16- finally safe

"Oh my gosh, Holly dear I have missed you so much." Mrs Weasley sang as she ran up to meet me. She opened her arms expecting a hug back but I couldn't bring myself to it. Harry pulled her aside, I couldn't hear what they were saying but it obviously was about me as Mrs Weasley kept looking at me with a solemn look on her face. All of the Weasleys were at the door waiting for me and Harry to walk in. Although I didn't go to the house. I wasn't happy enough to see them. I walked to my place in the garden. It was a secluded area, where all the trees hang around, I would come here when I was younger and just think. No one came looking for me and I'm not surprised. But I didn't want anyone to come and look for me. Snowball jumped around catching butterflies and I let out a laugh.

"How do you make me feel like this when no one else can snowball?" I wasn't expecting an answer, of course cats can't talk but I knew she understood me. She jumped onto my lap and snuggled into my lap.

-Harry's Pov-

I explained to Mrs Weasley all about what happened to Holly during that last year. She started crying and Hermione and Ron ran out to join us. Hermione was now crying,

"But why did she look like that, like she had no happiness left to give, what happened to her Harry?"

I explained which only made Hermione cry more,

"But we said those things about her and she was being abused through the whole thing, we are horrible people. I can't believe I didn't figure that something was up when Mystic was still here." We were all in the burrow, including Bill and Charlie. I hadn't seen them in so long but no one was really in a cheery mood, Holly always used to explain to me that Bill was like a big brother and her favourite of the Weasley brothers.

"Hey bill, you're Hollys favourite right, she may listen to you?" I asked Bill to stop the silence.

Even though Ron didn't want to accept that Bill was Hollys favourite we all knew it. Mrs Weasley asked Bill where he was going as he headed to the door. All he said was that it was Hollys spot.

-Hollys pov-

I was sat playing with snowball when I heard footsteps approaching the trees. I stood up and headed to the exit. I stopped when I saw who it was, Bill, he was my favourite of the Weasley brothers as we both liked the same things and overall we were both just really close. Snowball seemed to like him as she walked over to him and jumped on his lap as he sat down. I didn't want to sit but I did when I realised that no one else was coming and it was just me and him. We sat in silence for a while until he finally spoke,

"I'm so sorry Holly, I should have never let you go with her." I didn't say anything, I just burst into tears. He wrapped his arm round my shoulder when I jumped up. That's when he noticed the scar across my face.

"Who the hell did that to you" he said angrily as he stood up, he can be really protective over me sometimes. I forgot about all my pain, my suffering as I just ran into his arms. I felt safe in his arms as it was warm. We sat down on the logs and I started explaining all that had happened to me. More than I had told Harry. When we were finished we just sat there for ages laughing and talking. I hadn't laughed this much since last year. I couldn't help but laugh when I was around Bill. Thoughts about my gifts started flooding my mind as I had just learnt a new trick.

"Hey bill watch this!" I stood up quickly, as I closed my eyes and held out my hands. I transformed into a grey wolf. I had taught myself to become an animagus over the free time I had at home. When I changed back Bill had a surprised look on his face. He didn't seem shocked though. It was like he knew I could do it before I did. I then showed him that snowball understands me when I talk to her.

"You have a real gift with animals you know that, or if not animals in general, definitely your little fluffy friend here." He said as he picked up snowball.

"Why do you think she can understand me Bill?" I asked as I really wanted to know the answer.

"Well, you said that snowball found you right," I nodded "well I think this is the light of hope that you needed to help you through the suffering. You said that she helps you through the nightmares that you can't feel them when she is with you."

"So you think that snowball is the ball of faith that I needed. I knew you were one of a kind baby." I laughed as I held her in my arms.

I heard a call coming from Mrs Weasley and I jumped up.

"Don't worry she's not coming here, no one knows about your spot except from me it's our secret, it's only dinner are you hungry?" He said as he held my arms and sat me back down. I shook my head, that was a lie I was starving but I couldn't face everyone yet it was only Bill I could talk to, I know it's strange but it's just how it is. He obviously didn't believe me but he didn't push me. He walked out of the bushes making sure no one was looking. I was so glad that I had Bill and snowball. They were the people keeping me from leaving.

-Bills pov-

I didn't believe that Holly wasn't hungry for a second but I realised that she didn't want to see everyone else. I was still shocked about all that she had said to me and I was trying to keep my anger to a minimum when I heard about her scar. I stormed through the burrow door causing everyone to look at me. Ok maybe I didn't keep my anger to a minimum but it just riled me up so much they someone would do that to their daughter. Mum has told Ginny, Harry, Ron and Hermione to leave as she wanted to talk about what had happened with Holly. Harry argued that it wasn't fair that they had to leave as they were her best friends. Mum just simply replied that Holly will tell them when they she was ready. After the kids had left, it was just me, dad, mum and Charlie in the room. Mum finally spoke up quietly,

"Well, what happened. She obviously is hurting a lot and doesn't want to physically touch anyone." I could tell that mum was annoyed that Holly didn't want to hug her as she only wanted to comfort her.

"She hugged me for a while actually." I replied quietly. We had to be quiet about the whole thing in case the others were listening.

"Well Bill, that probably becuase you and her have a bond that none of us can match." Charlie added. I felt happy at that comment. Of course I loved Ginny but she was closer with the twins so I had a little mini me which I was glad for. Holly was family, she was my sister.

"She also was slashed across her face which had caused her to be left with a scar across her face leading from the top of her cheek all the way down to her bottom of her jaw. She can also talk to animals, we don't know if it is all animals but she has a special bond with her cat snowball. The cat was a stray when it found her and I think it was a sign, of something. Oh and one other thing. She somehow taught herself to become an animagus, she takes the form of a grey wolf. Quite large. How she did it confuses me she's only a third year plus she missed out on a whole year of school as her mother was treating her more of a slave than a daughter." Then there was silence. Mum had started crying, she couldn't imagine how much Holly had gone through whilst living with that women. I have no interest in calling her Hollys mother. She's a stranger to her now. She's our family. After a while it started to get dark, mum was cleaning up the kitchen as everyone else had gone to bed when she asked me to go and call Holly inside. She sent me as she didn't want anyone else knowing about her secluded space. Even mum didn't want to know where it was. I went over to the cluster of trees, she wasn't there. I started to panic, until I saw here up in the air on a broom from in the shed. As she saw me she flew down.

"Oh I'm sorry Bill, i didn't mean to steal a broom, it's just I have missed being a chaser and I haven't been on a broom in forever." I just laughed

"Hol, these brooms are your brooms, your family. How about me and you have a quick game." Her eyes lit up as a flick of light returned to her sunken eyes. She rose into the air as I ran to get a broom. Somehow snowball was sat perfectly still on the edge of her broom enjoying herself. I must say snowball is a strange cat. Oh well, it's keeping my sister happy I don't care. We played quidditch for a while. I was playing keeper. I wasn't going easy on her or anything I was trying so hard but she was made for the role of chaser, she scored every shot she made. I just blamed it on that I was rusty as I hadn't played in a while. It was now pitch black so I suggested we go back inside. Her face sunk again.

"It's alright Holly, I'll put an extra bed in my room, you can stay with me." She have me a small smile as she hopped off her broom allowing snowball to jump onto her shoulders. We walked into the house and straight up to my bedroom. I had made her a bed out a bundle of blankets and some old pillows. She didn't seem to mind though, I remembered her telling me that she hasn't slept in a bed for over a year so anything is heaven for her. I was exhausted, I finally had my sister back and she was safe. I said goodnight as I watched her fall asleep, obviously with snowball right up next to her snuggled into her. I smiled as I saw she had fallen asleep. I then knew it was safe to sleep myself. It's good to have you back sis.