DISCLAIMER: okay, **most** of these characters belong to J K Rowling. The rest belong to me (or themselves, ah Heather) ...
I had barely opened the joke shop door before Oliver and Jack rushed into the store. I was baby-sitting for the day, and these two boys were proving to be much more of a handful than I ever imagined. Not that I would tell their mothers that, they had of course been perfect angels.
"Oliver, don't pull th..." I never got to finish, a box of what looked like muggle gob-stoppers toppled onto the floor and the contents rolled everywhere. Oliver backed away slowly, looking at me sheepishly.
"It's okay Oliver, come here."
"I sorry auntie." He replied in his barely three childish way. He walked into my outstretched arms. I smiled, despite the growing mess I knew I would have to clean up. Jack rounded the corner, no doubt looking for the mischief his friend had been into.
"What did you do? Can I fix it?" Jack was slightly older than Oliver, and was fond of showing off that he could already do magic.
"No Jack, better let me do it."
"Yeah, auntie do it." Oliver poked his tongue out at Jack from behind my leg as I stood and surveyed the mess around us. I raised my wand to collect the gob-stoppers, but as I did a voice drifted forward from the back of the store.
"Are you alright Fred? That looked nasty."
"Just go and take care of the customers out there, I think they knocked something over."
"Purify." I said quickly, at a loss as to what else would clean the mess, still pointing my wand at the upturned box lying on the floor. The gob-stoppers rolled back to the box and it righted itself, also gleaming the floor as they went.
"Wow, I haven't seen the floor that clean since Ginny spilled Shocker Soda on it last Christmas." I looked up and a man was standing about three feet from me and smiling, amused. His red hair a mess, and his hazel eyes sparkling.
"Sorry, one of the kids made a grab for the box. It's colourful, you know. It fell. I didn't mean to clean the floor like that." Why was I so nervous? I was rambling madly.
"That's okay," he looked curiously at the two boys as they walked away, running their hands along the shelves as they went, "are they both yours?" He asked.
"No, neither of them." I smiled warmly and he returned the gesture. Suddenly there was a muffled bang from the next aisle and I noticed the boys had wandered off again.
"Sounds like they've found the exploding gum." He said, again seeming no less than amused.
"Oh no, sorry. I told them not to touch anything."
"Don't worry about it." We rounded the corner to find Jack standing guiltily with a black smudge covering his face and Oliver smiling widely at him.
"I'll have to clean that up before your mother sees it. She'll kill me," Oliver was walking slowly towards the entrance to the next aisle, trying not to be noticed, "Oliver, where do you think you're going? Your mother will kill me, have me resurrected, then kill me again if you end up looking like that too." He looked back at me and grinned, something I could not resist.
"So whose kids are they?" I had forgotten he was standing beside me.
"This one," I began, putting my hands on Jack's shoulders, "is my friend Heather's son, and the other little trouble-maker is my cousin's. I'm just an auntie."
"So what did you come in here to buy? Or did you just come in to destroy the place?" I blushed, something I rarely did, and he smiled again.
"I'm kidding. You can come in here any day you like and destroy the place."
"George?!" I turned and another man was approaching from the back of the store, his face smeared with blue-green paste. This was clearly the twin brother of the one I had been talking to.
"What's the matter Fred?" George asked innocently, Fred smirked under the paste.
"Just help me get this stuff off."
"Oh she can get it off," he said pointing to me, "she polished the floor for us too."
"Don't bring me into this, I'm just here to buy presents for the boys to annoy their parents with. Besides, if my wand goes anywhere near his face, it wont be pretty." They both looked at me quizzically.
"You think I'm pretty?" Fred asked, grinning crookedly. I just smiled and shook my head, feeling like I was in the room with more than two mischievous children.
"All right you two, what would you like to take home?" Oliver and Jack looked up at me, both with that same crooked grin.
"We can show them if you like?" George asked.
"You can, I'm going to find something to get this off. You're the guinea pig next time." Fred said as he left the store and went into Diagon Alley.
"Well then, I can show you."
"I don't even know what they would like. I imagine something loud and messy." Oliver walked over to me and I picked him up in my right arm, and Jack took my hand on the left. These were the little angels I knew they could be.
"Auntie, I want that." Jack said as he pulled hard on my hand and pointed to a box of what looked like live crabs.
"What are those?" I asked George. No answer was forthcoming however, as Hermione Granger came into the store.
"Allysa, what are you doing here?" She asked in surprise.
"I just brought the kids in for something," I looked at her, it was now my turn to ask the question, "what are you doing here?"
"This is one of Ron's brothers." She replied, placing a hand on George's arm.
"How do you two know each other?" George interrupted.
"This is Allysa Dumbledore, I've been teaching her for the past year." Hermione replied. I flinched as he looked around at me sharply.
"Dumbledore?" I was unsure of who he was addressing, because I was busy looking down at Jack and the floor beneath his feet.
"Go back and get me what I ordered would you please, I've got to get back to work soon." Hermione asked politely.
"But," he started, and I knew Hermione had given him one of her famous looks, the one she frequently used as an auror, "alright."
"Sorry Alli, I didn't even think about it." She said once George was out of earshot.
"Don't worry, I suppose I have to get used to it. There is sure to be a few surprised responses."
"I was more than surprised when I heard." She ruffled Jack's hair.
"I noticed," we began idly walking through the store, looking at various things off the shelves, "you really going back to work?"
"No, just said that to get rid of him. I have news." Oliver began squirming in my arms and I put him down to investigate the shelves with Jack. Hermione was smiling more than I had ever seen her before, and I knew the news she was referring to.
"He didn't?" I asked, smiling now myself.
"He did. You're only the second to know, we're keeping it quiet till we get the ring this afternoon." George returned from the back of the store.
"You haven't got anything on order Hermione, were you just trying to get rid of me?"
"Me? No, never." I could hear a tapping and wondered what it was. When I looked around I saw Ferdinand, Heather's large toucan, tapping lightly on the window. A small piece of parchment was strapped to her leg. I went to the door and let her in, she flew around Jack's head a few times and then came to rest on my shoulder.
"A toucan?" George exclaimed.
"Yeah, this is Heather's. She's had her for about ten years."
"They're against regulations you know." Hermione told me in her motherly way.
"She's had her for so long, it's beyond jurisdiction Hermione." Ferdinand nipped my ear to get my attention. I untied the note and read Heather's messy script. 'Finishing work early, meet you at your place. 3pm. H.'
"What time is it?" I'm late I thought. Then again, it's highly likely that she is too.
"It's about 3:30." Hermione replied looking at her watch.
"I've got to go, wonder how long she's been looking for me." I said pointing to Ferdinand, who had left my shoulder and was flying lazzily around the store.
"You can floo from the back if you want," George looked around confused, "what's that noise?" My cell phone was ringing in my pocket.
"That's my phone, it better not be Sarah wanting Olli now too." I answered the phone. I was Sarah, informing me she was home and would wait by the fire for me.
"She's got a phone in her pocket." I heard George whisper to Hermione as I wandered off looking for the boys. They both came running to me, each had something clutched in his hand. I ruffled their hair fondly as they showed me what they had found.
"Who wants to go home now?" I asked them.
"No auntie, stay here." Oliver replied grinning.
"Looks like you'll have to leave them here." George said as he took what the boys had found up to the counter. I followed him, rummaging in my bag amoung my wand and various potion ingrediants for my money.
"Trust me, you wouldn't want them." O lifted Oliver up so he could sit on the counter and Hermione did the same with Jack.
"That's four galleons." I handed him the money and thrust what was left back into my bag, it clinked together as it hit the bottom.
I was still trying to figure out how I was going to get two three year olds through the floo network when George handed me an urn filled to the brim with ash coloured floo powder. I hesitated, not knowing what I was going to do.
"Jack," I asked turning to him, "do you want to stay here for a little bit while I quickly take Oliver home?" Then I can come back for you?" Jack thought about it, his brow furrowed.
"Yup." He answered simply, and I could guess what he was thinking.
"Is that okay?" I asked George, who was still holding the floo powder for me.
"Sure. You'll have to owe me one."
"I'll owe you seven," I replied as I stepped into the fireplace and released the floo powder, "Dumbledore-Stark."
I was aware of Oliver clinging to me as we spun through the network, soon we began to slow and I readied myself for expulsion. I landed heavily on my feet, Oliver loosened his grip a little but did not let go. Sarah came rushing into the living room from the kitchen, a releived smile on her face when she saw that we were both fine.
"I hate that floo thing, I wish you would use your car." She said as she hugged Oliver, not noticing the evidence of the shopping we had just done clutched in his hand.
"I havn't got time, Heather is waiting at home for Jack."
"Oh you can't stay for a while?"
"No I've got to get Jack home too, but I might come out tomorrow," I paused, "in the car."
"Oh good. You better get going then." I kissed them both and flooed back to the joke shop. Jack, George, and Hermione were waiting for me when I got back. I didn't stay long but I knew I would be back. My car was parked outside the Leaky Couldren.
"Are you coming back?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, I've got to get my car. Heather wont be around long. School's out so Mulder will be at home," Hermione nodded, "Mulder's her husband, he works at Hogwarts." I said to George as explaination.
"Come to dinner at my place tonight, we'll have the thing by then." She threw a cautious look at George.
"I thought you said it was just family?" George asked her.
"Alli is family." Ron came into the back of the store, straight from work at the Ministry by the look of his robes. He kissed Hermione and smiled wryly at George, who grinned back.
"Alli, what are you doing here?" He asked.
"How come everyone knows you but me?" George asked loudly, drowning out his brother.
"I'm not here." I picked up Jack, some more floo powder, and flooed to my house.
When I got home, not only were both me and Jack covered in soot, but Heather was already waiting in my living room. She had picked up a book that I had left discarded on the sofa when I left the house this morning. She looked up when I exited the floo network.
"Hi, where's the car?" She knew I hated travelling through the floo network, you always got terribly sooty.
"Diagon Alley. Thought this would be faster," she put the book back where it had been and I noted that my page had been lost as she thumbed through it, "how long have you been waiting?"
"Just got here, but I have to get going again soon." She replied, looking at her watch.
"Thought you might. When's he going back?"
"Couple of weeks," she looked down at Jack and noticed the bag he had tried to stuff into his pocket, "what's this?" She asked, pulling it out.
"Nothing much, just bought the boys something." I avoided eye contact.
"Should I be worried?" She handed the package back to Jack, who instantly stuffed it back into his pocket.
"Nah, the guy at the store checked it." At least I hope he did.
"Well I'd better be going anyway. You want a lift to your car?" Heather always drove when she had Jack, apparating with passengers was not allowed and she too hated the floo network.
"Sure."
She dropped me off at my car and I drove back home, not thinking of much. I had the radio on, but was not really hearing it. It was hot in the car so I rolled down the window, the heat however did not recede. It never did. I wondered what Hermione would think if she knew what I was, or what half of me was. I had no doubt that she knew there was something different about me, I really should have told her from the beginning like my father wanted me to. I did not want to be reminded of what once was. I arrived home in less than ten minutes. I lived in the house my grandmother, Alvis Dumbledore, had left me when she died. She also left me a large fortune, of muggle and wizard money, stored in a vault at Gringotts.
I heard the phone ringing as I again rummaged through my bag, this time for the keys to my home. When I got fed up with pushing my wand aside in an attempt to search underneath I simply pulled it out, looking around as I did so.
"Alohamora." I whispered, one of the first spells I had learnt from Hermione. The door clicked unlocked and I quickly rushed inside to answer the persistant ringing.
"Hello?"
"Hi, this is George," he paused, "from the joke shop."
"mmm hmm." I said in reply, while simultaneously trying to shut my front door and hold the reciever with my shoulder. I gave up, the door was three inches from my reach.
"Hermione asked me to call you."
"Oh, was there something wrong?" I asked, unsure.
"I don't think so, she just told me to ring you and make sure you were coming to dinner. At seven she said."
"Sure," I said looking at the clock, "three hours."
"So," he said suggestively, "is your name really Dumbledore?"
"Would Hermione lie?" I avoided the question.
"She has been known to, once told me I looked like Ron."
"Yes, Albus Dumbledore is my father. That was your next question wasn't it?" I hated the cold tone in my voice, I liked George.
"I didn't know he had any kids."
"Kid," I corrected, "there's just me."
"Oh," he said slowly, "I'll see you tonight then."
"Definitely." I replied.
"Bye then."
"Bye George." I hung up and was finally able to close the door. My neighbour across the road had been watching me through her pulled curtains, I hated to be watched.
I didn't live far from Ron and Hermione's apartment, so once I was ready I simply walked. I was not able to apparate yet, I would be sitting my test in a few months. I was mildly afraid of failing. When I knocked a small red headed girl answered, one of Ron's family no doubt.
"Hi, I'm Ginny. You must be Allysa, Hermione has told us all about you." She sounded much older than she looked, and her smile was masking something deeper.
"You have to be one of Ron's family," I stepped inside, shutting the door behind me, "you all have that red hair."
"It's distinctive alright. Bit like your name." She winked at me, I guess Hermione has already told them who I am.
"Yeah." I said dryly, as we entered the dinning room, where the rest of Ron's family and Hermione's parents had gathered. I had met Hermione's parents many times, I greeted them with a wave and looked around for Hermione. A woman I could only assume was Ron's mother introduced herself to me and proceeded to usher me around to meet the rest of her extensive family.
"This is Bill, my eldest." She indicated a man leaning against the wall, his long hair held in a tidy ponytail, and dressed in dragon hide. I smiled wearily, this was going to be a long night.
"Over there is Charlie and Percy, my next two." She pointed but I had no time to register before she continued.
"Ginny you've met, and this is Fred and George."
"Who I've also met." I replied. She simply smiled and patted the hand that she was still holding in welcome.
"I must be off, got to help Hermione in the kitchen. Would you like to come dear?" She looked at me in a way my own ,mother never had.
"No mum, we're gonna get to know her better. Aren't we Gin?" Fred ushered me away from his mother, who then turned and retreated back into the kitchen.
I found I liked Ron's family as much as I liked Ron, which was a lot. Before the end of the night I was chatting happily with all but one. Percy Weasley merely looked at me distrustfully, I had heard about his falling out with his family from Hermione and figured this was due to the fact that I was my father's daughter. I especially liked the twins, Fred and George, they kept me talking and laughing most of the early evening before dinner. I was finally able to retreat into the kitchen however, when Mrs Weasley came back into the living room to say Hermione was asking for me specifically. I went gladly, although I had been enjoying myself, I was happy at the chance to talk with Hermione. We had become good friends since my father asked her to teach me fourteen months ago. I had never learned to use magic properly, but had learned quickly from Hermione and would soon be at an appropriate level for my age.
"I thought they would never let you go." Hermione exclaimed as I entered the kitchen, bringing me back from my memories.
"Yes, they are a chatty lot aren't they."
"I saw you were getting along with Fred and George a lot." She winked at me and I blushed, twice in one day.
"Too bad I couldn't do they same with that Percy. He was a bit stoney."
"He has been ever since, well you know." She turned back to the bowl she had been stirring when I walked in.
"What would you like me to do?" I asked, moving to stand next to her.
"Nothing, I just wanted to talk. Molly has done almost everything." She smiled to herself.
"Can I see it yet, or do I have to wait?" I asked, looking at her sideways.
"Sure, I'll just go and get it." She beamed happily. I picked up a stray slice of carrot and began to chew on it. Fred came into the kitchen looking around for Hermione guiltily.
"I just wanted a drink. Mum told me not to come in."
"That's okay I wont tell, Fred." He stopped mid-stride, heading for the sink.
"You can tell us apart? Even mum can't sometimes."
"Course." He continued to look at me curiously, but continued with filling his glass.
"So how?"
"It's a secret." He looked intrigued.
"I'll get it out of you." He replied and left with his drink back into the living room. Hermione came back as Fred was leaving, she saw the smirk on his face and looked at me questioningly.
"What was that about?" She asked when the door had banged shut.
"He wanted to know how I can tell him and George apart, and I wouldn't tell him."
"You can? Wait a minute, that was Fred?"
"Yes, now let me see it." I held out my hand, but Hermione did not move.
"Not before you tell me how you can tell them apart." She replied and I knew she would stick to her word. I sighed resignedly.
"Okay," I picked up another slice of carrot and ate it slowly while Hermione tapped her foot, "I'm only attracted to one of them." I spoke quickly.
"Which one?" She asked excitedly, handing me the ring she and Ron had bought. I looked at it for a long time, it was plain but beautiful all at once.
"It's perfect." I said and handed it back, she placed it carefully into the jewellers box and put it on the benchtop.
"Don't change the subject, which one?" She replied stubbornly.
"George." She thought for a minute.
"I could rearrange the seating, put Fred where Ginny was and Percy next to mum." She said, mostly to herself.
"No Hermione, don't change a thing." But she wasn't listening, she was already on her way out of the kitchen still mumbling to herself. George came sauntering into the kitchen, looking at me with that same smirk.
"Hello George." He just stared at me.
"You gonna tell me how you do it?" He asked.
"Simple," I replied, briefly putting my hands on his chest, "you're the cute one." I walked out of the kitchen, in search of Hermione again. Instead I found Mrs Weasley, who was calling everyong to the dinner table. She smiled widely and ushered me to where my name was seated between George and Mrs Granger.
"You think I'm the cute one?" George whispered as I sat down beside him. I looked sideways at him, but did not get a chance to answer as Ron and Hermione stood up obviously ready to inform the family of their engagement.
"Before we start, we just want to say something." Ron began. Mrs Weasley took the fork out of Fred's hand.
"Hermione and I," he hesitated, "are getting married." The table erupted in noise, I smiled at the many choruses of 'congratulations' and 'that's wonderful'. All the while Hermione simply watched Ron, nodding to her new family absently.
After everyone had hugged both the bride and the groom, and eaten all the food that Mrs Weasley had laden the table with, they began to leave. Hermione's parents left first, they both had early appointments. Then Mrs Weasley left, taking with her her husband and three eldest children. I was sitting comfortably talking with Ginny on the sofa, while the other four laughed and talked loudly on the other side of the room.
"So what is this Harry like? I've not met him yet." I asked.
"He's real nice," she smiled wistfully, "you've heard of him though right?"
"Harry Potter?" She nodded slowly in reply, "it does sound familiar, but I don't know." She looked blankly at me, disbelieving. I felt nervous, should I know this person?
"He's the one who defeated … well Voldemort." There's a name I hadn't heard in a long time, not since I left Riddle Manor and went into hiding.
"Then I guess I should thank him." I spoke quietly and was unsure of whether she had heard what I had said. It was suddenly very hot inside, "I think I should go." I stood up and Ginny looked worried.
"I didn't mean to offend you. I just thought, you know, since he's dead, that it was okay to say." She stammered.
"No, it's not that. I'm just not feeling well." Hermione came over, disentangling herself from her fience. She looked at me worried.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I just feel a bit tired. I'm going to walk home now. Fresh air, that's what I need." I managed a weak smile.
"Well George can walk you home," she turned to face the others, "can't you George?"
"Course." He replied, standing. I didn't protest, this was another of those times I knew Hermione would not give in.
I had barely opened the joke shop door before Oliver and Jack rushed into the store. I was baby-sitting for the day, and these two boys were proving to be much more of a handful than I ever imagined. Not that I would tell their mothers that, they had of course been perfect angels.
"Oliver, don't pull th..." I never got to finish, a box of what looked like muggle gob-stoppers toppled onto the floor and the contents rolled everywhere. Oliver backed away slowly, looking at me sheepishly.
"It's okay Oliver, come here."
"I sorry auntie." He replied in his barely three childish way. He walked into my outstretched arms. I smiled, despite the growing mess I knew I would have to clean up. Jack rounded the corner, no doubt looking for the mischief his friend had been into.
"What did you do? Can I fix it?" Jack was slightly older than Oliver, and was fond of showing off that he could already do magic.
"No Jack, better let me do it."
"Yeah, auntie do it." Oliver poked his tongue out at Jack from behind my leg as I stood and surveyed the mess around us. I raised my wand to collect the gob-stoppers, but as I did a voice drifted forward from the back of the store.
"Are you alright Fred? That looked nasty."
"Just go and take care of the customers out there, I think they knocked something over."
"Purify." I said quickly, at a loss as to what else would clean the mess, still pointing my wand at the upturned box lying on the floor. The gob-stoppers rolled back to the box and it righted itself, also gleaming the floor as they went.
"Wow, I haven't seen the floor that clean since Ginny spilled Shocker Soda on it last Christmas." I looked up and a man was standing about three feet from me and smiling, amused. His red hair a mess, and his hazel eyes sparkling.
"Sorry, one of the kids made a grab for the box. It's colourful, you know. It fell. I didn't mean to clean the floor like that." Why was I so nervous? I was rambling madly.
"That's okay," he looked curiously at the two boys as they walked away, running their hands along the shelves as they went, "are they both yours?" He asked.
"No, neither of them." I smiled warmly and he returned the gesture. Suddenly there was a muffled bang from the next aisle and I noticed the boys had wandered off again.
"Sounds like they've found the exploding gum." He said, again seeming no less than amused.
"Oh no, sorry. I told them not to touch anything."
"Don't worry about it." We rounded the corner to find Jack standing guiltily with a black smudge covering his face and Oliver smiling widely at him.
"I'll have to clean that up before your mother sees it. She'll kill me," Oliver was walking slowly towards the entrance to the next aisle, trying not to be noticed, "Oliver, where do you think you're going? Your mother will kill me, have me resurrected, then kill me again if you end up looking like that too." He looked back at me and grinned, something I could not resist.
"So whose kids are they?" I had forgotten he was standing beside me.
"This one," I began, putting my hands on Jack's shoulders, "is my friend Heather's son, and the other little trouble-maker is my cousin's. I'm just an auntie."
"So what did you come in here to buy? Or did you just come in to destroy the place?" I blushed, something I rarely did, and he smiled again.
"I'm kidding. You can come in here any day you like and destroy the place."
"George?!" I turned and another man was approaching from the back of the store, his face smeared with blue-green paste. This was clearly the twin brother of the one I had been talking to.
"What's the matter Fred?" George asked innocently, Fred smirked under the paste.
"Just help me get this stuff off."
"Oh she can get it off," he said pointing to me, "she polished the floor for us too."
"Don't bring me into this, I'm just here to buy presents for the boys to annoy their parents with. Besides, if my wand goes anywhere near his face, it wont be pretty." They both looked at me quizzically.
"You think I'm pretty?" Fred asked, grinning crookedly. I just smiled and shook my head, feeling like I was in the room with more than two mischievous children.
"All right you two, what would you like to take home?" Oliver and Jack looked up at me, both with that same crooked grin.
"We can show them if you like?" George asked.
"You can, I'm going to find something to get this off. You're the guinea pig next time." Fred said as he left the store and went into Diagon Alley.
"Well then, I can show you."
"I don't even know what they would like. I imagine something loud and messy." Oliver walked over to me and I picked him up in my right arm, and Jack took my hand on the left. These were the little angels I knew they could be.
"Auntie, I want that." Jack said as he pulled hard on my hand and pointed to a box of what looked like live crabs.
"What are those?" I asked George. No answer was forthcoming however, as Hermione Granger came into the store.
"Allysa, what are you doing here?" She asked in surprise.
"I just brought the kids in for something," I looked at her, it was now my turn to ask the question, "what are you doing here?"
"This is one of Ron's brothers." She replied, placing a hand on George's arm.
"How do you two know each other?" George interrupted.
"This is Allysa Dumbledore, I've been teaching her for the past year." Hermione replied. I flinched as he looked around at me sharply.
"Dumbledore?" I was unsure of who he was addressing, because I was busy looking down at Jack and the floor beneath his feet.
"Go back and get me what I ordered would you please, I've got to get back to work soon." Hermione asked politely.
"But," he started, and I knew Hermione had given him one of her famous looks, the one she frequently used as an auror, "alright."
"Sorry Alli, I didn't even think about it." She said once George was out of earshot.
"Don't worry, I suppose I have to get used to it. There is sure to be a few surprised responses."
"I was more than surprised when I heard." She ruffled Jack's hair.
"I noticed," we began idly walking through the store, looking at various things off the shelves, "you really going back to work?"
"No, just said that to get rid of him. I have news." Oliver began squirming in my arms and I put him down to investigate the shelves with Jack. Hermione was smiling more than I had ever seen her before, and I knew the news she was referring to.
"He didn't?" I asked, smiling now myself.
"He did. You're only the second to know, we're keeping it quiet till we get the ring this afternoon." George returned from the back of the store.
"You haven't got anything on order Hermione, were you just trying to get rid of me?"
"Me? No, never." I could hear a tapping and wondered what it was. When I looked around I saw Ferdinand, Heather's large toucan, tapping lightly on the window. A small piece of parchment was strapped to her leg. I went to the door and let her in, she flew around Jack's head a few times and then came to rest on my shoulder.
"A toucan?" George exclaimed.
"Yeah, this is Heather's. She's had her for about ten years."
"They're against regulations you know." Hermione told me in her motherly way.
"She's had her for so long, it's beyond jurisdiction Hermione." Ferdinand nipped my ear to get my attention. I untied the note and read Heather's messy script. 'Finishing work early, meet you at your place. 3pm. H.'
"What time is it?" I'm late I thought. Then again, it's highly likely that she is too.
"It's about 3:30." Hermione replied looking at her watch.
"I've got to go, wonder how long she's been looking for me." I said pointing to Ferdinand, who had left my shoulder and was flying lazzily around the store.
"You can floo from the back if you want," George looked around confused, "what's that noise?" My cell phone was ringing in my pocket.
"That's my phone, it better not be Sarah wanting Olli now too." I answered the phone. I was Sarah, informing me she was home and would wait by the fire for me.
"She's got a phone in her pocket." I heard George whisper to Hermione as I wandered off looking for the boys. They both came running to me, each had something clutched in his hand. I ruffled their hair fondly as they showed me what they had found.
"Who wants to go home now?" I asked them.
"No auntie, stay here." Oliver replied grinning.
"Looks like you'll have to leave them here." George said as he took what the boys had found up to the counter. I followed him, rummaging in my bag amoung my wand and various potion ingrediants for my money.
"Trust me, you wouldn't want them." O lifted Oliver up so he could sit on the counter and Hermione did the same with Jack.
"That's four galleons." I handed him the money and thrust what was left back into my bag, it clinked together as it hit the bottom.
I was still trying to figure out how I was going to get two three year olds through the floo network when George handed me an urn filled to the brim with ash coloured floo powder. I hesitated, not knowing what I was going to do.
"Jack," I asked turning to him, "do you want to stay here for a little bit while I quickly take Oliver home?" Then I can come back for you?" Jack thought about it, his brow furrowed.
"Yup." He answered simply, and I could guess what he was thinking.
"Is that okay?" I asked George, who was still holding the floo powder for me.
"Sure. You'll have to owe me one."
"I'll owe you seven," I replied as I stepped into the fireplace and released the floo powder, "Dumbledore-Stark."
I was aware of Oliver clinging to me as we spun through the network, soon we began to slow and I readied myself for expulsion. I landed heavily on my feet, Oliver loosened his grip a little but did not let go. Sarah came rushing into the living room from the kitchen, a releived smile on her face when she saw that we were both fine.
"I hate that floo thing, I wish you would use your car." She said as she hugged Oliver, not noticing the evidence of the shopping we had just done clutched in his hand.
"I havn't got time, Heather is waiting at home for Jack."
"Oh you can't stay for a while?"
"No I've got to get Jack home too, but I might come out tomorrow," I paused, "in the car."
"Oh good. You better get going then." I kissed them both and flooed back to the joke shop. Jack, George, and Hermione were waiting for me when I got back. I didn't stay long but I knew I would be back. My car was parked outside the Leaky Couldren.
"Are you coming back?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, I've got to get my car. Heather wont be around long. School's out so Mulder will be at home," Hermione nodded, "Mulder's her husband, he works at Hogwarts." I said to George as explaination.
"Come to dinner at my place tonight, we'll have the thing by then." She threw a cautious look at George.
"I thought you said it was just family?" George asked her.
"Alli is family." Ron came into the back of the store, straight from work at the Ministry by the look of his robes. He kissed Hermione and smiled wryly at George, who grinned back.
"Alli, what are you doing here?" He asked.
"How come everyone knows you but me?" George asked loudly, drowning out his brother.
"I'm not here." I picked up Jack, some more floo powder, and flooed to my house.
When I got home, not only were both me and Jack covered in soot, but Heather was already waiting in my living room. She had picked up a book that I had left discarded on the sofa when I left the house this morning. She looked up when I exited the floo network.
"Hi, where's the car?" She knew I hated travelling through the floo network, you always got terribly sooty.
"Diagon Alley. Thought this would be faster," she put the book back where it had been and I noted that my page had been lost as she thumbed through it, "how long have you been waiting?"
"Just got here, but I have to get going again soon." She replied, looking at her watch.
"Thought you might. When's he going back?"
"Couple of weeks," she looked down at Jack and noticed the bag he had tried to stuff into his pocket, "what's this?" She asked, pulling it out.
"Nothing much, just bought the boys something." I avoided eye contact.
"Should I be worried?" She handed the package back to Jack, who instantly stuffed it back into his pocket.
"Nah, the guy at the store checked it." At least I hope he did.
"Well I'd better be going anyway. You want a lift to your car?" Heather always drove when she had Jack, apparating with passengers was not allowed and she too hated the floo network.
"Sure."
She dropped me off at my car and I drove back home, not thinking of much. I had the radio on, but was not really hearing it. It was hot in the car so I rolled down the window, the heat however did not recede. It never did. I wondered what Hermione would think if she knew what I was, or what half of me was. I had no doubt that she knew there was something different about me, I really should have told her from the beginning like my father wanted me to. I did not want to be reminded of what once was. I arrived home in less than ten minutes. I lived in the house my grandmother, Alvis Dumbledore, had left me when she died. She also left me a large fortune, of muggle and wizard money, stored in a vault at Gringotts.
I heard the phone ringing as I again rummaged through my bag, this time for the keys to my home. When I got fed up with pushing my wand aside in an attempt to search underneath I simply pulled it out, looking around as I did so.
"Alohamora." I whispered, one of the first spells I had learnt from Hermione. The door clicked unlocked and I quickly rushed inside to answer the persistant ringing.
"Hello?"
"Hi, this is George," he paused, "from the joke shop."
"mmm hmm." I said in reply, while simultaneously trying to shut my front door and hold the reciever with my shoulder. I gave up, the door was three inches from my reach.
"Hermione asked me to call you."
"Oh, was there something wrong?" I asked, unsure.
"I don't think so, she just told me to ring you and make sure you were coming to dinner. At seven she said."
"Sure," I said looking at the clock, "three hours."
"So," he said suggestively, "is your name really Dumbledore?"
"Would Hermione lie?" I avoided the question.
"She has been known to, once told me I looked like Ron."
"Yes, Albus Dumbledore is my father. That was your next question wasn't it?" I hated the cold tone in my voice, I liked George.
"I didn't know he had any kids."
"Kid," I corrected, "there's just me."
"Oh," he said slowly, "I'll see you tonight then."
"Definitely." I replied.
"Bye then."
"Bye George." I hung up and was finally able to close the door. My neighbour across the road had been watching me through her pulled curtains, I hated to be watched.
I didn't live far from Ron and Hermione's apartment, so once I was ready I simply walked. I was not able to apparate yet, I would be sitting my test in a few months. I was mildly afraid of failing. When I knocked a small red headed girl answered, one of Ron's family no doubt.
"Hi, I'm Ginny. You must be Allysa, Hermione has told us all about you." She sounded much older than she looked, and her smile was masking something deeper.
"You have to be one of Ron's family," I stepped inside, shutting the door behind me, "you all have that red hair."
"It's distinctive alright. Bit like your name." She winked at me, I guess Hermione has already told them who I am.
"Yeah." I said dryly, as we entered the dinning room, where the rest of Ron's family and Hermione's parents had gathered. I had met Hermione's parents many times, I greeted them with a wave and looked around for Hermione. A woman I could only assume was Ron's mother introduced herself to me and proceeded to usher me around to meet the rest of her extensive family.
"This is Bill, my eldest." She indicated a man leaning against the wall, his long hair held in a tidy ponytail, and dressed in dragon hide. I smiled wearily, this was going to be a long night.
"Over there is Charlie and Percy, my next two." She pointed but I had no time to register before she continued.
"Ginny you've met, and this is Fred and George."
"Who I've also met." I replied. She simply smiled and patted the hand that she was still holding in welcome.
"I must be off, got to help Hermione in the kitchen. Would you like to come dear?" She looked at me in a way my own ,mother never had.
"No mum, we're gonna get to know her better. Aren't we Gin?" Fred ushered me away from his mother, who then turned and retreated back into the kitchen.
I found I liked Ron's family as much as I liked Ron, which was a lot. Before the end of the night I was chatting happily with all but one. Percy Weasley merely looked at me distrustfully, I had heard about his falling out with his family from Hermione and figured this was due to the fact that I was my father's daughter. I especially liked the twins, Fred and George, they kept me talking and laughing most of the early evening before dinner. I was finally able to retreat into the kitchen however, when Mrs Weasley came back into the living room to say Hermione was asking for me specifically. I went gladly, although I had been enjoying myself, I was happy at the chance to talk with Hermione. We had become good friends since my father asked her to teach me fourteen months ago. I had never learned to use magic properly, but had learned quickly from Hermione and would soon be at an appropriate level for my age.
"I thought they would never let you go." Hermione exclaimed as I entered the kitchen, bringing me back from my memories.
"Yes, they are a chatty lot aren't they."
"I saw you were getting along with Fred and George a lot." She winked at me and I blushed, twice in one day.
"Too bad I couldn't do they same with that Percy. He was a bit stoney."
"He has been ever since, well you know." She turned back to the bowl she had been stirring when I walked in.
"What would you like me to do?" I asked, moving to stand next to her.
"Nothing, I just wanted to talk. Molly has done almost everything." She smiled to herself.
"Can I see it yet, or do I have to wait?" I asked, looking at her sideways.
"Sure, I'll just go and get it." She beamed happily. I picked up a stray slice of carrot and began to chew on it. Fred came into the kitchen looking around for Hermione guiltily.
"I just wanted a drink. Mum told me not to come in."
"That's okay I wont tell, Fred." He stopped mid-stride, heading for the sink.
"You can tell us apart? Even mum can't sometimes."
"Course." He continued to look at me curiously, but continued with filling his glass.
"So how?"
"It's a secret." He looked intrigued.
"I'll get it out of you." He replied and left with his drink back into the living room. Hermione came back as Fred was leaving, she saw the smirk on his face and looked at me questioningly.
"What was that about?" She asked when the door had banged shut.
"He wanted to know how I can tell him and George apart, and I wouldn't tell him."
"You can? Wait a minute, that was Fred?"
"Yes, now let me see it." I held out my hand, but Hermione did not move.
"Not before you tell me how you can tell them apart." She replied and I knew she would stick to her word. I sighed resignedly.
"Okay," I picked up another slice of carrot and ate it slowly while Hermione tapped her foot, "I'm only attracted to one of them." I spoke quickly.
"Which one?" She asked excitedly, handing me the ring she and Ron had bought. I looked at it for a long time, it was plain but beautiful all at once.
"It's perfect." I said and handed it back, she placed it carefully into the jewellers box and put it on the benchtop.
"Don't change the subject, which one?" She replied stubbornly.
"George." She thought for a minute.
"I could rearrange the seating, put Fred where Ginny was and Percy next to mum." She said, mostly to herself.
"No Hermione, don't change a thing." But she wasn't listening, she was already on her way out of the kitchen still mumbling to herself. George came sauntering into the kitchen, looking at me with that same smirk.
"Hello George." He just stared at me.
"You gonna tell me how you do it?" He asked.
"Simple," I replied, briefly putting my hands on his chest, "you're the cute one." I walked out of the kitchen, in search of Hermione again. Instead I found Mrs Weasley, who was calling everyong to the dinner table. She smiled widely and ushered me to where my name was seated between George and Mrs Granger.
"You think I'm the cute one?" George whispered as I sat down beside him. I looked sideways at him, but did not get a chance to answer as Ron and Hermione stood up obviously ready to inform the family of their engagement.
"Before we start, we just want to say something." Ron began. Mrs Weasley took the fork out of Fred's hand.
"Hermione and I," he hesitated, "are getting married." The table erupted in noise, I smiled at the many choruses of 'congratulations' and 'that's wonderful'. All the while Hermione simply watched Ron, nodding to her new family absently.
After everyone had hugged both the bride and the groom, and eaten all the food that Mrs Weasley had laden the table with, they began to leave. Hermione's parents left first, they both had early appointments. Then Mrs Weasley left, taking with her her husband and three eldest children. I was sitting comfortably talking with Ginny on the sofa, while the other four laughed and talked loudly on the other side of the room.
"So what is this Harry like? I've not met him yet." I asked.
"He's real nice," she smiled wistfully, "you've heard of him though right?"
"Harry Potter?" She nodded slowly in reply, "it does sound familiar, but I don't know." She looked blankly at me, disbelieving. I felt nervous, should I know this person?
"He's the one who defeated … well Voldemort." There's a name I hadn't heard in a long time, not since I left Riddle Manor and went into hiding.
"Then I guess I should thank him." I spoke quietly and was unsure of whether she had heard what I had said. It was suddenly very hot inside, "I think I should go." I stood up and Ginny looked worried.
"I didn't mean to offend you. I just thought, you know, since he's dead, that it was okay to say." She stammered.
"No, it's not that. I'm just not feeling well." Hermione came over, disentangling herself from her fience. She looked at me worried.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I just feel a bit tired. I'm going to walk home now. Fresh air, that's what I need." I managed a weak smile.
"Well George can walk you home," she turned to face the others, "can't you George?"
"Course." He replied, standing. I didn't protest, this was another of those times I knew Hermione would not give in.