The Truth | The Sister book 2 | HP Fanfic |

-Chapter 39-

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I wake to the smell of clean sheets and warmth. My head is resting on multiple pillows, blankets pulled up over me. I can smell wool, dust, damp, age. I can smell a room someone has tried to clean.

My eyes flicker open. The room is dimly lit, with mottled green wallpaper. The only light source is a single window, which has a sheer curtain drawn, numbing what little light seeps through. Next to the bed is a small table covered in empty, dirty mugs left behind. Some sit on costers in an attempt to save the dark wooden surface, but most are squished on precariously. My eyes focus on the small armchair beside the bed, sitting in it, looking at me expectantly, is Tonks. Her red hair spirals around her head and she offers me a friendly smile.

"Hey! How are you feeling?" She says cheerfully. "You're at Grimmauld by the way- If you couldn't already tell." I hear yelling outside my door and I frown. She winces. I try to hone in on the two female voices sounding from downstairs.

"And why should she stay with you?!"

"Because unsurprisingly she might not want to return to a place where she suffered physical and psychological abuse for a year-"

"And you think you'd be a good carer for her, do you?"

"I think she'd be safe-"

"You sent her a Howler telling her how she is no longer welcome-"

"And you stood by as she was bullied and tortured!"

I wince. "What are they arguing about?" I croak. It seems I've lost my voice. I know what they're arguing about.

"Who gets to keep you." Tonks sighs, sitting back in the chair a little. I like Tonks. She has a no bullshit approach to life which I can fully get behind.

"Who gets to keep me?! I'm not some lost puppy!"

"Exactly." She says, "I'm of the opinion you should get to choose yourself."

We sit in silence for a minute. I sit up a bit taller, taking in the room. My eyes fall on a dresser across the room from me. It is covered in letters, cards, gifts- Mostly chocolate, but a few are wrapped. I look down to see a pile of newspapers on the floor. My eyes widen.

"Oh- yeah you'll notice that. Almost every newspaper in the world printed a picture of you unconscious at the Ministry on its front page."

But I wasn't looking at that. I was looking at the headline Sadistic Teacher to Face Jail Time after Repeatedly Using The Cruciartus Curse on One of Her Students. I gasp. Who told the papers?

Draco. Draco must have found a way to tell someone.

Tonks follows my gaze to the headline and nods. "Oh, that. Yeah, some anonymous person came forward with the first report, then pretty soon tons of kids with very influential families were complaining too. They had no choice but to sentence her, though I don't know how long she'll be in for. Surprisingly it seems you were the only one who ever underwent the Cruciartus curse."

I nod weakly, turning away. Tonks sighs, getting up and stepping over the newspapers, inspecting the packages and cards that litter the surface of the dresser.

"You've been apologised to an awful lot." She says, "Tons of get well soon cards from Slytherin students too. Who knew you were so popular with the baddies?"

"They aren't 'baddies'." I spit. Tonks hesitates. I sigh, "Sorry it's just, they aren't. Most of them are pretty bloody lonely."

"Yeah, I heard about the boyfriend."