Conversation floated around the packed dinner table. Dinner had just finished, and Laila had popped back into her flat briefly to fetch the ladoos she made for the Weasley family. Thankfully, they were a hit, and many compliments were thrown in her direction. The room was filled with a fuzzy, warm aura, the firelight only adding to the warmth.
Laila found herself seated between Bill and Patrick, engaged in a conversation about Bill's experiences as a curse-breaker. Fred was on the other side of the table, his head bent down in concentration over a piece of parchment as he and George quietly conversed. She kept making discreet glances over at him, watching the furrow of his eyebrows, the tightness in his jaw, and the brightness of his hair. Fred's face was flushed, and a keen, intelligent look was present in his eyes as he listened to his twin intently.
"They certainly don't care about uniforms or what type of training we have as long as we do the job and get them their treasure."
Bill's voice snapped Laila back to reality as she turned back to the conversations.
"You mean to say that in the UK the goblins don't care about your background training as long as you can do the job? Interestingly, MACUSA requires you to be trained under a certified curse-break for at least a year before you can start working independently," Patrick intoned.
Bill shrugged. "Like I said the goblins really don't mind either way."
Laila listened thoughtfully, forcing herself to not constantly glance back at Fred. "What has your job been like after the war? Are you mostly here in the UK now?"
Bill nodded. "Yes, I was in Egypt for a while working for Gringotts. And now with Victoire, it was easier to transfer over here and stay at home. The goblins don't care either way as long as you can do your job."
Laila laughed softly, glancing down at her hands briefly. Patrick had turned to face Teresa and was chatting with her.
"It must be nice to see your mentor here."
Laila smiled at Bill's words. "It was a lovely surprise, for sure. I didn't realise how much I missed Patrick and Teresa until I saw them again today.
Bill smiled at her. "You also seem to be getting along with my brother well given the number of times I've caught you staring at him."
Laila flushed slightly, not really knowing how to answer. Luckily, a slight tap at her shoulder saved her at the most opportune moment. She was met with a concerned-looking Patrick. Laila immediately felt her muscles growing tight in response, her body getting into action to handle a case that was starting to spiral.
Patrick bent his head and whispered directly in her ear. "Draco Malfoy wants to schedule a meeting with you with his mother and solicitor present."
Laila shot her mentor a confused look. How would he know about that? At her confused look, Patrick quietly clarified, "His lawyer is an old acquaintance of mine. Honest lad, and he'll do right by his client while being respectful of you. Just remember, Laila, I taught you to be tough, but fair. Don't let that rich, pureblood boy walk out with a slap on the wrist if he deserves more."
Laila pursed her lips and nodded firmly. "Don't worry, I won't let anything slide."
"Good. Remember, we speak for the victims and survivors. Often, the people who no longer have a voice because they are no longer on this Earth."
Laila smiled before speaking quietly, "I learned from the best."
Patrick returned her smile before clapping her on the shoulder. "You also looked like you needed saving from being caught staring at your boy toy."
Laila glared at her mentor, "He's not-"
A light clanging silenced her words. Mr. Weasley had stood up from his seat at the head of the table and was tapping a spoon on his wine glass. The man was beaming with joy, and even when he had the room's attention, he continued the infectious banging.
"Alright, dear. That's enough." Mrs. Weasley removed the items from her husband's hands before looking up at him pointedly, waiting for him to continue.
"Thank you, my love." Mr. Weasley cleared his throat before continuing with an enormous smile on his face. "It is an honour to be here amongst family during Christmas. These past few years have been tough, but we've made it out whole-"
"Mostly whole, Dad," George interrupted with a grin.
Mr. Weasley took George's comment in stride and continued with a chuckle, "and our sense of humour intact, thankfully. And I'm grateful to be here with family, old and new."
At the term "new", Mr. Weasley raised his glass towards Laila with a smile before finishing with, "And now, we begin celebrating a very wonderful Christmas indeed!"
Laila smiled and lifted her glass with everyone else in the room, enjoying the taste of warm apple cider. She was thankful Mr. Weasley hadn't drawn too much attention to her, the tension in her body releasing as she let out a breath of air. Dinner continued on with everyone chatting happily, and Laila was happy to take a back seat and listen, chiming in when she had a brief thought she wanted to share. Patrick's and Teresa's presences had made her day, and it allowed her to open up more.
As dinner ended, Laila insisted on washing the dishes, ushering Mrs. Weasley out of the kitchen. The older woman only agreed once Hermione offered to help.
"How's work going?" Hermione began the conversation with slight hesitation. Laila glanced at her curiously. It was clear Hermione had something churning in her mind, but she did not quite know how to word it.
"Pretty well, still adjusting to everything. It's mostly a lot of meetings and paperwork as we get ready for the trials." Laila paused before deciding to jump ship with her next question. "Is everything alright, Hermione? You know you can ask me anything, within reason of course." She did her best to add a bit of humour in the end of her sentence, hoping it didn't come across as pathetic.
Something must have worked because Hermione cracked a small smile while scraping the crumbs off of a plate.
"I was hoping to talk with you about S.P.E.W"
Laila cocked her head thoughtfully, "The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare, correct? I know you're passionate about elves' rights and have done a fantastic job with promoting your cause."
Hermione looked stunned before grinning widely, "Right yes, umm, I was hoping to get your perspective on advancing the cause further."
Laila nodded, "I agree, it definitely should be advanced. Are you thinking about introducing a new law or policy with regards to elves' rights? Or starting a magical department dedicated to this arena? Or what else do you have in mind?"
"I like both of those ideas," Hermione bit her lip. "I really want to make a big impact, but we have to start somewhere. What do you reckon?"
"Well, I'm not the biggest expert. I think Patrick might have some good ideas, but I think requesting to open a department in the Ministry to advocate for elves' rights is a solid start. You would need money to run the department and the backing of your superiors. I think if you get Kingsley on your side, you definitely have a decent chance. And of course, I would also love to help in any way I can. The trick is we are going to have to start small. Do you have some time next week? We can brainstorm some ideas."
"Yes!" Hermione beamed. "That sounds lovely, thank you! I will definitely get a few ideas running so we have a good start to a strong plan."
"Well, I love a girl who can plan and loves researching," Laila smiled.
The dishes were finished, and they had cleaned the kitchen in no time, packing up the extra food into the fridge.
"I think we're done here," Laila smiled. She walked behind Hermione into the main living room area where everyone was talking and laughing in small groups. Laila scanned the room briefly, her eyes searching for Fred.
"He's outside."
Laila jumped in slight astonishment as a voice rang out behind her. Angelina gave her a brief smile. "Sorry about that. I think the two of them were discussing their contract with the woman who shall remain nameless. George just got in."
Laila laughed, "I appreciate the support, Ange. But really, I am fine now."
Angelina's face transformed into a devilish smirk. "Of course, but if there is an opportunity for me to act like a petty bitch, then I'm taking it."
Laila smiled, giving Angelina a quick hug, "God I love you."
She gave Angelina a quick wave before heading outside, only to find Fred seated on the porch steps, his eyes scanning several parchment papers. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder to not startle him.
Fred groaned, "For God's sake, Percy, I don't need your help, mate. Everything is sorted."
"Oof, tough luck for your brother," Laila sat down next to Fred with an amused smile.
Fred blinked before returning her smile, reaching his hand out to tuck a curl of dark hair behind her ear.
"Everything alright?"
"Yeah," Fred sighed. "I want to make sure everything is airtight before we sign."
Laila hummed thoughtfully, "Anything I can help with? Legal contracts are my specialty."
"Nah." Fred flicked his wand, closing the parchment papers before tucking them into his robes. He was quiet for a second before continuing. "We're supposed to meet some distributors next week in a fancy party to discuss how our products will be shipped in the States. Would you like to come?"
"To a party with great food and boring conversation? Yes, definitely! I'll woo some people for you if you like," Laila grinned. She watched Fred closely. The joke landed as he chuckled, but she waited patiently. Something was weighing on his mind, and she needed to give him the space to speak.
"Right, well, Eleanor will be there as well. She sent us the invitation. I reckon your ex will be there as well."
Fred gazed at her cautiously, his dark eyes tracing Laila's facial features as he recorded her reaction.
Laila pursed her lips, "You know my future husband runs a joke shop with very successful products. I cannot think of a better time to demonstrate them."
Fred laughed. "The nose-biting teacups are always a winner."
"But seriously, though," Laila continued. "I'm fine, Fred. I appreciate you thinking of me, but I will be okay."
"You haven't seen him in almost three years, Laila."
She shrugged, "I closed that chapter on my life a long time ago. It's about time the bastard sees that has no hold on me anymore."
Fred leaned his head back on the side of the railing, his body angled towards Laila, his eyes watching her closely. The silence stretched on for a few seconds, and Laila decided to change the subject to ease his concerns.
"Angelina said something about the two of you being together a long while back before she realised George was the better twin," Laila teased.
"I'll have you know she is very biased and not credible," Fred huffed in mock indignation, a twinkle glimmering in his eyes. Laila took the bait and pounced.
"Then I must be very biased to think you're the better twin," she shot back. She watched as a slow shit-eating grin popped up on Fred's face.
"So you do think I'm the better twin. I'll definitely keep that in mind for the future, Vikander."
Laila sputtered slightly, not knowing what to say. "Well, I didn't say that. You-you're twisting my words around!"
Fred shrugged casually, the grin never leaving his face. "You're the one who said you were biased because you think I'm better than George. I'm starting to think your skills as a barrister are definitely sub-par."
Laila glared, "Haha, very funny." Her words were dripping in mock sarcasm.
Fred let out a loud laugh at her eye roll, his shoulders shaking as he calmed down. Laila leaned her head back against the railing, watching him with a growing fondness as something warm began to build in her chest.
What the hell is going on right now? Why do I feel this way?
Once Fred's laughter had subsided, he turned towards Laila once more. "But to set the record straight, we didn't really have a 'relationship'. I asked Ange to the Yule Ball as friends, and the night ended with her and George laughing their asses off and snogging in a corner."
Laila quirked her eyebrows, "Quite a transition from laughing to kissing."
Fred smirked, "Eh. George always fancied her. He just needed a push from me to make a move. The Yule Ball was just the perfect timing. Besides, Angelina and I would kill each other if we ever got together."
Laila chuckled at that.
"Something funny, Vikander?"
"Nothing in particular. Angelina just said something similar if you and she had ever started dating."
Fred nodded thoughtfully, biting his lip in quiet thought before replying. "She wasn't wrong. You're like George, and I'm Angelina."
Laila's mouth opened in slight confusion, "I'm sorry you lost me when you said I have suddenly transformed into your twin. In case you need glasses, Weasley, I'm not a guy, I'm definitely not British, and I'm Indian. And the last time I checked, you're definitely not as gorgeous as Ange."
Fred smirked, "Oh I completely agree, Vikander. You're all woman."
Laila blinked, the blood rushing into her cheeks at Fred's words as she recalled their kiss earlier that evening. No, stop, don't think about that! Not the right time! Think sad crying children! Wait, why that? Just stop! Her brain was going a mile a minute, and Fred's smirk only grew as he watched her. Laila decided her safest bet would be to change the topic.
"Okay go back to your analogy. When did I take Polyjuice Potion to become George?"
Fred didn't take the bait. His tone became a bit more serious as he spoke quietly, "You're like a breath of fresh air. There's been so many moments this week where you've just let me….be. You let me breathe, and you bring me back down to Earth when I need a moment."
Laila's hands started shaking as Fred's words registered in her head. She immediately clasped them together, struggling to maintain a sense of calm. Her words came out slightly shaky, "You…you.."
She cleared her throat, trying to find the courage to continue, "You don't give yourself enough credit, Fred. You're funny, but you're also smart, kind, and understanding. And…your heart is so pure-"
She stopped suddenly, not knowing what else to say. She looked up and caught Fred's eyes. The warmth in the brown orbs shone through the dark night, and it made her heart clench with sudden fondness. "I feel so safe around you," she whispered. "I have never felt this way ever. Especially after…"
She let her words trail off into the night. Both of them knew exactly what she meant. Fred let out a shaky exhale. He stood up abruptly, reaching his hand towards Laila. She accepted it and stood up, facing him. His tall, lanky frame towered over her, and she had to crane her neck up to look at him.
Fred's face was transformed as he gazed at her in a mixture of surprise and tenderness.
"Can I hug you?" The words tumbled out of Laila's mouth before her mind could catch up. Fred blinked before nodding once.
They crashed together in a fierce hug. Laila buried her face into his neck, inhaling his warmth and she felt his arms tighten around her. The air around them was swirling in cold terror, but Laila had never felt warmer.
They broke apart when the door to the Burrow slammed open.
"See, Mum? I told you they were out here." George popped his head out to his mother's left, a beaming grin on his face as he looked at his twin and Laila.
"George Weasley, for goodness sakes! I told you to give them a few minutes!" Angelina's angry tone reverberated outside as George glanced behind him.
"Whoops, gotta run. Can't have the missus yelling at me," George voiced his concern in a stage whisper before abruptly exiting. Now only Mrs. Weasley remained, and she had a huge smile on her face.
"Mum." Fred had barely said the word before Mrs. Weasley engulfed her son in a warm hug. Laila watched as Fred seemed shocked for only a moment before returning his mother's embrace.
"Alright, get inside now! I won't have the two of you getting sick!" The words were meant to be scolding, but they came out with such fondness and surprise.
Fred gazed at his mother curiously and gave Laila an inscrutable look before shooting her a brilliant smile. He disappeared inside, and Laila followed suit, shutting the door behind her.
"Laila, dear."
Laila turned to the Weasley matriarch in slight fear. "Yes, Mrs. Weasley?" She crossed her fingers mentally, praying beyond hope that the older woman did not hear the slight tremor in her voice.
"Here you are, dear." Mrs. Weasley handed Laila a maroon jumper. Laila opened it to find a golden "L" beautifully embroidered in the centre of the jumper. She opened her mouth in astonishment. The words tumbled out before she could think, "Gryffindor colours, right? Fred's house?"
She looked up to find Mrs. Weasley beaming at her, tears dotting the corners of her eyes. "Welcome to the family, my darling."
Laila felt her eyes watering, much like they had the first time she met Mrs. Weasley. The memories of her mom came flooding back and she choked out a slight sob.
"Oh my, dear," Mrs. Weasley engulfed her future daughter-in-law in a warm hug. Laila gave in, allowing her emotions to emerge for the moment. When she separated from her mother-in-law, she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
Well, looks I just needed to cry in front of all of my in-laws. Bloody fantastic.
"Thank you," Laila smiled genuinely. Her light blue eyes sparkled and shimmered like a crystal chandelier. The jumper was soft to the touch, each of the yarn strings woven intricately into a beautiful pattern. The golden "L" sparkled in the warmth of the Burrow.
Laila looked up at Mrs. Weasley with another smile. "Thank you," she repeated. "It's so beautiful."
Mrs. Weasley beamed, "We have a tradition of wearing these jumpers every Christmas morning when we open presents and eat breakfast. I hope you will come to treasure it and wear it tomorrow." She left her words hanging at the last sentence, and it seemed to Laila that she was expecting an affirmative response.
"I will definitely wear it tomorrow," Laila responded with a bright smile. A flurry of movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Laila looked behind Mrs. Weasley, watching as Mr. Weasley cautiously approached them. It took Laila a second to realise she was his intended target, not his wife.
"Molly," Mr. Weasley gently touched his wife's shoulder. Mrs. Weasley glanced up at him, and Laila watched as they exchanged a non-verbal conversation briefly just with their eyes. It was very easy to see the love between the couple, and it only took a few seconds before Mrs. Weasley seemed to catch onto the message her husband was trying to pass onto her.
I hope Fred and I can someday communicate our feelings that easily and quickly. The thought jerked Laila back to reality, and she blinked furiously. Mr. Weasley was standing in front of her, his hands smoothing out the crease on the folded papers. His hands were shaking slightly, and Mr. Weasley seemed to be trying to formulate his next sentence.
"This letter from Kingsley just came. It was meant for you, but I opened it without reading who it was meant for," Mr. Weasley apologised sheepishly. He handed the pages to Laila and waited. It was clear he was waiting for a response.
"Oh," Laila was stunned. A letter from the Minister of Magic on Christmas Eve? "It's alright, Mr. Weasley." She hoped her words sounded reassuring enough.
Laila opened the letter, reading it quickly and thoroughly. She knew Mr. Weasley must have had some idea of the contents and decided to summarise the gist of the letter for his benefit. "It seems like the Minister would like to meet with me this Wednesday to discuss the case of a convicted Death Eater who is applying for a retrial."
As Laila continued to read the name "Augustus Rookwood" caught her eye. He had been convicted for the murder of three wizards and the attempted murder of Fred Weasley. Laila froze when she read the last sentence, her grip on the letter tightening to the point that her knuckles almost turned white. Rookwood was petitioning that another prosecutor should try his case because Laila had a conflict of interest.
"Fucking bastard," she spat. A quick cough reminded her that Mr. Weasley was still there. She felt the blood rush into her face.
"Oh-I…I'm so sorry…I-"
"It is definitely clear that you care about my son," Mr. Weasley smiled fondly at Laila, and she returned his smile.
"I," Laila cleared her throat before continuing to speak. "I don't think I'll be able to refute his petition for the conflict of interest. But I can promise you I will do my best to make sure he does not get this re-trial. And if he does, I will make sure he gets the best possible prosecutor to put him behind bars forever."
Mr. Weasley gave her a watery smile, "That blast destroyed his leg. He was in St. Mungo's, and we were worried he would never recover. I don't know how any of us would have survived if Fred-" His voice cut off towards the end, and Laila knew he was thinking back to the night he almost lost his son.
"Mr. Weasley." She waited until the older man made eye contact with her. "I promise you, I will do everything I can to make sure Rookwood doesn't see the light of day. Even if it means I have to stand down and let another prosecutor argue in my place. I won't let a legal technicality be the reason he is set free."
He nodded briefly, his eyes drifting down to the jumper draped over Laila's arms.
"I see Molly gifted you one of her famous Weasley jumpers," he said, slightly amused.
Laila smiled, "I will definitely be wearing it tomorrow during Christmas morning."
Mr. Weasley nodded thoughtfully, "You're a good kid, Laila. Fred will be very lucky to have you in his life."
She smiled, "I'm lucky to have him."
They stood quietly for another few minutes before Mr. Weasley ushered her back into the main living room, where the rest of the Weasley clan was gathered. Laila made a detour to the coat rack, discreetly tucking the letter into her coat pocket before standing behind Teresa and Patrick. The couple were lounging on the coach in deep conversation with the twins before Teresa let out a slight yawn.
"Right," Teresa said. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I need to sleep, especially if we are going to be joining you early tomorrow for Christmas."
Patrick followed suit, "I'll grab our belongings to take to the hotel."
"No you won't," Laila snorted. When they turned to look at her, she added, "You're staying with me. I have an extra bedroom in my flat, and I won't let you stay anywhere else while you're here."
"Laila," Teresa sighed.
"Absolutely not! I won't hear any arguments on this." Laila's voice was firm.
"Don't you mean apartment? Since when did you start saying flat?" Patrick chuckled quietly.
"Since she's been surrounded by our lot," Fred grinned cheekily.
Laila's lips twitched in response, "I am sorry to cut this short, but I want to make sure Teresa and Patrick get settled in for the night."
As her mentor stood, Laila said her good-byes, saving Fred for last.
"What did Dad want?" Fred's voice was quiet as he bent his head closer to Laila's ears.
"I'll tell you tomorrow," Laila whispered back, squeezing Fred's hand briefly and shooting him a quick smile before following Teresa and Patrick out the door.
"Right," Laila said as they stood in the cold air. "Got all of your belongings?"
When Teresa nodded, they apparated back to Laila's flat. Once the couple were settled in, Patrick announced he was going to bed, and he promptly fell asleep. His snores echoed across Laila's flat, and a bemused smile grew on Laila's face.
"Oh dear god." Teresa plopped down on the sofa and began to massage her feet.
"Do you want me to do that?"
"What? Goodness no!" Teresa exclaimed. She patted the empty spot next to her, gesturing to Laila to sit down.
"So, how have you been, love?"
Laila bit her bottom lip, hesitating. "Not as bad as I thought I would be. The Weasleys are wonderful, and Fred is pretty great."
Teresa laughed softly, "You certainly could have done worse. Thank the Lord you got paired up with a 'blood traitor.'"
Teresa rolled her eyes, "We were so scared when you got that letter. But for your sake, I'm glad you got out of the States."
Laila hugged her knees to her chest. "Aziza called and said the same thing."
Teresa's eyes softened, "I'm sorry, Laila. I know how hard it is." Laila nodded. Teresa had lost her mother at a young age, and she became a de facto mother for her three younger brothers while watching her father drink himself to death.
"I just wish…I wish my father realised he still had three daughters to live for, you know? I mean I know he loved Mom, but…" Laila's voice trailed off.
Teresa reached over and squeezed her hand. "You cannot think like that. None of this was your fault or your sisters' faults. You deserve to live your own life free from constantly worrying about your dad."
Laila shrugged. Teresa's words were a punch to the gut, but she knew Teresa was right. But this was the last thing she wanted to think about before Christmas Eve.
"Did you talk to your sisters?" Laila nodded her head at Teresa's question. "Mehek said she and Aziza would stop by before the wedding. Mrs. Weasley let it slip Mila and Adrian will be here on Sunday."
Teresa chuckled, "You're getting married into the huge British Weasley clan. You need us by your side to support you."
Laila smiled, "I always appreciate the support."
She was quiet before continuing, "How has your health been? Everything good with the baby?"
An enormous smile grew on Teresa's face, "Your godson is doing great."
Laila blinked, taking a second to process Teresa's words, "Wait…you're having a son? Teresa! That is amazing!"
She leapt across the crouch and embraced her friend, letting out a quick laugh.
"Okay, okay," Teresa laughed quietly. "Pipe down before Patrick wakes up."
Laila let out a snort, "The world could end this second, and Patrick would still be fast asleep."
The two chuckled quietly before settling down into a comfortable silence.
"Well," Teresa sighed after a few moments, leaning towards the side as she slowly stood up. "I'm off to bed. Are you heading in soon?"
Laila nodded, "I'll go to sleep in a bit. Just want to sit down for a bit longer."
She watched as Teresa headed into the guest room, closing the door quietly behind her. Laila took out the letter from Kingsley she had stuffed into her coat pocket in the Burrows. Kingsley's letter was brief, but it was clear he was worried. All Laila knew about Rookwood was that he had tried to kill Fred. She would be damned if she would let him get out of Azkaban.
Sighing, Laila stood up and walked over to her desk in her room. She quietly closed the door before settling in with the stacks of files on her desk. She knew she would not be able to sleep unless she got some more background on Rookwood. The full petition from his barrister would be coming soon, and Laila was determined to make sure the Death Eater did not evade his life sentence.
