The wallpaper of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place was starting to peel. Echo sat limp in an old black leather arm chair in what used to be Regulus' sitting room. She run her finger over the dust covered lamp table, etching her name into the dirt. The lighting was low in the room, giving the room a dark, ominous look. To fit the mood, Echo's hair was a raven blue in long barrel curls; her eyes still the usual silver. Her large black bow seemed almost physically attached to her head. It had been a while since she had been in this house, but she remembered the little articulate things like the back of her hand. The wood paneling along the bottom edge of the wall was starting to split, showing a contrast between the dark wood and the light, fresh wood underneath.
Echo flung her legs over the arm of the chair and attempted to lie down in the large arm chair. She watched pictures on the walls shuffle around in whatever particular scenery they were shot in. She could hear a faint mumbling from upstairs. Lately, she had been coming to the Order's meetings. She wanted to be able to fight in school and out of school, and being that they were on winter holiday, Echo decided it would be her best bet to get to work.
This was her first time being at an Order meeting in over a year, so she decided to show up early. Keeping to herself, she decided to relax in the sitting room for a while, but now she felt the urge to travel upstairs. It sounded as more people had arrived. She crept down the long hallway to the staircase, moving slowly to take in the atmosphere. The past few days had been very fast paced, and Echo was ready for a slow day. And of course, right on schedule, a meeting for the Order would be scheduled on her relax day.
A few of the paintings on the wall snored in their slumber; others shifted their eyes in the opposite direction of Echo's. Some of the floor boards creaked under her feet with every step she took.
Upon reaching the spiral staircase, she heard a very familiar voice from up stairs. Immediately the ends of her curls changed maroon, her freckled cheeks to rose. She almost ran up the stairs to the sound of that voice. The one voice she hadn't seen in a while. Her feet were light on the stairs, as she didn't want to make an elephant of herself tromping up to the next level. The voice grew more audible, and she was so sure of it's keeper.
A wall. Just a single wall kept Echo from this voice. She drew her wand, and with just a flick of it, a magical quill had appeared.
"And honestly, mum, it was absolutely brilliant!" the voice spoke. Echo flicked her wand and it disappeared.
"What's this?" the voice's mother retorted.
"Look it's writing," the voice said. "Want…to…know…what else…is…brilliant? That's what it says." The quill then disappeared, then reappeared before Echo, with another quick flick of the wand had disappeared once more. She quickly turned the corner.
"Me," she said. A huge smile across her face, her whole head covered in burgundy curls, as she was embraced by Fred Weasley.
"You are quite brilliant, aren't you?" he said, releasing the hug, but never fully letting go of her.
"I would say so," she winked.
"You'll have to teach me this quill trick, it would be great to work on mum," Fred laughed.
"Oh, I've missed you so much!" she hugged him once more, more easy this time. Her cheek was pressed into his chest. She could feel his warmth through the embrace and did not was to let go.
"I wish I wrote more," he said.
"I wish I did, too. Silkwings hasn't been out for a fly in a while," her voice was sad. She missed having him around all the time. She had been so distanced from him for a very long time. An owl hadn't been sent in months. She released him, and then reached to touch his ginger locks.
"You keep cutting it shorter and shorter," she laughed.
"I can't really come up with a witty come back for yours. Although I do like this color. Is it purple?" he reached for one of her curls, still an aching aubergine color.
She smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, purple." They both laughed. Echo's hand caught his, and he laced his fingers with hers. It had been a long time since the last ounce of intimacy between the either of them.
"So tell me, how are things? How is George! Where Is the rascal?" Echo laughed.
"Oh you mean 'Blessed George of the Burrow?'," Fred laughed.
"What's that mean?" Echo said, puzzled.
"Oh, he's awaiting his sainthood. Come, I'll show you." Fred led her by the hand into the next corridor where George was sitting with his father, a rather large bandage wrapped around his head. Echo let go of Fred and rushed to his twin.
"You alright, Georgie?" Echo said.
"Geez, you and him are one in the same, aren't you?" George laughed. "Saint-like." George winked. Echo exchanged looks with Fred. "I'm holey," George laughed, pointing to his bandage. "Got in a bit of a scruff trying to help Harry, lost an ear, but hey, I'm alive!"
"An ear, George? That's terrible!" Echo exclaimed.
"It's not much…considering we lost Moody that night," George trailed off.
"Oh…I…don't know what to say. That's so tragic," Echo said, taken aback.
"Yeah, it hit us pretty hard, too," Arthur spoke up. "But things like this are going to be happening left and right. We just have to be prepared for it all to happen. But in all, it's good to see you again, Evangeline. You're back at Hogwarts, yes?"
"Yes, Mr. Weasley. It's very different without everyone," Echo said. "Everything seems to be a lot different."
"That's very true. Must have taken a lot for Cliff and Wil to let you go back, eh?" Arthur chuckled.
"A bit, but they raised me to be tough against this kind of thing. It took a lot of persuasion though," Echo said. Remus and Tonks had then slowly entered the room.
"Sorry for the intrusion! Pardon!" Tonks was loud and cheerful. She had her hair the usual, scruffy purple. Echo didn't really know Tonks too well. They'd actually never been formally introduced before. So to lighten up things, Echo changed hers to match the same.
"Hey, that hairstyle looks pretty familiar," Tonks said, scrunching her face at Echo, then changing her hair to a floor length, yellow-blonde. Echo copied the same. Tonks then gave herself a dog muzzle and a tall, green Mohawk. Laughing, Echo copied on spot. In Tonks' surprise, she shifted back to her normal look, and Echo changed back to the long blue curls.
"Evangeline Trenton, but call me Echo," Echo held her hand out to Tonks.
"Nymphadora Tonks, but call me Tonks," and took Echo's hand. "You know, I thought you looked familiar. You were in the Prophet not too long ago weren't you?"
"Yeah, I was," Echo smiled. "I'm a Chaser for Gryffindor. Took a nasty blow to the left leg, but I'm fine now," Echo laughed, kicking her leg out as proof.
"How's Quidditch?" Fred asked.
"Oh, it's great! So far we haven't lost a match!" Echo said, smiling proud.
"I remember our Quidditch days, eh Fred?" George said, nudging his brother.
"Yeah, bloody bludgers," Fred laughed.
Kingsley Shacklebolt then entered the room, his purple robes trailing behind him. Everyone then took their seats, as the whole Order was in session for their meeting.