Chapter Twenty-Two

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It was while Fred and George were gone that Rae and I decided to take a look around her old place. Much like the sitting room, the rest of her house had been ransacked. Her mother's jewelry box was emptied of its contents, her father's fancy gold tie tacks were gone from their display, even Rae's piggy bank had been smashed to bits. Not only that, but dresser draws hung open with clothing strewn everywhere, closet doors were barely hanging onto their hinges... they'd been looking for something but only took the valuables, whoever made that mess. I realized the possibility that it hadn't been Snatchers or Death Eaters, but possibly squatters or regular old thieves. Rae's family was quite wealthy, and surely other people in the area knew this.

Nevertheless, we began putting protection charms up left and right.

"The last thing we need is Mrs. Waterson poking her wrinkly nose where it doesn't belong," Rae muttered under her breath before disappearing into the kitchen. If my memory served me correctly, we should've counted ourselves lucky she didn't phone the police after that ruckus. Rae's neighbor was old and looked like a prune but had the hearing of a fruit bat.

Once I'd finished, I joined Rae in the kitchen to find her lost in thought and leaning on the marble island in the center of the room.

"Do you think...are my parents...alright?" Her question was hesitant and the look on her face couldn't have been anymore unsure of how she felt.

In all the time we'd been in hiding, in all the time I'd even known the girl, this was the first time I heard her feel concerned for her family's well-being. It was no secret she felt resentment towards them for what she would often refer to, particularly during her youth, as "blatant abandonment". And yet I knew despite her grudge that she was worried, especially after seeing the state of her childhood home in ruin. It was the place she felt would be the safest for us, though I had a feeling a small part of her had been hoping to see her parents again.

I chose my next words carefully. "It's like you said, they're probably off vacationing somewhere nice and tropical, right? I'll be damned if I'm not a bit jealous," I let out a light laugh, happy to see her smile a little.

"Got that right," she mumbled, twirling her wand around her fingers. "When Nestor gets back, do you think I could send them a letter? I would just like to let them know I'm okay... I'm not sure I should mention the robbery though. I don't want them rushing back here, better to let them find out once they're back, right? To protect them?"

"If Nestor gets back, then of course. At this point I'm convinced he left me out of spite, maybe I didn't play with him enough or something," I sighed. "And you're right, best to let them find out on their own, hopefully after this war has blown over."

Rae went over to the pantry door and peered inside. "On the bright side, there's still some food in here that might not be expired yet." She pulled out two cans of sweet potatoes and shook them, looking fairly excited at the prospect of getting to eat more than a small amount of food.

While we waited for the boys to get back, she and I raided the pantry, cabinets, and refrigerator for anything edible. Most of the food in the fridge we threw away, mushy produce and moldy cheeses and meats. There were some stale crackers and crisps in the cabinets, but what really got us excited was the freezer. Who knew TV dinners could look so enticing?

I popped a fish fillet dinner in the microwave and decided to help Rae clean up a bit while it heated up. Taking a page out of Mrs. Weasley's book, I waved my wand and watched as a rag wiped down the counters and appliances. A broom from the closet began sweeping while Rae tidied up the dining room, summoning china and utensils from the kitchen. On the stove top, pots of mashed potatoes and carrots were cooking away, the aroma making my mouth water.

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