I'm back! Welcome to the sequel of Balance. Set during Half Blood Prince and blah, blah, blah
Hope you had a nice Christmas! And if you don't celebrate Christmas… hope you're ok!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter… but I do own Mia! Oh, and her parents.
Chapter 1: The Shop and The Results
The fog that was swirling around in the garden curled into the kitchen through the open windows, giving the house an unnatural chill. The sun that should be shining- seeing as it was the middle of summer- was sitting behind the clouds.
Mia Homing sighed irritably, stood up and slammed the windows shut, before sitting back down and shoving another spoonful of cereal into her mouth. When she'd finished, she let her spoon clang in her bowl loudly. The dreary weather had put her in a bad mood for most of the holiday. Of course, she knew it wasn't actually the weather- it was the Dementors. She'd seen one whilst she'd been in London with her cousin, Jess. They'd been in Piccadilly Circus, and a Dementor had just… drifted past them. She'd stopped dead, her eyes following it. For a second, she had wondered why none of the Muggles were staring at it. Then she remembered Muggles couldn't see Dementors.
"Mia? What's wrong?" her mother asked, entering the kitchen. Mia looked up at her, resting her chin in her hand, then she shook her head.
"Don't worry," she sighed, "you wouldn't understand, anyway." She stood up and flicked her wand, sending the bowl into the sink. Then she strode past her mother, and up to her room.
The floor was scattered with various copies of the Daily Prophet, letters from friends and leaflets sent out by the Ministry. She kicked a page with a picture of the new Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, under her bed-side table and threw herself down onto the bed. She flicked her wand, turning the radio on. The dull, bored voice of the news reader flowed over to her. She turned it back off and looked out of her window, sighing. Someone knocked quietly on her door.
"What?" she called. Her mum opened the door.
"I thought you were going to visit that shop your friends owned?" Mia jumped up off the bed.
"Damn, how could I forget that?" she asked- more to herself then to her mum. She pulled on some heeled boots and threw on a jacket. "Be back by four!" she called, before grabbing her wand and Apperating to Diagon Alley.
She stumbled slightly as she appeared, wondering if she'd gotten the right place. When she spotted Gringotts Bank towering above all the other shops, she knew she had. She licked her lips. Diagon Alley had become just as dark and dreary as the rest of England. Many of the shops around her were boarded up, or had their windows smashed. The ones that still seemed to be open had large posters stuck to the windows. The ugly face of a Death Eater scowled at her, and she shied away slightly. She started to walk down the cobble-stoned street, passing several small stalls.
"Want one of these, Miss?" one of the owners asked. She looked at him, not even bothering to see what he was selling.
"No. Don't bother me," she told him, rather rudely. Se continued down the road.
Several people passed her; they were huddled together in twos or threes. She was the only one alone. A tall witch with a pinched face glared at her as she slid into a shop. Mia glanced at her, straightening up and made her strides longer, heels clicking against the stones.
She stopped outside an apothecary. It looked as if the owner had left weeks before, leaving everything. The poster on the door showed Bellatrix Lestrange leering down at the passers by.
"Amulet for the pretty lady?" she jumped round and grabbed her wand, pointing it at the short man who was holding s swinging necklace.
"I don't care about your stupid charms," she spat, stalking away.
She continued along, keeping an eye out for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. She passed a woman saying to her friend, "They'll attract attention to themselves, they will. With a shop that bright!"
"I know," her friend her replied, "too bright to be living safe, if you ask me!" the other woman went to say something, but stopped when she saw Mia watching them. They walked away to continue their conversation elsewhere. Mia carried on… and then stopped.
She stared up at the bright shop. The colourful, spinning, flashing, noisy products in the windows confused her eyes, making her blink more then usual. She blew a strand of mousy brown hair out of her face, pushing it back impatiently when it just fell back in the same place.
"Excuse me, but you're, um, you're blocking the doorway," someone behind her said.
"Oh, sorry," she muttered, and then marched through the door. The noise hit her instantly. There was a girl screeching with laughter somewhere, and next to her a boy was trying to hide something- obviously a product he'd broken.
She made her way through the crowd, looking out for Fred or George. She passed a group of girls ogling at some furry round balls. She managed to push her way to the middle of the shop.
"Hm, I'm not quite sure what's wrong with it…" a small blonde witch wearing bright magenta robes was looking over something whilst a little boy was jumping up and down, trying to see what she was doing. "Ah yes, you need to slid this thing here, see," the witch bent down and showed the boy.
"Ok!" he nodded and grabbed the object, running off. A woman a little way away said something, and he ran back, thanking the blonde witch, before leaving again.
"'Scuse me?" Mia asked, "but, do you work here?" the blonde woman looked up at her, smiling politely.
"Yes, I do. How can I help you?" Very polite, Mia thought.
"Yeah, I'm looking for Fred and George," she replied. The blonde woman paused for a second.
"Mr Weasley and Mr Weasley?"
"Um… yeah, sure," the only time Mia had ever heard Fred or George called 'Mr Weasley' was when teachers snapped at them. The blonde tipped her head to the side.
"Can I ask why?" she said, still sounding very polite.
"Uh, yeah, I'm a friend of theirs… Mia Homing…" she introduced herself. The blonde nodded, then scurried through the crowd.
Fred, who had just finished telling someone where to find the Extendable Ears, was interrupted by Verity, the girl he and George had employed a few weeks after starting up the shop.
"Sorry, Mr Weasley, but there's a girl here looking for you. She says her name's Mia Homing." He grinned instantly.
"Where is she?" he asked.
"Just back there and around the corner," Verity pointed behind her.
"Thanks, Verity," he strode past her.
Mia stood waiting for a minute, then whipped around at, "MIA!" she beamed at Fred, pushing past a man to get to him, then pulled him into a hug.
"I don't believe it!" she exclaimed, "it's practically deserted outside and then in here… it's packed!"
"Business soared first day we opened. Gotta be the most successful shop in Diagon Alley right now!"
"Yes, well," she replied dryly, "that must be an accomplishment. What with all of the competition," she rolled her eyes. Fred smirked and then his eyes flicked to a spot just behind her. "I'll see you in a sec," he slipped away and Mia smiled, turning around.
"Hi," she said to George. He smiled down at her.
"Hell-o," he rested his arms on her shoulders, around her neck, "how're you?" Mia rolled her eyes.
"Very good. You alright?" she wrapped her arms around him.
"Yep," he replied, "and the shops coming along nicely," he nodded around. She rolled her eyes.
"Really? I hadn't noticed," she smirked.
George ducked his head, but before their lips touched, Fred yelled, "OI! Public place!" he popped up next to them and pushed them apart. Mia rolled her eyes again, and crossed her arms.
"Hows your summer been?" George asked.
"Alright," she shrugged, then lowered her voice, "the Dementors were flying 'round London when I was staying with Jess. Worst week I ever spent with her." She frowned a bit. Fred and George looked at each other.
"What did Jess think was happening?" Fred asked, and Mia shrugged again.
"Guess she just thought it was a weird summer… told her I was a bit ill when I was there and that's why I was a bit down." She sighed.
"Mr Weasley!" the blonde witch turned up again, "one of the customers has broken the Reusable Hangman used for display." Fred groaned.
"'S third time that's happened!" he muttered, before walking off.
"Verity, you met Mia?" George asked.
"Very briefly," she said, "Earlier when she asked to see you," then she looked at Mia again, "hi," she held out her hand.
"Nice to meet ya," Mia replied, shaking her hand.
"You wanna tour of the shop?" George asked.
"Well, I think I've seen most of it when I was looking for you, but go on then."
George took her around the shop, with Fred joining them a few minutes later. Sometimes, one of the twins would disappear to help a customer, and tuned up again a few minutes later. Mia smirked when they showed her the section on Muggle tricks.
"You'd better give me a share of the money sold from…" she ran her finger along to a few of the card tricks, "these ones."
"Why?" Fred cried, indignantly.
"'Cause I was the one that taught 'em to ya!" she laughed. She then glanced at her watch. "Oh, crap! I told my mum I'd be back by four!" it was half past. "I'll see ya later." She started to make her way back through the shop, and George caught up with her. "What you doing?"
"Fred interrupted something earlier," he smirked.
As soon as they left the shop, George dragged her away from the window and pulled her up into a kiss. She grinned and placed one hand on the back of his neck, and the other on his shoulder, pulling him closer. He started to push her back slightly, moving forward with her when…
"OI! PUBLIC PLACE!" they jumped apart and saw Fred poking his head out of the door.
"Ain't very public," she muttered, "hardly anyone here! Anyway," she looked at the twins, "I'll see you later," then she Disapparated.
About a week later, Mia was flicking through a copy of a Muggle magazine on her bed. She'd been to the shop a few more times since the first. She looked up when there was a tapping at her window. Her stomach dropped. Perched on the windowsill was an owl with a letter tied to its leg. She stared at it for a minute, the slid off her bed, letting the magazine fall to the floor. She licked her lips as she opened the window.
"MUM! DAD!" she yelled, as she untied the letter. Her parents entered her room.
"Yes?" her mother asked. She licked her lips again.
"They're my results," she replied, almost whispering. She was still looking at the owl as split the envelope a tiny bit.
"Well, lets see how you've done," her dad said. She turned around slowly and continued to rip open the envelope. Finally, she slid the parchment out and unfolded it. She licked her lips again, still looking at her parents. Slowly, she dropped her eyes to the parchment.
Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests Results
Pass Grades:
Outstanding (O)
Exceeds Expectations (E)
Acceptable (A)
Fail Grades:
Poor (P)
Dreadful (D)
Troll (T)
Mia Tonya Homing has achieved:
Charms: E
Defence Against the Dark Arts: E
Herbology: E
Potions: O
Transfiguration: E
She licked her lips and looked over then again. Four Es. Four Es and one O. One O in Potions… Potions! Her lips twitched once, and then spread into a wide grin. She'd done it… she had the right grades to become a Healer!
"Well?" her dad asked. She passed the results to him and together, he and her mum looked over them.
"So, this is good?" her mum asked.
"Yes!" Mia cried, "oh my god, I can be a Healer!" her smile got bigger. "I need to tell Fred and George…" she muttered, "I need to… maybe I can rub it in Fred's face…" she grabbed her results back, said a quick 'see ya' to her parents and Disapparated.
As soon as she ran into the shop, she screamed, "FRED! GEORGE!" at the top of her lungs. Several people around her looked up in alarm, but she ignored them.
"Yes?" said a bored voice from her left. She turned and saw Fred.
"I got my results!" she told him.
"Are they good"? He asked.
"Hell yeah!" she shoved the parchment into his hands and he rolled his eyes, his eyebrows going up as he read every line.
"You got an O in Potions?" he asked in disbelief.
"Don't sound so surprised!" she retorted, sounding offended.
"Oi, George!" he called. "George!" he yelled again, when no one turned up. Mia rolled up her eyes and held up three fingers.
"GEORGE!" they yelled at the same time.
"I heard you the first bloody time!" George said, pushing himself past some girls. "Anyway, what's happening?" Mia snatched the results out of Fred's hands and put them George's.
"You got an O in Potions?" he asked. Mia rolled her eyes, exasperated.
"Again, with the surprised tone!" she said.
"Nah, I'm kidding-"
"'Course you are," Fred muttered. George whacked his arm and went back to what he was saying.
"Well done."
"Thank you," she took the results back and shoved them in her pocket. "Anyways, I should probably go back. I left very… suddenly, and I only really wanted to gloat. Guess I'll see ya in a couple days. Later," she turned to leave and Fred nudged George.
"What?"
"Weren't you gunna ask her?" he said.
"Oh yeah…" George replied, "well, she's probably gone by now…"
"No… she's not even out of the shop yet," Fred pointed to where she was passing the stacks of Skiving Snackboxes.
"Oh, yeah, well-"
"C'mon, George! No time to be nervous!" Fred pushed his brother forward. George rolled his eyes and made his way through the shop.
"Mia!" she paused and looked up as she reached the door.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"Me and Fred were thinking… well, actually, I suggested it to him… but-"
"Spit it out, George," she said kindly, looking up at him and trying not to laugh.
"Do you… wanna come live with us?" he asked, "y'know… in the flat? Above the shop?" she pointed towards the ceiling. Mia looked up.
"Um…" she thought for a second, "yeah… yeah, sure." George grinned.
"Great! Uh… see you in a couple days?" Mia nodded.
"Yeah!" she replied, "LATER, FRED!" she yelled. He raised his hand quickly, but it looked more like a shooing motion then a wave. Mia rolled her eyes and left the shop.
So… first chapter… hope it was ok…
Anyways, I've had a couple of requests for 'more action' between Mia and George… which I can promise you there will be… but I need to build up to it… I mean, George has only just asked her to live with them… but it will happen… at some point…
Please Review!