invisible string! → ron weasley

xiv. the midnight encounter

⋆☆.* ✧✰ .✦⋆*☆

KATES SPENT THE HOLIDAY at the Tonks residence, but she spent more time at the Burrow than anywhere else. Ron was acting strangely, but she didn't have the faintest clue why. She thought they had gotten past all the awkwardness after he began dating Lavender, but ever since the day after Slughorn's party, he was...well, different. He'd avoid spending time alone with her (which wasn't too difficult with Harry around this time), but would also show a great deal of care toward her in even the most trivial situations. She didn't know what to make of it, nor did anyone else.

So instead she spent her time with Ginny, and Fred and George too whenever they were around. She also got to reunite with Fleur, who not only remembered her but was delighted to see a friendly face (because, as she explained, Kates had been one of the few Hogwarts students who had been kind to her and "normal" with her during the tournament). She spent a great deal of time trying to get Ginny and Molly to like the Frenchwoman, which was equal parts amusing and exhausting.

Aunt Jackie confirmed that she was in contact with Wesley, and that he had in fact been the one to approach her about becoming a spy for the Order. She advised him against it (he was still only a teenager and it was incredibly dangerous to even consider), but he was just as stubborn as his aunt and sister. She also told Kates that she should be extremely aware upon returning to Hogwarts because of her Ares Carrow problem. "Do not discount him just because you're at school", she had said, "you've got yourself a real problem there, and it's best to remain vigilant." Her words often replayed themselves in Kates' head. Jackie had often shielded her from the dark realities of the world they were raised in as best she could; just how much was she downplaying her own situation?

And then it was back to Hogwarts. Kates, who forever lived on the bright side, was trying to find the balance between that and keeping an eye on her surroundings at all times. She had been assessing each situation from a tactical standpoint since the battle back in June, but this was different. It was on a higher scale, because she could no longer keep her guard down in the castle. One of her safe places was no longer safe; between Carrow and the rising conflict, she had no choice but to remain vigilant even on the school grounds.

It wasn't just her, either; she could feel it. There was a different energy, one that told her that everyone was on edge, surely having been reminded of the horrors in the wizarding world during the holiday. Tensions were rising, and it was only a matter of time before something drastic and world-changing happened, for better or worse.

But in spite of it all, Kates kept positive, for she wasn't sure what would happen if she didn't. She kept close to her friends and they kept close to her, and together they made it through. Ron was still being strange, and when she mentioned it to Seamus and Dean, Dean shrugged and looked away suspiciously. She visited the greenhouses with Neville as a reason to get out of the castle...and then, of course, there was Astronomy.

Astronomy took place every Wednesday at midnight for the few sixth-years who had moved onto NEWT-Level. At that time of night, she could almost walk around the castle as if everything were normal; there were no whispers of the war to overhear in passing, or worried looks to see. It was just her and the castle she loved so much, and in between those walks was a glorious hour of watching the stars above.

Along with Kates, three other sixth-years had finished their OWL before the chaos on the grounds: Susan Bones, who Kates liked rather much, Padma Patil, who was quiet but nice enough, and Ernie Macmillan, who was incredibly pretentious, but still a hair better than Zacharias Smith. They weren't close enough that they'd hang out outside of class, but they always enjoyed each other's company during class. They, along with the class itself, allowed her to forget about her troubles for a while.