No second chances| Book Two

Happiness Comes to Those Who Wait

A screamed ripped through my chest as Niamh dove down towards the water below. My stomach doing flips through my chest and I felt the urge to throw up grow by the second. 

"You bloody lizard!" I cursed, holding the satchel closer to my chest. Niamh hoisted herself back up at a steady pace and circled the house below us. I could see the figure of a man walking out of the house and into the yard before shielding his eyes to look up at me. 

I swallowed my spit and instructed Niamh to soar back down. When she did, Remus held two cups in his hands, making sure to keep the distance between him and the dragon. I smiled and removed the gloves from my hands before gently touching Niamh and moving towards Remus. 

"Early morning?" He asked, handing me the coffee. I adjusted the cloth around my hair and pulled it closer to my face. 

"I didn't sleep." I shrugged, taking a sip from the cup. His mouth turned into a smile but the look in his eyes told me that it wasn't genuine. 

"You can always wake me up, you know." Remus said, turning his head towards the dragon. 

"Yeah, right. As if the gentle mooney would take a ride on a mighty dragon." I teased, earning a look from him. 

"Mail!" Another voice said from inside. Remus and I both turned to see Harry's new haircut shining in the newborn daylight. He seemed older. Just as I must have seemed older from the recent events of the following year. 

Luckily, we were in this all together so when I was going through an episode, he was there. Just as he had been for me. I grabbed the letter from his hand and swapped him out for my cup. He beamed and nearly took a sip before remus grabbed the cup and shook his head. 

"One's from the ministry. The other from Sirius." I explained, taking the letter from the ministry and tossing it behind me. The letter landed right in front of Niamh and she looked at me knowingly. 

With a crinkle of my nose she set the piece of paper on fire. 

Remus and Harry looked at each other nervously. 

"Wait, maybe the letter was important." Remus said, attempting to rush forward and grab it. 

"It wasn't. They're asking me to testify in yet another trial being held for the Rowens." I said, using my nail to open the letter. I could see Harry out of the corner of my eye rush back into the house before coming out with a raw steak, tossing it to the young dragon. 

Dear Bobby, Mooney, and Fawn, 

Days are seeming to grow tense around the household. News about the recent events in the ministry are spreading and we fear for your safety, despite the location of the home. We hope to see you guys soon to ease our struggles in this growing war. We all miss you terribly, including the known red heads as they had now been overjoyed in turning seventeen. Please, come to us in one piece. 

Padfoot. 

"What's it say?" Remus asked, I simply replied by handing him the letter for him to read. During the events following the third task, The Rowens were sent to Azkaban, leaving me the sole owner of the mansion they previously stayed in. 

Of course, out of spite, I sold it. The house elf Bluey, was given Harry's sock but decided to stay out of gratitude. She is well taken care for and has her own little room next to mine. Harry and I combined our champion money and gave it to the twins to start their own business. 

I used the money from selling the Rowen house and bought a smaller but still big house for Harry, Remus and I to live in and fix up. That is when Harry is old enough to live with us. But, so far he's spent the entire summer here. 

I turned to the young boy as he watched Niamh eat in awe. A smile played across my face. Harry was tan from constantly playing in the sun, he longer was skin and bones and was often scolded by Remus and I for eating to much for fear he's puke at the table. 

Remus was currently working at a bookstore under a very kind man who refuses to accept any money from Harry or I for his books. 

All was well. 

It seemed.

All was well until the days grew dark and I found myself clawing at my own throat during the peak of nightmares. I was unable to get the imagine of Cedric dying from my mind, the look on his face just before he went and the way his body laid on the ground as if he had never been alive to start. 

I never had a chance to give him back his baby blanket. I kept it with me everywhere. It was the same garment was my hair was constantly wrapped in. Not only did it remind me of my loved one but it was a beard for the horror that lay underneath. 

"We should leave soon to go see them." I said as Remus placed the letter back in the envelope. 

"Yeah, I haven't heard from Ron or Hermione in a while.." Harry said, dusting the grass from his clothes. 

"Yeah, me neither." I haven't even received a letter from Fred, someone I was anxious to hear from. 

"Wait! Wheres the cat?" Remus asked, looking around with wide eyes. I pointed to my chest, sliding over a cloth of the satchel against my chest to reveal the white cat sleeping peacefully within. 

"I can't believe Dumbledore let you take her." Harry smiled, petting her head. 

"He didn't. She jumped in my bag and I didn't realize until we were on the train back home." All three of us went inside, seeing Bluey cook some food. 

"Hey, Blue. Can you make that to go? We're headed to our friends later on today." I asked, she turned over and smiled happily. 

"Bluey would love too!" I sent her a thankful smile and raced up to my room before looking around with a sigh. The room was pretty much empty but I had found comfort in the few items I did have. I placed the satchel with the cat onto my bed, watching as she stretched on her way out and laid back down. 

I reached under my bed and began grabbing my trunk to fill my clothes in. 

Right beforeI finished, I heard a knock on my doorframe. 

"Come in." I hummed, grabbing more clothes to place inside. 

"How have you been?" Remus said, moving to sit onto my bed. I sent him a smile and moved to grab my cloak. 

"Fine." I shrugged, watching as he laid the small cat on his lap. 

"We haven't really spoken about.." 

"We don't need to. I'm fine." I assured, placing the blanket around my head closer to my face. A flash of yellow caught my eye and I reached forward, taking the cloth from my hanger. 

It was Cedric's jersey. 

I closed my eyes, pulling the garment to my face before inhaling the scent of him. I haven't washed it since he gave it to me, fearful that It would lose it's scent. 

He had died in my spare Quidditch jersey last year. 

"When Lily and James died..I was...distraught to say the least." Remus began, calling my attention back to him. His hands were dug into the cats fur as she looked at him in thought. 

"And then Sirius went to Azkaban and Maggie.." He sighed. I moved over to my bed and sat beside him. 

"I'm just saying it'll get better. The pain will never fade. There isn't a moment that goes by that I don't see Lily's red hair in the fires we have here, or James whenever Harry smiles.." He looks at me and grabs a strand of white hair in his fingers. 

"Or Maggie in everything you do." I smiled sadly, feeling the burn of tears well in my eyes. 

"But, I've made my way with it. I have you, Harry, Sirius, and many more amazing people that have kept me going. I find joy in the things that have made me once sad and I welcome the grief now instead of hiding from it." He looked at me, a single tear rolling down his face before he brought me into a hug.