Chapter 1 – Welcome Home
An: I don't own Harry Potter. This was originally written before Deathly Hollows came out but I will incorporate some of the events of that book into the story now.
Harry froze for a second while it registered who the wizard standing before him was. Once he placed the more mature face and short platinum blonde hair to that of Draco Malfoy, he drew his wand. Of all the people he expected to answer the door to the Burrow, Malfoy was not one of them. He remembered an arrogant Slytherin who wouldn't be caught dead at a place like the Burrow, yet here he was very much standing in the entranceway.
They each had a bet on who would answer the door. Ginny thought for sure it would be their mom. She was always home at that time of day. Harry said he thought it might be one of the grandkids. When they left Fleur had just given birth to a baby girl, Nathalie. Ron said he thought it might be one of the twins. Never had they expected it to be him.
The moment's hesitation was enough time for Draco to disarm him. Ron and Ginny also tried to draw their wands but Draco was faster, much faster. The Slytherin even summoned their wands into his hand. He stood there smirking at them.
"The famous Harry Potter finally returns and is disarmed in less than a second. One would think you would be able to put up a better fight than that Potter?" Draco goaded.
"Malfoy! What are you doing here?" Ron sneered as he looked at his wand clasped in Malfoy's left hand.
The Slytherin happily waved it in front of them, "what happened, can't do anything without your wands? One would have thought after spending so much time in the muggle world, you would have picked up a few new tricks."
Ron took a swing at Draco but the Slytherin was faster, ducking out of the way. Ron's fist unfortunately collided with the door frame.
"Ow," the redhead wizard cried cradling his hand.
"Guess you're not fast enough either," Draco said before going into a sneezing fit.
Harry, Ron and Ginny immediately took a step away from him.
"Gee, I thought a stuck up elitist pig like you would know to cover his mouth when he sneezes!" Ginny commented sardonically.
Draco glared at her, "I can sneeze on your wand next if you like?"
"Draco!" a women's voice called out from further inside the Burrow interrupting the standoff. "Draco Lucius Malfoy, you get back here this instant!" the female screeched at the top of her lungs, her voice getting closer to them. Neither of them recognized the voice and Harry could swear he saw a flicker of fear pass over Draco's face.
"I hope you don't think you are getting out of his house through that door," the woman stated angrily.
In response Draco opened the door wider for her to see the three people at the door. She was tall with short red hair that stopped at her shoulders. She had freckles on her face and beautiful green eyes. Her skin was slightly tan and she had a great figure. She narrowed her eyes at them and glanced briefly back into the Burrow and then back at them. Harry could see a spark of recognition in her eyes.
"Oh my god Draco is that..." she said in an excited voice.
"Yes," Draco said nonchalantly before he decided to do a formal introduction.
"Arianne Weasley meet the Saviour of the Wizarding World, Harry James Potter, the Prodigal Son, Ronald Bilius Weasley and the Wayward Daughter, Ginerva Molly Weasley," he said in a disinterested voice.
"Oh Molly's going to be so thrilled. I will go floo her right away," Arianne said enthusiastically looking at Draco.
"She's busy today. Remember the long lecture she gave us about not being disturbed even if the world was ending," Draco reminded her.
"Right," the redhead head said as she stopped to think about what to do next.
Harry looked incredulously between the redhead and Draco. Her last name was Weasley and gathering from the confusion on Ron and Ginny's faces she wasn't a cousin, despite her red hair. She must be married to one of Ron's brothers. It had been a long time, enough time for each of his brothers to settle down but that still didn't explain why Draco Malfoy was in the Burrow or why the witch Harry was going to assume was their sister-in-law was so comfortable with Draco.
"What about the others? Where's Percy?"
"Hogwarts," Draco replied. "And if memory serves me correct, Percy wasn't their favourite brother either."
Arianne frowned at that before continuing, "Charlie then?"
"He's at work and I really don't think we need to distract him. Samantha would have another fit if Charlie came home injured," Draco said picking at some dirt he had gathered under his nails.
Before Arianne could start listing off the brothers he supplied her with the answers, "Bill is unavailable, Fred and George are at the shop in Hogsmeade which they have yet to reconnect to the floo system after their last experiment ran amok. Hermione is in the Muggle world today and Luna is not supposed to return until tonight."
Arianne crossed her hands in front of her chest and tapped her right foot impatiently, "stop standing there like a smug git and tell me what we're going to do?"
"Invite them in?" Draco said with a shrug before he sneezed loudly again.
Arianne summoned a box of tissues and shoved them in Draco's hand.
"This is my house you can't be debating over whether or not to invite me in!" Ron said angrily as barged straight in with Ginny rounding up behind him. Both took the opportunity of Draco's distraction with the tissues to retrieve their wands from him. Once inside the house Ron trained his wand on Draco and Ginny pointed hers at the mysterious woman.
"Who are you?" Ginny demanded as she glared at the female intruder.
"Didn't I just tell you her name is Arianne. Jeez Weasel, you would think after all these years you would have at least a little bit more intelligence," Draco sneered at Ginny only for the effect to be lost as he sniffled a little.
"Don't talk to my sister like that," Ron shouted at him. Ron's ears had gone bright red and his face was slowly turning colour to match his hair.
"I'm your sister-in-law Ginny," Arianne replied with a happy smile on her face. She had no fear that Ginny would hex her. Molly had always described her only daughter as a caring girl and Arianne couldn't imagine Ginny hexing her over nothing.
"How do we know if you're telling us the truth?" Harry asked. He had retrieved his wand as well but he had chosen to wipe it down with a tissue first. He didn't want to be sharing germs with the Slytherin.
"Look at all the pictures Potter. Arianne is obsessed with taking them. All of the family is on these walls," Draco said pointing to the many moving pictures that occupied almost every square inch of the walls in the Burrow.
It was the first time they stopped to observe their surroundings. Nothing was as they remembered it. The furniture in the living room was completely different; in fact none of it looked worn. It all looked brand new. They recognised their brothers, Penelope, Katie, Alicia, Hermione, Luna, Draco, their parents and Arianne in the pictures. There were a few other witches and wizards that they did not recognise.
"Ferret, I don't know what is going on here but before the end of the day I will wipe that smug smile off your face," Ron threatened.
"Let's go to the kitchen for some tea and we can explain everything. I imagine it's been quite a shock for you," Arianne said warmly.
The kitchen was different as well. The table that once sat nine, now sat twice as many. Ginny briefly glanced up to where the clock should have been but was disappointed to see it gone. Arianne busily set about making tea and told them they could sit anywhere. The three of them sat together on one side of the table and Draco sat opposite them. Arianne levitated the tea pot along with the cups and saucers to the table.
"Draco, you think we could make this into a surprise for Molly? I can just picture it now. If we can get everyone here it would be perfect," Arianne said enthusiastically as she sat down next to Draco.
"Sorry to burst your bubble Ari but not everyone comes to the Burrow and I think something like this is best left to be discovered naturally. Molly will be here in a few hours to check up on me. She'll find out then," Draco said confidently.
Arianne gasped. "I almost forgot, your medication. I promised Molly I would make sure you took it."
Draco groaned. He had given himself away. He glanced at the door and started deciding on the best escape route. It was a skill Snape had taught him.
"Draco, don't you dare," Arianne said as she followed his line of sight to the door. She held out a teaspoon with a liquid on it. "It's just a teaspoon take it," Arianne ordered.
"I would rather eat mud than take that," Draco replied as he stubbornly crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"That could be arranged," Ron said cracking his knuckles.
"Don't make me hex you!" Arianne said threateningly
"Ha! You couldn't hex an elephant if it were standing right in front of you!" Draco replied superiorly.
"I could hex him," both Ginny and Ron volunteered happily.
"Draco stop being so stubborn and take the medicine," Arianne said ignoring the comment from Ginny and Ron. "Why do men always refuse to take care of their health!"
"Oh come on Ferret what's so hard about taking a little bit of medication? Are you scared?" Roy goaded.
"Malfoy has never been very courageous. That was why he was put in Slytherin or else we would have been stuck with him in our house," Ginny commented as she sipped gracefully from her teacup.
"If you're so brave, why don't you taste a little bit?" Draco said with a gleam in his eye.
Before Arianne could protest, Ron grabbed the teaspoon and downed it in one go. His face screwed up in immediate disgust.
"That is the worst thing I have ever tasted. And what is that after taste. Why is it getting worse?" Ron said reaching for the tea to try and get rid of the taste.
Draco smiled smugly at Ron as he raised the entire tea pot to his mouth. When that wasn't enough he went directly to the fridge looking for something sweet to drown out the taste.
"That was cruel," Arianne admonished Draco.
"I'm not taking that blasted medicine ok," Draco replied stubbornly. "I don't mind suffering through the sniffles,"
"Listen here mister, either you take it or I will call Hermione to shove it down your throat!" Arianne threatened.
"Do you even remember how to use a muggle cell phone? And if you did, do you remember Mione's number?" Draco teased Arianne with a broad smile.
Harry had been ignoring their little spat while he carefully observed all the changes in the Burrow. It was the little details that spoke volumes about the people that lived there. From the chains he remembered seeing in the yard to the absence of things that were precious to Arthur and Molly, Harry concluded that Bill lived at the Burrow now. Most of the pictures were of Bill and what he assumed were his three children. Both Arianne and Fleur were in the pictures but Fleur was conspicuously absent from the newer ones. He wondered if they had divorced. It was a rare occurrence in the magical community but it did happen.
He didn't know why the elder Weasleys moved out. Maybe like all elderly couples they wanted a smaller place. The mention of Hermione's name again caught Harry's attention. Throughout his seven years of travelling it was Hermione's presence that he missed the most. There were so many things he saw or did that he wanted to share with her. It was Hermione that ultimately brought him back to London.
Arianne was glaring ferociously at Draco.
"Uh, not to interrupt the lovely argument but I would be more than happy to shove that vile liquid down his throat," Ron said menacingly after he had eaten his way through five chocolate frogs.
A wicked smile adorned Arianne's face.
"No," Draco said fearfully.
"Either you take the medicine or I enlist the help of your brothers and sister," Arianne said with a rather large smile.
"I am not his brother and Ginny and Harry definitely are not his brother or sister!" an enraged Ron stated.
"Well Draco?" Arianne asked as she held the medicine up again. She had completely ignored Ron's comment.
"As the movie said, catch me if you can!" and Draco was gone with a soft pop.
Harry wondered how Draco knew about a muggle movie.
"That insufferable git! Hear my words Draco, I will get that medicine down your throat before Molly comes back if I have to tie you down and give it to you? Arianne screamed loudly into the house.
"Why are you screaming? He's gone. Isn't that good?" Ginny asked. She was beginning to think the woman in front of her wasn't all there in the head.
"He's still in the burrow. He wouldn't have left. He wouldn't dare defy Molly like that," Arianne said to them. "Molly would totally kick his ass."
"Why do you care so much about Draco taking his medicine?" Harry asked. "He is a full grown wizard."
"No Harry, you're forgetting he's a Malfoy, I don't think they ever grow up," Ginny explained as she finished the last of her tea. Harry had yet to touch his.
"I'm so sorry. I know I haven't been the best hostess but Molly entrusted this task to me and I have to prove to her that I can do it. Draco's got the flu. He has to take this medicine or it will just get worse, which would be fine really, except the last time he had it, he gave it to everyone and trust me you don't ever want to see Hermione sick!" Arianne shuddered at the thought of a sick Hermione.
"Molly told him he was to stay in the Burrow all day. He wouldn't have gone against her wishes. If only she had told him he was supposed to take his medicine. I can't believe the one thing she has ever asked me to do and I can't do it. Why must Draco be so difficult! He knows how important this is to me. I have to earn Molly's trust. I don't know how Hermione and Luna can put up with him!" Arianne rambled on but Harry noted the reference to the two witches.
"Sounds like Draco hasn't changed one bit. Still a selfish git that puts his needs before anyone else's," Harry said.
Arianne frowned, "I don't know the history between the four of you very well but that negative attitude towards him isn't going to work out in this family. We've accepted who Draco is. He is as much a part of the family as you guys are," Arianne told them. "But he leaves me no choice, Ron and Ginny would you like to play catch the ferret?" she asked.
"Abso-freaking-lutely," Ron said with a wicked glean in his eye.
"We'll need to split up. I suggest one person cover the kitchen, one person the bedrooms, oh, I guess I should do the bedrooms. We don't want the babies to wake up. One person should go to the attic and I think one person in the garden. That should do it," she said as she listed off the places on her hand.
"Why do we have to split up?" Ginny asked innocently.
Arianne explained that the wards had recently been improved and Draco was one of the few people that could apparate within the burrow. If all four of them confronted him he would just apparate somewhere else. She reasoned if one person confronted him and he did apparate, there was a high possibility that he would apparate right in front one of them. She continued rambling until she decided they had wasted enough time. On her way out the kitchen they could hear her mumbling continuously to herself.
"Is it me or does she need to be taken to Arkam Asylum?" Ron asked when she left them alone in the kitchen. He had become quite the Batman fan.
"Definitely mental," Harry agreed shaking his head.
"I think we're missing something really big," Ginny said thoughtfully.
"Big is an understatement Ginny. I feel like I'm a complete stranger here," Ron frustratingly said.
"The big question is why does the ferret seem to be an accepted member of the family?" Ginny posed to them. "I don't understand why they would accept him after everything his family did."
"At least now we know why we couldn't apparate straight here. Though I wonder why they would have needed to change the wards," Harry said as he began to ponder the issue of the wards.
He remembered during the war Mr. Weasley had placed strong protection wards on the Burrow. They got through the entire war without a single incident. He couldn't understand why they would need to redo the wards now.
"I don't trust her but should we seem like we are helping her until we get some more concrete answers?" Ginny asked
"On the bright side, it does mean getting rough with Malfoy so I'm all for going along with her plans for now," Ron stated eagerly.
"Well, since you put it like that, I'm definitely in," Harry said with a wicked gleam in his eye. He had never got to put Malfoy in his place during the war.
"Ok, Harry, you get the attic and Ron gets the garden. I will stay down here," Ginny said with a broad smile as she pulled out a magazine from her bag and started reading it on the table.
Harry got the feeling that they missed out quite a few major events in the last seven years and they had a huge amount of catching up to do.