Ethereal ✭Fred Weasley✭

42.

"Ronald refuses to believe so," Ginny pulled away and glared playfully at her brother who pulled a face behind Sophia's back.

"You can show Sophia to her room then you two. Up you go!" Molly started to usher the three towards the stairs as she pulled out a hand towel from the apron she had around her waist. "We'll bring up your trunk later dear."

"Well then I'll say goodbye for now-" Remus started and turned to Sophia, only to see her already walking away with Ron and Ginny. He knew she heard him but was childishly ignoring him because of something she still didn't understand. He watched as Sophia continued up the stairs without even looking back at him and felt the stares of the Weasleys' and Sirius burning into his side. With a deep frown, he turned to face these stares only to despise the pitiful looks he was receiving.

"She'll understand soon," Arthur spoke up first with a reassuring nod. "When she's ready."

Remus said nothing but nodded back. Upstairs, Ginny lead Sophia into a room with Ron following close behind. The room had three single beds inside and the same dreary curtains and wallpaper that Sophia saw downstairs. A window was open in the furthest corner of the room in attempts to air out the stuffy smell that you couldn't help but notice when stepping inside. Sophia was looking around at the corners of the ceiling at the mouldy paintwork only to be enveloped in a hug that surprised her enough to make her stumble backwards.

"You're finally here!" Hermione cried as she squeezed the stumbling girl. Once Sophia did realise it was only her best friend, she embraced her just as tightly with a remembrance of how nice it was to have friends again. Despite their lack of communication, it felt like she had just gotten back from seeing all these people the previous day.

"How are you? What's Lupin been saying?" Hermione jumped right into questioning once she pulled away, staring intently at the girl who looked between the three people with a hint of a laugh.

"My dad? He's said squat to me," she bitterly replied, making all three of her friends recoil instinctively. "No letters or anything. This is the first time I've been out the house all summer."

"Yes well..." Hermione stopped for a moment to exchange a look with Ron. "We've all been told not to contact you or Harry. We wanted to though! Really!"

"Harry?" Sophia repeated. "Is he here too? Surely Sirius would have him living here now if he's as concerned about his safety as my dad is about mine?"

It went silent with the Weasley children and Hermione shrugging with uninformed looks. Sophia was hurt to hear that they were told not to contact her throughout the holidays. It added to the isolation she had been feeling even though they really did want to write to her. She went to ask further on what she had seen in the kitchen of the house when she first arrived, when she heard a loud pop from behind her, making her whip around only to be crushed in the sixth hug of the day. And this one was by the far the best and most relieving.

"Thought we heard you Soph," George's voice reached her ears but she ignored it as she hurriedly wrapped her arms around Fred's middle and buried her face into his shoulder. Fred silently hugged his Girlfriend so tightly that he thought they would eventually merge into one, finally destroying his constant worry of her current state. This summer had been agonising for him as much as it was for her. Although he was allowed outside of The Burrow, it wasn't as much of a relief as it would be to receive a word of news from the Lupin residence.

"Right then, I'll wait," George said again as he crossed his arms over his chest with his wand still in his hand. Sophia forced herself to pull away from Fred for a moment, grinning up at her Boyfriend with as much glee as she could muster. The boy returned the grin wordlessly and reluctantly let her hug his brother, who happily hugged her back when finally getting her attention.