Chapter 1: The Burrow
The Banks family, Porter Twins, and Periwinkle had recently moved into their new home located just up the road a bit from the Burrow. They were walking over to meet Cassandra's old friends the Weasley family. "Girls, I want you all on your very best behavior. The Weasley family is a friend of mine. They also have Harry Potter staying with them on one of their children's friends as well I believe her name is Hermione."
Hallie was reading Witch Weekly while they walked, but the name Harry Potter brought her attention away from her magazine, "Potter? Harry Potter? The boy who lived that Harry Potter?"
Cassandra gave a small laugh at her goddaughter, "Yes that Harry Potter."
"This is fascinating! I have read so much about him and how he defeated you-know-who."
"Of course, you have," Periwinkle said under her breath as they approached the burrow for dinner with the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione. Although they have of course never met Harry, Hallie like most young girls had a celebrity crush on him.
Cassandra gave them both looks, "Behave," she warned her daughter then knocked on the door of the Burrow
Inside they could hear movement then a woman yell, "Arthur! Kids! Our guests are here!" Just then the door opened, "Oh my word, Cassie look at you! You have not aged a bit!"
"Hello Molly," Cassandra smiled, "it is so lovely to see you again."
"I cannot believe it has been thirteen years since you left for America. My…" Molly looked at the children then laid eyes on Periwinkle, "My heavens is this…is this Periwinkle? Child, you were just a toddler the last I saw you."
"Yes ma'am," Periwinkle said, "but I go by Peri now. Periwinkle just is not my style."
Molly nodded, "Well Peri you look absolutely beautiful just like your mother."
"Thank you," Periwinkle smiled looking at her mom who was smiling back at her.
"You remember Hallie and Holly Porter, right? They were…"
"Ann and Patrick's children," Molly looked towards the Porter twins, "now if my memory is correct you are Hallie," she looked at Hallie, who had long straight chestnut brown hair with emerald green eyes. She also a bit tanner than her twin, "you look very much like your father except those are your mother's eyes."
Hallie smiled and looked at her sister before looking back toward Molly, "I am pleased to hear I have something of his and not just his last name. I adore my eyes it is the only thing Holly and I have in common."
She gave her a sad smile then looked at Holly, "And you are your mother's daughter no doubt about that. You are the spitting image of her," she noticed the book in her hand, "just like her. She always had a book; she was the perfect student and was even ahead girl."
"I want to be just like her…well both of my parents. I want them proud of me."
"They are definitely proud of both of you," Cassandra and Molly both told them.
The two women laughed, "Well I guess these are your two other children…Alicia and Mallory, right?"
"Yes. Mallory is eleven and will be starting her first year at Hogwarts. Alicia is ten, she is very jealous of her older sisters who are going to Hogwarts."
Molly nodded, "And this must be your husband."
"Yes, this is Richard," she smiled up at him.
Molly then realized she had not let them inside yet, "well enough standing outside come inside. Now speaking of husbands and kids where are mine? Arthur! Kids!"
The shuffle of movement from upstairs was heard as they all begun to come downstairs, "I at least hope the guys are attractive," Periwinkle whispered to Hallie and Holly who stood next to her.
"Did you not see the Christmas card from last year? They are just alright," Hallie said, "I hope the men at Hogwarts look way better."
"Is that all you two think about is how attractive a man is?" Holly asked them.
"No…" Hallie said as she glanced over at the stairs just as Fred and George walked down, she instantly went speechless.
"You were saying?" Periwinkle teased but Hallie was too distracted by staring at Fred
Fred glanced around the crowded downstairs just as his eyes fell upon Hallie who quickly looked away from him just as he looked at her, "Whoa…" he let slip accidentally.
George looked at him confused then followed his line of vision then chuckled looking back at him, "love at first sight?"
He looked at his brother coming out of his trance, "what? No, she is the same as Ron that would be…" he looked back at her, "let's not be rude let's go say hello."
George rolled his eyes as the two approached the three young ladies, "hello boys," Periwinkle said, "my name is Periwinkle but everyone calls me Peri and these are my sisters…well godsisters Holly," she indicated to her.
"Hello," Holly greeted them by shaking their hands, "this is my twin, Hallie."
Hallie was a bright shade of pink, "Hi…" she squeaked which just made her pinker in the face.
"Are you alright?" Fred asked with concern noticing her coloring and the squeak in her voice.
"Oh…um…yes. Please excuse me," she walked away quickly.
Periwinkle laughed, "Yeah she is totally fine just having a…" Cassandra had been watching the situation and glared at her daughter, "a bad case of the giggles. I had just told a joke before you and your brother approached. I do not believe I caught your names."
"I am Fred and this George," Fred told her, "so…Hallie likes jokes?"
"Do you like jokes?" Periwinkle asked knowing she was about to make some mischief happen.
Fred and George both laughed looking at each other then back at her, "do we like jokes she says. Peri, we love jokes but especially pranking."
"Oh well, Hallie actually does…" Holly started but Periwinkle cut her off.
"Loves jokes and pranks. She adores them."
This appeared to get them excited but more Fred than George, "Really?" they both said
"Yes! You did not hear this from me though. Excuse us though we have other people to meet."
They nodded as the two ladies walked off to meet the others, "And you said you were not interested in her," George teased Fred as Hallie rejoined her sisters.
"I am not interested in anyone romantically," although he could not keep his eyes off of Hallie as she crossed the room.
"If you say so. I will admit though I find Peri interesting she has certain spunk to her."
"You can like a fifteen-year-old but I can't like a fourteen-year-old? Yeah, that makes sense. Once we are in our twenties it is not going to matter. Plus, love has no age."
"Whoa! Easy tiger, like her then."
A bit later everyone sat down to eat dinner with Fred was seated next to George as he did with every meal, but the only remaining seat was next to him, "Here Hallie here is an empty seat," Fred called over to her noticing her searching the table for a seat.
"Oh..." she looked at the seat then sat down next to him, "I did not notice the seat was available. Thank you," she avoided eye contact with him.
He glanced at her, "You're welcome. Chicken?"
She looked at the serving plate he was offering her, "No thank you. I do not eat meat."
"What?" Ron said in shock from across the table, "you do not eat meat?"
She looked at him and shook her head, "No I do not. I do not like the idea of killing animals. It is very cruel."
Ron was still in shock as Fred placed the serving plate back down and refused to take any meat himself, "please eat it if you want. Do not stop on my account. This is just my personal preference."
"I am doing this because I want to," Fred told her as they exchanged small smiles. Throughout the meal, they talked with one another and it started to become obvious to everyone at the table that the two shared a common romantic interest in one another except the only two who could not see how the other felt about the other were the two of them.
When the Banks family, Porter twins, and Periwinkle left everyone walked them out with Fred and Hallie staying close together, "will you be going to the world cup?"
"We are but I am not big into sports. Fashion I definitely am but not sports."
"Some girls are not. Peri and Alicia really seem to be into it."
"Alicia loves quidditch and Peri is more interested in the men who play," she laughed, "although the men are very fine."
Fred laughed at her comment, "I suppose but that is not really my type."
She laughed, "do you have a type?" she questioned looking towards him.
He looked at her, "I don't know maybe you will have to discover that for yourself."
"Perhaps I will," she blushed turning away from him by looking up at the stars, "the stars are really pretty tonight."
"You are…" he stopped himself he wanted to tell her that she was much prettier but instead he said, "you are absolutely right. They are beautiful," he said this looking at her, not the stars.
She looked back at him with a soft smile her eyes sparkling in the moonlight, "I should go…see you soon?"
"Of course," he told her as she walked ahead to join her family just as George approached him, "what?"
"Oh, nothing just that you know I am right."
"Shut up, Georgie."
"Come on say it," George teased.
He scowled at him then groaned, "fine! I am head over heels in love with her and I just met her. She is perfect! She is adorable but she does not feel the same way she refuses to even look at me."
George laughed, "yeah she must hate you. No wonder she spent the entire evening talking to you."
He rolled his eyes, "You are a real ass you know that."
"Yup," George said as they reentered the Burrow.
A couple of days later it was the day before the world cup and everyone was back over at the Burrow with everyone playing a game except Hallie, Holly, and Hermione. Hallie was sitting with Holly and Hermione under one of the shady trees while others played. Hermione and Holly were reading the books they had gotten for the start of the coming term while Hallie was reading Witch Weekly, "Why do you read that nonsense? There is simply no good knowledge that comes from reading about celebrities," Holly asked.
Hallie rolled her eyes and laid her magazine gently in her lap, "My dear sister you simply just do not understand that these contain just as much knowledge as your books but these are better, they have pictures. See look at this picture of Victor Krum, is he not attractive? Perhaps we will meet him tomorrow."
Holly gave Hermione a side glance look then looked back at her, "You should be preparing for school. We are starting at an entirely new school this year, thankfully we finally have friends."
"I am more interested in the guys they will have. I have had enough of American boys give me the English men."
Periwinkle came over just as she said this and laughed, "Oh but I thought you were interested in a certain redhead," she teased glancing over at Fred and George who were heading over.
She glared at her as they approached them, "Hello ladies," George greeted grabbing one of the waters that were there for them.
"Hello Hallie," Fred said grabbing his own water and sitting next to her. She turned pink in the face nearly matching the shade of pink sundress she was wearing. Everyone noticed and laughed except Fred who did not understand, "what is so funny."
"Oh nothing," Hermione said through a laugh.
"I'm going to tell him," Periwinkle and George whispered to one another "Jinks!"
Hallie stood up with a huff, "You all belong in Slytherin. You are all mean…except you Fred you can remain in Gryffindor. I am going to write a strongly worded letter to Dumbledore informing him to move all you to Slytherin immediately!" she stormed off.
"Hallie! Oh, calm down!" Periwinkle called after her as she disappeared into the burrow with Fred following close behind her to try and cheer her up.
Once Hallie was inside, she entered the living room, Cassandra and Molly were hidden in order to try and eavesdrops on the conversation that Hallie and Fred may be having since they had been watching the scene unfold from the kitchen window, "Hal?" Fred asked kindly.
"I am fine," she insisted keeping her back to him.
"Hallie, what happened?"
"They are just being mean. I…I like this guy who I just met and they keep teasing me on my feelings," she turned to face him, "they also think I am stupid. I have dreams big dreams but I constantly get them shut down."
He heard her say she liked a guy she just met but did not want to assume it was him instead he stepped closer and took ahold of her hands. She glanced down at their hands as he spoke, "Hallie, look at me."
She looked up, "you are very smart. You have great big dreams! You fight for those dreams do not let anyone shut you down. Stand up and fight for your dreams. You deserve everything good in this world."
She teared up, "why are you so kind to me? You barely know me."
"Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness including you." She hugged him and he held her close wrapping his arms tightly around her, "what is your dream?" he asked her letting her go after a moment.
She looked up at him, "this makes me sound self-centered but I want to be famous. I love singing, dancing, and performing. We lived in New York City before this and that city is where stars are born especially in the no-majes world."
"No-majes?"
"Non-magic people."
"Oh muggles."
"Muggles?"
He laughed, "yeah that is what we call them."
"Interesting but weird. Anyway, I want to be famous…I feel this is my calling to perform. I was in a few no-maj…muggle performances and did some modeling for some children magazines while I was there."
"Really?" she nodded, "that is fascinating! I bet you are really good then."
She shrugged, "I don't know…it is probably just a dream nothing more."
"Try. You never know if you do not try. They have a choir at Hogwarts you should join."
"Really? I might then."
"You will do wonderful."
She smiled at him, "You are so kind to me. It is nice to have someone…like you."
"It is nice to have someone like you too. Love George but this is different."
"How?"
He looked into her emerald green eyes, "it just is. Not sure how to fully explain it."
She nodded, "I think I know what you mean…we should probably rejoin the others."
"Probably," he agreed and escorted her out.
