Forever... Always

Summer - Like An Older Sister

Fred, George, Cedric and I found our compartment on the train and we got ourselves comfortable. I showed the boys that I got my splint removed as we started to move along the countryside.
"So what was it that you'll tell us about this summer?" Fred asked.
"Or rather, show us." George added.
"I can't show you here, there's too many people around. I may be registered with the Ministry, but I'm not supposed to do it in the wide open." I told them.
"Are you... but when would you have... it only makes sense though..." Cedric said louder than I think he meant to.
"Spit it out mate. What are you babbling about?" Fred said, becoming a little impatient with all this secrecy.
"Rayne, have you become an Animagus?" Cedric asked, turning to me.
"I- uh-"
"That's our answer right there." George said. "It all adds up now. You'd taken out a book about Animagi."
"You were having private lessons with McGonagall and Snape." Fred added.
"And then McGonagall took you out of a lesson during an electric storm!" Cedric exclaimed as if he'd just cracked an unsolvable case. "What is your form?"
"Did it hurt a lot?" Fred asked.
"Why didn't you tell us?" George said in a hurt voice.
"I wasn't supposed to. Please understand I didn't want to hide it, but McGonagall told me that I needed to, to keep other students safe. So that they didn't try to do it on their own and have things go horribly wrong." I cried, defending myself. "In my defence, none of you ever really asked so I wasn't lying to any of you about it."
George still looked hurt, but we continued the conversation. I feel bad, but it was how things needed to be done. I decided I had enough of chitchat, pulled out a book and layed myself on George. I asked him of course, if that was alright and he told me yes. I didn't get very far into my book before I fell asleep.
Loud thuds woke me.
"Oh look, sleeping beauty is awake finally." Fred joked.
"Are we at the station?" I asked, rubbing my eyes to wake myself.
"Yes, now get your trunk, we're getting off." Cedric said kindly.
We got our trunks and walked off the train. The line was long for student's to cross back through the wall because they could only let two or three go at a time to not alert the muggles of our presence. I saw Neville looking confused and scared, so I called him over.
"Would you like to go through with us?"
"Oh Rayne, that would be spectacular, thank you, thank you, thank you." he rambled. "My grandmother will adore you."
"What?"
"My grandmother. She's waiting for me and I'm sure she'd love to meet you. I've sent her letters about you. You've helped me a lot Rayne. She'd be pleased to meet the person who's been looking out for me."
"I suppose there's no harm in going to meet her." I told him with a smile.
Once we finally got to the front of the line, Neville, Cedric and I went through the wall before George and Fred. They appeared soon after and we all walked with our trunks on trolleys until we saw Aunt Molly chatting with an older woman.
"Gran!" Neville called at the older woman.
"Mum! Guess what?" Fred said as we approached her, shooting me a mischievous look.
"Fred, don't you dare! Especially not here!" I ordered him and jumped on his back.
"So that one's Fred, I'll guess that the other redhead there is George." Neville's grandmother said, pointing at George. "And who are these two?" She said, turning her attention to Cedric and I.
"I'm Cedric Diggory, Mrs... Longbottom?" He said while offering his hand.
She shook his hand and nodded. She then turned to me as I got off Fred's back.
"I'm Rayne Dutchman, a pleasure to meet you Mrs Longbottom." I shook her hand as well.
"So you must be the one that Neville is always sending me letters about. He said you're like an older sister. Truly a miracle for him to have met you." She told me.
"Did you really say that Neville?" I asked, turning to him.
"Y-yes, I hope t-that's n-not a problem." He stuttered.
"Of course not silly!" I told him while pulling him into a tight hug.
"Who do we have here?" My dad said as he approached the group.
"This is Neville. Neville Longbottom."
"H-hello Mr Dutchman." Neville said sheepishly.
"Say, why don't you invite Neville over for your birthday Rayne." Dad suggested.
"Would you mind Mrs Longbottom?" I asked.
"Not at all. I'm glad to see he's made friends and apparently illegitimate siblings too." She joked. "Send us an owl with the information. Bye for now."
"Bye Rayne!"
"Bye Neville!"
"We best be off, say your goodbyes." Dad told me, taking my trunk to the car.
"Bye Cedric. Bye Fred. Bye George. Bye Ginny. Bye Uncle Amos. Bye Aunt Molly. Bye Uncle Arthur. Bye Ron. Oh- bye Hermione. Um- bye... Harry." I said giving each of them a hug.
I hadn't realized that Hermione or Harry had arrived by Ron's side. Hermione accepted my hug without hesitation, but Harry seemed to be sceptical. It's understandable really with how much he's gone through. I turned to head to the car, but my dad gave me a look and made me turn around.
"Bye Percy." I said sourly.
Percy has been cold towards me for a while now, but my dad wouldn't let me return it back to him. He always tells me to treat others how you want to be treated and I know that it's true and I should, but it's hard when it's someone that you used to be able to look up to.
We drove home listening to music and singing along. When we got closer to home, dad turned down the music.
"So, your mother and I have a surprise. We're not completely sure how you'll take it, but hopefully you'll like them."
"What in the world are you talking about dad?" I asked as we pulled up in the driveway.
"Go in and you'll see."
I walked up to the house while dad got my trunk. I walked in and took off my shoes as mom called me to the living room. I walked over and saw a girl sitting beside my mom.
"Rayne, this is Remi. Remi, this is Rayne I was telling you about." Mom said joyfully.
I stood there confused. Where did Remi come from? Why is she in our house? Why is mom introducing us like this? Is Remi the surprise? I had so many questions, but I felt bad asking these in front of Remi.
"Hi." I said, giving a little wave.
"It's great to finally meet you!" She said in a heavy french accent, springing up and wrapping me in a hug.
"Rayne, I know you're probably a little confused, but Remi is going to be your sister. We adopted her while in France."
Sister? I have a sibling now? I'm excited, but scared too. Do I have to hide my magic from her? Is she a muggle?
"Remi just finished her first year at Beauxbatons. You can show her your magic."
"I'm so happy to have you as an older sister and share your parents. They're wonderful. They've told me so much about you." Remi said. "I have so much I want to talk to you about!"
"We'll leave you two to get to know each other." My- our parents told us.
We walked up to my room together talking about superficial things, like our favourite colours and favourite treats.
"You've got a beautiful owl, what's its name?" She asked me.
"Daisy, after my favourite flowers. Can I ask you something rather personally?"
"Of course."
"Why were you up for adoption?"
"My parents didn't accept me for who I am. They dumped me after I told them  who I really am."
"I'm a little confused. What do you mean who you really are?"
"I'm transgender. I was assigned male at birth and I transitioned so that I could live as the person I always was in my mind."
"I'm so sorry your parents couldn't accept you for you. I'm glad to have you as my sister. Why don't you tell me some about Beauxbatons?"
We talked for what felt like hours until mom called us down for dinner.
"Seems you two are getting along just fine." She said with a chuckle.
"Oh! While we're all here, I have something I'd like to show you. I worked really hard for a large portion of the year to be able to do this."
"We'd love to see it kiddo." Dad said.
Right there in front of mom, dad and Remi, without a wand or anything, I transformed into a hedgehog. Mom looked at dad with a bit of fear in her eyes, but dad was smiling and clapping. Remi stared in shock and soon clapped along with dad.
"You're an Animagus Rayne? That's so cool!" Remi told me.
"You've done a fantastic job kiddo. Please tell me you won't be using it for mischief." Dad teased.
I transformed back and mom looked as if she was paralized with fear.
"I won't dad, I don't have time for mischief being top of my year. Mom, are you ok?"
"W-what just h-happened?"
"I turned into a hedgehog using Animagi. I spent a long time working on it with Professor McGonagall. I'm an Animagus mom."
"That's a good thing, right?" She asked, turning to dad.
"Yes, it's wonderful! She's intelligent and dedicated enough to become an Animagus. That takes a lot of patience, a lot that I never had."
We talked about school while eating. Remi told us about Beauxbatons. They only have three houses; Bellefeuille, Pappilonlisse and Ombrelune. She'd been sorted into Pappilonlisse. She told us about the uniforms, a lot different than Hogwarts, much classier too. I told her about our sorting; the sorting hat; and she told us about their sorting; shooting a silver arrow across the Hall and it would bust with the colour of your house. We talked about lessons, professors and other activities. It sounds like such a classy, well structured school, one that I could never see myself in. So many art lessons, from drama to painting to cooking and a fashion week, no thank you.
"Rayne, would you want to go to Beauxbatons? You and Remi could spend more time together that way." Dad suggested.
"No thank you dad. Hogwarts is my home away from home. I have all my friends there too."
"I thought you'd be a little more open-minded. You are musically talented."
"I hardly even play the piano anymore. I wouldn't exactly call that 'musically talented'."
"Cut that attitude. I was suggesting it because it could be good for you."
"Good for me how? And have you suggested that Remi come to Hogwarts. That would be an option, no?" I said sassily.
"Now you stop right there. You're a big sister now. Sometimes you're going to have to do things you don't care for for your sister's sake."
"Why should either of us have to give up what we know and love? Why should I leave Hogwarts to go to a school where I'd know only Remi? What would be the point? It seems that we'd be in different houses and we wouldn't have lessons together because I'm older. What's the point dad?" I started ranting, slightly raising my voice.
"He's just trying to do the best for you two." Mom said.
"What would be best is to just leave us where we are! I'm not going to Beauxbatons! I'm staying at Hogwarts with my friends!" I said aggressively.
"Go to your room Rayne. Now." Dad ordered.
I sat in my room thinking it over. Why would going to Beauxbatons be good for me? Leaving George, Fred and Cedric? Neville, Amber, Ash, Vixen? Leave all these people to go to a school where the only person I know is my newly adopted sister that I just met, not a chance.
I went to my desk, pulled out ink and parchment and wrote a letter to George.
'Dear George,
There's a lot that's happened since I got home. I can't explain all of it in this letter because I just don't know how. To summarize what I can, I have a sister now named Remi who just finished her first year, like Ron, but at Beauxbatons. She's a lovely person, but dad tried to convince me to go to Beauxbatons instead of Hogwarts next year. I'm now sitting in my room writing you this because I got cross with dad and he sent me to my room. He said that it could be good for me and mom said that he's just trying to do the best for Remi and I. What good would come from taking me away from my friends and my home away from home? I hope things have been better for you. Write me back when you can Jelly bean.
                                        -Winnie'
I folded it up in an envelope that I'd accidentally stained with tears. I gave it to Daisy and she flew off for the burrows. I went into my bed and cried. I don't remember whether I stopped crying before I fell asleep or after.