Sequel: Loonar

Hand Me Downs.

Twenty Two Winchester Avenue.

The celebrations in the common room lasted the whole night, and most of the weekend. It had stressed out people worried with work, but the sight of Angelina, of all people finally joyous definitely kept the mood high.

Neville was someone who still looked worried, poring over the pile of Charms note I had given him.
Their first exam was in eight days, although for some odd reason he seemed to be the only one aware of this. Apparently Professor Sprout had told him, as an incentive. She did adore him.

As far as I was aware no-one else knew yet.

“We’ll find out tomorrow.” Hermione had said grimly, glaring as another round of ‘Weasley is our King’ started, “Why?”

“No reason.” I spoke quickly, keeping Neville’s secret exactly that. “You want any help just let me know.” They were all sat around looking a bit worried, I'd overheard Hagrid's name so assumed he had messed something up in a lesson and Umbridge was hounding him.

We’d had our final apparition lesson the day after the game, and this Saturday was the test. Which happened to take place in Hogsmeade.
I got to see the twins, well George.

We weren’t supposed to but the test was spread over the Saturday, and Sunday was a free day.
Although all Hogsmeade trips had been cancelled due to the ‘lack of behaviour in the school currently’ but George was going to apparate up for the day and I was determined to make time to see him.

Everyone met in the three broomsticks after their test, and it was unlikely Tycross would notice another student in with the rabble.

They’d found another way to get a letter past Umbridge, pretending of all people to be Molly, angered at their escape. But there had been a clear code, a message Ron hadn’t even found difficult to work out.

And I was beyond excited to see him.

“What are you grinning about?” Katie asked, making me click back into reality,

“Nothing.”

“Oh really, you were just staring at the wall for fun?” I pulled a face, “I’m bored.” She groaned, pushing away her potions book. “I miss Quidditch.”

“You won the house cup three days ago.”

“Exactly, you want to play?” I let my mouth fall shut at the pout spreading over her face,

“Do I have too?” She nodded, “At least let me get the boys.”

This nod was slightly more hesitant but I moved, understanding, that much awkwardness was never going to be brushed over so quickly, even as they tried.

I explained the situation to the three of them, Aaron quickly making an excuse and slinking away to the library to see his still secret love. “Leanne planning on playing?” I snorted, ignoring the still lingering hint of bitterness in his voice.

“Of course she isn’t, she’s with Roger somewhere...doing whatever.”

“We all know what she’s doing.” Ryan sniggered, retrieving his broom. “And we all know what you’ll be doing Saturday.”

“Apparation?” I countered, “Hopefully.” He rolled his eyes at my feigned innocence, “Depends on the schedule m’dear.”

“Slut.” I blew air hard from my mouth, tilting my head, “I take it back.”

“Good boy, Dale, you in?” He groaned, “Please,” I begged, “If we’re at least there Katie won’t moan and we won’t have to do anything!”

“But...” He glanced at my face, “Fine, fucking hell, try and actually do some work for once but no....”
He shut up soon afterwards, more content with watching me struggle on a broomstick. He was better than me, which was of little comfort to either of us.

But he didn’t almost fall twenty feet and make a sound only describable as ‘Michael Jackson on acid’.
It was the last time I was playing Quidditch that year, and if I could help it, ever.
_________________________

“Okay, Pelanci, Phillips, Rivera, Richardson you’re in here next, start from the left and filter through.”
Ryan pushed my back gently and I led the four of us in, stopping in front of the first booth.

The marker was still rather young, light golden coloured hair in a tight bun.

“Amelia Pelanci?” I nodded, glancing down the line, Ryan looking nervous and Dale looking bored.

It was how we had first met, lining alphabetically to be sorted first year.

Although Leanne (Pritcher) still hadn’t had their birthday so was under the age limit, still at Hogwarts and irritated she would have to wait until after term had finished to take her test. But we’d been stuck in the same line, had spoken, clung together as the four of us were placed in Gryffindor.

And I suppose we’d been friends ever since.
With several minor hiccups.

“Okay, well Amelia, as you are aware there is a lot more to apparition then knowing a place, you cannot bring forth just visual images to achieve the effect. You need to be able to apparate anywhere, the name and use of the three D's should be enough, understood?”

I nodded wordlessly, hearing similar speeches down the room. “Okay, well, I want you to apparate outside the front of this address, listen carefully,” She met my eyes, giving me a few seconds, “Twenty two, Winchester Avenue, Aberdeen....repeat that for me.”

“Twenty two, Winchester Avenue, Aberdeen.”

“Very good, now the others in your group will be in a similar area and we will have staff waiting to check your success and assist if there are any issues. You have your wand?” I nodded, “Then, if you apparate in the wrong place and it is safe to do so, shoot sparks into the air, presuming you have not gone too far we will see, or,” She clipped a small badge onto my dress, “we shall search for you using that device. Is that all understood?”

“Yeah.”

“Try not to look so nervous, now, in your own time...” She took a step back, eyes on me softly.

I glanced down at my shoes, closing my eyes and reciting the address. It was hard, not being able to imagine it, we’d only moved into a hoop directly in front of us and across the hall for Gods sake.
I just pictured a typical house, the number twenty two stuck outside it.

I felt the vacuum, my skin and body merge, squashed with an ear ringing pitch and then warm air. I opened my eyes, glancing around me looking for the sign. Winchester Avenue.

I squeaked with excitement, a man crossing the road, clipboard in hand although he was dressed in muggle clothing, “Nicely done, Miss...”

“Pelanci.” I said, holding back a smirk.

“What what address were you given?”

“Twenty Two Winchester Avenue.” He glanced behind me.

“Well, I’d call that twenty four but no bother.” I spun, heart sinking a little when I looked at the houses completely different to what I had imagined but I was standing indeed in front of the gate to twenty four, my aim about five metres to my right.

“Shit.”

“Oh no,” He waved me away, “No matter whatsoever, very close, makes no difference. I’ll just have to check around you for splinching, if you’d step forward a second.”

I did as he said, letting my grin show but looking up and down the small avenue for any of the others.

“Alright, no sign of splinching, no unnecessary noise, almost perfectly on target. I think we can easily call that a successful pass Miss Pelanci.”

“Great.” I breathed, he nodded.

“I’ll escort you back now, and you give your marker this sheet and she’ll sort you out.”

“Thank you.” He held out his arm and I took grip of it awkwardly, no time for me to prepare before I was being crushed again, blinking back in the room, the marker smiling at me. “Thank you Andrew.”

He said his goodbyes and handed her the sheet, apparating away. I twisted, Dale was standing along from me, he turned, meeting my eyes and grinning with a thumbs up that I returned. “Where’s Ryan?” I mouthed earning a shrug and awkward look before the marker turned to me.

“Right then, here is your licence,” she placed a small card in my hand, it wasn’t like a driving license, there was no picture or date of birth, just my name and ‘Approved’ written across it in handwritten cursive. “You should carry it when apparating preferably but it is not necessary, just remember to always practise caution and remember the three D's. Well done Miss Pelanci you can move out of here now.” She unclipped the detection device and let me go.

“Thank you.” I said lightly, beaming at her, she returned the smile, ushering me along.

Dale met me a couple of minutes after but there was no sign of Ryan.

Alex stalked past with a frown thick on his face. We both smiled cynically at him, “Not go well Richardson?” He growled something under his breath, storming out to his other Slytherin cronies.

“When is George here?” I shrugged, “Well, it’s nearly two now so you should go.” I glanced up at him, “What about Ryan?”

“If he isn’t here by now it can’t have gone well, he was really nervous, maybe that threw him out.”

“Maybe.” It was odd, Ryan had excelled at it, but that was something he did, let his nerves get the better of him, hence the issues with Quidditch. “I feel bad going if he’s going to be upset.”

“He’ll be alright, go meet George. Go, before Twycross comes and gets us.” He grimaced and I smiled.

“Alright, I’ll see you in a bit, well done!”

“You too. Have fun with loverboy.” He couldn’t hide the hint of scorn in his voice but I ignored it, following out where Alex had headed, placing my jacket on as I snuck out through the group.

I started down the cobbled path, it was bright, warm, my jacket unnecessary and I felt a whole lot hotter once I saw a familiar figure. He grinned, waving and I practically bounded into him, hugging so tight I lifted a couple of inches off of the ground.

“Alright, enough with the bloody dramatics.” He chortled, dropping me and kissing me quickly, “Gunna guess it went alright then?” I nodded, shoving the card in his face, “Knew you’d ace it!”

“Course you did,” I teased, his hand linking with mine and dragging me into Zonkos, “I wanna know how everything going with you guys anyway! Codes in letters aren’t really enough! I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever!”

“I’d miss me as well,” he winked, kissing me again and earning a cough from the female cashier who I noted with a hint of glee seemed much quieter with him this time, eyes lingering on our joined hands as he grabbed some supplies.

“You think you’ll be able to sneak anything in to the school?” I shrugged,

“I don’t even have my bag.”

“But you have pockets?” I showed him the small ones in my jacket.

“Darn, wait, someone will have something surely...”

“Filch is checking everyone now, we got checked coming out.”

“But they haven’t found the nifflers?” I shook my head, “Good. Just these then please Alana.” She nodded, bagging them grumpily and letting us leave. I made a comment about the amount of money George seemed to have, “Well, we’ve opened, not all the time, but we got a lot of interest already.”

“Thats’ brilliant, I’m so happy for you two!”

“Yeah,” He flinched suddenly, “Although we got a howler in the post and had to go home to face mum.” He pulled a face, “It was not pretty but she’s calmed down a little, I think the bottle of sherry helped.” I giggled.

“So, where are we going?”

“How long until everyone will be done and you have the after drinks thing?”

“They reckoned we’d all be finished by three, and then we’re heading back up to the castle at half four...and,” I pulled his arm to me, looking at his watch.

Watches were a typical coming of age present, although I noticed his was in far better condition than it had been originally.

“Half past two.”

“So we have at least an hour before you have to make an appearance.” I nodded and he grinned, “Great, off we go then.”

“Off we go where?” I laughed, releasing myself from him.

“The hogs head.” I grimaced instantly, I’d only been in there a few times, and that was to get the bottles of firewhisky we used to drink frequently from the uncaring barman and the first DA meeting, “Why?”

The DA felt like an age ago.
I'd heard nothing about Bellatrix in months, that was either excessively good or bad. I swallowed, George was here, now was not the time to wory. I had to enjoy this.

“I got a room.” He winked although it was unnecessary.

“But it’s so dirty.” I complained, although I was already back in his grip, feeling myself tingle at the prospect of having him again.

Although it would be in the Hogs head of all places.

I bit my lip as we entered, nodding awkwardly at the barman, “I got a room.” George said loudly, several cloaked heads turning our way, I hit him lightly, shushing him, feeling my skin flush but he shook me off, accepting the keys and the directions from the elder man.

“George,” I whined once we were out of the hall way and heading up the crooked staircase, “That was embarrassing.”

“Like you know anyone here.” He grabbed onto my hips, stopping me a couple of steps above him and spinning me, hand moving up to my face, tilting it down so our lips met passionately.

I stopped thinking in that instant and didn’t start again until the odd smelling sheets were sticking to me.

“This room is vile.” I breathed, breaths still short and erratic, head close to his shoulder and I removed the sheet was my thigh. “Just a tad yeah.” He said in an off voice, one look at his face and I giggled, “Don’t fall asleep.”

“It’s tiring work.”

“How romantic.” I’d sat up whilst teasing him, the cover pooling around my waist, “Come on, I need to go soonish.”

“How soon?” He didn’t move so I leant over him, making sure my chest was close to his face.

His mouth met my breast and I gasped a little, pulling back and grabbing his arm, “George, if I’m not there for a bit Twycross will wonder where I am.”

“Fuck Twycross.” I giggled, shrugging away and standing, his eyes finally opening and scanning down me, “Stop being such a pervert.”

“I’m allowed.” He teased, standing himself, both of us dressing quickly. “You think you’ll be able to get out again?” I shrugged,

“Not likely, but I finish in a month! So I’ll come down to Diagon Alley first thing...then obviously I’ve got the wedding but I’ll be way closer to you than if you were at the burrow.”

“And apparating.” He added, gently throwing my shoes to me, “So you have no excuse. You better head up to Mum though or she'll feel neglected.” I smiled, biting my lip and slipping my coat on, moving to the grimy mirror and tidying my hair and make-up a little.

“How obvious do we look?”

“Fairly,” he considered, shrugging and wrinkling his nose, “I’m just going to pop my head in to say well done to Ryan and that and then I’ll go, so Umbridge doesn’t scar you further.” With this he came over, again looking at my wand, kissing the white lines gently.

“Let’s just hope this one year curse gets her too.”

“It better, she’s unbearable and I swear on Merlin's beard if there was a chance I could hex the hell out of her I would.”

I smirked again and we left, George paying the barman, with a tip. I was glad to have fresh air, the musty smell inside was getting to me. “Twycross might be happy to see you actually,” I mused, “Since you and Fred passed ‘with distinction’”

“I don’t wanna see him.” He groaned, “He never stops talking.”

“The three D’s Mr Wealsey...” I did a terrible impression, earning a laugh. “I miss you not being here.” The mood changed instantly, “I know you and Fred are mega busy so it’s probably not as bad for you but it’s so odd not having you around.”

“It’s only for a month,” He promised, “And then you have us for eight...well seven whole weeks, you’ll be dying to get back to Hogwarts.”

“Perhaps,” I answered, “I just hope Dumbledore is back by then.”

“I’m sure he will be.”