After waiting for the girls to purchase an array of pranks from the Weasley twins, Percy finally managed to drag the family out of the store and back to their flat. The unplanned trip into Weasley's Wizard Wheezes had put them so off schedule that he found it necessary to skip the planned trip to the ice cream parlor completely so that he could brief Ms. Jones on how and where she was to drop of Hallie for the start of the school term the next week.
After an unnecessarily lengthy explanation as to how the entry way on Platform 9 ¾ worked, Percy was startled to check the time and find himself almost late for dinner, something that could not happen. After a hasty goodbye he departed for home leaving the Joneses feeling relieved.
"So Chinese then?" Jones asked as she leafed through an assortment of take-out menus that had been shoved under their door while the family was out. The two girls in the living room made no reply as they were far too engrossed in their new magical treasures to care about what they put in their stomachs at this point so long as they got fed. "Chinese it is then," Jones mumbled to herself as she dialed the number and placed her order.
"Mom! She's doing it again! Look look!" Hallie whispered excitedly as she pointed toward her sister's hair which was turning from its normal curly brown state into a short fiery red do. "How does she do that?" she asked in awe.
"No idea," Jones shrugged as she picked the giggling little girl up into her lap before opening the owl's cages so they could stretch their wings and move about the flat. "I meant to ask Mr. Weasley about it while he was here but I completely forgot. It's obvious she's a witch as well but I definitely don't remember you doing anything like this. I suppose you'll just have to ask around once you get to school since there's really no one I can ask."
"You could ask Mr. Weasley's brothers," Hallie suggested as she plopped herself on the couch next to her mother and began to play with Zara's bare feet. "The one who saved Zara seemed pretty nice." Hallie smirked as she caught the look that crossed her mother's face at the mention of Fred and vowed silently to do something about it.
"He was," Jones admitted, "but we can't really bother him any more than we already have. I sure he's a busy man who was just being nice."
Hallie snorted. Yeah if nice meant showing her pretty mother around his store for forty-five minutes with a goofy smile on his face then yeah he was nice.
After dinner, Jones bathed Zara and put her to bed while Hallie continued unpacking the few boxes left in her room and sorting through her Hogwarts things. While her mother was reading Zara her bedtime story she decided to test out how well her new owl Finn delivered letters.
After jotting down a quick note with her new quill and parchment, she carefully tied the letter to Finn's leg the way the lady at the owlery had shown her and told him where to go. With a mischievous smile she shut the window behind him just as her mother knocked on her open door before sticking her head inside.
"Doing alright in here?"
"Yeah mom everything's good, I just let Finn out for a hunt."
"That's a good idea. So what did you think of Diagon Alley?" Jones prompted before settling onto the girl's bed to happily recount all of the day's events. After a while, Hallie's yawns made it apparent that it was time for the girl to go to bed. Jones kissed her goodnight before stealing her new copy of Hogwarts: A History and turning out the light behind her.
The next day began quite late as all of the flat's occupants had found it necessary to have a bit of a lie in before they were driven from their beds with rumbly stomachs.
"Get dressed girls," a sleepy yet fully dressed Jones mumbled as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, "we're going out for breakfast then we're off to the market."
"But mom," Hallie whined as she led Zara back down the hall to get changed, "we're tired."
"There will be bacon," Jones called back knowing that the promise of bacon was all that was needed to get the girls moving in the morning and she was right. Within minutes Hallie emerged from her room dressed in shorts and a tee shirt and ready to go.
"Is she ready yet?" She asked as she peered through her sister's doorway.
"Yep," Jones replied as she finished strapping the bright sandal on the bubbly toddler and straightened up. "And we're off."
After breakfast at a nearby café that did in fact serve bacon, the trio wandered around the bustling neighborhood in search of the market.
"Found it!" Hallie exclaimed happily as she led the way into the store and grabbed a trolley.
They were almost done with their shopping when Hallie remembered to tell her mom her bit of news.
"Um mom," she began hesitantly.
"Yeah Hal?" Jones mumbled as she checked over her shopping list.
"Are you sure this is going to be enough for dinner?"
Jones stared at her oldest daughter as though she had gone insane. "Well yeah Hallie, there are just three of us and besides, Zara doesn't eat much." She scrutinized her daughter's guilty face closely before pursing her lips and placing her hands on her jean clad hips. "What do you know that I don't?"
Hallie shrugged and refused to make eye contact. "I just. Well I may have invited someone over for dinner tonight."
"You what?" Jones hissed angrily. "Who did you invite? When did this happen?"
"Um yeah. Last night I used Finn to invite Mr. Weasley to dinner."
"Mr. Weasley oh for the love of Pete why? He is so boring!"
Hallie couldn't help but chuckle. "Not that Mr. Weasley mom, his brother Fred, the one who saved Zara. I figured it was the least he could do. I mean he did save her."
"You- you invited Fred, to dinner, tonight?" Jones sputtered. "Please tell me you're joking."
The young girl shook her head. "Nope he said he would be happy to come to dinner tonight at half seven. In fact he said he was really looking forward to it, maybe because I told him you used to work as a Pastry Chef at that fancy restaurant…" she trailed off.
"Just great," Jones muttered as she spun the trolley quickly back around to retrieve more ingredients for dinner causing Zara to squeal in delight, "I'm sure he'll bring his wife so that's two more people for-"
"He's not married mom," Hallie interjected as she jogged to keep up with her mother's quick pace.
"What?" Jones stopped short and glared at her daughter suspiciously once again. "How do you know that?"
Hallie shrugged." I was trying to find some way to tell him and his twin apart and the only thing I could find was that his brother was wearing a wedding ring and he wasn't," she explained matter-of-factly.
Jones worried at her lip for a moment as she pondered this information before continuing down the aisle. "Well regardless, that's still one more person to cook for and now he'll be expecting dessert. I hope you realize you won't be getting off the hook easily for this one missy." She warned as she waved a carton of eggs at Hallie before moving on.
The rest of the day was spent unpacking and preparing for their dinner guest. Hallie was sure she had never seen her mother in such a harried state and did her best to help out and keep Zara entertained while Jones rushed around readying things for what she had dubbed 'The Most Awkward Dinner in History'.
"I have no idea what we're going to talk about," Jones mumbled as she took the vegetables out of the oven and chopped them hastily before throwing them into a sauté pan. "If there are any of those uncomfortable awkward silences I'm going to die. Do you hear me Hallie?" She shouted as she waved her knife around, "Die! You will have managed to kill me off. Be good to Zara when I'm gone," she wailed dramatically as she seasoned the soup.
Before long, there was a loud knock on the door and after taking a steadying breath Jones rushed forward to answer. What she saw caused her to bite her lip painfully. On the other side of the door stood a very handsome and slightly nervous looking Fred Weasley grinning at her.
At the store he had been wearing his work robes and while he had looked handsome then he looked gorgeous now. His grey slack and green shirt accentuated his fit physique and his chocolate brown eyes perfectly leaving her feeling slightly off kilter. It wasn't that Jones didn't appreciate a good looking man, she did, but it wasn't often that she found herself so effected.
Fred cleared his throat nervously, "I uh, this is for you." He thrust out a bottle of wine uncertainly.
Jones regained her composure and graciously took the proffered bottle of wine. "Please won't you come in Fred? The girls have certainly been looking forward to your visit." With a look of profound relief Fred stepped into the flat and warmly greeted the girls before Jones informed everyone that dinner was ready.
As course after course was served Jones was relieved to find that conversation flowed naturally and that there were in fact no awkward pauses. Fred was full of questions about life in America which Jones and Hallie were happy to answer and in turn Fred was more than happy to answer all of their questions about Hogwarts and life in London. Even Zara took to him and it was to everyone's surprise when she climbed boldly into his lap before dessert.
"Well that's different," Jones remarked from the kitchen where she was finishing up dessert.
"What's that?" Fred asked as he pretended to steal Zara's nose.
Jones reemerged carrying a tray of fresh crème brulee. "She just never takes to anyone that quickly, she must really like you. Would you like me to take her so that you can eat?" she offered.
Fred waved her off. "It's fine. I have so many nieces and nephews that I can do just about anything one handed these days. Merlin this is good," he moaned after taking a bite of his dessert. "You made this?"
Jones blushed. "Yeah, I worked as a pastry chef for a while when Hallie was little."
Fred moaned again, "Well don't tell my mum but this has been by far the most delicious meal I've ever eaten. If you had a restaurant I don't think I'd ever eat anywhere else again."
"Well thanks," Jones mumbled bashfully into her own dessert before Zara's giggle caught her attention.
"Oh look, she's doing it again!" Hallie squealed happily as Zara's hair once again turned a flaming color that exactly matched Fred's. "How does she do that?" she asked in amazement.
Fred looked down in surprise. "You didn't tell me Zara was a metamorphmagus!" he exclaimed as he tickled the little girl's belly eliciting bubbly giggles.
"To be honest we didn't know what she was," Jones admitted as she too reached over to tickle Zara, "I had meant to ask your brother about it yesterday but I completely forgot. So what exactly is that?"
"Metamorphmagus? Well they're a rare type of witch or wizard who can change their appearances at will. I've only ever known of two, well now three. My brother-in-law's godson Teddy is one as was his mum but she's gone now. I'm not sure when Tonks started showing her abilities but I know Teddy was able to change the color of his hair just hours after being born. What about Zara when did she start?"
Jones's grin faded slightly as she sat back in her chair. "I'm not sure," she admitted. "I found Ms. Zara here a little over six months ago living in an orphanage in New York. She had been abandoned at a hospital by her birth mother and there is zero information about where she came from or even when her real birthday is. All we know for sure it that her name is Zara and she's barely two."
Fred looked aghast at the thought that someone would willingly abandon their own child. Holding her more tightly he smiled down into the now dozing little girl's face. "Well I suppose she's very lucky you found her then."
Jones smiled sadly as she thought of the sweet little girl's life so far. "Looks like she's down for the count," Jones said rising to her feet and reaching for the little girl. "I suppose I should put her to bed."
"It's alright, I've got her." Fred assured her as he too rose to his feet. "Why don't you lead the way and we'll follow you."
With a smile Jones turned back around and headed down the hall to Zara's new room. Although they weren't allowed to paint the walls, Jones had managed to hang an assortment of happy decorations around the room making it into a room fit for a princess.
Carefully, Fred lowered Zara onto her bed where Jones stripped her and redressed her in night clothes in record time. Knowing that it would spell disaster if the little girl didn't use the toilet before bed, Jones gently roused the sleepy child just enough to get her to use the bathroom before leading her stumbling form back to bed.
"Night mommy," she mumbled sleepily as she leaned up to give her mother a goodnight hug and kiss. "Night Fweddie." Fred was surprised when she leaned forward to give him a hug and kiss as well but happily obliged before stepping out of the room so Jones could continue tucking her in.
After returning to the living room, Fred quickly joined Hallie in a game of rummy while they waited for Jones to return.
"Would you like a glass of wine Fred?" Jones asked as she readjusted her shirt.
"Please," Fred said with a nod.
As Jones poured two glasses of wine and a cup of hot cocoa for Hallie, the trio found themselves once again slipping into easy conversation. Before long Hallie was excusing herself for the night and the duo continued to talk well into the night. It was only when the clock struck midnight that they realized how late it was.
"I really must go," Fred said almost apologetically as he stood. "I had a great time though, best night I've had in a while really. Thanks for having me."
"Anytime, it really was fun," Jones replied honestly as she walked him to the door. It had been so nice talking to someone like Fred who shared so many of her interests without the pressure of dating.
"Eh Jones," Fred said turning around, "I hope you don't think I'm being presumptuous but I'm guessing you don't know many people around here yet and I was wondering if it would be alright if I were to give my sister-in-law Hermione and my sister Ginny your contact information. They both have little ones around Zara's age and Ginny's son James is Hallie's age. They could be a great help in making the transition to Hogwarts since Hermione is muggle born, that is if it's alright with you."
Jones smiled at the thoughtfulness of the man in front of her. "That would be amazing, thank you Fred. Zara and I could certainly use some friends around here who won't faint when her hair changes colors."
Fred chuckled, "Alright then I'll pass it along in the next few days but I'll warn you now, knowing the two of them you'll be receiving owls within the day. I hope you're ready for more Weasleys in your life."
"I think we can handle it," Jones laughed good naturedly as she held the door open for Fred.
"Thank you again for dinner," Fred said earnestly as he looked down on her. "I really hope we can do it again sometime but next time I'm cooking. Or ordering in probably but either way next time it's my treat."
Jones blushed under his gaze. "I'd- I mean we'd really like that."
"Good then it's a date!" Fred smiled widely. "Until next time mi lady." He bowed and kissed her hand gently before disappearing suddenly with a pop leaving Jones out of breath and rather weak in the knees. Until next time indeed.