Chapter 53
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
Ron was careful not to be flippant about Voldemort over the next few days. Saturday dawned without any more outbursts from Mrs. Weasley, though she seemed very tense at Breakfast. Bill, who would be staying at home with Fleur, passed a full money bag across the table to Harry.
"Where's mine?" demanded Ron at once, his eyes wide.
"That's already Harry's, idiot," Bill said. "I got it out of your vault for you, Harry, because it's taking about five hours for the public to get to their gold at the moment, the goblins have tightened security so much. Two days ago Arkie Philport had a Probity Probe stuck up his—Well, trust me, this way's easier."
"Thanks, Bill," Harry said, pocketing his gold.
"'E is always so thoughtful," Fleur purred adoringly, stroking Bill's nose. Ginny mimed vomiting into her cereal behind Fleur. Harry rolled his eyes and looked up at Mrs. Weasley. "Draco's going to join us at the Leaky Cauldron," he said. "He wanted to see Fred and George's shop as well."
"That's fine dear," Mrs. Weasley nodded.
It was an overcast, murky day. One of the special Ministry of Magic cars was awaiting them in the front yard when they emerged from the house, pulling on their cloaks.
"It's good we can still get these," Ron said appreciatively, stretching luxuriously as the car moved smoothly away from the Burrow. Bill and Fleur waving from the kitchen. He, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny were all sitting in roomy comfort in the wide backseat.
"Don't get too comfy, it's only cause of Harry," Charlie said. He and Mrs. Weasley were in front with the Ministry driver. "Cedric told me he's been given top-grade security status until all the Death Eaters are captured."
"Charlie… are you sure you do not want to visit the barbershop while we are there," Mrs. Weasley asked, pointing to his ponytail. Charlie brushed her off, saying he liked his hair that way.
Harry said nothing however, instead stared out of the window.
"Here you are, then," the driver said a surprisingly short while later, speaking for the first time as he slowed in Charing Cross Road and stopped outside the Leaky Cauldron. "I'm to wait for you, any idea how long you'll be?"
"A couple of hours, I think," Mrs. Weasley said.
Harry's heart lifted when he saw that there were no Aurors waiting for them, but instead Hagrid. "Hagrid! What are you doing here?" He asked.
"The Ministry wanted ter send a bunch o' Aurors, but Dumbledore said I'd do," Hagrid said proudly, throwing out his chest and tucking his thumbs into his pockets. "Let's get goin' then—after you, Molly, Charlie—"
"Harry!" a voice yelled as Harry was about to go into the Leaky Cauldron. He turned and practically sprinted away from the Ministry car when he saw a familiar blonde wearing, for the first time, muggle clothes. Draco met Harry halfway and squeezed him in the hug, spinning around as Harry nuzzled into his chest. "It's been far too long love," Draco said.
Harry nodded in Draco's chest, their past argument and make-up forgotten. He just wanted to become enwrapped in Draco's muscles, noting slightly that he had seemed to become slightly bigger than last time. "Still exercising I see," Harry smirked when they separated.
Draco returned the smirk and flexed, "Need to protect my husband if anyone tries to harm him the muggle way," he said.
"Oh? And what about the magical way?" Harry asked, letting Draco wrap his arm around Harry's waist, his hand resting on the curve where his lower back and ass met.
"Well… I'm sure my husband can handle himself then," Draco said with a chuckle. "But I guess I'll help him then as well." They walked back to where the Weasleys and Hermione were waiting. Charlie was chatting with Hagrid about Dragons, but when he saw Harry and Draco, he walked up to them.
"So, you must be Draco Malfoy," Charlie smirked. "The boy Harry here kept talking about."
"Yeah, I am," Draco said, looking at Charlie's body, noting that he was a bit taller than him, with very muscular, if scarred arms. "And you are…"
"Charlie Weasley," Charlie stated, thrusting out his hand. Draco took it and both squeezed as they shook hands. "Nice to put a face to the boy," Charlie said. "What was it that Ron called you when you were eleven again?"
"Get off it Charlie!" Ron said, red-faced.
"I remember, the boy who made Harry Potter a Slytherin," Charlie said with a smirked. Ginny and Hermione giggled at Ron's embarrassed face. "Well… seems like you did good Draco," Charlie said.
"Oh Draco! There you are—come on, we better hurry inside before something happens," Mrs. Weasley said interrupting them. She offered a smile to Draco before going inside the Leaky Cauldron.
The Leaky Cauldron was, for the first time in Harry's memory, completely empty. Only Tom the landlord, wizened and toothless, remained of the old crowd. He looked up hopefully as they entered, but before he could speak, Charlie said importantly, "Just passing through today Tom, Hogwarts business," he pointed to Harry and the others.
Tom nodded gloomily and returned to wiping glasses; Harry, Draco, Hermione, and the Weasleys walked through the bar and out into the chilly little courtyard at the back where the dustbins stood. Charlie raised his wand and tapped a certain brick in the wall, which opened at once to form an archway onto a winding cobbled street. They stepped through the entrance and paused, looking around.
Diagon Alley had changed. The colorful, glittering window displays of spellbooks, potion ingredients, and cauldrons were lost to view, hidden behind large Ministry of Magic posters that held security advice against Death Eaters and other dark creatures. Some posters bored moving black-and-white photographs of Death Eaters known to be on the loose. Bellatrix Lestrange was sneering from the front of the nearest apothecary. A few windows were boarded up, including those of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. On the other hand, a number of shabby-looking stalls had sprung up along the street.
A seedy looking wizard behind the nearest one called out to Mrs. Weasley, "One for your little girl?" He asked, holding an armful of silver symbols on chains. "Protect her pretty neck?"
Mrs. Weasley ignored her while Charlie gave the man a glare, making sure the wizard sees his scarred, muscular arms. Mrs. Weasley nervously consulted a list and said, "I think we'd better do Madam Malkin's first, Hermione wants new dress robes, and Ron's showing too much ankle in his school robes, and you must need new ones too, Harry, you've grown so much—come on, everyone."
"Mum, I don't think it makes much sense going as a pack," Charlie said. Why don't you, Gin, and me head over to Flourish and Blotts and get everyone's schoolbooks?"
"I don't know," Mrs. Weasley said anxiously, clearly torn between a desire to finish the shopping quickly and the wish to stick together as a pack. "Hagrid, do you think—?"
"Don' fret, they'll be fine with me, Molly," Hagrid said soothingly, waving an airy hand the size of a dustbin lid Mrs. Weasley did not look entirely convinced, but allowed the separation, scurrying off toward Flourish and Blott with Charlie and Ginny while Harry, Draco, Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid set off for Madam Malkin's.
Harry noticed that many of the people who passed them had the same harried, anxious look as Mrs. Weasley, and that nobody was stopping to talk anymore; the shoppers stayed together in their own tightly knit groups, moving intently about their business. Nobody seemed to be shopping alone.
"I don't get it, You-Know-Who's gone yeah? Why is everyone still scared?" Ron asked as they looked around.
"Because Ron," Hermione said. "Even though he is gone, the Death Eaters are still around! And besides, some of them are more dangerous their master."
"I guess that makes sense," Ron said. "But still, this all seems a bit excessive. I mean, the werewolves and dementors still can't be working with them right?"
"Who knows Ron," Hermione said.
Hagrid told them that he would stand outside of Madam Malkin's as the four went in. So the four entered the little shop together. It appeared to be empty, but no sooner as the door swung shut behind them, then the familiar form of Madam Malkin, the owner, appeared.
"Hello! Hello," she said, both relieved and excited to be getting customers. She immediately ushered the four in and had Harry and Draco stand on the small podiums as she fitted them for their new robes.
Draco looked out the window and snickered.
"What's so funny?" Harry asked.
"Isn't this where we first met?" Draco asked.
"Yeah…" Harry said. "You were a bit of a prat."
"Still are," Ron couldn't help but put in, earning a glare from Draco and laughs from Harry and Hermione. Madam Malkin fitted their robes and hurried them out of the shop, as if she was anxious of having people in it.
"Well, it's technically our five year anniversary," Draco continued outside. Mrs. Weasley and Charlie and Ginny appeared, all clutching heavy packages of books.
"Crap it is?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling sick that he forgot about their anniversary.
"Don't worry, we'll celebrate when we're at Hogwarts," Draco chuckled. "And don't you dare get me anything."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Everyone all right?" Mrs. Weasley said. "Got your robes? Right then, we can pop in the Apothecary and Eeeylops on the way to Fred and George's—stick close, now. …"
Harry and Draco brought their ingredients at the Apothecary, Harry mentioning to Draco his grades on the O.W.L.s. They both brought owl treats for the owls, then, with Mrs. Weasley checking her watch every minute or so, they headed farther along the streets in search of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, the joke shop run by Fred and George.
"We really haven't got too long," Mrs. Weasley said. "So we'll just have a quick look around and then back to the car. We must be close, that's number ninety-two. …ninety-four …"
"Whoa," Ron said, stopping in his tracks.
Set against the dull, poster-muffled shop fronts around them, Fred and George's windows hit the eye like a firework display. Casual passersby were looking back over their shoulders at the windows, and a few rather stunned-looping people had actually come to a halt, transfixed. The left-hand window was dazzlingly full of an assortment of goods that revolved, popped, flashed, bounced, and shrieked: Harry's eyes began to water just looking at it. The right-hand window was covered with a gigantic poster, purple like those of the Ministry, but emblazoned with flashing yellow letters:
WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT YOU-KNOW-WHO? YOU SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT U-NO-POO—THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION THAT'S GRIPPING THE NATION!
Harry started to laugh. He heard a weak sort of moan beside him and looked around to see Mrs. Weasley gazing, dumbfounded, at the poster. "They'll be murdered in their beds!" she whispered.
"No they won't!" Ron said, who, like Harry, was laughing. "This is brilliant!"
And he and Harry led the way into the shop. It was packed with customers; Harry could not get hear the shelves. He stared around, looking up at the boxes piled to the ceiling; Here were the Skiving Snackboxes that the twins had perfected during their last, unfinished year at Hogwarts; Harry noticed that the Noseblood Nougats were most popular, with only one battered box left on the shelf. There were bins full of trick wands, the cheapest merely turning into rubber chickens or pairs of briefs when waved, the most expensive beating the unwary user around the head and neck, and boxes of quills, which came in Self-Inking, Spell-Checking, and Smart-Answer varieties.
Hermione had managed to squeeze through to a large display near the counter and was reading the information on the back of a box bearing a highly colored picture of a handsome youth and a swooning girl who were standing on the deck of a pirate ship.
"One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic, thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side effects include vacant expression and minor drooling). Not for sale to under sixteen.' You know," Hermione said looking up at Harry and Draco, "that really is extraordinary magic!"
"For that, Hermione," a voice said behind them, "you can have one for free."
A beaming Fred stood before them, wearing a set of magenta robes that clashed magnificently with his flaming hair.
"Harry! Draco! So good to see you two, Ced'll be ecstatic to see you're here," he said, shaking Draco's hand and hugging Harry. "Come on, I'll give you guys a tour," he said to the three.
"You go… I want to look at these more," Hermione said indicating to the Daydream Charms."
"Alright then, Draco, Harry, follow me."
Fred led them through the shop when they heard a high, loud voice saying, in a singsong voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please!" They look around and saw Colin Creevey standing on a crate, wearing form-fitting clothes that were the same magenta color as Fred's robes. "Our best money maker," Fred said. "He knows how to get the crowd excited."
"Muggle magic tricks!" Fred said as he led them towards a stand of card and rope tricks. "Dad would have loved this. It's not a big earner, but there's no way we're removing them. –There's George, and he's bringing Colin."
Fred's twin shook Draco and Harry's hands energetically. Colin waited until George was done before he said hello to the couple, smiling widely. "Did you see me up there?" he asked.
"Yeah, Colin, we did. … You sure those clothes aren't too erm… tight?" Harry asked.
"Of course not! George and Fred made them specifically for me! And they also have a matching set for my brother when he starts working here!" Colin said.
Harry glanced at George, who only smirked. "He and his brother are really good helps," he shrugged.
"And it's totally not because Colin looks totally edible in his robes," Fred laughed, elbowing George.
"Anyway, come through the back boys, that's where we're making the real money. And where we have a selection for our Elite members only," George winked.
"I've been meaning to ask about that," Harry said. "Are they products that you made me and Draco drink in our second year?"
"Ahh, The Weasleys Amorous Potion," George said. "Doesn't make love, instead it just breaks the ice. Kind of, but don't worry little snake there's nothing bad in there."
"Little Snake? You don't have to call me that, it's been years!" Harry said hotly.
"Yeah, but you brought it up—Colin make sure that boy doesn't steal anything," Fred said pointing to the ten year old who hastily whipped his hand out of the tub labeled "Edible Dark Marks." Colin smiled and kissed George before bouncing back towards the customers.
"Gotta love the boy, he has so much energy," George chuckled.
"Anyway… come on Harry, the back's this way," Fred said. George pushed back a certain beside the Muggle tricks and Harry saw a darker, less crowded room. The packaging on the products lining these shelves were more subdued.
"We've just developed this more serious line," Fred said. "Funny how it happened …"
"You wouldn't believe how many people, even people who work at the Ministry, can't do a decent Shield Charm," George said. "'Course, they didn't have you teaching them, Harry."
"That's right. …Well, we thought Shield Hats were a bit of a laugh, you know, challenge your mate to jinx you while wearing it and watch his face when the jinx just bounces off. But the Ministry bought five hundred for all its support staff! And we're still getting massive orders!"
"So… we've expanded into a range of Shield Cloaks, Shield Gloves…"
"…I mean, they wouldn't help much against the Unforgivable Curses, but for minor to moderate hexes or jinxes…"
"And then we thought we'd get into the whole area of Defense Against the Dark Arts, because it's such a money spinner," continued George enthusiastically. "This is cool. Look, Instant Darkness Powder, we're importing it from Peru. Handy if you want to make a quick escape."
"These are definitely not what I was expecting…" Draco said, looking at the merchandise.
"And what were you expecting?" Fred asked, his eyebrow raised.
"Well…" Draco began looking at a number of weird-looking black horn-type objects. "Honestly, I was expecting sex toys of some times." Harry's face immediately blushed as the thought. Both Fred and George stared at Draco for a moment before bursting out laughing. Draco just stared at them, arms crossed as he watched the twins laugh.
"You—you really think we would be in that business?" George asked.
"Too funny—Malfoy, that is too funny," Fred laughed.
"Couldn't blame me, the way you treat Colin," Draco said. "Basically sexing him up and all."
George laughed, "Well, yeah but you can't blame us, he's the hottest boy in the world."
"And he's a natural seller," Fred smirked.
"But nope we don't make any sex toys. Why Draco, want something to play with?" George said, smirking at the muscular Slytherin.
"We could try making something for you—I take it it'll go into Harry right—?"
"Stop, stop, that's enough!" Harry said quickly, his face the same color as the twin's hair. "No more talk of that!"
The twins chuckled. "All right, all right," George said. "Enough teasing for Harry.
Colin poked his head around the curtain and said, "There's a guy looking for a joke cauldron George."
"Alright baby boy I'm coming," George said. "Harry, Draco, help yourself to anything you want, all right? No charge."
"We can't do that!" Harry said, he was already pulling out his money bag.
"You don't pay here," Fred said firmly, waving away Harry's gold. "Draco! Make sure Harry never takes out his gold."
"Aright," Draco said.
"Make sure you guys head up to our flat later, Cedric demands it," George said. George swept off through the curtain to help with the customers, and Fred led the two Slytherins back into the main part of the shop to find Hermione and Ginny still poring over the Patented Daydream Charms.
"Haven't you girls found our special WonderWitch products yet?" Fred asked. "Follow me, ladies. …"
Near the window was an array of violently pink products around which a cluster of excited girls was giggling enthusiastically. Hermione and Ginny both hung back, looking wary. Colin was in front of the crowd, smiling and showing off the products while handing out samples. "Here we have Weasleys' Amorous Potion! Why settle for Love potions when you can just start kissing!? Weasleys' Amorous Potion breaks the ice between you and your crush! Only at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, the best range of love potions you'll find anywhere!"
Ginny raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Do they work?" she asked.
"Certainly they work, just ask Harry! The others work for up to twenty-four hours at a time depending on the weight of the boy in question—"
"—and the attractiveness of the boy—err girl," George said, reappearing suddenly at their side. "But we're not selling them to our sister," he added, becoming suddenly stern, "not when she's already got about five boys on the go from what we've—"
"Whatever you've heard from Ron is a big fat lie," Ginny said calmly, leaning forward to take a small pink pot off the shelf. "What's this?"
"Guaranteed ten-second pimple vanisher," Fred said. "Don't change the subject, are you or are you not currently going out with a boy called Nigel Wolpert?"
"Yes, I am," Ginny said. "And last time I looked, he was definitely one boy, not five. What are those?"
She was pointing at a number of round balls of fluff in shades of pink and purple, all rolling around the bottom of a cage and emitting high-pitched squeaks.
"Those are our cute and adorable Pygmy Puffs," Colin said as he bounced towards Ginny and the others, the girls watching him. "Miniature puffskeins, our hottest item! Can't get them to breed fast enough."
"What about Michael Corner?" George asked.
"I dumped him, he was a bad loser," Ginny said, putting a finger through the bars of the cage and watching the Pygmy Puff crowd around it. "They're really cute!"
"And really cuddly! Can you image being surrounded by them on a nice bed," Colin smiled.
"You seem to be moving through boyfriends a bit fast, aren't you?" Fred asked.
Ginny turned to look at him, her hands on her hips. There was such a Mrs. Weasley-ish glare on her face that Harry was surprised Fred didn't recoil.
"It's none of your business. And I'll thank you," she added angrily to Ron, who had just appeared at George's elbow, laden with merchandise, "not to tell tales about me to these three!"
"Wasn't me," Ron said confused.
"That'll be three Galleons, nine Sickles, and a Knut," Fred said, examining the many boxes in Rom's arms. "Cough up."
"I'm your brother!"
"And that's our stuff you're nicking. Three Galleons, nine Sickles. I'll knock off the Knut."
"I don't got three Galleons, nine Sickles!"
"Then put them back, and mind you put it on the right shelves."
Ron dropped several boxes, swore, and made a rude hand gesture at Fred that was unfortunately spotted by Mrs. Weasley, who had chosen that moment to appear.
"If I see you do that again, I'll jinx your fingers together," she said sharply.
"Mum, can I have a Pygmy Puff?" Ginny said at once.
"Hi Mrs. Weasley!" Colin smiled at her, speaking at the same time as Ginny.
"Hi Colin—a what?" Mrs. Weasley said warily.
"Look, they're so sweet. …"
Mrs. Weasley moved aside to look at the Pygmy Puffs. Harry and Draco took a step back, holding hands as Colin moved towards Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. He began talking to them as Charlie appeared, holding a box. "Fred… isn't this the bombs you used on Auntie Muriel?"
"Yeah!" Fred grinned. "New and improved Dungbombs! Guaranteed to empty a room in three seconds or less. For you Char, five Sickles for a box of ten!"
Ron threw a glare between Fred and Charlie. Charlie chuckled and looked at the box, "A guy I work with uses Dungbombs to move the dragons out of their cages," he said.
Fred gave a short laugh. "Really? They must hate that!" he said.
"They do, one time he threw it at a pregnant Chinese Fireball… almost roasted his entire arm to a crisp," Charlie grinned. Fred smiled and led Charlie to the counter, leaving Harry, Draco, Hermione, and Ron with George. George walked up to Harry and Draco, "Why don't you two head up to our flat now? I'll tell mum where you are."
"Alright," Draco said.
The three left the others as George led them back towards the back room again. They noticed a door they haven't saw before next to a box of Shield Cloaks. George opened the door and smiled, "After you boys," he said.
Harry and Draco climbed the simple wooden staircase, George following behind them. The staircase led to a plain door, which Draco opened. The Weasley's flat looked like a mishmash of the twin's and Cedric's personality. The flat was sizable. In one corner of the flat was a sizable kitchen, and a table piled with robes and other clothing. There was a couple of sofas in the middle, and a couple of desks filled with paperwork. Cedric was sitting at one of the desk hunched over work.
"Cedric, look sexy we have company!" George said.
Cedric looked up from his work and smiled when he saw Harry and Draco. "Harry! Draco!" he said. He got up from his seat and walked over to them. The Hufflepuff graduate hugged both of them. "How are you guys? It's been too long!"
"It has," Harry smiled, looking up at the nineteen year old. Cedric seemed to become even more handsome than when he was in Hogwarts. He grown another few inches, still slightly taller than George as the redhead looked at the work Cedric was doing. "How have you been Cedric?" Harry asked.
"Tired, if I can be honest with you," Cedric said. "The Ministry has been keeping everyone busy with the Death Eaters loose, not to mention the other dark creatures wrecking havoc."
"The poor money-maker," George said, "I told him that he shouldn't be working himself to death."
"And you know exactly the reason why I have to do this," Cedric said, smirking at George who just rolled his eyes. "Come here guys, look at this," Cedric said to Draco and Harry. He led the two to his desk and sat down. He pulled out a drawer and pulled open a small notebook. "I need to make sure that Fred does not suspect anything," he said as he placed the notebook on the desk. He opened the notebook and showed a picture of a ring. "Since most of my earnings was going into the shop downstairs until business boomed, I need to work more in order to get this."
"Pretty," Harry said looking at the picture. "But, how much does it cost?"
"About two thousand and eighty Galleons," Cedric said. "I've already saved up fifteen hundred."
"Two thousand!" Harry asked. Cedric shrugged and said, "My Fred deserves the best."
"That's about average of how engagement rings cost Harry," Draco said. "The ring my father gave my mother cost almost ten thousand. Then again, Malfoys are known for extravagance."
"That's… too much," Harry said, unable to wrap his mind around the thought of so much money.
Draco chuckled and wrapped his arm around Harry's waist. "Then I'll won't tell you how much I will pay for yours love."
"It better not be any more than two thousand!" Harry said, glaring at Draco. He didn't want Draco to waste that much money on him.
"Anyway, want anything to drink boys?" George asked as Cedric returned the notebook back in the drawer.
Harry glanced at Draco, wondering how he would answer. Draco just smiled at Harry. "Got any pumpkin juice?" he asked.
"Yeah," George said, walking towards the kitchen. He took the robes off of the table and frowned. "Wasn't Colin supposed to clean up?" he asked Cedric.
"Yeah," Cedric said, moving to the table and sat down. George frowned and looked at the robes, "Boy needs to be punished," he murmured to himself as he threw the robes at the sofas. "Should really learn those charms mum knows."
Cedric just chuckled and shook his head. "Just keep it quiet please," he said. He looked at Harry, "So, I heard you've done some great things at Hogwarts last year," he said.
"Ohh, yeah…" Harry said, not wanting to be reminded about Voldemort.
"No! I wasn't talking about him, I was talking about Dumbledore's Army!" Cedric said quickly. "Fred, George, and Colin told me all about it. Sorry about Umbridge."
"Doesn't matter," Harry said shrugging. "Know you're not to blame."
"Course not, so—tell me all about the D.A.," Cedric said as George sat next to him, giving Harry and Draco their drinks. "And this Room of Requirement? What's that?"
Harry couldn't help but laugh at Cedric's excitement. He could definitely see how Fred and George had rubbed off him as the Hufflepuff acted less his reserve self, and more like an excitable puppy. He and Draco both took turns as they told Cedric everything that happened during their fifth year. Cedric listened intently, smiling and laughing at their acts of rebellion against Umbridge. When they were done, Cedric laughed and said, "Man I wish I was there for it all, you sound like a great teacher, Harry."
"Umm thanks," Harry said, looking down to hide his embarrassed flush. Cedric chuckled.
"Oh Ced!" George said, smirking at him, "Draco here has a great idea for our shop."
"Oh?" Cedric asked, looking at Draco. Draco threw a glare at George and mouthed 'Don't you dare.'
George smirked and said, "He thought that we should have an entire adult selection in the back, just like the Shield charms. And I think that is a brilliant idea, don't you Cedric?"
Cedric blushed as he looked at the glaring Draco. "Well… if there's a demand I guess… err doesn't quite fit a joke shop though," he said carefully.
The door opened and Mrs. Weasley walked through, "There you two are," she said looking at Harry and Draco. "Come on dears, we have to leave now. The driver's getting to be a hassle. Ohh, Cedric there you are, was wondering where you were."
"Hello Mrs. Weasley, just been here finishing some work for my father," Cedric said.
"That's nice dear—I hope the Ministry is not working you and Amos too hard. Boys, time to go now," Mrs. Weasley said.
"Okay Mrs. Weasley," Harry said standing. He looked at Cedric and smiled, "It was great seeing you Ced."
"You too Harry," Cedric said, shaking his hand.
"Come along boys, come along. Goodbye Cedric, you make sure you and my boys visit some days. Lord knows they would never visit their mother by themselves," Mrs. Weasley said. Cedric laughed and agreed while George looked at her shocked.
Outside the shop, Diagon Alley seemed to be almost empty, the few shoppers still traveling in packs. Charlie and Hagrid led the way back to the Leaky Cauldron when they passed by a similar large group of shoppers. Harry accidently bumped into one of the shoppers and looked back to apologize when he felt something in his hand. He looked down and saw a small folded piece of paper that read "Read this alone Harry. -CW"
Confused, Harry pocketed it.
When they returned to the Burrow, Harry immediately took his books and robes and ran to his and Ron's room and closed the door. He left his stuff on his bed and pulled out the letter. The handwriting was slightly familiar, and it took Harry a few moments to realize that "CW" meant to Cassius Warrington, the Slytherin who kissed him right before the holidays. He remembered the boy's declaration of love and warning and frowned. Harry thought he would never hear from Cassius again. Curious, he opened the letter and read it.
Harry,
Sorry about the way this letter got to you, I just needed to make sure that you got the letter. I've thought about what you have said to me on my last day of Hogwarts, and went to Dumbledore. I've told him everything about the Slytherin's harassing you, to almost hurting you on multiple occasions, and the names of several students who have pledged loyalty to the Dark Lord and threatened to harm you. After a serious talk Dumbledore and I have decided that this was the best way to conduct this. I am going to join the Death Eaters, and help Dumbledore capture the most dangerous ones. I asked him how he was going to get them, but he just chuckled like my grand-dad and said something about an Order and that you would know what he meant. Anyway, Dumbledore told me never to write to him directly, instead I should send letters to you as that wouldn't seem too suspicious, with our… relationship. I'm sorry to have to use you like that, and bring back bad memories but this is the safest way to make sure Dumbledore knows of the Death Eater's plans. I couldn't find anything out right now, the others are thinking that I'm just writing to a girl, and I hope they don't get any wiser. Flint is here, the bastard, as well as two others that I honestly thought I would never see them again. In fact, I barely recognized them but I've only seen them only a couple of times so it makes sense. They hate you Harry. They all do. And they kept talking about being in contact with a student in Hogwarts, though I don't know who. They're planning something, and I think it's going to be horrible. Promise me you'll stay safe Harry, please. I still need to prove myself.
Yours,
Cassius Warrington
A/N: After being so busy because of college work I am back! Sorry for the delay, but hey now we can get the plot rolling! We are nearing the end, but don't worry there's still a nice handful of chapters left!
DawnthePretender: Hello! Yeah, Harry does allow some boys who aren't Draco kiss him, but in his defense they were all shockers for him. And don't worry, Harry and Draco are completely, one hundred percent monogamous. I'm happy you're enjoying the story and hope to see you at the end!
Guest: Here they are! Sorry I was busy!
Ben: Here you are Ben! I really hope you like it, and that this was worth the wait!
Angelcataana: Ehh, he'll be okay. Honestly, Draco is not the one everybody should be worried about lol
George: Hey George! (I recently had a crush on a guy named George who was super cute) I'm loving it that you loved the chapter! Hope the wait was worth it!
Love-of-all-Anime: Don't worry, he will
Menalanie: I love long reviews! Sorry for the wait, and let's see here. More sex scenes… basically a Weasley twins and their lovers one-shot… maybe I'll do that if I have the time. And no, sorry but Hermione and Ginny are as straight as a ruler. But don't worry, I have plans for Cho. You'll probably hate them, but I have plans.
Bella: Come on you can do it! Think of all the delicious, delicious yaoi!
Kigen Dawn: Ummm no, just no. New rule: Your reviews must be kept PG-13, about the chapter, and so clean a Catholic grandmother can read it. But there will be more sex. What can I say, I'm a gay guy.
HellButterfly92: Sorry that you had to wait so long!
