Amelia Merlin

Part Fifty Seven: Home Again

A/n thank you to everyone who started reading The Anatomy of Friendship. I really appreciate it! Keep commenting and letting me know what you think! I adore everyone who comments, it helps me keep motivated to write. Also sorry this chapter took a while, I've had some exams lately and it's been a lot of studying!

Amelia sat on her bed, procrastinating the packing of her things. She didn't want to go home at all. Last time, her mother had blamed Amelia for her fathers arrest, lord knows what would happen now.

"I don't want to go home." She groaned when Lavender and Parvati tried to convince her to pack. "Home sucks."

"Well maybe we could come to visit! We could have a week where the girls all hang out together!" Lavender clapped her hands together. "And we can even invite Hermione!"

Amelia laughed. "Why do you say it like that? Even Hermione? Of course she can come."

"Well she doesn't really hang out with us much does she! I wasn't trying to be rude." She insisted.

"You should have another birthday party! And we can all come and spend time together. We'll invite the boys too!" Parvati started folding Amelia's robes for her.

"Ugh do we have to invite boys?" She groaned.

"They can be fun!"

"Yeah so can jumping off a cliff, but I'm not about to do that."

"Please invite them!" Lavender whined.

"You just wanna get it on with Seamus!" Laughed Amelia and she promptly got hit in the face with a pillow for saying so.

"Shut up, Amelia." she giggled. "Why don't we ever tease you about your boys?"

"My boys? I don't own any of them!" she started to help Parvati pack her things.

Lavender tossed her hair dramatically "Yes, but you have all of them wrapped around your cute little finger."

"Lavender!"Amelia protested. "I do not!"

She gave a sly grin before replying "Of course you don't, sweetie."

The girls finished packing and started to head down to the train station. Amelia could feel the anxiety start to build up in her chest, the adrenaline pushing through her system, making her ready for anything. Even going home for the summer.

The gleaming red train was already there when they arrived, with smoke billowing all around it. The three girls got a compartment to themselves and reminisced the entire ride home.

"I can't believe we don't get to see Professor Lockhart next year, it sucks." Lavender pouted.

"Don't be ridiculous! He's a terrible teacher and a total fraud!" said Amelia.

"Do you guys remember when he made Harry reenact that fight with the werewolf?" **(see a/n)Parvati giggled and Amelia did a short impression of Harry's face during the incident. They spent the rest of the train ride recalling memories, giggling, and lounging on one another.

But Amelia spent the entire ride home shoving down the anxiety that crept up into her throat, the hummingbirds that nested in her stomach smashed against the walls, everything was trying to get out.

When the Hogwarts Express pulled in to Kings Cross station, Amelia felt the pressure build even more. The very last thing on earth she wanted to see, was her mother.

She loaded her trunk and Morris off the train and hugged her friends goodbye, kissed Cedric and went to find her mother.

But instead she found Jeremy. Amelia dropped her luggage, Morris gave an obnoxious hoot and she threw her arms around her brothers neck.

"I missed you!" She laughed in his ear.

"I missed you too, little buddy." He took her luggage for her and they walked to the car together. "Mother says she's sorry she can't come, she had lots to do at home."

"Bullshit." Amelia grumbled and Jeremy laughed.

"I knew you'd say that."

"Yeah well it's true."

He chuckled lightly and put an arm around her. "You've always been so feisty."

Amelia was reminded of when Tom Riddle had called her feisty but she chose to push that memory away. "I take after my brother."

"No way!" Jeremy scoffed. "I'm no where near as sassy as you."

She raised her eyebrows at him and Jeremy laughed again. "I really have missed you, Amy."

"Yeah I missed you a little bit too."

"A little bit?" He cried incredulously. "Your favourite brother?"

"You're my only brother!"

"Favourite." He corrected. "I'm your favourite brother."

Amelia rolled her eyes at him. "You're also my most annoying brother."

He laughed and said "best looking?"

"Ugliest, and smelliest." She tried to keep her face serious.

"Funniest, and most amazing."

"Average in every aspect." Amelia broke her stony expression and laughed.

"Cheeky Amy." Her brother chuckled and they got into the car. They spent the ride home laughing and teasing each other. By the time they reached the Merlin mansion, Amelia's sides hurt from laughing and she had tears in her eyes from a story about dragons Jeremy had been telling her.

"And you actually used a quaffle?" She choked in laughter.

"Swear on my life!" He put a hand to his heart and the two walked up to the front door, Jeremy knocked and their mother answered.

"Amelia dear, how nice to see you!" Her mother forced a smile and Amelia grimaced slightly. She got pulled into an awkward hug which was very short lived, much to the appreciation of both people.

Amelia brushed past her mother and went straight to the kitchen. "Glapp!"

"Little mistress!" The house elf squeaked. "How happy Glapp is!"

"Oh, it's absolutely lovely to see you!" She hugged her friend tightly.

Glapp offered her a cookie and Amelia hopped up on to the counter in her usual spot.

"How has little mistress' time been at her school?"

"It's been brilliant!" She gushed. "I mean there were some scary parts but it was so great to be with my friends. It felt like home."

"Glapp is sorry this place is not little mistress' home anymore but she supposes it makes sense." The house elf bustled away cleaning dishes.

"You are the only thing that is home for me here." Amelia said firmly.

"How kind of little mistress to say." Glapp said with watery eyes.

"It's true!" Amelia smiled and hopped off the counter, she left to go outside and see her brother.

When Amelia reached the garden she saw Jeremy standing before her tree, the one she had created last Christmas. He was whispering to himself, and when Amelia got closer she could understand him.

He was whispering, " aperire animo."