In the middle of summer I was invited my Abby to spend the weekend at her house. I was relieved when I received it because Albus friends (including Malfoy) were invited to the Potter's house around that time. Dad, Hugo and I went to the Potter house at least three times a week and I didn't want one of those times being in the same room as Malfoy. Anyway the whole Slytherin visit could be cancelled yet as Aunt Ginny doesn't really want them in her house but Uncle Harry was okay with it since they were Albus' friends.
I could see even from a mile away that this was a bad idea. James (or I) would probably break out a fight and Malfoy would probably be the 'my father will hear about this' Malfoy.
I couldn't wait to go to Abby's house! Jane was in France with her family so she couldn't come. I hadn't seen her since the start of summer. I was disappointed she couldn't. I had truly missed my friends and was disappointed that Jane wouldn't be able to come over to Abby's house.
I had taken out my school trunk once again but this time I only put in it two sets of muggle clothes in it, I supposed that was what I needed, Abby parents were muggles so we were probably going to do muggle stuff in muggle clothes hopeful it won't be boring. I had also added my wizard's chess set, exploding snap and some light reading, a 567 paged book on great witches in history. And of course a lot of hair ties cause Merlin knows they're going to start disappearing the minute I close my trunk.
When the Friday I was due over at Abby's house finally came I couldn't sit still. I was forced to wait until 12:59 to start heading over to Abby's house, I was supposed to arrive at one. Mom said we had to apparate over to Abby's because if we travel by floo the Sliver's may get a fright.
Apparition wasn't my favourite method of travelling, but if it meant I was going to get to Abby's quicker and without creating a scary first impression with her parents then it was going to have to do.
At 12:59 I gripped onto my mom's arm with my trunk in my free hand and braced myself. Suddenly everything went black and the sense of apparition took over. I felt like I was being push through a tight tube, I was nauseous with the overwhelming sensation of dizziness along with not being able to breathe. The shock of the pavement with through my legs as I shakily landed almost falling into a nearby brush.
Everything was swirling at first, I couldn't focus my eyes. Slowly my vision straightened itself and I could make out my surrounding. The house that we were standing in front of was a small cosy two floored house painted white with a pink trim. Identical houses stood next to it leading off into both ends of the street. The house was surrounded by a low green hedge in the middle of it stood a pink dainty gate.
"Have you got everything?" asked mom.
"Yes, mom." I answered. "It was all there when I checked it before we left."
Mom lowered herself to my height and pulled me into a hug. That was the first time I have stayed over at anyone's house other than family so she was a bit nervous for me.
Still holding me she started saying the same thing she had said before we got here. "If you want to come home I'm just an owl away or a muggle phone call. You remember how to work a phone like a showed you?"
Before I could respond lowed thumping reached my ears. Mom released me from her embrace and turned along with me to look at the front window of the house. It was Abby, her face nearly pressed against the window knocking her hand on the glass of the window waving. What she was calling out was muffled by distance and glass but I could hear her.
"Rose!" she called out her hand waving frantically in greeting.
"Abby!" I yelled out waving back to her.
I went forward to the house pushing the gate open. Mom called her goodbyes and I asked her to check on Pumpkin when she got home and said goodbye before she apparated with a low crack. Abby was already outside the door of the house running down the path to me.
"Wow, that was so freaking cool, was that apparition?!" she said her eyes filled with amazement.
"Yes." I said. "But it not as cool as it looks it actually very uncomfortable."
"A small price to pay for awesomeness."
Abby had reached me and pulled me into a hug.
"This is going to be the best weekend ever!" I said smiling ear to ear.
"Shame Jane couldn't come." Said Abby. "Hopefully next year we can terrorize the streets together and as teenagers we'll be thirteen then won't we?"
Agreed and laughed at the thought of Abby, Jane and I terrorizing the streets of England. I mean no offence to us but we would probably step foot on the streets and be terrorized ourselves by fourteen year olds or other muggle street teens.
Abby and I chatted madly about the summer so far as came through the front door. The minute I stepped through the door I could tell that it was an extremely clean home. The house smelled sweetly of lemon. The hall was carpeted with fluffy white carpet that made me self-conscious of wearing shoes. I wished checked my shoes before I came inside I really hoped I didn't step in anything.
Abby told me to leave my trunk in the hall and then she led me through the hall past the stairs and the door to the living room. The place was plastered with family photos everything ranging from get-togethers at sporting events to Abby's muggle school photos. We entered a sparkly white room that was the kitchen. Standing at a counter by the window was a middle aged women chopping up various fruits and vegetables. She turned towards us smiling when she heard us enter. She was well done up, she had perfectly done make up with her hair pulled back by a hairband the same colour brown as Abby's. Her sparking smile reminded me of Victoire's, warming my heart.
"Rose is here." Abby said smiling gesturing to me.
Abby pulled me over next her to sit at a table in the centre of the kitchen.
"Hello, Rose." Said Abby's mom brightly taking off a colourful apron she had been wearing hanging it up on a hook.
"Abigail has told me so much about you." Said Abby mom leaning against one of the counters.
I was a bit taken back when Abby's mom called Abby Abigail. The only time I had heard Abby being called Abigail was during the roll and if anyone at school called her that they were dead meat to Abby. Amazingly Abby didn't seem to care that her mom called her that.
"She's told me all about your adventures at Hogwarts and the magic tricks you do." Her mom continued brightly.
I held back a laugh at the word 'magic tricks'.
"Mom, it's just magic we don't do magic tricks." Said Abby laughing at the word.
"Sorry, magic." Said Abby's mom. "We're still getting us to all this craziness. I nearly pasted out when we went to that… wizard shopping centre last year."
"Diagon Alley, mom."
"Yes, dragon alley." Said Abby's mom. "Can I get you anything, Rose? Your home wizarding world is probably very different to ours, so this might be a bit culture shock for you. Abigail says that you didn't even know what a pressure cooker is."
And I still don't. Abby told me tried to explain what it was to me many times and has just confused me more.
"No thanks, Mrs Sliver." I answered. "I'm fine. Your house is a lot like my house just with some added stuff."
"I bet your house is wicked." Said Abby smiling.
"It's pretty ordinary." I said. "But you should see my Grandparents house, it is so cool."
Abby eyes filled with wonderment like she was trying to imagine what a cool wizard's house would look like.
"Lunch will be in a half an hour so don't take off down the street." Said Abby's mom.
"Come on, Rose. I'll show you my room." said Abby jumping out of her seat.
"You girls have fun, but try not to break anything." Said Abby's mom. "And Rose please call me Evelyn, Mrs Sliver is terribly formal no one's called me that in years."
"Yes, Evelyn." I said politely smiling as I followed after Abby.
I pick up my trunk in the hall when I reached it.
"Fred sent me some quidditch posters of the Chudley Cannons." Abby said excitedly. "They move! I put them up on the wall and didn't tell mom and dad. So my mom comes in and screams bloody murder when it starts to move. She thought a spirit had process our house like in the horror movies. It was the funniest thing ever. Dad comes into my room every now and then to just stare at the posters because there just that cool."
I laughed at the story. By now we had reached the door of Abby's room the first door in the hallway up the stairs. The white door was covered with all sorts of stickers. Abby pushed her door opened stepping in. It wasn't what I had pictured Abby's room to be like. It wasn't messy, but it wasn't spotlessly clean like the rest of the house. Things stuck out of places, but it had the sense of being organised. She had a bunk bed up against the first wall I saw with hot pink covers on both beds. Across from her bunk bed was a half desk, half make up table covered with controlled chaos. Next to that was a wardrobe threatening to burst open, packed full of clothes. On the wall next to that were the quidditch posters she was talking about. One with the Chudley Cannons racing around on their brooms, next to it there was another one with the team smiling and waving. Below the posters was a long low book case packed with books and surrounded by piles of books.
On top of the low book case laid various photos. One stuck out amongst the others, it was of Abby with Jane and me in a fancy frame in the middle of the low bookcase. We were smiling in the photo and laughing. I remember when we took it. It was when Abby had finally figure out how to use the camera's timer in History of magic. Abby positioned it on the desk and got us to squash together and say cheese. Professor Binns didn't care as usual.
"You can put that under the bed if you want." Said Abby pointing to my trunk I was wheeling.
I gratefully put it under the bunk bed glad to have it out of my hand it was becoming a nuisance.
"I wish you could've brought Pumpkin." Said Abby.
"Me too." I said already missing my cat. "Mom said it would be inappropriate."
Abby picked up a stuffed animal sitting on her window sill. "I would've hugged him until… I don't know what!" said Abby hugging the stuff animal to her chest. "Well, there's always Hogwarts."
"I'll warn him." I said teasingly.
"Oh!" exclaimed Abby in sudden realization. "I have something to show you. I thought of Pumpkin when I saw this."
Abby put the stuffed animal back where it was and ran over to her desk picking up a square object with a greyish top and a pink back. She sat on the bottom bed and gesturing for me to join her.
"You are going to love this!" said Abby in a sing- song voice.
As I sat next to her the grey top filled with colour. My eyes widened with interest. She wiped the screen with her finger changing the whole format. I gasped at it as she tapped random things bringing a picture on the screen of a cat with a sideways triangle inside a circle in the middle of the picture.
"Is that another version of the deathly hallows?" I asked as I tapped the triangle inside the circle trying to point to it.
"What?" asked Abby confused.
At my touch a rotating circle appeared then the screen then it started to display a video of a cat with a strange meow that really didn't sound like a meow that was hilarious. Abby showed me tons of funny cat videos and showed me how to work the YouTube. We were rolling on the floor laughing when Abby's mom came to get us to come down for lunch.
For lunch we had a salad. Abby's mom was shocked to learn that we actually eat salad in the wizarding world. Abby's mom was questioning me on different types of dishes in the wizarding world when the front door opened and a tall middle aged man walked into the kitchen.
"You must be Rose!" said the man grinning ear to ear crinkles forming around his eyes. "Abby doesn't stop talking about you and Jane. It feels like I know you all ready."
"That's my dad." Introduced Abby. They looked alike. They both had cheerful faces and toothy grins. Abby's dad hair was several shades lighter than Abby's mousy brown hair.
"Hi, Mr Sliver." I said smiling back.
"No please call me Andy, everyone does." Said Abby's dad still grinning as he sat at the top of the table and gladly accepted a plate of salad Abby's mom placed in front of him.
"I'm so happy to see Abby with some nice friends, I say Hogwarts is probably the best thing to have happened around here. Abby life wasn't so great before it mean girls constantly-"
"Dad!" cried Abby unusually sharp.
"We're just very happy that Abigail is having a good time at Hogwarts." Abby's mom finished.
Abby dad changed the topic asking me.
"Abby told us that you your mom, dad and uncle saved the wizarding world!" Said Abby dad's his eyes wide like frisbees.
"Yeah they did." I said feeling colour coming to my face and an eerie sense of 'here we go again'.
"How?" asked Abby's dad amazed.
I was about to answer when Abby cut in.
"Dad, Rose has heard the story at least a thousand times, she pretty much sick of it. I told you it anyway."
Abby dad shot me an apologetic smile and said. "I know Abby it just a lot to take in and it would be brilliant to hear it from the daughter of the heroes."
"Its fine, I don't mind." I said politely.
I really didn't mind, sure I didn't want to talk about the golden trio and the defeat of Voldemort all weekend. They were muggle and weren't going to fawn over me, they were just curious. I probably would too if I were in their position.
"Well it all started on Halloween night in 1981 when…"
For the next half an hour I described in short what happened each year leading up to the defeat of Voldemort and the ministry of magic position in all this. I had to stop a couple of time to explain what death eater's and other things were. They were hanging on my every word with fascination printed on their face even Abby who sometimes help me explain different terms.
When the story was finish Abby's dad said it was worth a round of applause which was followed by a round of applause finish by Abby and Abby's dad trying to out slow clap each other.
Abby won because Abby's dad looked up at the clock on the wall and gasped.
"I'm late for work." He said getting up. "See you girls later. If you get bored make sure to come to the shop."
Abby waved after him as he left the kitchen.
"Dad owns a green grocer down the street." Explained Abby. "He runs it all by himself and I sometimes help. It's fun."
"You know what a green grocer is don't you, Rose?" Abby mom asked kindly.
"Yes, my mom sometimes buys food in there." I said.
"What do you parents do, Rose?" asked Abby's mom.
"My mom works with the ministry in the department of magical law enforcement and my dad is a manager at my uncle's shop." I said not really wanting to go into much detail as it would probably take ages.
"They must come over for tea sometime, they do sound like lovely people." Said Abby's mom.
The rest of the weekend in Abby words was a big pile of awesomeness. On several occasion Abby and I helped out at her dad shop which was way more fun than its sounds. Abby spent most time in the shop goofing around and making the customers laugh and scaring them by jumping out from behind doors wearing old Halloween masts.
Everyday Abby and I went into the heart of the muggle village and got a variety of fast food (pizza is the best food ever!). Once for lunch Abby's mom took us to a muggle tea room were we ate tons of delicious cakes and drank tea like at a tea party.
Abby's dad reminded me a lot of Grandad Arthur. Abby's dad had a fascination with wizards the same way Grandad Arthur is fascinated with muggle, they would get on very well together. Abby parents were bubbling with questions about the wizarding world and what it was like having a full magical family, but didn't constantly pestered me with them which was kind of them.
Abby parents dropped Abby and I into the nearby city twice so with could go to the movies, Abby picked two girly funny movies. We mostly laughed at the jokes and the amount of problems that could've been solved if the characters had magic. We got kicked out of the cinema half way through the second movie cause Abby and I were laughing loudly trying to reenact a scene if it had magic, but somehow Abby managed to sill her coke all over the couple in front of us who were snogging like mad hippogriffs. Before they could completely kick us out the door I managed to buy more popcorn because that stuff is beautiful.
Dad came to collect me at just after noon on a Monday. When we heard him knocking on the door Abby attempted to hide me in a closet but our laughter gave us away. I really didn't want leave, the weekend went too fast. Abby made me promised to write to her just like we had been doing since the start of summer except more and to see her in the flesh again before we went back to school this time hopefully with Jane.
Dad and I didn't leave until pasted one o'clock because Abby's dad wanted to hear about his experience in the Second Wizarding War. Dad loves talking about it especially when they asked about what he did not about what Harry did. Which was just fine with me, Abby and I sat in the living room and chatted about the strangest of things, we could barely hear ourselves over the loud chirping of the carnies in the living room. I find them annoying but Abby fines them quite sweet. Throughout my visit Abby has performed various songs with the bird chirping along with her.
Eventually dad and I left the Sliver's house. Abby watched us as we walked out the gate her face pressed to the front window waving, I waving back.
"I can clearly see that you've been having fun, Rosie." Said dad taking my trunk from me.
"Totally, dad." I said smiling at the meomry of the weekend. "I wish it didn't have to end though."
Dda smiled down at me. He held out his arm for me to take so we could apparate (sadly).
"I have to go to Harry's first pick up some auror business for your mother." Said dad. "She too busy to get it herself and she needs the report."
I nodded and grabbed my dad arm suddenly throw into the effects of apparition. I landed painfully hard on my feet. Dad wasn't as good at apparition as mom so it was more terrible experience. We had apparated to the Potter's front door. My world still spinning dad knocked on the door. A couple of seconds later it was answered by Aunt Ginny in a cooking apron.
"Hi Ron and Rose." Greeted Ginny. "Harry in his study." She told dad.
Dad went inside wheeling my trunk after him placing it in the hall of the Potter home, I followed him in.
Dad went off in the direction Uncle Harry's study and Aunt Ginny pulled me into a hug.
"I haven't seen you since Wednesday where have you been?" asked Aunt Ginny.
"I stayed at friends for a few days." I said.
"That's nice, Rose. Albus has been visiting friends and having them over too."
I did my best not to frown at the thought of Albus' Slytherin friends.
"He's up in his room." Ginny said pointing to the stairs.
"Thanks, Aunt Ginny." I said as I made my way towards Albus' room.
I climbed the stairs and walked through the upstairs hall, there was no sign of anyone. I looked in the direction of James' door it was oddly quiet, no sound was coming out of it. There were usually loud bangs and music blaring when I walked past his room.
As I approached Albus' door I was about to knock when a familiar taunting voices that made me stop.
"Okay, Okay Theo's turn." I didn't know who was talking, but I recognised the voice to be one of the members in Malfoy's gang.
I pressed my ear against the door to hear better.
"I would say…" said the voice of Theo filled with cruel laughter. "Fawcett, I mean look at her face it like if a pig had a baby with a Hungarian Horntail."
Then was a chorus of howling laughter and further commenting about Fawcett appearance before the next boy was asked.
"Scorpius' turn. The ugliest girl in the school Scorp who will it be?"
I pressed my ear hard against the door half me wanted to burst in there and put a stop to their horrible game and the other half want to hear if I would be chosen.
Before Malfoy could answer another voice shouted out.
"Weasley!"
The room filled with laughter stopped by Malfoy asking.
"Which one?"
"The one who hates you, of course."
"Rose?" asked a voice I recognised as Albus.
"Yeah her, the ugly one that looks like a night troll."
"She doesn't." said Malfoy. "She actually looks nice."
My heart stopped at this. What did Malfoy just say?
The room filled with laughter and whistling.
"I mean she… she isn't the worst looking one in the school. She's got nothing on our Slytherin girls." Malfoy yelled over the noise.
"You're right Scorp. Parker looks much worse than Weasley."
I pulled myself away from the door feeling sick with what I had heard. I usually don't give a Bertie Bott's Every Favoured Bean about what other people think of my appearance but now it swung. I knew I wasn't a looker, but was I really all that bad. I absent-mindedly grabbed a tuff of my fiery hair. I shook off the thought as I knew and was constantly taught by my mom that there was more to this world then looks and people who couldn't see that were narrow-minded.
I walked over to Lily's room to see if she was there. She always put a smile on my face. I knocked on her pink painted door which was quickly answered by her. She hugged me and led me in. Her room was the way it always had looked, like a pink bomb went off. Draped on her desk by her window was a pile of first year books she led me over to them asking me to tell her everything about them. She wanted to know if there were any tricks and jinxes she could learn that would guarantee her the place at the top of her year. I told her that hard work was the secret which she obviously did not seem to believe. I told her a bit about each book, and then we did what I normal did with. Lily pulled out her kids potions set and we brewed a potion that makes the drinker see just in one colour. Lily loved potions and I knew she was going to ace it when she came to Hogwarts. By the time dad had come to take me home, Lily and I were giggling on the floor seeing everything in red.
I said goodbye to Lily, Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry on the way out avoiding Albus' Slytherin infested room, glad not to have come across them on the way out.
