A Time for Everything

By Dasvidanya

Author's Note: Sorry for the little, I guess you could call it a cliffhanger, but I've read better. In this chapter, I've decided to slowly introduce the characters that we've all grown to love (maybe lust) and cherish in our hearts forever.

Oh yeah, four words: 'Screw OotP and HBP.'

Two.

Would you light my candle?

The funeral for Melanie Carmichael-Wesley was a small one. Only Rainey, Loren, Justine, Edward (their father), Florence (their grandmother), and the Wesley Estate's service attended. It was in the family cemetery in the backyard of the Wesley Estate. Throughout the entire burial, Rainey and Loren bit their nails, the only habit they shared, to make them concentrate on something other than crying.

Once the service and burial were over, Florence took the girls into their father's study to speak with them. They had gone through the whole day without crying and just wanted to be alone in their room. Florence took out two yellowed letters with a green wax seal on the back out of her purse. There was the letter "H" on the wax seal, surrounded by four animals.

"Hogwarts?" Loren asked, almost sure that's where the letter was from.

"Yes, Loren. I know your mother has taught you two all that she knows of witchcraft, but now that's she's gone, Edward and I would like you to get a proper education in witchcraft and wizardry," Florence said, "For the summer, the two of you will live with me, in my Estate in London. Then I shall send you off to Hogwarts, where you will complete the seventh and last year Hogwarts offers."

"I'm up for it," Rainey said cautiously. Loren stared at Rainey as if she was three-headed dog named Fluffy. Rainey shrugged, "It'd be nice to get out of the city. It's not like we're the most popular people on the block. We were home schooled. And it'd be a nice change of scenery, pace, and memories."

Loren looked back at Florence. She was smiling slightly, which seemed kind of rare for her aging face. "Let's do it."

Two days and six suitcases later, the Wesley twins and their grandmother were off to London, England in British Air's first class.

(Yes I know its fast. I just want to get to the magical stuff, kthx.)

A week before September 1st, Rainey and Loren decided that it was such a wonderful day to shop, that they'd get permission to go to Diagon Alley alone. They had been there previously before with the grandmother, but wanted a day to explore without being under her watchful eye. They knew that she had a poker game with her lady friends at one o'clock, so they planned to ask her if they could go at one-thirty. Of course, she let them, as long as they didn't cause trouble.

Once past the magical bricks, they stopped and gazed around Diagon Alley. It seemed like a new place since they were alone.

"So, uhm, where do you want to go first?" Loren asked.

"I'd like to look in the Apothecary, and I'm sure you want to find that book store. How 'bout we meet at that ice cream place in a couple of hours?" Rainey suggested. Loren nodded and headed off to Flourish & Bott's while Rainey headed off to the Apothecary.

As Loren walked down the road, coins jingling in her purse, she realized that she had no clue where she was going. She turned around to find a nice-looking someone who could direct her to Flourish & Bott's and ended up crashing into a couple.

"Oh my God," she exclaimed, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," said the boy with black hair, who was adjusting his glasses as they had become askew after being crashed into.

"Yeah, we're okay. Are you?" said the girl, who has a vibrant head of red hair.

"I'm alright. Just a little lost," Loren said.

"Are you going to Hogwarts this year or something? I mean you don't look like you could be a first year, but you're obviously not old enough to be out of school," the girl said.

"Yeah. My twin sister and I are exchange students from the city," Loren explained.

"The city?" the boy asked.

"New York City…oh right. I'm not in New York anymore. Sorry. Oh, I'm Loren. Loren Wesley." Loren stuck out her hand to shake theirs.

"Ginny Weasley," the girl said.

"Harry Potter," the boy said.

"Cool. I knew you looked familiar, I just couldn't place it," Loren said, her eyes never going up to look at his scar as most would do.

"Yep. Well, you said you were lost. Is there any way we can direct you?" Harry asked.

"Uh, Flourish & Bott's, if you please?"

"We were just going there to meet my family," Ginny said, "You can join us." Loren followed Ginny and Harry to Flourish & Bott's, passing Rainey on the way, who had finally found the Apothecary.

Rainey stepped into the dark store, not knowing why she was there. When she went to pick up her NEWT Potions items, she just liked the feel of it. The room was dimly lighted by candles that were floating above her head.

"May I help you?" asked a boy, about her age with silvery-blonde hair.

"Not really. Do you even work here?" Rainey asked rudely, noticing that he wasn't wearing a work uniform.

"No. But I know my way around this store," he said.

"That's nice that you have no life, now get out of my way."

He grabbed her upper arm and brought her face close to his. Rainey's dark blue eyes were a few inches away from his icy blue eyes. "Don't talk to me like that. It's as if you have no clue who you're talking to."

"Well, I really don't. And I don't care. You have no right to treat people like this. Especially a female who you don't even know. How do you know that I'm not about to scream 'Rape!' or something along those lines?" Rainey asked.

He let go of her arm. "I knew you wouldn't, because you would've done it right after I grabbed your arm. And there was no fear in your eyes."

Rainey rolled her eyes. She decided to be the polite girl she was raised to be. She stuck out her hand, "Hi. I'm Rainey Carmichael."

"You're a Carmichael? Are you related to Florence Carmichael?" he asked.

"She's my grandmother. My sister and I are staying with her until we go to Hogwarts. My last name is really Wesley, my father's surname, but I'm legally entitled to change it. So I did, in respect for my mother's family."

"Woah, Wesley as in Edward Wesley?"

"Yeah, you know my father?"

"My father knows your father. And my grandmother knows your grandmother.They're probably drinking dusty rum atyour grandmother'sweekly poker game as we speak."

"Are you saying that both sides of my family are bunches of crazy, rude, rich people?"

"Yeah, basically."

"Great. As you can see, I'm jumping up and down on the inside."

"Oh, I'm Draco Malfoy."

"I've heard that name before. But I really don't care, so if you please, can you step aside so I can find my sister?"

Draco stepped aside, but a huge gust of wind slammed the door shut and knocked out all of the candles. Draco reached up to grab a floating one. He held it out to Rainey and asked, "Would you light my candle?"

End 'Two'.

Author's Note: Lame, I know. But I really want to get to Chapter Four, because it's like, "Yay for Hogwarts!"