A/N - we're really trying to get this out. it's been giving us FITS. Sorry
not to mention all the reviewers this time! Not enough time. but THANK YOU
and we'll get you next chapter!
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Jenni pulled down the covers and slipped into the bed. She could still hear the noise from the party going on through the opened window as a slight breeze ruffled the curtains. Her cheeks were still flushed from Bill's... suggestive earlier comment. She knew he was only teasing of course, but something in his voice sent shivers down her back. She felt her cheeks grow hotter even as she tried to push his smooth voice and those blue eyes from her thoughts. It didn't work. She couldn't stop thinking of him. Resigning herself to dreams of Bill, Jenni let out a small sigh and glanced over at Nancy. She noticed Charlie's arms draped protectively around her friend, but avoided looking at his face, not sure yet how she felt about all that had happened. At the very least, however, Nancy was safe and sleeping soundly. On a sigh, she closed her eyes, satisfied for tonight.
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Bill stared up at the ceiling down in the living room, having explained the situation to his intrigued mother. He knew it was useless to try and sleep right now. It wouldn't quiet down until the party was over and all the guests went home. Hell, he admitted, he wouldn't have been able to fall asleep even if there had been complete silence at the Burrow - not with the thoughts of a certain brunette that kept racing through his mind. He grinned, remembering her face flushing a deep red at his naughty comeback. Whoever had said that red heads had the worst tempers had obviously never MET Jenni Ferguson. Bill sighed, settling in on the lumpy couch. He wished tonight had been different. Not that it had been a waste, but he would have liked to be enjoying the party with Jenni by his side instead of watching her worry. His face turned serious as he considered how easily she had followed his lead during their conversation with his mother... it was so unlike her. Thinking about that conversation led to other memories, and Bill's last thought before falling asleep was how RIGHT her head had felt resting against his chest.
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Charlie sighed. He could hear the party wrapping up outside. A familiar whine made him hurry to cover Nancy's ears before the filibuster fireworks exploded in the sky, drawing an "oooooh" from the slowly departing guests. He glanced down at her, slowly removing his hands from her ears. She hadn't moved a centimeter since she'd fallen asleep so suddenly. His left leg was completely numb, and despite the pillow his mother had handed him, something was digging into his right shoulder blade. A soft snore drew his attention over to Jenni, who was draped across Bill's bed almost primly, as though trying to protest her placement even in her sleep. He couldn't restrain a grin, his brother was going to have one hell of a chase, but if their few good moments had been any indication, it would be well worth it. Charlie just hoped that Bill was able to get the transfer he'd asked for from Gringotts. Shifting slightly, he eased some of the pressure on his shoulder. Ah, that was better. Nothing he could do about that leg right now, he thought ruefully as he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. Within moments he was slipping into sleep, flashes of curly brown hair and laughing eyes haunting his dreams.
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Jenni was awakened by a noise at the door. She looked up through a mound of blankets and pillows and saw a rather small boy with dark hair standing in the doorway. She sat there for a moment, confused and trying to remember just exactly where she was. It slowly came back to her - the party Bill had invited them to, Nancy getting sick, their decision to stay overnight. Satisfied with that, her eyes focused on the person in the doorway. Bill had said his name was... Harry?
"Sorry," he said, noticing her suddenly. "I didn't mean to wake you up."
"S'ok. Is something wrong?" Jenni muttered through a yawn, squinting at the bright sunlight through the opened window.
"No," he quickly shook his head. "I just can't find my broomstick and I thought maybe Bill or Charlie had seen it." He paused for a second, looking rather uncomfortable, and ran a hand through his messy black hair, giving Jenni a full view of his forehead and the lightening scar on it. Her jaw dropped. He shrugged in her direction. "I'll... I'll go ask Fred or George. They might know where it is."
Jenni watched as... yes, it had to be Harry POTTER... he ducked out of the room. Falling back on the pillows, she turned to the bed where Nancy had been sleeping. Charlie was only just beginning to stir. Heavy sleeper, she thought with a grin, while deciding that Bill would never have slept through an entire conversation. Wait... where did that come from? Shaking her head to get her thoughts straight, she finally focused on the other side of the room, and sat straight up, alarmed.
"Where's Nancy?" she asked - the reason for their overnight stay was NOT where she should be.
Charlie sat up slowly, blinking through the fog of sleep and letting Jenni's words sink in. He looked around a bit distractedly. "She was here all night. Maybe she had to.."
"You don't know where she is?" Jenni flung the blankets off and jumped out of bed, making her way towards Charlie. "She was in the same bed as you and you don't know where she is? She was sick and pale, and she's gotten so thin and weak and you let her slip out without noticing?"
"I was asleep." Charlie stopped mid-stretch to stutter out his excuses, hoping that Jenni didn't have her wand handy. "If I would have known she was going to wake up I would have stayed awake all night."
Jenni advanced threateningly, "You should have stayed awake anyway. Made sure she was ok, and if she woke up then you would have known. Then, she wouldn't have wandered off."
Charlie stood up suddenly, and Jenni realized that he was quite a large man, despite being so much shorter than Bill. He glared at her. "Wandered off? ME stay awake? Why didn't YOU stay awake? If you know how prone to wandering off she is then how come YOU didn't keep an eye on her?"
Jenni was caught off guard as Charlie rounded on her. "And may I remind you," he continued, "that while you were sleeping comfortably, I was using a headboard for a pillow, my leg had gone COMPLETELY numb, and I was forced to stay absolutely still for almost 9 hours because I wanted to make sure Nancy was able to sleep undisturbed." He waited for her to answer him with some sort of snippy remark. When none was forthcoming, he sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. "Now, if you want to help me find Nancy, you can start by checking the kitchen downstairs while I check the bedrooms upstairs. Can you handle that?"
Jenni watched as Charlie stalked out of the room. She felt a bit ashamed of her outburst, and not knowing what else to do, headed down to the kitchen. Jenni felt a sickening weight in the pit of her stomach as she surveyed the empty room. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Jenni turned hoping to see Nancy following behind Charlie. However, one look at his face told her he had been unsuccessful as well. With a groan at the sight of her sitting alone, Charlie turned around and headed back to his room.
He emerged a few minutes later, having changed out of his wrinkled robes from last night. Jenni glared at him from where she was slumped down in a nearby chair, wishing she had a change of clothes. He tossed her a bundle, saying, "These are Mum's. She a little different size than you two, but... I figure if we have to launch a search, we shouldn't be dealing with robes."
Jenni was just coming out of the bedroom when Charlie's head came up sharply. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" She started down the stairs.
Charlie held a hand up to stop Jenni from talking. "Listen. I think I heard Nancy."
Straining her ears, Jenni heard several voices coming from outside. Bounding past Charlie, she headed out the door and towards them.
She was moving so fast that she didn't even see the long, lean redhead stretched out on the grass in front of the field. He gave her a startled look as she walked past him, her face fixed on the blur that was Nancy. Bill was just scrambling up to stop Jenni from walking out onto the Quidditch field when Charlie caught his arm and swung him around. He had noticed just WHERE Nancy was, and began venting his rather bottled up feelings about being stupid enough to trust a girl on a broomstick after... It didn't take long before Bill was defending himself rather loudly.
Not having anyone to stop her, Jenni ran straight onto the playing area and yelled at the top of her lungs, "NANCY!!!!"
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"NANCY!!!!"
Jenni's shrill cry cut through the jovial atmosphere above the field. Nancy paused, batting away a bludger without really looking at it as she scanned the ground below her for her friend, wondering what could be wrong NOW. Fred and George flew over to her, grinning.
"You really are one hell of a beater," Fred said admiringly. "Glad Bill took the time to set up the enchantments so we could bring out the real deal bludgers."
"Never did figure out why you were bumped for us in second year..." George added thoughtfully.
She glanced at them, after finally spotting Jenni running through the grass towards their game. "Oh, it was because I have a tendency to get distracted and... JENNI! What are you DOING?"
The twins looked at each other as she sped off, confused. "And what, I wonder..." George muttered.
Nancy didn't answer, she was focused on the small, angry form of Jenni. The small, angry form that was about to get brained by a bludger and didn't even know it. The yells she heard from behind her indicated that the twins had caught onto her worries, but she knew that the borrowed Firebolt she rode was the only one capable of reaching her stubborn friend fast enough.
Jenni looked up as Nancy approached her at a breakneck speed. "What are you DOING? Trying to kill me?" she yelled out, her eyes widening as Nancy yelled "DUCK!!" and swung her beater's club hard.
All five pairs of eyes that did not belong to Jenni Ferguson were watching the bludger as Nancy swung. Bill took off at a run for the field, and Charlie, recovering a moment later, stopped berating his brother and followed. As her club connected with the vicious ball and sent it hurtling towards the twins, all four onlookers let out a sigh of relief. Nancy let out a loud squeal, feeling herself slipping off of her perch on the fast- moving Firebolt, and Jenni didn't make a sound, just stayed crouched near the ground.
The next moment seemed to go in horrible slow motion for Charlie. He could tell that Nancy was over-extended, she'd never get her balance back on the broom, not at that speed. Putting on a burst of speed, he was still a good twenty feet away when she tumbled to the ground with a thud.
As he reached her, he saw her lift her head slightly and mutter, "Oh bloody hell. I did it again." Charlie knelt down to see if she was hurt, and was surprised to see his hands shaking. He forced them to steady with sheer willpower and ran them lightly over her arms and legs, before lifting her head.
"Do you think next time you could just tell her to duck?" he whispered so that only she could hear. By this point, Bill had reached them, and Charlie could hear his younger brothers landing over where they had left the family Quidditch chest to force the bludgers back inside. Her eyes came open, and she promptly rolled them at him, saying, "Would YOU have done that?"
There were more footsteps behind him, and glancing back he saw Harry and Ron approaching at a run with matching concerned expressions, Harry carrying the Firebolt that Nancy had just tumbled off of. He ventured one more private remark before the rest of the group convened around them. "Well of course not, but... it's different." He paused at her glare, and muttered, "at least you don't seem too hurt."
"Oh, of COURSE she doesn't seem hurt!" Jenni's voice startled the five Weasleys, all the children Arthur and Molly had besides Percy and Ginny, and Harry jumped. She was standing just to Charlie's right, glaring furiously down at her best friend. "God forbid that she should show WEAKNESS to those who care about her!"
Charlie and Bill both shot Jenni warning looks that she brushed aside. "Nancy, don't you ever stop to think about how your actions will affect others?"
"Jenni," Nancy's voice was tired, and she sounded as though she'd had this discussion before. "It was just a little quidditch."
"And do you really want me to list how many times before 'just a little quidditch' has gotten you seriously hurt?" Fred and George exchanged a surprised look, and opened their mouths to speak, but Jenni was not paying attention to the people around her. All of her worries were pouring out, and she couldn't have stopped them if she'd tried. "Not to mention that you're just getting over being seriously sick. Which you LIED to me about for the last TWO weeks! You told me nothing was wrong, that your stomach was only a little upset. How could you hide something like that from me? I thought we were supposed to be friends? Friends help each other, they don't hide things with lies."
"I never lied." The rest of the group held their breaths uncomfortably as Nancy and Jenni seemed to forget their presence. "I wasn't going to tell you something you couldn't DEAL with. I mean, you flip out if I touch a broom... how am I supposed to discuss..."
Jenni interrupted her angrily. "And that's another thing! Here everyone has been worried sick about you. Mrs. Weasley was kind enough to let us stay here while you were getting better and you return her kindness with this little stunt!" At this, Fred tried again to say something, only to be waved aside by Jenni, who was in no mood for second opinions. She sneered bitterly, "I suppose having a ride with your idol Charlie Weasley wasn't enough... you decided to steal Harry Potter's broomstick to see how another legend flew?"
Nancy wasn't yet angry enough that she didn't flush a deep red at this remark, suddenly very aware of their audience. 'Oh god... Harry POTTER'S broom?' she thought desperately, glancing at the small boy who was holding the Firebolt now.
"Jenni! You... I didn't..." she was too embarrassed to form a sentence, and Jenni, who was having no such problem, cut in again.
"When are you going to GROW UP and realize the world does not revolve around you? For once in your life, would it be too much to ask to show a little consideration for other people's feelings?"
That was the last straw. Nancy pulled herself up off the ground, shrugging off Charlie's help, and gave in to her bottled up temper.
"For your INFORMATION, Jennifer, most of what I do is sit around and consider your feelings! And my parents feelings! And... well pretty much anyone's but my own! And I'm sorry if you're so busy being angry that you're not a much better witch than I am anymore and so you don't have time to notice that. But some people don't look at me as an eleven year old kid to boss around, and I LIKE THAT!"
Jenni's eyes narrowed dangerously, and the twins and younger boys took a step back. Bill and Charlie were frozen, completely taken aback by the vicious exchange.
"I DO NOT look at you as an eleven year old kid. In case you don't remember," Jenni spat out, "I was the only one who ever took you seriously. I stood up for you so many damn times. I thought our friendship meant more to you than this. I can't even talk to you anymore without thinking you're hiding something from me."
Nancy rolled her eyes. "You say that... I mean, sure, I don't LOOK eleven anymore... but then you go off and lecture me like some overprotective mother! Don't you TRUST me to tell you what's really important?"
"I DO trust you. But I'm beginning to wonder if you realize just what is important and what isn't. And, for that matter, WHO. Your BEST FRIEND still doesn't even know why you were so sick." With that, Jenni shot an angry look around the group, implying that everyone but herself knew this information. Nancy just groaned.
"Oh, what does it matter? All you would do is worry yourself sick and yell at me that I should have done some things that I couldn't do!"
"Couldn't? Or wouldn't? Like you won't let me be a friend. Or maybe that's it. You don't want me for a friend anymore?"
"Or maybe you've never really wanted ME!"
Nancy could feel the tears start as she waited in the silence for some sort of denial. But Jenni was too angry and too hurt to open her mouth, and after a moment in which all of the Weasleys looked at each other in silent shock, she whirled and started off. Before she had gone more than a few steps, however, she paused and looked straight at Harry.
"It's nice to... meet you, and I'm so sorry I worried you about your broom. I didn't know..." Everyone but Jenni was staring at her, and Harry was red- faced. Nancy burst into tears and then ran towards the house. Jenni strode off, deeper into the field.
There was a nervous pause as the five redheads and Harry tried to figure out what to do next. Charlie felt paralyzed, and Bill was still reeling at the venom in Jenni's voice. Fred and George spoke first.
"We'll just... the balls, you know," murmured Fred, gesturing towards the battered chest which held the Weasley Quidditch supplies. He grabbed one end, and George was reaching for the other when he finally said what he'd been trying to say since the beginning of the fight.
"It was our idea, you know. We... we borrowed your broom, Harry. Didn't know it would be so... such a big deal." He flinched when Charlie glared at him.
"Bloody brilliant as always, boys," he snapped, before visibly regaining control of his emotions. He was exhausted and worried, and didn't like the turn this visit had taken in the least. He watched the two twins head off to the house with the chest in tow before turning to a very fidgety Harry and Ron.
"Listen. What they said... they didn't... I mean," he sighed and looked to Bill, who was staring broodingly at Jenni's back. When the brothers' eyes met, Bill turned to the two boys and finished Charlie's thought for him.
"There was a lot of anger here, and none of it was meant for you, Harry." He gave a rather sad laugh. "Despite what you were privileged to see, they're both really..."
"Wonderful." Charlie jumped in and finished his sentence. Harry nodded, and Ron sighed.
"You two WOULD have to pick girls that can match the Weasleys for temper and pride, wouldn't you?" Shrugging helplessly back at him, Charlie let the ghost of a smile drift onto his face as the two fifteen-year olds trudged off. He glanced at Bill.
"Are you going to stay out here?" he nodded towards the back that Bill had been staring at so intently.
There was a pause, and then Bill shook his head. "No. I think she needs to cool off."
Charlie raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything as they walked back to the house.
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Half an hour later, Charlie was not nearly so calm. He had gone to his room, alone, expecting to find a very upset and emotional Nancy collapsed somewhere nearby. When she wasn't there, an uneasy feeling started in the pit of his stomach. He forced it down and headed to the bathroom, but a quick knock revealed that Percy was busy getting ready for work. He took a few seconds to rib his brother about working on a Saturday and then went back downstairs.
After he'd asked Ginny, Hermione, Harry and Ron if they'd seen Nancy after the argument and received all negatives, Charlie's uneasy feeling had expanded. By the time he tracked down the twins he was downright nervous.
"Fred! Open up!" He was presently pounding on their bedroom door. "I'm not here to yell at you two, just open up."
"What, you think we're idiots, Captain Dragon?" one of them yelled out.
"I need your help. This is serious."
The door cracked just barely, and with a carefully timed push, Charlie had it swinging open and George was sprawled out on the floor, glaring at him.
"I hate it when you do that."
Charlie shrugged, and got straight to the point.
"Hiding places. In the Burrow. I've checked all the ones I can think of..."
Two identical pairs of eyes widened. "What happened?"
Charlie ran a frustrated hand through his hair and owned up to what had been gnawing at him ever since he hadn't found Nancy curled up on his bed.
"I can't find her. I'm worried that she might have... gone off somewhere without thinking." He gritted his teeth. "But I'm HOPING she just decided to find somewhere private in the Burrow to calm down."
"Aren't many of those..." George said uncertainly.
"But we'll help!" Fred added. "Our fault, after all."
Charlie grimaced. "It's not your fault. Nancy knew what she was doing, and I hadn't bothered to tell the rest of you just what was wrong..." he sighed, and leaned his forehead against the wall.
George patted his shoulder. "We'll find her, Charlie. Come on."
They split up, with Charlie combing the house from top to bottom again, and the twins searching some of the better-hidden spots on the Weasley property. When they reconvened, they were all empty-handed. Charlie put on a brave face and told the boys that he was sure she'd make her presence known when she was ready, before heading into the living room to flop down next to Bill, who was staring sightlessly at the wall.
"Can't find her?" Bill's voice was sympathetic.
"It's like she..." Charlie stopped himself and swallowed, before saying what had probably happened. "... disappeared."
"Disapparated more likely." Bill glanced at his brother's stormy face, and sighed. "Jenni probably knows. What Nancy would do, I mean."
He saw his brother's head come up. "Really? You think? But..." Charlie jumped up and started pacing nervously, "would she tell me?"
Bill leaned his head back against the sofa, taking a deep breath. He'd been sitting here while the search went on, trying to reconcile the sweet fiery girl he liked so much with the vicious and bitter woman he'd just seen attack one of the people dearest to her. He hadn't gotten very far, but he knew he wouldn't without talking to her. No matter how it looked, Jenni deserved the chance to explain herself to him, Bill decided. He just needed to know that it had been anger speaking, and not Jenni.
Releasing the breath he'd been holding, Bill stood up. "Well, lets go ask."
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Jenni was furious. This was all Nancy's fault! If she had only stayed in bed like a normal sick person instead of stealing brooms and playing Quidditch, none of this would have happened. Jenni wanted to scream. Better yet, she wanted to hit something. Hard.
Instead she started pacing the field. What did Nancy think she would prove by running off and hiding? Jenni turned to walk back in the opposite direction when she found herself face to face with Bill and Charlie.
"What does a person have to do to be left alone in this bloody place?" She glared at the two Weasleys, Bill looking unsure of what to say and Charlie looking extremely anxious and worried.
"What is it now?" Jenni asked sarcastically. "Did Nancy fall down the stairs and hurt her little toe?"
"We can't FIND her!" Charlie blurted the statement out in an uncharacteristically agitated state.
Jenni stared. "You came all the way out here to tell me you can't find Nancy?"
Bill sighed, "What Charlie means is that, we've looked everywhere. She's not at the Burrow. We were hoping you might be able to tell us where she would have gone."
Jenni snorted. "Where else? To that damn tree."
Charlie looked up with a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "What tree?"
"The damn tree she always sat in for hours and hours in the forbidden forest. She's bleeding lucky she never got caught sneaking out there."
"Jenni!" Bill's voice was sharp, and made her turn to look at him. "Save it, and tell us where the tree is."
"She's not strong enough to run around like this," Charlie's soft comment was just audible to Jenni but it made her grimace.
"Like that's ever mattered to her." Catching Bill's glare, she shrugged, trying to act as though she really didn't give a damn either way. "I've never seen it. Some... willow, I think. Hagrid would know."
The two brothers shared a glance, and then Charlie disapparated with a *pop* and a small smile. Bill sighed.
"I've got to go tell..." he stopped when he realized that Jenni was trying not to pay attention to him and rolled his eyes. "I'll be right back."
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Jenni pulled down the covers and slipped into the bed. She could still hear the noise from the party going on through the opened window as a slight breeze ruffled the curtains. Her cheeks were still flushed from Bill's... suggestive earlier comment. She knew he was only teasing of course, but something in his voice sent shivers down her back. She felt her cheeks grow hotter even as she tried to push his smooth voice and those blue eyes from her thoughts. It didn't work. She couldn't stop thinking of him. Resigning herself to dreams of Bill, Jenni let out a small sigh and glanced over at Nancy. She noticed Charlie's arms draped protectively around her friend, but avoided looking at his face, not sure yet how she felt about all that had happened. At the very least, however, Nancy was safe and sleeping soundly. On a sigh, she closed her eyes, satisfied for tonight.
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Bill stared up at the ceiling down in the living room, having explained the situation to his intrigued mother. He knew it was useless to try and sleep right now. It wouldn't quiet down until the party was over and all the guests went home. Hell, he admitted, he wouldn't have been able to fall asleep even if there had been complete silence at the Burrow - not with the thoughts of a certain brunette that kept racing through his mind. He grinned, remembering her face flushing a deep red at his naughty comeback. Whoever had said that red heads had the worst tempers had obviously never MET Jenni Ferguson. Bill sighed, settling in on the lumpy couch. He wished tonight had been different. Not that it had been a waste, but he would have liked to be enjoying the party with Jenni by his side instead of watching her worry. His face turned serious as he considered how easily she had followed his lead during their conversation with his mother... it was so unlike her. Thinking about that conversation led to other memories, and Bill's last thought before falling asleep was how RIGHT her head had felt resting against his chest.
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Charlie sighed. He could hear the party wrapping up outside. A familiar whine made him hurry to cover Nancy's ears before the filibuster fireworks exploded in the sky, drawing an "oooooh" from the slowly departing guests. He glanced down at her, slowly removing his hands from her ears. She hadn't moved a centimeter since she'd fallen asleep so suddenly. His left leg was completely numb, and despite the pillow his mother had handed him, something was digging into his right shoulder blade. A soft snore drew his attention over to Jenni, who was draped across Bill's bed almost primly, as though trying to protest her placement even in her sleep. He couldn't restrain a grin, his brother was going to have one hell of a chase, but if their few good moments had been any indication, it would be well worth it. Charlie just hoped that Bill was able to get the transfer he'd asked for from Gringotts. Shifting slightly, he eased some of the pressure on his shoulder. Ah, that was better. Nothing he could do about that leg right now, he thought ruefully as he leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. Within moments he was slipping into sleep, flashes of curly brown hair and laughing eyes haunting his dreams.
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Jenni was awakened by a noise at the door. She looked up through a mound of blankets and pillows and saw a rather small boy with dark hair standing in the doorway. She sat there for a moment, confused and trying to remember just exactly where she was. It slowly came back to her - the party Bill had invited them to, Nancy getting sick, their decision to stay overnight. Satisfied with that, her eyes focused on the person in the doorway. Bill had said his name was... Harry?
"Sorry," he said, noticing her suddenly. "I didn't mean to wake you up."
"S'ok. Is something wrong?" Jenni muttered through a yawn, squinting at the bright sunlight through the opened window.
"No," he quickly shook his head. "I just can't find my broomstick and I thought maybe Bill or Charlie had seen it." He paused for a second, looking rather uncomfortable, and ran a hand through his messy black hair, giving Jenni a full view of his forehead and the lightening scar on it. Her jaw dropped. He shrugged in her direction. "I'll... I'll go ask Fred or George. They might know where it is."
Jenni watched as... yes, it had to be Harry POTTER... he ducked out of the room. Falling back on the pillows, she turned to the bed where Nancy had been sleeping. Charlie was only just beginning to stir. Heavy sleeper, she thought with a grin, while deciding that Bill would never have slept through an entire conversation. Wait... where did that come from? Shaking her head to get her thoughts straight, she finally focused on the other side of the room, and sat straight up, alarmed.
"Where's Nancy?" she asked - the reason for their overnight stay was NOT where she should be.
Charlie sat up slowly, blinking through the fog of sleep and letting Jenni's words sink in. He looked around a bit distractedly. "She was here all night. Maybe she had to.."
"You don't know where she is?" Jenni flung the blankets off and jumped out of bed, making her way towards Charlie. "She was in the same bed as you and you don't know where she is? She was sick and pale, and she's gotten so thin and weak and you let her slip out without noticing?"
"I was asleep." Charlie stopped mid-stretch to stutter out his excuses, hoping that Jenni didn't have her wand handy. "If I would have known she was going to wake up I would have stayed awake all night."
Jenni advanced threateningly, "You should have stayed awake anyway. Made sure she was ok, and if she woke up then you would have known. Then, she wouldn't have wandered off."
Charlie stood up suddenly, and Jenni realized that he was quite a large man, despite being so much shorter than Bill. He glared at her. "Wandered off? ME stay awake? Why didn't YOU stay awake? If you know how prone to wandering off she is then how come YOU didn't keep an eye on her?"
Jenni was caught off guard as Charlie rounded on her. "And may I remind you," he continued, "that while you were sleeping comfortably, I was using a headboard for a pillow, my leg had gone COMPLETELY numb, and I was forced to stay absolutely still for almost 9 hours because I wanted to make sure Nancy was able to sleep undisturbed." He waited for her to answer him with some sort of snippy remark. When none was forthcoming, he sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. "Now, if you want to help me find Nancy, you can start by checking the kitchen downstairs while I check the bedrooms upstairs. Can you handle that?"
Jenni watched as Charlie stalked out of the room. She felt a bit ashamed of her outburst, and not knowing what else to do, headed down to the kitchen. Jenni felt a sickening weight in the pit of her stomach as she surveyed the empty room. Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Jenni turned hoping to see Nancy following behind Charlie. However, one look at his face told her he had been unsuccessful as well. With a groan at the sight of her sitting alone, Charlie turned around and headed back to his room.
He emerged a few minutes later, having changed out of his wrinkled robes from last night. Jenni glared at him from where she was slumped down in a nearby chair, wishing she had a change of clothes. He tossed her a bundle, saying, "These are Mum's. She a little different size than you two, but... I figure if we have to launch a search, we shouldn't be dealing with robes."
Jenni was just coming out of the bedroom when Charlie's head came up sharply. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" She started down the stairs.
Charlie held a hand up to stop Jenni from talking. "Listen. I think I heard Nancy."
Straining her ears, Jenni heard several voices coming from outside. Bounding past Charlie, she headed out the door and towards them.
She was moving so fast that she didn't even see the long, lean redhead stretched out on the grass in front of the field. He gave her a startled look as she walked past him, her face fixed on the blur that was Nancy. Bill was just scrambling up to stop Jenni from walking out onto the Quidditch field when Charlie caught his arm and swung him around. He had noticed just WHERE Nancy was, and began venting his rather bottled up feelings about being stupid enough to trust a girl on a broomstick after... It didn't take long before Bill was defending himself rather loudly.
Not having anyone to stop her, Jenni ran straight onto the playing area and yelled at the top of her lungs, "NANCY!!!!"
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"NANCY!!!!"
Jenni's shrill cry cut through the jovial atmosphere above the field. Nancy paused, batting away a bludger without really looking at it as she scanned the ground below her for her friend, wondering what could be wrong NOW. Fred and George flew over to her, grinning.
"You really are one hell of a beater," Fred said admiringly. "Glad Bill took the time to set up the enchantments so we could bring out the real deal bludgers."
"Never did figure out why you were bumped for us in second year..." George added thoughtfully.
She glanced at them, after finally spotting Jenni running through the grass towards their game. "Oh, it was because I have a tendency to get distracted and... JENNI! What are you DOING?"
The twins looked at each other as she sped off, confused. "And what, I wonder..." George muttered.
Nancy didn't answer, she was focused on the small, angry form of Jenni. The small, angry form that was about to get brained by a bludger and didn't even know it. The yells she heard from behind her indicated that the twins had caught onto her worries, but she knew that the borrowed Firebolt she rode was the only one capable of reaching her stubborn friend fast enough.
Jenni looked up as Nancy approached her at a breakneck speed. "What are you DOING? Trying to kill me?" she yelled out, her eyes widening as Nancy yelled "DUCK!!" and swung her beater's club hard.
All five pairs of eyes that did not belong to Jenni Ferguson were watching the bludger as Nancy swung. Bill took off at a run for the field, and Charlie, recovering a moment later, stopped berating his brother and followed. As her club connected with the vicious ball and sent it hurtling towards the twins, all four onlookers let out a sigh of relief. Nancy let out a loud squeal, feeling herself slipping off of her perch on the fast- moving Firebolt, and Jenni didn't make a sound, just stayed crouched near the ground.
The next moment seemed to go in horrible slow motion for Charlie. He could tell that Nancy was over-extended, she'd never get her balance back on the broom, not at that speed. Putting on a burst of speed, he was still a good twenty feet away when she tumbled to the ground with a thud.
As he reached her, he saw her lift her head slightly and mutter, "Oh bloody hell. I did it again." Charlie knelt down to see if she was hurt, and was surprised to see his hands shaking. He forced them to steady with sheer willpower and ran them lightly over her arms and legs, before lifting her head.
"Do you think next time you could just tell her to duck?" he whispered so that only she could hear. By this point, Bill had reached them, and Charlie could hear his younger brothers landing over where they had left the family Quidditch chest to force the bludgers back inside. Her eyes came open, and she promptly rolled them at him, saying, "Would YOU have done that?"
There were more footsteps behind him, and glancing back he saw Harry and Ron approaching at a run with matching concerned expressions, Harry carrying the Firebolt that Nancy had just tumbled off of. He ventured one more private remark before the rest of the group convened around them. "Well of course not, but... it's different." He paused at her glare, and muttered, "at least you don't seem too hurt."
"Oh, of COURSE she doesn't seem hurt!" Jenni's voice startled the five Weasleys, all the children Arthur and Molly had besides Percy and Ginny, and Harry jumped. She was standing just to Charlie's right, glaring furiously down at her best friend. "God forbid that she should show WEAKNESS to those who care about her!"
Charlie and Bill both shot Jenni warning looks that she brushed aside. "Nancy, don't you ever stop to think about how your actions will affect others?"
"Jenni," Nancy's voice was tired, and she sounded as though she'd had this discussion before. "It was just a little quidditch."
"And do you really want me to list how many times before 'just a little quidditch' has gotten you seriously hurt?" Fred and George exchanged a surprised look, and opened their mouths to speak, but Jenni was not paying attention to the people around her. All of her worries were pouring out, and she couldn't have stopped them if she'd tried. "Not to mention that you're just getting over being seriously sick. Which you LIED to me about for the last TWO weeks! You told me nothing was wrong, that your stomach was only a little upset. How could you hide something like that from me? I thought we were supposed to be friends? Friends help each other, they don't hide things with lies."
"I never lied." The rest of the group held their breaths uncomfortably as Nancy and Jenni seemed to forget their presence. "I wasn't going to tell you something you couldn't DEAL with. I mean, you flip out if I touch a broom... how am I supposed to discuss..."
Jenni interrupted her angrily. "And that's another thing! Here everyone has been worried sick about you. Mrs. Weasley was kind enough to let us stay here while you were getting better and you return her kindness with this little stunt!" At this, Fred tried again to say something, only to be waved aside by Jenni, who was in no mood for second opinions. She sneered bitterly, "I suppose having a ride with your idol Charlie Weasley wasn't enough... you decided to steal Harry Potter's broomstick to see how another legend flew?"
Nancy wasn't yet angry enough that she didn't flush a deep red at this remark, suddenly very aware of their audience. 'Oh god... Harry POTTER'S broom?' she thought desperately, glancing at the small boy who was holding the Firebolt now.
"Jenni! You... I didn't..." she was too embarrassed to form a sentence, and Jenni, who was having no such problem, cut in again.
"When are you going to GROW UP and realize the world does not revolve around you? For once in your life, would it be too much to ask to show a little consideration for other people's feelings?"
That was the last straw. Nancy pulled herself up off the ground, shrugging off Charlie's help, and gave in to her bottled up temper.
"For your INFORMATION, Jennifer, most of what I do is sit around and consider your feelings! And my parents feelings! And... well pretty much anyone's but my own! And I'm sorry if you're so busy being angry that you're not a much better witch than I am anymore and so you don't have time to notice that. But some people don't look at me as an eleven year old kid to boss around, and I LIKE THAT!"
Jenni's eyes narrowed dangerously, and the twins and younger boys took a step back. Bill and Charlie were frozen, completely taken aback by the vicious exchange.
"I DO NOT look at you as an eleven year old kid. In case you don't remember," Jenni spat out, "I was the only one who ever took you seriously. I stood up for you so many damn times. I thought our friendship meant more to you than this. I can't even talk to you anymore without thinking you're hiding something from me."
Nancy rolled her eyes. "You say that... I mean, sure, I don't LOOK eleven anymore... but then you go off and lecture me like some overprotective mother! Don't you TRUST me to tell you what's really important?"
"I DO trust you. But I'm beginning to wonder if you realize just what is important and what isn't. And, for that matter, WHO. Your BEST FRIEND still doesn't even know why you were so sick." With that, Jenni shot an angry look around the group, implying that everyone but herself knew this information. Nancy just groaned.
"Oh, what does it matter? All you would do is worry yourself sick and yell at me that I should have done some things that I couldn't do!"
"Couldn't? Or wouldn't? Like you won't let me be a friend. Or maybe that's it. You don't want me for a friend anymore?"
"Or maybe you've never really wanted ME!"
Nancy could feel the tears start as she waited in the silence for some sort of denial. But Jenni was too angry and too hurt to open her mouth, and after a moment in which all of the Weasleys looked at each other in silent shock, she whirled and started off. Before she had gone more than a few steps, however, she paused and looked straight at Harry.
"It's nice to... meet you, and I'm so sorry I worried you about your broom. I didn't know..." Everyone but Jenni was staring at her, and Harry was red- faced. Nancy burst into tears and then ran towards the house. Jenni strode off, deeper into the field.
There was a nervous pause as the five redheads and Harry tried to figure out what to do next. Charlie felt paralyzed, and Bill was still reeling at the venom in Jenni's voice. Fred and George spoke first.
"We'll just... the balls, you know," murmured Fred, gesturing towards the battered chest which held the Weasley Quidditch supplies. He grabbed one end, and George was reaching for the other when he finally said what he'd been trying to say since the beginning of the fight.
"It was our idea, you know. We... we borrowed your broom, Harry. Didn't know it would be so... such a big deal." He flinched when Charlie glared at him.
"Bloody brilliant as always, boys," he snapped, before visibly regaining control of his emotions. He was exhausted and worried, and didn't like the turn this visit had taken in the least. He watched the two twins head off to the house with the chest in tow before turning to a very fidgety Harry and Ron.
"Listen. What they said... they didn't... I mean," he sighed and looked to Bill, who was staring broodingly at Jenni's back. When the brothers' eyes met, Bill turned to the two boys and finished Charlie's thought for him.
"There was a lot of anger here, and none of it was meant for you, Harry." He gave a rather sad laugh. "Despite what you were privileged to see, they're both really..."
"Wonderful." Charlie jumped in and finished his sentence. Harry nodded, and Ron sighed.
"You two WOULD have to pick girls that can match the Weasleys for temper and pride, wouldn't you?" Shrugging helplessly back at him, Charlie let the ghost of a smile drift onto his face as the two fifteen-year olds trudged off. He glanced at Bill.
"Are you going to stay out here?" he nodded towards the back that Bill had been staring at so intently.
There was a pause, and then Bill shook his head. "No. I think she needs to cool off."
Charlie raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything as they walked back to the house.
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Half an hour later, Charlie was not nearly so calm. He had gone to his room, alone, expecting to find a very upset and emotional Nancy collapsed somewhere nearby. When she wasn't there, an uneasy feeling started in the pit of his stomach. He forced it down and headed to the bathroom, but a quick knock revealed that Percy was busy getting ready for work. He took a few seconds to rib his brother about working on a Saturday and then went back downstairs.
After he'd asked Ginny, Hermione, Harry and Ron if they'd seen Nancy after the argument and received all negatives, Charlie's uneasy feeling had expanded. By the time he tracked down the twins he was downright nervous.
"Fred! Open up!" He was presently pounding on their bedroom door. "I'm not here to yell at you two, just open up."
"What, you think we're idiots, Captain Dragon?" one of them yelled out.
"I need your help. This is serious."
The door cracked just barely, and with a carefully timed push, Charlie had it swinging open and George was sprawled out on the floor, glaring at him.
"I hate it when you do that."
Charlie shrugged, and got straight to the point.
"Hiding places. In the Burrow. I've checked all the ones I can think of..."
Two identical pairs of eyes widened. "What happened?"
Charlie ran a frustrated hand through his hair and owned up to what had been gnawing at him ever since he hadn't found Nancy curled up on his bed.
"I can't find her. I'm worried that she might have... gone off somewhere without thinking." He gritted his teeth. "But I'm HOPING she just decided to find somewhere private in the Burrow to calm down."
"Aren't many of those..." George said uncertainly.
"But we'll help!" Fred added. "Our fault, after all."
Charlie grimaced. "It's not your fault. Nancy knew what she was doing, and I hadn't bothered to tell the rest of you just what was wrong..." he sighed, and leaned his forehead against the wall.
George patted his shoulder. "We'll find her, Charlie. Come on."
They split up, with Charlie combing the house from top to bottom again, and the twins searching some of the better-hidden spots on the Weasley property. When they reconvened, they were all empty-handed. Charlie put on a brave face and told the boys that he was sure she'd make her presence known when she was ready, before heading into the living room to flop down next to Bill, who was staring sightlessly at the wall.
"Can't find her?" Bill's voice was sympathetic.
"It's like she..." Charlie stopped himself and swallowed, before saying what had probably happened. "... disappeared."
"Disapparated more likely." Bill glanced at his brother's stormy face, and sighed. "Jenni probably knows. What Nancy would do, I mean."
He saw his brother's head come up. "Really? You think? But..." Charlie jumped up and started pacing nervously, "would she tell me?"
Bill leaned his head back against the sofa, taking a deep breath. He'd been sitting here while the search went on, trying to reconcile the sweet fiery girl he liked so much with the vicious and bitter woman he'd just seen attack one of the people dearest to her. He hadn't gotten very far, but he knew he wouldn't without talking to her. No matter how it looked, Jenni deserved the chance to explain herself to him, Bill decided. He just needed to know that it had been anger speaking, and not Jenni.
Releasing the breath he'd been holding, Bill stood up. "Well, lets go ask."
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Jenni was furious. This was all Nancy's fault! If she had only stayed in bed like a normal sick person instead of stealing brooms and playing Quidditch, none of this would have happened. Jenni wanted to scream. Better yet, she wanted to hit something. Hard.
Instead she started pacing the field. What did Nancy think she would prove by running off and hiding? Jenni turned to walk back in the opposite direction when she found herself face to face with Bill and Charlie.
"What does a person have to do to be left alone in this bloody place?" She glared at the two Weasleys, Bill looking unsure of what to say and Charlie looking extremely anxious and worried.
"What is it now?" Jenni asked sarcastically. "Did Nancy fall down the stairs and hurt her little toe?"
"We can't FIND her!" Charlie blurted the statement out in an uncharacteristically agitated state.
Jenni stared. "You came all the way out here to tell me you can't find Nancy?"
Bill sighed, "What Charlie means is that, we've looked everywhere. She's not at the Burrow. We were hoping you might be able to tell us where she would have gone."
Jenni snorted. "Where else? To that damn tree."
Charlie looked up with a hopeful gleam in his eyes. "What tree?"
"The damn tree she always sat in for hours and hours in the forbidden forest. She's bleeding lucky she never got caught sneaking out there."
"Jenni!" Bill's voice was sharp, and made her turn to look at him. "Save it, and tell us where the tree is."
"She's not strong enough to run around like this," Charlie's soft comment was just audible to Jenni but it made her grimace.
"Like that's ever mattered to her." Catching Bill's glare, she shrugged, trying to act as though she really didn't give a damn either way. "I've never seen it. Some... willow, I think. Hagrid would know."
The two brothers shared a glance, and then Charlie disapparated with a *pop* and a small smile. Bill sighed.
"I've got to go tell..." he stopped when he realized that Jenni was trying not to pay attention to him and rolled his eyes. "I'll be right back."