Disclaimer: Didn't own them two hours ago. Still don't.
"I don't want to go home." Astrid announced her arrival in the compartment on the Express occupied by Hermione, Harry and Ron. She slammed the door shut behind her and threw herself into the seat next to Hermione and across from Harry. She dropped her book bag onto the floor next to her seat.
"Really now?" Hermione asked, looking over at the small girl.
"Really," Astrid said earnestly. "Would one of you hide me in your bags and force feed Colin Creevey enough Polyjuice to make him be Astrid Malfoy for all of break?"
"I don't know that THAT'S possible," Ron laughed. Astrid rolled her eyes at her friends.
"So how was the ball?" Astrid asked.
"Fun," came the standard reply from the three fifth years.
"Come on, I've been talking to Mandrake Chelsea, who is in the same house as Hannah, Justin and Ernie. From what I hear, it was a lot more than just fun for a few of you," Astrid laughed casting pointed looks in Ron and Harry's direction. Both boys instantly turned dark red.
"Well," Harry began, but Astrid cut him off.
"Seriously Ron, bushes? There are places a bit more romantic than the shrubbery in front of the school that I can think of and I'm only a first year!" she exclaimed, "I'm not supposed to have thoughts like that yet!"
"He," Harry began, "Was, ah…"
"Um," Ron stuttered.
"Caught up in the moment," Hermione insisted.
"That's right!" Harry cried.
"Caught up in the moment," Ron agreed. Astrid shook her head at her friends.
"And Harry, I hear you and Miss Abbott have finally made official what everyone took to be true anyway," she laughed. Harry blushed a deep purple. Hermione and Ron both laughed along with Astrid this time.
"It only took him two months, that's not so bad," Ron said, clapping his friend on his shoulder.
"At least she was my girlfriend before the entire school knew we were kissing," Harry said. "More than you can say for yourself and Mandy."
"We would have been fine if the two of you hadn't found us," Ron insisted.
"I hardly believe that," Harry cried.
"Ron, you came back into the Great Hall with LEAVES stuck in your hair!" Hermione added.
"Well I would have had time to brush them out if someone hadn't used my middle name in front of Mandy," Ron said.
"Oh get over it, Alroy. You got caught and that's all there is to it," Astrid laughed.
"Shove it, Malfoy," Ron spat. "Who invited you here in the first place anyway?"
"Boy, if you want your Christmas present, you'll be nice," Astrid warned.
"You got me a Christmas present?" Ron asked.
"Certainly," Astrid said, picking up her bag. "I'll give it to you now if you promise to be nice."
"I'll only be nice if you won't say anything else about me getting caught with Mandy," Ron bargained.
"One more comment?" Astrid requested.
"Sure," Ron granted.
"Where is she now if the two of you were so caught up in the moment last night?" Hermione and Harry instantly erupted with laughter. Ron glared at his two friends.
"Ron can't manage to string two words to her together without turning red and stuttering!" Harry cried.
"But Mandy is as bad as he is! So she and Hannah are sitting with Morag and Terry until Ron and Mandy can relearn to converse like normal human beings," Hermione explained. Astrid laughed loudly before turning back to Ron.
"Now that I've said that, I won't say anything else, so will you be nice?" she requested.
"Sure," Ron said. He sounded like he was agreeing specifically to get the present out of the deal. Astrid pulled three packages from her bag. She handed Ron the largest of the three, a box about 30 centimeters square. She handed Hermione a suspiciously thin, rectangular package and Harry the smallest of the boxes, a perfectly square package about 10 centimeters high.
"Who's first?" Hermione asked, looking at her best friends.
"Me!" Ron cried.
"No, I'm pulling rank on you," Hermione insisted.
"Rank?" Ron asked. "How? I'm the oldest!"
"Yes, but I'm the baby, therefore making me obligated to open my presents first," Hermione said. Before Ron could fully process her statement, she began pulling the paper from her package. A moment later, she held a rather thick book in her hands. The book was covered in a cloth charmed to look like a bed of red, orange, yellow and purple flowers. The occasional blue and purple butterfly would flutter across the flowers and tiny bees zoomed back and forth around them.
"Wow Astrid, this is GREAT!" Hermione cried as she searched the book for a title.
"You're not going to find a title," Harry said when he realized what his friend was doing.
"It's a journal," Astrid said. She looked slightly scared Hermione wouldn't like her present.
"It's actually a joint present from Astrid and me," Harry explained. "She bought the book, I put a few charms on it, and then I have another bit that you'll actually get on Christmas," Harry said.
"A few charms?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," Harry replied. "Place a hand on each cover of the book and hold it there for 30 seconds and then I'll explain the charms." Hermione did as she was told. When she pulled her hand away, she looked over at her friend.
"What did that do?" she asked.
"Toss it here," Harry instructed. Hermione tossed the book across the compartment. Harry grabbed it and pulled fiercely at both covers.
"STOP!" Hermione insisted. "You're going to rip it!" She hadn't fully realized the book wasn't even beginning to open for Harry.
"How will I rip it, I can't even open it," Harry insisted. He tossed the book back to Hermione. "Now you try." Hermione pulled lightly on the front cover and the book fell open in her hands. For the first time, she noticed writing on the front page.
HermioneA notebook, a quote book, a look what I wrote book. Made especially for the resident encyclopedia of Gryffindor tower. Good luck filling this one.
Merry Christmas
Harry and Astrid
"Oh guys, this is SO sweet!" Hermione gushed. "I love it!"
"Okay, the rest of the charms," Harry said.
"There are more?" Hermione asked.
"Well, it will only open to your touch. It's also charmed to never run out of paper, but it will never get any thicker than that," Harry explained.
"What if it's already open and someone touches it?" Hermione asked.
"Open it then hand it to Astrid and see," Harry instructed. Hermione opened the book to a random page in the middle and handed it to Astrid. The book almost fell to the floor and caught Astrid's finger in its attempt to slam itself shut.
"Yeah, it tried to rip my finger off," Astrid said as she handed the book back to Hermione. "I think you over did that one."
"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly.
"Wait, you have one of these only it's got the sky on it rather than flowers!" Hermione said.
"Yes. Draco made me mine for my sixth birthday," Astrid admitted. "I thought you might like one too so I got mom to send me the series of charms she and Draco used on mine. They were to advanced for me, so Harry threw in help on those."
"This is the most thoughtful present I think I've ever received!" Hermione cried. "Of course, most people just give me books."
"Hermione, it is a book," Ron pointed out. He was obviously impatiently waiting to open his gift.
"My turn!" Harry insisted. Ron glared at his friend.
"What. I'm younger than you," Harry laughed. He slowly picked a piece of tape off the end of the box and started on another. At the rate he was going, opening his present would take an hour.
"Damn it Harry, just rip the bloody paper!" Ron cried as Harry started on the third piece of tape. Harry pretended not to hear him. "If you don't rip the paper," Ron warned, " I'm going to open your present for you." That did the trick. Harry quickly pulled the paper from the box. Inside the paper was a clear plastic box with a single golden snitch hovering directly in the middle.
"A SNITCH!" Harry cried.
"Very good," Ron said, "You've only chased how many of them and you've finally learned to recognize them?" Harry glared at Ron.
"Look closer," Astrid urged. Harry pulled the box up even with his eyes. He noticed tiny black squiggles on the small ball.
"It's signed by every seeker in the league," Astrid explained. "I've been sending that around to all of the different teams since practically September."
"You did this for ME?" Harry asked.
"Yes," Astrid admitted. Harry's jaw dropped. "Hey, even little Malfoys are allowed to have celebrity crushes on Harry Potter. Only when I started it, I didn't figure I'd ever know you well enough to justify giving it to you."
"Oh Astrid," Harry laughed. "Come here." Astrid stood up uncertainly. Harry reached up and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Thank you so much," he said.
"You're welcome," she said as she sat back down. She turned to Hermione. "I think he liked it," she whispered, causing the fifth years to erupt with laughter.
"Can I open mine now?" Ron asked.
"Yes," Harry and Hermione chorused. Ron quickly ripped the paper off of his box. And that's exactly what he got. A wooden box. The wood was highly polished and shone brightly. In the center of the top of the box was a bit of decoration. The decoration came in the form of a picture. In the center of the picture sat a very disgruntled looking Ron, scowling at the camera. George knelt to his left and Harry to his right. Ginny sat at his feet. Fred stood behind Harry and Hermione stood behind George. The pair were slightly behind Ron also. Astrid stood behind Fred and Hermione and leaned over to rest her hands on Ron's head. The rest of the group smiled cheerily at the camera.
"Uh, thanks Astrid," Ron said, obviously not too pleased at receiving a box with a picture of himself after his first chess defeat in a long time stuck to the top center and no apparent way of being opened.
"Open it, silly," Astrid instructed.
"How?" Ron asked. He turned the box over, looking for a clasp. Harry laughed.
"Did you let him play with this one too?"
"Yep!" Harry said. "Poke your nose with your wand." Ron pulled out his wand and pointed it at his face.
"No, not THAT nose!" Harry insisted, "the one in the picture." Ron quickly pointed his wand at the box and tapped it on the diminutive nose of his figure. The top of the box instantly flew straight back from Ron. He glanced inside and found a tray covered in half Gryffindor scarlet velvet, half Slytherin green velvet. The tray had sixteen oddly shaped indentions in it, eight in each color of cloth.
"Now pull it out," Astrid instructed. Ron pulled the top of the tray. It slid away in his hand. He placed it in the seat between himself and Harry. Below it, he found another tray lined in the same green velvet. This tray had eight indentions larger than the first, but still varying in size between the lot. Ron was still obviously confused.
"Pull that one too," Astrid said. Ron pulled the second tray away and came across a third tray. This one was identical to the second, only covered in scarlet velvet rather than green.
"You still have no clue do you?" Harry asked.
"Not really," Ron admitted.
"Told you he wouldn't," Astrid laughed.
"Will someone please just tell me what this is?" Ron asked.
"It's a case for your chess pieces," Astrid said, as though the gift was the most obvious thing in the world. "The top tray holds the pawns, the second tray holds the back row of one color and the bottom tray holds the back row of the other color." Ron's face lit up brightly.
"Astrid, this is fantastic!" he cried.
"Much better than that box you keep them in now," Astrid said. Ron carefully placed the box in the seat next to him and jumped to his feet. He plucked the little girl from her seat and wrapped her arms around her tightly. She threw her arms around his neck.
"RON!" Hermione and Harry cried simultaneously.
"Don't swing her!" Harry continued their exclamation.
"There simply isn't enough room in here!" Hermione finished. Ron glared down at his friends.
"Thank you so much, chica," Ron said softly into her blonde hair before placing her back in her seat. He promptly sat back down in his seat and picked up the case. He reached for his bag and extracted a small battered box that currently housed his chess pieces.
"Ron, before you start playing don't you think you should give Astrid her present from you?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, right," Ron said, sliding the box of chess pieces aside. He reached into his bag again and pulled out a box wrapped in red and green paper. The box was smaller than the chess case, but larger than Harry's snitch's box. Harry rummaged around under his seat until he produced a box more than three times as large as the one Ron had handed Astrid.
"It's from me and Hermione," Harry said as he handed Astrid the box. She tossed the present into the seat next to her.
"Be careful!" Hermione cried. Astrid raised a questioning eyebrow at the girl before beginning to rip the paper off of the present from Ron. Before long, she held a wooden box in her hands.
"Wow, I'm beginning to see a trend here," Hermione laughed as Astrid turned the box around in her hands. The box was constructed of plain wood. It had a gold latch on the front. The only decoration on the top was a star made of lighter wood. Astrid undid the latch and raised the lid. Instantly, the compartment was filled with the tinkling sounds of Beethoven's "Fur Elise."
"RON!" Astrid squealed. She carefully placed the box on top of her present from Harry and Hermione and jumped up. She dived across the compartment and into Ron's arms.
"Thank you SO much, it's fantastic!" she cried. Ron returned her hug and she quickly stood up and went back to her seat. She wrestled the larger box onto her lap.
"Be careful!" Hermione cried again. Astrid glared at her across the present before beginning to rip the paper from the box. When all of the paper was removed from the top and the four sides of the box, she began to turn the box over to remove the paper from the bottom.
"DON'T!!" Harry and Hermione cried at the same time.
"Just leave that paper where it is and open the present like it is," Harry instructed. Astrid looked at her two friends warily before opening the top of the box. Almost instantly, a ball of flying fur hit her. She caught the fluff ball in her hands and held it back from her so she could look at it.
"A KITTEN!" Astrid squealed. Clutched in her hands was a very annoyed looking kitten, struggling to get free. The kitten was solid white with tiny black paws and a tiny black stripe down its nose.
"You are just the most precious little thing, yes you are!" Astrid cooed to the kitten, holding it very close to her face.
"Look in the box again," Harry urged. Astrid held the kitten away from her and peered over the edge of the box. Sitting in the bottom corner of the box was another small kitten. This one was primly licking its left front paw and only stopped for a moment to glance at Astrid with its big green eyes. The kitten still in the box had a red bow tied around its neck. A heap of green strings lay in another corner of the box. The second kitten was white with black paws, black ears, a black tail, and a black spot on its nose. Astrid reached over into the box and picked the second kitten up. Hermione quickly removed the box from her lap.
"Another kitten," Astrid said, surveying her new pets.
"Yes, another kitten," Harry laughed.
"We had actually just gotten you the second one because she's so much calmer than the first. We got her last Saturday in Hogsmeade. About Wednesday, we got an owl from the lady that owns the Hogsmeade Menagerie saying we either had to bring the kitten we had back, or come buy the other cat. The cat we left in the shop had stopped eating, didn't sleep much and was generally a bigger pain than usual because we had bought his sister," Hermione explained.
"So we explained the situation to Professor Dumbledore, and he contacted the lady in the shop. She brought the other kitten to us on Friday," Harry laughed.
"They've been living in a box under my bed since then," Hermione said. Astrid smiled down at the kittens.
"What are their names?" Astrid asked.
"That's left for you to decide," Hermione said.
"I've been calling that one Cat," Harry said, pointing at the kitten with the bow still around its neck.
"And this one?" Astrid asked, holding up the squirming boy kitten.
"Other Cat," Harry said with a shrug.
"Well we can't have that now can we?" Astrid asked the two kittens. Cat mewed sharply at her. She picked the kitten up and dropped a kiss on its nose. Other Cat nipped at the wrapping lying in Astrid's lap.
"Stop it, you little rat," Astrid said, pulling the kitten away from the paper.
"No, that's Other Cat," Harry laughed.
"Just wondering," Astrid said. "Why a kitten?" She looked at the two fuzz balls in her lap. "Or kittens."
"Well," Hermione said. "We know you don't necessarily get along to well with your dorm mates. The rest of us have someone in our year that we get along with."
"Not in your room," Astrid said, looking at Hermione.
"Not in my room, true, but I have Crookshanks," Hermione said.
"So I got a kitten to keep me company," Astrid said.
"Exactly," Harry supplied. Astrid picked up Other Cat and looked him directly in his little green eyes.
"And then I got another kitten because you were lonely." Other Cat mewed softly at Astrid.
"I think that means yes," Ron laughed.
"Either that, or put me down," Harry quipped. Astrid dropped Other Cat back onto her lap.
"They need names better than Cat and Other Cat," Astrid laughed. Ron looked over at the two little fuzz balls.
"I hope they like me more than that fur ball of Hermione's does," Ron said. Astrid picked up Other Cat and held him out to Ron.
"Want to hold one?" she asked. "Maybe if you make friends while they're young, they won't attempt to eat Pig when they're bigger." Ron took Other Cat from Astrid and held him up to his face. Other Cat took a swipe at Ron's nose that ended with a tiny pink scratch on the very tip.
"OWW! You little RAT!" Ron howled.
"No, Other Cat," Harry insisted.
"Rat," Ron said.
"Other Cat!" Harry replied.
"He's a little rat!" Ron said. The kitten made another swipe at Ron's nose, but Ron dodged this time. "Yes, he's a little Rat."
"So do we name him Scabbers?" Harry joked. Hermione and Ron both glared at him.
"What? Crookshanks met both the kittens and didn't try to eat either one, so I really don't think they're big bad dark wizards," Harry insisted. "Or even little slimy dark wizards." Other Cat began wiggling furiously, trying to escape from Ron's grasp. He finally succeeded and climbed up the sleeve of Ron's robe before curling himself into a ball on Ron's shoulder.
"Little Rat," Ron spat at the kitten on his shoulder. The kitten purred contentedly.
"I think the little rat likes you," Hermione said.
"Guy's if you don't stop calling the thing Rat, it's going to stick," Astrid warned.
"Better than Other Cat," Hermione shrugged.
"You can't have a cat named Rat!" Ron cried.
"You have an owl named Pig," Harry pointed out. Ron glared at his friends.
"Ginny did it," he insisted. Astrid picked up the little girl kitten and softly stroked the top of her fuzzy head. The kitten, like her brother, began to purr lightly.
"Aww, you're so precious," Astrid cooed to the little kitten. "But you still need a name."
"As does this one," Ron said, pointing at the boy kitten that was still sleeping contentedly on his shoulder.
"Fine then, that one's name is Alroy," Astrid said with an evil grin at Ron. Ron's jaw dropped.
"I think it fits the kitten rather nicely," Hermione said before Ron could protest.
"I agree," Harry laughed. "Alroy it is!"
"Guys I was just joking," Astrid said, looking from Hermione to Harry.
"Well we're not. Alroy is too perfect for the kitten," Hermione laughed. Ron's face paled considerably.
"Thanks you guys, I really appreciate it," he said.
"No problem," Hermione and Harry chorused.
"So what about her?" Astrid asked, holding up the female kitten. Harry and Hermione both looked at the kitten. Harry scratched his chin thoughtfully. Astrid turned the kitten so she could see its tiny little face. The kitten mewed and flicked its small pink tongue against Astrid's thumb.
"Juliet," Hermione said.
"Juliet?" Harry and Ron both asked.
"Yes, Juliet," Hermione said. "It fits her quite nicely."
"Alroy and Juliet. What great names," Astrid laughed. Ron still looked quite put off about having a hyper little fuzz ball of a kitten bear his middle name.
"Oh come off it Ron, you know you loved having the kitten named after you," Hermione said.
"You could have picked something other than my middle name," Ron insisted. He was trying not to move too much so as not to disturb little Alroy.
"Yes," Harry agreed, "but I hardly think the kitten qualifies for a name like sexy beast." Astrid and Hermione both erupted with laughter that they barely tried to stifle when Ron glared at them. After a moment, Astrid finally calmed down enough to speak.
"Guys, as much as I love Juliet and little Alroy, I have a bit of a problem," she said.
"What's that?" Hermione asked.
"They're small. They're fluffy, and they're headed to Malfoy Manor. The only thing that would put them in more danger would be a sign reading "Kieran Malfoy, experiment now," Astrid explained as she nervously stroked Juliet's head.
"That's not a problem," Ron insisted.
"He'll kill them!" Astrid cried.
"They'll just have to come spend Christmas Holidays at the Burrow with us," Ron said.
"Will you really keep them?" Astrid asked hopefully.
"Certainly," Ron said. Astrid smiled broadly at her three older friends.
"You guys are the best!"
"We try," Harry said airily, brushing his fingernails on the front of his robes twice. Hermione, Ron and Astrid all rolled their eyes at Harry. Astrid picked Juliet up from her lap and held her out to Hermione.
"Will you hold her?" she asked.
"Certainly," Hermione said, cradling the fluffy kitten in her hands.
"Good!" Astrid said. She picked up her music box. "I want to play with this."
"It's just a muggle music box," Ron said, blushing slightly.
"I know," Astrid said. "All of the girls at my first school had them. I always wanted one but with my parents being a witch and a wizard and all, I never got one," she explained. "Until now that is. And this one is particularly gorgeous." She turned the box around in her hands several times before opening the lid. "Fur Elise" wafted through the compartment.
"I don't want to go home," she mumbled over the tinkling music.
"Then why didn't you sign up to stay at school?" Ron asked logically.
"I did," Astrid replied, "But Lucius sent Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall all letters saying ALL of his children were to be sent home for the holidays." Hermione and Harry exchanged a worried glance that didn't go unnoticed by Ron. Astrid placed the music box back in the seat and reached for Alroy and Juliet. Hermione and Ron handed over the kittens. Astrid piled them in her lap and began absentmindedly petting them. Alroy curled himself around Juliet and quickly enough, both kittens were asleep. Ron picked up his chess pieces and started arranging them in their new case. All of the small figures commented quietly about how nice their new home was. Hermione grabbed a quill and flipped open her journal. She began furiously scribbling on the first page. Harry observed his friends for a while before standing up.
"You lot are boring," he announced. "I'm off to find Jason and Sawyer to see what kind of trouble they're causing.
*****
"Guys, it's the Hogwarts delegation!" a small figure cried from the kitchen door of the Burrow. George, Angelina, Fred, Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny and tiny Gus Figg approached the ramshackle house piled in Bill's Volkswagen Beetle.
"Audra, you are too small to know a word as big as delegation," Charlie insisted form his spot at the kitchen table. The tiny red head turned to face the much larger one and stamped her little foot.
"Am not," she insisted.
"Are too," Charlie said. The four year old stuck her tongue out at Charlie. The 27 year old stuck his tongue out at Audra in return.
"Auntie Arabella?" Audra asked.
"Yes Audra?" Arabella replied.
"When you marry Uncle Bill tomorrow will I get related to him?" Audra asked, pointing at Charlie.
"No sweetie, Arabella assured her niece.
"GOOD!" Audra insisted. She turned on her small heel and started towards the door.
"Audra Renae Figg, do not go out that door without a cloak on!" Audra's mother warned. Audra stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face her mother.
"AUDRA!" a red headed blur screeched, tearing into the kitchen.
"Gus!" Audra squealed, diving into her brother's arms. Gus, with very little trouble caught his sister and spun her around twice before placing her back on the floor.
"We're home!" Fred shouted as he and George stepped into the kitchen with Angelina close on their heels.
"We're all right here!" Charlie called, waving at his brother.
"That volume of voice is totally unnecessary!" Molly admonished from over near the stove.
"Mum, it's nice to see you too!" Fred cried, not lowering his volume level one bit.
"Fredrick Bayard Weasley!" Molly exclaimed. Fred leaped across the kitchen and enveloped his mother in a tight hug. Then he strained as though he was trying to pick her up before he let her go completely. Molly cracked him over his head with the wooden spoon she held in her hand. He howled loudly, clamping his hands about his head and ran and cowered behind George. George reached over his shoulder and patted his twin on his head. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny straggled into the kitchen. Molly picked up a tray of gingerbread cookies from the counter and offered them to Ron, Ginny and their friends. The four teenagers grabbed gingerbread men. Fred reached for a cookie but Molly rapped his knuckles with a spoon. Harry looked at his cookie for a moment. Ron had already crunched the head of his cookie while Ginny broke the arms off hers. Hermione nibbled at the feet of hers. Harry plucked a gumdrop button from the front of his cookie. The cookie's tiny frosted face contorted into a scowl.
"NOT MY GUMDROP BUTTONS!" The cookie shrieked. Out of total surprise, Harry dropped the cookie onto the floor while Charlie and Audra erupted with laughter. Mollie scowled at her second oldest son and the little girl that he had intermittently been playing and fighting with all day. At the moment, the two were fighting.
"Dinner time!" Molly announced. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were all standing around still gaping at the broken cookie.
"Audra and I charmed a few of them to make them a bit more interesting," Charlie explained over Audra's childish giggles.
"Okay!" Molly announced, "Adults and little children in here, teenagers and unmarried adults downstairs!" Almost instantly, Arthur followed by a group of about five people the teenagers didn't recognize entered the kitchen. Arthur and his group started towards the table, allowing the teenagers, led by Ron to start towards the living room.
"The Burrow has a basement?" Harry asked as he followed his friend into the living room.
"Certainly. Doesn't the name Burrow imply underground living space? It has two, actually," Ron said. "Mum cleaned out the first one to use for all of the extra people who are here for the wedding." Ron stopped in front of the fireplace in the living room. He went to the right side of it and undid a latch near the wall. The right side of the mantle gave way to reveal a narrow staircase.
"Watch your heads," Ron said as he ducked down to start down the stairs. Harry and Hermione followed him and Ginny close on their heels. They ended up at one end of a long hallway. Ron started down the hallway and turned through the last door on the left. He ended up in a room decorated like much of the rest of the house. It was filled with a long wooden table surrounded by 10 mismatched chairs. Ron took the chair at the narrow end of the table on the left side. Hermione took the seat to his right. Harry ran around the table and sat to his left with Ginny to his left. Fred sat next to his girlfriend and George took the seat next to his twin. Angelina sank into the seat next to George. Gus clambered into the chair at the other end of the table. The teenagers looked around at each other.
"Mum will send the food down in a minute," Ron said. The group heard footsteps outside in the hall just before a familiar red head appeared around the edge of the door.
"I think this is mum's attempt to get me away from Little Miss Audra Figg," Charlie exclaimed. He sank into the seat next to Ginny, across from George.
"Where are Percy and Penelope?" George asked.
"Their little escapade back in October doesn't qualify them as unmarried anymore. They get to sit at the big table," Charlie reminded his younger brother. George rolled his eyes.
"What exactly was Percy thinking?" he asked.
"He was either taken over by a green eyed monster of some sort or simply thinking with his little head," Charlie laughed. Ron groaned and buried his head in his arms. Ginny covered her face with her hands and both twins clamped their hands over their ears. They leveled glares at their older brother.
"I think we all could have lived forever without hearing that and been just fine!" Hermione insisted. Charlie laughed loudly at his own joke.
"What's so funny?" a male voice asked form the doorway. Everyone gather around the table looked towards the voice. In the doorway stood Bill with his arm tossed loosely over Arabella's shoulders.
"Don't let him repeat it!" Ginny insisted.
"What are you guys doing down here?" Charlie asked, forgetting all about his joke.
"We didn't want to sit with the old people," Bill explained.
"And technically we ARE still unmarried," Arabella laughed, sliding into the seat next to Charlie. Bill summoned another chair and placed it at the corner between Arabella and Gus. HE looked around the table and finally ended up looking at Angelina.
"I don't know you," he said.
"This is my girlfriend Angelina Johnson," George replied. Angelina cast a nervous glance in George's direction but he said nothing else.
"Nice to meet you, Angelina Johnson, I'm Bill Weasley, George's oldest brother," Bill explained. "This is my fiancé, Arabella Figg, and Charlie Weasley, the one that goes between me and Percy."
"You finally behaved well enough to have a friend over for the holidays?" Charlie asked incredulously.
"Mum said all of the younger ones could bring home friends or significant others," Bill explained. Charlie glanced across the table at George and Angelina and then to his left at Ginny.
"Oh yes, mum said Braeden had been invited but couldn't make it," he said. Ginny glared at her brother before staring down at her still empty place. Charlie continued down to Ron, Harry and Hermione. "So what are your excuses?" he asked. Bill whacked his younger brother across the back of his head.
"Prat!" he exclaimed. "Believe it or not, Hermione and Harry are still here on Ron's invitation."
"Oh, right," Charlie mumbled before turning to Fred. "So George's girlfriend is here, Ginny's boy can't come, on the off chance Ron has a girlfriend, he couldn't invite her because that would mean children numbers eight an d nine couldn't come and I don't think mum would stand for that. So where is your friend or significant other?" Fred instantly turned bright red.
"Here," he insisted.
"Friend or significant other?" Charlie asked.
"Both," Fred replied, causing Hermione's ears to turn pink. Charlie's gaze immediately fell on Angelina and George.
"Guys, I know you are twins and share a lot of things, but sharing the same girl? Isn't that taking things a bit far?" he asked. All of the older Gryffindors exploded with laughter in remembrance of the way George and Angelina had actually gotten together.
"Fred and I only went out once before George and I got together," Angelina insisted once her laughter had subsided. Charlie's jaw dropped.
"What? They went to the Yule Ball together and I pretended to be Fred the next morning while he was still sleeping," George said, "So ultimately, I got the girl." Charlie nodded and then looked down the table to where Ron and his friends sat. His gaze ultimately fell on Harry. His jaw dropped and his face reddened.
"Fred, you know, it really doesn't matter one way or the other who you date, it's your choice, but think of what mum is going to say! She's depending on all of us for grandchildren" Charlie babbled.
"CHARLIE!" Fred roared, when he figured out what his older brother's incoherent babbling insinuated. "I do NOT fly on that side of the Quidditch pitch!!!"
"So wait," Charlie said, ignoring the levels of pink everyone at the table had attained. "If you're not dating Angelina…"
"Hermione, you dolt!" Fred interrupted before Charlie could make anymore embarrassing statements. Charlie howled with laughter. Bill looked dead at Fred.
"No really," Bill insisted.
"Really," Fred replied. Bill turned his gaze on Hermione.
"Imperius is quite illegal, you know," he said, quite seriously. Fred slung his arm around Hermione's shoulders.
"Hermione would never put me under the Imperius curse, would you baby?" Fred asked.
"Well," Hermione began.
"Somehow, I don't think I'm worried about Hermione," Bill interrupted, casting a pointed look at Fred.
"Fred and Hermione really are together," George insisted.
"And the other half of Fred's brain is in your head. I certainly don't think we're believing you," Charlie laughed.
"They really are!" Ron and Harry cried.
"And you two are Hermione's trained monkeys" Bill said, "Like we're going to believe you." Ron looked at Harry.
"Can't we at least rate goons or body guards?"
"You should," Ginny broke in.
"Until the advent of Braeden Granger, you pined over Harry Potter. If any of those feelings are left over, you have a perfect reason to comply with their little plot," Bill reasoned.
"But they really are!" Gus chimed in.
"You, Mr. Augustus Figg, are a first year, you're probably complying specifically to gain favor with the older members of your house," Arabella said.
"Are you kidding?" Gus asked. "We're not Slytherins, nepotism will get you no where in Gryffindor!" Hermione laughed appreciatively at the first year while everyone else stared at him like he was gum stuck to someone's shoe. Or Draco Malfoy. The three adults shared a smile, proud of their solid logic. Hermione silently clasped Fred's jaw in her right hand. She pulled his face down towards hers and planted a kiss squarely on his lips.
Charlie's voice cut through Ron's, Harry's and George's gagging and Angelina and Ginny's resounding "AAWWWWW!"
"BLOODY HELL!!"
*****
Astrid clutched the wooden music box tightly in her hands as she followed her brothers into the cold stone entrance hall of Malfoy Manor. Draco led the way, book bag slung carelessly over his immaculate black robe. Keiran walked a few steps behind his older brother exuding an air of confidence 11-year-old boys shouldn't be capable of. Astrid stayed well away from the boys and with good reason. The pair had avoided speaking to her at all costs. When they had, they referred to her as "traitor." She didn't particularly care to make them mad.
Draco paused and looked around the empty hall.
"Hell of a welcome home party, don't you think?" He quietly asked Keiran. Keiran chuckled appreciatively. His laughter was interrupted by the sound of small footsteps. A small blonde head appeared around the edge of a door on the right side of the hall.
"EMMA!" Astrid cried.
"ASTRID!" Emma squealed. She quickly ran across the entrance hall and caught her older sister in a hug.
"How have you been?" Astrid asked when she and her sister pulled away from each other.
"I've been okay, but Lucius is requesting the three of you in his study now," Emma said.
"I've got SO much to tell you about!" Astrid insisted.
"After you meet with Lucius," Emma replied, pushing her sister towards the door. "He didn't look to happy."
"The traitor deserves it," Keiran muttered. Emma spun to face her brother. She glared at him through small oval shaped glasses.
"Do not talk about your twin sister that way," she said in a tone that implied she wouldn't think twice about hexing him into next week if he said anything else about Astrid. The fact that Emma had grown a bit since they had last seen her, and was, in fact a bit taller than Keiran while not quite as tall as Astrid helped her. Astrid hurried down the hallway with Keiran and Draco close on their heels. Emma followed them for a little ways, but then turned through a portrait hole that would lead her back to her and Astrid's wing of the manor.
"That's sad Astrid, your little Gryffindor arse has to be protected by your baby sister," Keiran muttered.
"She's not the baby," Astrid and Draco snapped, almost instantaneously and quite simultaneously. Keiran rolled his eyes and stomped ahead of his sister in the passageway. He stopped at a portrait and pulled its frame away from the wall. He carefully slipped inside.
"This way," he said, "It's a faster way to Lucius's study." Draco and Astrid followed the boy, both amazed at his knowledge of the secret passage neither of them had any clue about until they found themselves walking it. The three siblings remained silent. Keiran wondered how much praise he would receive from Lucius for his outstanding performance in his first half year at Hogwarts. Astrid walked a bit slower than her brothers, absolutely terrified at what the meeting with Lucius would hold for her. Draco couldn't exactly figure out why his father wanted to see him. On the one hand, he could want to praise him for his great year so far. On the other, Pansy's and Keiran's warnings about Finley and the Yule Ball could mean that Lucius was getting ready to eat Draco alive. Keiran pushed aside a tapestry at the end of the passage and stepped into the hall. He turned to a pair of glass doors just to his left and pointed.
"Lucius's study," he said, pointing to the doors. Before Draco or Astrid could stop him, he stepped forward and threw open one of the doors. He hurried inside, leaving his siblings no choice but to follow him. Lucius sat at a large Mahogany desk pushed against one wall.
"Hello," he greeted his children calmly.
"Father," the three children chorused.
"Keiran," Lucius said. Keiran took a couple of steps towards his father.
"Professor Snape tells me you are a most exemplary young Slytherin," Lucius said. Keiran tried to hide his smile.
"I suppose, father," he said. Lucius pulled out a bag from his bottom desk drawer. The bag jerked sharply in his hand. He tossed it to his youngest son. Keiran caught the bag easily.
"Go," Lucius commanded, "Have fun." Keiran smiled broadly as the bag moved in his hands again. He turned on his heel and ran from the study. Draco and Astrid turned to face Lucius.
"Draco," Lucius hissed. Draco willed himself to stand up a bit straighter.
"Yes Father?" Draco asked. While all of the Malfoy children referred to their father as Lucius behind his back, they all called him Father in his presence.
"Your performance at school has been excellent so far," Lucius said. Draco smiled a bit. "However, you disgrace me." Draco took the cue to stare at the stone floor. "You did not attend the ball with young miss Parkinson as you should have."
"I'm sorry, father," Draco said, not daring to look up.
"Sorry is not good enough. Finley Alexander does not come from a family in my circle of friends. Therefore, she is unacceptable for any son of mine," Lucius insisted.
"I simply thought that because she was pureblooded," Draco began.
"You thought wrong," Lucius spat, before Draco could finish his sentence. "In times like these, not even pure blood is enough to be acceptable." Astrid looked at the door, seriously considering tearing through it and running until she got to Hogwarts or the Burrow, whichever came first. Lucius ran his fingers over the head of the snake topped cane leaning against his desk.
"I'm sorry, father," Draco said, for lack of anything better to say. Lucius pulled out his wand and pointed it at his son.
"Crucio," Lucius muttered. Draco felt like a billion sharp tooth maggots were consuming his body, from the inside. He collapsed on the floor in a heap and Astrid had to keep herself from stepping towards her brother and gather him into her arms.
"He's been nothing but a bloody wanker all year," she silently reminded herself. Lucius pulled his wand away from Draco.
"Now get out of my sight," he said. Draco attempted to scramble to his feet and half walked, half tripped, half stumbled out of the office doors.
"Astrid," said Lucius, turning his silky smooth voice on his oldest daughter.
"Yes Father?" Astrid asked.
"There is nothing I can say to verbalize how disappointed I am in you. You are a disgrace to the Malfoy name," Lucius spat. "Nothing I can say except perhaps this: Crucio." The music box slipped from Astrid's hands and smashed on the floor as she collapsed in a shaking heap. Her bones felt as though they were spontaneously combusting. She attempted to cover her head with her hands but found that she couldn't move.
Draco stood on the other side of the glass doors, watching the proceedings wordlessly. The stupid box Astrid had been clinging to smashed into at least four big pieces and his sister collapsed onto the floor. He was half amazed, half disturbed. Lucius had never used the Cruciatus Curse on any of the girls, but judging by the look of his sister, there was a first time for everything. Lucius still hadn't pulled his wand away from the girl. Draco bit the corner of his lip. Astrid shook on the floor. Draco reached for the door but then pulled his hand away. His body still ached from the curse he had just survived. Another moment later, Draco slung the door open and stepped through.
"Father, if you don't stop now, she'll be reduced to nothing more than a common Longbottom!" he cried. Lucius wrenched his wand away from Astrid.
"Fine then," he spat, leveling his wand at Draco. "Crucio."
*****
"So, Angelina, what do you plan on doing after you graduate from Hogwarts?" Bill asked through a mouthful of bread.
"Quidditch, hopefully," Angelina replied truthfully. All of the chatter around the table drowned out the sound of footsteps in the hallway. The lone person clothed in a black robe stopped outside of the last room on the left. He paused and listened to the voices inside. He had managed to get through the people on the first level, so the only ones left sat inside the room. He took a deep breath and stepped into the doorway.
"Hi guys, did you miss me?" he asked.
"GGAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" came Ginny's inarticulate scream. She scrambled onto her chair and then over the table, stepping between the twins to tackle the figure in the doorway. Hermione and Harry exchanged a quick glance before jumping after Ginny. They each grabbed one of her elbows and pulled her to her feet.
"BRAEDEN!" Hermione squealed and jumped into her cousins waiting arms.
"Hey Hermione!"
"I'm going to hex everyone who knew he was coming and kept up the pretense that he wasn't," Ginny said, turning to face the group gathered around the table. Bill and Charlie were both laughing uproariously. Everyone else looked equally surprised to see Braeden. "Who's first?"
"Aww Gin, don't do that," Braeden said as he returned Hermione to her feet. "Or at least wait until after we go upstairs for desert."
"What?" Ginny asked.
"Your mum told me to send all of you upstairs for desert," Braeden said. "Then you can hex us all."
"Okay," Ginny replied happily, lacing her fingers between his and pulling him back into the hallway. Hermione shrugged and followed them. Harry started after her.
"Harry, can I talk to you for just a second," Arabella asked over the noise of everyone vacating their chairs to head upstairs. Harry stepped against the wall and waited for the crowd to pass.
"What is it?" he asked, stepping over to where his former babysitter still sat.
"I need to ask you something," she said.
"Okay," Harry replied.
"Well, for tomorrow, Bill and I have agreed to name only one person to stand with us when we get married," Bella began. "Bill has picked Charlie for every apparent reason. They're brothers and best friends."
"Naturally," Harry agreed, unsure of where Arabella's line of conversation was heading.
"Well, Harry, my best friend is dead," Arabella said, rather bluntly. The blank look on Harry's face showed that he was still clueless.
"Harry, my best friend was your mother," Arabella tried a different approach.
"Oh," Harry replied.
"Lily was my best friend, and I've dedicated my life since her death to keeping you safe. Because of all of this, I would like you to stand with me tomorrow," Bella said. Harry's jaw dropped.
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes," Arabella said. "Bill and I have discussed it, and we've decided that you're the only logical choice. My brother and I don't get along all THAT well, and, well, I asked Remus because he's always been a very close friend. He was actually the one that suggested you."
"I'd be honored," Harry said, unsure of exactly what TO say.
"Thank you," Arabella said. She stared at the boy for another minute before breaking her eyes away from his. "You have your mother's eyes. It's uncanny really." She glanced down at the floor. Harry stood and held out his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her to her feet.
"A lot of people say that," he said. She pulled him into a quick but tight hug.
"Come on," he said when their embrace ended. "Let's go get cake."