Willow was running as fast as the packed halls and platforms of Kings Cross and her short legs allowed. It was already a few minutes after the time Harrys train was supposed to arrive.

The first few months of her brothers absence had been rocky; filled with anxiety and uncertainty because she didn't know how she could stay in contact with Harry. But after that had been resolved the time seemed to fly by. Between writing him, visiting Mrs Figg and improving her new passion of sewing and embroidery June, and with that the summer holidays, had seemed to approach with an unusual quickness. And finally the day had come she would see her brother again. Approaching the wall between the platforms 9 and 10 she already could see him.

"Harry!"

Just as he was turning around she flew into his arms with so much momentum that they whirled around one time. They both laughed as she burrowed her face in his neck and embraced him with all her might. Harry didn't hold back either as he squeezed her so hard that that for a few moments she couldn't breath - but she didn't care. Her brother, her strong, perfect protector was back and finally, as he gently patted her head, her world seemed to be okay again. "I have missed you so much!" came her muffled voice.

"Be quiet Ginny, and it's rude to point." a stern voice near them said and they withdrew from each other, realizing that they were not alone. A small gaggle of red haired people, plus a girl with really bushy hair stood next to them, smiling as they watched the two siblings reunite. "Oh, Mrs Weasley!" Willow gasped, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to be rude." "Yeah, sorry." Harry agreed. "Oh, don't worry, dearies." She smiled. "Busy year?" She then asked and Willow and Harry looked at each other. Willow now knew what her brother had been up to in Hogwarts with his friends. That he had fought against the wizard that had killed their parents. Hogwarts had sent an owl; though this time to Mrs Figg, thank god. She had been angry at first, that he had taken such a risk, but now she was just glad that he had come back. But in a later letter to Harry she had promised not to tell anyone.

Meanwhile Harry knew all about his sisters friendship with that old cat lady and her newly discovered talent in sewing. They both then grinned and Harry agreed "Very." Willow took a step in her direction. "Thank you again for the fudge and jumpers, Mrs Weasley." She said, Harry nodding his head in agreement. "The fudge was so delicious. Oh, and I love the jumper! I have worn it so much this winter. It's so warm and comfy." The red haired woman smiled flattered, blushing a little bit. "It was nothing, dearie. And you already thanked me." True to her word, Willow had sent a letter, together with a little gift, to her brother for Ron to sent to his mother. "And the handkerchief you gave me is really pretty. I love the embroidered flowers on it." Willows eyes lit up. "Really? I'm so glad! That was the first time I have tried to do flowers and feared that it was a little wacky." "The first time? It looked actually quite professional to me." Now Willow was the one blushing.

"What do we hear about a gift?" A new voice popped in. "Yeah, we have given you a present, too, and yet received nothing in return." A similar voice continued. The twins stood next to her, pretending to pout, but that quickly turned into mischievous smiles.

Willows birthday had been on May second, and this year she had been so busy with everything that she herself had almost forgotten it - though that probably had more to do with the fact that her birthday had never really been celebrated before. Although she and Harry always made sure to celebrate their birthdays at least a bit together in secret, they were strictly ignored at home. Dudleys birthday always was a huge and important occasion. This year they had gone to an amusement park, a trip she was thankfully spared from by staying with Mrs Figg. Yet she and her brother never even got a 'Happy Birthday' from their family. Willow wasn't even sure they knew anymore when their birthdays were. So she was really surprised when she had visited her friend that day and she had surprised her with a cake and present. Her present had been a self-made plushie, which was also an exact replica of Mr Tibbles. She had loved it. And had been even more surprised when a second present had appeared that day, send by owl. A pretty big one.

At first she had thought it was from her brother, and well, it was in parts. But the attached letter explained that the present itself had been an idea of the twins. And when she had opened it she had laughed so much that she had even shed some tears.

It was a toilet seat. And on it a lot of people had written birthday wishes for her, even people she had never heard from. It was amazing. She still remembered George shouting out of the slowly faster getting train that they would send her a toilet seat to make her stop crying. But she had never thought much of it. Until that present came. It had been a hassle to smuggle that thing into her room, but now it hung proudly on the wall above the bed. She liked to look at it from time to time. It made her smile. But she was glad that the Dursleys avoided her room, because explaining why a toilet seat was hanging in her room would probably not go well.

Willow smiled up at the boys who stood more than a head taller than her. "I have not forgotten, but I needed some time for my present." She reached into the small satchel she was wearing. "Tada!" She held out two small, identical, red haired rag dolls. The only difference between them was that one sported an 'F' on it's chest and the other a 'G'. The twins stared at them and Willow became a little self conscious. Thinking now, wasn't it weird to give two boys in their teens dolls? She thought it would be a fun present, but maybe they didn't like it. One boy reached for a doll. "Look Fred, I finally have someone that looks exactly like me!" He joked, holding the doll next to his face. Fred took the other doll. "Oh yeah, I think it looks even more like me than you!"

"What do you have there?" A girlish voice asked and the red haired girl stepped up to their little group. "Ginny look! Willow made us twins!" Fred held out his doll and she took it. "It's so cute!" She exclaimed. "And you really did them yourself?" Willow nervously played with the hem of her shirt, not used to praise coming from someone else than Harry or Mrs Figg. "Ehm, yes. I recently learned how to do plushies and thought I'd try to make some. As a thanks for the birthday present." Ginny continued to scrutinize the plushie of her brother. "It looks really good, almost as if- wait, your birthday was recently?" Willow shyly nodded and Ginny gave back her brothers doll. Then she reached for Willows hand. "Happy belated birthday!" She congratulated with a smile. "Oh, ehm, thank you so much." "Next year we should really celebrate it! I mean, you're going to Hogwarts next year too, right?" Willow thought on it. Hagrid had promised it to her so agreeing and looking forward to it should be okay, right? "Yeah, as far as I know."

"Of course you're going." George said. "Yeah, you're obviously a witch." Fred agreed. "And next year we're all going to be in Gryffindor together."

Hogwarts had four houses; Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Harry and, as far as she knew, all of the Weasley boys were in Gryffindor. But would she be one? Harry had written that a Gryffindor had to be brave and daring. She didn't know if she had that in her. Though being separated from her brother would be horrible for her. "You think I'm going to be a Gryffindor?" George gently smiled down at her.

He thought back to an incident right before Christmas. He had searched for Ron to ask something. When he had went to his room it had been empty except for Harry sitting on his bed with a stack of letters next to him, holding one in his hands and reading it. "What are you doing?" He had asked curiously. Harry staying alone in his room was a rare occurrence as far as he knew. He and Ron were always together. "I'm re-reading the last few letters I got from Will." George had furrowed his brow. "Your sister? Why?" Harry had held up a letter with a handwriting different from the stack of letters next to him. "I got a letter from our neighbor this morning. She hasn't seen or heard from Willow for a couple of days now and is asking me if I know something."

George had heard from this neighbor already. Apparently an old lady the Potter siblings knew for their whole lives recently had outed herself as a Squib and was now kind of looking after Willow. He had felt anxiousness grow in his stomach, thinking back on the things he had heard about the family Harry and Willow had to live with. That, apparently, they were abused regularly. Thinking about a tiny, defenseless girl like her having to stay with such people, and now alone, had made him sick and still did. Didn't Muggles have any ways to protect children like them? "Did something happen?"

Harry had sighed at that and grabbed another letter. "That's what I'm trying to find out. If that idiot has one character flaw it's that she worries too much about others and not enough about herself. She never complains or tells me when something happened because she doesn't want me to worry and I always have to find out myself. She would never tell me outright, but I'm hopping she wrote at least a hint I just didn't understand beforehand."

George didn't know how the siblings themselves saw it, but having to endure an abusive upbringing, day after day, and never even complaining about it was more than brave and courageous in his mind. Two things Gryffindor house represented. He didn't have any doubt that this girl was joining their house next year, along with Ginny. So he said "After everything Harry has said about you I'm more than sure we will be in the same house."

Willow stared up at him, blinking. What exactly had her brother said about her that this boy seemed to think so highly of her? "Hey Will, come here for a second?" Harry shouted over to her and she turned around to him and his friends. Waving goodbye to the twins and Ginny she walked over.

"I want you to meet my friends. Officially I mean." Harry explained, pointing to another red haired boy and a girl with bushy, brunette hair. "Hey, we already saw each other back in September." The boy explained with a little smile. "But I'm Ron." He waved a little. "And I'm Hermione!" The girl chirped in.

Of course, Willow knew of them already. Harry had written a lot about them. She indeed remembered Ron from when they had come to the Hogwarts Express the first time. Apparently he and her brother had build the fundament for their friendship right there in that train. And she knew that they both hadn't actually liked Hermione at the beginning, because she was a little know-it-all (or so Harry had claimed in one of his first letters). But then something had happened that had made them reconsider, though he wouldn't tell her what exactly. And now she was one of his best and dearest friends. Alone for being good friends to her brother she liked them already.

She smiled. "It's so nice to meet you! I'm Willow, Harrys little sister. Thank you for being friends with my brother. Oh, and for the birthday present." They had both written on the toilet seat. Hermione blushed and Ron grinned awkwardly in light of so much earnest friendliness. "Oh, ehm, it was nothing." He stuttered just as Hermione said "You're welcome." Although the bushy haired girl thought the idea of the twins to surprise Harrys sister with a toilet seat had been stupid, it seamed that she really liked it and that was a relief. But just as they started a real conversation they were rudely interrupted.

"I said to take your brother and come back right away! Was that really so hard to understand?"

A big, beefy man with mustache and purple face stepped to their group, eyeing every one with distaste. "Your poor aunt and cousin are waiting in the hot car. How rude can you be?" At once the group of wizards and witches could see how the Potter girl, so joyful just a moment before, withered into herself and the boy took a defensive, aggressive stand. "I'm - I'm sorry Uncle Vernon. You're right, I've been thoughtless. I'm sorry." Willow stuttered. "Well, you lot could have just come with Will to greet me, then 'poor' Aunt Petunia and Dudley wouldn't have needed to sweat in your expensive car, would they?" Harry practically spit into his face. The Dursleys sweating, as if. They surely had the AC on max.

Uncle Vernon narrowed his eyes and Willow lost all color from her face. "Greet you?" Vernon asked with venom in his voice. "Be glad I actually did come to get you. Believe me when I say you are not welcome. You could have walked for all I care." His face morphed into an ugly grin. "I actually thought you lot travel everywhere by broom. What, have you been too stupid to learn it?"

Harry balled his hands and thought about grabbing his wand and hexing Uncle Vernon into oblivion, the ban of using magic in the holidays and the resulting consequences be damned. But then he felt the small hand of his sister on his fist, making him reconsider. Doing something rash would not only affect him, but her as well. He breathed out, trying to calm down. Then they heard a woman clear her throat and remembered again that they weren't alone.

Mrs Weasley kindly smiled at Vernon. "Hi! You must be their family!" He only eyed her with disapproval. "In a manner of speaking." He again turned to the two siblings. "Hurry up now, we haven't got all day." Then he walked away.

Harry grabbed his cart with Hedwig and his belongings while Willow tried to downplay the scene the Weasleys and Hermione had just seen. "He is not always like that, I promise! He is just grumpy because of the heat." She explained while forcing a smile on her face.

"See you over the summer, then." Ron said, feeling uneasy after such an incident. "Hope you have - er - a good holiday." Hermione followed. "You, too, Willow." "Oh I, will," Harry said and everyone stared at him with surprise. "They don't know we're not allowed to use magic at home. I'm going to have a lot of fun this summer..." He followed his uncle and Willow gaped at her brother before running after him "Harry!" She cried with a concerned voice.

"That poor dearies." Mrs Weasley sighed just as Percy and Hermiones parents finally joined their little group, watching the siblings disappear in the crowd. "I had heard some rumors but didn't know their family was this bad." She turned to her youngest son. "You invited them to come to us this summer, didn't you?" "Well, yes." He nodded. "At least I told Harry to come and bring his sister too, if she wants." Molly grinned. "That's my son!" She cooed and lovingly patted his cheek. Then she turned to the rest of her family. "Now let's go! Your father is already home and can't wait to see you."

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The next day

"Do we really have to go? I actually just wanted to lounge around today." Harry pouted, but Willow walked on. "Yes," she patiently said, as if she had not already answered that same question over a dozen times. "I promised her that we would visit her at least once. And I know you!" She pointed at him just as he had opened his mouth. "If I give you free reign on when to go visit her you will postpone it again and again until there is no time anymore. So why not do it now and get it over with?"

Willow was in a good mood and in full drive. For the first time in what felt like ages she had actually slept through the night without waking up even once. Her brother was with her again and last night they had slept together in the bed. She had cuddled up to him and fallen asleep pretty quickly, although she had actually planned to talk with him through the night (she wanted to know everything, even if he had already written about some events). But now she was full of energy and the first thing she wanted to do in her last holidays before going to Hogwarts was to visit her friend and make her brother thank her, too. Mrs Figg had become so important to her that she still felt that simply thanking her wasn't enough. Willow doubted she would have got the time until Harry came home again over so smoothly without her. But thanking her was a good start. She stopped at the corner of their street.

"Listen, Harry," she sighed and looked up at him imploringly. "I know you're not her biggest fan, but she has done so, so much for me... for us. She helped us stay in contact and thought me how to sew. She never made me go away whenever I turned up on her doorstep and - and she even celebrated Christmas and my birthday with me... She didn't have to do that, but she did. Don't you think that's nice?" Harry looked down at his feed, suddenly embarrassed. He really hadn't wanted to go when his sister had announced this morning that they would go visit that lame cat lady. But thinking on it, he really had to thank her. For looking after Willow and making him worry over her less. Mrs Figg had even written to him a few times as well. And at Christmas he had gotten a present Willow and she had worked together on. He was actually currently wearing pants from that stack they had altered. It fit him perfectly and looked good.

"Okay, okay. I'm going and I will thank her." He agreed and they continued, Willow smiling happily.

When Arabella opened her door a few minutes later she was a little surprised. Of course, she had said to Willow to bring her brother along at least once; but hadn't expected that would happen the very next day. "Hello, kids." She greeted them with only a slight hint of surprise in her voice. "Well then, come in."

Together they walked into the living room and from there Mrs Figg made her way into the kitchen to get something cold to drink. "It still smells like cats in here." She could hear Harry mutter and then a hissed "Harry!" from Willow.

She smiled. Her kids were finally back together

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AN: Hey guys, how are you? I hope everyone is healthy. This current situation with Corona is frightening and I'm so glad that my own family is still healthy. My mom is a nurse, so I hear some things from her and I'm imploring you to take it seriously. I actually had to stay in home quarantine the last 2 weeks because I was a little sick. I don't know if it was Corona or just a common cold, but in Germany you get told currently to stay home for at least 2 weeks anyway if you're sick. But I'm better now, don't worry. This chapter was actually planned to come out earlier, but as it is sometimes the way I had planned this chapter was kind of going nowhere and I had to backpedal and begin it from scratch again. Originally I had planned this chapter to center around Willows birthday and maybe even introduce a new OC, but I at least didn't forget about it completely and the OC will be introduced later on. Did you like my surprise present from the twins? I think that's something they would probably do and hey, they did promise her ;) I hope no one was OOC. It's sometimes difficult to write about already existing characters and not unintentionally alter them more than necessary. So Harry is back and we're officially leaving book 1, entering book 2 with the next chapter. I'm excited and I hope you are, too!

Shoutout to Currahee506 and especially Vadimmon. Thank you for being understanding and encouraging me. It seriously means a lot to me. Please everyone, stay safe and healthy!

Xoxo Lulu