August 5th 1992

It was the early hours of the morning that they arrived back at the Burrow. "It's not much," Ron said as the car parks near a rundown garage.

"It's brilliant," Harry replies thinking of Privet Drive. They got out of the car and it was then that Hope was consumed in a hug. Cassie had been waiting for them to get back for a while now. She glances at the bruise on Hope's neck and the faded one on her cheek yet, like the twins, didn't say anything.

"Now, we'll go upstairs really quietly," Fred began, "and we'll wait for Mum to call us for breakfast. Then Ron, you'll come bounding downstairs going, 'Mum look who turned up in the night!' and she'll be all pleased to see Harry and Hope and no one need ever know we flew the car."

"Right," Ron replies, "come on Harry, I sle…."

Ron's face pales, his eyes fixed on the woman marching towards them. "Fuck, well there goes that plan," Cassie mutters as Molly Weasley gets closer.

"Where have you been?" she screams, only glancing sadly at Hope. "Harry, Hope, how wonderful to see you, dears. Beds empty. No note. Car gone. You could have died. You could have been seen. Of course, I don't blame you, Harry, Hope."

"They were starving them, Mum. There were bars on their window," Ron replied quietly.

"Well, you best hope I don't put bars on your window, Ronald Weasley."

Hope and Cassie share a slightly amused glance. "Is my Mum up yet?" Cassie asked.

"Yes, she is. She's upstairs," Molly replied kindly. Cassie takes Hope's hand, dragging her upstairs.

"Mum?" she calls out.

"In here."

"Mum, look who's here," Cassie said as they entered a small room just up the stairs. Astrid turns around and smiles seeing Hope, she doesn't let her eyes linger on the bruises though she can feel the anger bubbling up at the thought of someone hurting her Goddaughter.

Astrid hugs Hope while Cassie goes back down stairs. Hope sits on the bed as Astrid sits on a chair facing the young girl. "You want to tell me what happened?" Astrid asks softly. Hope's hand softly touches her neck letting out a sigh.

Hope tells her everything that has happened. She tells her about Dobby, her Uncle's temper and everything he has ever done to her in the past. By the end Hope has tears falling down her face as Astrid sits by her side allowing the girl to cuddle into her side.

August 10th 1992

"We were in Diagon Alley the other week, heard some people talking about the war. Grim stories," George comments as he, Fred, Hope and Cassie sit in the Twins' room.

"Say Cassie, your Mum was around back then, obviously. What was she doing during the war?" Fred asks curiously.

"Well, she fought in the war I guess. Joined the fight as soon as she left school," Cassie replied with a shrug.

"Bet she's got some stories," George comments.

"Yeah, she does but she doesn't really like talking about those days that much," Cassie replied remembering how hard it is for her mother to speak of the war days.

"Well, didn't think she would anyway. Probably seen lots of pretty bad things," Hope added thoughtfully. The twins hum in agreement remembering how their own parents don't like to speak about it either.

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"Whatcha doing Mum," Cassie asked when her and Hope spot Astrid sitting in her room looking through, what looked like, a book.

Astrid looks up at the sound of her daughters voice. "Looking through some old photos," she replies nodding towards the photo album on her lap. Cassie and Hope walk over, sitting on either side of her.

"Is that you?" Hope asked looking at one of the photos. Astrid smiles softly and nods, the photo was of Astrid laughing at something while she was wearing nothing but a long shirt that definitely did not belong to her. She remembers that day like it was yesterday, it was one of the last days her and Sirius spent with James and Lily before they went into hiding.

"Can you tell us a story? One from when you were at school?" Cassie asked as she loves her mother's stories especially when they give her new ideas for pranks or jokes. Astrid smiled softly at the girls, "sure."

The three of them get comfortable with the two younger girls leaning into Astrid's side as Astrid begins her stories.