Cielie-

The world was white. And cold. The fire had gone out early in the morning and the snow had continued to pile up outside the window. The others were still fast asleep and so I got up from my pile of blankets and went to get the fire going again. It took my cold, stiff hands a few tries, but the fire was soon roaring, and the house was beginning to heat up. I went to the kitchen and pulled out a mug, realizing only as I poured the boiling water into it that it was one of Cedric's favorites. I considered pouring the water into another cup, but then thought better of it. Just because Cedric had preferred that cup didn't mean I couldn't use it. It was time to face my demons anyway, so why not start small.

I strolled back into the living room, my frigid hands wrapped tightly around the mug, as if it were my lifeline. Which, in this cold weather, it sort of was. Ginny and Luna were still sleeping, Ginny was even snoring a little bit. I tiptoed my way past them and sat down in the small chair by the fire. It had been made for my great-grandmother when she was born, and it had been passed down to the first-born girl since then. And now, I was sitting in it, and it felt lonely. I had always sat on this chair and Cedric would sit at my feet. Our mother would sit curled on the big rocking chair and my father would take the armchair that Luna was currently occupying. We had all sat together like that just a few years ago. The only thing left of those happy memories were the empty chairs.

I looked towards the window, the snow had slowed, but not by much. There would be need for some serious snow shoveling when it stopped. Ginny stirred, her blanket falling off as she did. The cold woke her, and she opened her eyes with a start. Blinking, she turned to look at me, she noted the warm beverage in my hands and then sat up.

"Cold," she proclaimed as she shivered and pulled her blanket back up around her shoulders. I set the mug down and said, "There's more water if you want some tea or hot chocolate."

She nodded, pulling herself to her feet and following me into the kitchen. I pulled down a cup for her and went to grab the box of tea. Luna wandered into the room a few moments later. Her hair was a matted mess and her eyes looked bleary as if she had gotten little sleep. I went to offer her a mug of earl grey. She took it gladly, finding a small corner of the counter to sit on. Ginny joined her there and I hopped on the stool that had sat in the kitchen for as long as I could remember.

"What's our plan for today?" Luna asked after sipping a bit of her tea. I thought about it for a moment, gulping a bit of scalding tea as I contemplated. Before I could answer, Ginny did.

"We should send an owl to the Burrow and to the Order, to see if we can find out what happened to my mom."

I nod, hearing the slight hint of worry in her voice. Mrs. Weasley should have been at the station, and at the very least she should have come last night. The fact that she hasn't should worry me more than it does. I have a feeling that it has something to do with the fact that I spent so little time relying on my father and my mother wasn't there long enough for me to truly remember relying on her. A small feeling of sadness runs through me as I think of the childhood that could have been. Before I can go further with that thought, I shut it down. There is no use in dwelling in the painful past, as I've learned time and time again.

XxX

The owl has been sent and as we wait for a reply we decide to clean the second story. Ginny takes my brother's old room and Luna goes to clean my parents' room. I take the hall and the stairs. An hour later, we sit in my room, chatting and looking at my old things.

Seren lies in my lap, keeping me toasty in the bone chilling weather as she dozes softly. I gently stroke the ridge on her back, only half paying attention to the conversation. My gaze drifts off to the window, which looks out on the snow-covered street. It looks like a winter wonderland, the whole world sparkling with a light frost in the chilly weather. The street is empty, no surprise, as the snow is piled high. The only movement is cat, scampering across the snow. It runs lightly across the street and leaps up to perch on a fence, freezing only for a moment and then turning and vanishing down onto the other side of the fence. I watch the spot where it vanished for a few moments longer and then turn my gaze back to Ginny and Luna.

They are looking at a photo album, one from when I was three or four. I smile, seeing a picture of me flying my first broomstick. (It only flew a few feet above the ground) Ginny flips the page and I am bombarded with a large photo of the whole family sitting on the front porch. My mother is smiling, and I sit on Cedric's lap, an ice lolly in one fist, some of it dripping down my chin. My father sits in the back with his hand on my mother's back. We all look happy, Cedric waves at the camera and I am giggling as my mother tickles me. I look over Ginny's shoulder and smile, remembering that day.

It had been my fourth birthday. I had scraped my knee while playing chase with Cedric. Being the young child that I was, I had begun to bawl. To distract me, my mother had given me an ice lolly. My father had suggested we take the photo and so we had ended up on the porch.

XxX

Lunch time came and went. We still didn't have a response from Mrs. Weasley, or anyone from the Order for that matter. Ginny was pacing by the fireplace, Luna sat in my father's armchair again and I stood by the window, once again looking out on the snowy street. I kept a look out for any sign of an owl, but none came. Lunch time slowly slipped into evening and I became more impatient. How long, I wondered, could it possibly take to respond to our message? The Order was in London, just a few miles away.

Then, just as the sun was truly starting to slip away behind the houses, someone came up the street. They turned towards the house, climbing up the stairs and reaching the top. Hesitantly, they lifted the knocker and gave the door three raps. I moved to get the door, Ginny was quick to follow, and Luna leapt from the chair to come as well. Pulling my wand out, I cautiously turned the door knob and opened the door. An audible gasp escaped Ginny's lips as the figure stepped into the porch light.

Thanks for reading!

Sorry that this chapter was a little shorter than the last one. I will be updating pretty regularly from now, so you guys can expect an update every 2 weeks.

Sorry, not sorry about the cliffhanger.

:)