Albus Potter, Friends and Foes

Ch 40 A Tense ICWW

"How was your weekend?" Ginny asked Scorpius and Cleo as they came through the Floo at twelve Grimmauld Place Tuesday, June twenty-one, twenty-twenty-two. Of course, Albus and Rose were there to greet them.

"Long," Scorpius complained. "Great-grandmother Black is trying to be nicer, but great-grandmother Malfoy and my father are even more, not mean, upset? Worried and very unhappy that Cleo and I are not boyfriend and girlfriend? Grandmother is frustrated and upset with them, and the house is tense."

"They yell at me when I play the pipe organ," Cleo complained. "I have to practice with my portable with the headphones on so they cannot hear the music. NOISE! They call it noise. They tell me to walk up and downstairs."

Scorpius laughed. "Telling Cleo to slow down is like trying to stop the wind."

"Proper lady-like steps, Sloooow and careful," Cleo remarked as she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Well," she sighed, "I did accidently bump into great-grandmother Malfoy once. She was rather upset."

"If I acted like she did I would have been accused of throwing a temper tantrum," Scorpius frowned, although the frown quickly turned into a laugh. "Remember the scene in your Sound of Music movie, where the nuns wonder what to do with a problem like Maria?"

"Maria in the movie wasn't the problem!" Cleo insisted. "She just needed a family. Speaking of family, has Victoire had her baby yet?"

"No, but she is more than ready to have it," Ginny responded. "She has a month before her due date, and there is no indication that she will have the baby early.

"The other children are at the New Burrow, and I was going to take you over there. Put your luggage away and meet here and we will go there."

Cleo and Scorpius put away their luggage in the bedrooms they usually shared, with Cleo Closeting to the Potter home a few moments later. Within fifteen minutes they were in the kitchen of the Potter home, ready to take the magical Closet to the New Burrow.

*

Molly greeted Scorpius and Cleo with her usual hugs, and then told Scorpius, "James has been waiting for you."

Molly casually conjured her Patronus, saying, "James Potter, Scorpius is here."

A short time later James came running into the kitchen, holding his broom. "You brought your broom, didn't you?" he asked Scorpius. "We have been waiting for you."

Scorpius reached into his pocket and brought out his broom and expanded it to its full size. While he was doing this, several more people came into the kitchen.

James continued, "I'm having a hard time finding people to fly with. All the students who have graduated are working or doing something else. You know Patsy Hepplewhite, the Slytherin beater. He is not sure if he wants to turn pro after this year, but he is marginally good enough. He is hoping that by practicing with me this summer he can get good enough, or at least figure out if he really wants to try and turn pro.

"Olivia Wood is one of our Gryffindor chasers. Her father is a professional player.

"You know the Lionhearts', Erica and Bill, and of course Lily. I have not been able to get any of the younger players over yet, so we are seriously short of players even for drills. Even with Albus and Lily we are short of players."

Scorpius joined the small crowd that left the kitchen of the New Burrow to fly.

"Do you mind if I use the living room to practice?" Cleo asked as she pointed out the portable organ that she has shrunk and brought with her."