𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒-ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣❥

𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐏 𝟓

Mrs. Weasley followed them upstairs looking grim.

"I want you all to go straight to bed, no talking," she said as they reached the first landing. "We've got a busy day tomorrow. I expect Ginny's asleep," she added to Hermione, "so try not to wake her up."

"Asleep, yeah, right," said Fred in an undertone, after Hermione bade them good night and they were climbing to the next floor. "If Ginny's not lying awake waiting for Hermione to tell her everything they said downstairs, then I'm a flobberworm. . . ."

"All right, Ron, Harry," said Mrs. Weasley on the second landing, pointing them into their bedroom. "Off to bed with you."

" 'Night," Harry and Ron said to the twins.

"Sleep tight," said Fred, winking.
Mrs. Weasley closed the door behind Harry with a sharp snap. The
bedroom looked, if anything, even danker and gloomier than it had on first sight. The blank picture on the wall was now breathing very slowly and deeply, as though its invisible occupant was asleep. Harry put on his pajamas, took off his glasses, and climbed into his chilly bed while Ron threw Owl Treats up on top of the wardrobe to pacify Hedwig and Pigwidgeon, who were clattering around and rustling their wings restlessly.

Emily's dads had just left, leaving her with the awful, bitter taste of the medicine still in her mouth. The moment she heard the bedroom door click shut, she bolted upright. Her limbs moved almost on their own as she tugged her pyjama top back over her shoulders and darted down the hall toward Harry and Ron's room.

She knocked lightly on the door, voice cautious. "Oi, are you decent?"

"No, Ron's doing a strip dance," Harry's tired voice replied, muffled from the other side.

"I am not! You can come in, Emily!" Ron shouted, his voice a mix of indignation and exasperation.

Emily pushed the door open and slipped inside. She moved on tiptoes, careful not to wake anyone else in the house, and jumped up onto Harry's bed. Without hesitation, she buried her head against the center of his chest, letting the steady beat of his heart ground her.

"Why aren't you sleeping with the girls? How come you have your own room?" Ron asked, eyebrows raised, leaning against the wall like he'd stumbled into someone else's private moment.

"My dads gave me this room when I got back from school," Emily replied, her voice soft and tired. "I asked for Ginny and Hermione to stay, but Remus said I can't because I'm still ill. Then Sirius... he said if anyone steps foot in here, they'll die." She let out a quiet, almost amused sigh as Harry's fingers threaded through her hair, massaging gently.

"But you're in here?" Ron's voice had an edge of disbelief, as though the whole arrangement made no sense to him.

"Because Harry's in here," she murmured, snuggling closer into him.

Ron's jaw dropped slightly. "Thank you, Emily," he said sarcastically, giving a half-smile that barely masked his jealousy.

"Awww, Ron! Are they forgetting about you?" Hermione's voice rang out suddenly as she walked into the room, catching him off-guard. She latched onto his side, grinning, and his face flushed crimson. Hermione froze, realizing the awkwardness, and let go quickly, stepping back with a small laugh.

Emily lifted her head from Harry's chest and waved Hermione over to the bed, her own smile warm despite her exhaustion. As Hermione joined them, Emily felt the tension ease, the room filling with a quiet sense of comfort and belonging. Ron and Harry leaned back, talking quietly, while Emily and Hermione settled side by side, their laughter and whispers bridging the fragile peace of the night.