"Merlin's beard..." Harry heard Ron say as
Hermione took in a sharp breath.
"You!" Ginny yelled.
"Hello..." The Asian-looking girl replied softly. Harry couldn't
believe his eyes. The beautiful girl that he had only seen several hours
ago...the girl that he thought he would NEVER see again, was standing in his
presence at that very moment.
"Arthur!" Molly screamed. "You can't be going on, bringing
muggles and their sort around here! You just revealed our ENTIRE world to her!
Do you UNDERSTAND how much trouble you'll be in with Fudge?!?!"
"But..." Arthur started.
"Wow, dad, I never thought you would do it!" Fred cried out.
"Yeah, Dad. We knew you loved muggles...but no SO MUCH to bring one home!"
George replied, giving his twin a high five.
"No..." Arthur tried again.
"You had better explain yourself, Arthur. Or it's YOUR head I'll
have!" Molly cried out again.
"Merlin's beard, she IS NOT a muggle!" Arthur finally managed to
speak.
"What?" was all Molly found herself saying. Ron's mouth dropped open
as Harry's eyes went wide. Ginny found herself looking at Hermione, while
Hermione just started to grin. Fred and George glanced at each other.
"It's what I've been trying to say all along! I went to the Ministry of
Magic, and was just about to walk out when I bumped into her. She was standing
next to a young man and Carl, the security guard, and they were talking. "
Arthur was starting to explain.
"And what were you doing at the Ministry of Magic, girl?" Molly eyed
her, half with suspicion and half with gentleness.
"Um, well...I'm moving...to England ma'am. I was supposed to meet my
friend's friend at the Ministry of Magic, and he was supposed to bring me to my
uncle, but he was caught up in something. So I was supposed to sleep there. I
didn't want to...I really didn't...and luckily, Mr. Weasley saved me." Jen
said.
"Why didn't you want to sleep there?" Molly asked. Jen thought hard,
and soon, her memory was brought back to the moment that only took place
minutes ago....
"Now, we must find someone to help us..." a brown-haired,
green-eyed, skinny, and tall wizard in his early 40's started to say.
"Slow down, Dustin! I can only walk so fast with my bags!" Jen
stated. The two of them found a security guard sitting back in a chair.
"You there, can you help us?" Dustin asked, rather rudely.
"Depends..." the security guard replied, just as nasty.
"This girl needs to find her uncle. Actually, she needs to find Remus
Lupin...do you know where he is?" Dustin asked.
"Lupin? Lupin your uncle?" the security guard eyed her suspiciously.
"No, sir. But he's supposed to be taking me to him." Jen replied with
a quite voice.
"Well, at least YOU have nice manners!" the security guard said,
smiling at Jen.
"Oh, bloody hell! Can you help us, or not?" Dustin cried out.
"Well, I'm not sure where Lupin is, but..." the security guard
started, but suddenly was hit lightly in the back of the head with a paper
airplane. The security guard picked it up and opened it:
Jennifer Cruz should be looking for uncle. Cannot make it to
take her- got caught up in business...please allow her to sleep on a cot in one
of the tightly watched rooms...thank you.
-Remus Lupin
"Well, looks like you're gonna hafta stay here for the night!" the
security guard said, looking up from the paper.
"Excuse me, what?" Jen demanded.
"Says here: please allow her to sleep on a cot..." the guard started
to read. Jen quickly snatched the letter from his hand and began to read it
herself. As she placed down the letter, her face filled with panic and fear.
"Dustin...I..." She started. Her lip began to tremble as her breaths
turned into shorter ones.
"Don't worry...you CERTAINLY won't be staying here. No matter HOW tight
the watching is." Dustin comforted her. He turned back to the security
guard. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow her to sleep here."
"And why not?" the security guard asked menacingly.
"Because! Voldemort will try and kill me!" Jen cried in surprise. The
security guard drew in a short breath, as Dustin closed his eyes, wishing she
hadn't said anything. From the sound of the horrible Dark Lord's name, people
began to stare and stop in their tracks. It seemed everyone in the room
stopped, where one could only hear the flying of the paper airplanes going in
and out of rooms.
"Now, now Jen, don't be irrational..."Dustin begged through gritted
teeth.
"Irrational?" Jen yelped. "Argh!" She stormed away and
started to walk back and forth. Once Dustin made sure she wasn't going
anywhere, he turned back to the security guard to reason with him. After 10
long strides back and forth, Jen walked back to the two men, but only ran right
into a tall, red-haired man.
"Pardon me," the man said. He took one look at Jen, looked away, and then
took a double-take.
"Jen?" the man asked. Jen turned to see who was trying to talk to
her, as well as the security guard and Dustin.
"Hey! You're...you're the guy from Universal!" Jen cried out.
"Yes I am...Weasley, Arthur Weasley." He introduced himself, holding out
a hand to shake Jen's. Jen took it, shaking vigorously, as Dustin scanned the
man up and down. Arthur turned his attention back to Jen. "You're...you're
not a muggle?!"
Jen shook her head.
"You KNOW this man, Jen?" Dustin asked.
"How you holding up, Arthur?" the security guard asked him kindly.
"I'm fine...and yourself?" Arthur asked, just as nice.
"Well, I was fine, but this guy keeps pushing my patience..." the
security guard started.
"What's the problem?" Arthur asked.
"They want me to SLEEP here, Mr. Weasley! To wait for Remus Lupin to take
me to my uncle in the morning! I don't want to sleep here! I DON'T" Jen
screamed, acting childish in a way.
"Jen..." Dustin shook his head.
"Remus Lupin, did you say?" Arthur asked intently.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" Dustin asked, standing in between Jen and
Arthur.
"Well, I happen to be good friend with Remus. If you want, Jen could sleep
at my house tonight. You can even send an owl to Remus if you like, asking him
if it's okay..." Arthur said softly. "But you must promise me one
thing..."
"Anything!" Jen said.
"You must explain to me everything on the way home." Arthur replied.
"You got it, Mr. Weasley." Jen nodded.
"Oh, no way buddy! I don't even know you!" Dustin rejected the idea.
"Dustin, you don't know anyone!" Jen said, hotly. "Mr. Weasley
has kids around my age, I think, so I'll be fine! I think they're all his...I
saw them today, at Universal! There were twins, and a boy who looked a little
younger, and a girl who looked a little younger than him...and then two who
didn't look related to them...one had black hair, the other had brown
hair!"
"Oh, why yes...that would be Hermione and Harry. And those other four, the
twins and boy and girl, those are mine. Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny they are."
Arthur nodded.
"How's your wife doing? " The security guard asked.
"She's doing fine, thank you!" Arthur smiled.
"Your wife, she was there too! Nice looking lady she was!" Jen said.
"Thank you!" Arthur answered.
"See, Dustin! Please, please, let me go home with Mr. Weasley! I'll be
fine, I promise! Send an owl to Remus, for proof that Mr. Weasley is an awesome
guy, if you won't believe us! I can't stay here, you AND I both know
that..." Jen pleaded, with Dustin looking sympathically.
"And...so what? Did Remus send the owl back? " Molly asked her
husband, as he was telling the story to the group.
"Yep...and finally, after much convincing from Remus, Jen, AND Carl, he
said she could come home with us. I even had to tell him I was part of the
Order with Remus!" Arthur said.
"Oh, Arthur...you didn't..." Molly said.
"It'll be fine Molly, don't worry!" Arthur dismissed it.
"What did she explain to you in the car dad?" Ron asked.
"Oh, no no...I mustn't say. When she's ready, she'll tell you..."
Arthur said, despite the 'Oh, come on's...' and sighs. The group was just about
to dig in when they heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Jen had finally
finished taking her shower. All eyes turned to her as she started to slow down
her steps. Her black hair with light brown highlights were tied back in two
pigtail braids, and she wore a tight white tank top with baggy blue sweatpants.
"Oh, wow..." Harry could hear Fred mumble under his breath. Harry had
to agree: the girl was simply beautiful. She smiled as she went toward the
group at the table. Harry couldn't believe how lucky he was to meet a girl as
pretty and nice as she was. Molly began to get up, but Jen held up a hand.
"No, Mrs. Weasley, I'll be fine. You sit and eat." Jen said quietly.
"Molly, dear...call me Molly!" she pleaded.
"I'm Ron Weasley!" he introduced himself. Ron got up and shook her
hand.
"I'm Jennifer. Jennifer Cruz." she said quietly.
"We're Fred and George." one of the twins piped up. Jen turned to the
twins who were on the opposite side of the table.
"No, we're George and Fred!" the other protested.
"See, I'm Fred. He's George." One pointed to himself, and then the
other.
"No, it's the other way around, you bloke!" the twin on the left
exclaimed. The girl just smiled, with a slight look of confusion on her face.
"Oh, pipe down, you two! Honestly! Anyways, I'm Ginny Weasley." the
youngest girl on the right of the twins said. Jen nodded to her.
"So, you ARE a witch?" Hermione said accusingly, turning around to
see her.
"Yes, I am. Please, forgive me." The girl asked quietly. "I...I
couldn't risk exposing our world, you know?"
"Hm, you're absolutely right, Jen. You could learn and thing or two from
her, Ron. I'm Hermione Granger." she shook her hand and turned back to
Ron, glaring at him. Ron, sitting on her right, stuck out his tongue.
"Well, sit now girl. You must be starving. " Arthur said, pointing to
a spot next to the only person Jen had not yet met. She walked over and sat
next to him.
"Hello, I'm Harry. Harry Potter." he said quietly. Jen's head snapped
in his direction and her eyes narrowed. Then, her stare wandered to the left
side of his forehead, where his scar resided. Harry looked down uncomfortably.
No, not her too! Harry thought with sadness. Harry wanted to be treated
normally by everyone. Especially Jen! He was tired of people treating him like
royalty. Tired of first- years coming up to him and asking for autographs.
Tired of people knowing him as 'famous' Harry Potter: The-Boy-Who-Lived. He
wanted Jen to treat him like any normal wizard. However, by the looks of it,
that wouldn't be happening.
But then, Jen's eyes turned away from his scar and looked back into his eyes.
"Very nice to meet you, Harry. Call me Jen." She said, grabbing his
hand and shaking it.
Harry's head jerked up and he grew happy at the warm introduction. "Yes,
indeed..." Harry smiled back.
"Oh, Harry? Can you pass the margarine?" Jen asked. Harry's head
snapped to her with wide-eyes and Hermione and Ron moved to take a look at Jen.
Ginny dropped her fork and Fred choked on his chicken. Jen stopped and looked
up, noticing everyone looking at her.
"What? Did I do...something wrong?" Jen asked innocently, darting her
eyes back and forth and her face filling with fear.
"No!" Harry came to her rescue, reaching over and squeezing her
shoulder. "Nothing at all...here you go!" Harry said, throwing
glaring glances at everyone else and passing the margarine along. Everyone
began to start eating again, with Ginny getting a new fork. It seemed everything
was going back to it the way it was, but not before Harry and Jen caught wary
glances between Ron and Hermione. Jen looked down in embarrassment.
"Thanks." Harry whispered to Jen. Jen looked at Harry's intent eyes.
"For what?" Jen asked. She had no idea what she had done. Harry
thanked her deep inside for what she just did. No one, and he sincerely meant
NO ONE ever asked him to pass anything. Even if it were right next to him,
someone would reach over him and grab it. It was bad enough being the only baby
who survived Lord Voldemort, and now with Sirius' recent death wearing him
down, everyone treated him like a god. He was tired of it. He was tired of
being famous. He was tired of being used for answers on Voldemort and Cedric,
like Cho did. He was tired of being treated like dirt, the way Malfoy did. He
was tired of it all. He just wanted to be treated normally. And thanks to Jen,
he just felt it for the first time.
"I'll tell you later." Harry replied. Jen smiled and nodded. Harry
was beaming inside with happiness, finally feeling how it was like to be
normal, even for a moment. And Jen was happy inside as well, finally gaining
what she had wanted all along: a friend.
That's
all for now! I hope everyone enjoyed it! Please, review my story…I beg of you!
I need reviewers! I want to know what I'm doing wrong…I want to know what I'm
doing right! Please, review my story!