An elephant began trumpeting in her room. Followed by ungodly shrieks that sounded like monkeys being flayed alive. And then, boom-BOOM, boom-BOOM, jungle drums. And then the elephant once more. And the chimps in misery. Well, no, they sounded rather gleeful actually, Lia thought, emerging from her blankets with her own snarl, directed at the clock mounted high above her north window. It had been a ‘present’ from her Uncles Fred and George ‘for receiving her Hogwarts letter’. Monkeys, elephants and a boy (in a loincloth of leopard skin) with a crude drum slung around his neck paraded in and out of a hollow sycamore tree.
Lia was sure her dear old Mum had a hand in this ‘present’. Moaning, she got up from the bed and ran out of her room. Only when she was down the stairs did her clock stop its racket.
“Well, what will it be? I made peach and strawberry waffles, I made eggs, I made bangers, and we have papaya,” her mum said, leading her to the breakfast booth as if she hadn’t been just chased off her bedroom by insane jungle noise.
Of course, complaining was moot, so she just obediently slouched at the table and balefully asked, “What in Merlin’s pristine beard is papaya?”
Her mum laughed, took a platter from the fridge and laid it on the table. On the platter lay foot-long cuts of orange-coloured fruit with many black seeds. Her mother took one long slice onto her plate, scraping off the seeds, and cut and forked the fruit into her mouth. “It’s delicious, love. Has a unique refreshing tang. The Ministry received several crates as a gift from the Philippine delegation of wizards and witches who visited last week.”
Still scowling at her unholy wake-up call, Lia accepted the piece of papaya her mum offered her. Mmm, yeah, it was nice. It might just be her new favourite fruit. Apples were crispier, but not this smooth and... un-tart-y. It wasn’t often to find delicious un-tart-y fruits. Usually, if they weren’t tart, they were icky sweet. The papaya was just right. Juicy, too.
“Hey! Leave some for us!”
“You eat as though your mother starves you, Lia.”
“Are your eyes green?”
Lia turned around to find her mother peering up at her Uncles Fred and George, the devils. They’d just climbed out of the Floo. They were dusting soot off their dragon-hide jackets. And yes, their eyes were green. So green they looked like walking talking Christmas decor. Lia swallowed her mouthful of papaya and laughed in spite of her resolve to be a grouch that day.
“It’s a prototype. We’re getting near perfecting it. Just a few more tweaks because the eye colour seems to adapt to clothes.”
“Changing eye-colour now, are you? I’d like amethyst,” her mother quipped, setting plates for her uncles.
“Certainly, Hermione. And what about you, you starved crow?” Uncle Fred asked, examining a papaya seed cross-eyed.
“I like my eyes as they are, thank you,” Lia answered. She beat Uncle George on the last slice of papaya on the platter. Her mum beamed at her and kissed her on both cheeks after placing another papaya, this time unpeeled and uncut, huge and bulky, by Uncle George’s elbow.
“Cut that up and just hit it with a cooling charm, George. I need to go and get dressed.”
Lia caught her mother’s eyes giving her an apologetic look.
“Oh, the hearing? It’s okay, Mum. I’ll cope.”
Her mother worked in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry. They had even offered her a seat in the Wizengamot, the youngest witch to be so honoured, but she had refused it, knowing how demanding it would be of her time. Her time which was mostly devoted to Lia. Nevertheless, the Ministry gave her honorary judicial membership where she could choose which cases to handle and sit in.
Of course, Hermione Granger being Hermione Granger, it was nearly the same as having her as head of the department. She worked as such, and was also treated as such. The Head of DMLE, Julius Menis, was even quite besotted with her.
At which thought Lia scowled.
“Thinking about Mr Tiny Menis, aren’t you?”
She glanced at Uncle Fred, who was eating and finishing every slice as soon as Uncle George cut one and then another. “Tiny Menis?”
“Oh, you know, he has small mrains and a tiny menis, too.”
“Fred!”
Lia roared with laughter as her Uncle Ron entered the kitchen from the living room, shaking off ash from his shirt.
“What are you telling Lia ” if Hermione hears you ””
“If I hear what?”
Her mother was back, her hair twisted in a not-so-tidy-and-sleek French pleat. But it suited her because the rest of her was perfect, neat and elegant, from the collar of her deep red satin robes to the tip of her modestly-heeled matching pumps. Lia drank her in with her eyes. She felt like she fancied her mother whenever Hermione looked that poised and pretty.
“If I hear what, Ron? What are your uncles talking about, Lia? Are you sure you’ll be fine? Everything’s in the fridge, you can ””
Lia shook herself out of her slight daze. She grinned, too. It wasn’t often her mum called her by her nickname. “Mum, you’re acting like this is your first hearing! I’ve survived before, I’ll survive again.”
“Without knocking off any teeth? They’re nearly all permanent now, you know. If you ””
“We can grow it back, no problem.”
And then Uncle George cowered behind the second papaya he was carving at the glare he received. Lia suppressed giggling. She met Uncle Ron’s eyes and they both looked away hastily.
“I’ll meet you at Ollivander’s, alright? Fred, George, Ron ””
“We’ll be fine, Hermione, I’ll keep an eye on them.”
“Thank you, Ron. But honestly, you all spoil Thalia, you know!”
But her mum was smiling now, kissing them all on the cheek. Lia was, too, because what her mum said was true. She was the baby of the Grangers, the Weasleys and the Potters! Well, Uncle Bill and Fleur have Tori now, but Lia was first and still wielding the sceptre. It humbled and puffed her up at the same time. She might not have her father, but she had her Uncles, Aunties and Nanas and Poppies... Who was she kidding? She still wanted her father, too.
“Thalia?”
Her mum was looking at her slightly perturbed. Lia smiled. Her mum pressed their foreheads together and then kissed the tip of her nose. “Don’t forget to brush. I already fixed your bed for you, you can repay me by being nice and looking nice later. I’ll take pictures. Your first wand!”
Hermione sniffed. Lia grimaced. She knew what was coming.
“I can’t believe you’re off to Hogwarts, love.”
To Lia’s consternation, even Uncle Fred and George’s green eyes were sparkling more than usual.
“Yeah, our wee mite is such a woman now.”
“Our wee mite who used to puke nastily down our shoulders.”
“But Ron was her favourite.”
“Damn right I am, aren’t I, Lia?”
“Ron! Language, please. I’ll be off now, I’m nearly late.”
Lia received another smothering hug and a kiss and then her mother was gone with a subtle and elegant POP.
“I meant you’re her favourite to puke on,” Uncle Fred remarked tremulously. And then he and Uncle George lost it and roared with laughter, and Lia, though mortified that she was the one doing the puking in the joke, laughed right along. It was just so fun teasing her favourite uncle.
Dad or no dad, her school shopping was going to be fantastic.
“Uncle Ron, I’ve noticed something odd. Mum never seems to be in any of the papers, does she?”
They were having lunch in the breakfast booth with the breakfast food. Bangers and mash could beat salmon or sardines any day. Uncle Fred was the one carving another papaya now. Uncle George’s spoon paused ever so lightly as he swiped off the seeds on his slice. Lia noticed all three men fail to exchange looks subtly. She frowned.
She was reading the Daily Prophet, which had put together a nice feature about the war heroes and heroines all over again due to her Uncle Harry’s approaching birthday. Lia was used to such things, but it always pleased her to read praise toward her mother and their close friends. But by now, she noticed that her mother never, never had her picture in the papers. Lia had always cherished a secret yen to see her mum’s pretty face in print.
Uncle Ron cleared his throat, speared another sausage and grinned. “Well, she’s not,” he said nonchalantly. “She doesn’t like publicity, your Mum. We’ve had enough of that even in school. Didn’t she tell you that one about Rita Skeeter?”
Lia just nodded. It didn’t make sense. The Prophet even knew her mother’s favourite Bean flavour. Uncle Ron seemed to notice she wasn’t satisfied with his answer and shrugged. “Your mum just doesn’t want everyone knowing her face, that’s all. She doesn’t like being disturbed and imposed on, you know. Imagine her in Flourish and Blotts, prowling the shelves, and then besieged by people for autographs ””
“It would be the last thing they’d do,” Uncle Fred said through a mouthful of papaya. “Though I wonder what Hermione can still visit bookstores for.”
Lia grinned, pacified.
“Can’t we go yet?”
“You can’t boot us out in this heat, miss. We have the shop well in Verity’s capable hands and feet and these papayas are heavenly. We’ll wait ‘til it’s not so dog hot anymore.”
“We do have toilets in the Diagon Alley, don’t we?” asked Lia, gathering dishes and placing them on the sink.
“Why do you ask?”
“For you, my dear gluttonous uncles.”
At five o’clock, after playing two-a-side Quidditch in the ‘backyard’ and eating more papaya (in the case of Lia’s twin uncles) while listening to a Cannons game against the Highlanders on the wireless, they Floo-ed to Diagon Alley at last. Lia had wanted to Side-Along, but her mother would have none of it. “We never Side-Along-ed until we were sixteen, Thalia, and only your Uncle Harry did that, too, not me. Nana Molly said she never let your uncles and Aunt Ginny to Side-Along either when they were young.”
Of course, Lia could have argued that she wasn’t ‘young’ any more, but when her mum said ‘Nana Molly said’, nothing else could sway her. Not even Nana Helen.
She thought these things and more as she spun in the green whirlwind, keeping her elbows tucked in because her greatest fear was dark elbows.
At last, she slid out of the Weasleys Wizard Wheezes’ hearth.
Uncle Ron had slipped her school list under the wireless when they went out to play Quidditch. Lia growled and Uncles Fred and George held her back as Uncle Ron went back to get it.
After that, it was her uncles who were fit to be tied. Lia could be exasperating. Their own fault, too, because they’d doted on her more than Hermione had advised them to.
“Mum said I can get an owl!”
“But who’ll carry it while we hop from store to store, witch?”
“Look, let’s go in and try that new pistachio.”
“Lia, we have to get your robes and Madam Malkin won’t let you in if you have ice cream.”
“I’ll finish it before we go in.”
“But we’re getting your robes now.”
But they passed Quality Quidditch Supplies.
“Wicked.”
“Wicked.”
“Wicked.”
“Wicked. Honestly. You need a new tagline, uncles.”
There was a new Nimbus and a new Comet out. Not as sensational as the Lightning Bolts, but still.
“Excuse me, you’ve been standing there for fifteen minutes already. I’ve timed you since we arrived. Can I have my turn now?”
“Lia! Your mother said to be polite!”
“I was polite! And he budged for me, Uncle Ron, move over!”
After ogling the brooms, they did contrive to buy what they needed to buy, with many moments between when Ron, Fred or George wanted to strangle their precious Lia.
“Mum always said to get the value of my Knut, and the value of my Knut is ruined if I get a quill that doesn’t agree with me; give me fifteen minutes with this one, it takes that long for a quill to be ‘broken’.”
“These parchments are a tad too thin for my tastes and you know I have a strong penmanship, Uncle Ron.”
“But can’t I really get other titles on the same subject? I mean I’ve memorised these already!”
“Pewter is overrated. I’d much rather get stainless steel.”
“Oh, you’re a darling hooter. You, too, yes, you, too! And you’re a lovely snow queen, aren’t you? Your chest is puffed up, sir, shall I get you? I want a lady, though, so she can sympathise with me. What’s your heartache, madam? Your eyes are like topazes, but you’re too monochromatic. Oh, how can I pick, Uncle Ron ” we’ve only been here two minutes and you already have owl poop on your hair.”
“The sleeves are still too short, I think, Madam.”
Unlike Ron, Fred and George who had long been reduced to silent suffering, Madam Malkin clicked her tongue impatiently. “My dear, any longer and you won’t be able to stir a cauldron without your sleeve sieving the potion.”
After that, Lia was subdued, though it was because her mum still hadn’t come. It was going on seven. Her uncles took her to The Leaky Cauldron to eat.
The moment they came in, Tom hailed them over, waving a green envelope.
“Ministry owls flocked here awhile ago. There’s been some kerfuffle in the Ministry and every employee has to stay. This one is addressed to Miss Granger. The Ministry sent them but I bet you’ll find a note from your mother, too, lassie. Quite a number of children out for shopping also got notes from their parents.”
Lia’s heart was somewhere around her knees. She was glad she was sitting down already. She opened the envelope and ignored the Ministry’s calligraphy, only reading the small piece of stationery she recognised, which came from her mother’s otter stamped notepad.
Thalia, Ron, Fred, George,
I’m fine, we all are, there’s just been a ridiculous rumpus in the courtroom and a pack of vicious lies. I’ll tell you about it later. But I’m afraid I might not get out of here in time to get your wand with you, Thalia. I don’t want to put it off; you’ve waited for so long. You can go and get it with your uncles. I’m so sorry.
Mum
Even as she sighed in relief, Lia sighed again, this time in disappointment.
Getting her wand was something she and her mum had dreamed about, and it was such an anticlimax that she was getting it with her uncles instead. She loved them, but they weren’t her mum.
Of course, she could put it off for tomorrow, but her mum was right ” it was too painful to leave Diagon Alley with her books, robes and quills but without her first wand.
And Lia knew she couldn’t trust her moods at all. If she sulked about not having her wand, and she was liable to sulk, she would hurt her mother.
“So?”
Lia sadly smiled at Uncle Ron. “It won’t be the same, but I really want to get my wand already. And who knows, Mum might pop in just at the last second.”
Uncle Ron frowned for a moment. “Oh, yeah. Of course, squirt. But I was only going to ask, ribs, lamb or beef? Let’s have the roast, okay?”
Uncles Fred and George rolled their eyes and Lia grinned. Her Uncle Ron always managed to soothe her, though unwittingly.
“Why did you have to tell your Aunt Pansy we were coming? What do you see in her anyway? Why are you so close? You are as unlike her as... cream to cheese.”
Lia grinned at the metaphor. The girl inside laughed outright at her father.
Lia was sitting in the newly-installed bench just outside Ollivander’s. Her uncles were in different toilets that moment (The roast disagreed with all that papaya). Mr Ollivander seemed to be having supper. The shop was open, though, no doubt securely warded against thieving.
She would have gone in, but there were already people inside. And not just mere people. A father and daughter. Something made Lia sit outside instead, listening to them with a mixture of amusement and envy.
Both the girl and his father had black hair. Their skin was too pale for it. They were dressed nicely, too, though Lia never much fancied such fancy girly clothes such as the daughter wore. They were about the same age; they had to be, since the girl was also getting her first wand. Lia sat with her back to them, so aside from their colouring and clothes, she observed no more, just pinned her ears back on their easy conversation.
“Aunt Pansy, cheese, wait ‘til she hears that.”
“You will not tell her. And look where she’s landed us.”
“She says you’ve gotten soft.”
“I did not. You seemed eager to stay to lunch, so we stayed. You seemed acquiescent to stay to tea, so we stayed, too.”
“But little Thea is such a sweet baby, you know. I wish I have a sister like that.”
“You call it sweet? Turning our hair this hideous shade of black?”
“It was an accident, and the spell will last only another hour. Aren’t you proud you’re the receiver of her first magic?”
“Well, I’m glad she only changed my hair colour. Not, say, my nose.”
“Daddy, I’ve been thinking ””
“When do you not think?”
“Why don’t you marry again?”
“Because there’s no one worth it.”
“You still love my mother, don’t you?”
“Is that a trick question?”
“If it is, blame yourself. It’s from you I learned all about trick questions and don’t change the subject.”
“Thalia! Where are your uncles? Why are you out here all alone?”
Lia abandoned her musings about how endearing it was the way the girl was bossing her father and turned to her mother. A little frazzled, a little weary, but still beautiful. She launched herself to her mum’s arms, causing Hermione to tumble into the door of Ollivander’s.
A sturdy shelf and counter saved them from rolling on the floor. Only then did her mum squeak in relief and hugged her back just as tightly.
“My goodness, you can be so fierce with your embraces, can’t you? Oh, I’m sorry, I hope we didn’t disturb you,” Hermione said aside to the father and daughter in the room, but her eyes were on Lia’s upturned face. “Did your uncles feed you? Have you got all your things? Did you leave the house in chaos? Did you eat a gallon of ice cream again?”
Lia answered with two nods and two shakes of the head, and then burrowed her face on her mum’s bosom, inhaling her sweet scent. She did this out of love and... well, the other girl might have a wonderful father, but Lia had a wonderful mother.
“Oh, there they are. Let’s go outside for a bit, we can’t all crowd in here and I have some things to ask and tell your uncles.”
Having done her show, Lia consented to be led outside, drinking in the look of longing in the other girl’s face from her peripheral vision.
Her wand was eleven-and-a-quarter-inch maple, supple, dragon heartstring. It was snug in its box in Lia’s magically and ridiculously early packed school trunk. Now she was on her window seat, gazing at the stars and kneading a ball of jade green clay in her hand.
Her north window looked out toward the hills, where nothing obstructed her view of the sky. Many were the nights in her childhood when her mother had to carry her to bed because she always fell asleep staring at the twinkling, velvety view.
But tonight, though the moon was a perfect sickle and the stars winked as though they were teasing you with their secrets, Lia was not looking at them and wishing she could pluck them. Instead she was wishing she had a father, whom she could boss and tease the way that girl at Ollivander’s did to her dad.
“Already plotting mischief for the party tomorrow?”
Lia blinked. Her mum was turning back her bedcovers. Lia obligingly left her cosy oriole window and let her mum tuck her in. She was already getting used to her new bedtime. Perhaps tomorrow she would escape her room before the stupid jungle clock started its din.
“Mum?”
“Hmm?” Hermione sat down on the bed.
“Do you think I might... meet siblings at Hogwarts?”
Her mother didn’t answer. Only stared.
“Not this year, I guess. But later, you know,” Lia amended.
“Oh.” Her mother paused for several moments and looked away. Lia said nothing. When her mother turned back, were her eyes glassy because of sleepiness or something else? “You think your... your f-father might have other children now?”
Lia nodded.
“Would that hurt you, Thalia?”
“No. No, Mum,” she emphasised, because her mum looked disturbed. “Not really. But I like to, you know, be prepared somehow.”
“Oh.”
“Mum, you have to tell me his name.”
“I ” I don’t see the point in that, Thalia. You were asking if you might meet siblings. There’s no possibility of that, because your father’s in ””
“In...?” Lia prompted.
“In another country where there’s also a prominent Wizarding school. So if he has children, they’d go there, not Hogwarts.”
“So I think I can know his name then. If there’s no danger of my meeting siblings.”
Her mother studied her for a long time. Lia squirmed, but tenaciously returned the gaze. And then, to Lia’s surprise, her mum snuggled in beside her under the summer quilt.
“His name is Draco Malfoy.”
Author’s Note: Ooh, the next chapter will be juicy to justify this cliffie. That rhymes. Thank you for reading. Please tell me what you think. ^_^