Chapter 2
He stood in the shadows, a single shaft of light falling on to his hair, illuminating it. He watched them, their hair glinting in the sunlight, smiling and laughing, and he scowled, contorting his face with bitterness. Then he turned and walked purposefully down, deeper into Knockturn Alley.
"Luna!" A girl with straggly blond hair turned and smiled vaguely as Ginny rushed up to her.
"Hello Ginny! You won't believe what Daddy's found! Evidence of Fudge's army of Heliopaths!"
A choking sound came from Hermione. Ron and Harry grinned at each other.
"That's great! You must tell me all about it." Ginny span round to face the others. "We're off to Madame Malkim's, meet you in Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour in an hour!" and, linking arms with Luna, they wandered off in the general direction of the robes store, chattering animatedly.
They were just out of earshot when Hermione smiled, despite herself. "Luna might be totally batty, but Ginny'll be alright with her."
"Yeah, well, I just hope that Ginny buys her own robes and doesn't go for Luna's type of thing," said Ron. "Or buys something unsuitable."
They stared after the two girls; retreating backs for a moment and then Hermione said, "Come on, I want to go to Flourish and Blotts."
Ron and Harry groaned.
"What?"
"Is it just me," asked Ron cheerfully to Harry, "Or do we always go to Flourish and Blotts when we come here?"
"Yeah, just what I was thinking."
"Well, one more year won't make much of a difference then," said Hermione triumphantly. "Come on."
Harry shrugged and they followed her.
"So, where's your mum then, Ron?" asked Hermione.
"At home, getting tea ready for the Order. There's gonna a massive meeting at our place and everyone's coming, even Dumbledore."
"And Neville," added Harry. "But Mrs Weasley didn't seem to know what it was about."
"More like didn't want to tell us."
"Well, I'm sure she has her reasons," said Hermione, sensibly.
"Hermione, we fought Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries two months ago, surely that's a reason for us to know what's going on?"
"Yes, well," they paused as they came to the front of the shop, "I just think that there's no point in us getting our hopes up. Every year they don't tell us what's going on and every year we figure it out for ourselves; so we might as well save our breath and just try and pick up any information we can."
Ron looked at her in surprise. "And how are we supposed to find out anything if we're not in there?"
"Extendable Ears."
Ron shook his head. "Surely even you know that Mum puts an Impurtable Charm on the kitchen door every time there's a meeting."
Hermione flushed red and mumbled something.
"Pardon?"
"I asked the twins to develop them, okay?" A grin spread across Ron's face. "I did a bit of research and sent it to them and they said to pop in to the shop today and see if the Ears were ready yet."
Ron whooped for joy. "You genius! Ha! She reckoned without you when she told us about the charm!" Then, to Hermione's amazement and Harry's amusement, he picked Hermione up and swung her round.
Hermione stared at him and he put her down quickly, the tips of his ears bright red, clashing with his hair. "Come on," he mumbled, and hurried into Flourish and Blotts. Harry followed, shaking his head. Hermione paused, smiling, then went in after both of them.
"Well Bill, I muz go, I've got loz o' work to do."
Bill Weasley sat up and caught Fleur's hand.
She smiled at him indulgently and then pulled away. "I really muz go Bill, ze goblinz weel be wondering where I am."
"Damn the goblins! Fleur...I..."
She stopped and looked at him, "I muz go, I 'ave to. I'll meet you at ze Leaky Cauldron later, and zen we can go to your 'ouze, oui?"
"Alright, I'll see you later then, at about twelve, for lunch?"
She nodded. "I weel be zere," and then she left his office.
Bill sighed and then started shuffling the papers on his desk. He didn't know why, but there was something about her. She'd never tried to charm him veela style, and yet...Well, it would be interesting at the meeting, even if Fred and George did steal the show with their enactments of Bellatrix's 'little visit' as they were now calling it. Fleur would probably get on with Ginny and that friend of hers, but Hermione wouldn't be able to stand her, at least, not for the first half-hour or so while Ron was attempting to impress Fleur. What was happening between her and Ron these days anyway? He could have sworn that Ron liked her, but being Ron, he probably didn't realise it yet; despite the fact that everyone else had.
Oh well. He picked up his pen and began to go through his report on the security measures of Gringotts.
After one and a half fruitless hours of searching, Ginny was just about ready to give up. "I love that colour on you Luna, but there's no way that it'd suit me," she said firmly to the luminous pink gown that had been offered.
"This?"
Ginny looked hard at the purple and black stripy chiffon. "Not really me."
"Well, how about this green?" Luna asked, holding up a silken sheen of emerald green.
"Luna, I don't think..." she looked at it again. "Oh, that's lovely," she breathed. "Madame Malkim?" The lady bustled over. "Do you think you could make some dress robes for me from this?"
"Of course I could. If you'd just like to go and stand on one of the stools round the corner; I'll be over in a minute."
Ginny, with Luna following her, turned the corner and stepped up on to the stool just as, "Well, well, who have we here?" Draco Malfoy was smirking at her.
Inwardly, Ginny groaned. "Recovered from the Bat-Bogeys yet, Malfoy?"
A pink tinge coloured his pale cheeks, "What've you done to get some new robes from here, Weasel? Sold your house? Oh wait, that wouldn't raise enough money, would it?"
"Actually, Ferret, I've come into a bit of money." Madame Malkim started taking measurements. "Oh. Thank you."
"What are you buying? A dress to impress Potter?"
"A dress to impress my boyfriend."
Malfoy's head turned sharply to look at her, his robes swinging round. Brushing off the assistant's plea for him to keep still, he said, "You have a boyfriend? How much did you have to pay him?"
Ginny flushed, but before she could answer, Luna spoke. "You're Lucius Malfoy's son, aren't you? Is it true that your mother's constantly under the Imperious Curse?"
His eyes flashed as he retorted, "Certainly not."
"Miss Weasley, if you'd like to go and try the dress on now." Ginny looked down and saw a dress lying in Madame Malkim's arms.
"Yes, thank you," and she slipped out into the changing room with it; Luna and Malfoy were arguing fiercely and didn't even notice.
When she walked out at last, the green robes falling over her in glimmering folds, Luna and Malfoy were still glaring at each other, but at least they had stopped yelling. She turned to Luna, "What do you think?"
Malfoy called over, "Weasley, tell that loopy friend of yours that at least my father isn't off his rocker."
Ginny snapped. She whirled round and took a step towards him. "Shut up! At least Luna's dad didn't try to kill me! At least she's a decent person! At least she's trustworthy and you know that you can say whatever you want in front of her without worrying about whether she's going to go and tell You-Know-Who! And at least she's not a sadistic bastard who's so messed up that he has to go round insulting everyone else because they've actually got a life!"
Malfoy shut up. Then, to her surprise, he spoke. "Nice dress Weasley."
"What?"
"Nice dress."
She looked down at it and blushed self-consciously at how low the neckline was. She opened her mouth to reply just as the door of the shop opened and Harry, Ron and Hermione walked in, laden down with bags.
"Hey, Weasley!" Malfoy called, smirking broadly.
Ron glowered at him.
"Your sister's a bit of alright now, isn't she? All curvy."
Ron growled and leapt forward, meaning to rearrange his face but someone got there quicker; Harry had Malfoy by the edge of his robes. "Take that back Malfoy."
"Alright, alright, keep your hair on Potter. She's not even your girlfriend."
"Apologise."
Ron was now looking at Harry with something like approval.
"Why? It's true. You'd better look after her, or you'll find that some people who aren't quite as gentlemanly as me might..."
Harry tightened his grip.
"Alright, I'm sorry."
Madame Malkim hovered at Harry's elbow. "Mr Potter, please, put him down." Harry let go and Malfoy fell in a heap on the floor.
"Come on you two, we're leaving, now!" demanded Ron.
Ginny, despite Ron's protests ("It's far too suggestive!"), bought the dress and then went to get changed as Malfoy got up, paid for his now creased robes, and left.
"He really was being quite insulting. Goodness knows what would have happened if you hadn't arrived," said Luna.
Ron looked appraisingly at Harry. "Thanks mate."
"If that bastard lays a finger on her..." Harry muttered, not really listening.
Hermione and Ron exchanged looks behind Harry's back as Ginny rushed out of the changing rooms.
"We all here? Yes? Where to next?"
Neville stood with his grandmother in the Janus Thickey Ward, standing at the end of his mother's bed, watching her as she slept, her once smiling face deadened. It was like watching over a corpse.
"Come on Neville," Mrs Longbottom pulled on a pair of scaly dragon-skin gloves. "We have to go now."
Neville looked over to where his father was rocking backwards and forth on his bed, muttering to himself incoherently. "Yes Gran."
Mrs Longbottom turned swiftly to speak to the Healer. "Bye Mum, bye Dad," whispered Neville.
"Come on Neville." Mrs Longbottom was getting irritated now. "You know we have to go and see your Great Uncle Algie before going to the Burrow." Her voice softened slightly; "You'll see them soon enough. They won't disappear."
Neville looked at her. "But Gran, what with Death Eaters escaping and everything..."
"They're perfectly safe here, Neville, and you know they caught that Lestrange woman."
"Yeah, but Gran..."
"There's no 'but' about it Neville, now come on."
"Well, I will admit Dean; maybe we were slightly hasty in sending that letter."
Dean Thomas grinned. "Hey, don't worry about it, these things happen. I'd be the same if my little sisters started seeing guys a year older than them."
"Yeah," agreed Fred, nodding his head vigorously. "Hey, d'you fancy mentioning this little chat to Ginny, you know, just to help clear the air a bit?"
"Sure."
"Great!" said George. "Now, as the formalities are over, would you like to look at this?" He held up a black cup.
Dean took it from him cautiously and peered inside. Rockets and Catherine wheels were exploding and even mating inside the teacup. Tiny, spinning pink pigs occasionally shot out, making Dean duck quickly.
"Wicked! That's amazing!"
Fred looked at him as if he were a favourite nephew. "George..."
"Yes Fred?"
"It's good to be appreciated."
"I agree. So," George said, turning to Dean, "You think they'll sell?"
"Like hot cakes."
A bell rang as the door opened and Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry walked in.
"Gin," proclaimed George immediately, "We were just apologising to Mr Thomas most profoundly for our..."
"Atrocious?"
"Thank you Fred, atrocious behaviour."
"And promoting 'Weasleys' Wildfire Whizbangs in a Teacup'?"
"Well, couldn't turn down a business proposition Gin, you know us."
Ginny grinned and turned to Dean, "How are you Dean?"
"Great, wonderful, I..." he fell silent with an anguished look at Ron.
"Ah, our little Gin-Gin's growing up."
"Fred!"
Hermione, sensing danger, took over, sweeping Ron, Harry and the twins into the storeroom. "Now Fred, about those Ears..." She closed the door firmly behind them.
Dean breathed a sigh of relief and caught Ginny in his arms. "I never thought that I'd say this, but God bless Hermione Granger. I wasn't sure whether Ron'd let me sit opposite you in the Great Hall over breakfast, let alone in a room together unchaperoned."
Ginny blinked and smiled. "Yes, well, we're alone now."
"Yeah," Dean lowered his lips to hers.
"Thomas!"
They jumped apart guiltily and Ginny sighed at the sight of Ron's face scowling at them through the storeroom doorframe. "Don't push your luck mate!"
"Morning, Weasley."
"Morning, Minister. I know that it's highly irregular, but might I have the afternoon off sir? The whole family's meeting up before the children go back to school."
Fudge looked at him, his pompous air obvious, even to Percy. "Certainly, Weasley, and give my best wishes to your parents."
"Yes sir."
"Shall Dumbledore be there?"
Percy looked at the floor. "I'm not sure, sir."
"Yes...well...if he is...tell him...well...just thank him for helping out with that problem over the Notts," Fudge's voice grew stronger, "And that I've decided that we ought to extend the hand of friendship to the giants."
Percy didn't bat an eyelid. "Of course sir."
Alastor Moody sat at a decidedly battered desk glaring at Remus Lupin who was sitting opposite him. They'd been sitting there for about an hour, arguing determinedly about the tiny scrap of information that Bellatrix Lestrange had accidentally let drop.
"Constant vigilance, damn it Remus! Constant vigilance!"
"Alastor, she said that she is a Death Eater. What hidden meaning could there be in that?"
Mad-Eye Moody looked at him in despair, "You'd never make a decent Auror Lupin, you've got to read between the lines."
"You read between the lines Moody; what do you think she meant?"
Moody looked thoughtful. "Well, I'd say that she's one of Voldemort's supporters, for starters."
Mrs Weasley looked up from her seating plans for dinner that evening as her children and their three guests entered the room. "Ah, there you are dears," she stood up and addressed herself to Luna. "I'm Ginny's mother."
"I knew it!" declared Fred.
"Fooled by our own mother!" added George.
"Or surrogate mother if you really think about it."
Mrs Weasley glared at them. "Well, since you're here..."
"Luna Lovegood," Luna stuck out her hand, "And I'm very pleased to meet you Mrs Weasley." Luna's expression was, as always, slightly vague.
"And I, you. Ginny, take Luna and Hermione, oh, but where are my manners, hello Hermione."
"Hello Mrs Weasley."
"Now, where was I? Oh yes, Ginny," she turned to her daughter, "You take Luna and Hermione up to your bedroom. And as for you," she swung round to the vacated space were Fred and George had been standing. "I don't believe it! Now where have they got to?"
She turned to Ron and Harry, "Mundungus has arrived, so would you two mind keeping an eye on him? You know what he's like, probably attempting bring stolen cauldrons again." She sat back down, shaking her head, "The Order these days..."
"Come on," said Ron to Harry, grinning, "let's go to the kitchen, that's where he usually hangs out when he comes round."
As they entered the kitchen, they were greeted by the sight of Fred and George already deep in conversation with Mundungus. All three of them sat, their heads close together, bowed over some plans of Knockturn Alley that Mundungus had been 'given'.
Harry and Ron looked at each other and then hurried over. "Wow," said Ron, deeply impressed. The map not only showed Knockturn Alley in great detail, down to the last cobbled stone; but it also gave a list of the illegal substances that could be obtained from in shop.
"Manticore blood," said George in tones of hushed reverence, "We've been trying to get hold of those since we discovered their powers."
"Powers?"
"Yeah," said Fred, speaking in equally revered tones, "Anyone who drinks it, speaks of secrets that even they didn't know they knew. Secrets that come from their soul."
"You'd better be careful that Mum doesn't see that."
Everyone seated around the table jumped a mile; Ginny was leaning against the larder door, a glass of milk in her hand. "Or any of the others coming here tonight, they might be our friends, but if they knew that you two were planning on buying Class A illegal substances, even they'd turn you in."
Mundungus Fletcher looked sharply at Ginny, and then at the twins.
"Don't worry, you can trust Ginny."
She smiled lazily at Fred's self-assured tone. "And what if I turn you in?"
"Ah, but you won't," exclaimed George. "Not when we tell you that we've earned enough money to buy you new dress robes."
"Got some."
"We'll owl Bill, telling him to bring the socks."
Ginny caught her breath, "The socks?"
"The socks."
"George Weasley, are you trying to bribe me?"
"I think we are, my dear sister," pointed out Fred, "since we have often tried to bribe you before, and it usually works; only we used to bribe you with pictures of..."
Ginny interrupted before he could finish, "Bribe accepted."
CRASH!!!
The tail that Charlie Weasley was attempting to bandage thrashed up and down, and he dodged a number of spikes that seemed determined to lodge themselves in his spine. He turned to face the intruder.
"Hi."
"Hi. You finished playing with your dragons yet?"
Charlie grinned. "Nope, but someone else'll finish playing with this one for me."
"He's a whooper!"
Charlie smiled at her. "Come on, let's Apparate, I don't to be late."
"Gotcha. You changing?"
Charlie looked down at his leather trousers. "Nope."
"Good."
"Good?"
"Charlie Weasley, I've heard so much about those ruddy trousers! And believe me; now that I've seen them for myself, I'm not gonna to complain!"
Charlie threw back his head and laughed.
Tonks waited patiently until he'd finished.
He grinned at her, "Let's go."
He stood in the shadows, a single shaft of light falling on to his hair, illuminating it. He watched them, their hair glinting in the sunlight, smiling and laughing, and he scowled, contorting his face with bitterness. Then he turned and walked purposefully down, deeper into Knockturn Alley.
"Luna!" A girl with straggly blond hair turned and smiled vaguely as Ginny rushed up to her.
"Hello Ginny! You won't believe what Daddy's found! Evidence of Fudge's army of Heliopaths!"
A choking sound came from Hermione. Ron and Harry grinned at each other.
"That's great! You must tell me all about it." Ginny span round to face the others. "We're off to Madame Malkim's, meet you in Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour in an hour!" and, linking arms with Luna, they wandered off in the general direction of the robes store, chattering animatedly.
They were just out of earshot when Hermione smiled, despite herself. "Luna might be totally batty, but Ginny'll be alright with her."
"Yeah, well, I just hope that Ginny buys her own robes and doesn't go for Luna's type of thing," said Ron. "Or buys something unsuitable."
They stared after the two girls; retreating backs for a moment and then Hermione said, "Come on, I want to go to Flourish and Blotts."
Ron and Harry groaned.
"What?"
"Is it just me," asked Ron cheerfully to Harry, "Or do we always go to Flourish and Blotts when we come here?"
"Yeah, just what I was thinking."
"Well, one more year won't make much of a difference then," said Hermione triumphantly. "Come on."
Harry shrugged and they followed her.
"So, where's your mum then, Ron?" asked Hermione.
"At home, getting tea ready for the Order. There's gonna a massive meeting at our place and everyone's coming, even Dumbledore."
"And Neville," added Harry. "But Mrs Weasley didn't seem to know what it was about."
"More like didn't want to tell us."
"Well, I'm sure she has her reasons," said Hermione, sensibly.
"Hermione, we fought Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries two months ago, surely that's a reason for us to know what's going on?"
"Yes, well," they paused as they came to the front of the shop, "I just think that there's no point in us getting our hopes up. Every year they don't tell us what's going on and every year we figure it out for ourselves; so we might as well save our breath and just try and pick up any information we can."
Ron looked at her in surprise. "And how are we supposed to find out anything if we're not in there?"
"Extendable Ears."
Ron shook his head. "Surely even you know that Mum puts an Impurtable Charm on the kitchen door every time there's a meeting."
Hermione flushed red and mumbled something.
"Pardon?"
"I asked the twins to develop them, okay?" A grin spread across Ron's face. "I did a bit of research and sent it to them and they said to pop in to the shop today and see if the Ears were ready yet."
Ron whooped for joy. "You genius! Ha! She reckoned without you when she told us about the charm!" Then, to Hermione's amazement and Harry's amusement, he picked Hermione up and swung her round.
Hermione stared at him and he put her down quickly, the tips of his ears bright red, clashing with his hair. "Come on," he mumbled, and hurried into Flourish and Blotts. Harry followed, shaking his head. Hermione paused, smiling, then went in after both of them.
"Well Bill, I muz go, I've got loz o' work to do."
Bill Weasley sat up and caught Fleur's hand.
She smiled at him indulgently and then pulled away. "I really muz go Bill, ze goblinz weel be wondering where I am."
"Damn the goblins! Fleur...I..."
She stopped and looked at him, "I muz go, I 'ave to. I'll meet you at ze Leaky Cauldron later, and zen we can go to your 'ouze, oui?"
"Alright, I'll see you later then, at about twelve, for lunch?"
She nodded. "I weel be zere," and then she left his office.
Bill sighed and then started shuffling the papers on his desk. He didn't know why, but there was something about her. She'd never tried to charm him veela style, and yet...Well, it would be interesting at the meeting, even if Fred and George did steal the show with their enactments of Bellatrix's 'little visit' as they were now calling it. Fleur would probably get on with Ginny and that friend of hers, but Hermione wouldn't be able to stand her, at least, not for the first half-hour or so while Ron was attempting to impress Fleur. What was happening between her and Ron these days anyway? He could have sworn that Ron liked her, but being Ron, he probably didn't realise it yet; despite the fact that everyone else had.
Oh well. He picked up his pen and began to go through his report on the security measures of Gringotts.
After one and a half fruitless hours of searching, Ginny was just about ready to give up. "I love that colour on you Luna, but there's no way that it'd suit me," she said firmly to the luminous pink gown that had been offered.
"This?"
Ginny looked hard at the purple and black stripy chiffon. "Not really me."
"Well, how about this green?" Luna asked, holding up a silken sheen of emerald green.
"Luna, I don't think..." she looked at it again. "Oh, that's lovely," she breathed. "Madame Malkim?" The lady bustled over. "Do you think you could make some dress robes for me from this?"
"Of course I could. If you'd just like to go and stand on one of the stools round the corner; I'll be over in a minute."
Ginny, with Luna following her, turned the corner and stepped up on to the stool just as, "Well, well, who have we here?" Draco Malfoy was smirking at her.
Inwardly, Ginny groaned. "Recovered from the Bat-Bogeys yet, Malfoy?"
A pink tinge coloured his pale cheeks, "What've you done to get some new robes from here, Weasel? Sold your house? Oh wait, that wouldn't raise enough money, would it?"
"Actually, Ferret, I've come into a bit of money." Madame Malkim started taking measurements. "Oh. Thank you."
"What are you buying? A dress to impress Potter?"
"A dress to impress my boyfriend."
Malfoy's head turned sharply to look at her, his robes swinging round. Brushing off the assistant's plea for him to keep still, he said, "You have a boyfriend? How much did you have to pay him?"
Ginny flushed, but before she could answer, Luna spoke. "You're Lucius Malfoy's son, aren't you? Is it true that your mother's constantly under the Imperious Curse?"
His eyes flashed as he retorted, "Certainly not."
"Miss Weasley, if you'd like to go and try the dress on now." Ginny looked down and saw a dress lying in Madame Malkim's arms.
"Yes, thank you," and she slipped out into the changing room with it; Luna and Malfoy were arguing fiercely and didn't even notice.
When she walked out at last, the green robes falling over her in glimmering folds, Luna and Malfoy were still glaring at each other, but at least they had stopped yelling. She turned to Luna, "What do you think?"
Malfoy called over, "Weasley, tell that loopy friend of yours that at least my father isn't off his rocker."
Ginny snapped. She whirled round and took a step towards him. "Shut up! At least Luna's dad didn't try to kill me! At least she's a decent person! At least she's trustworthy and you know that you can say whatever you want in front of her without worrying about whether she's going to go and tell You-Know-Who! And at least she's not a sadistic bastard who's so messed up that he has to go round insulting everyone else because they've actually got a life!"
Malfoy shut up. Then, to her surprise, he spoke. "Nice dress Weasley."
"What?"
"Nice dress."
She looked down at it and blushed self-consciously at how low the neckline was. She opened her mouth to reply just as the door of the shop opened and Harry, Ron and Hermione walked in, laden down with bags.
"Hey, Weasley!" Malfoy called, smirking broadly.
Ron glowered at him.
"Your sister's a bit of alright now, isn't she? All curvy."
Ron growled and leapt forward, meaning to rearrange his face but someone got there quicker; Harry had Malfoy by the edge of his robes. "Take that back Malfoy."
"Alright, alright, keep your hair on Potter. She's not even your girlfriend."
"Apologise."
Ron was now looking at Harry with something like approval.
"Why? It's true. You'd better look after her, or you'll find that some people who aren't quite as gentlemanly as me might..."
Harry tightened his grip.
"Alright, I'm sorry."
Madame Malkim hovered at Harry's elbow. "Mr Potter, please, put him down." Harry let go and Malfoy fell in a heap on the floor.
"Come on you two, we're leaving, now!" demanded Ron.
Ginny, despite Ron's protests ("It's far too suggestive!"), bought the dress and then went to get changed as Malfoy got up, paid for his now creased robes, and left.
"He really was being quite insulting. Goodness knows what would have happened if you hadn't arrived," said Luna.
Ron looked appraisingly at Harry. "Thanks mate."
"If that bastard lays a finger on her..." Harry muttered, not really listening.
Hermione and Ron exchanged looks behind Harry's back as Ginny rushed out of the changing rooms.
"We all here? Yes? Where to next?"
Neville stood with his grandmother in the Janus Thickey Ward, standing at the end of his mother's bed, watching her as she slept, her once smiling face deadened. It was like watching over a corpse.
"Come on Neville," Mrs Longbottom pulled on a pair of scaly dragon-skin gloves. "We have to go now."
Neville looked over to where his father was rocking backwards and forth on his bed, muttering to himself incoherently. "Yes Gran."
Mrs Longbottom turned swiftly to speak to the Healer. "Bye Mum, bye Dad," whispered Neville.
"Come on Neville." Mrs Longbottom was getting irritated now. "You know we have to go and see your Great Uncle Algie before going to the Burrow." Her voice softened slightly; "You'll see them soon enough. They won't disappear."
Neville looked at her. "But Gran, what with Death Eaters escaping and everything..."
"They're perfectly safe here, Neville, and you know they caught that Lestrange woman."
"Yeah, but Gran..."
"There's no 'but' about it Neville, now come on."
"Well, I will admit Dean; maybe we were slightly hasty in sending that letter."
Dean Thomas grinned. "Hey, don't worry about it, these things happen. I'd be the same if my little sisters started seeing guys a year older than them."
"Yeah," agreed Fred, nodding his head vigorously. "Hey, d'you fancy mentioning this little chat to Ginny, you know, just to help clear the air a bit?"
"Sure."
"Great!" said George. "Now, as the formalities are over, would you like to look at this?" He held up a black cup.
Dean took it from him cautiously and peered inside. Rockets and Catherine wheels were exploding and even mating inside the teacup. Tiny, spinning pink pigs occasionally shot out, making Dean duck quickly.
"Wicked! That's amazing!"
Fred looked at him as if he were a favourite nephew. "George..."
"Yes Fred?"
"It's good to be appreciated."
"I agree. So," George said, turning to Dean, "You think they'll sell?"
"Like hot cakes."
A bell rang as the door opened and Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry walked in.
"Gin," proclaimed George immediately, "We were just apologising to Mr Thomas most profoundly for our..."
"Atrocious?"
"Thank you Fred, atrocious behaviour."
"And promoting 'Weasleys' Wildfire Whizbangs in a Teacup'?"
"Well, couldn't turn down a business proposition Gin, you know us."
Ginny grinned and turned to Dean, "How are you Dean?"
"Great, wonderful, I..." he fell silent with an anguished look at Ron.
"Ah, our little Gin-Gin's growing up."
"Fred!"
Hermione, sensing danger, took over, sweeping Ron, Harry and the twins into the storeroom. "Now Fred, about those Ears..." She closed the door firmly behind them.
Dean breathed a sigh of relief and caught Ginny in his arms. "I never thought that I'd say this, but God bless Hermione Granger. I wasn't sure whether Ron'd let me sit opposite you in the Great Hall over breakfast, let alone in a room together unchaperoned."
Ginny blinked and smiled. "Yes, well, we're alone now."
"Yeah," Dean lowered his lips to hers.
"Thomas!"
They jumped apart guiltily and Ginny sighed at the sight of Ron's face scowling at them through the storeroom doorframe. "Don't push your luck mate!"
"Morning, Weasley."
"Morning, Minister. I know that it's highly irregular, but might I have the afternoon off sir? The whole family's meeting up before the children go back to school."
Fudge looked at him, his pompous air obvious, even to Percy. "Certainly, Weasley, and give my best wishes to your parents."
"Yes sir."
"Shall Dumbledore be there?"
Percy looked at the floor. "I'm not sure, sir."
"Yes...well...if he is...tell him...well...just thank him for helping out with that problem over the Notts," Fudge's voice grew stronger, "And that I've decided that we ought to extend the hand of friendship to the giants."
Percy didn't bat an eyelid. "Of course sir."
Alastor Moody sat at a decidedly battered desk glaring at Remus Lupin who was sitting opposite him. They'd been sitting there for about an hour, arguing determinedly about the tiny scrap of information that Bellatrix Lestrange had accidentally let drop.
"Constant vigilance, damn it Remus! Constant vigilance!"
"Alastor, she said that she is a Death Eater. What hidden meaning could there be in that?"
Mad-Eye Moody looked at him in despair, "You'd never make a decent Auror Lupin, you've got to read between the lines."
"You read between the lines Moody; what do you think she meant?"
Moody looked thoughtful. "Well, I'd say that she's one of Voldemort's supporters, for starters."
Mrs Weasley looked up from her seating plans for dinner that evening as her children and their three guests entered the room. "Ah, there you are dears," she stood up and addressed herself to Luna. "I'm Ginny's mother."
"I knew it!" declared Fred.
"Fooled by our own mother!" added George.
"Or surrogate mother if you really think about it."
Mrs Weasley glared at them. "Well, since you're here..."
"Luna Lovegood," Luna stuck out her hand, "And I'm very pleased to meet you Mrs Weasley." Luna's expression was, as always, slightly vague.
"And I, you. Ginny, take Luna and Hermione, oh, but where are my manners, hello Hermione."
"Hello Mrs Weasley."
"Now, where was I? Oh yes, Ginny," she turned to her daughter, "You take Luna and Hermione up to your bedroom. And as for you," she swung round to the vacated space were Fred and George had been standing. "I don't believe it! Now where have they got to?"
She turned to Ron and Harry, "Mundungus has arrived, so would you two mind keeping an eye on him? You know what he's like, probably attempting bring stolen cauldrons again." She sat back down, shaking her head, "The Order these days..."
"Come on," said Ron to Harry, grinning, "let's go to the kitchen, that's where he usually hangs out when he comes round."
As they entered the kitchen, they were greeted by the sight of Fred and George already deep in conversation with Mundungus. All three of them sat, their heads close together, bowed over some plans of Knockturn Alley that Mundungus had been 'given'.
Harry and Ron looked at each other and then hurried over. "Wow," said Ron, deeply impressed. The map not only showed Knockturn Alley in great detail, down to the last cobbled stone; but it also gave a list of the illegal substances that could be obtained from in shop.
"Manticore blood," said George in tones of hushed reverence, "We've been trying to get hold of those since we discovered their powers."
"Powers?"
"Yeah," said Fred, speaking in equally revered tones, "Anyone who drinks it, speaks of secrets that even they didn't know they knew. Secrets that come from their soul."
"You'd better be careful that Mum doesn't see that."
Everyone seated around the table jumped a mile; Ginny was leaning against the larder door, a glass of milk in her hand. "Or any of the others coming here tonight, they might be our friends, but if they knew that you two were planning on buying Class A illegal substances, even they'd turn you in."
Mundungus Fletcher looked sharply at Ginny, and then at the twins.
"Don't worry, you can trust Ginny."
She smiled lazily at Fred's self-assured tone. "And what if I turn you in?"
"Ah, but you won't," exclaimed George. "Not when we tell you that we've earned enough money to buy you new dress robes."
"Got some."
"We'll owl Bill, telling him to bring the socks."
Ginny caught her breath, "The socks?"
"The socks."
"George Weasley, are you trying to bribe me?"
"I think we are, my dear sister," pointed out Fred, "since we have often tried to bribe you before, and it usually works; only we used to bribe you with pictures of..."
Ginny interrupted before he could finish, "Bribe accepted."
CRASH!!!
The tail that Charlie Weasley was attempting to bandage thrashed up and down, and he dodged a number of spikes that seemed determined to lodge themselves in his spine. He turned to face the intruder.
"Hi."
"Hi. You finished playing with your dragons yet?"
Charlie grinned. "Nope, but someone else'll finish playing with this one for me."
"He's a whooper!"
Charlie smiled at her. "Come on, let's Apparate, I don't to be late."
"Gotcha. You changing?"
Charlie looked down at his leather trousers. "Nope."
"Good."
"Good?"
"Charlie Weasley, I've heard so much about those ruddy trousers! And believe me; now that I've seen them for myself, I'm not gonna to complain!"
Charlie threw back his head and laughed.
Tonks waited patiently until he'd finished.
He grinned at her, "Let's go."