A/N: This is one of the very weird chapters that also might suck at points, but if you think its cool, then I'm obviously too hard on myself.

Chapter Four

The Lonely Girl

~*~

Over the next few weeks, Amelia created a very fast much more fatherly bond with Harry than with any adult she had known before. She considered Molly like a little sister, as Molly considered Amelia a new sister. Amelia had also grown very attached to Hermione, who had been training her in wandless magic.

It was the night before Hermione and Amelia went to Hogwarts and the night before Harry and Ron left on a special mission for the Ministry. That in the end was leaving Molly all alone, so she would be coming with Hermione and Amelia. This night was special because several important and famous people would be coming over, and most luckily none of them were Sparrow.

Tonight was a special night, because the Potter - Weasely House was having their annual costume party. Some of the people that were invited were the top Aurors of the Ministry (including Harry and Ron who, obviously lived there and would be attending), famous Quidditch players, old school friends, neighbors, ambassadors from other countries. The Potter - Weasely House was the place to be that night, and everybody knew it.

Molly was busy getting ready upstairs; very annoyed with the fact that nobody would French braid her hair. Ron and Harry were hiding in the kitchens, trying to hide their costumes until the party started. They had both hinted that they would have the best costumes, much better than the last year's winner, Melinda Mullendrum, the Keeper for the Ireland Quidditch team (she had worn a very distinctive costume matching that of a house-elf). Even Hermione was keeping her costume secret.

"Amelia!" Molly cried, banging on her door. "Can you French braid my hair?"

"Yeah," Amelia said, putting on the black silk, black jeweled covered cloak as her finishing touch and slipping a dark red chain on. "Come in!" Amelia was looking in the mirror with her cloak fully around her when Molly stepped in so she couldn't see her costume.

"Ooh," Molly said. "Pretty cloak. Is that your costume?"

"Part of it," Amelia said, turning around and taking off the cloak. The reaction was not as she expected, as Molly began to scream in a high- pitched shrill voice. Amelia had dressed up as a Devil.

"Daddy!" she screamed, and ran out.

Shrugging, Amelia went back to the mirror. "Needs more makeup," she told herself.

~*~

"Now remember," Harry said, kneeling down to Molly's eye level right before they started to let guests in. "Everybody here is good, Molly. Nobody is how they look, and that's how it's supposed to be."

"Like you?" Molly asked in her little angel costume (complete with French braids).

"Yeah," Harry said. He and Ron had dressed up as two giant crabs. "I would hug you, but my pincers might ruin your pretty costume," he apologized. "Did you pick that out all by yourself?"

"Dobby helped me," Molly said. "He says that I look pretty in it."

"And you do," Harry said. "And remember . . ."

"Everybody who is here is good," Molly said.

"And?"

" . . . But, if anybody tries to hurt me or take me away, scream louder than I did when I saw Amelia's costume," Molly said.

"Where is 'Mione?" Ron said, checking his cunningly disguised watch.

"She said she wanted to make an entrance," Amelia said. She had improved her look very much, which included fake piercings and much more elaborate hair. But, she had kept her cloak on, complete with the hood.

"You look like a Dementor," Ron scoffed, blind to Amelia's comment.

"What's that?" Amelia asked, who was still oblivious to much of the wizarding world.

"Never mind," Ron said. He checked his watch again, "Where is Hermione?"

"She said she wanted to make an entrance," Amelia said again in Ron's ear.

"Oh," Ron said.

~*~

The guests, seventy-five in all were seated around the ridiculously long table in the ridiculously magically enchanted dining room that used to be a tiny table that seated eight. True to her word, Hermione had made an entrance.

The guests had been lounging around, chatting, when a fanfare played. "Attention!" a voice said from somewhere. "Now presenting, Mrs. Hermione Weasely!" But, Hermione was no where to be seen. "Please turn your attention to the stairs," the voice added, and they looked towards the stairs.

But, still no Hermione came. Instead, down came Orlando Sparrow, with a ridiculous, elaborate long dark green dress robe. Sparrow had several giant rings on his fingers, a long, jeweled cane and on top of his head . . . a crown.

"Where is she?" Ron asked Harry.

"I have no idea," Harry said. "Who invited Sparrow?"

"I don't know," Ron said. "But he's not supposed to be here, and now I have a reason to beat the hell outta him."

"Wait!" Harry said, grabbing Ron's arm. "Ron, do you think Sparrow is . . . Hermione?"

"Bloody hell," Ron said. "She is, Harry. 'Mione is Sparrow, can't believe I married her. That's my wife Harry. My wife is dressed up as the complete opposite of her. Hell, she's a guy."

"Can't you see?" Harry asked Ron. "She's making a fool of him, what a genius."

"Ha!" Ron said. "My wife is a genius!"

~*~

After dinner, which consisted of 32 different dishes of macaroni and cheese, as they were trying to make the party as different as possible. The magically expanded ballroom was decorated with cats. Not normal house cats, but statues of cougars, a painting of a sphinx that stretched across one wall, and two house-trained cougars brought from the Minister of Magic from South Africa prowled around. Ron was relieved that after dinner, Hermione had shed the Sparrow costume and was now dressed up as a very feminine looking dragon. Several wax figures and statues of anything resembling a cat were scattered along the floor, on the walls, and even on the ceiling.

Mostly everybody was having a good time, with the exception of Molly. Parties were no fun for her, everybody would dance and make jokes that weren't funny at all, and when they talked to Molly all they did was ruffle her hair and say she was cute. She headed to the kitchen, where the twenty house-elves were bustling around.

"Dobby!" Molly said, standing in the doorway.

"Yes, Miss Potter?" Dobby said, who was carrying a broom and dustpan. "Oh, Miss Potter, Dobby must say Miss Potter is very beautiful. What is Miss Potter wanting?"

"Can I have an orange?" Molly asked. Another thing she dreaded about parties was the food, although she had enjoyed the macaroni and cheese.

"Of course," Dobby said. There was a tiny, high-pitched squeak after a few seconds. Dobby came back with an orange and hurriedly placed it in Molly's hand. There was another high-pitched squeak. "Dobby is very sorry to leave Miss Potter, but Winky is in pain, Miss Potter. Winky is having a hurting stomach again."

"You know Dobby, maybe you should ask Daddy if you can take Winky to the doctor's, or at least get her checked," Molly said.

"Oh no!" Dobby said. "Miss Potter mustn't say that! House elves are forbidden to go to the doctor's! We are forbidden!"

"Oh," Molly commented as Dobby shooed her out of the kitchen.

Molly dug her nails into the skin of the orange, walking as far as she could from the ballroom. Then, she noticed a door on her left. Even though Molly was five, she knew the giant house perfectly, and knew there was no door usually there. Curious, she pushed open the door.

Inside was a sleek black corridor. There were several tapestries on the walls of very gory scenes that no five-year-old should see. Molly squeaked in horror, her nails digging further into the orange.

"Who are you?"

Molly jumped around, looking at a new hallway that had just appeared there. At the end was a little girl in a rocking chair, surrounded by a nursery filled with toys. She had ink black hair, and shiny blue eyes.

"I-I'm Molly," Molly said.

"Will you play with me?" she asked, tugging on her long pink nightgown.

"O-okay," Molly said, walking down the corridor. "What's your name?"

"I haven't one," she said sadly, picking up a doll and stroking its hair.

"Everybody has a name, silly," Molly said, sitting on the chair opposite of her.

"I never had one," she said. "My parents never had the time. Do you have parents?"

"Oh, yes, of course I have parents," Molly said, setting the orange on the nightstand. "How did you get here?"

She shrugged again. "I was always here."

"Me too," Molly said. "This is my house. I live here, but you don't," she said thinking aloud.

"Have you seen your parents?"

"Yes, my father at the least," Molly said.

"What about your mother?" the girl asked a little urgently. "I need to know about your mother."

"She died," Molly said.

"Well then how can you live here forever?" the girl asked.

"What do you mean?" Molly said. "It doesn't matter where my mother is."

"You have to tell me about your mother," the girl said, tugging on Molly's dress. "I'm so lonely. I want a mother."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Molly shrieked.

"I need a mother," the girl said. "I NEED A MOTHER!" she lunged on Molly, ripping her dress.

Molly began to run down the corridor. "I'm getting my Daddy, he can help you," Molly said.

"No!" the girl said quieting. "No, please don't tell your father. Nobody can know about me. Or else . . . or else . . ."

"Or else what?" Molly asked.

"They'll beat me," the girl said in a very low whisper.

"Who?"

"The people," she said. "They come here . . . with masks . . . and cut me," she said, pulling up her nightgown sleeves to reveal several long scars.

"I'll tell my daddy," Molly said. "He can help you."

"No!" the girl said. "No, don't tell him!" there were footsteps coming towards them. "Run!" she said in another low whisper. "Don't let them find you!"

"Who?" Molly asked.

"The men with masks!" she said, pushing Molly. Molly nodded, running down the corridor, finding that there were many more hallways.

"Why are you talking to yourself?" she heard a very mean voice yell.

"I-I-I'm lonely," Molly heard the girl say.

"And where did you get this food?" Molly brought her hands up to her mouth. She had left her orange!

"I d-d-don't know," the girl said. "It was j-just there."

"Things just don't appear there girl, maybe there's somebody here . . . perhaps . . . a certain little girl who lives here?"

Molly knew this was her cue to run. She tore down the corridor for all she was worth and more. As soon as she went out the door, it disappeared, and she was shrieking so much she almost lost her voice. But, she knew nobody could hear her. They were all busy partying. She was as lonely as the little girl was.

And she didn't have her orange.

~*~

"Come now," Hermione said, grabbing Molly's hand. She shared a quick kiss with Ron. "You'll be coming for Christmas, right?" she asked him.

"Maybe Halloween," Ron said. "See ya, 'Mione," and they shared another kiss. Noticing the look of disgust on Molly's face, Ron broke away and swept Molly up in his arms. "Molly-kins!" he said, kissing her nose. Molly laughed, squealing in delight. "Have a nice time at Hoggy-warty-warts," he said, putting her down. Then he walked over to Amelia and hugged her.

When Ron turned around, Harry was spinning Molly around and bumping noses. "Say hi to Dumbledore to me," Harry told her.

"Dummy-who?" Molly asked.

"Goodbye Molly," he said and he kissed her on the forehead, continuing with Hermione and Amelia.

"Can I go with you Daddy?" Molly asked, hugging him.

"No, sorry. Top secret Auror stuff," Harry said. "But I'll come back on Halloween."

"Will you owl me everyday?"

"Of course," Harry said.

"Promise not to send Howlers?"

"Of course not. I'll send flowers and Puking Pastilles . . ."

"Daddy!" Molly scolded, and everybody laughed, except for Amelia who had no idea what Puking Pastilles were.

"Well, we have to go," Ron said, and stepping outside, the two Apparated with a pop.

"I guess we better get going too," Hermione said, and waved her wand. Suddenly, a giant purple double decker appeared in front of them, but wasn't labeled the 'Knight Bus' but the 'Professor Bus'.

~*~ End of Chapter Four ~*~

Cookies and sweets to everybody especially: The Dark Magician People (Yeah I know! Mrs. Potter will be revealed in Chapter Five.), and Mystical Witch (yep, the Woman Who Lived, I guess.)