Chapter 252 - Stumbling!

{15th July 1992}

{Rigel's POV}

The Portkey released me into the narrow alley beside the Leaky Cauldron with far less ceremony than I would have liked, even though I know it hadn't been that long. The sudden escape after experiencing the memories and the portkey made it feel like a long wait(AN: ;p).

The world snapped back into place in a rush of sound and smell—damp stone, stale air, the faint trace of spilled alcohol—and I staggered a half-step forward as I forced my balance to settle. Space finished rearranging itself around me with a reluctant shiver, and I drew in a breath, grounding myself, letting my anchor settle fully back into my body before I could even think about moving again.

'Using the portkey after getting the new knowledge is both exhilarating and frightening.' I thought as my eyes settled around the dancing mana.

I didn't get a chance to marvel at it, though.

Ginny hit me like a freight train, arms wrapping around my torso with desperate force as she buried her face into my shoulder. She was shaking—no, trembling—and I instinctively caught her, one hand coming up to brace her back while the other held her close, absorbing the impact as she clutched at me like I might vanish again if she loosened her grip. I felt the hitch of her breath against my collarbone, heard the faint sniffle she tried and failed to suppress, and whatever composure I had rebuilt cracked just a little.

I looked past her head and took in the rest of the gang.

Ron stood a few paces back, eyes wide and rimmed red, his mouth opening as if to say something before he thought better of it and snapped it shut again, gaze darting away like he wasn't quite sure he was allowed to look at Ginny. Harry and Hermione had both stepped closer, their expressions mirroring the same raw relief, their shoulders finally loosening now that I was here and undeniably present in front of them. Behind the three of them, Fred and George hovered, identical worry etched across their faces as their attention flicked between Ginny clinging to me and my own posture, as if they were trying to confirm I was actually in one piece.

Ginny shuddered again, her fingers tightening in my robe, and I brought my hand up to her back, patting gently, then rubbing slow circles between her shoulder blades with my open palm. I pitched my voice low, murmuring reassurances that weren't particularly clever but did the job, the kind you didn't need to think about too hard if the assurances were real or not. She needed grounding as the experience had likely been too much for her.

I met Harry's eyes over the top of her head and tilted my chin toward the pub. "Go on," I said quietly. "I'll be right behind you. Just… give her a minute."

Harry hesitated for half a second, then nodded, understanding passing between his eyes that I'll bring her in after she has calmed down. He motioned for the others to move, and one by one they turned back toward the Leaky Cauldron, Fred and George casting one last look over their shoulders before following the trio out of the alley.

The alley fell quieter, the noise of the pub muffled behind brick and magic. Ginny's breathing slowly began to even out, each inhale less sharp than the last, until finally she leaned back just enough to look up at me. Her eyes searched my face and then my body with almost frantic intensity, scanning for injuries, for signs of something wrong that she hadn't noticed yet. I smiled at her softly, hoping it would be reassuring.

It worked—almost too well as she calmed down.

Her gaze dropped, then froze. Her eyes went wide, and color flooded her cheeks in a rush so vivid it nearly made me laugh as her eyes gazed down at my almost naked body. I caught the reaction immediately and had to suppress a smirk as realization dawned on her face in full.

Ritual robes, very soft, very transparent. I didn't exactly have a chance to consider that as the portkey deposited me into a public alley.

Before she could combust from embarrassment, I flicked my wand with a casual motion, transfiguring the robe into a plain t-shirt and a pair of loose, harmless-looking pyjama bottoms. I could have tried for jeans, but the material of the robes couldn't be stretched too much without using the concepts of conjuration, which would have made the magic look less effortless. The magic settled with a faint ripple, and I straightened, fixed the t-shirt, giving her time to regain her bearings.

Ginny made a small strangled sound, spun on her heel, and promptly fled toward the pub, clearly intent on disappearing into the nearest crowd and possibly never making eye contact with anyone ever again.

I turned around the bend just in time to see the others staring; they hadn't gone into the pub and were just waiting by the alley.

I lifted a hand and waved cheerfully, drawing attention back to myself before anyone could say something unfortunate, and walked over as the questions hit me all at once—what happened, was I hurt, was I okay, did they do anything to me, did I need Madam Pomfrey, was—They cut themselves off almost in unison, realizing they were all speaking at once, and I raised both hands placatingly.

"I'm fine," I said, keeping my tone light. "Really. Unharmed, intact, no harm done. And Dumbledore's already there, working on it, so you don't need to panic."

The effect was immediate. Dumbledore's name settled over the group like a calming draught, shoulders relaxing, tension bleeding out of expressions that had been held too tight for too long. Hermione let out a breath she'd clearly been holding, Ron scrubbed at his face, and even Fred and George seemed to ease, if only a little.

I was just about to suggest we head inside properly when a familiar pop announced new arrivals in the already crowded space. I turned, mana sense lighting up in recognition even before I saw them.

Sirius and Professor McGonagall stood a short distance away, both of them locking onto me instantly. I watched relief flicker across McGonagall's stern features before she mastered herself, while Sirius didn't even try.

He crossed the distance in two long strides and hauled me into a crushing hug, arms wrapping around me so tightly I barely had time to brace before he started talking—fast, disjointed, and entirely too close to my ear. Something about reckless behavior, and staying behind, and how it was absolutely not my job to be the brave one, and Merlin help him if I ever pulled a stunt like that again.

I let him ramble. He needed it for now.

Then I heard Fred's voice ring out behind us. "Oi! Group hug!"

I barely had time to register the threat before two more redheads piled on, and suddenly I was trapped in a tangle of arms and noise, George laughing somewhere near my shoulder while Fred nearly knocked the air out of my lungs. I squirmed, struggled, and finally managed to slip free just long enough to dart behind Hermione, placing her squarely between my attackers and me.

The twins paused, calculating.

I seized the moment. "I'll lie to Molly about the torture," I called out brightly, "and make sure she knows you'll need supervision for your 'trauma' all summer."

The effect was devastating.

Fred and George recoiled in synchronized horror, hands flying up defensively as if I'd brandished a weapon.

Sirius broke through their defensive line, clapping them both on the back with a grin that was equal parts fond and exhausted. "Right," he said, steering the group forward. "Let's go home. I think I'm suddenly desperate for Molly's cooking."

The twins wailed in protest as we moved, and for the first time since the attack, since the barrier, since the moment everything went wrong—

Things felt normal again.

'I won't mind munching on a chicken leg or two, I'm starving.' I thought, though my gaze flickered to the new addition to my status screen. The fun was beginning.

---

AN: And a belated Merry Christmas to you guys, a bit broken but still here, I'm going to just skip the summer and start the train ride in the next chapter, I'll write about the rest of the summer in brief as flashbacks during the train ride and the first settling in week before laying down the foundation for the plot of second year.

P.S - Building a PC next week, so the pictures of characters and NSFW images will be after 10th Jan.