Chapter 19

I knocked lightly on the door, backpack on and present in hand. I leaned my broomstick on the doorway, a little tired from the flight.

If you've ever had little children in your home, then you'll know the sound of anxious feet running to beat you to the door when it rings. That's what I heard echo outwards and grinned a little bit. The door flew open and a laughing Hermione opened it up.

"Beth! Oh… oh my gosh! What happened to your face?" She covered her mouth with her hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that. It's just, it looks really red… I'm sorry. Pretend I never said anything." She twiddled her thumbs for a second and Fred and George appeared behind her.

"What'd you get him then?" asked George pointing to my bag and pretending to not notice my scalded face.

"Erm—"

"Don' tell them!" Hermione hissed. She grumbled: "They keep doing this thing…"

"What thing?"

"Tell us what it is, and we'll show you," said Fred.

"Okay—"

"No! Don't do it…" Hermione made a noise of exasperation and pulled on her hair.

"I got him a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans—bulk– and a broom and wand polish kit. It's got all these little accessories that go with it." I smiled meekly. "Is that enough?"

"Well yes, it is a very nice gift," said George.

"But ours," said Fred.

"IS BETTER!" They chimed concurrently and rather loudly in Hermione's ear. She groaned and stomped her foot. Then the twin's disapparated.

"I told you. Now they'll mock you the whole time… So how's your Dad? Do you remember now? Your memory must sure have come back; I mean his image must've been a sort of trigger right? And then you passed out, but he insisted on taking you home…" She continued to babble while she led me up the hallway about how everyone had realized the seriousness of the situation only after I had left, not sure he was my Dad…

"Oh, and Ginny and I felt horrible, so you know. We were so bitter… unexplainably hung over, we should take you out when you come of age, but it's Christmas Eve right? So maybe we'll do it shortly after."

We reached the dining room, and I prepared myself for the intake of breath. Like I had predicted, everyone stared for a moment at my newly burned face.

"Hi." I said portraying a fake smile although my cheeks burned when I did it. "So I'll say this once, I was roasting marshmallows in front of the fire with my Dad, and when I poked the embers, there was this explosion thing, and I burnt my face. It should heal soon. That's it, just me being stupid," I looked around at Harry, Remus and almost all the Weasley's, including a newly healed Charlie. Conversation started again.

"It's great to see you Beth," said Remus.

"Hey Beth," muttered most the people in the room.

"Hermione, could you introduce me to—" I motioned to the extra red head in the room.

"Right, come here. Charlie," she walked me around the room by my hand, "this is Beth. I don't know if anyone told you, but Beth—"

"All she knew about me was that I liked dragons, and I was going to wake up. It's a pleasure to know that someone pretty goes with the voice." His chocolate eyes were laughing at me as I looked at him in shock. He had heard me! I shook his hand.

"It's a good thing I didn't say anything bad then right?" I joked. He frowned before smiling, as if he comprehended my words rather slowly. "It's nice to meet you finally." I said. I placed my nap sack, and little gift bag in the corner and sat down to Ginny's left, who had briefly waved to me when I walked in before returning to her conversation with Harry.

"Hi guys," I said quietly. Harry gave me a nod, his eyes piercing gaze made me flush a little bit, as though he could see through my lies. Ginny smiled.

"Hey, I'm sorry I was so ru—"

"Drop it." I ordered. "It's no problem."

"Great. Hey what's that?" She pointed to my wrist, which had made a sudden appearance I subconsciously pulled back my long sleeves.

"Nail polish," I lied through my teeth pulling my sleeve down. Someone had bewitched my things while I was gone, and I'm afraid I can't get it off." I laughed awkwardly.

"Really? That's a neat color! Can I see?" she went to reach for my sleeve.

"I'd rather you didn't thanks. It stinks—like grape or something. Painful really. And the last thing I'd want to do is knock everybody in the room out. It's bloody strong." More lies. Ginny didn't seem to notice and let out a short laugh.

"Listen, you didn't tell Fred and George what you got Harry did you?" Her voice dropped. "They're doing this super strange thing where—"

"I'm afraid I told them."

Ginny sighed. "Git's." I smiled.

"I'm going to go put my stuff in my room, is that alright?" Ginny nodded.

"You know where it is," she said.

I picked up my pack, and gift bag as I walked out of the room. "By the way Ginny," I said looking at her as I walked: "In my past life time, I was a keeper. My broom's on the front porch."

§

We played a wicked game of quidditch that night, and much against Mrs. Weasley's wishes, Charlie played as well.

I played Keeper on a team with Harry, Ginny and Charlie, and Fred, George, Ron, Hermione and Bill played the other side. Although we were unevenly matched, we had a blast, our bodies pumping in the night air. At one point I almost removed my sweater, but realized that it would not be a good idea. We played until late evening among all the fireflies, garden gnomes that lit up, and lit wands, stuck in the ground.

We dropped to the ground at a tie when Charlie started to droop on his broom, although we all insisted that it was because we were tired. Sweaty and sore, we headed inside, trampling through the house. I went right to the shower, which made Ginny and Hermione angry but I laughed through the door and went as fast as I could.

When I came out only Ginny and Hermione were standing in line.

"We made the guys go to the bathroom on the first floor, the one with the mermaid on the wall that laughs at you when you bath." Ginny giggled. "I think there are crabs on the tiles on the floor, but I couldn't tell you for sure. I'm not the type to shower with magical drawings."

Hermione cut in front and went into the shower. "You've been jacked!" she said to Ginny. The inside joke made Ginny laugh quite hard and tears came out her eyes.

"You had to be there," she said. I nodded and went to my room, packing my possessions away and sticking my gifts and broom in the closet. It was weird that a home I had spent so much time in, was no longer mine. I felt more in place here than I had ever felt at home. The ceiling adjusted when I walked in, and a field of flowers waved to me. I imagined lying in that field when I went to bed, and easily slept.

§

There was a knock at my door as I pulled on some clean clothes. Today was Harry's birthday, and I'd done anything but sleep in. I padded across the hard wood floor and opened my door. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Bill, Charlie, and Fred and George stood there.

"Oh good, you're dressed. He's not up, so we're going to ambush him," whispered Ginny. I nodded in understanding.

We tiptoed to his bedroom door, and Ron put his fingers to his lips, squinted and opened the door carefully slowly. I had to try really hard to restrain a giggle. Ginny went in first, and Hermione and I followed, by all the brothers. Ginny hopped up onto the top of his bed, and dropped to her knees so quietly you would have guessed she was weightless. She slid up his body with sleekness of some kind of slippery reptile until her knees straddle his ribs. I felt a small pang of jealousy.

She looked up at us and motioned with her fingers, "three, two, one!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Ginny sat down on Harry's stomach and he let out a yell before looking around with a crazed look, as if he could use another two hours of rest.

"I'm twenty. I'm old." He groaned and pulled his pillows over his face. Ginny leaned more weight into him with her pelvis and he let out a muffled yell. "Geezus," he grumbled. "Geroff!" He pushed her shoulders and she laughed and fell into the wall.

"Get up! Get dressed!" exclaimed Fred.

"We're taking you out! Faster old man!" George pulled the blankets back to reveal a half naked Harry—his checkered shorts seemed rather loose. He groaned again and sat up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed.

His body was lean, and covered in thin whip-like scars. Everyone seemed familiar with these except me, who looked the other way in embarrassment. He wasn't gorgeous. His muscles weren't rippling, nor were they extravagantly large, however, they were defined, and his abdomen flexed as he yawned and stretch his arms over his head. He pulled his glasses on and ruffled his hair before walking over to the dresser to pull out some clothes for the day.

We began to shuffle out, and I continued the pep talk with myself about pity, and a how I was only a job, but I couldn't seem to get the image of Ginny straddling him out of my mind.