~14~
The sky began to turn a thin shade of dark blue as dusk set in. That day had been great fun, but Harry, Ron, and Ginny were all exhausted. Harry heard strange noises escaping from inside of the Weasley house, but Ron and Ginny kept insisting that they didn't hear anything.
It was beginning to sprinkle sharp rain. Ginny wrapped a large purple cloak around herself, but it kept slipping off, because the clasps had worn down and didn't exactly work. Ron and her complexion had turned an ever paler shade and tips of their noses had been so stung by the rain, they had turned to almost the color of their bright fire red hair. Ron consistently checked his watch, but tried to be inconspicuous about it, but to no avail. He was very obvious about it, and Harry wondered how anybody would be able to not notice. Once Pig fluttered to the ground and began wheezing feverently, they knew it was time to go inside.
They trudged tiredly across the long yard, their shoes slipping across the sleek grass. Ginny slipped and fell onto the ground. She got mud in her hair and began to cry about it. Ron found it very difficult to muffle his laughter, and this made Ginny even more so upset. She recovered in a short while when she became aware again that Harry was in her presence.
The lawn gnomes at the Weasleys seemed to love the rain. They glided atop the blades of grass and held their mouths open to catch the rain drops. The gnomes then engaged in a somewhat violent game of water wars, as they squirted spouts of it out of their ears, nostrils, and mouths at an opposing gnome. When they were struck, they squeaked painfully and fell to the ground where they remain motionless for only a short time.
Harry, Ron, and Ginny were very amused by this and found themselves laughing outrageously at the stupid gnomes. The gnomes likewise, took their activity very seriously and became enraged at Harry and the two Weasleys. Jets of rain squirted from their tiny heads with fierce force and were being shot at them. They ran from the gnomes toward the Burrow, still doubled up with laughter.
It had gotten very dark by that time, and things were very hard to see. The gnomes had given up on their battles with rain and began attacking the feet of Harry, Ron, and Ginny. They kept tripping, and by the time they were approaching the Burrow, all of them were dripping with wet earth. Their spirits were lightened though, and they were filled with an excited energy as they hadn't been when they left the Quidditch field.
The Burrow glowed warmly, and Harry couldn't wait until he got inside. They tried their best to remove the filth from their clothes and hair, but most of the mud wouldn't let go. When they stepped inside, Harry couldn't believe his eyes. ~13~
Harry's welcome to the Burrow wasn't what he had hoped for, he didn't find ease or comfort. It was too tense. Ron helped to make thing feel better though. "I think you're gonna stay the whole summer! It'll be great. Fred and George have made loads of more tricks for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Mind not to let Mum know, she's fed up with them. They played chicken on their broomsticks and George fell off of his. That didn't stop the broom from still flying. It ended up in a muggle woman's bird bath," he smoothened out a poster of the Chudley Cannons on the wall.
"The broom was fine, and the Ministry erased her mind and all, but Mum keeps going on about how it's their last year at Hogwarts, they need to start acting their age. She's afraid they're wasting their minds on foolish things. It's not that foolish though. If only she knew they had made quite a profit this year with selling Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to Hogwarts students. Can you believe they made over a thousand galleons?!?!" Harry smiled to himself. He never told Ron he had given Fred and George his winnings from the TriWizard Tournament.
After unpacking and settling all of Harry's things, they decided to go outside and play Quidditch. Harry and Ron went to the twins' room to ask if they'd like to play too, but no one answered when they knocked. Ginny was downstairs reading a book, Mrs. Weasley had relieved her of her gnome duties due to the special circumstances. She eagerly joined them, beaming brightly up at Harry. Ginny stayed on the ground as Harry and Ron kept switching brooms, Ron really liked riding the Firebolt. She threw the worn quaffle into the air and the first one to catch it was awarded 10 points. Generally, whoever was riding the Firebolt got the quaffle. Ron did a few flips in the air, then got an idea.
"I'll be right back!" he ran off to the Burrow. He wasn't gone long, but in that time, Harry gave Ginny a short flying lesson. She wasn't that bad, she had some talent, but Ginny got frightened when she went too fast or high on the Firebolt. She preferred Fred's more slowly paced Comet Two-Sixty.
When Ron came back, he threw something that resembled a gray tennis ball into the air which Harry soon recognized as Pig. It was fun chasing, catching, and throwing Pig around. Though it wasn't a challenge, as he liked to zoom dangerously close past your head, they all laughed and had a blast. The continuing day turned out to be much better than the morning had promised.
The sky began to turn a thin shade of dark blue as dusk set in. That day had been great fun, but Harry, Ron, and Ginny were all exhausted. Harry heard strange noises escaping from inside of the Weasley house, but Ron and Ginny kept insisting that they didn't hear anything.
It was beginning to sprinkle sharp rain. Ginny wrapped a large purple cloak around herself, but it kept slipping off, because the clasps had worn down and didn't exactly work. Ron and her complexion had turned an ever paler shade and tips of their noses had been so stung by the rain, they had turned to almost the color of their bright fire red hair. Ron consistently checked his watch, but tried to be inconspicuous about it, but to no avail. He was very obvious about it, and Harry wondered how anybody would be able to not notice. Once Pig fluttered to the ground and began wheezing feverently, they knew it was time to go inside.
They trudged tiredly across the long yard, their shoes slipping across the sleek grass. Ginny slipped and fell onto the ground. She got mud in her hair and began to cry about it. Ron found it very difficult to muffle his laughter, and this made Ginny even more so upset. She recovered in a short while when she became aware again that Harry was in her presence.
The lawn gnomes at the Weasleys seemed to love the rain. They glided atop the blades of grass and held their mouths open to catch the rain drops. The gnomes then engaged in a somewhat violent game of water wars, as they squirted spouts of it out of their ears, nostrils, and mouths at an opposing gnome. When they were struck, they squeaked painfully and fell to the ground where they remain motionless for only a short time.
Harry, Ron, and Ginny were very amused by this and found themselves laughing outrageously at the stupid gnomes. The gnomes likewise, took their activity very seriously and became enraged at Harry and the two Weasleys. Jets of rain squirted from their tiny heads with fierce force and were being shot at them. They ran from the gnomes toward the Burrow, still doubled up with laughter.
It had gotten very dark by that time, and things were very hard to see. The gnomes had given up on their battles with rain and began attacking the feet of Harry, Ron, and Ginny. They kept tripping, and by the time they were approaching the Burrow, all of them were dripping with wet earth. Their spirits were lightened though, and they were filled with an excited energy as they hadn't been when they left the Quidditch field.
The Burrow glowed warmly, and Harry couldn't wait until he got inside. They tried their best to remove the filth from their clothes and hair, but most of the mud wouldn't let go. When they stepped inside, Harry couldn't believe his eyes. ~13~
Harry's welcome to the Burrow wasn't what he had hoped for, he didn't find ease or comfort. It was too tense. Ron helped to make thing feel better though. "I think you're gonna stay the whole summer! It'll be great. Fred and George have made loads of more tricks for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Mind not to let Mum know, she's fed up with them. They played chicken on their broomsticks and George fell off of his. That didn't stop the broom from still flying. It ended up in a muggle woman's bird bath," he smoothened out a poster of the Chudley Cannons on the wall.
"The broom was fine, and the Ministry erased her mind and all, but Mum keeps going on about how it's their last year at Hogwarts, they need to start acting their age. She's afraid they're wasting their minds on foolish things. It's not that foolish though. If only she knew they had made quite a profit this year with selling Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to Hogwarts students. Can you believe they made over a thousand galleons?!?!" Harry smiled to himself. He never told Ron he had given Fred and George his winnings from the TriWizard Tournament.
After unpacking and settling all of Harry's things, they decided to go outside and play Quidditch. Harry and Ron went to the twins' room to ask if they'd like to play too, but no one answered when they knocked. Ginny was downstairs reading a book, Mrs. Weasley had relieved her of her gnome duties due to the special circumstances. She eagerly joined them, beaming brightly up at Harry. Ginny stayed on the ground as Harry and Ron kept switching brooms, Ron really liked riding the Firebolt. She threw the worn quaffle into the air and the first one to catch it was awarded 10 points. Generally, whoever was riding the Firebolt got the quaffle. Ron did a few flips in the air, then got an idea.
"I'll be right back!" he ran off to the Burrow. He wasn't gone long, but in that time, Harry gave Ginny a short flying lesson. She wasn't that bad, she had some talent, but Ginny got frightened when she went too fast or high on the Firebolt. She preferred Fred's more slowly paced Comet Two-Sixty.
When Ron came back, he threw something that resembled a gray tennis ball into the air which Harry soon recognized as Pig. It was fun chasing, catching, and throwing Pig around. Though it wasn't a challenge, as he liked to zoom dangerously close past your head, they all laughed and had a blast. The continuing day turned out to be much better than the morning had promised.