Hand Me Downs.

Draco’s threat had shaken me more than I would ever admit, and I spent the next couple of days in a haze. Assuring people I was okay and trying to take my mind off of it by actually doing my homework early for once.

I didn’t know how I felt, his words kept running through his head, Bellatrix’s picture of her screaming in her chains crashed through my dreams of my mother, that cackle echoing. I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to read the sentence I had been staring at for the last ten minutes again.

“You’re worrying me.” A voice came from behind me, sitting down heavily on the sofa next to me, the Common room nearly empty as it passed midnight, “I’m fine George.” he scoffed quickly, resting his arm around my shoulders and placing the book on the sofa away from me.

“You’ve been staring at that paragraph for ages, and you’ve been really quiet since Quidditch.” I leant against his shoulder, my mouth pursed, “So you have a choice, you either tell me what Malfoy said to you and I make you feel better before going and hexing him to hell or I go straight for the latter...” I sniggered slightly, pulling away from him and tucking some hair behind my ear.

“He brought up my mum,” I said quietly, “And Bellatrix,” I glanced at him, “I guess what got me the most, was...I didn’t know he knew.” I wiped over my bare eyes, that was probably a warning sign, that I was too tired to have put make-up on this morning, "I keep having those dreams again."

“What exactly did he say?” His face grew more red as I failed to answer him, “Amelia....”

I sighed, “He said I needed to stop fucking around with Umbridge, but I haven’t yet so I think that was more aimed at the lot of us, mainly Harry. Then he said I should piss of people with power, then....and this bit I think needs reporting back to the Order definitely, he said....when things go to plan its ‘muggles’ like me that will get hurt first.”

“Possibly a hint at Hermione as well then...” George breathed, his fist placed under his jaw, as he listening intently. He glanced at me again and I took a ragged breath continuing,

“And then he said if Umbridge didn’t get to me first, there was a certain member of his family who would he happy to oblige and finish the job.” He jerked but didn’t move.

“We can’t send that in a letter.” He said simply, shocking me as he ignored my final sentence, “I’ll send a letter back home to Dad, hint about Bellatrix and Lucius.”

I nodded gently, was I selfish to want more care from him? To expect him to instantly leap to my defence and run off like he had promised?

Yes, yes I was... One insult from Malfoy had opened a can of worms that went far beyond me.

I smiled lightly at him, “I wanted to do it sooner, send the letter but...”

“Malfoy shook you up?” I nodded, and he pulled me onto his lap in much the same way he had at Grimmauld Place, “The only problem is I don’t know how much we can do, Malfoy wise, without creating suspicion, especially with what they all think of my family, we don’t need them prying deeper and working it out about the Order.”

I nodded, wrapping my fingers around his thumb. “I really wish I could shut him up once and for all though,” I smiled, forcing myself from my haze of self-pity, I should have seen it rationally like George, realised the implications.

I should be expecting to get in a lot worse positions with what was bound to happen in the future.

“Thanks George.” He smiled, his cheek pressed against my temple, “For someone with only 3 OWLS you’re very smart.”

“For someone with a shit-load of OWLS you’re very stupid.” He gestured for me to move and he stood, pulling me up and resting his arms around my waist as my head fell against his chest, the common room was practically empty, the fire crackling not far from us.

“Don’t let Malfoy get to you, he’s on high alert because Harry knows about daddy-dearest, and you know we...I’d never let anything happen to you. I am the nice twin after all.”

He finished must less sincere than he started and I smiled as he pulled away, he held my gaze for a few seconds longer than necessary and I bit my lip, his face flushing slightly as he finally moved his eye-line from my own.

“I know...and you’re definitely the more sensible one, Fred would have just gone running off not thinking.” He nodded slightly, more of a jerky movement, and I continued, “Well, if you just write to your Dad then...” I felt awkward, something that rarely if ever happened around either of them.

It was just the way he had been looking at me, he nodded again and mumbled a goodnight, not allowing me to give him a usual goodnight hug and half sprinting up the boys staircase leaving a deep frown of my face.

“That was strange.” I muttered to myself, irritated at how flustered I felt as I made my way to my cool bed.

Leanne, still scrawling away to her waiter lover glanced over at me, raising a questioning eyebrow, “You okay?” I took a breath, shooting her an unconvincing smile and nodding.

“Fine. Night.”

She gave me a look but took my answer, going back to her letter as I changed into my Pajamas

That was definitely strange.


The next couple of weeks passed almost normally. Well normally for Hogwarts. I had finally achieved my first detention with Umbridge and the words, 'I must not disrupt.' were still a dark pink across my hand, but we were getting to her...and in a sick way that cheered me up immensely.

There was also a trip to Hogsmeade this coming weekend and that would prove to be interesting at the least.

They had approached us; me, Katie, Ryan and Dale. Well they had approached us all, and although they pledged they would help if it was ever needed Aaron and Leanne chose to not to attend.

Of course they meant the undisputed 'Golden Trio'.

Again I didn’t understand my friends logic but accepted it, they wanted to keep their families from danger, while supporting the cause from the back. I suppose I was rather blind to all of that, as my Father stayed as far removed as possible from the Wizarding World as he could.

However, Aaron had even began to suck to Umbridge, simply to see if there was anything she would let slip.

Smart boy, the rest of us would never dream of it, her giggle alone made me want to throw up.

Leanne well, she believed Harry but she was scared of Umbridge and her mother worked at the ministry, she admitted that bluntly to him and he had told her it was fine, although I saw Ron roll his eyes as he walked away, leaving me plastering a smile on my face mainly for Leanne’s benefit.

But she was one of my best friends, and I had already made the mistake of driving Sarah away, “Are you mad at me?” She had asked and I had shaken my head,

“You do whatever you think is best sweetie. No-one will think any less of you,” her gaze had landed on the twins, now talking to the three; “Yeah, right.”

The Hogsmeade weekend arrived quickly, and for once in my life I had pulled myself together and had finished all of my homework, even Snape’s dreadful essay on ‘A look at the history and common uses, whilst exploring the creation of Golpalott's Third Law.’ needless to say, I sincerely regretted struggling so much to get into NEWT level potions.

But then, I wanted to be an Auror, something I still felt foolish admitting to people. The Auror’s were the elite, although at time when you watched Tonk’s trip over her own feet it seemed unlikely.
I wanted to make her proud, my mother. I wanted to help in the fight against who and what had killed her.

Being an Auror was the best chance I had to do that. And picking up anything I could from Harry was a no-brainer.

“Well, don’t you both look nice.” Dale winked, catching up with Katie and me on the stairway.

“How sweet,” I replied, waving a hello to Angelina and Alicia, which turned into a goodbye as Katie went over to walk with them. “What do you want?”

He looked offended, “Oh drop it, you’re only complimentary when there’s something you need.” He grinned at me, placing an arm around my shoulders as we reached the courtyard, the cold wind causing me to let out a little gasp of breath.

“Can I... dearest Amelia, borrow a couple of Galleons?” I scoffed at him.

“Dearest Amelia? But.. of course you can, and I’m assuming by borrow you mean to never pay back?” He frowned slightly,

“I’ll pay it back when I have the money, maybe if Dad gets his act together....” I placed my palm over his lips.

“It’s fine.” I smiled slightly up at him, feeling bad, “You know the only useful thing my Dad does is earn a decent wage, take as long as you need, it’s not like I’ve got a chart or anything.”

“I have,” he said quietly, causing my smile to drop as I glanced up at him, “I do...” he continued, “For every penny or knut I’ve ever borrowed off anyone. And I intend to pay it all back, I hate people thinking I’m some kind of scab.” He had lowered his arm during his confession and I linked my hand with his, smiling at him and offering no words but squeezing his palm.

“Well I’m sure I can manage without the money until you’re a millionaire.” I tried to tease a few minutes later as we began the descent on the main hill down to Hogsmeade, you walked most of the year, carriages available when the weather was truly awful, but today, although cold had a bright sun and cloudless skies.

The beauty of the area around Hogwarts always caught my attention.

“Oh yeah, and what am I gunna do to get that kind of money? Not may places are impressed by someone barely scraping all Acceptable’s.” I bit the inside of my lip, feeling guilt flicker in my stomach as he again turned the mood sour, “But then again,” his own voice turned more jovial and I let out a quiet breath of relief, “I could always be like Zambini’s mother and marry all the rich people I can find...” he lowered his voice, leaning down to me as the Slytherin fifth years marched past.

Draco giving me a vicious look I brushed off, my conversation with George still fresh in my head.

“And then top them off as soon as I’m in their will.” I snorted, shaking my head playfully at him.

“You don’t know that’s true.” He pulled a face as I spoke, “It’s just gossip.”

“Most gossip has some truth behind it.”

“Unless it’s written in the Daily Prophet it would seem.”



"I would much rather had a fire-whisky." Ryan muttered over his butterbeer as he scrawled his name on the parchment, mine following shortly afterwards as I passed it back further into the muddle of students.

I was impressed, there was over thirty people here and only a couple that looked like they didnt agree with Harry. Cho's friend was one of these and I shot Cho a look to which she smiled lightly, shrugging at her companion, that dreadful Marietta girl.

Her gaze landed back on Harry as Hermione continued to mumble on in her way. I shared a couple of classes with Cho, although I couldn't claim to know her well I had kept an eye on her this year, having been asked by Hermione for Harry's sake.

The meeting passed quite smoothly, although we had definitely attracted a lot of attention considering the Hogshead was usually void of people, let alone students. It was also this reason that it was my friend and my place to come and buy fire-whisky from the barman who spent most of his time supposedly oblivious to our age.

"We'll buy some more after the meeting." Dale suggested and I nodded, suddenly aware of what the money I was lending him would be spent on, "Have you ever considered that you three have a problem?" Alicia lent in, a glint in her eye, she and Angelina giggled as the meeting disbanded and I stuck my tongue out.

"We don't have a problem per-say we just..."

"We're rebels... obviously." Ryan said, trying to sound suave and failing terribly as the group filtered out, Hermione stopping quickly and shooting us a look as she saw us counting out the needed money.

"We'll need to find somewhere to have meetings at Hogwarts, obviously we cant use here."

We nodded, before I told Katie I'd meet her shortly at Zonko's "Well can't Harry use the..." I avoided the two males gazes, "Nevermind... I'll see you tonight." She nodded, catching up with Harry and Ron.

"And If I see that bottle again I'm confiscating it!" she threatened, earning a synchronised groan.

"Do we have a problem?" Ryan questioned as he payed for the large bottle, slipping it into my bag.

I shook my head, "Nah, we're just the cool kids."

Dale chuckled as we went back into the cold, "No, we definately have a problem. Why else would we all be friends? It's drinking and Daddy-issues in abundance."