Chapter 23
After the trial Meredith started having trouble sleeping. The nightmare she'd had when she was little about the big black dog had begun to visit her nightly. She had no idea why she would suddenly start having nightmares so she did what she always did when she didn't understand something. She dug through her books. She found a few articles on reoccurring nightmares.
"Reoccuring themes can represent certain challenges that the dreamer is facing," one such book read. Well that didn't help her at all Meredith thought slamming the book shut. She wasn't facing any challenges at the moment. They'd won the hearing, she was with her dad, she was on summer vacation. Okay, well she was missing Patricia something fierce but she didn't see how the big black dog could represent that. She asked her dad about it, but he didn't have any ideas. He did seem to get real uncomfortable when she spoke of the big black dog. Finally she asked Andromeda if she could borrow her copy of The Dream Oracle. All she gained from the excursion was a sense of relief that she was not going to be taking Divination in her third year. And to top it all off she had been feeling really off lately. Just the other day she had fought with her dad over something that was so silly she couldn't even recall what had started the fight. Fortunately, thanks to Dumbledore's teaching's she had not made anything explode when she had lost her temper. She lay on her bed now, staring at the ceiling.
"What is wrong with me?" she asked rolling over and pounding her pillow. She rubbed her hand over her stomach. She had been having the funny cramping feeling in her lower belly since this morning, which she didn't quite understand. It wasn't until dinner that night that she found out what the trouble was. She nearly dropped her fork when she felt the warm trickle.
"Something wrong, love?" her dad asked her. Meredith didn't answer. She set her fork down and raced upstairs to the bathroom. Her eyes widened with shock when she saw there was a rust colored stain on her knickers. Meredith gasped. She knew what it meant of course. She had heard enough at the orphanage and around Hogwarts to know that this happened to all girls. She bit her lip. How was she supposed to tell her dad though. Her face flushed. The idea of telling her dad about this was mortifying.
"Meredith!" his voice came through the door. "You all right in there?"
"Um," Meredith thought frantically, "Yeah, fine." After dealing with the issue she went back downstairs where her dad was sitting on the couch reading. She stayed silent as she picked up Pride and Prejudice from the table and sat down in the big easy chair.
"You all right?" her dad asked not looking up from his book.
"Yeah," she said quickly. "Fine." He seemed to accept that and went back to his book.
"You know I'm here if you want to talk," he said after a bit.
"I know," Meredith said.
"Happy Birthday, love," her dad said as she came into the kitchen a week later. She smiled as he floated a glass of pumpkin juice over to her.
"Morning," she said sitting down at the table. There was a letter from Hogwarts already sitting there. She immediately tore it open. She found her book list, which included the books she would need for Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures. Also in the letter was a permission form to visit the village of Hogsmeade on select weekends. She couldn't help getting a little excited about visiting Hogsmeade after hearing about from Tonks and Percy's older brothers. She couldn't help feel a little sad as she thought of her friends. Would they remember today was her birthday? Would they send her a card or a letter. She shifted through the post hoping to see her friends; familiar handwriting but there didn't appear to be anything. She sighed and started on her breakfast. She looked up as there was a knock on the door.
"Why don't you see who it is love," her dad said with a small smile. Meredith shot him a suspicious look but went to the door anyway. She let out a cry of surprise as she opened the door. There sitting on the porch was a huge red box with a big white bow on top. Carefully, she reached out and took the card that was tied to the top.
"Happy Thirteen," she read. Who could have done this?
"Who's at the door, Mer?" her dad called.
"It's a present," Meredith called. She stepped outside and tried to lift it. It was heavy.
"I can't lift it," she called.
"Meredith will you please open the box, we're dying in here!" Meredith jumped about ten feet. The voice had come from the box. And it was familiar.
"Oh my," Meredith said quickly lifting the lid.
"Surprise!" Meredith cried out in delight as Percy, Patricia and Oliver popped out of the box, each with a brightly wrapped gift in their hand.
"You guys," she laughed gleefully hugging Patricia. "What are you doing here?"
"What you think we'd actually forget your birthday?" Oliver asked throwing an arm around her shoulder. Meredith laughed and they went into the house.
"But I thought you were in Switzerland?" Meredith asked Patricia.
"Your dad wrote my folks. He arranged for me to stay with you the rest of the summer."
"Really," Meredith said in disbelief.
"Your dad wrote our folks too," Oliver explained. "Said you'd been having a rough time lately and you needed some cheering up." Meredith looked over at her dad who had joined them in the living room, and smiled. How did he always know?
"Of course stuffing ourselves into a box on your front stoop was Oliver's idea," Percy said a bit huffily.
"Eh, it added to the surprise," Oliver said airily.
"Why don't you all come into the kitchen and have some breakfast?" her dad said. As her friends went into the kitchen Meredith held back. Once her friends were out of sight she threw her arms around her dad and hugged him tight.
"Thanks Daddy," she said.
"You're welcome love." He said kissing the top of her head. "Go have fun."
After breakfast they sat around the living room and Meredith opened her presents. A box of every flavor beans and ten chocolate frogs from Percy, a pair of hand knitted gloves from Mrs. Weasley, a new quill and parchment set from Oliver, a sweater from Andromeda and Ted, a book from Tonks: Numerology: Arithmancy Made Easy.
"This book save my life," said the note from Tonks. Percy immediately asked to borrow it. Patricia gave her a necklace she had found in a shop in Switzerland.
"It's a moonstone," Patricia said. "The witch who sold it to me said they have protective qualities." Her dad gave her a new school bag and a set of protective gloves.
"You'll need those for Care of Magical Creatures," Percy said knowingly. "Charlie got quite a few bites from some of his homework."
"We won't be working with anything really dangerous will we?" Patricia said a little worried. "I mean they wouldn't bring like dragons on school grounds would they."
"No way," Oliver said. "That's illegal."
"What about werewolves?" Patricia said. Meredith froze. She glanced at her dad who was busying himself with the cake.
"We don't learn about werewolves in Care of Magical Creatures. We learn about them in DADA." Percy said. "And not till second term."
"Cake anyone?" Remus said using his wand to levitate plates out to them from the kitchen.
"Third year is gonna be great," Oliver said.
"It's gonna be harder though," Percy said. "Our schedules are gonna be so much fuller."
"But we get to get out of school and visit Hogsmeade at least," Meredith pointed out.
"I can't wait to visit Honeydukes sweetshop," Patricia said. "They've got every kind of candy and sweet you can possibly imagine."
"Bill says Zonko's Joke Shop is the best," Percy said. "Though I dare say it's more Fred and George's sort of place."
"Are the twins looking forward to starting school?" Remus asked coming into the living room with a tray of tea.
"Oh yes sir," Percy said taking the pot and pouring himself a cup of tea. "Though I must say I'm a bit concerned about them. A couple of troublemakers you know. I have a feeling they'll spend more time in detention than in class."
"Sounds like someone else I know," Remus said quietly.
"Who Dad?" Meredith asked.
"Nevermind," Remus said. "So how's the quidditch game coming Oliver?"
"Excellent," Oliver said. "Dad's been pitching me quaffles every night. Haven't missed one yet. I'll make the team this year, no doubt about it." Meredith rolled her eyes and exchanged a dubious glance with Patricia.
"This was such a great birthday," Meredith said as she and Patricia got ready for bed.
"I was so happy when Mom and Dad told me that I could spend the rest of the summer here with you," Patricia said. "Switzerland wasn't all that fun. It snows there, everyday. Even in July!" Meredith laughed and pulled her nightgown over her head.
"Knock knock," Remus said poking his head in. "Just thought I'd say goodnight ladies."
"Good night Dad," Meredith said giving him a hug.
"Good night Mr. Lupin," Patricia said shyly. Remus smiled and gave Patricia a hug too.
"Don't stay up too late ladies. We've got to go to Diagon Alley tomorrow to get your school things."
"We won't," Meredith called. They climbed into bed and turned off the light. They were quiet till they heard Remus go to bed.
"So how has it been going this summer?" Patricia asked turning on her side. Meredith turned so they were facing each other. She told Patricia about the nightmares she'd been having, and about getting her period. Patricia was sympathetic
"Was it really awkward telling your dad?"
"I didn't tell him exactly. I think he just kind of knew. He just said 'I'm here if you wanna talk.'"
"Which you don't," Patricia said understanding. "Cause it's not the sort of thing you talk about with your dad."
"Exactly," Meredith said with a sigh. "I love my dad, you know that."
"I do," Patricia said.
"But at that moment I really wished I had a mother to talk to."
"You don't want mine, trust me. When I got my period the first time, she just gave me a bunch of pamphlets. They all say the same thing, 'the biggest change a young witch can go through.'"
"Did you feel different afterwards?"
"Not really. Except for feeling totally blah once a month. Mom says there are potions you can take that reduce the cramps but she's too busy to show me how to brew them. Not very likely that we're gonna learn them from Snape."
"Ooh, don't even joke about that." They giggled together.
"Your dad really is a great guy," Patricia said. "I can't imagine my Dad doing something like this for me. You're really lucky you know." Meredith smiled. She felt for Patricia's hand in the dark and gave it a light squeeze.
"I know."