The Unexpected Guests

Bleary eyed and still in pajamas, Harry trudged down the Weasley's never-ending, twisting staircase. While his stomach growled, he entertained thoughts of inhaling Mrs. Weasley's tantalizingly juicy sausages and fluffy pancakes that were so warm, butter melted at the first touch. Reaching the landing overseeing the kitchen, Harry rubbed his eyes with disbelief. Draco Malfoy was sitting at the table! Pure disdain and misery crossed Draco's face as he haughtily surveyed the Weasley clan devouring their breakfast; yet, for all his effort, an expression of hunger surfaced when enticing smells occasionally wafted under his upturned nose.

After a few seconds, the shock of seeing Draco wore off and Harry regained the use of his limbs; but before he stealthily touched his foot to the first step, a curt rap sounded on the kitchen door. Everyone froze. Hurriedly, Mrs. Weasley bustled to the door and opened it tentatively. An elderly woman stepped briskly into the crowded kitchen while dragging a stunning girl behind her. While Mrs. Weasley and the woman exchanged a few hurried whispers, the girl stared at a wall vacantly. Although she was extremely gorgeous, it was a curious beauty: her already glowing pale skin stood out starkly from her deep blue eyes; glossy black hair; and pitch-black hoodie, skinny pants, and sneakers. After a few minutes, the woman nodded her head with satisfaction, patted the girl, and strided out of the Weasley's home.

"Well, everyone," Mrs. Weasley announced while placing both hands on the girl's shoulders, "This is Jacqueline. She's a cousin of Fleur's, who had asked me a few weeks ago if this young lady could stay here for the summer, instead of at her (Fleur's) home- seeing as she and Bill are newly weds. Ginny, take Jacqueline's things up to your room; and everyone, make sure you make her feel welcome." She glared at the rest of the stunned Weasleys, Ron's fork paused halfway up to his open mouth.

Up to this point, Draco felt stripped of everything familiar (in a friendly sense). Shortly after Harry-the pompous git-had defeated Voldemort, Draco's loving parents had pleaded with the Weasley's and, somehow, persuaded them to dump him at their home for the entire summer. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were desperately trying to prove their innocence by forcing their only son to associate with Lord Voldemort's defeater and his "family"; and they apparently wanted some "alone time"-Draco shuddered to think what that meant.

Just as he decided he'd eagerly trade this summer for the Cruciatas Curse performed on his body, his entire attitude changed. He had laid eyes on Jacqueline.

"Hmmm….an emo veela…let the torturing begin!"

…

Ginny and Jacqueline tramped up the stairs without a word-their shuffling feet and the floating suitcases clunking together were the only noises that penetrated the silence. Opening the door, Ginny walked to and knelt beside her bed, pulling a tiny box out from underneath. Calmly, she reassembled the box until it resembled a very sturdy cot, which she placed next to an exact replica already covered with a patchwork quilt and pillow. "Put your stuff under your cot; I'm gonna get some blankets," Ginny said, moving toward the door.

"S'ok, I brought my own," Jacqueline answered with a perfect English accent.

Ginny halted, shrugged her shoulders, and continued walking, muttering "typical" under her breath. Unfortunately, Jacqueline possessed very keen ears-the word sailed into them as Ginny sailed into the hallway. She froze. After pondering whether it was even worth talking to the ditz, the black-clad veela left the room. She had barely made it past the doorway when she collided with a very solid person. She and the oaf shouted, "Watch it!" as both of them stumbled back to eye each other up. Glaring murderously at the livid blonde boy towering over her, she growled, "I should watch it? You're the one who was in the hallway! I couldn't see you, idiot!"

Mrs. Weasley's quiet morning cleaning the kitchen was shattered as bursts of shouting resounded from the stairwell. Arriving on Ginny's landing huffing, she witnessed Draco and Jacqueline standing a foot apart, screaming insults and several choice swear words at one another. "That's ENOUGH!" Halting in mid-insult, Draco and Jacqueline cautiously turned their heads to behold a fuming Mrs. Weasley.

"What exactly do you two think you're doing? I will have none…"

The hotheads nonchalantly faced Mrs. Weasley, both inwardly cringing as the barrage of words assaulted their ears and egos. Finally, the screeching hostess ran out of steam. Her face slowly returning to its usual complexion, she breathed in slowly and asked calmly, "Now, what were you doing before the childish spat?"

Silence. Draco mumbled something about finishing unpacking and going to the kitchen to find something to eat; Jacqueline asked if she knew where Ginny was.

"Ginny is in the garden," Mrs. Weasley answered patiently. After Jacqueline started to descend the stairs, Mrs. Weasley smiled at Draco and asked sweetly, "Now you're hungry? Sorry, the next meal for anyone will be lunch. And don't let me catch your sniveling head inside the refrigerator!"

Harry desperately wanted to whip out his wand and blast every single pesky gnome into oblivion. For the last hour, he and Ron had been attempting to toss the snarling horrors over the fence; but apparently they had been breeding like mice while the trio and the younger Weasleys had been preoccupied with Voldemort. Throwing another over, Harry wiped his brow and froze. Shrieking was issuing from the garden, where Ginny was collecting the ripe vegetables. Flinging aside a grumbling gnome, Harry sprinted towards the source of the noise.

Arriving at the outskirts, he stood stock still, gazing dumbly at the now rambling garden, overflowing with melons and vegetables that could easily dwarf boulders. As the near-sighted boy pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose in disbelief, a bright flash burst from the center. Simultaneously, the hues of the enormous plants began changing rapidly, ranging from hot pink to muted gray.

"Get away from me, you bitch!" Ginny's voice bellowed. "How could-oh I forgot: you're a veela," she sneered, "It's in your nature to make everyone's life miserable."

"Sh-shut up! You know NOTHING!" an unfamiliar voice screeched.

Her defiant tone rang through the air, releasing Harry from a trance. His senses returned, he narrowed his shocking green eyes, straining his ears to hear anything besides his feet rapidly pounding the main path in the now eerily silent jungle of produce.

TO BE CONTINUED…