CHAPTER 3: LIKE A CAREBEAR... WITH FANGS
Ray opened her eyes slightly before groaning and snapping them shut again. "Mya! What did I tell you about opening the windows? Get in here and close them for me."
"Absolutely not! Get your lazy bones up Ray! We've gotta go soon." Mya laughed from in the kitchen of their apartment, where she sat at the table sipping on a cup of pig's blood from the nearby butcher shop.
Ray pulled herself from bed and stumbled into the shower. Ten minutes later, she was sitting next to Mya with her own cup. She opened her mouth to urge Ray faster but Ray held up a single hand. "I'm moody, but just because I'm moody doesn't mean that you AREN'T annoying!" Mya grinned.
When she had finished, Ray went into their room and packed everything with a simple spell. Mya followed her, carrying two wands. "You'll need this for appearances." Ray rolled her eyes and sighed. "So... are they expecting both of us?"
"I'm a surprise."
"Let's go then!" They shrank their suitcases and proceeded down the street to the Cracked Pot, sister to the Leaky Cauldron. Mya went through the fire to the Burrow while Ray tied up loose ends.
Ron sat on the couch in front of the fireplace, looking over the letter Hermione had sent him the week before. She had told him to expect her sometime between 12 and 1. Ron jumped up as Hermione landed on her bottom in front of him. She stood and he moved to hug her, but paused, sensing the change. He reached into a nearby chest and pulled out a crossbow. "Herm... what happened to you?"
"Well, that's a bit obvious, isn't it Ron?"
"I'm sorry about this Herm. It's my job." Ron was about to pull the trigger, when Rayvin appeared behind Mya. "Who are you? No, wait. Don't tell me, you're the sire."
"Bzzzz! I'm sorry, that's an incorrect answer." Ray moved up next to Mya and glanced around the house. "So, who's home?"
Ron gave Ray a wary look. "Fred and George are up in their room and Ginny and Charlie are out in the yard working on Quidditch. Why?"
Ray smiled at Mya. "Thank goodness! Could you go get Charlie? I mean, can we go talk to Charlie... all three of us?" Ron motioned them towards the door, and followed from a bit of a distance, keeping the crossbow trained on Ray. She rolled her eyes at Mya and they went out the door towards the specs high in the air.
"CHARLIE!" One of the specs stopped flying and lowered slightly. "I've got a problem. It's Hermione and she brought a friend." The broom lowered to 5 feet off the ground. Charlie stared at the two girls for a minute.
Charlie's eyes popped open wide. "Bloody 'ell!" He jumped off of the broom with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "You."
"Yes, me." Without warning, Charlie grabbed Ray around the waist and picked her up, swinging her in a circle. Ginny flew down just as Charlie was putting Ray back down. "It's nice to see you too, Charlie! Did you miss me?"
"Wait till mum and dad hear that you're back! They'll be estatic!"
Ron cleared his throat. "Charlie... she's a vampire. She made Mione a VAMPIRE!" Charlie turned to look at Hermione before looking back at Ray. She held her hands up in an 'I'm innocent' gesture. "Aren't you going to kill her?!?"
"No."
"WHAT!?"
"I think we should all sit in a circle and sing-" Charlie silenced Ray with a glare. "Someone can't take a joke."
"What Ron said is serious. I don't know if you did turn Mione or not, but you brought another vampire into the house. I have to wonder about your judgment."
Ray stared at him for a couple of seconds, speechless. "I don't need this. Especially not from you Charles Anton Weasley!" Ray looked at Mya. "I'll be back later. I have to go get a drink or something. If I come back and you're hurt in any way..." Ray glared at Charlie, "There's going to be hell to pay."
"Ray! I don't feel safe! I mean... come on! You're leaving me in a hunter's house! My best friend was gonna KILL ME!"
"Just stay near Charlie until Molly gets home. Tell her that Rayvin is coming for dinner and that we're friends. You'll be safe." Without a backwards glance, Ray stormed off of the property and sent herself into downtown London.
Ginny sighed and took Mya's hand. "Come on Mione. We'll go up to my room. I don't care that you're a vampire. If you try anything, I'll just have to kill you," Ginny said with a wink Mya laughed and followed Ginny back into the house.
Ron turned to look at Charlie. "Are you going to explain that to me or not?"
Charlie walked back into the house soundlessly.
Ron stared after him for a second before yelling, "Are they like care bears with fangs??"
After being unable to find what she required in Diagon Alley, Ray sent herself over to Hogsmede. With a smile she went into Honeydukes. "Good afternoon. Can I help you?"
"Oh, no thank you." Ray wandered about the store picking up things here and there. Once she had finished, she went up to the register. The shop owner gave her a strange look as he rang up the items. Very satisfied with herself, Ray left Honeydukes, the stick from a blood-flavored lollipop sticking out of her mouth.
"Yeah, I'm back." Molly gave Ray a quick hug before going back to the stove.
Mya picked herself back up and glared at Ray. "Next time, warn me!"
"But that takes all of the fun out of it!"
Molly chuckled to herself as she glanced at the clock. Arthur was starting home. "Wash up for dinner!" she called up the stairs. Slammed doors could be heard as the five people upstairs rushed to get ready for Molly's delicious cooking. Charlie was the first one down the stairs followed closely by Ginny. (She had pulled an 'I have girl problem and NEED the bathroom' over on Ron and the Twins.) The twins stopped halfway down the stairs, shocked that two vampires were sitting at the table. Ron bowled into them and the three boys tumbled to the floor in a heap or arms and legs. The three managed to untangle themselves and sat down at the table. Fred and George traded confused looks before looking to Molly. "Everything will be explained when your father gets home."
Arthur chose that moment to pop out of the fireplace. He came in, a confused look on his face. "Why are there vampires in my ho..." Arthur trailed off as his eyes landed on Ray. "Well, I'll be. Rayvin, it's wonderful to see you again. You haven't changed a bit!" Ray smiled. "Hullo Arthur. It's been awhile, hasn't it? I had a slight problem over in America with Jorge and well..." Ray pointed Arthur's attention to Hermione. "Oh dear. Is Mione under your protection?" "Yes, and I wish her to be under yours as well." There was a burst of talking from the rest of the Weasleys after Ray said this. "QUIET!" Ray sighed. "Now, I realize you guys are thinking, 'Vampires, bad', but get over it. I'm a friend, and I mean you no harm. Gred, Forge, don't either of you remember me at all? I left when you were 6. I can understand Ron and Ginny not remembering, but not you two." Charlie scowled at Ray. "You should have come back. Then maybe they would remember you. But no, you just disappeared without a reason or saying goodbye." "Charlie!" Molly admonished. "It's true!" Charlie stood up. As he headed up the stairs, he said, "I'm not hungry." "Leave him alone, dear. He'll come around soon. I'm sorry Ray," Arthur said, sitting down. "We were all worried when you didn't come back." "I couldn't come back. I had come things I had to do. I didn't want to bring all of you into it." Suddenly Fred gasped. He poked George in the shoulder. "Rara?" George frowned at him and turned to look at Ray. Then he looked back at Fred. "Rara." Through the rest of dinner, everyone filled in Ray and Mya about everything that had been happening lately. Ray stayed fairly quiet throughout the meal, lost in her own thoughts. At the end of the meal, Ray picked up her bag from under the table and put it on top. "I decided to get edible presents for all of you. I had to go especially far for what I got for the twins." She grinned at them all. "For Molly, I brought you that fudge you liked when we went shopping in London." Molly stared at Ray in surprise. "Of course I remembered Molly! That was a lot of fun. We should do it again sometime. For Arthur, I'm giving you a specially made box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. It has all of your favorites in it, from chocolate to tripe, which I never did understand why you liked tripe. For Ron, I have two chocolate frogs and a 3 acid pops, since we all know how much you love them." Ron looked at Ray, horrified. "How did you know about that?" "I gave the twins their first acid pops and gave them one to give you as well. From what Hermione told me, they must have waited until it would make an impression." Ron gaped at her as everyone else laughed. "For Ginny, I have Chocoballs and Droobles Best Blowing Gum. Just, please, don't chew it in the house. Molly would have my head!" Roaring laughter came from everyone as they all knew it was true. "Gred, Forge, I present you with a box of Gigalows!" "Gigalows?" "Try them!" Ray opened the box and took out a sheep shaped marshmallow. "Have at it Gred!" "No, you first my dear Forge!" Ray ripped it in half and handed part to Gred. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and ate it. "Am I a giant marshmallow sheep?" "No." "Here ya go Forge," Ray said, smirking at him. Forge popped the mallow into his mouth fearlessly... and gave a shriek as he started to shrink. Within moments, instead of the twins, there was a single sheep standing inbetween the chairs. "It'll only last for about a minute boys," Ray said, giggling. The sheep bleeted at them and then let out an enormous fart. A couple of seconds later, the twins were back in there seats and glaring sharp objects at Ray. "You made me its BUTT!" Forge yelled.
"That wasn't my fault! If you two had been willing to try it, then only one of you would have been turned into a sheep, and neither would have been the butt."
"Where did you get these?" Gred asked, amazed.
"This guy I know over in America likes practical jokes about as mush as you do. He owed me, so he let me have a box of his newest inventions." She smiled and handed a box to Mya. "This is a box of blood-flavored lollipops. I think you know why."
Ron grinned around the table. "Anybody up for quidditch?" There was a chorus of yes (even Hermione) and they all ran outside. Molly smiled at Ray and Arthur.
"I'm going to go check on Charlie... I'll be back in a bit." Molly nodded and started putting dishes away.
"Could you take some food up to him, Ray?" She nodded and grabbed a plate, which Arthur filled with food and handed her utensils. She went upstairs, and as her hands were full, she kicked the door, lightly, as a knock.
"What?" "Can I come in?" "No." Ray heard him pick up his wand and cast a spell at his door, most likely an even more powerful locking spell. Sighing, Ray put the food down by the door. "You know I could get in there if I really wanted to." She called. "You won't. You respect my privacy and think I have a right to keep things to myself... Go away Ray." Ray growled. How dare he use her own words against her? Ray picked up the plate and concentrated on getting inside the room. She glared at him from her spot behind him. He was sitting at his desk, working on something she couldn't see.
She moved so she was standing above him and dropped the plate in front of him. He looked up, surprise written all over his face. "You're a real bastard sometimes, you know that?"
"What are you doing in here?" "Why won't you talk to me?" "This thing that we're doing... it's called talking." "That's great Charlie. Really, it is. Since you aren't going to tell me what the hell is going on with you, I might as well leave. I have better things to do and more important people to see than some old friend who can't get over the fact that I had to leave 13 bloody years ago!"
"That's just it!" Charlie yelled, jumping out of his seat. "You didn't HAVE to leave! You just decided that instead of coming back to us, you should run away and deal with things on your own." Ray snorted. "That's why you're mad? Because I didn't stop by to tell you what was going on? Why I was leaving? Didn't stop by for one last cup of bloody tea? Do you even know why I didn't come back?" "You were in trouble and didn't want to bring my family into it." "No. I wanted to... I so wanted to bring Arthur into it. There was no time. Do you think I wanted to leave my friends and the people I considered to be my family to run off and hide from some 'big bad'? When you have a group of assassins after you, you'll know how I felt when I had to leave. Have a good night Charlie." Ray disappeared from his room just as he was about to grab her arm. "Damn."