The Hogwarts Descendant

Chapter 34

Molly Weasley was waiting for them at Kings Cross Station. Dahlia hung back from the group as Mrs. Weasley pulled each kid in for a bone-crushing hug. Her eyes scanned the platform, searching for familiar faces. Her eyes landed on Nott, who's gaze she caught. He gave her a nod of encouragement. She nodded back, Dahlia's eyes continuing to search for any sign of platinum blond hair before her attention was snagged by Molly pulling her into her embrace.

"Dahlia, darling!" Molly cried, squeezing Dahlia tighter. "I was so pleased when Dumbledore said you could spend the summer with us!"

"Thanks for having me, Mrs. Weasley," Dahlia said with a timid smile, still slightly thrown off by the show of affection. She hadn't received much of it in her life.

"Nonsense, dear, the more the merrier!" Mrs. Weasley chirped as the group began to shuffle their belongings towards the platform exit. As they left Kings Cross Station a very large man, accompanied by a tall, twig of a woman stepped forward. The large man cleared his throat gruffly, seeming awkward and out of place.

"Harry," Hermione nudged Harry in the direction of the awkward couple. "Isn't that your aunt and uncle?"

"Aunt and Uncle?" Dahlia looked at the couple with interest. "Really?"

"They're muggles," Harry mumbled, collecting his trunk and making his way towards them. He turned back to give everyone a small wave. "See you after the summer, yeah?"

"Harry isn't coming?" Dahlia asked Ginny, surprised that he was the only one not invited.

"He has to go back to the Dursley's every summer for a while, but we always break him out and bring him here," Fred assured Dahlia, having heard her comment to Ginny.

"Oh," was all Dahlia replied. The six of them made their way to Mr. Weasley's magically enhanced car. They piled their baggage into the trunk of the car before squeezing into the back seat which magically elongated to accommodate all of them.

The drive back to the Weasley's house wasn't long, though it was mostly taken in silence. Dahlia's mind wondered as the countryside flew by. With Harry gone for the first few weeks of summer that would make it easier to research and make her check-ins with the Slytherins. Her mind instantly jumped to the boys, wondering how the reunions with their families had gone.

Absentmindedly her fingers drifted to the chain around her neck, her fingers feeling for the cool locket pressed against her skin. She hoped she never had to feel it burn.

As soon as they arrived at the Burrow Mrs. Weasley set about making dinner, bustling about the kitchen. Pots and pans flew over her head, the stove lit itself, and vegetables started chopping themselves into pieces on the cutting board.

Dahlia followed Ginny up the mismatched stairs. They stopped ascending at the fifth floor landing, pushing open a door that revealed a large space with two canopy beds and a smaller twin bed against the opposite wall.

"Dad tried to give this room to the twins, because it's bigger than the one they share, but I'm the only girl so Mum gave it to me," Ginny said with a grin as the girls dragged their trunks inside.

"You can take the canopy, Hermione," Dahlia offered, situating her stuff around the twin bed. "I'm good over here."

"You sure?" Hermione asked, her brow wrinkled. "You won't have any privacy over there."

"I'll have Mum fix up some curtains," Ginny offered.

"I'll be fine, Hermione," Dahlia assured her, gesturing for her to take the other bed. Hermione smiled at her gratefully and the girls set about unpacking. Dahlia made sure to leave the books Malfoy had given her buried deep at the bottom of her trunk, wary of one of the other girls stumbling across them by accident.