By the next morning, Cedric's death was all anyone could talk about. Her mother had left that day to take Cedric home and prepare for his memorial. Everyone was speculating what happened, but Dumbledore set the record straight during the memorial which was held a week later. No one could believe that Voldemort was back.

Vanessa sat between the twins at the front of the Great Hall. The four house tables had been replaced with hundreds of chairs. Sometime during the memorial, George had taken her hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

When the memorial finished, Vanessa was approached by students from every house, even Hufflepuff, who were offering condolences. The Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students came to her as well, both groups led by their respective tournament champions.

The foreign schools would be leaving that day, and instead of celebrating a Triwizard Champion, they were mourning the loss of one. Harry had insisted Cedric be named champion, but the Ministry decided to give them both the title. Not that Cedric would ever be able to celebrate it.

Viktor had pulled Vanessa away from the twins, and much to her shock, they let her go without saying a word. He brought her hand to his lips for what she was sure might be the last time.

"I hate to leave you like this, but I know you're in good hands." Viktor looked over her to Fred and George. "Your brother was a good man. I'm sorry that I had made his last moments unbearable."

She reached up and placed a hand on the side of his face, seeing the sadness in his eyes. "It wasn't your fault Viktor. You were under the Imperius Curse; you had no choice."

"Spending time with you and getting to know you has been the highlight of my visit. I hope you'll take me up on my offer to come for a visit while you're in Romania. You're a very special witch Vanessa, don't forget it."

He leaned down to kiss her, not on the lips as she had grown accustomed to, but on the cheek. "Goodbye, Viktor."

He bowed to her before joining his friends and fellow schoolmates to head to their ship at the Black Lake. Karkaroff was gone, and Viktor had been tasked to lead the journey back to Durmstrang.

"Vanessa," a soft voice spoke behind her. She turned to see Fleur, her face still covered in fresh tears. "I'm so sorry." She wrapped the brunette in her arms, holding her tight. She knew Fleur and Cedric had grown close over her time at the school. "He was such a good person Vanessa. I hope you know how much you meant to him. He talked about you so often."

"Thank you, Fleur."

"I'll be coming back over the summer. I will be working at Gringotts to help improve my English. I hope to see you while I'm here."

"I'm headed to Romania soon. I have an internship there with the Dragon Reserve Charlie Weasley works for."

"Well, when you get back then." She leaned down and kissed Vanessa on both cheeks before heading to her sister and headmistress to leave.

Ginny and Hermione were next. They both hugged the older girl, neither of them saying a word. They didn't have to. They were there for her. That was all that mattered.

They both left a few moments later; the Great Hall practically empty now.

She turned to face the twins. She was holding back tears again. "I guess we should head to Hogsmeade. Mum will want me home as soon as possible to help with everything."

Fred and George pulled her into a hug, holding on to her so tight it was as though they were never going to let her go.

The train ride home was a mournful one for everyone. Even the Slytherins who usually walked the halls spewing hate never left their compartments.

Dumbledore had announced Vanessa as Head Girl before the start of the feast that morning, but it just didn't seem real. Not with her brother not there to be Head Boy with her. Dumbledore had instead appointed Roger Davies, Ravenclaw, as Head Boy.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were waiting at the station when they arrived.

"Dear, we'll be taking you home to your mother. She just couldn't bring herself to leave the house."

Vanessa nodded her head and pulled her things behind her to the car that the Weasleys had brought to pick them all up.

When they reached her house, Mr. Weasley helped bring her things to the door before they all took off towards the Burrow.

She pulled her things into the house and up to her room before looking for her mother. She finally found her sitting at the kitchen table, holding a photo of two laughing kids, no older than 5. Vanessa and Cedric. She took the seat next to her mother and held her hand.

"Your father is gone."

Those weren't the first words she was expecting to hear.

"What do you mean he's gone?"

"When I came home yesterday, he was furious. Furious at you, furious that I stayed at the school. When I had told him about Cedric, he got violent. Thankfully Molly and Arthur were both here. He went on about how it should have been you, and I snapped."

Her eyes widened. "You didn't kill him, did you?"

"No, I wiped his memory. He no longer has any recollection of us. We told him that he lived in Switzerland, and he took off there immediately."

She hugged her mother tightly. She couldn't believe the bravery she knew it must have taken to do that. After all the years, they were both finally free of him.

Her mother proceeded to tell her of the funeral they would be having for Cedric the next day. He would be buried in the village cemetery at the family plot.

"I assume you'll want to get all of your stuff unpacked and then repacked."

"What?"

"Your brother wrote to me about your internship after he found out. He was very proud of you, as am I. I want you to go. I want you to live your life, Vanessa. Live it for your brother."

The funeral was difficult for Vanessa and her mother. She still couldn't believe he was gone. Family members from her father and mother's side had shown up, no one mentioning Amos. All of the Weasleys had attended, along with Harry and Hermione. Several professors from Hogwarts had attended, including all the heads of houses. Friends and housemates and team members of Cedric's and fellow Quidditch team members of Vanessa's were there as well.

When everyone convened at their house for a feast afterward, she found Charlie sitting and talking to Bill. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" Charlie nodded and stood up, following her down the hall to an empty sitting room.

"I don't know when you're going back to Romania, but I'm hoping you'll take me with you."

"You're not due there for another few weeks."

"I know, but I need to get out of here."

"I'm sure Harvey wouldn't mind if you came early."

"Don't tell anyone. Especially not George and Fred. If they knew I was leaving, they would try to stop me."

"What about your mother?"

"I'll leave her a note. She'll understand."

Charlie nodded. "I'll meet you out back tomorrow night at midnight. We can go then."

"Oi, Charlie, stop hogging Nessa." George was standing in the doorway, looking at the two of them. "You'll get her all summer."

Charlie hugged Vanessa before heading out of the room.

"How are you?"

"As good as can be expected, I guess."

"Are you still going to Romania then?"

"That's the plan. This is such a big opportunity for me, George."

"Well, then the three of us are going to make the most of the next week before you leave," Fred said, strolling into the room.

Once everyone had finally left, Vanessa helped her mother clear everything up. Fred and George didn't want to go, so Mrs. Diggory permitted them to stay.

The three of them went up to Vanessa's room and played several games of exploding snap before she yawned. "I'm going to get ready for bed."

"We should probably get home," Fred said, looking over at George, who clearly didn't want to leave.

"My Mum checked with your Mum, and they said you guys could stay here. If you want."

"Of course," they said in unison.

Vanesa took out her wand and conjured pajamas for them. She went into the bathroom and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt of her brother's she had taken from him the year before.

She walked out to find Fred and George conjuring pillows and blankets for the floor next to her bed, talking amongst themselves. They had turned around a few moments later, realizing she had come back into the room.

"What is it," Fred asked.

Walking over to them, she hugged them and started crying. She didn't think the crying would ever stop. "Thank you both for being here for me."

They looked at each other and then down at the top of her head. "We'll always be here for you," George said.

She pulled away and looked up at them. "Don't say that. Cedric said the same thing, and look at what happened to him." She looked down at the pillows and blankets on the floor. It reminded her of when they were kids, and they would have sleepovers in the living room of the Burrow. She waved her wand, and more pillows and blankets appeared on the floor.

"Don't you want to sleep in your bed?" Fred asked.

"No. We're going to sleep on the floor like when we were kids." She got down on the floor and made herself comfortable in the middle spot.

The twins moved to either side of her, and she waved her wand to turn off the light. As she started to doze off, she felt someone's hand take hers, and she knew it was George. His fingers laced with hers as she slowly fell asleep. She woke up multiple times from the nightmares she had had. She kept seeing her brother's lifeless body lying before her. She couldn't wake him up, no matter how hard she tried.

She never fell back to sleep that night. Vanessa didn't want the nightmares that would come every time she closed her eyes, and the twins wanted to be there to comfort her as best they could.

She could see the sun peeking through her window. Fred was to her left, snoring. She smiled, glad someone was able to fall asleep finally. She turned over to her right to see George's eyes upon her. "Did you sleep at all?"

"Nope. But it's alright. You're more important."

She moved closer to him, laying her head on his chest. "Thank you for staying with me. I'm sorry I'm such a mess."

"You just lost your brother a few days ago. I would be the same way if something happened to Fred, let alone any of my siblings." He started running a hand through her hair. She felt at ease.

When Fred finally woke up, they went downstairs, and Vanessa made everyone breakfast. Before she sat down to eat, she went to find her mother. She hadn't seen her since they came downstairs. She went up to the bedroom that now just belonged to her mother and knocked lightly before opening the door. Her mother had two trunks sitting next to her bed, both almost filled with clothes and various pictures and mementos.

"Mum, I made breakfast."

Her mother turned around, startled. She hadn't heard her daughter enter the room.

"Thank you, sweetheart. I'll be right down."

"Are you going somewhere?"

Her mother reached out a hand and pulled her over to sit next to her on the bed. "I know you were planning on leaving tonight. Don't try and deny it. I overheard your conversation with Charlie yesterday. I figured, if you were leaving, there was no point in me staying here. I have too many memories in this house. Of your father and your brother. Your aunt, my sister, has invited me to come live with her."

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

Mrs. Diggory nodded her head. "I am dear. I hope you never have to experience the loss of a child Vanessa. It's the worst pain in the world." She wrapped an arm around her daughter and kissed her forehead. "I want you to have the house."

Vanessa looked at her mother, shaking her head. "I can't."

"It's already done. I had the papers drawn up yesterday. Everything is in your name now. I want you to have a place to stay once you graduate from Hogwarts. That is if you decide to stay in the country. Also, your father's account at Gringotts has been put in your name. You'll have plenty to live comfortably for the rest of your life."

"When are you leaving?"

"As soon as I finish packing. But I'll come have breakfast with you and the boys first." Both women stood up, Mrs. Diggory still holding on to her daughter. "Speaking of, I see the way the one looks at you. I see how happy they make you. Don't ruin that by running off because you're scared."

Vanessa sighed. "I'm not scared. I just lost my brother, and I need to take my mind off of everything going on."

"And you're scared you're going to lose two more people you care about. Tell them you're leaving."

"I can't, Mum. It will be easier this way."

Mrs. Diggory knew she couldn't stop her. She was seventeen and would make her own decisions.

"I love you, Mum."

"I love you too, sweetheart. I hope you'll come to visit me during the holidays."

"Of course. Now come on, before breakfast gets cold."

They headed downstairs. Fred and George had helped themselves to seconds and conjured a pot of coffee. When Mrs. Diggory had finished eating and gone back upstairs, Vanessa proceeded to tell the twins about her mother moving and leaving the house to her.

The three of them cleaned up after breakfast a short while later. "We should get home. Let you say goodbye to your Mum. Want to come over for dinner tonight? I'm sure Mum won't mind having you."

"Thanks, Fred. I'll think about it. I probably should start unpacking my school things."

He nodded and hugged her, followed by George, before they both Apparated back to the Burrow. She stared around the kitchen, taking in everything. There were so many memories there, and it was almost overwhelming. She heard her mother coming down the stairs several minutes later and went to help her.

"Well dear, I'm all set. This is your house now, so feel free to change it as you wish. I can't wait to see it someday." She leaned down and wrapped her daughter in her arms. They stayed like that for several minutes. "Take care of yourself, Vanessa, and please write to me while you're in Romania."

"I will, Mum. Please be safe."

"I love you." They said it simultaneously, and a moment later, with a faint pop, her mother and her belongings had disappeared.

Alone with her thoughts, Vanessa went about cleaning out her school trunk, grateful she could finally use magic outside of school. All of her clothes were cleaned within the hour. Her school clothes and the dress she had worn to the ball were hanging in her wardrobe. Her casual clothes were folding themselves and making their way into another truck, one she would be taking with her to Romania. Her old school books made their way to her bookshelf, while all her supplies were stored back into her school trunk. Her owl was out hunting, and she contemplated bringing her along for the summer.

A few hours later, she dressed, deciding to join the Weasley family for dinner. Molly greeted her as soon as she arrived. "I'm so happy you could join us, dear. Dinner should be ready soon. The boys are up in their room if you would like to go see them."

"Actually, where's Ginny?"

"She's up in her room as well."

Vanessa made her way up to the youngest Weasley's room, finding her sitting on her bed reading.

"Hey, Nessa. Come for dinner?"

The older girl nodded, closing the door and crossing the room to sit next to Ginny.

"I have to ask you a favor." Ginny nodded before Vanessa continued. "I'm leaving for Romania tonight with Charlie. I don't want the twins to know. They'll try and stop me. I want you to look after my owl when I'm gone. I'll be back two weeks before term, but I would appreciate it if you could watch after her until then."

"What about your Mum?"

Vanessa proceeded to tell Ginny about her mother and her new housing situation.

"Of course I'll look after her for you. But are you sure about not telling Fred and George?"

"I am. I'm going to leave them a note explaining everything."

"Dinner is ready," Mrs. Weasley was calling from the kitchen.

The girls made their way downstairs, being questioned immediately by Fred and George as to why she didn't come to see them first. But as soon as she apologized and told them it was girl stuff, they stopped asking questions.

Charlie and Bill were both there; however, Percy was missing. She soon found out why. He was siding with the ministry who didn't want to believe Voldemort was back. He had left in a bad way and was a right foul git to his mother. It made Vanessa's blood boil. Here she was without her brother, while he was just throwing his family away.

Vanessa helped Mrs. Weasley clean up after dinner, thanking her multiple times for having her over.

"Dear really, you're always welcome." She turned to face the younger woman, the warm smile Vanessa had grown to know, spreading across her face. "Your mother sent me an owl letting me know she was leaving. If you need anything, please let me know."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley." She hugged the woman who had always been like a second mother to her. "I should be getting home."

"Without saying goodbye?" Fred and George had walked into the kitchen while they had been talking.

"I was going to come to find you before I left." Mrs. Weasley bustled off into the other room, leaving them alone.

"You want us to come to stay with you again tonight?"

"Thanks, George, but I'll be fine. I've got some things to do around the house anyway." She hugged them both. "I'll see you both soon." She pulled away, giving them one last smile, before Apparating back to her house.

She went into her room, seeing Ruby had returned. "You be good for Ginny," she said, giving her owl a treat before sending her off to the Burrow. She took out a black leather bag from her wardrobe and cast an undetectable extension charm on it. She put her trunk, a few books, and her broom inside of it. She knew she wouldn't need much else, but it would be easier to travel with just the bag. She sat down at her desk and started writing her letter to the twins.

George and Fred,

By now I'm sure you've realized I'm gone, but please don't worry, I'll be fine. Charlie has taken me to Romania earlier than planned, at my request. So please don't be upset with him. My heart is broken into a million pieces at the loss of Cedric. Even as I'm writing this, I can hardly keep it together. I need time, time to recuperate, and time to focus on myself. Thank you both so much for looking after me last night. It meant more to me than you'll ever know. I'm sorry for everything this past year. For losing so much time with you and for trying to take my own life. You've both saved me in more ways than one. I look forward to seeing you both again at the end of the summer, that is, if you'll want to see me. I hope you understand.

Love always,

Vanessa

The letter was spotted with tears, but she didn't care. She waved her wand over the letter, and it folded itself into an envelope, Fred and George's name magically appearing on the front of it.

Vanessa looked at the clock. It was a few minutes till midnight. She grabbed her bag and the letter and took off downstairs. As soon as she approached the back door, she heard a faint pop and saw the second oldest Weasley standing on the other side. Taking one last look at her house, she went out into the yard, locking the door behind her.

"You're sure about this?"

"I am."

Vanessa took the letter and tapped it, sending it off to the twins. She took hold of Charlie's hand, and with another faint pop, they were gone.