- Chapter 12 -

After a short ride, we arrive at 12 Grimmauld Place. Slowly the big grey building appears from between houses 11 and 13. Everybody is hastily pulled from the cars that have brought us here. I am already standing on the sidewalk, trunk beside my feet. I take it all in, the color of the bricks, the way the building slowly appears out of thin air and the big windows which I used to look out at into the street. Looking at children playing with each other. I could never join them, so I watched them. Kind of creepy now I think about it.

"Everybody in!" Mad-eye suddenly bellows. I jump out of my thoughts. I quickly take my truck in my hand again and make my way towards the black door. Almost everybody has already entered the house. I can already hear Mrs. Weasley enthusiastically greeting her children.

Once everybody is inside, I notice Mad-eye curiously examining the street before quickly closing the black door. I glance around the hallway. The curtains around my grandmother's portrait are closed and the house-elves heads are, as always, neatly lined up on the stairs. Those have always given me the creeps whenever I was here, they still do if I'm honest.

Everybody is huddled in the small hallway, Mrs. Weasley is still busy hugging the life out of her kids, Hermoine, and Harry. Lupin and Mad-eye have already made their way to the kitchen. "Welcome, welcome." A male voice speaks. I quickly turn my head towards the source of the voice. I can see a tall, black-haired, middle-aged man leaning in the doorway. Harry immediately speeds up to him to embrace him. I look at them, feeling nothing but emptiness when I suddenly find a pair of silver-grey eyes, identical to mine, looking at me. The smirk that was plastered on his face disappearing slowly. 

He quickly clears his throat and releases Harry. "If you all could follow me, I will show you to the rooms you will be staying in these next few weeks," He says while walking towards the staircase but just before he reaches them he stops and is now facing me. A disgusted look on his face. "I'm assuming you can show yourself to your room," Before I can respond he has already continued his walk and has ascended the steps, the rest of the kids trailing shortly behind.

I sigh. I knew this wasn't going to be easy but still, I think there was still some shrine of hope left in me that he would suddenly love me again. That last peace of hope is now crumbling inside me. I don't like the way our relationship is but I'm not very eager to change it, especially since I haven't done anything to deserve this. I'm guessing he has cut me off and is ignoring me so he won't feel betrayed when I join the wrong side, even though I have never shown any interest in doing that. I know it must be hard for him, to have a daughter in Slytherin since his family disowned him and were all Slytherin and death-eaters and all, but still, it also hurts on my part. I just want my father back.

I grab my trunk again and slowly make my way towards the stairs. After two flights of stairs, I finally arrive at the room where I will be staying for the next two weeks, my grandmother's old bedroom.

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Once I arrive I immediately throw my trunk on the queen-sized bed which is standing in the middle of the room. I have stayed multiple times in this room whenever Remus and I stayed here. Since it officially was my home, Remus and I could stay here whenever we needed. We moved a lot so it was never for a long period of time. I have never particularly enjoyed this room though. Its cold demeanor still gives me chills and the never-ending creeks in the floorboards keep me awake at night. However I did really enjoy staying here, I loved to be in my family home. Although my dad was stuck in Azkaban, it always still felt quite like home to me.

I notice how all the furniture is dust-free, Kreacher must have cleaned when he heard I was coming. He has always loved staying in this room so whenever I was here with Remus he occasionally was in my company. At first, he didn't really like me, but the older I got the more he started liking me. He sometimes talked quite enthusiastically to me about all sorts of stuff he finds around the house, usually stuff that belonged to Regulus or my grandmother. I like Kreacher and have always been nice to him. I hate how everybody else treats him, except for Hermoine of course, but then again it may be because of my obsession with magical creatures that has led to my appreciation for the house-elf.

I have been un-packaging my trunk for a while now when suddenly my door gets thrown open. Two red-haired boys step into my room and immediately drop themselves on my bed. They are propped up on one elbow and are eyeing me excitingly, a grin covering both their faces. I give them a confusing look while I continue putting away some jewelry in a drawer.

"Can I help you?" I ask them.

"Yes, you definitely could," Fred says in a very dignified, but playful tone. "We would like to know if it is true"

I turn around then, eyeing them curiously. "Whatever could you mean?" I say following Fred's tone.

"The rumor about Mafloy of course!" He says now, a bit too excited. "Yes, did you really put him on fire?" George continues.

I laugh. Of course, this is what they mean, how could I not have guessed it.

"Yes, I did" I state. While giving them a smug look.

Both their eyes grow wide, shock plastered on their faces for a moment. "You are my new icon," Fred says while giving me an admiring look.

I chuckle. I can't help but laugh, they are two funny guys I have to admit.

"We have some great pranks in mind, you know," George says while giving me a devious grin. I raise my eyebrow at him, whatever could they be planning?

"Oh yes, you should totally help us!" Fred says while practically jumping up from excitement. Immediately Fred continues and starts explaining every prank they have in mind. I go to sit next to them on the bed while laughing. I quite enjoy where this is going.