From Miserable to Spectacular
Authors note: w00p my longest chapter yet!
CHAPTER 11 – White Houses
Twiddling her thumbs, Mrs. Weasley looked up into Oliver's eyes and smiled
She at first didn't respond. Oliver looked at her intently watching and listening for her to answer. Taking her answer as a no after waiting for a response and not receiving one, Oliver turned around and started to head back towards the kitchen door.
Well I'm not really one to be making such a decision now am I?" she asked.
"What do you mean by that?" Oliver questioned. The two were still staring at each other in a friendly manner. Oliver was quite unsure of what Mrs. Weasley had meant by what she had said.
"What I mean Oliver, is that you are the one that made the renovations on the burrow, and you're an adult. You're like a son to me same as Harry, and whatever decision you make I will stand behind you all the way."
The look of relief appeared on Oliver's face. Mrs. Weasley who had kept a smile on her face the entire time turned around and returned to her duties in the kitchen. After watching Mrs. Weasley walk in the kitchen Oliver turned and went to help Charlie and Bill move stuff from Grimmauld place to the Burrow.
After half the load was complete Remus Lupin also joined the three men to take the boxes from house to house. They took a break halfway through and indulged into the butterbeer and crumb cake that Mrs. Weasley had so nicely made them all.
"So how are all of you fairing?" Lupin asked the three as they sat down in the newly renovated kitchen within the Burrow. He hadn't seen Bill or Charlie in a few good months and he hadn't seen Oliver since he taught him at Hogwarts.
"I'm doing good Remus, I'm just kind of sad that I'm not going to be going back to Romania anytime soon," Charlie said. The others listened as Charlie went on and on about what he's been up to and how his dragons had been behaving odd lately. When he was done Bill told of how he and Fleur Décor had been having a nice time of late.
"I'm doing alright thanks," said Oliver when it was his turn to talk. He didn't say anything more or less than that, and everyone took that as a signal not to say anything else about it.
An odd silence fell across the room after no one wanted to speak or ask a question when Oliver said that. They all knew he still had a short temper when thinking about his parents, and how they still haven't been found dead or alive.
"Ready to finish?" Charlie asked the rest of them when they were done eating and drinking. The short break showed to be a positive one. The four of them combined finished the exchange of boxes from one house to the other in one short hour after they had gotten back from the break.
As they walked into the kitchen they noticed Mr. & Mrs. Weasley in there accompanied by Kingsley Shacklebolt, Sturgis Podmore, and Dedalus Diggle all huddled around the kitchen table with none of the younger kids in sight.
Looking up to see who it was the members of the order welcomed Charlie, Bill, Oliver, and Remus warmly. They brought them up to date on what they had been discussing, and conjured up seats so that the four men could sit at the table, as well.
"So now out of all of us here who would be able to watch over Harry the most?" Kingsley asked. Oliver and Charlie both raised their hands hesitantly after looking at each other for reassurance. "Oh that's right you two are going to be teaching at Hogwarts aren't you?" Kingsley half asked half stated.
"It is key and very important that you two look after Harry as much as you can, and make sure that he is able to trust you with anything," Mr. Weasley said.
"Why?" Oliver asked.
"Well because you see Harry didn't master Occlumency and we have reason to believe that You-know-who is going to be trying to invade Harry's thoughts again," Sturgis said.
Both Charlie and Oliver shook their heads showing they understood they needed to look after Harry while he's at school. They also both promised they would look after him as much as they could. When the meeting was adjourned Kingsley, Mr. & Mrs. Weasley, and Dedalus Diggle all said goodbyes.
"Oliver, I took the day off for you tomorrow so I could help move some of your stuff, so I'll be around the burrow about 9am," Kingsley said before the group of four disapparated to the ministry for the meeting.
"Well I have a meeting with Professor Dumbledore so if you three will excuse me I think I will meet him before he thinks I've forgotten about it," Lupin said getting up from where he was sitting at the table. Wishing his goodbyes he walked out of the kitchen and into the hall where he was going to floo to meet Dumbledore.
"So it's about time to get the others and move them back to the Burrow, you think?" Bill questioned.
Charlie and Oliver agreed and went upstairs to find Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Harry. They found the four easily huddled outside the kitchen, undoubtedly having been trying to eavesdrop.
"What have you four been doing outside here this whole time?" Charlie asked with a grin on his face. The four tried to pretend they hadn't been listening.
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked.
Before anyone could answer him, Oliver bent down and picked up an earlike object.
"What's that?" he asked.
"It's one of Fred and George's extendable ears no doubt," Bill said picking it up. "Am I going to have to be like mum and start confiscating all of these?" he asked.
The four slowly shook their heads no, and stood silently knowing they were guilty as charged. After awhile Bill told them all to go by the fireplace so that they could floo to the Burrow. Bill apparated to the house before any of the younger children went for safety measures.
When Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Harry had safely floo'd, Charlie and Oliver both said goodbye to Grimmauld place and dissparated simultaneously.
"Bloody brilliant!" Ron explained his eyes not knowing which way to look in his newly renovated house. "This is like all of those white houses for witches and wizards you see in the Transfiguration Today advertisements and here on the Wizard Wireless Network!" He yelled out with great joy.
"It's wonderful!" Hermione said smiling anxiously.
"Well now go and have a look," Charlie said. The four scattered all at once. Ron went up the long spiral staircase followed closely behind by Harry. In the other direction Ginny and Hermione both went towards the kitchen and the den.
Oliver, Charlie, and Bill all walked into the kitchen seeing Hermione and Ginny having a blast looking at all the new things that had been added.
"It's like an entirely new house!" Ginny said. Running over to Oliver she hugged him long and tight. "Ginny your k-k-illing me!" Oliver said after a long suppressed minute, in which he could barely breathe. Finally letting go, Ginny walked off into the Den which was connected to two little separate areas of the house.
The three men sat down at the kitchen. "Where are Fred and George? I thought your mum said they were only aloud to leave for one hour," Oliver said.
"Oh come on Wood you know the twins they have their own timeframe. Mum new very well when she agreed one hour that it was really four or five," Bill said laughing.
Charlie conjured up three butterbeers and as he did Fred and George walked into the kitchen and sat down at the remaining two chairs.
"This is amazing, Wood," George said.
"No amazing is an understatement," Fred said to George. "By the way how many rooms are there?" he asked.
Oliver sighed trying to remember. There had been a living room, den, kitchen, and a separate living area with a bathroom for Mrs. & Mr. Weasley, Charlie, Bill, each of the twins, and him. In addition to that there was a room for Ginny and Ron, and a guest room for anyone staying with the family which had a bathroom connected for the three rooms to share.
"I estimate about thirteen, if not more," he said after he thought about it. The four redheads couldn't stop thanking him.
"Really it's no problem at all. I have to get rid of this money somehow, and the best way to do it is help those who are in need," he said.
Everyone smiled and gave a slight chuckle including Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Harry who had just reappeared from all areas of the house.
Fred looked up at the clock and noticed it was past seven. "When are mum and dad supposed to get back?" he asked. Everyone shrugged there shoulders and asked why.
"I was kind of thinking we could all try out the new quiditch pitch in the backyard until they come home," he said with a grin appearing on his face. Most everyone agreed to the idea and before long most were running up to their new rooms to get their brooms.
"I think I will stay clear of this one," Bill said.
"Me too," Hermione added.
After the two decided to play there were unequal teams. Oliver, Fred, and Harry were on one team, and Ginny, George, Charlie, and Ron were on the other team.
"How is this fair?" Fred complained.
"Shut up you git, you know very well Oliver is the best keeper and Harry the best seeker," George said.
"You're not sure if Harry's the best seeker until you see me and him go head to head!" Charlie said pretending to sounds sad.
After some unneeded bickering the teams were decided, and they all started to play.
"And their all off to a quick start, all of these fantastic players are either former or present Gryffindor quiditch stars," said someone from down below.
Oliver looked down to see Lee Jordan announcing the game. "Where did he come from?" Oliver asked Fred when he came by after smacking a bludger.
"Come now Wood your not that thick are you! You should know by now that Lee has a keen sense to know when a quiditch game is about to happen," he said zooming away towards the other side of the pitch.
The game ended quickly. Harry snatched the snitch from right under Charlie's nose.
"That is one of the quickest games I've ever been in," Ron said. Everyone else looked at him like he was crazy.
"You have a lot to learn the little grasshopper," Charlie said bowing and laughing hysterically. Ron became offended at that and turned scarlet before running inside the house. Soon Harry followed along with Hermione on his tail.
"Wood, there's an owl with a note addressed to you that came," Bill said handing Oliver the letter. He walked inside and sat at the kitchen table. Tearing the envelope he unfolded the parchment and read.
Oliver,
I wasn't able to get in touch with you today, but I was thinking maybe tomorrow we could go out and get a bite to eat. A date you may call it. Nothing to fancy, but just so we can be together some more. Hope to here a reply soon. If I don't receive one back I will take it as a No for tomorrow.
-Katie.
"Who's it from?" Fred asked sitting down. Oliver glanced up from the parchment he had conjured mere seconds ago, and gave a slight smile.
"Well, it's from Katie," he admitted after Fred tried to snatch the letter. Fred stopped snatching his mouth opening wide.
"What's the shocked face for?" Oliver inquired.
"Well it's just that I... You... Her... So wait let me get this straight. You and her are an item now?" he asked.
Oliver shook his head yes again. Fred thought to himself for a minute with a face that meant he hadn't known and he was surprised. George, Bill, and Charlie all walked in and sat down beside the other two.
"Did you know Wood and Bell are an item now?" Fred asked the others. Bill shook his head yes while the others shook their head no.
"That's great Wood, you want to go out on a triple date with Fred, Alicia, Angelina, and I tomorrow night?" George questioned. Oliver looked at him apprehensively before shrugging. "I'll ask Katie and see what she says about it," he said.
He went back to writing fiercely when the sound of someone flooing into the fireplace was heard.
"Must be mum and dad back," Charlie said.
He got up and walked into the living room followed closely by the others. When they walked into the other room everyone just stood there not moving a muscle. At the spiral staircase Ron, Ginny, Harry, and Hermione all stood there not moving either. No one made a sound not wanting to be the first to speak, and instead resorted to staring.
Ron was the first to speak up in a half angry half disappointed voice.
"What's he doing here?" he asked.