Discovery

38.

I spent my first two weeks of summer holiday at home. Mum wanted me to spend as much time with Miranda as possible before I went back to school.

The only person less pleased about that than me was, of course, Miranda.

"Why do I have to spend time with her?" Miranda whined as we sat at the table playing Wizards Chess. "I should be looking for a job! Not playing babysitter!"

"I don't need a babysitter!" I objected. "I'm almost fifteen!"

"I don't care if you two don't like it, you'll do it anyway!" Mum said, hurrying down the stairs. "Listen, I've got a meeting. Miranda, you can come if you'd like. If not, I expect you to be using this time to bond with your sister."

"There's no way I'm staying here," my sister said, rising from her chair.

"Why can Miranda go?" I demanded.

"It's work stuff," Mum said. "Your sister wants to become an Auror, so she's got to learn about it somehow."

Miranda stuck her tongue out at me.

"See you later, stupid." she said, opening and heading out the front door.

"We won't be long. Don't open the door for anyone, you hear me? Stay safe, stay alert. I love you." Mum gave me a quick hug before closing the door behind her.

***

Every afternoon was the same thing.

"I have a meeting—"

"—Stay safe, lock the doors—"

"—Auror's business, nothing special—"

That was how it went, all through the first two weeks of July.

But on one day, something changed.

"Pack your bags, we're headed to the Burrow." Mum said when she returned from her "meeting".

"Now?" I asked.

"No, yesterday," Miranda scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Come on, we need to go. Get your things ready." Mum said, and I headed upstairs without question.

We headed to the Burrow that evening using Floo Powder.

"Miranda! Ella! So good to see you!" Mrs. Weasley welcomed us. "Take your things to Ginny's room, there's already two beds waiting for you."

"Bye girls! I'll see you soon!" Mum called to us as we hauled our trunks up the stairs.

"Bye, Mum!" we replied in unison.

Miranda and I reached Ginny's room and set our stuff down.

"I'm going to get something to eat," Miranda said, exiting the room.

"I'll take a sandwich!" I called after her.

"I wasn't taking requests!" she snapped.

"Requests for what?" said a familiar voice.

Fred and George were standing in the doorway.

"Dinner, apparently," I said, sitting down on one of the spare beds. "By the way, have you guys seen Ginny anywhere?"

"Nope," said the twins in unison.