So hi guys... It's been a while. I can't really make any proper excuses about why it took so long to get this up here. The chapter had been written for ages, I just needed to fill in some spaces with the dialogue and editing. But I've dragged the process out because well I'm lazy. I got a job, finished my first year at university and have been busy figuring out my life and writing fanfiction was more of a stressor rather than a way to relax so I avoided it. But it's the summer and I'm planning on working on it a lot in my spare time cause I have nothing to do. I just finished this chapter and it hasn't gone through editor just because I want to get it out there but I might replace this chapter after I send it to him to look it over. So if you spot anything in the chapter feel free to mention it in the reviews and stuff and I'll make sure to go over it.

Thanks!

Meg

July 20: Chapter has been updated with the edited version!

September 20: Chapter has once again been edited for discontinuity with things previously stated in earlier chapters as well as in the original HP stories.

October 18: Some additions and edits have been made for consistency later on.

"So you go to, what is it, a secondary school?" asked Mr. Wealsey completely ignoring the plate of food in front of him.

Swallowing the piece of bread she had just taken a bite of Gus nodded, "Yes, I was going to be in year ten."

Mrs. Weasley cocked her head to the side, "Was?"

Looking away from Mr. Weasley, Gus nodded again towards Mrs. Weasley,"Well this Auror came to our house about three weeks ago to get me and Harry. She said I was going to have to go to Hogwarts with Harry until Sirius Black is caught."

Initially a grimace crossed Mrs. Weasley's face, though in a matter of seconds she was covering it behind a bright smile. "Oh you'll have a lovely time dear."

One of the twins, who had been quiet as Gus was informing their father about the marvels of the Muggle world, abruptly broke their silence, "So Harry says you can't do magic."

Gus nodded in confirmation, "I'm a squib."

Mrs. Weasley gave an exasperated sigh, "Fre-"

"I'm George mum." Called the twin on Gus's right in a bored tone, the two had sandwiched her between them the second Mrs. Weasley had announced it was time for lunch she had been sandwiched between the two.

Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes, "George, don't ask questions like it."

"Its fine." Mumbled Gus.

In an attempt to move away from the awkwardness that had arisen Mr. Weasley continued on with his questions, "So what do you study?"

"Well the basics." The entire ginger clan looked at her with blank faces, "Maths, physics, chemistry, biology, English. I'm also taking history and Latin."

"Sounds like Hermione." Piped up Ginny who was sitting at the end of the table.

Mrs. Weasley smiled proudly at her, "You must be very smart."

"That's what my teachers tell me."

Excited to be involved further with the conversation Ginny asked, "Are you excited about coming to Hogwarts?"

"Don't be daft Ginny of course she is." One of the twins cut in.

After lunch Gus was left awkwardly milling about the ground floor of the Leaky Cauldron. Mr. Weasley had bid her adieu and stepped into the large fireplace and with a woosh of green flames and dust he was back at his job at the Ministry of Magic. The moment that they had been dismissed from lunch the twins ran off, Mrs Weasley warning them not to spend all of their money at Zonkos. Mrs Weasley and Ginny, mainly Mrs Weasley though, had invited her on their shopping trip to Diagon Alley. Gus though had declined claiming that she needed to finish packing for tomorrow's trip.

She had actually already finished packing the day before; whatever spells Scotty the Auror had used to pack her bag back at Privet Drive allowed her to pack an impossibly large amount of items into the case without it becoming full or heavy. Now, what she guessed was several hours later due to the darkening sky outside her window, Gus was looking over the Potter family picture in one of her books.

Gus was trying to remember anything at all about her parents that wasn't influenced by her readings or any of the information Hagrid had shared with them. But it was in vain. Every memory she seemed to have felt manufactured based off of her desperate desire to see her parents as the stereotypical happy, young couple who were deeply in love.

She moved on to just watching the picture. The repeated movements of the occupants at first had been comforting, as if the picture had caught a bit of this lost life. Now it just seemed monotonous, that it was a show being put on, as if in a few minutes a person outside the frame would call "cut" and the moment would be over. The smiles would fall from her parent's faces and they'd hand over Gus and Harry to someone out of shot.

Watching her mother smile up at the toddler version of herself, Gus felt like she could almost hear her mother's laugh. It didn't sound like Aunt Petunia, or really any other woman she had heard in her life.

The voice that she heard was so unique and beautiful, it had love and warmth and joy and it was just the voice a mother should have. The closest she could think she had ever come to having heard anything similar to it was Mrs. Weasley's voice. Though hers sounded nothing like what she thought her mother's did, but it had the same type of love and warmth and joy that she thought her mother's would have had.

And Harry had gotten to spend an entire summer with that voice, a voice that gave a peak into what their childhood should have been like. A childhood of milestones being achieved with proud, smiling parents; happy, magical Christmases; ordinary days where they would come home from school and their mother would ask how their day had gone, if she had gotten that tricky test she had last Friday back yet. Why did it have to be them? Why did they have to go through this alone, without anyone but each other, and even then have that being pulled away?

In a lame attempt to release the uncomfortable tension that had flared up from those thoughts, Gus let out a large sigh as she leaned back into the pillows of her bed.

Even after spending such a brief time in Mrs. Weasley's motherly presence, Gus wished she had known how accepting and warm the woman was last summer. Being honest with herself Gus would have crawled right out after Harry into the flying automobile if it meant getting even just a glimpse at what a proper childhood felt like.

All of her thinking had formed a large knot in her stomach. She didn't know if she could face Harry and keep why they didn't have that life hidden from him.

She didn't know how Mrs Weasley would feel about her skipping yet another meal that day, she would probably not let it happen without a fight and even then Gus thought she would almost certainly lose. But she didn't think she could face the world outside of their bedroom right now-

The door to her and Harry's bedroom slammed open, her little brother's shoulders were tense and his voice low, "Did you know?"

"Did I know what?"

Harry had moved a few steps into the room, before slamming the door shut, "Did you know about Black?"

Moving to stand on the far side of the bed from Harry, Gus swallowed but it was useless, her throat had gone dry, "Yes. I thought-"She choked on the words, her tongue was sticking to the roof of her mouth, she swallowed again, "I had thought that the Toffee minister guy would have mentioned that's the reason why we're staying here."

Harry shook his head, "No, all I was told was that it'd be best if we spend the rest of the holiday away from the Dursleys."

"Why would I go with you to Hogwarts if we just needed a holiday away?"

"I have no clue? I was just happy that it was happening!" Harry exclaimed angry that Gus had pointed out that he hadn't really thought into the reason as to why she was going with him to school.

Cautiously Gus began to make her way around the bed to her brother, she asked quietly "Harry who told you?"

"I overheard people downstairs talking about it."

"How haven't you heard people talking about it earlier?" Again Gus was surprised that he hadn't put thought into why people whispered about him so much, or about what those whispers were about. "The weird looks they've been sending you?"

"I'm the boy who lived I always get weird looks!" He had stomped around to Gus, now cocking his head up and giving her an angry glare, "How long did you know?"

She swallowed, "A few days."

"You knew for a few days that a man is out to kill me! A man who wants to kill me because I defeated Lord Voldermort" Gus looked desperately to the door; someone by now should have heard Harry's shouting. Wouldn't someone, namely one of the Weasleys, come in to check what all the shouting was about?

"Harry you're the one who's been in the wizarding world I thought you would have heard about it."

"Well guess what, I haven't!"

Gus could feel her anger begin to fire up in her, "You didn't think at all to look into how our parents died? Or how you got that scar?"

"I was a bit busy with you know going to a magical school, figuring out who was going to steal the philosopher's stone and killing a giant snake that was petrifying people!"

"My god." She seethed, "That wasn't your job!"

"Well guess what, someone had to do it!" She guffawed at that. Now he was just giving her lame excuses. Since when did the responsiblity of the safety of an entire school have to fall onto the shoulders of a 12 year old?

"And it should have been that bloody headmaster!"

"Don't talk about him that way." There was a dangerous glint in Harry's eye after bringing up Dumbledore. How the hell could he defend him like that?

Clenching her fists Gus matched Harry's aggressive stance, "I'll talk about him any way I want to because he let you get yourself into danger and almost die!"

"Well I didn't."

She narrowed her eyes at him. How dare he just throw off his near death experiences as if they were just a bad football injury! Gus lowered her voice and pointed her finger at Harry's chest, "You know what I got when you got knocked out in your first year? A bloody letter! A letter saying you were in a serious incident, in a comatose state but were okay and would probably wake up. Probably! And guess what I got when you got bit by a giant, stupid snake? Another letter! A letter saying you got bit by an animal with poison that should have killed you in a minute."

"It's not like he can stop his life to come down and visit you."

Gus rolled her eyes, how could he be so stupid about this, "But you know what, when it's the famous boy who lived who did all of that, I think his sister can get a condolence visit." She crossed her arms over her chest, "Are you forgetting that he's also the man that left us with the Dursleys? He abandoned us Harry."

"No he didn't. He's been there for me more than you ever been!" That properly shocked her. Two years he'd known this man, and Harry threw away everything Gus had ever done for him because he was some great bloody wizard, with a stupid hat and a bird that blew up.

"I've been there for you. He's just an administrator!"

"Stop acting like you know what I've been through!"

"I do! I lost my parents as well. I lost my home and the people who loved me. But I got the rough end of the deal. I'm in the dark while you're off learning to fly and have the chance to find out what happened to our family."

Then Harry said the worst things Gus probably could have heard from him, "You're just jealous."

For hours the two had sat in a stiff silence on both of their beds, facing away from the other. Finally after looking over at the clock on her bedside table she saw that it was nearing midnight. Awkwardly she began to change into her pajammas and out of the corner of her eye she saw Harry begin to do the same. Still in silence she turned out their light after Harry had crawled into bed and promptly rolled over to face away from her. She had listened to Harry's breathing even out; the only thing that could make her happy about the whole ordeal was that Harry still didn't know that Sirius Black was responsible for the death of their parents. To Harry he was just another wack job that had been a dedicated follower to Lord Voldermort and was out for revenge.

Both of the Potters had been eerily quiet the next morning. Ron and Hermione had attempted to pull Harry into their argument over whether or not Crookshanks, Hermione's new pet cat would be allowed out of his travel carrier at all during the train ride. Distractedly Gus batted away the over grown cat in its attempts to paw and rub itself against her as she merely nodded to most of the things that the twins were saying to her, going on about a man called Peeves.

Gus and Harry looked up at Mrs Weasley, or 'Molly, dear' as she kept insisting to Gus, as she began directing her questions about last minute packing to the two. "How did you two sleep last night?"

"Good, thank you for asking." Gus replied with a polite smile.

"No problem dear." 'Molly' leaned in over her breakfast so that she could get good looks at both of the Potter children, "Now you two have everything you need before we leave for the station?"

"Yes, all packed." Harry glared at Gus before giving his own answer of "Yup".

Taking a look over at Harry who was now viciously digging his fork into a piece of bacon, Gus coughed before she glanced over at the twin on her left, "George can I take you up on that offer to join Fred and you on the train?"

The twin on her right looked over her head at his double and cockily replied, "Couldn't resist our charms, could she George?"

"Guess not Fred."

The two replied in unison, "We'd be delighted if you would join us Miss Potter."