Dark AIAOY 5

Chapter 3

"Time to wake up, dear."  Molly said softly, so to not wake up the other girls just yet in the room Hermione, Rebecca, and Ginny shared.  "Rebecca?  You don't want to be late."  Molly continued to sort through the blankets on Rebecca's bed until she found the messy-haired, sleep-slow girl.  Confident that she wouldn't go back to sleep, Molly left to get Harry up next.

Rebecca rolled out of her bed groggily, still tired.  All she had done was toss and turn all night, dark dreams following her when she managed to get that far asleep.  Molly had laid out both Rebecca and Harry's outfits for the day, Harry in a brown and tan suit and Rebecca in a dark blue, plain dress.  Brushing her teeth and washing her face, Rebecca's nerves woke her up entirely.

"Maybe you should pin it up."  Hermione said, entering the bathroom the girls shared with her towel in hand.  "Makes you look younger, you know."  Hermione had laid in bed debating whether or not Rebecca would prefer being alone that morning or to get ready together like any other day.

"Is looking younger a good thing?"  Rebecca asked.

Hermione nodded.  "I think it would make you look more innocent, but that's just my thoughts."

Rebecca rifled through one of the drawers and found two pins, doing as Hermione thought and looking to Hermione for approval.  If Hermione thought a course of action was better than another, Rebecca knew which she was likely to follow.

"You look great."  Hermione said, looking as if she wanted to say something else but was interrupted by Molly's call up the stairs for those leaving to hurry.  "Just remember to stay calm, watch your mouth, and-"

"And to not do anything you wouldn't?"  Rebecca finished, backing out of the bathroom with a real smile crossing her face.

"That would be best."  Hermione called after her, glad to know that her friend could at least keep her high spirits.  Unless, it occured to Hermione, Rebecca was pretending to keep the rest of them from worrying--that wouldn't have been outside of Rebecca's sphere of caring for them.

Fred was working in the kitchen with Molly when Rebecca entered the kitchen, fussing over details and hopping from one thing to another.  "Take this and go sit down!"  Molly eventually said, her tone daring him to argue.  

"Eat."  Fred told Rebecca, sinking into the seat next to her with a hint of bags under his eyes.  "It's good for a nervous stomach."

Rebecca eyed the plate he set in front of her with wide eyes.  "If I eat all of this, I'm not going to feel anything!"  Fred stared at her, only blinking when she took up her fork and began to eat.  "I wish you wouldn't worry like this."  She said softly.

Fred's mouth turned, she was right.  If he really wanted her to go off the best she could, she couldn't be worrying about him.  Fred couldn't be the reason that she left headquarters anything but prepared.  "Hmph."

Rebecca's mouth dropped.  "Hmph?"  She repeated, grinning as Fred took a bite from the heaping amount of food.  "I see.  Fine."

"You see what?"  Fred asked, his mouth comically full.

"Did you get a haircut?"  Arthur asked, sitting down at the end of the table and looking at Fred over the edge of the paper.

"Oh no."  Fred answered seriously.  "It's been like this for ages."

Rebecca turned the plate between them, changing what was directly in front of them.  "I think it looks nice."  She couldn't even believe how much she loved his shorter haircut on him.  When it was longer, Rebecca hadn't known how much it covered his face, nor did she know that she was missing out on Fred running his fingers through it.