Chapter 3 – Family is Important
"Mommy!" Hugo came running out of the grate. Mom wouldn't let him go on a plane by himself, so she made him floo from Dad's house to London. It was great to see him again. His hair was longer than it was one month ago. It was now just below his ear lobes.
"I think someone needs a haircut!"I laughed as he let go of Mom and gave me a hug.
"I've missed you Rosie."
"Missed you too buddy." We walked to the cab that Mom had hired out and drove to our house. We moved out of Potter Manor a week ago, but we still lived in Godric's Hallow: five minutes away from the Potter's and five minutes away from the Weasley's. It was a bungalow, perfect for a family of three. Everything was so quiet without the Potters, which is why I spent most of my time up at the Manor or down at the Ranch. Everyone was meeting at the Burrow that night, to welcome Hugo into the 'family'. It had been a month since we were all together in the small kitchen. As I walked into my room (yellow walls, double bed, books galore!) I noticed a photograph lying on my bed. I left it there before we went to fetch Hugo. I picked it up and looked at it: a baby boy with brown hair and a one year old girl with bushy hair were laughing and playing in a room that I recognised to be the front room in the Manor. I smiled as I realised that the boy was James and the girl was me. I ran back down to Mom.
"I'm just going into the village. Be back in a few minutes."
"Do you have money?"
"Ya," I shouted as I walked out the door. I went into the corner shop (it has everything!) and spotted a silver frame. Just what I was looking for. I grabbed it, handed it to the nice lady behind the counter and paid her. I walked back out of the shop, jogged back to the house and ran back into my room, without a word to Mom or Hugo. I placed the photograph in the frame and on my bedside locker. I looked at it, trying to remember that day, but I couldn't. I smiled to myself, wondering if James knew that we met before all this.
"Rose, we're leaving in an hour. Dress casual but smart." I went to my closet and scanned through it. What to wear, what to wear, I asked myself. I decided on black leggings and a long white top. I accesorised with a black belt and black pumps. I left my hair natural (with a clip to pin back my awful fringe) and applied a bit of foundation and lipgloss. I grabbed my black cardigan and took a look in the mirror.
"You look nice Rosie." I looked at the door of my bedroom to find Hugo standing there, dressed in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt.
"Thanks Hugh." I smiled at him. He looked so grown up in black. "Come here kiddo!" He ran over to me and gave me a hug.
"I've missed you so much Rose. Dad did too." He looked up at me, tears starting to form in his eyes. "Things aren't going to be the same anymore, are they?" I couldn't lie to him.
"No Hugo, they're not. But, me and you, we'll get through this mess together. Everyone is so nice here. There's a little girl your age that lives on the hill, her name's Lily. You'll meet her tonight. So, just trust me." I gave my little brother another hug as Mom called us into the kitchen.
"Ready to go?" Mom was in periwinkle blue top and skinny jeans. She looked so young with her hair straightened.
"Mom, how the hell did you straighten your bush?" Hugo laughed, but Mom just stared at me.
"We're leaving," was all she said. We walked to the Ranch to floo to the Burrow. One by one, we stepped into the fire place, shouted "the Burrow" loud and clear, and landed in the small kitchen of Molly Weasley's.
"Hello Rose, dear. Be careful not to get dust on the mat like a good girl."
"Yes Mrs Weasley." I walked over to the elderly witch, who was busy preparing dinner for the night. "So, how are you Mrs Weasley?"
"I'm very well dear. How's the new house shaping up?"
"It's still a mess, but it's coming along." Mom was next to arrive, although she refused to talk to me after my comment about her hair. I decided to make it up to her before everyone arrived.
"Mom, I'm so sorry about what I said. Sure, look at my hair, it's a bush too!" I wasn't lying; it is just like Mom's, but a bit tamer.
"Just don't say anything like that again. I know you're going through a lot, with the divorce and moving here away from your dad, but I still raised a polite little girl and I want you to stay that way."
"Ok." I gave her a hug and she patted my back. When I looked up at her, I noticed that she was crying. "What's wrong?"
"I'm just so happy to be back here." Hugo came through the grate. "And I get to share it with my two favourite people in the world!" She grabbed Hugo and me into a family hug, just as Sam stepped onto the carpet. When we were finally released, I noticed that everyone had arrived, and it was time to introduce Hugo to our new family.
"May I have your attention please?" Everyone in the room went quiet. "This is my little brother Hugo Davis. He is seven. He arrived from New York today and is the reason we have all gathered in this house. Ok, Hugo, there's a lot of people here. I'll tell you who everyone is, and then you can 'mingle' with them. Luna, Dean and Lorcan Thomas, Neville, Jesicca, Neil, Frank, Dave, Alice and Darina Longbottom, Angelina, George, Fred and Amelia Weasley, Ron, Sierra, Sam, Jason and Anna Weasley, Lavender, Seamus and Diarmuid Finnigan, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Ginny, Harry, Lily, Albus and James Potter, and that's just about everyone!" I looked around at everyone. They were all smiling at Hugo, ready to welcome him into the family. Mrs Weasley was the first to reach him.
"Why don't you bring him into the sitting room, dear, with all the other children?"
"Good idea, Mrs Weasley." I brought Hugo into the sitting room. I introduced him properly to Lily and they went off to play with Anna. I walked over to the other teenagers and sat beside Darina. Sierra turned her back to me, because of the whole me liking Quidditch scenario, but Darina welcomed me into the group.
"The letters should be arriving soon enough," Dave was saying.
"Hopefully tomorrow. I can't wait any longer!"
"Wanna meet up in Diagon Alley?" There was a murmur of agreement, but I just stayed quiet.
"Rose? Do you wanna meet up?" James asked me.
"Sure." I had no idea where Diagon Alley was.
"Cool. Let's meet up outside Sugarplums at, say half three?" Another murmur of agreement.
"Rose?"
"Sure." I had no idea what Sugarplums was.
"Great!" All the teens started into an animated discussion about the shops in Diagon Alley. James caught my eye and motioned me out of the room. I followed him into the hall and up the twisted staircase. We went into a bedroom on the first floor.
"This was my mum's room," James said when we stepped inside. "She told me that this was the room she came to when she first met Dad, and the room she came to after he proposed." He turned to look at me. "Do you remember this day?" He took something out of his pocket and handed it to me – it was the photograph of me and James when we were babies.
"No," I answered truthfully, not taking my eyes off the laughing children in the photograph.
"I don't either, but I asked my dad about it when he gave it to me." I looked up, wanting to hear more. "Apparently, your parents didn't move over to America until you were one. We saw eachother everyday and played together. Of course, we were only babies and didn't know anything. But then your dad got mad at your mum for forcing the two of us together and that's when you moved to New York." He took a step behind me and looked over my shoulder at the photo. "You were really cute when you were a baby." I looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back.
"We better get back downstairs," I said, breaking the silence that had formed.
"Yeah, or else Sam will think something is going on," he joked. As we walked down the stairs and into the living room, I saw my mom smiling to no one in particular, but she was looking at me and James.
The night went by without any disturbances from my mom, but not without another secret walk with James. We went into the garden after dinner, and then up the stairs to look at the picture and try to remember the day it was taken. I went home after midnight, with a tired Hugo and a very drunk mom. I couldn't wait until my trip to Diagon Alley!