Sorry for the impromptu hiatus, everyone. I'm back now, and to stay.
Disclaimer: the potterverse does not belong to me.
Chapter 13
The twins, Hermione, Cassie, Ron, and Ginny were all playing a game of Quidditch in the garden. Harry and Ron were seekers, while the rest were chasers and keepers combined. The twins and Hermione's team was winning by several hundred points when Molly called them all in for dinner.
They all filed inside through the kitchen door, wiping the mud off their shoes as they went. One by one they sat down at the table. Hermione and Cassie sat on Bill and Charlie's chairs. They all stood up and greeted Mr Weasley as he loudly flooed in in the fireplace from work. "How are we all?" he cried. "How's school doing?"
"Great dad!" cried Fred.
"It's been alright," said Ron.
Mr Weasley sat down on his chair with a sigh of content. "My, hasn't it been quiet without my mischevious children about! Hermione, Harry, how are you?"
"Very well thank you, Mr Weasley," said Hermione and Harry politely.
"And how about you? Cassida, isn't it?" said Mr Weasley, leaning forward to shake Cassie's hand. She shook it politely, trying not to dip her elbows in potato mash.
"I'm quite well, thank you sir," she said.
"That's wonderful!" he said, giving her a sharp look.
Molly bustled in, carrying a huge pot and placing it carefully in the middle of the table, before sitting down heavily on her seat. "Right, shall we start, dear?"
"Of course," replied Mr Weasley, picking up the spoon for the salad. "Greens, anyone?"
"Well seeing as you're asking..." said Ron.
"Ronald! Take the salad! And serve your friends, while you're at it," said his mother sternly.
Ron sighed loudly, and took the salad spoon from his father, before placing a small piece of lettuce on his plate.
"Ronald!" exclaimed his mother.
"Why is everyone watching me?" demanded Ron.
"Because we're waiting for you to finish, so we can take the salad," explained Ginny, talking as if he was a five year old.
"Take it then!" cried Ron. Everyone laughed, even Mrs Weasley.
During the whole of the meal, Cassie noticed that Mr and Mrs Weasley kept watching her. She made sure to keep her elbows off the table, and tried to take small bites – although she had nearly lost the habit, for at Hogwarts no one bothered with good table manners. Everytime she glanced at them, she could see them quickly look away, but she could feel them staring at her. Trying to ignore it, she listened in to the twins and Ron telling their father all about Quidditch training, and how they were sure they were going to win the Cup that year. "If only Ron wouldn't get so nervous, we might actually win!" laughed Fred, slapping his brother round the head.
Ron glared at his brothers. "He's not that bad," protested Hermione, before blushing fiercely.
"Oh, no. He's terrible!" laughed George.
"You two are idiots," declared Ginny. "Next year you must make Angelina let me on the team. Please!"
"Are you kidding?" laughed Fred.
"Two girls are enough for any Quidditch team!" grinned George, before getting slapped by his sister. "What? It's true!"
"It's not the girls that are the problem, it's you!" cried Hermione.
"It's not even a sport for girls," said Fred, before getting slapped by Ginny.
"Girls can do anything if they put their mind to it," declared Ginny. "You just watch."
"I'll be working for the ministry in no time, you just wait," said Hermione. She elbowed Cassie. "Back us up here!"
The whole table was suddenly silent, looking at Cassie expectantly. "Ummm... well, you boys better show us respect, or the population of the world will die out." Cassie said the first thing that came into her head, then smiled as the entire group laughed.
"Nice," whispered Hermione, squeezing Cassie's hand under the table.
Cassie smiled widely. It was nice to be noticed.
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After dinner, Ginny and Cassie helped with the dishes, while the boys and Hermione tidied the house. The two girls laughed their way through the dishes, Cassie washing and Ginny drying. They could hear arguments up the stairs, and were rather glad that they had been assigned to cleaning plates, rather than sweeping the stairs.
After the dishes were done, Ginny helped Cassie make a bed in her tiny room, next to the trundle bed that had been set up for Hermione. By now there was no floor space anymore, and Cassie and Hermione had to keep their trunks in Percy's old room.
The boys and Hermione finally finished the staircase. Mrs Weasley immediately insisted that they all get an early night, as they were so tired after Hogwarts. This met with a moan from the Weasley clan, but they obediently took turns using the single bathroom to get ready for bed.
When Cassie came downstairs to get a drink of water before bed, Mrs Weasley pulled her aside. "Dearie, when you... disapparate in the middle of the night, do you know you're doing it?"
Cassie immediately shook her head. "I only know when I wake up in the morning," she said sorrowfully.
"And... do you generally disapparate far?"
"I've only ever woken up in the Gryffindor Common Room," said Cassie. "But apparently, one doesn't disapparate very far. Certainly no more than a mile, and that was when the person had been doing it for years."
Mrs Weasley nodded. "Well, if you do disapparate tonight, wherever you wake up, don't worry about it. Just go straight back to bed. We won't judge."
Cassie nodded gratefully, then glanced at the kitchen clock. It read nine o'clock. She thanked Mrs Weasley politely, then went upstairs, into Ginny's room, and to bed. Strangely enough, she didn't feel like she was exhausted, not like she normally did at this time. However, she was tired enough not to join in to Ginny and Hermione's whispered conversation, and instead went straight to sleep.
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"How was your day, my dear?" asked Molly, sitting down next to her husband on the old green sofa.
"Long," grimaced Arthur. "It was a nice relief to come home to a loud house again!"
"A nice relief indeed," scoffed Molly. "I had nearly forgotten how cheeky those twins are."
"But you love them," smiled her husband. "Somehow, you find it in your heart to love them all."
"Well, they are my children," said Molly. "I can't help it."
Arthur smiled, and Molly smiled back, taking out her knitting. "What are you knitting now, wife o' mine?" Arthur leaned over, peering at the tangle of green wool.
"I'm knitting a jumper for that Cassida," sniffed Molly. "The poor girl doesn't even have a proper home to stay in over Christmas. That is no way for a child to live, dear. I am glad that we are able to take her in over the Christmas holidays."
"Quite spontaneously, I might add," smiled Arthur.
"Well, it's not like I could say no!" protested Molly. "Anyway, she seems nice enough. Being in Slytherin hasn't spoiled her, thankfully. Reminds terribly me of someone, but I can't think who."
Arthur considered telling his wife who Cassida reminded him of, but thought better of it. He had, after all, just met the girl. He was most likely mistaken.
"Anyway, Both Ron and Ginny were so set on having her," continued Molly. "And I trust Ginny's judgment. Ron's – not so much. But Ginny's certainly."
"We are lucky to have Ginny," said Arthur softly.
Molly laid down her knitting, and wiped her eye. "I can't think what I would have done if she wasn't a girl," she said softly. Then, "Not that I don't love the others equally, of course. But I needed another girl. I am so glad that she has turned out well so far."
Arthur placed his arm around his wife's shoulders. "We both needed her," he said sincerely.
Before Molly could reply, there was a screech and a bang from upstairs, then a loud yell. "What have those twins done now!" exclaimed Molly, her knitting forgotten in her haste to get upstairs, Arthur following close behind.
I'm back. Sorry for the impromptu hiatus everyone. I suffered a severe case of my-story-is-so-terrible-and-why-do-I-even-bother. I still think it's bad, but I decided to finish putting it up, in case someone out there likes it.
I'll try and control my I'm-so-terrible feelings a little better now, and try and get through to the end of this one.
Thanks for reading :)