Stories of the Hogwarts Sisterhood

Disclaimer: Athena and Oliver's twins belong to me. As for the rest, see "What can I do to forget about the love between us" (why the hell did I make such a long title..)

Disclaimer 2: Some of Nicholas' Mandy's, Jonathan's and Albus' words came from "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" So you may find their action and their words familiar. And I don't own them.

Ships: AD/MM, Madam Hooch/OC

Note 1: Ok, like what Freelancer said: My fic, my rules. So instead of 80 years older than Minerva, I make Dumbledore to be 8 years older than her! *grins*

To flamers: I don't take kindly to flames, so back off, if you know what's good for you.

Mostly rated PG for swearing

Thank you for all your reviews!

Gross Reality: I have my own way of telling a story. If you don't like it, I believe you could go to hell.

Child-Of-The-Dawn: Yep, I have noticed the new chapter.

Dedicated to my friends in the Albus/Minerva group-Thank you for consoling me.

Chapter 18: The Hot-Air Balloon.

After the party, for the first time in 48 years, (Jonathan and Mandy "broke up" in 1955) Jonathan explained everything about why didn't he see Mandy off for Holyhead Harpies' flight for Italy and what his parents did to tear them apart. Due to the potion's effect, Mandy forgave him.

"Okay, so the whole thing goes like this." Minerva said after the party. The Weasleys, Robert and Joe had left, leaving the Woods, Hogwarts Sisters, Dumbledore and Athena behind. "We knew the whole misunderstanding between you and Jonathan and since he is back, we decided to get you two back. I made a Love Renewal Potion so that you would forgive Jonathan and love him once again. Meanwhile, Poppy and Georgia had to go to the Woods to tell them about my plan. Remember the time when we quarreled in the sky and I told you that Jonathan was not in Britain?"

Mandy, who was sitting on Jonathan's lap, nodded.

"Well, I lied. He is here the next day Oliver's twins were born. At least that's what Athena said."

"That's right." Jonathan confirmed. Since Mandy had already gotten Jonathan back, she was too happy to grudge.

"I must made sure that you wouldn't go to the Woods until we came to get you for a drink in the Leaky Cauldron. I put the potion into your sherry while you went to the bathroom."

"And the party was the most difficult part. I need to see if you are really ready to forgive Jonathan. We had to do everything without you getting notice. First, Oliver and Katie had to come in but Jonathan had to wait outside. If Joe, Robert or Don asked about Jonathan, Oliver or Katie needed to act like Jonathan was in France and replied that they had not seen him since he had left Britain. Then Poppy came up with an excuse that she had forgotten your gift at her house and disapparated. She waited in her house for a few minutes before she sent an owl to Oliver, then she apparated back here, pretending to be very tired because she had been searching the house for the imaginary gift. A few minutes later, Oliver would receive the owl from Poppy, containing the fake letter about Jonathan's death. Oliver would act upset and of course, for those who didn't know the whole thing, included you, would believe the news. And sure enough, you cried and confessed that you still love him. So Oliver just went outside and got Jonathan in!" Minerva said proudly.

"All of you are so sneaky." Mandy said, narrowing her eyes. "But never mind! At least I have Jonathan back!" She said, putting her arms around Jonathan's neck.

****

At that night, Mandy dreamed. About the time when she was 18 years old and during the holidays, the Hogwarts Sisters, Dumbledore and the boys went to the Muggle world for a day. In the late afternoon, they came across a Muggle, who was giving rides in a hot air balloon and everyone wanted to have a ride on it. Well, almost everyone....

"Nicky, you are not going right?" Jonathan called.

"No, I am not, you know that I hate flying." Nicholas said, looking at the hot-air balloon as if it was going to explode on his face.

"All right, it's your turn." The man said to Jonathan and Mandy after Dumbledore and Minerva had left the hot air balloon.

"This is safe, right?" Jonathan asked.

"Safe as a baby carriage." The man said confidently.

"Come on, Mandy, it's our turn." Jonathan said excitedly.

"I can't." Mandy suddenly said, looking uncertainly at the hot-air balloon.

"She's scared." Jonathan said, leaning forward and whispered in her ear. "Oh come on, Mandy, it is almost the same as a broomstick. You will like it."

Mandy shook her head firmly. She didn't think that she should trust that Muggle invention.

"What a waste of a good ticket." Jonathan said flatly.

"I will give it to Albus and you two go ahead. He seems to be enjoying it." Mandy said kindly.

"Fine." Jonathan said in the same flat tone.

But when Jonathan and Albus got into the hot-air balloon and they got off from the ground, Mandy found herself getting green with envy.

***

Jonathan noticed that Mandy was silent all the way since they left the hot- air balloon site. When he tried to get her to talk, she just said a word or two. Finally, when they almost reached the Leaky Cauldron, he couldn't take it anymore and said: "Don't try my patience, Mandy. Either tell me what's wrong or forget it."

Mandy took a deep breath and faced him. "I want to ride the hot-air balloon." She said quietly.

"Well why didn't you ride it when it was our turn?" Jonathan demanded.

"I don't know." Mandy said in a quieter tone. She looked down at her sneakers; her actions resembled a kid when her father scolded her.

Jonathan stared at her for a while and sighed. "Look, Mandy. I understand what it is to be afraid, but nobody ever got anywhere without being frightened all the time."

Mandy didn't respond. She kept on staring at her sneakers.

"You want to ride the hot-air balloon?"

Mandy looked up and mumbled. "Yeah."

Jonathan sucked in his cheeks for a while and said: "All right." He took out his whistle that he had in his pocket and blew it furiously to stop Dumbledore and the others.

"Who is blowing the whistle?!" Dumbledore yelled and when he saw Jonathan, he just said: "Oh."

"Mandy and I are going to see a man about a hot-air balloon." Jonathan said. "You guys go back first. We will join you later."

He grabbed Mandy's hand and said: "Come on, let's go before the man closes up!"

***

"Hi there!" Jonathan called as they rushed to the hot-air balloon site in the evening. "Listen, I know you must be utterly exhausted after such a long day, but could you possibly consider just giving one more ride for us?"

"Nope, sorry." The man said, shaking his head.

"Please?" Jonathan pleaded. "My girlfriend panicked when it was our turn and now she is just dying to go up. I'll pay you." He put his hand in his pocket and dug out 4 dollars. "There, I can pay you 4 dollars."

The man smiled. "It is going to cost you more than that."

Jonathan pouted for a while, looked that Mandy, who had a disappointed look on her face, and said: "We'll be back, with money, you just stay right here, okay? Please don't go yet." He took Mandy's hand and they ran away.

"Kids." The man muttered.

***

"I need some cash, Diana!" Jonathan yelled as he stepped into Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor in Diagon Alley, where he could just get anything he wanted and let his father Sean Wood paid for them by his account in Gringotts. Jonathan Wood had one weakness: Ice cream. But that didn't stop him from getting fat. Sometimes he asked Diana, the young owner for money and Diana would charge whatever amount of money Jonathan took to his father's account. "Charge 5 Galleons to my Dad's account, all right? Actually make it 10."

"No." Diana said immediately.

Jonathan frowned. "Why in the world not? You have done it 84 thousand times before!" He demanded.

Diana put down the comic that she had been reading and said: "Well, your father came in not a few days ago and told me that I can give you all the ice cream you want but, no more cash."

Jonathan's mouth dropped open. "No way!" He cried.

"Way. No more cash." Diana said.

"Oh come on, Diana, please? Be a sweetheart and give me at least 5 Galleons." Jonathan coaxed.

"Sean Wood said just ice cream, no cash." Diana said.

"It's okay, Jonny, never mind, let's just give up and go back to find Minerva and the others." Mandy said.

Jonathan turned his head to her and frowned deeply. "Madeline Zoë Hooch, don't you ever let me ever hear you utter those words again, do you understand?" He asked in a tone that he usually used for the Quidditch players.

Mandy just glared at him for saying her middle name, she hated the name Zoë.

Jonathan ignored her glare. He saw a girl around his age coming into the shop to order some ice cream and he just rushed to her and said: "Miss, I have a little proposition for you. How much worth of ice cream are you planning to buy this evening?"

"Around 5 Galleons." The girl said.

"Why don't you let me put it on my father's charge account and pay me cash? What do you say?" Jonathan asked excitedly.

"Hm....okay!" The girl said finally and gave Jonathan 5 Galleons.

"Have a wonderful day!" Jonathan greeted and grinned at Diana. "I win." He sang. "And now to Gringotts to exchange the money..."

***

"Wow, I can see everything from up here!" Mandy cried a few hours later at the hot-air balloon.

"Great, isn't it?" Jonathan asked. "Feel the cool wind blowing on your face, don't you just love it?!"

"Of course!" Mandy said happily, hug Jonathan and kissed him quickly on his cheek. "Oh thank you, Jonathan, thank you so much for everything...."

"My pleasure." Jonathan said, grinning.

"Young lovers." The man said under his breath.

***

Mandy smiled with her eyes still closed. That was one of the happiest memories she had with Jonathan Wood. She felt that someone was watching and opened her eyes.

Jonathan Wood was sitting beside her bed, grinning. "Morning."

Instead of greeted him back, Mandy asked: "Don't you know how come in by the Muggle way?"

"I don't learn how to apparate for nothing." Jonathan replied.

"What are you doing here?" Mandy asked, still not getting up.

"For something I should have done 48 years ago." Jonathan said seriously.

"What?"

"Marry me, Mandy." Jonathan suddenly said.

Mandy blinked. Was she dreaming?

"I have lost you once, and I am not going to lose you again." Jonathan said softly.

Mandy sighed. She was silent for a while and smiled. "Give me a reason to say no."

***

That day, Mandy and Jonathan were busy, telling everyone they knew that they were getting married.

"Wow! I am a father now and I can still have a new step-grandmother!" Oliver said to Katie. "Can you believe it, Katie? Madam Hooch, my flying instructor, Hogwarts' Quidditch referee, and former Holyhead Harpies Beater, is going to be my step-grandmother!"

"Finally! Countess Rising Sun is getting married!" Poppy said when Mandy and Jonathan told the Hogwarts Sisters.

"When is the wedding day?" Minerva asked.

"A month from today." Jonathan said after he had looked at the calendar on the Dumbledores' wall.

"And that will be August 20th......" Minerva said slowly. "Okay, you better be available on August 18th."

"Why?" Jonathan asked.

"Minerva, you mean you will conduct it?!" Mandy said excitedly.

"Of course. As the leader of the Hogwarts Sisters, I have to conduct it." Minerva said importantly.

"Conduct what?" Jonathan asked with a confused look on his face.

"The hand-over ceremony." Dumbledore said seriously.