River Nikita Tonks, 19
Blonde hair, blue eyes. Is the sister of Tonks.
The Burrow was eerily silent as the three women waited nervously for news. The oldest of the three was sat on the sofa staring at the door while the two teenagers patrolled the room slowly.
Ginny looked at her watch and turned to Molly. "The first portkey should be arriving."
Molly shot up and almost ran out of the door in her hurry, Ginny and River following.
As they got to the door a blue light was seen and a rusty old can fell to the ground.
"Where are Ron and Tonks?" Molly asked hysterically.
"They'll be alright mum. Aunt Muriel probably kept them." Ginny soothed her glancing at River worriedly.
River nodded. "They'll be fine Molly. Tonks is as tough as old boots. Fred and Arthur will be back in a few minutes."
A couple of minutes later there was another flash of blue light and an ancient plimsoll appeared but no Fred or Arthur. Molly was beside herself and Ginny and River took her back inside for a cup of tea.
Hagrid and Harry's portkey appeared and the three of them ran out the door to meet them.
"Harry? You are the real Harry? Where are the others?" Mrs Weasley cried.
"What do you mean? Isn't anyone else back?" Harry panted.
The answer was obvious on Molly's pale face.
"The Death Eaters were waiting for us." Harry told the three women. "We were surrounded the moment we took off."
River frowned and walked into the house trying not to think about what Harry had said and what danger her sister and best friends were in.
She was curled up on the sofa when Harry and Lupin walked in carrying George who was limp and covered in blood. She shot up and ran to his side. "What happened?"
No one said anything as Molly tried to clear up the blood. The light fell on George's face and everyone gasped, George's right ear was missing.
Fred and Arthur came into the room and rushed to George's side.
George stirred and opened his eyes.
"How do you feel Georgie?" Molly asked him.
"Saint like." He murmured.
"What's wrong with him?" Fred croaked as River smirked, knowing where George was going with this. "Is his mind affected?"
"Saint like." George smiled weakly at Fred. "You see I'm holy. Holey, Fred, geddit?"
"Pathetic." Fred groaned. "With the whole wide world of ear related humour before you, you go for holey?"
"Ah well." George shrugged and winked at River who was trying not to cry. "You'll be able to tell us apart now anyway mum."
River smiled and left the room to see if there was any sign of Tonks and Ron.
When she got outside she saw Tonks talking to Remus, she ran up to the pair of them and hugged her older sister.
"What kept you? What happened?" Lupin asked almost angrily.
"Bellatrix." Tonks whispered but River had heard. "She wants me quite as much as she wants Harry, Remus. She tried very hard to kill me."
River paled and momentarily stopped listening. She had only met Bellatrix Lestrange once, two years previous during her seventh and final year at Hogwarts, when she had been helping Harry out in the department of mysteries. Bellatrix had tried to kill her too, then made her watch as she had killed her cousin Sirius who River had become quite close to during her stay at Grimmauld Place during that summer.
"River? Niki dear?" Molly's voice broke through her thoughts.
"Sorry Molly." River sighed. "Did you say something?"
Molly smiled sympathetically at her. "Fred and George were asking where you were."
"Thanks Molly." River smiled as she walked back into the house to see the twins. "What's up Lugless?" she nodded at George then turned to Fred. "Brainless?"
"Oi I'm not brainless." Fred protested pouting at her.
River rolled her eyes. "So I heard you were looking for me. What couldn't live without me for five minutes?"
Fred looked at her funny. "You left the room half hour ago. We sent mum looking for you ten minutes ago. Where did you get to?"
"I was talking to Tonks." River shrugged.
"Tonks came back." George started but Fred hushed him when he realised River wasn't listening anymore.
River was actually trying to read Ginny's mind to find out what she wasn't telling her about Harry.
With a frustrated sigh she gave up and turned to Fred and George. "I can't find anything in Ginny's mind about her and Harry's break-up."
Fred rolled her eyes and George groaned. "Just give up." They laughed.
River pouted. "But I hate giving up. You two will be next after Ginny and Harry."
"Us?" Fred asked nervously while George smirked.
"Yep I know you're not telling me something." River frowned at him. "And whatever it is George obviously thinks I should know and I agree."
"Well you would." Fred groaned. "And it's nothing."
"I can tell when you are lying Fredrick Weasley." River hissed storming out of the room.
Four days later it was Bill and Fleur's wedding and River was helping Fleur get ready. Once she was sure she was no longer needed she headed out to find Fred. She needed to tell him something important. She had been thinking a lot over the last couple of days and she had come to realise that she was actually in love with Fred. And she had decided a wedding was the perfect setting to tell him.
She was pretty happy with the way she looked, her long blonde hair was down in soft curls and her short river blue dress matched her eyes, hugging her curves perfectly and showed off her long slender legs and supple cleavage.
"Excellent I think I see a few Veela cousins." She heard George say. "They'll need help understanding our English customs. I'll look after them."
"Not so fast Lugless." Said Fred causing River's heart to quicken, fearing the next words out of his mouth. "Here – permittez moi to assister vous." He grinned at the Veela cousins leading them off and River's heart broke in two. Of course he'd never notice her with all these Veela's around.
"River." George called as she walked past him, she heard him but she didn't stop. She couldn't even to talk to George, just because he looked the spitting image of the boy who had just carelessly trampled on her heart.
After the wedding had finished and the reception had started River was sat in a corner by herself. "You're pathetic." She told herself sternly. "Just because he only likes you as a friend doesn't mean you shouldn't be his friend. Pull yourself together and go and have fun with your best friends."
River sighed knowing her conscience was right and stood up to look for her two best friends. It didn't take long for River to find them disappearing off with some Veela cousins. "Bloody typical." River growled before turning around to dance with her two surrogate sisters, Luna and Ginny.
"The ministry has fallen. Scrimgour is dead. They're coming." Kingsley's voice boomed out and people started screaming and rushing about. River frantically searched for Harry and was relieved to see Hermione apparate the two of them and Ron out to safety. Once she was sure the three of them would be safe she headed for the safety of the Burrow and the reassurance everyone was alright.
Inside the Burrow Molly was fussing. "I hope Ron, Harry and Hermione will be alright."
"They'll be fine mum." Ginny reassured her.
"And the Veela cousins did they all leave safely? Fred, George?" She asked the twins who were peering anxiously out of the window.
"Who cares about the bloody Veela?" Fred exploded. "Have none of you noticed River is missing?"
"River's not here?" Tonks whispered ashen faced. "Who saw her last?"
"I did." Ginny frowned. "But she went looking for Harry when all the commotion started, I lost sight of her."
Tonks collapsed on to the nearest chair. "If anything bad has happened to her…"
"It will be alright." Remus hugged her tightly.
"No it won't." Fred shouted. "While we're all safe in here River is out there somewhere. We need to find her."
"Chill Freddo I'm right here." River said from the doorway. "I had to check up on Harry but to do that I had to be in the spot he'd last been in. it was quite difficult, I couldn't pick up much except he's in muggle London. I don't know where exactly."
"You're a bloody idiot." Fred shouted at her. "You could have been killed." He stormed out of the room and up stairs.
River followed, furious. "Don't shout at me Fredrick Weasley. If you'd paid any attention to me at all today you'd have known where I was."
"Oh this is what this is about? The fact I didn't spend my whole time with you and hung round with the Veela instead." Fred jeered. "You were jealous."
"I was not jealous, you pompous, egotistical jerk. I couldn't care less that you went off with a couple of Veela cousins. But it would've been nice to talk to my best friends at least once today." River screamed at him. "You didn't even acknowledge the fact I existed until the Veela had gone. I doubt you'd have even noticed I was missing if they were still here."
Fred stared at her, his face bright red with anger. "Of course I'd have bloody noticed you were missing. I love you, you bloody moron. You were the first person I looked for when Kingsley spoke." He shouted at her, grabbing hold of her and shaking her. "When I found everyone and you were no where to be seen, Merlin I couldn't breathe."
River stared in shock not knowing what to say. "Don't ever do that to me again." He whispered before capturing her mouth in a passionate, soul touching kiss.
"You love me?" River stuttered when Fred had pulled away.
"Yes." Fred nodded. "That's what…"
"You and George were keeping from me." River finished for him.
Fred nodded again. "I didn't think you would feel the same way."
River laughed. "You bloody idiot. I can't believe you couldn't see that I felt the same way."
"I am not an idiot." Fred pouted at her playfully, his heart almost bursting with joy.
River grinned. "Yes you are, but you're my idiot and I love you." She said before pulling him in for another amazing kiss.