Disclaimer: Again, I own Fiera, Alera, and the plot. If there's anything you've read before elsewhere, it's not mine. If it was yours…. um. Sorry?
Almost
Harry slept late the next day. He'd had trouble getting to
sleep because he was consumed with curiosity about Ginny. In
fact, his first wakeful thought was, "I know Ginny means a lot to
me, but I think I'm getting obsessed."
Ron wasn't in the room, so Harry knew it had to be at least ten
o'clock. He pulled himself out of bed and put on random
clothes. He paused at the mirror to flatten his hair, but then
walked away without touching it. It was just the Weasleys after
all, and his hair would do whatever it wanted anyway. Besides, it
was his birthday and he wanted a day to be with his "family"
without worrying over their safety.
Ginny was downstairs, playing tag with Alera Cranbourn's nieces.
Alera was the beautiful woman that Charlie was in love with, and her
nieces were equally great. Nona was a small blonde thing with
sparkling blue eyes, while Jessie (although the same size) had dark
brown hair and turquoise eyes. They loved Ginny's fiery red
hair and the fact that she was one of the "big kids" but it
didn't stop her from playing in the garden. Shrieks of
laughter filled the air and Alera looked out the kitchen
window.
"The girls are absolutely beautiful, Alera," Molly smiled while
directing streamers to attach themselves to the ceiling in different
places. "I haven't honestly seen Ginny that playful and
carefree for a long time."
Alera turned back to the small redhead. She loved Charlie's
mother already. As soon as Molly had seen her, she'd wrapped
the younger woman in a warm, welcoming hug. She had been
nervous about meeting the famously large Weasley family, especially
after Charlie described them. However, Bill was nice, Arthur
and Molly had just pulled her into the family, Fred and George had
promised she would be safe from intentional pranks until her third
visit, Ron was so busy helping decorate for his friend's party she
hadn't gotten a chance to really talk to him yet, and Ginny was
just wonderful with girls. Alera wished that her sister could have
been there to see the way this family had instantly accepted Nona and
Jessie.
"I'm glad she likes Nona and Jessie," Alera nodded. "I'd
hate fpr them to annoy her."
Molly looked at the woman who would be her daughter-in-law. She
had long, brown hair and golden brown eyes that were, oddly enough,
the exact color of Ginny's.
"I hadn't noticed it before, Alera," Molly said, "but by some
strange coincidence, your eyes are the exact shade of Ginny's.
I've only seen that color eyes in Ginnyand her friend Fiera. Why,
the three of you could be sisters.
Alera blinked and glanced back at Ginny. "Really?" she
asked. "How very odd."
The older woman smiled and turned back to the decorations. "I
suppose, after next month, you will be sisters with
Ginny."
Molly was so interested in finishing the decorations, she completely
missed the thoughtful, probing stare that Alera directed at
Ginny.
Outside, Ginny collapsed, laughing on the ground, Nona and Jessie
Piper falling on top of her.
"That was fun, Ginny!" Nona, the more out-going of the two,
cried.
"Are you going to be our aunt, when Charlie marries Aunt Alera?"
Jessie asked.
Ginny looked at the girls for a moment. "I suppose I will, in
a way. You'll have to ask Alera to be sure."
"We don't have a mum and dad no more," Nona
announced.
The older girl smiled sadly. "I know. But you have an aunt
who loves you very much."
Jessie stood up at looked longingly at The Burrow. "Since we
don't have one, do you think Aunt Alera would be our
mum?"
"There's no harm in asking."
"Ginny?"
She turned to face the blonde. "Yes, Nona?"
"Do you think Charlie would be our dad?"
"Ask him."
Jessie looked like she was thinking. "You mean like how he
asked Aunt Alera to marry him?"
Ginny laughed. "Sort of like that. Except not as
mushy."
Both girls grinned. "Let's ask right now!" they cried in
unison.
They grabbed Ginny's hands and pulled her to her feet, and they all
ran for the door. They happened to walk in the door just as
Harry walked down the stairs. Ginny stood in the door staring at him,
while the girls ran off. He was her ideal, even with tousled hair and
eyes still blurry from sleep. Her resolved hardened once again to
make herself into the sort of person that could help him
survive.
"What's going on?" he asked, a sleepy confusion clouding his
eyes.
"It's a birthday party, silly," Hermione answered, as she was
closest to him.
"For who?" Harry responded.
Ron chuckled and threw a streamer at him. "I'm thinking
you, mate. The only other person with a birthday near today is
Neville, and that was yesterday."
Harry stood there on the last step grinning as he realized what they
were planning.
Molly hustled him off the stairs and into the kitchen.
"Charlie's already here, he brought Alera and the
girls."
"Really?" Harry asked. "Where are they?"
"They're out back with Ginny, and everyone else will be here in
about an hour," Molly answered.
"Actually, Mum," Ginny
called from the door. "We're inside now. Nona and Jessie went to
talk to Charlie and Alera."
Harry looked up at Ginny in
surprise. Their eyes locked and held for several long moments, and he
could almost feel the warring emotions fill the air. Ginny seemed on
the verge of smiling, but something held her back. Harry suddenly
felt like doing something spectacular in order to impress her, but he
didn't know what he could do.
He shook himself
mentally, wondering what had happened. For a moment, he'd felt the
same as if he'd been standing in a room with a full-blood
veela.
"What time is it?" he asked, shifting his focus away from the
young red-haired woman.
Molly smiled. "Nearly eleven, we let you sleep
in."
"Morning, Harry," Ginny greeted him.
He smiled at his own personal temptress, who was looking very well
rested indeed, holding out a glass of juice
"At least I've got pants on this time," he said as he took the
juice.
"What?" Molly exclaimed, causing both teens to laugh
uproariously.
After a lengthy explanation (which Ron and Hermione had to be
questioned about) Molly shook her head.
"Honestly…"
Just then a whooshing from the fireplace caught their attention.
They all turned to see Neville Longbottom step calmly out of the
fireplace. Neville had matured in the last couple of years.
He was 5'11", medium build, and since he'd begun taking an
active interest in herbology (his best subject) he'd actually built
up his confidence.
"Hi, guys," he greeted everyone. "Gram will be here in a
moment, she wanted to make sure Fiera got off alright."
Fiera Phoenix, Ginny's best friend from school, was dating
Neville. Last year, every male in the school had thought they
were in love with Fiera when transferred from an American school
taught by a relative of Albus Dumbledore. Fiera knew more magic
than she let on; she had even sent Draco Malfoy flying down the steps
into the potions dungeon without even drawing her wand. She and
Ginny spent a lot of free time together.
Fiera stepped out of the fireplace, her strawberry blonde hair
looking windblown and her golden eyes dancing.
"That was fun."
With a pop, Mrs. Longbottom appeared. "Happy birthday,
Harry."
Even though he'd never actually met Neville's Gram, she plunked a
large gift on the Weasley's table.
"Oh!" Molly cried. "I've not started the cake!"
Mrs. Longbottom smiled. "I'll help, Molly. You kids
run along."
An hour later, the Weasley home was filled with friends and
acquaintances of Harry's. Some popped in to congratulate him,
some stayed for the party. Nearly everyone brought a gift.
They piled up in a corner of the living room, glittering, growing,
and leaning, until Molly and Mrs. Longbottom brought in the
cake.
It was magnificent, a four layer chocolate masterpiece with
strawberry icing, and a completely still golden snitch on
top.
"How'd you get that snitch to sit so still, Mrs. Weasley?"
Harry asked.
A little sheepishly, Molly admitted, "I used the full body bind on
it."
They apparated, leaving Harry feeling a bit down, until he heard a
young girl's voice.
"Excuse me!" Nona was shouting. "Can we have
everybody's attention? Jessie and I want to say
something!"
"Sorry, Harry, we know it's your birthday and all, but
this is about us!" Jessie added, caused a few titters in the
crowd.
"Everybody knows that we lost our mum and dad two years ago and
have been living with our Aunt Alera," Nona began.
"Aunt Alera's been really good to us, and when she decided to
marry Charlie, we were glad to get a uncle," Jessie
continued.
Nona glanced at Ginny then said, "We would have an aunt and
an uncle, but we still wouldn't have a mum and dad."
Jessie smiled at everyone. "We came up with a plan that would
give us all of those!"
"We want Aunt Alera to be our mum!"
"And Charlie to be our dad!"
Everyone stared in shock at the two girls, and then Alera approached
them.
"They've already asked us about it, earlier
today," she said. "I didn't know they were going to announce it
in front of all these people we just met."
Charlie
laughed. "I'm honored to have three wonderful girls so eager to
join my family that they'd even take me in order to do it."
Alera
flashed him a grateful, love-filled smile. "Oh,
Charlie."
Ginny, who was standing just a few feet away, said, "You girls know
your name won't be Piper anymore."
"That's right," said Alera. "It'll be
Cranbourn."
"No," said Charlie and the girls.
Alera was confused. "What?"
Charlie smiled and looked deeply into Alera's eyes. "It'll
be Weasley, just like you."
Alera teared up and the girls threw their arms around them both.
Everyone watched the touching scene, many people (especially women)
tearing along with her. Suddenly, Charlie started to
laugh.
"I think we're done for now, Harry," he said. "I think
it's safe to open your presents."
Four hours and fifty-three gifts (more than Dudley have ever gotten
for his birthday) later, an exhausted Weasley family collapsed around
the living room, which was cleaning itself. Fleur, Alera and
Molly were discussing the weddings, when they decided to hold as a
big double wedding two days before the kids went off to school, so
they'd have a full day as a family.
Neville and Fiera were still there, having been given permission to
stay overnight.
"Instead of ring bearers, why not use phoenix?" Alera
suggested.
"But where would we find one?" Fleur asked.
"Ask a Fire Witch to change into one for the wedding."
Molly looked at Alera skeptically. "I don't know any Fire
Witches, dear. And I'm not sure anyone else in our family does
either."
No one but Harry noticed Ginny nudge Fiera suddenly.
Alera was confused. "You don't?" she asked, not quite
believing her.
Molly shook her head.
The younger girl blinked, and then looked quite obviously at Ginny
and Fiera, who had paled suddenly. The younger girls clutched
each other's hand. Harry noticed this
exchange,also.
"But…Ginny's a Fire Witch," Alera stated calmly, with no
trace of doubt in her voice. "She and Fiera both.
"Ginny?" Molly exclaimed. "I think you're
mistaken."
"Actually, she's not." Ginny noted, taking a deep breath.
"You know, I can explain, Mum."
Harry was the only
person in the room who noticed the stormy expression on Neville's
face and felt the nervous energy fill the air.
