Five
"The Malfoy Effect"
It's the Weasley-Malfoy family's last day in Sydney. This afternoon they had a scheduled portkey that would take them home to New York. Draco had to head back to work and they would land in time to live December 26 all over again.
Draco was sulking in his room, Ginny walked out last night and she and Liam went off somewhere and he hasn't seen them since.
(***)
A white car with taxi painted across the hood in big green letters pulled up in front of the Peterson house. After a couple moments the back door opened and Ginny and Liam climbed out. Neither of them had been to the Peterson's home before so they didn't have a clear point to apparate to.
There was a gate at the end of the driveway, Liam pushed the bell. There was a buzzing nose and then a click. He opened the gate and allowed his mother to go in first.
They walked the path along the plush green lawn. It was so green and healthy looking it made you want to take off your shoes and run your feet through it. The bushes were perfectly manicured and the garden full of tropical colorful flowers.
When they got to the front door, Ginny pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head as Liam ran the bell.
"Hello," Mr. and Mrs. Peterson said politely as they answered the door to their home together.
"Come in," Mr. Peterson waved them into the house.
"Hi, it's nice to see you both again," Ginny smiled.
"No Mr. Malfoy," wondered Mrs. Peterson.
"No, he was sorry he couldn't make it," Ginny lied, "he had to head back to New York for work. Liam told us too late to shift plans but he and I are going to take a later portkey." It was so natural no one would have guessed they didn't bother to invite him.
"We're sorry to hear it."
"Thank you for inviting us. These are for you," she gestured for Liam to hand over the flowers and champagne.
"Thank you," Mr. Peterson said, "we can make mimosas. How are you Liam?"
"I'm well thank you, and you," he shook his hand.
"I'm great thanks. Come on in," they led them out of the foyer into the living room. "Elianna just went to drop her Grandparents back at home. Have a seat and I will make some drinks."
"You have a lovely home," Liam said looking around the living room. It was bright and airy. You could tell that it was decorated to be attractive yet homey.
"Thank you," Mrs. Peterson said politely. "This is where Elianna has grown up and…"
They all looked towards the window when they heard a car screech into the driveway.
Elianna ran up the stairs from the driveway and across the lawn onto the deck. She entered the living room from the patio doors. Liam immediately stood at her presence.
"I am so sorry," she began flustered. She went over to Liam and kissed him on the cheek, "Mrs. Weasley-Malfoy it's lovely to see you," she shook her hand before sitting down next to Liam.
"It's nice to see you too. No worries," Ginny assured her, "we've only been here a few minutes."
"Nyanya and Babu made me do a bunch of stuff before they let me leave," she sighed.
Mr. Peterson placed a tray of mimosas on the coffee table.
"Ooo Orange juice," she reached for a glass.
"It has champagne in it," Liam said and she put the glass back down.
"Perhaps later… Swim team tryouts begin tomorrow," she explained to Ginny. "Alcohol is not good for the game."
"Oh you're going out for the swim team," Ginny asked pleasantly.
"Yes, I've been on the team for three years but we have to retry out each year."
"She also plays field hockey," chimed in Liam.
"Athletic girls are the best," smiled Ginny.
"I agree," cheered Mr. Peterson.
"He's just happy that although we had a girl he has sporting events to attend and can put one of those team billboards on the front lawn," chuckled Mrs. Peterson.
"She's talented and I'm proud!" Every fall during Field Hockey season he puts her team billboard out front.
"So Liam do you play Quidditch?" Mrs. Peterson asked.
"No I don't, no organized sports for me. I run for health and I fly horses for fun."
"You never wanted to fly horses competitively," Wondered Mr. Peterson
"No, I just enjoy doing it." He wasn't competitive by nature and he really didn't enjoy the spotlight, so he pretty much shied away from any group activity.
Silence over took the room, this was worse than the ballet. They were supposed to have lunch and sitting around the table quietly didn't really seem all that appealing.
Liam was nervous about today and he knew Elianna was. She said it and she was sitting so close to him, he could feel every shake, wince, and nervous twitch.
His hand was resting on his leg; he turned it over and opened it. Elianna placed her hand in it and he interlocked their fingers.
"Um," Ginny made the first peep, "… how did you two meet? You surprised us with your relationship, we never got to find out if there's a cute story."
"It's actually not cute," smiled Elianna.
"It actually was quite pathetic," Liam could feel himself blushing, "at least on my end."
"It was but I liked it," she laughed. "We met at Chauncey's well in front of Chauncey's. He thought he was talking to himself but he was really talking out loud."
Ginny laughed.
"How did you and Mr. Malfoy meet," Elianna asked politely.
"We met at school, Hogwarts. We got together after that, we ran into each other and then he started following me around. I agreed to go out with him just to make him stop," she sort of lied. She smiled slightly thinking back to the days she couldn't stand him. At the moment she still couldn't but she was so in love with him it didn't really matter.
"What about you guys," Liam looked to the Peterson's. He couldn't tell if they were okay with this or not.
"We met at school as well. Grad school," Yvonne answered, "We were paired up for an assignment in a business class."
"What were you studying," Liam carried on with the pleasantries.
"Economics, all of my post graduate work is in economics."
"I was studying business. Are you planning on continuing your education," Robert asked Liam. This wasn't really what they were thinking for today. They were hoping to get everyone together and have a forward conversation about the situation. But Mrs. Malfoy was being a delightful guest and it no longer seemed appropriate.
It didn't matter that she was alright, she was part of a unit and he didn't want his daughter attached to it.
"Maybe," Liam took the conversation there. Now he was in the hot seat, "I'm undecided."
"You're done with school in June," he went on.
"Yes I am… which is why I am trying to figure that out."
"You guys should see the snow globes that Liam made," Elianna changed the subject.
If she didn't her father would probably say something about how she was heading places; with all of her academic and future plans and he has absolutely no direction. "The artwork is so intricate."
"He gave you one for Christmas," inquired Ginny.
"No, I got the prototype… I mentioned that I've never seen snow when he was working on them. So he did one of us in a winter wonderland."She smiled and squeezed his hand, "I would go get it so you all can see, but I'm afraid of what will happen when I leave the room," she looked her father square in the eye. "It would be a shame to not be hospitable to invited guests."
Ginny kept her smile to herself; she kind of liked this girl.
(***)
"Thank you for having us over," Ginny said to Elianna as she walked them down the front path.
"It was my pleasure; it was nice getting to meet you."
"Well thank your parents for me again and if you're ever in New York or… London we'll have to have you over."
"That would be nice thanks."
"Li I'm just going to pop back, remember our portkey is at 3:30," Ginny exited through the front gate and disappeared into thin air.
"Your face looks surprisingly unrugged," Elianna reached up and touched where there was a cut yesterday. He winced, "glamour?"
"Yeah, I didn't think it would appropriate to show up in my current state."
Elianna nodded in understanding. "Going forward, how about when you think we should make some big changes in our relationship you talk to me about it in advance."
He laughed, "Alright."
"I'm serious even if you're just thinking about it," she insisted.
"I understand, I will not take any more big liberties without talking to you first," Liam assured her.
"Or small ones"
"Or small ones," he raised his right hand, "I swear I will never do anything like this again."
"Thank you"
"So this is it," Liam sighed.
"Yeah, it was great getting to see you until who knows when," she hated saying goodbye to him. Especially when it was in person, it was hard on the phone but this was excruciating.
"I'll talk to my mother about school formal, so probably then... Love I'm truly sorry about everything that happened this Christmas and despite the calamity I am so happy that everyone knows you're my girl."
She smiled weakly, "I'm trying to not have this be a tearful goodbye but when you say things like that."
"No need for tears we will see each other soon. As soon as I land I'm going to call you and I expect a full report after your try out tomorrow."
"I will do that; so safe travels and all."
"Thanks, I really want to kiss you but I'm afraid your parents are watching and they'll come out here and hex me."
"Let them watch," she kissed him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself get fully swept away. She had no idea when she would see him again. Her prudish parents really didn't matter. Apparently it was the same for Liam because he kissed her back and wrapped his arm around her waist.
July 2022
Sydney, Australia
It was a chilly sunny day in Sydney. It was winter, school was out and Elianna was taking a brisk walk from her house to downtown. She just couldn't believe this, Liam was in town. His Grandfather invited him to go marlin fishing and of course he accepted. Somehow he never made it to the boat and was meeting up with her.
She couldn't believe this, he was her boyfriend. She's only ever seen him twice and their letters somehow became a relationship. She couldn't call him at school because the signals were scrambled. About four weeks into sending letters back in forth; she arrived home from school to an owl perched on the railing of the back deck.
It had a small package from Liam. It was a gold compact with her name engraved on the front. When she opened it, her reflection was on one side and the other mirror was black. She voiced her opinion of it being weird aloud and she jumped when she heard the mirror groan. A moment later Liam's face appeared in the other side illuminated by his wand, they got to talk again.
He asked her if she was seeing anyone and told her he wasn't. He explained that he had no right to do this and they aren't even in the same country but would she see him and only him. She really didn't have to think about it she liked him and they became a thing.
When she rounded the corner, she saw him. He was wearing a long sleeve flannel button down, he was leaning against a newspaper dispenser, with his ankles crossed, sunglasses on, one hand in his pocket, and with the other he was doing something on his phone.
She took a deep breath and walked up to him, "Hi."
He looked up and smiled, "Hi," he stood up straight and put his phone away. "How are you?"
"I'm good. How are you?"
"Glad not to be fishing."She smiled, he was nervous. She's his girlfriend but only by correspondence. It was weird being in the same place with her yet he was so excited to be in the same place with her. "I have some ideas of what we can do today but it you don't like them we can totally do something else. But um…first…may I kiss you?"
She smiled and nodded. He pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head; he leaned down and gently kissed her. "Is that alright?"
"I appreciate your concern about consent," she stood on her tip toes and kissed him again. His hand found its way to her cheek as he deepened the kiss.
Elianna rested her forehead on his, "you better get going."
"Yeah," Liam kissed her on the forehead and then stepped away from her. "I'll see you later."
"Bye"
"Bye," he let himself out of the gate. He waved at her then turned and disappeared.
She stood there just staring at the spot where he just was. She missed him already, she took a deep breath; she could do this. Tryouts tomorrow and filling out transcript request forms for the guidance counselor, she crossed her arms and walked back to the house.
Elianna exited her deserted school after trying out for the swim team. She was crossing the parking lot to her car when she heard a clicking noise.
She looked up; there was a man across the street with a camera. In fact there were several of them. They weren't shouting but they were waving at her.
Elianna lowered her head and hurried to the car. She knew what they were doing there and she wanted to go before her school mates came out of the building and wondered why she was being photographed.
(***)
Elianna was accompanying Kristen while she replenished her school supplies and ran errands for her mother. They were exiting the stationary store along the Rickety Promenade, the all magic shopping area, when a man said, "Hello."
"Hi," she barely glanced at the guy and kept walking with her cousin.
"I think that's it," Kristen said looking over her list, "at least here. I have to pick up my parents dry cleaning and do a grocery run."
"Elianna"
Both she and Kristen turned around, a man took their photo.
"Let's get out of here," Elianna wanted to get out of there before things escalated. They continued on their way and the man followed. He wasn't alone and they were drawing attention.
"QUICK PHOTO PLEASE!"
"HOW'S LIAM"
"ELIANNA OVER HERE"
Photographers began closing in on them. Elianna gripped the handle of the cauldron she was holding tighter incase she had to use it as a weapon.
Kristen looped her arm through Elianna's and pulled her in close to her and they disappeared into thin air.
(***)
The Peterson's arrived at the galleria where Yvonne is scheduled to sit on a panel about the economy. People purchase tickets to come to these things and they are broadcast live on the wireless.
There are usually one or two news outlets there to capture the notables or just cover the event. However if some actor, musician, or some other celebrity was partaking in the event the paparazzi and anyone with a camera showed up. Tonight there were no celebrities but they were out in full force because…
"ELIANNA"
"WHY ARE YOU AND LIAM KEEPING YOUR RELATIONSHIP SECRET?"
"HOW DO THE MALFOY'S FEEL ABOUT A SQUIB?"
Robert put his arm around his daughter and held her close as he pushed through the crowd.
(***)
"Morning," Elianna yawned as she dragged her feet into the kitchen.
"Good morning sweetheart, would you care for some juice," her father asked.
There was some strange man sitting at the counter. "Yes, who's that?"
"Basil," the man answered standing. He extended his hand to her.
She shook it, "nice to meet you. Who are you?"
"Basil is going to be escorting you around during the day," Robert slid a glass of orange juice across the counter to her. "Your mother and I have discussed it and given the recent incidents we think its best that you have some protection."
"So you've hired a body guard," she didn't know if she liked the idea of her every move being watched. This guy would tell her parents where she is and what she's doing at all times. "Is this a way for you to spy on me?"
"No, we're just concerned about your safety."
"You're concerned about who I'm dating."
"Look you made a choice, one that we don't agree with but you have been in some pretty precarious situations. You can't do magic and people that can are harassing you. And yes this is the result of who you're dating. So now you have private security; Basil during the day and Martin on the weekends and during evening activities. You can think what you want but this is how it's going to be." Robert left the room.
"So," Basil said awkwardly, "I hear I'm supposed to escort you to swim practice." Elianna narrowed her eyes at him. He put his hands up in defense, "hey if it's not illegal I won't tell your parents. I was hired to protect you not spy or babysit."
"The Malfoy Effect"