Chapter Two
Interesting…
"Emma!" a distant voice shouted, cutting through the silent woods. "Emma where are you?"
Ugh…I wish the voice would shut up. I was having a pleasant sleep—no dreams. "Emma!" Another, different voice called.
"Emma!"
"Emma!"
"Emma, come home!"
"EMMA!" a chorus of voices shrieked.
Oh, alright! If it makes the voices happy, I'll leave my comfy sleeping spot. Leisurely, I got up onto my feet and unraveled my wrinkled jacket. I wouldn't need my jacket since the hot and humid summer heat had already made itself known. I consulted my watch—it was only 8:30. Before stepping away from my campsite though, I walked over to the creek to splash cool water on my face to wash away the sleep.
I walked in the direction of the Burrow, but the voices never stopped. They kept getting louder and louder, when I finally could tell who the voices belonged to. It was the Weasleys calling out to me, frantically. Oh, no! I wonder how long they have been calling me. I was out of my bed all night…Ginny must've noticed and alerted the others. I started to sprint to the nearest voice.
"Emma!" Ron called. He was wondering into the forest as I was running out.
"Ron!" I yelled. His hair was mused and he still had sleep in his eyes.
"Emma, there you are!" Ron exclaimed with a huff. "Do you realize that we've been searching all over for you for ten minutes? I could still be sleeping."
Ten minutes. Well, I guess it's better than thirty.
I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Ron to make a mountain out of a molehill. "Wow, I'm so sorry to disturb your beauty sleep," I mocked. "You really do need as much of that as possible."
Ron laughed sarcastically. "Don't you realize that mum and dad were very upset when they noticed that you weren't in your bed?" he asked. His tone implied that he was talking to a child. "They were going to bring you breakfast in bed for your birthday. But then Ginny told them that you weren't in your bed. That's when they woke the rest of us up to look for you."
I sent my gaze to the earth, ashamed that I didn't even think about how my family would feel if I wasn't back in bed when they all woke up. "I guess we should go find your mum then."
"You guess right, "Ron muttered. He took my arm and then walked back to the Burrow with me in tow.
I understood the gravity of the situation, I really did, but Ron willingly touching me was such an odd occurrence. I had to make fun of him.
"Aw, Ronnikins!" I gushed. "I never knew that you got over your fear of cooties!" I giggled and pinched his cheek.
"Yuck! Get away from me, you freak." Ron slapped my pinching fingers away and dropped my arm like it was a spider (Ron was deathly afraid of spiders). He resorted to walking in front of me. All the better, I suppose. Haha!
"Oh, Emma!" a shrieking and shrill voice exclaimed. I was enveloped in a hug before I could take another breath. Of course, my hug attacker was Mrs. Weasley. "Oh, Emma, we've all been so worried." She squeezed tighter, and then let go, looking at me sternly. "Now, young lady, where have you been?"
I gulped. Mrs. Weasley can really make one sweat from nervousness when she gives her famous mad face. "I'm so sorry," I said sincerely. "I just wanted to have a peaceful walk before the excitement of the day." Well, at least the desire of peace was partially true.
She studied me, but then her face softened. "It's quite alright, dear. I'm just glad that you're home safe." She hugged me again. As happy as she was to see me, I knew she was calculating her chances of catching me in the act of sneaking out of the house. I had to be more careful.
"Oy, there she is!" Fred called to his twin. "I've found her!"
"Actually I think Ron beat you to it," I said. I reached for Ron's hand, who automatically tugged his away.
"So?" George challenged. Ginny, Percy, and Mr. Weasley appeared from various spots around the yard, having been alerted by Fred's loud cry of finding me. Ginny was the first to reach me and wrapped me in a tight hug.
"Don't you ever go running off like that on your own again, Emma!" Ginny told me sternly. She was a Mrs. Weasley in the making. "It scared me this morning when your bed was empty."
"I'm sorry, Ginny," I apologized again, giving her another hug.
"Good to have you back, Emma," Mr. Weasley said after Ginny and I broke our embrace. He, too, gave me a hug. Ugh. As much as a hug is nice, it wears out its welcome quickly when you've had about a hundred of them within a few minutes. I was immensely glad when Percy only smiled good-heartedly at me as my welcome home.
"Well," Mrs. Weasley sighed. "I suppose I should get breakfast on the table. Big day ahead of us! Come and help me please, Arthur." And with that and another hug from Mrs. Weasley, the couple grasped hands (much to the boys' disgust) and made their way back to the house.
"We should all be washing up for breakfast," Percy advised.
"Oh, but yes of course we will, Your Majesty!" George mocked, bowing low to Percy. Percy rolled his eyes, looking boring and highly not amused.
"But, George! Percy is not a king," Red quickly quipped. "He's merely a Prefect!" The two howled with laughter while Percy quickly stalked away. Ron, Ginny, and I joined in on the laughter as well.
"I still can't believe he was made Prefect," Ron moaned after we were done laughing. "He's going to ruin my first year at Hogwarts." Percy, a fifth year, was declared a Perfect for Gryffindor, one of the four houses at Hogwarts. This means that he has an even bigger excuse to scold Ron and me, yet he has a powerful weapon to threaten us with…detention.
"Oh, don't get your knickers in a knot, little brother," Fred said. "He'll be too preoccupied making sure we don't 'accidently' blow up the school to notice what sort of mischief you two get into."
"I hope so," I said. "I plan on having as much fun as I can at Hogwarts. I don't need Percy getting in my way."
"You're not going to have too much fun without me though, right?" Ginny asked.
"Of course not!"
George smiled. "But don't worry little Em, Fred and I will unsure that you have plenty of fun." The twins exchanged knowing glances.
"Define fun," I commanded. Fred fidgeted and checked his watch.
"No time," Fred said. "I need to wash my hands; I find them quite dirty from looking for you in the barn." He fidgeted with his soot covered hands. Somehow, I knew the twins weren't truly looking for me in the barn.
"Why would I be hiding in the barn?" I asked impatiently. He still never defined his method of fun as it applies to me at Hogwarts. Yet, Fred and George skipped off towards the house.
"Never mind them," Ginny giggled. "We really should clean up. And Emmy…you smell like you've been outside all night. Take a shower." She winked.
"Wow…thanks Ginny," I commented, taking up her arm as we laughed at her joke and strolled back to the house.
"Girls…" I heard Ron mutter from behind us.