She was going to murder him, there was no doubt about that. Odile Reisinger was undoubtedly going to murder Fred Weasley.
"FRED ANDREW WEASLEY, WHAT HAVE I SAID ABOUT LEAVING PUKING PASTILLES AROUND FOR TCHAIKOVSKY TO EAT?" The girl screamed, stomping down the staircase to where her boyfriend sat chomping a liquorice wand on the couch. He groaned at hearing her yell once again.
"WELL MAYBE IF YOUR STUPID BLOODY CAT DIDN'T JUMP ON TABLES, THEY WOULDN'T GET EATEN!" He returned, whirling around to face the girl with his hands raised in the air.
"STUPID?" She hissed in offence while clenching her fists in rage. They'd only been out of Hogwarts for a few weeks and had already been in about ten fights. It's not that the two suddenly hated each other, but they certainly were starting to learn things about each other that they didn't like. Examples being that Odile was a neat freak who regularly stole his cereal, whilst Fred was a messy eater who left the toilet seat up. They were undoubtedly past the honeymoon stage, and George Weasley was going out of his mind listening to them.
"Guys, again? I can't leave you two alone for two bloody minutes!" George groaned from the next room, pushing his chair far enough back to give them a glare.
"STAY OUT OF THIS GEORGE!" They both shouted at the said man, who merely threw his hands up in the air.
"Dear Merlin, you two, it's getting ridiculous now! What's happening between you? Do you need to be thrown into a closet again?" He shot back, causing some of the tension to break.
"Not another closet threat, I swear to Godric George, it was one time!" Fred called back to his brother, a grin growing on his face. George muttered under his breath as he returned to his paperwork, closing the door on the couple. Odile sighed and ran a hand through her hair before flopping down next to her boyfriend, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, I'm just not used to this." He looked down at her, before sighing and slinging his arm over her shoulder.
"What's the trouble, Black Swan? Why are we fighting so much?" She looked down, twiddling her thumbs, trying to come up with an answer.
"I guess… I'm not used to having people around me all the time. I mean, sure I shared a dorm with other girls, but we never really talked to each other. And at least I had my own space when I wanted it." He sighed but nodded, recognising that the girl wasn't great with social situations. She had a personality that she could turn on at the drop of a hat which was a great asset. Eventually though, she needed to avoid people to "recharge her batteries" as she had put it. He opened his mouth to reply when George rushed in with a distressed look on his face, a crumpled letter in hand.
"George? What's wrong?" Fred asked, sensing the fear that was coursing through his brother's body.
"It's the Order. Something's happened."
#############
"Hermione?" The girl looked up from her seat next to the healer treating her injuries. Odile was hurrying towards her, while the boys turned towards their family members.
"Are you alright? What happened? No one would tell us anything, just that there was an attack at the Ministry." Hermione stared blankly at the girl, snapping out of it slightly when she felt Odile take her hands in her own.
"I-It was a trap. Harry was tricked into thinking that Sirius was being attacked, but- but it was just a trap. And now-" a dry sob broke her off, and Odile pulled the girl into a tight hug. Hermione allowed the tears to fall, her quiet sobs making the only sounds in the otherwise silent room.
"It's ok… Everything's going to be ok." The girl comforted, her eyes meeting Fred's from across the room. Something was very wrong.
##########
It hadn't taken much longer after she had left Hermione to find out the news. He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and his group of followers had attacked the group of teenagers and Order members. Many had been injured but were still alive, fighting to stay that way. Sirius on the other hand, well he hadn't been so lucky. A spell had pushed him through the veil, never to return. Killed by his own damn cousin. Her heart dropped when she heard the news, but she kept the tears from falling. This was not the time or place, especially since Harry was right behind her. The boy was practically catatonic, having lost the closest thing to his parents he had left.
He was staring into space when she approached him, a gentle smile on her face. When he didn't look up at her, she released a slow breath and sat down beside him.
"I'm not going to ask if you're alright, because I know you're not," Harry didn't react but she knew he was listening, "I understand I didn't know Sirius like you did. But from what I saw of him, he was a genuinely good man. So you know what we're going to do? We're not going to stop until we take this bastard and all of his followers down. For Sirius. For your parents. For all those he's ever hurt. That's a promise." He didn't reply, but she hadn't expected that much to begin with. She knew he wouldn't be back to his usual self for quite a while. His mind had been violated by He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, his godfather had been killed by his own rash behaviour. Not that she could fault him, but he would find a way to blame himself. She understood that the small words of comfort were all she could provide for him. She patted his shoulder before standing and passing where Ginny stood by the doorway, chewing at the dead skin on her thumb.
"Give him some time." She murmured lightly, wrapping an arm around the girl and pulling her out into the hallway.
"I just feel so useless." The redhead sighed, her eyes red and swollen from the number of tears she had shed. Odile spun the girl around to face her, placing her hands on the girl's shoulders. She poured all her emotions directly into the eyes across from hers.
"Listen to me, Ginevra Weasley, you are not useless. You're a teenager trapped in a battle that you didn't ask for. The fact you're still here, still willing to fight? That makes you far from useless." Ginny sighed but nodded as she gave her a weak smile. She gave a quick squeeze to Odile's extended hand before walking over to where Neville sat with his healer. After doing the rounds with Ron and the other kids, she came to a stop in front of Luna.
"Hey, how are you holding up?" Odile asked quietly, observing the girl. They weren't very close, but given she was friends with the rest of the gang, they'd passed by each other more than once.
"I'm alright. It's Harry I'm worried about. The Nargles are following him everywhere." Odile gave her a curious look but decided not to push it. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She felt eyes on her, and she glanced to see Luna watching her intently.
"Everything ok?" She asked, her smile faltering a bit when the girl's eyes didn't leave her.
"Luna?" The girl in question shook her head and sighed.
"The wrackspurts are all around your head. You're not alone although, most everyone here does. You should all do something about that. My father has some tips in The Quibbler." With that, the strange girl patted Odile's shoulder and wandered off.
"Ok?" Odile muttered in confusion. She turned to watch the girl as she left, blinking as Luna seemingly gestured as if she was speaking to an invisible person walking with her. She was certainly an odd one.
"Odile?" She looked up to see Fred and the rest of the Weasley crew approaching. She stood, and gave Ron a once over. He was now sporting a black eye, some nasty scrapes, and a stony expression. She sighed and wrapped the boy in a tight hug, much to his surprise.
"You good?" she murmured in his ear, and the boy nodded slowly. She pulled back and ran her eyes over his face before sighing.
"No you're not. You're not good, and that's ok. It will come with time." He felt his eyes well up slightly, but kept a brave face on and nodded once more. He was not alright. Nowhere near alright, in fact. He'd just put his life on the line to protect his best friend, and had nearly lost it. It wasn't that he wouldn't do it again in an instant, but that type of thing tended to mess with someone's mind.
"Odile…" she turned to see Fred and George standing behind her, motioning her to the side. Once they were away from earshot, George gave her an awkward look and scratched the back of his head. "We're going to stay with our parents for a couple of days. They're petrified we're going to be the ones attacked next, so they just need some reassurance. We'd ask you to come along… but there's only so much room at the Burrow with all the family coming back. Will you be alright on your own?" George asked tentatively.
"Of course. Go on, go be with your family. I'll be fine." She assured him, grasping his shoulder reassuringly. He smiled weakly before walking towards the huddled Weasleys, leaving her alone with Fred. He gazed at her as if memorising her form before wrapping his arms around her, gripping tightly.
"I don't want to let you out of my sight. I love you, Odile Reisinger. Merlin damnit, I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you." He murmured into her ear, breath soft on her neck. She froze for a moment but settled when he reluctantly pulled back. Her lips upturned into a little grin, and she gave him a small shove.
"Get out of here you sappy sod. I'll be fine. I'll see you soon." Fred smiled at her minutely and turned back to where his family were waiting by the Floo's. She exhaled deeply, standing there for a moment, just wrapping her head around the fact Fred Weasley loved her. They'd said it before but never like that. Not with that much emotion. It was strange for her, to know how young she was, but to feel so strongly for another human being. Her heart now not only beat for herself and her family, but for Fred Weasley as well. How peculiar it was, to be young and in love.
"He's a good one. Don't let him get away. You never know when you'll lose the ones that mean the most to you." Odile spun around to see Remus Lupin, hair askew with swollen eyes. Seeing the broken man standing in front of her, she wanted more than anything to wipe away all the hurt. To lose one of your friends is hard enough, to lose four of your closest friends, to death and betrayal alike was almost unthinkable. Then, to regain one, only to lose him once more in a matter of just a few years, was heart-wrenching. She desperately tried to find the words to comfort him, before glancing over once more. She knew then, he didn't need a rehearsed speech. He needed authenticity, something that didn't come from all the right words, but from the heart. She reached over and gave his hand a quick squeeze, a small show of support, before letting out a soft sigh.
"I'm sorry Remus. He deserved better." The silence seemed almost endless as the man came to terms that his best friend was gone, once again. Lily, James, Peter, and now Sirius; they were now all gone from his life. Never to return. Never to laugh and joke, and never to hold on to. He had lost everyone from his past, everyone that he'd grown up with. Remus blinked away tears and cleared his throat, before stabilising himself, making sure his voice was steady.
"He really did."
A/N: Welcome one and all to Book Two! Man oh man, it's been a long while. I so appreciate all who stood by patiently, and welcome to a new rollercoaster. I will say that uploads might be irregular, given since I last saw you I became the manager of a restaurant (not bad for 22)! I really hope y'all enjoy this one, welcome back to the rodeo!