Author's note: This series follows the books but will include details from the movie series for drama. Please note that the major events of the story remain true to the series and will be summarized into small sections to help progress to the story's love interest. I do not want to be claimed for plagiarizing but the original story line is needed to explain the changes in character development.

M rating for sexual content anticipated to start in year 4.

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter series. Thank you to J.K. Rowling for bringing us the wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The Doting Rival

Chapter 19

"Happy birthday!"

Adelyn jumped with a start from shouting as she entered the garden from the Burrow. The Weasley's were gathered around two long tables piled in heaps of Mrs. Weasley's wonderful cooking. There were balloons and streamers in a multitude of colors hanging on the trees and bushes surrounding them. A large banner that read "Happy Birthday Adelyn" hung the length of the bushes against the orchard.

Tears started to pool in Adelyn's eyes and a large smile filled her face. She was truly surprised. She had never been thrown a birthday party before. She made her way to the table where a seat waited for her next to Ron.

"You all are too kind. Thank you!"

"We are so happy to have you, Adelyn dear." Mrs. Weasley embraced her lovingly. "Couldn't have you celebrating your fifteenth birthday all alone, now, could we? Come sit. I've made all of your favorites."

Adelyn couldn't have been happier. She spent most of the evening listening and enjoying the company. Laughter was never in short supply, especially with Fred and George. The food was decadent and she savored each bite. Far better than the stale cake she kept stashed between meals back with the Dursley's.

As the sky turned a dark indigo, Mr. Weasley conjured up floating candles to light the garden while desert was served. Mrs. Weasley went all out with homemade strawberry ice cream. It was a perfect match to the warm summer air filled with the scent of grass and honeysuckle.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. It was a wonderful meal." Adelyn had just brought in a stack of dishes to the kitchen.

"You are quite welcome, my dear. Now. First thing tomorrow, we girls will go down to the village for some shopping." She leaned towards Adelyn and lowered her voice. "I see you have grown into quite a young woman over the summer."

Adelyn grew bashful, cheeks flushing red. She certainly had grown, more horizontally than vertically. Most of her shirts were tight in the chest. Mrs. Weasley had obviously noticed the buttons of her blouse straining to stay together.

"Thank you. I would like that very much."

The next two weeks went by similarly. Laughter, good company, and delicious meals. With so many people, there was always something to be done. Always chores to tend to. Adelyn had taken it upon herself to help de-gnome the garden, seeing as meals had to be outside to accommodate everyone.

The most work to be done was the night before the Quidditch World Cup. Mr. Weasley was in charge of the details as Mrs. Weasley would not be attending. He had enchanted two items with an extension charm: a small tent and a brief case. The tent would hold all the sleeping and wardrobe accommodations. The brief case would contain the remainder.

"Hermione, Adelyn. Give me your school lists," Mrs. Weasley instructed. "I'll get your things while I'm there for the others. There may not be time after the World Cup."

"What do you mean?" Adelyn asked.

"The last match went for five days," Hermione explained.

"Wow!" Adelyn didn't think it was possible to be more excited. "Let's hope it does this time as well!"

Packing was started by noon. The tent was set up in the garden for everyone to add their belongings. Intermittently, Mr. Weasley would require a various item to be fetch from the property. By dinner, everyone was already quite tired. Luckily, Mrs. Weasley kept it short. "Look at the time! You all should be in bed. You've to be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Let's go – the lot of you."

It was still dark outside when Mrs. Weasley gently shook Adelyn awake. She was far too excited to fall asleep readily last night and was still quite tired. But she requested to be up earlier than needed to utilize the shower.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."

"You've got twenty minutes before I wake the others."

With so many bodies, the few bathrooms were always occupied. Adelyn would not have to be rushed now. Luckily, she had set out supplies prior to going to bed as she was very groggy and the room was poorly lit to attempt to gather them now. She tiptoed way down to the second floor.

The Burrow had never been so quiet. She used the light of her wand to make her way to the shower. She was relieved the plumbing was not as loud as the floor boards. Seeing as many of the others had showered the night before, she did not feel guilty for opting for a hot shower. Steam quickly filled the small room and, before long, Adelyn could hear some shuffling a floor above her. It couldn't possibly have been twenty whole minutes?

Adelyn picked up the pace. She grabbed her towel from the rack on the wall. It wasn't the largest of towels, but it would dry her all the same. She towel dried her hair with an even smaller one, planning on wearing her hair down with its natural texture. As she reached for her clothing, she noticed one thing missing: a bra. Ugh.

She gathered the remaining belongings planning to finish upstairs. As she opened the door, she jumped. "Ah-!" A few things slipped from her hands and landed at the feet of Fred.

"Adelyn." A smile crept onto his face. "Good morning." He eyed her up and down. She was still damp and red-skinned from her shower. The towel rested just too many inches above her knees. A deep crimson blush crept across her face and she hugged the stack of clothing tightly to her chest.

His eyes fell the rest of the way to the floor to find a pair of black, lace-lined, cotton panties at her feet. She obviously had not noticed she dropped them. "Oh! You dropped something." He knelt down to pick them up. As he did, he could see her pulling at the hem of the towel, trying to will it to grow more in length. She crossed her bare thighs to avoid any gap between them. Fred gulped.

As he stood straight, he swayed her bikini draped over his pointer finger. Adelyn's jaw dropped in complete embarrassment as she audibly gasped. She snatched them swiftly, mumbled a soft "thank you", and bolted for the stairs as Fred chuckled.

She nearly slammed the door behind her as she entered back to her room. Fortunately, Hermione was already awake. "Adelyn? Are you alright? You look absolutely flustered?"

"You won't believe what just happened!"

"He keeps smiling at you," Hermione pointed out to Adelyn.

"Just don't acknowledge it." Adelyn walked forward with her head down. She couldn't look at Fred without going red in the face. She urged Hermione to the front of the group.

"Mr. Weasley. How does everyone get to the World Cup without all the Muggles noticing?" Adelyn asked for distraction as they made their way toward the local village of Ottery St. Catchpole.

"Well, wizards are coming from all over the world. So, we have to stagger arrival. A limited number will use Muggle transportation, but we can't have too many at once. Some Apparate, of course, at various safe points away from Muggles. For those who can't Apparate, there are Portkeys."

"What are Portkeys?"

"They're objects that transport wizards from one spot to another at a prearranged time. For the World Cup, there have been about two hundred Portkeys placed around Britain. The nearest one to use is at the top of Stoatshead Hill, which is where we're headed."

A large black mass rose beyond the village as the sky peaked with a greenish light, indicating the sun was starting to rise. The chill in the air was evident with every breath. Adelyn's hands and feet were freezing. She was thankful for her new double-breasted grey tweed coat.

Everyone grew silent with the ascent up the hill. There were many rabbit holes to avoid and the grass was wet with the morning dew. Mr. Weasley panted and wiped his glasses. "Whew! We've made good time." He began to look around. "Now we just need to find the Portkey."

"What exactly are we looking for?" Adelyn inquired.

"They can be anything, really," Mr. Weasley explained. "Unobtrusive things, so that Muggles won't pick them up. Stuff they'll think is just litter."

"Over here, Arthur!"

The group looked up toward the shouting. Two tall figures stood on the other side of the hilltop.

"Amos!" Mr. Weasley ushered his children to follow. He strode over to the man and shook hands with him. "Everyone, this is Amos Diggory. He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And you likely know his son, Cedric?"

"Hello," Cedric looked around to everyone. He was devilishly handsome and the girls tried to keep their giggles to themselves.

"Long walk, Arthur?" Amos asked.

"Not too bad. Just on the other side of the village there. You?"

"Had to get up at two. I'll be glad when he gets his Apparition test." He nodded his head toward Cedric. "Still, looks like I got off easy. . ." He looked around at the large group behind Mr. Weasley. "Are these all yours, Arthur?"

"Oh, no. Only the red heads. The other two are Ron's friends, Hermione and Adelyn -"

"Merlin's beard!" Amos' eyes grew wide. "Adelyn? Adelyn POTTER?" He stepped forward to stare straight at her.

"Uh - yes," Adelyn answered. She was used to the curiosity and shock of people realizing who she was. And searching her forehead for the scar. But she still felt uncomfortable every time.

"Ced's talked of you, of course. Told me about playing against you last year."

"Dad. . ." Cedric pleaded for him not to continue.

"I said to him – Ced. That'll be something to tell your grandchildren. You beat Adelyn Potter!"

"Adelyn fell off her broom, Dad," he muttered. "It was an accident."

"Yes, well, you didn't. Always modest, our Ced."

"Nearly time. We better get read," Mr. Weasley interjected.

"Sorry about my dad." Cedric approached Adelyn as the adults paced ahead.

"Oh - It's fine. Really. Happens all the time."

"Still. I've told him the whole story. I don't consider it a win, personally." Adelyn smiled genuinely recalling last year. Mr. Diggory was right. Cedric really was modest.

"Everyone, step up, now." Mr. Weasley said.

"What do we do, exactly?" Adelyn asked Cedric.

"Just have to touch the boot. When it's time."

"Three. . ." Mr. Weasley eyed his watch. "Two. . . one. . ."

The pull was immediate. Adelyn jerked forward as though being pulled from inside her stomach. Her shoulders bumped between Cedric and Hermione on either side of her. Her feet left the ground and the wind howled as they sped forward. All the while, her finger was stuck to the boot. And then -

Adelyn tumbled to the ground in a pile with Hermione and the Weasley children. Only Mr. Weasley, Amos, and Cedric were still standing. Cedric extended a hand to Adelyn, which she graciously accepted.

"First time traveling via Portkey?"

"That obvious, is it?" She brushed the dirt from her jeans.

"Stoatshead Hill!" called a voice.

"Ah! Basil. Morning!" Mr. Weasley greeted. He handed the Portkey over.

"Here are your campsites." He handed both adults a map. "Weasley. First field. Diggory. Second field. Site managers will be waiting for you."

"Right. See you later, than Amos!" Mr. Weasley waved goodbye to the Diggory's. "This way, children."

They trudged up the field between long rows of tents. Most looked rather ordinary. The owners clearly tried to make them as Muggle-looking as possible. Here and there was a tent that was unmistakably magical. They passed by tents with extravagant striped silk and some with live animals, such as peacocks. There was even a tent that was three stories tall, with several turrets. Another had a front garden, complete with sundial and fountain.

"Here we are." They had reached the very edge of the wood at the top of the field. There was an empty space with a sign hammered in the ground that read Weasley.

"A wonderful spot," Mr. Weasley boasted. "The field is just on the other side of the wood, so we are as close as we could be. Right. Let's set up tent!"

Inside, there was a common area with a small kitchen and full bathroom. The boys and girls had separate sleeping areas, complete with beds. Adelyn had never been camping before, but surely it was better when you were a wizard.

The tent seemed to be pitched alongside the main route to the field. There were many people hurrying up and down, including Ministry members. Mr. Weasley kept Hermione and Adelyn apprised of whom was who. His own children had little interest as they knew too much of the Ministry.

"The man of the moment! Ludo!" Mr. Weasley called over a powerfully built man wearing long Quidditch robes with a wasp on his chest. His nose had evidently been broken in the past. His eyes were round a blue, a nice distraction.

"Hello there!" he greeted happily. "What a day! We could not have asked for more perfect weather; a cloudless night coming." He beamed with excitement.

"Everyone." Mr. Weasley called his children forward. "This is Ludo Bagman. It's thanks to him we have such good tickets."

Bagman waved his hand in a manner as if to say it was nothing. "Couldn't do me a brew, I suppose? I'm keeping my eye out for Barty Crouch. My Bulgarian opposite number's making difficulties and I can't understand a word he is saying."

"Of course." Mr. Weasley offered his seat while he grabbed another. Percy came rushing out with some tea.

"Mr. Crouch?" Percy asked as she quickly brought out a cup of tea to Bagman. "He speaks over two hundred languages! Mermish and Gobbledgook and Troll . . ." Percy was thoroughly excited.

"Fancy a flutter on the match, Arthur?" Mr. Bagman pulled out a small note pad and jingled his robes indicating he had a large amount of gold already. "Roddy Pontner bets Bulgaria will score first. And little Agatha Timms put half her shares in her eel farm on the match lasting a week!"

"Oh. . . go on the. Let's see. . . A Galleon on Ireland to win."

"Very well. Very well." Bagman accepted the coin and wrote the bet down. "Any other takers?" He looked around to all the Weasleys.

"Oh. They're a bit young to be gamble -"

"We'll bet thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles, and three Knuts," Fred said as George quickly pooled all their money, "that Ireland will win but Viktor Krum will catch the Snitch. Oh! And we'll throw in this fake wand."

Mr. Weasley tried to object as Bagman took the wand from Fred. His eyes widened in excitement when the wand gave a squawk and turned into a rubber chicken. He roared with laughter. "Excellent! I haven't seen one that convincing in ages! I'd pay five Galleons for that!"

"Boys," Mr. Weasley whispered. "I don't want you betting all your savings. Your mother -"

"Don't be a spoilsport, Arthur!" Bagman interrupted. "They're old enough to know what they want. I'll give you excellent odds on that one. And we'll add five Galleons for the funny wand." He handed a bit of parchment to George.

Just then, a wizard Apparated at their fireside. He was the stark opposite to Ludo Bagman. He was an elderly man impeccably dressed in a suit and tie. He had short grey hair that was unnaturally straight and a narrow mustache to match. Adelyn was sure Uncle Vernon would not be able to decern he was a wizard.

"Ludo. I've been looking for you everywhere. The Bulgarians are insisting we add another twelve seats to the Top Box."

"Oh, is THAT what they're after? Such a strong accent. I thought he was going on about tweezers."

"Yes. Now, if you'll come with me. We have limited time before the match starts."

"Oh, alright." Bagmen downed his last bit of tea. "See you all later! You'll be in the Top Box with me – I'm commenting!" He waved, Barty Crouch nodded, and they Disapparated.

By dusk, the air was thick with anticipation. Salesman were Apparating every few feet, carrying trays or pushing carts. There were luminous rosettes that squealed the names of the players; pointed hats with dancing shamrocks; Bulgarian scarves adorned with lions that actually roared; flags from both countries that played their national anthem; there were tiny model of Firebolts that actually flew and collectible figures of famous players that strolled across your hand.

"I've been saving my pocket money all summer for this," Ron said as he urged Adelyn and Hermione with him. Adelyn purchased a Bulgarian scarf.

"Wow. Look at these!" Adelyn found a cart piled high with brass binoculars that were covered with all sorts of knobs and dials.

"Omnioculars," said the saleswizard eagerly. "You can replay. . . slow everything down. . . and they flash up a play-by-play breakdown. Bargain – ten Galleons each."

"There pairs, please," Adelyn replied.

"No - don't bother," Ron said, bashfully turning red. He was always touchy about Adelyn having more money than him.

"You won't be getting anything for Christmas, mind." Adelyn thrust the Omnioculars into his and Hermione's hands.

"Fair enough," Ron grinned, readily accepting the gift.

"Ohh, thanks, Adelyn," Hermione said. "I'll get us some programs."

"It's time!" Mr. Weasley called out. "Come on, you lot. Gather round so we can go."