A Glorious Meeting
It stood haunted and daring in the dark corner of the muggle street like Death's home. The porch was scratched and damage ebony wood. Makenna stood inquisitively outside the impossibly huge iron rose vine covered gates surrounded by thick hedges reaching just higher than the gates themselves. She smiled wickedly up at the haunted looking house, wondering what is just inside this spooky building that looks just like Death's home. Kana, Makenna's companion, had a different approach to the copper front doors were almost just as tall as the iron gates that looked like they've been scratched by a werewolf numerous times, the copper doors held up by black bricks with darkened windows standing in crooked rows on the 4 stories of the house. Kana wanted to leave immediately, questioning Makenna in her mead why the hell she was so damn fascinated in this case?
"Makenna, maybe we should..." she was rudely cut off by Makenna finishing her sentence.
"Go? Why we just got here, and it is a complete nuisance for use to leave these sort of unfinished cases alone like the bloody Ministry! Now are you going to chicken out or go inside with me?" Kana always got infuriated when Makenna said something like that then finished it off with her wicked smile that she gave to everything she liked or wanted. Kana, was in fact a coward, stubborn in the most parts, but this time she wouldn't let Makenna's peer pressure take over her, she let out an insulted huff and walked away, fading into the thick misty fog that welcomed her at the end of the street, not taking another look back at the amused Makenna.
"Scaredy." Muttered Makenna under her fragile breath as the air around her got colder as she walked through the creaking iron gates, a feeling that the house was a lot darker than it seemed. It creaked and cracked and broke here and there when Makenna went up the porch steps and stood staring up at the towering copper doors. Her eyes wandered around to where she could reach, not finding a doorbell. She knocked. No reply. She knocked again. Still no reply. She slammed her fist on the copper getting extremely impatient. The muggles that lived on this dismal street told of the story of a strange man that lived in the house, a man that wore dead animals as a tie or scarf, who had black messy hair hanging to the shoulders and wore a black suit like Gomez Addams. Makenna was intrigued by the description, for weeks she only heard what this man looked like, but was never able to enter the house to see for herself.
When the door opened on the second slam of her fist connecting to the copper patterns that were traced on the doors, it's ancient booming creak, nothing like the ear piercing creak from the iron gates that guarded the house, it alarmed her to know that the door had a big enough slit for her to slide through into the house. The wicked smile returned to her peach-pale face. Slowly but carefully, she opened the door further then walked in, her black Dayton boots stepping on the broken glass. It was pitch black the only light was the faint grey glow of the outside world Makenna just came from, where it was now hailing madly.
"Hello?" Makenna's voice echoed across the entire room of the house, she pulled out her wand and muttered "Lumos" under her shaky breath. 'Why am I anxious?' she thought cupping her throat gently in her long slender hand. The powerful ball of light shining from the tip of her wand started to move erratically on its own.
"What the-"she exclaimed, catching sight of the culprit who moved the light on the tip of her wand. She wasn't alone in the enormous entrance way. A figure leaned against one of the railings, his wand pointing towards Makenna. 'Bloody hell he's tall!' but as he became clearer in the light Makenna suddenly became lightheaded.
Indeed he was tall, probably 6'2. He wore a navy blue waistcoat, dark emerald green trousers with stripes lighter than the main fabric, a dark grey tie hanging loosely from his slender neck, his ankles were crossed, and a hand in his pocket and the other on a tall dark green top hat with a scarlet ribbon tied around it. His hair was a fiery red and was short, but hung just below the earlobes. But Makenna noticed his face most of all, emerald green eyes glittered with mischief (and a slight hint of arousal), and a Cheshire grin looking like it was painted beautifully onto his face. Makenna had never seen a man she could so amazed by, all the men she met or dated were either funny but cowards, sly but unintelligent, and barely even gave her the look he was giving her. She turned on by this.
"Creepy mystery guy?" spoke Makenna, her voice no longer shaking and had its normal joking tone back. His Cheshire look gleamed brightly, realising what kind of person she was.
"Scary curious girl?" his voice was just as mischievous as his entire expression. They both nodded in unison at each other's joking assumptions, neither chuckled but merely grinned more. The man slowly started to step down the marble staircase, his polished shoes tapping against the stone.
"Makenna Mavor?" he spoke again, stopping mid-way. Makenna's eyes widened as she stared at the stranger. How did he know her name? Especially her last name, was it written on her forehead or something? She began to question this stranger who somehow knew her name, until he had beat her to the punch.
"Your reputation precedes you with the trouble you have caused the Ministry..." He gave her wink, she started to notice he was stepping towards her again, but this time a little faster. She arched an eyebrow at the stranger, stepping away from him, until it came to mind who this man was. She stared up at him, walked closer towards him then her wicked smile returned to replace her look of confusion and horror. She realised who this guy was.
"George Weasley, your reputation precedes the trouble you've been causing since you attended Hogwarts." Hoping he would the same impression that was Makenna's former, it never came. He still had that Cheshire grin on his face, his emerald green eyes sparkled so bright that Makenna thought the irises were dancing, and he was so close to her now that she could feel his warm breath on her cold skin. He was towering over her but not very much considering she was 5'11. She stared up into him, his wand carrying the light since he managed to put hers out.
"You seem really proud of your height." Makenna said staring into his eyes which were about to blind her any second now. 'How could those eyes get any brighter?' she thought to herself, what she didn't know was that George was more entranced by her dark hazel ones. 'She's very gorgeous...' thought George before snapping out of his Ponderland.
"Would you like a tour since you've been so fascinated by the mansion?" asked holding his arm out. She nodded walking past him towards the stairs. She turned around and gave him a wink before another ball of light was lit at the tip of her wand, and she went up the stairs, a pop and the sight of George Weasley's tall figure in front of her was a scare enough. So like most girls who get frightened by things like that, she screamed. George on the other hand, acted like she didn't do anything.
"It's not safe to wander around, especially in this place. Stay beside me... Or you'll get hurt." He muttered the last part, but Makenna heard it and jumped a little at the sound of the seriousness in his voice. She grabbed hold of his arm and walked beside him, sideways glancing to see if the Cheshire grin was there, and when it wasn't she felt guilty for some reason. A different kind of smile was starting to form on his face, a warm smile that still had mischief in it.
"How about the Tea Room?" he asked his eyes connecting to hers. For one second she saw something dark and bitter in his eyes, her cold hand gripped harder onto the sleeve as she kept staring into those green eyes of his, why was he so different now? Her eyes sent a message to George as did her hand on his sleeve, feeling the freeze of her hands connect with his warmth. He broke eye contact and led her into a dimly lit room.
There were tables everywhere, chairs stacked on them and a bar with different coloured tea cups and pots hanging from rusted hooks. The place looked ancient.
"What a wonderful place to have tea. So bright and full of joy." Her sarcasm made George feel better as he waited for what was about to come next. She let go of his arm and started to step around tables, broken teapots and bowls lying around on the ground. No matter how much she didn't want to admit (or even think about it) this lace seemed strangely familiar. Then a bell went off in her head.
"This is the Mad Hatter's tea place!" she yelled running her fingers in her blonde curls. George cocked his head to the side, a look of confusion on his face.
"The Mad Who?" he asked staring at her wide eyes and amazed look. He found it amusing on how such a person could get excited over a room... Even a room like this.
"The Mad Hatter. A character a muggle created for a book called Alice in Wonderland. It's about a little girl who falls down a rabbit hole and ends up in this curious place. The Mad Hatter was a character that would always sit down and have tea then get up and move to a different seat. I remember when I was little Dumbledore read it to me... He was so fascinated with muggle stuff, particularly Sherbet Lemons. There were drawings and most of all I remember the Mad Hatter's tea place, which was in the back of the book." Her mind left the present when she remembered the little girl who would sit in her bed whenever Albus Dumbledore came over to her parents' house for dinner, the first time he brought the book over was a gift considering it was her birthday. Dumbledore always loved combing her hair then reading the story and casting charms so the pictures moved.
"You knew Dumbledore?" George asked with astonishment. Then an identical but more sarcastic voice came from behind him.
"Yeah, you knew Dumbledore?" When Makenna's eyes caught sight of the silvery glowing doppelganger of George, she felt her knees grow weak and her head feel light, then a loud thump on the dusty wood. Fred stared down at the unconscious Makenna, as did George.
"You owe me ten Galleons for the faint." Said Fred holding his hand out.
"And you owe me five Galleons for betting the other one wouldn't dare step inside." Said George holding his hand out then turning to look into his twin's ghostly eyes.
"Cough up!" they said in unison.
