Albus sat behind his desk, his head rested in his hands, he knew he shouldn't push Harry any further, but Christmas was gone and their visitor was still here, either way someone was going to end up hurt, if he said no the guest would be hurt, if he said yes then Harry would lose it again, but then maybe in the long term he might calm down. Or he might start to resent everyone for hiding this from him. And Melanie, poor child, not only has her family changed dramatically over the past month but as has everything else.
Yes Harry has the weight of the world on his shoulders. But he has a family and friends to help him carry that weight, and yes for the last few years a lot of information about his family had been held back, but Melanie, her life up until this year had been a lie of sorts.
She had to change who she was, from a Matthews to a Potter, a whole new family. A whole new way of life, and much later than everyone else.
Either way both Potter children had had it hard the last few months.
Melanie smiled at Draco from across the table, they were actually having an ok time, they had a big discussion about quidditch and who would win, who would lose, which had the best chasers/seekers/beaters/keepers, even who had the best and worst uniform.
"This has been nice," Melanie said as they left, she was pulling her coat on and smiling at Draco. "You don't seem quite so cold, actually you seem… friendly. Mr. Malfoy, you're losing your touch." Melanie teased; Draco scowled at the giggling Gryffindor, and had to fight to keep himself from smiling at her antics. Suddenly Melanie checked her watch and jumped slightly. "Oh God! I have to go; I'm going to be late!" Melanie squeaked.
"Late for what?" Draco asked curiously.
"To meet my aunt, I'm, well, I'm visiting my sister's grave," Suddenly Melanie stopped short and her eyes watered again, Draco didn't know exactly what to do so he stepped closer to the girl and nudged her slightly.
"You're going to be late," He said with a slight snap to get her to hurry. Melanie nodded, smiled at Draco again then ran off down the street.
As Draco made his way back up to the school he was sure he was going mad. 'What is wrong with me? She's a blood traitor! Filth! Not worthy of my time! But then again she's always very nice to me. It would be rude to be mean to her; mother always says that good deeds get rewards. Father would destroy me. No wait he's in prison.'Draco thought with a frown, he was confused, his mother, a good woman really, would tell Draco it would be horrid of him to treat Melanie in a rude manner if she was so nice to him. His father would beat him senseless for hanging out with a blood traitor, but then again Lucius was in prison for working with Voldemort.
And in any case since Lucius had lost his standing in the social hierarchy, none of the others in Slytherin really cared for the once Slytherin Sex God. No, Blaise Zabini was still there for him, always in his some what distorted sense of loyalty, but other then that Draco had lost some of his power, and yet not the fear he can create.
Then Draco thought back to his poor mother, though she was a good woman truly, she had somehow formed a connection with Lucius, and was now alone in the manor with a manic of a sister barging in to hide someone, but Narcissa always refused to have anything to do with Voldemort, and allowed them to do as they wished.
Harry was waiting for Melanie by in Fred and George's new shop, Weasley Wizards Wheezes in Diagon alley had done brilliantly, so they decided to set up a store in Hogsmeade, nearer the customers they relied on.
Harry was jammed into a corner; the shop was so busy; the shouts of excited kids filling the small area. Fred said a quick hello when Harry had entered the shop, but the twins were really quite rushed off their feet.
With a heavy sigh Harry checked his watch; he was waiting for Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Melanie. Just then the door opened, setting off a booming laugh, instead of the usual jingle of a bell, and Ron walked in with Hermione. They were arguing again, which made Harry chuckle to himself slightly.
"Hi Harry, where's Ginny and Melanie? Aren't we meant to be leaving in… two minutes?" Hermione asked checking her own wrist watch.
"Yeah, I hope they'll turn up any second," Harry replied, and just as he did the booming laughter started again and a mane of fiery red locks came through the door, pushing her way through the crowds Ginny reached Harry and beamed at him, she kissed him on the cheek before greeting Hermione and Ron.
"Where's Melanie?" Ginny asked, she knew where she had been, she being the only one as Melanie was worried Hermione would tell Harry, but Ginny had expected Melanie to be here by now.
The waited another few minutes before the laughter started and Melanie darted into the shop, looking slightly frazzled, she was red in the face and panting, her hair was slightly askew too.
"So-sorry!" She gasped; Harry smirked at his sister, as she bent over slightly and resting her hands on her knees.
"You're late," He said, Melanie looked up and glared at Harry, making him recoil slightly, he had seen that glare before, sent at his father by his mother.
"Pig Head." Melanie muttered before straightening up and smiling slightly at her friends.
"Are you ready guys?" Hermione asked the raven haired siblings, the two looked at each other and nodded silently, no they didn't want to be doing this, but they also didn't want their older sister to be dead.
Ron led them towards Fred and George who pointed them to the back room, where there was a fireplace for them to floo from, the twins smiled sadly at Melanie and Harry before going back to work.
Ginny reached for the floo powder and held it out to everyone, and with an encouraging smile they left to the Potter Home.
Harry stumbled out into quite a large living room, decorated nicely in light yellow; the walls were covered in magical pictures of a little girl with black hair, James, Sirius, Remus, and even Lily. Harry stepped away from the fireplace and saw a picture, it was a muggle one, of a woman, it was in black and white, but Harry knew she had flaming red hair; she was sitting in a window seat, looking out of the window, an arm rested on her bulging stomach. It was a stunning picture, and Harry couldn't take his eyes from it, he knew it was his mother, but he didn't know if it was him or Melanie she was pregnant with.
"A vision wasn't she? The most brilliant woman I ever got the chance to know, even if I was young myself at the time," Emma said softly from beside Harry, she rested her hand on Harry's shoulder and smiled, beckoning Melanie over, she slid her arm across the younger girls shoulder and hugged her, kissing both teenagers on the temple. "We'll make it through for them." Emma said softly, then took the picture off the wall and handed it to Harry. "I have a copy for you too Melanie."
Slowly they walked through the house, Emma telling the five teens about her family memories here, she also explained that she left England aged fifteen, after Lily and James' murder, to escape to America, she finished her schooling there and made a life for herself. And now she was back to help raise two teens.
"We've never really talked about what'll happen to us now. Will I stay with Harry, you, Severus, The Weasleys? What about Harry? Will I go with him to the Dursleys? I really want to meet my other aunt," Melanie thought aloud.
Emma laughed a little then smiled at her niece.
"Don't worry it'll be sorted out."
When they reached the garden the girls gasped. It was beautiful, a large grassy area, covered in daisies, tulips and lilies and roses surrounded the area, then at the back, in the centre by the big willow tree there was a gravestone, silently Harry walked towards it, Melanie joined him and grabbed hold of his fingers, she was shaking slightly with nerves and sadness. They reached the grave and sat on the damp grass; Melanie reached out and traced the letters that spelt Mary Rose Potter.
Below her name was a single date 27-8-1976, and a sentence 'You are always loved and never alone' Harry smiled at this and was in a way happy his parents were with his sister, and their parents. The Melanie reached out and picked up a small purple teddy, it was a bunny, and across its white stomach it had written 'a life time of peace, Mary Rose.'Harry's eyes watered at this he grabbed hold of his little sister and held on to her tightly as if afraid that she might suddenly leave him.
"Oh Harry!" Hermione gasped from behind them, a tear gliding down her pretty face, Ginny was clutching Ron, who had gone pale, Emma was crying too.
Melanie held her brother as he sobbed, her own tears falling and mingling with his.
"We've still got each other," Melanie said quietly, trying to be strong, but there she was holding her brother who was shaking with tears, he was terrified she could feel it, so was she, what could she do, still just a child, and in that moment she lost all but a tiny flicker of hope, she still had Harry.