Games Are Afoot Chapter 17
Games Are Afoot Chapter 17
Journey
Disclaimer: JKR owns what you recognize, the rest is my playful attempt to entertain you.
The next afternoon found a very relaxed trio sitting in the kitchen finishing lunch. Bill and Charlie were sitting on the side of the table closest to the stairs and Hermione was on the other side facing them. They had been regaling Hermione with stories of their antics over the years and Hermione had begun to realize that Molly Weasley had to be the most patient woman on the planet. Fred and George had nothing on these two. Her stomach positively ached from how much she had laughed today. As they finished, Hermione stood and began clearing the dishes to wash them.
"Ah, Hermione, you are a helpful witch to have around." Bill drawled teasingly. "Would you shine my boots too?"
"William, William, William…" Hermione chuckled as she shook her head and rinsed a dish, "I think maybe your brain is addled. I don't shine shoes…and I don't do windows."
Charlie barked out a loud laugh. Bill joined in. Hermione was an entertaining witch who could give as good as she got. It was no wonder she and Ginny got on so well.
"Hey Bill, do you remember that trip we took to Diagon Alley when we decided to take matters into our own hands? How old were we back then?"
"I think I was fifteen and you were thirteen. Mum wouldn't let us try out that spell during the summer. She went on and on and on about under age magic." He chortled at the memory. "I was so mad. So many others from school would practice with their parent's wands and I didn't want to be behind."
"Oi, Bill, you were incredibly worried about being number one but you were so far ahead, they were just trying to catch up!" Charlie exclaimed gleefully.
"And the problem with that would be…what?" Hermione deadpanned generating another raucous round of merriment.
"One does what one can to maintain their edge, eh Hermione?" Bill wiggled his eyebrows at her. She flashed a cheesy grin at him and returned to her chore.
"I think I could have given you a run for your galleons, Bill." Hermione bantered over her shoulder in return. There weren't many dishes and she was nearly done.
"Oh, that I would have paid money to see!" Charlie interjected.
"Hermione, you may be right, but fortunately, we will never have to find out. That year I was obsessed with making everything look easy for me." Bill said a little more seriously.
"Why?" Asked Hermione returning to the table with a towel in her hand. Bill had piqued her curiosity.
"Well, I am sure you know the type, but there were some who felt that due to my family, I wasn't up to scratch, and I was determined to prove them wrong." Bill said with a wicked smirk. "However," He continued, his eyes lighting up, "I didn't just want to do better, I wanted to blow them away and make them think I didn't really even have to try to do it." Charlie laughed again.
"So humble that one." He muttered. "Even trying to manipulate his mother into making sure he looked good…" Charlie ducked as Bill took a playful swing in his direction.
"Then why did you tag along little brother?" Bill retorted with a twinkle in his clear blue eyes.
"Ah, I really just wanted to ride the Knight Bus." He responded fondly with a knowing wink.
"The Knight Bus?" Hermione inquired, sensing another story brewing.
"Ah the Knight Bus." Sighed Charlie leaning his head on his hand, his elbow resting firmly on the table. Bill nodded in agreement. He pushed his chair away from the table and leaned back with his hands behind his head and his eyes looking off into the air as the memory came rushing back.
"I won't break ministry rules for your vanity, Bill." Mrs. Weasley said patiently but firmly. Her hands were on her hips and she stood towering over her son who was seated at the kitchen table looking just as firmly back.
"But Mum, if I don't, I will be behind. You want me to be a prefect don't you? Head boy some day? I have to stay at the top of my game, and how can I possibly do that without practicing during holidays?" Bill whined petulantly.
"The same way you have every other summer…" Her voice drifted off as she heard an extremely large bang. "Oh bother, that must be the twins again. I better go make sure that they didn't hurt Ron again!" She exclaimed hurrying off.
Bill sat at the table creating a plan. 'Well, if she won't let me do magic here, then I will just find some place to practice where a little bit of extra magic won't be noticed is all.' He thought determinedly to himself.
Molly Weasley returned to the kitchen to notice a gleam in Bill's eye. 'He's up to something.' She thought to herself knowingly.
"Can I go to Diagon Alley for a while?" Bill asked seemingly innocently.
"For what dear?" Molly responded trying to remain innocuous.
"Just to look around. If I can't practice, I might as well find something to entertain myself with." He answered as calmly as he could.
"Now, Bill, I don't think you need to go traipsing off just because you are bored. Why don't you grab Charlie and go play Quidditch? You know your father will be home soon and we will be having supper." Molly knew he was up to something so she tried to buy herself a little time to figure it out.
"Okay," muttered a frustrated Bill as he headed outside to find his brother.
Once he found him, he didn't even suggest flying, he sat him down to refine his plan.
"Charlie, I have to get to Diagon Alley so I can practice. No one will notice a little extra magic, and I can't just sit here and do nothing. Mum is on to me so I don't think I'll be able to floo there."
"I have always wanted to try the Knight Bus." Charlie shot out hopefully.
"The Knight Bus, huh?" Bill responded thoughtfully.
"Yes, the Knight Bus. And I am coming too because you are going to need a look out." Charlie looked at Bill with a glare that said 'you better not even think of going without me.'
"So, did you do it? Did you practice in Diagon Alley? What spell was it that was so important? Did you ride the Knight Bus?" Hermione was so curious she couldn't help blurt out the questions she most wanted answered. She was on the edge of her chair, leaning eagerly on the table.
"Oh yes. He did it. Once Bill gets something in his head, he doesn't let go of it!" Charlie assured her.
"Sounds a bit like Ginny, actually." Hermione smiled.
"You have just made me more proud of my little sister than you could possibly imagine." Bill sighed dramatically with his hand over his heart.
"You haven't answered the lady's question yet, Bill." Charlie reminded him merrily sitting up in his chair again.
"Ah, yes, that memorable trip." Bill paused, thinking of where to start. "We decided that the current day was too far gone to risk it, and I assumed mum was on to me, so I figured that I should wait a couple of days to throw her off." Bill began. "I did my chores. I played with my siblings. I didn't complain or pick fights. I tried to be perfect."
"Little did he know that put mum's radar on high alert," chuckled Charlie.
"Yeah, well, I was fifteen. I thought giving her what she wanted would throw her off, not make her become my own personal auror." Bill chuckled. "That woman has a gift to be able to sense when children are up to no good."
"Well, we gave her a few days to get good and suspicious before we snuck out one morning." Charlie continued the story using his hands as he spoke. "We scrounged up every sickle and knut we could find. We looked in the sofas, under beds, and well, everywhere."
"Then we got up really early and walked to the end of the lane hoping she wouldn't notice and think we were just outside somewhere." Bill continued leaning forward in his chair. "We sort of forgot that two teenage boys skipping breakfast might raise some eyebrows."
"I've seen Ron eat. I can totally visualize that." Hermione said with a shudder.
"We don't all eat like Ron does." Charlie said with a grimace.
"I would certainly hope not." Hermione replied laughing gaily. "So how did you know how to alert the bus that you wanted to get on?"
"I read in one of mum's magazines about how it worked. They had some big spread on how it was safe and quick and convenient or some such rubbish." Bill said waving one hand in the air disdainfully. "I held out my wand and BANG it was there."
"I think the sound could have woken Merlin from his grave. I thought for sure we had blown the statute of secrecy and every muggle in town would know about us." Charlie laughed.
"It was so loud. We barely got on—hadn't reached our seats yet mind you—and we were off like a shot." Bill said, laughing so hard his eyes were tearing.
"I slammed into the back window to see mum running out the front door in her nightdress, her wand in hand and a look of fury on her face…" Charlie's eyes were amused as the picture flashed through his mind.
"Aye, so our big secret escape, wasn't so secret, but we decided to forge ahead." Bill's eyes danced with excitement. "We just didn't plan thoroughly enough to remember that Diagon Alley wouldn't be ready or busy at six in the morning." He said with fake seriousness.
Hermione cracked up. "Yes, I can imagine your surprise to get there and find everything closed."
"You would think, being at the top of my class, that I would have worked that out, yes." Bill replied dryly.
"So what did you do?" Hermione inquired as she relaxed back into her seat.
"I practiced my spell. I figured there were no witnesses, so I could practice and we could be home before anyone was the wiser." Bill shrugged.
"You didn't." Hermione's face showed her incredulousness at their stupidity.
"Afraid he did actually." Smirked Charlie.
"I did," nodded Bill. He looked as if her were a little boy trying to be grown up. It was an adorable expression.
"Which spell was it?" Hermione asked with an innate sense that this was going to be a good answer.
"Reducto" They both solemnly said at the same time.
"NO!" Hermione exclaimed her lips twitching. The boys just both nodded, smiles growing on their faces until they erupted in laughter at the memory. Hermione joined in imagining all the destruction that they probably caused.
"I had never actually done it before—only read about it." Bill smiled slyly.
"He apparently had a natural aptitude for it." Charlie chimed in. "Nothing but dust left."
"Nothing but dust." Bill repeated wistfully shaking his head.
Hermione snorted. "Sounds like Ginny."
Bill and Charlie gaped at her.
"What?" She asked innocently, blushing slightly that they were staring so intently at her.
"Ginny can do a reductor curse already?" Bill choked out.
"Honestly! She is not a little child anymore. Of course, she can do it. Harry has been teaching it to the entire---" she silenced herself before she spilled the beans.
"So you really did go through with it." Charlie commented eyeing Hermione with respect.
"The DADA group they were plotting?" Bill asked Charlie who nodded in return but not removing his eyes from Hermione's gaze. Her eyes bored into his.
"Honestly, it can't be much of a secret if everyone seems to know about it!" Hermione replied indignantly.
"Don't worry, we wouldn't dream of ruining your fun." Bill said.
"So Ginny is pretty good, eh?" Charlie asked.
"Oh, yeah, she's watched you boys much more than you realize. I think if I were you, I'd be scared of my baby sister." Hermione chuckled waving an elegant finger at the two of them. "Even Fred and George wouldn't know what hit them if she got in a mind to wreak some havoc."
"You mean something besides her bat bogey hex?" Bill inquired. Had he really been gone so long that his baby sister was all grown up and cursing things?
"That may be her signature hex, but it's far from the only one in her repertoire." She answered with a knowing look. "But please, tell me more about yours."
Bill's mind was still stuck on his little sisters advanced magical abilities, but he slowly drifted his thoughts back to the story he had been telling. "Me, well, uh, oh yeah. There was no one around when we got there. It was still really early. I, we," He looked at Charlie animatedly, "were still keyed up from our ride over."
"It was so fun, we still ride it a couple times a year just for kicks!" Charlie interjected.
"Yeah we do. Like those muggle amusement park rides...It's a blast!" Bill looked lost in the memory for a moment. "But, anyway, we got there and we were alone so I figured why not. We walked around a bit to find something I could reduce."
"We decided on the sign in front of the Magical Menagerie creature shop." Charlie inserted.
"That was definitely Charlie's idea." Bill laughed. "It wasn't a good place for me to start."
"You know how their sign hangs sideways over the sidewalk instead of flush to the building?" Charlie asked and Hermione nodded.
"I sort of aimed at the edge of it instead of the face." Bill shrugged sheepishly.
"But that's right in front of the window with the—"Hermione gasped as she realized that Bill, unless he was an incredibly good aim, would have been right in front of the store's display window. The enormous, plate glass, display window of the shop that showcased the most popular animals for sale. Her eyes were huge as she looked at them to continue.
"Nothing but dust." They answered her together.
"Chaos reigned after that, what with all the kneazles, cats, frogs, and such now roaming Diagon Alley." Charlie continued. "But that wasn't the worst of it."
Hermione's mouth hung open. "Oh dear, what did you do?"
"Mum." Bill said quietly.
"She figured it was us on the Knight Bus, so shortly after we left, she waved her wand and demanded to know where it had taken us. She then flooed to the Leaky Cauldron." Charlie said flinching at the memory.
"It sounded like a hundred howlers coming at us. I had never seen her so angry." Bill shuddered.
"As soon as she finished shouting, it was deathly quiet." Charlie said fighting the smile that was tugging the corners of his mouth up.
"And then this cat came up to mum and sat there staring at her." Bill chuckled fighting down the laugh.
"MEOW!" Bill and Charlie both yelled and slammed their hands forcefully down on the table causing Hermione to jump up and back completely missing her chair and landing in an ungraceful heap on the floor. They stood up and peered at her over the table.
Bill and Charlie were in hysterics, clutching at their sides. Hermione thought it was funny now too, but not nearly as funny as they did.
"Mum" gasped Bill, "Had a very similar reaction." He wheezed with uncontrolled laughter as he pointed at Hermione sprawled on the floor.
"I had never heard such a loud cat in my life!" Charlie blurted out. "I swear mum jumped ten feet straight in the air and landed unceremoniously on her…uh…not on her feet. Lucky for us she has a sense of humor." Bill nodded appreciatively as they all returned to their seats.
"So she marched us home—by floo mind you—and we spent the rest of the summer degnoming the garden. I swear the woman bribed those gnomes to come back every night just to torture us." Bill said still chuckling every couple of breaths.
Charlie was looking at Hermione with a gleam in his eye. Hermione was suddenly very, very nervous. "Hey, Bill." Charlie called.
Bill looked at Charlie and noticed the look in his eyes. "Got an idea, have you?"
"I don't think our lovely young guest has ever had the opportunity to ride the Knight Bus, do you?"
"Oh, no." Hermione began to shake her head and standing to back away from the table.
"I don't suppose she has. Shame isn't it." Bill shook his head in mock sympathy.
"We can't have her living her life without such an experience now can we?" Charlie continued merrily.
"I just wouldn't feel right if we didn't make sure her education was…well rounded, shall we say." Bill was smiling at Hermione but it reminded her of a very similar look she had seen in Fred's eye.
Two hours later, she was sandwiched in between Charlie and Bill as Bill raised his wand.
BANG!
Just like Bill had described, the Knight Bus popped up right near them. The door squeaked open and Stan Shunpike greeted Bill and Charlie like old friends.
"Oi Boys! Good to see you again! Leaky Cauldron like always?" Stan asked cheerily waving them aboard. Hermione followed Charlie up the stairs and onto the bus while Bill lingered to pay the fare.
"Here's an extra galleon," Bill said winking at Stan and Ern, "take the long windy way around will ya?"
"Will do!" responded Ern with gusto.
Charlie had led Hermione to the second deck of the bus and had her sit next to him on the bench seat at the back. Bill soon joined them sitting confidently on Hermione's other side.
BANG!!
Hermione's head jerked back and hit the back window solidly. Charlie winced and placed his arm across the back of the seat to cushion any further blows. The bus zigged and zagged wildly. Hermione found herself sliding and crashing into her seatmates regularly. She had been to amusement parks before, and she felt like this ride would surpass any other she had experienced. After a few minutes, she figured out how to brace herself as well as she could and began to enjoy the ride.
By the time they had reached The Leaky Cauldron, they were all laughing.
"That was so much fun!" Hermione exclaimed with a sigh and she climbed down and out the door of the bus to the sidewalk.
"Best ride yet." Charlie agreed. He thought it was much more fun with Hermione as a cushion between him and Bill.
"Definitely top ten." Agreed Bill. Soon they found themselves alone on the empty sidewalk. "Shall we apparate from Diagon Alley?" Bill suggested as he led his way into the pub.
Charlie and Hermione followed right behind him. When they reached the apparition point, Bill asked, "Who wants to go first?"
"You go ahead, Bill, I'll bring her along in three minutes." Charlie casually replied.
"Yeah, you get the girl, I get the bags. Just call me a house elf." He muttered jovially under his breath.
Hermione began to respond but Charlie stopped her. "He's just teasing. He's leaving now." Bill smiled before he turned and with a small POP he was gone.
Charlie looked at Hermione. "I have really enjoyed the last couple of days Hermione. You are a lot of fun to be around."
"Thanks, Charlie. It's been fun for me too. Are you going to be staying at the safe house?"
"No, Bill and I usually stay at The Burrow, but I'll be around. I have to go back to Romania soon, but I'll take as much of mum's cooking and your company as I can get before I do."
Hermione blushed and looked at her shoes, unsure of what to say to such a declaration. She was thrilled but shivery. Charlie just seemed to have that effect on her every time she was in close proximity to him.
"You ready?" Charlie asked her.
She nodded and he pulled her close into the now familiar embrace to apparate her to safety. She loved how it felt; how he felt with his arms protectively around her.