Name: Cuccino 2002
Team: Wigtown Wanderers
Position: Seeker
Prompt: Fairy Tale/Little Mermaid.
Title: The Littlest Weasley
Summary: For the Quiddich Fan Fic Competition. Ron Weasley is tired of being the youngest brother; he wants to see a world out side of the wizarding world, out from under his brothers' thumbs. He strikes a deal with the dark witch Bellatrix, and gets more than he bargained for. Based on the premise of "The Little Mermaid."
A/N: Ariel = Ron; Flounder = Harry; Sebastian = Hermione.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor Disney. For the QFFC only.
THE LITTLEST WEASLEY (Inspired by the incredibly true tale of "The Little Mermaid")
Ron had been sneazing so hard he nearly peed his pants. Stupid Fred and Geroge, his older brothers! Did they really think it was funny to put Zonko's Endless Sneezing Powder into his Kleenex box?
Of course they did. Because they were downright gits!
The worst part is everyone in the Gryffindor common room laughed! Eeveryone thought his older brothers were so damn hilarious. As the brunt of most of their jokes, Ron could say with certainty they were not all that funny.
The only person…well, people, really, that weren't laughing at him were his best friend Harry, who was flitting around him like a flounder at the moment; and of course, the uber-annoying Hermione Granger, the Gryffindor prefect assigned by the school to keep an eye on him. Harry held his tounge when Ron became the unwitting butt of yet another Fred and George prank, because, well... Harry was his friend and he wanted to; on the other end of the spectrum was Hermione. Hermione held her tongue because it was what she was supposed to do.
He also suspects she had absolutely no sense of humor whatsoever.
Ron had decided he was going to make himself feel better, and once in the privacy of his own bed, he used his hand held looking glass, the Mirror of ErsItsdonesaid, and his eyes roved, fascinated, as he gazed upon the muggle world eagerly. He willed the mirror to focus on his most favorite view; the subjects of many a secret viewing night, his favorite family, and royal, no less!
The Royal Delacours.
Here in his room, there were no flying jinxes to goose you when you least expected them, no laughing classmates, no annoying siblings in general! He settled in, as he prepared to get lost in watching his most favorite thing for the evening, the beautiful Princess Gabrielle.
Ron got comfortable on his bed.
He sighed, dreaming of just simply being "Ron Weasley," and going out on a date with that beautiful Princess Gabrielle.
Not that it would ever happen; the wizarding world frowned on wizards mingling about "up above" with the members of the muggle world. It was too dangerous, they reasoned, for magical folk to venture out among the muggles if there was no express need. The singular exception, of course, was if you were IN a family that had a witch or wizard possessing documented magical ability within the immediate family.
Of course, that was not the case, in his case. Nonetheless, it didn't stop a certain red-headed boy from dreaming.
He was growing bolder.
He knew the ins and outs of the Delacour Palace by heart. After another Fred and Georgism that caused him to grow boobs...actually grow boobs! He decided to reward himself once he was finished with Madame Pomfrey and released from the infirmary, chest intact. Instead of heading back towards the Gryffindor hall, he walked to the end of Hogwarts grounds, and apparated.
To France.
To the Delacour Palace.
He actually apparated to the grounds outside where Princess Gaby lived. He watched, and waited. He watched as she played catch with these strange looking sticks that looked like, well, sticks with a basket; and no brooms! He gasped, as Gaby missed a toss from her older sister, who pitched it rather hard in her direction, causing her to duck while it flew over Gaby's head, squealing.
"Sister! Are you trying to kill me?"
"Of course! Zat's exactly what I was doing, Gaby!" Her big sister, Fleur, rolled her eyes and huffed. "Now stop making excuses, and go get ze ball!"
Gaby started digging through the brush, huffing about what a pain big royal sisters were, and what a blight on society they are becoming. Ron realized, with horror, she was going to be stumbling upon him at any second! He wasn't supposed to use magic off school grounds, but in two seconds, she was going to realize he was there! On the grounds! Past the security guards! Impossibly past the security guards!
As he felt a hand grab his ankle, he realized he was too late.
"Um...bonjour?" He said nervously.
Gaby drained her head around and spoke rapid fire French at him.
"Uh, we exhausted the little French I know at "bonjour," unfortunately, Princess." Ron said, nervously.
She drained her head lower, around a bush, and said, "Oh! Hello! Um, what are you doing in this bush?"
"I was minding my own business, when this little yellow snitch looking thing hit me in the head!" He said, grinning, as he handed her back the lacrosse ball.
"What did you call it?" Giggled the beautiful blonde princess, taking the ball back from him. "That's my greaser!"
"Your what?"
"My greaser! My lacrosse ball, silly! You're kinda cute, Mr. Redhead! What's your name?"
Just then, a head peered through the bush. "Mr. Redhead has to be going, now, Mademoiselle...sorry." Said a familiar voice.
It was Hermione.
"I was sent by the Headmaster to come get you. Come on, Mr. Red Head. Say goodbye to your friend."
"Er, bye, Princess Gaby..."
She was in the process of returning the goodbye, when Hermione dragged them around the bush, and Poof! They were gone.
He was moping around.
"He's a sad bloke, that's for sure." Harry noted.
Hermione slapped him. "What's wrong with you, Ronald Weasley? Are you still mooning over that Muggle Princess, again?"
"What if I am?"
Hermione looked at him with disgust. "Ron, I'd never work out. They don't understand our world, we don't understand theirs."
"I want to be a part of her world!" He exclaimed, sadly.
Hermione and Harry exchanged a look. They both tried to reason with him; but it was no use. Hermione even tried to point out all of the things they had that the muggle world didn't; she reasoned, "Ron, the muggles... they slave away! Under their sun, they work all day...but here, it's lavish, here, we use magic!"
He stormed off, in a huff. "Leave me alone! You wouldn't understand! I want to be...a part of her world!" He left his two friends, stunned.
Ron knew there was someone who would help him.
Someone who could make it happen, for him. Granted, it would come at a price; that's how she did business, after all. He snuck out of Hogwarts, once again, using Harry's invisibility cloak, and trying a discombobulating charm on himself, to throw Hermione off for at least one nanosecond, so he could search out his target.
The dark witch, herself: Bellatrix Black.
The idea frightened him to death of coming face to face with the feared witch; but his desire to see the beautiful princess once again outweighed his fear. A few of her goons found him first, they drug back to her, in shackles.
"Oh, you poor, unfortunate soul! What brings a little innocent, such as yourself, here to see the Big, Black witch?" She said, cackling, and rubbing her hands together.
"I...I...seek a favor, your Blackness..."
She let out another whooping laugh. "Oh, I love it! You know, dearie, favors come at a price."
He nodded. "I'm in love with a girl! I wish to be with her."
Bellatrix nodded, bored. "Um, hum. So, what's the problem, that requires my assistance? I'm sure there's a fool that would fall for even you, youngest Weasley boy!"
"She's...er. She's...um..." He blushed, furiously. "She's.. a muggle."
"WHAT?" Screeched Bellatrix. "A muggle?" She said, indignantly.
"Yes." He shrunk lower. "But...she's a royal muggle. She's a princess!" He offered.
"A muggle princess?!" She shrieked, louder. "Oh, this is rich!" She paced around Ron, in circles, making her henchmen dizzy. "Priceless!" She looked at Ron, an evil grin on her face. "Well, my dear boy, the only way to get your muggle, and avoid the Ministry, your father, and Dumbledore from finding you... is to become a muggle, yourself!"
Ron looked excited. "Can you do that?"
She smiled, showing her decayed teeth. "My dear, sweet child. That's what I do! It's what I live for, of course; to help unfortunate wizards like yourself. Poor souls with no one else to turn to." She swooped in closer. "But it will come with a price, my dear boy."
He nodded, eagerly. "Of course! What is it?"
She pulled out an enchanted parchment, out of thin air. "Sign here. If you win the love of your princess, and receive true love's kiss, within three days...well then, its done. You will stay with her forever, as her loved one, in muggleville."
"And if I don't?"
"If you don't?" She grinned. "Well, dearie, your youth..." she looked over her shoulders, where the elderly moaning of prisoners in holding pens behind her could be heard, in distress. Clearly, individuals she had previously struck deals with, that had come up short. "Your youth belongs to me!"
Ron was nervous, but he figured, what the heck! You only live once! He wanted Princess Gaby, and in his present situation, there was no other way. He grabbed the scroll from Bellatrix, and signed. As soon as the ink dried, he collapsed, unconscious, light swirling around him.
"Take him to the grounds of Delacour Palace, and dump him there!" She commanded.
As they flew away, with the unconscious body of the red-headed Weasley in tow, she grinned to herself. "You really should read the fine print, little Weasel boy!" She chuckled. "You may have overlooked the on small little insignificant detail in the fine print: you have to win her love...as a female!"
She apparated away, her evil laugh echoing behind her.
Ron awoke from his enchanted and cursed sleep, groaning. "Ye gods! What's hit me?" He mumbled.
Immediately, he sat up, his voice decidedly different.
"Ye Gods...what hit me?" He said again, weakly. The voice was still different.
His voice.
His voice was a "her" voice.
"What's the bloody hell?" He hollered, running over to a nearby pond. He leaned over the bank, and nearly passed out at his reflection.
"Merlin's beard!" He squeaked. "I'm a bloody dame!"
"You're a dame, indeed, but I do not zink you are bleeding, anywhere, Mademoiselle!" A giggling Gabrielle said, emerging from the path. "Bonjour!"
He nearly fell backwards. "Princess Gabrielle!" He gasped.
She looked at him, still amused. "Oui?"
"I...wha...um...Wow! Just wow. You're even prettier, in real life!" He sighed.
She looked at him curiously. "Zank you, I zink. It is from the blood of my ancestors."
"What are they using, if you have their blood?"
She looked at him strangely, then laughed. "You are funny, Madimoselle!" She snorted. "Would you like to come see our castle?"
The young redheaded girl-appearing Ron pretended to think, for a moment. "Hmmm, let's see? Wander around, lost...or visit huge castle? Starve for the rest of the afternoon...or visit castle? Finally, get eaten by French werewolves, or visit large, protective castle?" He grinned. "I think...castle, I guess. But, it's close."
She laughed again, grabbing her new friends' hand. "Allons-ye! Let's go...pardonne, Madimoselle. What is your name?"
"Ron...I mean, Ronna Weasley. And you're Princess Gabrielle Delacour, right?"
"Sometimes." She made a face. "But really, I'd rather be just be...me."
"Okay 'me,' then!" Joked Ronna. "Let's go check this big castle of yours out, then, shall we?"
She laughed again, as they walked towards the castle, Gaby dragging her humorous new friend, so different from everyone else in the castle, towards her formidable home.
The next two days found the two young women inseparable.
Gaby felt, for the first time in probably forever, there was a person who really listened to her! A person who looked at her, for what was inside of her, and not what she looked like, or how much money and power the royal family possessed, or to secretly get closer to her sister, Fleur, the "heir apparent."
Ronna made her laugh, made her feel wanted, made her feel safe. Less self-conscious. Ronna made her feel looked at, not looked over, like she felt when she was around her sister.
She made Gaby feel loved.
The young princess gasped when she realized her admission, to herself. She was falling in love with the red-headed charmer! Her friend.
Her girl friend.
She paused, and asked herself, "do I feel that way towards Ronna?"
There was only one way to find out! She marched upstairs to the guest bed room that her friend had been lodged in, and opened the door.
"Gaby!" Squealed Ronna, in surprise, jumping six feet backwards from the fireplace.
The young princess looked at her strangely. "Excusez-moi...Ronna, were you just talking to ... ze fireplace?"
"Ummm...no?"
"Yes, you were."
"Was not!"
"Was too!"
The French girl argued with Ronna, and her eyes flickered to the fireplace her red-headed friend had been standing at, watching a strange blue flicker as it popped from the fire. Gaby could have sworn she saw a floating head of a boy with glasses and a girl with frizzy light brown hair, before the fire flickered, and returned to a normal flame.
Ronna looked irritated, but quickly sighed. "I guess...I guess I'm just a little homesick. France is very different from where I live."
"England?" She replied.
"Er...yes. England." Ronna said, strangely. "I miss my friends, and such."
Suddenly, a strange feeling took hold in Gaby's stomach. What if...what if Ronna was already taken? Gaby scowled, arguing internally with herself. Finally, she worked up the courage to ask.
"Your friends?"
"Yes, them. My school chums, and such." Ronna grinned weakly.
"Do you miss your...boyfriend?" She asked, quietly.
Ronna laughed out loud, crying so hard she had tears in her eyes. "Gross!" She remembered she was technically a girl, these days. "I mean...well, I mean, no. I don't miss a boyfriend."
Gaby felt oddly relieved. "Well, then...a girlfriend?"
Ronna leveled her a even look. "Nope. No girlfriend, either. Just...friends. I miss them."
Gaby looked at the ground, and spoke quietly. "Do you think you might want one?" She grabbed hold of her courage. "A girlfriend, that is?"
Ronna looked at her with a grin, and said, "only if that girlfriend is you, Gaby!"
Gaby looked at her delighted, and grabbed her friend, hugging her tightly. She then grabbed some more Gryffindor-like courage, and leaned in for her first kiss.
"Wait!" Ronna said, panicked. "Stop, Gaby!"
"What is it?" Gaby asked, a hurt look on her face.
Ronna looked deep in thought. What if Gaby really was into chicks? Would this be seen as betraying her, tricking her, when they finally kissed, and Gaby discovered he was a boy? Would she hate him, for the deception?
"Gaby," Ronna asked, a strange tone in her voice. "Have...have you always known, that you like girls, I mean?"
"Mais, non, Ronna!" She said, honestly. "Actually, you're the first girl I've liked."
"Oh!" Ronna said, looking strangely relieved to Gaby.
"But..." Gaby continued. "You're the first person I've liked, actually. I ... don't really know, actually, if I like boys or girls." She mused. "But, I know I like you, Ronna."
"So..." He said, afraid to say it out loud, almost. "So, you'd like me, do ya think, if I was a girl...or a boy?"
"Most definitely! But what a strange thing, Ronna, to ask!"
"No stranger than lacrosse!" Ronna laughed. "Now, if you don't mind? That kiss, I mean..."
As they leaned in to kiss, a strange thunder and a furious lightning struck, outside. It posed such a strong gale force, that it blew the shutters off Gaby's bedroom window! Screams could be heard in the village and across Delacour Palace, as the sounds intensified. Ronna and Gaby gripped each other, staring at the rain and broken glass of the window.
Then, a bolt of lightning headed straight towards them, quickly turning the darkest black in color. Gaby screamed, clutching Ronna tightly, who was blocking her from the force. A sadistic laugh could be heard, as the black lightning swirled around them.
"What is this evil?" Gaby whispered.
A sinking feeling hit Ronna. "Oh, no!" He said, glancing at his watch. Seven minutes! In all this time with Gaby, he had forgot to keep track of the days! Now, he only had seven minutes left to free himself from the contract!
"Gaby!" He yelled, his voice muffled out by the tempest. "kiss me!"
"What?" She yelled back. They were being forced apart by the high velocity winds, and desperately tried to hold on to each other. It was no use. The wind was too strong, and the shards of rain coming into the room was making everything slippery.
A booming voice rang out. "You didn't actually think I'd let you see this through, did you...Ronna?" Cackled the unmistakable voice of the Black witch. "Oh, you poor, unfortunate soul! Five little minutes, and your soul is MINE!" With that, evil laughter filled the room.
Gaby's face went ash white. "No! What is...this evil? Can we stop it?" She begged, looking at her friend, panicked.
Ronna shook her head, sadly. Pained, Ronna replied. "No, dear Gaby, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry! I can't stop it..."
Interrupting their sorrow was a familiar voice, swooping into their room on a broom. "Not alone, you sure as bloody hell can't!"Hollered the familiar voice.
"Harry!" Ronna yelled, stunned.
"Harry, Harry, Harry! Merlin's Beard, Ron! What am I, chopped liverwurst?" Rang out another voice, swooping in. Ronna's eyes couldn't believe it!
"Hermione?" Ronna said, shocked.
"In the flesh! Ready, Harry?" She said, looking at the other newcomer on a broom. He nodded, and they said in unison,
"STUPIFY!"
Two bolts of what appeared to Gaby to be blue lightning shot from their wands, and hit the black swirling smoking lightning that was around them, dead center. It did appear to stun the Black light, but only momentarily.
Moving again, the evil voice said, "Really? Did you think those little grade school spells would distract me, children? Really?"
Hermione grinned. "Stop you? No! Distract you? Absolutely!"
Harry and Hermione exchanged a grin. Harry looked back at the black lightning. "I wouldn't look up, if I were you, Black Witch."
Of course, the swirl of smoke and lightning did just that, only to see six red-headed individuals, all mounted on flying brooms as well, overhead. They had what appeared to be a burlap sack in their hand.
"On my mark!" Yelled one of the red-headed boys. "One, two...GERIMINO!"
On cue, all six dumped the contents of the various sacks over, and Ronna watched, as a pinkish powder fell out the the bag, from above. Ronna's eyes widened, and she grabbed Gaby, throwing her body over that of the French princess.
"Don't breathe it in! Just trust me!"
"What is it?" Whispered Gaby.
"You don't want to know, trust me! It's something called Zonko's Endless Sneezing Powder, and its nasty!"
As if on cue, the black lightning began convulsing, shaking, and sputtering. Eventually it began to pop and fizz, the elemental equivalent of sneezing, until it self-combusted in one final gurgling implosion.
With the menace finally gone, Gaby found herself looking at the bizarre eight people in her family's room, eyes wide.
"Who are you?" She demanded, wide eyed, staring at them.
"Uh, Gaby? These are my...family, and friends." Ronna said, nervously. "Let me introduce you..." As he began to make introductions, Hermione cut him off.
"Not to interrupt, but isn't there a task at hand, you need to address, Weasley?" Hermione said, a stern tone in her voice.
"Huh?"
Harry pointed to his watch. "You only have 1 1/2 minutes left, mate! Hurry up! You better...you know, kiss the girl."
"Oh, yeah!" Ronna said, remembering the contract, startled. He looked at Gaby, and without thinking, he did just that.
He kissed the girl.
AND THEY LIVED, HAPPILY EVER AFTER.
THE END.