"MEMORIES"

MEMORIES: something remembered from the past; "So, you're really leaving then?" Birdie asked, Lorelei could tell she was mad, of course she could, "You're just going to leave us?" she continued, she passed a glare to the brunette as she eyed all the packed bags and boxes in the room. She couldn't believe it, her best friend was leaving her. Merlin, maybe she really was going to get a gray hair before the age of forty.

"I'm not leaving you, I'm leaving this whole stupid fucking place" Lorelei said in a monotonous voice, she'd been having troubles these days with everything, sleeping, eating, and just getting out of bed in general.

"Yeah and by doing that you leave me too" Birdie said with her brows furrowed, she reached out and grabbed Lorelei's hands turning her so she could come face to face with her best-friend, Lorelei looked tired to say the least, "Come on, El, we'll fight this together — we always do"

"I don't wanna fight anymore, Birdie" Lorelei said as she freed her hands from her Birdie's grip, "I'm tired, I've lost so much to this stupid war, I'd rather die than watch it happen again" she snapped her suitcase shut.

"I understand, but we've all lost something or someone to this war, El" Birdie explained, "Doesn't mean well stop fighting for the things we lost..."

"Oh, really? Have you now?" Lorelei turned around with an irritated look on her face, "Do enlighten me, Birdie, because as far as I'm concerned — you still have your family, your friends, your brother and your boyfriend, what have you lost?"

Something flashed in Birdie's eyes, "You have no idea what you're talking about"

"No, please, tell me about everything you've lost...tell me about everything you cannot get back, tell me"

"Lorelei, shut up—"

"Lost things, have you? Give me a break!"

"I was kidnapped!" Birdie screamed, Lorelei paused in her steps as she stared at the brunette, her hand in the air just as she was about to close another suitcase full of clothes.

"What?" she asked, her lips apart.

"Yeah, you wanna talk about loss? Let's do it, trauma olympics, who's gonna win?" Birdie said with a scoff, "The day I got into a car accident, wasn't the day you guys found me, I spent two days being tortured by deatheaters for my parents' information, but I couldn't say anything, they found me in the middle of the road, collapsed in front of a car after I managed to run away" she raised her shirt up so Lorelei could see the scar that was present on her abdomen, "Pretty memorable gift, isn't it?"

"I didn't—" Lorelei couldn't find the words to express how sorry she felt.

"You didn't think? You didn't know? What, El? What do you want to say?" Birdie asked, "Maybe you were too busy throwing a hissy fit about your problems that you forgot to notice everything, or maybe you were just being selfish—"

"What's going on?" Sirene entered the room in her black dress, "Why are you two fighting today of all days?" she had her brows furrowed.

"You should ask your niece" Birdie said before she walked out of the room with a glare directed towards Lorelei.

"El?" Sirene asked as she looked around her room, practically every corner filled with boxes and suitcases, "What's going on? What's all this stuff?"

"I have to go, aunt Si" Lorelei said in a small voice, "I can't stay here anymore, it's suffocating, it's just so—" she paused, she didn't want to cry right now, "I want to go"

"Go where, honey?" Sirene asked with a nervous look on her face.

"Somewhere far away" Lorelei said, she sat down on her bed, "I can't stay here, you have to understand, I'm so tired of everything — the fights, I'm tired of losing people all the time, aunt Si, I'm just so exhausted"

Sirene looked at her niece who had her head resting on her knees — she knew she had to let go, for Lorelei's own good, "Where do you want to go, I'll help you settle down"

🫐

LORELEI BLINKED. She watched the empty casket get buried, and so did the other people at the funeral, what had she expected? Maybe a chance to see her mum one last time would've helped her mourn a little better, but she didn't have that option. No one did. Lorelei felt someone's arms brush against hers, she didn't need to look up to know who it was, of course he was there. George Weasley was there for her once again.

"Lorelei?" she heard an unfamiliar voice, she turned around to come face to face with a women who looked strikingly similar to her mother, the same tan skin, the same dark brown eyes and the same smile, only her hair seemed to be more white than black and her skin showed some effects of aging.

"Yes?" she responded, she turned around to face her.

"I'm— I'm Gemma" she introduced herself, "I'm your grandma"

"Oh" Lorelei said, she didn't know what else she could say, "I'm sorry for— I'm sorry you lost her"

Gemma turned to look at the empty casket, a single tear rolled down her cheek, "Me too" she quickly wiped it away as she plastered a smile on her face, "I brought something for you" she raised a tupperware box forward, "They're called samosas, your mother loved them, I used to make a lot of them for her every time she'd go to Hogwarts" she smiled at the memory, "She'd always be so excited whenever I handed her a box of those, but," she took a deep breath, "Well, she's not here anymore, and I want you to have it, I want to be in touch with you, darling"

"Why now?" Lorelei couldn't stop herself from asking.

"If I'm being honest, I didn't care much for you" Ouch, that one hurt, Gemma, "I remember when Neveah told me that she was pregnant, and I'd thought she'd ruined her life, and then she ran away, and she became a good auror, a good woman, and soon — I hope — a good mother, maybe I felt guilty for not reaching out to you, and that's what kept me from meeting you even longer, but I don't want to waste time now. If you'll allow me — I'd like to be in your life..."

Lorelei nodded, she took the box from Gemma's outstretched hand, "Thank you" she smiled, it didn't reach her eyes, "I would like it if you were in my life..." Lorelei didn't want to waste any more time with a family member, not when she'd seen what could happen.

Gemma hesitantly reached her hand out to touch Lorelei's cheek, it was new to her — the show of affection, maybe things would've turned out different if she'd treated her daughter better, maybe then she'd be alive, but she didn't have any time to waste over thinking of what things could've been like — she got a second chance, and she wouldn't dare mess it up this time.

"I have to get going, Neveah's father— your grandpa, he's not doing so well, he refused to even come here today" Gemma explained to Lorelei, "I— I have my address for you, it's on the note inside the box — if you'd ever like to stop by, and meet him"

"I'd like that" Lorelei told her, Gemma was just about to walk away when Lorelei stopped her, "Grandma, um, my mum — she was engaged, so you— do you know who that was? I'd like to tell them myself..."

"Right, give me a second, darling" Grandma Gemma reached inside her purse and pulled out a notepad and a pen, Lorelei was impressed at how nicely she was carrying the certainly heavy bag without any problems, "Here" she handed her the note, "Let me know if you ever need anything else, dear"

"I will" Lorelei responded, she won't, but Grandma Gemma didn't need to know that.

"She seems nice" George said after he watched her walk away, Lorelei looked up at him and felt guilty, she had to tell him.

"Listen—" both of them started together.

"You go first" George said with an awkward grin.

"Can we talk..." she said looking around nervously, "...in private?"

"Sure, bubbles" George said and the two of them walked to the parking lot where a lot of flying cars were parked, more than anyone had expected, "What's up?" he put his hands in his pockets.

"I'm leaving tonight" Lorelei told him.

"Leaving?" George repeated, an uneasy expression on his face, "Leaving where?"

"I haven't decided yet, just away — I don't want to be here anymore, and I just thought I should let you know before I go" Lorelei told him with a shrug, she wrapped her black cardigan around herself a little tighter.

"For how long?" he questioned.

"Forever?" she told him, she watched his small smile drop and a frown take its place instead.

"Bubbles, I—" George started, "Please don't go, please, we can work things out here, you can get a new apartment, get a job, you don't have to be a part of the order, we can fix things up here"

"We can't, George" Lorelei told him — her eyes blurry, "You don't understand, I can't stay here anymore..."

"Give it a try, Lorelei" George insisted, "We can manage it, I'll help you do whatever you want just stay with me, stay here, stay." he grabbed her hands desperately.

"Stay and do what George?" Lorelei asked, "I don't have a reason anymore..."

"You have me!" he told her, "And you have Birdie, Hope, Regan, Fred and so many other people, don't leave, Lorelei, I don't want you to leave"

"Why?" her voice cracked.

"Because I love you!" George yelled out before he could stop himself, Lorelei felt herself stumble back, "I love you and I've loved you ever since that day at Christmas, maybe even before that, and I want you to stay more than anything"

"You love me?" Lorelei repeated and George nodded, "No, you don't, George, and it's— it's not love, it's simply an infatuation, we're kids, let's be practical here and even if you do — do you really think a war relationship is going to last? If not the distance than the stress will drive us crazy until we hate each other, you can't— you can't expect anything out of this"

"So, what?" George asked, "You're not even going to try? You're just going to run away again?"

"I'm not running away!" Lorelei argued, "I'm leaving, George, and I'm not stopping this time, I've had enough of this place...it all makes me sick, to look at everything and be reminded of mum, and be reminded of Cedric, don't you see it too? Everywhere I go, I see them, and it's just a reminder of what I lost, and I'm so tired of that, I'm so tired of everything. I'm leaving, George."

George watched as she stuffed her hands into her cardigan pockets and walked up to the motorcycle, she didn't wait for him, or anyone, and she left.

George Weasley had lost her.

🫐

LORELEI KNOCKED ON THE YELLOW DOOR. She waited with a small piece of paper in her hand as she stared at it once again to make sure she was at the right place, she heard the music coming from the inside stop and a loud crash but soon the door opened, "Hello!" the lady greeted Lorelei with an awkward grin, "Can I help you?"

"Oh— I'm sorry, I must have the wrong house, uh" Lorelei looked at the note once again, "I'm looking for Ryan? Ryan Mccrory?"

"That'd be me" She grinned, "Although, my surname is about to change pretty soon" she held her hand as she showed her ring, "I'm soon to be married, you see, well, technically, we can't get married, but we're gonna do a ceremony anyway, oh, I do hope you're not one of those homophobic people, I'm talking too much, aren't I? Anyway, I forgot to ask — what brings you here?"

'It's not a random guy!'

"Oh..." Lorelei said, she crushed the paper in her hands into a ball, "I'm...I'm Neveah Ross's daughter?"

"Holy shit" The lady immediately straightened up, "Lorelei? You're Lorelei?"

"Yup" Lorelei passed her a small and awkward wave, "Listen, Ryan we need to...talk"

"Oh, yeah, come on in" Ryan opened the door and Lorelei walked in, the house looked messy, there were clothes and dishes scattered all across the floor and the walls were practically littered with pictures, but Lorelei wasn't here to look at Ryan's house. She had to tell her.

And so she did. She told her everything, and she now wished she hadn't because to watch the goofy smile drop from Ryan's face had to be one of the saddest things Lorelei's ever experienced in her life, but when Ryan broke down as she held her ring close to her chest and Lorelei had to hold her, Lorelei made a promise to herself.

She would tear them apart.

She would take them down, no matter what it takes.

Person by Person.

Even if that meant killing them herself.

welp, that's it, besties, that's all for Lorelei's solo story, I understand that many of you probably didn't get what you wanted — George Weasley relationship content, but I'm not mad about it — the thing is, im not very good at writing about romance and relationships & stuff bc i've had no experience whatsoever, and i was planning to make them date but then i liked writing about Lorelei as her own individual self without adding a relationship in, so i wouldn't blame u if u were mad.

Now, before i go — there is a sequel to this, one final book in the series before I end this au. It's gonna be about the war, so the trio and Regan's sixth & seventh year at hogwarts, it's gonna be about Birdie and Lorelei, both of them living their own separate lives with separate point of views and chapters. It's called 'Chasing Parties' and yes I did name it based off the one sasha sloan song, but yeah — i feel so weird, there's only one book left.

I was going to write one for Regan, but I don't like writing stories with the golden trio as the main friend group and stuff bc i don't get as much freedom in that as i would like, so yeah — here are the covers.

i love the cover for andante andante so much, and regan too, it's sad her story wouldn't work out so well.

anyway see you soon with new chapters and a new story.