black and white ✰ g.w.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

The next morning, Olivia, Angelina, Alicia, and Lee stuck together as they took their trunks down to the horseless carriages that took them to Hogsmeade Station. It was weird to be going about this without Fred and George, but knowing that they were all right somewhere made it so they weren't worried about them. However, the train ride back to Kings Cross Station was incredibly quiet without the twins there and Olivia just wanted to get it all over with, and so she got out a book to pass the time. Alicia and Lee fell asleep after an hour or so leaving Angelina and Olivia the only ones awake in the compartment. It was dark when the train finally came to a halt at Kings Cross, and the two girls woke their friends up and they all got off the Hogwarts Express together. They all quickly spotted their families in the crowd and went to them.

Immediately after joining the crowd of Woods, Olivia was pulled into a hug.

"Oh, how I've missed you!" said Catrina.

"Mum!" Olivia laughed, wiggling out of her mother's grasp. "I've only been gone a few months."

"It's been a long few months, what with the only contact being the one letter I got from you thanking me for the Firebolt. How are you enjoying that, by the way?"

"Oh, it's amazing, Mum, thank you."

"Of course." She turned to the other adults. "Is this everyone? Are we free to go?"

"Hold on, I think Fraser and Duncan might be up to no good on the train," Henry said, trying to peer through any of the windows. "Faustus, can you get back on and check?"

"Yeah," Faustus said, quickly getting back on the train to search for the younger boys. A few minutes later, he came back out, holding Fraser and Duncan by the collars of their shirts. He let them go when they rejoined their family.

"Should I bother asking?"

Fraser and Duncan frantically shook their heads. Olivia let out a quiet laugh; she had a feeling they had been practicing spells they had learned in the DA on each other.

"Okay, now is everyone here?" David asked, doing a mental head count. When he had concluded that everyone was present, he said, "All right, let's get going."

"Are we going back to Grimmauld Place?" Evelyn asked. "I know that's where the Weasleys are."

"Keep your voice down, Evie," Aaron reminded her.

"Well, are we?"

"That wasn't the plan," Natalia said, "but I suppose you want to see Ginny, don't you?"

"Well, yeah."

"All right, I guess we can stop by there. We'll drop you off there and then take your trunks back to the Village, how's that?"

"Can we do that?" Faustus asked Helena and David. "I want to see Uncle Sirius."

"Us, too?" Olivia asked Catrina. "I want to check on George, see how he's holding up."

"What about you two? Do you want to go back to Headquarters?" Amelia asked Fraser and Duncan.

"No," Fraser answered.

"Please take us home," Duncan said.

"Please."

As they left Platform 9 3/4, a new plan was devised. Instead of going straight to the Village, Evelyn, Faustus, and Olivia would be dropped off at 12 Grimmauld Place for an hour or so, just to spend some time with whoever they wanted to see. For the most part, though, they would be staying at the Village for the Christmas holidays, including the Cabots, while going to spend the day at Headquarters every so often.

And so the party split up, with Henry, Amelia, Fraser, and Duncan going to the Village and the rest going to Headquarters. Immediately upon arriving, the three teenagers split up, all going off to different rooms in the house. Olivia Apparated into Fred and George's room, startling them greatly.

"Liv!" George exclaimed, a delighted smile upon his face as he pulled her into a hug. When they pulled away, they both looked over at Fred, who still looked absolutely terrified with a hand on his chest.

"My heart literally stopped!" he said.

Olivia grinned. "I'm flattered, Fred, really, but I'm taken," she teased.

Fred's expression quickly changed to one of annoyance, causing George and Olivia to snigger.

[word count: 754]
[written: 7/16/20]
[published: 8/8/20]
sorry i haven't published anything in a while. i've had a lot going on and i've lost interest, but i'm trying to get it back bc until school starts on the 31st, i'll have nothing to do.