The Adopted Weasley

5~ New Pet

Try as they might, the Weasley twins couldn't figure out what had caused the sudden personality change Grace had. She wasn't eating enough, and sleep was a joke. She came down to the common room every morning with bags under her eyes and looking like she had wrestled with a bear.

The morning of the first Quidditch practice was worse, Grace fell asleep on Fred, only to have Oliver yell at her and continue his speech and game plan, after a minute, Fred fell asleep on Angela, and George on Alicia. After nearly an hour, he asked:

"Now, are there any questions?"

"Yeah," George said, jumping awake at Grace's nudge, "why couldn't you have told us this when we were awake?"

Oliver huffed.

"We were so close to winning last year! If it wasn't for-" he glanced at Grace and Harry. "-natural causes, we would've!"

Grace hung her head. It was her fault her and Harry hadn't gotten out unscratched. If she had just been a bit faster...

She pulled herself out of her thoughts as everyone stood up, and headed to the Quidditch field. Ron and Hermione were already there waiting. And so was the Slytherin team, all with brand new brooms.

"What are you lot doing here?" Oliver snapped. "I booked the field this morning!"

It was then, that Grace saw that Marcus Flint was back, and he was staring right at her with a murderous look.

The year before, on the first Quidditch match, he had purposely ran into her on his broom. She had only survived, because Lee happened to have his with him and had gotten on at the first sign of trouble. Flint had then been expelled for the school year, the Quidditch hadn't been enough, but when a few other unacceptable things that he had done came to light, he had been sent home.

None of the teachers had ever said what happened, so rumors had flown, some said he was forcing first years to duel, or that he was cheating on every exam, or-

The ideas went on forever, Grace just wanted to stay away from him.

She held his gaze until he looked at Oliver.

"We've got a letter from professor Snape saying we can have the field, to train our new seeker."

Oliver snatched the paper and read it angrily, then threw it on the ground.

"Who's the new seeker?" He asked. And Grace wasn't even a little bit surprised when Draco Malfoy came to the front, after all, he would have to buy his way in.

Ron and Hermione had sensed the trouble and came over to see what was going on.

"Aren't the brooms nice? My father got them for us." He looked at the Weasleys kids. "Unlike the Weasleys, my father can afford the best."

"Well at least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in!" Hermione snapped. "They got in on pure talent."

"No one asked you, you filthy little mudblood!"

"You'll pay for that Malfoy!" Ron shouted. "Eat slugs!" There was a bang and Ron flew backwards, the Slytherins started to laugh as the team went to check on Ron.

"Ron! Are you okay mate?" Harry asked, helping him sit up. Ron barely nodded before throwing up a huge slug onto the ground.

Draco and the rest of his team were doubled up laughing as Grace examined his wand.

"Ron! This is nearly snapped in half! What were you thinking?" She stood up and casted several silent spells on the Slytherin team, before helping Harry get Ron up and headed to Hagrid's. The sound of the whole Slytherin team starting to throw up was music to her ears.

As soon as they got Ron set up with a bucket, Grace turned to Hermione.

"Are you alright?"

Hermione nodded mutely. Hagrid looked over at them.

"What happened?"

"He called her.. well, I'm not really sure what he called her." Harry admitted.

"He called her a mudblood." Grace said quietly.

"He didn't!" Hagrid gasped.

Grace nodded. "I'll explain it to him, Hermione, it's a very terrible and offensive name for a muggleborn or halfblood. It's basically the word some muggles use for other people with darker skin. Our world doesn't care for skin color though."

"Oh," Harry said quietly.

"Come 'er Hermione." Hagrid said gently, he took her hands. "Don't dwell on that fer one second, yeh hear? You're smarter than that whole lot, don't dwell on it."

. . .

Grace screamed and fell out of bed with a thud, in a complete tangle of curtains and blankets. When she had gotten untangled as quietly as possible, she glanced at the clock.

Roughly thirty-eight minutes.

That meant she had slept for exactly six hours, and three minutes that week.

Better than the week before, right? Well, at least the silencing charm was working. Kayda and Pixie were still sleeping peacefully together, in the little hammock Grace had made for them, and none of the girls had stirred.

She sighed and crawled back into bed, after a moment of hesitation, she pulled out the old blue journal and opened to a new page. She hadn't written to Remus since last year, considering she had seen him almost every weekend of the summer.

Grace: You around?

Remus: Hey little one, everything okay?

Grace: Yes, I just can't sleep. It's 5am here. Seven there, right?

Remus: That'd be correct. I'm leaving for work in a few minutes. Are you sure you're okay? Are Fred and George awake yet?

Grace: Oh okay, I'm sorry, I didn't know. I don't know if they're up, I'm in my dorm.

Remus: Don't apologize. Why? Did you have a fight?

Grace: No, I'm just not in there.

Remus: Have the nightmares stopped?

Grace: Not exactly.

Remus: Oh Gracie... Listen, I've got to go, but I'll see about visiting soon, okay? We'll talk about whatever is going on if that's okay. I love you.

Grace: I hope you can. I love you too.

. . .

"A death day party!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly when Harry told them about it that evening after a run in with Filch and nearly headless Nick. "Not many people can say they've been to one of those.. It'll be fascinating!"

"I don't understand why someone would celebrate the day they died." Ron said with a grumpy voice. "It sounds depressing."

Harry looked like he wanted to say something else, but just then there were several pops and a bang from where Fred, Lee, and George had been playing with a fire salamander they had gotten from Hagrid.

"Guys!" Grace shouted as the poor thing flew across the room and then hid in the fire. "You said you wouldn't hurt it!"

"It was an accident!-"

"-we wanted it to light the fireworks-"

"-not hold onto them!"

Percy started yelling like a maniac, but stopped with a cry of surprise when Grace stuck her hand in the fire to get the salamander out. Lee jumped up and yanked her hand out.

"What were you thinking??"

"I'm fine!" She wiggled her fingers in his face. "Fire protection charm." She cradled the terrified creature, "I'm taking him upstairs. 'Mione? Can you help me make a fire jar? Goodnight guys, love you."

And the two girls disappeared upstairs.