"GONE"

GONE: departed; The adults in number 12 Grimmauld Place were hauling their arses around trying to get everything done before they had to bit goodbyes to their kids, Tonks sat in a corner with a glass of wine in her hands as she watched a certain brunette run around the kitchen and pack some candies for his kid, she sighed contently — she loved being single and not a mother, though she wasn't that opposed to the idea of a little gremlin running around either.

"Mum, I can't find my tie!" Regan said as she ran down the stairs and to her mother who already was fussing with Regan's trunk — turns out Regan hates packing her stuff as much as every other Black, and she'd ended up postponing it to the last minute, which annoyed her mother to great extent.

"Reggie, let me help you find it," Andrew guided his daughter away from her mum, "before she gauges your intestines out for annoying her"

"I feel loved, thanks, dad" Reggie muttered sarcastically and her dad snorted — he saw too much of him and his wife in their daughter sometimes, getting a sense of déjà vu whenever she would say something similar to what they had said as kids.

In what used to be Regulus Black's room was Lorelei, she was stuffing all of his journals into a bag which she had charmed to have infinite space, she had a lot of figure out about Regulus Black, and she didn't want to lose out on all the time she could spend at Hogwarts reading them instead of procrastinating. A knock on her door interrupted Lorelei as she turned to find her mother at the door frame.

"You have everything, right?" Neveah checked Lorelei's trunk for the thousandth time in the day, or so Lorelei claims, "Did you pack those cookies I made you?"

"Yes, mum—" Lorelei said out loud, and her eyes widened with shock, Neveah paused her packing to look at her daughter who very conveniently started to fight the floor and her shoes interesting.

"Well, looks like we're good to go" Neveah got up with a giddy smile on her face, she pat Lorelei's cheek lovingly, "Dont forget to write to me, ok? I want to hear everything, your pranks for Snivellus—"

"I don't go around pranking Snape in my free time" Lorelei tried to protest, but when Neveah raised her eyebrows to give her a look she sighed in defeat, "Ok, fine, I'll tell you all the juicy details I get"

"Here" Neveah took out a few smoke bombs, "Might help you out this year — trust me when I say this, you do not want to waste it all on that grease curtain"

"What are you hinting at?" Lorelei narrowed her eyes at her mother who only shrugged before she grabbed her daughter's trunk, "Mum, come on, I called you mum today, I deserve some news, don't I?"

"Is that a hint of emotional manipulation I sense, daughter?" Neveah teased and Lorelei gasped dramatically, holding her hand up to her chest as she widened her eyes in shock comically.

"You think so low of me, mother" Lorelei shook her head with fake disappointment, "Seriously though, last time the adults kept things a secret from us — I almost died, so..."

Neveah paused, she looked at her daughter before putting an arm around her shoulders, "Good try, kid, but I'm not sure you'd want to know this, just take up as many happy moments as you can before you get to school"

"You're so weird sometimes, mum" Lorelei frowned, and Neveah snorted.

The duo made their way downstairs with Lorelei's heavy trunk being levitated by Neveah — wandless, Lorelei made a mental note to ask her about some wandless magic tips later on. The kids along with George were all downstairs, and there were enough of people around to seem like the crowd of Madam Puddifoot's on a busy day. George and Fred were giving each other a far too familiar look that kind of freaked Lorelei out, but Birdie oblivious to the same look went ahead and joined Fred's side resulting to her hair being covered with glitter. Fred looked scared, Lorelei doesn't think he meant to do that to his new-old girlfriend.

"Robin, I am so sorry—" Fred spoke after opening and closing his mouth multiple times, Lorelei passed George a look who winked at her, Lorelei raised her eyebrows.

"This was meant for Ginny," George whispered to the brunette, "but I called over Birdie and Fred got nervous, so the bomb popped up in his hands and got all over Birdie"

"You're seriously evil sometimes" Lorelei spoke up at the redhead who grinned deviously.

"Don't act like you don't love it, Bubbles" George said, "By the way, I have those Spider-boy shoes you wanted ready, if you still want them"

"Spiderman" Lorelei corrected him, "And of course I still want them, is that even a question?"

🫐

"MERLIN'S FUCKING BEARD—" Lorelei jumped as she felt something alive brush against her legs, she almost jumped on George who out of instinct grabbed on to her arms, Lorelei looked down at the big black dog who winked at her, the dog winked at her, was she going crazy...oh, wait, she has an animagus father.

Wait, she has an animagus father and the Malfoy family, and most probably all deatheaters know about him...

George released a chuckle at Lorelei's frightened expression, "Did you see your face—" he was almost wheezing with laughter as Lorelei passed him an annoyed look.

"Haha" Lorelei said dryly, "Excuse me, Weaselbee, I'll meet you in the train" Lorelei gave him a small smile before she ran off to chase the dog, she bumped into people muttering a small 'sorry' or 'excuse me' every time, Lorelei watched the dog make his way up to Harry, Lorelei said, "Wait...snuffles?"

The dog paused, he turned to look at look at Lorelei with his tail wagging, Lorelei motioned for him to follow her to a secluded corner, Lorelei kneeled down to face her father in his dog form, "You can't be going out like this anymore, I'm sorry I know you hate being at the place, but George and I—" The dog released a low growl, Lorelei scoffed, "Oh, shut it, anyway — we crossed paths and she mentioned the hair bleach model—" The dog released a bark that sounded much like a chuckle, Lorelei smiled at that, "They know, Snuffles, and I don't want to worry about you, so save me the trouble, will you? Save yourself"

Sirius's tail and ear hung low at that, but he nodded his head, Lorelei hesitantly reached out, but pulled him into a hug — it was awkward, obviously, maybe it was because Lorelei hadn't hugged her father in almost fifteen years, or maybe it was because he was a dog, but Lorelei was fine with it. She gave one last look to him before she parted, and the dog followed her back to the platform where she saw her mum talking to harry, Neveah ross pulled the younger boy into a hug.

Oh, yeah, there's that — Lorelei sort of forgot her mother had decided to adopt Harry along with every other kid in the house, she was building an army, Lorelei thinks, who knows, though? Neveah Ross's mind is anything, but an open book.

"Alright, Harry, take care" Neveah pat the kid's cheek lovingly, and then moved on to giving Regan a hug, Lorelei chuckled as she watched Mrs Weasley and Neveah switch between kids, it was fun to watch.

"There you are, Bubbles" George joined her side, Lorelei looked up at him with shock.

"You waited?" she questioned.

"Of course?" George furrowed his brows, confused but then he shrugged, "Look what I found" he pulled out a ring pop and Lorelei gasped immediately reaching out for it, "Uh uh uh" he tutted, pulling his hand over his head so Lorelei wouldn't be able to reach it.

"I'll give it fifteen galleons for that" Lorelei spoke in an entranced manner, her eyes set on the candy ring that sat in the packet.

"What? No, I don't want your money" George scoffed, he put an arm around Lorelei's shoulder, "Let's just say I'm gonna need your help with something for this..."

Lorelei raised her eyebrows.

...

"IF WHAT YOU WANTED WAS THIS?" Lorelei said in a hushed voice as her and George hid behind the compartment door and under Harry's invisibility cloak that the boy had lent them without knowing the cause, "Then all you had to do was ask — I would've said yes even without the ring pop"

"I know you would've" George whispered back, "Consider the ring pop a gift from me"

Lorelei grinned as George took out a few stink-bombs that him and Fred had spent the summer perfecting, the stink was horrendous Lorelei had to pinch her nose even when she hadn't dropped it, with one last look at each other they threw the stink bomb inside Capella and a few other slytherin's compartment.

The few small balls were enough to cause chaos within in the compartment, Lorelei and George got up from their crouching position and ran like hell. Devious laughter escaping their mouth as they ran down the train hallway and into a compartment where Hope, Birdie, Lee and Fred, the kids gave them a questioning look.

Lorelei gasped for air as she put the cloak behind her back to hide it and then gave George a look, raising her hand forward, George understood and he handed her the ring pop, "Tear it for me" Lorelei raised up her poorly bandaged hand and George nodded, he put the ring on her right hand's ring finger and Lorelei immediately put it in her mouth, "Ah, blueberry — it's my favorite"

"Oh my— Reggie what happened?" Birdie gasped as Regan came towards them with tears coming out of her eyes, "Who did that?" Lorelei watched Birdie's big sister instincts kick in, but she was also too distracted by the smell coming from her sister.

"Regan?" Lorelei questioned, what was she doing with the Malfoys and Goyles?

"Some stupid dickheads put some stink bombs in my compartment!" Regan rubbed her eyes, "I think I might be allergic to something in it because I can't stop crying?"

Lorelei watched as Regan was joined by her friends, Harry, Hermione and Ron came into view in the same position as Regan and Lorelei frowned, "Someone else did that too?" she whispered to George.

"We'll be more original next time" George whispered back, as he watched Regan and the others get cleaned up by Lorelei and Birdie, both of them cracking jokes but not with each other — it was weird to see the two with tension surrounding them. George guesses Birdie hasn't forgiven her for the prank yet.

i feel so weird reading these chapters because i'm rlly rlly ahead in writing right now and i've gotten better i think??? anyway be ready for me to just drop around like 5 chapters in one day in a few weeks or something😭