𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝑋𝐿𝐼.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙮-𝙤𝙣𝙚

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

NUMBER 12 GRIMMAULD Place. That's where Remus landed them, steadying Caroline when they arrived in the entranceway. She pushed him off immediately. There was no one around, but Caroline could faintly hear the voices of Sirius, Mr. Weasley and... Professor Snape, in the kitchen through the closed door. She was confused about that.

      "Now, your room is upstairs, first door on the right. Your school things are already there. I have to go into the meeting now." Remus instructed, already moving towards the kitchen.

      "Where are we?" Caroline asked.

      Remus put a finger to his lips and disappeared inside the kitchen. Caroline tried to look into the room, but the door was shut before she could. So, she slung her bag over her shoulder once more and began to walk up the stairs, choosing to ignore the encased house-elves at every turn. Caroline arrived at the top of the stairs, and found the first room on the right to be empty.

      Hermione's things were there, as well as Ginny's. That meant that Ron and the twins had to have been there. If they were, did that mean Harry was as well? Caroline's trunk was on a bed, so she placed her bag on the same bed, letting Penny and Marie crawl out.

      She heard chatter in the room across the hall. Caroline walked across the hallway and pushed open the closed door. She was faced with the backs of Hermione and Ron. It was Harry who was speaking, sitting on a bed. "After all, I'm the one who saw Voldemort return. I'm the one who fought him. I'm the one who saw Cedric Diggory and Jacob get killed."

      "Stop taking all the attention," Caroline pushed herself out of the doorframe, walking into view. "If it makes you feel better, they didn't write to me either."

      "Caroline!" Hermione said happily, moving to give her best friend a hug. Caroline backed away before she could be reached. She didn't like physical contact anymore. Every hug, every squeeze of the shoulder felt like daggers piercing her skin, trapping her. Remus called it phantom pain. It wasn't real, but it felt like it. Hermione backed away, awkwardly.

      "How've you been, Carol?" Ron asked, moving so Caroline could sit on the bed across from Harry.

      She hadn't even looked at Harry yet. Caroline sat on the bed, folding her legs beneath her. "Brilliant, Ron. I've been brilliant. I've gotten next to no letters, the only mother I have left doesn't want to see me, my dad is missing, and my little brother is dead." she said, picking at the scars on both her hands. Four in total, on the fronts and backs of both hands.

      Harry opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, two redheads appeared on either side of Caroline, making her jump. "Caroline. Harry." the first one said.

      "Thought we heard your dulcet tones." said the other, approaching Harry, who was standing awkwardly.

      "Don't bottle it up, though, mates, let it out." both twins were now sitting side by side on the bed across from Caroline.

      "Now, if you're all done shouting..."

      "...Do you wanna hear something a little more interesting?"

      "No." Caroline said immediately, staring at her hands. Nothing interested her anymore. No one interested her anymore.

      The twins ignored her and beckoned for the teens to follow them. Ron and Hermione did, but Harry and Caroline held back. Caroline looked up, seeing Harry waiting for her. "Hi." she said quietly.