crashing down // Fred Weasley

friendly encounter

Halloween had past, November air was cold and gloomy as expected. More people had gone into hiding, Sophie still hadn't heard from Harry although there had been rumours he had broken into the ministry, Arthur beat himself up about that, not being able to see his child who was obviously by Harry's side.

Sophie stopped leaving her cottage every time Sirius or Remus would leave for work, instead she would venture deep into the woods and hope, just a little bit to find someone, to check on them, just to know there okay.

"Sophie!' Sirius called as the front door slammed shut announcing himself of his presence. "It's me!"

Sophie sighed, closed her book and jogged down the stairs, stopping just outside the kitchen. "Are you sure it's you?"

"Yes," Sirius said and Sophie heard a small thud of a glass meeting the surface. "I am Sirius Orion Black, first Gryffindor in centuries of my family, also knows as Padfoot, James Potters best friend to who's present I wear around my wrist, married to Remus-"

"Yeah yeah I get it!" Sophie said walking into the kitchen. She snatched a glass from the cupboard, took Sirius's firewhisky bottle from his hand and poured herself some. Closing her eyes as the burning liquid slithered down her throat.

"We need a secret keeper," he huffed not even attempting to stop her from drinking. "Would make it a whole lot easier."

"Yeah well we'd need someone unexpected and nearly everyone here is in danger already." She shrugged pouring another glass after draining her latter. "How is Volde-"

"NO!" Remus had appeared in the kitchen and pointed violently at his goddaughter, "sorry," he whispered.

Sophie's eyebrows knitted, she looked between Remus and Sirius for an explanation for his outburst.

"Names jinxed," Sirius shrugged. "You say it, they find you, they find you, they most likely kill you and although their not after you-"

"They will most likely take you because one, your a werewolf, there collecting those, two your Harry's sister." Remus finished.

"Undesirable number two," Sophie smirked raising her eyebrows up and down and hinting back to Harry's new title.

"Yeah well," Remus sighed throwing himself in the chair beside Sirius. "He'll be alright."

"He will," Sophie and Sirius chorused together.

The three stayed in the kitchen for a while that night. No talking or watching or listening just simply drinking their feelings away. That was before tiredness mourned over Sophie as the sun began to rise, she hopped out of the seat and up the stairs wishing goodnight to her guardians as she went.

It wasn't a restless sleep really, she found herself froze as she hit her head off the pillow. The only thoughts in her head where when she was next to see her brother.

***

She was woken abruptly the next day to a tapping noise at the window. Moaning and gurgling as she turned from her stomach and side and back for what felt like the millionth time, her attempt to block out the scraping died. Huffing angrily at the disturbance she lifted out of bed and looked across the room at her window.

A large tawny owl stood rising and lowering his foot which seemed to be accompanied by a messy, small letter. No envelope, no ribbon, just parchment.

Rolling her eyes but also becoming quite curious she stalked over to the window opening it wide only to be met with the owls decline. It rose the letter once more only letting the girl get a glimpse of her name embedded on it before it took off again.