She Said What?

Chapter 69: I Prepare for the Big Day

A/N: The last chapter felt full and less filler-ish – which, really, I wasn't expecting when I outlined it – but this one probably will feel more like a filler. It's basically a bridge, from the end of school to the beginning of everything else. As you and I both try to wrap our brains around the fact that this story is actually almost over, we need such bridges to remind us what's going on. Plus, I got to use one of my all time FAVORITE jokes in this chapter – James tells it during dinner – and I hope you like it!

Second-to-last chapter, guys. Wow. I have to write an end-of-story speech for you next chapter! This is just absolute craziness...

This chapter, you should listen to: Sweet Disposition, Temper Trap.

I hope you enjoy this, though. Cheers.

June 20

7:30 PM
Status: Content

You know, when I sat down to write this entry, looking at the last entry I'd written, I found myself astonished that it's only been ten days since I left Hogwarts. It's felt like a lifetime and a half that I've been at home. The days have been long, full and exhausting – each one feels like twelve years, not twelve hours. Things have been kind of insane in this house all month. I almost don't know where to start.

So I guess I'll just start here...

Being Home

Like after I first finished with classes for the year, I came home and I found myself with an abundance of free time and nothing to do with it. It was a strange thing, putting my things away and walking around these familiar rooms where I've grown up, no homework to do or friends to call. Me, graduated, briefly staying at home, like a guest instead of a part of the family. At first, it almost felt like I didn't belong there.

It got easier. Of course. My body – needing a good rest after the madness of the past few days – happily slept in for as long as Mum would me. I called Alice and Livvy on the phone and we chatted, exchanging stories about how our families reacted when they saw us. Alice and Frank have been practically living in each other's pockets and Livvy's mum nearly had a heart-attack when she caught sight of Sirius carrying her off the train when we came into the platform. Mrs. Harris has concluded that Livvy and Sirius are dating (which they're not) and Livvy has been trying to convince her mother they're just friends. Really.

My second afternoon back, Mum declared I was in dire need of a girl's day off, so we went to her favorite salons and got hair-cuts, manicures, pedicures and massages. I must say, I was in dire need of such pampering treatment – that masseuse had magical hands, I swear, and I could feel the tiredness spill out of my very bones. Plus, my nails were in terrible shape and badly needed some attention.

When I got home, Mum, Petunia and I put on a silly, girly film I hadn't seen yet and we settled in on the couch to watch, armed with ice cream and lots of fluffy pillows. When Dad came home some time later, in the evening, he caught one look at the television screen and disappeared into his study. This struck us three as so unbelievably funny, we laughed our heads through a scene and a half.

Telling My Parents About the Order

However, even among the moments of pure domestic bliss, there was still that unfortunate matter of breaking the news about the Order to my parents.

At the Hogwarts dance, James and I decided that we would join the Order together after Petunia's wedding; and while that's fine and dandy for us, since we know what's going on, my parents were completely in the dark about it. They had no idea that their little baby girl wanted to go join a resistance.