𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝐿𝑋𝑋𝑉𝐼.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙮-𝙨𝙞𝙭

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

FINALLY, THEY WERE leaving Hogwarts for Christmas holiday. Caroline packed her things and met Harry and Ron in their train compartment, Hermione electing to sit with Ginny instead. Harry looked at Caroline but she didn't speak, instead sat down beside him, opening her bag so Penny and Marie could exit.

As the train began heading back to King's Cross, Harry shifted so his back was to the windows, Caroline was pushed against his chest, between his legs as she read from her book of sonnets. Her legs were propped up, her cats at her feet. "'Unbreakable Vow'. You're sure that's what Snape said?" Ron asked once Harry finished explaining what he and Caroline had overheard the night before.

"Positive. Why?" Harry said, his right arm toying with Caroline's necklace, distracting her as she tried to read. Her hand was bound tightly in elastics, being still. That made her feel better.

"It's just, you can't break an Unbreakable Vow." Ron spoke. He was on the edge of his seat, opposite the couple.

Caroline bit her lip to stifle a lap. "I... I'd worked that much out for myself, funnily enough." Harry said, tucking some of Caroline's curly hair behind her ear.

Ron shook his head. "You don't understand," before he could explain, Lavender appeared outside the compartment doors. "Oh, bloody hell." Ron mumbled.

Lavender exhaled heavily on the cold, glass doors, making Caroline unapologetically grimace. She then proceeded to draw in a heart, with the letters 'R + L' in the centre of the shape. Harry messed with the material of the compartment seats to busy himself, while Caroline pretended to read her book. After adding more details to her drawing, Lavender exhaled once more. "I'll miss you." Lavender whispered before she walked away.

Caroline cleared her throat awkwardly. "Lovely." Harry commented. He and Caroline were affectionate in front of other people, but not nearly to that extent.

"All she wants to do is snog me. My lips are getting chapped. Look." Ron leant towards Harry and Caroline, both of them leaning away.

"We'll take your word for it." Caroline said quickly, tucked comfortably into Harry's embrace.

Hermione walked by as Caroline sat up, sitting beside Harry as he repositioned himself. Caroline beckoned for her to enter the compartment, but when she saw Lavender's drawing, she left quickly. A moment later, Harry continued with their previous conversation. "So what happens to you? What happens if you break an unbreakable vow?" he pulled his arm around Caroline's waist.

"You die." Ron said simply.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

FROM THE MOMENT Caroline stepped into the Burrow, people wouldn't stop talking to her. Updating her about this, and about that, and Caroline couldn't take it anymore. She needed peace and quiet, away from talk of mothers, and fathers, and Death Eaters. Harry stayed away from her, knowing any little thing would set her off.

The day before Christmas Eve, Caroline was reading in the living room, people everywhere. Molly and Tonks were in the kitchen cooking with Ginny, Ron and Harry were sitting at the table. Fred, George and Mr. Weasley were upstairs, and Remus was trying to approach his goddaughter. He had heard of her latest panic attack from Harry, and he didn't know how to make everything better.

"Have you been practising with your hand? Taking your draughts?" Remus asked, sitting down beside Caroline. Tonks' heavy sigh from the kitchen indicated that that was the wrong thing to ask.

"I said I have, so I have. Stop asking me; please." Caroline replied, breathing deeply to stay calm.

Remus paused, trying to think of something to say to lift Caroline's spirits. "The world isn't on your shoulders. Your mother always thought it was. You need to know that the way you are, the things you've faced, is not your fault." Remus said gently, hoping to comfort Caroline.

His words did the opposite. Caroline closed her book. "You're right, it's not my fault. It's my mother's fault. If she hadn't killed herself, none of this would have ever happened. I wouldn't have had to watch my brother die, I wouldn't have had to hold my real dad's hand as he died, and I would have a true mother who wasn't going crazy." Caroline spoke, standing up to face her godfather.

"Caroline, you don't mean that–" Remus tried, rising to his feet.

"I do mean it! For years, everyone in my entire life has told me how similar I am to my mother, how wonderful she was, how much she loved me. If she loved me, she wouldn't have chosen to leave me. I hate my mother, Uncle Remus! With everything in me, I hate her. She left me, as a baby. I was alone. Everyone says she loves me, but that's not love. She was weak, and I hate her for it." Caroline said. It was silent in the Burrow now, everyone watching, too scared to move.

Remus breathed heavily, staring down at his goddaughter as deep tension filled the Weasley's home. Harry and Ron shared a look, unsure of what was going to happen. "You don't think I hate her, too? She was my best friend, Carol, and to this day I hate her for what she did to you. But she's still your mother." Remus said quietly.

Caroline scoffed. "No, she's not! My mother is the one whose son and husband were killed, all because she walked into an orphanage and decided to love me. Her life is ruined, because of me, not because of Voldemort. Do you know how that feels?" Caroline was shouting now. Mrs. Weasley stopped cooking, glancing at Harry, who was sitting uncomfortably.

"Go upstairs, and cool off." Remus instructed darkly, breathing heavily.

Saying nothing, Caroline retreated up the many stairs of the Burrow, passing an eavesdropping Fred, George and Mr. Weasley. She didn't go to Ginny's room, and climbed out of the window, sitting on the roof. It was freezing, and the snow dampened her clothes, but it was okay. Caroline regretted yelling, of course she did. She told herself every day that she wouldn't be like she was last year, and she was trying, but she failed every once in a while.

Caroline had been feeling that way about her mother for a long time, there just wasn't a good way to express it. Remus understood her feelings, but the full moon was coming, and he was on edge. It wasn't a good pairing, and Caroline would bite back her true feelings and apologise before she went to bed. Harry waited until her lips were turning blue to force her off the roof.

She scrunched up her curls and coiled them between her fingers as Harry sat on the floor, playing with Marie. "Have you calmed down enough to eat dinner?" Harry asked, his Potions book on the floor beside him.

"Yeah, I guess. When are you going to talk to the adults about Draco?" Caroline wondered, turning and joining Harry on the rug, scratching their cat behind the ears.

"Not while Remus is mad at you." Harry said with a small smile, Caroline rolling her eyes at him. She managed to apologise to Remus, and he disgruntledly returned the phrase. Tonks forced them to sit beside each other, and by the end of the meal, they were in a better place. Besides, it was Christmas. Caroline loved Christmas. Andy and Jacob loved Christmas.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —