A/N: I'm going to switch to first person for a little bit, the chapters are becoming a bit hard to write in third person. Hope you don't mind. This is from Bill's point of view.
I can't believe my eyes. Grace disappeared two years ago, just after she got out of Hogwarts. It was all over the news, no one could find her. She's supposed to be dead, not laughing at the dining table with the rest of my family. The world's tipping sideways. I can feel myself tipping with it but can't seem to stop myself. Blackness surrounds me just before a massive blossoms in my head, then dies out.
Something cool is being pressed against my head. It's nice and I miss it when it disappears. Groaning, I try to move to keep it but the pain is back. I grip my head, willing the pain to go away. The blackness still surrounds me. A laugh from beside me, lets me know I'm not alone. Then something is being pressed to my lips but when I open my mouth to protest some of the liquid slips into my mouth. It's cool and refreshing and I can't help but drink it all. As soon as it's all gone my headache clears up.
I go to push myself into a sitting position but someone pushes me back down. I frown but don't fight the hand, still unable to see anything. When I mention this to the person a loud laugh reaches my ears, one that I recognise from somewhere. When the voice, definitely a woman's, tells me I've still got my euyes closed I feel a blush making it's way up my face. Opening my eyes I see the face that's haunted my nightmares for the past two years. I freeze but the woman simply smirks.
"Honestly Will, you look as if you've seen a ghost." Grace says. But my mind's stuck on Grace. Grace, the girl who supposedly died two years ago. I lunge at her, picking her up and twirling her around and around. She laughs, a sound that I've missed to much. When I eventually put her down she only comes up to my shoulder, just like Charlie. But what's Grace doing in my house?
When I voice my question she laughs at me again. She explains how it's been in all the news papers, all over the headlines. But it turns out it never reached Egypt, leaving me in for one hell of a shock when I got home. We sit and chat for a little bit about things that don't matter. Suddenly Charlie bursts in, a huge smile on his face. He just gasps out that we have to see something before dragging us both out of the room by our arms. When I look at Grace though, she just shrugs. But all is explained when we walk through the kitchen door. A little girl I remember seeing at the dining table is walking around using crutches.
I'm confused as to who she is and what I'm supposed to be looking at. But Grace rushes at the girl, picks her up and swings her round. The girl has gone very red in the face and pleads with Grace to stop. After a few more spins Grace does as she asks, setting her gently back on her feet. The girl wobbles a bit before falling, but Fred or George had already moved to her side and caught her. I'm even more confused now and can just watch the interaction.
Charlie speaks from beside me, making me jump. I had forgotten he was there. "She's called Hermione. Grace's little sister and our new little sister. We adopted her. Long story" I vaguely recall the little girl in front of me but she shows no resemblance to the girl I remember. The girl in my memory had brighter eyes, full of life. This girl's eyes are old beyond her years. So I'm still slightly confused but let it go, knowing Charlie will give me the full story later.
For now, it's time for lunch. All I hope for is that I can speak to Grace in private before the day's up.
