Petals & Thorns | Fred Weasley

twenty-seven

SONG OF THE CHAPTER -
tennessee whiskey • chris stapleton

The day was dwindling away as snow speckled the ground outside. The cold did not penetrate the walls of number twelve Grimmauld Place, though. Kreacher continually prodded the fire to ensure it wouldn't burn out. In the sitting room, Adalinda waited upon the Weasley's return. They were currently at St. Mungo's visiting Arthur. She chose to stay back, worried about intruding on their family time. Instead of joining, she stayed curled up on the couch with a novel in hand. They had been home for a few days now, Christmas Day was just around the corner. Her Christmas gift to the twins was sitting on their beds in their room upstairs. She smiled giddily, almost jumping out of her seat to give it to them. She knew they would be angry with her, but she didn't really care. The love she held for the two boys was unimaginable, so she didn't mind spending money on them. Besides, the pile of galleons her parents deposited into her vault over the years had been accumulating for a while. She wouldn't even miss it, and she knew they deserved it more.

That day she didn't only do shopping for others—she bought something for herself as well. She knew her parents wouldn't be pleased with her, but she began to come to terms with a lot of things. She had a new family now, one that supported her no matter what and thrived off her happiness. By knowing that, the decision came a lot easier. Dumbledore sent her an owl about a few vacant buildings in Diagon Alley. With the information, she went to look at them. She found one she liked, and put a deposit down for her book shop. When she graduated, it would be ready for her to take over. She was giddy at the thought, but it was the only bit of happiness she had for after Hogwarts. The dangers of the rest of the world weren't too appealing.

As she sat in her own head, she failed to notice the company that entered the room. She jumped when Sirius spoke. "Why are you doing this?"

"Reading?" She asked wittily. "It's a great source of education, I quite enjoy it." He shook his head, sitting in an arm chair across from her. She sat up, too, curling the blanket covering her around her feet.

"Why did you join the order?" She sighed, placing her bookmark back in the novel. She closed it and sat it down beside her.

"It's been a long seventeen years pretending to believe in something that disgusts me." She said, honestly. "I love my family. They've been good to me, but that's the extent of their kindness. I don't believe in what they're doing, and I can't force myself to support it anymore."

"Then why did you get the mark?" He asked. She was bewildered at his question, unsure of how he knew. "You only wear jumpers or shirts with long sleeves. You always keep your arm turned towards yourself, and you're very fast to pull the sleeve back down if it gets knocked out of place."

"You're an observer, I see." She gave a small smile. "I am, too." He didn't say anything. "My father forced me to last year, before I realized I had my own will. Not long after, I turned to Dumbledore for help. He trusted me, and he changed my life for the better."

"How do you know you won't change your mind?" He asked. She gave a scoff, getting ready to leave.

"How did you, Sirius? We aren't perfect people. They don't exist. You realized it sooner than I did, but it doesn't mean that I'm going to change my mind. Just because it took me longer doesn't mean less of a person or a part of this." He looked down at his hands crossed in his lap.

"I'm sorry, Addy." He sighed. "I've been unfair. I just don't trust our family, and not many of us found the right path. Your lot especially." She gave a small laugh.

"My lot is yours, too, you know. We're both apples from the same tree."

"You know what I mean."