Chapter Two:
I held on to Damen as we flooed to Diagon Alley. I waited for the rest of my new family, to follow me. And I meant that, they were slowly becoming family. Molly, instantly mothering me, Ginny seeming like a sister that I never had, even Harry acting like a brother.
I was walking around, when Harry's voice said, "My first floo trip, I landed in Knockturn Alley." I turned around and Harry had followed me, then Ginny. We talked while waiting on the others. I knew the instant Ron was here. "Good, everyone's here," Molly said as a brunette joined us. "Hermione, dear, this is Kyleigh and Damen," she said to the new comer. 'So this is the girl Ron was talking about.' I looked Hermione up and down before replying, "Hiya. It's nice to meet you finally. Everyone's been telling me about you."
"Pleasure," she said before turning to talk with Ginny.
I felt saddened by her brisk reply and rejection, but brushed it off as excitement to see her best friends. Ron placed his hand ever so softly at the small of my back. He knew how I was hurt by that, even if nothing showed outwardly.
"We should start off going to Gringott's first."
We got enough out to purchase what we needed and left the wizarding bank. Next, we headed to get robes. I was the only one that needed to buy robes. So, I told the others to take Damen somewhere. They decided to take him to the twins' joke shop.
Madam Malkin measured me for my Hogwarts robes. I lifted my arms, stood still, stood straight, etc. After it was done, I was sitting on an ottoman waiting on my robes, when Ron walked in. "Mum says that we're going to the apothecary next." He ruffled his hair and was about to say something when Madam Malkin walked back in with my robes. "Here, I'll take those," Ron said.
I thanked her and paid for my robes. We walked out the robe shop, "I know I said I'd give you space, but I can't stand you shunning me." I stopped walking and turned to him. "You can't keep denying that we have something," he searched my face for my eyes. When he found them, he locked on. "Just being near you, I feel complete. Don't give up on us.," he said turning and walking towards his family waiting in front of the apothecary.
Damen saw me and squirmed until Ginny put him down. He ran as fast as his little legs could go. He jumped and hugged my legs almost tripping me. Ron grabbed my arm to steady me. "Thanks," I said and picked up Damen.
"Look what the funny one gave me," Damen said and held out a whoopee cushion. I laughed and said, "I see. Did you thank him for giving that to you?"
He nodded his little head and hugged me. I hugged him back thinking, 'What am I going to do? I wish momma was still alive so I could ask her how she felt, and what I should do.'
When we were done shopping, we all went back to my place. I put everything away that I had purchased, and checked on Damen. He was still asleep, so I turned to go see where everyone was, and ran into Ginny.
"Something's going on between you and my brother. I want to know what. And you better not hurt him," she puffed out.
Instead of speaking, I motioned my head towards my room upstairs and we headed up. "Wow," she said. I handed her my mom's diary and began opening the curtains in my room. It was still early afternoon, so I could look around the grounds. I saw the cottage in the middle of the maze like my aunt described. When I got to the last curtains, I noticed there was a balcony. I walked over to the other side of the fireplace and flung open the last one and saw a set of French double doors leading out to the balcony. Before I could open the door, Ginny had come up to me and said, "Is this what's going on between you and Ron?"
I saw that her finger was opened to the page with the word soulmate written on it and that her finger was pointing to it.
"Yes. Everything that I am, is complete whenever he's nearby. I know the instant he's in the same room as me. But, it's all too soon. I've only known him for a day. A day?!" I repeated.
"I don't know what to do. I wish my mom was here," I said crying. Arms went around me, but they weren't feminine. They were Ron's.
"Shhhh," he whispered into my hair. "It'll be okay."
I heard Ginny say quietly, "I'll leave you two alone."
We stood like that. Me engulfed in Ron's arms. For what seemed like an eternity. Finally, I withdrew myself from his arms, wiped the tears from my face, and looked up at him. I knew that this was who I was meant to be with, but it was still too soon. I kissed him softly on the lips, "I'm not."
I left the room and ran into Hermione on the bottom of the stairs. "Good, I was just coming to get you. Have you seen Ron? Dinner's ready." Ron was coming down the stairs.
"Oh good, I'm bloody starving," he went passed us and down the hall.
Hermione looked at me, but said nothing.
I grabbed Damen from his room, he had woken up and was playing with some of the house-elves. I saw Lubby, "After dinner, I want to have that meeting."
Dinner was served in the breakfast nook again like the night before. Everyone else was already seated. Hermione had taken the last seat next to Ginny, so that left me to sit next to Ron. I put Damen in his seat and sat down. I could feel the warmth between us. I put food on Damen's tray and we began to eat.
Dinner was over and the Weasley's, Hermione, and Harry said their goodbyes, apparating away. Damen and I waved at them. Ron lingered a bit, sticking his hands in his pockets, he asked, "Did you want me to stay again?"
I thought a minute, gathering my thoughts. "Everything that I am is saying yes, to stay. And of course, I want you to stay, but I just can't. I do need some space. I've only known you for a little over a day. This is crazy."
"Love is crazy," Ron interrupted.
"But I promise, I won't give up. I'm not going to. I just want to take things slow."
He smiled, apparating home to the Burrow. I could give him that. I wasn't saying no, but I wasn't jumping into it either.
"Lubby," I called out. Lubby appeared and I said, "It's time for that meeting." I shut the front door and waited for all of the house-elves.
"Now, I can imagine how your previous owner's treated you. First off, let me say that I do not expect you to be treated like slaves. I had a pile of old clothes appear. You do not have to wear those rags anymore. Make your own, be free. If you choose to stay, do so at your own will, not mine." I ended my little speech expecting them all to leave, once presented with clothes.
Instead they looked at me with tears and said in unison, "We wish to stay and serve our missus."
They immediately fashioned their own clothes out of what I gave them and put on a little fashion show for us. Damen who had been quiet through the whole exchange with Ron and my little meeting with the house-elves, squealed and clapped his hands. I set him down on the living room floor and he began imitating them doing their catwalk. I laughed and felt happy for the first time, since my parents deaths. Well, other than when I was with Ron.