Discovery

21.

Summer holiday went by quickly. Soon, June turned into July, and I celebrated my fourteenth birthday.

July turned into August, and it was now the night before we would be bringing Harry to stay with us.

Just like every night, I was wide awake. Sleep was a rare thing at this point.

So instead of sleeping, I positioned myself in front of my mirror and practiced changing my appearance.

In the past year I gained more control of my metamorphic abilities, but there was still a lot I needed to learn.

When I was in the middle of attempting to change my nose into a pig's snout, Miranda woke up.

"Ella? That you?" she called out sleepily.

"No, it's a Death Eater," I said flatly. "Go back to sleep, Miranda."

"It's impossible to try and sleep when I know my baby sister is watching me like a psychopath."

"Oh, shut up."

"Honestly, if you ever manage to sleep for more than two hours, I will die of shock," she yawned and stood up, walking over to the window of our bedroom.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing? Honestly, are you blind?" Miranda opened the window and started to climb out.

"Miranda! What the heck?" I whisper-yelled.

She turned back to me, a grin spread wide across her face. Her brown eyes were shimmering in the moonlight.

"Come on, sit on the roof with me. Or are you scared?" she teased.

"I am not!"

"Then get out here!"

I groaned and hurried over to the window, slowly hoisting myself out of it.

I touched the roof with my bare feet, and it was rough and cold. I walked over to where my sister was now laying, careful that I wouldn't fall over the edge and die.

"Aren't the stars gorgeous at times like this?"

Miranda was gazing up at the sky, and I laid down next to her to see the same view. It was true, the sky was beautiful.

"You know, the twins invited me to go to the Quidditch World Cup with them," Miranda said, her gaze still fixed on the stars.

I recalled what Fred and George had told me on the train when they had tried to invite me to go with them.

It shouldn't have been a surprise that Miranda was going, but the real question was, why had she been the second choice?

"Seriously? Can't I ever escape you?" I groaned.

"Afraid not, little sister. Besides, I was friends with the twins long before you became pals with Ron. So really, I'm the one who can't escape you." she laughed.

We continued to make small talk for the next hour. I was surprised my sister was talking to me like I was a normal person, since she usually couldn't go two minutes without teasing me.

"Oh, you won't believe who asked me out last term!" Miranda turned over, now facing me.

"Who?"

"Cedric Diggory!" Miranda smirked. My eyes went wide.

"You mean the Hufflepuff Seeker? Isn't he like, totally hot?" I said, breaking into a grin.