She adds an extra x the first time she writes it herself, and it sticks. It's humorous and cute, and Freddy says, "Roc-ks-see" to make her laugh, so she never grows to mind.

There is always laughter. She'll remember that the most. For a very long time, laughter is her whole world.

Freddy's the best at telling stories: exaggerated expressions, bellowing voices, theatrics and reenactments galore. She makes him read to her every night he's home from school. She makes him tell her about the magic and friends he makes in the castle far away. He always complains as she drags him to her room. Her mother and father smile.

Her mother can't tell a story nearly as well. So she makes her read the exciting stories of old, of war and glory and winged-footed gods and a time when faces could launch 1,000 ships. She asks if magic can take her there.

She's eight when she starts to notice: she doesn't really look like anyone else. On her father's side it's all pale skin and flame hair. Her mother's is deep oak brown and thick tight coils. Uncle Wayne calls her, "Yellow Girl". Grandma Molly never knows what to do with her hair, calls her multicolored beads "funny things".

One week Grandma Molly applies ounces and ounces of straightening potion. Angelina does not say anything, but she's crying when they step out on the other side of the floo. George apologizes a lot. Says he'll talk to her.

That night Roxxy tells her mother how beautiful she is. She tells her that she loves beads and braids and doesn't want straight hair like Lily. She tells her that she wishes she were darker, so she could look just like her.

When Freddy comes home late, she hears her father sometimes, telling him to keep quiet, while he takes him to his room. "Don't wake Roxxy, or your mother."

Roxxy has a damn good sense of humor. And she says damn now. She's a brand-spanking-new Gryffindor and definitely feels more grownup.

Roxxy has a damn good sense of humor and she loves her house, her parents' and Freddy's before her. But she does not think the older Gryffindor boys, who look like they're going to make a first year Hufflepuff cry, are funny in the least.

She tells them to get lost. They give her a warning look. But she's not scared of older boys, because no one could be worse than James, and she kicks one in the shin for good measure.

The girl with two long pigtails says thanks and shakes her hand.

"Longbottom? Like, Professor Longbottom? Those idiots would piss themselves if they knew who you were."

"Please don't tell him. I want to make it on my own."

So Alice Longbottom is her best friend.

Lily's the only other girl on the team. And Roxxy's the youngest. Her first practice is gruesome. She drops the quaffle once. She flies laps until her thighs get blisters. She's definitely the slowest on her broom. But after she walks out of the locker room, James Potter, Nikhil Zabini, Collin Wood, Richie Crane, Lily Potter, and Allan Camp are all waiting to head to dinner. They jostle her around, rub her head, and tell her she's a trooper and a hell of a player. "You're only gonna get better, Roxx" Lily promises.

She writes home and when she gets her reply, she feels them beaming miles and miles away. Freddy's letter explodes into fireworks when she's done reading it.

She never figures out that trick.

Roxxy understood now, why George tried to keep Freddy from waking them up. Now, when he goes out, she waits up for him in the living room. She opens the door while he's fumbling with his keys. She puts her finger to her lips, hands him a glass of water, and helps him up the stairs.

"Roxxy, Roc-ks-see, don't you want me to tell you a story? I tell all the best stories, right?" She answers yes; no matter what, that will always be true.

She walks away thinking of blinded Cyclops and Odysseus, when he was No One.

History of Magic is her favorite subject. Ancient Runes is a very close second.

She is doing an Ancient Runes translation in the library when Alice sprints up to her. It's important. She has to come right away.

Professor Longbottom is standing in front of his desk, embracing Lily. Hugo is there. And Molly. And Louis. And Alice, of course, beside her. All her cousins' faces are tear-stained, except Hugo. His eyes are red, but he's strong. She is not sure when she grabs Alice's hand.

Professor Longbottom speaks. There's a boot-shaped portkey and whirling wind and hugging and sobbing and many red heads.

Roxxy wakes up in her bed, at home, the next morning, confused. She goes downstairs; her father's back is to her. She's about to ask what's going on. But then he turns around, his eyes dead. He's holding Freddy's picture in his hands.

She falls, shaking. He can't move fast enough to catch her. She faintly hears herself say, "no".

They're all sitting around a table. Her mother says she can go to her room. Roxxy chooses to stay. She plays with her scrunchie, head down, until, "We should bury him next to Fred. In the family plot." Her head snaps up. She looks to her father. He's still only breathing.

"Absolutely not." Her voice is surprisingly strong. She hasn't spoken in a few days. "He deserves his own burial at least." She can't stop. "And put Freddy on the tombstone." It's all so much harsher than she meant it to be. But she's right and doesn't know how to apologize for that. So she leaves.

At American Wizarding University, she focuses on archaic wizarding history and encantology, the study of ancient spells and the lineage of modern encantations. She learns a lot.

She learns how to make all-nighter potions. She learns some people don't know the name Weasley; she likes that. She learns how to dance, more importantly to wind. She learns how to break back into a magically sealed dorm at 3am because she forgot her key. She learns about slavery in the wizarding world. She learns that the guy who doesn't ask her why she doesn't drink isn't really always the best choice. She learns it's not as irrational as she thinks to hate all balconies on sight. She learns that she can say Freddy's name again. She learns that speech has always been powerful, that words themselves carry magic.

She's not sure what makes her decide on teaching. She smiles and tells Neville—he's Neville now—it just made sense to relieve Binns, and the students. She tells Nikhil it keeps her from being lonely when he's travelling with his team. She tells Alice it's about time a Weasley enforced rules instead of breaking them.

What she doesn't tell anyone, is that she gets to spend all day telling stories with theatrics and bellowing voices—about faces that launched 1,000 ships, and castles, and glory and war.

A/N: Hope you're enjoying so far! Please feel free to review. Would love some feedback!