On the entire way back to the Burrow, Victoria didn't say a single word.

The questions Harry and Ron had towards her and why Crouch had assumed her to be the criminal, had probably been answered by Hermione or Arthur. 

Victoria didn't want to be a part of those rumors, of her father being a death eater. She herself didn't know if it was true, as this was surely something her father wouldn't want to tell her on his own will.

But today has proven that enough wizards thought herself to be one of he-who-must-not-be-named's followers. 

When they arrived, they were immediately greeted by a worried Molly, who hugged each of them long and tight, relieved that all of them had returned in one piece - even though three of them weren't even her own children. She still treated them as such, nonetheless.

The auburn haired witch watched the group interact, but took this as her chance to sneak upstairs to Ginny's room, where she and Hermione were staying. Surely nobody would notice her missing.

Victoria let out a low sigh, her eyes wandering through the room. It looked so homey in here, unlike in her actual home. Here it was warm and comforting, while in Spinner's End it felt cold, empty.

As the young witch went to her bed, she pulled her suitcase with her and threw it onto the bed, moving to pack her stuff. Although the plans had been for her to spend the rest of her summer vacation with the Weasleys, she felt like she had to go home for the last few days that were to spare.

Maybe that down there reminded her of how much she wished the Weasleys were her family and that she didn't just have her father.

"Tori?"

Victoria jumped as a voice calling her name ripped her out of her thoughts.

She turned to find Fred laughing softly at her as he saw her startled expression.

"Bloody hell Fred, don't you scare me like that!"

He only grinned innocently at her, before he pointed behind her and said "You're doing it again."

Victoria turned to see her stuff floating back into her suitcase - floating.

Quickly she let her things drop onto the bed and turned back to Fred with a smile "I don't know what you mean."

The redhead raised a brow at her and her answer.

"Look, Tori, I've known you for three summers 'n' school years now and every time something is on your mind, you do magic without intention. Even in the summers! You're not even seventeen yet, I wonder how you haven't been ordered to the ministry not even once. Tell me your secret."

Victoria let out a chuckle at his words and at the curiosity in his eyes. She sat down on her bed and sighed lowly, glancing down at her hands.

He was right - whenever something stressed her, she did magic without even intending to. Without her wand in her hand. It seemed like she was controlling things through her mind without wanting to or focussing on them.

"You know, when it first happened, I got a letter from the ministry. They invited me to a hearing, to explain myself... But when I arrived, Dumbledore approached me and said that it's alright, that nothing will happen to me and that the hearing has been cancelled."

She paused, remembering said day as if it were yesterday.

Fred, in the meanwhile, had settled on the bed across hers, watching her intently.

"Since that day I haven't gotten a single letter from the ministry whenever I had done magic on accident. I don't know why and I still would like to know what Dumbledore has said to ministry to stop them from pursuing me."

Fred grinned at her and grabbed her hands, holding them tight in his "Teach me your ways, wise mistress. I need to know how to become like you, untouchable by the ministry."

Victoria let out a laugh at that, pulling her hands out of his grasp and punching his arm "Shut it you dimwit!"

The two of them laughed at this exchange and Victoria was glad that he had come and managed to get her mind off of the topics at hand.

"So, you gon' tell me now what you were about to do?," Fred nodded his head towards her suitcase, "Because we still got a couple of days of summer break left and I remember quite clearly that you said you'd stay with us 'til the end."

The auburn haired girl smiled softly and focussed her gaze on her bed and the stuff that lay around now.

"I don't know, I just feel as though I should return home for the last few days. Nothing against you or your family, I love it here-"

"Then stay here until we have to go back to school," Fred said and looked at her with almost pleading eyes. Victoria bit her lip, not knowing what to do.

Of course, she could just stay, but something told her to go back to her home in Spinner's End.

"I'm sorry, Freddie. I just think it's best if I go."

Fred pouted at her and attempted to give her some puppy eyes, but she only laughed it off and turned to shove the rest of her stuff into her suitcase.

"We'll see each other at the train in a few days, it's not like I'm leaving you for ever."

"Well it does feel like it though."

"Stop it."

"Aww, come on-"

"No, Fredward, I am not going to fall for you."

"Did you just call me Fredward?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

Victoria looked at her best friend, laughing at his befuddled expression. Honestly, that name had just slipped.

"Alright then Eltoria, we'll see each other at the train."

In response, the girl punched his arm again and they both ended up laughing again.

Fred stood and pulled her into a tight embrace, mumbling "I'm glad nothing happened to you back there."

Victoria hummed lowly in agreement, enjoying the hug for a few seconds longer, before she pulled back and asked "Sneak me down to your fireplace and distract your family for me? I don't want there to be too long goodbyes."

Fred grinned at her and nodded "Hell yeah. I already got something in mind."

He approached the small window and glanced out. Below the window was a tree. And since Victoria knew how his brain worked, she only shook her head at him and grinned.

"Thanks, Fred."

"Anything for you, darling," he said and winked at her, before he opened the window and climbed out onto the tree.

Seconds later she heard him yelling "Bloody murder!," followed by rustling leaves and a loud crash, of Fred falling out of the tree.

"What was that?", a worried voice shrieked from downstairs and Victoria heard moving.

Quickly she grabbed her suitcase and rushed down the stairs, entering the living room just as the front door closed. 

"FRED WEASLEY ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"

The auburn haired witch chuckled slightly as she heard Molly yelling at Fred. She knew he'd never hear the end of this if the others realized he'd done that just to distract them from her leaving.

She grabbed a handful of floo powder and tossed it into the fire, watching as the red flames turned emerald green, before she stepped in, holding onto her suitcase tight and said "Spinner's End," knowing that the only magical fireplace connected to the network was her father's.

Although a while after she arrived, she wished she would've just stayed at the Weasley's.