Disclaimer: I DON'T own Harry Potter. But I am getting rather tired of trying to think of a new way to say that. Ah well. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate Christmas, and a great festive season to all that don't! Happy New Year to all!
(A/N: Whenever I refer to a 'common room' I mean the private one shared by the group of friends, which includes Ann. Try to remember that. I don't mean the main teachers staffroom/common room. And I put commas for slight pauses in the conversation, where people have to take breaths, or for impact.)
Chapter Fourteen:
In the Common Room Ron and Ann were sitting beside each other on a cushy velvet couch. The room was devoid of life apart from themselves and Fiona's little Scops owl, Everest, who was sitting on the window sill chirping.
"Ron, should we tell them tonight? They should know soon."
"Yeah. They do need to be told soon, but shouldn't we wait until Fiona can come and be there?"
"Well, she does already know, but I see what you mean. We shouldn't announce it until she's there. It would be unfair. But then, she won't be well for a week." Ann reasoned.
"It's tonight isn't it? Her 'change?'" Ron inquired.
"Yeah. I hope she'll be okay. I really do wish she could be there when we tell them, but she can't leave the room for another week after tonight, remember? And she comes 'back' from 'France' on the very last day of the holidays, so…"
"Good point. But surely we could, I dunno, smuggle her out using Harry's Invisibility Cloak? Then she could come out tomorrow night. We'd have to ask Dumbledore, but it should be okay, and we had to speak to him anyway."
"Yeah! That sounds like a great idea!" Ann sipped her hot chocolate pensively. "Plus, technically once we get married, you'll be her adoptive 'father' as well as her uncle." Ron chocked slightly over his hot chocolate. "She'll probably just keep calling you 'Ron' though. She calls me 'Ann.' But then, she dropped the 'aunty' when she was little. 'Aunty Ann' sounded silly." She laughed. "'Is Aunty Ann around anywhere?' It sounded loony!"
"Okay, she's definitely got to be there."
"Yeah. You know I don't think she seems to realize that we're actually engaged. I mean, she's acknowledges it and all, but I don't think she's actually thought about what will happen in the future because of it."
"Yeah. But honestly, can you image her calling me 'Daddy?' Or 'Uncle Ron?' Not happening. I hope it doesn't! I had enough trouble convincing her not to call me 'Mister Weezly' or 'Professor Weezly.'" He smiled.
"I get what you mean. So, should we go see Dumbledore? We need his permission for a bunch of stuff." She glanced at her watch. "Plus, it's 4:30, we'll just have time to see Dumbledore, then we can visit Fiona for the short time before we have to leave. One hour before sunset, remember?"
"Oh yeah… well, let's go visit the Headmaster then." Ron concluded, draining his hot chocolate and jumping up. He put out his hand and helped Ann to her feet. She put her empty mug on a table with Ron's, then they left the Common Room.
"So Ron," Ann began, breaking the companionable silence as they walked towards Dumbledore's office, "Overall, what are all the things we're going to ask about? Just to run them over one more time. Not literally of course." She smiled.
"Ah, we're asking… we're asking about having our wedding during the next holidays, at the school, um, if we can smuggle Fiona into our Common Room to announce our upcoming wedding, and oh, what was the last one… yeah, to ask … actually, I don't think there was a third thing to ask." He finished up.
"'k. Thanks. Just to make sure we don't forget anything important."
They reached the entrance to Dumbledore's office.
"Sugar Quills!" Ron said confidently. Nothing happened. "Sherbet Lemons!" Still nothing happened. "Augh!" Ron cried in frustration. "Cough Drops!"
"May I inquire as to why you are so desperately trying to get into my office?" A voice behind the two inquired cheerfully. "And trying all the wrong passwords too." Dumbledore shook his head in amusement. "Password is 'Chocolate Frogs.'" Ann started giggling. Ron looked embarrassed.
"Uh, Professor Dumbledore, sir, we've come to ask a few favours of you, if it's okay?" Ann requested politely. "See-" Dumbledore held up one long, slender finger, and Ann paused. Amicably
"In a moment, Miss Ann. I believe it would be more comfortable to talk in my office." His eyes twinkled over his half-moon glasses. "Chairs and all." He added cordially. "An old man needs his comforts." Ann nodded, speechless.
Once the three adults were comfortably seated in Dumbledore's office, Albus turned to Ann.
"I believe you had something to ask of me?" He said gently.
"Ah, yes." Ann said politely. "You see, Ron and I are getting married –"
"Getting married! That's wonderful news, Ron, Ann, congratulations!"
"Thank you. Well, we were wondering if we could maybe have our wedding next holidays, here." She said cautiously.
"I see no problem which may cause otherwise." Dumbledore agreed. Both Ron and Ann burst into happy smiles. "Except for Mrs. Weasley." The smiles died.
"Ah, about that." Ron began. "See, we want to be married here, so unfortunately my mum will just have to get over that bump. We'd love to go along with her ideas, but, it's just that they're not really our ideas." Dumbledore nodded in understanding. "Plus she was really happy about Draco and Hermione getting married here, so…" Dumbledore nodded.
"I see. Well, if that problem is solved, is there anything else you wish to ask? You can hold you wedding here next holidays, if you wish."
"Yes, there is one more thing Professor." Ron started talking. "We were wondering, well, we wanted to tell Draco, Hermione, Ginny, and Harry that we're engaged and getting married in the holidays, and we really want Fiona to be there. So, we were wondering, um, even though she's supposed to stay in the Room for tonight and another week, could she come out tomorrow night, under the invisibility cloak, to our common room, just for a short time. Please?" Ann looked up hopefully.
"Completely out of the question." Dumbledore replied. Ann's heart sank and Ron looked appalled.
"What? Why not!" He demanded. Ann nudged him hard in the ribs. "Oh, I'm sorry Professor, but, why not?"
"Because as soon as she leaves the Room, the place she's living in will disappear, remember? It only lasts until Fiona leaves the Room. I enchanted the Room for two weeks so it would look and act as it does. And I can't possibly redo the spell just because you want her out for half an hour. I can really only enchant it like that very rarely, more than once a month is almost impossible." Ann looked crestfallen. "I'm terribly sorry, but the Room has its own power, and I can't supercede it for long, or very often. I'm stretching it to the limit as is." He looked at them regretfully. "I'm sorry."
"That's okay Professor, we understand." Ann said quietly.
"But, I have a better idea!" He said cheerfully. "Why don't you bring the others to Fiona's temporary home, and then make the announcement. You can even send Dobby to say Fiona asked for them, so you don't even have to try and get them to come under false circumstances." Ann's face lit up, and Ron smiled.
"Hey, that is a good idea!" Ron exclaimed. "Thanks Professor Dumbledore!"
"Yeah, thank you!" Ann added her salutation.
"That's fine. Now is there anything else you need to ask me?"
"No, thank you anyway." Ann replied courteously.
"Well then, I suggest you be on your way. You have forty-five minutes before you get turned out of the Room of Requirement. Bye!"
"Bye Professor."
"Bye Professor Dumbledore, and thank you!" Ann said, smiling and waving. The happy duo left the office and was quickly standing outside the Room.
"One thing before we enter, Ron." Ann said. "How did Dumbledore know we were coming here?"
"He knows everything." Ron acknowledged with a nod of his head. "Or he just figured you'd go see her before…"
"Yeah. Personally I think it was the first choice, but you never know."
They pushed open the door and walked into Fiona's 'home.' Fiona was lying on the couch infront of the fire, curled up into a ball.
"Fiona, are you alright?" Ann exclaimed, sprinting across the room. The door thumped closed. Ron dashed after her, kneeling on the floor beside the chair, next to his concerned fiancé.
"Yuh-'mmm." Fiona responded positively. "I'm good, 'onest I am." She sat up, hugging her knees. "Really. I'm just scared!" She burst into quiet, heartbreaking tears. "I'm so, so scared!" She whispered. "What will 'appen to me? Will it 'urt? I is so afraid Ann!" She sobbed. "Remy explained to me what will 'appen, but 'e is not 'ere, and I'm so afraid!"
"Shh, shh, darling, it's going to be okay, shh." Ann comforted her child, climbing up to sit beside her. Fiona lent on her aunt. "Fiona, shh, it'll be fine, I promise." Ann stroked the girl's long, silver white-blonde hair. "Shh."
"Fiona, I know you haven't really known me that long at all, but it'll be okay." Ron consoled the Veela. "It'll be alright."
"You've taken your Potion?" Ann asked worriedly.
"Y- yes." Fiona hiccupped.
"Then it'll be fine." Ron reassured the girl. "I was talking to Professor Lupin once about him being a werewolf. He said as long as he took his Potion, he could just curl up under his desk and sleep, just a harmless wolf."
"He – he did?" Fiona asked, calming slightly.
"Yeah, he did. It's going to be okay. We can't be here with you when it happens, but we'll be thinking of you the whole time, okay."
"'k." Fiona sniffed. She was calming down. Ron sat next to her, and Fiona grabbed his hand and held it. For a short while the three of them just sat together, Fiona sniffing or hiccupping occasionally, all drawing comfort and support from each other. After a bit, a clock above the mantelpiece chimed 5:30.
"Fiona, sweetie, we have to go now. Sunset is meant to be between 6:30 and 7pm, so we need to leave now. I'm really, really sorry, but we have to leave now. You're going to be okay, it's going to be alright." She hugged her daughter close for a few seconds, then rose. Ron could see her eyes glimmering with unshed tears.
"Fiona, it'll be okay. Trust me; you're going to be fine. We'll be thinking of you." He too hugged the little girl, then stood. "Bye Fiona. Remember what we said, okay?"
"Yup," Fiona sniffled.
"Bye Fiona, we love you." Ann told her niece. "You're going to be fine, I know it." Eye's glittering with held back emotion, she turned to leave, and Ron followed her. They'd just reached the door when they were hit by a small, light object. Fiona had pelted across the room and was hugging them both as hard as she could.
"Fiona, we have to go now." Ann said. Fiona resignedly tore herself off the two adults.
"Bye." She whispered. Ron and Ann left the room, making sure to close the door firmly behind them. They'd just sealed the door when Ron looked at Ann, to see tears down pouring down her face. He was shocked to realize that he too was crying uncontrollably.
"Come on Ann." He said jadedly. "Let's go. We can't do anything here. We'll just have to wait it out." Mutely Ann followed him down the hall, Ron somehow finding his way back to his room. There the two spent the night, sitting beside each other in the window seat, hardly talking, just taking comfort in the presence of each other. Towards 2am both of the adults drifted off to sleep.
With a start Ann awoke and looked at the clock. 6am. Dumbledore had said they couldn't possibly go and see how Fiona was until at least 7:30.
"Ron, Ron, wake up. Ron, wake up!" She gently shook her husband-to-be awake.
"Eh?" Ron muttered. Then he sat upright with a jolt. "Fiona?"
"It's only 6am. An hour and a half to wait. Sorry for waking you up, but I just couldn't sit here by myself." She smiled wanly.
"That's okay." Ron snuggled over to his friend. "We'll just sit her for a bit."
They sat in a peaceful silence, watching the sun rise slowly, spreading it myriad of colours across the morning sky. At some point the clock struck seven. The two got a bit of a shock when a feathery tennis-ball collided with a cushion behind Ann. They laughed when they realized that it was Everest, Fiona's tiny Scops owl. Apparently it had tried to land on Ann's shoulder and overshot, crashing into a cushion. Ann picked up the tiny creature.
"Good Morning Everest." She whispered. "I guess you want to see Fiona too." She cuddled the little owl, which nestled into her cheek. Then the clock in the Clock Tower struck seven-thirty, and both Ann and Ron leapt up. "C'mon!" Ann exclaimed. "Let's go!" They ran out of the room, Ann cradling Everest in her hands, and were halfway down the corridor all their quarters were in when Ron stopped inert. "What!" Ann insisted.
"Hermione." Ron answered simply. He sprinted down the hall and barged into Hermione's room. A few seconds later Hermione and Ron pelted out of the room.
After a few moments of frantic running, the three friends were standing outside of the Room. Hesitantly, Ron stepped forward and opened the door, pushing it all the way open.
Inside they saw Fiona, in human form, sitting in a cushy armchair infront of a roaring fire.
"Fi – Fiona?" Ann said cautiously. The girl stood up and threw herself at Ann, Hermione, and Ron, enveloping them in adoring hugs.
"Are – are you – alright?" Hermione asked hesitantly.
"Yes 'Ermione, I am great!" She announced. "It was just like you said Ron!" She exclaimed, turning to face the red-head. "It was vairy painful at first, but zen, one I 'ad transformed, I just curled up and went to sleep! Dobby came right before sunset and put out zee fire, and put a guard around it, so I could not 'urt myself with it, so I just curled up infront of zee embers and went to sleep!" A ghost of a grin flickered across her face. "I only woke up zis morning when I changed back to 'uman, because it 'urt, and zee pain woke me. But it did not 'urt overmuch. "
"Oh, we're so glad you're okay!" Ann exclaimed, joyfully, hugging the little girl. Ron and Hermione drew her close too, so for a while they were just a mass of people and hugging. Eventually the group gained a few people when Harry, Ginny, and Draco arrived. At one time Dumbledore came to check on Fiona, then left before he could be forced into the crazy hugging. Everest sat one Fiona's shoulder nuzzling into her cheek, but the most joyful and heartrending moment was when, under the cover of Harry's Invisibility Cloak to get to the Room, Remus arrived to see his little friend, and joined in the ecstatic hugging.
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(A/N: Sorry if you don't like it if I've spent a lot of recent chapters following Fiona instead of the others, but I really wanted to focus on her integration for a while, and how she dealt with her 'furry little problem.' Plus I really like her as a character, and I ADORE writing with a French accent, coz it's fun. Fiona will become a major part of the story (don't worry, I'm not giving away my plotlines) simply because she is Ann's adoptive daughter, so she needs to be included. I'm thinking of writing a story wholly based on Fiona and Remus, from when Remus arrives at Beauxbatons, to whenever I choose not to write anymore on that fanfic. So it'll be a Remus-fic. But still, you're just going to accept that Fiona won't fade into the backdrop. She may not be a main, central character, those being only Ron and Ann, but she'll be close. Also, even though I said in my last chapter that updates would be slow, I was really inspired with this chapter, and since I'm on holidays I have a lot more time to type than I expected. However, there will still be quite a wait; I just didn't want to get your hopes up with this chapter appearing straight away. Bye!)