A/N: I've done a time skip, you'll figure it out pretty quickly so don't panic. ~RainbowVeins
The nightmares wouldn't stop, Harry had been having nightmares for years – he was used to fitful nights but he was also used to getting over them pretty quickly, I on the other hand didn't usually dream at all. It was like being back in third year, when I'd woken up every night screaming but this was worse. My aunt and uncle would yell at me for waking them up in the middle of the night, my cousin Dudley usually slept through it and then would make fun of me for it in the morning. Some nights I just didn't sleep at all.
The dreams seemed so real, like I was reliving that night in the graveyard over and over again.
Voldemort's hissing voice commanding that Cedric be killed... I usually woke up crying, occasionally I woke up and was sick.
I think the worst part was seeing my parents, which sounds selfish really. I know most people can only dream of seeing ghosts of their lost loved ones but for me it was horrible because I could see them but they couldn't see me. I wished that was just part of a warped nightmare but that had really been how it was. I could hear them talking to Harry but they didn't acknowledge me at all. I stood next to Harry, holding his hand as his wand connected with Voldemort's, I willed every ounce of magic I had to my brother, in hopes that he could use it to beat him. My own wand lay on the grass across the graveyard, near the triwizard cup.
I'd been trying to have a nap when I heard the shouting from downstairs. I hadn't even realised Harry wasn't in the house but I heard the front door being slammed shut and Aunt Petunia shrieking, harry shouting back.
"What's going on?" I asked sleepily from the top of the stairs. Harry stood in the hallway at the bottom and looked up at me, he looked like he'd just seen death but I hadn't felt any kind of ache or pull behind my ear.
He explained about the dementor he'd just faced and then the letter arrived. It was one of those scary ones that reads itself allowed – I forget the name but Ron got one back in second year from his mum.
Harry had been expelled from Hogwarts and Uncle Vernon looked ecstatically happy about, he was actually grinning. The grin didn't last long as moments later another letter arrived; this one from Arthur Weasley telling Harry not to worry, Dumbldore was going to sort everything out. Not long after that a third letter arrived, this one is once again from the ministry announcing that a hearing was to be held. It all went so fast it was hard to keep up with. Harry and I were sent up to our room while Aunt Petunia tried to convince Uncle Vernon not to throw Harry out of the house.
"Was there really a dementor?" I asked Harry quietly, we sat on opposite beds on opposite sides of the room, each of us facing the other but staring past each other and focussing on the walls instead. Harry nodded, and the knot of fear and worry doubled in my stomach, all wrapped up in that ever present hollow feeling.
We hadn't been allowed out of our room in days, Harry was constantly angry because of this and because he was sick of his friends not replying to his letters. Fred and George didn't reply to mine either but I was more sad than angry about it.
Another night came and so did the nightmares, Harry had gotten used to waking up in the middle of the night to wake me before I screamed but it wasn't Harry who woke me this night – this time I was startled awake by a girl with la mop of purple hair. I pushed myself up out of bed, reaching for my wand on the side table. The girl stepped back and put up her hands in surrender.
"You should have just let me wake her," Harry said flicking on the light. Beside him stoodProfessor Moody and I thought I was going to scream right there, I thought I was stuck in a nightmare and that his face would change any second. "Hey, calm down, Em." Harry said, "It's the real him." He came to my side and found my glasses for me, I'd been using them more lately on account of my eyes being almost permanently tired. Harry was already packed and ready to go, I don't think he'd ever really unpacked. A moment later and Professor Lupin appeared at the bedroom door too, I'd started replying to his letters but this was the first time I'd seen him since third year – since that night. He smiled politely at me, standing a little awkwardly in the doorway. Harry hugged him tightly, I supposed he might want that kind of hello from me too but I didn't think I was quite ready for that.
I gathered my things quickly and then the group of wizards ushered us out of the house.
I still hated flying but I clung to Harry on the back of his broomstick as the others flew around us in a sort of triangle.
"Loosen up a bit, Emmy." Harry said at one point whilst we were flying over the river Thames, "I can't breathe." I apologised and loosened my grip, but only a little.
When we arrived at Grimmauld Place, I was still half asleep – I'd been half asleep for most of the summer to be honest. Harry greeted Mrs Weasley warmly, he'd always had this knack for just bouncing back – I didn't have that and I didn't greet anybody, the first thing I did was ask where I was sleeping. Up the stairs and the first door on the right, I repeated in my head as Harry and I climbed the stairs – Harry was across the hall, first door on the left. We parted ways at the top of the stairs and headed into our respective rooms.
I heard the chirping voice of a worried Hermione as Harry entered his room, Ron and Hermione must have been waiting for him. My room was empty which I was glad about - I was happy for the silence and thought I could perhaps get a nap in before dinner, I closed the door behind me, shutting out the voices from across the hall and went to lay down.
My head had only been sunk into my pillow for a few seconds when there was a knock at the door.
Fred
I thought she'd have been with Harry when she arrived but she'd locked herself in her room without even saying hello. I left the others in Harry's room, George explaining how we were going to listen in on the meeting downstairs.
I gently knocked on her door, I could have apparated straight inside but I didn't want to startle her.
"Emmy?" I said when no one came to the door and I knocked a second time, a little louder. Still there was no answer. "I'm not going away, so you may as well let me in." I could imagine her sighing as the lock on the door clicked and the door slowly swung open. She must have used magic because when I took a step into the room she was laid on to of the covers on her back, with her back to me.
"I'm tired, Fred." Said Emalia and she did sound tired, like just telling me she was tired exhausted her. "And I'm mad at you." She added. She could be mad at me as much as she wanted as long as she looked at me eventually. I walked to the side of her bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress.
"I wanted to write to you," I told her, "Honestly I did, I even wrote some letters out." It sounded pathetic but it was the truth. "Dumbledore told us we weren't allowed to talk to you, or Harry in case we told you too much."
"And when have you ever done as you were told, Fred?" She sat up rather quickly and I got my first good look at her in months – she looked exhausted, she had dark circles under her eyes but she was still beautiful, underneath the angry frown and the narrowed eyes she was still the sun to me.
"Okay," I conceded, "You can be mad at me for as long as you want and I'll accept it – just promise me you won't be mad forever?" I smiled at her and I could the corner of her lip twitching slightly, she was trying hard not to smile back.
"I promise to only be mad at you until after dinner." She replied after a few moments of narrow eyed, glaring at me. She smiled a little though she tried to hide it. I asked her if she wanted to come listen in on the meeting with us but she declined, she only wanted to try and sleep. I asked her if she wanted me to stay but she declined that too and told me she'd be fine.
She didn't look fine – she looked like she had after the attack in third year, she looked tired and scared and fragile. She laid back down as I got up to leave, I'd just reached the door when she spoke again.
"I missed you, Fred." She said in a half-asleep whisper, her eyes were closed and I smiled to myself as I left her room, shutting the door softly behind me.
