Chapter Two

She was shaken awake by Maggie, her fingers clutching for her wand, which Lotus had already taken from her. She gasped for breath, before she realized where she was, who she was with and smiled. "Are your nightmares getting worse?" Maggie asked and she shook her head.

"No, not worse, but I rarely can get more than two hours sleep at a time." She said and straightened her clothing, wiping at the drool at the corner of her mouth. "Freddy is the same, when Dad doesn't have bad dreams, we do. It's become a family tradition to create inventions, products and potions for the shop whenever someone rings the bell."

"The bell?" Maggie asked and Roxie laughed.

"The bell for my brother is different than mine, we created a box that we can visit one another through if we choose to do so. Of course it is heavily warded on both sides."

"A box?" Lucille Knott asked and Roxie smiled at her friend, they had much in common, born in the same year three months apart, with twin brothers. She liked Silas a lot, though they had both determined that it was better, that they should visit elsewhere. She had loved going to Malfoy Manor and spending three weeks there, attending various balls and dinners, as well as celebrating the Summer Solstice. Of course Scorpius Malfoy had a standing invitation to spend Christmas with them each year and had determined that Rose may not be too objectionable to take as a wife. All the Potters were so fiercely protective of Lily that Roxie was very glad she had been born a Weasley. Let her brother take on the family name and all the baggage that went with it, she was trying out names and seeing how they fit her. She had encouraged Lucille Knott to do the same, after all there was only so much hatred that could withstand the test of time.

"Yes, if we are still friends by Christmas, I will give one to you." She said and smiled at Lucille, it had been a standing joke between them since third year, their bond would only extend so far.

"Did you like the letter my brother sent you?" Lucille asked and Roxie nodded.

"Yes, when you desire to prank your suitors, or would be assassins you have my full support." She said and Lucille stared at her.

"A strange lot, you Weasleys to joke of such serious things." Lotus said and Roxie laughed.

"Don't you know there's such a thing as morbid humor?" She asked and stood getting out her hat, her twenty suitcases were already packed and ready to go, she had her backpacks packed as well, of course her various possessions were quite a bit larger than regulation, but she found she didn't mind. She strode from the carriage, smiling at the first years crossing to Hogwarts. Her little cousin would be a great witch someday, Lucy stood fiercely at the prow of the small boat, gazing out across the water. Well she would be who she would be and she had plenty of support, her dear Lulu was becoming quite the powerful young witch.

"Bloody hell, that's your cousin isn't it? The hair is unmistakable." Lucille said and Roxie smiled, slinging her arm around Lucille.

"That's Lulu the youngest of us all, in this generation at least, I'm so very proud today. Look at her courage, she's fearless and she asked me about being in Ravenclaw." She said and smiled waving at her little cousin, who smiled and waved back. "GOOD LUCK FIGHTING THE TROLL!" She shouted, using a series of charms that made her voice echo and boom. Birds flew up from the Forbidden Forest and she heard a gasp behind her, that was Lorcan, he was a few years younger than her.

"That's Fawkes, look Roxie, that's Fawkes." Lorcan said and Lysander was jumping up and down in excitement, she laughed as she was well aware of the excitable nature of Luna's sons. Lysander was in his third year at Hogwarts, the Gryffindor robes he was wearing looked very stylish, as did his brother's. They were of that age and they knew to be kind to whoever they might choose to date. Of course Roxie had her dates, when she could find the time, which was seldom. Anyone she had dated in school knew that they had to be aware of the hours she kept. How she might randomly doze off in the middle of a date, if she didn't get enough sleep the night before. The most humiliating was when she'd fallen asleep at the Ravenclaw table, last year during finals and could not be woken by anyone, for the next two days. She had been given a stern warning, before she sat her final examinations, an exception being made one time and one time alone.

She strode into the hall and took her usual seat at the Ravenclaw table, smiling as her friends followed behind her. She wondered who would have the courage to sit beside her. She very carefully and very clearly removed her cloak, smiling at Lucy as she did so. Lucy was well prepared for the sorting, she knew what horrors she might encounter. There sat the hat and Lucy would be the last to go, Roxie found that she didn't really listen to the songs or speeches anymore. She found that the whole affair had a bit too much pageantry for her liking. When the first, first year stepped forward, Lucy laughed so loud and long that the boy stared at her. Lucille raised an empty glass and winked at her little cousin, who she could see quite well, sitting in back of her instructors. Of course, she had turned her body to watch all the first years be sorted and cheered and called out the name of each Ravenclaw student that joined their table. There soon began to be little room, she smiled at each of the first years and nodded to her left side, that was where she wanted them to sit.

Of course, the boys didn't want to do that, but the girls were more than happy to, beaming with pride. She smiled as the other students were welcomed with equal cries from the four tables, her brother welcoming each and every one of the young Gryffindors to come to their table. She smiled at the cloak he had placed beside himself and then it was little Lucy's turn.

"Lucy Weasley, step forward." Uncle Neville said and Roxie could see the tears in his eyes, as he looked at the youngest of their generation. Lucy bounded forward unafraid of anything and Roxie smiled.

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat cried within a minute of touching her head.

"WE GOT A SLYTHERIN WEASLEY! WELCOME TO THE HOUSE OF SNAKES LUCY WEASLEY." Silas said and Lucy smiled, the brightest and widest smile, little Lucy, that girl would do great things. Roxie smiled and raised her glass.

"TO LUCY THE LAST OF THIS GENERATION OF WEASLEYS." She shouted and smiled, everything would be fine. "I SUPPOSE WE SHOULD PUT OUR ROBES BACK ON BROTHER, I WONDER WHO WILL WRITE THE BEST LETTERS TO OUR LITTLE COUSIN."

She said and then pulled out a cracker, it was one she had worked on all summer. Lucy pulled out a cracker at the same time, as did her brother, they ripped them apart, one displayed the four houses, one would display Lucy's house and the third would display the houses of her and her brother.

"NEVER FORGET TO LAUGH LITTLE LULU, NEVER LET THEM STEAL YOUR SMILE." Freddy said and he started sobbing, of course he had many to comfort him.

"Do I have permission to sit beside my brother for a while, this year has been hard on him." She asked Neville, who was trying to hold back his own tears.

"Yes Roxanne Weasley, you have permission to sit beside your brother during the feast. I believe that a hundred and fifty points should be rewarded, for such a display of house unity, to Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin." He said and Roxanne smiled, that set them on fairly even footing this year. "As well as two weeks detention Roxanne Weasley, of course your mother will hear of this." He said and she laughed.

"Oh I have a feeling Mum already knows, after all she isn't blind, that woman has the ears of a bat and the arm of a Chaser." She said and went over to her brother, wrapping an arm around him. Fred would be so embarrassed once he stopped crying, he hated crying in front of others more than anything. He buried his face against her and sobbed, clutching onto her, as he had when they were small. She said nothing, of course Freddy would choose now to cry, her dear brother Freddy, she kissed his head. There would be time for her to feast later, she was glad that one of his mates served them both. They liked similar things and well as for the rest, she could give him the things she was less fond of. It took a very long time for him to stop crying, her uniform soaked with tears and snot. In fact when he finally stopped crying, he started to snore and she sighed, she set his head on her shoulder and ensured he wouldn't topple over.

"Bloody hell, what the bloody hell." Lorcan said and Roxie put a single finger to her lips, she knew that Freddy needed sleep. She also cast several charms to muffle the sounds of his snores and the little whimpers he made in his sleep. She also cast charms to ensure he would not overhear anyone.

"I think Freddy needs rest more than dinner, Mother cooked a great meal last night." She said and smiled, before starting to eat. Thankfully the food was not cold and then she realized, she had forgotten to look to the head table, or see that anyone else was eating. "It's alright kiddo, it's very hard to make me and my brother cry, please don't be scared by my brother's tears."

"Bloody hell." Lorcan said again and she smiled.

"If your mother could hear your mouth Lorcan Jacob Harry Scamander!" Roxie said and laughed, she laughed so hard and long that she nearly cried. "By the fates, I'm so very proud of our little cousin. You know she asked me about being in Ravenclaw earlier?"

"Bloody hell." Someone else said and she smiled at Molly.

"Please be kind in your letters home tonight, of course I believe I will cease my letter writing for a bit at least. Get settled into a new year at school, start to work on my homework, or the assignments that I need to grade."

"You...You...Grading? You are grading?" Lorcan said and Roxie nodded.

"I should be able to manage the workload and I know how to use a time turner a bit better than the Potters." She joked.

"Bloody hell." She heard many people say at once and smiled, yes this year would be an interesting one, of course what they didn't need to know they wouldn't.

"A TIME TURNER, YOU GAVE A WEASLEY A TIME TURNER, NOT ONLY A WEASLEY BUT ROXANNE WEASLEY? ARE YOU LOT ALL MAD?" Bodrick Zambini asked and she smirked.

"ONE HUNDRED POINTS FROM SLYTHERIN, FOR MALIGNING CHARACTER AND CHEAP ACCUSATIONS." Neville Longbottom called out and the Slytherins paled, all except for little Lucy who was cheerfully eating her dinner. She would have to give little Lucy her notice me not cloak, she smiled and took it out of her brother's pocket. She then strode to the Slytherin table.

"A gift for you little Cousin, from me and my brother, as well as our father."

"A present, you gave me a present, but I haven't done anything...I just was sorted." Lucy said and Roxie laughed.

"Every young prankster should have their own cloak." She said and Lucy's eyes widened, as she ripped at the paper, a beautiful purple cloak shimmered with spells. She put it on instantly, disappearing and laughing. Oh yes, this year would be so much fun, one last year at Hogwarts, one last year of school, before she would have to step out into the world.

"I would hope that points would be taken, for poorly done pranks." Silas said and Roxie laughed.

"Oh I am sure that they will, as well as rewarded Silas Knott." She said and smiled. "Of course Roxie, if you wish to sleep with me and Fred for the next few weeks, that is fine."

"Bloody hell, how many of those boxes did you make?"

"Four, of course the seventh year Hufflepuffs will be given two boxes tonight, open them carefully." She said and laughed, she heard the sound of Lucy's feet as she ran around the hall.

"You seriously gave an eleven-year-old an invisibility cloak? She's eleven! Do you have any notion of what that girl will do with that thing?" Silas said. "What sort of migraines I will get from babysitting the youngest of the bloody Weasley family."

"Oh she's a right little trouble maker to be sure, a chip off the old block, she likes to wet her nose in ink as well. So be mindful of that first years and gently suggest that she sleep, before she spills ink all over herself."

"She likes ink?" A timid voice asked. "I like ink."

"Ink is fun to play with, what is your name child?"

"My name?" The little girl blushed, she was a rather big girl, even for her age. "I'm Gabriella Crabbe."

"Well Gabby I believe you and little Lulu will get on just fine." Roxanne sniffed, she would not show weakness not in this moment, but bloody hell, she knew of this child. How proud Scorpius was when he spoke of her, his little Gabriella. "You know if you make good enough friends, I'm certain that my cousin will consider sharing her cloak with you."

"Bloody hell!" this time the swearing was quite loud indeed, as well as the tears.

"What's wrong, why is everyone crying, did I make the wrong choice?" Lucy asked her head popping out of the cloak, by the Gryffindor table.

"No lass, you made a fine choice and a very bold one." Roxie said. "Now go sit with your house mates, I do not have the time, nor the inclination to ensure that the Slytherins will be kind to you." She marched back to the Gryffindor table, repositioning herself. Freddy might be a bit mortified, by such a display, but she had to be strong, to be the stronger of the two, for a little while at least.

No one spoke, as she started eating, the hall was silent, too silent. She pulled out a CD player that she and her cousin James had worked on a bit over the summer, of course it played whatever music that was keyed to it. They hadn't yet figured out how to change things to the point where it could play more than twenty songs at a time. Eyes widened across the hall, as she blasted her favorite music, James of course would be very proud of his little cousin. She was certain of it and she sang along with all the songs, other voices joining in. It was a mix of muggle and wizard music and where someone didn't know one song, someone else did and so it continued as they ate. She grew tired of singing after a while though, focusing on her food.

"You are the greatest witch of our generation Roxanne Weasley." Lorcan said and Roxanne laughed.

"I think that Rose Weasley might beg to differ." Roxanne said and everyone at the Gryffindor table laughed.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?" Lucille asked over the sound of the music.

"I BELIEVE THAT IN OUR YEAR, WE MUST COMPETE FOR THE HIGHEST SCORES LUCILLE KNOTT." She said and Lucille laughed long and hard, as did the rest of the Ravenclaws.

"SERIOUSLY SCORES? WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU RAVENS, ARE YOU LOT ALL MAD?" Silas demanded.

"NO BROTHER DEAR, WE ARE THE SMARTEST OF ALL HOUSES, YOU LOT NEARLY DRIVE US MAD THOUGH." Lucille said and gave the best evil smile that Roxanne had seen her pull yet, it was not so intimidating knowing Lucille Knott as she knew her.

"HOW MUCH GREY WILL YOU ALL PUT IN MY HAIR THIS YEAR, I'M FAIRLY SURE THERE IS MORE SILVER THAN BROWN NOW."

"BE GLAD YOUR GOING GREY IN THE FIRST PLACE UNCLE NEVILLE, SOME NEVER GOT THE CHANCE. BLOODY HELL I NEED A DRINK." Roxanne said and pulled out a hip flask swallowing it in one go, of course fire whiskey was strong stuff and she shuddered slightly.

"WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR FLASK YOUNG WEASLEY?"

"BLOODY HELL I'M OF LEGAL AGE PROFESSOR LONGBOTTOM." She replied and everyone stared between her and Neville, who looked at her with pride in his eyes. She stopped the music and smiled, conversation started around her, but she had no particular desire to hear what was being said, instead she widened the spells around her and her brother, listening to the sound of his snoring. It was comforting, but it also made her very sleepy, she suddenly realized how tired she was, her brother had played his part perfectly. Then of course there were the various things that had to be planned around. She was among family here, they would ensure that she was safe, if she fell asleep. She shook her head, determined to stay awake, show no weakness, give a show of force. However she was so very tired.

A hand was placed on her shoulder, very gently and she smiled at Peeves. "Rest now, I like you girl, don't like many, but you I like. We can play tricks together this year, when you have time to play with old Peeves. Peeves likes games, he does, lots and lots of games."

"Will you tell me who you were once Peeves?" Roxanne asked. "For I at least would like to know."

"Silly girl, bringing up things best long buried, you are going to be one to watch. Are you more tricksy than clever, or kind than ambitious? I like you very much, but maybe you already know who old Peeves is girl."

"Bloody hell." She said softly and smiled. "Are we related?"

"The girl may ask the questions three, if she a Sorceress she wants to be, that is your first question and no we are not related, old Peeves had no children, Peeves likes his riddles."

"I believe I know who you are, but I am uncertain, perhaps others could play this guessing game."

"A girl has three questions, but unlimited time this year, three questions and as much time as a girl might wish for."

"Endless hours to spend studying and with my brother, as well as grading homework?" She asked raising a single eyebrow and Peeves laughed. "I hope I don't age ten years in the next one."

"Then the girl will be a woman grown, is that such a bad thing, tricksy little raven?"

"I suppose not, are we the only ones who can hear this conversation?"

"Yes, you made the spells and wards, Peeves just knows how to get around spells and wards. Peeves sees the possibilities of the future and a word of warning, watch your back tonight."

"Thank you for your warning, I will be extra vigilant tonight." She said and Peeves laughed.

"Or you can climb into that magic box of yours and rest girl." Peeves said and Roxie smiled.

"That I could." She said and yawned, deserts appeared on the table and she managed to finish off her favorite, she hoped her brother would not be too hungry. She ate her food and then used a levitating charm, the portrait opened for her, the Fat Lady smiling at her. She found her way to her brother's dorm room and went inside the box with him, she laid him down on the top bunk and took the queen-sized bed for herself. She fell asleep instantly and slept deeply.