You Were Always There: Part Six

by OpenBookLina

Mia Thatcher and her friends are back for a strange and exciting sixth year at Hogwarts. This time, they have a collector as their potions teacher, Dumbledore is disappearing more often to who knows where, schoolwork and blossoming love fill their daily activities, and on top of it all Harry may find the secret to Voldemort's past and the key to defeating him once and for all.

17. Alone, or Not Alone?

Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter are not mine. It all belongs to the great and wonderful J.K Rowling.

Chapter Seventeen: Alone, or Not Alone?

MiaPOV

My parents are dead...my parents are dead...

These words continued to run through Mia's mind like a horribly scratched broken record, buffering so badly it nearly made her flinch each time. She sat quietly in her chair, staring idly down into the steaming cup of tea that Professor McGonagall was kind enough to give her, the leaves swirling around gracefully at the bottom. She had only taken a single sip since taking the cup into her quivering hands, but unfortunately the warmth from the tea wasn't quiet enough to make the numbing feeling in her body go away. The voices of Sirius and McGonagall were a bit muffled around her, and she knew they were talking to each other about her, but her brain couldn't quite function properly to understand what they were saying. It took at least a few more minutes before she blinked once, then twice, and then finally lifted her head to stare at McGonagall.

"Professor," she whispered. "Are-are they sure? I mean...there were a lot of-of casualties. Maybe they got it wrong?"

"I do not believe so, Miss Thatcher," McGonagall answered. "For some time, the Ministry has been cross-referencing names of victims who have perished, a measure of making sure if anyone had a magical relative to notify. With all the attacks the Death Eaters have caused lately, more often than not we find connections to families that have been effected by these terrible events. Even through the children here at Hogwarts, as I'm sure you've noticed."

Mia could only nod her head in agreement. There have been several times lately when students have been pulled out of class to hear about something tragic that happened to family members. Just last week there was a girl who was devastated at hearing her little brother had been savagely attacked and killed by a werewolf. Not just any werewolf either, but Fenir Grayback, a wild beast of a creature who liked to attack young children, and was currently known for working with the Death Eaters. Harry had even admitted to them in confidence that Grayback was the same werewolf that had bitten Remus when he was a child. But now ever since Voldemort had made himself know to the wizarding world last year, he seemed to have no more qualms in demonstrating just how destructive he and his followers could be.

"The letter," Mia started, her throat feeling awfully tight and her eyes quickly welling with tears as a though entered her mind, hope daring to swell inside of her. "It only mentioned my parents. Does that mean my-my brother..."

McGonagall opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, the door to her office burst open loudly, and the flustered, panting forms of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Claudia came rushing inside, nearly toppling over one another in their attempt to charge into the room. The scene would have been comedic if it weren't for the circumstances, and Mia didn't have it in her to smile. She barely reacted to the sudden interruption, hardly moving an inch, but after a few long seconds, she slowly turned her head over towards them, her eyes locking onto Harry's green ones in an instant. Before she knew it, his school bag was on the floor and he was kneeling in front of her, pulling her tightly into his arms. His embrace provided her the first twinge of warmth ever since receiving the letter, and she savored it, practically sagging against him. Her lips quivered, her breathing shortened and she removed one of her hands from the shaking teacup saucer to grip his robes, keeping him-and his loving warmth-as close to her as possible.

"I'm so sorry, Mia," he whispered in her ear, his voice thick with barely contained emotion. "I'm so sorry."

"The door, if you please, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said, not sounding upset or surprised at all for the disturbance. "Mr. Potter?"

Professor McGonagall gestured towards the only other seat available, on Mia's right hand side, and after a minute Harry slowly withdrew so he could take it, although he scooted it so that was it was right up against Mia's chair. He grasped her hand in his, and she held onto it like a lifeline while the others crowded around next to, or behind her.

"Mia," Hermione breathed, looking on the verge of tears herself. "Oh, Mia, I'm so sorry...your parents..."

"Minerva," Sirius said, his voice sounding loud in the tense quiet. "Was Mia's brother in the car as well?"

"No," McGonagall replied, and Mia could feel the ice in her chest start to dissolve some more. "He was with Molly and Arthur at your home, Mr. Weasley. They were watching him while Miss Thatcher's parents went out. He is there now, safe and sound."

Oh, thank you, God! Brian's all right! Mia let out a shaky breath of relief, placing the saucer and cup on the desk in front of her so she could wipe her eyes, sniffling.

"I need to see him," she said, staring imploringly at McGonagall, squeezing Harry's hand. "He-he's only six, Professor. He won't understand what's happened, he's probably so confused and scared. He needs me."

"Of course," McGonagall agreed, giving her wand a short flick and then a piece of parchment floated her way, along with her quill and ink. "There is no question about it. I shall inform the headmaster and write an official temporary leave of absence for you, but please, take as long as you feel necessary. I may have only met your parents a couple of times, but they were very lovely people, and very kind. Arthur and Molly have agreed to take you and your brother in at the Burrow until all the arrangements have been made. You are excused from your classes for the rest of the day, I suggest you head back up to Gryffindor Tower and pack up whatever you may need. Sirius, would you mind escorting Miss Thatcher to the Burrow?"

"Not at all," Sirius answered.

"Professor," Harry spoke up. "I-"

"Potter," McGonagall cut in, looking torn between exasperated and apologetic. "I know what you're going to say. I'm sorry, but you cannot go with Miss Thatcher. None of you can."

No sooner had the words left her mouth that there were instant protests made on nearly all ends, four different voices overlapping each other.

"But professor-"

"We need to be with her-"

"That's not fair!"

"She can't go through this alone-"

"Her parents treated me like family, this effects me as well!"

"Surely we can afford to miss some school to help support-"

"Enough!" McGonagall exclaimed, fixing them all with her famous glare that made them go silent. "Things are too dangerous right now for you all to be away from the safety of the castle for an unknown amount of time, especially you, Mr. Potter! With all the recurring attacks on both wizard and Muggle alike, there is just simply no way I am going to endanger the lives of my students, especially one who is currently the most wanted person to anyone following You-Know-Who. Miss Nessen, the decision is ultimately up to your head of house, but I'm positive that Severus would feel the same as I do."

"Can any sort of exception be made, Minerva?" Sirius asked gently.

"Sirius," she sighed. "You know why we can't. What if the wrong people find out about this? If Death Eaters don't try and take advantage of the opportunity, then the Prophet will make a spectacle."

Harry still looked exceptionally upset and he opened his mouth to argue some more, but Mia, knowing this will get him nothing but detention, squeezed his hand and looked over towards him.

"Harry," she said softly. All she said was his name, but the emotion in it was enough to make him pause. Mia bit her lip to keep it from quivering, and she tried her best to express her feelings through words, but it seemed impossible. She wanted Harry with her, that went without question-he was like her lifeline and she was fearful that without him beside her, she would drown, falling back into the void. But if he were to go with her, even with all the security in the world, he would still be at risk. The Order was already spread thin, who could say there would be enough protection for them all while she had to make the arrangements?

"Professor, please," Harry said after a moment, his tone quieter and more pleading.

"I'm sorry, Potter," McGonagall said, and there was no mistaking the finality in her voice. "I truly am. You, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley may be excused from your afternoon classes. I'm afraid you would need to seek permission from Professor Snape if you wished to be excused from yours, Miss Nessen."

Claudia nodded, but from the look on her face, she knew what everyone else was surely thinking-there was no way Snape would let her miss her classes to be there for Mia. Soon enough, Mia was slowly standing to her feet along with Harry, following them all out of the office while Sirius stayed behind to speak with McGonagall further, telling Mia he would meet her in the Entrance Hall. Nothing was said between the five students as they walked silently through the corridors, although Mia refused to let go of Harry's hand. She kept her focus on the floor, the tears still running down her face in little rivers, her body feeling as though it were made of lead. The others didn't really seem to know what to say, each in their own state of shock or disbelief. At some point, Claudia had to say goodbye, as she had to go to her Charms lesson that she was already late for. In a surprising act, she gave Mia a fierce, tight hug, muttering her condolences softly to her, the sadness in her voice unbearable. She had never before displayed such open affection of any sort, but her willingness to comfort Mia in such a way touched her more than words could describe.

After Claudia left, Mia and the others made their way to the Portrait of the Fat Lady, who was napping in her frame. Ron had to raise his voice at her in order to wake her up and her body jolted, a snort of surprise falling past her lips. She turned her annoyed glare at them and looked as though she were about to tell them off. However, one look at Mia's distraught face, she closed her mouth and silently accepted the password before swinging open to let them in. Mia was still in a daze as they walked into the common room, which was thankfully empty, save for a few scattered students who were taking advantage of their free period by studying or lounging in front of the fireplace. When they came to the door that led up to the girl's dormitories, they all came to a pause.

"Don't suppose you've ever figured out how to take the spell off the staircase, have you, Hermione?" Ron asked. "So Harry and I could come up with you?"

Hermione only shook her head in response. Harry sighed but then he turned Mia around so that she was facing him, drawing her in for a warm hug that she immediately savored, closing her eyes briefly.

"Go on, love," he whispered. "We'll wait for down here, okay?"

Mia nodded and then she reluctantly stepped away from Harry so she could start walking up the stone staircase, with Hermione following close behind her. Once they entered the dormitory, Mia slowly dragged out her trunk from underneath her bed and heaved it onto the mattress while Hermione-probably wanteding to keep herself moving-started gathering some of Mia's clothes for her, folding them neatly before passing them off to be placed in the trunk.

"I don't know where Sapphire or Caesar is," Mia muttered, glancing around the room for her cats.

"I'm sure they're around here somewhere," Hermione said. "I can watch over them while you're gone if you'd like."

"I'd appreciate that," Mia agreed softly.

"Is there anything extra you want to pack?" Hermione asked. "Any of your books? Your art supplies, or anything from our last Hogsmeade trip?"

"Maybe just a few books," Mia answered, somewhat distracted as she started to change out of her school robes so she could put on a muggle outfit. "And I have a bag of Honeyduke's treats I was going to give to Brian, it's on my table."

Hermione nodded and flittered about, making sure to pack everything that Mia wanted to take with her while she finished getting dressed. Her mind to be in a completely different place, her limbs still feeling awfully heavy and each heartbeat causing pressure that was borderline painful. The tears had stopped, for the moment anyway, but her eyes hurt and she knew it wouldn't take much to get them started again. As she and Hermione were stuffing her last few things into her trunk, Mia looked over to her her favorite traveling cloak hanging from one of the bed posts, the silvery blue one she had gotten from her parents for Crhistmas in her third year. She had to suppress the sob that threatened to crawl up her throat and she gently took the soft material into her hands, tracing her fingers over it. The memory of when she received this as a gift was still so fresh in her mind, the sheer joy she felt when she tried it on, spinning around to watch the fabric sway around her like ripples of water. Her father had gone on a special trip with Mr. Weasley to Diagon Alley to shop for Christmas presents that year, and he had worked extra hours at his job in order to have the money to get the cloak custom made just for her.

Mia's lips trembled as she closed her eyes and buried her face into the cloak, clutching it tightly in her fists as she tried her best not to break down. Not here, not now, and not when she has to go to Brian, to be strong for him...

"Mia?" Hermione whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder. Doing her best to pull herself together, Mia straightened up and drew in a shaky breathe, although she couldn't stop the tears that had managed to slip from her eyes. With a loud sniff, she took her cloak and pulled it around her shoulders, tying the front strings together and clasping the silver button closed, letting if wrap around her like a blanket.

"I should get going," said Mia, clearing her throat to cleanse it of the lump that was quickly forming. Hermione could only nod, tears of her own shining in her eyes. With a quick charm to make her trunk feather light, Mia and Hermione walked back down the spiral staircase to find Harry and Ron still waiting for them at the bottom. Harry was sitting in a nearby chair, hunched over and gripping his hair while Ron stood off to the side, looking as though he was at a loss for words and uncertain of what he could do. When the girls approached, Harry lifted his head and Mia saw that his eyes were a bit red. He rubbed at them quickly before standing to his feet and as he stood before her, he seemed to utterly lost and she could tell he was trying to say something, anything to give her comfort, but she knew that was easier said than done. Harry never outright said so in front of her, but Ben and Catherine were the closest thing to parental figures for many years, and she knew this was hitting him just as hard. And to be honest, she didn't want him to say anything. Instead, she just reached out to take his hand in hers, squeezing it tightly, and they were all silent as they left the common room area.

"You can stay in my room, if you want, Mia," Ron said at one point as they were walking down the staircase together. "It's a bit messy, but uh, the view is nice."

"Thank you, Ron," Mia said, knowing he was doing his best.

"We'll write to you," Hermione promised. "I can send you our class assignments if you'd like."

"I don't think I'll be much in the mood for homework, Mione," murmured Mia. "But I appreciate it, though. I just-I wish you guys were coming with me."

"So do we," Harry said, pulling her closer to his side as they walked through the corridor leading the the staircase that would take them down to the Entrance Hall. "I'm so sorry Mia."

Something in his tone made Mia slow down, and she turned to look at him. His head was down, his eyes glued to the floor, and the guilt was practically oozing from him.

"Harry, so help me, you better not be thinking what I think you are thinking," she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Mia-"

"No, I don't want to hear it!" Mia said, her voice hard as she stopped briefly to make him look at her. "If you even so much as think of finding a way to make any of this your fault, I swear I will send a Stinging hex straight to the Potter family jewels. Do you understand?"

"But I..."

"Do you understand?"

Harry opened his mouth, but after looking at her expression, he faltered and then let out a sigh of utter defeat before nodded. Satisfied for now, Mia pulled Harry along with her as they continued walking towards the grand staircase, where Ron and Hermione had gone on ahead of them to give them some time to themselves. In no time at all, they were walking through the Entrance Doors and they made their way down the flight of stone steps, where Sirius was waiting for them at the bottom, beside one of the school carriages, drawn by a pair of Thestrals.

"Are you ready, Mia?" Sirius asked softly as they approached. She nodded in response, and then turned to Harry, letting him draw her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry that I can't come with you," he muttered, the remorse in his voice clear. "I promise, I'll write, and I'll be right here when you get back. We all will. I love you."

"I love you too," Mia mumbled, giving Harry a squeeze, very reluctant to leave him, to leave Hogwarts, and have to face what is waiting for her beyond the gates of the school grounds. Much too soon for her liking, she let him go and leaned up to give him a kiss, breathing him in. Then, she stepped away from him and gave hugs to both Hermione and Ron at the same time, holding them tight. Hermione's tears were evident as she whispered her condolences and for once, Ron didn't struggle or try to fight his way out of the embrace. He accepted it and reciprocated it, holding onto the girls before they had to break apart. Sirius took this time to shrink Mia's trunk small enough to where it would inside the pocked of his robes, and then he held open the door to the carriage for Mia. With one last tearful goodbye, Mia waved goodbye to the others and then climbed into the carriage, settling herself in while she heard Sirius tell them that he would be back with news as soon as possible. Once he climbed in behind her, the Thestrals, as if on que, immediately starting moving forward to deliver the carriage across the grounds. Mia leaned her head out of the window just a little, watching her friends and boyfriend until they eventually fell out of sight. Sitting back against the seat, she clasped her hands tightly in her lap, trying to keep her emotions from bubbling over. There was a tense silence between her and Sirius as the carriage moved along the muddy path, and she had the feeling that the older wizard just wasn't sure of what to say. But after a little while, he did finally speak up, his tone gentle.

"Somehow, I just don't think that saying 'I'm sorry' is quite enough to cover it," he said. "Your parents...they were such wonderful and kind people. I don't think I ever got to fully express just how thankful I was to them, for being there for Harry as much as they could while he was growing up. I can only imagine what you're going through right now. Losing someone you love and care for so much, it's...it's crippling. But Mia, remember that you have so many people who care for you and are here for you, myself included. You are not alone."

Mia was touched by his words, and she quietly thanked him before allowing the silence to engulf them once more. The rest of the ride seemed to pass by quickly and yet it also dragged out, with Mia being so lost in her thoughts she really didn't know how she could keep track of the time. All that she knew, was that one minute they were in the carriage, and then in the next, she was stepping out of it, following Sirius past a small group of Aurors that were stanign guard at the gates to the school. When they were officially off the castle grounds and past the security point, Sirius held out his arm to her and she took it without question, closing her eyes just as she felt the familiar, uncomfortable tug of Side-Along Appiration.

In mere seconds, Mia felt her feet slam back into the ground and she took in a quiet gasp of air when her body was able to stretch, and air came back into her lungs. Once she was able to get her bearings, she released Sirius' arm, opened her eyes and after only a quick glance around, she saw that she was in the grassy fields that surrounded the Burrow, which was seen only a short distance away. A part of Mia rejoiced in seeing the towering, familiar home that always gave her a sense of security whenever she came to visit in the past. Her need to see her brother suddenly grew to increasing levels and without waiting for Sirius, she started walking briskly towards the front yard, where she could already see the garden gnomes sneaking around the flower beds, peaking their heads between the tulips that had yet to bloom. All Mia cared about in that moment was seeing her little brother with her very own eyes, to see that he really was unharmed. Even though she had been told otherwise, she just had to see for herself, to make sure that he was absolutely okay. Just as she passed through the gate leading past the garden, the front door was suddenly thrust open to reveal the same young boy she had been thinking about.

"Mia!"

"Brian," she whispered, her voice sounding very choked up at the sight of the small child who was tearing along the path leading through the front yard, heading straight towards her. Within mere seconds, Mia was kneeling down on the ground with her arms wrapped tightly around Brian in a fierce hug, holding him in the folds of her cloak as though she would never let go. Being able to embrace him like this, to breath in his scent, and feel him-alive and well-released a huge weight from her shoulders and she bit her lip to keep herself from crying again. In that moment, she had never missed or loved her baby brother more.

"Mia," Brian muttered into her shoulder, tightening his grip on her. "Mrs. Weasley said something bad happened to Mummy and Daddy. Is it true?"

There was pinch in Mia's chest at his words, and the feeling of dread was nearly overwhelming. How much had the Weasleys explained what happened to Brian? Did they tell him everything? Or barely anything? Would she have to fill in the blanks, or try to find a way to explain death properly to a six-year-old boy? As far as she knew, Catherine and Ben may never have had to chance to talk to Brian about death and what it truly means. Not that they had to, no one close to them had ever died before. At least, not until now.

"Lets go inside, buddy," Mia said gently. Very reluctantly, Mia pulled away from him so she could straighten herself up, letting him latch his hand onto hers. Together they walked back to the front door of the Burrow, with Sirius trailing silently behind them. Mrs. Weasley was standing in the doorway, seeming to have been about to go after Brian when he ran outside, but stopped so he could have a moment with Mia, which the young witch appreciated.

"Oh, Mia dear," Mrs. Weasley said, her eyes incredibly sad and glossy-looking as she instantly pulled Mia in for a hug, giving her a gentle squeeze. "I'm so very sorry, sweetie. This is just so terrible, I can't even..."

Mia could hear her sniff before drawing back, and the kindly Weasley matriarch gave her a loving, brave smile, placing a hand on her cheek, reminding Mia so much of her mother that it made her want to cringe.

"Come now, lets get you both out of this cold," Mrs. Weasley said. "I'll put on a pot of tea, and I'm preparing some beef and vegetable soup."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Mia murmured as she followed her inside the warmth of the Burrow. After closing the door behind them all, Mrs. Weasley guided them into the kitchen, where there was a bubbling pot filled with a delicious-smelling soup, being stirred by a long spoon, maneuvering on its own while over on the kitchen table, a knife was slicing up a loaf of bread. With a simple wave of her wand, Mrs. Weasley had a teapot warming up on the stove while the plates, cups and bowls set themselves up on the table.

"Where's Mr. Weasley?" Mia asked, taking a seat at the table.

"Well, he and Remus left only a short while ago," Mrs. Weasley replied slowly. "Arthur has a good friend at the Ministry, his department helps to straighten out major magical catastrophes such as these Death Eater attacks. He has help make arrangements for Arthur to go and-to claim..."

Mrs. Weasley threw a glance at Brian, who was currently sliding his own chair right next to Mia's, placing himself down and scooting over so he was pressed right against her. Knowing what Mrs. Weasley was trying to say, Mia only nodded, placing an arm around Brain's shoulder. Soon enough, they all had steaming bowls of soup and buttered bread with tea in front of them, even Sirius, who had decided to stay for a while after returning Mia's trunk to its normal size.

"Mia?" Brian pipped up after a little while of silence. "Are Mummy and Daddy okay?"

Mia-who had been mostly playing with the soup in her bowl-paused at his question and sighed, that terrible, awful feeling festering even more in her body. Thankfully, Mrs. Weasley chose at that time to suggest leading Sirius upstairs so they could place the trunk in Ginny's room, where Mia would apparently be staying for the time being. Grateful for the privacy, Mia mouthed "thank you" to them both as they left the kitchen, leaving Mia and Brian alone.

"What's going on?" Brian asked.

Please God, please let me get through telling him this. Taking a breath, Mia blinked a few times, making sure not to cry, or show any kind of weakness as she turned to face the little boy next to her, whose eyes were anxious and frightened.

"Brian," Mia started quietly. "I'm not sure how much Mr. and Mrs. Weasley told you, but...something did happen to Mum and Dad. I know that this is going to be hard to hear, but you will have to understand..."

HarryPOV

"DAMN IT! REDUCTO!"

With another shout of frustration, Harry raised his wand and blasted yet another Death Eater Dummy, reducing it to nothing but dust in a bright wave of red light. However, it did every little to sooth the angry beat that was dwelling inside of his chest, and his breathing was ragged as he stared around at his surroundings. It felt like only minutes since he had sought solitude in the Room of Requirement, and he had already destroyed five dummies, two small shelves, and an armchair. But oh, how he wished the dummies were real so he could take out his anger and his need for revenge on the ones who destroyed the life of the girl he loved, who took away the only parental figures he had when he was young. The ones who would feed him if he looked too skinny, allowed him to come over to their house every day in the summer, who cared enough to buy him birthday and Christmas presents, who had come to see him before he completed the third task in the Triwizard Tournament. Ben and Catherine Thatcher had treated him like a son ever since the day they met him.

And how do I repay them? By getting them killed.

"Confringo!"

The next target of Harry's rampage turned out to be another chair, which burst into flames and he stood there for a moment, watching it, with his chest heaving.

"Are you done with your tantrum now?"

Harry turned around and was surprised to see Claudia Nessen standing there, with her arms crossed over her chest and looking unimpressed.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked, temporarily stunned. "Wait, how did you get in here?"

"You would be amazed at what you can find out with a little poking and prodding," Nessen answered, coming forward and using her wand to put out the flames. "When I saw that you weren't with Weasley or Granger, I had a feeling you were somewhere that you could be along and wallow in self pity. So, I convinced them that if they were not going to try and knock some sense into you, maybe I could give it a go. I made them wait outside though, figured you probably didn;t want an audience."

"Didn't think that you'd care so much," Harry muttered in annoyance.

"I don't," Nessen stated, turning to him and a cold glare. "I care about Mia."

"What do you want, Nessen?" Harry grumbled as he began pacing a little, trying to keep himself moving, to calm his raging thoughts.

"I want you to stop acting like an idiot. Do you really think that screaming and breaking things like a child is going to make things better?"

"You don't have the right to judge me!" Harry snapped at her. "Mia's parents were like my own, they raised me in their own way, and now because of me they're dead."

"And here I though you hated the spotlight," Nessen said with a raised eyebrow. "Since when did this become all about you?"

"It's not," Harry ground out.

"That's not how you're making it sound," Nessen countered. "Did you tell those Death Eaters to attack the bridge?"

"Of course not!"

"Did you have any idea that the Thatchers would even be there?"

"No, but-"

"Were you anywhere near that bridge when it went down?"

"No, I was here."

"Exactly!" said Nessen in exasperation. "You were here, they were there, and unfortunately they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Trust me Potter, if you were there then that would be perfect motivation for the attack, but you weren't. Mia's parents and the rest of those poor people on the bridge were victims of circumstance. The Death Eaters attacked because they wanted to, to continue to spread fear and destruction in the name of their beloved lord. To them, the Thatchers would have just been a bonus, because I really doubt they knew just who it was that they killed that day. So please, pull yourself together and knock it off with this whole self-loathing act when you were not the cause of it. Bad people do very bad things, and sometimes the ones we love get hurt as a result of it."

There was something in Nessen's tone that made Harry briefly think that she seemed to be speaking from experience. He just glared at her some more before he finally stopped with his pacing and his entire body sagged, feeling very heavy all of a sudden. He made his way obver to the nearest chair and sat down, gripping his hair with his hands.

"They were like my parents," he whispered, feeling the burn in his eyes. "They never did anything wrong."

"I know, and I'm truly sorry for your loss, Potter" Nessen agreed, her voice slightly softer than it was before. "You have every right to be angry about it, but destroying everything in the room will not make the pain go away. Channel that energy for another time, because right now, Mia needs you more than ever. I can guarantee that Mia is going to do her best to be strong, to hide away all her pain, but at some point she will break. And you need to be there when she does."

"I will," Harry sighed. "I will be here for her through anything. I just feel so helpless. I'm not even allowed to go to the funeral, she's going to be there by herself."

"Since when have the rules stopped you from doing something incredibly stupid?" Nessen asked, and Harry could hear the smirk in her voice.

"This is different," said Harry. "Even if I could somehow sneak out of here, if Voldemort doesn't find me and kill me, I'm pretty sure McGonagall will."

"So, don't sneak. Just walk out," Nessen stated, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"And how exactly do you suggest I do that?" Harry inquired, lifting his head.

"You forget Potter, my house is quite cunning, and we have great ambition," Nessen replied, her smirk turning into a grin. "When I want something, you'd be amazed at the creative things I can come up with to get it done."

MiaPOV

It was very late a night, with the Burrow completely still, dark and quiet. Mia was lying awake, her arm around Brian while he slept, curled up in a ball against her body, the two of them snug under the blanket as they rested on Ginny's bed. She took comfort in his slow breathing, using her free hand to move his hair away from his forehead, doing her best not to wake him up. It wasn't long ago that she was finally able to sooth him to sleep, for the boy was just too upset to even consider sleep. The entire afternoon and evening felt like a complete wreck, and Mia really didn't know if she ended up making things better or worse. It seemed like it had taken hours to explain things to Brian in a way that he would understand, because she didn't want to outright say that malicious Death Eaters killed their parents. The best that she could do was tell him bad wizards destroyed a bridge, and many people who were on that bridge were very badly hurt. Some people were able to recover, but others, like Ben and Catherine, had to go to heaven, where they wouldn't be hurting anymore. She had to explain that heaven was only a place for angels, and that they were not allowed to have visitors. All in all, she had to tell her brother that they would not ever see their parents again...that they were gone, and never coming back.

It was this realization that had Brian dissolve into tears. He didn't want to believe it at first, and outright refused the idea that Ben and Catherine would leave them to go live in heaven. Mia tried her best to make him understand the choice wasn't theirs, that they loved the two of them more than anything and would have stayed if they could. But all Brian could register at the time was that his mother and father were gone, and his reaction was damn near heartbreaking. He clung to Mia, asking her again and again to go to heaven and ask them to come home, and all she could do was hold him, rock him back and forth just like Catherine used to do whenever her children were upset.

Needless to say, the hours that followed were not the greatest. Mrs. Weasley and Sirius tried their best, but Brian would not remove himself from Mia's side, crying often and being uncharacteristically quiet once he realized that there was nothing his big sister could do to make things better. A lot of time was spent in the living room, with strong cups of tea, and Mrs. Weasley made it clear that Mia and Brian could stay with them as long as they needed. To say that put a load off of Mia's mind would be an understatement-both Ban and Catherine had been only children, and any cousins, or other relatives that Mia may have were all abroad or deeply estranged. It had always been her, Brian and their parents. Without them, she didn't know what was going to happen now. As the night wore on. Mr. Weasley eventually came home and told them he had arranged for Ben and Catherine to be brought to the closest hospital to Mia's house in Surrey. He was willing to take Mia there in the morning and, being too numb to really say much, Mia quietly agreed.

So now, long after bidding the Weasleys and Sirius goodnight, Mia was doing her best to get even just a little sleep, but with no such luck. She didn't know what time it was, although she was sure that it had to have been a while since she was finally able to get Brian to sleep. Realizing that it was hopeless, Mia slowly removed her arm from Brian's waist and carefully started to get up from under the covers and out of bed. All the emotions from the day seemed to have tired the poor boy out, because he didn't even flinch when Mia stood up and adjusted the blankets to cover him properly. Moving as quietly as possible, Mia left the bedroom, leaving the door cracked behind her, and then started making her way downstairs, back to the kitchen. Using her wand to light the lamps and lanterns, Mia poured herself a glass of water from the sink and took a seat at the table. She sipped the water slowly, her mind wandering. In just a few hours, she would be getting up to go to the hospital, to see the dead bodies of her parents, and her insides filled up with dread at the very thought of it. Seeing them so still, cold and lifeless was terrifying, and soon after that, she was going to have to make arrangements for the funeral. Here she was, a sixteen year old girl, having to make plan to bury her dead parents in the ground. It was all a terrible nightmare that she wished more than anything she could wake up from.

Mia continued to sit there, sipping her water and lost in her dark thoughts, barely even noticing when the night clouds began to evaporate, becoming lighter and lighter until the sun was getting itself ready to rise. As streaks of gold started to cut through the morning sky, Mia heard the sound of approaching footsteps and soon enough, Mr. Weasley came into the kitchen, still dressed in his night clothes and looking tired. He stopped short when he saw Mia sitting at the table, blinking a couple times before his face became sympathetic.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked. Mia shook her head, taking another sip of water, and Mr. Weasley hummed before he went over to the cabinets, taking out a few things.

"How about some eggs? They may not be as good as Molly's, but I can sure whip up some fabulous toast with marmalade," he suggested.

"Okay," Mia agreed, sitting in silence as she watched Mr. Weasley work, choosing to make the eggs and toast by himself, and Mia was curious to see him using a muggle toaster. When he saw her looking at it, he cleared his throat a little.

"Ben gave me that, a few months ago," he muttered. "It was broken, he thought I may enjoy tinkering with it a bit, to see exactly how it worked. It took me a while to get it right again, and I've added some charms to it myself."

Mr. Weasley went quiet for a moment, looking thoughtful as he finished the eggs and dished them out onto their plates.

"He was my first Muggle friend," he murmured sadly. "A great bloke, always so curious and eager to visit magical places. Diagon Alley was his favorite, he would get excited about the things I would show him in Bangals and Tooks, and I think he felt happy, getting accustomed to the world his daughter was a part of. It made him feel closer to you, you see."

Mia said nothing to this as Mr. Weasley placed her plate in front of her and sat down on the other side of the table, gazing at her with such a sad fondness it made her heart break even more.

"He was one of my best mates," he admitted to her. "And I know for a fact, he was so very, very proud of you. He and your mother knew you were going to become an amazing witch, and an outstanding woman. I'm so sorry they won't be able to see if for themselves."

"Me too," Mia whispered. Ignoring the pain in her chest, she picked up her fork and started eating, not finding it in herself to tell Mr. Weasley he used too much pepper for the slightly burnt eggs.

"I know you don't want to think about it right now," Mr. Weasley continued. "But we should start thinking of making proper arrangements before we head on over to the hospital today. For the funeral."

"Yes," Mia said quietly. "The funeral."

"This is a very difficult time for you, but Molly and I are here," Mr. Weasley said, reaching over to place a comforting hand on her arm. "You are our family, Mia. We will be with you every step of the way, to figure out what to do. You're not alone."

Not alone. That's what everyone keeps telling her. But then, why did she feel the complete opposite?

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