Laila was juggling two dresses in front of her bathroom mirror when her landline began to ring. Quickly, she emerged from the bathroom and tossed them onto her bed, the now partially crumpled dresses a stark contrast to the bed she had made just an hour ago after taking a refreshing nap. Cursing her luck, Laila slid across the wooden floor in her fuzzy socks before grabbing the phone of the hook and pressing it against her ear, almost jabbing her eye out in the process.
Before she could say hello, she heard a few hurried whispers from the other end before a familiar voice rang out.
"Hello?" she called in response.
"Laila! Can you hear me?" the other end shouted.
Wincing, Laila edged the speaker from her now drumming ears. Her mentor's familiar voice echoed out in curiosity. Patrick Adell had trained her as a lawyer and served as her mentor for the past decade, beginning when she was still a student at Ilvermorny and had started interning at MACUSA. She heard scuffling in the back before his wife's voice rang out over the speaker.
"Hi, hon can you hear me now? We got you on speaker since my idiot husband hasn't figured out Muggle technology," Teresa's annoyed voice rang out, with a tinge of amusement hidden just underneath.
Laila grinned as she heard Patrick's protests. "Don't blame me for growing up pureblood! Half of the things Muggles use don't make any sense to me because we have magic instead."
"Oh please, we've been married for almost five years and dating much longer before then. You've been around my parents and me for enough time to get used to Muggle gadgets. And you've spent time with Laila, so zip it with the excuses."
"How's London, Laila?" Teresa's voice turned her attention back to Laila. "And that fiance of yours. Is he a good egg."
"Not too bad, and he's fine, Teresa. We just met today, but everyone in his family that I've met so far seem nice. I'm meeting his family today for dinner. Talk about the fast track, we've barely known each other for 24 hours, and I'm already on the meet the family phase headed very soon for the 'let's get hitched' phase!"
Teresa chuckled, "Then it's a good thing we called when we did. Need help deciding what to wear."
Laila groaned, "Yes please! What are you supposed to wear to meet your significant other's family, especially given the circumstances I've landed in."
"Go for something smart but friendly, you don't want to overdress like you're walking into a courtroom, but you also want to make a nice impression. And don't you dare wear anything black, you're not going to a funeral. And no white either, you're not going to an Indian funeral either, and it's not your wedding day yet. Wear that blue dress I got you, the one with the half sleeves that is flowy towards the bottom. It matches your eyes and won't make you look too much like a prosecutor."
"Gee thanks," Laila muttered, forgetting for a brief moment that Teresa was on the other side of the world and not in the same room as her.
"I know you're rolling your eyes," Teresa laughed. "But anyways we called to wish you luck and also to give you some news."
At this, Laila's ears perked up. In the past few years, news meant learning about her loved ones' deaths or hearing about a Death Eater evading capture. For a long time, she dreaded hearing that phrase and had to steel herself to prepare for the worst. This one, though, seemed more hopeful. Teresa's voice had gained a jubilant air and knowing her, Laila could picture her bouncing on her toes as she twirled the phone cord between her fingers.
"We're pregnant!" Patrick's voice boomed out before he let out a yelp.
"I'm pregnant you prick! I'll be carrying your baby the next six months, watching my stomach get bigger and no longer being able to see my feet. If you magically start growing fat and deliver this child then you can call yourself pregnant. And knowing how big your head is, this kid is going to be at least 8 lb and will break my body in two."
"Wait, what!" Laila gasped. "Did I hear that right? Congratulations both of you!" Despite Teresa's rant, Laila knew how much this pregnancy had meant to her. With the war looming over their heads, Patrick and Teresa had decided to wait before bringing any children into the world. And even after the war had ended, Teresa had difficulty conceiving. Months of visits to the healer and trying different potions had taken a toll on both of them, so this was a happy surprise for the soon to be parents.
"The doctors have me on bed rest for the next six months. They say since I'm in my late 30s and had trouble getting pregnant in the past that this could be a high-risk pregnancy. So I'll be spending my days lying down and ordering your mentor about to get me food and clean the house," Teresa laughed.
Laila grinned before once again offering her congratulations to her good friends.
"There's actually another reason we called as well," Patrick's voice rang out. "Given everything that has happened in the past, we don't want to take any risk for our child's future life, in case something happens to either of us."
"Pat-"
"Hear me out, Laila. The chance of that happening now is slim with the perpetrators being caught and brought to trial, but none of us can see the future. So in case anything happens, we wonder if you would be willing to take responsibility for our kid and be its godmother?"
Laila's brain blanked out for a second before a slow smile began spreading on her face.
"Laila, hello? She isn't saying anything. I think I broke her brain, Res."
"You didn't break anything, you dolt. She's just taking a second to process the news. Give her a minute."
"Yes!" Laila squealed. "Of course I will be. You don't even have to ask. I'm going to spoil my godchild rotten, so you both had better watch out."
"Well if anything happens to us, you'll be taking care of a kid that is half-Patrick, so start saying your prayers now," Teresa laughed.
Her voice quickly sobered before she continued. "But honestly, Laila, we didn't make this decision lightly. You're the only we both trust to take care of this little bean if-"
Laila heard a slight sob break through the other side before some shuffling ensued.
"Hey, Laila, can you hear me?"
Patrick's soft voice rang out through the phone and Laila leaned in, straining to hear it.
"Is Teresa okay?"
"Yeah don't worry, it's the hormones, she went to get some rest, she'll be fine. Now tell me, are you ready for Monday and the beginning of the trials."
Laila bit her lip. "We're beginning with the Carrows and for the damage they caused to many Hogwarts students in their tenure as professors there. We lived through the horrors, Patrick, but to see all these crimes listed one by one for each person, my god. To think that human beings are capable of doing this to other human beings." She shook her head.
"We're fickle creatures. We'll agree not to repeat the horrors of this last war just like we promised with the first Wizarding War. There will be some time of peace and remembrance, and then something will start up again in the future. Unfortunately, that's just the way the human brain works."
Patrick's words churned Laila's stomach, but before she could respond a knock ran out through her flat.
"Hey Pat, listen I gotta go. Someone's at my door. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"By Lails, talk to you soon."
Laila placed the phone back down into the cradle before glancing through her peephole, only to notice Fred with a strained expression on his face. Curious, she opened the door to find him balancing two pie dishes in his hand.
He looked up and grinned brightly at her expression.
"Hey! So Hermione told me Americans have a thing for eating pie for every occasion, so I roped her into helping me make some for you to try in case you miss home. They're both apple pies because that's the only fruit I could remember when I went shopping, and I wanted to try to make it the Muggle way instead of conjuring something up. So apologies ahead of time if it doesn't taste that good, and they don't look that appetizing either but I think they should be edible."
Fred's rambling came to an end when he noticed Laila staring at the pies before a small smile emerged on her face. She gestured for him to enter as she took the pies from him and set them down on the kitchen counter. Fred watched as Laila's back rounded as she gazed at the pies, her fingers gripping the counter by the sink. Her shoulders tensed for a second before they began shaking with silent laughter. Struggling to get a grip on herself, Laila turned to face Fred with a bright smile on her face.
"Apple pie, huh? The one dessert that all non-Americans can name."
"Did you want something else," Fred questioned nervously. "I thought about making something Indian, but I didn't know where to begin or what to make, especially since I don't even know where you're from here."
"Relax, Fred" Laila grinned. "I'm just pulling your chain. I love apple pie, and don't worry we have plenty of time for you to get acquainted with Indian food. Just so you know, I do eat other things though."
Fred ran his hand through his hair. Laila's eyes drifted up and followed his movement. That must be a nervous tic of his.
"Hey, you good?"
Laila jumped in slight surprise and met Fred's amused smile. She glanced away briefly before she felt her cheeks heating up.
"Yeah, I'm good. Just give me twenty minutes, and I'll be ready to go." And with that, she hurried into her bedroom and shut the door, slumping against the door frame as she took a
second. Taking a deep breath, Laila turned her attention to her closet. Focus, she mentally shouted at herself. She straightened her back and headed towards her bed to shove the two dresses into her closet before rummaging through clothes she had yet to completely finish unpacking to find Teresa's suggestion.
By the time she had found and stuffed herself into the dress, Laila hurriedly glanced at the clock. There were forty minutes before dinner would begin, but she wanted to arrive early enough to not set a bad impression. And I still have to do my make-up! Deciding on a light look, she put on a touch of mascara and lipstick before deciding to forego the eyeliner. There was always another day to jab herself in the eye with her eyeliner and kajal. Hurrying out of the room while struggling to put on her shoes with one hand and adjusting her earrings with the other, she looked around to find Fred stuffing his face with samosas.
"Hey!" Laila raced over and snatched the tray from his hands. "These are for your family, not just you!"
"What did you expect I was going to do while you were taking forever to get ready?" Fred grinned with a half-shrug.
"Excuse me, forever? That took less than fifteen minutes. It probably takes you longer to adjust the wig on your head, especially since you're always running your hands through it to keep it in place."
Giving a mock gasp of surprise, Fred clutched his chest dramatically with one hand while waving the samosa in the other hand around the air. "I'll have you know this is pure quality Weasley hair, down to the red roots. And if you're looking to learn about me, lesson number one, don't leave delicious fried food lying around, because I will eat it."
Laila shot him a dry look. "The samosas were in the oven to keep them warm. They weren't lying around. And considering you were snooping around in my flat without asking me, I can easily have you arrested for charges of theft and burglary."
Raising an eyebrow, Fred leaned in closer, "You invited me in, sweetheart. And considering we'll be marrying in less than a month, what yours is mine, and vice versa. So technically this isn't stealing."
Laila leaned in closer, standing slightly on her toes so she was able to reach Fred's ear. When her lips were just inches away, she felt him take a sharp breath before she smirked devilishly. "Call me sweetheart again, and I'll cut your balls off."
With that, she stepped away to gauge his reaction. To her satisfaction, the color from Fred's face drained, leaving behind a white sheet dotted with freckles. He put his second half-eaten samosa down and raised his arms in surrender.
"Sheesh, I'm glad I'm not the one on trial with you trying to put me away. But then again, I will be handcuffed to you for-"
"Stop and think for a second," Laila interrupted. "Do you really want to finish that sentence?"
At this, Fred's mouth snapped shut before he caught the smile breaking across Laila's face. He shook his head with a smile of his own before continuing. "You know for an American, you have a dry sense of humor."
"Aww thank you, you're not too bad yourself."
They both looked at each other while the clock ticked in the background. For a moment, Laila could see this working. As crazy as she knew it sounded, she could see herself living with this near perfect stranger, coming home to someone who would make her laugh, having the chance to cook dinner with someone and not for someone for a change. Someone she could lean on when things got tough, but also give back that same support. For a brief moment, she saw in Fred the same joy in living that her father had embodied before her mother was killed.
They both jerked when a sharp ring echoed through the flat. Turning to the phone, Laila gave Fred an apologetic smile before rushing to pick it up.
"Hey Kim, good news," Patrick's voice rang out.
"Wrong number, Patrick," Laila's mouth twitched in amusement. "But at least you didn't blow my brains out by yelling this time."
"Isn't the phrase blow your eardrums out?" Patrick asked in surprise.
"Not when you're on the other side of the line," Laila laughed. She turned around to see Fred watching her, his head cocked and curiosity flickering through his eyes. "Listen, I gotta go. Talk to you later, again, Adell."
Without waiting to hear him respond, Laila hung up. "My mentor," she explained in response to Fred's stare. "He taught me everything I know."
And before she knew it, she had spilled the exciting news to her still-stranger fiance. "His wife, Teresa, is pregnant. And they asked me to be the godmother." Laila's grin lit up her face, and Fred returned it.
"Congratulations, Laila!" He walked over to her and bumped her shoulder with slight affection. Although not much of a gesture, it warmed Laila's heart and suddenly no longer made her feel as awkward when she clumsily related this news to him.
"C'mon, we should get going." Fred glanced back at her clock. They had twenty minutes before dinner would begin.
"Just one second." Laila walked over and covered the samosas before grabbing the tray, only to have Fred snatch it from her hands.
"Hey, I can-"
"Relax, I'm not going to eat them. But you need to lock up your place unless you actually want to risk getting robbed for real."
Laila bit back the retort, choosing to roll her eyes and she followed Fred out before they could apparate to his family home.
The sun had begun to set by the time they arrived at the Burrow, streaks of purple and orange intersecting across the darkening sky. The fields around the house were blowing against the wind, flattening them slightly before they fought to rise up again. Laila looked up at the house. The base of the house was sturdy, with the ascending floors poking out at odd angles. Laila looked up to see some rooms jutting out further than others with multiple chimneys appearing at random angles. She smiled inwardly, this is what a home looked like. Not an apartment with wooden floors and expensive collector's items, but a place where a family actually lived. Where the floors were filled with scrapes and the walls lined with traces of markings as the kids got older. This was the home Laila remembered from her childhood, once that had ended far too soon.
Even as thought all this, she kept her features carefully schooled. So much so that when Fred looked at her, he could not get a read on her. He cleared his throat to pull her out of her thoughts. Looks like I might be doing that a lot.
Laila didn't jerk in surprise this time. Instead, she turned to face Fred with a brilliant smile.
"It's not much, but it's home," Fred replied softly in response to her expression.
"It's perfect," Laila interrupted. "Absolutely perfect." And with that, she began walking to the front door.
Blinking in surprise, Fred felt a smile threatening to break across his face. He had been worried, not about what an American would think about his home or family, but if she would be able to fit in. Would she be able to get along with his mother and tolerate his brothers? But Laila's reaction had surprisingly delighted him. Even in the short amount of time he had known her, he was discovering more and more things he liked about this intriguing American witch.
"Are you coming or you planning on running away to eat those samosas by yourself?"
Fred caught her laughing gaze before biting back. "Eh, I've had better. And I'm not going to miss out on my mum's cooking for these."
Laila glared at him before roughly snatching the tray out of his hands. "In that case, you're not getting any."
Fred's face crumpled, but he didn't get a chance to formulate a response because at that exact moment, his only sister made an appearance with her boyfriend being tugged behind her.
"Laila!" Ginny squealed and snatched the tray from Laila's hands, casually tossing it into Fred's hands before squeezing her future sister-in-law. Laila let out a laugh of surprise as she tried to return the hug, but with her breath being propelled out of her body with that last laugh, the task was proving to be difficult. With a concentrated effort, she shot Fred a pleading look, who gently pushed Ginny off.
Not missing a beat, Ginny continued to grin. "I'm so excited for you to meet everyone! Mum's been grilling us about you non-stop since yesterday." She paused to take a breath, noticing Laila looking over at Harry. "Oh and this is my boyfriend, Harry."
Fred raised an eyebrow. "How does it feel to be demoted to an afterthought Harry?"
"Oh shut up," Ginny grumbled as she and her brother began squabbling good-naturedly.
Harry only grinned before extending his out to Laila. "Harry, nice to meet you," he said simply.
"Believe me, I don't need any introductions. It's an honest pleasure to meet you," Laila smiled. Their brief exchange was interrupted with Ginny's laughter as she and Fred continued arguing playfully. At that precise moment, Ginny was trying to make a desperate bid for the samosa tray, while Fred dodged her every move.
"Is it like this every dinner?" Laila asked amusedly.
"We haven't even gotten to the food fights yet." Laila gaped and blinked at Harry, who only looked at her innocently.
"I honestly cannot tell if you're joking or being serious."
Harry just grinned. "Just come ready for the next family dinner. The first one is always polite since this is your first time."
"Of course it is! What kind of hosts would we be if we started dumping food on you instead of shoving it into your mouth?"
Laila felt an arm sling over her shoulders and looked up to see George casually leaning against her.
"Good to see, for the first time. Now are we going to sit here gossiping or go inside? Last I checked this was dinner not tea time."
Fred grinned before bumping into his twin as the rest of the group began to make their way into the house. Before they had crossed the field into the threshold, a sharp ring reverberated through the air. Laila cursed silently as she dug in her purse for her cell phone, the surprisingly muffled ringtone only becoming louder.
Ginny looked curiously at the device. "That's a mobile phone right?"
Laila smiled. "What can I say, when you grow up in a Muggle family, some things are hard to shed in the magical word." She paused, taking a look at the name flashing across her screen.
"Would you please excuse me for a second? I need to take this call about a case. I won't be long." Laila caught Fred's intense questioning gaze. There was clearly more to her story, and Laila felt exposed as his eyes seared into her. Quit being so paranoid. Tossing everyone an apologetic smile, she took a few steps back as she answered the call.
"Peter, you're going to have to make this quick. I'm hoping it's nothing too bad that you couldn't wait until Monday to call me."
The voice on the other end spoke rapidly. "Sorry, Laila. This is crucial. That witness we found doesn't want to testify. One of the biggest charges against the Carrows rests on her testimony. She did agree to speak to you before-"
"Text me her number," Laila interrupted. "I'll speak to her."
A relieved sigh met her ears. "Thanks, Laila. I know this can be difficult."
"It's hard for everyone, Peter. But I had a lot of people who supported me through the worst of it. She just needs to hear from someone who went through a similar experience that it will be okay."
"Yeah, okay well I'll message you her information. See you Monday."
The call ended with a click before Laila's ears met the dial tone. She lowered the receiver from her face as Fred's voice met her ears. "What kind of experience?"
She spun around, carefully masking her expression. "Just something that happened to her in the war. It's about a case." When Fred continued to gaze at her, Laila forced a smile. "We should head back in."
She began to walk towards the Burrow, only to stop when she felt a firm pressure on her shoulders. "You're hiding something," Fred murmured.
Laila cocked her head and stared directly at him. "Of course I am. We only just met this morning. I'm not going to dump all of my secrets and baggage on you the first day."
Taking on a light-hearted tone, Laila grinned. "C'mon, Weasley. I'm not going to give you an easy reason to hightail it in the other direction just yet. You're going to have to wait longer if you want to smoke my secrets out."
Fred's lips twitched. "I've got more patience than you can imagine, Vikander. You'll be eating your words soon enough." His shoulder relaxed and his grip on Laila's shoulder loosened as the two began to walk back into the house.
"I think you've won everyone over already. Your samosas were quite a hit. Don't be surprised if you get tackled when we go in." Fred leaned against the door with a grin before raising his hand to knock.
Laila rolled her eyes. "Dude, really omph-" The wind got knocked out of her as Molly Weasley opened the door and engulfed her future daughter-in-law in a tight hug. It always is true, like mother like daughter.
"Molly, give the poor girl some air," a voice laughed.
Mrs. Weasley stepped back with a huge smile on her face, and Laila saw a kind older woman with the same warm brown eyes as Fred. But behind that warmth, there was a glimmer of intelligence and patience, the look of a woman with quiet strength who had endured so much but still looked forward to each new day. Mr. Weasley stood behind her with a hand on his wife's shoulder, both of them smiling.
"Welcome to our home, dear." Mrs. Weasley ushered Laila and her son in. "You must be freezing standing out in the cold for so long." She shot her son a playful glare before taking a step back to get a full look at her daughter-in-law.
"My look at you, dear. A young, accomplished witch who is also beautiful. My grandchildren are going to be beautiful."
Fred blanched at his mother's words, and Laila struggled not to laugh, disguising her amusement behind a carefully concealed cough. Mr. Weasley gently admonished his wife. "Now now, dear. The wedding hasn't even happened yet. Let's give these two some time before we start planning for more grandchildren."
He ushered the rest of his family into the living room, and Laila finally met the entire Weasley clan. She saw firsthand the love that rippled between Fred's parents and how it extended to the rest of their children. And in the way they welcomed everyone into their fold, from the way Mrs. Weasley and Fleur cooed over Victoire to Mr. Weasley pulling aside Harry to discuss
his Auror training. She saw a family, not just several people living different lives even while under the same roof. And for the first time in a long time, she let her guard slip for longer than just a brief moment.
"Hi Laila, nice to meet you." Laila turned to see another of Fred's brothers in front of her, sticking out his hand. It took a second, but based on his polite demeanor and professional stance that were such a contrast to the warmth his family sparked, she instantly placed Percy.
"Hi, Percy right? Nice to meet you. It's nice to know I'll see one familiar place around the ministry."
"And it's nice to know that the witch who will be leading the Wizarding War Trials is well-trained and accomplished enough to take on the mantle."
Laila tilted her head back and gave a slight smirk. "In other words, you were worried that I was selected solely for my blood status and my nationality. That an American muggleborn would make for excellent press coverage and convey impartiality throughout the trial."
Percy had the decency to blush. "Forgive me. I didn't mean to sound impertinent. It's just there were a lot of other candidates also vying for the job with more...experience."
Laila took a seat on the couch and gestured Percy to sit across from her in a sign of good faith. "Relax, Percy." She crossed her legs and leaned forward, her arms crossed over her lap.
"You're not wrong in your assumptions. I'm well aware about the political correctness reasons I was chosen, but my credentials also played a part. And I'm not alone on this. I've assembled a team I'm already working with to make sure everyone gets a fair shot during this trial. And I'm definitely not above in seeking out advice."
Percy smiled and raised his glass to her. "In that case, welcome. The ministry at least did one thing right in pairing you with my brother. It'll be nice to have someone to talk about Ministry related matters other than just Hermione."
Laila grinned and summoned a glass of pumpkin juice to toast Percy back before she took a sip. The taste of the pumpkin hit her hard and she grimaced. "Good god. This is going to take some getting used to." She gingerly placed her glass down before looking up and noticing Fred was looking at her. He had been watching her every move, and his shoulders were shaking. It took Laila a second to realize they were shaking in silent laughter. She glared at him and raised the glass, visually reminding him of the cup incident at the cafe earlier that morning. Fred raised his arms in mock surrender before heading over to George and Angelina.
Laila watched him go before turning back to Percy. "What do you think of the marriage law?"
Percy's eager tone of voice caught Laila's attention as she carefully examined his expression before a realization hit her. "Did you help to write it?"
He slightly puffed out his chest before proudly declaring, "Yes I did. The whole war was based on blood purity, the best way to wipe away that prejudice is to nip the problem in the bud and encourage people of different blood statuses to get married."
"So end hundreds of years of prejudice by promoting arranged marriage?" Laila cocked her head inquisitively.
Percy paused, struggling to gauge her reaction. "So then you don't agree with it?"
Laila shrugged. "It's not for me to say. In theory, it is a great idea, but like every plan after the disasters of a war, it will take time to see the long-term effects. This is something that I think only history will be able to answer for us."
Percy nodded thoughtfully at her answer before smiling. "What's going on here?" Fred came into Laila's point of view and sat down next to her, casually draping his arm over her couch seat while looking between his brother and fiance.
"Just enjoy a lovely chat with your much more intelligent fiance," Percy snarked back. He smiled at Laila before politely excusing himself.
Fred raised his eyebrows and turned to Laila. "So you were talking about the marriage law, huh? Did my brother tell you he had the intelligence to help write it, but that he won't be subject to it because his long-time girlfriend is a half-blood."
Laila heard it again, the bitter tone that would lace through Fred's voice every time he mentioned the war or the marriage law. She carefully chose not to comment and thanked her usually rotten luck when Mrs. Weasley interrupted them.
"Dinner everyone!" As everyone began to head to the dining room, Laila stood up. "C'mon, Weasley. I don't want to make a bad impression by coming to the dining table late while I am just in the other room."
Fred gazed at her before standing. He brusquely pushed past her, ignoring her light tone. There is a story there, but only time will tell if he'll open up about it. But she wasn't one to judge. She had secrets of her own.