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Twelve

Erin was still shaking when she entered the house with Molly, Arthur and Fred. Sirius had stayed outside waiting for the rest but as soon as they entered the small hall, he appeared followed by Remus and Tonks.

"Someone has betrayed us." It was the first thing she heard Remus say.

Erin would not have imagined in his life what happened next, the former professor took out his wand and pointed it at Sirius who raised his hands in defence. Erin looked at Tonks, who looked back at her with the same confusion.

"Remus, there's no time for jokes." Sirius replied, with a slight tone of impatience reflected in his voice.

"It's not a joke. "Remus continued with his wand still high. "I don't say it was you, nor any of us, but what if there's an imposter among us? We have to be sure. "

Erin turned around breathing deeply. Her head hurt, not even half of them had returned and now they were worried about a possible imposter. Remus and Sirius continued their conversation, but Erin didn't hear anything they were saying until she heard her name mentioned and turned again. Tonks, Remus and Sirius were watching her.

"It's your turn."

Erin had to resist not to roll her eyes. She knew it was a very serious situation, but didn't she look like herself?

"You do it, Sirius." Remus spoke.

He stared at her raising his wand, though with little spirit, as if the whole situation seemed ridiculous to him.

"It seems obvious to me this is Erin." Sirius muttered.

"Come on, Sirius just ask her anything." Tonks intervened.

Sirius and Erin stared at each other and Erin's only thought was she had to apologize. And what would Sirius ask her?

"Something only us know." Sirius said turning to look at Remus. He nodded and Sirius began to explain himself. "I woke Erin up one night, I was screaming without realizing it because I had a nightmare and she ran down as she thought someone was attacking us. What was I dreaming about?"

Tonks and Remus were in total silence and Erin could see Arthur and Molly out of the corner of her eye by the window. They seemed to be paying attention too.

"It was Harry." She answered. "Harry falling down the Veil."

"I told you so. " Sirius commented, settling the discussion.

"It wasn't personal, Erin." Remus told her.

She replied with a small smile and Remus and Tonks went outside again. She was alone with Sirius again. He was just a few meters away, the closest they had been that day except for when Erin had arrived a few minutes ago.

"Look, Erin." She turned to look at him. "I want to talk to you later, once everyone is back. "

"Sure." She answered.

Was he feeling guilty too? It was clear that it had been a silly argument, but Erin felt responsible. She also wanted to solve it at last.

"We should go out with the others."

The two headed off to join Tonks and Remus, Erin also left but stayed next to Fred. The wait was the worst in those moments of uncertainty without knowing when they would return, what might have happened to them. Or worse, Erin thought with goosebumps, if all of them would return. If they weren't even able to move Harry from one place to another without anything happening, how would they defeat Voldemort?

Harry was among the first to appear, next to Hagrid, pale as a ghost. He was confused to see that only a few had returned, but he knew the Death Eaters had been waiting for them. In choppy phrases he also confessed that Hedwig had been killed because he had used expelliarmus, although Sirius insisted immediately that it was not his fault. They didn't even have them time to see if everyone was who they said they were, because the worst nightmares of everyone present became true. Remus had left and when he came back in, followed by Ron and Hermione, he was carrying a person by his side. Before Erin had time to assimilate what was happening, without being able to realize who it was, she shivered. There was so much blood on that person's face she thought he was about to die. Ginny screamed, Harry rushed to lift the legs of the person that Remus could not lift completely and then Erin saw his face. She also had to repress herself so as not to scream. It was George. George, with his bloody hair and barely conscious. Molly practically pounced on her son while carefully laying him on the couch. After her, Arthur, Ginny, Fred and Ron had also rushed to approach him, and Erin had to step aside to make room for them. She had seen enough to realise that George had lost his ear and after stepping aside, she didn't know what to do. She thought she couldn't even move.

"He's losing a lot of blood." She heard Arthur say.

Molly had already taken out her wand to try to cure her son. On the other hand, Fred seemed still shocked and hadn't said a word, just like Harry. Erin turned around unable to look at George for much longer, lying on that couch trying to hold on to his life, and watched Harry. His lips were tight, and his brow furrowed. He was most likely blaming himself for everything again. When Bill, Fleur and Kingsley finally appeared in the Burrow, Molly had made George regain consciousness, but the atmosphere remained tense and almost everyone had shed tears. All without exception did so after Bill announced that they had lost Mad-Eye. Tonks broke into tears and Remus tried to comfort her even knowing it was useless. Everyone knew what he meant to her. Erin did no longer knew where to look.

The girl sat at the Weasley's kitchen table, next to Hagrid. That afternoon was becoming so long and painful that it was unbearable. The lump that had been in her stomach since she had arrived at the house had not yet disappeared. Little by little the kitchen was filled in silently, with the exception of the Weasleys who stood beside George. Bill came in suddenly, took a bottle of fire whiskey from a closet and a few glasses and began pouring shots.

"To Mad-Eye." He said raising his glass.

Erin took a glass and even saw Harry and Hermione do the same; Arthur, Remus and Sirius, Fleur-only Tonks, who was already calmer, had refused one. Everyone raised their glasses and put them together in a final toast for the friend and companion they had lost. After the alcohol burned her throat, Erin thought that apart from Mad-Eye, George and the betrayal they had suffered, what could sink them the most was it could end all their hopes. The hope of facing Voldemort was what had united them, they would be lost without it. Erin got up from her chair and went to the living room, trying to control her nervousness. She sat at one end of the couch, watching George. He had fallen asleep. They had already bandaged his head and the part where his ear had been before. His face was clean, and Molly had also taken off his bloody clothes.

"How is he?" She asked.

"I can't replace it." She began to explain. "It's Dark Magic."

Erin had imagined it.

"He has already made Fred laugh. And he told me that now I can differentiate them." Molly laughed nervously and Erin laid her hand gently on her shoulder.

"Then he's still our George."

"At least-at least he's alive." She answered.

Erin could only nod because she didn't think she was able to say anything else. The whole situation was surreal. Erin had known the twins at a bad time in her life, they had defended and encouraged her for years and had practically made her one of their family. She could not conceive how anyone might want to harm either of them.

"I don't want to bother you too much, but I think someone should stand guard tonight." Erin said. "You need to rest."

"Merlin, you don't bother Erin at all." Molly sat up. "Of course you can stay, it's a good idea but you also have to rest later, alright?"

She nodded and hugged the woman. She was much calmer than Erin would have expected, although she knew Molly was a very strong woman. She would know how to face it.

Dinner with the Weasleys and the others who had also decided to stay was full of tension. The guesses about who had betrayed them were the main discussion, although Erin would have preferred not to hear a word about it. It had been Mundugus without any doubt and Erin knew that everyone would feeling as stupid as herself for not realising it before. Harry was the quietest of all and when he finished dinner, he just followed Ron and Hermione, all three with long faces. Erin had expected him to explode at any moment or get up from the table and out to the door. That's when Erin took the opportunity to get up too and talk.

"I'll take the first guard."

"We'll replace you later then." Tonks said, referring to herself and Remus.

"And I'll stay with you." Sirius announced.

Erin nodded at him. It was exactly what she had been looking for. The girl put on a sweatshirt and saw Sirius fasten his jacket too, before going outside. Molly thanked both of them and when Erin was going out the door, she saw Sirius hugging her. The girl smiled, that was a good sign. When she met Sirius outside Erin had already forgotten everything she had intended to tell him that afternoon. At least they were finally alone.

"Do you think Harry is fine?" She asked.

"He's angry at himself, for no reason, but I understand it. It would make me angry too. " Sirius explained.

They had begun to walk around the house, using their wands to illuminate the way.

"George's fine. I mean, Molly couldn't do anything to save his ear but at least he's safe."

"It shouldn't have happened. It wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for Mundungus-"

Sirius did not finish the sentence. Erin was also distraught and angry at the situation, but it was not her fault.

"I've never really trusted him, but I thought he was just a thief. Perhaps a liar, but that's different from being a traitor."

Erin nodded silently. It would be Harry's birthday in two days and Bill and Fleur's wedding a day after that. None of that should be happening. It was supposed to be a couple of peaceful days, or as close as possible to that. The night seemed calm although the wind began to stir a little. There was no sign of anyone in the surroundings of the house but still they decided to go to the pond next to the Burrow to take a look.

"I wanted to apologize for yelling at you yesterday." Sirius suddenly said, taking her by surprise.

Erin stopped to talk to him.

"I should be the one apologising. I had no right to invade your privacy like that."

"It doesn't matter, Erin, it was really silly. I've been thinking about it all day, I didn't mean to upset you at all."

She extended her hand, smiling, and Sirius took it.

"We are fine."

Thanks to the light of their wands, Erin could see that Sirius was smiling a little too. She was still curious sobefore they continued with their round, she tried to find out more cautiously.

"You have a brother, right? " She asked.

"Yes, Regulus. He was one year younger than me."

Sirius had answered without hesitation, although he had looked away from her for a moment. Erin noticed he talked about him in the past and a thought invaded him, his brother was dead.

"When we were kids we always get along even though he was my parents' favourite. It was like that until I entered Hogwarts or so, you know about Gryffindor. Ever since then I distanced myself from everyone in my family, including him. When it was time for him to enter, I also wanted him to be anywhere except Slytherin. I don't know, I thought that perhaps someone else in my family would do something right."

Sirius stared at nowhere, looking absorbed in his thoughts.

"I missed my brother." He admitted with a shaky voice. "But what I wanted didn't happen. He entered Slytherin and I left home, lived with the Potters. I hardly saw him again. He began to surround himself with more Slytherins, pureblood families and eventually joined the Death Eaters. Like everyone else did."

There was a hint of disappointment in Sirius's voice. Erin had the impression he hadn't told that story to many people.

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know. I know he died but they never found his body. I never knew what happened to him."

It was hard for Erin to look at him in the face, she didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry."

Sirius cleared his throat and turned to look at her.

"It was a long time ago."

It may had been a long time ago but if it still bothered him it was because it still hurt. Erin did not want to open old wounds so she proposed to approach the house again. There was no one there and the thought comforted her. They had had enough emotions for one day. They made a second round around the Burrow to make sure everything was fine and when they finished Erin sat on the floor in the back of the house. She told herself that it would only be a moment, because she still had a few hours ahead of her. She had promised to stay awake until dawn arrived so as not to disturb Remus and Tonks. Then, she would rest. Sirius looked tired too and sat next to her sighing. They were still holding their wands.

"I don't think anyone has followed us here." Erin said.

"I hope not. " Sirius spoke." I'm tired."

"You should have gone to rest for a while."

Sirius shook his head.

"No way. I didn't want to leave you alone. " Erin felt a reassuring feeling in her chest. "Besides, I've barely seen you all day."

"Did you miss me already? " She asked laughing.

"Don't be so full of yourself." Sirius pushed her, laughing too but then admitted it. "Only a little."

"I'm glad you did." She joked.

Erin felt that she was finally calm. Although the night would be long and she would rest little, George would recover, and Harry was safe for the moment. Things with Sirius were fine. Tomorrow would be another day.