Petals of Oleander

Chapter One: I could faint.

"Winnie!! Hey Winnie! Miss Winnie girl? Good morning? Wake up?" the ever so jarring voice of Fred Weasley never failed to make me groan. 

"Why thank you, Fred. I'll be down in a moment." I turned my back to him and pulled the pillow over my face. 

"Okay, well mum made a full fry-up and you don't want to miss it. Plus your dad is hungover from last night and your other dad will kill you if you make us all late to the train. So, er, hurry."

"Christ, alright! Just give me a moment. Please. Thank you." I watched until he fully shut the door then got up, slung my night gown over the end of the bedframe, threw my clothes on and my hair into a low pony, then creaked my way downstairs. 

"Winnie!!" My best friend, Ginny squealed as I came around the corner. "How did you sleep? Are you excited? First year!!" 

"I'm terrified to be honest with you, mate." I pulled her into a much needed hug before we both sat down for breakfast. She sat between her brothers, and I between my dads. 

"So, Sirius and Remus, how are we feeling about Winnie going off to school?" Mr. Weasley called from the far end of the gigantic table we were sat at. 

"Personally, I think she will be brilliant. And I'll be right there every step of the way if she ever needs me." Remus, my dad, said with a wink. "What do you think, Sirius?" He nudged my other dad, who was staring mindlessly into space, with his elbow.

"Huh? Oh! Well, I think our Winnie will do nothing but kick ass and make us both so proud we could faint!" He said, proudly puffing his chest. 

"Poppaaaa.." I said giggling. It was nice to know that I was loved and supported. Although, in that moment I felt so nervous I could faint, it was some comfort to know that no matter what happened, I'd always have my dads to fall back on.

"Now, where are those boys?" Molly interjected.

"Taking their bloody sweet time, as per usual." Percy grumbled. 

"Here, I'll go and get them!" I volunteered. Honestly, anything to get me out of eating with my stomach in the state it was. 

As I hurried up the winding steps of the burrow, I couldn't help but long for home. I understood the importance of The Order, and why it was necessary for my parents to stay with the group, but I missed 12 Grimmauld Place. I missed my room, I missed my hairbrush, I missed my big bed in my big room, my lace curtains and perfumes, and I hate to admit it; but I missed the undivided attention of Dad and Poppa. Lonely as it may be, being the only child certainly has its perks. I'll confess, I grew up a bit of a spoiled brat. My dads were constantly at my beck and call. When I was a little girl, my room was littered with every little toy and trinket you can think of as a result of me pointing my sticky little fingers at anything in the shoppes, and then owning it before I even had the chance to beg. On top of that, bearing the last name of Black comes with a whole other set of special privileges. Throwing around the name "Elowen Fawna Black" has never left me emptyhanded. It'll be interesting to see where it gets me at Hogwarts. That is, of course, if everyone I know finally drops my stupid nickname. 

"Hello?" I said, gently pushing the quidditch posters that covered the door to Ron's room. 

"Ginny! I told you to leave us alone! Bloody hell. Do you ever liste - Oh! Winnie, I'm so sorry, er, come in," Ron stammered. 

"It's okay, your mum is getting a bit pissed off downstairs. You lot had better come down before she drags you by your ears to the platform." I said from the doorway. Something about Ron's group of friends always made me feel unwelcome. Its not that they ever intentionally left me out, or were harsh to me whatsoever, I just always felt like an annoying little sister. Which would make sense, since the actual annoying little sister, Ginny, was my best friend since birth.