August | Hermione Granger x OFC

Chapter Seventy-Two

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The morning of the first of September was chaotic.

Well, it was chaotic for everyone else. Robyn sat at the dining table eating her Cheeri Owls, unbothered.

Mrs Weasley was shrieking at the twins for accidentally knocking Ginny down the stairs; the portrait of Mrs Black was shrieking about Mudbloods and blood traitors; and the others were running around like headless chickens as it was time to go. And they were late.

Robyn liked these people well enough, but she missed the peace and quiet of her own house.

Oh well. She might be back there next summer. Who knows?

Anyway, she was not stressed because she was being Apparated to the train station by Tonks, while the others had to walk there and it would take about twenty minutes. They had less than ten minutes to spare, now.

"WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!" she heard Mrs Weasley bellow, followed by a thunder of footsteps.

"Wotcher, Robyn," said Tonks as she entered the dining room. Well, she didn't look like Tonks. She looked like an old woman with tightly curled grey hair and a purple hat shaped like a pork pie.

"You've aged a few years," observed Robyn.

"This awful house, I reckon," said Tonks with a playful shrug. "They're 'bout to leave. Come say goodbye."

So, Robyn followed her out to the hall to say goodbye to the Order members she wouldn't see again for a while.

She shook hands with Lupin, Moody, and Mr Weasley, the three of them wishing her a good year.

"All right?" said Sirius, taking her by the shoulders.

"Yeah," she sighed deeply, "yeah. Erm, you didn't...tell anyone what I told you, right?"

He shook his head. "No. Only because you're safe now, and he won't be hurting you again. If you were still there, it would be a different story."

"Right..."

"And...because I know how it feels. It's hard."

She nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

"You'll be okay," he said with conviction. "You will. Stick with your friends. And write if you need, but, as Moody said, be careful what you put."

She hugged him quickly, and then Mrs Weasley, then the two of them were hurrying out the door with Harry and she was approached by Nadir.

"It was an honour to spend summer with you, mate," he said, clapping her good-naturedly on the shoulder. "I know it wasn't...by choice, per se, but..."

"I understand. And, er, I'm sorry for...being rude to you for a while, basically. And sorry you never got to see any horses."

"Those bloody horses," he laughed. "It's fine. The sheep were good enough for me, I s'pose. And don't worry about it; it's understandable. Just...don't tell anyone how much I enjoy ABBA, all right?" he finished quietly.

"But doesn't everyone enjoy ABBA?"

"Some people have no taste."

"I feel sorry for them."

"Me too. I hope that bruise fades soon, by the way," he gestured to her black eye. "Weird that not even magic could get it. And I'm supposed to be a Healer!" he laughed.

"Hmm, so weird," she glanced to the twins. "But it makes me look all...devil-may-care, like a real battle-axe, according to Fred and George. And it doesn't hurt, so don't worry."