Dalia Stanson is staying with the Weasley's by request of the Ministry in an attempt to bring together wizards from all over the world. But there's something different about her. Different to the point of horrific displays and haunting words from her mouth. The twins are immediately taken in by her strange ways and are determined to learn the secrets of this veela-like blonde, but one can't help but wonder how different their fates would have been had they avoided her all together and how, exactly, they plan to survive the mess they've landed in
If by some off chance you recognize this story, its because this story is already on this site. However...when I clicked the link I had saved to my Polyvore account the story did not come up and I could not access the account it was on (my old account) to see if the link had been changed. So here I am reposting it and hoping to get some commenters on it! I really hope I can figure out what happened to the other one...
This story takes place during the Fifth Movie/Book. Therefore it is Fred and George's Seventh Year.
01: ARRIVAL
In every family there is one person who is seemingly the last person to know about anything. In some cases it's the youngest, in some cases it's the one who's always holed up in their bedroom, and in other cases, it's the one who's always hidden behind something (a book or magazine) and tuning out the rest of the world. But without fail, someone is always the last to know.
In the case of the Weasley family, it was Ron.
"We're what?"
"We're keeping a house guest for the remainder of the summer." Molly bewitched a sponge to scrub a pot in the sink. She turned to her son, hands on her hips, "I know I told you this, Ronald!"
"You didn't tell me anything, Mum! You never tell me anything! I always find out last by some way other than your directly telling me. I only found out because I over heard Ginny up in her room making up the guest bed and talking to herself about how fantastic it'll be to have another girl in the house. I mean, Hermione visits all the time. Isn't that good enough for her?"
Molly sighed and took hold of the sponge and pot again, vigorously scrubbing the burnt food from it and letting it wash down the drain, "Your father volunteered our house for a special woman coming in from – oh where did she live, France I believe – as a place for her to stay until she's situated in a place of her own with her family. Something to do with bonding with witches and wizards all over the world. Something to that effect, I'm not sure of all the details."
"But there's already enough people in the house, Mum, we don't need anymore. Why didn't you tell dad no?"
"He didn't have a choice apparently."
"You said he volunteered!"
Molly groaned as it occured to her just how little she knew of the situation. In her own frustration, she let go of the pot and scrub brush, but it went back to work without her, "Oh, Ronald! I don't have all of the details! If you've a problem with it, take it up with your father when he gets home today. Not that it will really help at all as she's coming in today."
Before Ron could utter another word of protest, Ginny came bounding down the stairs, her red hair bouncing with every step she took. Molly and Ron both looked at her as she hit the bottom step "All done, straightening up, Mum. Is she here yet?"
"Not yet, your father will be home with her soon." Answered Molly to which Ginny smiled.
"I don't understand why they aren't here yet. Dad used Floo Powder to get to the Ministry didn't he? Shouldn't take anytime at all to collect her and come back the same way."
"I expect there are things to be discussed and what not, dear. Exercise some patience."
Ginny nodded, and then caught sight of Ron. She grimaced, "Why are you looking so sour?"
"Another person in the house. There's enough as it is."
Ginny rolled her eyes, "It's just one person."
"I still say there's to many of us! I mean, Harry and Hermione will be here as well." He responded quite loudly. The result of which was a smack on the back of the head from his mother. Ginny laughed.
"That's enough. Go upstairs and collect the laundry for me to wash then clean up in the living room. I won't have this house looking a mess when our guest arrives."
There was a very loud pop behind Molly that made her jump out of her dress. Fred and George, her twin boys, appeared behind her with toothy grins on their faces. Much to her dissatisfaction.
"You—two!" She whipped around, smacking them both repeatedly as she spoke, "If I've told you once, I've told you a million times! Just because you know how to apparate doesn't mean you get to do it all the bloody time!"
"Oh come come now mother, we're of age now." Said George and Fred continued, "Do you expect us to not take advantage of our new privileges?"
"I expect you to be responsible about it!" She snapped back.
"Responsible?"
"Don't know the meaning of the word!"
And with another pop, the twins were gone again, reappearing at the top of the stairs. They looked at each other, smiles on their face.
"This is too much fun, Fred."
"It is." Fred took a couple steps down and peered over the banister at his mother shoving Ron towards the staircase, still red-faced from a moment before. He let out a quiet chuckle and looked at his brother, "What do you think of it?"
"Of what?"
"Of our new house guest Mum's going to such lengths to prepare for."
"Don't care either way."
"Nor do I."
The Ministry was just as crowded, loud, and busy as the Muggle airport had been. But as per usual, Dalia stared straight ahead and tuned it all out. She followed her guide in perfect step towards the Minister's office where she was to meet her new host.
"This way, Mrs. Stanson." The guide motioned towards the door.
She reached her hand out for the knob and closed her fingers around the brass, then let it go as it opened on it's own accord.
"There she is. Ms. Dalia Stanson. Come in, come in."
Slowly she stepped in, staring straight ahead still. The door closed and the Minister, as well as Arthur Weasley, stood from their seats.
"Welcome to London. It's so nice to finally meet you." Arthur took her hand, shaking it gently, "We'll be sure to take good care of you at our home. I warn you, though, it's a bit crowded. But it's warm and full of love."
"Thank-you very much, Mr. Arthur Weasley."
Arthur laughed a little, tossing an eager grin at the Minister who was also laughing, then looked back to Dalia "Just call me Mr. Weasley."
"Very well then."
The Minister sat in his seat and motioned for Arthur and Dalia to take there's as well. Dalia sat and folded her hands on her lap. The way she stared ahead was as if she wasn't looking directly at the Minister, but rather, right through him (though she was giving him her full attention)
"Alright, Arthur. You know your duties. Watch over her until we've found her a proper home. Likely she'll be traveling to Hogwarts with your children for her final year of school. It would be wise to assign a few of your children to watch her there as well."
"She'll be fully protected Minster, I assure you."
"Mr. Minister, sir?"
Both men looked to Dalia. She had an ever so soft smile on her face, "It seems there's a woman with you. She's watching over you. Has been for several years."
It was silent in the room. None of them moved or spoke for a moment, and Dalia sat, that smile still on her face, staring at the space behind the Minister. He cleared his throat and turned back to Arthur.
"I'll leave her to you then."
"Yes." Arthur stood, "Come, Dalia, let's get going."
"Yes, Mr. Weasley."
When the fireplace roared and spewed green flames in the kitchen, Molly called down the household to greet their father and new guest. Covered in soot, Arthur and Dalia stepped from the fireplace.
"Hello, dearest." Arthur said and kissed his wife's cheek, "Molly, this is Dalia Stanson. She'll be staying with us."
Molly smiled, looking into her eyes, or what she could see of them behind dark glasses, "Welcome to our house, deary."
"Thank-you very much, Mrs. Weasly."
Her tone was light and ethereal, and so soft it was almost ghostly. She herself looked like a ghost, her skin pale and her hair almost white blonde. If compared in height to the Weasley children, she would fit snuggly between Ron and Ginny, shorter than Fred, George and all the other boys, but considerably taller than Ginny. She stood with her hands at her sides, peeking out from the sleeves of her red suede jacket. Her legs were long and thin, hidden beneath a pair of blue jeans and black heels with fabricated flowers on the front. She undid the ties of her jacket, followed by the buttons and pulled it off, draping it over her arm and revealing an ivory sleevless top that hung loosley on her torso. Ron and Ginny came down the steps to greet the newcomer, but the real surprise greeting came in the form of a loud pop.
Already, Molly was angry, but her anger was nothing in comparison to the horror she and everyone else felt in the events that followed. Fred and George appeared behind Dalia, but a slight miscalculation in performing the apparition spell resulted in George bumping into the unsuspecting guest upon arrival. She stumbled forward and her glasses fell to the ground. In shock, she stumbled again and kicked the glasses farther away from her and before she had the chance to retrieve them, the pain began.
It was like nothing anyone could have imagined. Her eyes burned, as if engulfed by intense flames. Her head throbbed, threatening to fall right off her shoulders. She erupted in shudders as the pain quickly consumed her and it was no more than a few seconds before she was clutching her head and screaming a scream so high-pitched and loud that the boys involuntarily covered their ears.
"Get her glasses!" Shouted Arthur grabbing Dalia by the shoulders, "Get them NOW!"
Dalia fell to her knees, her screaming had ceased and now she held her face, covering her eyes. But there was no hiding the blood streaming down her cheeks like tears. Ron and Ginny stepped back in horror and Molly gripped her chest and Ron's shoulder. Fred shuffled to retrieve the glasses and when he caught sight of the blood, his throat went dry. He held out the glasses to her in his shakey hand, she wouldn't take them. Her eyes still blocked her face. Arthur pulled her up from the floor and had her face him, then moved her hands and covered her eyes again with the glasses. Her cheeks were stained red, as were her hands and Molly immediately grabbed a towel to clean her up.
No one spoke. Arthur heaved a sigh and rubbed his forehead, "Molly, please bring Dalia up to Ginny's room so she can lie down. Fred, George, take her bags up." And without a word, the group moved into action. And while no one spoke, the twins looked at each other and they instantly knew what the other was thinking.
What the bloody hell had just happened?
Comments, not bashing, are obviously welcome ^.^. Flamers will be sent back to the fiery hell from whence they came.
BTW as I'm writing this story, I'm planning out Dalia's wardrobe for the entire story (why i decided to do this i really don't know) but I've created the outfits and put them on Polyvore. Sadly, this site forbids the use of links for some God-forsaken reason! So here are the steps to check out the collection:
- Go to www[dot]polyvore[dot]come
- In the search dropdown box, select 'search members'
- Search for "Nachandesu" and when I pop up, click my name and scroll down to the collection of images titled "The Ethereal Colleciton"