Sequel: Loonar

Hand Me Downs.

Hot Chocolate.

I was woken up the next morning by a persistent prodding in my side and as I drifted uncomfortably back into consciousness I felt irritation flicker and ignite. “Amelia,” I swatted pathetically at the hand, curling up into George’s side. The poking continued, “Fred, go away.”

“No,” The finger became hands, dragging me onto my back and pestering until I wrenched my eyes open, “Fred, seriously!”

“It’s our birthday,” he said simply, leaning and pushing hair roughly out of my face. I huffed a little, looking past him blearily at the large clock resting precariously on the stone, “Yes.” My voice was a croak and I turned, eager to ignore him but noticing that George also seemed perfectly awake, two almost identical pairs of eyes on me.

I suppose it said a lot that one of the only ways they differed was a flight hint of green in their brown eyes, and I’d firmly taken note of it during my second year after several tricks. The rest were small difference, Fred had a mole on the right side of his neck, where shirts rested, George had a scar on his left bicep from a gnome accident.

After a while I supposed I just knew who was who without these little details, it was just natural, when you spent enough time with then even their voices sounded different.

Not that I wasn’t still paranoid one time they were going to trick me in some awfully humiliating way.
I squinted into George’s eyes a little harder, satisfied before turning to his brother, “It is, but what time is it?”

“Nearly six.”

“Nearly six?” They didn’t seem to notice my lack of enthusiasm, “And breakfast starts at half past eight?”

“Well durh, you’ve been here long enough to remember that haven’t you?”

“Which means I get up about quarter past seven, seven at the earliest.”

“Special day.”

I opened my mouth to retort when I was met with two sets of puppy dog eyes and pouting lips.

“We all suffer Amelia.” Lee yawned, taming his dreadlocks easily with one hand as he stumbled just in his underwear to the bathroom, “Every bloody year.” George grinned at his back.

“I’ll get your presents in a minute then.” I gave up, sitting and realising something.

“Go now!” Fred whined, tugging my arm a little, I snatched it back.

“Not right now Fred.” He lifted a brow at the high pitch of my voice.

“Why?” George echoed him and I shuffled, pulling the cover higher up my body and lowering my voice, “Because, I’m not wearing any underwear.” George snorted instantly, and regretfully Fred pulled a face that made me well aware he had heard.

“Eww, you dirty little...”

“Girlfriend.” George cut in, stopping him, “Just move so I can close the curtain mate.”

“Happily.” He grimaced comically again and moved, closing it quickly and leaving me red faced, George laughed a little and poked my burning cheek.

“Anyone pokes me for the rest of the day and I will bite their finger off.” I snapped, hunting for the old pair of tracksuit bottoms I had officially claimed from George and pulling them on, still feeling ridiculous, “What if it isn’t a finger?”

It took my tired brain a few second to comprehend but he was met hard in the face with his t-shirt, “You’re so annoying.”

“Come on grumpy guts.” I whined, but let him pull me onto him, arms wrapped around me tightly.

“You’re squashing me.”

“You have to cheer up.”

“It’s six in the morning, not even the owls are awake yet!”

“But...presents.” I rolled my eyes, agreeing until he let me go and leaving their dormitory, sticking my head in the sixth year boys on my way down, debating any quick and mean things I could do.

Instead, the gentle mumbling Ryan did in his sleep when he was stressing about something made me stop, as amongst the nonsense I could make out the word ‘quidditch’ several times which quickly made me place the glass of water down rather than pouring it over him as had been my plan.

“Amelia? What are you doing?” I glanced back at the grumbled deep voice, whispering back to my friend as I moved out, wincing when I knocked over a pile of books, but thankfully no-one else stirred.

“It’s tweedle dee and tweedle dum’s birthday isn’t it, I’m going to go get their presents.”

“Oh, right yeah.” He replied with a loud yawn, sitting, covers falling and exposing his toned chest and arms, “I thought you were coming to do something mean.”

“I debated it,” I said honestly, letting out my own yawn and tugging my hair back, “I need to sort myself out God, have I got make-up all over my face?” He studied me and shrugged, moving over to wipe some from my cheek.

“You look like a goth.” I giggled a little, “And like you’re doing the walk of shame.” My giggle this time was more forced, uncomfortable instantly at the tone his voice took. “Nice.”

“Indeed,” he replied, lying back down.

“Well...I’m going to go then...” It suddenly had become very awkward, “I’ll see you at breakfast?”

“Yeah sure, have fun.” I stood, hesitating to say more but deciding silence was the best policy and making my way down and up the close flight of stairs into my own dormitory, much hotter than the others due to Leanne’s permanent affection to being cold.

Taking extra care not to wake anybody I moved to my bed and carried their box of presents to the doorway before grabbing my make-up bag and hairbrush and darting into the bathroom, having to light a couple of candles as I had left my wand with George and quickly making myself more presentable with a light layering of make-up and ripping my brush through my hair, another over my teeth until all I could taste was mint.

Sneaking back out and dressing in half of my school uniform ( leaving the shirt, jumper and tie lying neatly on my bed) and slipping a jumper over my upper body, socks pulled over my knees to keep them warm.

Finally reading I began the arduous task of carrying the box down and back up a ridiculous amount of floor and steps until finally I was greeted with smiles as I dropped the box in between the three beds.

“Finally!” Fred said, rushing over and hugging me so tightly I was lifted a couple of inches from the floor. “We already opened Lees and Mum and Dads will come in the post.”

“So long as Ron got us something, he better not think he can ‘forget’ two years in a row.”

“He hasn’t,” I promised, having been pestered for present ideas the previous week, “And, yes you can open it now!” The faces had grown too much and I moved next to Lee, perching on the banner of the bed as they tore through my meticulously wrapped paper and starting tugging things from the box, several exclamations and jokes.

I was just glad all the money and effort was appreciated.
That I was.

“Yes, I was just saying we needed some essence of daisy toad yesterday!”
_______________________________________________

“I see my advice worked then?” Leanne asked the next morning, a hairband pushing her hair out of her face so she could apply the expert foundation she used, she smirked at my face and continued, “No need to be embarrassed.”

“You’re embarrassed.” I said weakly back, earning a laugh in reply, deeply unhappy that Katie was in the bathroom, the roar of water teasing me. I ached and I was fairly sure I stunk of sex, I had done the very ‘Walk of Shame’ Dale had taunted me about. I yawned into one hand, swearing at her with the other.

“I was out last night actually,” She changed the subject, clearly aware she was making me
uncomfortable, I went with it, “With Roger?” She nodded, grinning, “You have a nice time?”

“Delightful,” I snorted at her.

“That’s the word you’re using to describe having sex with him?”

“Yup.”

“That’s weird.”

“You’re weird darling.” I flopped back onto my bed, longing for the hot relaxation of the water,
“No, you are, you’ve been acting a bit...” I couldn’t think of the word, “Odd, I don’t know...like posher since you started dating him...nicer.”

“So I wasn’t nice before?”

I changed my tone to avoid a possible argument, “I don’t mean that I mean...”
“I want him to like me.”

“So you’re going to act like you’re a different person?”

“I am not acting like a different person, I’m just...reigning it in a little...” I didn’t reply, popping my lips and moving the second Katie emerged, a cloud of steam behind her.

“Morning,” She replied, getting a very quick response in return as I undressed and arranged myself.
I’d had a bit of an issue with Cormac on the stairs, that was why I was so embarrassed, annoyed.

He’d basically said I was a slut, not in such blunt terms but insinuated it, and for some stupid reason that had upset me, I’d let someone as arrogant and ridiculous as Cormac upset me.

I sighed, the water stinging as it trailed down my skin.

And tomorrow I had to go home, spend three days with my father and Tammy, delightful.
___

It came around quicker than I would have liked, and on that Saturday morning, the first day of the Easter holidays I was walking down to Hogsmeade with George, a light drizzle that had lasted for days tapping against my umbrella, his hand linked with mine. “So you’ll be back Wednesday morning?”

“Hopefully, I’m going to get the Knight bus to Hogsmeade and walk up.”

“If you let me know when I can meet you.”

“Nah, it’s fine, you know what the Knight Bus is like, it doesn’t really run on a schedule, and I can walk up to Hogwarts without dying.”

“Not with a case this bloody heavy,” he complained, gripping it tighter.

“It has wheels George...”

“Yeah, and if I do that and it gets all muddy I won’t hear the end of it.” I laughed, smiling up at him, “Be weird without you here though.”

“You’ll survive, just think of it as three days of proper Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes productions.” I bit my lip after I spoke, aware the date of their big show was approaching, and that was the day they were going to leave.

They claimed they hadn’t picked a date but I wasn’t sure if I believed that or not, although they may be just waiting for the best time to spite Umbridge. “True,” he drawled, “Be good to start sorting our some more whiz bangs finally.” I nodded, letting my head rest against his shoulder, “Bloody hell, watch the umbrella, you nearly took my eye out.”

“Sorry doll.”

“No prob doll.” I sniggered, and we finally reached the train station, a gathering of other students also heading home milling around, I spotted Smithy and waved, deciding quickly I would be spending the next six hours with him and his brother.

“I better get on,” I said eventually gently taking his suitcase out of his hand, unsure why just a few simple days without him seemed so dreadful, “I’ll see you Wednesday okay?”

“Alright, have a nice time.”

I scoffed in reply, and to his tribute, Smithy loitered outside the train until we were finished, offering to wrench my bag up, “Jesus Amelia, what’s in this?”

“Clothes,” I said innocently, turning to Aaron and following the two down the small train, only three carriages and slotting in a booth with them, hoping the day would pass as slowly as possible before we pulled up at Kings Cross.

In my handbag there was a beep, a sign that the large mobile phone my Dad had gotten me was finally far enough away from Hogwarts to work, why Hogwarts seemed to shrink back from advancing technology I wasn’t sure but I had a text, words printed small over the small screen in black and a tinted green.

Me and Tammy will meet you in the waiting room down Platform Nine, I suppose it will be the same time as usual?

Yeah, we should be there by four xx

The train, unfortunately was on time, and as we crossed through the barrier and I bid the two goodbye, I felt the usual coolness of the station hit me. It was busy, as usual, people brushing past me, some barging almost and I grew annoyed instantly, glad I had no animal at school to bother trying to get around them, the poor thing would be startled to death.

That and I had been forbidden to have any pets in the house.

That however seemed irrelevant when Tammy brought her two large hairballs of cats and they pretty much had their own room. Although, at least they were friendly.

“Amelia!” Her voice was high, sugary, like she’d been dipped it a boiling pot of it and come out coated and glossy, “Hey Tammy.” I said, forcing a smile and letting her awkwardly rest her arms around my shoulders, the same height as me in her tottering heels.

Friendly.

Well it would look that way, if you could see past the nose job and the air of fakeness that clung around her. I scolded myself, I was to be nice, open. I was usually but I always felt it never seemed sincere enough, although it felt much the same the opposite way.

I was doing well until she shoved her sparkling right hand in my face, “Isn’t it gorgeous, you know I’ve been dropping hints for years, but I was just so glad he called Pamela. It’s from Tiffany’s you’d faint if I told you how much it was!”

“It’s lovely.” I said, as usual half lying, it was far too large and gaudy for my taste. “Where is he? I thought he was?”

“Oh, well,” Her voice lost its airy edge and sounded normal, if a little irritated, the exaggerated Californian accent dropping instantly, “Louisa called, so of course he had to take it.”

“Well she is his boss....”

“Yes, and if that woman doesn’t...” she trailed off, clicking her fingers a little and stopping herself, “He’s outside by the taxi rank, but no doubt he’ll be a while so do you want to get a drink? I want to tell you about the wedding plans.”

“Sure, I’ll have whatever.”

“I’ll get you a hot chocolate, you still like those right?”

Like that would have changed over a few months. I nodded, suddenly remembering why I drank so much.

I was unfair to her, I knew that. I had never given her that much of a chance, decided I didn’t like her instantly and that view had stuck. But we had never connected, we spoke, she did the odd thing I suppose a mother would but all with that damn bleached smile that barely seemed to falter.

It didn't seem natural like it did with Molly or Katie's mother.

She was just so... I bit my lip, letting her drag me past the rope barrier and down into a small chair, my suitcase clicking as it rolled, “Just a sec,” She sang, darting off, spinning so fast she also tripped and ended up with her leather covered legs in the air.

The joys of being home.

“So, we were thinking the beach, or perhaps in the hills, sunset so the light catches on my dress. Oh gosh the dress I was thinking of having a bodice just coated with those crystals, and lace...”

I plastered on a smile and it stuck there until Wednesday morning finally rolled around and I was sitting in the car with my Dad, I needed to get a few bits so he had offered, unusually, to take me to Diagon Alley before I got the bus from the Leaky Cauldron.

“So...” He said, sighing at traffic, “Thankyou for my presents.”

“No problem, were they all okay?”

“Of course they were okay Amelia.” It should have been reassuring but his tone wasn't warm.

“Glad you liked them.”

He dropped silent again, the radio presenter speaking of news, troubles abroad, traffic issues. The whole of London was a traffic issue and I wasn’t sure why we had decided to drive all the way rather than get the train and tube.

“You are okay though?” I glanced at him, the question so out of character, “With everything?”

“With the wedding?” He nodded slowly, the car pulling to a halt so he risked looking at my eyes, I nodded back, “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

He snorted, “You and Tammy can both lie to me but you two don’t really get on.”

I swore internally, I thought I’d done a good enough job the last few days, the last few years even to keep that to myself.

“We don’t...”

“You don’t know, and I get it, you both are as nice to one another as you can be but you’re just so different, I suppose in a way that’s the point.”

“The point of what?” The conversation had turned so sincere so quickly, and it was odd, even to be alone with him for so long, but to have him seeming to notice something about me emotionally, reciprocate that was unheard of.

“You’re so much like your mother, you know that?” I kept the pause silent, “And Tammy isn’t.”
I wasn’t sure why my throat clogged up, why it felt heavy and slow.

“And...Angelica said...” He was taking advice from his assistant now? “Angelica said I should have told you about wanting to marry Tammy before I did, and in a different way. She’s right isn’t she?”

I nodded.

“Shit.”

What followed was the closest to a heart to heart we had ever had.
♠ ♠ ♠
Sorry for the delay and a boring chapter, I just needed to clear some stuff up. :)

Thankyou for reading, comments would be lovely,

much love x