Courage

-14-

Book: Courage
Chapter 14
Word Count: 1328

Layla sat at her desk in her bedroom during the middle of July, sending Harry yet another letter. He hadn't been replying to a single one of her letters. Layla had been exchanging many letters with both Ron and Hermione all summer, but she never received one from Harry.

She read the letter over once she'd finished.

Harry,
You are really starting to scare me.
Why aren't you answering my letters?
I don't want to sound clingy, but you're one of my best friends and I'm worried about you.
Are you okay?
Please reply soon.
With love,
Layla

Layla jumped up from her desk and walked into her dad's study, which was currently unoccupied, and saw Remus' owl in its cage. Layla got the owl out of the cage and fed it a treat before opening the window and allowing the owl to fly out after giving him directions.

With that, Layla walked back into her bedroom. She'd always loved her bedroom, way more than the school dorms. Pictures were plastered on the wall above her bed, most of them moving, and the moving picture frame of her and her dad that he'd got her for her last birthday sat on her night stand.

Moments later, Layla jumped in fright when a tapping was heard at her window. She turned to see an owl. Layla grinned and hurried over.

"That was fast," she muttered to herself, hoping that it was from Harry. She deflated slightly when she noticed Ron's messy handwriting across the envelope, and it took her a minute to realise that it was the Weasleys' owl who had delivered the letter, Errol. She wasn't complaining, of course. She still loved getting letters from Ron. Opening the letter, Layla read it silently.

Dear Layla,
Hi, how are you?
Mum said I should start my letter like that. She says it's polite, but I think it's a bit pointless. I got your last letter. Harry hasn't been writing to me or Hermione, either. Well, that's what Hermione said in her last letter. She's worried about him, too.
Anyways, Percy hasn't been himself lately. He got his O.W.L results and didn't boast much at all. Not like him, is it?
Oh, I almost forgot. Mum thought you were brilliant when she saw you at the station last month! She's inviting you to come stay at ours for the rest of the summer and become acquainted with our family. Mum thinks they'll love you, and that's probably true.
Will you come? It would be better if you were here. My little sister Ginny says you can stay in her room with her if we put up a camp bed in there for you. Her room is too small to spell you up a bigger bed, but it's still a big enough room for both of you.
Write back! I'll hopefully see you soon.
From Ron

Layla folded the parchment and put it on the pile with the other letters both Ron and Hermione had sent her. With a wide grin, Layla jumped to her feet and rushed downstairs.

"Dad! Dad!"

"Is everything alright?" asked Remus, sat in the living room with the Daily Prophet in his hands.

"Ron and Mrs Weasley have invited me to spend the rest of the summer there with them! They'll take me shopping for my school supplies in Diagon Alley, and even take me to King's Cross!" said Layla cheerfully. "Please can I go? Pretty please?"

"I don't see why not," said Remus with a smile. "Go and pack your things and then you can use the floo network to The Burrow where the Weasleys live."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Layla hugged Remus tightly and then dashed upstairs. She quickly grabbed some more parchment, dipping her quill into her ink pot to write up a quick reply to Ron.

Ron,
Hopefully this reaches you before I get there.
My dad said I can come stay with you, starting tonight! Yay!
I am going to pack my things and then go to yours through the floo network.
See you soon! I'm so excited! I can't wait to meet the rest of your family!
With love,
Layla

Layla spent the next thirty minutes packing her trunk. Wand, check. Robes, check. Money, check. Peaches, check. Books from first year that she would still need in second year, check. A few photo frames that she wanted to bring, check. Her journal that she'd gotten from Hermione on her last birthday, check. Quill and ink pots, check. Sweets in case she got hungry at night for a midnight snack, check. Polaroid camera, check.

Once Layla's trunk was packed, she closed it and hoisted it up, carrying it downstairs. She hated that she couldn't use magic outside of Hogwarts until she was seventeen. It would make things so much easier.

After giving her dad lots of hugs and waves goodbye, Layla hopped into fireplace, grabbed some floo powder, and threw it on the ground of the fireplace.

"THE BURROW!"

And she was engulfed in green flames.

But only moments later, Layla was staggering out of the fireplace with her trunk and Peaches' cage, looking around at the house.

"Layla!" cried Ron, rushing over to the fireplace and hugging Layla tightly. "Come meet everyone! Leave your trunk there and the cage there, we'll get it later!"

Ron practically dragged Layla into the living room where most of the family was situated. Ron seemed to be look very proud that he was the one who got to introduce Layla to everyone.

"Well, you know my mum—"

"Hello again, dear."

"—and Fred and George obviously—"

"My name's not Fred! It's Gred!"

"Yeah, and I'm Forge!"

"Shut up," Ron glared at his older brothers, and the twins just laughed. "Well, that's my little sister, Ginny. You'll be staying in her room for the rest of summer."

"Hello," Ginny smiled shyly.

"Hey, Ginny. Nice to meet you," Layla smiled back kindly.

"Ginny's starting her first year in September," told Ron. "Anyway, you also know Percy, of course. He's not been very talkative lately. Charlie and Bill are still away, but you'll get to meet my dad later! He's at work right now. Works in the Ministry of Magic, you see."

"Stop rambling to the poor girl, Ronald," scolded Mrs Weasley before turning to smile brightly at Layla. "Ginny will show you to her room upstairs. I'll get Fred and George to bring your things up to you."

"Really?" George whined playfully. "Why us?"

"Yeah! Nice going, Layla," Fred joined in jokingly. Layla giggled at the twins, amused.

"Come on," Ginny stood up. "It's this way."

Ginny grabbed Layla's hand and led her up the stairs, reaching her room at the end of the hall. She pushed open the creaky bedroom door, revealing a small room. Ginny sat on the end of her single bed that was pushed against the far wall to make more room.

"It's not much, but I think my room's very cosy," said Ginny. "Do you like it?"

"Of course I do," said Layla, causing Ginny to smile at her.

Moments later, Fred and George walked in with Layla's things, placing them by the door and then leaving, talking quietly about pranks to pull on the family. Mrs Weasley came up shortly after with a camp bed, setting it up for Layla.

"Thank you, Mrs Weasley. You are a great help," the twelve year old girl smiled gratefully at Mrs Weasley.

"It is not a problem, dear," Mrs Weasley returned the smile before leaving.

The Weasley house wasn't big, but Layla could tell it was full of love and comfort. It wasn't much of a house, but it was a home. It showed that the Weasleys didn't need money to show their love for each other. Family was all they needed, and Layla knew that she was going to love it at The Burrow.