The Space Boy and The Red Head

44 - Home Repairs

Friday - 21st June 1996

The last few days of school were a blur of eating sweets and writing letters to the twins. Apollo told them little bits about the battle, but never mentioned Greyback to them. He didn't want them to worry, or for George to find out about his lycanthropy through owl post, he didn't think that was the optimum way of revealing it. He also didn't mention -intentionally- that his eye had been damaged but they had found out through Lee. George had claimed it would just add to his sex appeal.

On Friday morning as they boarded the train for the last time, the twins absence was glaringly obvious, more so than before anyway. The compartment that they all usually sat in felt empty without them. Eventually, once joined by Luna and Cormac, the four ate sweets from the trolley and reminisced over all the pranks that they had played with the twins. Luna even revealed she'd kept her paper hare from the prank after Christmas. She was rather fond of it.

When they pulled into the station they were met by Mrs Weasley. She gathered up her red headed children, though she felt strange not collecting the trouble makers who were busy with the shop and couldn't be there. She also fussed over the big gash across Apollos face before finally bustling them all to the apparation point.

"Right let's get you lot home then" she had said after Apollo had bid farewell to Lee, and Cormac said goodbye to Luna. Apollo had decided he would only stay with the Weasleys for a few days, just until Cormac was settled in. Then he would go back to Scotland and stay in the family home. Atleast until he decided what to do with it.

The Weasley home felt too quiet now that so many of them had left home. Apollo could remember when he'd visited after his first year. The kids had been practically tripping over one another. Charlie had been in his last years of school, Percy had his schoolwork strewn everywhere, the twins had created a mess as usual, Ron was always trying to get his parents attention which was hard with so many siblings, and Ginny was usually playing in the mud in the garden.

Now as Cormac and Apollo lay in the twins old room they could only hear the footsteps of Mrs Weasley who was busying herself around the house. Dishes washing themselves after the big dinner she had made to welcome them all home.

"I'm going to tell George" Apollo said after neither of the pair had said anything in a few minutes. Cormac sat up a little bit, looking quizzically at his brother.

"What made you decide to do that?"

"He deserves to know. And too many people know now already to keep him in the dark. It's not fair on him" Apollo said.

"Are you going to tell Fred?" Cormac asked.

"He figured it out already. So did Remus and Sirius. Apparently Mrs Weasley knows too."  There was silence again.

"How're you going to tell him?" Cormac questioned. Choosing not to question his brother on how so many people suddenly knew.

"No clue. But I'm working on it" the answer only raised more questions. Especially with the strange glint in Apollos eye. Cormac only hoped he wouldn't reveal it in the form of a prank. He didn't think that would go down very well.

Sunday - 23rd June 1996

"That's it. I'm going. It's too weird without them here"

"Sure. You just miss George" Ginny teased as she sat with the McLaggen's, passing the odd piece of clothing over to help the eldest one pack.

"Shut it. I've seen that look you give Potter. You can't stand here judging me" he teased back.

"I do not give Potter a look" she defended. And Cormac looked like he wanted to stop this before it turned into a fight. Neither would actually hurt one another but Ginny would happily roughhouse with the boys, especially the ones the twins were friends with. Since they saw her as the perfect mini-accomplice. No one ever suspected her but she was just as ruthless, if not more so, than the others.