Through All the Pain // N. Longbottom

Summer 1995 // Chapter 6

I fell asleep that night before Hermione or Ginny came up to the room. I only noticed they were there when I got up before them that morning. I quickly went down the hall towards the bathroom for a shower. Luckily no one else was up, so I was able to get it done without facing anyone. I stood in front of the mirror drying my hair when I thought I heard some movement in the hall. 

I made sure the door was locked, rushed to get dressed, and waited a few moments before walking out of the bathroom towards my room. I got back into my room and back into my bed before Hermione or Ginny got up. I laid facing the wall as they moved around and got ready for the day.

"Do you think we should wake, Lori?" Hermione asked Ginny. "She will probably be hungry."

"No. At least not until Dad leaves for the Ministry." Ginny replied. "I doubt she could be in the same room with him for long."

"She's going to have to talk to him eventually. I mean, you guys live with them." 

"Yeah, but, what Dad did was wrong. I have to side with what Lori said. If Dad had just acted calm with Percy half of that night might have been avoided." Ginny said starting to open the door. "I'll come up and get her, once Dad leaves."

"Alright," Hermione said following Ginny out of the room. Once the door shut, I sat up and leaned against the wall. I thought back to last night, and how I crossed the line. What I said was true, but ... if I had just stayed quiet we wouldn't be where we are right now. 

Knock Knock

I snapped my head towards the door, and quickly got under my covers and pretended to sleep.

"Lorrinda? Sweetie?" Dad's voice called from outside the door. I saw the knob start to turn and quickly buried my head into my pillow. I heard him walking over and standing beside me. After a few moments of him just standing still watching me, I heard him walking back out of the room. When the door was shut I poked my head up and sat back up. 

A few minutes later, Ginny opened the door and told me that Dad had left and that I could come down, which I did. As soon as I walked into the kitchen, Mum attacked me in a hug. Muttering how sorry Dad felt, about how awful he felt, but nothing could change what he did. The rest of the day was slow and boring until Mum told us that Harry would be coming to stay with us. 

Hours and hours passed until Dad came home, for a meeting they were having while and after members went to get Harry. As soon as he walked into the kitchen I excused myself to go upstairs. He tried to follow me but, Fred and George knew I didn't want to talk to him and blocked him from coming after me. 

I went up to Ron's room and sat waiting for everyone to get booted upstairs so they could begin the meeting. After about five minutes the door opened and Hermione and Ron walked in. 

"Harry will be here soon," Hermione said sitting down with me. "Moody, Tonks, Lupin, and a few others went off to Surrey to get him."

"Great, can't wait to see him," I said half-heartedly. I was happy Harry was coming, but yet I wasn't ready to face everyone when he was here. I wasn't ready for him to suffer the tension between Dad and me. Mainly, I wasn't ready for him to constantly be apologizing for Cedric's death. I didn't blame Harry, I blamed no one but Voldemort for his death.

"Soooo, Lori ..." Ron said sitting down on his bed. "Do you think you'll ever forgive Dad?"

"Would you?" I snapped quickly. After seeing Ron's face I sighed and got up to sit with him. "I'm sorry, Ron. It's just ... I get it, I stepped over the line but he stepped over three lines." Ron agreed and we spent the next twenty minutes discussing things we could do with Harry around. That's when we heard a commotion from downstairs. Ron lept up and opened the door, almost immediately our ears got flooded with Walburga Black's shouts. 

"Filth! Scum! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers?!" Her voice screamed. 

"Someone woke the devil." I joked as the shouts continued. After a few moments, they stopped and Harry walked into the room. 

"Harry!" Hermione cried as she latched herself onto his shoulders. As Hermione kept Harry locked in a tight hug, Ron chuckled.

"Let the man breathe, Hermione!" Hermione slowly released Harry and allowed Ron to hug his best friend. That's when Harry finally saw me, standing behind everyone. 

"Hey, Lori." He said weakly.

"Hi, Harry," I said walking over and hugging him. Before I could ask him how he was, Hermione started talking. 

"Oh, Harry! We've missed you! Are you furious with us? I bet you are ..."

"Hermione!" Ron and I both shouted at her. 

"Sorry ..." she murmured before speaking once again. "Sorry we haven't written, Harry, but Dumbledore made us promised not to tell you." Ron and I nodded to back her up. When Harry remained skeptical, Ron spoke up.

"We wanted to, mate, we really did, but he thought they would get intercepted."

"Right ..." Harry said after an awkward silence. I sighed and walked closer.

"He thought you'd be safest there, Harry."

"Yeah, real safe." Harry snapped. Attacked by Dementors, that's safe."

"He was so angry when he heard. Although his anger was nothing compared to -"

"If you value your voice, Hermione, I'd shut it," I spoke harshly into her ear. She stopped and cleared her throat. Ron reached up and scratched his head, as Harry cocked an eyebrow.

"Compared to what?" he asked. I sighed and went over to sit on Ron's bed.

"Compared to how Dad lost his temper with me," I said glumly. "I made some comments that were uncalled for ... and it caused him to ... to ..." I couldn't say anything else, and Ron caught on and finished.

"Dad tried to stun her. Tensions have been high ever since." 

Harry was shocked and sad at the same time. Suddenly with a loud crack, Fred and George appeared talking to Harry. While everyone continued to talk about The Order, I moved out into the stairwell, just to have some alone time. After I had been sitting for about ten minutes when Mum walked up the steps.

"You can come down now, the meeting's over." She speaks before heading back downstairs. I tell everyone else and before we could blink, Fred and George apparated downstairs. We all followed down and entered the kitchen. 

I personally sat as far away from my Dad as I could get (without being in a different room). Dinner went by fairly fast, however, towards the end some more, newer tension was added into the room. I slipped out halfway through the newly found tension and head up to bed. 

I was only 20 days away, from getting to hug my best friends again. 20 days ... but who is counting?