𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫 | n. tonks

ix

Everything felt like a blur. Hadley didn't even remember arriving at the hospital or seeing her father in the hospital bed. She couldn't make out the words anyone was saying to her, and she didn't know how to form a response when someone addressed her. At this moment, everything felt numb.

This couldn't be how it ended, right? Her dad wasn't going to die...He couldn't die. Not like this. Not during the time of the year that's supposed to be about family coming together. He had to make it.

Hadley didn't know how she ended up sitting in the window sill of the room she shared with Fred and George, who were already asleep in the blanket fort they had made over the summer. She didn't even remember leaving the hospital or arriving at Grimmauld Place. She stared out the window at the midnight sky. The view wasn't as good as the one she had from her dorm in Gryffindor Tower, but if she tilted her head at just the right angle, she could see some of the stars above her.

Woof!

Hadley turned her head, the tiniest of smiles twitching on her lips when she saw Sirius enter the room in his animagus form. She used the sleeve of her hoodie to wipe the silent tears off her face and reached out to scratch the shaggy dog behind the ears. "Hey, Pads," she whispered.

"Figured you were still up," Tonks said as she sat down across from the redhead on the window sill. She nodded to Padfoot. "He thought being a dog might cheer you up a bit."

"I love dogs." Hadley gently held the side's of Padfoot's face and leaned her forehead onto his. She closed her eyes, lightly scratching him behind the ears. She slid off the window sill and onto the floor. She wrapped her arms around Padfoot's neck, her fingers gently threading through his fur.

"How are you feeling?" Tonks asked as she also sat down on the floor. She leaned her back against the wall.

Hadley sighed, shrugging. "I honestly don't know...Part of me wishes that this was all just a bad dream...That I'll wake up any minute now and everything will be as it was again...No Moldy Voldy...No Umbitch...No evil snake attacking my dad...I just..." Hadley shut her eyes tight to keep from crying. She turned and hid her face in the scruff of Padfoot's neck. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her, and fur turned to skin as Sirius shifted back into his human form. "I wish everything could be as it was before he returned," she whispered as a tear fell down her cheek. "A-And I'm not allowed to show how terrified I am because I have to stay strong for Ron and Ginny."

"Hadley, listen to me," Sirius said calmly, gently rubbing her back. "There is no rule that says you're not allowed to be scared just because you have younger siblings. These are difficult times for all of us, but it's especially hard for you kids."

"You're not alone, Haddie." Tonks moved so that she was sitting next to the younger girl. She placed a gentle hand on Hadley's back, and she slowly turned her head to look at her. She leaned her head onto Sirius' shoulder, a light flutter of butterflies in her stomach from Tonks' touch. "We're all scared of what's out there and what could happen...This is happening to all of us, and you should know that if you ever need to talk to someone about it, that's what we're here for. Me, Sirius, Remus, Mad-Eye..."

"But you hate me," Hadley muttered.

Tonks frowned softly at the accusation. "You irritate me. That doesn't mean I hate you. There's a difference."

Hadley looked down and played with the string on her hoodie. She could feel her eyes growing heavy, but she couldn't allow herself to go to sleep. She had to stay awake in case something happened.

"He's going to be alright, Hadley," Sirius reassured her, gently rubbing her back. "Everything will be as it was in no time."

"But what if it's not?" Hadley asked, terrified ocean orbs looking up at Sirius. "What if...What if he wins?"

"He won't." Tonks reached for Hadley's hand, and she gave it a comforting squeeze. "Good always has a way of overpowering evil in the end. We beat him once before, and we can beat him again." She moved closer to Hadley, closing the space between them. She looked into her blue eyes, her heart breaking at how scared she looked. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug, a protective hand on the back of her head. Hadley shut her eyes and allowed herself to melt into the older witch's embrace, and Sirius raised a brow knowingly at his cousin.

"I think you've grown to care for her," Sirius said as he followed Tonks to the kitchen after she arrived back from her visit with Hadley at Hogsmeade. "You wouldn't have gone there if you didn't. You could've just sent an owl."

"It's so much worse than we thought it was, Sirius." Tonks anxiously ran a hand through her hair as she sat down at the table. "Umbridge didn't just give her detention. She...She tortured her with this cursed quill. I don't know how she's allowed to teach there. All Hadley did was make a joke. That doesn't mean she deserves to be punished like that. No one does. I'm concerned about the students."

"But mostly Hadley, right?" Sirius smiled a little when Tonks glared at him. "You can deny it as much as you want to, little cuz...but you don't look at someone the way you look at Hadley and not have feelings for them."

Tonks stayed awake with Hadley late into the night. When the teenager eventually fell asleep, she was curled up next to Tonks on the couch, her head on her chest. The older girl held her close, her fingers gently threading through her red hair. She shut her eyes and leaned her head back, cursing quietly under her breath. "I hate it when Sirius is right."

─── ⋆·✧·⋆ ───

a/n

this chapter took so long to write for no reason. writers block can shove it

it's still new years eve for me, but if it's after midnight where you are, happy new year!

thoughts?