"𝐈 𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐀𝐍'𝐓 𝐒𝐀𝐘 𝐈'𝐌 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐃," Dorothea said as she sat in a compartment with Luna and Neville on the Hogwarts Express. Classes had let out for the holidays, and they were on their way to Platform 9 ¾. "Mum always called me her petite lapine when I was little. I was always hopping around everywhere."
"You still do that." Neville took a bite out of a licorice wand. "I've noticed that whenever you're happy about something, you'll do this excited little bounce."
"It's really adorable," Luna added, grinning at Dorothea. The brunette blushed a little, hiding it with her book as she raised it up.
The train ride passed surprisingly fast. Dorothea thought it was because she finally had friends to talk to to make time go by faster. When they reached the platform, the girls waved goodbye to Neville before searching the crowd of parents and students for Andromeda, who was picking them up from the station.
Dorothea recognized a familiar blonde woman and skipped up to her. "Hi, Auntie Cissa!"
"Go away. We don't like you," Draco instantly snapped at her, glaring at her and Luna. "Pansy's right. You really don't know how to take a hint."
"Draco, that's enough." Narcissa sent her son a stern look before facing her niece. She looked sad as she examined her features. "Every time I see you, it's like I'm looking at a younger Andromeda," she said, hesitantly reaching out to tuck a strand of hair out of Dorothea's face. She glanced around the train station. "Is she here? I-I don't know if I'm ready to see her again. It's been so long."
"She was supposed to be here." Dorothea stood up on her tip-toes, seeing if she could find her mother anywhere. "But I don't see her...S-She was supposed to...to be here..."
Luna gently rubbed Dorothea's back in an attempt to keep her calm. "Maybe she's just running late?"
"No, sh-she's never late." Dorothea took a deep breath, her thumb anxiously rubbing her palm. "Um..." She looked between her cousin, aunt, uncle, and Luna. "Luna, th-this is my Auntie Cissa and Uncle Lucy—"
"I thought I told you to stop calling me Uncle Lucy?" Lucius scowled at the girl.
"Sorry?" Dorothea frowned. She leaned closer to Luna and whispered, "He doesn't like me very much. It's a long story."
"Do you want me to wait with you until your mum shows up?" Narcissa asked as Lucius and Draco walked through the barrier separating the platform from the Muggle world.
"Oh, um...Y-You don't have to." Dorothea shuffled her shoe on the concrete. She reached a hand up to hold the necklace that her sister gave her, closing her eyes for a moment as she focused on her breathing. "I-I'm sure she'll be here any minute."
However, Narcissa stayed with them anyway. The platform was nearly empty by the time Remus Lupin came running through the magical barrier.
"Thea! I'm so sorry to keep you waiting," he apologized as he walked over to where she was sitting on a bench with Luna and Narcissa.
"What are you doing here?" Dorothea frowned a little, then blushed in embarrassment. "S-Sorry, that sounded rude...I-I just meant...W-Why isn't my mum here?"
"There's been a change of plans," Remus told her. "There was an attack— No, not on anyone from your family," he quickly reassured the anxious teenager when fear flashed in her eyes. "For your safety, you and your family, and Miss Lovegood, will be spending the holidays at Gr—" he noticed Narcissa Malfoy, "at a safe house," he corrected himself.
Dorothea and Luna said goodbye to Narcissa and left with Remus. Around an hour later, they arrived at number 12 Grimmauld Place.
"Mum, Dad!" Dorothea dropped her bags by the front door and ran to hug her parents. She bounced on her feet and pointed at Luna excitedly. "I told you! I told you she was real! I told you!" She rushed up to the blonde and led her over to Ted and Andromeda. "Luna, these are my parents. Mum, Dad, this is Luna Lovegood."
"It's lovely to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Tonks." Luna held out her hand to shake theirs.
"Lovely to meet you, too, Luna." Andromeda smiled politely at Luna.
"Is Dora here?" Dorothea peered into the kitchen to see if she could see her big sister. She saw Sirius sitting at the table, and he waved at her when he caught her eye.
"Something's come up, so she's doing work with the Order," Remus said. "Which reminds me, I should be going to help them."
"But what's come up?" Dorothea asked, her heart sinking as she followed her parents to the kitchen. "Who got attacked?"
"Arthur Weasley," Sirius said. "Tonks and Mad-Eye went with Molly and her children to go visit him in St Mungo's. That's where Remus is headed now and why he picked you up."
"Because you thought I was gonna get attacked?" Dorothea asked quietly, looking up at her mum.
"We can't be too careful, Thea." Andromeda pulled her daughter into a tight hug. Dorothea shut her eyes, holding back tears. "I'm sorry we didn't let you know in advance. I wanted to be there when you arrived, but Mad-Eye insisted that someone from the Order needed to do it...just in case."
After a late lunch, Dorothea showed Luna upstairs to the bedroom where she had stayed with Tonks over the summer.
"That's my sister's bed, so I was thinking you can have mine and I'll set up some blankets and pillows on the floor—"
"Don't be silly, Thea." Luna took the pillow out of Dorothea's hands and tossed it back down on the bed. "Your bed is big enough for two people. You don't have to give it up for me."
Dorothea felt her face get hot. "Y-You mean, like...sh-share it? A-As in...sleep in it t-together?"
"Unless you don't want to do that. Then I can sleep on the floor, and you can—"
"No! Y-You're our guest, you're not sleeping on the floor."
"And I don't want you sleeping on the floor, either."
From outside the bedroom door, Sirius was listening in on the conversation between his baby cousin and her friend, sipping butterbeer through a straw. Tonks came up the stairs after returning with the Weasleys, Hermione, and Harry. She frowned when she saw him.
"Sirius, what are you doing?" she asked.
Sirius lifted a hand to his mouth. "Shhhh," he hushed her. He took a sip of his drink. "Whatever you do, don't offer Luna your bed. Thea needs to share hers."
"Why?" Tonks frowned, her brows furrowing.
Sirius smirked knowingly. "Everything goes according to plan."
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