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.

18. Dark and Endless Skies

Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter are NOT mine!

Chapter Eighteen: Dark and Endless Skies

MiaPOV

It was a rather nice day, with a nearly clear sky, filled with bright sunlight that was chasing away the last remnants of winter away. The only thing that was really putting a damper on it was the fact that Mia was on her way to Dove's Cemetery, to say a final goodbye to her parents before placing them deep in the ground. She sat silently in the backseat of the car with Brian at her side, the both of them wearing their best attire for such a grim occasion, and she watched the people they drove past, coming out to enjoy the early signs of spring with smiles on their faces, their heavy winter coats being replaced by thin jackets, and even some girls were daring enough to wear skirts, despite the chill that still lingered in the air. A part of Mia resented them, because they were able to enjoy or get through their day with little to no fuss, and here she was, following the path to her parents final resting place.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were in the front seat, mostly quiet, and every once in a while Mia would give directions whenever they asked for it. All the while, Brian was holding onto Mia's hand with one of his own, fiddling with the end of his tie. It was the first time in Mia's memory that her brother had been so quiet during a car ride. Any other time, Brian was very lively, chattering away about one thing or another, playing with his toys in the back, or singing along to a song he recognized on the radio. During those times, Mia would wish that he would be quiet, but now, she would rather hear him sing and rant on than having this awful silence fill the air. Much too soon for her liking, Mr. Weasley made a right and then drove past the iron gates that stood at the entrance to the Cemetery, and Mia felt her stomach clench tightly. It only took them a couple of minutes for them to maneuver their way along the path, past many tombstones made of many different kinds of stone, until they finally reached the plot where the funeral would take place.

There were people already there on the top of the small hill, gathering and huddling together in small groups. Considering that Mia and Brian really didn't have any other close family members, many of these people were good friends of their parents, or colleagues from work. There was no one Mia truly knew personally, except for the Weasleys. She knew that Remus, Sirius, and Tonks were somewhere close by, watching for any signs of trouble or danger, but she really wished that they could be here with her too. The more familiar faces she had, the better she would feel. After Mr. Weasley parked the car along the bottom of the hill, Mia took a breath to prepare herself before they all got out. She had to admit. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley went out to make sure that they blended in properly with the Muggle crowd today. Mr. Weasley was wearing a nice dark gray suit, nowhere near expensive or made of the best fabrics, but still nice, while Mrs. Weasley wore a simple black long-sleeved dress, with a hat on her head. Mia could tell the women felt very out of place and uncomfortable in her garbs, but she was beyond grateful that they were willing do this just to support her when she needed it most.

"Come on Brian," she murmured gently, taking her brother's hand again as they started their trek up the hill. As they got closer, Mia could feel the ache increase with every step she took, and she could feel the tears well up in her eyes as she approached the area where all of the people were standing, waiting. When the crowd finally took notice of their arrival, they quietly parted, making way for Mia, Brian and the Weasleys as they walked over towards where Father Myers was standing, with his Bible in hand and giving the Thatcher children a sad, sympathetic gaze. Before him, resting beside a large mound of dirt, were two beautifully made oak coffins, draped with flowers of all kinds, and intricate designs carved along the sides. The wood gleamed in the morning sun, and Mia knew that the insides were made with the softest fabric, the best that money could afford, and she mentally reminded herself to thank Sirius yet again for his generosity. Mia blinked rapidly to keep herself from crying as she made her way over to where Ben and Catherine were waiting, trying to ignore the pitying stares she was receiving from the other guests. There was an elderly man she vaguely remembered from a small dinner party her father threw when she was thirteen, when he had been in the running for a new promotion at work, and there was another young man with dark hair and a lean build, who she believed worked with Ben as well. If she remembered right, she thought that they had worked on several projects together for the company. She could se the fellow realtor that Catherine had brought over for lunch every once in a while, and Mia also saw plenty of people she had never met before, such as a middle-aged woman who was currently having a whispered heated discussion with a young blonde boy who looked to be about Mia's age, maybe a couple years older.

"Good morning," Father Myers greeted as he came forward to meet them, briefly shaking hands with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "Well, I suppose we had better get started?"

"Are you ready, dears?" Mrs. Weasley asked, placing a hand on Mia's shoulder and giving her the kind, motherly look that made Mia's heart break.

"Yes," she answered quietly, while Brian said nothing. As Father Myers asked everyone to gather and take seats in the chairs lined up in the grass, Mia sat down right in the front row, where she had a clear view of the coffins, the sunlight from above almost giving them a magical sort of glow. Any murmuring from the guests had now faded away, giving Father Myers center stage for his opening prayer, and all the while, Mia felt incredibly sick to her stomach. The numbness she had been feeling for days now had not lessened any, and she had to fight hard to control her breathing. She tried her best to focus on Father Myers as he began, but it was difficult not to focus on the coffins in front of her, containing the bodies of her deceased mother and father. This would be the last time she would be seeing them above ground, tucked away into the finest wooden bed, covered with lovely scented flowers, and being put to rest with one another, just like they would have wanted. Their tombstone was already propped up in the ground, made out of shining gray marble, the carved words standing out for all to see.

Catherine Susan Thatcher

Born November 11th, 1959

Died March 13th, 1997

Beloved Wife, Mother, and Friend

Benjamin Joseph Thatcher

Born August 21st, 1957

Died March 13th, 1997

Beloved Father, Husband, and Friend

"To the dark and endless skies, my love"

To the dark and endless skies. That was a verse from their favorite song...their wedding song. Ben and Catherine had gotten married so young, and right from the start they knew it was all or nothing. They knew what they wanted early in life and strived for it together, creating the life they always dreamed of by the time Mia finally came along into their lives. They were supposed to die when they were so old they could barely walk, peacefully in their beds. Not now, and not like this. Mia was only briefly distracted from her glum thoughts by movement out of the corner of her eyes as someone took the empty seat next to her.

"Hello."

Mia turned her head to see it was the blonde boy who was arguing with his mother just a short while ago. His hair was a bit long, just brushing the top of his shoulders, and even sitting, he was a good few inches taller than her. His baby blue eyes were greatly saddened as he looked at her, the grief clear in his features.

"I'm so sorry about your parents," he whispered softly to her, his voice thick. "They were amazing people."

"Thank you," Mia whispered back, sniffling. "Um, do I know you?"

"Well, sort of. We played together sometimes when we were really small, but it was a long time ago," the boy explained. "My name's Pietro Parling."

"Oh," Mia muttered furrowing her eyebrows as she tried to think back. "I'm sorry, but I don't remember you."

"Like I said, it was a long time ago," Pietro said, not appearing offended. "But I do remember how good your family was to me whenever I came over, though. It's something I doubt I'm ever going to forget."

"Was this back in Kent?"

Pietro didn't answer her. Instead, he brought his gaze over towards the coffins, his face contorting into one of sorrow. All the while, Mia's insides were burning with curiosity, despite herself. No matter how hard she wracked her brains for some clue or even a vague memory, she couldn't recall having ever met Pietro before. Her memories of her life in Kent were fuzzy at best, seeing as she moved to Surrey when she was eight, but with the way Pietro spoke of her parents, and the clear way he was grieving himself, he made it seem as if he was very close with her family. And yet, she couldn't remember him, for some reason. She came back to the present when Pietro spoke again, even more softly than before.

"They always made me feel welcome," he murmured. "I remember one summer, I came over to visit and your dad brought out the sprinkler for us to play with, because it was so hot. He let me borrow some old clothes of his to get wet in, and then you and I got into a mud war. I ended up in your mum's flower bush, and you couldn't stop laughing."

At this point Mia was very confused, and she really didn't know what he was talking about. The event he just described to her, she remembered clear as day, but he wasn't there! That summer heat rivaled the one she experienced last year, she remembered how stuffy she felt inside the house and how her dad came up with the idea to use the sprinkler. That was most definitely here in Surrey, because she was nine at the time, and the only person she was friends with, the only other kid that was there was—was…

Realization struck her like a lightning bolt to the heart and for a moment she couldn't breathe. A huge tidal wave of emotion sprung up from her stomach all the way up her throat and threatened to escape her mouth in a shocked squeak, but under pure strength and will, she remained quiet. Her mouth dropped open slightly as she focused more on the boy sitting next to her. There was no way he could have known the details of that day unless he was who she though he was. But could it be? It took at least a minute for Mia to organize her thoughts well enough to form any kind of words, and when she did finally speak, it was barely a whisper.

"Harry?"

The boy must have heard her because he turned his head to look back at her. His expression didn't change, didn't waver in the slightest, but the look in his eyes was completely different. They held something she had grown akin to seeing every day for most of her life, and the way he gazed at her made a familiar feeling bloom inside of her chest. Wordlessly, he reached over and grabbed her free hand in his, holding it in a firm, yet gentle grip and using his thumb to rub the back of it before moving his attention back to the priest. For a moment, Mia could do nothing but slightly gap at him, hardly daring to believe what she was seeing. Soon, the more logical part of her followed his lead, turning back to Father Myers' words and trying her best to remain calm. If she gives any indication that it was really Harry Potter sitting next to her, he would be in grave danger, but not from any Death Eaters-Mrs. Weasley and Sirius would likely kill him themselves if they found out he had gotten out of Hogwarts.

But how did he sneak out? And why was he stupid enough to do it?! He's putting himself at risk like a complete idiot, he might as well stand up on the chair and shout for every hostile and allied force to know he's there!

Mia's thoughts were spinning out of control as she sat there, with Brian leaning against her arm, Mrs. Weasley crying silently into her handkerchief, and Father Myers going on about how good Ben and Catherine Thatcher were, and the life they lived together. Mia's emotions were just as wild, ranging from wanting to punch the daylights out of Harry for putting himself at risk and wanting to kiss him for being there with her when she needed him. At this point, the tears were making their way down her face, and she hung her head a little, her shoulders shaking, and she felt both Harry and Brian squeeze her hands simultaneously. The sermon went on for a little while longer, and it was finally over with Father Myers reciting a closing prayer, with everyone bowing their heads in respect. After that, the guests started to get up from their chairs and form a line to place roses on top of the coffins before they would be lowered into the ground. Mia, Harry, Brian and the Weasleys stayed seated, waiting for everyone else to go first, and Mia watched on as people placed a rose on the coffins, a couple pausing long enough to say a final word to her parents, and then they all began walking back towards their cars. The Weasleys had asked if Mia wanted to have a small get together at her house on Privet Drive, but Mia instantly rejected the idea. It was bad enough that she had to take her brother back to an empty house-at least for the night-she didn't want to have so many strangers there with them, offering their condolences again and again, one right after the other like a broken record.

Once the last person placed their rose on the coffin, Mia reluctantly let go of Harry's hand and stood up to shake hands with Father Myers, nodding and thanking him when he gave his condolences for her loss. Harry accompanied them all the way back to the car, not saying anything, however his hand would brush up against Mia's every now and then, and she had to keep herself from grasping it tightly. As they approached the car, Mia slowed down a little, allowing the Weasleys to go on ahead, and she turned to face Harry, a hopeful look in her eyes.

"Do you think you can—"

"Pietro, it's time to go now."

The woman Harry has been arguing with before seemed to appear out of nowhere, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder and giving him a look that spoke volumes, the disapproval and agitation obvious.

"I wanted to stay and catch up a bit with Mia," Harry said.

"I'm sure there will be plenty of time to catch up later, and she will be all right going home. You on the other hand, are still grounded and if I don't get you back right now, your Grandmother Minnie will have my head as well as yours."

The woman turned to look at Mia and the young girl was stunned to see that her blue eyes turned bright pink, then green, and then back to blue in a matter of five seconds, and when she smiled sadly at her, Mia suddenly realized just who it was that she was speaking to.

"Mia," Tonks spoke quietly. "I'm so very sorry about your parents, and I'm sorry about this, but I need to get him back."

"I understand," Mia said with a slight nod. "Please don't tell his grandmother. He'll never be able to see daylight again if you do."

"That would be the least of his problems," Tonks huffed, going back to glaring at Harry. "He'll be lucky if I don't tell his father. Come on, we have to go."

"Just a second," Harry pleaded, moving away from Tonks' grip so he could pull Mia into a hug. She held him closely, wishing that he didn't have to go.

"I love you," he breathed into her ear. "So much. I'll see you soon."

"I love you too," she whispered, more tears leaking out of her eyes. They hugged each other for a few more seconds before reluctantly letting go. Mia wanted nothing more than to kiss him, but there was a nagging voice in the back of head-sounding very much like Moody-scolding her to not be so thoughtless. The less people that realized this was Harry, the better. So she settled for giving him a weak smile before he was promptly chartered off by Tonks, who was more than likely going to find a safe, secluded place to Apparate. She could only hope that Tonks will spare Harry from McGonagall's wrath, no matter how idiotic his actions were. Mia sighed before walking over to the car, where Mr. Weasley was holding the back door open for her.

"Friend of yours?" he asked.

"Yes. An old one," Mia replied before ducking her head as she stepped inside, sliding in next to Brian and allowing the boy to press himself against her side, grasping her hand again.

"Are we going home, Mia?" he murmured quietly.

"For a little while, yes," Mia answered. "Then we're going to be staying with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley for a bit. They were nice enough to invite us over to stay in their home."

"For as long as you need," Mrs. Weasley added from the front, giving them a kind smile as Mr. Weasley started driving away from the hill. "Arthur and I will be staying with you both while we finish getting all the necessary affairs in order, but the others will be around too."

Mia understood this, and gave a grateful nod in thanks. She doubted that news of her parent's death had reached unwanted ears, yet the Order was still insistent on keeping surveillance around Mia's house until she and Brian were moved back to the Burrow, where it would ultimately be safer for the time being. Both Mrs. Weasley and Sirius were adamant about this, and Mia didn't raise any objections to it, because to be honest, she liked the idea of having friends close by.

It didn't take them long to get back the Privet Drive, and as they pulled into the driveway, Mia looked through the window at the house, a small sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. She knew what was awaiting her inside, and she did not think she could face it.

But I have to. For Brian's sake. Forcing down any discomfort she felt, Mia opened her door once the car came to a stop and then she pulled Brian out by the hand before leading the way up the small pathway to the front door. She paused only for a moment, and then she sighed softly to herself, pulling her spare house key out of her pocket.

Stepping inside felt very surreal, and she truly didn't like the sensation that came over her as she walked over the threshold into the front hall. It was quiet, so very quiet inside, and Mia took a second to look around at the vast emptiness that greeted her. She never understood just how much the sounds of a full house meant to her throughout her life—Catherine doing something in the kitchen or listening to her favorite records while Ben watched his sports program, or wrestled around with Brian on the floor, tickling him senseless. But now, with everything being so silent, it unnerved her greatly.

"Well now," Mrs. Weasley said, breaking the silence. "How about I make us all a hot cup of tea?"

"Do you need any help, Mrs. Weasley?" Mia asked.

"Oh no thank you dear. Your mother had me over enough times so that I know where everything is," Mrs. Weasley replied. "And I'll make sure to gather some things from the Burrow a bit later to whip up a nice meal for us all tonight. Brian, would you like to come and help me with the tea? We can fix up some cookies as well, if you'd like."

Brian seemed slightly hesitant, gripping Mia's hand tighter just out of reaction. The small boy had been very reluctant to leave his sister's side over the past few days, as though he was scared she would disappear in a puff of smoke, never to be seen again. He looked up at Mia, his eyes questioning and she gave him an encouraging smile.

"Go on Bry, it'll be fine," she reassured him. "Mr. Weasley and I will be sitting in the living room, all right? I promise, I'm not going anywhere."

"Okay," Brian murmured softly after a minute. He slowly let go of Mia's hand and then walked over to Mrs. Weasley, who placed a hand on his shoulder. While Mrs. Weasley and Brian went into the kitchen to make the tea, Mia took a seat on the couch while Mr. Weasley sat in the armchair across from her.

"We'll be staying here for a few days, at most," he said. "Then we can head on over to the Burrow. Molly and I can help you go through your parents' things, to decide what you'd like to keep. Now Mia, there is another thing we need to talk about."

"What's that?" Mia asked, although she had a feeling she already knew what it was.

"As far as we know, your parents haven't left a will, but we are looking into that," he started. "Catherine and Ben had never mentioned about any specific arrangements for you and Brian, should anything happen to them. If it comes down to it, you and your brother cannot be on your own, especially since you are not of age. I know that you are going through so much right now, and I understand that this is the last thing you want to think about, but it needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. If it turns out that your parents didn't leave a will, Molly and I would be more than happy to take you in."

"What?" Mia said, her eyes widening. "Take us in? But—Mr. Weasley, you already have Ron, Ginny, and the others—"

"Are all very much grown up and living on their own," Mr. Weasley cut in." You forget Mia, at one point in our lives, Molly and I had seven small children under one roof. Five of them are already out and making their way in this world. As much as Molly would love otherwise, I'm positive that Ron will not be here for much longer after he graduates from school, and Ginny, bless her, I'll be surprised if she lasts a week. And even if they did stay…well, to be perfectly honest I would much rather come home to a full house once again.

"But even without all of those factors, you are our family, Mia. Family never gives up on each other, and we never leave our members behind in their darkest hour, no matter what. I've told you before that Ben was one of my best friends, and you…I hope it goes without saying that I've always seen you as one of my own."

"Mr. Weasley," Mia said, her voice sounding choked up as her eyes burned. "I can't ask you to do this."

"You're not asking. I'm offering," he corrected. "You do not need to give me an answer right now, but I just wanted you to know that if it comes down to it, you and Brian will have a home here, if that is what you wish. We can handle any legal aspects or paperwork as needed, and if you decide you only want this arrangement until you turn seventeen, I will understand and respect that. You would be loved and protected with us, Mia, that I can promise you."

Mia was left utterly speechless at this, and no matter how much she wanted to say something, anything, her words died in her throat and she had to blink her eyes rapidly to keep the tears from falling. This offer was beyond what she was expecting, and she had never felt more gratitude and respect for the Weasleys then she did in that moment. This family may not have much money, but they had so much love to give, and they were willing to share it with her. Feeling suddenly overcome with emotion, Mia hung her head, some of her hair falling into her face, and she clasped her hands tightly in her lap, trying to get a hold of herself. Thankfully, Mr. Weasley let her have a moment to herself and after a few minutes, he got up from the armchair and went over to start the radio, saying it might be nice to have some music to listen to while they have tea. Mia's head was still reeling by the time that Brian and Mrs. Weasley came back with tea and pecan cookies. Even while they all drank and nibbled at their treats, Mia's stomach was still rumbling and churning so much she thought she was going to be sick. While she was grateful that the Weasleys were willing to offer their house to her, the idea of calling somewhere else home, being uprooted from the very place she grew up, and suddenly having two parental figures thrust into action to help fill a void that Ben and Catherine left behind…it was almost too much to bear.

=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=.=

"How about this one?"

"That can be thrown out, I guess. My dad never really used it."

"All right, then. And what about the things on your mother's vanity?"

It was here that Mia paused, turning away from the clothes she was sorting through in the bed and looking over to see Mrs. Weasley standing at Catherine's vanity, where all the things she needed to get ready for the day were spread out neatly, each thing in its proper place. Walking over, Mia remembered how Catherine always had a strict routine in how she would get ready in the morning, and she also recalled times when she was little, watching the entire process. After taking a shower and getting dressed, she would run a brush through her hair several times, enjoying the feel of the bristles against her scalp. Then, she would take time to apply makeup to her face, lips and eyes. She never used anything that stood out, like ruby red lipstick, dark brown eyeshadow that contrasted her fair skin, or too much mascara to a point that made her lashes look fake. No, she would use simple lip gloss most times that made her mouth shine when she smiled, a faint powder to her cheeks that made her seems as though she was always wore a light blush, and only a slightly dark shade of coffee brown to make her dark eyes more noticeable.

Then, she would open her small, swan-themed jewelry box that contained her most treasured pieces of jewelry to take out a lovely gold ring that belonged to her grandmother, which she wore for very special occasions on her pinkie. Once she chose a couple more pieces to wear, she would finish off by dabbing some of her favorite perfume on her neck, the same one that Mia wore daily. To Mia, her mother looked like a princess getting ready for a grand ball, and she could only hope she could be as beautiful as Catherine one day.

The rush of memories made Mia's chest hurt, so she just took a slow breath before reaching out to grab the jewelry box, tracing her fingers over the pretty patterns of the dancing swans on the lid. Swans were Catherine's favorite bird, and she had that box ever since she was Mia's age, given to her as a birthday gift.

"I want to keep this," she said eventually, her tone somber. "Everything else can go."

"Are you sure, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Yes," Mia replied as she went to place the box gently next to the small pile of stuff she wanted to keep. "There's no point in hanging on to it when she can't use it anymore."

Mrs. Weasley was quiet, but Mia could feel her sympathetic eyes following her as she finished sorting through Catherine's clothes, tossing almost all of them into trash bags. There was nothing that Mia wanted or needed when it came to her mother's old garments, and the only thing she kept was a couple of sweaters, and a burgundy red peacoat. When that was done, Mia dragged the trash bags out into the hallway before coming back inside, wondering what she should clean out next.

"Do you want to stop for now?" Mrs. Weasley suggested. "It's just about lunch time, and I'm sure Brian must be working up an appetite with how much horsing around he's done with Sirius all morning."

"No, I want to get this all done and over with," Mia answered, scanning the room until her eyes fell on Ben's old trunk that he kept at the foot of the bed most times. "The faster we do this, the better. I don't want to look at their things anymore."

"Mia, wait!" Mrs. Weasley said as Mia strode over to the trunk and got down on her knees before it, undoing the lock. "You're not supposed to look in there!"

"Why not—"

Mia's sentence was cut off when she lifted the lid and peered inside to see several brightly wrapped presents inside, along with many magical trinkets that she had sent to her parents over the years. There were two hand-knitted, worn out baby blankets that Mia recognized as hers and Brian's, both of them folded neatly in a corner of the trunk. Resting on top of them was a large box that held bulging clusters of letters, each one opened and tied together with twine, and among these letters were many pictures, all of which were of Mia, ranging from the time she was an infant to more recent ones that she had sent home only last month from Hogwarts.

"What is this?" she whispered out loud, past the lump in her throat.

"The packages are your birthday gifts," Mrs. Weasley said softly. "Your father was so excited that your seventeenth was coming up, he went shopping in Diagon Alley early. This trunk is where he keeps anything magical out of sight, and safe. Those pictures were part of a scrapbook he and your mother were planning on giving you when you came of age. It was going to be a surprise."

"He…he kept everything?" Mia whimpered, picking up a pack of letters and staring at his and Catherine's names in her handwriting, along with their address.

"Ever since you started school," Mrs. Weasley confirmed. "He was going to include some letters in the scrapbook as well. He told me about it all just a few weeks ago, and I thought it was a very lovely idea."

Mia's hands were shaking at this point, and she didn't know how much more she could take. The pain in her chest was increasing to a degree that she didn't know how she could even remain functioning. Her breathing was coming in sharper and faster, her lungs feeling like they were beginning to put in double effort. It felt as though the ground was starting to swallow her up, and she suddenly found that she couldn't stay in that room any longer. She thought that she could hear someone muttering "No," brokenly over and over again, and it took a minute for her to realize that it was her. Mrs. Weasley said something, but the sound of her voice was so muffle in Mia's ears that she barely understood it, and when the matriarch tried to touch her, Mia flinched away harshly, as though she were burned. Without a word, she shot up from where she was crouched and threw the letters aside, not caring that the force of it caused the letters to fall free from their binding, scattering across the floor.

Ignoring Mrs. Weasley's calls, Mia stormed down he hallway until she reached her room, promptly slamming the door behind her and locking it. Her feet moving on their own accord, Mia started to pace frantically along the floor, her heartbeat erratic and her emotions spinning completely out of control, no matter how much she tried to reel it in.

"No, no, no," she kept repeating to herself, trying and failing to think about the things she saw in her father's trunk. The things he kept throughout all her years at Hogwarts, the treasures he held onto because they were gifts and memorabilia of the daughter he loved so much.

"No, no, no…"

Don't do this, not now.

"No, no…"

Keep it together, Brian needs me.

"No…"

But—but I need them. I need my Mum and Dad, and they're not here because…because—

"NO!"

With an almighty scream, Mia grabbed the closest thing to her, which happened to be a decorative glass horse, and sent it hurling across the room, where it proceeded to shatter against the wall. However, it didn't stop there. Reaching out blindly, Mia kept on throwing anything her hands landed on. All of her books, canvases, picture frames, CD's, and shoes were not spared from her outburst, breaking or bouncing off the wall. When that wasn't working, she used her arm to shove everything off the surface of her dresser onto the floor. Papers went flying, anything fragile was easily broken, and Mia could hardly see any of it through the tears streaming down her face. Through all of this, she kept screaming in rage and pain, and when there was nothing left for her to physically throw, she gripped the sides of her head and let out one last scream of grief, resulting in the nearby desk mirror exploding, glass shooting to all corners of the room.

For a moment, Mia stood there, her chest heaving and the energy she used to destroy her room slowly evaporating. As the adrenaline left her, she could feel her legs turn into jelly and she backed up until she hit the wall, practically crumbling down to the ground. The tears were still flowing down her face and her breathing was still coming out too quickly. A pathetic, terrified whimper fell past her lips and she wrapped her arm around her torso, gently rocking back and forth.

"Mum," she cried helplessly. "Dad…"

In her state, Mia didn't hear the soft click of the bedroom door unlocking and carefully swinging open. She only came out of it when she felt a cold, wet nose press against her cheek and she lifted her head to see a large, shaggy, jet black dog standing beside her, gazing at her with misty grey eyes.

"Griff," she gasped, her tears doubling in size. "Griff, I can't breathe…I can't breathe!"

Griff whined, using his paw to make Mia unfold her arms and then he placed himself in her lap, lying over her legs. Mia immediately latched her arms around him and held him tightly against her, hiding her face into her fur, just like she used to do when she was thirteen. He didn't seem to mind, allowing her to cry, and Mia just let it all out, her whole body wrecked with sobs.

"Don't leave," she said, her voice a little muffled. "Please."

The large canine whined again and adjusted his head so it was snuggled against her shoulder, giving Mia his silent reassurance.

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A few hours later, Mia found herself waking up in her bed, having been tucked into the covers. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Mia groggily sat up on her mattress, wondering when on earth she had fallen asleep. The last thing she remembered was crying into Griff's fur, but after a long while, her tears had run out, and she closed her eyes for what she thought was only a brief moment.

I must have been more tired than I thought. Although, that's not surprising, I haven't really been sleeping right for days.

Sighing, Mia untangled herself from the covers and stood up from the bed, staring around to see that her room and been completely restored to how it was before she went on her rampage earlier. Any debris or mess she made was erased, as if it never happened at all, and it looked cleaner than ever, not a speck out of place. While she was glad that someone had obviously used magic to fix everything, the hollow feeling she felt while creating the mess was still prominent. Opening the door, she could hear faint voices coming from downstairs, and she started to feel quite ashamed of herself. She went totally mad and wrecked her entire room like she just escaped from an asylum. Everyone must think she's completely bonkers. A part of her really didn't want to go down there and have to face them, but considering she had missed lunch, her grumbling stomach was demanding food. Therefore, Mia resigned herself to the fact that hiding away was pointless, because she knew that eventually Mrs. Weasley was going to come up with a plate of food to check on her anyway. Making her way down the staircase, the voice became louder the closer the got, and when she heard that everyone was in the kitchen, she followed the sound until she was standing in the entryway.

Tonks and Sirius were seated at one end of the table, each of them with a cup of tea in front of them, and talking adamantly with each other. Mrs. Weasley was standing at the kitchen island, using her wand to simultaneously wash the dishes in the sink and clean off the counters, and Mia was surprised to see Remus sitting at the other end with Brian, showing him what appeared to be a children's book.

"Do you think we should wake her?" Tonks was asking.

"No," Sirius replied, taking a sip of his tea. "She needs the rest."

"Was it really awful?"

"It's the worst I've ever seen her. I just didn't know what to do to comfort her."

"You did well, Sirius," Mrs. Weasley stated. "I'm not sure she would have let anyone else get too close to her. How did you know to be in your animangus form?"

"The last time Mia was alone and upset with no one else was back in her third year," Sirius explained. "Seeing me as Griff brought her comfort, and I thought, maybe it would work again this time."

"I'm very glad that it did," Mrs. Weasley sighed sadly. "The poor girl, she shouldn't be going through any of this. I'm surprised she had reacted like that sooner."

"Mia has a habit of putting others before herself. I'm sure she was trying to stay strong for her clever little brother, here," Remus commented, giving a friendly smile to Brian.

"Is Mia going to be okay?" Brian asked, looking at all of the adults with worried eyes.

"I'll be all right, Bry," Mia said before anyone else could answer, announcing her presence.

"Mia!" Brian exclaimed before jumping down from his chair and running over to her, throwing his arms around her in a hug. "Mia, I was so scared, I heard you scream, I thought you were hurt."

"Oh Brian," Mia said, the guilt evident as she hugged him back, ruffling his hair. "I'm so sorry that I scared you. I wasn't feeling well, and I was very upset."

"Are you feeling any better?"

"A little," she told him, although she knew it was a lie. "Did you eat something?"

"Yes, Miss Molly made us all sandwiches," Brian responded with a nod.

"Which you will also be eating," Mrs. Weasley added, already prepping the meat and cutting the lettuce with her wand. "Have a seat, dear."

Knowing it was a very bad idea to argue, Mia did as she was told and sat down at the table with Brian. Fiddling with her hands, Mia looked up to meet Sirius' gaze with embarrassment, her cheeks red.

"Sirius…thank you," she muttered.

"You're welcome," he said, his eyes kind. Nothing more was said on the subject, which Mia was very happy about, and she accepted the food that was placed in front of her mere minutes later. Realizing just how hungry she was, Mia quickly dug into her meal, her stomach purring with satisfaction. Looking around, she saw that Mr. Weasley wasn't there, and when she asked where he went, Tonks explained that he had to run to the Burrow but he would be back very soon.

The minutes that followed were actually not so bad. Brian showed Mia the book that Remus had been showing him, which was filled with moving illustrations that talked and sang, while the adults talked among themselves. Brian seemed to be acting a bit more like himself, and Mia couldn't begin to describe how glad she was to see that. She truly did miss seeing her brother smile, even just a little bit. Just as Mia was about to finish eating her sandwich and chips, they all heard a familiar sound of crackling flames erupting, followed by Mr. Weasley's voice.

"Molly!"

Instantly, Mia could tell by the tone Mr. Weasley used that something was wrong. She wasn't sure how she knew, but the feeling hit her hard and the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She turned around in her seat as Mr. Weasley walked into the room, looking thoroughly angry and disgruntled, his face red and his entire demeanor stiff.

"Arthur, what is it? What's going on?" Tonks asked, startled.

"Complete sabotage and blackmail, that's what's going on!" Mr. Weasley raged. "I don't know how in Merlin's name they pulled it off, but we have a big problem, here. Those old tossers didn't stop to think—it's despicable! They're playing into their hands, they can't do this! How could they just skip regulations—"

"For heaven's sake Arthur, what are you going on about?" Mrs. Weasley fretted, while Mia sat there, stunned. Mr. Weasley was always a calm, collected man, and he rarely ever got into a heated rage like this. Before anyone could ask anything else, another person entered the kitchen and Mr. Weasley turned around and pointed a finger at them, his face going another shade darker, if that were possible.

"This is what I'm going on about!" he seethed.

This new stranger was a woman who seemed to be roughly around the same age as Sirius and Remus, and she reminded Mia of someone who worked with the higher ups of a top-class company for wizards. The robes she wore were made of emerald green velvet that looked soft to the touch, and it wrapped around her thin frame nicely, with gold trimmings. This witch stood a couple inches taller than Mrs. Weasley, and while her thick, lovely black curls were cut shirt and pinned away from her face, and her skin looked smooth, the crow's feet around her eyes and lines in the corners of her mouth were the only indication being older than what she seemed at first glance. Her features reminded Mia of someone, but she couldn't put her finger on who it was. The woman glanced around at them all, and when her eyes fell upon Mia, the young girl had to suppress a shiver at the icy cold blue eyes that twinkled in a way she didn't like. A smile that looked off formed on the stranger's face while staring at Mia, and she then brought her attention back to everyone else.

"Good afternoon," she greeted politely.

"Good afternoon," Remus greeted back slowly, and Mia could see both Sirius and Tonks tense up ever so slightly in their seats.

"Please forgive me for dropping by so suddenly without notice," the woman said, her smile still on her face. "It has actually taken me some time to locate this house. My name is—"

"This is Aurora Nessen, from the Department of the Protection of Magical Children at the Ministry," Mr. Weasley cut in through gritted teeth. "She's come to take Mia and Brian away."

+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+.+

Hi everyone. Just a very quick note, I know there is no Dept of the Protection of Magical Children, but for the sake of having my story make sense and continue the flow, I made it up. Trust me when I say it will help out with the plot, which I've had in my head since before I even published the first story in this series. Also, I know it was obvious, but I chose Harry's "undercover" name because I was trying, and failing, to be clever. I chose "Peitro" because it's Italian version for Peter, and "Parling" is just a combination of "Pan" and "Darling." So it's just a reference to his and Mia's favorite childhood story. Like I said, that was a big fail, haha, don't be too harsh on me.

But anyway, please leave a review, tell me what you think, and I will see you in the next chapter!