Chapter Five: A Return Home
"Aye, that was a waste of time. We were there an entire day," Ron grumbled as he opened up his newly packed trunk. They'd gone to the burrow, after only a day in Grimmauld Place because now, after Sirious's death, they weren't sure the house was safe.
"All that packing wasn't useless," Hermione said calmly as she dutifullly cleaned Ron's poster clad room. "You do need to clean up after yourself."
"I hope Harry's in a good mood when he gets here," Ron muttered as he stopped Hermione from going through his drawers. She glared at him, before resigning to just dust and straight things outside of Ron's personal drawer spaces.
"Hmm," Hermione replied. Yes, honestly, she couldn't agree more with Ron. When they had left Harry at the end of their fifth year, he'd been irritable and extremely moody. Part of Hermione couldn't blame him, going through all that emotional shock. Still, she wished he would've been a little more open and mature about the situation.
"You know, though, I like this place much better than that stuffy house," Ron was, as Hermione knew, referring to Grimmauld Place. "Glad to be gone."
"Me too," Hermione said, just thankful to be with Ron and her friends. She become friends with Ginny. She found getting to hang around with another girl as much as she hung around with Harry and Ron enjoyable, except during their once a month moody spells.
"Blimely, I'm so hungry!" Ron complained again about being hungry. Hermione rolled her eyes, passing his a candy bar on his pillow. Ron opened the wrapper hastily and went to take a bite.
"What's that smell?" Hermione gagged and sprinted across the room to throw open a window. Ron wretched almost instantly, and Hermione did the same. Ron grabbed the noxious candy bar, chucking it outside.
"Ron?" Hermione said tensely as she gazed dagger at her friend. "What was that?"
"Fred and George's," Ron moaned as he held up the wrapper. "Should have known."
"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Choking Chocolate. Guaranteed to cause one person to loose their lunch. Great family gifts," Hermione read part of the torn wrapper. Ron groaned, recalling the first time he'd smelled something like that.
The day before September First was sunny and bright. The vibrant light glared against the shop windows in Diagon Alley. The rough, red cobblestones caused the feet of those who trod the Alley to step unevenly. People shielded their eyes with hands and hats from the glaring sun. Worse, early afternoon, when the sun turns people to lobsters, had come about.
Standing in the middle of the street, sweat drenching his robe, stood little Ron Weasley. Ron wished for the thousandth time he had money to buy a sundy or a milkshake. Bloody anything cold would do.
"Ron," Fred shouted. Ron moved in a couple stumbling steps as his sleeve was tugged. Fred dragged his younger brother out of the middle of the street into the brightly-lit Quidditch shop. Fred and George began to point out stuff to each other, talking about the Quidditch team.
Ron, however, turned gazing at the shiny broom hanging above the counter, carefully guarded by spells and glass. An identical one sat in the window. Ron leaned on the counter, along with many others, gazing numbly at the Nimbus Two Thousand. "Beautiful," Ron felt something like a religious experience.
"Aye, fine broom," Fred came up behind Ron. "Blimey, I want one."
"If you get one, so do I," George stood level with his twin. The three went into a reverend silence before the expensive broom. Ron finally took his turn to break it. "Lets go, maybe get the school books,' Ron couldnt have sounded any more unenthusiastic.
"Why?" Fred leaned against the counter with Ron. Ron hated that smirk. "Cause Mum wanted us to?"
"Yeah," Ron regretted having to spend the day with the twins. He wanted to go to Hogwarts so bad, and Fred and Georges teasing and agitating him. On the bright side, he wasnt with his Mum, Dad, and sister, fawning over Percy.
"We'll get the stuff later," George took his spot on the counter opposite of Ron. Again, Ron got that identical smirk. "Does little Ronny want to be like big brother Percy?"
"No," Ron groaned in earnest. If there was just one brother he would prefer not to be anything like, except maybe a Prefect, it was Percy. He certainly never wanted to boss anyone around like that. On the other hand, is that what it took to be a Prefect?
"Stop gawking unless youre buyin boys," a heavy set old man shoed the three boys away from the counter. They reluctantly left the store, all of them regretting not going out with a Nimbus Two Thousand.
"What now?" Fred turned to his twin. "This tis a boring day."
"Yes, tis," George said as he nodded and gazed around the crowded street. Ron rubbed his already sweaty forehead on his sleeve.
"Can we get something to eat?" Ron moaned. He was royally hungry, now, too, but he doubted Fred and George would get him food. He took their snorts as a no.
"Watch," George whispered as he dropped something disgusting in a caldron for sale. Ron winced at the smell as they passed, suddenly not feeling so hungry. Behind him, he heard a couple people vomit, which gave him the urge to vomit himself.
"Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley gasped as she turned the corner to see her youngest son retching into another caldron. Fred and George tried desperately to suppress their snickers, secretly overjoyed they made even Ron loose his stomach.
"Sorry, Mum, bad smell," Ron muttered, sitting upright again. He hurriedly got away from the smelly caldron, obediently going with his Mum to get books and other school supplies.
A/N: Hey! It's me back again with this story. I know they don't go to Grimmauld Place before their sixth year, but forgive me for starting this story before July 16, 2005. Again, don't own any characters here. Please give comments on what would make this story better. Thanks, MorganRay.
P.S. I Beta read, if anyone is interested. Most of the fanfics I follow seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth right now.