Chapter 85: Remembering
Sirius and James were snickering to themselves as they heard the confused and panicked screams of several Slytherins who recently found themselves stuck to one another in the most awkward of positions and being placed on top of a pillar that sprouted out of nowhere, in plain sight. Anyone who was within a hundred mile radius would be able to see them and there was no way for them to get down or at least away from each other. Struggling against being bonded together, they made the most suspicious of sounds.
"That was bloody brilliant!" James exclaimed in between gasps as he clutched his stomach. He and Sirius were making their way to their next class; the two were late enough as it is, leaving the Slytherins behind. Someone would find them eventually and they would be away from the scene of the crime. They were just about to round another corner when something caused the two of them to halt. It was voice.
"What was brilliant?" the voice belonged to a girl who was around the same age as them since it wasn't too high or too mature. A new shadow suddenly appeared and the two Gryffindors found themselves gulping as they looked up to the owner of the voice and shadow. They couldn't believe their eyes. It just wasn't possible!
"James? Sirius? What's got the two of you shocked?" the owner of the voice raised her brow, her voice light and innocent. After her question, a giggle escaped her lips and she called them cute with their bewildered expressions.
The two Marauders had no idea what to do. They never expected that in the history of forever would they encounter such a strange and unnatural sight. Could this kind of transformation be possible? Was it a spell? An effect of a wrongly brewed polyjuice potion? Did any wizard, dead or alive, ever see such a change? Was this written down in the books? Could this be healed? Solved? Was this permanent?
The questions continued to swirl in their minds as they slowly backed away from the girl in front of them, their hands holding on to their wands tightly just incase they needed to cast a quick jinx to buy them some time to run away.. The girl continued to look at them oddly, the way she tilted her head to the side making her cute. Innocent almost. Like she was one of those girls who were known for being helpful, sweet, kind, loveable and just plain girly!
This was BEYOND wrong.
She opened her mouth to ask them again, slight concern showing on her face when they haven't responded to her question, but was not able to for Sirius and James made a mad dash away from her, passing the pillar where the Slytherins stayed, ignoring their yells. Something was definitely wrong and they needed to find a way to fix it…
FAST!
An entire week had passed since Sirius and James's encounter with the girl and they had yet to voice their concerns to their friends. After all, no one else seemed to see the change. It was like the incident never happened. That Sirius and James just imagined it. Like a horrible nightmare.
But no.
They refused to believe that what they had seen was a figment of their imagination. They encountered the girl every day since then and each time she was her sweet, innocent self. It was vomit worthy. Unsettling.
Why haven't the others notice her change? Was something wrong with them? Or did the girl just act different in their presence? Was this some kind of sick joke? They were not sure. What they were sure of was that they needed to steer clear from her if they wanted to remain sane.
Lucy, who was completely unaware of Sirius and James's dilemma over the past week, thinking they were just crazy or acting stupid, was calmly eating her bowl of cereal in the Great Hall, her mind reviewing the things she studied last night for a quiz she was to have later that day, when a sudden whisper surprised her, causing her to drop her spoon into the bowl and making the milk splash out at her. She automatically stood up to avoid getting drench, accidentally making the bowl tip over and her back hitting the person who whispered behind her, knocking him to the floor.
The entire Great Hall saw the set of events that happened within a second and erupted into uncontrollable laughter. Lucy, trying her best to hide her embarrassed blush, swiftly turned around to see none other than Sirius Orion Black on the floor, rubbing his chin and groaning. The Emeraude couldn't help but let out a few of her own giggles before she lent out a helping hand, assisting the Black back to his feet.
"Bloody hell, Luce." Sirius muttered, taking back his hand looking down at the girl. He rubbed his chin, wincing a bit, before letting his hand drop to his side. "Did you really have to do that? Talk about a hard head…"
"It's your own fault, really. Who goes around whispering into other peoples ears when they're eating breakfast, which is now dripping all over the floor." Lucy hadn't even realized that she had hit him with her head. A dull pain suddenly emitted from the back of her head but she ignored it, glancing down at her tipped over cereal bowl and watched as the milk dripped to the floor.
"You owe me a free lunch when we visit Hogsmeade this Saturday." she added, looking back at Sirius, her tone not joking.
"I'm not at fault here. It's Hunter. She's creeping me out." Sirius said in a low voice, glancing around the Great Hall, everyone returning to his or her own business. When the said girl was not in sight, much to his relief, he sat down on the bench, back turned to the entrance.
"Natalie? What's wrong this time? You decided to make her hair a bird's nest again?" Lucy asked, obviously not having seen what Sirius and James have been seeing for the past seven days. Pulling out her wand and cleaning up her mess, she sat down as well.
The Emeraude then glanced to Lily, who was calmly studying for their first class of the day, and saw that a crease formed on her forehead probably from irritation due to Sirius' panicked voice.
Before Sirius could answer, James Potter decided to burst through the Great Hall's doors gasping for breath. The boy's hair was messier than usual while his shirt was lopsided in appearance, the red and gold tie hung loosely around his neck, his robes falling to his elbows and his shoelaces untied.
It looked like he had just gotten out of bed and realized he had school that day. Or maybe he was getting ready when something spooked him. Either way, he did not look right in the head. When he caught sight of Sirius and Lucy, he made a run and nearly tackled Sirius back to the floor as he tried to make room to sit.
"Hide me!" James said in an equally scared voice as he fixed his robes and made sure it covered his face while he spoke. "I think she's making her way here."
"What are you on about, Potter?" Lily finally looked up from her book to ask, closing it gently already knowing that she wouldn't be able to study any longer with two Marauders in her presence.
"It's about your psycho friend, Evans." James said, not even bothering to impress her at the moment. This shocked the two girls. What could Natalie have possibly done to scare the two boys so much? "If you could just make her return to her 'normal' self then Padfoot and I wouldn't be causing any problems."
"Won't be causing problems?" Lily rolled her eyes. "Like that's possible."
"Don't act like you're not impressed with our skills, Evans." James got a smirk on his lips, dropping his shield to ruffle up his hair to make it its usual messy look. Lucy simply shook her head at this while Lily wrinkled her nose, not at all impressed by the boy.
"Can we go back to the real problem at hand? Where did you see her?" Sirius spoke, brows furrowing as he began to plan his next escape. He wouldn't be able to handle another minute with Natalie at her state.
"Where did you see who, Sirius?" a voice suddenly came.
It was sweet, innocent and sent shivers down the Marauder's spines. Lucy and Lily ignored the frozen state of Sirius and James and looked up to see Natalie who actually had her hair tied up in a tight ponytail, a slight fringe falling just above her eyebrows while a scarlet clip was placed at the side of her head.
Natalie's uniform was unusually neat. Instead of her usual sloppy tie, it was actually properly secured around her neck. The bottom buttons of her blouse were buttoned and her skirt reached just two inches below her knees. Her socks didn't sink to her ankles and she wore no bulky robe to hide her attire. She wore a pleasant smile when she greeted James and Sirius and that was what made Lucy and Lily suspicious.
"Are you feeling okay, Nat?" Lucy asked slowly when Natalie turned her pleasant smile towards Lily and herself. The Emeraude finally noticed what the boys were talking about. How could she have not seen this drastic change before? "You seem a bit out of sorts today." Lucy noted the strawberry gloss on the girl's lips and her powdered nose.
"Out of sorts? What ever do you mean, Lucy?" Natalie giggled a girly sort of giggle and Lucy blinked in confusion. She glanced over to James and Sirius and saw them giving her look that clearly screamed out 'See! We told you she was a psycho!'
Lily bit her lip and cleared her throat before speaking. "I think what Lucy means is that you're not acting like your usual self. For one thing, you actually look like a girl today."
"And is that wrong? I thought you told me to look my gender." Natalie said, her eyes wide as she mocked a gasp. She suddenly developed a sort of damsel in distress accent, her voice going up an octave to sound every ounce feminine.
"Yes, back in second year, why start now?"
Natalie didn't reply. When Remus decided to join in the conversation, entering the Great Hall only moments ago, her entire body froze. The glossy smile was plastered on her seemingly flawless face and her body seemed to imitate that of a manikin. Remus didn't notice for it seemed that he had not even sensed her presence when he squeezed himself between Lily and the first year Gryffindor beside her.
The boy looked a bit pale and worn out, his school robes having some lint, grass, dirt and holes in them while his hair was sticking out in all directions and not in a James Potter style. He gave his friends a tired smile, them already used to him looking in such a harassed way. When he looked over to Natalie, his smile faltered.
"Good Morning." he said awkwardly, moving his attention to James and Sirius who were looking between him and the still frozen Natalie, "What were you guys talking about?"
"Well, Mister Remus John Lupin, if you simply must know what we were talking about – Why don't I tell you?" Natalie said in a loud and forced cheerful voice as she stiffly turned her attention to the werewolf, glossy smile still present yet irritation was evident in the way she spoke. Lucy and Lily began to fear for what was to happen next.
"You see, Mister Remus John Lupin, my dear friends and I were discussing on how I suddenly wanted to be a girl! You hear that, Mister Remus John Lupin? I was actually a girl this whole time!" Natalie placed her hands on her hips and let out a loud, sarcastic laugh. "Isn't that a relief? To think, if we didn't know that sooner, people would have thought you were gay for dating a boy like me! And, you know what else, Mister Remus John Lupin? I was walking down the Gryffindor Tower just this morning and I was called pretty!"
Another loud laugh was heard, but this time, one could see tears begin to well up in Natalie's eyes. She looked to Remus once more, the smile on her lips beginning to twitch as she was nearing to break. One could only hold so much frustration.
"Apparently, Mister Remus John Lupin, not only am I a girl, but I am a pretty girl! Weren't you lucky? You were dating a pretty girl!" Natalie then stopped. She sucked in a breath, trying to keep her tears back.
"A pretty girl who did nothing but stick by your freaking side through everything…A pretty girl who has never mocked you, belittled you, but only supported you…A pretty girl who has done her best to make you happy…A pretty girl who accepted you for who you are yet you only saw what she had in her name…You git!" Natalie yelled out, her smile changing to an angered scowl as her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes formed slits.
"What the bloody hell is your problem? What did I ever do to deserve this? Did I offend you or something? Did I say the wrong thing at the wrong time? Sure, I'm Maria Natalie Hunter and all I ever do is spew things out at the wrong time, but never did I do that to you! I understood you and I never saw you for whatever you thought you are! What did you think I would do at those times? Kill you? That's a laugh!" Natalie's hands formed fists. Her teeth clenching before she continued her angered yelling. She had caught everyone's attention by now. All eyes looking at her and her friends. Some of the professors even stood from their seats, ready to intervene when things got worse.
"And to think I ever thought you were different. Apparently a person is what they are due to their name! You think I'm the same monster my dad and grandfather were? Fine! You better watch your back next week, Mister Remus John Lupin!"
Remus stayed rooted in his seat, eyes wide open along with the rest of the Great Hall. Natalie said no more, she held her chin up high, trying to stop her tears from spilling out, and marched out of the Great Hall. Just as she left the large mahogany doorframe, she brought out her wand and with a swift wave, slammed the Great Hall's doors shut breaking everyone from their trance.
Dumbledore and the rest of the professors were the first to act. He stood up from his large chair and clapped his hands, making everyone's attention turn to him, telling everyone to head off to their next class or they would be late. Professor Sprout was next to speak, telling the Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws to hurry up to Greenhouse two for they had an exciting activity to do for that day. While everyone rose from their seats and heaved the Great Hall's doors open, Remus remained on his seat, yet to come out of his trance. His heart was beating rapidly against his chest. He felt like he had attempted to out run a Seeker's broomstick.
Lucy bit her lip, seeing Remus' blank expression turn to that of pain and regret, and looked to Sirius and James, asking them silently if they knew what that was all about, but the two silently shook their heads. They had been so focused on running away from Natalie that they had never suspected that something was up with Remus. Or maybe something happened between the two for the girl to make such a change. Lily leaned over the table and grabbed hold of Lucy's hand, whispering to her that they should head to the dungeons or they'll be late for potions class, she then turned to James.
"If you can, please tell us what happened." she said calmly, knowing that Remus wouldn't be able to hear her since he was lost in his own world. James nodded his head and watched as Lucy and Lily disappeared into the sea of students. Dumbledore and the rest of the professors left as well. Soon enough, it was just the three of them in the Great Hall. Sirius was the first to speak.
"You mind telling us what that was all about?" he said, jerking his head to the spot where Natalie was previously standing in. "I never her saw her that mad. Not even when we covered her with the green gunk we found in the Forbidden Forrest."
Remus slowly shook his head and got up from his seat, leaving his two friends on the Gryffindor table to ponder over what could have possibly happen between him and Natalie. Sirius looked over to James and got nothing but a shrug.
"Maybe the girls could get something out of Hunter?" James suggested, getting up from his seat and motioned Sirius to follow him out the Hall.
When Lucy and Lily entered through the dungeons doors, they saw Natalie at the back left corner of the class, feet already resting on top of her table, her chair leaned back while her arms were folded behind her and her gaze focused on the cobweb filled ceiling. Lucy slowly made her way to the seat beside Natalie while Lily, who knew it was best for Natalie to talk to one friend at a time, moved to the front of the class at her usual desk.
Natalie made no move in acknowledging Lucy's presence. The girl merely continued to gaze at the ceiling, a thoughtful expression on her face as she tipped her chair further back. Any further, Lucy worried, and Natalie would fall off and break her neck.
"Are you okay?" Lucy asked in a gentle tone, not wanting to surprise Natalie. The girl's chair jerked a bit, surprised by the familiar voice, but she was able to catch her balance and put all four feet of her chair back on the floor again before moving her attention to the Emeraude.
"Lucy! When did you get here? Is it time for class already?" Natalie asked, her eyes looking everywhere but Lucy.
"Natalie, what happened earlier? Did you and Remus get into a row or something?" Lucy blinked her eyes, trying to see through Natalie's glassy look. The girl still had that blasted smile on her face. It was obvious that there was no happiness behind it. Glancing to the front of the class, Lucy could see Lily looking back at them, worried for her friend's condition.
"A row? What would ever give you that idea? It's not like he's the type to fight, right? The bloody prick has no spine to hold up a fight against me." Natalie's words were tainted with venom and her glare towards the wall was so intense that Lucy could have sworn that if Natalie were to focus on it a little bit longer, there would be a burning hole in the stone.
"Do you hear yourself right now? Where are all those words coming from? You never call Remus any malicious names and here you are, calling him a bloody prick? If you didn't have a row then what happened?" Lucy said in a rush, knowing that in a few minutes, the classroom would be filled with students, particularly the Marauders, and she would not be able to interrogate Natalie until later. From what it seemed, Natalie was waiting for just that moment of escape.
Natalie moved her attention away from the wall and looked to Lucy, her face expressionless. The bell rang and slowly the Gryffindors and Slytherins made their way into the classroom, Professor Slughorn entering through his own door. The chitter chatter filled the air and Lucy needed to lean closer to Natalie when she saw her lips begin to move, not wanting to miss what the girl was going to say.
When the Marauders, minus Peter who was sick in bed, slipped through the door, Natalie uttered three heartbreaking words Lucy never thought she would ever hear in her life.
"He dumped me."
Class began once everyone was settled in their seats. Professor Slughorn made all of them flipped to page two hundred and twenty four of their book and with a simple wave of his wand, all their ingredients appeared on their tables. He informed them that they could either work alone, much to Lily's glee, or in a group with a maximum of four members. Mostly everyone decided to work with a partner. It wasn't for team effort purposes. More like they wanted to squeeze in a few chats while working on the potion.
Five minutes didn't even pass by and already James couldn't hold in his curiosity. As Sirius worked with the mortar, James took hold of the next ingredient and watched as Remus quietly read the instructions on the book.
"Bloody hell, Moony! Are you serious?" James whispered as he added the six dried Billywig stings into the cauldron after Sirius dumped in the six crushed Snake Fangs. Remus was adjusting the heat to a medium temperature and waited around thirty seconds before telling Sirius to add the next ingredient into the cauldron. He then turned his attention back to James
"Serious about what?" Remus asked stirring the potion three times, clockwise. He didn't want to screw up the potion. It was going to take up a large chunk in his grade. Glancing over to Lily's table, it looked to him that she was nearly finished because she was now having a friendly conversation with their professor. No surprise there.
"About breaking up with Hunter," James waved his wand over the potion and looked back to his friend. "She was a mess in the Great Hall. Quite frightening, really."
There was a snort from Sirius and the two looked over to him. He was pulling out the next ingredient when he spoke. "I must say, Moony, your tolerance is admirable. I'm surprised you didn't break up with her sooner. She's constantly off her rocker. A man can only handle so much." His intentions were that of a joke, but how it came out was offensive to Natalie, and Remus as well because that wasn't the reason why he ended things between them, who was quite good at hearing from where she sat.
The trio heard the sounds of a knife, chopping board and a mortar clattering to the floor along with Lucy's shocked scream causing everyone to look at the back of the classroom. They saw Lucy clutching onto her wand, bringing the fallen materials and wasted ingredients back to the table with an easy spell while Natalie glared at the Marauders. The girl's magic was beginning to affect the potion and the flame under the cauldron grew in size, making Lucy take a step away in fear.
"Ah! So the truth comes out!" Natalie bellowed, her grip on her wand tightening, the fire not calming down. "I was too much for you to handle, is that it? That's a laugh considering the kind of people you hang out with!"
Remus' eyes widened. Was Natalie addressing him? Did she honestly think so lowly of him as to break everything with her just for the mere reason that he could not handle her? He never would have guessed such shallowness from Natalie, and he refused to think that she was desperate for a reason. No, Natalie was not like that at all. "Of course I did not break up with you for that inexcusable nonsense." He said, his voice calm.
"Then what reason do you have, hmm?" Natalie dared him. "I would bloody love to hear it! Come on, announce it right now for all to hear because obviously you did not have the balls to say anything to me last week!"
"Honestly woman!" Remus exclaimed, shocking everyone in the room (Sirius and James mostly) at the volume his voice took. No one ever heard Remus John Lupin shout. Not once. "Stop being so immature about it. It's not the end of the world you know! And for dear Merlin's sake why must you know so badly?" The room was silent, not even the cauldrons were bubbling and boiling.
"Well, I'm sorry for not being a damn Marauder. From what I've observed, when you're a Marauder, you can have any freaking girl with a pulse while if you're me, a girl who's 'off her rocker', then you're lucky to have one guy stick by you. I was pretty damn lucky to have a Marauder stick by me. The sensible one no less!" Natalie paused, biting her lip slightly to stop it from quivering so much. She then continued, her voice still loud and hurt.
"So sorry for thinking it's the end of the world because not only did I lose my first boyfriend, I feel like I'm losing my best friend!" Natalie took a deep breath, her tears forming once more. This was too much for her. She had never felt so hurt. So betrayed. "You hardly look at me in the eye anymore. Whenever you do, all I see is guilt! If you're so bloody guilty, why'd you do it then? I have the right to know!"
The girls in the room glared at the so-called sensible Marauder, relating with Natalie's pain. The pain of losing your first love, of forever asking the question: what did I do wrong? What could I have done better? Was it me? Was it him? Am I just not meant for love? A cold shiver ran up Remus' spine. He didn't like discussing this in front of so many people. This fight wasn't suppose to get out. If he had it his way, Natalie would have automatically understood where he was coming from and wouldn't explode because of their breakup. But of course, Remus couldn't fully grasp the fact that Natalie wasn't only hurt because of their relationship ending. There was more to this.
"Nat…." He whispered, guilty once again to the pain he has caused her. He did not want to hurt her, which was exactly why he left her. He was dangerous, to himself and most especially to her! What could he offer her but fear and pain? No, she deserved much better than that. "It's just not easy to explain."
Natalie squinted her eyes at him, not to glare but to scrutinize. A few seconds passed before the girl took action. She grabbed hold of Lucy's hand and dragged the poor Emeraude towards the Marauder's table. Lucy blinked her eyes curiously and sent a quick look towards Lily who merely shrugged, her eyes furrowing, trying to understand what was happening. She then wondered why Professor Slughorn wasn't doing anything. Before she could voice out any questions, she felt herself being flung into Sirius and James, pushing the two boys back, as Natalie took hold of Remus' hand and pulled him to the dungeons door.
"It would be good if we dealt with our problems outside of class, right Sluggy?" Natalie said out loud, not really caring about her professor's opinion. She pulled the door open, pushed Remus out and slammed the door closed, leaving everyone in the room baffled.
Remus was forced onto the floor from Natalie's push and wasn't even able to regain composure since the girl grabbed hold of him once more and led him away from the dungeons and into an abandoned hall. She then brought out her wand and muttered a spell before looking back at Remus.
"Is it easier to explain now?" she asked him, "No one else is here to listen."
"Nothing about what I'm gonna tell you is pleasurable to hear..." He began, messing his hair up in frustration. "But you have to get this into your head. No matter how corny you may think this sounds, it really isn't you, it's me...and when I mean it's me I really mean it's me." He was talking gibberish, or to what was gibberish for Remus Lupin, and he wasn't even sure if he was making sense.
"If this is about you being a werewolf, I thought we went over this, I don't care," Natalie said, her eyes urging him to tell her the truth. "What logical reason do you have for wanting to end this? If you can give me that reason, I'll accept your choice and move on."
A sigh escaped the boy's lips. She really would not let this go would she? Sometimes she was hard to read, other times she was as see through as glass, but right now she just wanted a justified reason as to why she was dumped. She deserved one. Remus knew that. "Yes, it does have something to do with that."
Natalie tapped her foot in impatience, waiting for his continuation, while Remus tried to gather his thoughts. She wanted to give him time to explain himself but time wasn't really easy to find seeing as they were skipping class and anyone could run into them. Yes, no one could hear their discussion but Natalie wasn't all too sure that people couldn't see them. It was better safe than sorry in this situation.
"I guess you could say, I didn't want to drag you into this whole mess. I didn't want you suffering and getting hurt because of me. I also didn't want you pretending like everything was okay when nothing was! Do you know how it feels like to live a life where during once a month you suffer through that kind of agony – and no, your monthly periods do not count Nat – just please, accept the fact that I am dangerous, and that we aren't meant to be."
"Who are you to say we aren't meant to be?" Natalie asked, her face returning to that of seriousness after Remus little insert on the girl's monthly cycle. "I never said we should graduate, get married and have little babies together. Sure, that would be fun. The getting married part, yeah, but I don't want to rush into things, Remmy.
I was raised to deal with people with your condition so you can't say that I'll get hurt because of you. In fact, I fear that you'll get hurt because of me. I…I never minded your little problems because to me they aren't a big deal." She then paused, seeing that no matter what she would say to reassure Remus that he isn't a danger, he wouldn't listen. Biting her lip, Natalie decided to give up. He gave her a reason didn't he? She might as well accept it.
"They aren't a big deal but…. I can't pretend can I?" Natalie offered a sad smile. "I guess you gave me the reason I needed. It's over then?"
"Yeah/" Remus answered, feeling awkward at the current situation he was in. "But I would hope we could still be friends, I like you calling me Remmy instead of Mister Remus John Lupin, if you must know."
"Damn, really, Remmy? The 'Friend Card'? Are you kidding me? When has that not been used before?" Natalie couldn't help but grin, pushing all the bad feelings inside her away. "But fine. I guess we can be friends again, but remember this Mister Remus John Lupin!" She couldn't help it.
"One day, you're going to meet a girl who wouldn't give a darn about what you become every month and she will love you and you will love her and you two will have a baby together." Natalie paused, a smirk playing on her lips. "And you shall name the baby after me!"
Zoey sucked in a breath of cold, night air, feeling the breeze brush past her, sending her hair and dress flowing behind her, just being carried by the breeze. The area there were in was familiar. It was like home. The tall grass was tickling her ankles and she could swear that it was slightly damped. Morning dew either came a little too early or it had drizzled while she was away. She just wished the water was clean. The Emeraude, her head still fuzzy but a fuzziness she could manage, felt Fred squeeze her hand as they neared the Burrow. She could hear the soft clucking of chickens coming from the shed in the distance and she briefly wondered how long it would be until a rooster, she hoped there was one, would come out and wake everyone up with its crow. She prayed that morning was still hours away.
Squinting her eyes, she saw the light from the Burrow illuminate a small part around the crooked building and she saw George and Echo slip past the Burrow's, after being bombarded with questions from Mrs. Weasley and suffocated by hugs and kisses, doors. They were finally allowed through after Echo voiced her hunger.
"Be prepared," Fred bent down a bit and whispered in Zoey's ear, making the girl shiver from his warm breath and look up at him, confusion evident on her face. Fred decided to elaborate more on his warning. "She hasn't seen you in weeks and she's been worried sick."
"Worried–?" Zoey began to say; curious as to why she had to be 'prepared'.
Mrs. Weasley was a mother of seven children, the eldest working with Goblins, the second with dragons, the third in the ministry, fourth and fifth were troublemakers at heart, the sixth hung around the Chosen One and the last was tougher than how she looked. Of course she would be worried sick if her any of them went out on a rescue mission, not knowing if they would come back alive or in one peace. Just knowing that they could cope with life outside the Burrow was not settling. If she had her way, they would all still be living with her, safe and sound.
Before Zoey could further question the currently black haired Weasley, Mrs. Weasley could not wait for them any longer and ran out of her porch, decked in an old blue dressing gown, and forced Fred to bend down to her height so that she could kiss his cheeks and welcome him back into the safety of their home. Fred, though used to it and expected it, groaned like he was starting his first year in school and didn't want his mother to embarrass him in front of his new friends. It was like he wanted to be cool. Zoey, of course, smiled and laughed softly under her breath, her now free hands laced behind her.
When Fred was released, much to his relief, childishly wiping away his mother's kisses, Mrs. Weasley turned to Zoey. The woman gave Zoey a look over, checking if she had any injuries, and when she saw that the girl was in one peace, no bleeding, scars or scabs, she brought her into a bone crushing hug, Kissing her cheeks as well and even scolding her about not telling them about her deal with her aunt.
"You are never ever allowed to see that horrid woman again!" Mrs. Weasley said in her strict, mother tone, not yet releasing Zoey from the hug. Fred scoffed.
"Like I'm going to let that happen," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets, his temper having calmed down after rescuing Zoey and getting away from the Emeraude Estate. He then grinned at Zoey's pleading expression. "Deal with it," he teased her. "You'll be trapped forever."
"Do you know how worried I've been? You nearly had me tearing my hair out wondering what on earth happening to you. What was happening to you! And when Fred, George and Echo left to save you along with Jane – Dear Merlin, Zoey! Why didn't you tell us?" Mrs. Weasley continued, not having heard Fred's comment.
"I'm sorry….But I'm okay now… Mrs. Weasley? Uhm… Mrs. Weasley, you can let go now…" Zoey gasped out, her voice raspy due to oxygen not really making its way down her throat. Mrs. Weasley hadn't let go. She didn't hear her. "Mrs. Weasley? Ack… Mrs… Mrs…Weasley? Air… Air… AIR!"
At the girl's exclamation, her voice was still soft and timid, it would return back to her old voice in time, Mrs. Weasley released her hold and just smiled at the girl, wiping a tear out of the corner of her eye, just glad to see the Emeraude back. She had already lost her dear friend, she couldn't stand to lose Lucy's daughter especially after the impact she made in their lives. Mrs. Weasley then made a noise of disapproval.
"Zoey, dear, you're still far too thin. You're a twig, to be frank. Come inside and I'll fix you up a nice, filling dinner," The woman placed a hand on Zoey's back before looking over to her son, squinting at his hair.
"What on earth did you and your brother do to your hair? Echo's was already reverting back to its purple color by the time she entered the house." Mrs. Weasley wrinkled her nose. "Change it back."
"I don't know how." Fred shrugged, a non-caring expression on his face. He was tired. He wanted food and sleep. "Zoey changed it back when we were in second year. Never told us how she did it."
The two Weasley's then looked at Zoey expectantly. Both wondering if the girl would bring out her wand, do a few waves and flicks making Fred's, and later George's, ginger locks to return. Zoey only blinked, raising her brow at them in question. Her eyes were blank. It was obvious she didn't know what they were talking about.
"Changed it back?" she asked. "I don't remember ever doing such a thing. Are you sure it wasn't Echo? Bridgit even?"
"Bridgit was the one who caused our hair to be this way," Fred supplied, remembering the potion he and his brother took in the Great Hall and Zoey running up to them, out of breath, and casting a spell on them just before they headed down to the Quidditch Pitch for tryouts. How could she not remember?[
"Then Echo turned you back then?" Zoey said, still not believing that she was able to revert their hair back to its natural color at the young age of twelve. "I mean, she's probably doing it to George as we speak."
"No, she's Echo, but it wasn't her who changed us back." Fred placed a hand on Zoey's shoulder and looked deep into her eyes. How he missed those grey orbs of hers. "It was you, Zoe. Don't you remember?"
"Fred, I was like twelve years old, how would I know how to cast that sort of spell?" Zoey raised her brow, smiling slightly in confusion. "I'm not a prodigy or anything."
"You got Bridgit out of her sticky situation." Fred said, aghast. Was she messing around? Why couldn't she remember it? If It was due to anything the blasted woman of an aunt she had, Fred knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself from killing her. "You even got best in Charms, Zoe. These are your expertise."
Zoey furrowed her eyebrows and took a step away from Fred, his expression scaring her just a tad. It almost looked like he was afraid of something, she just didn't know what. "I know I got best in Charms. I had a couple more awards didn't I? Like…uhm… loudest voice in the room when she wants to be or something like that, right?" she gave a soft laugh, just remembering the ceremony. "Wait, what happened after our graduation?" Zoey then asked, realizing that all she could remember was climbing up the stage and accepting her diploma.
Fred's world felt like it was crumbling. His resolve and mask, vanishing. He thought everything would be fine now. He had saved her from the evil dragon, he was her knight in shining armor. Why was this happening now? They were both supposed to live happily-ever-after, yet it seemed Merlin wouldn't allow it.
"You were taken away." Fred's voice was empty, just a mere whisper in the wing. "By your aunt and another man."
The last thing in the world Fred wanted was for Zoey to lose her memory. Should he be happy that she had not forgotten about him? Should he be upset she has forgotten some of the most important memories that he held dear? Fred couldn't answer his own questions. All he knew was he was going to kill the woman who was the cause of all this. He was going to kill Damiana. No one would lose their memories so easily; it would be the result of something so traumatic that her brain had suppressed memories that would bring her grief and pain. They were lucky she didn't forget everything.
To Fred; however, it made no difference. He didn't even want to know what Zoey went through resulting to this, because if he did, how would he even sop himself from walking out the door right now?
"My aunt and another man….?" Zoey scrunched up her face, thinking hard. What was Fred talking about? Taken away? Well, obviously she wouldn't go back to the Emeraude Estate willingly. She knew that she was forced into that horrible building by her aunt but…. there was someone else involved?
The Emeraude closed her eyes and tried to remember everything she knew before the night of her 'rescuing.' Zoey knew her name, her birthday and her parents. She knew her mother died saving her and she was sent to stay with her godparents before being forced to live with her aunt. She remembered the different kinds of torture and pain she had to live through before going away to Hogwarts. Zoey smiled a bit remembering her first encounter with Echo, the twins, Bridget and Jane, the Golden Trio as well. But, there were some parts that were just a mere fog in her mind. Some parts of her sixth year were missing as well as her seventh. She could vaguely recall Percy asking Audrey on a date but she couldn't figure out how she returned to her old house nor how her leg had gone all stiff and grey.
What happened during her first Christmas at Hogwarts? How did she reunite with her Aunt Maria? She recalled seeing her and her father fighting at the dinner table once, but where? How? When? Zoey couldn't remember? What was her favorite song again? What kinds of toys did she play with as a child? What was the first spell she stumbled on? Did she ever cast a spell for the first time without fail? She didn't know. She couldn't remember.
Fred felt like he needed to sit down, she really didn't remember it all. It made him wonder what else she had forgotten. She knew they were together; she seemed to know Bridgit, Echo and George too. Did she recall their first kiss? Did she remember his confession? He would even be happy to find out she remembered them almost knocking her off of the Astronomy Tower. Just something to comfort him, make him feel better.
"Yeah." He answered, looking away from Zoey as a pang hit his heart. He was supposed to be overjoyed! She had finally said it! She said she loved him! Yet….yet why is it that his heart hurt like a thousand daggers were stabbing it? Was he honestly afraid she didn't mean it? That she was emotionally confused as she was mentally? Fred didn't even want to think of the possibility.
"Your aunt and a man…"
Before Fred could continue, someone appearing by the Burrow's patio interrupted the two of them. Looking towards the newcomer, they realized that Mrs. Weasley was no longer in their presence. By the door was a young witch with a pale, heart-shaped face and mousy brown hair. She looked drawn, even ill, and almost dull. Something very different from her usual colorful outlook. Zoey gave a small smile.
"Hello, Tonks." Zoey greeted, noticing the lack of bubble-gum pink hair.
Fred's mouth twitched upward a bit. He was glad she remembered Tonks too.
The woman looked up to find two teens standing there and puts on the best face she could muster. No need to worry them right now, it seemed stupid to bother them with such problems. Tonks was sure they were facing much worse.
"Hello, Zoey, Fred. Nice night isn't it?" She cursed her treacherous voice. It was raspy and sounded sad. Not what she was going for at the moment.
"It's a little cold actually, but bearable." Zoey replied awkwardly, not knowing what to say. "Are you staying over at the Burrow too?"
Tonks looked up at the sky and considered the question. The Burrow was her escape from a harsh truth that awaited her in reality. Here, everything was happy. Everything was fine. They had good food too. In the suburban home in Surrey, she sometimes probably wished she never had to leave the front door and exit the safe haven that was inside. "No." she answered, looking back at the two. "I was just stopping by, needed to talk to Molly."
Zoey knew better than to ask what she wanted to talk to Mrs. Weasley about. It was never good to pry but she found herself opening her mouth to ask, curiosity getting the better of her. She didn't a chance to though, seeing as Mrs. Weasley's voice cut in. calling the two of them in for dinner.
"Well." The smile ended up on her face again, her hair didn't go back to pink though. "Seems like you two should be getting in there, especially you, Zoey! You need some meat on your bones! I best be on my way anyways." The metamorphmagus waved her hand as she apparated away. The tears were beginning to fall, she wouldn't do that in front of Zoey and Fred.
"Do… do you have any clue what's bothering her?" Zoey spoke softly, looking up at Fred as they stepped foot into the Burrow, away from the cold night air. Upon entering, Zoey got a whiff of the dinner prepared and she felt her stomach grumble, she snaked her arms around it in embarrassment, imagining Echo and George scarfing down whatever was on the table, like they would die tomorrow.
"Nope." Fred answered, his face gaining some color and life. "I know one thing… I'm starving!"
"All you Weasleys ever think about is food!" Zoey joked, feeling her hand being tugged by Fred into the kitchen.
Pushing the door open, Zoey's eyes brightened at the sight of Roasted Chicken with gravy and mashed potatoes with a sprinkle of Parsley on the side. She was also happy to see Italian tomato-sauced pasta. Without Fred needing to drag her, Zoey took a seat and began pilling up food on her plate.
"Someone seems hungry." George commented, smiling slightly.
"I can't help it." Zoey blushed, grinning. "It's been forever since I've had Mrs. Weasley's cooking! I almost forgot how good it is!"
"A girl who's beginning to take after my own appetite." Echo remarked, a shocked expression on her face. "I thought I'd never see the day."
"No girl can beat you, Echo." Fred voice out, putting food on his own plate.
"But dear dumb one, I said 'beginning'." Echo sneered. "One does not simply become a champion food eater overnight."
"I don't think I'd ever be able to beat you though. Ron might, but not me." Zoey picked up her goblet and took a sip. It felt like forever since she had a nice glass of Butterbeer.
Echo almost chocked on her roasted chicken. "No one beats Echo unless you are an overweight Norwegian Opera Singer."
"Well, Ron isn't a Norwegian Opera Singer, but he's a fast eater." George commented, facing his girlfriend. "All Weasleys are, even Ginny, but she hates admitting it."
"Ehem." Echo scowled once more, only this time to her boyfriend. "I'd like to see you try. Give me what the Weasley's got!" She stuck her tongue out before laughing.
"Fine then." Fred smirked, obviously showing her they had nothing to lose. Just pride. "I bet you Ron could beat you anytime, anywhere and anyplace." The violet haired girl returned his challenging gaze.
Echo seemed to consider this before looking back to Fred, her eyes lit up by competitiveness. "Oh, it's on."
Zoey laughed with the rest of her friends, her cheeks warming up with glee. It's been ages since she had a good laugh like this. Something so pure and innocent. The atmosphere was light. It was like they had no problems in the world. She imagined Brigit being with them, telling the twins that she was rooting for Echo and that they would lose. She pictured Harry, Ron and Hermione on the table as well. Ron being confused, chicken in his mouth still in the process of being chewed. Zoey's eyes softened, looking back at the food of her plate, almost forgetting the fact that there was still a problem at hand. Without thinking, Zoey looked up, watching Mrs. Weasley washing dishes behind Echo and spoke.
"Mrs. Weasley?" Zoey asked, catching the attention of all the Weasleys present and Echo. "Is it alright if I pack a few pieces of chicken and a little bit of everything to bring home tomorrow? I'm sure dad would appreciate it."
Everyone in the room froze.
What did the Emeraude just say? There was no way that of all things forgotten that that was one of them! Fred wanted to craw under a rock, especially now. How she reacted was enough the first time, how much more a second? He couldn't make her go through that pain and suffering anymore! He saved her to escape from that, not to be welcomed by something worse!
Echo looked at Fred as if to ask 'What the hell happened?'
Fred looked back, not answering her at all. His eyes were empty once again, a conflict going on within him. He couldn't lie to her, but he didn't want to tell her the truth either. George put a hand on Echo's shoulder, noticing his brother's condition and shook his head. He may not understand himself, but it was obvious it was tormenting Fred to an extent so high it could be dangerous.
"Uhm…it's okay if I'm not allowed." Zoey said in a small voice, watching all eyes on her, wide and in shock. Mrs. Weasley had stopped washing the dishes and her three friends had dropped their utensils. The girl shrank in her seat. "I just thought… he would like it seeing as he has Kreacher to cook for him and we all know Kreacher isn't really fond of him…"
Echo straightened up her back before speaking, in a grave tone. It was better to say it now. "Zoey, your dad has passed on."
Fred and George's eyes widened as Mrs. Weasley remained frozen. How could she have blurted it out like it was nothing? They knew echo was not heartless, but it was a shock to see her being so blunt.
Zoey furrowed her eyebrows and her eyes hardened. She too straightened up in her seat. She placed her utensils on her plate, side to side, indicating she had finished her meal. "That's not funny, Echo." She said seriously. "My father is very much alive."
"Sirius kicked the bucket a long time ago, Zoey." Echo was shocked. "How could you forget?"
Fred took hold of Zoey's hand as he looked deep into her eyes. Sympathy, sadness, pain – all could be seen. It was as if telling her 'It's true' or 'It's not a joke' this was the best he could do. Comfort her and be there for her, like he always is.
The Emeraude shook her head and looked away from Fred, breaking eye contact. She even shook his grip away from her hand, bringing both to her chest, looking to George and Mrs. Weasley. They gave her that look too. The same one as Fred's. Zoey stood abruptly from her chair, pushing it back, almost making it tip over. She took a step away from them.
"You're lying. My mother's dead. Not my dad." She said, her voice shaking. "What's next, huh? You're going to tell me Cedric's 'kicked the bucket' a long time ago too?"
"YES! HE IS!" Echo shouted, standing up as well, her face red with anger. Why was Zoey acting this way? Doesn't she remember anything at all? She's lying to herself or stuck in denial, either way, Echo couldn't take it anymore. Sending a glare at Zoey, she took her plate and marched out of the room, kicking the door shut with a large slam.
Zoey was unfazed by Echo's glare and the slam. She was used to it. Had seen it many times though never directed at her. She brought her hands down to her sides, making a fist as she looked back to Fred and George. George slowly got up from his seat and as usual, followed Echo. He would be able to calm her down. When he left, Zoey looked to Mrs. Weasley, eyes pleading.
"This is some sick joke, right?" Zoey asked, her voice cracking. She knew she couldn't remember some things in her past but… but this was too much. "Why in the world would I forget the… de – deaths of my own father and my best friend?"
"It's not a joke, dear." Mrs. Weasley said softly, walking forward and taking hold of Zoey's shoulders. Fred fixed the chair behind Zoey and Mrs. Weasley say her down. This was going to be hard for Zoey, but it could also do her some good. "Calm down." She continued, grabbing a seat of her own and sitting beside her as Fred still tried to take hold of Zoey's hand.
"When…?" Zoey asked, finally allowing Fred to hold her, she realized she was shaking. "When did they…die?"
"Cedric died in our sixth year, Zoe." Fred answered, his voice filled with so much sadness. He felt sad for the both of them. "He was killed by Voldemort, the last message he said for you was that he was sorry he broke his promise." Fred reminded, grasping her hand tighter.
"And Sirius died only months ago, Zoey." Molly added, sympathetic and pained. "He died in the Ministry of Magic, killed by Bellatrix."
"Where was I when these happened?" Zoey asked, her brows knitting together. She tried to remember. She really did. She concentrated but all she got was a vision of fog and a headache. Why couldn't she remember?
"You were there on both deaths." Fred answered, brushing the strands of Zoey's hair aside. "You didn't see them get killed, but you were there when everyone else found out about their deaths." He was sure that his girlfriend was feeling guilty right now, hating herself for not remembering. How Fred wished he could do more.
"What…did I do when I found out?" Zoey asked, though the answer was already obvious. She just wanted to get more information. Maybe if she knew the exact time, place and her reaction, she would remember.
"You did what any normal person did, Zoey, you cried and didn't want to believe it." Fred answered. This was what he was afraid of! Why couldn't they have been given the chance to at least be happy for a day?
Zoey opened her mouth to ask where she cried, who saw her cry, what happened after, how did she calm down, how she moved on. She wanted to ask a whole bunch of questions, trying to put the pieces together but she never got the chance to. The moment she opened her mouth, her eyes widened and she sucked in a gasp before lurching forward, hands grabbing her head in pain. Images flashed before her eyes and she heard people whispering in her ears. It wasn't soft and delicate, but loud and agonizing for only her to hear. She wanted to cry out loud, but she couldn't find her voice.
"Hey," he greeted her.
"Hey," she replied before enveloping him in a hug, she had to stand on her tip toes, "Promise me you'll come back alive?"
Cedric gave a laugh and patted her back. "Of course," he said, "I wouldn't want to come back in a different state"
"That's no joking matter," Zoey said to him seriously, "There are a lot of things there that you might not expect to see and if –"
"I'll be fine, Zoey. I have my wand at the ready at all times and I studied and practiced a lot of good spells before this day. I'll say I'm well prepared and I promise you I will come back alive," Cedric smiled, though he looked slightly worried at the concept of going into the maze, "Now, would you give me one last hug and a wish of good luck before the task begins?"
"Good luck," Zoey breathed out, hugging him once more before smiling at his parents and heading back to the stairs.
Zoey remembered this. She remembered how scared she felt, how she hated the fact that the contestants had to enter the maze, not knowing what lied inside. Not knowing if they were to come back alive or in one piece. She didn't like the tournament; she didn't see the point of it. Zoey tried to remember seeing Cedric coming out of the face, bruised and scratched, possibly even bleeding, but not dead. She couldn't. The fog was no longer there but it still didn't now reveal a living and breathing Cedric. The closest image she got was of him in a white room, emitting a glowing aura. It didn't look like he was alive. Just projected.
"Zoey… Zoey… Cedric… he – he," Harry said with ragged breaths, "He wanted me to tell you that he's sorry. Sorry for breaking his promise"
This must be the message Fred was talking about. It was more painful to hear in her head when she remembered the scene. The Emeraude wanted to squeeze her eyes shut, she wanted to sleep and forget everything once more. Remembering was painful. It only brought heartache. To her, feeling all the pain and sorrow once more, it almost wasn't worth it.
"DADDY!"
She remembered screaming, running around the house, looking for her father. She had overheard Harry and Kreacher's conversation. She was panicking. Zoey remembered running into her father, and found out that he was going out to save Harry. He was joining the Aurors. She remembered pleading him to stay. Even going as far as to suggest that Harry could be left alone, that he could handle everything on his own. Sirius wouldn't hear any of it. Instead, he made a promise.
"I promise I'll be back. When I return, I'll have Harry with me safe and sound. We'll all be alright and we'll all be a happy family," he told her, a smile gracing his lips, "I promise you that."
"Promise you'll come back?" Zoey asked him.
"I give you my word."
"Promise Harry will be with you, safe and sound?"
"Better if possible."
"We'll be a happy family?" Zoey looked very much hopeful.
"We'll be jumping with glee every five seconds and dancing every two seconds if you want," Sirius chuckled, "But yes, I promise."
Zoey took a breath and closed her eyes, trying to relax her mind. She opened them and kissed her father on the cheek, giving him a small smile.
"I'll be waiting," she told him, "Good Luck."
He broke his promise. Just like Cedric. Breaking it because he kicked the bucket. Zoey thought there would be more. More images. More voices in her head but nothing came. She saw the kitchen floor and her feet once more. She saw water droplets as well. It was either her sweat or her tears, she didn't know. Taking in deep and shaky breaths, Zoey leaned back in her chair and saw Mrs. Weasley and Fred's panicked and concerned expressions along with Echo's and Georges. The latter two must have reentered when Echo finished her meal, only finding Zoey hunched over. The Emeraude was surprised that Ron and Ginny weren't there, wondering what all the commotion was about.
Seeing that it was over, Fred wrapped his arms around Zoey and pulled her close. She was sweating and crying, and Fred didn't care. He rubbed her back, trying to calm her down, whispering words of comfort. "It's alright, Zoe, everything's going to be fine."
"Why now?" Zoey rasped out, shaking, terrified at what she had just saw, heard, remembered. "Why do I only remember now? What's happening?"
"It's because you don't want to remember them to begin with, Zoey." The four teens in the room turned towards the adult with curious eyes. What was she on about? Why would Zoey deliberately want to forget such things? She wasn't a masochist! "They're memories of yours that are suppressed by your brain because they cause too much pain and grief. The traumatic experiences of life." Mrs. Weasley continued on.
"There are times in life when you experience something worse than you can ever imagine, a thing so horrible that you wish you could turn back time to prevent it from happening. It could be the death of your lover, a certain kind of abuse, a death of a friend…" Tears rolled down Mrs. Weasley's eyes as she remembered the brown-eyed beauty that looked exactly like Zoey now. It pained her dear heart to remember her death. "And sometimes it makes you breakdown and your brain decides to make you forget about them."
"But what about my aunt?" Zoey couldn't help but ask, remembering her blonde hair, blue eyes and perfectly manicured nails. "She's tortured me. Nearly pushed me off a tower, tried to drown me in a tub, splinched me. Those are traumatic right? Why are they so clear to me? I can remember everything about them!"
Mrs. Weasley wiped a tear away from her cheek. "All I can tell you is that, this is what is happening to you. About your aunt, well maybe she's not the thing causing most of the pain in your life, Zoey. It means you'd rather have the pain of an enemy than the pain caused by someone so dear, like those broken promises. Those things are what will hurt you and scar you the most."
Zoey nodded her head in understanding and decided not to ask about the rest of her memory loss. Surely the same thing affected them. Instead, she asked something else, something that made Mrs. Weasley and the rest in the room widen their eyes once more. "Did that happen to you…Mrs. Weasley?"
"Yes." The ginger haired woman answered. "It happened to me when Lucy died."
The sun's rays peeked through Ginny's bedroom window, shinning on a particular brunette who was still lying comfortably on her bed, tucked under her blankets, the right side of her face buried in a pudgy, still cold pillow. There were two more beds in the room, both without a person sleeping on them, only a blanket folded neatly at the foot and pillows pilled on the head. The brunette was the only one in the room, unbothered by the lack of roommates.
When the left side of her face began to warm up, she groaned unhappily and turned to her other side, pressing it to the pillow, sighing at the same time when the cold enveloped her once more. She could only stay in that position for so long though, before the rest of her body began to warm up. The brunette then kicked of her blankets and reached for her pants legs, pulling them up to her knees along with the sleeves of her shirt, pushing them to her elbows, doing all this with her eyes still closed shut and her brain half awake.
Zoey woke up five minutes later, her grey eyes cracking open, squinting at the suddenly illuminated room. Though the beds, cabinets and posters were blurry, she could tell that she was the only one in the room, sleeping or not. She lazily reached for the bedside table, almost knocking her glasses off but catching them in the knick of time, putting them on and pushing herself off the bed, smacking her lips tiredly. She still wanted to sleep. So much happened last night. She didn't want to remember them just yet. It was too much. She would be overwhelmed. Not something she wanted to feel so early in the morning.
She was saved from the Emeraude Estate and found out that bits and pieces of her memory were missing. From her first spell all the way down to her own father's death. She shuddered. How could she have forgotten his death? Cedric's death? The spell she used on Fred and George? Did trauma really cause her to forget or was it something else? Wasn't there a spell that could erase certain memories? Did Damiana erase them? Why would she? What kind of benefit would she get from making Zoey forget her first Christmas away from the Emeraudes? Her first holiday with warm, delicious food in her stomach?
Zoey shook her head. No. Today, she was going to enjoy her time with her friends. She was finally reunited with them and she heard from Ginny that Bridgit and Hermione were coming over. Tomorrow, Harry would follow. Zoey didn't want to dampen her mood with trying to figure out what she forgot and why. She could worry about that another time.
Looking around, she figured Ginny and Echo probably woke up hours before she did, dressed up, maybe took a quick shower first, and headed down for breakfast with the rest of the Weasleys. Closing her eyes and taking in silent breaths, she could hear the clinking of utensils and the chitter chatter of people. She could even catch a few laughs here and there. Opening them once more, she smiled softly and finally swung her legs off her bed, stood up, stretched, tidied up and did her morning routine.
Fifteen minutes had passed before Zoey found herself walking into the kitchen, hair dried by a quick spell, wearing her usual oversized shirt and leggings. The smell of bacon and eggs filled Zoey's senses and in the middle of the two redheads, plus a violet haired girl and two boys with healthy black hair, the Emeraude saw a box of cereal, toasted bread and orange juice. She made her presence known by a soft greeting.
"Good Morning." Ginny was the first to greet the Emeraude, pushing her chair back and rising from her seat, plate in hand. "The food's good, hopefully you'll be able to get some before these two," she jerked her head towards Echo and Ron, "Finish everything."
Zoey laughed softly and watched as the ginger haired girl dumped her plate into the sink before walking towards her, patting her shoulder and telling her she was heading out to visit Luna. Zoey could still remember the quirky blonde with her dazed silvery orbs and wand tucked behind her ear. Oh, how could she ever forget Luna's unique turnip earrings? The Emeraude waved and watched Ginny walk out the Burrow's door. The moment the doors swung close once more, Zoey looked back at the table, Echo and Ron still eating.
Fred, having sent his girlfriend a quick greeting after Ginny, looked at his twin and smirked as he turned his gaze back to Echo. He raised his eyebrow, as if saying 'Are you ready?' then turned to Ron before clapping his hands together. Zoey raised her eyebrows too, knowing the mischievous twinkle in her boyfriend and his twin's eyes. They're up to something. Something that she would most likely disapprove of.
"Ron, we have some tragic news to share with you!" Fred and George both piped up. Ron looked up, bacon slipping out of his mouth, to see what his brothers were talking about.
"Last night, while you were tucked snuggly in your bed with your stuffed penguin, snoozing, our pride as Weasleys has been offended!" Fred began; ignoring the glare Ron sent him when he mentioned the nonexistent pet penguin. It was an ostrich. Everyone who knew about the toy knew that. Also, Ron hasn't slept with it in ten years. Or so he likes to admit.
"And you, as the youngest Weasley male, must defend it!" George concluded, smirking as he anticipated their plan. This was something he and Fred talked about till the late hours of the night, planning and making bets.
"What are you two on about?" Ron asked, after swallowing the piece of bacon, what should he grab next? More eggs? More bacon? Some toast perhaps?
Everything just looked so good.
Should he just go ahead and get another round of everything? Surely no one would mind. His mother loved it when all the food is cleaned out. Of course, she needn't know that it was mostly he and Echo who ate. He even forgot that Zoey hasn't even eaten breakfast.
"Echo, here." Fred explained, jabbing his thumb at the violet haired girl. "Thinks that she can beat you in an eating contest."
A scoff was heard from Ron while George sniggered. It was obvious a Weasley was never beat by anyone quite yet. Zoey made a face. She already had an idea where this was going. She recalled their conversation the night before and shook her head. This was not going to end well. She was sure of it.
"You can't beat me." Ron said, placing another piece of bacon in his mouth as he looked at Echo with a wide smirk. No way this petite little Veela can beat him. She was small and skinny. She couldn't contain four servings of Ron sized proportions even if she tried.
"Confidence or Pride, which of the two do I hear?" Echo tapped her forefinger on her chin. "I think it's pride." The violet haired girl smiled.
"It's surity." Ron retorted back, grabbing for some more eggs. The twins shared a look. Was that even a real word? Either way, they already knew what they would do now. Confirm the bet they made last night. Now if only Bridgit were here, it would be tripled the fun instead of double.
"Alright, so how is this going to be done? We are given a ratio of food and whoever finishes first is the winner?" Echo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nah!" The twins both shouted, thinking that was way too boring. They needed something that would embarrass the loser… like…
"First one to puke loses!" They announced, arms raised and eyes twinkling. Now this was going to be interesting. Who was to blow chunks first? How will they do it? Will they all out lurch forward and spew their breakfast on the table? The floor? Or will they cover their mouth and try to contain it? Maybe they would push their chair back and run for the loo? The kitchen sink?
The possibilities were endless. They couldn't wait. This was just too good. Hopefully, their mum wouldn't hear their commotion and ruin the fun.
"That's disgusting." Zoey couldn't help but comment, wrinkling her nose and sinking into Ginny's chair. She sat in front of Echo, pretty sure that the girl would have the decency to walk away if she felt the need to vomit. Ron, on the other hand was another matter.
The Emeraude glanced to the food on the table? Did she have time to get another plate and grab what she can or would she be too late? Would Accio-ing the plate and food be better? She decided against it. No way she was having breakfast now.
Hearing that, Echo's smile grew wider. "I know."
"You in?" Ron asked, smirking. Even if he just finished what was on his plate, he sure as hell had room for more. After all, he is a Weasley. If he claims he was full now… that would be a disgrace. "Or are you chicken?"
"It's more likely that she'll eat the chicken." George whispered, making Fred smirk. He was so confident in his brother that he bet on him, while George bet on Echo. Whether he was being biased or not in picking his girlfriend over his younger brother, Fred still commented on him being against the Weasley male Pride. George only rolled his eyes at that comment and shoved his twin.
Ron rolled his eyes as he began to stack food onto his plate; it looked somewhat like a mountain at height already. Echo did the same and as the twins raised their hands, the two shared a look.
"You're going down, Echo."
"Au contraire, I see that your brain dropped." Echo smirked. "Oh wait, you don't have one."
"Are you guys seriously going to do this?" Zoey asked, concerned about the puking part. She inched away from the table, not wanting to be in line of any vomit yet she didn't take this as her cue to live. Not wanting to admit it, she was curious as to who the winner would be. That; however, did not stop her from voicing out her opinion. "You both are really going to eat until you're sick?"
"Oh, I don't know, Zoey." Echo grinned.
Zoey sighed. They weren't going to listen to her anyway if she chose to object. They all had their mind set on this competition. If Mrs. Weasley walks back into her kitchen only to see her breakfast hurled onto the floor, it wouldn't be Zoey's fault. Heck, she would most likely hightail out of there the moment someone lurched over, clutching his or her stomach.
"Yes." Ron answered as the twins, a napkin in each hand, dropped their hands as they shouted:
"Begin!"
"Here comes Ron, placing spoonful after spoonful into his mouth without stopping at all! Look at this folks, an obvious winner over here." Fred announced, commentating the match like his good friend Lee Jordan would during a Quidditch game.
"Oh not just yet!" George exclaimed. "This fine lady is putting up a battle as she –" she turned to face her. "– Is nibbling on a piece of bacon? What the heck do you think you are doing, woman? Losing?" This caused Fred to release a hearty laugh.
Echo ignored George's comment. She straightened her posture, cut her food into bite-sized pieces. She popped them in her mouth, chewed twice, and swallowed. It was a quick process, but Echo was taking her time. She seemed calm as she ate her food while Ron was stuffing his face with two pieces of toast at a time! The boy indeed did have a black hole for a stomach.
"Ron is owning the challenge as he now places tree pieces of bacon and one piece of toast in his mouth, I say wizards and witches, this is indeed a fight with an obvious champion. Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley, defending his title as the greatest pig that has ever lived!" This earned Fred a piece of bacon to his face.
Ron was not pleased at all with what his brother was saying. First the mention of his toy ostrich now he was a big? Where was the brotherly support? The love? Well, what else would he expect from someone who turned his teddy bear into a spider? One has got to learn how to read the Weasleys' way of showing affection. Even if that certain one was a Weasley himself.
"Beautiful morning, isn't it, boys?" Echo smiled.
George really didn't know what to say. She was cutting eggs with her knife and fork while Ron put everything in his mouth all at once. Was this even a contest?
"Folks." Fred announced. "Ron is almost done with his mountain and someone is still to vomit!"
Fred wasn't paying attention to his brother, but George sure was.
"Not so fast, Fred." George called out. "It looks like your player's turning green."
The older of the Weasley twins turned in a hurry to see Ron turning a pale, almost green, color. He was sweating like hell and his eating was beginning to slow down. This is never a good sign.
"Come on, Ron!" Fred shouted, encouraging his brother. He wanted to win the bet.
Echo talked, small pieces of food still in her mouth. "Is that defeat I'm starting to see?"
Ron was beginning to feel uncomfortable as his stomach hurt immensely. He was eating slowly and finding it hard to swallow down whatever was in his mouth. He was beginning to get blurry vision and his gag reflex was taking over. He knew he was about to give soon, but he wouldn't give Echo the satisfaction of winning. It was hard not to give in though.
"Ron, Ron, Ron is almost done with his plate, yet Ms. Echo over there hasn't even left a dent!" Fred exclaimed, Ron now getting a glass of orange juice to try to push the food down. It didn't work. Instead, it made it worse than what he was initially trying to do.
Echo started to pick up the pace. She dropped her utensils and started chowing down her food. It was like jogging before running.
"Oh look here!" George exclaimed, not at all bothered by how Echo decided to finish her meal. In fact, he was ecstatic to see that she was hurrying it up. "Echo has picked up speed and is now up to four pieces of bacon per mouthful! Ron seems like he's going to spew out chunks already while she's just getting started. The win may not be as obvious as my twin thought!"
Fred glared at Ron.
The youngest in the room could not comprehend, the pain in his stomach was unbearable and it was hard to keep it all in. He felt like he would explode while Echo was still eating beside him. He wasn't going to last any longer.
"OH! OH! OH!" George continued on his commentary. "Ron has dropped his food and leaned back on the chair! Is this defeat of the sixteen year old?"
Before anyone could find out, the front door slammed open, revealing two brunettes on the other side.
"Hey guys, what's going on?" Bridgit asked, Hermione behind her as they both looked at the happenings within the kitchen.
The five people in the room were shocked at the sight of them. Hermione's hair grew slightly, and her height was changing too! Her simple attire of jeans and a simple enough shirt made Fred and George realize she wasn't that buck toothed, bushy haired girl anymore. Bridgit, on the other hand, with her raised eyebrow and ponytailed brown hair, still had that same questioning look in her eyes as she always did. The white Bermuda shorts and Ireland Quidditch shirt she was wearing was her typical clothing and she didn't change at all.
Just then… the bomb blew.
"Eww!" Echo shouted as she got up from the table to stand on a chair.
Ron puked on the floor making George set a loud exclamation of victory.
"I missed all the fun again?" Bridgit shouted, running further into the kitchen as she watched Ron throw up. That was really cool; she wished she had her camera out right now. That would have been a perfect example for her first Charms Lesson.
Hermione's nose twitched at the smell of the vomit, she felt like she was going to throw up as well. She took a step forward, standing beside Bridgit, and stopped puke from erupting the moment she Ron.
"Do…you…ugh…need any…erm…help?" Hermione asked, her eyes watery. She was concerned about her friend but she didn't want to get any closer. The smell was foul and sickening. She was surprised that besides Echo, no one else in the room acted from repulse. Even Zoey seemed a calm. Actually, she seemed relieved. The four probably did something stupid that made Ron vomit.
"I'm not helping that poor soul." Echo commented, earning a glare from Hermione. "What? Who wants to touch vomit?"
"I guess I have to do something about this, huh?" Zoey sighed, stood up from her chair, it was a good idea to inch away when she had the chance and contrary to what she initially thought she would do when someone began to spew out chunks, she brought out her wand and casted a quick spell that made Ron keep all of his breakfast in his stomach. He still looked a little green, but at least he wasn't throwing up.
The next thing the Emeraude did was to make all the puke disappear, cleaning the floor and the table along with the plates. She even casted quick spell that made the kitchen smell pleasant once more. Walking around the table, she bent down to Ron's height, he was clutching his stomach and slouching, and she placed a hand on his forehead before slowly asking him to open his mouth. She held in her breath after asking him to close it once more and helped Ron to his feet. The latter swaying slightly and placed most of his weight on the girl, not having much of a choice since his legs decided to betray him.
"Told you this eating contest was a bad idea." Zoey then said, walking out of the kitchen to help Ron onto the couch. She waved her wand and fluffed up the pillows, placing them on one end of the couch before helping Ron lay down. She then summoned a blanket and tucked him in. Just because she felt like it, she even Accio-ed his toy ostrich. The boy took it without complaint and covered it with his blanket. Giving him another quick check up, the healer concluded that he did not need her to make a potion to settle his stomach. All that was needed was for him to rest.
Zoey reentered the kitchen once Ron relaxed and pocketed her wand. "I don't think he'll be eating again anytime soon." She said.
"Why'd you clean it up already, Zee?" Bridgit asked, pouting. "I wanted a sample of it, something I could use for my first Charms Class." She added. This statement earned her weird looks from the twins.
"Are honestly sure that you are female?" Fred asked, earning a hard glare from Bridgit.
Hermione was glad to be able to breath without filling her senses with Ron's puke. She was thankful for Zoey's cleanup spell and she wondered if she should check up on Ron, seeing as he was cleaned up already. She then looked back at the Emeraude and smiled silently; happy to see she was back. Bridgit seemed to have not realized her friend was alive and well and she decided to not comment. Hermione figured she would hug Zoey later.
"Well, don't forget that it was your boyfriend who wanted it, I just found out the loophole and technique." Echo said, putting her hands up in defense.
"What loophole?" Hermione asked. "What happened anyway?"
"Eating contest." Echo smiled.
"Why do I keep missing these things?" Bridgit asked no one in particular as the twins wrapped and arm around her shoulders.
"Because you have horrible timing." They answered, earning a glare from the Ravenclaw brunette.
"You only miss these things." Zoey commented, looking over to the spot where Ron had just vomited. She hoped Mrs. Weasley wouldn't see anything even if her spell wiped all traces of barf. "I have to clean up the aftermath."
"Wanna switch places?" Bridgit asked, actually meaning what she had said. "I'd rather see the thing than miss it… this is the whole 'Natalie Echo Weasley' thing all over again!"
Everyone let out a slight laugh at the absurd name.
"Hey! I remember Natalie Echo Weasley!" Zoey suddenly exclaimed, her grey eyes lighting up at the name. She remembered everyone giving out name combinations for Fred's and her nonexistent child. The Emeraude remembered being on a long, mahogany table, trying to figure out why everyone thought she was pregnant.
"Oh! I also remember something else!" She grinned, pulling out her wand and pointing it at the twins. After her memory of the 'Natalie Echo Weasley incident' she had a quick vision of running around Hogwarts with a heavy book in her arms, heart pounding rapidly in her chest. They were all so young yet Fred and George still towered over her.
They looked at her curiously and watched as she made a figure of eight movement with her wand, muttered something under her breath and made orange swirls come out from the tip, hitting the twins. Fred and George felt a familiar warm feeling explode in them and from Zoey's smile and soft 'It worked' they knew they got their old hair color back.
"Damn it." Echo remarked. "George looked twice as hot when he had black hair."
"You said that last time too." Zoey laughed, pocketing her wand once more. A young Echo's voice echoed in her head and the Emeraude shook hers. "Or was it that I always ruin your fun?"
"It was the second one." Echo laughed.
"Black hair?" Bridgit asked, looking back at the two and realized indeed that they had black hair when she entered. It was gone now, of course.
"Oh right, I sent you the potion for when you saved –" Bridgit turned around again and looked at Zoey before tackling her. The Emeraude had to take a step back so that she wouldn't fall. She let out a small gasp from the intensity of the Parker's grip. "You're alive! Oh my Merlin you're alive!"
"You actually made it!" Bridgit exclaimed in disbelief as she searched her friend, holding her at an arm's length. She seemed fine, not much wounds, a few scratches, probably a bit pale too. There was some strange grey substance on some parts of her skin like her knees and fists but she was sure that they would fade in time. After all, Zoey still acted normal with them. Maybe it was just a trick of light or her eyes.
"They actually saved you! Not that I doubted they would…" Bridgit added.
"Nice to see you trust us, Bridgit." Fred spoke up, looking at the closest reflection. He missed his hair.
"Yup, they saved me." Zoey said sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. She then knitted her brows together and pursed her lips. Maybe Bridgit could help her regain some of her memory. After all, the girl never forgot details and events, whether they were important or not.
"Hey, Bridgit, by any chance, you have any clue of what was the first spell I got right on the first try?" It never occurred to Zoey that the first spell she got right was back in her first year and she did not know the Ravenclaw until her second.
"Why would I know that, shouldn't you?" Bridgit was confused. She didn't like being confused.
"Zoey forgot a couple of things." Fred spoke, sighing. He had forgotten about that a few minutes before. Everything was going fine. Zoey was with them, they had a lively eating contest, Ron puked, and Bridgit and Hermione came over. Why did everything have to go down hill again?
"What do you mean by forgot a couple of things?" Bridgit asked, looking at Fred now.
"He means that I actually forgot important and minor things that have happened. Like… uhm…about Cedric and my dad…. you know…." Zoey said with a sad smile, answering for Fred. She figured she could not avoid remembering the events of last night. The wounds in her heart had reopened and they stung like the Cruciatus curse. "And only now, I remembered the spell I casted on them back in second year when their hair was black."
"You didn't forget me, did you?" Bridgit panicked. "You still know me right? What I am? I wouldn't want you hating me!" The Death Eater secret was one she entrusted to Zoey; she truly didn't hope her best friend forgot it.
"Well, I know you're Bridgit Cari Parker. A Ravenclaw. We met back in second year when I helped you out of a sticky situation…you pranked the twins and they pranked back." Zoey looked up, trying to remember more about Bridgit. She remembered the Gryffindor common room being covered in Slytherin colors and she could still see Bridgit in the Ravenclaw tryouts, guarding the three hoops from the Quaffle being thrown at her.
"You have a dog named Shinji that hates Fred." The Emeraude added, remembering the package Shinji came in.
As if on cue, the teacup poodle jumped out and Bridgit caught it just in time, supporting him with her hands. Shinji looked at Zoey and wondered if she remembered him. He was a smart dog; he understood what Bridgit and the rest were talking about.
"Well, I what about me being… a… you know…" Bridgit nudged, trying to see if her friend could remember it.
"Is there something else I'm missing?" Zoey blinked taking hold of Shinji and laughed softly when the dog licked her cheek as a greeting. "Being…a…?"
"Oh Holy Merlin's polka dotted pants!" Bridgit ran towards Fred and gripped his arm while tugging strongly. "She doesn't remember! I'm gonna kill you Fred!" She shouted, George and Echo laughing as the brunette tried to pry Fred's arm off. Hermione had decided to join Ron in the living room.
Through Bridgit's panic, she didn't see Zoey's full on grin on her face appearing. It was mischievous. She had learned well during her years with the twins, Bridgit and Echo. The girl held Shinji securely in her hands and saw that the dog was tilting its head, watching his owner shake the life out of Fred. It was funny. He could see why George and Echo were laughing.
"Bridgit." Zoey decided to save Fred. His eyes practically rolled back into his head. "I know what you are. I was just playing with you."
The Ravenclaw brunette released her hold on Fred, who fell to the ground with whispers of 'Why is the world spinning?', and walked up to Zoey.
"Then tell me what I am! And don't you dare say a Frog Princess cause we already agreed that, that title belonged to you." Shinji barked and turned in Zoey's hands to look at her as well.
"A Death Eater." Zoey said, handing Shinji back to Bridgit. "And no, I don't hate you. You're on our side. Now, here's something else I remember. Fred and George dropped out of Hogwarts to start their own joke shop, right?" She looked over to Fred and gave him a sweet smile. The boy's head lolled from side to side and his twin helped him back to his feet. "Can we see it?"
"Sure." Fred said, rather slurred, leaning onto George, trying to find his feet. Why was the kitchen floor moving? Did they always have two tables in the kitchen? Did Zoey have a twin too? "Soon as the world stops spinning."
OKAY
OKAY
OKAY
I GIVE YOU ALL THE RIGHT TO KILL ME RIGHT NOW!
I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN LIKE FOUR MONTHS (Probably more) AND I GIVE YOU THIS CHAPTER THAT'S SHORTER THAN THE PREVIOUS AND PROBABLY HAS LOADS OF TYPOS AND GRAMMAR ERRORS (It's the middle of the night right now and I just couldn't hold it anymore so I HAD to update [And being the horrible person that I am, that means not beta-ing it])
Let me clear some things up first.
(You can start digging a six feet deep hole in the ground while I'm explaining)
This chapter was originally VERY VERY INCREDIBLY LONG
As in, it was LONGER than the previous one.
YES.
LONGER THAN THE MONSTER CHAPTER.
But, I realized that this was not going to work so I decided to chop it up.
This is the first chopped off slice of the ALMOST MONSTER-MONSTER CHAPTER.
So yeah.
In the next chapter (Which would hopefully come out in less than four months this time) we will see Zoey in the gang's reaction upon entering…. You guessed it!
THE WEASLEYS' WIZARDING WHEEZES!
I actually have that part typed out already and MORE
YES
MORE
But… they are not coming out soon.
The chopped up chapters.
I WANT them to…. But….
LET'S JUST SAY THAT THEY'RE COMING OUT BEFORE WE REACH TWO MONTHS…
You all hate me right now.
GO AHEAD
Throw angry torches, jinxes and hexes at me all you want!
I shall accept them.
…I'm getting dizzy…
ANYWAY
I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
It has been a LONG LONG LONG LONG LONG WAIT
Please do tell me what you thought. I shall be receiving your reviews inside my grave
Excuse my typos and the like.
I know, I'm a horrible person. Keeping you guys waiting and giving you something that probably has a whole lot of typos.
Don't forget to review and the like
…I already said that…
It's been so long, I forgot my routine…
Stay tuned for the next chapter
Cause there will be one
THERE. WILL. BE. A. NEXT. CHAPTER.
And
I only own what I own
(BTW… Suckish title… I know… I've lost my thunder… I WANT MY THUNDER BACK!)
ALSO, SPECIAL THANKS TO:
DRESDENDOLL15 AND HAYLEYPARADOX
FOR BEING AMAZINGLY AWESOME AS USUAL :D
