Chapter 21

That next day the kids got the knight bus back to Hogwarts.

The good byes had got a bit emotional but nothing like what they had been the term before where Elle had begged to stay.

She didn't know whether it was because she had Fred back but it might be. The first night back was like normal and the Gryffindors crowded in to the common room to tell one another what a great break they had all had

"Remember the snow ball fight?" said Beth as they all sat down

"How can we forget?" said Harry to her. They had all got so wet, curtsey of their father.

"It was brilliant." said Elle as she and Fred cuddled up inn the common room for the first time on over two years as a couple. Out of every thing she had got that year he had been the best present ever.

How could classes be starting yet? she thought to herself. It was so soon. She felt as if they had only got out for holiday a couple of days, not weeks.

"You ok?" Fred whispered to her.

"Of course I am." I'm with you, aren't I?

When she got down stairs the next as late as ever she found he was waiting to go down to breakfast with her.

It really was as if nothing had changed she just hoped he had. And this was not a mistake,

Getting to the Gryffindor table side by side, they sat down and begun there first meal of the day as the owls swept down and mutter crept through the hall, of fear and worry.

"How did they do it?"

"Why."

"Do you think this means he is really back?"

The mass break up from Azkaban did not bode well for the order,

"So he is trying to gather his strength. It was always going to happen I guess," said Hermione to the group seriously.

"So the war is going to begin soon?" said Elle nervously as under the table she grabbed Fred's hand, they had been preparing for this for so long at the den and yet now it was here she was no way ready for it at all. She didn't want to be in a war.

"It is a possibility. Depends what is in his head." she replied.

-

Elle and Fred found themselves at the lake.

"Fred, do you think I am a whip?" she asked.

"No, Elle you are one of the bravest people I know. Why on earth would I think you are a whip?"

"Because I give you good reason to think so. Look just this morning. The thought of going to war petrifies me." she said to him.

"And the rest of the wizarding world." he protested.

"But I some times worry I act as if am the only one going through this," she said to him. She didn't feel much of a Gryffindor at that moment.

"You don't I promise you." he said to her. "Now shut up speaking such things." he said as he ran a hand through her hair,.

"Make me." she said and his lips came closer till they were touching her. Relishing in the attention he was giving her ever changing body she tip toed up so it was easier to reach him. He was so bad…

--

As Elle walked through the corridors of the school later that day she felt a bit better. Fred support had helped her some what but she felt as if…she didn't know. She let the side down. She was no way as brave as her mother, father or brother. But did she really know that? She had never been tested against a great magical trail as they had when they had met Voldemort. She was sure she was going to be tested but she just didn't know when. How could she not given her place in the some what inner circle of Harry's family.

She was not going to escape unscathed; she knew that much from this war. How could she when she was who she was.

Bumping in to some thing she was shaken out of her thoughts.

"Hagrid," she said as she looked up at him happily. Then her smile faded. He had fresh bruises and cuts. "What's happened?!" she asked to him.

"Nothing, nothing."

"Don't lie to me Hagrid. Not to me." she begged.

"It is none of your concern it ain't." he said to her gruffly as he went on his way. Great. Oh great. Now she had peed off Hagrid.. It got even better when she was told by her brother what she guessed had been getting the half giant down. He was on probation. So much for a good new year….but that didn't explain the bruises.

But, then not only that but soon there was yet another educational decree to follow. This was pointless. Umbridge seem have gotten control of the school. And it seemed more hopeless trying to get it back all the time.

"Go to bed." Fred urged her late that night.

"I could not sleep, I would only lay there thinking." she said to him.

"Elle, you can't let your worries get you down." he said to her. "We all need you to be strong.

"Don't worry for me. I am not going to self destruct again if that is what is on your mind," she said as they at together.

"Even so, you need sleep." he said. "Rest darling.,"

"I don't want too. I want to do something." she said to him.

"Save your energy. We have a DA meeting tomorrow, we are going to need all your strength for that."

The DA was working harder than they had ever before and the escape from Azkaban had just spurred them on. They had to do something. Sitting around was no longer an option. Even Smith was working harder than ever.

Not only that but the third years had more working then they had ever before. Especially theory. The once beloved defense lessons were now weekly torture sessions.

Elle was a lot more like her mother when she had been young than she would ever know. Just for the time being keeping her head down and studying harder . It was the only way she was ever going to survive the term!

-

Revising in the common room for defense as she no longer had the distraction of becoming an animagus she watched as her brother got back to the common room after a lesson with Snape. He didn't look happy. Then again who would be after a private lesson with the greasy git?
"Did every thing go ok?" she asked as he sat down by her.

"Yeah right. I'd have more luck getting blood from a stone." he told her.

"You'll get better. These things I guess these things just take time."

"Still don't think I am ever going to get it. He keeps telling me to empty my head before bed but with the previous nights dream in my head how can I?" he asked.

She shrugged. She knew he was being plagued by dreams of long corridors.

"The lessons with Snape are just making them worse." he said to her.

"Maybe they're just going to get worse before they get better," she said to him, taking his hand. "Your hard working, dedicated. You'll get there bruv, you always do." she said to him.

"I don't know about that Elle." he said to her. "I just don't know."

-

"No James I don't want you going out again not after what happened at Christmas,"

"Lily this is important to me! Order work is part of protecting our son and that has always been my main priority ever since he had been born." he said back to her.

"James I know, but you have to think about this seriously. You have five people dependent on you." she said to him,.

"And Arthur has eight." He protested. He had to do this, it was for the family. Why didn't she see that? She had before Christmas, which had just been a scare. Nothing more.

"Yet they can all take care of themselves off if it comes to it. Me and Harry would be ok but the other three need you so much James. Please think of what your doing." she said to him.

"I am and what I am going is the right thing." he said to her.

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