Cessation ⌁ Draco Malfoy [3/4] ✔

25

The Burrow was the exact same as the last time Emma had seen it, and although it wasn't the prettiest thing to look at, it still gave her that same, home-ish, welcoming feeling. Like it was calling out to her. It made her think of her own home, somewhere she had not been to in what felt like forever.

She missed the horrible paint job in her bedroom and the ugly shade of yellow in her parents' bedroom. She missed how her job around the house was to clean out the pool once a week and remove the garden gnomes. But most of all, she missed the awkward silence that she and her parents would sit in when they were together. Awkward silence was definitely not something that happened with the Weasleys.

Emma followed Ginny inside, she could never go in without following someone else. It felt almost rude to do so. Just like the first time Emma had ever visited, Fred and George were sitting at the table in the kitchen, this time George was hunched over the daily prophet and Fred was working on what looked like a radio.

"Hello!" Emma said cheerfully, while Ginny moved around to look over George's shoulder.

George looked up quickly while Fred jumped in his seat, accidentally knocking the whole radio off the table. He almost cared for the radio possibly being ruined, but he had to risk three seconds to look at Emma with a lost expression, before bending down to pick the radio up.

"Fred!" George exclaimed. "Just because your beloved has walked through the door, it doesn't give you an excuse to mess up everything! Lee would kill us the most. Then Remus."

Emma walked around and stared at the radio curiously. She tried avoiding the image of Fred and herself kissing at Bill and Fleur's wedding, tried convincing herself it was only friendly and meant nothing. But she was certain that to Fred it meant the world.

"What's so important about a radio, you've got the daily prophet."

"Nigel has his own radio as well," said Ginny. "You know, from the DA. Fred, George, Lee and a few others have been tuning in and just telling us about what's going on out here, you know, on the outside. There's a password for each session and they use different names so they aren't in any danger if one of the Death Eaters are listening. I doubt you-know-who has any time to listen to the radio anyway."

"That's really smart," said Emma, leaning forward, but retreating when she realised she was only leaning closer to Fred, who looked slightly uncomfortable with her being so near him. "Does Harry talk? What about Ron and Hermione?"

George shook his head. "I know Ron has his own radio so they probably listen. It doesn't work like that though, them talking back to us. It's just us."

It was quiet for a moment, and then Emma realised Fred had said nothing. He was always louder and more talkative than George, which made the situation very awkward and unusual. He was talking with George before she walked in, and now he was mute. Feeling slightly hurt, Emma backed away with her trunk.

George and Ginny seemed to notice because they exchanged a look.

"Er – I'm just gonna – take my trunk up to your room, Ginny," Emma said quietly, moving around Fred's chair, but as far away from him as she could get. She hoped that kiss hadn't ruined their friendship.

It was horrible of her, but she had forgotten all about it until she saw Fred again.

Emma eventually grew tired of dragging her trunk up the stairs and levitated it the rest of the way, which allowed her to hear the faint footsteps and trunk dragging that belonged to Ginny.

"I know you're going to say something, Ginny," Emma said just loud enough for Ginny to hear from behind. She reached Ginny's room and pushed open the door. Everything was exactly the same. "But I'd really rather you didn't."