The Burrow, 6:48 p.m.
The back door to the Burrow burst open and let hot summer air into the cool kitchen. Mum and I came inside holding many brown paper bags and sacks of different sorts. The two of us had been in Diagon Alley for some last minute shopping for Bill and Fleur’s upcoming wedding. We went to the twins’ shop to buy party favors for all of the guests, met up with Fleur and the rest of the wedding party for one last fitting at Madame Malkins’ robe store, made sure the bride’s bouquet and table center pieces were shaping up nicely, and much more.
We were both drenched in sweat, and Mum immediately conjured up two tall glasses of ice cold water.
“My goodness! It is good to be out of that heat!” said Mum. I gratefully accepted the drink and sucked my glass dry within seconds. My hair had come loose from my pony tail, and it was sticking to the back of my sweaty neck.
“Mum, that shopping made me very tired. Would you mind if I showered and went to take a nap, or do you need more help?” I asked.
“Yeah, I could use a bit of help in the garden. The gnomes are infesting every shrub, and I want them gone by the wedding,” Mum said. Suppressing a groan, I headed back outside into the insane heat and began the long process of de-gnoming the back garden.
I sometimes really missed having all of my older brothers at home. This was one of those times. I could have finished that mundane chore hours earlier if I had Bill, Charlie, the twins, and Ron to help me. But no. I was the youngest, and therefore had to be the last Weasley child to deal with the pesky gnomes that lived in my backyard.
I must have been mumbling something like this aloud because one of the gnomes said, “Hey! Little girl! Stop being so rude!”
“Listen,” I replied, “I am in no mood for doing this today. If you don’t want me to be so mean, why don’t you round up your friends and get the hell out of my garden!”
“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, didn’t she? You need a bit of Cheering Charm, I’d say,” But his reply stopped there; I bonked him over the head and whirled him around my head a few times more than necessary and flung him over the fence. He landed an impressive way away from the Burrow and stumbled around dizzily for quite some time before finally heading off into the woods that surrounded my house.
Feeling satisfied, I hurried through the rest of my work sometimes letting my mind wander. Most my thoughts turned to Harry Potter. I worried about him, I daydreamed about him, I got angry with him, etc. My relationship with Harry was so complicated that whenever I thought about him for long periods of time, even I got confused.
I knew that he had left me for a good reason, but I still wanted him in my life. I had always dreamed of ending up with Harry Potter, and because of my fifth year, I had reason to believe that he had wanted the same thing. But just as soon as everything started, Harry brought it to an end. I knew that he had wanted to stay with me and that he had only done what he thought he had to do in order to keep me safe, but I still got mad at him sometimes. Of course, he wouldn’t actually know that I was angry with him because I hadn’t talked to him since the end of school...nor had anyone else........
By the time I was done chucking the creatures out of my yard, the sun had gone down. I was heading back inside to finally take my shower when something round and hard collided with my kitchen window, which then cracked from the impact.
“What on earth was that?” I said aloud.
I looked around and found the culprit lying on the ground, looking disheveled. It was nothing but a tiny barn owl. I was surprised that something so small and feathery could do so much damage to the window until I saw the package it was carrying. There was a small letter with familiar handwriting enclosed in the package. I ripped it open at once.
Dear Mum, Dad, Ginny, and anyone else in the family who reads this,
Sorry I haven’t written to you yet this summer. Harry, Hermione, and I have been staying at the Dursley’s, and we weren’t sure of the likelihood of any letters reaching you. Anyway, the three of us are doing well, although Harry’s aunt and uncle are HORRIBLE, if you ask me. They have no concept of hospitality whatsoever. I don’t know how Harry put up with them for ten straight years.
So, we should be arriving at the Burrow any day now. Harry says that it will be safe to come for the wedding. Can’t wait to see you all! Harry and Hermione say hello. I hope this letter won’t fall into the hands of any bloody Death Eaters,
Love,
Ron
P.S. The thing in the package is a Muggle mobile phone. It’s used the same way as a fellytone except it’s not connected to any wires or anything. Hope you enjoy it, Dad.
A sigh of relief flooded through me. They were safe! And they were coming to the wedding! Which was in only three days! I sort of danced a jig in the kitchen, and I may have whooped a bit loudly because Mum came in to ask me if everything was alright. I let out a squeal of delight, handed her the letter and the mini fellytone, threw the envelope on the table and then headed up the stairs to take a shower (which had then been delayed for at least three hours). All feelings of anger toward Harry had been replaced with joy.
After I showered, I put on a tank-top and some of Fred’s old boxers that I had stolen years ago and went downstairs for a bite to eat. Dad had gotten home sometime during the past 20 minutes, and he was already eating at the kitchen table, tinkering with his new toy. I went over to give him a hug and a kiss and plopped down in my usual seat.
“Amazing how they do it, those Muggles, isn’t it? I wonder how this thing works...” he muttered.
Mum came over and placed a plate in front of me that was filled with delicious looking food. As she did this she said to Dad, “I am SO glad that Ron, Harry, and Hermione will be coming to the wedding! Aren’t you dear?”
“Hmm? Oh, yes, the food is wonderful,” Dad replied. He was far too entranced by his gadget to pay any attention to Mum.
“I wonder how long they’ll stay. A few days? A week? I’ll have to find somewhere for them to sleep, but we can make arrangements. We’re going to have a full house!” Mum said excitedly. “And of course, Fleur’s bachelorette party is Friday night!”
“Oh, Merlin. I had almost forgotten about that. It should be...interesting,”I said unenthusiastically. My dislike for Fleur was widely known within the family, so at this remark Mum shot me a look that said, “Be nice, or else.”
Later, as I was trying to fall asleep, I again thought of Harry and wondered what it would be like to see him again. My stomach filled with butterflies, but I repressed them and told myself that I could allow nothing to happen between us at the wedding. Then the thought of Fleur's party crept into my mind, and any trace of excitement disappeared. Minutes later, I was finally able to fall asleep.