The Woes of Mrs. Weasley

August past in a blurr for Siria. When she wasn't under Veritaserum or at Moony & Padfoot, she was practicing spells with the others. Cassius had her brew every Potion in his notes from fifth year. Hermione, who was originally as against it as Mrs. Weasley, had moved onto The Standard Book of Spells Grade Six. Ron and Siria were still on Grade Five.

Owls arrived with their book lists on the Friday before term. Aside from copies of The Standard Book of Spells, there was just one new book: Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard. Hermione's envelope was a little thicker than Siria's, and she folded her letter back up. She placed it behind her as she and Siria sat on the bottom bunk.

Crack. (B5, 160)

George Apparated right beside Siria, who sat beside Hermione. Fred Apparated on Hermione's other side. The two girls sighed. Fred and George had taken every opportunity to Apparate since they passed their exam. While it had startled them the first few times, no one was surprised anymore. [B5, 160]

"We were wondering who assigned the Slinkhard book," said Fred (B5, 160).

"Us too," said Siria.

"It means Dumbledore's found a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," said George (B5, 160).

"And that it isn't Sirius," said Hermione. Siria sighed at the assigned book.

"It's fine," Siria tried to smile. "I didn't expect him to." She lowered the list into her lap and sighed again.

"You wouldn't want him too," said Fred.

"Look at the other teachers," added George. Siria shrugged.

"Remus got out fine," Hermione reminded them.

"Did you see the new book?" Ron asked as he opened the door with Colin and Dennis behind him.

"Already discussed it," said Fred.

"You're so slow," said George, with a wink. Ron eyed Siria with the look of wanting to say more. She looked to her watch.

"Snap!" She said. "I told Kreacher I'd help today. Ron, lend me a hand?"

"Sure," Ron nodded.

"I can help too!" said Dennis. Siria riled his hair with a laugh.

"One extra set'll be enough," she told him.

Down in the kitchen, Kreacher beamed up at Siria. She hugged him and asked if she and Ron could borrow the kitchen. With a slight glare to Ron, Kreacher nodded. "Kreacher will be upstairs. Mistress will call Kreacher if she needs anything," Kreacher warned Ron.

Siria dropped into a chair and waited. Ron put the envelope with his booklist on the table and slid it to Siria. She chuckled as she opened the list and letter for the start of term. Her smile faltered when she saw the third letter and the glittering gold badge with "P" that came with it.

"Prefect?" Siria said with a small crack in her voice. "That's— well that's brilliant. I reckon Hermione ought to be prefect too." She thought about how swiftly Hermione had stuffed the envelope back, out of Siria's line of sight. "You're always fair, so you make a great prefect," she said to fill the silence. Ron stared from Siria's face to the badge, as if he still didn't believe it. "If I picked prefects, I'd pick you too," Siria added. "You're more than brave enough to stand up to people causing trouble and, unless it's Malfoy and them, I expect you to be reasonable with people."

"You aren't mad?" Ron asked as Siria handed the prefect badge and envelope back to him.

"What?" Siria asked with a laugh. "How could I be mad? There's no one else I'd trust to have Hermione's back—and no beside Hermione that I'd trust to have yours."

"You'd have my back," said Ron.

"I'll have your back, by hexing anyone that looks at you funny," she smiled. "You ought to tell your mum though. She'll be over the moon."

"R—right!" Ron agreed and nodded to Siria. She watched him climb the stairs.

Kreacher Apparated to her side with a Crack! He held Siria's hand. "What would Mistress like for dinner? Kreacher can make Mistress's favorite potatoes," he croaked at her. She forced a smile.

"Everything you make is my favorite," she said and gave his hand a squeeze that weighed her heart down. "I'm just being silly."

Deep down, Siria knew she was being ridiculous. She didn't even want to be prefect. Sure, Remus had been made prefect, but Sirius hadn't and neither had James. Hagrid had not even made it far enough to become a prefect. Siria nodded to herself. "Besides," she told herself, "I break too many rules to be a prefect."

Kreacher and Siria brought sandwiches up to the others for lunch. Hermione confessed to being made a prefect. "Of course you're prefect," Siria said with a laugh as she sat beside Hermione. "You and Ron are the best choices. I'd be surprised if you're not Headgirl and Headboy." Hermione blushed and tucked a lock of her bushy hair behind her ear.

"Speaking of Headboy," Hermione said to shift the subject, "Cedric was chosen."

"Guess no secret lessons then," Siria joked, but the room froze. Fred and George looked to Cedric, who seemed just as surprised at them, like they'd very much like to show him Muggle dueling.

"Why?" Cedric asked.

"Well, I mean, it was one thing when you and Patricia were the only two prefects, but the Headboy and three prefects sneaking around is sure to set a poor example," said Siria "or something."

"I'll refuse then," said Hermione.

"What?" Ron gasped. "You?" Hermione linked her arm through Siria's and nodded at her.

"I'd rather be taught by you," Hermione said. Her eyes were clear and focused on Siria who blushed.

"It, it was just a joke," Siria murmured. "Like, an offhand comment. I mean, I still can't deal even with clattering pots." She scratched behind her ear. Siria examined the rug with her head down.

"About that," said Fred.

"We cooked you up a little something," said George.

"Consider it a token of our appreciation," said Fred as he pulled something from his pocket.

"To our investors," said George and knelt before Siria with a small, black box. Fred presented his to Cassius and George opened the box and extended it to Siria.

She examined them from the reasonable distance of her lap. The last thing Fred and George had given her was still stuck on her finger. Cassius had a similar aversion to it. Just like the Extendable Ears that Fred and George had made to listen in on Order meetings or catch bits of what was discussed on the other side of doors, they were fleshy, but an obnoxious shade neon pink. She hesitated and eyed Cassius.

"They're not going to get stuck, are they?" Siria asked George with glances to Fred.

"No," George waved.

"The rings are supposed to be," said Fred.

"They are ear plugs though, right?" She asked as she picked one up. It took on the color of her fingertips.

"Let me," said George. Siria clenched Hermione's hand and squeezed her eyes shut, but pain didn't come. He simply secured them in her ears.

"Can you hear me?" George asked. Siria nodded, with her eyes still squeezed shut and Hermione's hand clenched. Hermione gasped.

"What are you doing?" Mrs. Weasley shouted.

"Sorry, mum!" Called Fred.

"Tripped" said George. Siria cracked her eyes open. There was a shattered vase on the floor. Ron picked up a desk chair off the floor and slid it back. Siria removed the ear plugs.

"They shattered a vase and knocked a chair over," Hermione said in a tone that said she didn't approve.

"But Siria didn't hear it," said Fred.

"Did you?" asked George.

"No," she locked eyes with Cassius and nodded with a look to say "They work." He nodded in silent reply that showed he didn't doubt they did, but hadn't been sure what they were supposed to do. Siria traced her ear with her fingers. "My ears haven't been Transfigured or something, right?"

"Of course not!" said Fred, who feigned insult.

"Who do you think we are?" asked George. Siria put the ear plug back in their case, where they turned neon pink again.

"You keep them," said George.

"A gift to our investors," Fred repeated with a grin.

"Thanks," Siria muttered and slipped the box into one of her pockets.

"The practices don't have to be a secret," Colin said. "Didn't you just have to because they were after curfew before?"

"No," Hermione shook her head. "There are…" Hermione focused her burning brown eyes on Siria's as she chose her words with extra care. "People sympathetic to Voldemort, the Ministry, or even both."

"Like Death Eater's kids?" Alice asked. Hermione continued to look at Siria.

"People like Draco Malfoy's crowd, who have been raised to think blood 'purity' has any correlation to magically ability," Hermione said.

"Alice," Siria said and broke her eye contact with Hermione, "we know you'd burn them to the ground, if you had the chance."

"Congratulations Hermione & Ron, new Gryffindor prefects" hung on a crimson banner below "Congratulations Headboy Cedric" on a black banner. Mrs. Weasley threw a casual dinner party. The table had been pushed against the wall and the chairs were clustered around.

A few of the Order of the Phoenix members managed to stop by, including Amos Diggory. Siria tucked herself away, crouched down behind a counter in the kitchen, beside Kreacher. "It's nothing personal," Siria told herself; "I just can't take hearing how it's 'so good that ol' Ced didn't put in his name' because 'You-Know-Who would have been at a real loss when Ced reached the Cup first'."

"My word," Siria heard Amos exclaim, "she's been staying with the other girls?"

"Where else would my daughter stay, Amos?" Sirius replied through gritted teeth. Siria poked her eyes over the counter.

"Are we supposed to be in separate rooms too?" Maddy snapped.

"I'm just mean," Amos started. Siria rose up.

"Mr. Diggory," Siria called. Sirius's wide eyed told her that even he had thought she was upstairs. "I'm bi, which means I could be attracted to anyone— not that I'm attracted to everyone. I'm looking forward to a year with a Headboy that gets that." She stomped out of the room and said nothing at his half-hearted apology.

She marched up the stairs and stopped on the landing before her room. Siria listened closer, to something she couldn't make out over the twins' laughter. She hurried to the top, to the attic, where someone gasped and sobbed.

There were the cold, dead bodies of Fred and George. Her mind froze. This was impossible. She had seen them just before she hid from Amos. They bought some venomous tentacula seeds from Mundungus Fletcher. She heard their laughs when she was on the stairs. Her mind moved again; she had just heard their laughs on her way up. [B5, 171-176]

"Riddikulus!" Mrs. Weasley sobbed. Siria saw the open drawer of the writing desk, which had been in the attic for as long as she remembered. It rattled sometimes, but she thought nothing of it, until now. [B5, 169 & B5, 176]

Out of reflex, Siria reached for her wand. She stroked her shirt. Her jacket was in her room and her wand not far from it. Siria stepped between Mrs. Weasley and the boggart, as Mrs. Weasley let out another sob and attempt at the spell.

"Kreacher!" Siria called. "Kreacher!" Crack. She knelt down beside the Apparated house elf. "Get Remus, please." Crack. Siria glanced back at the Boggart, now a dead Percy sprawled before them. [B5, 176]

Dead Percy became a girl with wild, jet-black hair. Her green eyes were glazed over with death. Blood trickled down the side of her her face. The lightning bolt scar stared back at Siria, as if to say "soon." Siria shuddered, but held Mrs. Weasley's shoulder.

"Leave— Leave it!" Siria told Mrs. Weasley as much as herself. "Remus is— Remus is coming." Two sets of footsteps stomped into the attic, where one of them froze. Remus stepped before Mrs. Weasley and Siria. Sirius, however, was frozen in the doorway. Even after the Boggart became a moon and after Remus turned it into a balloon, Sirius watched the spot on the floor where the boggart had impersonated his daughter, dead. [B5, 176]

Remus put a hand on Siria's face, as he wrapped another arm around Mrs. Weasley. "It's alright," he told them, "it was just a boggart."

"I see them," Mrs. Weasley cried, "dead, all the time! I dream about it." She dabbed at her eyes with the cuffs of her sleeves. "Don't tell Arthur, please. I'm just being silly." [B5, 177]

"No," Siria shook her head. Remus handed Mrs. Weasley a handkerchief and Siria hugged Mrs. Weasley. "It's not silly at all," her voice sounded much softer than she intended. Mrs. Weasley hugged Siria.

"I'm just so worried," Mrs. Weasley confessed, more to Remus than Siria or Sirius. "Half the family is in the Order."

"And all but Percy may as well be," Siria thought.

"It'll be a miracle if we all come through this… and Percy," Mrs. Weasley said. Siria hugged Mrs. Weasley tighter.

"He'll come around," said Remus. "It's only a matter of time before Voldemort," Mrs. Weasley shuddered, "comes out into the open."

"I just," Mrs. Weasley stroked Siria's back as if petting a cat, "if something happens to Arthur and I…" [B5, 176-177]

"We can't promise no one will be hurt," said Remus, "but we are much better off than last time. Death Eaters outnumbered us by twenty to one and picked us off one by one. This time, we are preparing and growing as they are." [B5, 177]

"Molly," said Sirius. He took a few steps toward them and focused on Mrs. Weasley's face. "I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'd split all the gold in my vault with you lot." Sirius offered a small, faint smile. "Siria is 'as good as' your daughter, and your children are as good as ours, even if we don't always agree on child rearing."

Mrs. Weasley smiled and patted Siria's back. "Being silly," she muttered again (B5, 178). Siria couldn't agree less. As she and Sirius walked back downstairs to join the others, she wondered in silence.

Not even a week ago, Moody had shown her and Hermione a picture of the old Order of Phoenix. He heard Hermione had been researching the old Order. Moody told them how each of Order members died: Marlene McKinnon and Edgar Bones, whose families were murdered with them; Benjy Fenwick, who they only found bits of; Caradoc Dearborn, who was never found; Fabian and Gideon Prewett, who were taken down by five Death Eaters; Dorcas Meadowes, who was killed by Voldemort himself, like Siria's parents; and then there were the Longbottoms, who Moody believed "better dead than what happened to them". [B5, 173-174]

What could Siria do to increase their odds? What would Hermione do?