13 | D E C R E E 24

your eyes they shine so bright,I wanna save their light.

   "EM?" SHE'D ALMOST reached the door, Susan's hand was already placed on the handle, when his voice, restraint and cautious, called for her.

   "We see you at Honeydukes later", Susan said, linking in with Hannah's arm and walked out of the pub. Ember silently sighed, before she turned around, hazel eyes locking with emerald green ones hidden behind circular glasses.

   "Can we talk?", Harry asked, rubbing his neck; Hermione and Ron kept standing by a table nearby, obviously waiting for Ember's reaction.

   "I don't know", Ember replied in a sarcastic tone. "If this is ending up with ridiculous accusations and you yelling at me, then I'd rather not. If you mean actually talk, I might be willing to give it a try."

   Cheeks turning pinkish, Harry glared at his shoes, shifting uncomfortably in his position. "I — erm — actually mean talk", he said. "Alone", he added, and Ron and Hermione flinched.

   "Oh well, then we — we see you later", Hermione piped up, pushing Ron towards the door.

   Ember watched them exiting the pub, then she slowly strode to the nearest table, shoving one of the chairs back to take a seat. Harry hesitated first, but soon enough followed her.

   "I'm —", he started speaking, but Ember cut him off immediately, hissing, "Don't tell me you're sorry, we both know you aren't. You want to talk about Malfoy. And I guess you first war to hear that those rumours aren't true." He just blankly stared at her, not moving, not answering. "I won't lie to you."

   "What have you thought?", Harry sharply asked. "Have you even thought?"

   Ember's eyes narrowed to slits. "Of course I haven't, it just happened, and it was only this one time, it won't be repeated, so can we just leave it?"

   "I just want you to be careful", Harry said, running his fingers through his messy hair. "It was — it was a rough time lately, I — Emmie, I am sorry!"

   Her eyebrows still furrowed, Ember examined Harry's face, his tired gaze, the shadows under his eyes ... Her whole face softened. "I know", she whispered, then said a bit louder, "Harry, I know! But sorry isn't enough. You were sorry every time, but yet were sitting here again, and you're sorry once more. And you will be sorry again and again."

   "I'm —"

   "— worried, yes." She took his hand in hers. "You're worrying too much. I'm not the little girl anymore, Harry. I don't need to be protected from Dudley's friends no more. You need to accept that I'm growing up, that I'm facing problems." She made a pause, eyes locking with his, and the corners of her mouth twitched, as she added, "And that there will be boys."

   "But no Malfoys, okay?", Harry mumbled in reply, causing a chuckle to break from her lips.

   "Fine, no Malfoys", she responded, pursing her lips. "C'mon, let's leave here, I could swear this bandaged creep is staring at us, and I think he's kinda scary."

   Ember lifted from her chair, but Harry didn't immediately follow her. She was stopping in her motion, looking back at him and found him gazing at her in a way she'd never seen before.

   "What is it?", she asked.

   "I'll always protect you", he said in a low voice. "I'll always protect you, and there's nothing you can do about it. No matter how bad we fight, or if we don't talk, or how angry you might get with me, you're my sister and I will protect you."

·

   BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS

   All student organisations, societies, teams, groups and clubs are henceforth disbanded. 

   An organisation, society, team, group or club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students. 

   Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge). 

   No student organisation, society, team, group or club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor. 

   Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an organisation, society, team, group or club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled. 

   The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four. 

   Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor

   "Oh, she didn't ...", Ember muttered, reading the note over the heads of some anxious looking first years.

   "She did", Susan mumbled, her face a grim mask as she turned towards Ember. "This isn't a coincidence, don't you think? She knows."

   "She can't", Hannah said at once. "How can she?"

   "Well, there were people in this pub", Ember sighed, "and let's face it, we don't know how much of the people showing up there were really trustworthy. Anyone could have told Umbridge ..." She turned around. "Let's go to breakfast. We'll meet Harry down there, let's see what he has to say about this."

   "We're going to do it anyway", Harry said twenty minutes later at the Gryffindor table, to Fred and George's delight.

   But it wasn't just their new organisation that was cancelled. A flustered and furious Heidi was telling Ember that Umbridge was actually refusing to let the Hufflepuff's Quidditch team practice.

   "She needs time to consider", Heidi hissed, rolling her eyes.

   "Well, we know who's fault this is, do we?", Zacharias Smith said, his eyes narrowed at Ember. "This woman is actually crusading your brother, and now she's punishing our team because of you."

   "Don't be stupid, this has nothing to do with Ember", Heidi harshly replied. "This woman is having her power plays, and accusing each other won't help anyone. I'm going to talk to her again tomorrow. She just has to let us play!"

   As the Quidditch team with hanging heads went to bed, Ember kept sitting in her favourite armchair by the fireside, staring into the flames until her eyes got tired. And as the common room slowly emptied, just as slowly Ember was drifting away into disturbing dreams and a restless sleep. She'd often fallen asleep in the common room, always waking up with a blanket covering her, and marble grey eyes watching over her. But when she awoke two hours later, she was shivering and alone.

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