Forbidden [d.m.] || rewritten

chapter 13

- year five -

It took weeks for me to stop thinking about Cedric for hours on end. Being at headquarters, surrounded by accommodating people, made that a million times easier for me.

Harry and I arrived just a week ago and were very grateful to shave off a week with the Dursley's from our schedule. Headquarters was swarming with wizards throughout the day, coming in and out for meetings in the dining room. It was a great distraction seeing loads of familiar faces. Remus Lupin visited daily, along with Alastor Moody and of course, it was comforting to have Sirius around.

I shared a room with Hermione here, a quite spacious room with two twin-sized beds. Sleep didn't come by easy, though. She spent her nights study for the O.W.L. exams that we would be taking nine months from now in June.

The four of us spent loads of time together. We found ourselves in Harry and Ron's room more than our own, either having a look at Fred and George's inventions or watching Crookshanks chase its tail or really anything to entertain ourselves.

"Oh, that bloody bird is a menace." Ron groaned and stood up from his bed.

His gawky bird, Errol, had just arrived with today's post at the bedroom window. The owl couldn't ever perform a proper landing when he arrived with papers in its beak.

We sat, the four of us, sprawled out among Harry and Ron's room. "Mum says lunch is ready. The meeting's just ended, so she called us downstairs." Fred and George appeared out of nowhere, which startled us half to death.

Seeing that they were in their seventh year and no longer underage, Fred and George took full advantage of their ability to use magic at home. Apparition was their favorite trick. Not only did they use it to get around, but to scare the living daylights out of Mrs. Weasley.

"Where's Ginny gone to?" Ron asked as we started to make our way out of the room.

"In her room." They answered simultaneously. "Probably writing little love notes about Harry—"

"Watch it." Harry sent them a glare and brushed by to head downstairs.

We walked in to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley already perched at the head of the table with mugs of coffee in hand. Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks, whom we were introduced to when we arrived here at Headquarters.

"Ah, did Errol arrive with the post?" Mr. Weasley looked at Ron, his hand clutching several papers.

Ron nodded and handed the mail to his father as we all took our seats at the long, mahogany table. In front of us was an array of breakfast foods. Mrs. Weasley was truly a saint. It was incredible, really. The woman got up every day and put three meals on the table for eight young, developing teenagers.

"Fred, George, I expect you'll both be exceptional role models this year." Mrs. Weasley looked at her two sons as they pretended their bacon was Mr. Filch. "This is your final year at Hogwarts and I don't need another letter home from Dumbledore that you've exploded another boy's potion with a firework."

"We'll be angels, Mum." Fred sent her a pseudo-innocent look.

She rounded the table to hand them their drinks. "Wonderful. Orange juice for you, Fred. And grape for George." Molly grinned as she set their beverages down.

When she walked away, though, the two twins swapped them like it was a usual occurrence that she mixed them up. Now that I think about, it seemed as though it was. During our first Christmas at Hogwarts, they started calling themselves "Gred and Forge" because Molly didn't put their initials on their sweaters.

As Mr. Weasley sifted through the mail, he tossed aside a rolled up newspaper and it rolled in Ron's direction. "Is this today's Prophet?" He asked with a mouth full of toast.