After being shown a room with a couple beds, one of which was already occupied by a pretty red-headed girl who had a slightly star-struck look to her eyes, Paige stretched and tucked the Encyclopedia under her pillow and climbed into bed, removing her slippers before snuggling down into the twin-sized bed and falling into a dreamless sleep.
When she woke up again about five hours later, the smell of delicious food greeted her eagerly sniffing nose. She'd shape-shifted into a fox without thinking. That had happened twice when Harry was away at Hogwarts the year previous. She'd woken up as a small bird and just barely managed to return to human form before Petunia came in to wake her.
The second time she'd woken up about an hour before any of the Dursleys and had to use the toilet. She'd made a grab for the blankets and found furry paws instead of hands. She'd changed into her human form and gone to the restroom before slipping downstairs for a drink and retreating with a small plastic cup full of water to the bedroom. She got up and stretched in the Weasley house, first as the fox she'd turned into, then standing as the human she was born.
She slipped her slippers on and ran some quick hands through her now-tangled hair. Descending the stairs, she felt herself wake up much swifter than she had when forced to drink caffeinated beverages like breakfast tea and coffee.
"Good morning," Molly greeted her. "Sleep well?"
"Like a rock," she replied. Her stomach rumbled hungrily. "What smells so good?"
"Lunch," came the answer. "The others already ate, but I was just getting a plate ready for you. I was going to bring it up, but since you're down here now, I don't need to."
"Oh, ok," said Paige sitting in the nearest chair at the table. An older boy a bit older than Fred and George came striding in with the air of importance that kind of made her grit her teeth to keep from saying anything insulting when they hadn't been introduced.
"Who are you?" he asked. A flash of anger, hot and painful shot through her, but she cooled it with the patience born from years of listening to Dudley whine and complain when he didn't get what he wanted.
"My name is Agatha Paige Black. Might I request that you identify yourself?" she said with a bit of forced politeness.
"I'm Percy Weasley, and a prefect," he said. Neither of them moved until Molly slid a plate of food over to Paige, who broke the tension by turning her attention to the food in front of her. Percy spoke to his mother. "Mum, I didn't know we were taking people in. I mean, I know Dad's kinda got a soft spot for Muggles, but really?"
"Percy!" Molly scolded. "She's got magic, and I won't be having that type of disdain in this household, young man." Paige felt a wave of smugness steal over her mixed with a fair bit of gratitude. "Apologize to her this instant."
Percy, scolded into submission, looked at Paige and said, "Sorry. That was crass and rude of me."
"Apology accepted," replied she. "So what year are you in?"
"I'm in year five this year," he said. "You? Just starting out at Hogwarts?"
"Yup. I'm kind of nervous but mostly excited," she said. "What's it like? I've asked Harry, but he was kind of vague." She snickered. "Probably because Vernon was there and he's very much anti-magic, pro-quote-unquote-normal. Heck, when we were eating breakfast about a week ago, Dudley, his cousin, demanded more bacon. Harry said something that I've heard everyone say before, 'what's the magic word' or something to that effect, and Vernon flew off the handle, screaming and yelling to the point I was kinda shocked the neighbors didn't call the police." The air in the kitchen dramatically lightened with the laughter that swam easily through the air. "I am right, though, aren't I? Manners is something that's taught not only to Muggles but also to witches and wizards?"
"Yeah, everyone learns it, I thought. Guess not everyone remembered the saying 'magic word' in connection with them," Percy said with a chuckle.