Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Life Goes On
Somehow, probably due to an act of wizard God, we managed to stay awake the whole day with the exception of napping in Binns' class. But everyone does that, so I'm not even sure we have to call it an exception. Though the day didn't pass without some struggles. Oliver Wood ripped into Fred and George for their lack of effort during morning quidditch practice. He described them as 'flying so sluggishly that they looked like a couple of houseflies on their last legs of life'.
In potions class, Adrian banned me from touching anything after I almost added the wrong ingredient to our deflating draught, twice. After that, during all of our shared class, he kept looking at me like he suspected I would keel over at any moment. I'm surprised he didn't make any comments or haul me off to see Madam Pomfrey. McGonagall nearly gave George detention when she called on him to answer a question and he gave a generic answer that was better suited for a charms lesson. I nearly walked into the boys' lavatory by mistake. And Lee laughed at Fred for a good five minutes after Fred rested his elbow in the butter dish and didn't notice. Needless to say, we took the first opportunity we could get to retire for the night.
This was one night's sleep all three of us were looking forward to. After nights of protecting the diary and then last night when we constructed our trap, we were ready to get some serious REM cycles. Fred's trunk had been restored to its place in front of his four-poster bed. The Diary was safely stored inside of it, while the rest of his things were spread between the school-provided wardrobe, my trunk, and George's trunk. We had to ensure there was enough room for Dobby for the brief amount of time he would be inhabiting Fred's trunk. Of course, it was risky to leave the diary in the trunk but we needed bait to ensure Dobby would get close enough to spring the trap. We made precautions. Primary, in the use of a sticking charm enhanced by an intruder charm to let us know if anyone or anything touched the diary. That in addition to a well-placed muffliato charm to make sure no one but Fred and George heard the alarm in case it did go off. We were ready. Or at least, as ready as one can be when they are working with things they don't fully understand.
Still, that night as I brushed my teeth and put on a pair of pajama bottoms and an old t-shirt that used to belong to Charlie, I didn't feel anxious, worried, or agitated about the things to come. That was partly due to the fact that I was too tired to give a damn. But also because I recognized that Fred, George, and I had racked our brains to come up with this plan. We thought through different scenarios. Problem-solved to the best of our abilities, and tried to make pragmatic decisions that would lead ourselves and our family to safety. We had done our best. And if our best wasn't good enough, we'd just have to figure out how to survive with the consequences.
"Holly", Angelina asked as I climbed into my bed.
"Hmm?" I mumbled as I glanced in her direction. Unlike me, she was still in her school uniform. She was on her bed, lying on her stomach with her herbology textbook and a roll of parchment in front of her. Homework. There was something I had forgotten to do today… Oh, well.
Angelina took her time as she punctuated a sentence on the roll of parchment before raising her head to look at me. "Has Fred said anything to you?"
I settled myself. Lying on my side, and resting my head on the pillow. Already, I was struggling to keep my eyes open. If I was lucky, I wouldn't get any nightmares tonight. Though I was so drained, I'm not sure even a nightmare would be enough to wake me. "Fred says a lot of things", I answered. In the back of my mind, I guessed that this might have to do with the letters the two of them had been exchanging over the summer holidays. But at this point, my mouth was working without consent from my brain. "Today, he talked about Wood being a closet sadist, that Lockhart would probably be a peacock if he were an Animagus and platypuses. Though, I'm not sure why". Honestly, he may not have said anything about platypuses. At around mid-day, I think I started to hear things that weren't actually being said.
"No", Angelina said. She had waited until I finished talking, but she had begun to shake her head the moment I had mentioned Wood. "I meant", she spoke slowly, as if the right words were evading her. Which wasn't like Angelina at all. She normally possessed a quick wit with a bit of bite in it. "Has he said anything to you about me?"
Ah, so this was about teen romance drama. I closed my eyes, and immediately I felt less of a strain. It had never felt so good to have my eyes closed. "Is this about the letters you two were sending each other?" I asked as I let out a very loud yawn. My voice sounded very far away. Like it wasn't coming from my mouth.
"I thought he felt the same way", Angelina admitted. "At least, his replies made me think he did. But then he just stopped sending letters altogether. We've been talking since the start of term. But George or Lee is always with him, and I can never get him when he's on his own''. Yes, that does sound like a problem. "It's like we hadn't been writing to each other, and everything is as it was before the summer holidays. So, has he said anything to you… Holly?" There was a pause. And in any other circumstance, I would have responded to my friend. No matter how awkward this line of conversation would become. But I was currently losing the ability to move. "Holly?" Angelina tried again. "Did you fall asleep?" Almost, Angelina. Almost.
Despite the trap being set, we didn't catch Dobby that night, or the second, or the third. Fred and George checked to make sure the diary was there every morning, and it was never disturbed. Maybe this meant Dobby was too scared to try to get the diary after his first attempt. Or maybe he was just biding his time. We had no way of knowing, so we left the trap set and went about our lives. It was worrisome, but things felt more optimistic after getting three nights of uninterrupted sleep. I didn't even get disturbed by one of my nightmares. Fred and George regained the energy to perform mischievous acts with Lee. They even managed to earn detention when a prefect caught them stuffing a suit of armor with an unhealthy amount of bubotubers' puss. Where did they get it? No one knows.
I was able to get rid of the bags that had formed under my eyes and made sure I made eye contact with Adrian often. Just to make sure he remembered what I looked like prior to my sleep-deprived state. Ginny settled into her new house. We still didn't see her very often, but when we did she looked less grim. She was often in the company of the Carrow Twins. The three of them weren't a giggly bunch, portraying a very different Ginny than the one we see at home. But they didn't seem unfriendly either. In truth, I had no idea what I should make of this development. I suppose it's a good thing Ginny no longer eats her meals alone or clings solely to Adrian.
October rolled around, and the leaves started to change color. The whole of Gryffindor house started to hear more and more from Hermione as she preached house-elf equality. Not that anyone was listening. Even Ron and Harry were tuning her out, despite being the two that first told her about house-elves.
The first Hogsmeade trip was announced, and I encountered a new problem. What the hell was I going to get Adrian for his upcoming birthday? I had no money. Nor did I have any crafty skills to make him anything. What would Adrian even like? He had no interest in accessories. Quidditch was a pastime of his, but vastly out of my price range. He didn't have a sweet tooth and turned up his nose at anything that looked remotely cute. Adrian was also endearingly innocent for a person who was a death eater in his past life. So promises of… intimate favors would probably be unappreciated... And just think, when December comes around, I'll get to go through this dilemma all over again when I try to find Adrian a Christmas gift. Bloody hell.
Adrian's birthday had taken possession of my thoughts. And while it was frustrating that I couldn't think of the perfect gift, it was a nice alternative to thinking about You-Know-Who's soul fragment. So, when Adrian appeared at Gryffindor table one morning, his stern façade a stark contrast to the general cheer and hoopla of my housemates, I just assumed he was going to ask me to go with him on the fast-approaching Hogsmeade weekend. We had talked about another Hogsmeade date during my fourteenth birthday. But instead, over the ribbing and teasing of Fred and George who had assumed the same thing, Adrian said, "Holly, you need to come with me". It was his foreboding tone that made me confident he wasn't trying to whisk me away for a little romantic rendezvous.
"Why?" I asked as I dropped a piece of half-eaten toast on my plate, and twisted around to get a better look at him. "What's happened?" It couldn't be something chamber related. I assured myself. If it was then the whole school would have known and breakfast wouldn't be occurring like it always does. Seeing I was taking this seriously, Fred and George stopped their teasing.
All three of us focused on Adrian like he was the town crier. "Your sister needs you", he said.
I swing my legs over the bench to join Adrian without thinking about it. For Adrian to ask me to help Ginny, after stating multiple times that it was important not to hover, something awful must have happened. "We'll come too," George said around a mouthful of hash browns as Fred started to stand up.
"No", Adrian said quickly, before my fellow triplets could completely mobilize. "I think it's best if Holly handles this on her own". He gave me a pointed look as he offered me his arm. Just like he had when we walked around the lake.
Right. I think, as I loop my arm under his and rest my hand in the crook of his elbow. "I'll fill you guys in during class", I said to Fred and George. "Look after my bookbag, will you?" I added as Adrian steered me away. As we exited the great hall, I tried to wrack my brains for some clue about what could possibly be wrong. Why did Adrian think it best that I help Ginny alone? Why wasn't he able to help her? Did Ginny get her period? That might explain why Adrian's acting all tight-lipped. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?" I asked as he led us to the opposite end of the entrance hall.
Adrian exhaled through his nose before answering. "She won't stop crying". Okay… but it would be better to know what made her cry in the first place. Adrian stopped us at the foot of the grand staircase. He turns and breaks our connected arms so we may look each other in the eye. "Last night, someone went through Ginevra's trunk. When she woke up this morning all of her things were scattered across the first-year girls' dorm". Well, that sounds familiar. I guess that's our proof Dobby hasn't given up yet. It's just a pity that he hadn't attempted going through Fred's trunk again before anyone else's. "We've already reported the incident to Professor Snape", Adrian continued. "But she's convinced that someone did it because she's not welcomed in Slytherin".
Although I know Dobby is the culprit, I ask anyway. "And is she?" At Adrian's questioning stare, I elaborate. "Unwelcomed".
He sighed as he turned and started walking again. I followed half a step behind. "Only by some", he answered. "Primarily members of the sacred twenty-eight, but not all. The rest of us think of her as just another first-year. She follows our house rules and is accepted". Well, that's something at least. I think as Adrian heads for the stairs that lead to the dungeons. I shiver two steps down. The dungeon air is always cold. But soon it would be borderline freezing. I never figured out how the Slytherins survived living down here during the winter months.
Adrian and I didn't have to go very far. On the last step sat three first-years in Slytherin robes; two brunettes and one sobbing redhead. "Don't cry, Ginevra. We'll make whoever did this pay", said the brunette on the left.
"It's nothing a bat-bogey hex can't solve", said the brunette on the right.
Needing no invitation, I moved away from Adrian. "Perhaps I can help", I said to announce my presence to the Slytherin first-years. All three of them spun around as if they had just been caught doing something criminal. The two brunettes, identical by the looks of it, stared at me with distrust. This must be the Carrow twins. While Ginny's blotchy tear-stained face expressed relief.
"Holly!", she exclaimed as I settled myself on the step behind the first years. "It was awful. All my things were thrown around the room. Everyone saw my underwear".
Yes. When you are eleven, I can see how that would be a traumatic thing. I tilt my head back so I could look at Adrian, who was standing behind us girls like he was some sort of guard. "Are public displays of affection still not allowed?" I asked without any sarcasm… Okay, there was a little sarcasm.
Adrian rolled his eyes and looked heavenward. As if he was asking Merlin why he puts up with me. I sometimes ask that question myself. "In this situation", he said slowly. "It would be acceptable".
That was all I needed. I looked back at Ginny and opened my arms. "Ginny, come here", I said.
Ginny leaned forward until she was close enough for me to wrap my arms around her. It kind of looked like she had thrown herself up the stairs. She cried into the front of my robes. I tightened my grip on her and decided to just let her cry for a couple of moments. She had probably been holding everything in for a while.
The Carrow twins' distrustful stares turned into glares. "We were handling it just fine on our own", Said the twin on the left.
"Why did you bring her?" The twin on the right asked Adrian, sounding spiteful. They kind of reminded me of mini Stimpsons. Only less annoying.
"Sometimes", Adrian said in his best role model voice. "We need to rely on our family". The twins scoffed and turned back around, deciding to ignore us as it appeared that they were outnumbered. "I'll see you in class", Adrian said to me. I tilted my head back again to see him.
"Okay", I agreed as I rubbed Ginny's back.
"There are about twenty minutes left before breakfast is over. I suggest you move before that", Adrian finished as he turned and went back up the stairs. It was Thursday, so neither of us had to start our day in Snape's potions lab.
I watched Adrian's back until it disappeared before turning back to the three first-years. "Ginny", I said softly as I coaxed her face out of my robes. She sniffed but complied; blinking up at me with red-rimmed brown eyes. "I don't think anyone from Slytherin house went through your things". Just like with everyone, except Fred and George, I couldn't be completely honest with her. But it wouldn't hurt to tell her what we've been telling everyone else.
"How would you know?" The twin on the right asked as she and her sister turned around now that Adrian wasn't here to support me.
"Because the same thing happened to Ron and Percy", I said more to Ginny than to the Carrows. It was doubtful that they would even know who Ron and Percy are.
"I remember hearing about that", Ginny said as she rubbed her eyes with closed fists.
I nodded once. "And we think whoever it was tried to do it to Fred too".
"So, it's not just me", Ginny Summarized.
I nodded again. "But it is your family", said the twin on the left. "Those are your brothers' names, right?"
"Yes", Ginny said to answer her… Friend's question. "But why would someone want to go through our things?" Ginny pulled away from me fully; needing less attention now that her mind was asking questions.
"Someone went through your things?" A new voice asked. The Carrow twins rolled their eyes as Ginny and I looked over our shoulders to see a small blonde girl with silvery eyes. "Is anything missing? I can help you look". Luna said as she came to a stop behind us. "People hide my stuff all the time, so I'm good at finding things. I just follow the nargles".
The twin on the left scoffed. "If you're so good at finding things, you would have been sorted into Hufflepuff". I was confused. Why were they talking with Luna so casually? Like this wasn't their first encounter with her.
"Hufflepuffs are good finders?" Luna asked, but it sounded more like she was thinking out loud. "That makes sense. They do seem to attract a lot of nargles". Something is going on here that I don't know about. Gah! I hate being out of the loop.
"Nothing was missing, Luna", Ginny said. She was still sniffling, but it was becoming less and less frequent. "It just wasn't very nice". Ginny took a deep breath, gave herself a little shake, and turned to me. "I'm sorry, Holly", she said, apparently having collected herself. I was taken back. This was unlike the Ginny I shared a room with at home. That Ginny took hours to calm down once she was upset. That Ginny was terribly at self-soothing. But this Ginny was pulling herself together after just a couple of minutes. Just what was she learning in Slytherin house? "These are my friends", she said. I guess she was apologizing for not introducing us. "Flora." She gestured to the twin on the right. " and Hestia Carrow." She gestured to the twin on the left. "And Luna Lovegood". She was friends with Luna? How did that happen? When did that happen? Not that I'm complaining. I had worried Luna and Ginny wouldn't hit it off with Ginny being in Slytherin. This was an absolute miracle. "This is my sister, Holly", Ginny finished the introductions.
"We met on the train", Luna said as she gave me a dreamy little smile, but offered no further explanation.
"You're the one that fourth-year, Stimpson, hates", Hestia stated as she studied me from head to toe. I rolled my eyes. If even first-years knew about Stimpson's opinions of me, she must still be licking her wounds. Ever since the train when I told Adrian that we were dating in front of Stimpson, I've been waiting for some sort of retaliation. But so far this year, she's been quiet. Maybe that should be a cause of concern… Oh, well. One problem at a time.
"And she's the Gryffindor that's dating the Pucey heir", Flora added. As if I didn't already know these facts.
"You know, he was just here", I said, referring to Adrian. "You can call him by his name". But they ignored me. Prats.
"There's even a rumor going around that he wants to formally court her," Hestia said to her sister.
The twins looked me over once more, ignoring Ginny and Luna who seemed to be used to their behavior. How long have these four been hanging out? "I suppose that makes her socially acceptable", Flora said after a moment. "Ginevra, your sister can be seen with us if she would like to". I rolled my eyes as Ginny's face lit up. I am just so thrilled to have earned their eleven-year-old approval.
I look back at Luna. "Did you have to get their approval too?"
"Oh, yes", Luna answered serenely. "I think they were afraid that I was infested with wrackspurts. Very wise of them to make sure".