thirteen lucky hour

✨

       THE FOLLOWING SATURDAY, MIA'S managed to get a permission slip to see her mum, now she's out of the hospital for good. She was allowed out the day after Mia's first visit, but due to the nature of the attack, it was decided that Emilia should have a couple weeks off work, while they figure out who attacked her. Mia still doesn't want to know those details, but she wants to see her mum, now she's better, so Mia's excited.

       She knows it's out of the ordinary for Mia to get permission like this, but somehow her and Sprout managed to talk Umbridge into allowing it — apparently all out-of-school visits have to be approved by her, the 'High Inquisitor' of Hogwarts. A term she invented, mind you. It's just as bad as You-Know-Who. Mia feels like titles have zero meaning when you're giving it to yourself... She says, having personally decided to go by Mia, and not Emilia... Anyway.

       Umbridge had a thing about it. It was, what, the third time they had spoken, since Mia doesn't do Defence — and since the first two were because Mia called her demented, Mia knew she wouldn't have her best intentions in mind.

       "Have you heard anything from your father, since his escape?" Umbridge had asked, her lips pursed like raisins. Apparently wanting to see your mum, who almost died, is not enough to want to visit? Um?

       Mia frowned back at her. "No?" she said, lying. She took a page out of her own book, three weeks ago, and added, "In the nicest way, have you ever heard of him, trying to find me?"

       Umbridge considered this. "No, I have not."

       "He only wants Harry Potter," Mia had said, sighing. She made sure to say his full name, so Umbridge thinks Mia doesn't know him... She doesn't, to be fair, but still. You get the idea. Full names establish distance, a lack of a relationship. "... And I want nothing to do with him."

       Umbridge was still thinking about it, apparently, so Mia sighed as loudly as she could and added, "Look, I know it's a lot to ask, but my mum... She's all I've got..."

       There was a pause, before Umbridge picked up her pink quill, and wrote along the permission slip. "I would keep your distance from Mr Potter," she told her. Mia, who has never been a big Harry Potter fan, thought, um... What the fuck? But, she kept quiet, as Umbridge handed the permission slip back to her, her curly signature permitting the Saturday visit.

       The condition was that she had to use the Floo Network in Umbridge's office; Mia had already let her mum know, and their plan, as complicated as it was, was that they would meet at their house, and then Emilia would Apparate them back to Grimmauld Place, so she could see Sirius, too. It annoyed Mia how they had to include the extra step, because she was a little scared of going back home, but whatever. They were going to have the house to themselves, they were going to sort out ideas for Christmas presents, and have a big lunch together. Mia's favourite food was Italian, so they were going to have spaghetti and garlic bread, and Mia could not wait.

       The only downside was that it was the same day as the Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match. If she was being honest, Mia wasn't too bothered about missing the match — she'd be back in time for the party, if Gryffindor won, it would be fine — but that changed in an instant, when she was walking to dinner the night before, and George caught up to her.

       "You're not watching the match tomorrow?" he asks.

       Mia shakes her head. "I'm seeing my mum."

       "Oh," he says, obviously disappointed but not wanting to say anything else. "Well... You'll be back, won't you, afterwards?"

       "Umbridge would never approve of an overnight visit," she says. "So, yeah, I'll be back later."

       "Good," he replies.

       Mia raises an eyebrow. "What's... that supposed to mean?" 

       "Well, I want you to be there for the party," says George, and he grins at her. "Because obviously we're going to win."

       "Oh, definitely," she says, and she thinks she means it.

       George nods. "You know it's a shame you're missing the match," he tells her. "I was gonna offer you my jumper, so you know, you could support Gryffindor..."

       Mia lets out a laugh. "Oh, really?"

       "Well, obviously you can't have it now," he tells her, coolly. Mia doesn't know what to make of this. She's had her fair share of boys offering her their jumper, and, uh, she wonders... Does George realise what that normally means? If she were to show up, with Weasley stitched to her back, with his number underneath? "But, there's next time..."

       She starts to smile. She knows she can feel butterflies in her stomach, starting to swarm, and the feeling's immediately replaced by utter guilt. She thinks of Cedric... She tries to keep in mind what Archie said, that if Cedric was here still, he'd see the change in George too, but still... The guilt still has it's grasp on her.

       Mia sits down next to Archie, who's eyes light up when he realises Mia had walked with George. He gives her the cheesiest grin, as he goes, "Aw."

       "You wanna know what he just did?" she says. George is sitting at the other end of the table, with Fred and Lee, so there's no way he'll hear.

       Archie nods, excited. "Of course."

       "So he came up to me, right, and was like, oh, you won't be at the match tomorrow—"

       "Oh, yeah," says Archie. "I told him that last night."

       Mia frowns. "Why...?"

       Archie pauses, starting to smile. "I'm not saying he asked if you'd be, like, in the Gryffindor stands with me, but... he... asked..."

       "... Right," she says, and immediately her mind goes, what the fuck. "Um, yeah, so, then he said, if I was going to the match, he would've offered me his jumper... To show, like, support..."

       She trails off, and she can see Archie's entire face lighting up with excitement.

       "What the fuck," he says, but in a happy way.

       "I know," she says, but in a confused way.

       Archie's about to reply, but someone behind her catches his eyes. And, like that, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sit next to them.

       It doesn't go unnoticed, that Hermione takes the seat next to Archie. Mia smirks at Archie, whose cheeks are going hot pink, and he turns to his younger brother. "So... excited for tomorrow?" he says.

       Harry shrugs his shoulders. "I s'pose..."

       "You should've heard what the Slytherins were saying earlier," says Hermione. Her dark hair's half-up, half-down, with a claw grip keeping it up, and the curls wriggles from side to side as she shakes her head. "Saying things about the Weasleys to upset Ron..."

       Archie fidgets in his seat. "Oh, were they?"

      He doesn't talk about it, but Mia can tell Archie's a little... suspicious of Ron. Or, at least, he thinks Hermione might fancy him... "Which of course is fine," Archie had said, "but, you know... it would be a little shit... if she did..." What Archie doesn't notice is the fact that Hermione always talks to him, whenever they're around each other.

       Hermione nods. "I wasn't sure if you had heard anything, too."

       Archie frowns, painfully oblivious. "Why would I...?"

       "Oh, I just thought," she says, her voice higher than normal. "Maybe the Slytherins would try and say things about Harry, to you..."

       Mia looks across at Harry and Ron, who are paying zero attention to Archie and Hermione. Obviously, they're not bothered, because why would they be? They're not going to notice this. Even Archie is failing to recognise that Hermione is trying so hard to have a conversation with Archie... Merlin.

       "Um, Arch," says Mia, after a moment's silence. He looks up, cheeks still pink. "Who are you gonna sit with, tomorrow, during the match?"

       "I dunno," he says, frowning.

      "Maybe... you could sit with... Hermione...?" says Mia, raising her eyebrows at him. She can see, in the corner of her eye, Harry looking incredibly confused, which makes sense. Obviously he wouldn't notice this, would he? His big brother and best friend fancying each other. Merlin.

       Archie's eyes widened, as he sits upright. "I mean — Hermione, if you'd like—"

       "That's fine!" says Hermione, her voice still higher than usual. Mia's the same. Her voice goes higher when she's trying to prove that she's fine with something. Yes, I can do that! ... No, that's fine! ... It's all the same. "Normally I stand with Ginny, too, but we can find you before the match starts..."

       A smile starts to creep across Archie's face, cheeks pink again. "Sounds good!" he says, and Mia tries not to laugh at him. It's so obvious, isn't it? How much they like each other?

       It's adorable.

       Shortly after Mia and Archie leave to go to her common room, claiming it's quieter than the Gryffindor one — which she figures might be true, since the Hufflepuff common room tends to be buzzing the night before their Quidditch matches, but obviously that's not the reason they go to Mia's. Archie, the second they're away from others, turns to Mia.

       "What was that?" he says.

       "You know exactly what that was," she says, with a smile.

         Archie seems to be at a loss for words. "I... I would've asked her out at some point," he reiterates, and Mia nods. "I just... want to make sure she definitely likes me back, you know? If she turns me down, I've got to see her all the time still... So..."

       "But you weren't there in the summer," says Mia, raising an eyebrow.

       "Well, would you?" he says, pulling a face.

       "Well, no—"

       "Well, exactly!"

       "OK, well, how about," says Mia. "Tomorrow, you ask Hermione if she likes anyone. If she likes someone who isn't you, she'll probably tell you who they are—"

       Archie shakes his head. "It's not that easy."

       "Why isn't it?" says Mia.

       "Because I've got to make the first move," says Archie. "It's all down to me. And that's fine, but like... It's a lot of pressure. I don't wanna fuck it up."

       Mia frowns, because she doesn't really get it, but she nods anyway.

       "OK," she says. "Well... You'll get there, sooner or later."

✨

       SIRIUS WAS BEYOND PROUD WHEN MIA told him all about her figuring out Expelliarmus; she kept out the part that George helped her, because her dad doesn't need to know how accustomed she is, to sneaking out past curfew with boys, but he was proud nonetheless. She told him, and immediately, Sirius leapt to his feet, telling her to practice with him. She did, and she took his wand straight from his hand, and he smiled brightly at her, hugging her tightly.

       "I knew you could do it," he told her, and Emilia looked over the moon, that the two were finally getting along.

       Mia had until six o'clock, before she had to be back at school. Emilia was going to take her back to their house, so she can use the Floo Network there, so Umbridge won't be able to find a link back to Grimmauld Place. Sirius still isn't allowed to leave the house, the only exception being Emilia's attack, so they can't risk anyone in the Ministry finding out. If anything, it's surprising that they haven't checked the house at all, since the immediate aftermath of his escape... Apparently, if you don't hide out in a house within the first week, that means you'll never go there to hide. (And they wonder why You-Know-Who has been able to roam free, for so long?)

       "I can't believe you skipped the Quidditch match for us," says Sirius, now they're sitting in the living room.

       Mia shrugs. "I don't mind, really..." she says, but there's a nagging feeling in her stomach. She remembers George's disappointment, and shockingly, she thinks she feels... guilty? That she's missing... something important... to him?

       Emilia walks into the living room, and sits next to Mia, giving her a hug. "What don't you mind?" she asks.

       "Missing the Quidditch match," says Mia.

       Emilia shrugs her shoulders. "I never liked Quidditch."

       "We used to have the best parties when we won, though," says Sirius with a grin. Mia's noticed, now that she talks to her dad, that he always toes the line of 'my life was at its best when I was a teenager' — which for most people is a little pathetic, but for her dad, it reminds her how he hasn't been able to do anything since, because of Azkaban, which makes her feel bad for him. She doesn't mind that he talks about school like they were his glory days, because, he can't help it, can he?

       Her mum lets out a laugh. "I guess..."

       Mia remembers what George said yesterday, how he wanted her to be there for the party afterwards. She keeps on thinking about him and feeling awfully guilty for not being there, for him, and she can't help but feel alarmed, by it all. Since when did she feel guilty, for not being there for George? When was that a thing?

       It's half-five when they go back to their old house. Before she leaves Grimmauld Place, Mia gives her dad a hug, and says she'll see him a Christmas; he hugs her back and kisses the top of her head. Mia can't help but think, I'm so glad I've got you back.

       Emilia takes Mia's hand and they Apparate back to their old house. They arrive in the kitchen, the familiar smell of old wood and the countryside surrounding her. She looks to her left, to the yellow-painted counters, and to her right, where there's an obvious glamour covering the windows.

        "Why...?"

       Emilia looks across at the curtains, and sighs. "It's so that no one can see inside," she explains, sounding a little downtrodden. "The Ministry comes by, every so often, to ask me about your dad, but..." She pauses. Mia frowns. "I just think it's safer, that no one can see inside... You never know."

       Mia frowns, but she notices how uncomfortable Emilia looks, and decides to leave it. From the sounds of it, that no one can see inside, Mia figures Emilia thinks someone, Ministry or otherwise, is keeping an eye on the house... Keeping an eye on them.

       "I miss this place," says Mia, looking around. There's a picture of her, aged eight, framed on the wall. Beside it, hangs a picture of her parents' wedding. Another, herself and her parents, before Sirius went away.

       Emilia sighs. "Me too..." she says. "If this continues, and Dad still isn't free... I might have to sell this house."

       Mia's eyes widen. "Really?"

       "It isn't safe here, right now, and I don't know... how long it'll be, until it is safe here, or if it ever will be safe again," says Emilia, her brows furrowing as she looks around. One thing Mia appreciates is her mum telling her this stuff. Obviously Emilia won't tell her everything, because she doesn't want to worry Mia, and Mia knows this, but regardless, Mia appreciates the honesty. "And I don't know... Is it fair, for me to keep this house, when we can't use it? This could be another family's home."

       "But what if you sell it, and then a little while after, everything with Dad is sorted?" says Mia, trying to feel hopeful. She doesn't want to lose her house. "Are we just gonna live at Grimmauld Place?"

       "I don't know," says Emilia. "But this place doesn't feel like home, when Sirius can't be here."

       Mia's nose scrunches. "Ew."

       Emilia starts to smile, and she pulls Mia into a hug. "I'll see you at Christmas," she tells her. "I'll make sure to pick you up. I know the Weasleys are staying, but I'll make sure we spend time together, just the three of us."

       "OK," says Mia. Part of her wants to say, I don't mind being with the Weasleys, but she also doesn't want to admit that, to her mum. Imagine the guts that would take. Imagine the questions that would raise. Why don't you mind, Mia? What would Mia say? Because the instant Mia would hint about her being friends with George, her mum will know exactly what's up, and Mia is not dealing with that, right now.

       She steps into the fireplace, and picks up a handful of Floo Powder. The green flames surround and engulf her as she closes her eyes, arriving in Umbridge's office.

       Weirdly, Umbridge isn't there when she returns, so Mia decides to let herself out. She sees the key caging up the fireplace on the desk, and she picks it up to lock it behind her. Part of her worries that if she doesn't lock it after herself, she'll have Umbridge after her tomorrow morning, ready to give her a detention. So she locks it, and she leaves the key where she found it.

       When she steps out of the office, a little before six, she expects the normal noise coming from Gryffindor tower, since it's nearby. Immediately she figures that Slytherin must've won, since it's so quiet, for the night after a Quidditch match, and her heart sinks. She feels guilty, she really does. And she feels guilty that she's even feeling this way now, but she can't help it. She still feels the need to hold back, on all of her feelings towards George.

       She looks down at her outfit, a black boucle jacket and mini skirt, with a black t-shirt tied at the waist. (Before you say it, yes, she is cold.) She was planning on getting changed before finding the Gryffindors she knows — she doesn't feel like her grandma's tweed co-ord is party appropriate — but by the sounds of things, they haven't won. So she doesn't want to go back and change, she wants to make sure George is OK.

       She hears the bell from the very top of the staircases, announcing the end of one hour, and the start of the other. She reaches the landing in front of the Gryffindor common room, and repeats the password Archie and George told her.

       And yes, she hears herself. Mia Black choosing someone over an outfit change. She doesn't even think Cedric got that treatment — Mia Black would never be caught dead in the wrong outfit for the occasion, and yet, here she is, in all her glory, walking up the staircase to Gryffindor tower, to check on George Weasley.

       Honestly, who even is she?

i finished this four minutes ago and RUSHED to do the indents so i could post it tonight lol hi

the george n mia ~scene~ was gonna be at the end of this chapter but i decided i wanted to ~savour~ it so next chapter will be gia to the MAX

anyways thank u for reading, and let me know what u thought!!! :-)