Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my ideas. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Chapter Five: Like Hell

"But, I just don't understand, Teddy! Why was he there? Inside my fucking house?" Meredith groaned.

Teddy cast the mug of coffee over in her direction and she grabbed it out of the air greedily.

"How did he get inside your house anyways? Don't your parents have a shit ton of wards up?" Teddy asked.

Meredith blushed deeply. "During Seventh year... I changed the wards to allow him in one night when I was home on Christmas break and... and I guess I never changed them back."

Teddy sighed, shaking his head and reaching across the kitchen table to grab Meredith's hand.

"He wanted to talk about it, Ted. I can't talk about it. I just can't." she sighed. "And you! Why did you tell him I was home for the holidays?"

"I didn't! I just said that I was home for the holidays, and I guess he just put it together."

"Why were you talking to him in the first place?"

"Mer, come on."

Meredith rested her head down on the kitchen table, letting her tears fall from her eyes.

"Shit, okay. Meredith, just... just relax, okay? It'll all be fine. Really, it'll be fine." Teddy sighed.

If she hadn't been so distraught, she would laugh at his horrible comforting tactics. She could almost picture his hair changing colours as it always did when he was stressed out. One of his metamorphmagus abilities that he couldn't keep under control, even at the age of twenty one.

"D'you want to talk to Aunt Gin? I mean, besides me and Victoire, she's the only one who knows." Teddy offered.

Meredith lifted her head. She supposed he was right. Ginny was the only other one who knew what had happened - and she wanted to keep it that way. It meant the world to her that Ginny hadn't told her parents - or even Harry, for all she knew.

"Yeah." Meredith squeaked out.

"Okay, well. Once her and Harry've finished rowing, I'll go fetch her, okay?" Teddy said.

He was standing next to her and before Meredith could do anything else, he pulled her into a tight, familiar hug.

"It'll be okay, Mer."

She had to choke down a laugh. She couldn't even remember the last time things were okay.

. . .

"James, where are you taking me?" Marley laughed.

James had put her on the back of his broom blindfolded and then taken off to god knows where.

"Don't you trust me, M&M?" James said from in front of her.

She had her arms tight around his waist and hoped that they kept flying for a long time coming.

"Depends on the day." Marley joked.

"I'll push you off this broom, you know."

"Just keep flying, Potter."

After a short while later, Marley felt them finally touch down on the ground. James helped her off the broom and slowly untied the blindfold to reveal where he had taken them. Marley looked around, finding them somewhere she had never been before.

There was a large lake, frozen enough for skating, as well as a bench next to a single bare tree.

"James, where are we?" Marley asked.

"A place I like to go. Thought I'd bring you, M&M." he explained with a shrug.

"How do you have a place you'd like to go that I don't know about? We've literally been together since the day we were born." Marley laughed.

"Except for the lovely hour before you were born. Yep. Those were the days."

Marley rolled her eyes, shoving him lightly with her elbow. James flashed a crooked grin at her before leaning the broom up against the tree. He held out his hand and Marley took it gingerly, treasuring the warmth.

"Let's skate." James said.

"We don't have skates, you know." Marley sighed.

"Doesn't matter. We can slide around on our shoes." James said, pulling her along to the lake. "Come on, Marley. Please?"

He faked a pout and Marley felt herself cave instantly. She grinned, heading out in front of him onto the ice, never letting go of his hand.

. . .

"Okay, Lyra. If you really could just -"

Lyra laughed loudly, pulling the book out from Draco's hands and running away. He sighed in resignation as Hermione laughed from beside him.

"Draco, really. Shouldn't you have learned not to try and reason with six year olds? I mean, we've had enough of them." she said.

"Apparently not." Draco sighed, leaning back on his seat and wrapping an arm around Hermione, pulling her close.

Hermione snuggled in beside him, and Draco treasured the few moments they would have alone. He knew it wouldn't be long before a kid ran back into the room. He loved his children, and he loved being around them - but he also loved having a few moments alone with his wife.

"I'm worried about Meredith." Hermione said softly.

"Me too, angel. I don't know what's going on with her." Draco sighed.

He really was worried about her. It had surprised him that he hadn't even known of Leo Greengrass. In the year that him and Astoria had dated, she had never mentioned the fact that her sister had a child. It also surprised him that his mother had never mentioned the fact that Daphne had passed away.

"She'll talk when she's ready, I think." Hermione said.

"You think so?"

"You know how she is. She keeps things to herself until she can't any longer."

Draco did know how their daughter was. Despite missing the first few years of her life, he knew his daughter as well as the rest of his children. And that's how he knew she was really struggling.

"Where's Marley?" Draco asked.

"I think she's gone out with James, though I'm not entirely sure. She didn't really say." Hermione sighed.

"You know, I just don't understand her. She used to sit with me all the time and actually like talking to me." Draco said.

"She's a teenager. Meredith was the same way." Hermione said with a low chuckle.

"But not as much! I mean, is it normal?" Draco asked.

Hermione laughed at him before kissing his lips softly. He smirked at her. He loved how she was able to take away all his worries and troubles in an instant.

"Yes, it's normal. Harry says that James is the same way." Hermione sighed.

"They're going to owe us money soon, you know." Draco observed with a laugh.

"Three galleons will be coming our way."

The group of them had actually bet money on when James and Marley would become a couple. Draco and Hermione had said it would be before their seventeenth birthday, whereas Harry and Ginny said it would be afterwards. After observing their behaviour on Christmas, Draco was almost certain it wouldn't be long.

"She's stubborn, though. About as stubborn as you." Draco said.

"I know. But... when she's ready to let him in, she will. That's what I did with you, isn't it?"

Draco turned to her, taking her face in his hands and nodding, kissing her again softly.

"Yes. Yes, it is." he whispered.

. . .

Meredith couldn't stop shaking. She was glad for the drink that Ginny had made for her and downed it quickly in hopes to calm her nerves.

"You tell your Mum I gave you alcohol this early on in the day and there will be hell to pay, yeah?" Ginny said, sitting down across from her at the table.

Meredith just nodded absentmindedly. She looked up at Ginny who's face was written in concern. Ginny sighed, casting a silencing charm in the direction of the entrance to the room - much to Meredith's thanks.

"He came by the house, Aunt Gin. He wanted to talk to me about-about it." Meredith explained weakly.

"Oh, love..." Ginny said.

"I don't know how to talk about it!"

"You do. You just don't want to."

Meredith took a deep breath and shook her head, all the while knowing that Ginny was right. She could talk about it. She knew how to - but she didn't want to. She hated this. She thought about Leo and what happened everyday. This wasn't fair. That part of her life was supposed to be over. If it wasn't over, how could she ever be expected to move on?

"I just want to forget about it all, Aunt Gin." Meredith moaned.

"I know you do... but you can't." Ginny said softly. "Meredith, you are one of the strongest people I've ever known. Going through what you've gone through and still managing to get out of bed everyday... it amazes me. It really does."

"It's so hard." Meredith whispered.

"I know it is, I know." Ginny said, reaching forward and grabbing her hand to give it a comforting squeeze. "Have you changed your mind about talking to your Mum yet?"

Meredith shook her head instantly. "No."

"She'll understand better than you think, you know."

"I don't like worrying her."

"She's stronger than you know."

Meredith was quiet. She didn't want to put this burden on her mother, not after everything she had done for her. She didn't want to disappoint her either.

"You know, Meredith... when you were missing..." Ginny started.

Meredith took in a shaky breath. She still hated thinking about that. She shook slightly and gripped Ginny's hand tighter.

"When you were missing, your Mum handled it beautifully. As well as anyone could. And she still tried to help me and Uncle Harry with what we were going through. She is strong, Meredith. She is more than strong." Ginny said.

Meredith still said nothing. She just wanted to hide in her room forever and cry.

"Just think about it, okay?" Ginny whispered.

"Okay." Meredith whispered back, even though she knew that the chances of her ever telling her Mum were exceptionally slim.

. . .

Marley shivered next to James on the bench. He had asked her a few times if she wanted to go back home, but she had declined.

"I wish we were seventeen. Then we could do a warming charm and you'd be okay." James groaned.

"Yeah, I know." Marley said.

James wrapped an arm around Marley's shoulders and pulled her to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and he smiled, breathing in her scent.

"Thank you for bringing me here." she whispered.

"Of course."

"How long have you been coming here for?"

James shrugged. He told Marley everything - almost everything - but he still was reluctant to open up to her. He wasn't sure why. He trusted her more than anyone in the world, but there was always a hesitance in him to completely open up.

"A while, I guess." he mumbled.

She sat up, looking at him with widened eyes. He slid his arm down her, wrapping around her waist.

"James, what is it?" she asked softly.

"Do you know about the man who kidnapped your sister when she was a kid?" he asked, praying that she did. He really didn't want to have to be the one to share that with her.

"Sort of. I mean, I know he was friends with my Mum and your Dad, but I don't know who he is." she said with a shrug.

"Well, yeah. That's what I knew, too. And then, a couple years ago, Mum and Dad took me and Al and Lily shopping in Diagon Alley and we ran into this guy. Dad almost lost it. I've never seen him that way before. He was freaking out and we weren't even talking to the bloke. Mum went super scary quiet and steered us away." he explained.

"Okay, so... who is he?" Marley asked, her nose scrunched up in confusion.

"Apparently he's... he's my Mum's brother." James said slowly.

"What?" Marley gasped.

"Yeah. Mum's brother. His name is Ron. I don't really know much details, but I did find out that I'm actually related to the guy who took your sister and messed her up. So, I got on my broom and just flew around and found this place and I've been coming here ever since."

Marley was quiet, taking in what he had just said. He felt bad having to explain that to her, but he knew that she deserved to know. He had been surprised that his parents hadn't told him about Ron - and the same with Marley's parents to her.

"Does Meredith ever talk about that?" James decided to ask.

"No. Never. Neither do my parents. At least when I'm around. All I know is that he - Ron - was sick and that's why he took her."

"My parents said it was a brain tumour and that's why he's not in Azkaban or something."

Marley rested her head back on James' shoulder and he pulled her close. He closed his eyes, loving the feeling of having her close. They stayed like that for a while, until both of them were shivering and he knew that they should leave.

"Marley?" he whispered.

"Yeah?" she answered, lifting her head off his shoulder.

"We should..." he started, realizing just how close they still were. "We should probably head back."

His eyes flicked towards her lips. He knew that he could make his move right then and there. There was no one to stop them this time. He began to move closer and closer.

Suddenly, Marley was standing, grabbing the broom from the tree.

"Let's go." she said with a smile.

James cursed in his head, but faked a smile at her.

What if he had missed his chance by waiting so long?

Author's Note: Please read and review! xx Thanks for reading!