the muggle next door | f.w. golden trio era

↳ 1.09

...in the chamber forever

March 29th, 1993

HERMES FLEW IN when Mrs. Weasley was reapplying ointment on Daisy's leg. She was muttering that the bruise was taking too long to heal for her liking, and she thought there might be some underlying thing that needed further attention.

The screech owl landed on the table and stretched out its leg.

"Oh, Percy must've sent a letter! Daisy, can you take a bird treat from Errol's cage?" Mrs. Weasley pointed at it, but stopped and said, "On second thought, you shouldn't overexert your legs. Untie the letter, will you?"

"O— Okay," Daisy turned around to watch the mother walked away for a second before focusing on her task at hand.

"Hey, Hermes," she cooed, patting its head. The bird purred under her touch and nipped her finger affectionately (painfully, for her, but it was okay). Then Daisy moved to untie the short piece of parchment and unrolled it.

There were a lot of strikethroughs and blots, but all in all it read:

Mum, I'm very, very sorry but there's a terrible news.

The Chamber of Secrets' monster got Ginny. Prof. McGonagall said that she probably doesn't make it. I'm sorry. I should've been a better brother. I didn't look after her enough. I'm sorry.

Daisy's world stopped.

Right then and there. Something took grip of her heart and clenched it terribly, clawing, gnawing, and she choked out, "No... No..."

"Yes, dear, what is it?" Mrs. Weasley said, feeding Percy's owl with some bird snacks, still oblivious to the ongoing painful fact. "What does it say?"

Daisy gave her the letter, unable to speak another word herself. She placed her palm over her lips in disbelief.

Ginny... The beautiful, kind, and brave girl who always saw the world in intrigue. Her own little sister. Her only girl friend. Her discussion partner about boys and their kind. The only Weasley children who actually paid attention to every science experience she performed in the Burrow. The apple of her entire family's eyes.

A loud Apparition crack reverberated throughout the room and Mrs. Weasley ran over crying to her husband's arms. The poor woman was hysterical, while Mr. Weasley sobbed into her fuzzy hair, patting her back repeatedly in a comforting manner.

Ginny...

There was always a strange, suffocating and prickly air in the notion of parents burying their own children, not the other way around.

Are the others okay? Fred?

After a while, Mr. Weasley cleared his throat and wiped his face clean of tears. "We— We should go, dear. The Headmistress has cleared a Floo pathway for us to her office."

"Alright, alright," Mrs. Weasley snorted, but she couldn't stop herself from crying once more.

"Daisy..."

"Yes," Daisy wiped her tears and stood up, "I— I can't go there, too, can I?"

"I'm sorry, dear, but I don't think so. The Floo is fine, but I don't know how they would feel about seeing a Muggle in Hogwarts," Mr. Weasley answered apologetically.