Setting a bowl in front of James, Victoire, and Al, Ginny tried to keep a soft face on so she wouldn't scare them. She put soup in each of their bowls, set a place for Harry and then sat down herself.
"Mum, " James asked, "What about Lily"
Ginny's face twitched as she tried to keep smiling, "She's not eating with us today"
"Why?" James pressed his mother for information.
"James eat"
"But"
"EAT"
James protests were drowned out by the crack that signaled his Dad had come back. Glad for a distraction, Ginny got up to see Harry as he walked in the kitchen. "Your parents aren't pleased." Harry said to Victoire as Ginny hugged him.
"I didn't expect them to be." said Victoire cooly.
Harry looked at her before he said, "Your stuff's at the bottom of the stairs. You're sharing with Lily." "What!?" shrieked Victoire and Ginny so loudly that James jumped and flipped out of his chair and Harry covered his ears in pain. Only Al seemed undisturbed. "You can't possibly be serious!" Ginny shouted. "Lily's in her room right now refusing to come out just because she's in the same house as Victoire. We won't have a house left if you make them share"
"If Victoire wants to stay, she's sharing with Lily. And thats my final word." he added as Ginny opened her mouth to protest. The room was silent for a minute except for James getting up and clambering into his chair. "Are you hungry?" Ginny asked, her voice calm. Harry nodded and sat down as Ginny put soup in his bowl. The table was quiet until James said:
"Dad, if Victoire's staying here does that mean we can stay up later"
"Why would Victoire staying here have anything to do with staying up later"
"I dunno, she's older"
"Thats got nothing to do with it. She's under our roof she'll follow our rules, as will you." Harry argued, his voice getting slightly higher.
"But"
"No 'but's'" said Harry getting angry now.
"James! Drop it!" Ginny said. "Harry, he's a little boy, don't be so mean"
"'Don't be so mean?!'" Harry questioned, "I'm not being mean, i'm telling him the truth"
"He's 10 years old! He doesn't need the truth"
They continued arguing and Al and James took this as cue to leave the kitchen and Victoire, feeling she was cause for the argument, quickly followed them. She grabbed the bag at the bottom of the stairs Uncle Harry had brought back for her and climbed the stairs. When she reached Lily's door, she paused. There were so many bitter feelings between her and Lily. Knowing she had no choice, she knocked lightly on the door. Seconds passed and Lily finally opened it, her face red and puffy. She looked at Victoire then silently stepped aside to let her in. Victoire walked in, afraid to touch anything. Lily noticed this, took her bag and set it on her dresser.
"Mum said she'd come up later and magick a bed in for you." Lily said, sounding slightly stuffy.
Victoire nodded. Lily was outraged. Here she was trying to be friendly and Victoire was just standing there feeling sorry for herself. Victoire seemed to notice Lily was no longer happy. She looked up at her and was taken aback by her looking mutinous. "Hey, I-Wha--?" Victoire was suddenly slammed against a wall, wand pointed at her chin. She fumbled in the pocket of her dress and found her own wand and pointed it right at Lily's forehead. Lily looked slightly worried by this and Victoire took advantage of it. "I'd be worried to if I were you, I'm 2 years farther in my education than you, meaning I have the advantage"
"I'm not worried. " Lily snarled, sneering a sneer worthy of Malfoy, "I was lost in concentration trying to figure out a good spell to blow your ugly face away"
"Why, you-" she threw her wand to the side and tackled Lily to the ground. Lily's wand flew out of her hand and the two girls began fighting it out on the floor. Then there were footsteps running up the stairs and the bedroom door rattled. A second later it burst open and Harry dragged Lily off Victoire and Ginny grabbed Victoire. They did not have on happy faces. They brought them both downstairs into the kitchen and sat them in chairs oppositte each other. James came running down the stairs. "Woah!" he said, seeing the scratches on the girls faces and their messed up hair."How come they get to do muggle dueling?!" Ginny shot James a look and he quietly sat down at the end of the table. Harry's face was absolutely murderous. "What on earth were you thinking!" he shouted, "Obviously you tried to use magic first, your wands were laying there." He held up the wands in front of them. "But then you resort to muggle dueling! I don't know which one I'm madder about: using magic outside school or the fight in general." Lily looked away from her father while Victoire suddenly became very interested in the floorboards. "Harry, " Ginny said quietly, "don't be so harsh." she added seeing Lily start shaking and she knew she was crying and trying to hide it.
"I'll be as harsh as I need to be to get this through their heads!" He shouted at his wife.
"Don't snap at me." said Ginny cooly, a glint of anger in her eyes. They stared each other down for a few moments before Harry finally said, his voice slightly lower: "You two are to get along. The next fight and Victoire you'll be headed straight back home"
Victoire's eyes started to water and Lily couldn't cry silently anymore, she burst out in tears and threw her arms around the neck of James as he passed.
"Lily- Lily-Your choking me." said James going blue in the face. "S-sorry." she sobbed loosening her grip. Victoire felt very lonely now. She was crying in her Aunt and Uncle's kitchen and her least favorite cousin was crying on her brother next to her. Victoire let the tears flow and Ginny looked at her feeling bad.
"Victoire, don't-" but she couldn't finish her sentence because the back door had burst open. Harry grabbed his wand, dropping Lily and Victoire's in the process. When he saw who it was he lowered his wand and the boy in the doorway said "Where's Victoire"
Victoire ran towards Teddy, dragging the blanket wrapped around her and flung her arms around his neck and broke down crying.
"Mum, " James asked, "What about Lily"
Ginny's face twitched as she tried to keep smiling, "She's not eating with us today"
"Why?" James pressed his mother for information.
"James eat"
"But"
"EAT"
James protests were drowned out by the crack that signaled his Dad had come back. Glad for a distraction, Ginny got up to see Harry as he walked in the kitchen. "Your parents aren't pleased." Harry said to Victoire as Ginny hugged him.
"I didn't expect them to be." said Victoire cooly.
Harry looked at her before he said, "Your stuff's at the bottom of the stairs. You're sharing with Lily." "What!?" shrieked Victoire and Ginny so loudly that James jumped and flipped out of his chair and Harry covered his ears in pain. Only Al seemed undisturbed. "You can't possibly be serious!" Ginny shouted. "Lily's in her room right now refusing to come out just because she's in the same house as Victoire. We won't have a house left if you make them share"
"If Victoire wants to stay, she's sharing with Lily. And thats my final word." he added as Ginny opened her mouth to protest. The room was silent for a minute except for James getting up and clambering into his chair. "Are you hungry?" Ginny asked, her voice calm. Harry nodded and sat down as Ginny put soup in his bowl. The table was quiet until James said:
"Dad, if Victoire's staying here does that mean we can stay up later"
"Why would Victoire staying here have anything to do with staying up later"
"I dunno, she's older"
"Thats got nothing to do with it. She's under our roof she'll follow our rules, as will you." Harry argued, his voice getting slightly higher.
"But"
"No 'but's'" said Harry getting angry now.
"James! Drop it!" Ginny said. "Harry, he's a little boy, don't be so mean"
"'Don't be so mean?!'" Harry questioned, "I'm not being mean, i'm telling him the truth"
"He's 10 years old! He doesn't need the truth"
They continued arguing and Al and James took this as cue to leave the kitchen and Victoire, feeling she was cause for the argument, quickly followed them. She grabbed the bag at the bottom of the stairs Uncle Harry had brought back for her and climbed the stairs. When she reached Lily's door, she paused. There were so many bitter feelings between her and Lily. Knowing she had no choice, she knocked lightly on the door. Seconds passed and Lily finally opened it, her face red and puffy. She looked at Victoire then silently stepped aside to let her in. Victoire walked in, afraid to touch anything. Lily noticed this, took her bag and set it on her dresser.
"Mum said she'd come up later and magick a bed in for you." Lily said, sounding slightly stuffy.
Victoire nodded. Lily was outraged. Here she was trying to be friendly and Victoire was just standing there feeling sorry for herself. Victoire seemed to notice Lily was no longer happy. She looked up at her and was taken aback by her looking mutinous. "Hey, I-Wha--?" Victoire was suddenly slammed against a wall, wand pointed at her chin. She fumbled in the pocket of her dress and found her own wand and pointed it right at Lily's forehead. Lily looked slightly worried by this and Victoire took advantage of it. "I'd be worried to if I were you, I'm 2 years farther in my education than you, meaning I have the advantage"
"I'm not worried. " Lily snarled, sneering a sneer worthy of Malfoy, "I was lost in concentration trying to figure out a good spell to blow your ugly face away"
"Why, you-" she threw her wand to the side and tackled Lily to the ground. Lily's wand flew out of her hand and the two girls began fighting it out on the floor. Then there were footsteps running up the stairs and the bedroom door rattled. A second later it burst open and Harry dragged Lily off Victoire and Ginny grabbed Victoire. They did not have on happy faces. They brought them both downstairs into the kitchen and sat them in chairs oppositte each other. James came running down the stairs. "Woah!" he said, seeing the scratches on the girls faces and their messed up hair."How come they get to do muggle dueling?!" Ginny shot James a look and he quietly sat down at the end of the table. Harry's face was absolutely murderous. "What on earth were you thinking!" he shouted, "Obviously you tried to use magic first, your wands were laying there." He held up the wands in front of them. "But then you resort to muggle dueling! I don't know which one I'm madder about: using magic outside school or the fight in general." Lily looked away from her father while Victoire suddenly became very interested in the floorboards. "Harry, " Ginny said quietly, "don't be so harsh." she added seeing Lily start shaking and she knew she was crying and trying to hide it.
"I'll be as harsh as I need to be to get this through their heads!" He shouted at his wife.
"Don't snap at me." said Ginny cooly, a glint of anger in her eyes. They stared each other down for a few moments before Harry finally said, his voice slightly lower: "You two are to get along. The next fight and Victoire you'll be headed straight back home"
Victoire's eyes started to water and Lily couldn't cry silently anymore, she burst out in tears and threw her arms around the neck of James as he passed.
"Lily- Lily-Your choking me." said James going blue in the face. "S-sorry." she sobbed loosening her grip. Victoire felt very lonely now. She was crying in her Aunt and Uncle's kitchen and her least favorite cousin was crying on her brother next to her. Victoire let the tears flow and Ginny looked at her feeling bad.
"Victoire, don't-" but she couldn't finish her sentence because the back door had burst open. Harry grabbed his wand, dropping Lily and Victoire's in the process. When he saw who it was he lowered his wand and the boy in the doorway said "Where's Victoire"
Victoire ran towards Teddy, dragging the blanket wrapped around her and flung her arms around his neck and broke down crying.