when i met you

105

"We've got to go to St. Mungo's," said Ginny urgently, She looked around at her brothers; they were of course still in their pyjamas. "Sirius, can you lend us cloaks or anything?"

"Hang on, you can't go tearing off to St. Mungo's!" said Sirius.

"Course we can go to St. Mungo's if we want," said Fred, with a mulish expression. "He's our dad!"

"No, you're not!" Lexi said sternly. "Look, he's your dad, we know that. But how are you to explain how you knew Arthur was attacked before the hospital even let his wife know?"

"What does that matter?" said George hotly.

"It matters because we don't want to draw attention to the fact that Harry is having visions of things that are happening hundreds of miles away!" said Sirius angrily. "Have you any idea what the Ministry would make off that information?"

Fred and George looked as though they could not care less what the Ministry made of anything. Ron was still ashen-faced and silent.

Ginny said, "Somebody else could have told us... we could have heard it somewhere other than Harry."

"Like who?' said Sirius impatiently. "Listen, your dad's been hurt while on duty for the Order and the circumstances are fishy enough without his children knowing about it seconds after it happened, you could seriously damage the Order's —"

"We don't care about the dumb Order!" shouted Fred.

"It's our dad dying we're talking about!" yelled George.

"Your father knew what he was getting into and he won't thank you for messing things up for the Order!" said Sirius, equally angry. "This is how it is—this is why you're not in the Order—you don't understand—there are things worth dying for!"

"Easy for you to say, stuck here!" bellowed Fred. "I don't see you risking your ne—"

The little colour remaining in Sirius's face drained from it.

Lexi stood up fiercely with anger clear on his face, "That's it!" she shouted. Everyone stopped yelling and faced her, she had a threatening air of authority around her. "Sit down. Now."

Without a second thought, each of them sat down, scared to be on Lexi's bad side.

She glared at them in turn, focusing on the twins, "We know you're scared, you're hurt, and you're angry—so am I—but that does not give you the right to take your anger out on us—least of all Sirius! We've got to stay put, at least until we hear from your mum, alright?"

Fred and George still looked mutinous, but calmer now. Ron made a funny movement somewhere between a nod and a shrug, and sat down too. The twins glared at Sirius for another minute, then took seats either side of Ginny and Lexi. The latter also sinking into her chair.

"That's right," said Sirius encouragingly, sending many thankful looks to Lexi, "come on, let's all... let's all have a drink while we're waiting. Accio Butterbeer!"

He raised his wand as he spoke and seven bottles came flying towards them out of the pantry, skidding along the table. They all drank, and for a while the only sounds were those of the crackling of the kitchen fire and the soft thud of their bottles on the table.

Ginny was leaning on Lexi's shoulder and her eyes were slowly drooping, the older girl was tracing patterns on the tabletop. Then a burst of fire in mid-air illuminated the dirty plates in front of them and, as they gave cries of shock, a scroll of parchment fell with a thud on to the table, accompanied by a single golden phoenix tail feather.

"Fawkes!" said Sirius at once, snatching up the parchment. "That's not Dumbledore's writing—it must be a message from your mother—here —"

He thrust the letter into George's hand, who ripped it open and read aloud: "Dad is still alive. I am setting out for St. Mungo's now. Stay where you are. I will send news as soon as I can. Mum."

George looked around the table, "Still alive... But that makes it sound..."

He did not need to finish the sentence. Fred pulled the parchment out of George's hands and read it for himself.

Sirius suggested once through the night, without any real conviction, that they all go to bed, but the Weasleys' looks of disgust were answer enough. They mostly sat in silence around the table, watching the candle wick sinking lower and lower into liquid wax, occasionally raising a bottle to their lips, speaking only to check the time, to wonder aloud what was happening, and to reassure each other that if there was bad news, they would know straightaway, for Mrs. Weasley must long since have arrived at St. Mungo's.

Fred fell into a doze, his head lolling sideways onto Lexi's shoulder and hers against his head. Ginny was curled like a cat on her chair, but her eyes were open. Ron was sitting with his head in his hands, whether awake or asleep it was impossible to tell. Harry and Sirius looked at each other every so often.

At ten past five in the morning by Ron's watch, the kitchen door swung open and Mrs. Weasley entered the kitchen. She was extremely pale, but when they all turned to look at her, Fred, Ron and Harry half rising from their chairs, she gave a wan smile.

"He's going to be all right," she said, her voice weak with tiredness. "He's sleeping. We can all go and see him later. Bill's sitting with him now; he's going to take the morning off work."

Fred fell back into his chair with his hands over his face. George and Ginny got up, walked swiftly over to their mother and hugged her. Ron gave a very shaky laugh and downed the rest of his Butterbeer in one. Mrs Weasley let go of her children and brought Lexi into a hug too.

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