sixteen to kill a weasley

✨

       MIA WENT TO BED A HAPPY GIRL; she climbed into her bed and fell asleep instantly, her head hitting the pillow as she dreamt up all of the scenarios in the world. She knows her dreams don't predict the future, but it was nice, imagining all of these things that might just happen. Nothing happens the way you expect, she knows that for sure by now, but still... It's nice to dream.

       Thing is, when she woke up the next day, something felt off. She doesn't know how, or why, but when she woke up, dressing into the outfit she left on top of her packed trunk, something felt weird.

       She went down to breakfast, and immediately she noticed — the Gryffindor table was void of any gingers. Harry, too, was missing. She couldn't help but frown.. She could see Archie and Hermione, awkwardly sitting together, but no one else was there. Nothing major must've happened — realistically if they were dead, they would've had an assembly by now — but still. It's the day of the journey home, so breakfast is later in the morning, there's no reason why they wouldn't be here. They can't all be late to breakfast?

       Mia sits down next to Hermione. She forces a smile.

       "Um, hi," says Mia. "Where's...?"

       Hermione and Archie exchange a look. Mia starts to worry a little bit.

       "We can't say much," says Hermione, but she puts her hand next to Mia's ear, to whisper, "Mr Weasley was attacked last night, by You-Know-Who's snake."

       "The snake?" says Mia, quietly, her eyes growing wide.

       Hermione nods gravely, before leaning back in, to continue. "And Harry..." says Hermione. "He knew."

       "So they've all left early?" asks Mia.

       "Yeah," says Archie, eating his toast.

        Already, she can't help but think, I hope George is OK. The thing about Harry knowing is awful, she knows that, and she feels sorry for him, but George? Mia's mum was in the same position. She knows what it's like. But he isn't here, she doesn't know how he's reacted. Is he upset, is he nervous?

       "How is Mr Weasley?" says Mia, quietly still.

        "He'll be fine," says Archie. "I got an owl from Harry earlier. Everything is fine, I think they're all just shaken up."

       Hermione nods. "I hope they're all right."

       "I'm gonna try and go to yours for dinner tonight, to see Harry," says Archie. Mia looks down at the breakfast selection in the middle of the table. She doesn't feel hungry. Her stomach feels like it's churning.

       But she nods. "Oh, Hermione, are you...?"

       "It's not safe for all of us to visit," she says, with a dutiful shake of the head. "But that's all right. I'm going to try and talk my mum and dad into letting me visit later on, but I'm not allowed yet."

       "They'll be OK," says Archie, and Mia thinks he's talking to Hermione. She isn't quite sure. Maybe he's saying it to the three of them, since they're all worrying about someone that left last night. They'll all be OK.

       Mia's witnessed how much George cares about his family, though. Even if he disagrees with them — like Ron last night — he still loves them, so much. And it was the same with her, when her mum was attacked. It's the shock of it all, the idea that she almost lost a parent, that got her. She hopes he's OK. At least he's got Fred, she thinks.

        "So, um, M," says Archie, starting to smirk a little. "What was going on, last night?"

        Mia can feel her cheeks burning. "What... do you mean?"

       "You know exactly what I mean," he says.

       Mia takes a spoonful of porridge. "Um..." she starts, but she doesn't know where to start. "I, uh, talked to George... And, um, you won't remember this, but we fell out like two years after a Quidditch match—"

        Hermione nods. "I remember that."

        "Yeah, and um, he said... That before we fell out, he used to fancy me... And I said that I fancied him..." Mia pauses, to eat some more porridge, and she looks across at Archie, who's beaming with joy. "And, well, neither of us said it — actually, no, I said that I knew that he fancies me now, but I didn't say I fancy him now, but it was sort of implied... And I think we were going to kiss, before you walked down the corridor?"

       "Really?" says Hermione, her eyes widening.

        Mia nods. "Yeah..."

       "That does make sense," says Hermione, in the matter-of-fact way she speaks. "He mentions you a lot. I did think he liked you."

       "As he should," says Archie, beaming still. "Mia and Georgie, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G—!"

       Mia snorts. "I don't know, though, what's going on now."

       "It'll be fine," says Hermione, with a shrug. "I suppose it might just take a little while longer, if he's busy."

        "Or upset," she adds, and Hermione nods, too.

        All of a sudden, a short girl with ice-white hair appears next to Archie, placing her hands on the table. Mia looks up, and sees that the blur happens to be Holliday Malfoy, Draco's cousin. Archie grimaces, as soon as he realises who it is.

       Archie's told Mia what happened last year — apparently "Holly" (she's "Holly" to her friends) was helping Harry with the Triwizard Tournament stuff. "Her mum's a massive cunt, and also a Death Eater, so apparently Holliday only went out of her way to help Harry because her mum wanted to get him to that graveyard for the sacrifice thing. But then Holliday started to like Harry so she felt bad, and she tried to help him when it got to the last task, but she's the size of a fucking elf so she did fuck-all, and instead she Splinched herself in the process, realised she's actually half-blood, not pureblood, found her muggle dad, and got disowned by her mum.

       "And then, when it got to the start of this year, she acted like she had never been friends with Harry in the first place, because she misses her twat of a cousin, or something. Personally, I think she's a coward. And a cunt."

       Holliday looks worried, though.

       "Is Harry OK?" she asks, weakly. 

       "Why would you care?" says Archie. "You've messed about my baby brother too much already."

       Hermione frowns. "Archie," she says.

       "I just wanted to see if he's OK," says Holliday Malfoy. She moved from Durmstrang to Hogwarts the year before; Mia remembers when she first appeared, and everyone thought Draco Malfoy had a long-lost twin. Holliday always looks mean, eyebrows arched to look critical, lips pursed into a bitchy pout. But, right now, the arched eyebrows looked softened, curved into a concerned frown.

       "He's fine," says Mia.

       Archie almost glares at Mia, he's that annoyed she dared to be nice.

       Holliday smiles weakly at Mia. "Thanks," she says. "I'm not allowed to go back to that house. Can you tell Harry I hope he's OK?"

       "Why can't you go back?" says Archie, almost fishing for a reason to fight her.

       Her brows furrow. The concern has transitioned back to meanness.

       "Because I don't want my family to disown me again," says Holliday.

       "I'll speak to Harry for you," says Hermione, with a soft smile.

       Holliday looks relieved. "Thank you... I'll see you around."

       She walks off, making sure to give Archie one final dirty look. He rolls his eyes, slumping forwards on the bench. "I can't believe her," he says.

       "I can," says Hermione.

       Archie goes quiet. "But... why?"

       "Could you imagine, Archibald, if your family disowned you?" says Hermione. Thing is, Mia can understand why Hermione's so unimpressed with Archie. Normally he's open-minded about people; it's just when people hurt Harry, he gets defensive. He wasn't bad with Mia, but then again, that wasn't the same. Mia was a bit of a dick to Harry. Holliday sort of betrayed him, and sent him to You-Know-Who to die.

       Archie shakes his head. "She tried to kill my baby brother."

       Mia thinks, Who hasn't?

       "I just think it's unfair, being nasty to her," says Hermione. "She almost lost her entire family, and she got a second chance. Obviously she's going to take it... And I know she shouldn't have done what she did, but she's the same age as me, she's young. It's not the same as an adult choosing to betray a friend."

       "I agree," says Mia, with a nod.

       Archie looks unimpressed. "I suppose..."

       "You don't have to like her," says Hermione. "But you can understand."

       Archie, apparently finished with talking about the girl his little brother fancied, goes, "I guess at least now, with all that's gone on, they can't talk Bill into bringing Fleur to visit..."

       Hermione rolls her eyes at Fleur.

       Mia frowns. I thought she just said...?

       Whatever. Mia doesn't understand. But Archie and Hermione talk about the different Weasley relatives they both know, having met quite the collection over the years — Hermione, through Ron, and Archie, because the Weasleys' house was his only way to see Harry in the summer. Mia wonders what the Weasleys' house actually looks like. She's been thinking that for a while, because they tend to mention it a lot, but she can't quite imagine it.

       The train home's due to leave at eleven, and as it nears quarter-past ten, Mia, Archie, and Hermione leave the hall to collect their things. Mia's wearing a jumper with a plaid miniskirt, with her dad's leather jacket, so big on her it hides her skirt. (Or maybe that's a comment on the skirt's length...) She had only carried to jacket in, but when she sees Umbridge next to the door, she makes sure to pull it on, the warm reminder of her dad giving her comfort... and an excuse to antagonise.

       "Hello, Mr Potter... Miss Black."

       Hermione's managed to walk past without detection. Mia wonders if Umbridge heard about their parents, and that's why she singles out herself and Archie.

        "Good morning, High Inquisitor," the two chime.

       "Please may I remind you, Miss Black, that whilst in school, your dresswear should be appropriate for a school setting," says Umbridge. Mia's really starting to hate pink, the more she sees Umbridge. "I don't want to be telling you this next year."

       Mia feigns a frown. "What's wrong with my jacket?" she says. "It's my dad's."

       Umbridge stifles a squeal. Mia tries not to smirk.

       "Have a nice Christmas!" says Mia, grabbing Archie's hand so they can leave Umbridge.

       Hermione's laughing to herself, when they get to her. Mia starts to laugh, too.

       "I don't get why she's so scared of my dad," says Mia. "It's bizarre... You would've thought he went after her, not Peter."

       Hermione's laughter dies down, as she frowns, beginning to think. "Well... Maybe you ought to be careful...?"

       Mia waves her hand dismissively. "She's chill, it's fine," she says, with nonchalant confidence. "What's she gonna do, kill me? Ha!"

✨

       THE TRAIN ARRIVES IN LONDON JUST after six o'clock; by then, the sky's a dark blue, and the natural iciness of winter has multiplied by twenty. Mia's glad she wore tights with this outfit, since she was planning on bracing it for the look. She wraps her dad's jacket around her to keep warm, as she sits in the train compartment with Archie and Hermione, waiting for the train to reach the station.

       Her dad's jacket is pretty. It isn't really a motorbike-style jacket, but more like a leather blazer. They're pretty trendy now, Mia's read in Vogue, but she guesses it's pretty on-brand for her dad to buy a jacket that was rebellious, and yet classy. You can take the boy out of the ancient and most noble house of Black, but he'll never forget those style tips. She thinks the jacket suits her even more, because it's a blazer. Blazers suit everyone, Mia thinks. She thinks it's because they always look a little tailored... Anyway.

       "I'll see you later?" says Mia, to Archie, as the train brakes to a halt in King's Cross. She gives Hermione a hug, wishing her a good Christmas if she doesn't see her.

       Mia's quick to get off the train, having spotted her mum through the train's windows. Emilia's still allowed to be out in public, there's nothing wrong with her now she's recovered from the attack, so Mia walks straight up to her mum, who pulls her into a tight hug.

       "How have you been, baby?" says Emilia, smiling brightly.

       Emilia smiles like she's the happiest person alive. Mia loves it.

       "I've been good," says Mia. "How's...?"

       "He's doing fine," says Emilia. "I was working when he arrived, so I talked them into letting me look after him." Normally Emilia works with children, but she's been at St Mungos for so long now, she's got a fair bit of power there. Mia thinks it's really fucking cool of her.

       "Lets go home," says Emilia, taking hold of Mia's trunk.

       They walk through the crowds, to the line of Floo Networks ready and waiting. They step into the fireplaces to go back to their old house, and from there, they Apparate to Grimmauld Place. Mia thinks she's gotten used to doing it this way, and although it's complicated, it keeps them safe. They always used to get the Floo Network home, they couldn't walk home. And her mum doesn't like driving in London — she has a Beetle, but now it's just parked in front of their old house, because it defeats the purpose of a secret house if Emilia Black's yellow Beetle is parked outside.

       Emilia takes Mia's trunk upstairs, just as Sirius emerges from the kitchen, giving Mia a warm hug.

       "I've missed you," he says with a small smile.

       "I've missed you too, Dad," she says back to him.

       He kisses the top of her head, before pulling apart. "The kids have all gone to St Mungos, but they'll be back soon, I think," he tells her. "They're all fine, though. Maybe a little sleep deprived, but other than that, all good."

       "Good," says Mia.

       She decides to go upstairs and get changed. Her mum passes her on the stairs, and lets her know that they'll have dinner, just the three of them, before the Weasleys get back. Mia nods, and runs up the last two flights of stairs, starting to sweat a little as she opens her bedroom door.

       Mia pulls out the black satin nightie, and a chunky cardigan, knitted blood-red. She has matching socks, too, fluffy ones, that she pulls on before she walks all the way back downstairs, as she hears her dad calling her for dinner.

       The next couple hours are peaceful. Mia's told all about what happened to the Weasleys, the night before — "Harry had a dream, where he was seeing through Nagini's eyes — obviously this means his... tie to You-Know-Who is stronger than we imagined," Sirius explains.

       Emilia nods, and continues, "But it was this dream that told him what happened to Arthur. So he let Professor McGonagall know, and the Order checked and found Arthur where Harry said... I won't go into details about what Arthur was like, it really wasn't nice, but it was a good thing they found him when they did."

       "Then the children were sent here, last night," says Sirius. "They stayed up for a while. Fred and George didn't seem too happy, that they couldn't see their dad... But they all fell asleep after a while. Harry didn't, though... I think he's fine now, but none of us realised that bond he's got..."

       Mia does feel sorry for Harry. She knows it mad, that she's progressed so far she feels sympathy for him, but she can't help it. She doesn't know how awful it would feel, having something like that happen. She sees Sirius look at Emilia warily, like he's said too much about Harry, but Mia frowns. "It's fine, Dad," she tells him. "I hope he's OK."

       Sirius, for one, looks surprised.

       "That's really good of you," says Emilia.

       "I don't want you to feel like you're forced, though," says Sirius, "to think that..."

       "I don't," says Mia. "In the nicest way, Dad, it wasn't Harry that was the problem."

       Emilia smiles awkwardly. "Who wants pudding?"

       They end up eating a whole tub of ice cream between them. It's Mia's favourite, peanut-flavoured, with little peanut butter cups lodged in the ice cream. The Weasleys still aren't back when they've finished, so Mia sits in the kitchen with her parents, waiting for the front door to go.

       Her parents have moved to sit together, Sirius' arm around Emilia. Mia used to think it was sort-of gross, but she thinks she's just gotten used to it now. She supposes it's a good thing, that she sees how much her parents love each other. She supposes it's better than them hating each other, and her being aware of it.

       "Once this is all finished," says Sirius. "I think we should go on holiday, as a family."

       Emilia looks confused. "That's... come out of nowhere?"

       "I'm just thinking," he says. "We could go to Italy, maybe."

       Mia nods, starting to grin. "I really want to go to Venice."

       "Then we'll go to Venice," says Sirius, smiling brightly. "And I suppose, if they realise I'm an innocent man before this is finished, we could go then."

       Emilia winces. "Hm..."

       Mia exchanges a glance with her dad. He must know that he's being incredibly hopeful. Mia wonders how painful it must be for her mother, sometimes, to know the world thinks her husband's a monster. She can see it now, the way they're looking at her; her mum, upset, because Sirius will not be innocent for a very long time, and her dad, hopeful, because that's all he can be. It's sad, and weird, to be able to see the difference, so clearly, right in front of her.

       It's half-ten when Mia admits defeat and walks upstairs to her bedroom, deciding she'll see George tomorrow. She brushes her teeth in the ensuite, walking around the room, closing the wardrobe door she left open earlier. She hasn't unpacked fully yet, her trunk still open on the floor, but she'll deal with that in the morning. She walks back into the bathroom, to spit out the toothpaste, and as she rinses her mouth with water, there's a light knock at the door.

       "Mum," says Mia, switching the bathroom light off as she passes it, walking towards the bedroom door. "I'm gonna go to bed—"

      She opens the door. George smiles awkwardly.

       "Hi," he says.

       "Hi," she says.

       She steps to the side, to let him into her room. He must've just gotten back, because he's still in his normal clothes, not pyjamas or anything. She doesn't understand how she managed to miss him, she must've gone upstairs seconds before they all got back. But he closes the door behind himself, as she crosses her arms.

       "How... are you?" she says, as she sits down on her bed.

       "I'm fine," he says. "Dad's fine now, so."

       "That's good," she says.

       "I wanted to check on you," says George, as he sits down, next to her.

       Mia frowns. "Why? I'm fine."

       "I've wanted to see you all day, Mia," he says. "You... make me feel better. You calm me down."

        Her heart skips a beat. In the moment, she feels as though she forgets every past romantic memory; she forgets Oliver, and Roger, and Montague, and Cormac, and Cedric. She doesn't think about them, nor does she think about the crush she had on George two years ago. All she can see, and think about, and focus on, is the boy in front of her, his ginger hair messy from the wind, his eyes kind, and his stance careful, almost. Like he wants to get this right.

       "You're sweet," says Mia, quietly.

       George smiles. "I'm just being honest."

       George cups her face in his hands, as he leans closer to her. Suddenly Mia's aware of the awkwardness logistics of sitting on a bed but part of her doesn't care. He holds her face with one hand and puts the other on her thigh, as he moves closer and closer.

       She feels like it takes an eternity. An eternity between these two seasons; Mia, before kissing George, and Mia, after. Her before with him will change, she realises. No longer is it the before when she fancied him, but instead, it's before this moment, where he's about to kiss her.

       He presses his lips against hers. It's the softest kiss she's ever felt in her life. It's nice, don't get her wrong, but it's... careful. He's holding her face in his hands, and yet he kisses her like he thinks she'll break. 

       The comparisons creep in and she starts to think of the other boys she's kissed, it's only natural, but she can't help but feel as though this one is different. As if her and George both know it took a lot to get to this point. As if the fragility of the kiss, the tenderness, is a direct correlation to the months, and technically years, of waiting, of build-up, to this.

       Mia moves his hand off of her face and onto her waist, as she holds his face in her hands. She kisses him first this time, a little less delicately.

       "You can stay here, tonight," says Mia, softly. "If you'd like."

       "Do you want me to?" he says.

       "Um... yes," she says, starting to smile.

       He nods and kisses her again, before he stands up, taking off his jeans and socks, leaving them on the floor. He looks down at his t-shirt, and she rolls her eyes.

       "It's fine," says Mia, and she moves to the edge of the bed, to lift up his t-shirt for him. He pulls it off properly, adding it to the pile of clothes on the floor, and Mia looks at his chest. He isn't super muscly, but he played Quidditch up until recently, fairly frequently, leaving his arms and chest with slight muscles. He's toned, to say the least. Mia lets out a breath. "You're pretty."

       George snorts. "If I had known I only needed to take my top off for you to want to kiss me—"

        "Don't be silly," says Mia, and she stands up, to kiss him again.

       She turns off the light and moves back to the bed, the two of them lying next to one another. Mia wriggles closer to him, and she feels his arms snake around her, holding her, tightly.

       And, for the second night in a row, Mia went to sleep a happy girl.

eeeeeee!!!!!!🥰🥰🥰🥰

let me know what you thoughttttt!!!!

(also the next chapter's really fun youre gonna love it!!)