NIGHTMARE ₁, Harry Potter °

iv. 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

THE NOBLE HOUSE OF BLACK

— ( chapter four. ) —

There was footsteps up the stairs, a soft grumble, then the door opened.

"I want you all to go straight to bed, no talking," Aurora heard Mrs. Weasley say, "we've got a busy day tomorrow. I expect Ginny and Aurora are asleep," she added to Hermione, "so try not to wake them up."

"Asleep, yeah, right," said Fred in an undertone, after Hermione bade them goodnight and they were climbing to the next floor. "If Ginny's not lying awake waiting for Hermione to tell her everything they said downstairs then I'm a Flobberworm...."

The bedroom looked, if anything, even danker and gloomier than it had on first sight. The blank picture on the wall was now breathing very slowly and deeply, as though its invisible occupant was asleep. Aurora lay quietly as Ginny rolled over and turned to Hermione.

"What?" Hermione whispered as she pulled on her pyjamas.

She crossed to the door and bolted it.

"What d'you mean 'what'?" asked Ginny. "Are you going to tell us what they said or what?"

"Oh! Well, they didn't tell us much we couldn't have guessed," she said, thinking of all that had been said downstairs. "I mean, all they've really said is that the Order's trying to stop people joining You-Know-Who."

Ginny nudged Aurora with her foot.

"I know you're not asleep, come on, Rory," said Ginny firmly. Aurora sat up and leant against the wall behind her.

"So basically," Ginny said, "we already knew nearly everything they told us, from using the Extendable Ears."

Crack.

"FUCK!"

"Keep your voice down, Ginny, or Mum'll be back up here."

"You two just Apparated on my bed!"

"Yeah, well, it's harder in the dark — "

Aurora saw the blurred outlines of Fred and George leaping down from Ginny's bed. There was a groan of bedsprings and Aurora's mattress descended a few inches as Fred sat down near her feet.

"So, got there yet?" said George eagerly to Hermione.

"The weapon Sirius mentioned?" said Hermione.