| Inked | (George Weasley)

Chapter Ninety

12 Grimmauld Place looked exactly as it sounded.

Grim, old, and dark.

Not only was it a tall and narrow building, where freezing cold drafts also seemed to send shivers down anyone's spine, it was home to a lot of nasty ghouls, boggarts, and attic gnomes that had resided over the empty residence for years. 12 Grimmauld Place was also home to the Black Family's House Elf, Kreacher, who was equally rude as he was creepy.

Olive didn't understand how Sirius could have grown up in such a place, mostly because he appeared to be the opposite of what his old home seemed to be. She also didn't understand why her sister, Remus, and Sirius thought it a good idea to move into their new 'Headquarters' when it seemed to put a bitter taste in everyone's mouth (Olive still wasn't entirely the Headquarters of what, and it was starting to drive her mad).

The Ravenclaw sat at the kitchen table, dismally stirring her tea as she tried to listen in on the adults' conversation in the next room. Even with her expert hearing developed from her werewolf scratches, which always seemed to be even more enhanced when the full moon drew near, she couldn't seem to hear anything useful.

She got bits and pieces, but with her lack of context and her sister's insistence that Olive not be told anything just yet, it was nearly impossible for her to figure anything else.

".... Dumbledore's message.... insists..... dark... for the best..."

"Molly.... this Thursday.... wondering why..... Harry."

Olive groaned in frustration, running a hand down her face as she got up from the table, discarding her tea as she headed into the next room. Her notebook was tucked under her arm, pen tucked behind her ear, unable to contain the slight agitation in her demeanor as she stood in the doorway to the den.

Similar to how things have been the last few days, the conversation halted as soon as one of the three adults in the room spotted Olive.

"Ollie, we need a few more minutes." Missy told her sister, "Can you go upstairs?"

"It's been four days." Olive said simply, "And none of you have told me anything, about why we're here or what is going on. I'd like to know."

Although she kept her tone even, her piercing blue gaze was rivaling Missy's intense one. The siblings stared at each other for a moment or two, both waiting for the other one to look away first.

Sirius ran a hand down his face, "Olive's right, you know."

Missy rolled her eyes, "Sirius, she's my sister. I get to decide-"

"I'm not a child anymore." Olive interrupted, "I'll be of age in less than a week."

"Being of age and acting of age are two different things, Ollie." Missy argued, which caused the Ravenclaw's gaze to fall to the floor, wounded by her sister's words.

She stood her ground in the doorway, fighting the brief verbal sting that Missy had unleashed to her. Her fingers started working the corners of her notebook, the newer leather starting to give under her touch.

"I know I'm still young, and I know you don't think I deserve to know anything about whatever is going on, but ever since we left King's Cross you haven't told me anything." Olive argued, her voice wavering only slightly, "I don't know why we moved, what sort of 'Headquarters' this is, why I can't send any letters, or what is even going on."

Missy, who was sitting on the edge of the coffee table, folded her arms across her chest as she listened. She looked skeptically to Sirius, and then over the Remus. Both were looking at the other, debating whether or not it was their place to get involved in the sisters' business.