Brontide

It was while Fred and George were gone that Rae and I decided to take a look around her old place. Much like the sitting room, the rest of her house had been ransacked. Her mother's jewelry box was emptied of its contents, her father's fancy gold tie tacks were gone from their display, even Rae's piggy bank had been smashed to bits. Not only that, but dresser draws hung open with clothing strewn everywhere, closet doors were barely hanging onto their hinges... they'd been looking for something but only took the valuables, whoever made that mess. I realized the possibility that it hadn't been Snatchers or Death Eaters, but possibly squatters or regular old thieves. Rae's family was quite wealthy, and surely other people in the area knew this.

Nevertheless, we began putting protection charms up left and right.

“The last thing we need is Mrs. Waterson poking her wrinkly nose where it doesn't belong,” Rae muttered under her breath before disappearing into the kitchen. If my memory served me correctly, we should've counted ourselves lucky she didn't phone the police after that ruckus. Rae's neighbor was old and looked like a prune but had the hearing of a fruit bat.

Once I'd finished, I joined Rae in the kitchen to find her lost in thought and leaning on the marble island in the center of the room.

“Do you think...are my parents...alright?” Her question was hesitant and the look on her face couldn't have been anymore unsure of how she felt.

In all the time we'd been in hiding, in all the time I'd even known the girl, this was the first time I heard her feel concerned for her family's well-being. It was no secret she felt resentment towards them for what she would often refer to, particularly during her youth, as “blatant abandonment”. And yet I knew despite her grudge that she was worried, especially after seeing the state of her childhood home in ruin. It was the place she felt would be the safest for us, though I had a feeling a small part of her had been hoping to see her parents again.

I chose my next words carefully. “It's like you said, they're probably off vacationing somewhere nice and tropical, right? I'll be damned if I'm not a bit jealous,” I let out a light laugh, happy to see her smile a little.

“Got that right,” she mumbled, twirling her wand around her fingers. “When Nestor gets back, do you think I could send them a letter? I would just like to let them know I'm okay... I'm not sure I should mention the robbery though. I don't want them rushing back here, better to let them find out once they're back, right? To protect them?”

“If Nestor gets back, then of course. At this point I'm convinced he left me out of spite, maybe I didn't play with him enough or something,” I sighed. “And you're right, best to let them find out on their own, hopefully after this war has blown over.”

Rae went over to the pantry door and peered inside. “On the bright side, there's still some food in here that might not be expired yet.” She pulled out two cans of sweet potatoes and shook them, looking fairly excited at the prospect of getting to eat more than a small amount of food.

While we waited for the boys to get back, she and I raided the pantry, cabinets, and refrigerator for anything edible. Most of the food in the fridge we threw away, mushy produce and moldy cheeses and meats. There were some stale crackers and crisps in the cabinets, but what really got us excited was the freezer. Who knew TV dinners could look so enticing?

I popped a fish fillet dinner in the microwave and decided to help Rae clean up a bit while it heated up. Taking a page out of Mrs. Weasley's book, I waved my wand and watched as a rag wiped down the counters and appliances. A broom from the closet began sweeping while Rae tidied up the dining room, summoning china and utensils from the kitchen. On the stove top, pots of mashed potatoes and carrots were cooking away, the aroma making my mouth water.

I'd be lying if I said this didn't all feel strange; it was almost like we were back in Diagon Alley. I missed that place more than anything.

I'd just finished fixing up the sitting room when I heard the beeping of the microwave, and a moment later a CRACK sounded from directly in front of me, causing me to yelp out of shock.

My wand was pointed at Fred and George's confused faces, the two of them looking like they were struggling not to laugh.

“We weren't gone that long, did you forget about us already?” Fred chuckled, putting his hand on my wand so I'd lower it.

I frowned, taking no chances and raising it back up. “Just identify yourselves already so we can eat, alright?” I was certain it was them but we couldn't afford to be careless on the off chance I was wrong.

The sighed in unison. “I'm George Fabian Weasley, proud co-owner of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, located at 93 Diagon Alley. My Patronus is a fox, my ear was blasted off by Severus Snape trying to move Harry before his seventeenth birthday, and I'm very much in love with Rae Turner. Is that enough?”

I nodded in approval, trying not to gush over George saying he was in love with Rae. I pointed my wand back at Fred, raising an eyebrow expectantly. He smirked a little. “Fred Gideon Weasley, also co-owner of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. In our Sixth Year I came up with the idea to use aging potions for the Goblet of Fire, which I recall bragging to you about, Cass. My Patronus is a raccoon, and you and I have been steadily seeing each other since the snogging session at Bill and Fleur's wedding.”

To be honest I probably didn't need to question him too, but I was curious what he would say about me. The memory of the kiss we shared back then made my cheeks flush, and I lowered my wand to meet Rae's stare from the kitchen doorway.

She looked fairly amused. “Come on, you lot, we're about to eat better than we have in a long time,” she said with a grin.

At the mention of food, Fred and George moved faster than the speed of light, myself trailing right behind them. With the heavy maroon curtains drawn closed, the dining room was lit up to reveal a delicious spread of assorted TV dinners, hot vegetables, and boats of beef gravy. We immediately dug in and loaded our plates utterly full. For drinks, we had seltzer and soda pop that we found in the pantry.

“Wha's this, sum kinda muggle ferd?” George asked through a mouthful of potatoes, pointing to one of the fish fillet dinners.

I didn't even care he was talking with his mouth full because I was doing the same. “Microwafe dinners, you keep 'em in the frerzer.”

Fred took a swig of his cola, looking down at it and swishing it around in his glass. “Microwave, you say? Dad talked about those before, said muggles use it to heat up their food and drinks.” He took another sip from his cup. “Is that how you made this so fizzy? It's bloody good.”

I nearly choked on the fish I had in my mouth. Across from me, Rae had her hand over her mouth to keep from spitting out her food. I'd forgotten how naive they were in regards to muggle technology.

Throughout dinner, we discussed microwaves and refrigerators, coffee makers too, as they'd seen one on their way into the dining room and thought it looked strange. All the while I felt more than content to have things stay the way there were just then. The four of us laughing with full bellies felt better than I ever could've imagined. It was almost as though a beam of light was starting to appear at the end of a dark, never-ending tunnel. I could've almost forgotten about what happened with the Snatcher earlier, until...

George cleared his throat, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his full stomach. “In case you were wondering why we didn't come back right away, we had a bit of difficulty finding a place to dump the bloke.”

Rae raised an eyebrow while wiping her mouth with a cloth napkin. “Well, where did you go?”

“Islay, up in Scotland,” Fred continued, looking just as full but continuing to shovel carrots onto his plate. “I remembered seeing it on a postcard we got a while back from our cousin Darius, he lives up there. Anyway, when we got there some Muggle Please Men -”

“You mean Police Men?” I giggled.

He rolled his eyes. “Police Men, the Police Men saw us and thought we were carrying a drunk friend or something until they saw he was bleeding from the head. You know, because we knocked him out. So then they thought we were carrying a dead man, and we had to lose them to apparate. Ended up leaving him on one of the cliffs around there, figured the bloke wouldn't remember us if they found him, anyway.”

While we were cleaning up the dining room and wrapping up leftovers, I found myself thinking back to the interrogation and how unlike myself I felt, and yet...at the same time I couldn't remember ever feeling more...alive? It was a feeling I was too scared of to want more, and I could tell from how Fred looked at me between conversations that he too was worried.

“We'll talk later when I get back, alright?”

I didn't give him the chance to do that. After we ate we finished cleaning the rest of the house, putting everything back where it most likely belonged. The boys had traveled into the attic and could be heard playing with an old sewing machine, no doubt enjoying themselves quite a bit. On the second floor, Rae was lying on her bed with the lights off, staring at the glow-in-the-dark moon and stars stickers that clung to the ceiling. I stood in the doorway to her room, leaning on the frame of it with my arms crossed as I listened to Fred and George argue over whose turn it was to use the foot pedal. I couldn't help but smile.

“Cass,” Rae's voice piped up hesitantly, “I don't want to be the one to bring this up, but...was that your first time using the Cruciatus Curse on someone?”

My throat suddenly felt a little tighter at the mention of it. “Yes, it was,” I muttered, finding the chipping paint on the door frame to be a viable distraction from looking at her.

Silence. She adjusted the pillows under her head to prop them up, allowing her to lean back against the headboard comfortably. “You know, you've also technically killed someone if I remember correctly. That's pretty crazy, huh?”

The tightness in my throat felt worse and was extending to my chest. She was referring to the night we helped transport Harry. Why was she bringing that up? Did she feel scared to have me around?

Rae's eyes showed me worry, not fear. “I don't resent you for that, you did what had to be done to protect us. It's just crazy to me how adult everything has gotten in the past few years. With what happened earlier, I couldn't imagine being strong enough to do what you did. You were so level-headed and fierce despite the fear you felt, no wonder you were placed in Gryffindor,” she smiled.

It wasn't the answer I was expecting, and I opened my mouth to say something when she held her hand up, indicating she wasn't finished.

“I know you want to find the person responsible for what happened to your parents, but please...don't do that to yourself. Revenge won't make you feel better...and it won't bring them back, either.”

“I know,” I replied bitterly, my voice cracking as I tried to find my composure, “I know it can't do those things...but if I ever cross paths with him, and I find out for certain he did it, there's little anyone could do to stop me from eradicating him. They were defenseless, Rae...”

She didn't seem any less worried, but there was nothing she could do to change my mind, and she knew that. “Just don't go looking for him, that's all I ask. The rest of the Order is going to need us, and when that time comes I want you by our side, Cassie. We need you.”

***

Later that same night, I was settling into the guest room across the hall from Rae's room where she and George were out cold. The rain had been on and off since we arrived there, but for the moment it'd stopped. The lights were out all over the house, the mauve curtains drawn back to reveal the pale light of the moon. Nice and cozy in my pajamas, I was reveling in the feeling of lying in an actual bed for the first time in months. The utter contentedness I felt was inexplicable.

Fred returned from using the bathroom and climbed into the full-sized bed with me. His arms wrapped around my torso and pulled my back to his chest, moving my hair aside to kiss the back of my neck. My face instantly heated up at the feeling of his lips on my bare skin, and I couldn't help but smile. He was nuzzling into my neck and shoulder, keeping me close against his body. I placed my hands over his and squeezed them gently.

“Hey,” I said quietly, “I'm sorry if I freaked you out earlier...I kind of really freaked myself out, to be honest.” The nuzzling stopped. I paused a moment to turn over in his arms and was able to faintly view him through the darkness. His shaggy ginger locks partially covered his eyes but I could still see them, as our faces were quite close. “I don't want to worry you anymore, so if you have anything you need to get off your chest, any questions you need answers to, let's get it out of the way now. I really like you, you know.” The last part I'd said sheepishly, which brought a smile out of Fred. “I don't want to scare you away, so if you have any doubts I'd like to try to put your mind at ease.”

One of his arms slid out from under me to prop up his head, while his other hand gently spun a lock of my hair around his fingers. He seemed contemplative, trying to place the right words. “It's not that I have doubts, I guess I just never considered how we would all change through everything. It was bound to happen, right?”

I suppose I had changed, though I wasn't sure if it was for better or worse. I was certainly nervous about what Fred thought of me.

“I've never seen that look in your eyes before,” he continued, “just...sheer hatred. You never even looked at Umbridge like that, and she was bloody terrible. I know the things that caused this are out of your control. I can't blame you at all, and I don't want to. I just want to help, Cass.” His forehead was pressed against mine, his breath fanning across my cheek. “You're my best friend and it kills me to know you're suffering. I do want you to know, though, that I'll always be here for you, no matter what happens. As crazy as things may get, the Cassie I grew up with is still in there and there isn't anything that can stop me from falling even more in love with you.”

Those words...we'd never said them to each other before. Love.

“W-what did you just say?” I asked quietly, pulling my head back to look at him properly. My voice sounded timider than I would've liked. “You're in love with me?”

Even in the darkness, I could tell Fred was blushing. He scratched the back of his neck, something he did out of a nervous habit. “Yeah, I am. I dunno if now is really the right time to mention it, but I reckon there's no way you'll forget what you heard. I'm quite sure that I've been in love with you for a long time.”

My heart was pounding so hard that I felt it in my eardrums. He was serious, so serious that I could tell he was anxious for me to answer him.

“Cass? Are you alright?”

I was at a loss for words. Could I say it back? I knew he wanted me to, and I knew what I wanted to say, but all of my bodily functions suddenly felt foreign.

He waved his hand in front of my face. “What's wrong? Are you sick or something? Cassie?”

In one quick motion, I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pressed my lips to his fiercely. He made a noise of surprise that normally would've made me laugh, but quickly recovered by holding me to him by the back of my head, returning the kiss with fervor. I threw my leg over his waist, smiling when I felt him run his hand up my thigh.

“You numpty,” I muttered into the kiss, grinning when I felt him laughing against my mouth. “How could I not be in love with you?”

***

The next morning I was woken up by a loud knock on the door, and immediately I pulled the blanket over my head to shield my eyes from the sunlight. I found myself wrapped in Fred's arms, his body pressed against my bare back and his quiet breathing filling the silent room.

“Oi, get up, you two!” George was calling us through the door. “Rae's made breakfast and if you don't hurry we'll eat it all!”

I heard him walk away and I let out a sigh, trying to go back to sleep. Fred was starting to stir next to me and I felt his arms tighten around my torso, the feeling giving me goosebumps.

“Don't get up,” he muttered, nestling his face in my hair. “I'd never move from this spot again if you asked me to.”

I pulled the blanket off of my face but kept my eyes closed, smiling to myself at the memory of what happened the previous night. We'd never done anything like that before and I honestly couldn't understand why. It'd been sweet yet passionate, tender but a bit wild. Such a distraction from everything was precisely what I'd needed, but more importantly, Fred and I had confessed the true extent of our feelings and acted on them. I felt so lucky to have him by my side.

“Trust me, I won't get up if you don't,” I muttered back to him.

“It's settled then. We're shacking up in here forever, they can have the rest of the house. Tell them to only bother us when the war is over.”

I let out a giggle but quickly frowned when someone knocked on the door again. Had he not actually gone away?

“Rae's making these things called 'flapjacks', and I dunno what they are but they smell bloody delicious,” George said as he opened the door, stepping into the room.

My eyes went wide and I tried to disguise the fact that his brother and I were naked under the bedding. Fred hid his face behind my head, as though that would really help.

“Sounds great, George,” I said calmly, “we'll be down in a moment.”

George made it a point to look at the mess of clothes on the floor, snickering to himself before leaving and shutting the door. I let out a groan and rubbed my face tiredly, finding the strength to throw my legs over the bed and sit on the edge of it.

Fred looked severely disappointed that I was getting up. “Are we putting a hold on hibernating? I was really looking forward to that.”

He pinched one of my buttocks and I slapped his hand away, blushing profusely. “Unfortunately Rae brought out the big guns. I can't miss out on flapjacks.”

He was silent for a minute, watching as I cleaned up the clothes on the floor. “What the hell is a flapjack?”

Not too long after we were cleaned up and dressed, and Fred and I were devouring our breakfasts. I downed a glass of ice water after I finished my flapjacks, piling more onto my plate and drowning them in syrup. Fred was thoroughly enjoying them, having asked me if I could make some when we finally went back to the shop. I tried to ignore the amused looks on Rae and George's faces, but it was proving to be quite difficult.

“Hey Cass, when did you get punched?” Rae asked in between mouthfuls.

I furrowed my brow, still not completely awake. “What?”

She pointed to the left side of my neck. I ran my fingertips over it until I felt a throbbing sensation near my collarbone. Fred must've given me a hickey.

I glared at him as Rae snickered over her breakfast. He put his hands up in defense. “Oi, you started it.”

I rolled my eyes and would've protested had there not been quite a loud tapping coming from the window behind me, causing me to jump in surprise.

Out of habit the four of us quickly drew our wands, listening to see if we could hear anything else. There were a few cars going up and down the road, some kids playing somewhere on the block, but that was all. I glanced at Fred, watching as he slowly opened the curtain enough to see outside. His eyes went wide.

“Cass, look,” he pointed, pulling the curtain open the rest of the way to reveal a very familiar tawny owl hitting against the glass, a letter tied to his leg.

“Oh my god,” I breathed, jumping out of my seat to open the window. In a burst of feathers, Nestor flew inside and landed on the table in front of me. The window was quickly closed and the curtains drawn shut again. I sincerely hoped none of Rae's neighbors saw him.

I quickly reached over and started scratching the back of his neck, not even caring that he was stepping on my flapjacks. “I'm sorry about the mess, Rae, I'll clean it up.”

She didn't even seem upset; if anything, she looked quite surprised. “I can't believe he found us, that's incredible.”

It was pretty incredible, especially considering we'd been at Rae's house for less than a day. I started smoothing out his ruffled feathers but moved back when he started making a hacking noise. That was usually an indication he was about to cough up a pellet, and I was right. He regurgitated it directly onto my plate.

Fred began to laugh. “That's what you get for sending him to America.” I smacked him on the arm. “Oi!”

“Oh, hush up,” I muttered, relieved to see that Nestor was alright. I looked at the letter tied to his leg, the edges ripping and the exterior a bit dirty. Rather hesitantly I untied it, three sets of eyes watching me with interest.

Cassie,

If you don't stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault, I'll really slug you. You really think Mum and Dad want you blaming yourself for something you didn't do? Don't put the weight of that on your shoulders, it'll only bring you down even more. I knew losing them was a possibility for a long time. It doesn't make it hurt any less, but being aware of the danger they were in at least prepared me for this a little.

Two of the people from your Order thing – they called themselves “Romulus” and “Royal” - came to visit me not too long after it happened. They explained everything and tried to shoulder the blame entirely on themselves, but I couldn't even find it in myself to allow that. You know I have very little understanding about the magical world, but I do know you lot are trying your damnedest to make it safe for everyone again, and I can't help but appreciate that.

I wish I could be of more help, especially in finding the people responsible for what happened to them. I know you're probably working on that in your own way, but I want you to stay safe too. Don't needlessly put yourself in harm's way, alright?

As much as you don't want me to come home right now, I feel it's only fair to warn you that I'm already in the process of going back. I'm not sure how long I'll be there for, but as their oldest child, I need to deal with Mum and Dad's legal issues, like their wills and what happens to the house. I'll be here for emotional support too if you need it, though I have a feeling you'd rather wait to see me until things have settled down.

It's more than likely I'll be back in Britain by the time this reaches you. To be frank, I'm pretty impressed that Nestor was able to find me at all. I'm not sure how long your owl will take to get back to you, but it's January right now. You should know that I let him hang out here for about a week before sending him off again, mostly because Sam really took to him and she didn't want him to leave.

I'm really proud of you, you know. You're fighting to make the world a better place, and praise might not sound like much coming from me since I've been gone for so long, but I really admire your perseverance. And even though Mum and Dad weren't really comfortable with the idea of you fighting, I know they're proud, too.

Also, make sure Fred knows that if he ever hurts you, it won't matter that I don't do magic, because he'll be a dead man.

I'll see you soon enough, sis. Be careful, but kick some arse for our family.

-Devon

I was looking at the paper with wide eyes, trying to absorb all of my brother's words at least twice. “He...he's not mad at me,” I stated quietly, not tearing my eyes away from the parchment. He'd written on the back of my letter to him.

Fred was watching me patiently, trying to gauge what sort of reaction I was about to have. “That's really good then, yeah?”

“I won't cry,” I choked out, trying to push back the tears that wanted to come, “I'm just so relieved.” My smile was watery as I reached over to feed Nestor some of my flapjacks, and I felt Fred's hand rest on my thigh to give me a reassuring squeeze.

Rae was smiling at me as she started waving her wand to clean up the table. The dirty dishes floated off into the kitchen. “What else did he say?”

I passed the letter around, having a hard time getting words out at that particular moment. I focused my attention on Nestor instead, smiling when he started nipping playfully at my fingers

George looked up from the letter when he finished. “He's coming back, eh?”

I nodded. “He should already be back, wherever that might be. I wish he'd just stayed put, but knowing Devon I guess that would've been impossible.”

I tried my best not to worry about him, mostly because he would've called me stupid for even bothering. He always tried to be tough, it was something that never really changed about him. In a way, I appreciated the consistency. However, as April rolled in and pounded Morpeth with downpours I couldn't help but worry. I'd lost too much already and couldn't afford to lose more.