(A/N): I'd have to say that in this chapter you get to visit my second favorite house in the Harry Potter world...the Burrow...so enjoy! and when you are done reading try a little reviewing for a taste of it...okay:D! so get to reading and then to reviewing!
Disclaimer: And we return to the fact that I still...after allllllll these years...dont own Harry Potter...i mean what is the world coming to if a simple girl cant get rights to a Book! ...i'm waiting JKR!
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Chapter 7: The Burrow
Infinity stood with her mother three days later by the front door. She was ready for the wedding. Their trunks sat next to them. Lupin was sending them after they left. He told them that he had some business to finish and then he would follow them to the Weasley household.
Infinity looked nervously at the door. They were to wait for Lupin to come back before they left for the Burrow.
Artemis, who had always been isolated from any group of wizards and witches outside of school, was so extremely excited that she could barely contain her euphoria. While at the Burrow, she would meet everyone who had been close to her father and most of the Order of the Phoenix members. She remembered her grandfather coming and telling them everything that was going on with the movement against Voldemort. He had been the one person who understood how important the movements were to Artemis, how passionately she wanted to help, but felt useless.
"Here he comes."
Lupin was walking up the front walk toward the house. He saw their faces in the window and smiled slightly. Infinity opened the door and welcomed him in.
"Do they know we are coming?" Infinity asked.
"They do and they are ready for you," Lupin informed her with a large grin. Artemis felt her eyes twinkle with happiness. Lupin laughed at Artemis, who had begun to bounce up and down. "Get out of here!" Lupin said still laughing. Artemis squealed with delight and latched on to her mother, who had also started laughing. Infinity turned and with a pop, they were gone.
Harry waited in his room with his trunk packed. Lupin would come get him soon. He would be here any moment. It would only be a minute until he knocked on the door. The Dursley's would be upset that someone was there in only a minute's time. Harry would be out of here in a ---
There was a knock. Harry leaped from his chair, surveyed his room and grabbed Hedwig's cage and his trunk and then headed down the stairs pulling his luggage along. Harry heard an outraged Vernon yelling at Lupin, who was calming him down.
"WHAT IS THIS VERMIN DOING ON MY DOORSTEP?" Vernon shouted.
"He's my friend!" Harry yelled from the stairs. "DON'T CALL HIM VERMIN!"
"Harry, there is no need. I am sure that your uncle, Vernon, is aware that his name sounds like vermin," Lupin shot back in Vernon's direction. Uncle Vernon's purple face turned a deeper purple and the vein pulsed madly on his temple. "Harry, if you would please join me across the street."
"Thanks, Aunt Petunia, for letting me come back. I'll see you later," Harry pulled his trunk and Hedwig's cage out of Number 4, Privet Drive, for what could have been the last time ever. Harry heard a hoot, and Hedwig swooped down through the Dursley's house, causing shrieks from Petunia, and toward Harry, landing on his shoulder happily.
Lupin was across the street heading toward Artemis' house. Harry caught sight of his wand unlocking the door. Then he stepped in. Harry followed quickly.
When they were both in the house, Lupin turned toward Harry and smiled. "There will be some people there that will…shock you. But don't fret, Harry, you will enjoy yourself. It is a wedding after all!" Lupin smiled broadly, looking happier than Harry had ever seen him. With a flick of Lupin's wand, Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage were sent to the Burrow. Harry shook with anticipation. He would finally see everyone again.
"Are you ready?" Harry nodded excitedly. "Then let us go. Hold my side, Harry." Harry immediately held onto his professor's arm. Lupin stepped and turned and they disappeared from the house.
Artemis and Infinity walked toward the Burrow. It was a beautiful house, Artemis thought. Though it was slightly worn out looking, it was homey and welcoming. Infinity led the way toward the door, knocking softly when they arrived.
"This is it," she murmured. Artemis had returned to bouncing on her heels. The door flew open and in it stood a woman with flaming red hair. She looked extremely happy, but tired. Molly Weasley.
"Infinity! How wonderful to see you! Come in, come in. Remus told us that you would be coming, and I must say that it has been too long," Molly said throwing the door aside and welcoming them in.
"Thank you, Molly. And I must say that it has been too long," Infinity said with a smile. Artemis just stared at the woman who had opened the door. She was a beautiful woman but looked used and worn out. Artemis knew that she had lots of kids, but she wasn't sure how many.
"This must be Artemis! How are you?" Molly said turning her attention at last on the person who was with Infinity.
"I'm fine, thank you. And how are you, Mrs. Weasley?" Artemis asked smiling.
"Oh, so polite. I am wonderful, darling. Thank you for asking." Molly led them into what looked like a kitchen dining room mix. There was a narrow staircase in the corner of the room. Artemis looked around excitedly. Infinity approached the stove were Molly had returned to cooking. "So, Artemis, would you like to meet everyone?" Molly turned away from the stove at the same time Infinity did. Artemis whipped around and nodded happily.
"I would love to!" was her reply.
"Ok! GINNY, RON, FRED, GEORGE, BILL, CHARLIE, COME HERE!" Mrs. Weasley yelled. "My children first then." Footsteps rang through the house. For the narrow staircase emerged the seven people, all with flaming red hair, except one, who had white blond locks. "Artemis, these are my children. Ginny, my youngest and only girl. Ron, the youngest boy. Fred and George, twins of course. Bill, who is getting married tomorrow, with his wife-to-be Fleur Delacour. And Charlie, my second eldest." Fred and George had swept into magnificent bows. Charlie had smiled deeply. Fleur was latched onto Bill, so they both just smiled. Ginny smiled vaguely as well, her mind clearly on other things, her eyes watching the door intently. Molly Weasley caught sight of her daughter and pulled her over toward the kitchen. "Come help me cook, sweetie." Ginny began to stir something lazily.
"Ron, can you show Artemis around and introduce her?" Ron flushed slightly but nodded.
"Follow me," Ron said to Artemis who obeyed silently. They went toward the stairs. Ron began up them with Artemis close behind. He showed her the rooms that belonged to the family and the ones set up for the wedding. Finally at the top of the stairs was his room. He pushed open the door and walked in. Artemis followed.
"Ron, I can't believe he isn't—Who is this?" A girl said from one of the two beds. She had large bushy brown hair and large eyes as well.
"Hermione Granger, this is Artemis West."
A loud pop filled the room. The twins appeared next to the bed. One jumped back, surprised by the bed. The other bowed deeply, his green suit crinkling. "Harry is here."
Mrs. Weasley emerged from the kitchen to greet Harry as Lupin and him came through the door. She engulfed him in a gigantic hug, squishing him. At the same time, she was telling him how thin he was. Harry laughed to himself and tried to gasp for breath. When he was finally released, he noticed that the kitchen, that had contained most of the Weasley family was short a pair of twins. Molly led the two newest arrivals into the kitchen and set them down.
"Where's Fred and George? And Ron? And Hermione? And Gin--" Harry turned around and saw Ginny by the stove stirring vigorously. With a loud pop, Fred and George appeared, breaking Harry away from his gaze at Ginny, and how she was ignoring him.
"Three coming down," Fred said.
"Ron, Hermione, and the new girl," George informed the room. Harry looked around the room, not taking notice to the other inhabitants that weren't the Weasleys, trying to get someone to answer the unasked question. "She sure is young, mum. 'Bout Ginny's age, I'd say. Can't Apparate yet."
"Too bad too, those stairs sure get annoying," Fred said moving toward the table. Harry hoped that he was right about who was Fred and who was George. Though they were both wearing the infamous red sweaters with their initial on it, that meant nothing with the twins, for they were often inclined to switch things around to confuse people.
Harry was suddenly engulfed by a bushel of brown hair. He let out a yell of surprise as Hermione latched on to him, crushing him like Mrs. Weasley.
"Hi, Hermione," Harry breathed. Hermione looked up and smiled.
"How are you, Harry? We've missed you, haven't we Ron? Ginny?" Hermione walked quickly toward Ginny and turned her away from the pot.
"We have, Harry," Ron said, reaching to shake Harry's hand. Both looked at the out stretched hands and laughed, pulling each other into a hug. Harry and Ron stepped away from each other, Harry's gaze lying on Ginny, who had turned back toward the pot. Hermione was whispering to her, but it seemed to be making no difference.
Giving up, Harry turned toward the twins. "I thought you said three?"
"We did," George replied through his bread filled mouth. Fred gestured toward the stairs. Harry looked over. On the bottom stair was a short girl with sleek black hair that curled. Harry's mouth dropped. Ron, taking this movement in the wrong way, nudged Harry in the stomach. "Ouch, Ron. What was that for?" Harry whispered. Ron rolled his eyes and turned toward the table to have something to eat.
"Hullo, Harry."
"Hi, Artemis. I thought you--"
"Were a muggle?"
"Yeah, I mean that's what Moony said." Harry rounded on Professor Lupin.
"I thought you were one too, which I suppose was stupid, seeing as you had the scar and everything." Artemis stepped from the stairs. Lupin, under Harry's gaze, tried to smile it off.
"We thought it was best for you not to know you were both from the wizarding world. I mean, honestly, they have been hiding out for years, Harry," Lupin tried to explain. Artemis looked around for her mother, but noticing that she was gone, turned back to Lupin and Harry.
"Really, Harry, weren't you suspicious at all? Moony appearing, with a loud pop, in our kitchen. Mum cleaning out our living room before we could go in. Didn't you see the jar? Floo powder."
"I really just thought…I don't know," Harry threw up his hands in frustration. Then a thought occurred to him. "Your father?"
Lupin shoot Artemis a look. Harry couldn't quite catch his meaning as it wasn't directed at him. "He was shot."
Infinity walked into the room in time to hear the last statement. She froze at the door. Lupin glanced at Molly, Molly glanced at Infinity, who had gone unnoticed so far. Infinity nodded at the two other adults.
"Food, at last," Molly Weasley said breaking the awkward silence and pushing through the group toward the table with a large pot. "Ginny, bring that over here, please." Ginny carried the pot she had been stirring and set it on the table.
"Good night, mum. We'll be back later," Bill stepped toward Mrs. Weasley and kissing her on the cheek, left the room with Fleur on his arm.
"Evening, mum. We have work to finish in the shop. See you later tonight as well." And with a pop the twins were gone.
"Is that a home-cooked meal I smell, Molly?" Mr. Weasley emerged from the door leading out of the kitchen. He kissed his wife and sat at his seat at the head of the table. Mrs. Weasley sat across from him. "How are you, Harry? And Artemis, how long it has been! I reckon you don't remember me?"
"I do, sir. You were the one on fire," Artemis said meekly. Mr. Weasley's face turned a shade that matched his hair. He murmured to himself.
"Now, Ginny, you know that I would like Ms. West to sit next to me," Molly Weasley stared at Ginny as she stood from her chair.
"Yes, mother," Ginny muttered.
Ron sat by his father, with Harry next to him. Hermione sat across from Ron. Lupin and Infinity sat near Mrs. Weasley, as she had requested, and Charlie fell into a chair by Lupin, with Artemis on his other side, next to Hermione. There was only one chair left, next to Harry. Ginny sat in it, grudgingly.
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