Fixing Old Traditions | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚-𝑬𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕

╔═══════════════╗
summer 1973,
burke cottage
╚═══════════════╝

The first week of summer Aimee avoided any conversation with her mother fearing that she would talk about the man that came to her home. When her father made it home from his business trip, she saw this as an opportunity to suggest going to her grandmother's. If she asked her mother she would have refused, not wanting her grandmother to fill her head with nonsense.

She pulled her white turtleneck over her head, lifting a brown plaid shirt up, she tied her hair into a messy ponytail. She grabbed her bag just in case she was allowed to go, Aimee took a deep breath, as she knocked on the door of her father's study.

"Yes," she opened the door

"Hi, Dad,"

"Hi, starling, everything alright?" he asked

"Yes, I was wondering if I could go to Grammy's today," she asked, he smiled

"I don't see why not," she hurried over to hug him, "you can give her this for me," he handed her a letter she placed the letter in her bag.

"Thank you, I'll be home later," Aimee hurried through her home, looking out for her mother as she walked towards the fireplace, taking a hand full of floo powder,

"BURKE COTTAGE!" she threw the powder on the floor, as green flames engulfed her transporting her to the location.

As appeared in a small living room, she looked around at the framed photographs of her family from her grandparents to her father and his brothers, along with Aimee and her brothers. She could smell her grandmother's cooking from the kitchen, she smiled as she hurried through the house.

"Grammy" she called,

"Is that, my Aimee I hear," she heard as her grandmother walked through the back door which lead to the garden. "It's so wonderful to see you, dear,"

"I've missed you Grammy," she hugged her,

"I've missed you too, you're just in time, dinner is almost ready, however, it appears your brothers will be eating there's cold,"

"They're coming?"

"Yes, they're late, everyone knows 6:30 is dinner time," she said, sighing as she plated out their dinners.

"We're here sorry we're late," Charlie said, followed by Theo, Jacob and Daniel.

"Before you sit down let me have a look at you all," she said, standing Aimee up, positioning her next to Daniel so they were in age order, "oh my how you've all grown, alright eat up,"

Aimee had to admit eating dinner at Burke Cottage was much different to eating in Burke Manor. The family actually had conversations with each other, in fact, her grandmother encouraged it. She loved to hear all about her grandchildren's lives, she was delighted to hear how happy they were. She was most happy that they were back together.

"I don't know if he told you but Uncle Sam had a baby," Jacob told her

"Yes, he did, he sent pictures of her,"

"Can I see them?" Aimee asked,

"Of course, she so adorable," Amelia said, as she searched through her draw for the photographs, she handed them to her, she smiled as she gazed at the photos some were of her brother's holding the tiny baby. "I'll start preparing dessert,"

"I want to talk to you about mother," Aimee whispered drawing her brother's full attention to her.

"What did she do?" Theo said sharply.

"Nothing, at least not yet," she said, Charlie and Jacob sat next to her.

"Have you mentioned this to dad," Charlie asked, she shook her head

"I'm not allowed to have anything to do with Sirius, and Amycus threatened to tell mother, which he did-

"What did she do?" Daniel asked

"She grabbed me, really hard," she lifted her sleeve, "you can still see the bruise a little,"

"That bitch-

"Theo!" Jacob warned

"What she is, I'm only speaking the truth,"

"Shut up," Charlie said, looking back into the kitchen in case their grandmother overheard, "is that all she did,"

"Yes, Evan kind of came to my rescue he, hugged me and introduced himself to her, I think it calmed her down knowing I was friendly with a Rosier,"

"That was nice of him," Charlie said, Theo and Jacob looked at each other, surprised he didn't question anything about the boy.

"Dessert time, Homemade trifle, it has six layers, of cake, jam, custard, jelly, whipped cream, with sprinkles of chocolate, alright, dig in everyone," As the siblings licked their lips the sound of the dessert sounded just as sweet as the trifle itself.

After possibly the best dessert they had ever eaten, it was time for them to return home, Aimee walked with her brothers through the village near Burke Cottage they recognised familiar old buildings that stood in the village. Hardly anything had changed, just how they remembered, even the tree branch that they would each try and jump to touch.

Charlie ran first, barely jumping as he reached the branch, Theo and Jacob ran next effortlessly jumping and touching the branch. Daniel went next, he too managed to reach the tree branch, Aimee bit her lip, she doubted she could touch it, she ran jumping high in the air, her fingertips just missing the branch. Theo and Jacob chuckled.

"Still too short, little one," Theo said, standing next to her, lowering his hand on her head measuring her against him, she pushed him away,

"I can do it," she said, walking further back, she took a faster running start, jumping up, she still missed the branch. A thought popped into Charlie's mind,

"Try again," he said, she sighed, trying for the third time. However, this time when she jumped up, Charlie grabbed her waist lift her higher to reach the branch, she laughed remember when he used to do that when she was a toddler.

"That's cheating," Daniel said,

"I still touched it didn't I?" she said, Daniel shook his head at her, Charlie checked his watch.

"We should get going," the younger sibling looked down, tears welling her eyes, Charlie pulled her in for a hug "hey, we'll see each other again, I promise,"

"Yeah, I know," she wiped her eyes.

"Hey, I'm going to take her home," Daniel said, he draped his arm over her shoulder, as the older three brothers left. She leaned on him, keeping her arms wrapped around him, he held out a portkey, she cringed, "I know you don't like them, but we can't get home any other way," she tightly kept her eyes shut, as they landed outside of Burke Manor.

"I don't feel good," she mumbled

"They still make you sick?" he questioned, she nodded

"I don't think mother's home," he smiled at her, walking her inside, looking around the house.

"Everything looks the same," he said, he looked down at the floor, "I'm sorry you have to stay here with her,"

"It's not so bad, I'm close to my friends, they only live down the street,"

"At least you have them, they're good people, I might have been keeping an eye on them, to make sure they're good enough for you,"

"And are they?"

"Regulus, he might have a few bad friends, but I tell he cares about you, Sirius on the other hand, truthfully, I don't think understands how he feels about you," she creased her brows

"What do you mean?"

"Myself and many others believed you were dating, maybe he believed it too,"

"But he's the one who-

"Aimee!" she turned to the sound of her mother's voice, as she turned back she spotted a badger climbing out of the window, she sighed not wanting their mother to have seen him. He made a clean getaway, though he left her with many questions.