The Wilderness Years

Chapter 8: Me Without You

Christmas Day at the Burrow was lazy and cosy, and quiet considering the location. With the four youngest Weasley children staying at school for the Christmas break, Artemis and Fergus the cat spent the day with Bill, Charlie, their parents, and their younger brother Percy.

The traditions had been much the same - Mrs Weasley's homemade fudge, Charlie's hand-knitted and endearingly ugly socks, and mountains of food - but it was a more laid back affair with only adults around. There had been no crack-of-dawn awakening, fewer presents to be opened, and far less noise and movement. It was lovely, and yet somehow, it had lost a little of its joyful spark.

Artemis had assumed that it was she herself who had lost her joyful spark, having been broken up with only a month earlier, but it seemed that Mrs Weasley shared this view.

"It's very exciting for Ginny and the boys to go to a ball this year. But I must admit, I do miss having them here for Christmas. It seems awfully quiet without them," she told Artemis at the very end of the day, after her husband and Percy had already gone to bed. "Still, it's been lovely having you here instead. Reminds me of that time you came to stay when you were still at school. You and that other girl. What was her name? Meredith?"

"You mean Merula?"

"Of course. Merula. Goodness, it's so hard to keep up with all the friends my boys have brought back over the years. What is Merula up to these days?"

"I dunno. I never hear from her anymore, not since I left Gringotts. Bill might know, though." Artemis said, as Bill emerged at the top of the stairs with his pyjamas on and earring taken out. "Bill, you heard from Merula lately?"

"Not for a few months. She left Gringotts back in the summer. Not as dramatic an exit as some people have made" - Bill raised an eyebrow at Artemis, who rolled her eyes - "but still. She's taken a job with an independent Curse-Breaking agency." He frowned at Artemis. "I thought you knew that. You still write to her, don't you?"

"Not really. I just send her a card at Christmas. She never sends anything back, though."

"So why do you keep sending them?"

Artemis shrugged. "She doesn't really have anyone else to send them to her."

"That's very sweet of you," said Mrs Weasley. Her smile turned into a yawn. "I really must go to bed. Can I get you anything before I-"

"No thank you, Molly."

"Okay, dear. Charlie, can you make sure you put out the fire before you go to bed."

Mrs Weasley bade them all goodnight and went up to the room on the landing which she shared with Arthur. Once the door had closed behind her, Bill descended the staircase and sat down on the bottom step, his head tilted as he looked at Artemis.

"Why so glum, chum?"

"I'm not glum," Artemis told him. "I'm fine."

"No, you aren't," replied Bill. "You aren't still moping around after Chester, are you?"

From his seat on the armchair nearest the fireplace, Charlie raised his head and looked at his brother.

"Bill..."

"I'm just saying that it's not like Artemis to be so het up about a bloke," Bill said. He turned back to Artemis. "Was it a bad break up? Do you need me to go and hex him for you?"

"I'm perfectly capable of hexing people myself, and you know it," Artemis muttered wryly. She shook her head. "No, it's just... It's fine. I'm fine."

Bill looked like he was going to say something to contradict her again, but he did not. Instead, he glanced sceptically at Charlie before shaking his head and also going to bed.