Chapter 7:
The Delacours arrived the following morning at eleven o'clock. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were feeling quite resentful toward Fleur's family by this time, Alicia was down right frustrated and bad-tempered with Mrs Weasley, and it was with ill grace that Ron stumped back upstairs to put on matching socks, and Harry attempted to flatten his hair. Once they had all been deemed smart enough, they trooped out into the sunny backyard to await the visitors.
Alicia had never been to The Burrow where it'd been as clean as it was. The rusty cauldrons and old Wellington boots that usually littered the steps by the back door were gone, replaced by two new Flutterby bushes standing either side of the door in large pots; though there was no breeze, the leaves waved lazily, giving an attractive rippling effect. The chickens had been shut away, the yard had been swept, and the nearby garden had been pruned, plucked, and generally spruced up.
The Order and the ministry had placed so many enchantments upon The Burrow that it was no longer possible for anybody to travel by magic directly into the place. Mr. Weasley had therefore gone to meet the Delacours on top of a nearby hill, where they were to arrive by Portkey. The first sound of their approach was an unusually high-pitched laugh, which turned out to be coming from Mr. Weasley, who appeared at the gate moments later, laden with luggage and leading a beautiful blonde woman in long, leaf-green robes, who could only be Fleur's mother.
"Maman!" cried Fleur, rushing forward to embrace her. "Papa!"
Monsieur Delacour was nowhere near as attractive as his wife; he was a head shorter and extremely plump, with a little, pointed black beard. However, he looked good-natured. Bouncing toward Mrs. Weasley on high-heeled boots, he kissed her twice on each cheek, leaving her flustered.
"You 'ave been to much trouble," he said in a deep voice. "Fleur tells us you 'ave been working very 'ard."
"Oh, it's been nothing, nothing!" trilled Mrs. Weasley. "No trouble at all!"
Alicia was highly disagreeable and so was Ron, who relieved his feelings by aiming a kick at a gnome who was peering out from behind one of the new Flutterby bushes.
"Dear lady!" said Monsieur Delacour, still holding Mrs. Weasley's hand between his own two plump ones and beaming. "We are most honoured at the approaching union of our two families! Let me present my wife, Apolline." Madame Delacour glided forward and stooped to kiss Mrs. Weasley too.
"Enchantée," she said. "Your 'usband 'as been telling us such amusing stories!"
Mr. Weasley gave a maniacal laugh; Mrs. Weasley threw him a look, upon which he became immediately silent and assumed an expression appropriate to the sickbed of a close friend.
"And, of course, you 'ave met my leetle daughter, Gabrielle!" said Monsieur Delacour. Gabrielle was Fleur in miniature; eleven years old, with waist-length hair of pure, silvery blonde, she gave Mrs. Weasley a dazzling smile and hugged her, then threw Harry a glowing look, batting her eyelashes. Ginny cleared her throat loudly and Alicia started snickering so that Ginny shoved her, only making her laugh more.
"Well, come in, do!" said Mrs. Weasley brightly, and she ushered the Delacours into the house, with many "No, please!"s and "After you!"s and "Not at all!"s.
The Delacours, it soon transpired, were helpful, pleasant guests. They were pleased with everything and keen to assist with the preparations for the wedding. Monsieur Delacour pronounced everything from the seating plan to the bridesmaids' shoes "Charmant!" Madame Delacour was most accomplished at household spells and had the oven properly cleaned in a trice; Gabrielle followed her elder sister around, trying to assist in any way she could and jabbering away in rapid French.
On the downside, The Burrow was not built to accommodate so many people. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were now sleeping in the sitting room, having shouted down Monsieur and Madame Delacour's protests and insisted they take their bedroom. Gabrielle was sleeping with Fleur in Percy's old room, and Bill would be sharing with Charlie, his best man, once Charlie arrived from Romania. Opportunities to make plans together became virtually nonexistent, and it was in desperation that Harry, Alicia, Ron, and Hermione took to volunteering to feed the chickens just to escape the overcrowded house.
"She's still doing it." Alicia said "The only thing that makes me seriously deny and have a go at her for it is that she's so stressed I think she'll break."
"Well, she's not always going to be around." Harry said
"She's done a pretty good job the last two days." Alicia said disbelieving. "I mean we haven't even gotten to thinking about our first stop." Alicia said to the three. "We're gonna leave here and go somewhere. I don't know about you but if we want a proper building we're gonna have to think of a non-wizard place in order for it to be secluded." she said thinking "I mean we could go to Grimmauld Place, now we know it's exact whereabouts, but what with it being less protected now…" she paused in thinking. Of everyone who had known about it's location Snape was probably the worst, and Alicia believed he wouldn't bother telling Voldemort of such a place now he knew it was empty after last year. Mundungus had already raided and cleared it out so it was unlikely he'd bother with it again, especially after Harry and Alicia had had a go at him the previous October, Harry almost strangling him. There was no one else who would willingly give up the information.
"Though for a hideout for four children I don't really think it'd be that bad, especially if we're hardly leaving or no one else knows about it."
"We can't go to Grimmauld Place, Snape will have told about it!" Hermione believed
"For what reason?" Alicia asked "There's nothing there, it's empty and probably got infected again by doxies, dust and god knows what else we cleaned out two summers ago. The Order moved on at the end of last year and didn't really use it much, everyone's too busy to visit it and there's no one there to do so." Alicia said
"But it's not safe, so many people know…" Hermione continued
"And of those people don't you believe only Mundungus and Snape are really worth worrying about?" Alicia said "Mundungus already raided the place he's probably forgotten about it, and he's such a worm I doubt you'll find him getting caught." she said shrugging "Honestly I don't really think that for a hiding place it'd require much worrying… and I doubt Snape bothered to tell them the address of the place."
"You sound like you've got faith in him." Harry said angrily
I do. "I'm logical." she responded with. "We don't have to go there, it's just the only building option we've got. Everywhere else we can think of I bet is being watched or isn't safe enough." she shrugged. "And where we go after here has to be essential, the first few at least because Voldemort will be on high alert right after our birthday. The longer we're hidden the harder it'll be for him to think of so many places." she said
"But where should we go then?" Ron said
"Perhaps somewhere no one would think of. All of the places I've been to have been recorded in the Orphanage so none of those are great choices, they can be followed. Hermione, you've probably got some good visits that can't be thought of, any idea where we should head first?" Alicia wondered.
"Well I went to a few random places only once with my family." she shrugged
"Those are the places we want to stick to while we're moving. If we go to meaningful places they'll be thought of to check." Alicia said as Harry and Ron shared a look, clearly thinking this was rather extreme.
"Can't we just go anywhere?" Ron questioned
"Sort of, but also, no." Alicia shrugged "For example I doubt the Leaky Cauldron or Diagon Alley is a place you'd agree is safe for us to show our faces in." she said and Hermione nodded instantly.
"Well we've gotta get through the wedding first." Harry said grimly
"And we still gotta figure out how to disguise you two." Ron added
"It's the day after my birthday I'll twiddle myself enough." Alicia said "You guys have such a large family I just need to be considered a cousin." she said "Harry too." she nudged him.
"I still think Polyjuice potion would be better Alicia."
"The only reason for hiding me is that Harry and I are always together, and if I do a good enough job, recognising me wont be an issue." she smiled "I've got it thought out, don't worry."
"Well we still need to think abut Harry." Hermione said
"You mean amongst all of mum's slave jobs." Ron said annoyed.
"Guess that's what happens when you've got a wizarding family." Alicia muttered but Ron's attention was taken away from them.
"But she still won't leave us alone!" snarled Ron, as Mrs. Weasley carrying a large basket of laundry in her arms as charging across the lawn towards them.
"She wants to stop us she's not doing a good job, we can talk and walk at the same time." Alicia said.
"Oh, good, you've fed the chickens," she called as she approached them. "We'd better shut them away again before the men arrive tomorrow… to put up the tent for the wedding," she explained, pausing to lean against the henhouse. She looked exhausted. "Millamant's Magic Marquees… they're very good, Bill's escorting them… You'd better stay inside while they're here, Harry, Alicia. I must say it does complicate organising a wedding, having all these security spells around the place."
"I'm sorry," said Harry humbly.
"I would be but you're frustrating me to a tee." Alicia said in response.
"Oh, don't be silly, dear!" said Mrs. Weasley at once, choosing to ignore Alicia as she sometimes did in moments where the two didn't get along. "I didn't mean — well, your safety's much more important! Actually, I've been wanting to ask you how you want to celebrate your birthday, Harry. Seventeen, after all, it's an important day…"
"Hello!" Alicia said as Mrs Weasley didn't look at her "I'm turning seventeen too, or does no one remember I exist all of a sudden." she asked annoyed
"Of course Alicia, any ideas." Alicia scowled at her as Harry and Ron chuckled at the women's choice of words, but took a breath to speak anyway.
"Well it depends, if you've got room somewhere in the house then I'm happy with a cake and dinner with everyone and to leave it at that." she said looking at Harry.
"I don't want a fuss," said Harry "Really, Mrs. Weasley, as Alicia said, just a normal dinner would be fine… It's the day before the wedding…"
"Oh, well, if you're sure, dear. I'll invite Remus and Tonks, shall I? And how about Hagrid?"
"That'd be great," said Harry.
"Make sure those twins are here." Alicia said strongly "Or they're gonna wish they were on the run." she said darkly.
"But please don't go to loads of trouble." Harry said as a cover up.
"Not at all, not at all… It's no trouble…"
She looked at him, a long, searching look, then smiled a little sadly, straightened up, and walked away.
"Sometimes I think she likes to put strain on herself, I mean she didn't need to have her house be the main base for the Order, at the exact same time she was planning a wedding, it could've been anywhere else after all." Alicia said
"I think she wants everyone together mostly, I mean even Charlie's coming home remember." Harry said
"Honestly I think he'd be safer in Romania with the dragons." Alicia frowned "But now we have something much better to look forward to." she said
"What?" Harry asked.
Alicia hit her forehead with her hand and Hermione and Ron started laughing.
"I swear, we are not related!" Alicia said strongly with frustration, only making the two laugh even more as Harry looked at them all confused.
