Sorry for the long update. I'm fast forwarding up to Christmas so the real action can get under way soon. Enjoy the lastest installment of "Highly Unexpected Help."
(BOC) Emerald Engagement Ring: A Fortune. Finding Out Your Mother Was Engaged To Voldemort: Priceless.
fast forward to Christmas Day
Anna grunted as she rolled over in the bed, coming face to face with the devilish grins belonging to Fred and George. She groaned, pulling the blanket over her head, "go away."
"Come on luv, everyone's already downstairs. Mum sent us to get you." George tried coaxing the blanket off and the girl up, but failed.
Anna lowered the blanket, eying the empty bed across from her, "Charlie?"
"Ran out to do some last minute shopping like every year," Fred answered.
"Come on now, gifts await," George said eagerly.
"Gifts?" Anna's brain was mush at the moment, while her body curled deeper beneath the covers.
"Yeah, you know, those things you exchange on Christmas," Fred explained slowly, as if she was a five year old.
Anna moaned, she had completely forgotten about Christmas and hadn't bought anything, "Merde." She was too distressed over the gifts she didn't even notice a bit of Remy's personality bubbled up.
Fred pulled her into a sitting position on the bed and George tapped her head with his wand, magically taming her disheveled hair and giving a refreshed look to her face.
"Over there," Fred pointed and George turned to look to the chair that had Anna's predetermined clothes laid out on top of it.
"Right-o," George whipped his wand first at the clothes and then at Anna, instantly changing her attire. "There you go."
Fred raised Anna to her feet and led her out the door with George bringing up the rear. As the three entered the living room, Anna's stomach was twisted violently together in knots. She moved to take a seat in the empty place next to Ginny but the twins beat her to it, sitting on either side of their sister. Anna looked around and noticed the empty loveseat. Quickly crossing to it, she sat seeing Ginny's beaming face looking at her. She returned a weak smile.
Charlie emerged from the kitchen, followed by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, all of which carried arm loads full of packages and Anna felt like sinking into the couch in shame. They piled the boxes in the midst of the room before taking seats themselves. Charlie slipped in next to Anna while Molly and Arthur sat in the matching lounge chairs, with Harry and Ron on the worn couch next to them.
"Everyone present and accounted for?" Arthur asked eagerly. "Good, good. Now since we have a new face among us this holiday season, your mother and I thought it would be appropriate to do the gift exchange a little bit different."
"Ginny, would you like to start off for us?" Molly asked sweetly to her daughter.
"Sure mum," Ginny nodded her head.
"Okay now point your wand to the pile and send everyone their gifts from you. Ron, you and Harry will next," Molly instructed. Ginny withdrew her wand from her house robe and did as her mother said, sending eight small packages from the pile and to the laps of the designated owners.
"I made them myself," Ginny said quickly. The boys sent worried glances to one another, great more clothes.
"Oh Ginny, it's lovely," Molly cooed as she pulled out a little rag doll that held an incredible resemblance to her, down to the matching house coat and slippers Molly happened to have on that very moment. The others found the similar doll in their boxes, including Anna. Her doll's hair even held the white bangs the Weasley's had yet to ask about, of which Anna was grateful. The outfit seemed so familiar to Anna, but she could place why.
Ginny, seemingly reading the young girl's thoughts, explained, "I used the photo you sent Mum and Dad. Your school photo, you called it."
Anna nodded, instantly remembering the day school pictures were taken. Kitty and Kurt cheated to win a bet and Anna had to willingly allow them to pick out her outfit for school picture day. Surprising to Anna, they picked nothing with frills, lace, or even pink for that matter. A dark green peasant top and a pair of flare jeans were simple and yet effective in causing a few heads to turn at the mansion. Anna had even packed that outfit, without telling Kitty, in case she had the perfect chance to wear it.
Anna smiled warmly at Ginny, "thanks. I love it." She set her doll next to Charlie's on the loveseat, between the two of them. Anna fought to suppress a giggle, seeing the matching goofy grin on Charlie's face on his doll.
"Ok, Harry dear, you and Ron are next," Arthur instructed, having set up his to drape an arm around Molly's doll, which he did to the real Molly Weasley.
Harry and Ron pointed to the pile and suddenly Anna found another package in her lap.
"We went together on these gifts, ensuring the purchase of the perfect gift," Ron said, puffing out his chest, while Harry just rolled his eyes. He reached behind his back and pulled out a package to hand to Ron, only to find one offered to his person as well.
"Here you go mate," the boys said simultaneously then burst out laughing. They swapped gifts immediately and tore them open.
Anna opened her box, revealing two CD's: Wednesday 13 and Avenged Sevenfold. "How did you two get these?" Anna asked in amazement. She hadn't heard any of them once mention music since she had arrived.
Harry shrugged, "Ron heard you wanted them so we had a guy who owed me a favor send them from the States."
"So do you like them?" Ron asked earnestly.
"Very much, thanks," Anna put the CD's back into the box and set in on the floor beside her, failing to catch sight of what the others received while wondering how Ron knew.
"Your turn Anna," Molly said suddenly, clearing away the discarded wrapping on the floor.
"Um, uh," Anna stuttered, but luckily Charlie swooped in to save her.
"I've got it Anna," he whispered into her ear before discreetly waved his wave towards the pile.
"I didn't get you guys anything," Anna whispered back.
"Sure you did, I may have wrapped them, but you're the one who bought them."
"What are you talking about?"
Before Anna could be answered, however, Ginny flung her arms around her neck, squealing for joy, "oh thank you thank you thank you thank you so much Anna. I love it. I love it. I love it. It's just what I wanted. How did you know?"
Ginny finally released her hold on Anna and showcased her gift to the others, the gift being a wall size poster of James Marsters (brownie points, if you can name the show).
"A little birdie told me?" Anna said, causing the others to laugh, thinking she had made a joke.
"What else did I buy?" she hissed low at Charlie, who flashed his pearly whites at her and pointed to the twins.
She turned her head, silently groaning at the site before her. Fred and George had jester hats, each accenting the eye color of its owner with bells ringing upon every movement. Catching her gaze, the twins gave her thumbs up.
"Great gift luv," George began.
"Smashing indeed," Fred finished.
Anna just smiled, noting how contagious holiday spirit really was, especially around family. Family, she thought. I'm celebrating Christmas with my real family.
"Our turn!" the twins exclaimed suddenly and shot red sparks at the diminishing pile with their wands. An oddly shaped bundle landed in Anna's lap, making an unusual humming sound.
"You two didn't give us dangerous joke toys, did you?" Molly asked in a stern voice as she inspected her wrapped package that was vibrating uncontrollably.
The twins looked at each other in an appalled state; hands sprayed across their chests in disbelief.
"I can't believe you would believe," Fred began.
"That'd we'd jeopardize the lives of our family," George finished.
"Not to mention waste valuable merchandise," Ron added in with a mutter, resulting in glaring looks from the twins.
Ripping off the paper, Anna gasped at the sight before her.
"Where did you get these?" Charlie asked, holding his up in display (picture the tumbler toys from ToysRUs).
"We have a supplier," the twins replied cryptically as the Weasleys warily set the tumblers safely to the side. Ron accidently turned his on and squealed at the violent shaking his gift suddenly took on. Harry just rolled his eyes and picked up the toy, flipping the off switch before giving his best friend a 'look'. Fred and George were clutching their sides with laughter while Ginny was snickering into her hand.
"Now gifts from your mother and me," Arthur waved his wand and all of the remaining boxes, save two, flew out, two landing in front of each red headed child and Harry. Anna watched as Charlie unwrapped a hand knit sweater and a book on dragons. In fact, everyone had a sweater with their initials sewed on it and a book of some kind.
Molly elbowed Arthur and pointed to Anna. "Yes, yes, Anna, of course." The smaller of two remaining boxes shot forth and landed in Anna's lap. She looked at it in surprise, "I can't."
"Nonsense hun, go ahead and open it," Molly encouraged. It seemed all eight pairs of eyes were on her as she gingerly opened the box, revealing a pair of deep green evening gloves, with a note attached, "I suspect you'll be putting these to good use this up coming year." Underneath it was a jewelry box tucked inside. She flicked her gaze to the beaming faces of her new family before returning to open the jewelry box, gasping at the sight before her.
"I can't, I can't accept this."
Ginny was leaning forward in her seat, eager in anticipation, "what is it?"
Anna mutely held up the emerald ring and quickly took a glove off to try it on.
"A perfect fit," Charlie whispered.
"It belonged to your mother," Molly explained, down sizing Ginny's bugged out eyes slightly.
"She said when you returned to England, you'd be old enough to appreciate it for what it really is," Arthur stated, smiling warmly at Anna.
"It's her engagement ring, isn't it? When she was engaged to Tom Riddle?"
Harry choked on his chocolate frog, Ginny's face paled greatly, and Ron sputtered his pumpkin juice all over the floor. A look of surprise crossed Molly's and Arthur's faces and they looked at each other with concern. The twins nor Charlie didn't recognize the name, and the three grew puzzled at the reactions of the others.