As the week passed, my mood dampened. Rumors about that crazy night had spread like wildfire, then there was the fact that Buckbeak had escaped, which made Malfoy furious. Most everything he said the entire week was something along the lines of him whining, accompanied by entirely too many "My father will hear about this!" or "My father-" blah blah blah. Just thinking about that spoiled boy had me rolling my eyes. Percy's stuffy attitude wasn't helping either as he complained that the Minister wasn't at fault regarding the lack of proper actions being taken when Sirius was first arrested. He swore that the Magical Law Enforcement members should be the ones held accountable. He did, however, learn to keep quiet about it whenever I was around, since I kindly informed him that the MLE was going to be held accountable, and so was the dreadful excuse of a Minister.

Harry's mood was the opposite of my own. Gryffindor's golden boy was absolutely on cloud nine. Sirius was clear of all charges, and he had been owling Harry nearly every day about how things were going as a free man. He also sent a letter to me one day, telling me that he had bought a house large enough for the three of us, that way he wouldn't have to step foot in his family's old home. I am truly happy for the two, though, and I believe they deserve nothing but happiness, just as I do with Remus.

Speaking of Remus, he had left Hogwarts soon after dinner the night after I was released from the hospital wing. He did meet with me to say goodbye, though the both of us really didn't know what to say. The broken, and standoffish attitude he held now only caused tears to well up in my eyes as we briefly hugged. When he pulled away, he offered me a small, sad grin, telling me he was proud of how I had grown, of course, that lead to the tears finally spilling as I tackled him into another embrace.

Anyway, our last day at Hogwarts should be filled with chatter, and laughter as we ready ourselves for the few months back at our homes. The other students wandered all around the grounds doing just that, while I was currently occupying the couch at the fireside in the common room. Harper found me there curled up, hugging my legs as my chin rested on my knees, staring into the empty fireplace at the ashes.

"Could you be any more angsty right now?" She chuckled at me, before joining me on the couch as I rolled my eyes. "Need me to get the wonder twins in here to razzle-dazzle you into a better mood? 'Cause I have absolutely no problem doin' that for ya!"

"No!" I launched myself over at her as she went to stand from the couch, which caused the two of us to tumble to the floor in a heap of laughter. She had quickly noticed that I was avoiding the twins when I could, and she had definitely noticed how my cheeks would burn red whenever I did have to be around the two. Thankfully, she would only tease me about it in a lighthearted way that would leave me laughing and a little embarrassed.

As we calmed down, Harper helped me sit up, both of us staying on the floor with our backs leaned against the couch. "Thought that'd work out well, but I didn't think I'd end up on the floor." She grinned over at me.

I rolled my eyes at her again, though this time I chuckled at my best friend. "Thank you for dealing with me the past week. I know I've been a bit-"

"Out of sorts?" She added when my words trailed off.

I chuckled again, nodding. "Exactly. Hopefully some time away from everything," I gestured vaguely around the room, "might do me some good. I mean, I'm going to be spending the whole summer with one of my best friends! I should be happy, right?"

She eyed me for a moment, then shook her head. "You're allowed to be upset, Delly, just try not to get lost in it. Anyway, you're still loved, he just has a dumb way of showing it."

A heavy sigh escaped me as I looked back at the ashes. "I know." I paused for a moment, trying not to delve back into those darker thoughts, before continuing. "I've decided to write to him through the summer, so he doesn't worry himself by thinking I'm going mad or something."

"Sounds like a good plan." Harper smiled at me, then stood up. "But you should prolly get up and get goin'. It's almost time to head to the train."

I stretched my legs out, then proceeded to stand up as well. I had spent enough time moping, this summer was going to be spent just being a teen. No worries about creature blood, future jobs, or testing next year. I was going to enjoy myself if it would be the last thing I do.

Seeing the determined look on my face, Harper grinned and nodded at me. "Attagirl."

The two of us were joined by an excited Ginny as we neared the train, and after quickly finding an empty compartment, we busied ourselves with chatter over a vast variety of things. It started as a general catch-up with each other chat since with the testing Harper and I had gone through we hadn't had as much time together as we started the year with. Ginny had informed me of a few different little crushes she had gained, and I joked with her about her current distaste aimed at poor Keegan. I couldn't help but notice the two butting heads more often lately, which had fueled my light teasing. She had tried to turn the relationship-based attention onto Harper but said girl would just grin, glancing out the window, then change the subject. Her reaction struck me as odd, especially considering how open she was about everything else. Finally, about halfway into the train ride, we were joined by the twins and Lee, which just made me become the worst aka most embarrassing version of myself. My face burnt almost as red as my Gryffindor tie, if I wasn't babbling - then I was silent, and I fidgeted with the bottom hem of my shirt so much that I had accidentally pulled the stitching loose. The part that made it so extremely awkward for me, was that Fred was able to go about talking with everyone and being around me like nothing even happened. Either he wanted to forget about it, or he's vastly more talented at dealing than I am. Either way, it kind of hurt.

There was a sudden knock on the compartment door before it was slid open a bit by a kind old woman. "Anything from the trolley, dears?" She motioned to the cart full of treats in front of her, and I practically launched myself forward into the corridor.

"You're a lifesaver," I said quietly, to which she just chuckled and shook her head. "I'd like..." I paused for a moment taking in what she had. "A Cauldron Cake, a Pumpkin Pastie, and pumpkin juice, please."

"Right," The trolley lady smiled then started gathering the treats up, sliding them into a quaint little bag.

As I went to hand her the coins to pay, I suddenly felt a warm body lean slightly over my shoulder, their weight resting on me gently. "Make that three pumpkin pasties and four cauldron cakes." Looking up and to the side, I saw George grin slyly at me as he handed over the extra coins needed. "The others sent me with their list since you ran yourself out here."

My cheeks flared deep red almost immediately. "I...I guess I just..." My words trailed off as I floundered for some kind of excuse.

George's brow lifted in curiosity, while his sly grin turned to an infuriatingly smug smirk. "Are you blushing, Dels?"

I have no clue if my face actually got redder, but it sure felt warmer. I scoffed, rolling my eyes as I grabbed my sweets and drink, then went to move past him and into the compartment, only for him to lean lazily on the door that I could only guess he had closed behind him, the privacy curtain conveniently closed.

Again, I rolled my eyes at him. "Honestly, George, can you move so I can go sit back down?"

He chuckled, "I'll only move if you say please."

Biting the inside of my cheek for a second, I sighed. "Please?"

"Delly, Delly," He clicked his tongue before smiling so smugly that it surely had to hurt. "Politely?"

My mouth dropped open for half a second, then snapped back shut. He wants to play games, 'ey? I took a deep breath, steadying myself, then pulled the move I haven't used on anyone other than Remus: turning the puppy dog eyes on full blast. "Please, George?"

What I didn't plan for was the effect it would have on said redhead. His foot slid from its spot where it rested against the compartment door, causing him to stumble a bit to the side to catch himself. A small giggle escaped me as I slid the door open, and bolted through the door. I could feel that my face was on fire as I flopped into my seat between Harper and Ginny. At my best friend's questioning look, I feigned innocence and pulled my Cauldron Cake out of the bag. A second later, George re-entered the compartment, handing out the others' snacks as he seated himself beside the window. Harper quickly took notice of his slightly red cheeks and ears, and shot me a look that blatantly said this was going to be talked about later, whether I liked it or not.

Steam billowed from under the engine as it slowly rolled into the platform, stopping shortly after. Once it was fully stopped, students practically poured out of the coaches, excited to be reunited with their families for the summer months.

"Now, I know you're gunna be stayin' with the Weasley's and all," Harper stated as she started dragging me across the platform. "But I'm gunna get ya to meet my parents before ya leave for the whole summer."

I could only laugh and shake my head at her while I followed along. Ahead of Harper, I noticed the two that were very obviously her parents. They were dressed nicely, but somehow they also looked very casual. They shared Harper's general happiness with everything, it seemed, as they waved excitedly with huge smiles adorning their faces. The similarities in their appearances were astounding! She had gained her father's eyes, small nose, and wide smile, while she gained her mother's hair, cheekbones, chin, and body shape. Harper was basically the perfect 50/50 blend of her parents.

Once we reached the two, Harper basically flung me in front of herself, as if I was a fancy thing she brought for show and tell. "Mom, Dad, this is Deliah, and you're gonna love 'er!"

My face heated up in embarrassment, but I smiled awkwardly. "Erm...Hi, it's very nice to meet you two. Harper has told me a lot about you."

Her dad laughed, and of course asked "She's only told ya the good things, right?" While her mother rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head.

"You're REALLY gunna bring out those awful lines, Jared?" Harper's mother sighed as she smiled at him.

I grinned as well, while Harper groaned, letting her head flop forward into my upper back. "Of course, only good things. Also, I could live off of those truffles you sent for Christmas, Mrs. Kompten."

"Sweetheart, just call me Thea, and you're more than welcome." Her warm smile eased away my nerves, and I easily understood where Harper must get her mother hen heart. Speaking of hearts, seconds after I felt my nerves dissipate, another person joined our little meeting causing my heart to hammer away in my chest.

"Delly! Finally managed to find you. Mum sent Fred, Ginny, and me out to search. Everyone is about to take a portkey to the Burrow, wouldn't want you to miss it." George grinned slyly at his last comment, sending butterflies fluttering through my stomach.

Before I could reply, Mrs. Kompten -er...Thea - gasped quietly. "Oh! Is this your boyfriend, Deliah?"

An awkward laugh sputtered forth from my traitorous best friend, which she quickly converted into a 'terrible' cough. I, on the other hand, was quickly turning red with embarrassment and was rendered speechless for a terrifying moment while my mouth could only open and close over and over. My eyes shot over to George only to see him already looking at me with a smirk, and a lifted brow, though his cheeks and the tips of his ears were lightly tinged pink. As if the fates had decided they were finished having their fun with me, I was finally saved from the ordeal by Harper reinstating her status as my best friend.

"Well then," she started loudly, with a massive smile on her face. "I think it's time we headed for the hills! Come parentals, I am just 'bout dyin' for something deep-fried or wrapped in bacon. Onward to the best place ever! Bye Delly! I'll send ya letters when I can." Pushing her confused mom along while being followed by her chuckling father, my quirky friend left through the barrier.

I cleared my throat, the awkward feeling was still thick in the air which made me extremely nervous and uncomfortable. "We should find your mum, right? Don't - don't want to miss the - urm - the portkey." My words were a mumbled mess, and my nerves felt like they were on fire.

George chuckled, however, and just motioned for me to follow him. As we walked through the crowded platform, I couldn't help but think about that lovely encounter. Mrs. Kompton meant no harm, of course, but I honestly felt like I needed to be invisible now.

"Deliah!" I looked up to see Ginny rushing over from her family as we drew near. "I'm so excited to get home. You'll absolutely love it."

I could only muster a small, sheepish grin, but it seemed to be enough to appease her.

"Everyone's here now, yes?" Mrs. Weasley asked as her eyes scanned over our large group. When she heard the chorus of 'yes's, she nodded happily, before pulling a random horseshoe out of her bag, and holding it out towards the middle of the group.

Eyeing the thing, I slowly touched just enough of the cool, rusted metal for it to count, and leave room for others. Once everyone was in contact with the odd object, we had a mere three seconds to prepare for travel. Portkey travel is always a bit of a strain, as it starts with a tug at your naval, a ridiculous flash moment of spinning through the air, then next thing you know you're collapsing to the ground in a heap, aching everywhere. I, horrifyingly enough, managed to land on top of George, which set off a frustrating chain reaction. George seemed rather entertained by my landing, though his face was tinged red while his ears were almost blending in with his hair. I attempted to sputter out an apology, only for Fred to suddenly appear, glaring as he heaved his twin up from the ground, which caused me to roll to the dirt, landing on my side.

"Oi! What was that for, Fred?" My eyebrows were pulled together as I looked up at him confused.

To make matters even better, he didn't respond, and the two of them stalked off with a good distance between each other like I wasn't even there.

I scoffed, flopping onto my back, and staring up at the sky. Ginny entered my view a moment later, holding a hand out for me to take. Gratefully accepting her hand, I stood up and quickly dusted myself off.

"I don't know what we're going to do with those two." Ginny sighed, shaking her head. "On a more positive note," She smiled brightly before turning and holding out her arms, "Presenting, The Burrow!"

Over her shoulders lay their...quirky home. The house looked like it had once been a small single level home, but as children were added to the family, more rooms and floors were added to the house. The added rooms honestly looked to be staying up from use of someone's magic - which is extremely likely -, but it added to the charm. To the left of the house was a garage, a spotty line of trees, and then a large cornfield, while to the right a good way away there was a small pond. My eyes slowly roamed over the place, taking in every detail.

Ginny, however, didn't read my silence as a positive thing. Her beaming smile slowly turned unsure, and embarrassed. "It's... well, it's no mansion, but..."

"Oh! No, Ginny," Not taking my eyes off my new temporary home, I gently shook my head. "It's absolutely perfect! I love it, I really do."

At my comment, her smile returned. "Let's get inside, and get you unpacked!"

I followed her the short way to the house, then through the door only to fall in love with the home even more. The furniture was mixed and matched in the living room, and a couple of slightly messy end tables sat on either side of the couch. There were some odd pieces of furniture - one looked similar to a roll-top desk, but seemed to have been turned into a sewing machine of sorts - stood against the walls beside the door and along the right side of the room, and across from the couch and armchairs was a smooth stone fireplace with a wide bookshelf lining the wall beside it. To the left of the room was a large, open archway that lead to the kitchen, and what looked to be a hallway between there and the fireplace. Ginny lead me towards the hallway - though I peeked in the archway, giving Mrs. Weasley a smile as we passed - and headed straight for the stairway to the rest of the house.

"It can get tricky up here at first," she explained as we climbed up, shaking her head slightly. "First there's mom and dad's room, second has Bill and Charlie's old rooms as well as the bathroom, third is Percy, and Fred and George, fourth has me, or us for this whole summer!" Ginny excitedly stated as we climbed the stairs. "And then Ron is on...well, the fourth-and-a-half floor."

My head tilted to the side some as I looked over at her in utter confusion. "Fourth-and-a-half?"

"You'll see in a second." She laughed, rounding onto the last flight of stairs.

I really didn't expect what I saw. There was Ron's room to our left but up a small set of stairs.

"See, he was in my room before I was born, but he got moved over to the main section of the house, while I got moved into the add-on. Mom always said it was a way to give me some privacy." A sudden, quiet, groaning noise brought me from my confusion, realizing a moment later that it was Ginny's door being opened. I decided to nod in a halfway attempt to not seem so overwhelmed. My nerves, struggling to remember things, the whole Remus mess, and then the other mess that is the twins... it was all just a lot to deal with.

Said ginger showed me around her room - though there wasn't much other than a bed, a dresser, a small closet, and a spattering of Weird Sisters and Hollyhead Harpies posters. She seemed to notice my slight anxiousness, despite my 'expert' emotionless mask, though. "It'll be fine, you know. You'll get used to things here, and the summer will pass by in a blink. Next thing we know we'll be back at Hogwarts."

I managed a half-hearted smile for a moment before it changed back into me chewing on my lip. "It's not that I don't want to be here, Ginny, I swear, I just have a lot on my mind." At her curious expression, I shook my head and sighed tiredly before motioning to the bed. Making sure the door was closed, I quickly mumbled a silencing charm followed by a locking charm that Remus had taught me.

If Ginny wasn't curious before, she definitely was now.

"Before I tell you this, I feel like I should make it perfectly clear how serious this is to me. No one knows about this except the professors and Harper - only because she figured it out herself." After gaining her full attention and an encouraging nod, I took a deep, steadying breath, and went for it. "I have magical creature blood. To be slightly more straightforward, I'm a hybrid...of some sort. As you know, I lost my parents. Remus told me that they had likely been attacked by Voldemort because of their abilities, and their refusal to help him. The only things I have from them are each of their wedding bands and my mother's engagement ring. I have always been curious about my heritage, but..." I paused, carefully wording the next information. "After recent experiences, I have better ideas than I previously had."

The silence in the room was so thick that you could almost run a hand through it, and of course, that made my overthinking mind go crazy.

Finally Ginny lifted her hand, drawing it through her hair as she sighed heavily. "Wow...that's...I mean...do you two need help researching? I'm not as mad for books as someone like Hermione, but three is better than two!"

For a moment all I could do was blink at her dumbly, finally, it clicked. An incredulous chuckle forced its way forth, my hands both raising to rest easily in my hair. "I know I'm ridiculous, but for some reason, I felt like that was going to go terribly."

She grinned at me from where she sat. "Definitely not terrible. It'll take more than a little strange blood to bother me, along with the rest of the family."

I gasped, scrambling across the small room to her. "No! Not happening! I can partially accept that you say they will accept what I am, but facing them is completely different."

Ginny's face returned to that of confusion.

"Can you please just...can this remain a secret, please? Yes, it'll come out eventually, but...I just..." My rambling was stopped by a hand on my own.

"I won't say anything," The redhead promised, smiling at me. "but eventually you should tell the others."

The rest of the day was spent with Ginny. At some point in the afternoon, she had pulled me outside, Mrs. Weasley telling us to be back in time for dinner. Ginny lead me out through the treeline, and into an empty-looking field, that is until she showed me an older broom shed that was off to the side by the trees. The excitement on her face made it difficult to say no, thus I was again pulled around. She handed me an old, worn broom with a giant grin on her face, and we were off. Ginny truly loved Quidditch, reveling in her knowledge as she showed me different maneuvers, and would get a bit worked up when I did some incorrectly. Slowly but surely, I was beginning to keep up with her movements, which only fueled her competitiveness. By the time the sun was setting, we had pulled out a battered quaffle from the shed and played enough games of 'who can hold the quaffle the longest' that we actually had no clue who had won, not that we cared. We walked back to the house at a much slower pace than we had going to the clearing, mainly because I was aching in places that I had forgotten could ache, much to Ginny's entertainment. We were in the middle of a fit of laughter when we clambered through the door, and back into the house, causing Mrs. Weasley to look over with a smile of her own.

"Perfect timing, girls, dinner is almost done." She suddenly made a face, bringing a small hand towel up to cover her nose. "You two get washed up, you smell like you played with garden gnomes instead of a quaffle!"

I laughed loudly, my face turning red while Ginny simply blanched at her mother. "Gee, thanks mom, I appreciate that comment."

Ginny allowed me to get a shower first, stating that I needed it more than she did with the workout she put me through. I didn't disagree and welcomed the warm spray gently pelting my back. Today was fantastic, though very different from what I normally would have done as soon as I got home from somewhere. Normally, Remus and I would talk about the day, then move to reading through books. The two of us lived a quiet, sheltered life, despite the once-a-month chaos. Thinking about my past habits sent me into a downward spiral. I missed Remus terribly, and it had only been a day without him. Bloody hell, I'm nearly an adult, and I'm sitting here whining in my head while in the shower. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I shut the water off, and got out, drying then dressing in an oversized grey shirt and flannel pants. After spelling my hair dry and twisting it into a messy bun, I traded places with Ginny, rolling my eyes yet grinning at her comment: "Well aren't you the picture of beauty."

Mrs. Weasley greeted me with another smile. "Ah, Deliah, can I get you to do me a favor and grab the plates? One at each spot, please dear."

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley," I said as I joined her in the kitchen.

Mr. Weasley joined us tiredly, ducking as his wife had the silverware float over to the placemats. As the aroma of dinner filled the room, the other members of the Weasley's did as well. I laid the last plate down at Mr. Weasley's spot, smiling back at him as he thanked me.

Suddenly, the food was floating over to the table as Mrs. Weasley seated herself at her husband's left. "Alright everyone tuck in."

I stood for a moment, watching the family gather their food, and a wave of sadness started creeping up on me. I shook my head, trying to bring myself away from those thoughts before seating myself beside Ginny. Throughout dinner, there were at least three different conversations going at once, and while I weakly attempted to be a part of it, I still could feel that dark emotion crawling along my skin, now more like a cloak that clung to me heavily. I had hardly touched my food, but suddenly I felt nauseous. "I-I think I'll excuse myself," I mumbled to no one in particular, then basically hid away in the living room. The fire had died down, bathing the room in a dim glow that thankfully seemed to help with the headache that had started to develop. I slowly lowered myself onto the couch, turning to put my sock-covered feet onto the cushion I was seated on before hugging my legs close, my forehead lowering to rest on my knees.

The noise from the kitchen remained the same for a few moments before shuffling could be heard coming towards the couch. After the cushion beside mine dipped down slowly, a gentle yet lightly calloused hand rested upon my own. "Everything alright, dear?"

Releasing a shaky breath, I slowly looked up to meet Mrs. Weasley's brown eyes, so similar to the twins' yet more like Ginny's. My weak walls crumbled, and I threw myself into her arms, thankful I was a quiet crier. Mrs. Weasley shifted slightly, turning herself a bit yet keeping me close the entire time. A small part of me was thinking 'This must be what having a mother is like' as I hugged myself more into the Weasley matron's embrace.

My tears dried after a minute or two, yet we still sat in the peaceful glow of the fireplace, her soothing me as I tried to gather myself. Once I decided I was calmed enough, I sat back in the same place I had been in, offering Mrs. Weasley a weak smile. "Thank you," I mumbled, feeling slightly embarrassed.

She chuckled quietly, shaking her head. "It was nothing, Deliah, dear. Now, what is the matter?"

"I…" Thinking it over, I realized that there were a good few things that had begun to upset me. "I feel like I'm invading your home. I know it's ridiculous, but-" I paused again, looking away in a sad attempt to hide my emotions.

Again, her hands found mine, drawing my attention back to her as well. "Deliah, you are most certainly not invading our home, in fact, I believe you should see us as part of your own family. I want you to know that you are always welcome here. From what I've heard, you might be able to help keep the twins.

I smiled tiredly, "I don't know about that. All they seem to do lately is argue."

"Maybe some time at home will do the trick then." Releasing my hands, Mrs. Wesley stood with a quiet huff. "Now, come to the kitchen with me, dear. Wouldn't want you to miss out on sweets!"

My heart warmed, "Sweets do sound rather good now."

Rejoining the table, I was greeted with a few concerned and curious glances, but was easily brought back into the conversation. I could feel the twins' gazes on me the entirety of my conversation with their sister after I seated myself. After a little while, I simply couldn't stand it anymore. My eyes flashed over to them, brow lifting the tiniest of quirks, wondering what in Merlin's name was going on with them. They had the nerve to look sheepish about being caught, before turning to each other, whispering urgently.

"Looks like they might have made up…maybe?" Ginny mumbled to me, earning a quiet laugh from me.

"Maybe…" I sighed.

.

.

As it turns out, we were only half correct.

George and Fred had started getting along slightly better, but they were still not to the level they are at Hogwarts. Others had taken notice of their odd behavior but didn't bring it up. They did manage to start speaking with me a few weeks into the summer, and by about halfway in, things were almost back to normal.

The summer was fantastic. Admittedly, it was a lot tougher than I was used to due to Mrs. Weasley keeping everyone on their own chore list, but every day held something fun for me to do. I was either found playing quidditch with everyone, playing small pranks with the twins, or simply wandering around outside while enjoying letting my senses loose. This last hobby I had picked up since the incident, and I absolutely loved it. I found that doing this had allowed for better control over when I wanted certain senses shut off while others remained. When I had told Ginny, she thought it was amazing what I could do, though I simply laughed lightly as my cheeks turned red.

"That would be our Ton-Tongue Toffee, sir," Fred replied proudly, looking every bit as mischievous as one would think. "George and I have been thinking of who to test them out on the entire summer, but didn't want to risk health complications in the family."

Leaning onto the shoulder he had dusted off, George grinned innocently. "Wouldn't want that, now would we?"

At this point the kitchen burst to life with laughter, drawing Harry's attention to Ron, Charlie, and Bill who were seated at the table. As he joined his best friend to introduce himself to the eldest Weasley children, Mr. Weasley apparated perfectly between the twins and he looked rather angry.

"That was not funny, Fred!" He shouted, making me jump and spill some of my water. Well, this was a first. "What on earth did you give that boy?"

A barked laugh escaped Fred, the look on his face a tad bit darker. "Didn't give him anything. Must have missed one before flooing home. Oops."

"You knew he would eat it! Honestly, Fred," Mr. Weasley was beyond a point of furious that I had seen him at, and that had me a bit concerned. "You knew about the boy's diet-"

"How big did his tongue get?" George asked, a little too eagerly.

"Not that it matters, but it was four feet long when his parents finally let me do anything about it. This kind of thing is not funny, boys!" Again he shouted, making the twins wince. "I spend so much of my life campaigning against the mistreatment of muggles, and now…now my own sons-"

"Oi! We didn't do it because he's a muggle!" Fred huffed, looking indignant.

"Correct. We did it because he's an arse who bullies people." George looked into the kitchen where Harry was not so subtly watching. "Isn't that right Harry?"

The poor boy turned red but still came to the twins' defense. "He really is, though, Mr. Weasley."

He waved him off. "That's not the point here. Just wait until I tell your mother-"

"Tell me what?"

I cursed under my breath as even I jumped and cowered at the tone of Mrs. Weasley's voice. We heard her acknowledge Harry kindly before she joined us in the living room where I was still awkwardly sitting, stuck in the chaos.

"Tell me what, Arthur?" She said with a voice as smooth as honey, yet one could almost feel the bite hidden in it. By the fact that Mr. Weasley couldn't meet his wife's eyes, one could easily tell that he originally hadn't planned to actually tell her about any of this.

Mr. Weasley visibly swallowed and cleared his throat. "It's really nothing Molly. Fred and George just-"

Her face suddenly got brilliantly red. "What have they done this time? If this has anything to do with Weasley's Wizard Wheezes-"

At that moment Hermione showed up to save the younger group from this scene that was likely to get very ugly. George tried to use them as an escape route as well, but that only served to infuriate Mrs. Weasley more. As the younger teens escaped upstairs, the two eldest sons slipped out of the door in the kitchen, leaving me awkwardly trying to sink into the armchair I was stuck in. For a second, I noticed the twins' eyes flicker to me with an emotion that I honestly couldn't recognize at that moment. Time seemed to slow down, yet speed up at the same time. At some point, I dragged a blanket off the back of the chair, and actually just completely covered myself with it, it helped slightly with drowning out the shouting. After what seemed like an hour, Mrs. Weasley finally ran out of steam, storming off to the kitchen with a comment about having dinner outside.

"Honestly, you two…" Mr. Weasley sighed deeply, running a hand down his face tiredly. That's when he made eye contact with me as I peaked out from the blanket. "Oh my, Deliah! Were you there the whole-"

I nodded awkwardly.

"I am so sorry you had to hear that. Molly's just…well…she wants the best for everyone."

"Funny way of showing it…" George grumbled.

I waved Mr. Weasley off with a small grin. "It's alright, Mr. Weasley, I've forgotten it already."

He sent back a matching quick grin before making his way up the stairwell.

The twins stood there silently, Fred staring angrily at the floor while George was gazing at seemingly nothing. For some odd reason, I felt the need to break the silence. "For what it's worth…" Their attention was immediately on me, draining some of my courage, yet I pushed on. "I believe in your dream. You two are doing fantastic, and it's not your fault that they can't see it." Offering them a small smile, I stood from the chair and sat the blanket down, before making my way up to Ginny's room. What I didn't know was the matching pairs of eyes watching me as I went.

The fragrance of Mrs. Weasley's cooking started wafting up the stairs shortly afterward, all but calling Ginny and myself down to inspect things. What we were greeted with, however, was the golden trio looking uncomfortable as Mrs. Weasley continued her complaints about the twins' work.

"It's not as if they don't have brains, but more that they are absolutely wasting their minds on this drivel." She savagely cut up potatoes with a glare that surprisingly didn't cause them to combust. "If they don't correct this soon, they'll find themselves in trouble with the Ministry. I honestly don't know where I went wrong with those two! It's just one thing after another – Oh not again!" She suddenly tossed the wand she had picked up into the garbage before snatching up one that had been closer to her. "I am so tired of those fake wands! They're everywhere!"

Noticing the trio hastily escaping through the garden door, Ginny pulled me from the room as well, with a strength I didn't know she had.

"Ginny, let me go back in there."

"Not going to happen, Delly."

Lowering my voice as I pulled her to a stop, I gave her an incredulous look. "Why does everyone just let her say those things?! They are her sons, mischievous as they are, they are still hers."

Ginny sighed letting go of my hand because she knew I really didn't want to cause a scene. " Mostly, we leave it because the twins want us to. We've also grown used to it over the years."

I scoffed at her words, stomping over to where the eldest Weasley sons were finally setting the tables down after 'battling' with them in the air. It didn't take much longer for the food to come floating to the tables, people following after to seat themselves in front of their plates. I didn't try to focus on much of the conversation as we filled our plates and ate, mostly due to the fact that the start was primarily about Percy's work then of the Ministry. My mental seclusion was abruptly ended when I noticed a change in conversation near me, though I wish I had been able to simply tune the entire dinner out then retire for the night.

Mrs. Weasley was yet again showing the side of her that I wished I had never seen as she berated Bill about his appearance. "Do they not say anything? You have this hideous earring with an enormous fang on it, and just look at the length of your hair."

He rolled his eyes but kept smiling at her. "Mother, they don't care all, I promise you."

"I do really wish you would let me cut it, though." Mrs. Weasley muttered as her hand twitched, itching to reach for her wand.

"Oh, leave him alone, mom." Ginny suddenly jumped into the conversation with a mischievous grin. "I think it looks cool! Besides you're just old-fashioned."

I swear…my head whipped over to look at her so fast that it actually hurt. "Oh so you can defend him, but not the twins? Honestly…" I mumbled loud enough that Ginny surely heard me.

The rest of dinner passed rather slowly for me, and when dessert was pulled forward, I truly didn't feel like eating any. After a while, I simply got tired of being quiet.

"Hey, Harry," Said boy looked over at me from his spot beside Ron and Hermione. "How is everything with Sirius going? I haven't heard from him in a while, and I've been curious about the progress on the new house."

Harry's eyes lit up like they typically do when Sirius is mentioned. "Ah, well he mailed me some updates, but he also specifically said to not tell 'Little Moony', as he put it. He did say that everything will be final and situated before the next holiday, though."

The smile that grew from that message was one of happiness and exasperation. "Of course, he would say that. I am so excited, aren't you?"

"Immeasurably." He sighed looking so at peace. In fact, it seemed as if everything suddenly felt more peaceful among all the ones seated at the table.

Mrs. Weasley looked at her watch, which in was surprised she had. "Ah, look at the time! You all should be on your way to bed, tomorrow will be an early morning.

.

.

An early morning it was. I was absolutely dragging when Ginny woke me, and I couldn't be bothered to do much to get ready to leave other than change into a random pair of jeans and the sweater Mrs. Weasley had knitted for me. Ginny slipped on her shoes while I battled with my hair in an attempt to have an acceptably messy bun – which failed, might I add, thus meaning it was left down and sleekeazy applied for the bedhead-frizz. To compare our level of awakeness: Ginny was walking normally down the stairs while I, on the other hand, took each step two feet at a time. Might I mention, this was even early for Ginny because she was still yawning and tired-looking. I don't even like waking up early enough to attend breakfast at Hogwarts, but food beacons me, which is also why I actually passed Ginny once I was able to smell breakfast cooking. Hermione ambled down to catch up with our younger friend, and they both shared a laugh about my rush for food.

The three of us were greeted by Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Mr. Weasley, and Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen talking about how the eldest three Weasley children will be apparating to the event, aka they get to sleep in.

"Lucky bastards," I grumbled shuffling to the table and flopping into a random chair. Light laughter was heard as I was halfheartedly shushed by Ginny.

Ginny then turned to her father. "Why do you have to be up so early?"

"We have a bit of a walk, I'm afraid." Mr. Weasley said with a slight sigh, seems to me that he wanted to keep sleeping as well.

Harry's head jerked back slightly in shock. "Wait, we're walking to the World Cup?"

Mr. Weasley laughed, shaking his head. "Oh no, that is miles away. We will only need to walk a few minutes, then we'll be at-"

"George Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley snapped so suddenly that we all jumped, looking her way to see her glaring at one of the twins.

"Yes?" The feigned innocence was obvious to everyone.

His mother's eyes scanned over his pockets for a split second. "What's in your pockets?"

"Nothing!" I groaned quietly. He had responded too quickly.

"Don't you dare lie to me!" I will admit, she sounded incredibly intimidating, but my own frustration with Mrs. Weasley skyrocketed in these next few moments.

"Accio!" She snapped, watching lividly as a few colorful objects flew from her son's pocket and into her open hand. Her eyes widened before looking at each twin, finally settling on the one she hadn't assaulted with accios. "You were told to destroy these things! Empty your pockets now!"

"Mom, we were-" he started to explain while not so subtly covering his own pockets.

"I don't much care what you two were planning to do! Accio! Accio! Accio!" Suddenly the space they were occupying was filled with the colorful toffees. They were hidden almost anywhere that the twins could stash them, which was intriguing.

"Bloody hell, mom!" The first twin shouted. "We spent six months developing those!"

"What a fine way to waste six months! Could have studied for your OWLs in that time, couldn't you have?" Mrs. Weasley whirled around to face the trash, throwing the toffees in with the garbage as she said the last bit of information to make me snap. "Deliah has better marks than you two."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" I gasped, absolutely over this situation. "So what if I have better marks? Have you ever even bothered to see how much work your sons put into their dream? They are completely brilliant wizards if you would just try to pay any attention to them!" At this point, I shoved my chair backward, standing while glaring daggers at Mrs. Weasley. "Have you also realized that there need to be at least some people that don't work in the bloody ministry? Individually owned shops like they dream of having are what hold our society together, not a corrupt group of grouchy old magic folk that mistreats their employees. Also, can you even tell the two of them apart?!" I shouted the last question into the silent room with aggression I really didn't realize I had. Giving her a moment to process, I answered my own question with venom dripping from my voice.

"The easiest differences to spot are that Fred is slightly taller and moves with more confidence. George, however, has a bit more freckles and tends to be more empathetic, though both are rather well practiced with reading emotions. For your information, you were yelling at Fred, not George." I all but growled before storming out of the room, then through the front door.

It wasn't much longer before the rest of the traveling group joined me outside, but everyone seemed to avoid me like the plague. I did offer Mr. Weasley a quiet apology, though, which was replied with an awkward, half-smile. I will admit, it hurt that the twins steered clear of me after that, though. They strolled on, whispering heatedly to each other about something.

"Have a lovely time!" Mrs. Weasley's voice made me jump. "And behave yourselves!" She called after the two whispering figures in the distance that paid just about as much attention to her as one would expect. She had a bit more to say to her husband before disappearing behind the door again.

Guilt seeped into my mind as we trudged along, leading me to silently curse Remus for raising me with a conscience. I shouldn't have snapped at Mrs. Weasley like that, but it was just so hard to not do so. My heart ached as I remembered how much time the two spent on their products, and the light that brightened their eyes when they spoke of their dreams of the shop. I sighed, running my hands over my face in exasperation. I had it bad.

"So how does everyone get to the World Cup unnoticed by Muggles?" Harry's voice pulled me from my thoughts, so I tried to focus only on his and Mr. Weasley's conversation.

"Oh, it has been a major organizational problem," Mr. Weasley sighed and chuckled tiredly. "Imagine trying to pack a hundred thousand wizards into Platform 9 3/4. That's simply not practical, and finding a space for that many magical folk is equally difficult. In the end, a nice quiet moor is found, and then months worth of precautions of all sorts are put into place. One of the most important precautions is staggering the arrivals. Now, for those that don't want to apparate, or simply cannot, there are things called portkeys. Our specific portkey waits just ahead on Stoatshead Hill."

At this, Mr. Weasley pointed ahead at the black mound in the darkness in front of our group.

"What sort of objects are these portkeys?" Harry asked curiously.

I smiled remembering Remus and my love for making keychains into portkeys. "They can be just about anything, Harry." The two looked over at me as I continued. "You could have books, jewelry, miscellaneous bits and bobs, really it's up to the person making them."

Mr. Weasley grinned, "Right you are! Though it tends to be more beneficial for the items to be something that muggles wouldn't pick up and tinker with. Things they wouldn't think twice about passing by. This is especially true with portkeys used by the Ministry."

"Well, that's…interesting," Harry mumbled before becoming lost in his own thoughts like the rest of the group.

We trudged along in silence for a while, the soft crunch of our feet along the ground was the only noise to be heard. The sun started to rise as we walked through the village, and then we finally reached the hill itself. Had we been talking, we would have had to save our breath. The climb was torture that early in the morning, especially considering the hidden rabbit holes that we each took a stumble on. By the time we reached the top, I was on the verge of passing out. I am not the most fit person in the group, and the fact that I didn't really have a quidditch build didn't help me like it did the others.

Mr. Weasley looked exhausted as he wiped his glasses, "Ah…seems like we made good time. We still have ten minutes."

Being as tired as I was, I decided now was a good time to rest, and sat on the semi-damp grass. Gasping pants were the last sound to join our group as Hermione staggered up to us, collapsing beside me as she attempted to catch her breath.

"Only a short rest kids," Mr. Weasley said. "We've got to find the portkey."

Hermione and I sighed before joining the search shortly after. Thankfully, we weren't at it long before a different voice joined our group.

"I've found it, Arthur, my boy!"

Two men walked over to us from the other side of the hill.

Mr. Weasley cheerfully greeted the older man, before introducing him as Amos Diggory, and his son Cedric. I remembered Cedric vaguely from Quidditch and that he was a Hufflepuff, but I hadn't paid too much attention to him last year. He was certainly a handsome teen, just…not my cup of pumpkin juice should I say? I glanced at the twins as they nodded at the other teen as if simply acknowledging him caused them pain.

The two adults chatted amongst themselves for a moment, then I heard Mr. Diggory ask, "These all yours, Arthur?" with a slightly incredulous tone to his voice that I didn't really appreciate.

"Oh, no! The redheads are the only ones that are mine. This is Deliah Lupin, a friend of the twins', and over here are friends of Ron's, Hermione Granger, and – " Mr. Weasley motioned to each of us only to be interrupted.

"Blimey! You're Harry Potter!" Mr. Diggory exclaimed before suddenly breaking off into a rant about how Cedric had bested Harry in their last Quidditch match with each other. Mr. Diggory seemed to be a loving father that was simply bragging about his son's accomplishments, but he was also rather rude about it. Mr. Weasley seemed to pick up on this as well, as he interrupted this time.

"Ah, it's nearly time now. Have we got anyone else coming?"

Mr. Diggory shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of. The Lovegoods have been there for a week now, so we should be alright to go."

"Alright kids, all you have to do is touch the portkey," Mr. Weasley explained to Harry and Hermione while holding up a worn-down boot. "Even a finger will do, but you must be touching it." The two nodded in understanding, though they still looked nervous.

The large group reached over one another touching bits of this ugly boot, my hand just happened to be placed between the twins' hands, and thanks to the lack of space I could feel their warm hands against mine which lead to my face feeling as if it were on fire. Thankfully, it was still decently dark out, so my blush wasn't as visible.

"Ready now kids?" Mr. Weasley asked before starting a count down so that we could brace ourselves. "Three…two…one!"

Like a snap, we were all up in the air, rattling against one another as our bodies were pulled through the air in a blurred mass. Then, as quickly as we were pulled into the air, we were jolted to a stop – the more inexperienced with this travel landing in a heap. I would have likely landed upright like the two Diggory men and Mr. Weasley if it weren't for Fred's body collapsing into mine which lead to me falling into then on top of George. To say I was in an awkward situation was an absolute understatement. Every inch of my body was buzzing, and deep down I didn't want to separate from them, that is until my brain caught up with the situation. Clambering out from in between them, I rushed over to Ginny's side as she chuckled at my fire-red cheeks.

"Seven past five from Stoatshead Hill," A sudden voice spoke up, drawing all of our attention.

Mr. Weasley walked over to a strangely dressed man, handing him the boot. "Morning Basil."

"Morning Arthur," The man responded tiredly. He looked absolutely awful, like he could sleep for days if he were to lay down. "Let me find your campsite…oh, it'll be about a quarter of a mile's walk over there, the first field you come to. The site manager's name is Mr. Roberts."

Mr. Weasley thanked him, then we all headed off into the foggy moor. About twenty minutes later, we reached a small cottage, beyond which one could just barely make out the shapes of hundreds of tents. Harry and Hermione helped Mr. Weasley pay the muggle man that occupied the cottage, and while the rest of us waited Ginny struck up small talk.

"Quite a start to our World Cup trip so far, don't you think Deliah?" She chuckled.

"Oh honestly," I mumbled as my cheeks colored again.