𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 | 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳

30 || A Familiar Face

Since I was being picked up on Saturday, I didn't have time to call Harry. I planned on sending Dusk over with a letter explaining the situation and asking if he wanted to come stay.

Mr. Weasley was going to come and Apparate me back to the Burrow, where I would stay in Ginny's room for a week. Then, we would meet Hermione and possibly Harry in the Leaky Cauldron. Surprisingly enough, the restaurant had a hotel on the second floor.

On Friday, Maren and the rest of the kids had taken me on a surprise trip to the lake, where they had set up several games and some food (monitored by Prissy). It was very sweet. It was Saturday now, the day of my departure.

Tiny gave me a bone-crushing hug when I stepped foot outside the door holding my trunk. Maren followed, and then Noah.

"Do you have to go?" Tiny asked, his voice muffled because his head was resting against my stomach.

"Don't worry," I said quietly. "Maren's going to write to me all the time, and you can tell her what to say and she'll write it for you."

"Really?" Tiny exclaimed excitedly, looking at Maren. She gave him a thumbs up. "Okay!"

"Is that everything?" Mr. Weasley asked, poking his head through the doorway.

"Yep," I responded, said my last goodbyes, and kissed Tiny on the head. I hugged Maren once more. "As soon as I get to the Burrow, I'll write you," I said.

"I don't doubt it," she said. "Good luck."

She used her eyes to convey the meaning of those words. Hope you don't get petrified by a giant snake again, was the real meaning. Or something like that.

"Alright, grab my arm," Mr. Weasley instructed. I looped my arm through his and felt the usual squeezing, gut-wrenching and dizzying "thrill" of Apparation, and before I knew it, I was back at the Burrow.

"ASH!"

Ginny, Ron, Fred, and George, who had evidently been waiting at the window, ran outside, scattering chickens and pigs.

"Hi!" I waved happily. Ginny barreled into me with a hug. Ron was next. I was doing a lot of hugging today.

"Do you have them?" the twins spoke in unison. I fished the small piece of parchment out of my pocket.

"Twenty new pranks, as promised," I handed it to them.

"Wicked."

"Did you like the owl?" Ron said hopefully, once the twins left.

"No," I said, putting my hands on my hips. He turned white. "I love him." Ron socked me on the shoulder and I socked him back. "His name's Dusk."

"C'mon, you're sleeping in my room!" Ginny said, grabbing my arm and scampering into the house and upstairs. She paused so that Mrs. Weasley could say hello and tell me to eat as much food as I wanted when I was staying over.

She didn't say it out loud, but I could tell that I was much thinner than I had looked at the end of the school year.

"Ash, you look...taller." Ron said, tilting his head.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Ginny nodded.

"You do," she said. I noticed some envy in her tone.

"What? Is there some other meaning to the word tall that I don't know?"

"Come on," she grabbed my hand and pulled me up to her room, where she stood me in front of a full-body mirror.

It took me a minute (I still wasn't used to looking at my reflection) but I saw what Ron and Ginny had meant.

I had filled out a little at the top, and my hips had grown wider as well, while it seemed I had grown four inches or so. My legs look defined from the walk into town every morning, and my skin was a pretty honey color from hours in the sun. My hair was almost to my waist, and my eyelashes were so long they looked like a black curtain framing my brilliant grey eyes.