Chapter 10: The Burrow

Hermione Weasley stood staring at a door, on the landing of the second floor as if expecting a 5 year old girl to slowly turn the stiff handle and skip out her room. The door hadn't been opened for three years, since the night her little girl slammed it for the last time and did what she had been threatening to do for months, do what everyone thought she didn't have the guts to do and what broke everyone's heart and slowly tore apart the once loving and happy house. The door used to be a bright orange, with pictures of horses and princesses, just like any other little girls room, now the paint was faded and cracked, nobody repainted it, nobody touched if and as if it wasn't even there, it appeared to everybody be an insignificant closet that was locked as it was just left alone. Little did any of them know that every time anyone of them walked past the faded door their hearts dropped slightly and a deep sadness would take over them and they would feel the need to cry into their pillow for days on end. This was all just a routine to them now though, all of them except one Hermione Weasley, every Christmas break or summer holiday she would stand in front of the forbidden door, forgetting the unspoken rules and weep silently to herself, she still mourned that day, the day her little girl had walked out on her, Ron and Hugo. She wasn't angry, just sad. She hadn't spoken to Rose since, she sent owls of course, but never got a reply, for three whole years. She just wanted her baby to come home and she never lost hope.

Hugo used to be such a happy little boy, but every time his big sister didn't walk through the kitchen door at breakfast he would cry a little on the inside, as she thought of her son and missing daughter, she let out a sob and began to make her way to her room, she needed an early night, after all, the mob would be round in the morning.


James' POV

"James, JAMES POTTER?" Someone screamed from outside, "get your arse out here so I can whip it at quidditch.

"HAAH, fat chance Weasley," I screamed back, "I could whack your arse blindfolded," but being James Potter I never said no to a game so I excused myself swiftly and headed out the back, grabbing my broom as I left. Freddie was going down I grinned to myself.

By the time I was outside I looked up to see Freddie hovering about 50 feet in the air watching something round the other side of the house, being curious I flew up to join him.

"Hey Fred,"

Ignoring my welcome he replied pointing at the ground, "do you reckon Al is okay?"

Al was sitting on a secluded bench in the drive that had a clear view of the road ahead of him. He seemed to be waiting for something.

"Probably a girl," I shrugged, "After all he has the same good looks as me."

Freddie shoved me hard in the ribs, "OY what was that for?" I moaned

"For being your usual prick-ish self," he joked

"Err Freddie?"

"What Potter?"

"Prick-ish isn't a word,"

"Potter?"

"Yes Freddie?"

"Fuck off"

Just then an owl flew over to Albus who hopped up(literally) and ran up the drive to meet it.

"Is it just me or does that owl look familiar?" Freddie asked

Now that he mentioned it, it kind of did, but then again, it was an owl, they all look the same.

An obviously flustered AL ripped open the letter and stumbled back a few paces as if he had just been punched in the stomach, he scanned over the pages and then tossed then carelessly on the ground. As his eyes took in the last page his head drooped and he slowly bent to pick up the dropped pieces of parchment losing his balance as he did, falling into a sitting position.

At any normal time I would have laughed or made fun of him, but something about this didn't seem right.

He just sat amongst the dusty gravel surrounded by the parchment as he thumbed the edges of the last sheet and buried his fingers in the dust.

"Should we go see if he's alright?" Freddie asked uncertainly

"Maybe," I replied knowing my brother was like me in some ways, one of them being, when we were sad, you left us alone end of, but like I said, something about the situation seemed off and consequently I automatically moved my broom forward closely followed by Freddie.

We landed in front of him with our backs to the long winding road. He looked up, clearly surprised to see us.

"You okay Al?" Freddie asked still uncertain but slightly wary

"Yeah, fine, just waitin'" AL mumbled back

Not buying his bravado act I started, "you sure yo-" but I was cut off when I saw I huge grin slide onto Al's face along with two huge tears rolling down his cheeks,

"Holy Merlin, you so sounded like you weren't going to show," he exclaimed

I turned around, me and Freddie both dropping our brooms simultaneously, "Holy Mother of Dumbledore," I gasped.

Rose just shrugged, tears falling to match Al's as she ran into his arms.


And its all systems go :) two chapters in an hour, what is the world coming too? anyway I'm going to sleep now but I will update soon and make it not so down and slightly upsetting :) yay!

rawr meow baa and moo

theressomethingaboutthemoon x