SWEET SEVENTEENTH

♡

she's fivefoot-six's worth of spells and prophecies, secrets and murders caused by strangers. Her freckles make constellations, and her palms and thighs hold temporary predictions caused by pens and the inability to find anywhere else to jot it down. White laces make messy bows on her white Converse, a staple item that her grandparents never realised were muggle-made.

But, aside from that, here's the thing.

Briar likes to see everything in three ways — before, during, and after. As a Seer it makes things easier to think about, considering her inner eye already jumps to the after part of everything... And, really, for a girl that deals with a lot of shit, everything becomes a little easier to live with when you think, in just two hours, I won't be doing this, I'll be doing something far nicer.

But what happens when everything turns into the before?

Three days before the end of term, the exact thing happens to Briar. A countdown begins in her head — one she doesn't particularly pay attention to, but every so often it repeats itself, warning her, you're getting closer. Something, and Briar doesn't know what, is of enough important that Briar is being warned this far in advance... She hopes she'll figure it out, sooner or later.

But, for now, here is the time between the clock beginning, and the clock chiming, finished! But, for now, all that lies between then and the future is now, the days quietly counting down, one by one by one... Here is the interlude.

♡

IT IS ON A HOT DAY IN JULYwhen the voice of Briar Crouch breaks the morning silence of number twelve, Grimmauld Place... She didn't mean to, but when you're told you're the new head girl, you get a little excited.

She can't help it. At Hogwarts, she never would've thought she'd get it — at Hogwarts she was a decent student, sure, but she was never the best. She never did anything remarkable. Sure, she dreamt of the Basilisk a couple of times but she never did anything else that was special.

She thinks that's the difference between Hogwarts and Beauxbatons, for her. At Hogwarts she was one thing and one thing only — Briar Crouch, the Seer. That was it. She was pretty and sorta popular because of it, sure, but she was never anything apart from that. But, at Beauxbatons, the focus isn't just on a part of her that she has no control over. At Beauxbatons, she's actually kind of good at school? In the new lessons she takes, like Fine Arts, she gets it, and she enjoys it. The teachers are all nice... Or, at least, none of them are like Snape. Some are a little bitchy, but Briar's able to think, Not Snape though, is it? And, just like that, the teacher's a lot less terrible. Instead they're just a less bitchy Snape... And Briar can manage that.

The letter from Maxime, though, explained four things:

- Why Briar was chosen. "Not only am I incredibly proud of your growth over the past year, and how you are blossoming into a courageous young woman, but the student body was also highly in favour of you becoming head girl, thanks to this past year." The news obviously travelled back to France. Maybe they know she's cool and has a boyfriend, too. She hopes so. At school, he'll be living in a different country, and that is very cool.

Back to the letter. "The head girl is truly the face of our school, of who we want our students to grow up to become, and I hope that every young girl joining Beauxbatons will grow like you have done, this past year." Briar cried... Fred and George took the piss for the entire day... Both for the courageous young woman, and because she was weeping over her headmistress' letter.

- How last year, because of the Tournament, there was only a head boy (some kid that should've entered the Tournament, but for reasons unknown he was not allowed to leave France) so this year, there's only a head girl.

- Briar's responsibilities. (The list was fairly short but it stressed that she was supposed to determine her responsibilities herself: "Focus on what you sees fit." Briar's thinking of helping out the younger years.)

- And, last but not least, how Madame Maxime is going to be busy for the majority of the year, and therefore in her absence, Briar has to make sure that the school doesn't burn down.

(Livvy mentions that was the exact same reasoning as to why Briar had to go to Hogwarts last year in the first place, and Briar, again, cried, but also, imagined Maxime writing the letter, making that reference, and smiling to herself... Malecrit, not to sound like a teacher's pet, but Briar actually loves Maxime?)

Briar's sitting next to her dad in the kitchen when Harry arrives. She's been allowed to sit in the Order meetings, because although her dad didn't tell the others that she's a werewolf, he felt that because of her condition she should be aware of what's going on, just in case. He did forbid her from telling the others, though, as did the other adults in the room. Which is annoying, but she understands... And so did Fred and George, after they were in a strop for a full morning.

She's asked by Mrs Weasley to get the others from upstairs, and she nods, and she Apparates up to Ron and Harry's room. Her inner eye predicts that George is going to, like, frown, or something, whilst in that room, so she figures that's the best place to go.

So, Briar appears, and Hermione jumps. She frowns. "Oh, uh, sorry," says Briar, quickly, to Hermione. She turns to Harry and she smiles. "Hi, Harry... How have you been?"

"I was attacked by dementors," says Harry.

Briar's eyes widen. "Oh — that's terrible, I hope—"

"I thought you would've predicted it...?"

It had been a full moon, the night before.

George clears his throat. "Blimey, I'm starving."

"Me too," says Fred, nodding.

Briar mouths full moon to Harry, who understands and nods.

Here's the thing. Briar is fine with being a werewolf. But she still doesn't want people to know. It's a lot easier to deal with, when she doesn't have to worry about the whole world hating her for it. If she doesn't tell people, then, maybe she can get away with not telling landlords, potential bosses. They don't need to know. Briar is fine, and everyone is fine not knowing.

"I was sent to tell you, anyway, that dinner's ready in a couple minutes," says Briar, glancing across at the twins.

Fred shakes his head. "And here I was, thinking you were here to see me."

Briar winks at him. "Well, that too."

Ginny raises her eyebrows, unimpressed. "Get a room," she says, crossing her arms. Briar laughs. "I'll go and get Holly." Holly's been sharing a room with Ginny and Hermione, much to Holly's dismay. Most of the time she's kept to herself. Briar feels sorry for her... Especially since she found out Atticus wasn't her birth father, the other day, but instead a muggle called Gus, who's a plastic surgeon in the rich part of London.

"Holly?" says Harry.

Briar nods. Fred's resting his head on her shoulder. "Yeah, uh, she got here before all of us," says Briar. "She's kept to herself, though... I think she's been going through a lot."

Hermione nods. "She hasn't seen her mother since that night... She said she hasn't spoken to Malfoy, either..."

"Oh," says Harry, and he frowns.

Hermione and Ron make their way downstairs, as does George, but before Briar and Fred leave, Briar turns to Harry. "It might be nice, if you speak to her," she says. She's holding onto Fred's hand, but both of them let go when he Apparates to get to the kitchen downstairs. She'd rather Mrs Weasley find out that she's going out with her son another way, instead of, they Apparated (something she finds super annoying) whilst holding hands, because apparently they were unable to keep apart for, like, a second.

"I'll walk downstairs with you," says Briar, to Harry. "So. Have you seen Mia, at all, since getting here?"

"She showed me upstairs," says Harry. "I don't think she likes me."

"I think she's going through a lot," says Briar. "Like, what if you lost Ron, you know? You'd completely change. I think she's just struggling... And I don't think it helps that her and Sirius are in a, uh, bad place."

"They are?" says Harry, and he frowns. He has a look on his face, as if surprised that Sirius can do anything wrong. Briar thought the same, she thinks, until she started noticing how awkward it is, between him and Mia, at every mealtime.

Briar glances at him, before they walk down the stairs. "Just keep in mind that she isn't herself right now," she says. Behind Harry, Holly walks out of the room she's sharing with Hermione and Ginny, and although Harry gapes at her, she walks past the two of them, without looking at them once. Briar turns to Harry, when Holly's gone. "... Same with her. Yeah? This house is filled with sad people."

That night, Mrs Weasley insists on making a special dinner to celebrate Briar's success at becoming head girl; even though Briar's not staying at Grimmauld Place, she's there practically everyday... Well. OK. Maybe she stays there some nights. But no one's aware of that, because then they'd question why George conveniently clears off to a spare room? And, like, Mrs Weasley is yet to realise that Fred and Briar are going out, and Briar would prefer it if she found this out a different way... Instead of, so they've had sex...

It's nice, though, the whole dinner. Briar sits in the middle of the table and Mrs Weasley says she's so proud of her, and Briar eats her entire weight in broccoli and cake (not together, gross) and at the end, when she goes home, her dad gives her the biggest hug. Briar doesn't stop smiling, the entire day. Even when she was crying, she was smiling... Merlin, she loved it. It made her even more excited, to write to the two girls in her year, that have been nominated to help her out with everything... And to write to her new roommate, a girl called Luli Chen — according to Maxime, Luli's mother is a werewolf, too, so she'll be cool with Briar, which is such a plus!

Around half-eleven, that evening, Fred appears in Briar's bedroom. She still hasn't been able to sort out the Imperturbable Charm on her door, since she isn't seventeen yet and she is not asking her dad to do it, she knows he'll realise the reasoning behind it — so, until then, the second she hears the faint crack sound of her boyfriend Apparating, she moves forwards to him, quietly shushing him before he speaks too loudly.

"Remember," she whispers, and she points to the door. Her dad's gone to bed by this point, and she knows Livvy will still be up, headphones plugged into his Walkman, so there isn't much of a worry about someone overhearing Briar talking to someone, but she'd rather not risk it. Her dad isn't strict, but then, she doesn't think he'd be happy, seeing a boy in his daughter's bedroom.

"I just wanted to say hi," says Fred, talking quietly.

Briar raises an eyebrow. The lights are off, because she was going to go to sleep, but the curtains are drawn just enough that light is seeping into the room, softly illuminating their faces. "Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight," she says.

"OK, well, maybe Mum started driving us mad when you left," says Fred. He's sitting on the foot of her bed, in his pyjamas, and he smiles at her. "Maybe I wanted to sleep with you."

Briar frowns. "Which way?"

Fred gives her a look, and she grins at him, as he lies down on her bed. "You know it's shocking that you're worse than me, sometimes," he says.

"I don't want to, I was only asking," she says, and as she speaks, he stretches his arm out, as if motioning for her to lie next to him. She does, and he holds her, which makes her smile. "I like this, Freddie."

"Me too," says Fred.

Briar moves, and kisses him. As she lies back where she had been before, she frowns up at the ceiling. "Not to, like, ruin the moment, but — what was your mum saying?" she asks.

"How she doesn't believe in us," says Fred. "She's still pissed off about our O.W.L.s being crap, too, and I know none of it's your fault, you deserve to be head girl, but she brought up how everyone else has been a prefect or whatever, and me and George never got the sort of grades for that." Briar nods. "Oh! And get this — she says she might reconsider her feelings on Wheezes if we look out for Mia. Isn't that absolute bloody bollocks?"

"Well," says Briar, frowning.

"You're gonna agree with her," says Fred. He sits up, and Briar rolls her eyes, sitting up so she can at least look at him. He looks unimpressed, and slightly annoyed. "You're meant to be on my side."

"I'm meant to encourage you to do the right thing," says Briar.

"Uh, yeah!" says Fred. "Exactly what I said!"

"No?" says Briar, giving him a look. "I feel sorry for Mia."

"Why?" says Fred.

Briar frowns. "Because her best friend died?"

"OK, well, that's unfair," says Fred. "Just because someone died doesn't mean I have to like their friend, now."

"OK, well," says Briar. "Her situation is, like..." And she pauses, trying to think of a good example. "It's like — what if I died, and you had to move on? Or, if you died? It's the same."

Fred pauses for a minute, as if thinking things through.

"I s'pose."

Great "thinking things through," Briar thinks.

"But?" says Fred, and he holds Briar a little tighter, moving her closer to him. He starts to kiss her face, and she laughs, a little too loudly. Quickly she goes quiet, worried she'll wake her dad up. "That's not going to happen with us."

"Definitely," says Briar, and she moves, kissing him on the lips.

It must've become midnight, because her inner eye lightly reminds her, three-hundred and twenty-seven days.

♡

WHEN IT GETS TO HER BIRTHDAY (three hundred and twenty-three days before) everyone is in high spirits. Briar puts it down to the party she's throwing, and even though the younger kids at Grimmauld Place aren't going (it would awkward for all parties, and sure they got invites, but they all sort of got that it would be way too weird for any of them to go) they all wish her a happy birthday and such, when she spends the morning at Grimmauld Place. Her hair's in rollers, though, as it has been since she woke up and sorted her hair out, which led to some very strange looks from Harry and Ron, who apparently have never seen someone with their hair like this. But whatever. Briar wants curls. Fred and George think it's weird because her hair's already curly, but they're different curls... They still don't get it.

Briar loves her birthday to pieces, from the pancakes she has for breakfast, to her grandma Hope's old watch, that she's given around lunchtime. Even when she speaks to Mia, who looks particularly unhappy today ("Apparently George made a comment on the amount of boyfriends she's had," Fred tells her) Briar's still in a great mood. Every minute that year made her even more excited for the next one...

... The next one. She won't be in school for that one. Isn't that weird to think about? This time next year, when she's blowing out her candles, she won't even be in school. It's so strange, spending these many years at school, and just like that, it's all over, you've got to venture off into the real world. She's already been trying to figure out what she wants to do, once she leaves school — she's got her eyes on the training courses at St Mungos. She doesn't know what she'd specialise in, as a Healer. Part of her likes the idea of maybe specialising in curses, like hers, but then, she worries if it'll hit home too much if she's got a curse.

She doesn't know. All she knows is that she'd like to become a Healer, she'd like to stay in the UK rather than moving out to France, and she'd also really like to live with Fred. She'd say Fleur, but since the start of the summer, Fleur's summer job at Gringotts has led to her spending many long evenings, counting money, alongside Bill, and, Fleur doesn't like to kiss and tell, but Briar knows. And she loves it. She cannot wait for them to become sisters.

Fred and George find it funny, the whole thing with Bill and Fleur ("She's improving her English!" they say in the shittiest French accent...) Briar finds it incredibly annoying. Like, first of all, she doesn't see them learning another language, or moving out of the country...

"I don't see you competing in the Tournament," she had said one of the times they brought it up, when Ron's cheeks went bright red, and Fred tried to continue joking around, but, Briar raised an eyebrow, and leaned closer to him, to say quietly, "I could expose you, Weasley, starting with how you actually like Madam Puddifoots."

Fred had put his hand on his heart. "I feel betrayed."

"Sisters before misters," she had said back to him, shrugging.

When it gets to the evening, Briar's changed into her outfit — a light blue minidress with sparkly heels, and a sparkly tiara to match — and she stands in the kitchen. Her dad's staying at Grimmauld Place until later on, and Livvy's staying at the Malfoys. He hasn't spoken to Holly since everything happened. He's told Briar that he feels betrayed.