"Like a roller in the ocean, life is motion
Move on
Like a wind that's always blowing, life is flowing
Move on"

* * *

That night, the whole house was snoring, a few people murmured, others grumbled, but one lay wide awake. River laid on her side, her brother was in the bed opposite hers (it had been heard since they shared a room) and she clutched her duvet tightly. She shook violently as she tried to suppress tears. It still felt tremendously horrible to her. Her whole life was turned upside down and there was nothing she could do.

The men from the house still occupied her mind. What did they want? Why were they in their house? Why were they bad men? What did they exactly want with her father? Despite her mother's explanation it was still very vague and didn't make any sense.

Her mouth dried so she clambered out of bed, shaking away her tears. She grasped a hoodie that belonged to Eros and slipped that over the top of her shorts and t-shirt. She tugged on some fluffy socks, then her slippers and escaped from the room.

The corridor was dark and gloomy. The portraits that dressed the walls moved and that was something could not wrap her head around. They made noises that were airy and amongst a somber, pitch black corridor made it even scarier for her to descends the countless staircases. She gripped the handrail like she was about to fall flat on her face and edged down the stairs slowly.

When she managed to get to the dining room she shuffled through to the kitchen and poured a glass of water before setting herself down at the dining table when suddenly the lights flickered on. River jumped and snapped her head to the door to see the youngest ginger boy who sheepishly smiled at her.

"Do you mind if I join you?" He asked, his eyebrows raised slightly.

"Go for it." Replied River who turned back and started to swill her water around her glass.

Ron awkwardly pulled out a chair opposite her, it squeaking against the stone floor before sitting down then jumping it further under the table. "Sorry."

"It's calm."

The pair sat in silence. The air was thick and Ron didn't really know where to look, he found River spellbindingly beautiful and definitely believe she was part Veela. There was no way she couldn't be. Her and her mother were beautiful with long blonde hair. It would be impossible to be that beautiful without Veela blood. Or maybe that was just was Irish women were like? He had never met an ugly Irish woman. So Irish and Veela would be the perfect mix. Yet he could tell there was something eat away at her. That was the worst feeling.

"You alright?"

"Meh. It is what it is."

Ron tilted his head, "um, 'Mione says I have the emotional range of a teaspoon but I think I can tell that something is up. You can talk to me, I generally forget anything afterwards so it won't go any further than between us. Or I can go get Fred or George, they can cheer anyone up, they're good at that. Don't tell 'em I said that though, their heads are already big enough and I don't want them calling me soft all the time, you know."

River chuckled slightly, "thanks, hun, but I wouldn't really know where to start. It would all be waffle and you'll regret offering to listen."

"You sure? You seem nothing but troubled, I heard Eros talking about you travelling, did something happen?"

With a sigh, she shrugged. "You could say that." River gulped down the last few mouthfuls of water. "Where is the best place to go around here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Where's the best place to go around here?" She repeated, "you know, like, any tourist attractions? A historic monument... somewhere to escape?"

Ron witnessed as River's lips quivered and tears rolled down her cheeks like rain on a car window. Each drop chased the one before. Awkwardly, Ron shifted and made his way around the table and cautiously put his arms around her. He patted her back and glanced around the room not really knowing what to do.

She sniffled and Ron gently let go but stayed close to her. "Sorry." River viciously wiped her eyes and pushed back her seat, it falling over in the process with a clang on the stone floor. Ron flinched at the noise, River apologising again as she pulled the seat up and then hurried from the room.

"River!" Ron called, quietly but loud enough for her to hear as he followed her. "River, it's okay, come 'ere!" But Ron's calls didn't stop her as she exited the front door, hurrying down the front steps and sprinted to the left. "Oh bugger!"

Unsure of what to do, still, Ron darted up the stairs and into the room where Bill and Charlie slept. He wasted no time in hitting Bill with a pillow to wake him up. "Piss off," Bill grumbled pushing his youngest brother back.

"Bill, I dunno what really happened but River got upset and ran out the house towards the left-"

At the sound of her name, Bill pushed himself up. "You what?"

"She was upset and then left the house. I dunno what to do."

"Leave it to me and go back to bed. I'll go get her." Bill said with a yawn and he tugged on his own slippers running down the stairs and out of the house. It was cold despite it being the summer, and the sky was cloudy as if it was going to rain. He hoped it didn't as he strode down the road, looking all around him.

He knew he shouldn't have left her to go to sleep without talking to her first. She was clearly a mess and nobody was really doing anything about it. They probably think she is being dramatic but her whole life has been uprooted and despite her spontaneous ways, this was not the same as travelling the world, this was taking all ghat she had ever known and scrambled it up and not letting it return to how it used to be.

He passed shops and many cars when he came across a bus stop. Sat on the seat in the shelter, River had her head in her hands. He approached her quietly to not startle her, and he perched beside her. "What's up, buttercup?"

"I can't do it anymore, Bill."

"Do what?"

"This. Be in that house. I wish I didn't come back to England. I haven't seen Alexis or Lottie in ages, my family has messed up my head and I feel a weight on my chest all day everyday."

Gently encasing her in his arm, he pulled her close. "But you wouldn't have seen me again," he said, "we wouldn't be together."

"I wouldn't count on that," she mumbled, "you always turn up some way of another."

Snickering he nodded, "that's true, baby."

"Baby?"

Blushing, Bill coughed, "uh... yeah?"

"Um, I don't know how I feel about that."

"What?"

River laughed, "it's just, it lowkey makes my heart jump but at the same time it sounds so... nehh, I don't know how to explain it. Like, it's grand but also weird at the same time. But don't stop on my part, feel free to use any words you want because you have free speech." She couldn't help but smile slightly, being with Bill kept her grounded, he lifted her up from the gutter and held her high in the air with a large bubbling happy sensation brewing in her stomach.

"Why did you run?"

"I told you."

"Then wait here, give me ten minutes."

Without letting her say a word, Bill removed his arm from River and disappeared with a crack! River gripped the seat tightly and rocked her legs back and forth. Less than ten minutes later Bill return in the same manner, a bag in hand and his other outstretched for her.

"What's going on?" She asked him, taking his hand.

"Then we won't go back for the night."

The pair were sucked into a tight tube, River feeling sick to the stomach as she lurched over ready to hurl when they landed. Bill was ready to pull her hair back in case she threw up. Thankfully, she didn't.

"Where are we?"

"Welcome to the Burrow."