Hunn didn't dream that night. She slept on the couch near the fire, and when she woke in the middle of the night, the fire was out, and the darkness surrounding her felt as if it was crushing her from the inside out.
The darkness invaded every corner and crevice possible, filling every aching hole she had and making the world seem so vast, so empty.
Hunn pulled her wand out and started the fire again. It was large and burned bright in the darkness of the common room. The only thing about the firelight is that it casts shadows, and shadows fill the night with the scary unknown.
Seeing the common room dancing and alive in the middle of the night was strange. The shadows cast were of all shapes and sizes, never sitting still and always seeming to creep closer when no one was watching. Her eyes closed, and she told herself that nothing could hurt her here. They were just shadows that would fade in the morning with the brighter, stronger morning light.
For hours, she lay in the yellow light of the fire.
She basked in its warmth and curled away from the shapes and demons it created in the darkness.
She didn't sleep again. They crept in through the windows, lighting the common space again and bringing life to the books and royal blue colors.
The statue of Rowena Ravenclaw stood proud in the corner between two massive bookshelves, her replica diadem gleaming in the light and shining.
She always wondered what anyone would do with that power, that knowledge.
Through the morning hours, she thought of the twins and what seeing them again would be like. she wondered if they'd grown or if they'd be the same. Would they still want to be friends when they saw how gloomy she was and how she didn't even have the energy to move, let alone pull a massive prank with them?
Plus, they were ignoring her the week she left. She wondered why they even sent her that letter or why they invited her to their home.
Her mind wandered and left into a world of its own when Professor Flitwick entered and found her curled up deep in thought.
"Hunn, child, it's mid-day. You need to be going to the Weasleys now. They are expecting you, after all." He stood in front of her as she stood and stretched.
She smiled a small smile and nodded. They walked together from the commons to Professor McGonagall's office, where she waited for them.
McGonagall approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Yes. Your things have been sent to the Weasley, and they are expecting you any moment now. Please be careful and feel better. You should not be so gloomy, considering friends will soon surround you. Let them help you. Let them care for your child." She released her and led her to the fireplace.
Hunn took a handful of Floo Powder and looked at her, "Thank you. For caring for me, Professor. I think I needed it."
"Anytime, child." She smiled, "Now go, recover."
"The Burrow!" She shouted.
The green flames engulfed her from head to toe, and a tight, sinking feeling came over her as she was pulled through time, magic, and space.
Coughing, Hunn fell out of a fireplace and onto the floor. Covered in soot, she sat up and looked around.
The house was warm. It was cluttered and full of things she recognized to be common muggle things taken apart.
There were knitted blankets and scarves all over. Even a maroon ball of yarn was knitted by magic in the corner. It stopped when she looked at it and floated away to a different corner where it couldn't be observed.
"Hello! Who's here?" A woman shouted
A round, plump, kind-looking woman waddled into the room and looked at her. She wiped her hands off on her apron and reached for her, pulling her off of the floor.
"Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Come here. You shouldn't be on the floor, darling. You're such a thin little thing. You must be cold. Have you been eating? Are you hungry? Let me make you some stew." She wiped the soot off Hunn's face and brushed it off on her blue jumper. She waved her wand over and removed the rest of the soot before holding Hunn at arm's length to get a good look.
"Oh, darling. You're beautiful. Too thin but absolutely gorgeous. Your hair is so soft. Darling, your eyes are sparkling. You must be Hunn. Fred and George have told me so much about you. They haven't shut up and nearly put poor Errol in the ground running that letter to you."
She pulled Hunn into the kitchen and sat her in a chair. The next moment, a bowl of steaming stew was in front of her, smelling fantastic.
She took a bite, and this woman that Hunn assumed was Fred and George's mum ranted on and on about everything. She sat beside her as the dishes washed and the table wiped itself down.
"Dear, tell me about yourself." She asked, smiling brightly.
"Well, ma'am, I know Fred and George from school. I'm a Ravenclaw. Ummm, I don't know. I'm nothing really special." Hunn blushed and looked away, moving the stew around with her spoon
"Call me Molly, darling. Or mum. The kids love you, so you're as good as a family. You're in Ravenclaw, so you must be why Fred and George have gotten better test scores! The O.W.L.S. came in this morning. They did wonderfully! Yours are here as well." She stood and left the room, returning with a thick envelope addressed to Hunn Rose-singer.
Molly perched behind her as she pulled out the inner sheets:
Ordinary Wizarding Level Results
Pass Grades:
Outstanding (O)
Exceeds Expectations (E)
Acceptable (A)
Fail Grades:
Poor (P)
Dreadful (D)
Troll (T)
Astronomy: O
Care of Magical Creatures: O
Charms: O
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O
Divination: O
Herbology: O
History of Magic: O
Potions: O
Transfiguration: O
Ancient Runes: O
Arithmancy: O
Molly gasped. "Perfect scores! My god, I didn't know it was possible." She looked astounded, "I thought Hermione was smart. You are a wonderful girl. Your parents must be so proud of you! I would love to meet them. Would they like to come over tomorrow night?" She hugged Hunn and squeezed her tightly.
"Sorry, ma'am, they can't come." Hunn looked down, her hair falling in front of her face, hiding her behind its dark strands.
"Oh, maybe next week, darling, it's not a problem." She pulled away and looked at her, expecting a confirmation.
"No, ma'am, they can't come at all. They've passed on." Hunn whispered.
"Oh gosh. Darling, I'm so sorry I didn't know. How long have they been gone?" She hugged Hunn again and held her to her chest, rubbing circles on her back when she started to sob.
"Th-thr-ree weeks." Hunn clutched at her and buried her face into Molly's chest.
"Oh dear. You poor thing. They've only just gone. That's why you weren't in class, wasn't it." She patted her hair to soothe her.
"Yes."
"You're so strong for coming here. I remember when I lost my own mum. I didn't get out of bed for a month. It was hard but look at me now. It took me a long time to get here. I remember not eating, not sleeping, and the nightmares. They were awful. It took a long time, but when I found Arthur, he made me even stronger." Molly rubbed Hunn's back, never letting her go.
"You have us now. We can't replace your mum and dad, but we will be here for you as you work through this. Do Fred and George know?" She asked
"No, Molly," Hunn told her, feeling the tiniest bit better.
"They will do wonders for you. Let them help you. Let them tell you their god-awful jokes. It will help." She let her go and sat back down. Pouring more stew into Hunn's bowel.
They talked for a long time when they heard shouting, "Mum! Mum! Has Hunn gotten here yet?"
"She's been here for hours, you goofs!" She yelled back. Stomping came from the stairs, and the twins emerged shoulder to shoulder from the narrow stairway.
They rushed at her, pulling her into their arms for a group hug.
"You've gotten smaller! Don't your parents feed you? We need to talk you away from them for that abuse." Fred laughed, and George nudged him.
Tears formed in Hunn's eyes and fell rapidly. Her knees buckled, and George caught her when she started to fall, looking confused and freighted.
"You dunderheads! I just got her to stop crying." Molly pushed them away and gathered Hunn into her arms again. She soothed her and helped her to stop crying after another few moments.
Fred and George watched on, confused and guilty, "What are we missing?" they asked in unison
Molly spoke, clearly frustrated, "Her parents have just passed you insensitive boys." She squeezed Hunn tighter and ran her fingers through her hair
"Fred, you fool! How could you be so insensitive?" George scolded before scooping her into his arms and carrying her up the stairs.
"Me? You laughed too, dunderhead!" he called, stomping up the stairs after them.
George plopped her down on a bed and sat next to her.
"What happened?" they said together as Fred walked in and sat practically on top of her.
"They were attacked. Practically murdered for their association with muggle-borns." She managed to choke out
"Practically?"
"They made it to St. Mugos before they died." She whispered
"Jesus. You saw them. That's bloody awful." They wrapped their arms around her and embraced her in their warmth
"Where have you been for the last few weeks, then? What about OWLS?"
"I stayed at my parent's home with McGonagall looking after me. I took my OWLS yesterday. Got the grades today, too."
"That explains why you're so thin. No one has been properly looking after you. Did mum feed you?"
She nodded.
"Good. You'll be back to normal in no time, then. Mum will feed you well. God knows you're already small enough." Fred went on
She looked at them, confused. "I may be short, but trust me, I am by no means small. I am fairly chubby, and my weight rests in my belly and hips, so I'm by no means thin." She pouted and looked down, "If anything, I should lose more weight."
"No. You are perfect. You have curves, and that's good. Your hips are wide, and your belly is perfect. A woman can be all skin and bones." George told her, squeezing her tightly against his chest.
She looked down, letting her hair hide her face.
They said perfect.
"Oh yes. You're perfect. Now, what were your scores for OWLS?"
"All O's," she told them thickly
"All O's? No, that's not possible. Even for a Ravenclaw." Fred told her
She pulled the paper from her pocket, they snatched it away, and read it over carefully.
"Bloody hell. You are a genius, Hunn. No way we're letting you go now."
"Where are they making you stay?"
"They're letting me stay at Hogwarts."
"No way you can stay with us over the summer. Mum would love to have another girl around, and Ginny will try to steal you from us, too. Stay here." Fred asked, and George pleaded
"Only if it's alright with your mum." She smiled small.
The throbbing stopped when they were next to her and ceased to exist when they touched her.
Being around them would be good. At least it would help until they left or graduated, but she would take what she could get if it meant they would be there with her.