Serella found it hard to concentrate for the rest of the day

Serella found it hard to concentrate for the rest of the day. She did as Bill had suggested and did unpack, though she did find a new pair of sweatpants and a clean T-shirt that didn't smell like death. That was something that she smelled on almost everything and every person. No one else could really notice it, telling her that it was more in her head than actually a sent.

Hermione arrived not too long after Harry did and had the boys bring her stuff up to Ron's room, that was now getting so crowded that it was no longer a comfortable place to just sit and talk. Much to her disappointment Serella and Harry weren't able to bother Ron about his secret love for Hermione since she showed up so early, but they left the impression that they would continue it later.

As dinner was being prepared by Mrs. Weasley and Ginny the four teenagers found themselves lounging in the living room discussing the tutoring idea and how much Ron thought Dumbledore was losing his mind. Serella was seated next to Harry, who though was almost only an inch away from her, was too far away for her liking. The only place she felt like she wasn't about to break into pieces was when he held her in a hug, but it would be too strange to ask him to hold her, friends didn't ask that of friends.

Instead, she settled for just being around him, having that safe feeling was more than she deserved at the moment.

"I don't see why the two of you had to go and actually propose the idea to Dumbledore, you knew that she wouldn't say no." Grumbled Ron, though Hermione didn't know it, he was the jealous type and always hated Roger Davis.

"Because with all of you guys focusing all your attention on Quiditch you fall behind in class. It was supposed to benefit the players." Argued Hermione, this argument was mostly a match between the two of them, Harry and Serella had learned long ago when to interfere and when to let them have at it.

"Well I didn't get a tutor, so I don't see how very fair this is."

"Because you are with me and Sere all the time, Dumbledore doesn't need to tell us to help you, we aren't blind to your grades."

"I still don't think it's a good idea, especially with You-Know-Who being alive and all. Most of the players parents are Death Eaters and the two of you are going to their houses unprotected and un prepared."

"Unprepared? Ron, we're more prepared than half the wizards twice our age and you know that. Not to mention we're tutoring students, not death eaters. Roger is in Hufflepuff, I don't believe that his father is in league with You-Know-Who."

"Yeah, but Serella is tutoring Malfoy, that's defiantly a tragedy waiting to happen."

"Ron honestly, Malfoy may be a bully but he's not about to try anything with Sere, last time he did Harry broke his nose remember." They all laughed at the memory. Of course Harry got three months worth of detention, but in the end, the four of them believed it was well worth it.

"Who knows, maybe I won't have to tutor him for a while until we get moved, that would be nice." She said, slouching down farther into the cushiony couch, she never denied that she enjoyed Harry being protective over her, but sometimes it just didn't seem like he meant it the way she wished he did.

"You're not going to dear! Not until next week at least!" called Mrs. Weasley from the kitchen.

"That's good, one more week to convince you to quit. How did things go with him yesterday?" Asked Harry, shifting so that he brought one leg up on the couch, facing more towards the small circle they had created with the couch and two chairs.

"It actually didn't. Pansy showed up, and he told me to get lost because he needed a 'fix'" Serella held up air quotes and didn't bother to hide her grossed out face as the rest of them did the same. She didn't like remembering the disturbing way that Pansy had clung to him, more like a possession than a human being.

"I really wish Dumbledore would put you with someone else." Grumbled Harry, crossing his arms over his chest to show how annoyed he was with their headmaster.

"Harry it's really not that big of a deal," but she couldn't even convince herself with the worry in her voice. The way he had threatened her about simply leaving the room was creepy.

"Come on kids! Dinner is ready!" Called Mrs. Weasley from the kitchen after she placed the last plate on the table, and the four of them made their way into the cramped little room.

Ginny didn't stick around, so the meal was just for the four of them. Mrs. Weasley always did her best to try and make sure that the children were well fed. Even though she was in the Order as well, her job was to take care of everyone and make sure that the hideouts stayed livable. It wasn't a dangerous job, but it was a job that needed to be done.

Serella took her seat next to Harry at the table, directly across from Hermione and couldn't help but stare at the clock. It was almost eleven thirty at night and they were only just starting to eat dinner. They had spent most of the day out in the back field talking and wandering around the property just not wanting to stay copped up in the house.

But now that it was dark and silence was creeping back into the warm walls of the Burrow, something just didn't feel right to Sere. The others didn't seem to notice the eerie silence slowly creeping up on the house.

They ate quickly and in silence, having used up all the good conversation earlier in the day. Serella wasn't paying attention to them though; the darkness was making that hole in her chest more noticeable now. Every time she would look up out the window she expected to see flames and hear the breaking of metal.

"Sere? You ok?" She almost didn't hear whoever was talking to her until they placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump.

"What? Oh, yeah, just thinking. I keep thinking I see something out in the fields but I'm not sure."

"Well, we're all finished eating, let's go up to the roof and see if we can see anything." Suggested Ron, not waiting for an answer as he started up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

Serella was next to follow him up to the pull down ladder that lead to the rickety old balcony on one side of the roof, Harry quickly followed her up followed closely by Hermione.

Sere squinted, her night vision was slow to kick in and she could hardly make out the shapes and shadows of the individual trees, until she saw one of them move. She squinted again, leaning over the railing, trying to get a better look without falling off, and four more figures moved. She jumped, grabbing onto the person closest to her and fear took over her body.

"What is it?" Asked Harry as soon as her cold shaking fingers grabbed onto his wrist.

"Look, over there, there's something out there, past the trees and coming into the field." She pointed, not letting go, her nerves were causing her whole body to tremble and she desperately needed something to steady herself.

Everyone followed in the direction that she pointed and realization swept over them as the figures started stumbling closer towards the house.

"Those aren't wizards." Ron had decided to point out the obvious as he did so often. "Do you hear that moaning, those horrible noises. Those have to be Inferi."

"Inferi?" Serella asked having never heard the term before, but that didn't stop her from assuming that it was something bad.

"They're like a wizards version of zombies, or the living dead, only they're not alive, they're used as puppets to do a wizards bidding." He explained, urging everyone downstairs.

"That doesn't explain what they're doing here. The Burrow is supposed to be protected by spells, charms, enchantments, everything." Hermione was trying to find a logical reason, but Serella knew in her heart that there was non. She was still gripping onto Harry's wrist, harder after Ron referred to them as 'zombies', because she had seen the muggle movies and knew what they were capable of.

Ron woke up his mother and father quickly who immediately started putting more charms around the house. That didn't make her feel any safer though. With every charm came a counter charm and even the strongest spells didn't last forever. They ordered everyone to gather their things and enchant them to fit on the brooms, which wasn't that hard when they were allowed to do it with magic. The ministry no longer was on as strict of a look out for under age wizards using minor magic.

Ron explained more about Inferi as the four of them gathered in his room, brooms at the ready, tying their belongings on. They moved slow and didn't have a will of their own, the only way they differed from muggle movie zombies was that they weren't contagious. Mostly all they were used for was protection and scaring people. They weren't really dangerous unless touched, but if they were hear then someone on the Voldemort side knew that Harry was at the Burrow, and it was no longer safe.

Once all their baggage was tied into place the four of them made their way up to the balcony where Ron's parents waited with Ginny.

"We're going to have to split up because we don't know if anyone is further out waiting for us to leave. There wasn't time to contact many people but Snape is at Headquarters' waiting for us." Mr. Weasley spoke first, "Ginny, Hermione, Serella, you will travel with Mrs. Weasley and Fred, Harry, Ron, you will be flying with myself and George, does everyone have everything?" Everyone nodded and waited on further instructions. "Now, stay put, we'll be back here in a few minutes, we have to go find Fred and George. Don't go anywhere." His last words were spoken very slowly and clearly, aimed at the two boys.

Hermione was slightly shaken as well, and had found comfort in talking to Ron who kept having to assure her that in the air the Inferi weren't harmful. For Serella, it wasn't what was on the ground that bothered her.

"They're after you aren't they?" She asked Harry, trying to look him directly in the eye, but his gaze drifted over her head out into the field where the moans were growing closer.

"I honestly don't know."

"Harry the summer has barely started and already it seems as though none of us are going to make it through alive." He looked down into her eyes upon her words.

"I told you I'll always protect you. You'll live to see the day that Voldemort falls, I promise you that. Just be safe with Mrs. Weasley, and keep close to Fred, he's the best flyer out of the lot of them." She nodded, but it wasn't the same.

"Promise me that you'll be there."

"Serella."

"Promise me Harry, promise me that if something is out there it won't stop any of us from making it to Headquarters."

"I can't promise a thing like that, I would if I could, but I can't. You have nothing to worry about. Who would want to hurt you?"

She didn't answer and tried to avoid his gaze just as he had done before. That safe feeling was going to leave her soon and she dreaded the time it would. True she trusted Fred, both he and George were always good friends, but it wasn't the same.

"Just be safe, promise me that at least." She said as he brought her into another hug.

"I promise I'll try my hardest."

"And try not to let Ron fall off his broom like he did a few weeks ago, Hermione won't like that." She stood up high on her toes so that she could wrap her arms tighter around his neck and burry her face into his shoulder.

"Now that sounds impossible."

As she heard the sound of the rest of the Weasley's approaching she quickly acted on what she desperately wanted to do at that moment. She loosened her grip and stood on the very tips of her toes to press her lips to the side of his cheek before turning her back and going over to Mrs. Weasley and Fred, who ruffled her hair and made a comment about her monkey pajamas.