The Charmed Ones Meet the Boy Who Lived I
Prue Halliwell felt her bare feet sinking into the sand as she allowed her brothers to pull her down the beach. "Where on earth are we going?" she asked for the fourth time since leaving the house. Wyatt snickered and Chris shook his head.
"Prue, you're the most impatient girl I know," her twin complained. She smiled. "Why can't you just let yourself be surprised?"
"I hate surprises. Everything in my life is a surprise, Christopher," she retorted. "I can't see, remember?" True enough, Prudence Melinda Halliwell had been born blind. It was somewhat of an irony, then, that hers was the primary power of premonition. She was also the only girl in her family, a fact that her two brothers never let her forget.
Wyatt Matthew Halliwell was a year and a half older than the twins, and fairer than both. His blond hair hinted at red, and his eyes were the same grey they had been since his birth. Christopher Perry Halliwell was four minutes older than Prue, and the darkest of the three, with dark brown hair and green eyes. Prue was a natural redhead with blue eyes that were clouded almost grey by her blindness. She had the most freckles. Both boys were protective of her, even more than was usual for siblings, because of her blindness.
"I know you can't see, Prue," Chris snapped. "But can't you be patient for once?"
"I'm never patient. You yourself reminded us of this. Where are you taking me?" Wyatt laughed outright and scooped her up so she was no longer stumbling through the sand.
"Come on, Prue. I'll give you a piggyback ride, like the old days." She giggled and climbed onto his back. Then they set off again. Finally Wyatt set her down, but not on sand. She was standing partially in shade; she knew from the feeling of coolness on one arm. And her feet didn't feel the roughness of the sand anymore. She was standing on the giant beach blanket that they'd bought only a week before.
"And I'm still confused as to where we're going," she commented as Chris closed her fingers around a can of soda and gently pushed her onto her knees. From there she sat with her legs crossed tailor-style. They had slathered her with sunscreen before leaving, so she was in no immediate danger of getting a sunburn. "Why are we here? And where is here?" she finished before taking a sip of her soda. Chris plopped down next to her under the umbrella, his legs sticking out onto the sand.
"Take your shirt off, sis, and get a pretty suntan," he ordered. She shot him a dirty look, but pulled of her tank vest.
"Happy?"
"Very. Now, we are here, just the three of us, to get out of the house for a magic-free, and Mom-free afternoon. Today, this glorious day at the end of June, is a day for us to be siblings and teenagers, instead of powerful magical creatures and children of a Charmed One," Wyatt explained.
"Of course, tonight, Mom and Dad are bringing Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige down for a barbeque. It'll be our day for being us, while they can just relax."
"Relax, Chris?" Prue asked, raising an eyebrow. "You know perfectly well that Mom is cleaning the house as we speak, probably reorganizing your side of our room, or dusting Wyatt's room."
"I notice you didn't include yourself in that," Wyatt teased. Prue had to keep her side of the room she shared with Chris immaculate so she didn't trip over anything, which was okay, considering that she'd inherited their mother's obsessive love for cleanliness.
"Wyatt, the only thing she'd have to do to my side of the room is to take my nightgown off my bed and hang it in the closet." The three siblings shared a laugh. "Thanks, you guys."
"Sure. You needed a day off. You're either constantly studying or constantly exercising your powers."
"My powers help me get around in the world, Chris. And I think now would be a good time to tell you..." She trailed off and tilted her head to the side. "I hear something. Someone's coming this way." The boys looked around.
"Yeah, there's a slew of redheads and a dark-haired boy walking towards us. They're talking among themselves, Prue, don't worry. Go on. Time to tell us what?"
"All that exercising I've been doing in our room?"
"What?"
"Now who's the impatient one?" she teased. Chris made a face and growled playfully at his twin. "I pushed myself hard enough to activate a healing power," she whispered, and then took a sip of her soda, waiting for the verbal reaction that was surely to follow the facial expressions she couldn't see.
"Really, Prue?" Chris whispered in awe. Wyatt squeezed her shoulder. "Wy can't even heal. Aunt Paige can't even heal. This is awesome! Have you told Dad?"
She shook her head negatively. "It's too unreliable right now. It comes and goes, and I can't call it on command like he can." She smiled her brightest, glad her brothers were as proud of her as she was of herself. "I'll keep working at it, and maybe someday soon, I'll be able to call on it reliably like Dad can. It would come in handy, wouldn't it?"
"Are you kidding? You could be the family's new whitelighter!" Chris exclaimed. "With you able to perform the same duties as a normal whitelighter, Mom and Dad will HAVE to let us help on missions!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, little brother," Wyatt said affectionately, ruffling Chris' dark hair like he had when Chris had been five. Chris bore it indulgently, then reached over and performed the same gesture on Wyatt, who laughed and lurched forward to playfully tackle his younger sibling. Prue got between them.
"We're being watched," she said. "Are you sure those people from before are far enough away?" Chris leaned back into the shade again and glanced guardedly over at where the five people had settled. He snorted into his hand and looked up at Prue's stiffened form.
"They're watching, sure enough. But not us. Four of the five are staring straight at you, little sister." He left out that the girl was watching him.
"Four minutes," she hissed. It was an old argument that she could never win. That didn't, of course, stop her from making it at any chance that presented itself. "I am four minutes younger than you!" Chris winked at Wyatt and got up, backing slowly towards the group of people, leaving his sister staring blindly at the spot he'd been, waiting for an answer.
"Four minutes is four minutes, Prue. You'll always be my little sister," he called from about six feet away. Her head snapped around, a grin lighting her face. She got up smoothly, giving the illusion that she could, in fact, see him. Wyatt hid his silent giggles in his fist. It was a game, true, but it was also an exercise. Prue's ears were sharper than their cat's and it was always their habit to challenge her, to see if they were accurate in direction and distance as well as acuity. Usually, she won this game, and Chris went tumbling to the ground.
"Get back here!" she cried, leaping towards him. He laughed and ran off a bit farther towards the other crowd.
"Come get me!"
She changed her direction slightly and took off, making Chris leap in the same direction. She'd surprised him. Wyatt's laughter was uncontained at that, and he snorted into his soda when she turned a blind glare in his directions. Then her head whipped back around, sending her ponytail slapping into her face. She spit out her hair. "Where are you now?" she asked calmly.
"Over here, LITTLE sister," Chris taunted from only a few feet away from the group. He didn't know why he was doing it, only that he kind of wanted to meet them, seeing as the boys had been so fascinated by his twin. Besides, the girl was cute.
"I am NOT LITTLE, Christopher Perry!" she shouted before taking a flying leap at him. This shocked him even more than her abrupt lunge from a few seconds earlier, and she caught him in the stomach, sending them both tumbling to the ground, as Wyatt had predicted, in the middle of the others' beach blanket. She was giggling like mad, and Chris was trying to breathe with her sitting on his chest.
"Off!" he managed to grunt, flushing.
"Not until you admit I'm not little, LITTLE brother!"
"Fine, you aren't little! Get off!" She got nimbly to her feet and held out a hand to help him up. He took it.
"Sorry about her. She's a bit crazy." Prue immediately stiffened.
"Chris, you didn't!"
"Sorry, Prue." She hid her now-flaming face in her hands.
"I'm so embarrassed!" Wyatt came over and draped an arm over her shoulders. She shoved him away. "You didn't warn me!" she exclaimed.
"As if you'd have listened."
"I would have if you'd said, 'Don't follow him, Prue, there are people in that direction!'" she shouted.
"I gather, then, that your name's Prue?" asked a voice unfamiliar to her. She turned towards it, her face still flushed.
"My full name's Prudence, but Prue is what everyone calls me. Prue Halliwell." She held out her hand and felt it enclosed and squeezed gently.
"And you're blind," commented a soft girl's voice. Prue turned towards this too.
"An astute observation," she replied. "And you are...?"
"Oh! Manners! Sorry. I'm Ginny Weasley." The girl took her hand and gently guided it to the person next to her, who took it. "This is my brother, Ron." Ron guided her hand to the next person.
"This is Fred, and next to him is George. They're twins." Each took her hand in turn. The second one, George, was the first person she'd shaken hands with. "And this is my best friend, Harry Potter." Her hand was guided again to another person.
"It's nice to meet you all. This is Wyatt, my older brother, and Chris, my own twin, evil though he undoubtedly is," she introduced, indicating each. She suddenly 'saw' Chris squeeze Ginny's hand in a flirtatious manner and disguised a giggle as a cough, making him raise an eyebrow at her. "Want to join us?" she asked, raising her own eyebrow back at Chris. He'd probably have kicked her or stepped on her foot if he'd been close enough.
"Sounds like fun," Wyatt chimed in. "We could toss around a ball, or a Frisbee while Prue sits drinking soda and tanning."
"I can play," she insisted. "I may not be able to see it, but I can hear it. And I'm so slathered in stupid sunscreen, I won't even turn apricot."
"Didn't you bring a book anyway?" Chris asked pointedly.
"You left my bag in the car, moron," she retorted.
"I'm sure one of us could keep her company," Ginny blurted. Prue gifted her with a bright smile.
"I'd be delighted." She touched Wyatt's arm and he positioned her in a straight line to their own blanket. She started walking until the sand under her feet turned into the blanket and sat, narrowly missing her abandoned soda can. She felt around the edge of the blanket until she found the beach bag and rustled inside it for the football. Not finding it, she dug out the Frisbee and handed it up to her oldest brother.
"Have fun talking to Ginny, sis," he said, kissing the top of her head. She grinned.
"Have fun yourself, Wy." She heard Ginny it next to her. "Ginny."
"Prue. So, are you from San Francisco?"
"Yeah. We actually live in the same house my great-grandmother grew up in," she said. "It's kind of fun, living in such an old house. I know every single inch of it, blindfolded." Both girls laughed at the joke.
"How old are your brothers?"
"Well, Wyatt's a year and a half older than me and Chris. And Chris and I are seventeen."
"My brother is seventeen. Ron, I mean. And Harry, of course. They're in the same year of school. They'll both be graduating this year. I'm a year behind them."
"And your twins?"
"They're two years older than Ron. I have three other brothers, but they all have other jobs. Fred and George left school to run their own joke shop in London two years ago. Mum was pretty mad at first, but they've bought us lots of things, and their incomes bolster the family finances. Bill is my oldest brother. He's about...eight years older than the twins, and he works in London, with our Dad. Charlie's a year and a half younger than Bill; he works in Romania. And Percy's a prat, but he'd four years younger than Charlie, and he works for the Ministry in London as well."
"Quite a big family. Are you all redheads?"
"How did you know?"
"Chris told me. Ginny, would you mind if I looked at you?"
"No...no, I guess not." Prue lifted her sensitive fingers to brush along Ginny's forehead and down her cheeks, touching her face lightly, gaining a picture of what the other girl looked like.
"Thank you," she said, smiling, when she was done. "I hate not seeing the person I'm talking to, so I like to get a mental picture."
"No problem. That was interesting, in any case. What year are you in school?"
"The last. Chris and I are graduating this year. It's been a definite experience. Everybody before us knew Wyatt, and then to have us come in right behind him was pretty weird for a lot of them. They didn't quite know how to treat us, especially since our Dad...well, he kind of got rid of the headmaster when Wyatt was younger. But we made it, and that's what matters, I guess. It kind of helps that our Aunt Paige is a teacher there. We weren't actually supposed to graduate for another few years, but Chris and I are a quick study. Wyatt too. He graduated last year."
"Is it like a private school?"
"You could say that, I guess. It's really more of a boarding school sort of situation. Though we didn't live there like most of the others."
"Oh, so it's in San Francisco?"
"Um...sort of. Part of it is."
"We go to a boarding school in England."
"I gathered that from your accents. What part?"
"Have you ever been there?"
"Loads. I love it. My whole family's been almost everywhere in the world. Aunt Paige and Aunt Phoebe even went to Antarctica once."
"That must have been...interesting."
"Aunt Phoebe mostly said it was cold," Prue replied, smiling. "She hates the cold. But everywhere they've been, they describe it to me, and it's almost like I can see it, you know?"
She left out that she'd seen most of the places her family had been, in premonitions that she'd called to herself. She didn't want to freak Ginny out too much.
She probed her wrist and her eyebrows rose when she discovered what time it was. "Wyatt!" she called. "What time did you say Mom and Dad would be here?"
"I didn't, why?"
"What time does your watch say?" There was a pause as he checked and then a, "Damn."
"I guess we'd better call and warn them to bring extras," Chris said. "Prue, can you...?"
"My phone is in my bag, in the car, Chris," she reminded him. A minute later, the boys called off the game and flopped down on the two conjoined blankets under the two giant umbrellas. Wyatt rummaged in the beach bag for his cell phone. Finding it, he flipped it open and walked off a bit to call home.
"So, what've you two ladies been talking about?"
"School," they replied in unison.
"Prue!"
"Gin!"
The two names were garbled, as they were uttered at the same time by several different voices.
"What? I'm not allowed to talk about school anymore, Chris?" Prue asked, raising an eyebrow that clearly said, 'What do you think I am, stupid?' Ginny shot her brothers a similar glare. Her brother sighed.
"Sorry. It was kind of automatic."
"Sure it was," she retorted. "So, Ginny told me that Harry and Ron are graduating this year? So are Chris and I. We're doing it early, but we're finally out of there for a while."
"Early? How old are you?"
"Seventeen. Almost eighteen. But we're quick studies. And Fred and George, you guys own a joke shop?"
"Yes, we do."
"What kind of joke shop?"
"Pranks and stuff. It's rather brilliant actually, if we do say so ourselves."
"You're welcome to. I think that's a marvelous idea. I'd love to do something like that, something that makes people happy."
"You could always get your book published," Chris pointed out swiftly, making her frown. "I know you said you didn't want to, but it's good! It really is!"
"I'm not finished yet. The ending needs work. So does the beginning."
"You're writing a book? What's it about?"
Prue blushed slightly. "Magic school." Five breaths were sucked in sharply, but she ignored them. "I had fun writing it, but it still needs help. Maybe Zachary would edit it for me?" she added thoughtfully.
Chris scoffed. "That idiot! He wouldn't be able to read it if you forced it in front of his face."
"Chris, Zachary's a nice guy. Why don't you just give him a chance?"
"Precisely because he's a he, sis," Wyatt said, having come back into the conversation. "Chris' patented death glare has sent several of your guy friends diving for cover in the recent past."
"Chris!" she exclaimed, surprised. Then her eyes narrowed. "So that's why Jake stopped speaking to me." She shook her head at her twin. "Evil through and through, I see. Fine, then, I'll see if...wait! I know! I'll sent it to Angelina! She'll be able to do a good critique of it!"
"You still write to her?"
"I have since we were eleven, Chris."
"You've had a penpal for almost seven years? That's dedication," commented Harry.
"Angelina Johnson and I are close." Fred, George, Harry, Ron, and Ginny all choked on their soda at the name. "She's from England, did you know?"
"A-Angelina Johnson?" Fred gulped. "Do you know what she looks like?"
Prue wrinkled her forehead in thought. "Yes. She sent me a photo when she graduated and Wyatt described her to me." She closed her eyes in thought and tried to dredge up the mental picture she had of her penpal and friend. "She's got long, dark hair, and she's rather fond of braids, he said. She's got bluish grey eyes, and she's pretty tall...what else?" She heard a rustle and Chris gasped.
"How do YOU have a picture of her penpal?"
"Angelina Johnson is my girlfriend," Fred said quietly. Prue's sightless eyes widened.
"Wait! You're THAT Fred Weasley? Why didn't I think of it before? She told me about you. She said you played on your dorm's team in some school sport. She told me you shouted across a room full of people to ask her to the school dance. That sound familiar?"
"Well, you've got me pegged, Prue Halliwell. I am that Fred Weasley."
"It's nice to finally meet you, Fred," she replied. "Isn't this a small world?"
"Yes, it is," said a new voice. Prue smiled. "And this bag of hamburgers is even smaller. Boys, go help your aunts unload the car."
"Hey, Mom. Whose room did you tackle first?"
"Believe it or not, Prudence, I didn't clean at all this afternoon. So, who are your new friends? I'm Piper Halliwell, by the way; these kids' mom."
"Sorry, Mom. This is...sorry, these are the Weasleys and Harry Potter. Don't know who's sitting where, or I'd introduce them properly. But Fred is Angelina's boyfriend." Apparently Fred had waved when she'd said his name. "Go ahead and introduce yourselves," she added.
They did and Piper set down the portable grill she'd been carrying. "Your dad will be along in a while. He got a call just as we finished packing the stuff into the car."
"I figured so, when you said 'your aunts,' Mom," Prue said, getting to her feet.
"Do all the women in your family have names that start with P?" Ginny asked.
"You noticed?" Prue asked, surprised.
"Yes. You said your aunts are called Paige and Phoebe. Your mom's name is Piper... your name is Prue..."
"I had another aunt. She died long before I was born though. Of course, her name was Prudence, too, so that doesn't count. Grandma was named Patty, and Grams was named Penny...Most of the women in our family have or had P names, I guess."
"Melinda didn't," Piper teased.
"Yeah, and she lived way back during the Salem Witch Trials, Mom," Prue retorted.
"True enough. I'm going to help the others."
"I'll sit here and guard the food," Prue replied, smiling mischievously.
"Right, and keep the demons at bay," Piper said with a wink to the others. Then she left.
"Your mom's awesome," George said as soon as she'd gotten out of earshot.
"She is, isn't she?" Prue replied. "I love her, a lot. I wasn't expected, you know. They knew about Chris, but when the doctors found there would be complications with his birth, they didn't know that I was the complication." She grinned. "But they spoil me because of it." She picked up another can of soda and opened it. "You are staying for the barbeque, of course," she said.
"If it's all right," Ginny said slowly.
"Definitely. We can get to know each other better."
"That'd be fun."
"I know. Aunt Phoebe!" Prue was beaming up at a new arrival who had, as yet, not spoken.
"Afternoon, sunshine," the older woman said. "Piper told me about your fan club. It's nice to meet you all. I'll be back."
"Aunt Phoebe is an advice columnist for San Francisco's biggest newspaper. She likes to take time off to work from home. She helps me with my exercises. And this is my Aunt Paige. She's a teacher at my school, like I told you, Ginny."
"Hey, princess." Then she, too, left.
"My dad is a sort of traveling doctor, and my mom owns a club downtown called P3. It stands for her and her two sisters. It's a long story. Actually...tonight is Dancefest! It's the night once a month when Mom opens the club for teenagers. It's 16 to 20, if you're interested. Lots of the kids from school go."
"That sounds like fun," Ron said. His brothers and Ginny agreed with him.
"How much does it cost to get in?" Ginny asked practically, but Prue only smiled.
"Nothing, if you're with me. I can get you all in for free."
"I'm in," Ron said heartily. Harry nodded, and Fred and George looked thoughtful.
"Give us directions, and we'll be there," Fred declared finally.
"How about we just give you directions to the house, and we can all go together? Wyatt's SUV is big enough for all of us, I think. We may have to squeeze, but we'll fit."
"Are you volunteering your brother to play chauffeur again?"
"Daddy!" she cried gleefully, leaping up and running to him. He laughed.
"Hey, Prue," he said, hugging her back.
"How did your call go? What did they want?"
"What they always want. For me to come back."
"I don't see why you don't. I mean, I'm sure that we'd be fine if you went for a little while."
"I'll tell you why some other time, princess," he said, kissing the top of her red-gold head. "So, you're the Weasleys. And Harry Potter, of course. I'm Leo Wyatt, her dad."
"Nice to meet you, sir."
"It's nice to meet you too. Wyatt suggested the same thing to your mom not two minutes ago, just to let you know," he added. "I'm sure he'd be glad to drive."
"Awesome."
"So, let's get this thing started so we can go!" Chris exclaimed, appearing with a second bag of meat. Piper laughed and started the grill. Within minutes, it was hot enough and she started slapping meat patties on it. "Let's play Frisbee until it's ready," Chris suggested, and even Ginny got up. "Hey, Prue. I think you should tell Dad what you told us," he said quietly, when the Weasleys were out of earshot.
"Tell me what?" Leo asked, lifting the edge of a burger to see if it was cooked enough. Chris just walked away with the Frisbee, whistling. "Tell me what, Prudence?"
"Well, I...it's just that I... aw, hell...I, um, I think I can heal," she stammered softly. All activity near the blanket ceased as her parents and her aunts stared at her, awestruck as her brothers had been. "It's not too reliable yet, but...but when I cut myself the other day, it...it, um, sealed itself up, and I accidentally bumped into Zachary at school last Monday and healed the slash on his forehead, from where he walked into the door. Remember, Aunt Paige?" The older woman nodded.
"I remember thinking the kid must be an extremely fast healer for it to be gone in three days. You did that? I'm impressed. Even I can't heal."
"I know."
"Prue, that's wonderful!" Piper exclaimed
"Thanks, Mom." Their conversation shifted off to something else, but Prue was dwelling on her own thoughts. She was excited about the Dancefest that night.
"Come and get it!" Phoebe bellowed a few minutes later. The others returned and flopped down on the blankets, accepting plates and food from Phoebe and Piper. Prue finished her first hamburger and held out her plate for a second.
After three helpings apiece and almost an hour of eating and talking, Piper glanced at her watch. "You kids had better get going if you want to make opening," she commented. Wyatt jumped up and stuffed his used dishes and utensils in the trash bag and grabbed up the beach bag. Ginny and Harry worked on the Weasleys beach things. Chris helped Prue up and then handed her to Ron while he helped Wyatt. Ron didn't seem to know what to do with his arm. Then her twin reclaimed her and led her toward the parking lot.
"Don't forget your shoes!" Paige called after them. Prue's were also in her beach bag. She waved with her free arm and followed Chris up the steps to the parking lot, where her helped her into the back seat. Wyatt shoved their things into the back, along with the Weasleys' stuff, and ushered them all in.
"Four in front, four in back," he said, then paused. "I take it back, three in front, four in back." Ginny climbed in between Chris and Wyatt in front, and as the shortest in back, Prue soon found herself in the middle, crammed between Ron and George, sitting on someone's hand.
"I'm sorry to whoever's hand I'm on, but I've got nowhere to go."
"No problem," George said through gritted teeth as Fred's elbow poked him in the stomach again. The drive was otherwise uneventful. They pulled into the P3 parking lot only fifteen minutes later and the line was just starting to form. Not like they needed the line anyway. The eight teens tumbled from the car and Chris grabbed Prue's arm and Ginny's hand, towing them towards the door.
"Hey, Steve!" Chris called as they walked past the line and the bouncer at the door. Steve grunted a hello and returned to taking money. Jeremy was checking bags and purses. "Evening, Jeremy."
"Hey, kids. Brought some friends, eh? You know the rules."
"Yeah, two friends apiece, max, and we all have to submit to a search," Wyatt said. "There's only five of them, and we'll submit to the search."
"I can plainly see that neither of you girls are carrying anything, so go ahead in." Prue flashed him a smile as she pulled Ginny with her. She walked down the steps confidently, but Ginny caught her whispering the steps under her breath. They were joined in an alcove near the stairs moments later by the boys.
"Your mom owns this place?" Ron asked, looking around. The room already had about thirty people in it, and the band was playing loudly.
"Yep. Go, mingle. Most of the people here are school friends of ours," Prue said. "I'll go get drinks. What does everybody want?"
Soda was the general consensus, and Prue counted her way over to the bar. "Hey, Prue! How have you been?"
"Hey, Beth. I've been fine. Keeping busy, with graduation and stuff. How about you?"
"I'm good. So, what can I get you this fine evening?"
"I think I'll be okay with eight Coke's, thanks."
"Looks like you've got quite a party going on over there," Beth said as she poured the drinks.
"Yeah. We brought some friends from the beach. They're British."
"Really? Hey, I had some guys from your school asking for you about twenty minutes ago."
"Oh? Did they give you their names?"
"Nah, sorry. I'll get them next time. Here you go. Eight Cokes, eight straws." Beth folded Prue's hands around the edges of the trays. Smiling, Prue turned from the bar and returned to her friends.
"Drinks for everyone!" she announced, setting it in Chris' hands. He put it down and passed them around. Then he pulled her to her seat on the sofa and handed her hers. "Thanks. So, who can you see?" Chris peered around and named some names. Prue nodded, like she'd expected those people. "Are Terry and Jake fighting yet?" she asked after he'd said those two names.
"Not yet," Chris replied. "I think they remember what Steve told them last time they knocked over that table."
"Besides, they can't do anything without their-"
"James!" Prue exclaimed loudly, cutting off his next words. All three Halliwells knew he'd been about to say 'powers,' and they didn't want that getting out. "Hi!"
"Well, well, well. If it isn't pretty little Prudence. I see you've still got your bodyguard brothers. And you've managed to pick up a few more strays as well. You're always doing that."
"I picked you up, didn't I?" she shot back scathingly, setting down her soda and standing up.
Chris, still looking around, ignoring his most hated schoolmate, suddenly noticed an eerie fact. "Wy," he whispered frantically. Wyatt bent over Ginny. "Wy, the Weasleys and Harry are the only ones here that aren't from school!" Wyatt glanced around.
"Shit. Prue, we've got a problem." But she ignored him and was standing only a foot from James, glaring up into his face. "Prue, no!"
James grabbed her and spun her around. "Don't move, Halliwells, or I swear I'll walk out of here with your precious baby sister." Wyatt and Chris froze. "Much better." He nodded to someone behind Wyatt and the room around them froze, except the alcove. The guests were frozen in shock for a moment. "Now, here's what I'm here for. Prue and I are going to spend a little quality time together."
"Like hell we are," she hissed. His hand ignited next to her face, causing her to twitch voluntarily. "Go ahead, burn me, you sick bastard! You know you'll never get away with it!"
"Oh, but see, this time I have a contingency plan," he said softly. He glanced sideways. "Maybe I'll take the little redhead as well. She's pretty enough."
Simultaneously, Chris and George jumped to their feet. "Like hell you will!" they shouted in chorus.
"Why didn't you freeze?" James asked in surprise. Prue was tilting her head left to right, trying to get him to loosen his grip on her wrists. She needed a hand free to activate her active power.
"Let my sister go," Wyatt said quietly, his voice cold. Prue looked up, her blind eyes widening in shock.
"Wyatt," she moaned helplessly. Her hands were still firmly clasped in James' grip. Harry, Ron, and Fred shouted something then, loudly, and James flew backwards with Prue in his arms. But when he hit the wall with a dull crack, his hand puffed out and his grip went slack. She crawled away from him as fast as she could, and George, the closest, helped her up. She shook slightly for a few moments. "What happened?"
"We, um...we tried to disarm him," Harry said sheepishly. "Only he got hit by too many spells at once, and we sort of...knocked him out."
"Wait a minute! Spells?!" Chris screeched. Harry nodded.
"Maybe we should wait to discuss this until we get home," Prue said reasonably. "I think we have a lot to talk about."
Prue Halliwell felt her bare feet sinking into the sand as she allowed her brothers to pull her down the beach. "Where on earth are we going?" she asked for the fourth time since leaving the house. Wyatt snickered and Chris shook his head.
"Prue, you're the most impatient girl I know," her twin complained. She smiled. "Why can't you just let yourself be surprised?"
"I hate surprises. Everything in my life is a surprise, Christopher," she retorted. "I can't see, remember?" True enough, Prudence Melinda Halliwell had been born blind. It was somewhat of an irony, then, that hers was the primary power of premonition. She was also the only girl in her family, a fact that her two brothers never let her forget.
Wyatt Matthew Halliwell was a year and a half older than the twins, and fairer than both. His blond hair hinted at red, and his eyes were the same grey they had been since his birth. Christopher Perry Halliwell was four minutes older than Prue, and the darkest of the three, with dark brown hair and green eyes. Prue was a natural redhead with blue eyes that were clouded almost grey by her blindness. She had the most freckles. Both boys were protective of her, even more than was usual for siblings, because of her blindness.
"I know you can't see, Prue," Chris snapped. "But can't you be patient for once?"
"I'm never patient. You yourself reminded us of this. Where are you taking me?" Wyatt laughed outright and scooped her up so she was no longer stumbling through the sand.
"Come on, Prue. I'll give you a piggyback ride, like the old days." She giggled and climbed onto his back. Then they set off again. Finally Wyatt set her down, but not on sand. She was standing partially in shade; she knew from the feeling of coolness on one arm. And her feet didn't feel the roughness of the sand anymore. She was standing on the giant beach blanket that they'd bought only a week before.
"And I'm still confused as to where we're going," she commented as Chris closed her fingers around a can of soda and gently pushed her onto her knees. From there she sat with her legs crossed tailor-style. They had slathered her with sunscreen before leaving, so she was in no immediate danger of getting a sunburn. "Why are we here? And where is here?" she finished before taking a sip of her soda. Chris plopped down next to her under the umbrella, his legs sticking out onto the sand.
"Take your shirt off, sis, and get a pretty suntan," he ordered. She shot him a dirty look, but pulled of her tank vest.
"Happy?"
"Very. Now, we are here, just the three of us, to get out of the house for a magic-free, and Mom-free afternoon. Today, this glorious day at the end of June, is a day for us to be siblings and teenagers, instead of powerful magical creatures and children of a Charmed One," Wyatt explained.
"Of course, tonight, Mom and Dad are bringing Aunt Phoebe and Aunt Paige down for a barbeque. It'll be our day for being us, while they can just relax."
"Relax, Chris?" Prue asked, raising an eyebrow. "You know perfectly well that Mom is cleaning the house as we speak, probably reorganizing your side of our room, or dusting Wyatt's room."
"I notice you didn't include yourself in that," Wyatt teased. Prue had to keep her side of the room she shared with Chris immaculate so she didn't trip over anything, which was okay, considering that she'd inherited their mother's obsessive love for cleanliness.
"Wyatt, the only thing she'd have to do to my side of the room is to take my nightgown off my bed and hang it in the closet." The three siblings shared a laugh. "Thanks, you guys."
"Sure. You needed a day off. You're either constantly studying or constantly exercising your powers."
"My powers help me get around in the world, Chris. And I think now would be a good time to tell you..." She trailed off and tilted her head to the side. "I hear something. Someone's coming this way." The boys looked around.
"Yeah, there's a slew of redheads and a dark-haired boy walking towards us. They're talking among themselves, Prue, don't worry. Go on. Time to tell us what?"
"All that exercising I've been doing in our room?"
"What?"
"Now who's the impatient one?" she teased. Chris made a face and growled playfully at his twin. "I pushed myself hard enough to activate a healing power," she whispered, and then took a sip of her soda, waiting for the verbal reaction that was surely to follow the facial expressions she couldn't see.
"Really, Prue?" Chris whispered in awe. Wyatt squeezed her shoulder. "Wy can't even heal. Aunt Paige can't even heal. This is awesome! Have you told Dad?"
She shook her head negatively. "It's too unreliable right now. It comes and goes, and I can't call it on command like he can." She smiled her brightest, glad her brothers were as proud of her as she was of herself. "I'll keep working at it, and maybe someday soon, I'll be able to call on it reliably like Dad can. It would come in handy, wouldn't it?"
"Are you kidding? You could be the family's new whitelighter!" Chris exclaimed. "With you able to perform the same duties as a normal whitelighter, Mom and Dad will HAVE to let us help on missions!"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, little brother," Wyatt said affectionately, ruffling Chris' dark hair like he had when Chris had been five. Chris bore it indulgently, then reached over and performed the same gesture on Wyatt, who laughed and lurched forward to playfully tackle his younger sibling. Prue got between them.
"We're being watched," she said. "Are you sure those people from before are far enough away?" Chris leaned back into the shade again and glanced guardedly over at where the five people had settled. He snorted into his hand and looked up at Prue's stiffened form.
"They're watching, sure enough. But not us. Four of the five are staring straight at you, little sister." He left out that the girl was watching him.
"Four minutes," she hissed. It was an old argument that she could never win. That didn't, of course, stop her from making it at any chance that presented itself. "I am four minutes younger than you!" Chris winked at Wyatt and got up, backing slowly towards the group of people, leaving his sister staring blindly at the spot he'd been, waiting for an answer.
"Four minutes is four minutes, Prue. You'll always be my little sister," he called from about six feet away. Her head snapped around, a grin lighting her face. She got up smoothly, giving the illusion that she could, in fact, see him. Wyatt hid his silent giggles in his fist. It was a game, true, but it was also an exercise. Prue's ears were sharper than their cat's and it was always their habit to challenge her, to see if they were accurate in direction and distance as well as acuity. Usually, she won this game, and Chris went tumbling to the ground.
"Get back here!" she cried, leaping towards him. He laughed and ran off a bit farther towards the other crowd.
"Come get me!"
She changed her direction slightly and took off, making Chris leap in the same direction. She'd surprised him. Wyatt's laughter was uncontained at that, and he snorted into his soda when she turned a blind glare in his directions. Then her head whipped back around, sending her ponytail slapping into her face. She spit out her hair. "Where are you now?" she asked calmly.
"Over here, LITTLE sister," Chris taunted from only a few feet away from the group. He didn't know why he was doing it, only that he kind of wanted to meet them, seeing as the boys had been so fascinated by his twin. Besides, the girl was cute.
"I am NOT LITTLE, Christopher Perry!" she shouted before taking a flying leap at him. This shocked him even more than her abrupt lunge from a few seconds earlier, and she caught him in the stomach, sending them both tumbling to the ground, as Wyatt had predicted, in the middle of the others' beach blanket. She was giggling like mad, and Chris was trying to breathe with her sitting on his chest.
"Off!" he managed to grunt, flushing.
"Not until you admit I'm not little, LITTLE brother!"
"Fine, you aren't little! Get off!" She got nimbly to her feet and held out a hand to help him up. He took it.
"Sorry about her. She's a bit crazy." Prue immediately stiffened.
"Chris, you didn't!"
"Sorry, Prue." She hid her now-flaming face in her hands.
"I'm so embarrassed!" Wyatt came over and draped an arm over her shoulders. She shoved him away. "You didn't warn me!" she exclaimed.
"As if you'd have listened."
"I would have if you'd said, 'Don't follow him, Prue, there are people in that direction!'" she shouted.
"I gather, then, that your name's Prue?" asked a voice unfamiliar to her. She turned towards it, her face still flushed.
"My full name's Prudence, but Prue is what everyone calls me. Prue Halliwell." She held out her hand and felt it enclosed and squeezed gently.
"And you're blind," commented a soft girl's voice. Prue turned towards this too.
"An astute observation," she replied. "And you are...?"
"Oh! Manners! Sorry. I'm Ginny Weasley." The girl took her hand and gently guided it to the person next to her, who took it. "This is my brother, Ron." Ron guided her hand to the next person.
"This is Fred, and next to him is George. They're twins." Each took her hand in turn. The second one, George, was the first person she'd shaken hands with. "And this is my best friend, Harry Potter." Her hand was guided again to another person.
"It's nice to meet you all. This is Wyatt, my older brother, and Chris, my own twin, evil though he undoubtedly is," she introduced, indicating each. She suddenly 'saw' Chris squeeze Ginny's hand in a flirtatious manner and disguised a giggle as a cough, making him raise an eyebrow at her. "Want to join us?" she asked, raising her own eyebrow back at Chris. He'd probably have kicked her or stepped on her foot if he'd been close enough.
"Sounds like fun," Wyatt chimed in. "We could toss around a ball, or a Frisbee while Prue sits drinking soda and tanning."
"I can play," she insisted. "I may not be able to see it, but I can hear it. And I'm so slathered in stupid sunscreen, I won't even turn apricot."
"Didn't you bring a book anyway?" Chris asked pointedly.
"You left my bag in the car, moron," she retorted.
"I'm sure one of us could keep her company," Ginny blurted. Prue gifted her with a bright smile.
"I'd be delighted." She touched Wyatt's arm and he positioned her in a straight line to their own blanket. She started walking until the sand under her feet turned into the blanket and sat, narrowly missing her abandoned soda can. She felt around the edge of the blanket until she found the beach bag and rustled inside it for the football. Not finding it, she dug out the Frisbee and handed it up to her oldest brother.
"Have fun talking to Ginny, sis," he said, kissing the top of her head. She grinned.
"Have fun yourself, Wy." She heard Ginny it next to her. "Ginny."
"Prue. So, are you from San Francisco?"
"Yeah. We actually live in the same house my great-grandmother grew up in," she said. "It's kind of fun, living in such an old house. I know every single inch of it, blindfolded." Both girls laughed at the joke.
"How old are your brothers?"
"Well, Wyatt's a year and a half older than me and Chris. And Chris and I are seventeen."
"My brother is seventeen. Ron, I mean. And Harry, of course. They're in the same year of school. They'll both be graduating this year. I'm a year behind them."
"And your twins?"
"They're two years older than Ron. I have three other brothers, but they all have other jobs. Fred and George left school to run their own joke shop in London two years ago. Mum was pretty mad at first, but they've bought us lots of things, and their incomes bolster the family finances. Bill is my oldest brother. He's about...eight years older than the twins, and he works in London, with our Dad. Charlie's a year and a half younger than Bill; he works in Romania. And Percy's a prat, but he'd four years younger than Charlie, and he works for the Ministry in London as well."
"Quite a big family. Are you all redheads?"
"How did you know?"
"Chris told me. Ginny, would you mind if I looked at you?"
"No...no, I guess not." Prue lifted her sensitive fingers to brush along Ginny's forehead and down her cheeks, touching her face lightly, gaining a picture of what the other girl looked like.
"Thank you," she said, smiling, when she was done. "I hate not seeing the person I'm talking to, so I like to get a mental picture."
"No problem. That was interesting, in any case. What year are you in school?"
"The last. Chris and I are graduating this year. It's been a definite experience. Everybody before us knew Wyatt, and then to have us come in right behind him was pretty weird for a lot of them. They didn't quite know how to treat us, especially since our Dad...well, he kind of got rid of the headmaster when Wyatt was younger. But we made it, and that's what matters, I guess. It kind of helps that our Aunt Paige is a teacher there. We weren't actually supposed to graduate for another few years, but Chris and I are a quick study. Wyatt too. He graduated last year."
"Is it like a private school?"
"You could say that, I guess. It's really more of a boarding school sort of situation. Though we didn't live there like most of the others."
"Oh, so it's in San Francisco?"
"Um...sort of. Part of it is."
"We go to a boarding school in England."
"I gathered that from your accents. What part?"
"Have you ever been there?"
"Loads. I love it. My whole family's been almost everywhere in the world. Aunt Paige and Aunt Phoebe even went to Antarctica once."
"That must have been...interesting."
"Aunt Phoebe mostly said it was cold," Prue replied, smiling. "She hates the cold. But everywhere they've been, they describe it to me, and it's almost like I can see it, you know?"
She left out that she'd seen most of the places her family had been, in premonitions that she'd called to herself. She didn't want to freak Ginny out too much.
She probed her wrist and her eyebrows rose when she discovered what time it was. "Wyatt!" she called. "What time did you say Mom and Dad would be here?"
"I didn't, why?"
"What time does your watch say?" There was a pause as he checked and then a, "Damn."
"I guess we'd better call and warn them to bring extras," Chris said. "Prue, can you...?"
"My phone is in my bag, in the car, Chris," she reminded him. A minute later, the boys called off the game and flopped down on the two conjoined blankets under the two giant umbrellas. Wyatt rummaged in the beach bag for his cell phone. Finding it, he flipped it open and walked off a bit to call home.
"So, what've you two ladies been talking about?"
"School," they replied in unison.
"Prue!"
"Gin!"
The two names were garbled, as they were uttered at the same time by several different voices.
"What? I'm not allowed to talk about school anymore, Chris?" Prue asked, raising an eyebrow that clearly said, 'What do you think I am, stupid?' Ginny shot her brothers a similar glare. Her brother sighed.
"Sorry. It was kind of automatic."
"Sure it was," she retorted. "So, Ginny told me that Harry and Ron are graduating this year? So are Chris and I. We're doing it early, but we're finally out of there for a while."
"Early? How old are you?"
"Seventeen. Almost eighteen. But we're quick studies. And Fred and George, you guys own a joke shop?"
"Yes, we do."
"What kind of joke shop?"
"Pranks and stuff. It's rather brilliant actually, if we do say so ourselves."
"You're welcome to. I think that's a marvelous idea. I'd love to do something like that, something that makes people happy."
"You could always get your book published," Chris pointed out swiftly, making her frown. "I know you said you didn't want to, but it's good! It really is!"
"I'm not finished yet. The ending needs work. So does the beginning."
"You're writing a book? What's it about?"
Prue blushed slightly. "Magic school." Five breaths were sucked in sharply, but she ignored them. "I had fun writing it, but it still needs help. Maybe Zachary would edit it for me?" she added thoughtfully.
Chris scoffed. "That idiot! He wouldn't be able to read it if you forced it in front of his face."
"Chris, Zachary's a nice guy. Why don't you just give him a chance?"
"Precisely because he's a he, sis," Wyatt said, having come back into the conversation. "Chris' patented death glare has sent several of your guy friends diving for cover in the recent past."
"Chris!" she exclaimed, surprised. Then her eyes narrowed. "So that's why Jake stopped speaking to me." She shook her head at her twin. "Evil through and through, I see. Fine, then, I'll see if...wait! I know! I'll sent it to Angelina! She'll be able to do a good critique of it!"
"You still write to her?"
"I have since we were eleven, Chris."
"You've had a penpal for almost seven years? That's dedication," commented Harry.
"Angelina Johnson and I are close." Fred, George, Harry, Ron, and Ginny all choked on their soda at the name. "She's from England, did you know?"
"A-Angelina Johnson?" Fred gulped. "Do you know what she looks like?"
Prue wrinkled her forehead in thought. "Yes. She sent me a photo when she graduated and Wyatt described her to me." She closed her eyes in thought and tried to dredge up the mental picture she had of her penpal and friend. "She's got long, dark hair, and she's rather fond of braids, he said. She's got bluish grey eyes, and she's pretty tall...what else?" She heard a rustle and Chris gasped.
"How do YOU have a picture of her penpal?"
"Angelina Johnson is my girlfriend," Fred said quietly. Prue's sightless eyes widened.
"Wait! You're THAT Fred Weasley? Why didn't I think of it before? She told me about you. She said you played on your dorm's team in some school sport. She told me you shouted across a room full of people to ask her to the school dance. That sound familiar?"
"Well, you've got me pegged, Prue Halliwell. I am that Fred Weasley."
"It's nice to finally meet you, Fred," she replied. "Isn't this a small world?"
"Yes, it is," said a new voice. Prue smiled. "And this bag of hamburgers is even smaller. Boys, go help your aunts unload the car."
"Hey, Mom. Whose room did you tackle first?"
"Believe it or not, Prudence, I didn't clean at all this afternoon. So, who are your new friends? I'm Piper Halliwell, by the way; these kids' mom."
"Sorry, Mom. This is...sorry, these are the Weasleys and Harry Potter. Don't know who's sitting where, or I'd introduce them properly. But Fred is Angelina's boyfriend." Apparently Fred had waved when she'd said his name. "Go ahead and introduce yourselves," she added.
They did and Piper set down the portable grill she'd been carrying. "Your dad will be along in a while. He got a call just as we finished packing the stuff into the car."
"I figured so, when you said 'your aunts,' Mom," Prue said, getting to her feet.
"Do all the women in your family have names that start with P?" Ginny asked.
"You noticed?" Prue asked, surprised.
"Yes. You said your aunts are called Paige and Phoebe. Your mom's name is Piper... your name is Prue..."
"I had another aunt. She died long before I was born though. Of course, her name was Prudence, too, so that doesn't count. Grandma was named Patty, and Grams was named Penny...Most of the women in our family have or had P names, I guess."
"Melinda didn't," Piper teased.
"Yeah, and she lived way back during the Salem Witch Trials, Mom," Prue retorted.
"True enough. I'm going to help the others."
"I'll sit here and guard the food," Prue replied, smiling mischievously.
"Right, and keep the demons at bay," Piper said with a wink to the others. Then she left.
"Your mom's awesome," George said as soon as she'd gotten out of earshot.
"She is, isn't she?" Prue replied. "I love her, a lot. I wasn't expected, you know. They knew about Chris, but when the doctors found there would be complications with his birth, they didn't know that I was the complication." She grinned. "But they spoil me because of it." She picked up another can of soda and opened it. "You are staying for the barbeque, of course," she said.
"If it's all right," Ginny said slowly.
"Definitely. We can get to know each other better."
"That'd be fun."
"I know. Aunt Phoebe!" Prue was beaming up at a new arrival who had, as yet, not spoken.
"Afternoon, sunshine," the older woman said. "Piper told me about your fan club. It's nice to meet you all. I'll be back."
"Aunt Phoebe is an advice columnist for San Francisco's biggest newspaper. She likes to take time off to work from home. She helps me with my exercises. And this is my Aunt Paige. She's a teacher at my school, like I told you, Ginny."
"Hey, princess." Then she, too, left.
"My dad is a sort of traveling doctor, and my mom owns a club downtown called P3. It stands for her and her two sisters. It's a long story. Actually...tonight is Dancefest! It's the night once a month when Mom opens the club for teenagers. It's 16 to 20, if you're interested. Lots of the kids from school go."
"That sounds like fun," Ron said. His brothers and Ginny agreed with him.
"How much does it cost to get in?" Ginny asked practically, but Prue only smiled.
"Nothing, if you're with me. I can get you all in for free."
"I'm in," Ron said heartily. Harry nodded, and Fred and George looked thoughtful.
"Give us directions, and we'll be there," Fred declared finally.
"How about we just give you directions to the house, and we can all go together? Wyatt's SUV is big enough for all of us, I think. We may have to squeeze, but we'll fit."
"Are you volunteering your brother to play chauffeur again?"
"Daddy!" she cried gleefully, leaping up and running to him. He laughed.
"Hey, Prue," he said, hugging her back.
"How did your call go? What did they want?"
"What they always want. For me to come back."
"I don't see why you don't. I mean, I'm sure that we'd be fine if you went for a little while."
"I'll tell you why some other time, princess," he said, kissing the top of her red-gold head. "So, you're the Weasleys. And Harry Potter, of course. I'm Leo Wyatt, her dad."
"Nice to meet you, sir."
"It's nice to meet you too. Wyatt suggested the same thing to your mom not two minutes ago, just to let you know," he added. "I'm sure he'd be glad to drive."
"Awesome."
"So, let's get this thing started so we can go!" Chris exclaimed, appearing with a second bag of meat. Piper laughed and started the grill. Within minutes, it was hot enough and she started slapping meat patties on it. "Let's play Frisbee until it's ready," Chris suggested, and even Ginny got up. "Hey, Prue. I think you should tell Dad what you told us," he said quietly, when the Weasleys were out of earshot.
"Tell me what?" Leo asked, lifting the edge of a burger to see if it was cooked enough. Chris just walked away with the Frisbee, whistling. "Tell me what, Prudence?"
"Well, I...it's just that I... aw, hell...I, um, I think I can heal," she stammered softly. All activity near the blanket ceased as her parents and her aunts stared at her, awestruck as her brothers had been. "It's not too reliable yet, but...but when I cut myself the other day, it...it, um, sealed itself up, and I accidentally bumped into Zachary at school last Monday and healed the slash on his forehead, from where he walked into the door. Remember, Aunt Paige?" The older woman nodded.
"I remember thinking the kid must be an extremely fast healer for it to be gone in three days. You did that? I'm impressed. Even I can't heal."
"I know."
"Prue, that's wonderful!" Piper exclaimed
"Thanks, Mom." Their conversation shifted off to something else, but Prue was dwelling on her own thoughts. She was excited about the Dancefest that night.
"Come and get it!" Phoebe bellowed a few minutes later. The others returned and flopped down on the blankets, accepting plates and food from Phoebe and Piper. Prue finished her first hamburger and held out her plate for a second.
After three helpings apiece and almost an hour of eating and talking, Piper glanced at her watch. "You kids had better get going if you want to make opening," she commented. Wyatt jumped up and stuffed his used dishes and utensils in the trash bag and grabbed up the beach bag. Ginny and Harry worked on the Weasleys beach things. Chris helped Prue up and then handed her to Ron while he helped Wyatt. Ron didn't seem to know what to do with his arm. Then her twin reclaimed her and led her toward the parking lot.
"Don't forget your shoes!" Paige called after them. Prue's were also in her beach bag. She waved with her free arm and followed Chris up the steps to the parking lot, where her helped her into the back seat. Wyatt shoved their things into the back, along with the Weasleys' stuff, and ushered them all in.
"Four in front, four in back," he said, then paused. "I take it back, three in front, four in back." Ginny climbed in between Chris and Wyatt in front, and as the shortest in back, Prue soon found herself in the middle, crammed between Ron and George, sitting on someone's hand.
"I'm sorry to whoever's hand I'm on, but I've got nowhere to go."
"No problem," George said through gritted teeth as Fred's elbow poked him in the stomach again. The drive was otherwise uneventful. They pulled into the P3 parking lot only fifteen minutes later and the line was just starting to form. Not like they needed the line anyway. The eight teens tumbled from the car and Chris grabbed Prue's arm and Ginny's hand, towing them towards the door.
"Hey, Steve!" Chris called as they walked past the line and the bouncer at the door. Steve grunted a hello and returned to taking money. Jeremy was checking bags and purses. "Evening, Jeremy."
"Hey, kids. Brought some friends, eh? You know the rules."
"Yeah, two friends apiece, max, and we all have to submit to a search," Wyatt said. "There's only five of them, and we'll submit to the search."
"I can plainly see that neither of you girls are carrying anything, so go ahead in." Prue flashed him a smile as she pulled Ginny with her. She walked down the steps confidently, but Ginny caught her whispering the steps under her breath. They were joined in an alcove near the stairs moments later by the boys.
"Your mom owns this place?" Ron asked, looking around. The room already had about thirty people in it, and the band was playing loudly.
"Yep. Go, mingle. Most of the people here are school friends of ours," Prue said. "I'll go get drinks. What does everybody want?"
Soda was the general consensus, and Prue counted her way over to the bar. "Hey, Prue! How have you been?"
"Hey, Beth. I've been fine. Keeping busy, with graduation and stuff. How about you?"
"I'm good. So, what can I get you this fine evening?"
"I think I'll be okay with eight Coke's, thanks."
"Looks like you've got quite a party going on over there," Beth said as she poured the drinks.
"Yeah. We brought some friends from the beach. They're British."
"Really? Hey, I had some guys from your school asking for you about twenty minutes ago."
"Oh? Did they give you their names?"
"Nah, sorry. I'll get them next time. Here you go. Eight Cokes, eight straws." Beth folded Prue's hands around the edges of the trays. Smiling, Prue turned from the bar and returned to her friends.
"Drinks for everyone!" she announced, setting it in Chris' hands. He put it down and passed them around. Then he pulled her to her seat on the sofa and handed her hers. "Thanks. So, who can you see?" Chris peered around and named some names. Prue nodded, like she'd expected those people. "Are Terry and Jake fighting yet?" she asked after he'd said those two names.
"Not yet," Chris replied. "I think they remember what Steve told them last time they knocked over that table."
"Besides, they can't do anything without their-"
"James!" Prue exclaimed loudly, cutting off his next words. All three Halliwells knew he'd been about to say 'powers,' and they didn't want that getting out. "Hi!"
"Well, well, well. If it isn't pretty little Prudence. I see you've still got your bodyguard brothers. And you've managed to pick up a few more strays as well. You're always doing that."
"I picked you up, didn't I?" she shot back scathingly, setting down her soda and standing up.
Chris, still looking around, ignoring his most hated schoolmate, suddenly noticed an eerie fact. "Wy," he whispered frantically. Wyatt bent over Ginny. "Wy, the Weasleys and Harry are the only ones here that aren't from school!" Wyatt glanced around.
"Shit. Prue, we've got a problem." But she ignored him and was standing only a foot from James, glaring up into his face. "Prue, no!"
James grabbed her and spun her around. "Don't move, Halliwells, or I swear I'll walk out of here with your precious baby sister." Wyatt and Chris froze. "Much better." He nodded to someone behind Wyatt and the room around them froze, except the alcove. The guests were frozen in shock for a moment. "Now, here's what I'm here for. Prue and I are going to spend a little quality time together."
"Like hell we are," she hissed. His hand ignited next to her face, causing her to twitch voluntarily. "Go ahead, burn me, you sick bastard! You know you'll never get away with it!"
"Oh, but see, this time I have a contingency plan," he said softly. He glanced sideways. "Maybe I'll take the little redhead as well. She's pretty enough."
Simultaneously, Chris and George jumped to their feet. "Like hell you will!" they shouted in chorus.
"Why didn't you freeze?" James asked in surprise. Prue was tilting her head left to right, trying to get him to loosen his grip on her wrists. She needed a hand free to activate her active power.
"Let my sister go," Wyatt said quietly, his voice cold. Prue looked up, her blind eyes widening in shock.
"Wyatt," she moaned helplessly. Her hands were still firmly clasped in James' grip. Harry, Ron, and Fred shouted something then, loudly, and James flew backwards with Prue in his arms. But when he hit the wall with a dull crack, his hand puffed out and his grip went slack. She crawled away from him as fast as she could, and George, the closest, helped her up. She shook slightly for a few moments. "What happened?"
"We, um...we tried to disarm him," Harry said sheepishly. "Only he got hit by too many spells at once, and we sort of...knocked him out."
"Wait a minute! Spells?!" Chris screeched. Harry nodded.
"Maybe we should wait to discuss this until we get home," Prue said reasonably. "I think we have a lot to talk about."