Chapter 2

Molly pushed through the kitchen door and stopped. She stood there watching the young woman, who was staring in awe at the dishes.

"It's just a charm," Molly told her, coming completely into the room. The woman turned around and looked at Molly. "You look so much like your mother," she said.

The woman smiled at Molly, "I guess that meeting Charlie was fate. The first friendly person I meet in England knew my mother," she said. She smiled at the older woman, "After a week here, I didn't think that I would ever find anyone that knew Albus Dumbledore."

Molly smiled at her, "I'll contact Albus in a few minutes," she said. She motioned for the young woman to sit down at the table, "Would you like some tea, or maybe something to eat?" she asked.

Marietta smiled at the red haired woman, "No thank you, your son and I had tea right before we came here."

Molly dropped down into one of the chairs that were scattered around the table. "I never thought that I would see you again," Molly sobbed, tears running unreservedly down her cheeks. "When your mother was killed, I offered to take you. She had already made arrangements in case something happened to her." She stopped talking and wiped the moisture from her face. "Your mother was the most wonderful woman," she said as she patted the younger woman's hand. "You spent a lot of time here when you were young. I didn't get a little girl until my seventh try, so you were wonderful to have around. Charlie and Bill used to love to play with you."

Charlie watched his mother with the young woman that he had ran into. "Mum, are you telling me that Marietta used to play with us when we were small?"

Molly smiled at Charlie. "Mari used to be here every day. You and Bill would get up in the morning, have breakfast and sit by the fireplace waiting for her to get here. The two of you got on so well together when she was here, always on your best behavior for her. You even shared your toy brooms with her."

Marietta watched the way the two interacted. She closed her eyes and tried to remember coming to this amazing house. She remembered her toes just brushing the grass, and bright red hair but nothing else. "I don't remember much before I went to my aunt's house. Just images like my toes brushing the grass."

Molly smiled and pulled her wand out of her apron. "I could help you to remember if you want," she said. "Your mother cast a memory charm on you that would only be activated if something happened to her. She didn't want you to suffer from your memories of the wizarding world when you would be living in the muggle world."

Charlie sat down next to her and patted her on the arm. "All it will do is bring back your memories of before you were sent to your aunt."

Marietta smiled at him and nodded her head at Molly. With a quick wave she cast the spell. With her eyes closed she could see her childhood playing out. Her mother's smiling face, and spending her days with a family of red heads that fate brought her back to. She opened her eyes and looked over at Molly. "Aunt Molly?"

Molly gathered the girl up into her arms. "It's alright Mari, your mother left some things for you. A pensieve, some wizarding photos, her house and the contents of her vault."

Marietta wiped her eyes and smiled at Charlie. "I remember you," she told him. "I remember hearing my mother and your parents talking about the two of us." She stopped and looked over at Molly. "Is there a contract?" she asked.

Molly looked at her, shocked. "We didn't think that anyone had heard that," she said. "It was your mother's idea to pledge you to Charlie, but when you were sent to live with your aunt we just put the contract in the vault and forgot about it."

Charlie looked at his mother. "Wait a second, you have a marriage contract for the two of us?"

Molly smiled. "The two of you were inseparable, Lucy thought that we should raise the two of you knowing that one day you would get married. You were always walking around holding hands, and when we lay the two of you down for naps you had to be right next to each other." Molly patted Marietta on the arm and got up from the table. "I'm just going to call Albus, he should be able to answer any questions that you have."

Charlie sat next to her, staring off into space. "What's wrong?" she asked.

He looked over at her and smiled. "Our mothers signed a marriage contract for us, you know what that means don't you?"

She leaned over toward him. "Does it mean that we'll have to get married someday?" she asked, a smile creeping up on the corners of her mouth.

Charlie leaned back in his chair and laughed. "Well, it's a wizarding contract, so we'll have a few months to get to know each other before they will require us to get married."

Marietta sat back and crossed her arms. "Do you think that I can do magic?"

Charlie leaned forward. "I'm sure of it. I guess that we'll have to talk to Dumbledore to find out how you're going to get your magical education. I think that you're too old to attend Hogwarts, and that would take you seven more years."

"Seven years? That's a long time," she answered.

"My brother is just finishing his last year, and my sister still has one year to go," he explained. "They've been going to Hogwarts since they were eleven."

"Oh no, I'll be learning things that I should have learned when I was eleven?" she asked. "Talk about being behind."

"I wouldn't worry about it, Miss. Grant. I'm sure that with the help of the Weasley family, Hermione, and Harry you could be caught up to a fourth or fifth year by the end of the summer. You have much to learn, but I'm sure that it will be a wonderful experience for you." Albus Dumbledore sat down at the table with them. "I am Albus Dumbledore, and Molly tells me that you have been looking for me."