DISCLAIMER: For people who didn't read the
bio, all of this stuff belongs to JK Rowling, Warner Bros., Scholastic
etc.! NONE OF IT'S MINE! There's one part where you should look into Fantastic
Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander to see what I'm talking about.
Oh and there's a line from the Hindenburg 1937, by Cameron Dokey, yes I stole
that.
A/N: I wrote this before Order of the
Phoenix came out, so bits and pieces of
it won't be right, but I think you lot can deal! Also, enjoy, since I'm finally
typing after writing out about 5 chapters in my notebook.
One more thing, this is going to be an AU by the end of the 7th
book, if it's not too different from the fifth book as it is. So I'll just say
AU for now, shall I?
OH AND A HUGE MERCI BEAUCOUP POUR MES CHERIES AUBREY, LORNA, AND MAUREEN!!
(Check out their stories- you might know them as Diamond Rainne, singer, and
Molicious). That's all for now- START READING!!! ^_^
Lives About To Change
A hooded figure covered in a long,
thick, expensive black cloak trudged on through the night. The rain was coming
down hard on this stranger as he kept walking down the lane into the small pub.
With a swish of his cloak, he entered the place and left the night in a sort of
strained silence.
Even though the tavern was a lot
warmer than outside, the figure didn't take off his cloak. The bartender looked
at him, wondering what this man was doing here. He held a single suitcase and
a... no, he must have imagined it, but he swore he saw a broomstick. Right now,
the object seemed to have disappeared. The bartender shook his head and forgot
the broomstick as the stranger sat down.
"How may I help you, sir?" the
bartender asked as he wiped the counter in front of the person.
"I would like a room, please," the
man answered.
"Well, there is a comfy spot, room
number 6, which would suit you well..."
"Why is that?" the stranger turned
to look at him, with a fierce glare in his direction. The bartender gulped.
"Sorry, sir, I just meant that since
you are alone, that it might be..."
"Never mind, how much will that be?"
"100 Euros for the night."
The stranger nodded and just threw
money down. The bartender starred. There must have been 400 Euros there! What
was this man thinking?!
"Er, sir, how long will you be
staying?"
"Just the night."
The bartender stared back down at
the money. He was an honest man, and although this honesty was battling quite
brutally with his greed, he returned the money and directed the man, "Up the
stairs, third door on the left."
"Thank you."
With that, the man walked past the
bar up to the room and collapsed on the bed, not even bothering to take his
cloak off. He wiped his face with his hand, momentarily flattening the few
lines of premature aging. Then he rolled over into a more comfortable position
and tried to get to sleep.
Just as he was starting to fall into
a deep sleep, a small clunk signaled a small silver chain dropping to the
floor...
~*~*~
Draco walked up the barren hill to
the neglected house. It was another one of Voldemort's meetings, held, as
always, at the Riddle House. He wondered what the hell the power-hungry bastard
had thought up this time. Reaching the moldy steps that creaked with age, he
lifted up the sleeve of his left forearm, despising the dark skull that he saw
there. This was the first time in a while that Voldemort had called them for a
meeting, since he was dwindling in power. He must have another huge plan to get
into control, yet again.
Draco sighed and snapped his left
middle finger and thumb together twice. The door creaked open and admitted him.
His cloak swished lightly as he walked briskly down the hall, turning into the
dining room. The place was now devoid of chairs and table, and he was one of
the last people to arrive.
Their circle had diminished to half
its original size. Draco's own fath- no, Lucius, he ordered himself to say- had
been taken to court about three months ago, and was awaiting his trial for the
raping of five women, and the killing of twelve men, wizard and Muggle alike.
Draco was happy to be rid of him, and as he crawled up to Voldemort, kissing
the hem of his robes, he wondered why his father had given up his money and
life to become the slave of this man.
He stood at his place in the circle,
zoning out and thinking about that awful day, years ago, when he had come home
from his Apparition test. Voldemort was droning on about how their numbers were
dwindling, and about all his failed conquests, from the Sorcerer's Stone to the
Lost Prophecy. He now had another one of those master plans that always managed
to fail miserably. Draco had heard it all before, and his thought went back to
that day.
It
had been his 7th year, and, graduated from Hogwarts, he would stay
home for a while. Once off the train, his parents had met him and they had used
the Floo Network to get home. Draco noticed, as he was heading for the huge
fireplace on the platform used for that purpose, that his parents had been
speaking only to him, not to each other, and in strained voices. Draco hadn't known
what was wrong, but he figured that his parents had gotten into a fight again,
probably over Voldemort.
His mother didn't mind Lucius being
Voldemort's minion, but she felt that a Malfoy shouldn't be lowering him or
herself to torturing Muggles. Draco had known his mother too well, and knew she
hated Lucius' life as a killer. They had had many rows before, and Draco
thought that this one was no different. He should have paid more attention to
the tension, for it was a lot more apparent and different from the other kind
of tension.
They had arrived at the manor
minutes later. Draco had unclasped his cloak and left his luggage at the door,
for he knew that the house-elves would take care of it- that was what they were
for, anyway. Then he took a nice, long shower before going off to take his
Apparition test. He'd arrived by Floo Network, and since his father had already
taught him how to Apparate illegally, he passed easily.
Showing off his skills, he arrived
back at Malfoy Manor, strolling in and about to Apparate into the dining room
when he heard a woman scream. He quietly tiptoed until he was right outside of
the dining room. Sneaking a peek, he looked in to see Narcissa Malfoy cowering,
her back to him and holding her hands up in protection. Meanwhile, Lucius was
standing over her, glaring menacingly. He was silent for a moment.
"Ava-"
"STUPEFY!" Draco had shouted, fury
rising in him. Before Lucius could look around Narcissa and recognize him, he
slumped to the ground, unconscious. Draco rushed over to his mother. She stared
at the heap of clothes that was Lucius' body. Then she lifted her eyes to meet
his shakily. He hugged her quickly, and hurriedly thought over the situation,
making up his mind.
"Mum, I want you to make him
conscious again, but I need you to scare him, to make him leave. You can't live
with this any longer; I won't let you. He needs help, and he's demented, you
can't let him do this to you! Listen, pretend that it was you who did that-
that your powers are strong enough not to need the aid of a wand. It's
uncommon, but I know it happens. I'll be outside the door, announcing my
arrival. He won't hurt you again, I promise."
Narcissa stared into his eyes,
composing herself and nodding her head purposefully. There was a new
determination in her eyes, and Draco was almost convinced that she could
actually do the kind of magic not many were capable of performing.
Standing, he helped Narcissa up.
Then he walked out the front door, waiting patiently. He saw, through a bay
window partially hidden by curtains, Narcissa Malfoy standing above Lucius. She
took her wand out and muttered something, which Draco knew was the countercurse
to the spell. He saw her quickly shove the wand away, and as Lucius began to
stir, he watched as his mother calmly started talking to Lucius. When he saw
Lucius give her a death glare, and start to get up and walk, Draco opened the
door to the Manor, announcing his arrival.
Before he could utter another word,
Lucius walked up the stairs. He was back within minutes, with a suitcase that
bulged with clothes peeking out at the edges. He strolled by Draco without a
word and closed the door. Narcissa collapsed onto the ground and Draco briskly
walked over to her. She looked in shock. Draco looked at her, and quietly
muttered, "Tell me what happened."
Narcissa took a deep breath, and
then began her story. "Lucius came home the other night drunk, and I asked him
what was wrong, and he said, 'Nothing, I'm just celebrating.' I asked whatever
for, and he sneered and said, 'the Dark Lord has another plan. This one I am
sure won't fail.' I knew that it was another plan that would include torturing
Muggles. I told him that he shouldn't go, that there was no use- this plan
would fail like all the others. Then his eyes got a sort of odd glint, and he
said, 'The Muggles aren't my only target.' Back then, I had no idea what he
meant. I figured it was the alcohol talking. I left him to himself, to get up
the stairs. It continued for a few days, us having row after row. Tonight I
told him to stop torturing the Muggles, and that it was lowly and he was acting
like a sick puppy, always following Voldemort's orders. He turned on me then,
yelling stuff like how I was an ungrateful little wench, how I deserved to be
wiped off the face of the Earth. That's when you came in, I think, right after
he put the Cruciatus Curse on me, right after I
screamed. He turned his wand on me, starting to utter the words of the Killing
Curse. Thank you, Draco," she added emotionally, "for saving my life. I would
have been dead if not for you."
Draco had seen to it that Lucius was caught in the act of torturing
Muggles, and the Ministry had watched Draco for about two months before finally
letting up on security and giving him freedom.
His mind back on the meeting, he
heard Voldemort come out of his ranting about how Muggles were overrunning the
wizarding world, and anger at all the plans that failed. 'He must be quite
upset. He's such a whiner,' Draco thought, 'all he does is complain about this
person or that, or how he hates someone- seriously, does he let go of anything?
Get a life and stop bothering people who actually have a purpose on this
earth!'
Voldemort finally finished his
nonstop complaining, and started to talk about a new plan. Draco started to
tune out again, until he heard his name.
"…Draco, here, will get our little
friend Miss Weasley, who I had lured into the Chamber of Secrets 11 years ago.
She was specifically chosen for her talents, and they are beginning to grow and
appear. It seems that she has grown into becoming a Seer, which is normally
only a gift people are born with. She will be quite… useful. And when we're done with her, you may have your fun, Draco, until we kill
her." His eyes held a malicious glint, and he grinned a wicked grin. "Avery,
Nott, MacNair- you three get information from the
Ministry on the status of Azkaban. We'll need to get some members free from the
Ministry. The rest of you, wait until I call you again." There was a tone of
finality in his voice, and the circle dispersed. Draco Disapparated once
outside the house, and went to see Dumbledore.
Back in the house, Voldemort moved
upstairs and into the room where he'd sought refuge at the beginning of his
revival. "Phoenix and Dragon," he muttered, "right when I thought I'd had
enough of prophecies. This should be an interesting match." He laughed cruelly,
and stared into the fire, deep in thought.
~*~*~
Draco Apparated with a crack in front of the Three Broomsticks. Being a bit disturbed, he got lost in his
thoughts as he quickly walked up the pathway to the castle, being as stealthy
as possible, hiding under his black velvet cloak. Reaching the wooden front
doors, he quickly pushed them open, heading through the maze of passageways and
staircases up to the stone corridor. Once there, he whispered a quick "Ice
Mice" before stepping onto the spiraled moving staircase leading up to the oak
front door.
He impatiently knocked on the door
twice and stepped back. A soft "Come in" announced his entry. An old, wizened
man sat behind a cherry polished desk. A powerful aura still surrounded him, as
potent, if not more so, than before. But the man looked stretched, far past the
greatest years he should have lived. Draco often wondered how he could have
lived this long, but then again, this was Albus Dumbledore he was talking
about, and this man managed to be ordinary, yet totally different, all at once.
"So tell me Draco, what have you
heard?"
Draco closed the door and strode to
the chair facing Dumbledore. Settling himself into it while choosing his words
carefully, he spoke up.
"The Dark Lord has learned of a Seer
in our midst, a young lady whom he had 'met' in the Chamber of Secrets. I
believe you know who I am referring to?" Draco raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Yes, yes, Miss Virginia Weasley. Do
continue."
"He has a plan including Miss
Weasley, a plan in which the kidnapping of her is vital. We do not know the
plan yet, but by the look in his eyes... with all due respect, sir, he really
and truly believes that this will bring him ultimate power over everyone,
including you. He thinks that he will rule for all eternity. And it is my duty
to bring her to him."
Dumbledore sighed. He stroked his
fine, white beard and sat quietly thinking for a few minutes. Draco anxiously
awaited his answer to the news. Dumbledore got up and walked to a corner where
a worn closet stood. He pulled out an ancient stone basin with odd symbols
engraved in the sides. He spotted some Latin words, and noticed that they
formed a poem, 'Swirl, swirl, light and water. Which is it? It does not
matter. The thoughts are contained deep within, waiting to be rediscovered.'
He wondered what this basin was. But before he could ask any questions,
Dumbledore took out his wand and touched the tip of it to his forehead. A trail
of white... what was it? Smoke? Light? Water turned to wind? Well, a trail of
white stuff pursued the tip of the wand as Dumbledore moved the wand down to
the basin. Then Dumbledore looked up again, his tired face wrinkled in thought.
"This, Draco, is a Pensieve. This is
where I keep my thoughts so that I can look through them carefully and see the
links between events. I seem to recall one thought..." he trailed off,
muttering to himself while stirring the contents of the basin.
Draco's mind had wandered over to
the Headmasters snoozing in their frames while Dumbledore stirred when he
suddenly noticed a small figure standing in the middle of the basin. He tore
his eyes away from a particularly small Headmaster with deep aqua eyes and
leaned forward to inspect it. It seemed to be a young woman, her feet shuffling
and her hands wringing together. She also had the telltale red hair of a
Weasley.
"Sir, I keep getting this
nightmare... and this time something new happened. It's always a woman, maybe
in her mid-twenties. She is standing on a cliff facing the ocean, tears
streaming down her cheeks. It's sunset, and there's a light breeze because her
hair is blowing slightly. She steps off the cliff and falls but she can't stop
it because her hands are tied. But right before she steps off, she glances back
and her eyes are glazed over from the unshed tears. What I saw this time was
that her hair is red. Before, it used to be in black and white, and I couldn't
tell whether it was sunrise or sunset, but this time I'm sure that it's a
flaming shade of red. The worst part is, I'm almost certain that it's the same
shade of red as my hair. I think it's me! Please help me, sir, I don't know
what to do!"
Her voice, seemingly bouncing within
the basin, sounding like an echo, faded away. Draco sat up, amazed at the
hidden abilities of the Pensieve. Dumbledore quietly folded his hands and
stared right into Draco's eyes.
"If what you are saying is the
truth, then I fear that this... nightmare may be related to it. You will
contact Miss Weasley right away, and then you will do anything in your power to
protect her and hide her. If Voldemort asks, you are still searching for her.
You will stay with her, no complaints," Dumbledore warned as Draco opened his
mouth to protest, "no, I need you to watch over her. She needs someone who
knows Voldemort and how he operates."
"Why can't Potter watch her? He'd be
better off, and she'd like him better. Even if I'm a spy, I was still a
Slytherin, and you know how the Weasleys... er... dislike Malfoys, and
we've had a few bad run-ins..."
"Harry, for now at least, is busy
with a coming wedding. You, on the other hand, must get acquainted again with
Miss Weasley."
Draco sputtered, "But she hates me!
You know she wouldn't take this well!"
Dumbledore sighed, "You don't know
that for sure, Draco, and there isn't any other option. Please just do this,
just for the Order?"
Draco, unable to think of any other
excuse that Dumbledore would buy, silently muttered to himself as he stood and
nodded respectfully to Dumbledore. 'The Weasel's sister? Who knows what kind
of temper she has, with him as a brother. Oh well, nothing else I can do... at
least this will be interesting...'
Dumbledore chuckled softly as Draco
left the room, about to go back to Hogsmeade to get to his flat for the night.
Tomorrow he would Apparate to Diagon Alley, where Dumbledore had told him she
worked. He would get a room, and then find out from Madame Malkin where she
lived.
'About time,' Dumbledore
muttered, 'those two would never admit it back when they were in Hogwarts...'
He got up and left to research more on Dark curses, where he had left off when
Draco had come in.
~*~*~
"Arghh!!"
Ginny yelled at the racks, having fallen again. "Can you just please, for one DAY, be nice to me?
You've fallen at least half a dozen times today!"
The upset redhead waved her wand
once more, and the robes lifted themselves up and hung themselves on the racks.
She sighed and waved her wand once more, fixing that shelf.
Madame Malkin looked over and
chuckled. Ginny must have been in a hurry, she usually fixed things better, and
with more care than she was showing the poor robes right now. Madame Malkin
chuckled quietly and looked back outside. There seemed to be no more customers
coming in, and, checking her list, she noticed that all preordered customers
had left. Just as she was checking the list again, making sure she'd forgotten
no one, Ginny bounded up to her, still a bit mad at the racks that weren't
cooperating, and addressed Madame Malkin a bit too loudly for the distance
between them.
"Madame, Madame!"
"Yes, Ginny?"
"Madame Malkin, can I leave early?
Today's Charlie's birthday, and I've already finished all my fittings, the
store is organized, and all the customers have been taken care of. Please?"
Madame Malkin carefully scrutinized
the entire shop, including the fitting rooms out back in a semi-separate room.
Sure enough, it was all taken care of, and Ginny had worked that day, even more
than usual.
Satisfied, Madame Malkin turned back
to Ginny and patted her on the shoulder, "Sure, the gods know you work so hard
already! No more preordered customers are coming in for the day, and I think
I'll be fine with the rest. Take the day off, and say hi to Charlie for me,
there's a dear. Tell him I'll have a robe made in blue, I know it's his
favorite color."
"Thanks, Madame, and I'm sure he'll
love it."
'The
dear must really be in a rush, she's so temperamental all the time! I pity the
customers that are subject to her wrath when she's in a foul mood. At least
she's a hard-working girl,' sighed Madame Malkin, 'Someday she'll find the one person who can handle her fiery nature. She
never gives up.'
Ginny happily walked out into the
late September afternoon, the sunset throwing shadows along the walls of Diagon
Alley. Ginny walked into Quality Quidditch Supplies to retrieve the new
Slip-Striker 500. She had been saving to get the broom for Charlie, to get the
one thing he'd need to become a better flyer. This model wasn't even up for
sale yet. "Thank you, Cameron."
"Anytime, Virginia."
She stepped outside and quickly
Apparated herself to her flat.
~*~*~
She immediately arrived at her flat.
She carefully set down the broom on the couch before searching haphazardly for
wrapping paper to wrap the gift. Irritated at not finding any, she muttered a
quick spell before going to her room to debate her choice of clothing for the
party.
Ginny started picking out various
clothes. "Blue silk shirt with khakis? Nah, too revealing; Ron would have a
fit. White blouse with pinstripe pants? No, too formal. How about my old purple
silk dress... oh, what's this?"
Ginny spotted a very old, wrinkled
piece of parchment. She opened it and bitterly smiled. It was an old invitation
out to eat two years ago. She remembered it like it was yesterday...
She
was sitting in her flat, sipping hot chocolate on the cushy purple couch in
front of the fire. She burrowed deeper in the couch when she suddenly heard a
faint tapping noise outside her window. She looked up and saw a beautiful,
snowy white owl quietly standing. She got up to let the owl in. It held a note
tied in a red silk ribbon. The ribbon held a single white rose. She inhaled
deeply and set the rode inside a small glass vase. Carefully she untied the
ribbon and gasped in surprise as she read the note. She re-read it again just
to make sure she hadn't misread it. She hadn't.
Dear
Gin,
I need your help. I know I
haven't always been the friend you needed, but I hope you can find it in your
heart to forgive me. I really need you now. Please meet me at the Three
Broomsticks at 8:00 tonight. There is so much I need to talk to you about.
~Harry
She had looked at it sadly then. If he had
sent it 7, maybe 8 years ago, she would have gone gladly, and her childhood
dream might have come true. She might have brought the relationship further...
but she had grown out of her infatuation with Harry. She'd thought Hermione had
told Harry in Ginny's fourth year, but it seemed that Harry didn't know, or
thought that she still liked him. She thought it rude not to go; she'd need to
tell him in person.
At 8:00, she Apparated with
a loud 'crack' right outside the Three Broomsticks and stepped inside, the
frigid February air sending her teeth chattering. She looked around the pub
full of creatures of all sorts- hags, ogres, and many types of creatures she
hadn't even studied or recognized, with all her Hogwarts' teachings included.
In the far corner she saw Harry. He spotted her and smiled warmly, giving her a
quick wave over to the table. Harry was just as cute as before, but his smile
didn't make her heart beat as fast as a hummingbirds' wings, or make her face
flush the darkest shade of crimson anymore. She still loved him, but as a
brother, like she loved Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, and Ron. She
decided to hear what he had to say and let him down easy. She quickly made her
way to the table and flashed him a warm smile in return as she settled herself
in. Harry called for the slightly ruffled Madame Rosmerta, only aging a bit
since Ginny's Hogsmeade visits back at Hogwarts.
"So, what can I get you darlings?"
"I'd like a butterbeer,
Madame Rosmerta," smiled Harry, albeit a bit shyly.
"A cherry
syrup and soda with ice and an umbrella for me, Madame," Ginny smiled warmly as
well.
"Coming right up,
darlings!" Madame Rosmerta looked a bit rushed, but happily walked away.
Ginny turned back to Harry, asking
curiously, "So, Harry, what was the note about?"
"I'm getting married, to a Muggle
woman who works at my office..."
All Ginny could feel was relief. She
wasn't jealous of the girl, and she didn't want him back, and it wasn't even
that she wanted him to like her or announce his love for her. She simply felt
reassured that he didn't like her that way, and that she didn't have to avoid
an embarrassing situation. She felt a bit of disbelief that he hadn't really
noticed that she'd admired him. He was quite oblivious, but she still loved him
as a brother, and always would.
She was only half-listening to Harry
as she felt the waves of comfort wash over her. His wife's name, was it Audrey?
No, her name was Aubrey. She was his secretary ('I wonder how much work they
actually did, or still do,' smirked Ginny). She zoned
back into the conversation as Harry asked her a question.
"What was that again, Harry?"
Harry had gently said, "Aubrey needs
a dress, and I suggested she come to you, and I was wondering if you would make
it..."
Ginny smiled widely, "Of course I'll
make it, I'd love to! When's the wedding?"
"She wants to wait a little while,
maybe two years so we can look for a place to live, and organize the house, and
make sure we absolutely want this. Mostly to get some time to learn about each
other, and to think it through. Of course, you'll be invited to the wedding.
She just wants to get some time alone, and she wants everything to be perfect."
"All right... but
does she know about our world?"
"Our world?"
"Yeah, our world, you know, the wizarding world? Does she know? Will she be afraid
of us? Or will she be overly joyful at having an excuse not to wash dishes
properly?"
Harry laughed, "Actually, she
thought it was cool that I'm a wizard. You'll see when you meet her, she's very
strange, but that's what I..."
"Wait, did you say meet her? Before the wedding? For what?"
"For fittings. You'll love
her..."
Ginny shook herself awake.
She adored Aubrey, that was for sure, and they still needed to make some last
minute fittings before the wedding four months away. That was why she decided
to love Harry as a brother- he was completely oblivious and had never known her
feelings for him, even though she'd only adored him in her first 3 years of
Hogwarts. She had moved on way back then, starting to date Michael Corner and
Dean Thomas and a few other people in the school.
She kept flipping through clothes,
and finally Ginny spotted a beautiful slim dress, gold and silver, silky with
the colors fading and blending into each other perfectly. 'Wonderful,' she thought, 'just
classic enough, but still very casual.'
She slipped on the dress, strapped
on silver sandals, picked up the present and Apparated away to the Burrow for
Charlie's birthday party.
~*~*~
Ginny appeared in front of the
Burrow and quickly stepped up to knock on the door. Before she could knock a
second time, though, the door flew open to reveal Molly Weasley, still the
short, plump woman she was when Ginny was in school, now with a few strands of
white-gray hair. Her enormous hug engulfed Ginny so, other than the fact that
she was nearly suffocating, she was happy to be back home. After Molly had
finally let go of her daughter, Ginny stepped into the home she had known for
the first eighteen years of her life. Looking around, she felt a slight bout of
homesickness wash over her. She missed this place, and all its noise and
inhabitants that had filled her youth.
A bang that shook the whole house
completed her welcome, and her feeling of being home. "Home, sweet home," she
whispered, and laughed out loud for several seconds. This was the home she
remembered, the spicy smells wafting from the kitchen, her twin brothers'
experiments up in their room, making ridiculous joke toys. They now owned a
shop near Madam Malkin's on Diagon Alley. Their shop, Weasley's Wizard's
Wheezes, had a booming business- the best-selling next to Quality Quidditch
Supplies.
Ginny walked into the living room,
heading for the kitchen when she noticed someone sitting on the couch, smiling
up at her. It was Harry. She didn't even feel disbelief at her complete lack of
feeling.
"Hey Gin, how are you?"
"Fine, thanks, and you? Oh, and
how's the wedding planning going?"
"Oh, I'm doing all right. Our
wedding has been going smoothly, but the wedding planner Aubrey picked is an
awful perfectionist. Her name is Reen, short I think for Maureen. She is
pickier than anyone I've ever known."
"Yes, I think I've heard Aubrey say
something about her... she found this woman and knew her from a Muggle
school... she isn't a witch, is she?"
"No, Muggle-born with no trace. She
doesn't know I'm a wizard, and I don't think we're going to tell her either.
I'll just let her handle the affairs of the wedding."
"What, am I not good enough for you
now? My skills don't match up to this stranger?" Ginny asked, in a mock-hurt
and disappointed way.
Harry laughed, "No, no one can beat
your superior knowledge in these matters. We just... uh... er... needed someone
less... er... set in their ways."
Ginny laughed too. She was known all
around for her opinions and temper. She looked around and asked, "Where's
Aubrey?"
"She's out with Reen looking at
flowers. She didn't want to intrude on a wizarding birthday party, even though
I could tell she was bursting to come... she sent her regards to Charlie."
"Well, that's good. I wish Charlie
and everyone could meet her though, she has the fun, most wild and entertaining
spirit alive."
Harry chuckled, "Her spirit was what
made me first fall in love with her."
Ginny laughed louder. Aubrey was
quite unique, and had many oddities about her, but she was so confident and
passionate about what she loved. Ginny could see how this attracted Harry- any
man would have fun with Aubrey.
"Lunch everyone!" exclaimed Molly
Weasley- she had gone back to cooking a huge lunch. Ginny and Harry got up and
made their way into the kitchen and out into the backyard. There was no room in
the tiny kitchen for all the Weasleys and their families to stay. Even the
backyard was just barely big enough to hold them all.
All the children were running
around, chasing the ever present garden gnomes and playing tag on toy brooms as
well as hide-and-seek, shooting up sparks randomly from the place where they
found each other, so excited that their magic was going astray. They were quite
a sight, running and flying after one another, causing chaos in their wake.
Fred and George were wrestling
chairs. George's chair had a handle knocked off and Fred's had one leg that was
splintered. Bill and Arthur were having a good argument on the goblins' control
of Gringotts. Ron and Harry were talking about Quidditch of course, and the
wives of all the family were rolling their eyes, listening as the two men
argued over the Chudley Cannons' chances at winning the Quidditch Cup.
Ginny walked over to the tables and
made her way to Charlie. Ginny looked anxiously around, happy to return to the
hustle and bustle of the Weasley house and back to the place she longed for
during those lonely nights in her flat. She smiled and hugged the birthday boy
as she got to his place on the table. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek,
saying, "Happy Birthday!" cheerily before dropping the broom into his lap.
Charlie looked up and smiled
quizzically. He knew that the package contained a broom, but he always kept up
with the latest models out. Of course, he currently owned the best broom, the
Slick Dart 60, and he couldn't figure out what kind or model she had gotten
him. Unfortunately, he'd have to wait until after lunch to see it.
Finally, everyone started getting
settled. Fred and George had fixed their chairs and each sat down in their
seats. All the children were herded to another, smaller table while the
grown-ups filled the extended table right in the middle of the yard. Ginny sat
closest to the children, and decided to keep a watch on them- they could get
into trouble faster than you could say, "cake!"
Laughter and talking filled the air,
all the noise overwhelming the sound of clattering forks and knives. Ginny
enjoyed having a long-awaited talk with her father, and she was happily
chatting about businesses on Diagon Alley. Harry was having a lovely chat with
Charlie about Quidditch prospects for the World Cup, at a safe hearing distance
from Ron. Ron, in the meantime, was having a light-hearted conversation with
the twins, most likely about their latest invention. Molly and her
daughters-in-law, Fleur, Kali, Katie, Alicia, Penelope and Hermione were
gasping and giggling a lot.
Everyone was having a good time, but
no one more than the children. Seated at their separate table, they talked
noisily and wandered every few seconds. It seemed that they couldn't stand
still. The salad and mashed potatoes with gravy were passed around, and as
Ginny took her fill, she laughed as she saw Vanessa hit Bianca with a pea, only
to be showered back with some gravy. Ginny took out her wand, gave it a quick
flick, and the girls were clean again. She couldn't stop thinking about how
good it felt to be home again.
~*~*~
Draco arrived right in front of the
Leaky Cauldron and walked in to greet the same old Tom that had been there when
he was a schoolboy. He asked for a room, and Tom quickly led him and his two
cases up the stairs to room number three. He gestured Draco in, clapped twice, and
a fire sprang up in the well-worn fireplace. Then Tom quickly exited the room,
letting Draco get himself organized.
He looked around, and then took off
his cloak and washed his face quickly, noting the
pale complexion that many would die for. He smirked to himself- he knew
he was easy on the eyes. Then Draco
hurriedly gathered his cloak again- Madame Malkin's shop would close soon, and
he needed to make it there to see her and find out where Ginny lived.
~*~*~
Lunch was almost over- now there
would be cake and presents. Since it was quickly approaching fall, the sun was
already in the middle of the western sky. Shadows were gathering around the
trees and fields of the Weasley's backyard.
A huge three-layered chocolate
covered ice cream cake came dancing by, led by Molly Weasley, flicking her wand
this way and that and doing a small jig that almost imitated the cake's dance
across the tabletop. The candles winked and smiled at every person as the cake
made its way up to the other end of the table where Charlie sat. When it
reached him it stopped moving forward and started spinning while singing, in a
merry tune, its version of Happy Birthday.
"Happy Happy Happy Happy
Birthday! You're thirty-two today! Not too young, and not too old, just
old enough, truth be told! Happy Happy Happy Happy Birthday!"
As it sang the last word, the cake
stopped dancing and sat down, turning inanimate again to a roar of laughter.
Charlie smiled and took up the knife, cutting through all the layers. He cut
out the first piece and placed it gently in front of himself. The second piece
he cut he handed down the table until it reached Ginny. She smiled and waited
as he cut all the pieces and handed them all down. Then Charlie took a bite.
All hell broke loose. Every one of
the guys, except Charlie, dived for their piece. Ginny and Charlie were sitting
there laughing with the rest of the women at the boys and men, who were eating
the cake as fast as they could shove it down their throats. Once the laughter
subsided, the women and Charlie started at a slower pace.
Bill returned from scolding the boys
at eating so fast, and his mouth opened wide and he started laughing raucously.
He was staring at the men eating so messy that their places were so much more
rumpled and disorganized than all the children put together, and he just burst
out laughing. This made Ginny and Fleur explode with laughter all over again.
Finally, when everyone was done
eating, Charlie opened presents. The first present was from Harry, an ordinary
but very expensive Broomstick Servicing Kit, filled with the best
cleaner/polisher, containing exactly five drop of dragon's blood. Charlie gave
it a wistful sigh, and then put it off to start a pile of gifts, knowing that he'd
only be able to use it after the party was over.
Fred and George gave a joint gift-
an innocent looking stuffed bear for James, Charlie's oldest son, to play with,
and a basket full of their candies for Charlie. Charlie looked at it
suspiciously and put it off to the side with Harry's gift.
Then came Bill's present, a guide to
all sorts of exotic Dragon eggs, and the magical properties of all its parts,
just what Charlie had wanted. He thanked Bill immensely and gave him a
one-armed hug before moving on to the rest of the presents.
Ron gave him beautiful Erumpent
gloves, which reached his forearm, that were sewn together with Demiguise hairs, making the gloves very light and give the
feeling of the glove not being there. Charlie looked at it, amazed, and gave
Ron a quizzical look. Ron shrugged and mumbled something a bit like, "Being an Auror pays well."
Charlie chuckled and turned to open
his parents' gift, which was the same each year- a burgundy colored sweater
with a large C on it followed by tons of his mother's homemade goodies, as well
as a statue of a Re'em to lighten his spirits when he
got injured. He gave them both warm smiles and huge hugs.
He then turned to the last gift,
Ginny's gift, and quickly ripped the wrappings apart, suspense nearly killing
him. It showed the Slip-Striker 500, beautifully laid in pale green tissue
paper with a seafoam green slim box whose cover had been ripped open. She knew
what everyone's reaction would be once they saw this, and sure enough, everyone
gasped.
The population didn't even know
this had been made- she was close friends with Cameron Boot, Terry Boot's
brother. She had met Cameron at Hogwarts and had remained good friends with him
ever since. She always got the latest news and models. No one even knew what
this one looked like, and weren't even supposed to know until December.
Charlie looked at it in shocked
silence, and with trembling fingers let it sit in the air. But as soon as he
got up to mount his broom, it swept through his legs and waited for him to
adjust himself before seemingly disappearing. Then, huge roars and cheers broke
free of the men's controls, and they whooped as the broom switched suddenly
from one place to another. Ginny smiled, knowing that this was the perfect gift
to get him.
After Charlie descended, he thanked
Ginny profusely and picked her up, swinging her around while everyone clapped
and laughed, and then the crowd moved inside, for the sun had set and darkness
was settling in. They fit comfortably into the living room, most of the
children asleep on their parents' laps. Carolyn was sleeping peacefully on
Kali, James on Charlie as the couple snuggled against each other. Bill and
Fleur's one child, Bianca, snored softly on her mother's lap. Fred and Katie's
little Vanessa was curled up on her father, leaning against his shoulder.
George and Alicia had just one son, Darian. Hermione was pregnant with Ron's
second child, their first son, Shane, was cradled in his father's arms. Arthur
and Molly Weasley stood together, Arthur's arm around Molly as they surveyed
their children and families with proud gazes. Ginny and Harry remained the only
ones unmarried and with no children, though the marriage state would change for
Harry on January 1st.
Ginny was tired. After one steaming
cup of raspberry tea, she kissed all her brothers good-bye, and gave Harry a
quick hug before thanking her parents and giving them both kisses and hugs.
"You sure, Ginny? You're welcome to
stay in your old room," a tired but happy Arthur looked down at her
concernedly.
"My baby's leaving again? Oh, but
you just got here. At least stay the night Ginny!" Her mom exclaimed, throwing
her arms around Ginny.
Ginny gave a huge yawn, "Thanks Dad,
Mom. But I want to get back and finish one of my designs. I promise to visit
soon, and you'll see me in four months anyway." Ginny gently squeezed her
mother in return and stepped back. She really wanted to stay, since she hadn't
been back in the longest time, but she was afraid that if she did, she would
want to stay forever.
She stepped back outside after
saying good-bye to everyone and hugging and kissing them silently so as not to
wake the children. She turned around and took in the Burrow, looking exactly
the same as when she'd left it four years ago. Her family was safe for now- the
Dark Lord went back to torturing Muggles since his decline. Nevertheless, they
had prepared the house in case he did come after them. Just for today, they had
taken most of the wards down, leaving only undetectable protection ones. She
knew that with a house full of wizards, the wards would be almost unnecessary.
She and Apparated back to her flat with a sigh.
MORE
A/N: So, the
first chapter of my lovely, long story is here! This is just a sort of setting
for the real action- I hope you'll review! Flames, if they must be, can be
sent, but I'd love a bit of encouragement on whether or not to finish this
since it's my first semi-decent story! AND if Draco seems OOC, or I don't seem
to explain much, that's because it's coming up, maybe in the next chapter or
the one after it. Well, that's all for now!!
~Trin M.
