August was finally here and the Burrow was coming to life. Ginny was screaming up the stairs for Ron to get up or she would hex him into next Tuesday. George had already been up … since around 5 in the morning and he had asked to go with his mother to Grimmauld Place. He was packed and everything! She had told him to get Fred ready and then they could come over, but not before. Getting his brother up was the biggest chore imaginable. Fred loved his beauty sleep especially after staying up all night working on the finishing touches of their products. George was proud of the extendable ears which were still in the refining process, but Fred knew he was excited for today.
"Come on, Fredie, you lazy git!" No matter his pleas George's twin staunchly remained in bed.
"You'll see your girlfriend when you see her!" Fred replied clenching on to his favorite pillow desperate for more sleep. Each time Fred said this George was a bit stunned. Yes, technically he was 'with' Persephone. They really didn't call each other boyfriend and girlfriend, and George was perfectly happy just being with her and no one else. It was half past ten when finally Fred pulled himself together, ever so slowly pulling on his clothes on piece at a time getting a kick out of George's glare.
Their mother came back to the house around eleven to bring them over; it would be hard to apparate to place you'd never been. George loved to apparate, and now he was of age to use magic freely outside of school. He and Fred had been easily popping in and around the house scaring mostly their mother, all summer long. They would spending the rest of the summer in the heart of the Order, but more importantly to George anyway was that Persephone would be there; they hadn't seen each other the entire break. He wondered before they left if he'd let their mother cut his hair too short. George ran a nervous hand through it. It was a little late to think about that now. A dusty dull green foyer came into view replacing the Burrow's kitchen.
"Mind the umbrella stand." Their father yelled from the kitchen. There was a large portrait with curtains drawn over it right in front of them. Fred reached out his hand until their mother smacked it,
"George!" She spurned, "Don't touch!" They didn't bother correcting her as there was no one else around to embarrass her to the fact she didn't know her own sons.
She instructed them to go all the way upstairs and take the room second to the end of the hall.
"Now go and get settle and then you can help your brother, and sister when I get back."
The boys bounded up the stairs stopping on the second floor landing.
"Ey, look." Fred rapped his hand on a door with the label 'P.L.B' that was right next to the stairs before he continued up to their room. George went and knocked on the door. Nothing stirred from the room.
"Seph, it's me." Still no answer came, so he opened it curiosity biting him. There was a soft chitter from Hades who was resting on a perch. The walls had ripped paper in the process of being redone. Where there was plain plaster he could see a light sketching of a mural. The floor was covered with pictures only a little trail of actual floor to get from one side to the other. George gave the hawk a scratch before walking further in. The bird greeted him with an affectionate nudge. With each sniff you knew this was Persephone's room; paint, inks, paper, and the smallest hint of licorice that she was probably hoarding somewhere like a candy-dragon. On her desk was several Weasley Wizard Wheezes prototypes next to a handful of her notes on them. Some of her notes made him chuckle; "Really, Fred?" or "You're going to poke someone's eye out!" or "Seems do-able, but should it?". Picasso was contently hiding in his terrarium. Draped over the chair was his Christmas sweater. He had completely forgot she still had it. Over the bed a large canvas was hanging. George carefully maneuvered through the sea of pictures catching a glimpse of himself in some, and their other friends as well. He laid back to take in the full view of the canvas. It was the sky clear and blue, the clouds moved ever so often, and at the bottom edge there were tan slabs of stones. It took a long hard stare to realize she'd painted the sky from Gryffindor tower. George smiled. There was a loud throat clearing that made him jump in his skin. Sirius Black stood in the doorway his arms crossed,
"Persephone is out."
"Phew that's good to know. I thought maybe she finally transformed into a paintbrush." George laughed nervously. The notorious 'criminal' continued to stare at him not returning the laugh. He took a hard swallow getting up from laying in the bed.
"I believe your mother gave you boys the top floor." George nodded in reply before Sirius continued, "Best remember to stay there come night time." Persephone's father gave him a 'get-my-meaning' kind of look before leaving. George sprinted up the stairs.
"Well, if you're murdered at least I'll know who dun it." Fred laughed once George came up to their room looking like a ghost and told him about the encounter. "To be fair mate you picked a girl with a father that's what mum calls …a do before thinking kinda person; which of course I admire. Just don't snug in front of him and you'll be fine."
George's face immediately went beet red, but Fred became occupied with a loud rumbling that was coming down the street. They hadn't really kissed since their first. Persephone had given him a kiss on the cheek when the train arrived at Kings Cross, but that was about it. George didn't want to push. The loud rumble came on to the street below and Fred called him over to the window.
"That muggle has the loudest bloody contraption." Fred pointed to a bright red bike that Professor Burbage had called a 'motorcycle'- a dangerous muggle transportation vehicle that had high death tolls in 'collisions'. The person on the shiny..freshly painted bike, wore a black leather jacket and a cherry red helmet.
"That's no muggle." George said with a grin as the bike came to a halt in front of 12 Grimmauld Place. He tore off down the stairs shoving past Ron and Ginny who'd only just arrived.
"Where's the fire, ey!" Ron barked. Ginny knew he'd really only be running for one thing so she eagerly followed him. The front door opened and Persephone was just taking her helmet off as George and Ginny reached the first floor.
"Blimey…" he muttered. Her hair was cropped razor short and angled just under the chin. She had a huge smile for him.
"You're early! Dad said you all wouldn't be here til supper."
Ginny shoved the back of him harshly, "Don't just stand there you idiot."
Persephone took a hand through her hair looking up at him endearingly with those sparkling grey eyes, "Not too short is it?"
George shook his head saying no in his head- what came out is, "It's perfect." He stuttered a bit, "I mean it suits you."
"Yours does to." She replied leaning upward taking a hand through his hair. Persephone lingered for a minute and he wondered if he was supposed to lean in and kiss her… because well he really wanted to.
"AHEM!" Ginny coughed holding her arms out for a hug from her friend. George glowered at his little sister as Persephone embraced her. "That's yours outside? Aren't you too young to drive it?"
"It is and I am, but since I charmed it, it is technically a magical item and therefore I am allowed to ride it wherever I please." Persephone grinned.
"You've got to take me on a ride!" Ginny begged but their mother overheard from the kitchen and Molly Weasley was never too busy in the kitchen to shout at her children,
"None of you will be riding on that death trap!" when no one responded, "DO YOU HEAR ME GINERVA WEASLEY."
"Ugh….. yes mum!" Ginny shouted back. The youngest Weasley made her way back upstairs muttering how Persephone probably had the most laid back parent of them all. She wasn't wrong. Out of them all being his siblings, Hermione and well… Harry, Persephone was able to really do as she pleased; she had a bike, a tattoo and technically even had her own home just a few blocks over above a muggle shop.
"Come on." She took his hand leading upstairs. George was too embarrassed to admit that he'd already been in her room when they got there, so he let her show him everything. Funny enough she neglected to bring up his sweater. When Persephone took out her wand to collect all the papers on the floor it jingled. Now attached to the wand's end were her silver charms including the ones he'd given her for her birthday- one planet, the beaters club, the fireworks and the robin. "I had Ollivander do it, since I can't put them in my hair anymore." She put her helmet down on the desk and turned to him tucking her hair behind her ear. "I …..missed you." There was a pink tinge to her face as she said that.
"I missed you two." George replied having a heat of his own creep up his face. Persephone took a step towards him a roguish grin on her face that made his heart throb,
"You are allowed to kiss me you know." Her words only forced his cardiovascular system to convulse at a higher rate, "It's okay."
"You assuming that I want to kiss you, Black?" He tried to joke through it with a grin of his own. Persephone leaned in closer,
"Assume? I know it, Weasley."
This time George closed the small remaining gap between them. He kissed her the way he wanted to down in the foyer with his hand scraping through her hair and resting on the side of her face. The room fell away for a moment. George knew why he wanted to kiss her; because she was beautiful and intimidating, on top of that she was kind and courageous and well on top of that she was smart and funny – and he wanted nothing more than to wipe that grin off her face to form into a shocked smile which is exactly what he got when they pulled away.
There was a knock at the door that sent George several feet from her. She couldn't help but laugh allowing the person in the hall to enter.
"Ah, George, my boy!" J.J greeted. He was elated for it to be her grandfather who had seemed to take a shine to him. George shook his large hand and took the hard pat on the back, "Supper's about ready, and I have a fresh batch for you downstairs. Made a variety as requested."
George raised an eyebrow at the word 'variety'. Persephone grinned.
"Grandad and I have been experimenting with the blood replenishing potion by injecting it into other liquids and foods to see if it'll work. We decided to do cookies today. So far it's worked with licorice
They made their way down to the kitchen. Molly gave George an assignment to set the table. Apparently they were feeding an army with how many plates he had to put down.
"I also made regular for everyone else to try." J.J happily said noting Ron's envious peering at the cookie sheet, "Grandma's recipe. Tweaked a course." he informed Persephone who picked up a monstrous cookie filled with chocolate in one hand, and a plain sugar in the other. She ate the blood potion ones first, about three of them to match the amount needed.
Persephone returned to the kitchen from the bathroom just as Mrs. Weasley was levitating the last bit of food down. After the cookies coming back up, dinner did not sound the best, but she knew everyone else would worry if she didn't eat something. Her father sat at the far end of the kitchen table arms crossed glaring at George who was oblivious … or purposefully trying not to make eye contact. J.J gave her a half-hearted smile,
"We'll do better next batch, yeah?" Persephone nodded looking for an open seat as her grandfather had taken the left flank of George who shrugged at her regrettably. At the table was a brown bushel of hair who sprang up.
"Mione! When did you get here?" The girl's hugged and sat next to each other ready to catch up since their last letter to each other, which was only last Tuesday. Hermione of course commented on the bike outside since her father had seen it when he dropped her off and strictly forbade her to take a ride on it.
"You and everyone else." Persephone snickered. They easily talked about all of their summer term homework which Persephone was glad for because a history paper had slipped under her notice
"I'm so nervous for the OWLS." Hermione commented picking at her food.
"Oh please." Ron scoffed, "Those are all the way in spring term. You nervous-ninny."
Persephone scrunched her face. She didn't always like the way Ron talked to Hermione.
"Ronald if you shoved as many books in your face as you do food you'd be as prepared as Hermione here." Persephone quipped. George, Fred, Charlie and Bill bolted over in laughter causing the youngest Weasley boy's ears to turn purple.
Dinner was a joyful occasion until they heard a panicked voice of Kingsley in the foyer.
"EMERGENCY MEETING NOW!" the ministry wizard commanded. Molly instructed the kids to pick up their plates, and leave the room. Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George and Ron all picked up their plates in a hurry to follow orders. Persephone sat back in her seat matching her father's earlier demeanor. Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips readying herself to argue.
"They'll hear soon enough, Molly." Kingsley said, "Harry has been attacked."
Everyone who'd been seated, now stood- each shouting out a question;
"WHEN?"
"WHERE?"
"BY WHOM?"
"By what is the better question." Kingsley said mystically, "He was traced through the ministry using the patronus charm in front of a muggle, so that only leaves one creature to have attacked him."
"We need to go and get him!" Persephone said.
"We can't just pop over to Little Whinging and snatch him." Mrs. Weasley said.
"And why not?" Moody asked, "Have James fly over scout a path. A group of us go and take him."
"And if the muggles resist?" The Weasley matron replied. Ron spoke up a hurtful truth and sincerity in his voice,
"Mum, they're always glad to be rid of him."
Persephone sat with the rest of her friends irrevocably more irritated than the rest of them that she was allowed to be a part of the Order when she was useful, and now was basically stuck at the kiddy table. The Order had agreed to scout out the house for one full day and get Harry the next evening.
"This is such rubbish." She groaned kicking an empty waste bin. George and Fred had been cryptically working on something in the corner. Hermione was coddling Crookshanks, and Ginny was commenting on the black and white portrait Persephone had done of her- "Is my nose that small?"
"Imagine how rubbish it is for Harry." Hermione sighed. "Being attacked by a dementor out of nowhere. Using magic in front of a muggle. Lucky he doesn't get expelled."
"I thought dementors were supposed to stay in the bounds of Azkaban unless the Ministry says." Ginny said putting her picture down and picking up Hermione's.
"I don't think dementors really listen to anyone." Persephone replied laying opposite her friend still frustrated.
The group of friends were anxiously waiting, drumming their fingers, and passing the time until Harry arrived- Persephone didn't like this restlessness not one bit.
So this chapter called the Preamble is an introduction of sorts. I wanted to bring Seph and George back together, have George and Sirius 'meet' and just have a nice little chapter before Year 5 at Hogwarts kicks off ALSO I wanted to make sure a chapter got posted on Persephone's birthday which is today March 20th the beginning of spring! It is about to be busy time at work but I promise to upload at least one to twice a week. Cheers!
Lillylarlar: I liked the two points of view as well! I promise to keep up with posting! Thank you as always for the continued reviews