Chapter 4
Tea, Pancakes and Flying Doors
People milled around the darkened halls of Number 12 Grimwauld place. Draco waded through them, following Dumbledore and receiving curious looks. Of course everyone was wondering why the son of the second-in-command to Voldemort was waltzing down the halls without so much as a mean word. This was actually a puzzling thing for Draco. Why wasn't there anyone bugging him?
"Profess-" He didn't finish because they were swept away in the current and were finally deposited inside a small cave-like sitting room. Draco stood awkwardly in the doorway as his headmaster talked to a man whose face was distorted from the shadows. Finally the man left and Dumbledore turned back to Draco, he surveyed him over the half-moon spectacles.
"Sit, sit." He indicated the over-stuffed burgundy armchair and Draco sat thankfully.
"Tea?" Dumbledore asked already conjuring up a china teapot and cups. He handed one to Draco and sat back. A white-blonde head peeked around the edge of the chair at him. He smiled at the small girl. She had an uncanny resemblance to his mother. A look of pure joy crossed her face when she saw the smile and she quickly climbed onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck in a death-grip. Draco tensed and stared around frantically. He was definitely not used to having random kids hugging him. He caught Dumbledore laughing but he quickly stopped when he saw Draco looking at him and ignored Draco's obvious discomfort. Draco sighed and sipped his tea, which was an awkward feat because of the tiny arms that had his neck in a death grip.
The sounds of cheers came to their ears from the hall and the opening door. Evidently the people who had been left at the manor had succeeded in whatever mission they had. Dumbledore looked at the small girl.
"Why don't you go meet mummy and let us talk, Naomi" He said is more of an order then a question but Naomi nodded at him and slipped away, disappearing into the crowd.
"So, Draco, you can begin telling me your story." Dumbledore said looking pointedly at the tattoo on Draco's arm, he sat back in the chair as if settling for a long stay. Draco groaned inwardly and fiddled with his teacup, staring into it as if trying to find a way out. His mind tilted and turned, sloshing like the brown liquid in his cup. A burning sensation on his arm made him jump, and then the world tipped as if he was stuck on some sort of bizarre merry-go-round. His vision went fuzzy and he settled under the dark cloak, not even remembering hitting the floor or the faces that peered down at him. It was all lost to him as he sank deeper.
"Ginny! Up! Now!"
Go away! Ginny thought, I want to hibernate forever, with my fat and foot long fur, in my nice cozy cave.
"No mum" Came the distinguished voice of Fred; "She will never get up if you do that."
"Geese she's your daughter and yet you do not know the fine arts of waking up a teenage girl." George gave a loud sigh.
"You ought to be ashamed." Fred's voice echoed through her den in the mountain.
"Yeah, sheese. Like this," George informed, " OLIVER WOOD IS HERE! HE WANTS TO SEE YOU!" There was a pause then,
"HE"S NAKED!" Bellowed Fred who was promptly flung backwards as the door flew open and a bright red blaze flew past.
There was another pause then she ran back upstairs, a look of sincere disappointment on her face, she slugged George in the stomach, who fell backwards into the dazed Fred. The door slammed and all was quiet.
Ginny fell back into bed, thoroughly disappointed, Oliver Wood naked…. Now there's a sight I would pay to see. Oh no. Bad fantasies. GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! She finally gave up trying to stem the flow of images and rolled off the bed, hitting her head on the bedside table.
"Ow! Stupid table. I'll teach you to hit me on the hea- Oh my! The fantasies stopped. Well that's a plus." She muttered, standing up and grabbing a pair of jeans and a shirt. Then looking out the window to see the thunderclouds, she grabbed a Hogwarts sweatshirt and opened the door, hitting George who was helping Fred to his feet. They both fell in a heap down the stairs.
"Ow! Fred! That's my leg!"
"Ger'off of me George!"
Thump!
"George! That is not a chew toy!"
Ginny laughed and dashed down the stairs.
"That's the third time this week." George groaned as Ginny passed.
"The third?" She asked, "There was only two times. The time when you were singing and this one." Fred grinned.
"There was also the time when we snuck into your room to take pictures of your sleeping."
"Yeah, that was pretty funny. Remind me to show you the pictures some time- aaahh!" George cried as Ginny pushed them down the second flight of stairs.
"That's the fourth then. Wanna try for a fifth?" She asked innocently as she passed then on the way to the kitchen.
The wild mood from the stairs instantly dissipated as they entered the kitchen. The family sat around the table glum faces on all of them. Ginny raised her eyebrows then finally looked at the newspaper that sat in the center of the oak table. She gasped an unbelievably horrid scene dashed across the front page.
"My God! It feels like a bomb hit in here."
"Yeah; what family member died?" Joked George, levitating a pancake over to his plate. Evidently they have not seen the paper. Ginny thought or...they saw it and are just stupid. Insensitive brats. Five scowls were directed at the twins.
"What?" Asked Fred through a mouthful of pancake.
"There was an attack on the Ministry. And it wasn't a family member who died." Arthur stated, pointing at the newspaper. George and Fred stared at it looking horrified.
"Five dead. Workers at the Ministry. Their bodies hung from lamp posts." Fred read. "Aw. Gross!" Ginny shuddered; she had completely lost her appetite as the dark pictures wormed their way into her head.
"This is the sixth attack this week." Added Charlie seriously, "My squad is flying out to the spot where our mole says that they are going to strike next. We're leaving tomorrow."
"Flying?" Asked Arthur sharply, "That's dangerous, even at night. Or are you not implying that you'll be flying on brooms?" He narrowed his eyes at his eldest son.
"What? What is he talking about Charlie?" Demanded Molly.
"The dragons, well the ones that we've trained, can carry us. They are really quite nice." He added in an attempt to sooth his stricken mother.
"Dragons! Wow! That's perfect!" Exclaimed Fred. "Charlie can you bring us some- we'll talk later." He cut off when he noticed his mother's look.
"I have to leave too. We're investigating some curse about these powerful jewels and the sooner we crack it the better" Bill announced. Molly looked crestfallen at these announcements. Haha! Her family is parting. She will not have everyone around here and I will once again have all the attention. Muahahahaha. SHUT UP YOU! Ginny tuned out the voices,
"I s'pose we're leaving for the Order tonight anyway so they won't be missed." Ginny said attempting to break the silence that had fallen.
And it was then that their lovely breakfast was interrupted by the thunderous cacophony followed by the front door flying towards them.
Conscience seemed non-existent as Ginny floated in the darkness, waking on and off. Seeing only blurred forms and colours. Permanent fuzz seemed to cloud her mind.
The jolt of electric magic coursing through her body was a surprise and finally coaxed her (violently) back to the surface. Ginny slowly opened her eyes to see her mother peering anxiously down at her.
"Where am I?" Ginny asked. Her mouth was full of an unpleasant taste and it felt thick and sugary. Like syrup. Syrup? Pancakes. Breakfast. FLYING DOORS!
"OH MY GOD! WHAT HAPPENED!" She yelled as her mind connected it all. Another wave of dizziness hit her as she bolted upright.
"You were hit by a door." Announced Fred entering Ginny's line of vision.
"It was quite heroic really." Added George thoughtfully, appearing by his brother's side. "You took the impact for that pot of flowers mom likes."
"Pity the Death Eaters got them after." Fred agreed solemnly.
"WHAT!" Shrieked Ginny as Molly glared at her wide-eyed innocent sons.
"I wanted to tell her a little less harshly." She said through gritted teeth. "She is not supposed to be stressed."
"OK. Well, a door hit me. The door flew off while I was eating breakfast. A breakfast that was tragic. Tragic because of the deaths. Oh yeah. It's all coming back to me." Ginny gasped. "But that doesn't answer my question. WHERE AM I?"
"Calm down. You're at the Order." Molly said soothingly. Straightening the blankets around her and pushing the boys away at the same time. Funny how she can be so loving and yet at the same time kicking her sons out the door.
"OK it's sleepy time for Ginny." Came the sweet voice of some nurse. Ginny's last memory before she fell asleep was of a tiny witch coming towards her with a wand.