Forever... Always

Year 2 - Christmas Break

I'm sure everyone thought I was way too excited to leave Hogwarts. I've had my trunk packed since Thursday, while of course the exception for some things I needed on Friday and Saturday. Yesterday, Saturday, Amber, Cedric, Marcus, Fred, George and I all hung out together. We built snowmen and made snow angels in the courtyard and had a snowball fight near the forbidden forest. I'm not sure how it happened, but the snowball fight became Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor very quickly and neither side was giving up. Professor Flitwick ended up stopping the fight because it was dinner. After dinner, everyone but me and George stayed in the Great Hall while we went to Myrtle's bathroom to talk.
    "We're here, so what did you want to talk about Georgie?" I asked.
    "How do you do it? How are you so... ok?"
    "What do you mean Georgie?"
    "I mean, how are you so ok with not seeing me? I miss you so much. Am I really your best friend?"
    "You want the truth Georgie? Here it is. I miss you, ok? You are my best friend. I've just gotten good at hiding the fact that I'm sad every time I see you but can't go talk to you. I'm lonely without you around."
    "Do you prefer Freddie though?"
    "Why would you even ask me that? You know that we have always been closer than Freddie and I. I know that whenever someone comes up to the two of you they say Fred first. Fred is shorter than George and F comes before G in the alphabet. I'm sure they all appreciate you both equally."
    "You're probably right Rayne. I just feel second best to Fred."
    "You're always my number one."
    "Forever?"
    "Forever and always Georgie."
    Today on the Hogwarts express, like every time before, I sat in the same compartment with Cedric, George and Fred. We talked about everything we'd missed in each other's lives till now until we arrived at the station. We made it past the wall to find Uncle Amos, Aunt Molly and Uncle Arthur waiting for us. For some reason my parents were nowhere in sight.
    "Come here children!" Aunt Molly called and all six children, George, Fred, Marcus, Amber, Cedric and I went running. Charlie and Percy trailed behind.
    "Where are my parents?" I asked her.
    "Something came up with the house so Mr. Diggory offered to take the three of you until your parents can come get you."
    "So what are your names?" Uncle Amos asked Amber and Marcus.
    "I'm Amber Buttonwood." She responded.
    "I'm Marcus Staghart, sir." He responded.
    "Nice to meet you, I'm Cedric's dad." He said with a smile.
    "See you at Christmas Rayne!" Fred and George yelled to me before Uncle Arthur drove off.
    I waved to them and then got in the Diggory's car. It was a pretty quiet ride to Cedric's house for me because I didn't really talk, Amber talked with Marcus, Cedric talked to his dad and I sat silently starting out the window. We arrived at Cedric's and started to unload our trunks.
    "You've been awfully quiet Rayne, what's on your mind?" Uncle Amos asked as we entered the house.
    "Oh! I was just wondering what could have come up that my parents didn't come get us."
    "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but someone had broken in last night. They didn't steal anything but they basically tore the place apart as if they were looking for something specific."
    "What?! What would they have been looking for?"
    "No clue dear, but it had to have been a wizard or witch because the lock was still intact and there was no trace of it being picked either."
    "So my parents are probably cleaning up the house right now?"
    "Amos! You weren't supposed to tell her!" A woman yelled from the kitchen.
    "Sorry love, I couldn't lie to the darling." Uncle Amos responded as he headed to where she was.
    "Dear, don't worry." She told me as she knelt down in front of me. "Everything is alright and your parents are actually on their way already to come get you three."
    She disappeared and soon after, my parents arrived. Cedric was out in the driveway waving us goodbye as we drove off. We got home and the three of us went to set up my room while my parents made dinner.
    "Your house is lovely." Amber said while putting a plant on the window sill.
    "When did you move here?" Marcus asked while helping me put my fairy lights on the wall, along with my fake vines.
    "August, but I wasn't really able to set up my room because we went back to Hogwarts the same week. Also, what would you guys think if these vines were real?"
    "It'd add a lot of character to the room." Amber responded, putting my jewelry box on my vanity.
    "I agree with Amber." Marcus stated, placing my night stand beside my bed.
    "Dinner's ready!" My mom called from the dining room.
    We ate and talked about school, we also talked some about how Marcus had found out that Amber was his sister. My dad made dessert while my mom helped us with the final touches to my room. Once we finished with my room, we joined dad in the dining room again and all ate dessert together.
    We spent most of the week watching every Christmas movie out there, building an army worth of snowmen and drinking so much hot chocolate that we might have become a tiny part hot chocolate. We had so much fun and I'm so glad I got to help Marcus and Amber spend some of the holiday together. They're both amazing, I'm so lucky to call them my friends. Sadly, all this excitement had to come to an end. Their adoptive parents came to pick them up today. The upside to Amber and Marcus leaving is that it means it's December 24th, Christmas Eve and we're heading to the Weasley's soon. Aunt Molly had told me a week ago at the station that this year, she has an extra special surprise for me. I remember Georgie said in a letter just a few days back that he doesn't think that Aunt Molly isn't doing the same thing as she always does for Christmas. Either way, I guess I'll find out tomorrow. For now I should get some sleep, I know the twins will have something planned for tomorrow.