples. But then she realised she was part of a couple.
"Didn't think I'd be letting you go without a goodbye did you?" Fred whispered, pulling her out into the garden.
"Well..." She muttered, smiling as he brought her over the garden wall that was hidden behind the house. They sat side by side on the wall discussing darker subjects like death and how close he was to it, when he would see her over the school year and her plans after.
"You know, in my 'other universe' memories." She used quotation signs and grinned. "I've always wanted to be some sort of Doctor so maybe a Healer." She answered, closing her hands together.
"Hmm, a healer I think that would suit you. Determination, cleverness, quick thinking. I'm surprised Mione hasn't thought of that." Fred said, smiling at her. Emilie laughed and leaned her head on his shoulder.
And they sat in silence for moment, not knowing what to say but Emilie liked the quiet, she wondered if she fell asleep as she woke up in her favourite armchair with a blue blanket draped around her.
"What time is it?" she said rubbing her eyes, Ginny and Harry had just walked through the door.
"Who's the sleepyhead now?" Harry laughed helping her up off the armchair as he figured she was still half asleep. She stuck her tongue out at him, for a seventeen year old she was still quite childish.
"It's almost nine, we better be getting to bed." Ginny answered, looking at Hermione's trunk at the bottom of the stairs.
"Nine? But I haven't even packed yet, have you?" Emilie panicked, also noticing Hermione's trunk and bag. Ginny shook her head and followed Harry upstairs.
The girls entered their room with their trunks open on their bed and Hermione reading through transfiguration year eight. Ginny had half of her stuff packed; Emilie's stuff was all over her bed. Groaning she started to pack and check things off her list. The girls chatted about how hard their final year would be, emotionally and mentally but Ginny made the very good point that they had just been through the biggest war since Grindewald.
Once their trunks were bulging and their bags packed for the train they got changed into their pyjamas, Emilie saying she'd be back in a moment and slipping through the door.
Climbing the stairs to the hall with Fred and George's room, she knocked on Fred's door. Since Bill and Charlie moved out the twins got separate rooms, temporary as they lived in the flat above the shop. The room was dark, pitch black actually, Emilie felt the walls and eventually found the bed were the figure was sleeping. Quietly she kicked him awake for a lamp to turn on.
"Ow Em, what was that for?" George half laughed, half winced in pain at his leg. Emilie's face turned red, as she stuck out her tongue, muttered an apology and rushed out of the room and into George's room.
'Bloody twins, switching rooms. Honestly I'm glad I'm leaving.' Emilie thought as she flicked on the room's light and found Fred in nothing but a pair of sweatpants with the blanket on the floor. She half slammed the door and woke him up.
"Well looks like someone fell asleep on the job" She said, as he pulled the blanket up and over himself, half asleep he grinned.
"We thought you'd be up as soon as the two lovebirds came in. After I heard you shut your door I went to bed." He said, pulling the blanket up and letting her in.
"Packing, Fredrick." She said in a strict tone. He rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around her.
"Well where did you run off to this afternoon? I believe it was six when we were outside." She turned to face him, he sighed just wanting to sleep. 'Boys' she thought.
"Shop duty...needed something." He muttered, his eyes were now closed and Emilie was listening to his heartbeat as it slowed down to a gradual pace. Good he was asleep, now to wake him up again.
Slowly she moved her head off his chin and smiled before kissing him goodnight and moving back to his chest and falling asleep herself. Long day tomorrow.
"So this is where she disappeared to." Hermione's voice said, Emilie was in the middle of a very nice dream about her boyfriend and was rudely interrupted.
"She could have told me, I would've gone to see Harry." Ginny replied. Emilie said up, pulling away from Fred's arms and saw Hermione and Ginny standing at the door arms crossed and fully dressed.
"He ditched me last night." She said, climbing out of bed. Thankfully she had chosen to wear her polar bear long bottoms and a tank top.
"Alright, go get ready. We leave in forty-five minutes." Hermione said, allowing her through and sighing. "I think she's falling for him."
"You don't say? She'll be fine. At this rate we'll all be sisters in law by Christmas." Ginny joked, rushing downstairs for breakfast.
Emilie hopped in the shower and washed her hair, her clothes were laid out on top of the washing basket freshly ironed. She could never thank Molly enough for everything she did. Once dressed and teeth brushed she went into Ginny's room.
Finding her makeup bag shoved down the side of her bed, she applied foundation, powder, blusher and mascara. Saying goodbye to her shared room, she gathered all of her bits and bobs and put them in her backpack. Hermione was so kind to teach them her expanding spell so that no matter how many things they placed in their bags, it felt almost empty.
Everyone was gathered in the living room, Molly, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione; Arthur and Percy had gone back to work and George had left for the shop. A little disappointed Fred wasn't up or either left without saying goodbye she helped Molly put all the trunks in the car.
The platform was busy, nervous parents dropping off their children. Firsties looking rather excited with whispers of a beaten down castle from the war. Emilie swore she heard someone mention Voldemort's body preserved in a glass coffin like Snow White. Of course everyone stared at the group, the famous Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, saviours of the wizarding world. Ron walked with his head down surprisingly only asking if they could stop on the way home for food.
Almost eleven it was time for goodbyes, the couples shared an embrace as Emilie stood awkwardly with Molly. No sign of Fred.
"He'll appear, don't worry. Now write if you've forgotten anything, I'm sure you'll be staying for Christmas?" Molly said with a smile.
"Of course, I think my mother will visit. I hear she's off with my aunt somewhere in America." Emilie said, remembering her mother's goodbye.
"Well you are free to stay anytime to want. But I'm sure you know that... Won't be long till you're a proper part of the family." She winked, making Emilie's cheeks flush pink.
"Oh I'm sure Mum." A voice said cheerfully. Fred! A sigh of relief escaped Emilie as he pulled her in close for a hug and dragged her off somewhere for a cheeky kiss.
"I'm sorry, slept in." He whispered, both of them against one of the platform walls. She smiled and received one hell of a goodbye kiss.
"You can make it up to me at Christmas." She said cheekily and kissed him again and rushed off to the group. Almost strangling Harry and Ron as she hugged them behind and Molly almost strangling her as she gave her a bone crushing hug. She said her final goodbyes and found Hermione and Ginny on the train in what she guessed was their old compartment.
What a strange year would come.
I just had to write more of Emilie's story. Think of this as the in between of the 19 years later and how they got there. I love Fremilie together and also want to explore the rest of the group's future after the war. So leave a review on how you thought this chapter was like. I think by the time I upload this, it'll be in a different story. So I'll upload it twice.
This is the first chapter of 'In Between, this is dedicated to Blinka Fudge who wrote the best review I've ever recieved and motivated me to write more so thank you and hopefully this new story will give you the same thrill as the first one.