Chapter 11
With Ginny restored and taken home early to recover, the rest of the year was uneventful. We Weasley siblings could have all gone along to be with her but I was clearly not going to do that, twin or not. I figured the family needed time to be together without the snake in their midst.
Besides, the Vipers Nest, as my group had taken to calling ourselves, had only a few weeks left together before a whole summer apart and we wanted to spend every minute we could just hanging out. We all let Pria put her silly creams and powders on us, even Frank and James, though they stopped short of color.
Esme was amazing with scents. She created special colognes for each of us and put them in little bottles. She had a real talent, I told her she could actually make money at this. We decided next year I would help her market her creations so she could start saving for the trips she wanted to take when she left school.
This led to a discussion on everyone's talents. James was really good at finding things. Better than me even. He was a brilliant detective where I was merely very good. I told him he should be the one spearheading our investigations and I should be his Watson. The rest of our group looked at us funny when he laughed. He was the only one who had read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Thank Merlin for a father who loved all things muggle.
My talent was making money. I was really good at it. It was settled then. The Vipers Nest was officially becoming a group of entrepreneurs next year! Esme and her scents, Mora and her fashion, she had more charms for beauty than anyone I had ever heard of. James and his detecting Pria and her beauty creams and Frank had a knack for finding research topics that teachers loved and organizing them. It may not seem like much, but when you have a paper due and you are stuck, you will pay anything not to have to figure out your own topic and what books you need! He will make a great attorney one day!
As the last day of school loomed near I knew I was really going to miss the nest, but I was especially going to miss Draco. We had taken more and more to just hanging out reading next to each other. Sometimes just in the same room, sometimes on the couch propped up against each other. Pansy hated it, which meant she tried to get to the couch first nearly every day, but she wasn't always successful. She just looked ridiculous. And Draco ignored her when she sat there anyway.
Once, just to be mean I was pretty sure, she sat in the middle of the couch, intent on keeping me as far from Draco as possible. Theo and Blaise took up residence on either side of her, winking at me. Grinning at them, I scootched over on the overstuffed chair I was on and made room for him. Without looking up from his book he plopped down next to me and to make himself more comfortable he pulled me sideways and pulled my legs across his lap propping his book on my knees not once taking his eyes off of his book. The boy has talent.
Finally the last day arrived and the train ride home was just depressing for me. My brothers and Ginny were already home, thankfully, but had clearly tasked Harry and Hermione with checking on me.
They walked in to my car looking decidedly uncomfortable. I couldn't really blame them. The Vipers were not welcoming under the best of circumstances and they didn't like Harry and Hermione at all. James stood up to block their access to me at once. James can be pretty intimidating. I expect he will be the new keeper when Marcus retires next year. That kind of depressed me more. Marcus Flint can be a bit of a bully and an arse to people outside of Slytherin, but he protects his own. And he always looked after me especially. I mean he did bawl out Draco for missing the snitch, but he is the captain, it is kind of his job. But outside of Quidditch and to Slytherins he is super protective. Not bright but protective. Kind of like a big dumb guard dog, I would never tell him that though.
"It is OK James" I said, standing up and putting a hand on his shoulder, he grumbled about it, but sat down. I walked outside with them and leaned against a wall. I just watched them not speaking. I didn't really have anything to say.
"Err… Ron just wanted …" Harry started but stopped, clearly he didn't have much to say either.
Hermione chimed in "Ron just wanted to make sure you were OK after everything that happened in the Chambers."
I shrugged. If Ron had been so concerned he could have asked me. I didn't say this though. As it turns out I didn't need to.
"If the Weasel wanted to know how Alya was he should have asked her afterwards, not sent his two lackeys to do it." Draco came to my rescue. How he knew I needed him I don't know. He knew I didn't really like to talk about that experience to anyone else.
"I don't see how this concerns you Malfoy." Sneered Hermione.
"Seeing how it was me and not you who went in to the Chamber with her, I don't see how this concerns you, Granger." He smirked at her, grabbing my hand. Clearly neither one had heard about this since the shock on their faces did not look faked. "I can see your good buddy Weasley did not clue you in. MY best friend doesn't need you, so why don't you bugger off, and if the Weasel wants to know how she is he can ruddy well ask her himself. Or he can ask me if he dares."
Looking uncomfortable they walked away. Draco hugged me. "Go back inside with the others, Alya. Get some chocolate." He squeezed me and sauntered back to his car.
At Kings Cross Mum and dad were there to pick me up. Dad hugged me tight and whispered that he was sorry and wanted to make it up to me. What was I supposed to do? He is my dad after all. I just nodded and hugged him back. Mum looked happy and dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief.
I know they don't mean to make me feel excluded. It isn't their fault that I am different. It is mine. I just can't figure out how to fit in. I promise myself to try to do better. Maybe now that I know Quidditch better it will help. I can talk to them about more stuff. I can hope anyway. I really want them to want to be around me more. They love me. Heck maybe they even like me. But they really don't understand me.
I see the Malfoys and give a little wave. Mr. Malfoy winks at me causing me to blush. My dad tightens his jaw but he doesn't say anything. I call that progress!
At home everyone acts happy to see me anyway. Even Ron, but I am pretty sure his is mostly guilt. Or an extreme desire not to have his nose broken again.
Ginny and I finally have that sleepover we wanted and we stay up all night talking about everything girly. I show her the perfume Esme made me and the creams from Pria. She is suitably impressed. Enough to ask shyly if maybe Esme would make her a special scent. We talked about boys. Harry Potter of course. She is trying to be friends with him without having a panic attack. I told her all about Draco.
"Do you like him?" she asked
"Yeah, I told you, he is my best friend. I am sort of required to like my best friend." I laughed.
"No, I mean "like" like him." She clarified.
"Oh, no," I blushed, trying not to remember his eyes or how good he smelled or his smile. "Not like that. Besides, you know what Dad says, Malfoys and Weasleys don't mix. I can't like him like that."
Ginny grinned at me rather cheekily "Since when have you ever done what you are supposed to, Alya?"
"I made a promise to myself to try, Ginny, I want you guys to actually want to be around me you know." I said sadly.
"Oh, Alya, I don't know where you keep getting this idea that no one wants to be around you." She hugged me.
I just shrugged. This was the most I had talked in a long time. Only Ginny and Percy really knew how I felt. After that confession we went back to just having fun.
The next day we got the most exciting news! Dad won the Daily Prophet's Grand prize and we would be spending a whole month in Egypt. I owled the Vipers and Draco who were all pleased and excited for me. Draco said he would try to get his parents to agree to go for at least part of the time we were there so we could spend some time together.
The next several weeks were spent packing and preparing for the trip. Grandma Weasley, That would be Cedrella Weasley nee Black who I look like, promised to look in on the house and send someone to make sure the garden gnomes did not try to take over again. I got a stern look from my mother for that one. As if I had encouraged them to rebel! It is NOT my fault the blasted things unionized!
Last minute I got an owl from Draco saying they could not cancel their plans but that he would see me on the train to Hogwarts. He also sent a cream to keep me from getting sunburned and sunglasses. Best best friend ever!
I loved spending the whole month with Bill my oldest brother and even Charlie came for a week. I knew Charlie didn't always feel like he belonged either. Out of all of my brothers Charlie understood me the best and I was closest to him even though he was so much older. I was heartbroken when he moved to Romania.
We explored everything we could and Dad even insisted on seeing some of the muggle sights.
By the time we got home I felt a little closer to my family. We did not argue even one time and we had really bonded. I had missed my friends and I wished they could have been there with me, especially Draco, I would have loved teasing him about not being able to go out in the sun without being burned alive with his fair skin!
When we got home there was only two weeks left until my birthday and right after we would go back to school shopping.
I immediately owled draco and the Vipers to let them know when we would be in Diagon Alley and they all owled back to tell me they would try to make it at the same time.
Mum and dad seemed very concerned about some escaped convict from Azkaban. Interesting. I didn't know it was possible to escape from Azkaban. I sent an owl to James, maybe between the two of us we could figure out how he did it.
We spent the next several days owling back and forth debating how it would be possible. James' parents had books on dementors, but not as many as Draco's did. I looped him on and we had some serious debates on how they might be tricked or defeated.
None of us had any idea how this event would impact our entire school year of course, it was merely an amusing g subject to occupy our summer days with.
