Chapter Text
“What did we say about this year?”
Karina Black slanted a look towards her adoptive father, Keith Moore, as she pulled her trunk and owl cage into the living room. With a long suffering sigh, she muttered, “no getting into trouble.”
“With?”
At this, Kari scowled. “With potentially dangerous wizards. Although really it hasn't been my fault, you know.”
Keith laughed. “Of course not. What time did Mr. Weasley say he would be here at?”
Arthur Weasley was the father of one of her best friend’s at Hogwarts, Ron. He had written to Kari’s parents weeks before asking for permission to have her come for the Quidditch World Cup and stay with them for the rest of the summer. Because she lived in another continent altogether - something her mother had arranged before she’d passed away-, he had written to say he would be picking her up by himself, via Floo Powder.
She’d thought the distinction that he'd be alone was a bit odd but said nothing of it. Instead, she’d made sure the fireplace hadn't been blocked, instructed her parents on what would happen (though her father had seen her travel by Floo Powder the summer after her first year at Hogwarts) and made sure her parent’s son had been placed in another room to avoid him traveling along with her by accident. “He should be here soon,” Kari said happily as her mother walked in with the last of Kari’s scarfs. Deidre Moore was tall, willowy woman with light colouring. She reminded Kari of the beautiful soft sunsets, with her light blond hair pulled up in a bun, wisps of it escaping it and framing her face.
“Found these in the wash,” Deidre said as she put them in Kari’s trunk. “Along with the container you put that leaf you've been carrying around in your mouth for the last month. Did you write up your report on it?”
Kari shuffled uncomfortably. The leaf in question was a Mandrake Leaf - one stolen from Professor Snape’s cupboards so she could begin the Animagus process.
Without registering. She could almost hear Hermione's disapproval. “I did,” Kari said quickly as she put the container at the bottom of her trunk, shuddering as she remembered the taste. She'd only just gotten that bitter taste out of her mouth. “No effects that I could see. Thanks, Mum.”
Deidre beamed at her daughter as she wrapped her arms around her. “Are you taking your broomstick this year?”
“Oh!” Kari glanced at the fireplace. “I am. It's upstairs, in my room. He should be here any moment though…”
Keith chuckled. “Well go on and get it. I very much doubt he'll leave without you.”
Grinning, she rushed upstairs, her long dark brown waves of hair trailing behind her. The house held mixed feelings for her now: not even two months ago, for ten agonizing minutes, she was sure she'd be asked to live with her real father, Sirius Black, freshly escaped from Azkaban and ready to have his name cleared.
It had not gone how they’d hoped, and when his only way to have his innocence proven escaped through their fingers, he'd been forced to flee and leave Kari behind. She told herself it was for the best, that she'd lived with the Moore’s for ten years and this was what was meant for her.
And yet, she wondered. She longed to know Sirius a bit more, and though she'd been gifted several weeks with him and Remus Lupin not too long ago, she missed him.
Her room was different from the one at Hogwarts: there was no canopy bed, no crimson red banners, no fireplace. This one was that of Kari as a child - light purple walls, white furniture, posters of hockey players. At the foot of her bed, a white trunk where her dolls and stuffed animals lived. Propped against it was her Cleansweep Seven, not the speediest of brooms but certainly one that suited her needs when it came to learning how to swerve and weave.
She had her eye on Chaser down the road, and would ask the Weasley twins to practice with her after the World Cup.
Glancing around the room once last time, she shut the room behind her and tilted her head. Voices were coming from the living room below, her mother's sweet laughter floating towards her. Heaving her broom over her shoulder, she ran down the stairs and skidding around the corner into the living room.
“Kari!” Arthur Weasley said with a broad smile on his face. “All packed up and ready to go? Everyone is anxious to see you. George has been bugging me all evening, Molly has made desserts and I hear there may be some Quidditch played before bed.”
Grinning wide, Kari ran into his arms. “Ready. I was surprised the twins didn't come with. I'd promised them a tour around the farm.”
A look of annoyance flew across Mr. Weasley’s face. “They pulled a little stunt with Harry’s cousin. I figured it'd be best to avoid another damaging confrontation with Muggles and refused to bring them along.”
Interest prickled in her belly as she imagined what they could've done to Harry’s horrible cousin. Knowing she wouldn't be able to keep the delight from her voice she turned to her parents and embraced them. “I'll see you next summer.”
“Or Christmas, if you ever decide we’re more interesting than floating Christmas trees,” Keith said with a wry smile.
Kari raised an eyebrow. “If you saw how cool they are, you'd be asking to stay there too. But we’ll see. I love you.”
“Be safe, darling.” Deidre said as she buttoned up Kari’s cloak.
Nodding, she pulled her trunk and the owl cage into the fireplace. She had sent her owl ahead earlier that day and knew he would find her at the Burrow. “My broom-”
“I'll take it,” Mr. Weasley said as he handed her a handful of Flood Powder. “Now remember-”
“Enunciate clearly,” she said quickly with a wink. “The Burrow!”
She managed to shut her eyes before the spinning started, though it did nothing to detract from the awfulness of the sensation. When it finally stopped, her eyes sprun open and she stared into the twinkling brown eyes of George Weasley.
“Took you long enough,” he said with a grin as he helped her with her trunk.
Kari laughed breathlessly as he took her into a hug. “Hello to you too.”
“You grew!” George said accusingly as he circled her, studying her new 5’5 frame. “What am I supposed to call you now?”
“I warned you against unpractical nicknames,” she said happily as Mr. Weasley appeared behind them. Holding out her hand for her broom, she smiled her thanks and sighed. “Where is everyone?”
George grabbed her by the elbow as he pulled her outside where two tables had been put together. Kari let out a breath of surprise at the lit floating candles, the shocking amount of redheads at the table and -
“Harry!” She cried out as he turned and pushed off the table, followed by Hermione and Ron.
“Look who I found,” George called out good naturedly as he sat at the table. “Dad’s in the kitchen, Mum. Dessert time?”
“Dessert time,” Mrs. Weasley agreed as she stood, smiled kindly at Kari. “It's so good to have you, sweetheart.”
Kari blushed. “It's good to be here. Thank you so much for inviting me, if there's anything I can do to help-”
“You sit down and make yourself comfortable,” Mrs. Weasley said as George yanked her down on the seat to him.
Kari turned to him, grinning. “Hi again.”
“Bill, Charlie - this is Kari Black. The other unfortunate friend of Ron.” George called out to his older brothers.
Kari didn't miss the quick knowing look they shared, bristled uncomfortably and a bit irritated. “Dragons and the bank, right?”
Bill laughed. “That's right. I can finally die a happy man. On my gravestone, just put ‘the bank’.”
They were not at all what she had been expecting, especially Bill. When she thought of Gringotts, she thought of stuffy goblins and sour wizards. Bill, with his fang earring and long hair, was the opposite. She couldn't help but like him immediately.
Ron sat next to her as Mrs. Weasley came out with cakes so beautifully decorated Kari felt bad eating them. “Who are you cheering for?”
“I have a feeling that if I say anything other than Ireland, you may not take me,” she said. Kari accepted her piece of cake happily and dug in. Laughter flowed easily, and after she'd eaten more than she should've, Kari leaned her head on George’s shoulder and fell asleep.
*
Had anyone told her that to get to the World Cup she'd have to get up before the sun and walk in the freezing cold, she was sure she would've declined. She kept nodding off, and would scowl whenever someone would steer her in the right direction. To solve matters, George -who was in a bad mood thanks to the confrontation with mother over their merchandise before they left- simply put his hand on her arm and lead her gently, taking time to wrap her scarf around her neck when she shivered. He shouldered her pack as well as his, even when she half heartedly tried to protest. “Just shut up and walk, Black,” he said when she tried to grab it from him. “You're walking half asleep. Last thing we need is for you to fall down and with the weight of it, you'll be like a turtle the wrong way up.”
The image was too much for Kari, who let out a choked laugh before she fell into silence, wishing she had woken up with more time to down some coffee. She knew how fond the Weasleys were of tea and had brought her own supply from home. It lay safe in her bag, and with every step she stiffly took, she wished they'd get there so she could brew some.
“Who did your dad just call Porkey?” She mumbled as she squinted ahead.
Fred let out a roar of laughter as he joined them. “Portkey, you silly witch. A magic item to transport us to the Quidditch World Cup. Honestly, listen to you.”
Blushing furiously, Kari snuggled into her coat as she looked around the empty field. “Can't have sensible names, you lot, can you?”
George sniggered as he made room for her next to him. “I thought you read about stuff like names and things.”
“Yeah, that's what I read - name and things,” she said dryly as she touched the soggy boot. Trying to relax, she looked at Harry and the handsome boy next to him. “Cedric,” she mumbled as the name tumbled from her lips.
Cedric Diggory looked up at the sound of his name and smiled. “I see you're starting to wake up.”
Kari felt her cheeks warm and dug her face into her scarf. “I have a feeling whatever is going to happen next will wake me up the whole way… And it won't be fun.”
“Just remember to close your eyes,” he advised as Mr. Weasley began the countdown.
Kari grunted her thanks and shut her up eyes, snarling a vicious stream of curse words as she was pulled towards the boot and then felt the horrible sensation of spinning, shoulders colliding into hers, moving too fast and then suddenly it stopped. Letting out a gasp, she collapsed to the ground as she lost her balance. Ron landed on top of her legs, yelping when she kicked him.
“What'd I tell you? Turtle on its back and can't get up,” George said happily as he stood shakily and held out a hand for her.
Kari glared at him before accepting his hand.
Later that evening, after her brain felt as if it would explode from overload, Kari found herself sitting in front of the fire outside their tent. The noises around the campsite became background sound, and for once she was at peace.
“You alright?”
She glanced up at George who was walking towards her with a biscuit and coffee. “I'm having a blast,” she admitted. “I can't believe you gave away your life savings.”
“We didn't give them away . We made an investment.”
Kari snorted as she bit into her biscuit. “Are you already practicing what you'll say to your Mum?”
George blushed and grinned sheepishly. “That obvious?”
“A tad,” she muttered as she rummaged around her sweater before tossing him a bag.
He caught it easily and opened it, looking up at her in amazement. “Our Ton-Tongue Toffees. How-”
“No one ever suspects the sleepy girl,” she said with a wink, sipping her coffee. “I figured you could make a killing off them here. A quick fun preview before the real thing later on. People will remember them. The fake wands are genius.”
George stared at her, unable to say anything. When she raised her eyebrows at him, he shook his head and let out a huff of breath. “You're a sneaky one, you are.”
“I do try. Now go on, Weasley. Make some money.” She smiled at him, her belly warm as he returned a smile of his own. She sat there, silent, taking in the world around her. Nothing surprised her anymore, not the men in dresses they thought were robes, not the dancing leprechauns.
“Knut for your thought.”
Kari burst out in laughter as she looked up at Harry. “I don't know if my thoughts are worth that much.”
“Anything going on in that brain of yours is bound to be interesting,” he said with a grin as he sat down next to her.
She looked around her, feeling calm amidst all the celebration. “Did you ever think it would be like this? When you got your Hogwarts letter?”
“Maybe not my first one. But after a couple hundred of them came bursting from the fireplace at my aunt and uncle’s place, I knew nothing and to just… enjoy it.”
“And do you? Even with all the crap we've gone through?”
He turned those green eyes on her, smiling. “I do. Helps to have the company. Things seem less daunting.”
“Sirius says that.” The words spilled from her softly before she blushed. She looked up at him, at his rapt attention and felt her lips curl gently. “He tells me there is nothing too big that friendship can't overcome.”
“Someone should tell Wormtail.” It was a morbid joke, one that caused both of them to choke out a laugh.
Leaning on him, she looked up at the dusk sky and wondered if her father was right. With Harry at her side, a warm body on this cool night, she almost believed it.