Spiritus aduro
Part V
"Somebody's popular today," Merrilees commented, as the sixth owl of the morning swooped in the window and dropped a fifth letter on Charlie's lap. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that this was the local owl office." Merrilees had been staying with Charlie and Ria for over a week, and there seemed to be little sign of her getting accommodation. Not that it really mattered. She was perfectly happy living with Charlie and Ria. The two of them lived outside of the dragon reserve itself, something that Merri was thankful for. She wasn't sure that she'd be able to sleep if there was a dragon outside her quarters. Merri got up from the table, and went to stand at the window and observe the scenery outside. The reserve was in the west of Romania, concealed behind the enormous splendour of the Transylvanian Alps and Carpathian Mountains, with their lush green covering of forests. This majestic beauty was secluded from prying eyes, an ideal refuge for wizards wishing to study dragons, and indeed, any other type of magical creature. Behind Merrilees, the conversation at the breakfast table continued, but she blotted it out until she heard her name.
"...Merri! Merri! Come on girl, get back on planet Earth with the rest of us!" Ria was laughing at her.
"What was that?" she asked.
"You were in cloud-crup land," Charlie informed her.
"Too right you were," Ria smiled. "Still, you're back with us now, so I suppose I'll let you off." Merri regarded her with interest. Ria had no room to talk when it came to daydreaming - she was always at it. Then again, Merri reflected Ria, often didn't realise that she was doing it; so they should cut her some slack. "Anyway, listen to Charlie's letter," Ria continued. "It's from Percy the Prefect." Again she grinned. Charlie cleared his throat, and began to read.
"'Dear Charlie,
I haven't written to you for a while - I'm sure you understand that I have been busy with exams and keeping an eye on the first years and everything - so I thought I'd drop you a line now that the exams are over, and everyone is slacking off a bit. I'm not, of course - slacking off can only result in poor quality work, and as a prefect I have to set a good example to the lower years.'" Charlie laughed. "No wonder the twins call him Pompous Percy in their letters! In every single letter he's sent me this year he's mentioned that he has to set a good example to the lower years because he's a prefect."
"Good for him," Ria replied. "We're interested in this particular letter, so do carry on." Charlie glared at her, and then returned to his reading.
"'I must say, the most peculiar things have been going on around here recently. Ron's friends have managed to lose Gryffindor one hundred and fifty points - and McGonagall took them. It really is very unfair, because we were in the lead until that happened, and now I think the Slytherins are going to win, which, quite frankly, is a disaster. They're insufferable as it is. I have no idea what they were doing to lose so many points, and Ron won't say - that boy has no respect for authority. That's all blown over now, though. Ron's got into even more trouble. Sometimes I wonder how on earth we came to be related.''" Charlie paused again. "Dad clearly hasn't given him the talk yet then. Otherwise he'd know-"
"Yes, Charlie, we know exactly how sprogs come into being," Merri told him. "Carry on with the letter, there's a good boy." Charlie glared at her and Merri smiled.
"'Anyway, a couple of nights back, it seems that Ron, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger - his best friends, you know - they went off on another of their little midnight excursions. Those three have no respect for rules and regulations - as if they haven't been in enough trouble! Well, no one knows exactly what happened, but the next morning Harry and Ron were both in the Hospital Wing. I'm not sure what's wrong with Harry, but Ron has concussion. Of course, we've heard nothing official about what went on, but according to the grapevine You-Know-Who was involved. Apparently Harry fought him. I don't believe any of it, of course. You-Know-Who disappeared years ago, thank goodness. But it is puzzling. Anyway, I think the exams went okay, and I'm looking forward to the summer, of course. Love, Percy.'" Merri glanced at Charlie to gauge his reaction to his brother's letter. He looked suitably stunned.
"You-Know-Who?" Ria asked, frowning.
"I hope not," Charlie replied. "And to be honest, I doubt it. Like Percy, I'm sceptical. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named disappeared years ago when Ron and co. were babies. Why wait till now to come back?"
"Why not?" Merri asked, challenging. "I don't for a minute think that he's dead." Charlie and Ria both looked at her in astonishment.
"Merri!" Ria exclaimed.
"No, Ri, I'm serious," Merri told her, and she meant it. "Let's look at the facts. We have Voldemort, mad evil guy with a taste for power. Then we have Harry Potter, one-year-old baby whose parents have just been annihilated. Who would you put your money on?"
"Okay, I see your point," Charlie said, slowly. "But Harry did get rid of him."
"You're right. Harry did get rid of him," Merri agreed. Then she sighed. "My dad's an Auror," she told them. "He knew James and Lily Potter - granted, most Aurors did, but my dad was in the same cell group as them. They were friends - not best friends, but more than acquaintances. We went to their wedding, and Harry's christening. The day they died, my dad said that Voldemort was still around. He said that if he killed James and Lily then there was no way that anyone could stop him. Of course, my dad's not exactly noted for his optimism, but you know..."
"Merri, forgive me for stating the obvious, but if Harry didn't kill You-Know-Who then what happened to him?" Ria asked.
"That I don't know," Merri admitted. "But Voldemort was working on making himself immortal, according to information that Dad got. If that was the case, even a rebounded Avada Kedavra couldn't kill him. I don't think he made it to immortal, but he was pretty close, if he got Lily and James. And they never found his body. Until Voldemort's body is produced, I'm working on the assumption that he lives on." Merri looked at Charlie and Ria, and saw that the two of them were nodding, slowly.
"The evidence would suggest that You-Know-Who is alive and kicking then," Charlie said, bluntly. "So how on earth did Ron get concussion? I mean, if I was up against the biggest Dark wizard of all time, I wouldn't be engaging in a fist fight."
"Charlie, any sane and sensible person would be running as fast as they could if they saw him," Ria pointed out, dryly. "Write to Ron and ask him for the truth. You never know, he might tell you."
"It might all have been a prank," Charlie suggested, doubtfully.
"Maybe, but I doubt it," Ria replied. "I've met Harry and Hermione, and Hermione doesn't strike me as the type to get drawn into pranks easily."
"Hermione's not in the hospital wing," Charlie replied. Merri sensed that the two of them could turn Hermione into an argument, and hastened to stop it before it began.
"Well, I suggest we wait until we hear from Ron before getting all excited," she said. "Any other interesting post that I should know about?"
"Not from me," Charlie told her, smiling.
"Mine's from my sister," Ria began. "Olivia and Claire will be here at the end of the week. We'll stay here over the weekend, and then use a Portkey to get to Egypt."
"Are you staying with Bill?" Merri asked, noticing Charlie's sudden interest.
"Probably," Ria replied. "I wrote to him, and he said that he'd sort something out, so I'm letting him get on with it. I have those two to worry about, I'm not going to create any more problems than I have to."
"Sensible," Merri agreed. "Well, I'm off now. Work calls and all that."
"Leave me to do all the tidying, why don't you?" Charlie complained.
"Ria's here too," Merri pointed out.
"So she is," Charlie agreed. "And today, it's her turn to clear. Up you get, Ri." Ria groaned. Merri laughed and then waved.
"See you guys this evening," she called, and the Disapparated.
* * * *
Merri studied the dragon's egg critically. It looked like it might hatch, but she had learnt from bitter experience that looks weren't everything. Opaleye eggs were pale grey - almost stone like - and apparently, Muggles were prone to mistaking them for fossils. Merri had to admit that the mistake was an easy one to make. Merri's mother was radically pro-Muggle, and when Merri had been growing up she had been subjected to both wizard and Muggle experiences. The Opaleye egg was remarkably similar to a fossilised dinosaur egg that she had seen when her mother had insisted on taking her to some type of Natural History Museum.
The dragon guarding the eggs eyed Merri warily. She smiled.
"Cheer up, Octavia, not much longer now." Merri had to admit that anyone passing would probably consider her to be a certifiable lunatic. What fool stood at the edge of a dragon enclosure and talked to the dragon? "I'm crazy, aren't I old girl," she said to the dragon. "Still, those hatchlings of yours best not take too long to come about, or I'll get seriously bored." The dragon snorted, and scarlet smoke came out of her nostrils. "You know, Octie, that smoke of yours is actually rather pretty. I suppose it goes with the rest of you." Merri sighed. In some places, Opaleyes were nearing extinction. They were native to New Zealand, but there was a roaring black market trade in Opaleye skin and eyes. The Opaleye scales were pearlescent, sought after to make ladies handbags and shoes, as well as trousers for the more flamboyant wizards. The eyes of the Atipodean Opaleye were used in jewellery. It sickened Merri to think that people would kill animals for their skins and the like, but she knew that it went on. Indeed, at the reserve, all the dragons were closely monitored - it was not unheard of for a Romanian wizard of shady character to attempt to kidnap one of the dragons and sell them on. "Don't you get irritated, sitting on those sprogs of yours for so long?" Merri asked the dragon, curiously. The Opaleye rolled her eyes, and Merri clapped with delight. "More intelligent than you seem, aren't you!" she exclaimed. "Got any name ideas for your babes?" The dragon seemed to nod her head slightly. Of course, Merri realised that all these movements were probably coincidence, but even so, it was cute to watch. "I rather like Prudence, I think," Merri informed the dragon. "Pearly Prudence the Antipodean Opaleye. It has quite a ring to it!"
"Excuse me?"
Merri started, and wheeled round to see another of the dragon keepers.
"Sorry, I don't think we've met," she informed him.
"Quite right, we haven't," he replied, easily. "I'm Jonathan Sommers."
"Merrilees Fergusson," Merri smiled and offered her hand.
"You're new," Jonathan said.
"Reasonably," Merri agreed. "I got here just over a week ago. I'm staying with friends, until those in charge can find me a place of my own."
"Well, that would explain it," Jonathan replied. "I've been on a mission of mercy, saving the Chinese public from an errant Fireball. You said you were staying with friends…?"
"Ariadne Rutherford and Charlie Weasley," Merri clarified. She wasn't sure why, but she trusted this man.
"Oh, I know Ria and Charlie," Jonathan smiled. "Who doesn't?"
"They do have quite a presence," Merri agreed.
"Indeed they do. As does Prudence," he grinned mischievously.
"Oh, you weren't supposed to hear that!" Merri laughed.
"It's nothing new," Jonathan informed her. "Half the wizards and witches on the reserve name the dragons they look after, although there usually less wordy than 'Pearly Prudence the Antipodean Opaleye'."
"I like to be different," Merri informed him. "Anyway, Octavia is being boring at the moment, with her eggs – one of them will eventually be Prudence - and everything. I'm supposed to be writing an observation of her."
"Ah – the dreaded observations," Jonathan laughed. "Every year someone has to write an observation of all the nesting dragons. You'd be surprised at how much people can write, although it basically boils down to 'Guarded eggs with their life' type stuff."
"I'm not sure how it's useful," Merri told him. "But as I have to do it, I will do it with flair and originality," she grinned.
"You'd be surprised at how useful they are – you can tell a lot about a dragon from the way they protect their eggs," Jonathan said.
"Whatever you say," Merri said, dubiously.
"Seriously, Merrilees," Jonathan began, and Merri cut him off.
"Oh, call me Merri – everyone does. Merrilees is such a mouthful."
"I'm Jon," Jonathan told her. "Anyway, it's easiest to tell when a dragon's off colour during the nesting season," he explained. "They change the way they guard their eggs, and it's all very subtle."
"So the manual says," Merri replied. "But that doesn't stop the actual obs. from being boring."
"Never mind," Jon said, sympathetically. "Look, what are you doing this evening?"
"Sitting at home watching Charlie and Ria argue, probably," Merri said, promptly.
"I'll come and collect you, and show you some of the more…interesting parts of the reserve," Jon said. "If that's okay?" he added.
"Anything is better than watching Charlie explain to Ria that it does take time for owls to come from Egypt," Merri informed him.
"Egypt? Why's she expecting owls from Egypt, of all places?"
"Why not?" Merri countered. "Well, actually, I think it's to do with Bill, Charlie's brother. He and Ri were getting rather cosy when he came to visit."
"Really?" Jon was interested. "I always thought it would be Charlie and Ria who would get together."
"Yes, well, Charlie says he's fine with it."
"He's lying," Jon informed her. "He's besotted. We all know he is."
"I don't know," Merri mused. She shook her head. "Well, Ri can't have both of them – it's not fair."
"It isn't?"
"Of course it isn't – both Charlie and Bill ooze sex appeal," Merri informed him. "And if Ria's taken then Charlie will be on the lookout for somebody."
"That somebody being you?" Jon suggested.
"Me? Looking like this?" Merri laughed, self-consciously. "Don't be so stupid." The truth of the matter was, she did find Charlie an appealing prospect. He was every girl's idea of bliss.
"Okay then," Jon glanced at his watch. "I'd better be off. Have fun playing with Octavia." He disappeared as quickly as he had arrived, and Merri went back to the Opaleye, wondering just when the interesting aspect of dragon watching would come about.
* * * *
Merri had just about finished her period of dragon watching, and had a rather numb behind as a result of sitting in the same place for so long. The night was pleasant, and twilight had yet to fall, although it was half past seven in the evening, so Merri decided to walk back to Charlie and Ria's. She came from a particularly green part of Scotland, and had always been a big fan of trees and shrubs. The dragon reserve was cleverly placed in the middle of a forest, with the various enclosures situated in clearings. If a wizard were to travel over the reserve on a broomstick, they would see the various clearings and watch stations. Muggles, on the other hand, saw only trees, thanks to a clever ward that was maintained at all times.
Merri was walking down one of the paths that connected the clearings when her ears caught a high pitched wailing sound. Intrigued, she followed the sound, which came from within the trees. The sight that greeted her made her feel physically sick. She had heard that some of the locals occasionally poached on the reserve, looking for magical creatures whose wares they could sell for a small fortune, but nothing could have prepared her for this. The unicorn in front of her was only a baby, and caught in a very nasty looking trap. Its violet eyes looked at her pleadingly, almost begging her for assistance, and it didn't take her long to spot the traces of blood coming from where its leg was caught.
Merri was horrified – she knew that unicorns had very powerful magical abilities of their own, and an adult would never have been caught in such a trap, although it looked like it was magically enhanced. The baby, with its telltale golden hair, didn't really stand a chance of escaping.
"Oh you poor thing!" she exclaimed, quietly, so as not to scare the little creature. She got down on her knees next to the unicorn, oblivious of the thorns and more irritating substances that littered the forest floor, to take a better look at the trap. It wouldn't be too difficult to release the unicorn. She pointed her wand at the trap and muttered a spell, causing it to disintegrate. Clearly whoever had made the trap wasn't an expert at making things to last, which was a relief to Merri although it wasn't an attribute to be proud of. "There you are," she said to the unicorn. It tried to get up, but failed. The trap had caused more than a little damage to its leg. "Sorry, mate, it looks like you're going to have to come home with me," she informed it, genuinely sorry. It was well known that humans avoided human contact. She conjured up a stretcher and gently levitated the unicorn on to it, before continuing the journey home.
* * * *
"Oh dear Merlin! CHARLIE!" Ria exclaimed, as Merri entered the house. Charlie appeared in the hallway, and Merri was quick to notice his disgusted glance at the unicorn's injury.
"You are allowed animals in the house, I assume," she said, quietly.
"Of course," Ria replied. "How else would Charlie live here?" Merri laughed half-heartedly.
"Here, bring it into the living room," Charlie said, holding the door open. "We can get the fire going to keep it warm."
"It is a she," Ria informed him.
"How do you know?" Merri and Charlie demanded in unison.
"Violet eyes," Ria replied. "Only female unicorns have violet eyes, the males tend to be blue. Well, more tend to be blue, actually. This little one is rarer than you might think." She knelt down to inspect the wound, much as Merri had done earlier.
"Merri, go and get cleaned up, you look like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards," Charlie told her. "It would seem Ri knows what she's doing."
"Kind of," Ria said, doubtfully. "Does human medicine work on unicorns, do you think?"
"So much for being an expert," Charlie replied, wryly. "I have no idea. Maybe I should go and get Jon Sommers. He's back from China now, and he's probably the biggest magical creature authority on the reserve."
"Jon Sommers?" Merri looked at him, shocked. "I met him earlier. Is he important?"
"Only the head of the English division here, Merri love," Ria said, smiling. "Yes, Charlie, do go and get him." Charlie Disapparated and Merri turned to Ria.
"He was going to take me around the reserve this evening," she told her.
"Really?" Ria was interested. "He's taken a shine to you then. Jon usually spends his time with magical creatures, and everyone has given up hope of marrying him off, which infuriates his parents – they're an old wizarding family, and he's their only son. They want to carry on the line."
"How quaint," Merri replied, dryly.
* * * *
"People who do things like this should be shot," Jon Sommers said savagely, when he saw the unicorn's leg. Gently, he balmed and bandaged it, after checking that nothing was broken. "She should be okay," he informed them. "You'll have to keep her here though."
"In that case she needs a name," Merri said, firmly. He smiled at her.
"Call her Ezara," he said.
"Ezara. I like that," Merri smiled. "Ezara it is."
"You do realise that you've got a companion for life, Merri, don't you?" Jon asked.
"I have?"
"Ezara is only a baby. You saved her. In her eyes, you take the place of her mother, who must be dead, or she'd have rescued her long before you got there. The chances are you'll never get rid of her."
"It works for me," Merri smiled. "I always wanted a pet unicorn."
"You'll need a proper house, though, Merri," Charlie pointed out. "You won't be able to get a fully grown Ezara into a flat." Merri thought for a moment.
"I suppose I'll have to save up and buy a house of my own," she replied. Ria glanced at Charlie, and Charlie nodded.
"In the meantime, you can stay here," she told Merri. "If you don't mind sharing a room with me, that is."
"Of course not!" Merri exclaimed. "I love living here!" She hugged Ria and Charlie, and in her joy, Jon as well.
"Looks like you've got your housing problem sorted then," he smiled. "I don't suppose you'll want that tour of the reserve now – it's a bit late, anyway."
"Oh, can we reschedule?" Merri asked. "I'd love to see everything."
"What about Ezara?" Jon asked.
"Oh, I'll look after her," Ria said. "I can write to Bill at the same time. Don't worry about that."
"I'm not free for the rest of the week," Jon said, regretfully. "But next week…?"
"Name a time and I'll be there," Merri replied, smiling.
"Great. I'll come and find you next week – it will give me an excuse to check up on Ezara," Jon grinned. "And now," he said, grimly, his smile disappearing. I'll be going to try and work out just how Ezara got trapped in the first place." He Disapparated.
"Merri and Jon, sitting the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G," Ria began to sing, triumphantly.
"Shut up, Ri!" Merri exclaimed. "You'll scare the baby." Ria raised an eyebrow at her, and she smiled.
* * * *
Merri and Jon arrived back at the house in high spirits after their tour.
"Do you want a drink or something?" Merri asked.
"A cup of coffee would be great, thanks," Jon replied. Merri ushered him into the sitting room, and returned with two steaming mugs. They were just about to start talking again when two little girls fell out of the fire, complete with rubbish.
"AUNTIE RIA!!" the taller of the two shouted, excitedly. "WE'RE HERE!" She was grinning broadly, and clearly hadn't noticed Merri and Jon.
"Hello," Merri said, smiling.
"Who are you?" the smaller girl demanded. Merri laughed. These were obviously Ria's nieces.
"I'm Merri, and this is my friend Jon," she explained. "You must be Claire and Olivia."
"Did we get the wrong grate?" the first girl asked, worriedly.
"No, you're in the right place," Merri reassured her.
"LIVVY! CLAIRE!" Ria entered the room, clearly in a bit of a flap. "I wasn't expecting you for a couple of days."
"Oh, Mummy and Aunt Lucy don't know we've came," the smaller girl told her, smiling. "We found the Floo Powder, and thought we'd visit you. Livvy knew what to do."
"Livvy would," came the wry reply. "What about customs? You can't Floo between countries."
"We just told them we were visiting you, and they let us through," the girl who must have been Livvy piped up. "It was really easy."
"What about your mother?" Ria demanded.
"We left a note," Livvy replied. "It will be fine." Ria groaned.
"How am I related to you two?" she demanded. "Liv, get here. You need to explain to Luce before she kills me!"
After two conversations in the fire, Ria's sisters were suitably calmed, and she could welcome her nieces properly.
"Livvy, Claire, this is Merri, my friend, and Jon, my boss. This is Claire," she touched the blonde girl's shoulder lightly, "and this is Olivia." Olivia had the same dark colouring as Ria herself, and was absolutely covered in soot, while Claire had managed to remain fairly clean.
"Pleased to meet you," Olivia smiled, curtseying gravely. Merri smiled back – these kids were a riot.
"How d'you do?" Claire added, following her cousin's example.
"Fine, thank you," Merri replied.
"Is he your boyfriend?" Livvy demanded, pointing at Jon.
"No, he's not," Merri replied, blushing, as Jon smiled. "He's my boss."
"Oh." Livvy was stumped, temporarily. "Does he boss you about?"
"No," Merri replied, tickled by Livvy's self-composure.
"Well, my daddy is a boss, and he tells people what to do."
"So's mine," Claire added, nodding her head vigorously, causing her hair to bob up and down.
"Well, I don't run a business," Jon explained, grinning. "I just make sure that everyone looks after the dragons and other creatures properly."
"Do you have unicorns?" Livvy asked. "I love unicorns. Auntie Ri sent me a unicorn postcard once."
"Come with me," Merri said, offering her hand. Livvy took it, and Claire followed suit. She took them through to the dining room, which had become Ezara's home. "This is Ezara," she explained, as Livvy and Claire gave delighted squeals.
Ezara had become a lot tamer over the week, although, true to unicorn nature, she was happier with women than she was with men. It was just as well, Merri reflected, because Ria's nieces didn't strike her as being the shy quiet types.
"She's a baby!" Livvy said, happily. "Look, Claire, she's all gold. Only baby unicorns are gold."
"She's pretty," Claire said, approvingly. "Can I stroke her?" she asked Merri.
"Only very gently," Merri explained.
"Oh, she's got a bandage," Livvy noticed. "Was she hurt?"
"She got caught in a trap," Merri told her. "That's why she's here."
* * * *
It had taken a while, but at last Olivia and Claire were sleeping. They were top and tailing on Ria's bed, and Merri had moved into Charlie's room temporarily, so that Ria was around in the middle of the night, should either of them wake up feeling homesick. However, from what Merri had seen of them, Ria's nieces were more likely to get up in the middle of the night and go and play Quidditch in a dragon enclosure than they were to get homesick.
Jon had stayed for supper, which was served purely because the little girls had left their grandmother's home in England just after breakfast, and had eaten practically nothing since then. They were as articulate at the dinner table as they were elsewhere, and Olivia, in particular, had taken a shine to Merri, or so Ria said.
"They're cuties, aren't they," Merri had said to Jon, as they studied the constellations.
"If I ever have children, I hope they're as impish as those two," Jon had agreed. "How boring would life be if all children were angels?"
"You want to have children, then?" Merri asked, remembering what Ria had said.
"With the right person, sure," Jon had agreed, easily. "I'm only thirty, Merri, not ancient. There's still plenty of time."
"And do you think you'll meet the right person?"
"When the time's right," Jon had replied, cryptically. Merri had laughed.
"So, when I'm drawing my pension, I'll get back to you?" she asked.
"Cynic," he said, hitting her, playfully.
"Better to be a cynic than broken hearted," Merri had replied.
"'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,'" Jon quoted.
"And it's probably true," Merri agreed. "But how much more fun would it be to have loved and kept?"
"Ask your parents," Jon suggested.
"My mother has never loved and lost, so I don't suppose she'd be able to offer much comparison. My father, on the other hand…Well, Mum's his second wife, so he might know."
"What happened to the first?" Jon asked, curiously.
"She was murdered when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was around," Merri replied. "Dad always said that the biggest risk he ever took was marrying Mum and having us while You-Know-Who had power."
"But clearly it was worth it," Jon replied.
"Oh, of course it was," Merri said, flippantly, trying to lighten the mood. "He got me, after all." She had looked at Jon, and they both laughed.
* * * *
Merri was disturbed from pleasant slumbers by Charlie's snoring. Sighing, she buried her head under her pillow. She was seriously confused, something that she was not accustomed too, unless it was in an academic sense, and this certainly wasn't academic. She was attracted to Charlie, she couldn't deny it, but she also liked Jon. The thing was, did she like Jon as a friend, or want him to be more than that? And if she wanted more, and he wanted more, then what would happen? The fact still remained that Jonathan Sommers was her boss, and any fool knew better than to fall for the person that employed them. But then, as the saying went, 'Love is blind'. Merri sighed. Even with all these romantic problems, she was happy in Romania. The atmosphere at the dragon reserve was easy-going and friendly, and she had got Ezara out of the whole affair, which was always going to be a bonus. She looked out of the window from her bed. The stars were twinkling brightly and had an oddly soothing effect. She smiled to herself. Two o'clock in the morning was not the time to worry about romantic problems. She rolled over, and closed her eyes, preparing for the blissful release of sleep.
GAH!! I'm so sorry this has taken so long to be published – it's been written for months, but I just haven't got around to posting it. Really you have Lone Astronomer to thank for this, as she wanted to know when this was out in the The Lion and the Unicorn thread. If you haven't read that already then I suggest you do so now – it's another Charlie based story, and believe me, there are some incredibly poignant scenes in there, not to mention a healthy scattering of Sirius Black, another of my all time favourites. Thanks go to Arabella for beta-reading this for me, in spite of my complete incompetence with apostrophes – you learn something every day!
Okay – as always, I'm sticking staunchly to the thanks section, believe me, reviews mean an awful lot to me.
Anne Which Weasley? LOL I know where I'm going now, and I finally have a plot plan. Believe me, the Weasleys will end up with the right women. Thanks for being such a loyal reviewer.
Jane Now if I told you my SA shipping preference, it would ruin all my plot lines, so I'll have to leave you in suspense. Show me someone who is happy with the Bill/Ria pairing! Thanks a lot for the friendly reminder, which I only discovered when looking for reviews. It's only taken me twenty days to respond J.
Thank you for reading, peoples, and if you're still reading this then bless you for not getting side tracked. Chapter VI should be out soon – I have started it, but not finished. I'm hoping to send it for betaing on Saturday, but things rarely go as planned.
Hallie