Chapter 10: Bella, meet the Weasley's.
As soon as all of the luggage was in Darion turned to George.
"Has uncle Charlie gotten here yet?" He asked eagerly.
"Not yet. He's supposed to arrive right before dinner." George told him. "Why?"
"Sorry, can't tell you that uncle George. It's a secret." Marcus beamed.
"Oh, it's a secret is it?" George looked at Fred astonished. "Do you believe this? Our nephews are with holding information from us!"
"Why I'm speechless!" Fred mocked a look of hurt. "How could you even dare to keep any secrets from us? I thought we were friends."
"We're not keeping it from you uncle George." Marcus pleaded.
"Yes, it's just that mum and dad would skin us alive if we ruined the surprise." Darion stood beside his brother.
"Blimey, this must either be quite the shocker or a really good secret." Fred looked taken aback. "What do you think George?"
"Must say that I'm leaning more towards a huge shocker myself." George looked at the boys. "So what's going on? Has he lost a limb? Gone and gotten himself a wife without telling mum? Honestly boys, please tell us!"
"Sorry uncle George. Can't tell you." Marcus shook his head.
"Awe! Come on lad, just give us a tiny hint or two." Fred pleaded.
"Sorry, not worth my life to tell you." Darion grinned. "You'll just have to wait until dinner to find out."
The boys then darted under Fred's outstretched arm and left before their uncles could try to pry any more information out of them.
Charlie swallowed hard as he examined Bella's outfit, Telling himself mentally that it would be the last time.
"Dad!" Bella grumbled, irritated. "You have looked me over a hundred times and nothing has changed. What do you think, that my close are going to disappear or something?"
"No honey, it's not that. It's just that I can't help it, I want everything to go well is all." Charlie sighed, "I don't want your grandmother to think I can't take care of you well enough."
"You'll do fine dad." Bella patted his arm encouragingly. "If she's anything like what I've heard about her from Darion and Marcus, we'll both do fine."
"My sweet Bella, if only you knew my mother as well as I do you wouldn't be saying this." He began to pace. "Not even Darion or Marcus know her as well as I do love. She will be furious with me for not telling her about you sooner."
"Then." Bella took a deep breath. "Do you think she'll even like me?"
Charlie stopped pacing. "What?" He looked at his daughter's somber face, "Oh sweet heart, she'll love you, don't you even fret about that. How couldn't she?"
Bella shrugged her shoulders.
"Bella, you'll do great." He gave her an encouraging smile. "It's not you I have to worry about sweetie. It's myself that is going to be taking the blunt force of her anger, not you."
"What do you mean dad?" Bella asked.
"You will get to sit there and just be the adorable little girl you are, while I will be the one to get reamed by my mother for not telling her I had a daughter at all." Charlie grimaced. "And I must say that I'm not looking forward to it."
"Surely she'll understand once you explain it to her dad." Bella tried again to encourage her father.
"I know that your holding onto hope for that sweetie. But I'm afraid you just don't know my mum."
"She can't be that bad can she?" Bella looked at him in shock.
"You'll see." Was all Charlie said.
He moved to the closet and pulled out his broom.
"What are you bringing that thing out for?" Bella asked eying the broom wearily.
"You don't expect us to walk do you?" Charlie chuckled.
"But, well we're just learning how to ride one of those things, and I must confess that I'm not all that good at it dad." Bella squeaked. "I don't know if I can even hang on!"
"Bella, it's not as if your riding it alone. Jut hold onto me and you'll do fine." Charlie winked at her. "Let's get going shall we?"
Bella swallowed hard and nodded, they both walked out of the kitchen door to their small home and mounted the broom. Charlie was in the front and Bella clung frantically onto her father's waist. Her head pressed firmly into his back.
"Ready?" Charlie called.
"As ready as I'll ever be!" She shouted back.
Charlie kicked off and they shot up into the air.
The Wesley family had just sat down to dinner when they heard the front door close.
"Charlie?" Molly called from the kitchen. "Is that you?"
"Yes mum! Be right there." Came Charlie's reply.
The kitchen door opened shortly after and Charlie entered with a small girl following closely behind him.
"Hello Charlie dear." Molly said cheerfully.
"Oi! Charlie, I didn't know you had a new girlfriend." George taunted.
Charlie's face went red as he growled. "Oh sod off you two!"
"Fred! George!" Molly snapped, "Leave your brother alone! Go ahead Charlie, introduce us to your guest."
Charlie swallowed hard and gave Bella a quick smile. "Mum, dad I would like to introduce you to Arabella Contessa Wesley." Charlie paused to once again swallow. "Your granddaughter."
Charlie closed his eyes and braced himself for the explosion that was bound to follow.
"OUR WHAT!" Both of his parents thundered.
"How on earth could you do this, especially on today of all days!" Molly shrieked.
"Mum, let me explain. I didn't do this on purpose." Charlie pleaded.
"You have some nerve Charles Wesley!" Molly continued as if she hadn't heard a word. "You bring a child in here, on the day before Bill's wedding no less and tell us that she's our granddaughter!"
"Mum, please listen to me." he continued to plead.
"NO!" Molly thundered. "Of all the low life, inconsiderate things for you to do! How dare you try to steal Bill's moment! I would never have expected this of you Charlie."
"Wait, is that what you think I'm trying to do? Steal Bill's moment?" Charlie asked taken aback.
"Well, what else could it possibly be Charlie? You don't have any children."
At that moment Bella turned and ran from the room sobbing.
"Bella!" Charlie called after her. "I came here to tell you that you have a grand child from me and all you can do is send her crying from the room? Well I hope you're happy with yourself mother!" He said before he pursued his daughter.
Ron watched Charlie run after his daughter and turned to his mother. "He wasn't lying mum. That is his daughter, that he found outndout about himself mind you." Ron told her. "And now you have just given her the welcome she has always feared fromGood goinggoing mum."
"You mean to tell me that she really is his daughter?" Molly asked Ron surprised.
"But then, why didn't he ever tell us about her?" Arthur asked.
"And just how was he supposed to do that when he didn't even know himself?" Ron raised an eyebrow.didn't knowtknow he hchild untiluntil her mother died and then this lawyer calls him to ask him if he'll take her in. So just howhe supposedposed to tell you?"
"Just who is her mother anyway?" Molly asked, her tone stating that she still doubted.
"Why none other that Whitney Durgens mum."
"Whitney?"
"Yes mum, Whitney." Ron grumbled. "Now I suggest that you go and find Bella and apologize to her, if not Charlie as well."
"Yes, of course." Molly said abmindedlydedly as she got up and left the room.
"Bella!" Charlie called after his fleeing child. "Bella, would you please stop!"
"NO!" Bella sobbed. "I'm never going back to that horrible woman's house ever again!"
"Honey, I can understand. But will you just stop and talk to me?" He pleaded.
Bella didn't reply. She kept stumbling from the clouding that was coming over her eyes because of her tears. But she was determined to put as much distance between her and that house as she could.
"ARABELLA CONTESSA WEASLEY YOU STOP RIGHT NOW!" Charlie bellowed.
Due more to the shock of her father yelling at her than anything else, Bella stopped running and turned around.
As Charlie caught up to her he saw, for the first time the true pain in her eyes. He sighed and put his arms around her, pulling her to him. Bella buried her face into her father's chest and began to sob silently. He wouldn't have been sure she was even crying at all had it not been for the violent shaking of her tiny body. Charlie rocked her back and forth gently, trying to giver her some comfort.
"It's going to be okay Bella, I promise." Charlie whispered to her.
"Charlie?" Molly Wesley had come up behind them unnoticed.
"Haven't you done enough?" Charlie growled at his mother as he turned to face her. "You have made my daughter feel more unwelcome to be a Wesley than I have evimaginedned you could mother, what more could you possibly want?"
"Charlie, I had no idea." Molly protested. "You never told us so how could I know?"
"I didn't tell ybecause IseI didn't even know until a few months ago myself!" Charlie thundered. "How in bloody hell could you expect me to tell you something when I didn't even know?"
"I know this now Charlie." Molly's head hung low. "I can't tell you how sorry I am."
"Don't apologize to me mother." Charlie shook his head. "I'm not the one you hurt."
Bella looked out from behind her father and studied the woman cautiously.
Molly turned to the small girl. "Bella? May I call you that?" She asked and with Bella's nod, continued. "I am so terribly sorry for being so rude to you. This was an unexpected surprise for me, but does not excuse my behavior towards you. I never meant to hurt you Bella and I am sorry. Can you forgive an old and foolish woman?"
Bella watchMrsmrs.Wesley carefully for a moment before nodding.
Mrs. Wesley smiled and moved to hug Bella she, but she backed away.
"I only said I'd forgive you." Bella grumbled. "Not allow you to hug me, that you have to earn."
Molly looked hurt but nodded in understanding. "Well, lets get back to the house for dinner, shall we?" She said weakly.
Charlie took Bella's hand and the three of them made their way back to the Wesley home. Charlie Showed her to the children's table, then took his seat at the adult's table. They had to resort to placing the seating this way because of how large their family was getting. As soon as he sat down Fred turned to Charlie.
"So that was the big surprise that Dari and Marcus refused to tell us eh?" He asked.
"Yes. I had asked them not to tell anyone about this." Charlie nodded. "At least until now."
"But why?" George asked confused.
"I had my reasons."
"Like what?" George continued to pry.
"Well for starters,getting to know my child before anyone took all of her attention away from me. She's eleven in case you haven't noticed and as we all know, children have a very small attention span." Charlie pointed out. "I simply wanted to get to know her in case had to do it in the three short month's I had before she went to school."
"That sounds reasonable." Arthur nodded his agreement.
The talk cheered up from that point on and soon everyone was laughing and talking merrily as they ate dinner. Their parents watched in amusement as a small food fight sparked between Darion and Bella and after dinner everyone retired to bed, for tomorrow would be Bill's big day.
Now before you start to go off on me I must tell you all that when I wrote this my initial thought was that Bell would be welcomed with open arms...well as you can tell the characters had a differetn view and I'm sorry for those that don't like the fact of how this chapter went but this is the way it flowed so this is the way it stays.