Chapter Four: Christmas at Grimmauld Place

Harry's lifetime ban from Quidditch after the Gryffindor-Slytherin match resulted in Professor Umbridge calling Charlotte into her office the Monday after. She stepped inside, her lips curling at the sight of the atrociously pink and girly office. "You wanted to see me, Professor?" She said politely.

"Yes." Umbridge stated in her girly voice. "I'm placing you under probation."

"For what, ma'am?" She struggled to keep her voice calm.

"To make sure that you don't exhibit the unfortunately short temper your cousin has, dear." She said as if Charlotte should have known.

"Am I being kicked off the team, Professor?"

"Not yet. You may go."

She numbly sat down beside Fred that evening during dinner. "Umbridge placed me under probation. If I do anything half-wrong, she'll kick me off the squad."

Fred frowned. "That's rubbish. You didn't do a damn thing."

"It's because of me, isn't it?" Harry asked, leaning over.

"Yeah."

"Sorry."

She shook her head. "Don't worry, Harry. It's not your fault. Luckily, there's not another match until after the holidays."

Fred's face lit up. "Speaking of, someone," he glanced over at Ron, "let it slip to Mum that I have a girlfriend and she's invited you for Christmas. Although, he didn't tell her exactly who it was."

Charlotte laughed. They'd been an official couple since Halloween, and Ron, although he was still a git, was actually being nice to her. "Sounds fun. I've never been to the Burrow."

"Alright, then. I'll come over on Christmas Day to the Manor. Mum's still staying in London."

When the holidays arrived, Samuel met her at the train station to Apparate her home. He looked oddly tense but didn't say anything until she opened her mouth to speak. "Mr. Weasley's been attacked by a snake, Charli. Sirius is staying in Grimmauld Place with his family and we're going there, as well."

"Is he alright?"

"I think he'll be okay."

She let out a relieved breath. "Good. Dad, what else is wrong?"

"Oh, nothing." He said lightly. "I have to pack my trunk and then we'll be off."

She waited patiently, hearing Merlin's pitiful meows. Then, Samuel came back and with a flick of his wand, their trunks disappeared. She took his arm once again, landing on the doorstep of Number 12, Grimmauld Place. Samuel stepped inside and Charlotte shivered. The house seemed dark and depressing. "Siri?" Samuel called, leading her down the hall.

Sirius appeared at the edge of the stairs. He blinked for a minute and then his face broke out into a huge grin as he rushed toward Sam, hugging him tightly. "Come on, down here."

Charlotte noticed that as soon as Sirius let go of Samuel, he grabbed the other man's hand and led them down to the basement. All the Weasleys sat around the kitchen table; their expressions differed. Fred and George looked pissed, Ron was pale, and Ginny was curled up in her chair, facing the fire. "Is he alright, Siri?"

"No idea. Molly hasn't returned yet." Sirius sighed, leaning his head on Samuel's shoulder. "I've been going insane in this house."

"I know." Samuel murmured soothingly. "I hate this as much as you do."

Charlotte walked around and rested her chin on Fred's head. "Hey." She said quietly.

He looked up at her, his pissed expression melting away. "Hey." He pulled her into a tight hug, burying his nose in her hair. "You weren't supposed to be here until Christmas."

"Yeah, well, Dad's idea."

"I'm glad you're here." He patted the seat next to him and she sat down. "What's going to happen to us if Dad-"

"Fred, he'll be fine. The Healers at St. Mungo's are the best." She squeezed his hand gently. "Just try and relax."

He nodded. Finally, he dozed off, his head in her lap. Early the next morning, Mrs. Weasley entered the kitchen. Fred, Ron, and Harry were half-out of their chairs when she spoke. "He's going to be alright. We can all go and see him later. Bill's sitting with him now."

Fred fell back into his chair, his hands over his face. Charlotte had a sneaking suspicion he was crying. "Breakfast!" Sirius said joyfully. "Kreacher!"

"Siri, I'll get it ready." Samuel said, smiling as well.

"I'll come help."

The two men went to the kitchen to fix an early breakfast for them all, until Mrs. Weasley, after thanking Harry and Sirius, shooed them out of the kitchen to make it herself. "Could I have a word?" Harry said urgently to Sirius and Samuel.

"Of course." They went to the drawing room, and Harry dragged Charlotte with them. "What's going on?" Sirius asked, concerned about his godson.

Harry told them everything, including the fact he was the snake that attacked Mr. Weasley. Samuel and Sirius shared a dark look. "Did you tell Dumbledore?" Sirius asked quickly.

"Yes, not that he told me anything about it."

"But that's not it. Sirius, Uncle Samuel, I think I'm going mad. Back in Dumbledore's office, before we took the Portkey, I felt like…my scar hurt really bad…I wanted to attack Dumbledore." He paused. "Am I-"

Charlotte thought back to Remus's letter to her and wondered what all he knew. She'd managed to get the message about the rumor to her dad, but apparently, Sirius had already been in hiding. "Harry, listen to me." Her father said gently. "The world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We all have light and dark inside of us. What matters is what we act on. You're a good boy, er, young man. Don't let this bother you too much, okay?"

Harry nodded and went back to the kitchen. Charlotte followed him. "Harry, whatever's going on, don't think you don't have anyone to talk to. Just borrow Dean's parchment and I'll be in Gryffindor Tower as fast as possible."

"Thanks."

After breakfast, she went upstairs with the rest of the clan, intending on finding a spare bed, but Fred pulled her into his and George's room. "Stay with me?" He pleaded, still looking a little grief-stricken. She hesitated. She'd never shared a bed with a guy before. "Please?"

She nodded, slipping under the covers of the twin-sized bed. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. And, quite suddenly, he drifted off to sleep, snoring lightly.

When she awoke, she had turned in her sleep and her head rested on his shoulder. "C'mon." He said sleepily. "Mum's got lunch ready."

While the Weasleys and Harry would be going to St. Mungo's to see Arthur, she would be staying at the house with Sirius and her dad. Mrs. Weasley, too concerned with her husband, had yet to notice she and Fred were practically inseparable. "We'll be back soon." She said as they lined up.

"Take your time." Sirius said.

"Give Arthur our best, Molly." Samuel added.

Fred winked at Charlotte before they left, which, unfortunately, Samuel AND Sirius noticed. "Fred Weasley, huh?" Sirius said, sitting down in an armchair in the den.

"I thought you were going with Seamus." Samuel said, confused.

"How did you-"

"I have friends up at the school, remember?"

She sighed, sitting down across from Sirius. "Finnigan and I got into a fight because he and his mum believe Harry and Dumbledore are lying. I slapped him and he dumped me. Then, Fred and I started hanging out, and when he asked me to go steady with him on Halloween, I said yes."

"That's awfully fast, isn't it?"

She changed the subject. "Did you get my letter?"

"About what Remus said? Yes. And thank you, although, under Dumbledore's orders, Sirius has been here since the second week of September." He paused. "What else did Remus say in the letter?"

"Not much, just asking me how I was doing." She lied.

"So, tell me little Prongs," Sirius joked, leaning forward, "who do you like more, Seamus or Fred?"

"Right now, Fred. But, I don't know. I'm only fifteen."

"Good choice. Your dad and I started dating our fifth year, after I snogged him senseless right in the middle of McGonagall's. Thought old Minnie was going to have a heart attack."

"That was his first ever detention, too." Remus added, walking in. He looked like an Inferi; his robes were shabby and hanging loosely off his already thin frame. "How's Arthur?"

"He'll be alright." Sirius answered, hugging his best friend tightly. "You, however, need food. Go."

Remus nodded, moving toward the kitchen. Sirius plopped back down, his grey eyes twinkling mischievously. "Do you have any ideas of what you want to be after Hogwarts?"

Samuel sat down, watching her. "Uh, play Quidditch? Maybe go to University for Transfiguration and Potions? I don't really know."

"Well, you'll probably do your career counselling with Flitwick, but an Auror would be good."

"Nah. I'll leave fighting Death Eaters to Harry." She joked as Remus came back in with food.

"Remus, you didn't tell her anything we talked about, did you?" Samuel asked immediately.

"Of course not, Sam."

Then, the Weasleys, Moody, Tonks, and Harry came back. Tonks, upon seeing Lupin, grinned widely, her eyes appraising him. "Wotcher. I'm Tonks."

"R-Remus Lupin."

Sirius stood up, yawning dramatically. "Come on, Sammy. I'm tired."

Samuel followed his boyfriend up the stairs. Tonks plopped down in Sirius's vacated chair and began to talk to Remus. "Fred, honey, is your girlfriend still coming for Christmas?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

Ron snorted. Fred, however, grinned. "Mum, she's already here."

"Fred, now come on." Mrs. Weasley started and then, she saw Charlotte. "Oh. Fred, really? The girl who's broken your brother's nose a few times?"

"Why do you think I like her so much?" Fred said, pulling her in front of him. "Anyways, she only does it when Ron's being a prat."

"Well, she is a nice girl. And smart too, from what I've heard." Mrs. Weasley smiled at her. "At least I know you won't put up with any of their nonsense."

"Of course not, Mrs. Weasley." She said, knowing full well the nonsense she was talking about was the joke shop she'd been helping Fred and George with since the beginning of the year.

"She doesn't put up with anyone's nonsense." George said happily. "Except Umbridge's."

"Well, I have to, on that one."

The next few days passed by quickly, with Fred, George, and Charlotte making an elaborate scheme to prank Umbridge, as they'd already informed her they were thinking about dropping out of Hogwarts.

When Snape showed up to talk to Harry about something, he and Remus shared an uncharacteristic smile and then Snape disappeared into the kitchen. Sirius was in there, waiting, as he refused to let Snape talk to Harry without his presence. "I'll be glad when this whole thing blows over." Samuel sighed, hearing raised voices down stairs. "I miss having Sirius around all the time."

"It'll be alright, Dad." She hugged him tightly. "The war can't last forever."

"I hope not."

A/N: I'm so sorry if the pacing in this seems fast, but the major thing is going to be the Battle at the Department of Mysteries and I'm thinking it's going to take two chapters to complete, so I'm just hitting on the major points before then as well as developing Charlotte's story. Hope you enjoy! Chapter 5 will be up either later tonight or tomorrow sometime!