Long ass A/N- Haha, I didn't die, and yes, if you are coming back from the LAST chapter, or reading from the very beginning (aw, you're great!) this chapter has been updated and changed. Before you read the last couple of chapters READ THIS A/N!
See, me, being the idiot I am, wrote the last few chapters as if I wasn't going to post them on FF.net
::falls over and wants to die::
Let me explain…
I, being the perfectionist (perfectionist, idiot, same thing) I am, decided to revamp this story before shipping it off to FictionAlley.org (I finally racked enough Gryffindor courage to do it). Throughout this entire story were grammatical errors that made me want to smack myself (me being the English buff I am), so I decided to edit…THE ENTIRE THING! When this story is posted on Fiction Alley (SCHNOOGLE!) there will be new scenes added throughout and…it will follow OoTP.
::pause for a bit of a spoiler alert::
Yes, the Blacks are gone, out of my story… ::sigh::
::dodges tomatoes::
I'm so sorry! I loved Sirius so much, that every time I wrote about one of his kids, I wanted to cry. So…in the new version, Harry and Remus (he better make it throughout book 7 or I will die along side him…) will have children named for Sirius, but not exactly (hehe). From this chapter on, Orion Black will be known as Ewan Finnegan ::dodges more tomatoes:: and Cassie Black now goes as Caitlyn Finnegan. They are still the same characters, just different names and hair colors.
Oh, and Rigel (formally known as James Lupin) isn't going out w/ Rose (formally known as Lilly) because of some stuff I changed, he's actually going out w/ a Weasley (you'll find out who in the new version, not a big character). Er…another character change is Alexis Diggory, who COMPLETELY changes, cause I f'd up the graduation and forgot to add her…so her name is Jocelyn Grief, and she was a bit of a bitch to Soledad because she knew a secret of hers, and Jacob saved her in the fourth year…yeah.
I will post the Epilogue once the first chapter is up on Schnoogle, and I will leave a link so that all the fans who've read this story from the beginning (don't think I've forgotten you!) will have a chance to read the new scenes, which I'm SURE they'll love.
So the next three or so chapters are following all of the stuff I just said, because I really don't want to change all of the chapters, as that would just confuse everyone who's been following the lives of the new Weasley twins.
As a gift, I'm posting three chapters in less than half an hour! Two brand spanking new ones (this one had a VERY IMPORTANT EDIT DURING THE SOLEDAD/JACOB LEAKY CAULDRON SCENE!)
Okay, enough talking. This is an important chapter, as it is leading up to the end. ::tears::
Weasley's The Name: Post Hogwarts
Without Love (Life's like a week with only Mondays)
Within seconds, he stood in a very modest living room, Malcolm standing in the entranceway. It consisted of the basic pieces of furniture and didn't have the flair the Malfoys were famous for. Anthony wondered for a brief second if this was another way for the youngest Malfoy boy to rebel; befriending a Weasley was the first.
"Come on, she's upstairs," Malcolm said, not waiting to greet Anthony. The redhead followed him down a narrow hallway that was lined with tables with picture frames sitting upon them. He noticed that the house seemed to be covered with pictures, and hoped he would be able to examine them one day.
The staircase ran parallel to the hallway, and Malcolm stopped abruptly in front of it, almost causing Anthony to run into him.
"It's the first door on your right, if we both go up, she'll notice the two sets of footsteps. I don't want to worry her anymore than she already is."
"How does she look? Is she sick?" Anthony asked quietly. Malcolm shrugged,
"She's still the prettiest girl I know," he answered simply. The redhead smiled softly and began up the stairs, controlling his breaths as he gripped the railing with a strong fist. Malcolm disappeared from the bottom of the staircase, and without the comfort of someone being there to catch him, he felt rather nervous.
Would she scream at him? Would she even want him there? She hadn't bothered to contact him; maybe she wasn't ready? He had seen Taylor angry, but never with him, and he truly did not want to feel her wrath. But he had to, because he wanted to see her, he needed to see her.
Quickly, he rapped a few knocks on her door.
"Come in," a small voice answered. It pained Anthony to hear her voice so weak and fragile. He had really done it, he had really hurt her to the point where she had lost her spark, the spark that he had always admired and loved.
He grabbed the doorknob and turned it, pushing the door open as slowly as possible. Peering in, he noticed that the room was fairly neat, the bed looked like it hadn't been slept in at all, and the curtains were shut tightly.
The only light that came from the room was the one from the fireplace in front of the bed, and sitting on the edge with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders was Taylor.
She stared into the fire with what looked like a very glossy eyes. He examined her profile and noticed she was slouching under the yellow blanket. Her hair was up in a bun at the top of her head being held by a single stick (and probably some magic because Anthony could not imagine all of her hair being held by that puny stick).
Building up courage, he fully entered the room, shutting the door behind him and then leaning against it. Taylor made no effort to move at his entrance, and Anthony wasn't even sure if she had seen him come in.
"I'm not hungry, if that's why you're--" She had turned and she had spotted him. Her crystal eyes widened to the size of Quaffles and her mouth hung open slightly. Anthony sent her a weak smile and noticed a blush creep onto her cheeks.
"Hi," he said quietly, taking a step forward. Taylor stood up, with the blanket still on her shoulders and her hands gripping the edge of it tightly. She wore simply a large gray shirt that reached the middle of her thighs; Anthony's blush could not be suppressed.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice cracking. Anthony made sure to keep his eyes locked onto hers, but the stare she was sending him made it very difficult. It was as if he was the last person she would've seen that day, and the completely bewildered look had Anthony feeling very unwanted.
"I've been looking for you," he said as quietly as he had before. "I've looked everywhere, and I've sent you letters…" His eyes drifted towards the dresser beneath the window; he saw a pile of parchment in a neat pyramid.
"I know," Taylor barely whispered. She darted her eyes away from his, crossing her arms across her chest. "I had hoped you would find me."
Anthony's heart began to beat faster at her words, knowing that she didn't mind him being in the room.
"I didn't exactly find you…Malcolm called me through the fire connection."
Taylor's head snapped back up quickly, and she eyed him with suspicion.
"Why? Why did he do that?" she asked with a strained voice. Anthony took a few more steps towards her and noticed that she wasn't backing away.
"He said that you had requested some sharp objects…he thought you might be hurting yourself."
Her eyes glossed over and she bit her bottom lip to hold back a sob. Anthony felt tears swell in his eyes as well; she had, she had been hurting herself because of this…
"I'm so sorry," they said at the same time, causing each other to look into their eyes. "What?" They said in unison again. Anthony saw a small smile crack onto her face, but it quickly disappeared as Taylor leaned closer to hear his explanation. He took a deep breath before he opened his mouth.
"I'm sorry for what I said…" he began. "I barely know your mother, and it was just a stupid comment I had heard my father say. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Taylor. I'm willing to have a talk with your mother, my parents are willing to talk to your mother, so we can live in peace." He smiled weakly at her. "You know how stupid I get with you, I can't bear letting someone hurt you. That's why I said what I did.
"And I know I hurt you, it's all I've been thinking about since the party. Tore my mind and room apart thinking about all the pain I brought to you, and I worried myself sick wondering where you were…I'm glad you have a great brother like Malcolm.
"You don't have to forgive me, you don't have to take me back…I understand that. If I were you, I wouldn't even be speaking to me. Just know…that I love you so much, and hurting you was the stupidest thing I've ever done."
His eyes never deterred from hers as he spoke these words, and he hoped that she realized how true every single thing he said was. Anthony bit his tongue, his eyes stinging, as he waited for her answer.
Taylor stared at him with a very curious look, almost as if she was examining his eyes, but he knew that she was checking for any flicker of lie.
"You promise to talk to her?" she asked gently, letting her eyes drop to the floor. Anthony nodded, bending down to catch her gaze.
"My father promised he would be good, cause he likes you a lot, says you remind him of my mum."
He watched as smile crept onto her face, and she looked away, trying to hold it back. Taylor stared at the fire for a few moments before releasing a sigh.
"I've missed you," she said simply, looking back at him. Anthony grinned so widely that the expression caused tears to slip out of his eyes. Taylor immediately reached up and wiped them away, her hand lingering on his cheek.
His eyes fluttered closed at her touch; he couldn't believe how much he had missed her delicate fingers. Almost automatically, his hand found her waist and he pulled her close, enjoying the heat that was dissipating out of her. He felt a slender finger run across his fresh cut.
"You're hurt."
Anthony shrugged, opening his eyes to see tears falling freely down her cheeks.
"Marauder felt like sharpening his claws." A giggle escaped her lips as she traced the cut again, blinking her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears.
"I can fix that, it's a simple charm, really…" She turned slightly ready to go for her wand, but Anthony caught her gently by the shoulder. She looked back at him with a timid smile on her face.
"No, it's okay," he barely breathed. Taylor began to breath heavier as the space between them diminished rapidly. Their faces were inches apart and Anthony looked over her as if he was staring at her for the first time.
Her eyes were red from the tears she had shed in the past week and her nose was the same shade. Her lips trembled as they neared his and her cheeks were a bright rosy color, which made his stomach flip.
She leaned in for a kiss, but shivered as Anthony took her left hand and bent down on one knee. A true smile spread across her face now, and even with tears streaming down her cheeks, she stared at him with a look of utmost love.
"Taylor Parkinson, will you marry me?" He pulled out the ring she had left, staring straight into her light blue eyes.
"Yes," she answered, falling down to her knees in front of him. As he placed the ring on her finger again, her sobs became much harder, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, crying into his shoulder.
"I've been so alone this past week, it's the worst feeling I've ever felt. I thought I lost you, I thought I lost my mother, I thought I lost everything!" she cried and Anthony held her tightly around the waist.
"You'll never lose me," he whispered in her ear. He felt her nod against his shoulder and he rubbed an assuring hand on her back, trying to settle her tears. "Come on, you need some sleep."
"No, no, I have to show you something," she croaked, sniffling. He let go of her slightly to look into her tear stained face.
Taylor released a few heavy breaths, and then reached up to grab the puny stick from her hair. Shutting her eyes, she pulled the stick out, letting her locks fall from the bun.
Anthony's eyes widened as her hair barely reached her shoulders, cut in a very crooked fashion. Her golden tresses that once reached far down her back were now gone. Taylor's shoulders shook with each sob, and she covered her face with her hands.
"The sharp object," she hiccupped. "Was a pair of scissors, a charm would've cut too neat." Taylor clenched her fists in front of her eyes. "You loved my hair so much, and when I thought we were over…" She began to cry harder and Anthony pulled her into his chest, rocking her softly.
"I still love your hair," he murmured, kissing the top of her head and combing his hand through her hair. "I'd love you hair if you had died it purple and put it into a Mohawk." His joke got a strangled laugh from her, and he looked down at her face. Taylor's eyes were red with tears, but she still smiled up at him.
"I have to fix it," she mumbled, taking a lock of it in her hand and grimacing at it. Anthony sighed softly and cupped her face with both of his large hands, almost covering it completely.
"You're beautiful."
Taylor kissed him softly after he spoke his words, grabbing his hands and squeezing them tightly. She stood up then, bringing him with her, and traveled to the bed, where she crawled from the end to the head, patting some pillows down. Anthony stood stiff at the end of the bed, and watched as Taylor sat down on the right side with her legs under her. All she had to do was smile, and he knew that she wanted to spend the night with him.
He walked around the side and flipped off his sandals, taking a deep breath. Taylor continued to watch him as he clambered on next to her, and he eyed her expectantly, as if he was waiting for her to approve him. She flipped her wand from under her pillow and dimmed the fire to a very low simmer, giving them enough light to see five inches in front of their faces.
A sly smile fell on her face, and she pulled him closer by his collar. Anthony's face heated up greatly, but he leaned in and gave her a lingering kiss. He crept closer to her and realized that she had started to unbutton his shirt. He didn't stop her.
Soledad woke with fresh sunrays streaming onto her face. She rubbed her eyes and stretched her shoulders as she did every morning, until she realized she was not in her house.
The curly haired girl sat up abruptly, blinking furiously in the new morning light. The room was very plain with its white walls and blue curtains (which were open and letting the sun shine through). It contained little furniture; the mirror and dresser set seated in front of the bed, the pair of chairs in the upper left hand corner, and a nightstand right by her side of the bed.
Looking down at herself, she noticed that she was wearing a pair of pajamas that she owned, but with her face burning red, she knew that she did not remember changing into them. It was then that someone else moved the bed.
She squeaked softly and pulled the blanket up to her neck, and gazed over the sleeping body of what had to be Jacob Weasley (his curly red hair clearly proved that fact). Her hazel eyes widened, but her shoulders slumped as she relaxed.
We must be in the Leaky Cauldron. She thought as she took another look around the room. Soledad realized that his body was on top of the blanket she was under, and smiled softly at the sweetness of his gesture. He knew I would've hurt him if I found him otherwise.
She watched as he rolled from his side to his back, still very asleep, his bare chest rising and falling in steady beats (he wore simply a pair of red shorts). He had a small smile plastered on his face, and Soledad had to admit, he was very cute when he slept. He looked innocent…something that Jacob was far from.
I guess this is what it's like…waking up with the one you love…but he's not up yet. This is nice, I could get used to this. Marido y esposa.
Taking advantage of the situation, she wiggled out from under the covers and slowly made her way over to him. She stopped when her chin rested on his shoulder, and carefully she wrapped one of her legs around his.
Jacob seemed to notice the other body on top of him, and his eyes blinked open. He released a roar of a yawn and turned slightly to look at her, a sleepy grin on his face.
"Hullo," he said, leaning towards her to kiss her gently.
When they parted he sighed loudly and swung an arm around her, pulling her
tightly to his side. "What a nice thing to see in the morning."
"Just what I was thinking," she said earnestly, kissing his cheek. "What happened last night? Tú madre dijo usted era fuera con Anthony."
Soledad didn't bother translating for two reasons: one, because Jacob had told her not to, that he was going to try and learn as much as he could, especially with his new charm, and two, because she was a bit annoyed that he had been gone all day without telling her where he was.
"Just some beach," he answered calmly, nuzzling his nose into the side of her neck, making her momentarily forget that she was put off with him. She took his head in her hands and pulled him away from her, to get her mind straight. Her hazel eyes bore into his baby blues,
"No girls?" she asked, watching for any signs of fear.
"No girls," he answered without hesitation. With a smile, Soledad kissed his nose, and then his lips, initiating a very long and peaceful 'together' time for the couple.
They paused for a breath, Jacob on the other side of the bed and Soledad's hair frizzy and all over the pillows. His arm was draped across her stomach, and his cheek lying on her shoulder, enjoying the calm they seemed to bring to each other.
Where would he be if he hadn't interrupted Jocelyn's little tirade against Soledad? Jacob still couldn't believe that his Solely, the woman who made him laugh so much and feel so loved could have been the meek little girl with a deep dark—
"Secret?" he said aloud into her shoulder.
"Hmm?" Soledad mumbled; she had been ready to drift off again. Jacob, pushing his hands down into the bed on either side of her, looked down at her face with questioning eyes.
"You know what I just realized?" he said, tilting his head to examine her. Soledad grew nervous under his interrogating eyes, and she shrugged, hoping it wasn't something awful. "You never told me your secret."
She seemed to be relieved, and she nodded softly as Jacob helped her sit up, his hands remaining on her arms. He looked honestly interested, and Soledad, gathering up all of her Gryffindor courage, knew that she could tell him.
"You have to promise not to laugh. ¿Promete?"
Jacob stared at her with determined eyes, as if he was solving a difficult Arthimancy problem.
"Prometo," he answered with a smile, very proud of himself. Soledad giggled and kissed his lips softly, then pulling away with her eyes tightly shut. Jacob watched as the grimace remained on her face and suddenly, her brown curls were gone and long silvery locks replaced them.
He gasped, jumping back and watching as she giggled, tossing her hair over her shoulders.
"You're really blonde?" he choked, putting a hand to his chest to calm his breaths. Her laughter increased a tenfold and she shook her head, putting a hand out for him. Jacob took it cautiously, letting her pull him to her side. It was odd to see her face with such…Taylor hair.
"iTonto! I'm a Metamorphmagus!" Her hair began to curl and darken, and with in seconds it was back to the way Jacob was used to. His blue eyes stared at her with amazement, and Soledad squirmed under his gaze. "Jocelyn found out, and I didn't want to deal with everyone bothering me…"
"It's bloody brilliant," Jacob said softly, taking a lock of her hair between his fingers. Soledad blushed deeply. "You were born like this?"
She shook her head,
"No, I've been training since I was about five, it's something my Mama decided for me." Her face flushed as she continued, looking somewhat embarrassed. "She comes from a very prestigious family, and to keep the pride alive, let's say, each of her children had to have some amazing ability.
"Joaquin was first, and of course, he's the star Seeker for the Cannons (Jacob grinned at this). My sister Marisel is an Animagus, she can turn into a fox, and my little brother is learning different languages."
"Alonso? What can he speak?" Jacob inched closer to her, interested in the facts about her family that he didn't know. Soledad nodded, brushing some hair out of her eyes.
"Er…English, contrary to his native Spanish, French, German, Gobbledegook, Russian, and he loves driving us loco con Mermish."
Jacob leaned back into the pillows, staring at her with wide eyes.
"Damn, what a family I'll be getting into," he whispered, squeezing her hand. She blushed furiously and leaned towards him ready to start their 'together' time again, when a loud banging on the door made them jump apart.
"JACOB! WAKE UP! HAVE YOU SEEN THE PROPHET?" Brian's voice bellowed from the hallway. The two on the bed shared a confused look, and Jacob flung himself out of the bed and swung open the door to let his cousin in.
Brian strode in, wearing only his green shorts, waving around the Daily Prophet madly. Sarah came in behind him, looking both ecstatically happy and immensely embarrassed at the same time. Tom was peeking in behind her, grinning a toothless grin.
"What is it, you maniac?" Jacob asked, reaching for the paper, but Brian held it to his chest. He jumped on a chair so that everyone could see him. He put the paper out in front of him as if reading a speech, and cleared his throat. The green-eyed boy looked ready to give a graduation speech, his body jittering with excitement.
"From the desk of the Director of the International Association of Quidditch. It is my honor to announce this year's top twenty draft picks for the European Quidditch League."
Brian peered over the top of the paper to see that Jacob's face had lost all color as he stared at her with disbelief. Soledad jumped off the bed and grabbed her boyfriend's arm while Sarah stood by, giggling madly.
"Undercover scouts have been attending Quidditch matches at various schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry and they have narrowed down the number of many successful young Quidditch stars to a mere one hundred. The players were not notified of such activities, to make sure that their studies were completed without any interruption.
"The draft picks will be invited to attend a summer training camp, and from there, they will have the opportunity to join one of the many leagues on the European continent. Positions for all one hundred aren't promised, but the following twenty are the most probable candidates for next year's season."
"And?" Jacob asked, his voice high and cracking. He slowly stood up and continued to stare at Brian with wide eyes.
"Well, I'm number twelve on the list, and Daniel Martin's number sixteen," he said in a teasing voice. "I've highlighted the names of Hogwarts students, there are five on here, pretty good, huh? Madame Hooch must be proud."
Jacob cracked a sly smile and stepped closer to him, pushing himself on his tiptoes to try and peer over the edge of the paper. Before he could find the list of names, Brian pulled the paper to her chest, so he couldn't.
"I'm on there, aren't I?" he whispered, though everyone could sense the excitement growing. Brian nodded, and Jacob's grin grew wider, "Where? What number? Oy, I bet Daniel beat me, didn't he? He was Captain longer than I was…"
Soledad rolled her eyes at Jacob's concern and looked up at Brian for the answer.
"Hmm…let me see here…" his eyes scanned up and down the paper, and Jacob bit his tongue in anticipation. "Ah, here you go." Brian grinned wildly, pushing the paper in front of Jacob's face. "Jake, you're number one! You're the number one draft pick!"
Jacob snatched the paper out of his cousin's hands, his eyes bugging out of their sockets. His heart was pounding at a remarkable speed, and as his eyes scanned the list, he began to laugh with pure excitement.
"Merlin!" he screamed, grabbing Brian's shoulders and pulling him into a fierce hug "I'm number one!"
Jacob jumped up and pumped his arms in victory. Brian and Sarah had begun to dance to silent music (Sarah was beat red but she seemed to be enjoying herself), and Tom was clapping. A few other guests were peering into the room to see what the excitement was.
"Come here, come on," Jacob put his hand out to her. As soon as she grasped his hand, Jacob pulled her into an extremely tight hug around the waist, and lifted her up, spinning her around as he laughed happily.
Tom ushered the other guests away, and Brian and Sarah waltzed across the hall to their room. With another round of applause, the old barkeep shut the door, leaving the couple alone.
When they stopped spinning, Jacob kept Soledad in his grip, her legs tightly wrapped around his waist. She placed kisses on his nose and Jacob wiggled it in response.
"I'm so happy for you," she whispered, leaning her forehead on his. They batted their noses together and Jacob sighed softly onto her lips.
"There's only one thing that could top this," he said, darting his eyes from her mouth to her lips. Soledad blushed immediately, but she felt brave and tilted her head in a questioning manner.
"And what might that be?" she asked softly, hoping it would be very fun for the two of them. Jacob closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.
"Marry me," he said quickly. Soledad's eyes widened, and she leaned back in his arms.
"What did you say?" she asked just as quickly. Jacob grinned and kissed her, walking across the room to the window, still with her in his arms.
It amazed him in so many ways how she could look so angelic in the streaming rays of the sun. They shot through her curls in perfect places, making her face glow with such radiance that Jacob was sure he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her,
"I said, marry me. That's the only thing that could top this."
A million thoughts raced through her mind as she stared into the blue eyes of Jacob Weasley. She began to see their wedding, their house, and their family. With her mouth gaping open, she nodded, maybe a little too enthusiastically.
Jacob released of 'whoop' of happiness, and the two bounced around the room, Soledad's hold on Jacob's neck tightening so she wouldn't fall off.
He kissed her and they fell back onto the bed, Soledad landing rather oddly on top of him. Jacob didn't seem to mind though; he leaned up and kissed her again, his eyes shining,
"I love you so much. This is the best day of my life," he said in a very seductive voice. Soledad smiled, and a spark blew off in her head, something that hadn't happened before. An idea had settled right in front of her eyes as she stared at the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with.
"Jacob…" she said softly, slipping off of his lap to sit by his side. He sat up, looking nervous at the apprehensive look on her face.
"What? What happened?" He put his hands onto her forearms, running them reassuringly up and down. Soledad smiled at the gesture, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Let's do it now."
His face flushed faster than a Snitch disappears. Jacob's eyes were wide with what seemed like fright and excitement. It was then that Soledad realized what he had interpreted her statement as.
"Oh, no! Not that!" she giggled, hitting his thigh. His blush deepened with embarrassment, and nodded.
"What did you mean then?" he asked, his voice sounding a bit strained. Soledad took his cheeks in her hands, examining his face. She had always loved his high cheekbones and long nose, and now that she was his forever…
"Let's get married now."
His mouth dropped open and an eerie silence filled the room. He looked to be stupefied. Soledad tilted her head, tapping his cheek softly with concern.
"Jacob?"
"Yes."
He nodded his head vigorously, leaning forward and catching her in one of the most passionate kisses they had ever shared. When they broke apart, he stared at her with an oozing amount of desire. "We're going to get married!"
"We're getting married!" she repeated, kissing his lips again and making him laugh and grab her around the waist.
Soledad giggled happily into his lips, and the two fell back onto the bed, laughing madly at the trek they were about to set foot on.
Emily Weasley sat at her kitchen table with her face in her hands and her elbows on the table. She eyed the open window patiently and tapped her foot with remarkable speed. The post was never late, and the redhead knew that it was pointless to wish that it would come earlier, but she did nonetheless, because she was excited.
She hadn't received a letter from Ewan for almost four days now, and it was starting to frustrate the almost fifteen-year old. Her birthday was in a few days, the twenty-seventh of June, and she had invited Ewan and some others for a celebration. Emily feared that now that they were 'seeing' each other, he had lost all his courage to face her brothers and father (her mother and Delaney loved him).
Of course, she was a little worried herself. Emily had only revealed to her mother about her relationship with Ewan, and her mother had told her that she would tell her father about it. Apparently, Hermione Granger-Weasley hadn't. She told Emily that Ron had gone on talking about "how his little girl is growing up so fast," and that he wasn't talking about Delaney.
She eyed the clock and counted down the seconds until noon,
"Three…two…one…"
Perfectly on time, Pigwidgeon and Chudlina swooped in, along with a large black owl, making Emily's cheeks blush furiously. Ewan had responded.
Snatching the letter the black owl held almost hastily (she had to give it some treats to make up for it), she ripped it open and plopped into a seat. Pigwidgeon and Chudlina dropped their letters in the center of the table and fluttered over to their perch, hooting indignantly because she had ignored them.
Emily hoped that no one popped into the kitchen at that moment, although she knew that her mother and little sister wouldn't be back until later that day, and her father was working on some important project for the Ministry. The twins hadn't returned from their trip yesterday, so she prayed that they didn't decided on that moment to barge in.
The tips of her ears burned red as she began to read the letter,
"Dear Emmy (she giggled at this; he was the only one to still call her by this old nickname),
I'm terribly sorry about not answering your letter earlier, it's been a bit hectic around here (all four kids are home and Mum's going crazy, cause Dad is just as wild as the others are. It's hard to be the only sane one out of four very rambunctious siblings). Mum's had me running around the house with a million things to do because of this party Dad is holding. Quite annoying. You'll be receiving the invitation for that soon.
Anyway, I would love to attend your party; you know I wouldn't miss it! Thing is, does your family know about us? I don't want to spring it on them…your dad does have quite a temper, doesn't he? I hope he likes me, I don't know what I can do to impress him though…My family knows about you, Kevin spilled it with that big mouth of his, cause he found one of your letters (no, he didn't read anything important). Dad took it upon himself to give me "THE TALK" and I still can't look at him without shuddering.
I miss you so much! My heart is constantly longing to see you, and I can't wait for your birthday (I still have to find a gift for you…hard stuff, that is). You think we'll be able to spend some time alone? Not like that, I mean, unless you want to, but I don't think you would, I just need to be able to talk to you face to face. Oy, I'm blushing madly over here, feel like such a prat, hope Cassie doesn't barge in here.
Okay, I have to go, my older brother Aiden is screaming that something is burning, and I fear it's those biscuits Mum told me to watch…
Love,
Ewan
P.S. Is it okay if I sign it like that?
Emily squealed rather loudly at the end of the letter, her face blushing furiously. He was just so cute sometimes; it was amazing how relaxed and calm he was compared to his three siblings.
Caitlyn, as she'd proved in the past year, was the most aggressive of the four. Her mood swings were infamous around the halls of Hogwarts. Aiden was the oldest; he graduated Hogwarts five years ago and is now a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts. Kevin was the youngest, he would be starting Hogwarts next year, and from what Emily remembered from gatherings and parties, the little boy was very mischievous. He had once turned Ewan's hair a light blue color, to match his eyes.
She sighed as she remembered the glint in Ewan's eyes. His baby blues were such a different color from hers. They were light and full of questions while hers were dark and ready for adventure. Emily wondered if the girls back in his father's time swooned over those eyes as much as they do with Ewan's.
He was probably the most sought after boy in their year, not that he realized it of course. He preferred to stay in a close-knit group then gallivant around the school making trouble and breaking girls hearts.
Folding the letter neatly and placing it in her pants pocket, Emily reached for the pile of mail the family owls dropped off, and she picked up The Daily Prophet first.
On the cover was some boring story about the Goblins in Gringotts (she read it anyway incase Ewan's brother was mention--he wasn't). She didn't know why she was flipping through the paper; she normally didn't read it, much to her mother's dismay.
Emily headed for the sports section, knowing that that might be of some interest to her father and brother, so maybe she could get into a conversation with them by knowing all these facts…
"Oh!" she gasped, dropping the paper to the table. Under the heading of the Sports section was a picture of Jacob blocking numerous Quaffles in one of his Quidditch games. Emily scanned through the article with little squeaks of glee as she realized what was going on. Jacob was going professional!
"Oh Merlin!" she screamed, jumping up and down excitedly. "Merlin!"
Emily raced towards the living room, hoping to find one of her immediate family through the fire connection. Where were they all? Mum was at the Healer with Delaney…no, she couldn't interrupt that…Dad was at work…probably not working, but who knows…Anthony probably won't want to talk to anyone if he's disappeared like this…Jacob…
"ARGH!" she roared in frustration. Emily plopped down onto the floor in front of the fire in a very annoyed fashion. She supposed that Jacob already knew, but wouldn't he come home to tell everyone?
"Probably off with Soledad, that's where they went, I bet…" Emily mumbled, crossing her arms and leaning back onto a chair. With this grand news, you would think that Jacob would have rushed home to tell his family, the family that's loved him and taken care of him for his entire life!
Marauder slunk into the library, meowing softly and rubbing against Emily's thigh. She pulled the cat onto her lap and rubbed his back as he curled up into her. The cat stretched out one of its legs and Emily was surprised to see that his claws were stained with red blood. She shook her head at the cat; he was known to catch the gnomes in the backyard.
"My little Marauder," she said in a singsong voice, snuggling him close. As Marauder purred, a green fire erupted in the fireplace, and a whole lot of chatter came bustling out of it.
"Oy! Weasley!" a very familiar voice shouted. Emily's eyes widened in delight as she realized whose head was in the fire,
"Seamus!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly and pushing Marauder off of her lap so she could sit in the chair. Seamus Finnegan looked up at her with bright eyes and waved,
"Why hello Miss. Emily! How are you today?" he said this in a very loud and exaggerated voice, and the redhead blushed furiously; she knew he was trying to catch Ewan's attention.
"I'm fine, thanks, so what are you calling for? Haven't heard from you in a while!"
Seamus chuckled softly and combed his hand through his shaggy sandy hair.
"Ah, well, I just picked up the Sports section of The Prophet and lo and behold, there's a picture one of my favorite redheads swatting at Quaffles! Wanted to congratulate him."
Emily clapped her hands excitedly,
"Yes! I just read that too! I was about to go and search for him through the fire network, but there's no point, seeing as I have no idea where he could be." She huffed slightly and crossed her arms over her chest, tossing her hair about,
"Neither of the twins came home last night. Just because they're out of school doesn't mean that they can go paint the town red without telling anyone where they are! They still live here, in case you didn't know!"
Seamus just chuckled at her little rant, and her ears burned slightly at his voice,
"Sound a bit like your mother, don't you, Em?" He turned his head to look at something out of view, "You better watch out, you've seen how her mother is with Ron."
"DAD!" she heard Ewan's voice scream. Her blush engulfed her face as she realized that Ewan had been standing by listening to the conversation. Seamus' face disappeared and Ewan's took his place, and even in the green of the fire, she could tell he was blushing.
"Hi Emmy," he said softly, rubbing the back of his neck. She waved softly, unconsciously patting down her hair with the other. Oh Merlin, I look like a wreck! "Excited about Jake?"
"Oh, very!" she choked out, hoping her voice didn't fail her. It was so nice to see him; she had no idea why she hadn't thought of talking to him this way before. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't been alone in the house since school ended. "How are you?"
"I'm fine, exhausted, but fine." He looked down towards his feet, biting his lip. "Funny, I've been dying to talk to you, and now I have nothing to say."
Emily smiled softly and leaned towards the fire,
"It's all right, I'll see you in a few days, we'll have stuff to talk about then."
Ewan's eyes widened and he seem to be holding back a scream.
"Oh…so…you got my letter," he choked out. Emily nodded enthusiastically, and then, she realized why he looked so scared.
"Yes, I just read it a few moments ago." She winked at him, hoping he would see it. "It's alright if you sign it like that."
He smiled brightly and then looked as if he didn't know what else to say,
"So where are you going?" he blurted, biting his tongue. Emily stared at him oddly, looking down at her jeans and t-shirt.
"Er…no where, why?" She thought Ewan's face was going to explode from the heat it seemed to have gained.
"Oh, er, it's just that youlooksonice I thought you were going out," he mumbled, smiling shyly.
Emily opened her mouth to say something, but instead, she just sent him a very wide smile, an odd feeling in her eyes.
"Thanks." She answered softly.
Ewan smiled, and at that moment, a large chorus was heard from behind him,
"AWWWWWWW!" His sandy hair flipped in front of him and he stared angrily at what must've been his family.
"Stop listening!" he said through gritted teeth, though Emily knew that once they disconnected he would be screaming. Ewan turned back to her and shrugged softly, clearly embarrassed by his family. "I'll try to write a longer letter next time, okay?"
Emily's heart raced at the prospect of another letter from him, and she nodded enthusiastically,
"Great! Er…I'll start writing my response right away."
Ewan smiled brightly and nodded, brushing some hair from his face.
"All right, I have to go, Caitlyn needs the fire." He looked as if he wanted to say something else, but something was keeping it in his mouth. "Bye, Emmy."
"Bye Ewan." Quickly, she blew a kiss, and she saw Ewan stiffen slightly. He blushed and waved goodbye, and then the fire diminished.
As soon as the last embers were gone, Emily released a 'whoop' of happiness, and jumped up, clapping her hands together. It was a great day! Her brother was going to be a professional Quidditch player, she got to speak to her boyfriend, and she had the whole house to herself to scream and shout as loud as she wanted to.