Most everything belongs to JKR. Uncle Ethelfride is a creation of Maya. When you're done here, head on over to Schoogle and read some of her work. I'm a fan of the bouncing rat story. The little left is mine!
NAT ROCKS!!
Italics denote a dream sequence and a flashback that turns into a dream sequence.
I know in previous chapters, Barrett was killed when she was six months old, but I've decided that for all intents and purposes, she needs to be three and a half when she dies. I'll go back and change the other chapters later.
&&&&& = denotes moving back in time and going to a different location.
I think this is all
That being said:
*****
"Where we goin'?" A small blonde girl asked an equally small, equally blonde boy.
"I dunno," the boy replied. The two children followed an older boy down a long hallway lined with portraits of older blonde-haired people. The two boys looked like they could be twins except for their four-year age difference. The little girl looked ahead to the older boy.
"Draco, where we goin'?" she asked.
"Where ARE we going," the older boy corrected.
"That's what I asked you," the girl happily replied. The older boy shook his head and made a noise of disgust in the back of his throat.
"Patience Draco, they're young," a woman who looked startlingly like Narcissa Malfoy scolded from a painting.
"Shove it grandmum," Draco spat at the painting.
"Draco Argentum Lucentio Malfoy!" the woman cried.
"It's Cullen, grandmum, Draco Cullen Malfoy," little Draco corrected.
"Don't talk back to me!" the lady cried. Draco lazily slung his arm over his shoulder and muttered "Quietus." The picture immediately fell silent.
"Wow Draco! Whadja do?" The little boy cried, galloping up to walk next to his older brother.
"You're too little to understand, Keiran," Draco replied.
"Am I? Am I?" the little girl asked, skipping up to the other side of the older boy.
"Hardly Abby, you're no bigger than Keiran," Draco laughed.
"I am too!" Astrid insisted. "Mummy measured us yesterday and I'm four centimeters bigger!"
"Are not!" Keiran cried.
"Are too!" Astrid squealed.
"Nuh-uh!" Keiran replied, "only three and a half!"
"Keiran! Abigail! Be quiet or you're headed back to your nurseries!" Draco warned.
"Please no, Barrett has been screaming ALL morning!" Astrid cried.
"Where's Emmy?" Keiran asked.
"She's with mummy in Barrett's room," Astrid replied.
"Where we goin?" Keiran asked Draco again.
"You'll see when we get there," Draco replied, reaching over and playfully messing up the small boy's hair.
"Why won't you tell us?" Astrid asked.
"Because, Abby, it's more fun if it's a secret," Draco explained. He stopped at the end of the hall and turned to a picture on the right wall.
"Hello Draco, back so soon?" the person in the portrait asked.
"Yes sir," Draco replied.
"Would you like to pass through the door concealed by my frame?" the picture asked.
"Yes Uncle Ethelfride," Draco said.
"And you'll do what for me in return?" the portrait of Uncle Ethelfride asked.
"I'll request that you be moved away from the sniveling bitch that is grandmother and closer to the delicious specimen of person that is," Draco began.
"Right my boy, right my boy," Ethelfride cut Draco off mid sentence, "Not in front of the little ones." Astrid and Keiran exchanged a wary glance before turning back to their older brother conversing with the portrait of their crazy uncle.
"So are you going to let us through?" Draco asked.
"Us?" Uncle Ethelfride replied.
"Keiran and Abby are coming with me," Draco explained.
"What's in it for me?" Ethelfride asked.
"I already agreed to having you moved," Draco said, rather impatiently.
"Fair enough," Ethelfride reasoned. He swung his frame open revealing a small trap door set into the wall. Draco took the latch into his small hand and twisted it. The door popped open and sprung inwards.
"Alright kids, in you go," Draco said, turning to his younger siblings. Keiran quickly ran at the wall and jumped up onto the ledge created by the small door. He jumped over into the space on the other side. Astrid approached the door a bit more cautiously.
"I don't know if I can make it over, Dray," she said, looking over the edge of the door to where her twin stood.
"Baby," Keiran spat.
"Am not," Astrid replied.
"Kei, hush," Draco commanded. He placed a hand on each of Astrid's hips.
"Okay Abs, I'm going to count to three and then you're going to jump," Draco instructed.
"Okay," Astrid replied.
"One, Two, Three," Draco counted. When he said "three" Astrid jumped and Draco picked her up at the same time. The two of them succeeded in laying Astrid on her stomach on the threshold of the door.
"Thank you Draco," Astrid said as she scrambled over to join her brother. Seven-year-old Draco climbed the door much easier than his three year old siblings.
"Now where do we go?" Keiran asked. Draco reached over Keiran and touched the wall just above the littler boy's head. He felt around for a moment before finding the door handle he was looking for. He twisted it and the door swung open revealing a steep spiral staircase.
"Oh, are we going down there?" Keiran asked.
"Yes," Draco responded. Keiran instantly sat down on the top step and put his feet on the second step down. He slid down to the first step from the top and moved his feet another step down. He slid down onto the next step and proceeded with his foot motion.
"Dray, I don't think I can do that," Astrid said, looking warily at her younger brother's sliding progression down the spiral stairs.
"Oh come on, it'll be easy," Draco said. He took a seat on the outside edge of the top stair and patted the ground next to him, looking up at the very hesitant little girl. Astrid sat down next to her older brother. Keiran was already 10 or 11 steps below his siblings. Draco wrapped a comforting arm around his younger sister.
"Okay, let's go," he said, stretching his feet out to reach the step two below they one they sat on. Astrid mimicked his motions and they simultaneously slid onto the step below the one they sat on. Slowly, the pair made their way to meet Keiran at the bottom of the stairs.
"Now where we goin?" Keiran asked when Draco and Astrid finally stood up.
"This way," Draco said. He led the way down a very dimly lit hallway that started just behind Keiran. Astrid and Keiran followed Draco quite closely, both a little frightened at the long stone hallway. Draco stopped midway down the hallway and surveyed the wall closely. He found the latch he was looking for well disguised as a normal brick. He undid the latch and pushed the heavy stone door open. Keiran and Astrid followed him through the door. Draco extended his hand towards the lights surrounding the walls and muttered a spell he had heard his father use. The lights turned on, eerily illuminating the dungeon. The two younger children quietly evaluated their surroundings.
"Isn't this place neat?" Draco asked, running over to a pair of shackles hanging from a chain on the wall. He grabbed them facing the wall and walked up, kicking himself over in a flip when his feet were above his head. He let go of the chains and landed splendidly on the ground. Astrid walked tentatively over to a large globe situated in one corner of the room. She reached out and spun it quickly. It hissed and emanated a puff of greenish silver smoke as it spun. Keiran still stood, spellbound, in the center of the room looking around. He glanced up and noticed a large pendulum hanging from the ceiling. The bottom of the pendulum looked to be sharpened to a fine edged blade.
"Look," Keiran said, pointing upwards. Astrid gave the globe another lazy spin and then looked over at her twin. Draco joined Keiran under the pendulum and both boys looked at it with simple fascination.
"Whatcha doing?" Keiran asked Astrid, taking note of the globe for the first time.
"Playing with this," Astrid replied, spinning the globe a bit faster. Draco, not interested in the smoking globe, headed over to a case of books quite close to the globe. He pulled a dusty leather book off of the shelf and cracked it open. It was empty. Suddenly, a loud pop sounded behind the children. They all spun around with surprise mixed with a bit of fear.
"What are you children doing down here?" Lucius spat, glaring down at the three cowering children.
"Playing," Astrid replied honestly.
"How did you find this room?" Lucius asked.
"Uncle Ethelfride's portrait," Draco said softly. Lucius pulled out his wand and pointed it at the small boy.
"I have warned you not to speak with the portraits or intrude on places where you are not welcome. This is one of those places," Lucius began. Draco stepped back towards the bookcase.
"So you will be punished," Lucius finished. Draco opened his mouth to speak, but Lucius' curse came before Draco's sentence. "Crucia." Draco flew back into the bookcase and sank to the ground and his body shook in the grip of a weakened, more-legal Cruciatus. Lucius snapped his wand away from his oldest son. Draco remained crumpled at the base of the bookcase. Lucius turned to the twins.
"Which of you spun the globe the first time?" he asked, menacingly. Both of the twins looked at him stonily, neither willing to tell on the other.
"Fine then, I shall punish you both," Lucius said. He leveled his wand at his daughter first.
"Crucia" he muttered. Before the curse could hit Astrid, Keiran shoved her out of the way.
"So this is an admission of guilt is it Keiran?" Lucius asked coldly. Before Keiran could answer, Lucius hit him with the curse. Keiran sank to the floor, writhing in pain, and wailing with agony. The pain of the Crucia Curse to a three year old was comparable to the pain of the Cruciatus Curse to a 30 year old. Astrid looked at her twin and was suddenly hit by a twinge of the same pain. Although nothing compared to what Keiran felt, Astrid's joints felt like they would rip apart and she fell to her knees next to her twin brother to try to alleviate some of her own pain.
Astrid Malfoy sat straight up in her bed and clamped both hands to her left ankle. She massaged her ankle with the heels of her hands in an attempt to alleviate the sharp pains shooting through the joint. After a moment, the pain subsided, but Astrid didn't credit her impromptu massage for the relief. She slipped open the curtains and peeked between them. Karey and Madeline had abandoned sleeping with their bed-curtains closed during the second week of school. Astrid noticed Madeline curled up hugging her teddy bear and sleeping peacefully. Karey sprawled on her back, mouth wide open, snoring loudly. Astrid chuckled to herself as she crawled out of her bed. She didn't bother checking for Evelyn Creevey, as Hermione had cast a silencing spell around Evelyn's bed during the first week of school. The spell was Evelyn's attempt to keep out Madeline and Karey's chatter. Hailey Johnson could sleep through World War III, so Astrid didn't bother checking on her either. Instead, she pulled open the bottom drawer of the bedside table and withdrew a small book and a picture frame. She quietly stepped into her slippers and crept out of the room. She tiptoed down the stairs and hurried to a chair in front of the fire. A quick flick of her wand caused a fire to spring up in the fireplace and she gripped the picture frame in both hands. She examined the picture carefully before sitting it on the table next to her chair. She pulled a quill from a holder on the side of the book and opened the book. The journal had been a sixth birthday present from Draco. He had Narcissa charm the book to hold an infinite number of pages and the quill to never run out of ink. They also charmed the book so that only Astrid's touch could open it, and only the quill designed for it could write in it. Astrid opened the front cover of the book and read the inscription Draco had written before the charms went in place.
"To my little sister Abby. You'll always be my star. Love Draco." Astrid half suspected Narcissa had told Draco specifically what to write. She didn't mind though, because the book was one of her most prized possessions. It was covered with navy blue cloth and charmed to look like the night sky, complete with silvery shooting stars. She read the inscription again. "To Abby." Those simple words stood testament to how much things at the Malfoy house had changed. Astrid hadn't been called Abby in five summers, and even then Abby was a nickname reserved for Draco.
She turned the book to an empty page and lowered the quill to the creamy white surface.
KatIt's me again.
Astrid had named her journal Kat shortly after she had received it for her and Keiran's collective sixth birthday. She started out each entry the same way "Kat, It's me again." As if it could be anyone else.
I had another dream. This one from the time Draco took me and Keiran to forbidden room in the dungeons when we were three. Why can't things be like they were then? At least my twin loved me enough to protect me. I've blown up on Fred and George a couple more times lately. George more than Fred. I'm not sure why George and not Fred. It's just hard, living with the poster child for twins and all. Why can't me and my brother be more like them? But then I think about it. Why would king pureblood ever want to spend time with me, even if I AM his sister and DID spend 9 months before birth in very close proximity to him? I miss Draco too. I miss being Abby and I miss having two protective older brothers. Ginny complains about her six all of the time, and I want to tell her how lucky she is. So what if they threaten her boyfriend with disembowelment by spork. At least they're there to. My brothers refer to me as the traitor and then try to hurt the one guy that acts their part. I'm personally glad Ron broke Draco's nose. If only I'd been there to see it. Oh well. I'm sure it was great. I don't know if things will get better between me and my brothers either. Especially not Keiran.
Astrid paused for a moment and stared into the flames of the fire. The heat emanating from the fireplace reminded Astrid of a time from a few years previous. June just before she turned seven at the end of August. Lucius had needed the house for a week, so Narcissa had taken the children to Greece for a holiday at the shore. One afternoon, particularly tired of Keiran and Barrett's fighting, Narcissa sent all five children, in care of almost 11-year-old Draco to the park to play for the afternoon. She had packed them a picnic lunch and sent them on their way, in an attempt to get some peace and quiet.
Astrid closed her eyes and laughed at the memory of what had transpired that fateful day.
"Higher Kei, HIGHER!" six year old Astrid squealed as she fell back towards earth. Keiran backed up and planted both hands in the small of her back. He shoved her forward as hard as he could. She swung back towards the sky, squealing and laughing with delight.
"Is that better?" Keiran asked.
"YEAH!" Astrid squealed. She glanced over to where her oldest brother and youngest sister lay stretched out side by side on a blanket, staring at the clouds and noticed a picnic basket next to Draco's left elbow.
"Hey Kei!" Astrid called.
"Yeah Abby?" Keiran asked.
"Stop the swing, I want a snack!" Astrid said. She fell back towards Keiran and he jumped up and caught the chains of the swing just above her head. He pulled his feet from the ground and the extra weight caused the swing to slow considerably. Astrid jumped off of the swing and ran over to where Barrett and Draco were laying. She flung herself onto the ground next to Barrett.
"Dray, I want a snack," she announced.
"Me too!" Barrett squealed. Astrid laid back on the blanket and looked up at the clouds.
"What do you see?" she asked Barrett.
"Thehus a Dwagon," Barrett said, pointing a sticky, chubby finger at an elephant shaped blob of clouds in the eastern part of the bright blue summer sky.
"What else?" Astrid asked.
"That's a hot dog," Barrett replied, pointing at another shape. "And that's Dwaco."
"So I'm up there now?" Draco asked as he pulled a thermos and cookies from the picnic basket.
"Yes," Barrett replied. Astrid rolled over and propped her elbows on the blanket. She rested her chin on her clasped fingers and looked over at her older brother.
"What did mum send us?" she asked, inhaling deeply the sent of the freshly cut grass and the slightly musty flannel blanket.
"Chocolate Chip and Pumpkin Juice," Draco replied.
"Chocolate Chip and Pumpkin Juice cookies?" Barrett asked.
"No silly," Draco replied, "Chocolate chip cookies and Pumpkin juice."
"You should have just said that," Barrett said, sitting up suddenly. She shook her corkscrew curl covered head at her older brother. Astrid reached over and wrapped one of her sister's typically blonde curls around her index finger.
"Hands off the haiuh," Barrett insisted, smacking Astrid's fingers away from her curl.
"Where are Keiran and Emma?" Draco asked as he distributed the cookies onto napkins.
"Emma's over by the water fountains reading a book," Astrid said.
"She pwobabwy doesn't wanna be distuhbed," Barrett said, looking greedily at the cookies.
"You're not getting her share of the cookies," Draco warned, as if reading his youngest sisters mind. Barrett poked out her small bottom lip and opened her brown eyes wider. She turned the look on Draco.
"No," Draco said, "And that's final. Where is Keiran?"
"Pwayin' with a puppy," Barrett replied, pointing a chubby finger towards the swing set. Sure enough, Keiran and a small black Labrador puppy were running in circles around the swing set.
"Alright girls, here are your cookies," Draco said, passing each of his sisters a napkin with a cookie on it. "And here is your pumpkin juice." He placed a small paper cup full of dingy orange liquid next to each girl. He then took a cookie and a cup for himself. Astrid picked up her cookie and took a bite. Narcissa had charmed the basket to keep the cookies warm, so the chocolate simply melted in her mouth. Barrett had a sticky streak of the candy dotted with cookie crumbs running down her chin.
"Barrett, you've got something on your face there," Draco said, reaching over to his little sister. She used both hands to cover her chin, dropping her cookie on her tummy in the process.
"If you won't wet me have mowe than one cookie, I gotta save the one you gave me!" Barrett insisted. Draco quickly redirected his motion to his sisters half eaten cookie. He grabbed the cookie and shoved it into his own mouth.
"YOU BWODY WANKUH!!!!" Barrett squealed.
"What did you just call me?" Draco asked.
"Nothing," Barrett replied.
"Where did you hear that?" Draco asked. Astrid drew her knees to her stomach in an attempt to stifle the laughter wracking her body from the look on Draco's face when the words "Bloody Wanker" escaped Barrett's not even four-year-old mouth.
"You," Barrett replied with an innocent smile at her older brother. Draco picked up another cookie and handed it to his little sister.
"Here, take Keiran's cookie and forget you know that phrase," Draco said. Barrett smiled happily at the new cookie and took a large bite. Her corkscrew curls sparkled in the sunlight as she munched happily on her cookie.
&&&&&
"So what do you think you'll be for Halloween?" Hermione asked Fred as the two of them walked hand in hand back towards Gryffindor tower after a post-dinner stroll around the castle.
"I can't tell you because I don't know, but I'm quite sure George and I will think of something fantastic," Fred said with a maniacal glint in his eye. Dumbledore had announced earlier that night at dinner that on Halloween, ever student was expected to dress up in a costume for the better part of the day for a costume competition culminating at the Halloween festival. Costumes would be judged on authenticity as well as originality. Halloween was only two weeks away and Hermione had no idea what she would wear.
"Astrid seems to have a quite good idea for a costume," Hermione said.
"Oh well," Fred replied. He visibly tensed at the mention of Gryffindor's Malfoy.
"Has she been being rotten to you and George again lately?" Hermione asked. Fred nodded.
"I think rotten is an understatement," Fred replied, "She's completely gone off on George like five times in the past week."
"What did George do?" Hermione asked.
"You know how George is. He was just being George. Nothing really out of the ordinary and she just flipped," Fred said.
"Well, imagine how she feels," Hermione said. "Her twin brother is an absolute little prick, and she's stuck living with you guys. I think you inadvertently rub in her face how twinless she is."
"I'd rather not talk about it," Fred said as they neared the portrait of the fat lady. Hermione paused to give the password, but a tug on her hand from Fred pulled her past the picture.
"What are you doing?" she asked. He leaned over and dropped a kiss on her forehead.
"You'll see," he said with a maniacal glint in his eye. He pulled her a few more steps and they stopped in front of a different portrait. This one of a small girl.
"Hullo!" the little girl said cheerfully to the two teenagers.
"Hi," Fred said. He reached over to the portrait's frame and undid a latch just between the frame and the wall.
"Where are we going?" Hermione asked.
"You'll see," Fred said, smiling sweetly at his girlfriend. The portrait swung open to reveal an old dusty staircase.
"Where does this go?" Hermione asked as she mounted the steps behind her boyfriend.
"You'll see," Fred said. He practically pulled her up the staircase. After about 150 stairs, they finally reached a small landing. The only apparent direction out was back down the way they had come up.
"Now where are we going?" Hermione asked. Fred paused and turned to her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a quick kiss.
"You'll see," he whispered as he pulled away. He took a step back, pulled out his wand and looked at the ceiling directly over his head. He pointed his wand at the center of a stone panel and muttered a quick unlocking spell. The panel quickly morphed into a ladder and dropped down to the ground.
"You first," Fred said, indicating to the ladder. Hermione cautiously approached the ladder and began to climb. Fred climbed up quickly after her. At the top of the ladder, Hermione crawled out onto the roof. She was surrounded by dusky blue sky. Straight in front of her, the large golden sun threatened to dip behind purple mountains at any second. A colorful myriad of clouds streaked the sky around the sun into a bright rainbow. She inhaled sharply at the direct beauty of the scenery. Fred carefully climbed out onto the roof next to her.
"How did you find this?" Hermione asked.
"We're on the roof of Gryffindor tower," Fred explained, "George and I found this spot at the end of last year. "We charmed the edges so you can't fall off."
"This is awesome," Hermione said, leaning back on the steep incline of the roof. Fred curled up next to her.
"Happy one month anniversary," he whispered. He slipped his arm under her neck and she pillowed her head on his shoulder. She rested her hand on his chest, and the two of them laid there and watched the sun set.
*****
"Now for the second part of your present," Fred said, sitting up suddenly. The sky had turned navy dotted with silver stars. He slid over to the trap door and leaned through. He muttered a spell and emerged a minute later holding a guitar.
"That's Dean's guitar," Hermione said, rather matter-of-factly.
"Yes," Fred said. He sat down and curled his legs under himself, resting the guitar on his knee. "He's been teaching me how to play it so that I could play you a song tonight."
"Aww," Hermione said, "I think that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard!"
"You haven't heard me play yet," Fred said with a sheepish grin.
"Fred!" Hermione squealed.
"Hey, I never said that me playing would be any sweeter," Fred said. Hermione smiled sweetly at her boyfriend.
"I'm sure whatever you've chosen will be just perfect."
"Okay," Fred said. He carefully positioned his left fingers over the strings on the neck of the instrument and curled a pick into his right hand. He took a deep breath and looked up at Hermione as he brought the pick crashing down onto the strings. The guitar responded with a raspy, half-formed chord.
"Oh my darlin', oh my darlin', oh my darlin' Clementine!" Fred sang, quite on key with the squawking guitar. He clumsily strummed a beat along with his singing. Hermione fought to keep a straight face at the general absurdity of the song Fred had chosen.
"You are lost and gone forever, dreadful sorry Clementine!" Fred added the second line. Hermione clasped her hand to her mouth in an effort to keep the laughter in. Fred launched into the first verse of the song. "In a cavern, in a canyon, excavatin' for a mine, dwelt a miner, forty-niner, and his daughter Clementine!" Fred paused for a moment and flashed a devilish grin to his bright red girlfriend before repeating the chorus. After the chorus he stopped and laid the guitar down.
"I don't remember any after that," he announced. Hermione took a few deep breaths before she trusted herself to speak again.
"It was good."
"Hey, don't laugh at my song. It was either that or 'On Top of Old Smokey.' Dean says I have to learn the classics before I can learn anything worth singing to a girl," Fred explained.
"Oh, alright," Hermione said, "That was very sweet and thoughtful of you. Now for my present to you." She snapped her fingers twice.
"That's it?" Fred asked, "You're going to snap at me?"
"Something like that," Hermione laughed. Fred contorted his face into a pout and looked at Hermione.
"Oh come on. That's not nearly as humiliating as having to sing 'Clementine,'" he said. She dropped a kiss on the end of his nose.
"I's sorry miss, if I's interrupting anything," Dobby said as he appeared on the roof next to Hermione and Fred holding a large covered silver platter.
"Oh Dobby, you're not," Hermione said. Fred looked slightly confused as the diminutive house elf handed Hermione the platter and snapped his fingers. He disappeared as suddenly as he appeared.
"What's this?" Fred asked, trying to remove the cover from the plate. He couldn't.
"I charmed it closed so no one would get in and steal your surprise," Hermione explained as she quickly undid the charms and removed the cover of the platter.
"I talked the house elves into letting me make a surprise all for you," she said as she pulled back the cover revealing a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries.
"You made these for me?" Fred asked.
"Yes," Hermione replied.
"They're my favorite!" Fred cried.
"I know, George told me," Hermione admitted. She picked up a strawberry and held it out to Fred. He smirked evilly at her before sinking his teeth into the strawberry all of the way up to Hermione's fingers. His soft lips closed around the tips of Hermione's fingers and she shivered at the touch. He raised his eyebrows suggestively to her. Before she had a chance to react, he let his right eye drift over so it was crossed while staring directly at her with his left eye. Hermione couldn't stifle her laugh this time, but still she tried, so the sound that escaped her mouth was something between a snort, a hiccup, and a laugh. Fred laughed silently as he chewed on his strawberry. He picked up another berry and offered it to Hermione. She bit it hastily, not giving herself enough time to be as jokingly suggestive as her boyfriend had. Fred laughed at her haste and leaned backwards to lie on the roof again. He grabbed a strawberry and popped it into his own mouth. Hermione curled up next to him, chewing happily on her own second strawberry.
*****
Two hours, a platter of strawberries, and quite a bit of snogging later, Fred and Hermione made their way back to the inside of Gryffindor tower, hand in hand. They paused at the fat lady.
"Hermione is the worlds greatest prefect," Fred promptly said. The fat lady swung open and Hermione looked at Fred with a surprised expression on her face.
"Since when is that the password?" she asked.
"Since I asked George to change it while we were on the roof," Fred replied. Hermione smiled sweetly at him as they crawled through the portrait hole. They stopped in front of the fire and she planted a kiss squarely on his lips. He pulled away quickly, noticing something behind Hermione.
"Astrid," Fred said, pointing to the chair nearest the fire. Hermione turned to look at the little girl. She was curled up in her chair and slumped over a book of some sort, quill clutched tightly in her little hand, sound asleep.
"You should carry her up and put her in her bed," Hermione said.
"I should," Fred agreed. The two older students headed over to the little girl. Hermione pulled the book off of her lap and the quill out of her hand. At Hermione's touch, the book suddenly snapped closed and the quill disappeared into the book. Fred picked Astrid up. She collapsed limply against his chest and he started towards the girl's staircase with her. Hermione placed the book on the table next to the chair and only then noticed a picture sitting on the table. She picked up the frame and looked at the picture.
Five tan children stood next to each other in a row. Evidently, they were at a beach of some sort because their feet were in sand and the sky was the bright colored blue it only attains when over a massive body of water. Hermione noticed a woman in a blue sundress and a floppy straw hat sitting on a blanket in the background. She was facing away from the camera and looking at something in the distance. All five children were tan with unmistakable white blonde hair. All three girls wore white sundresses while the boys wore khaki shorts and white button down shirts. The middle girl stood on the far left of the picture. She had her thumbs in her ears and waggled her fingers mischievously at the camera. She alternated between smiling and sticking her tongue out at the camera. Her hair was tied back in a white ribbon. The oldest boy looked about 10. He stood in the middle of the picture with the littlest girl in his arms. The girl was probably three or four. He smiled at the camera through loose wisps of chin-length blonde hair. The girl in his arms had curly blonde hair sticking out in all directions all over her head. She alternated between waving at the camera and flinging her arms around her older brother. Occasionally she dropped a sloppy kiss on his cheek. He would grimace a bit and wipe at his face. The children on the right side of the picture were a boy and a girl, about the same height. Both were smiling and laughing at the camera. They had their arms thrown around the others shoulders in a tight, slightly inclusive hug.
Hermione's eyes lingered specifically on the figure of the oldest boy. The picture marked the first time Hermione had ever seen Draco Malfoy truly smile.