Chapter Eleven: Hanging from the rafters.
Bill turned over to look at his clock. The time of five o'clock glared brightly in his eyes,like a beacon of doom. He couldn't sleep, in fact he hadn't been able to sleep all night and this was just the end to the losing battle he had been fighting. With a sigh he rolled back over to once again look at the empty right side of his bed. This was the side he had grown accustomed to having been filled by his beautiful bride to be Samantha. They had grudgingly agreed to comply with their mother's wishes to follow what his family would have called "muggle traditions", so Sam had stayed the night raised an eyebrow.
"Just a tad." Bill admitted. "How did you and Mione ever cope with being separated?"
"Well, I wouldn't actually say we coped Bill." Ron stated. "More like we dealt with it, after all not much you can do when your marrying a girl from a muggle family even if she is a witch.Got to follow traditions I guess."
Bill nodded with understanding. "I just can't seem to sleep without her in the bed. Merlin help me but I can't wait for this bloody day to be over!"
"I can sympathize with you Bill." Ron chuckled, "Mum certainly has a way of knowing how to drive us crazy
"Just a tad." Bill admitted. "How did you and Mione ever cope with being separated?"
"Well, I wouldn't actually say we coped Bill." Ron stated. "More like we dealt with it, after all not much you can do when your marrying a girl from a muggle family even if she is a witch.Got to follow traditions I guess."
Bill nodded with understanding. "I just can't seem to sleep without her in the bed. Merlin help me but I can't wait for this bloody day to be over!"
"I can sympathize with you Bill." Ron chuckled, "Mum certainly has a way of knowing how to drive us crazy!"
"Yes, all she has to do is take away our women for one night!" Bill laughed, "Just doing that is enough to drive any man crazy!"
"Too right!" Ron chuckled raising his glass.
"Sam?" Ginny knocked on the door of Samantha's bedroom. "Sam, Maribel is on the phone for you."
Samantha sighed as she got out of bed and opened the door. She took the phone from Ginny.
"Thanks Gin." She smiled. "Hello?"
"Sam?" Came the nauseated voice on the other side.
"Mari?" Sam's face fell at the moment she heard her friends voice. "What's wrong Mari?"
"I have food poisoning!" Maribel wailed. "I can't come to the wedding!"
"Oh no! Who am I going to get on such short notice!" Sam looked around frantically for her bridal list. "Let alone someone who's as tiny as you are!"
"I know, I'm so sorry Sam." Maribel sobbed.
"It's okay Mari, just get well okay?" Sam hung up the phone and started to pace the room. "Okay, it's official! My wedding is doomed! We might as well call it off now! Who am I going to get to replace her? How could this happen on my wedding day?" Sam started to hyperventilate as she sat down.
"Sam, calm down." Ginny sat beside her. "What's wrong."
"One of my bridesmaids just cancels, barely hours before my wedding and you tell me to calm down!" Sam practically shrilled. "I don't think so!"
"It's not the end of the world Sam." Ginny tried to comfort her. "I mean, it could be worse you know."
"And just what could be worse?" Sam raised an eyebrow, glaring at Ginny.
Ginny blushed in response.
Sam's look softened as she sized Ginny up. "What size of dress do you wear?"
"What?" Ginny looked at her in confusion, then as the realization hit her. "No! absolutely not! Uh-uh, no way Sam."
"oh come on Gin, you are the only one I know that is even close to Mari's size!"
"Not going to happen Sam." Ginny shook her head. "Who would watch my children?"
"Well, what about Darion?" Hermione had just walked into the room. "I don't mean to intrude but I couldn't help but hear your dilemma here and well, Darion could watch his cousins for you Gin."
"Dari?" Ginny eyed Hermione. "Do you think that's wise?"
"Why not? He's keeping an eye on Marcus and Lissie, They could always help him." Hermione pointed out. "It would show them some responsibility and maybe make them realize just what we as parents actually go through watching all of them."
"Please Ginny!" Sam begged.
"If you think Dari can handle it Mione." Ginny sighed. "Alright."
Sam squealed as she hugged Ginny.
Ginny just hoped she would not regret her decision.
Darion groaned audibly. "Are you trying to kill me before I even hit puberty mum!"
"Ugh, Darion." Hermione sighed. "Why must you be so melodramatic?"
"Melodramatic? Mum, you just sprang on me that I'm watching four more kids and one of them can't even talk yet!" Darion seethed. "Just where am I being melodramatic here?"
"It's not as if you'll be alone Dari." Hermione sighed in frustration. "After all, you'll have Marcus and Lissie to help you."
"Oh that's brilliant! Like Marcus will be any real sort of help!" Darion growled.
"Hey!" Marcus entered the room. "I'm a big help Dari, as long as it includes," Marcus looked at his mother. "In somethings." He said quickly.
"Right and I'm the Minister of Magic." Darion grumbled.
"Continue this later boys!" Hermione interjected. "Darion, you are going to watch your cousins whether you like it or not. Marcus, you and Lissie are to help him. And I don't want to hear any more bickering about it. Now, any questions?" She eyed them.
The boys opened their mouths to reply, but snapped them shut.
"Good! I didn't think so." Hermione said as she stormed out of the room.
"Blimey!" Darion looked at Marcus. "She must be really pissed off at us."
"What do you mean us?" Marcus inquired.
"I happen to know for a fact that your not as innocent as your trying to claim there Marcus." Darion grumbled.
"Right, but haven't you noticed Darion? You happen to be the one getting the blunt force of it." Marcus grinned wildly. "After all, I'm not the one in charge."Marcus walked away, laughing madly.
Darion could only stare after his brother in shock.
Ginny had been dreading this moment since she had agreed to be a bridesmaid in the wedding. She had not seen the so called dress she was to wear and Sam had picked it up from Mari's house, then brought it to Ginny. She had been envisioning a gown with a bodice of soft lavender and big poufy sleeves and skirt in a bright pink. Ginny could not have imagined a more hideous dress and she prayed to Merlin that Sam had more taste than that. She took off the top to the dress box and was pleasantly surprised to find a long silk gown in a deep sapphire blue. It had a slit up the side and only hung on one shoulder. It also had a matching wrap in the box and Ginny took a sigh of relief. She pulled her red hair into a spiral that she secured to the back of her head with bobby pins and flowers. She had chosen eyeshadow of a light grey and a soft brown lipstick. She had just slipped on the gown when there was a knock on the door.
"Honey, it's time to go." Harry opened the door and saw his wife. "Wow, Gin you look so beautiful in that dress."
"Well, that's why you married me now isn't it?" She grinned mischievously.
"Yes,I mean no, I mean." Harry stumbled. "Let's just get going shall we?"
Ginny giggled as she grabbed the wrap and placed it around her shoulders.
Harry picked up Lillian and they herded the rest if their family out of the house and into the car.Harry strapped in Lili and they made their way to the chapel.
Darion frowned as his mother sat Lili and the other children beside him.
"Don't be giving me that look young man!" Hermione told him sternly. "Next time you'll think twice of doing a prank now won't you?"
"Probably not mum, after all this is Darion we're talking about here." Marcus grinned wildly.
"Go jump off a cliff Marcus!" Darion shouted, making all heads turned toward him.
"Darion, lower your voice!" Hermione turned to Marcus. "And you, stop goading your brother."
"But he's so fun to goad mum!" Marcus beamed. "See, he just takes me so seriously, how can I not?"
"Marcus, I mean it. Leave him alone!" Hermione gave him a warning look. "Or I may just let your Aunt Ginny take those house points away for your participation in the prank."
"no mum, I'll be good!" Marcus said quickly.
"I thought so. Now I have to go." Hermione turned back to Darion. "Remember that I am counting on you to watch these young ones Dari."
He grumbled in reply as his mother left. He then turned to glare at Marcus.
"What?" Marcus said innocently.
"So you like to goad me eh?" Darion growled.
"Well yes, I mean come on Dari. You just take me so seriously." Marcus chuckled. "I can't help it."
Marcus made the mistake of not watching Darion closely and the next thing he knew Darion had lunged at him, knocking Marcus off the bench. They were rolling around in a fury and swinging at each other madly when they heard Lissie scream at them.
"Darion, Marcus stop it!" She shrilled at her brother. "Lili and James are gone!"
Darion's head shot up. "What do you mean gone?"
"Just what I said Darion!" She glared at him. "While you were playing heathens you failed to watch the kids and now two of them are missing!"
Darion stood up and looked around him. Lili and James were no where to be seen and he only saw Aliana and Allen. At that moment the music began signaling that the wedding was starting and the doors opened to reveal the procession of bridesmaids and ushers.
Darion turned to Marcus. "You stay here with Allen and Ali, and watch them carefully."
"Why me?" He protested.
"Because mum left me in charge and your supposed to do as I say." Darion growled. "That's why."
Marcus sat down in a huff and grumbled.
"What?" Darion inquired.
"Fine!" was all Marcus said.
Darion then turned to Lissie. "We need to search the chapel for them Lissie." He told her. "They couldn't have gotten far."
Lissie nodded, then she looked up. What she saw made her jaw drop. "I don't think we need to search all that hard Dari." She said weakly.
"Why is that Lissie?" he inquired.
"Because I've just found them!" she pointed upward just as Lili let out a large squeal of delight.
Darion looked up, as everyone else did to see Lili hanging from the drapery high above their heads. The small raven hared girl had just realized that she was very high and nothing under her, she let out a scream and started to cry.
Darion groaned as Ginny shrieked.
"MY BABY!"
Harry brought out his wand as the child let go of the drapery and brgan to fall. He slowed her decent as people moved under the baby trying desperately to catch her. Charlie had managed to get under began in time to catch her as Harry replaced his wand. By this time James had returned and he was sitting beside Marcus whistling innocently. Darion glared at him as Ginny ran forward to embrace her daughter with tears of relief flowing. Hermione turned and glared in Darion's direction. Darion caught his mother's eye as she gave him a look that told him he was not going to forget this day for quite a long time. After they all calmed down, the wedding proceeded without any further interruptions, although Ginny was now refusing to let Lili out of her arms, though Lili didn't seem to mind as she fell fast asleep in her mothers arms. As soon as the wedding was over Darion slipped out of the chapel and quickly made his way to the men's bathroom. Hoping, though he knew his father could still find him in here, that no one would come looking for him in here. Although given the option he would prefer to deal with his father's temper then have to face his mother. She had a very good way of making him cringe just with her words and he hated her temper. As the door began to open he knew that hope had been lost and he darted into the nearest stall, locking the door and stood on the toilet.
"Darion?" He heard his father's voice. "Darion, you might as well come out."
"Not as long as mum's going to be here, no way!" Darion replied. "She's fuming by now And I don't feel like dying today dad, sorry."
"Now you know your mother would never kill you Darion, she'd bring you within an inch of your life." Ron chuckled. "But never kill you."
"Not funny dad, and if that was meant to comfort me," Darion replied. "Then you failed."
"No, it wasn't meant to comfort you Darion." Ron sighed. "Look, we want to find out what happened, that's all."
"Marcus goaded me, as he always does and well, I lost it." Darion explained. "We were going back and forth and we only stopped when Lissie screamed that Lili and James had disappeared."
Ron listened intently. "Go on."
"Well, Lissie looked up and saw Lili as you and the others came in and well, you know the rest."
"That matches Lissie and Marcus's story." Ron told him. "But Dari, your mother was counting on you and you let Marcus get to you.I can't say how much this disappoints me."
"I know dad."Darion sighed. "But he was acting so bloody smug that I just lost it!"
"I can understand that Darion. Merlin knows Fred and George have done that to me many times." Ron sighed. "But that does not excuse this Darion, you were left in charge."
"But I never asked to be!" Darion yelled. "She trapped me into this knowing I couldn't be responsible and that I would fail!"
"Calm down Darion."
"No!She trapped me dad!" He continued, "I have never been responsible and she placed me in charge instead of Lissie! Lissie would have been the more logical choice, she's more resposible that both Marcus and I ever have been."
"Lissie would have been the more logical choice, if we knew for certain you would listen to her." Ron agreed. "But tell the truth Darion, if she had placed Lissie in charge would you have listened to her if she gave you an order?"
Darion thought for a brief moment before replying"No."
"Exactly." Ron pointed out. "And it would have been only because she was younger and not because she was responsible. So where would it have been different?"
"She would have watched the others better than me." Darion pointed out.
"Yes, she would have." Ron agreed. "But only if you and Marcus hadn't been fighting. she still would have done that you know. She would have helped you as much as you needed and instead of doing the right thing you decided to have a romp with your brother and take all focus away from the children where it was needed most. This caused your youngest cousin to end up hanging from a drapery where she could have been seriously hurt."
"Oh." Was all Darion could reply.
"Now, we will be adding chores to the ones you already have as a punishment for this Darion, and the only reason you will not be getting a worse punishment is because James admitted he was the reason she was hanging in the first place." Ron told him. "But I do hope you have learned a lesson from all of this Darion."
So does this mean that I don't have the other punishment that mom put me on?" he asked hopefully.
"Oh no Darion." Ron moved to the door. "You still have to finish that one out. This is in addition to that punishment."
"Oh bugger." He said as he opened the stall door.
"Well, you did the crime, so you must do the time Dari, Sorry." Ron put his arm around his son and they walked out the door of the men's bathroom together.
As Darion got into the car he turned to his siblings. "So who got James to confess?"
"I did." Marcus blushed. "I told him that if he didn't I'd put a fire salamander down his back."
"You know, I don't know why Marcus but I could see you doing that." Lissie said somberly.
"Yes, and I would too." He beamed.
"And this is why we should never tick you off." Darion chuckled.
"Too right." Marcus beamed.