"Never in all my years have I ever had to break up a fight involving FORMER students!" McGonagall had been the one to break up the fight. I should have written down the spell she used to do it, that would have proven useful. After beginning her shaming of the Weasley's and company, her attention went to my family. I was standing behind her as this all went on, smirking. Then her eyes narrowed at the Wellington clan.
"And all of you! I had always heard such good things about muggles! And now this!" I had never fought the urge to laugh as much as right then. McGonagall did not know a thing about muggles, much less whether or not they behaved like this on a regular basis. Then she turned to face me, her eyes narrowed, she thought she knew me. Before she could open her mouth to say anything, I extended my hand.
"Hi, I'm Ro, I don't believe we've met." her eyes went from narrowed to confused.
"But aren't you..." I shook my head no before she could say what I knew she was thinking.
"Shes' MY daughter." Sky threw out there. Poor McGonagall, this must have confuzzled her to no end.
"Was it the red hair to throw you off? Because my mum had hair exactly like hers, which is the reason." Keefer explained. I knew I loved those people for a reason.
"So you're not..."
"I'm Ro Wellington." I remained calm and patient as the old professor slowly took everything in. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and turned to look at the Weasley clan. "Don't believe them." Harry still looked royally pissed. He had gone up against Bell in the end, and she fights dirty, "It's total bullshit." I waited for a moment, expecting for someone to object to his language. Surely Molly of all people would scold him.
"Before I correct you, could you remind me what your name is?" I asked him, a total stab.
"Harry. Potter. You should remember that pretty well, you were in love with me." Ouch, cheap shot. I totally got over him. Rather, Ginny totally got over him.
"What a small man you are." I whispered at him. I. Am. A. Cold. Hearted. Bitch. But only sometimes.
"I can't believe that woman gave us detention! She's mad!" "Now, Dad, that's what happens when you fight." I didn't hide my smugness as I pretended to try and comfort Keefer. All the Wellington's simply grumbled in response. I let a small giggle escape from my lips and about three hands smacked me at once.
"Owwwww!" I groaned but no one seemed to care about my physical pain.
"I'll see you later..." I called to all my group in a sing song voice. Two days had passed, it was d-day. As in detention day. No one seemed to mind that I would be left alone, they were more upset that they had to clean the kitchens with the Weasley clan. I'm sure that they all were going to have ever so much fun. I however, was not looking forward to spending hours alone. I got nervous...don't ask me why. It's gotta be because of the divorce. Connor rarely left me alone when we were together, and when I was back at home with the Wellingtons the house was always full. People who knew about the prenancy swore to me that I'd be begging for alone time once the kid was born, but I doubted.
I was on the hunt for Bobby, he had wondered off again. I wondered past the kitchen, where a symphony of pots and pans crashing could be heard, where Bobby was not. He wasn't hiding in the lobby, and didn't seem to be in the courtroom. I finally wondered out to the courtyard, whistling and hollering like I was insane. A few people looked at me like I was crazy, and a little kid threw a rock at me. Then a car drove up to the front. It was more than a car, it was a yaucht on land. The thing was huge, long like a limo but wider. It was a metallic forest green, way too gawdy for my choice but I still watched intently. An overly formal driver came out of the front and took the long way all the way to the back seat, just to open the door. Shockingly enough, a tall and incredibly blonde young man stepped out. His robes were a bit too formal to be a normal person, his hair much too blonde. I was sure who he was as soon as an older version of him came out of the car, on a dolly. He looked almost exactly like the murderer from Silence of the Lambs when he was busted, restrcting straightjacket, muzzle, the only difference being his build and the fact that he had white blonde hair. I watched as the younger one, no doubt Draco Malfoy, wheeled the man who must be his father up towards me. I didn't move, just stared like an idiot. Lucius' eyes darted around as he was wheeled up, but Draco kept his eyes down on the path. The driver took out his wand and zapped some luggage away, but that didn't matter the two men. I just kept on watching as they went right by, Lucius muttering something as he passed. Draco didn't bother looking. I couldn't move. I was one with the yard art. Another granite statue in the courtyard. The only difference being that I was blinking and struggling to breathe. And pregnant. Don't tell that part.
I could have stood there for hours, trying to move if Bobby hadn't come barreling at me, chasing a terrified pigeon. He stopped when he saw me, dutifully calming down, tail wagging, tongue hanging out, ready for me to request something. I merely cocked my head towards the building that was a home for now, and we went in. I was careful to avoid the Malfoys and the hubub that accomponied them.
My hands were shaking so hard that the rest of me shook so the hands wouldn't be so obvious. I stumbled up the stairs and barely got the key in the lock of the apartment. I collapsed on the couch and didn't move when Bobby put his head on my lap. I just kept shaking, not accepting what I had just seen. They were there, in the same building as me, again. I sat on that couch, shaking, until the rest of the occupants returned from detention. Then after too many questions of
"What's wrong?" they finally stopped asking and Bell helped me to bed. Bobby stayed with me, occaisonally putting his head under my hand to stop the shaking. I didn't leave that apartment for a long, long time.
"Ro, honey, today is the day you go on the stand." Sky's voice was very gentle as she said that, very motherly. I hadn't left the apartment in weeks, and she had worried for all that time. Then a aweek before I had been sent the message that I would be going on the stand to bring Lucius Malfoy down for good. I almost said no, but then Bell screamed at me for fifteen minutes about the importance of closure, standing up for myself, and the warm fuzzy feeling of revenge. I finally agreed, but only to make her stop yelling. Every word had it's own shower and I couldn't find an umbrella. No one came to help. No assistance. No umbrella. Even Bobby, my loyal Bobby who had rarely left my side in all that time, wanted me out. I wanted out, but I wasn't about to tell them. Those people drove me nuts, but again, I couldn't tell them.
Oh well, it was expected for me to start losing my mind. Add this with hormones so imbalanced that they made teetertotters nauesous, you have one crazy red head. I could have turned violent, I could have started fires, I could have whittled a couch. Instead, I learned to knit. I knit and I knit and I knit. I made sweaters, hats, socks, and one useless bathing suit. Along with everything you can knit for a baby. I did this all so muggle like, it was kind of liberating. I almost knit a sweater that said
"I am not a slave to the wand"
but decided against it. Even I'm not that crazy. Or at least, I wasn't at that point in time. Then I went back to reality, and got up, and got ready to go to court. I had to put on very covering clothes because at this point in time I was so huge that even a blind person was aware of my 'condition.'I was pretty much dragged down to the court room that morning. My feet shuffled, I kept my head down, and I repeatedly told myself that none of this was happening. Of course, I knew that all of that was a lie, but the idea was comforting. When we all, and by that I mean all the people from my apartment, made it to the court room I had to sit alone up front with the other 'witnesses.' Basically, all the people that had been accused of being tortured by a Malfoy. Harry was up there, but I was careful not to sit too close to him. As it turned out, we had all lined ourselves up. One by one people were called out and then Lucius, sitting up on the stand, would discuss what all he did to them. Then, that person was called up to the stand and it was their turn to dsicuss what Malfoy did to them. Surprisingly, Malfoy didn't lie. He never tried to cover his own behind and get off with an easier sentence. I'm guessing that in a sick way he was proud of what he did. As if getting a longer sentence then all the other supposed bad guys would be his claim to fame. As the bragging and confessing by the victims went on I tuned it out. Does anyone really want to hear the truth? I didn't. I preferred living in the blissfull ignorance that Lucius was bad, he hurt this line of people, and now no one is happy. I could have told the whole judge and jury that, but instead, when they called my name, Ro Riggs, I got up and took my seat in the witness box. I don't know the real name for it, I called it that for the sheer hell of it.
"Now, you may have noticed that we didn't ask Mr. Malfoy what happened first," the judge spoke down to me, but I just nodded for a response,
"that's because the stories he told were simply outrageous."
Okay, I must have turned back into the terrified girl from the Chamber of Secrets because this guy spoke to me as if I was a porcelin doll and the wrong words would be a hammer. Instead of speaking up to the idiot, which I should have, I just nodded, trying my best to not look at anything in particular.
"What does he say?" I asked the room more than any one person,
"What?" the judge wasn't expecting a question from the witness,
"What does he say about me?" I asked in a slightly bolder voice. The judge looked umcomftorable, not sure what to do. For that brief moment I lifted my head and scanned the room. Only two people were looking at me, Harry being one of them, but I'm pretty sure he was just zoned and his eyes fell upon me. The other person, however, was definitely looking at me, his eyes filled with a dark twinkle of laughter that makes the skin crawl.
"Hehe, the girl who lived! Haha! The girl who lived!"
