Chapter Fourteen

A/N:

"Who are you?" Crystal blurted out, and immediately regretted the decision. She had spent a few moments observing the woman, trying to figure out from her attire alone who she was and what business she could have with her father, but now she had spoiled her work by catching her attention.

The woman spun to face the child, her dark curls whipping around, in disarray for a single second before settling back to their perfect arrangement. Her face was lineless, her skin tanned and her clothes appeared very expensive. She looked like the kinds of women older girls aspired to be like, the women from magazines and Muggle picture shows. 'She must be using magic.' Crystal thought snidely. 'No one can look that perfect in this heat without a Glamour Charm.'

"Hello." the woman greeted, removing her sunglasses to get a better look at the girl; her voice had a hint of a British accent to it, and more than a hint of distaste. "Who are you?"

"I asked first." Crystal retorted, in a way that was more like Phoenix than she knew. 'She must be starting to rub off on me.' she realised, and had to hold back a smile, not wanting the woman to think she was happy for her benefit.

But before the brunette had a chance to speak, Harry emerged from the house, carrying two glasses of lemonade. He stopped in his tracks when he saw his daughter stood in front of the woman and Crystal could have sworn he had become three shades paler.

"Phoenix, what are you doing out here?" he asked, stumbling slightly over his words. He seemed to be a bundle of nerves all of a sudden. Crystal frowned; Phoenix had said their father never got nervous and from what she had seen of him so far, he was one of the most confident men she'd ever seen. Now, though, he was acting like a child caught stealing sweets.

"You never told me that I couldn't come outside." she responded, with a shrug of her shoulders, twirling a lock of brown hair around her finger. "The question is, what is she doing out here?"

"Phoenix, don't be rude!" Harry exclaimed, the edge of sharpness cutting clearly through his usual gentle tones. He was moving towards them now, and the woman sat in the chair stood to entwine her arm with his. Harry seemed uncomfortable with the movement, and Crystal gaped at the audacity, but still she did not budge, the self-satisfied smile seeming a permanent fixture on her face.

"Oh, it's alright, honey. She's just being curious." the woman said, tossing her curls over her shoulder. Crystal tried not to roll her eyes at the blatant flirtation, although there was a flutter of butterflies in her stomach that told her flirtation was no longer needed between the two of them. "My name is Romilda Vane, sweetie. I'm your Daddy's new girlfriend."

Crystal's stomach lurched and she had to fight back the urge to run into the house and Floo right back to the Burrow, where she belonged. She had waited all her life for the chance to meet her father and to be with him, but now, this stupid woman was ruining it all.

"I know I should have told you, Flamey, and I'm sorry." Harry told her, taking a step closer to the girl, but she shook her head and moved away. A pet name could not soothe the anger she felt at that moment; especially not when the only one she wanted to hear was Gem. The woman on his arm moved closer too, not seeming to take the hint, or blatantly ignoring it. Having only met her a few minutes ago, Crystal was still deciding whether she was ignorant, rude or just an idiot.

"There's something else you have to tell her though, isn't there, honey?" the brunette prompted, curling a lock of hair around her finger. Crystal scoffed; Vane was the aptest name for this woman that there could have ever been. She turned her gaze to her father, in an attempt to regain her concentration and not laugh at Romilda's ridiculous behaviour. As soon as she caught his eye, heavy with guilt, she knew that something was wrong.

"Dad?" she questioned, watching him carefully. She saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed, saw his eyes drop to the terrace floor. Before he had answered the question, she knew that she was not going to like his response, and she liked his efforts to distract her even less.

"Look, Flamey, I want you to know that this is not going to change anything between us." he began. Crystal frowned, particularly as Romilda opened her mouth to interrupt, although she smirked when her father turned to the woman at his side. "Romilda, could you give us a minute please?"

For a moment, Romilda looked as if she was going to argue again, but thought better of it. She chose instead to plant a long lingering kiss on her partner's lips and flash a sickeningly sweet smile at his daughter, before making her way inside the house, her hips swaying in a strut worthy of a peacock.

Silence loomed once the two were left on their own, but Crystal would not let it overwhelm them again, and so she confronted her father before the sound of Romilda's heels had faded out of earshot.

"Dad, please tell me that this is just a fling..." she asked of the man, trying to sound jokey and not as if she was begging him for the knowledge. But once again, she felt her hopes slip away from her as she saw the look of guilt and secrecy overwhelm his features, and this time, when he came out and told her straight, there was nothing she could do to muffle her cry of anguish, no way to hide her feeling that after just a single day, all her dreams were crumbling to dust before her eyes.

"Phoenix... me and Romilda are getting married."

A/N: Oh dear! Please review!