one short chapter today, I didn't get much time for writing this weekend with all the reports I need to write for school and the big exam we'll have next Saturday - that's right, saturday...
anyway, I hope you'll like it, even though it's shorter than usually.
Cookie05 and Splendora-C.A.M-McGonagall - thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like the story so far! :)
enjoy
Jade finished sorting her school things.
There was now huge pile of school habits which needed to be washed, together with all the dark socks, her jeans and t-shirts. Then, she made smaller pile of whites, underwear, school uniform shirts and handkerchiefs.
Happy with the result, she pushed both piles close to the door and turned around, changing her school sweater and shirt for long-sleeved top, adding knitted vest over it and pulling on some sweats instead of the uniform skirt she was wearing.
Throwing the clothes on the pile, which would get washed later, she looked around her room. Straightened bed covers, pushed the trunk to the foot of the bed and closed it.
She took a pair of thick wool socks and pulled them on before skipping down the stairs to the kitchen. She remembered how unsure she was first couple of days, not knowing if she should go down or stay in her room. Now she just jumped over the last four steps and landed softly next to the kitchen table.
Ginny was sitting close to the fire, with her head on the table pouting. Molly made her swallow some badly tasting potion to reduce the fever before it got too high and now she was supposed to drink a huge cup of tea, which she didn't feel like drinking at all.
Jade looked at her briefly, then walked to Molly, asking for the same cup with tea.
She sat next to her sister, hugging her own steaming mug with one hand, while brushing Ginny's hair away from her forehead.
"What would you say to nice two French braids? Hm?" Jade asked softly, putting her cold hand on Ginny's cheek.
"That would be cool." Ginny agreed and straightened her back, turning on the bench, so Jade could braid her hair.
Molly handed her two rubber bands from the stack she was keeping by the kitchen window.
"You know Gin, one of the older girls in our dormitory told me that they learned how to tell a fortune from tea leaves." Started Jade, carefully braiding one side of her sister's hair.
"Really?" asked the smaller girl and knocked on her tea cup with one finger.
"Yeah, sometimes you can see really wonderful things in them. At first you need to make a cup of tea, just like these two we have on the table." Jade explained, smiling over Ginny's head at Molly who turned around and pretended she's not listening because Ginny frowned at her again.
"Then you have to drink it all, until there are only leaves left at the bottom."
"Can't you just spill the tea to the sink and then look?" asked Ginny curiously, pulling her cup closer and looking at the bottom.
"Nope, it has to be this way. The one who drinks the cup is the one who will be part of the fortune." Said Jade seriously.
Ginny took the cup in both of her hands as it was quite heavy and started to drink.
"And when you finish drinking, …" Jade paused to secure the end of one braid with elastic, "…then you turn the cup upside down over the plate."
She started to braid other side, smiling as she heard Ginny sipping hot tea as fast as she could.
"And after a while you look inside your cup and see what's waiting for you in the future. She even explained how you read the signs."
"there, it's finished!" exclaimed Ginny, turning the cup over, setting it on a big plate which had cookies in it before Fred and George came home, but all that was left now were just crumbles.
"Alright, let me see." Jade pulled the place over and turned Ginny's cup back. She peered inside at the black muddy substance which was left on the bottom.
"Oooh, I can see it clearly." She whispered secretly, as Ginny leaned closer to see herself.
Molly turned off the stove and walked over to the girls and see what Jade was up to.
"Right there, it's clearer than full moon over Forbidden Forest at chilly winter night. Ooooh I see your future kid." Jade wailed in her best fortune-teller's voice.
"It won't be pleasant my dear, it won't."
"What? What do you see?" Ginny wanted to know.
"It says, your spring will be very muddy this year." Finished Jade and stood up to put the plate with the cup to the sink.
Ginny pouted a little, realizing she was tricked to drinking the tea mom made her.
"That's not fair, you're supposed to be on my side, and not with mom!" she yelled, pointing at them furiously with her finger.
"Dinner's ready!" Molly called through the house, to stop Ginny from starting an argument again.
They had delicious dinner of shepherd's pie and pickles, with cinnamon buns as a treat afterwards.
When all the dishes were cleaned from the table, Arthur made everyone the traditional good-night hat chocolate and they curled on the sofa in Burrow's tiny living room.
There was huge piece of parchment hanging on the wall next to the window, with days until Christmas.
Today was marked with deep purple marker and little hearts all over (which Jade suspected to be Ginny's job) as the day of their arrival.
"Mom, when's Charlie and bill coming home?" asked Fred and sipped his hot chocolate carefully not to burn his tongue.
"In two days George, they are coming together. Bill will stop in Romania on his way back and they'll catch a portkey together." Said Molly, distracted by some article in Witch weekly she was reading between cooking and cleaning the house for holidays.
"That's not G…" Jade started but then Fred shortly shook his head at her to stop, so she just shrugged and chuckled.
Twins were insane, messing like this with their mom, no wonder she got confused from time to time, when they kept mixing up their sweaters and pretending to be the other one.
"Mom?" started Ginny, but then turned a light shade of greenish grey as she moved too quickly to set her cup on the table. "I feel weird."
"Oh my goodness, you look terribly pale darling, let me grab something for your stomach and …" Molly put her soft hand against Ginny's cheek, "…yes, also for fever, and I'll put you to bed."
"I'll get her upstairs." Suggested Arthur and picked up Ginny, who started to sob, because she really did feel terrible.
When Ginny got settled in her bed and Molly fussed over her until she fell asleep, both parents came back downstairs to find the rest of the kids in heated discussion about Gryffindor quidditch team and its chances to win a cup this year.
Fred and George were on the team this year so they were taking it very personally when Percy suggested that Rawenclaw could be better.
They were about to bet a full galleon from their savings against Percy but dad stopped them.
"No hazard games in this house boys, at least not until you get older." He chuckled, but after an angry stare from Molly he added "No hazard games ever. Never ever." He confirmed, winking at his wife who couldn't help but smile a little, before she grabbed two empty cups from their coffee table and headed back to the kitchen, closely followed by Arthur.
"Do I get the kiss for bringing up kids' school trunks now my lady?" he asked smoothly, leaning against the counter.
"I might rise the price because you made me wait." He winked at her and stole a gingerbread from box Molly was about to set on top of the fridge.
"Is that so?" Molly flirted back. "Then I might make you wait a little longer." She winked at him and leaned closer for a kiss when Ron walked into the kitchen.
"Eww, gross!" he exclaimed, frowning at his parents.
"What is it?" Percy yelled from the other room, putting down his book.
"Mom was going to kiss dad!" Ron yelled back even louder, covering his mouth with his hand when he noticed dad's ears turning red.
"Eww!" everyone chorused from the living room before they started to laugh.
"That's enough!" Molly scolded good naturedly, "Now, everyone upstairs, brush your teeth and off to bed." She grabbed few more empty mugs from the table and rushed them upstairs.
Arthur took a half full cup from Percy, who protested loudly but Molly didn't care what was going on between them, she pushed Percy upstairs as well.
"Finally alone, Mrs. Weasly?" Arthur teased again, but this time they didn't make it, not even to a start of the kiss when they heard Ginny calling from upstairs.
"Nope, we'll never be alone again." Molly shook her head, grabbing clean tea towel from under the sink and running it quickly under cold water before heading upstairs.
"But we wouldn't have it any other way." Smiled Arthur and followed her up to make sure everyone else was in bed.