A Master Of Mischief ~ George Weasley Love Story ~ Book 1

Chapter 6

**Maddie’s POV**

                            

"You three've got them too," Mr Weasley says, handing Fred, George and I Hogwarts letters as we walk into the kitchen in our pyjamas.
"You've been told to get all Lockhart's books too," Fred says, looking at Harry's list.
"This lot won't come cheap," George says slowly.
"We'll manage," Mrs Weasley says, but she looks worried.
"I've got a reply from Hermione," Ron says, "she says she's going to Diagon Alley next Wednesday."
"Well, that fits nicely," Mrs Weasley says, "we'll go then too."
The next Wednesday Mrs Weasley wakes us up bright and early to go to Diagon Alley.
"After you, Harry," Mrs Weasley says, offering Harry the flowerpot containing Floo powder.
"Uh, what am I supposed to do?" he asks nervously.
"I'd forgotten!" Ron says, clapping his hand to his forehead, "Harry's never travelled by Floo before!"
"Really?" Mr Weasley asks, "how did you get your books last year?"
"Never mind, Arthur," Mrs Weasley interrupts, "if you haven't travelled by it before..."
"He'll be fine," Fred says, "watch us first."
Mrs Weasley holds the flowerpot out to me.
"Ladies first," she smiles. I take a handful of powder and step into the fireplace.
"Diagon Alley!" I state, dropping the powder and quickly tucking my elbows in tightly. I spin along the system, my eyes screwed up. I land neatly on my feet and duck out of the way. Fred and George tumble out one after the other, coughing. I help them up and we dust each other off. Ron comes next.
"Where's Harry?" he asks, coughing and spluttering. I exchange a look with Fred and George.
"Uh oh."
Ginny arrives next, then Percy. Mrs Weasley arrives a second before Mr Weasley.
"Where's Harry?" Mrs Weasley demands.
"He hasn't arrived," I tell her, dusting Ginny's back off. Mrs Weasley's eyes fly open in alarm.
"Oh!" she cries, "quickly, we'll have to search for him! You three, go with your father!"
She motions to Fred George and I.Mr Weasleybeckons to us and we sprint off in one direction.
"There'smore fireplaces along here," he gasps, "he might have come out one of them."
We sprint the length of the street with out any luck.
"Let's head back," Mr Weasley calls, gasping for breath.
"There!" I call, "with Hagrid!"
Werun up to Harry and double over, panting.
"Molly's coming now," Mr Weasley gasps out. Mrs Weasley appears, dragging Ginny along.
"Oh, Harry! Thank goodness!"
I straighten up, my breathing almost back to normal.
"Hermione, Hagrid," I nod to them.
"Maddison," Hagrid nods back, "I'd best be off. See yeh all at Hogwarts!"
"Alright, let's go to Gringotts," Mrs Weasley sighs, "come on."
We walk up the marble steps together. Mr Weasley almost dies at the sight of Hermione's parents.
"Well, we'll need to go to three vaults," Mrs Weasley says to a goblin.
"I'll go by myself," I interject, "it'll save time. Mine's right down the bottom."
"Oh, I don't know dear," Mrs Weasley says.
"I've done it every year," I assure her.
"Oh, very well, Fred, George, you two go with her-"
"I'd rather go by myself," I say firmly. Mrs Weasley frowns, and opens her mouth to protest.
"Molly, she'll be fine," Mr Weasley says, "we'll wait for you here."
I nod and walk over to another desk.
"I'd like to visit my vault," I tell the goblin.
"Key?"
I hand it to him. He looks it over carefully and nods.
"This way."
We walk through the huge doors and get into a cart. I take a deep breath and then we're off, flying down, down down, into the earth, spinning and turning. In the distance I hear a dragon roar. When we reach my vault I stumble out of the cart. The goblin opens the door and stands back.
Every time I visit my vault I feel guilty knowing the Weasley's have so little. When my grandmother died I inheritedthe Black family vault. It's stuffed full of gold. I'd love to give it all to the Weasleys.
I quickly scoop a few handfuls into my money bag and tuck it inside my robes.
"Finished," I tell the goblin who then carefully locks the door again.
"Back in the cart," he says. I climb in again and close my eyes.
Back at the top I stumble out and lean against the wall, my legs feeling like jelly.
"Come on," the goblin sighs. I walk shakily after him.
"Gosh, it must be deep," Ginny says, "you've been gone almost an hour."
"I know," I reply, feeling sick, "it's really, really deep."
"But, only really old family vaults are down that deep," Ron says.
"I know," I reply, walking outside into the fresh air.
"Thank goodness I only have to do that once a year," I tell Fred and George.
"There's Lee!" Fred says, waving to our friend, Lee Jordan.
"Meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour!" Mrs Weasley calls as we hurry over to him.
"How're your holidays going?" we ask, walking down the street.
"Brilliant," Lee says, "I bumped into Angelina at a Quidditch match."
"I'll catch up with you guys," I tell them, stopping outside the Emporium.
"Okay, you know where we'll be!"
I walk inside the dim shop. A young woman comes rushing over.
"Can I help you?" she asks.
"I'm looking for an owl," I tell her.
"Any particular colour?"
"Black," I tell her, "definantly black."
"Well, we have a few blacks," she says, rowning uncertainly, "we have two females and a male, I think."
She leads me over to a dark corner.
"Lumos," she mutters. A few of the owls squawk in protest as the light falls over them.
"Having trouble, Cyndie?" an elderly man asks.
"Black owls?" Cyndie asks. The man scratches his head.
"We did have two females and a male, William" Cyndie says.
"The two females are gone and that blasted male won't be sold," William says, "he's always hiding and- Oh!"
The black male suddenly appears, swooping down and landing on my arm. He clicks his beak at me and nibbles my ear affectionately.
"Well, look at that," William says, "he's taken a shine to you."
"He's gorgeous," I say, stroking his soft back.
"Well, you can have him," William says, "this is our one chance of getting rid of the pest."
"Is there anything else we can help you with?" Cyndie asks.
"A cage?"
"Take this one," William says, "it's very handsom. Suits the bloody bird, too."
I pay for the cage and walk outside.
"You're not so bad, are you?" I ask him, "I think I'll call you Odawa, Odie for short. Now, come on, we've got to meet Fred and George."
We walk, well, I walk, along the alley to the joke shop. Fred and George are stocking up onprank products.
"Hadn't we better be getting things we actually need?" Lee asks. We all look at him.
"Of course, you three do need to prank," he sighs.
"Lee's right, we can stock up at Zonko's," I say, "I need parchment."
"Nice owl," George says, "what's his name?"
"Odawa," I reply, "Odie, for short."
Odie hoots softly at George.
"Who needs a peacock feather quill?" George asks, picking one up.
"Someone who's full of themselves," I reply, picking out a few new quills and a stack of parchment.
"We'd better go meet mum and dad," George says, checking his watch, "we'll see you later, Lee!"
"See you!" Lee calls back.
"Blimey, look at the line!" George says as we round the corner and see Flourish and Blotts.
"Come on," I say, shoving my way through to where Mr and Mrs Weasley are waiting. We can just see Gildaroy Lockhart at the front, signing books.
"He's using a peacock feather quill!" I giggle to George.
"Here," Mrs Weasley says, "I got as many copies as I could, they're going fast!"
"Thanks," I say.
"He's signing copies!" Mrs Weasley says, her cheeks slightly red, "we actually get to meet him! Oh, there you three are!"
Ron, Harry and hermione have managed to battle their way through the croud.
"Move aside! This is for the Daily Prophet!" a man says, shoving into us.
"Merlin's beard, it can't be!" Lockhart says, leaping to his feet, "Harry Potter!"
The man from the Daily Prophet seizes Harry and hauls him to the front. Lockhart clamps his arm around Harry's shoulder.
"What a moment this is!" Lockhart says, "what a moment! The ideal moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time. Today, Harry came into this bookshop to get his copy of my Autobiography, Magical Me, which I will give him, along with my full collection of books, free of charge! But what he did not expect was that he and his school friends would soon receive the real, magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen! I will be taking up the position of Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year!"
Most of the shop begins to cheer. I roll my eyes at Fred and George. Harry comes staggering over and tips the books into Ginny's cauldron.
"Come on," I tell him, Ron, Hermione,Ginny,Fred and George, "let's go outside."
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" Draco Malfoy steps out infront of Harry, "famous Harry Potter, can't even go into a bookshop without making front page."
"Watch it, cousin," I hiss, stepping in front of Harry.
"Now, now, Draco, play nice," Draco's father appears, "Miss Black, how lovely to see you. What a shame to see you're still keeping this company. Honestly, you're a pure blood, you should have more pride than this."
I narrow my eyes, but don't reply.
"Harry Potter," Malfoy sneers, "of course, you're scar is legendary. Just as is the wizard who gave it to you."
"Voldemort killed my parents," Harry retorts, "he was nothing but a murderer."
"Ah, you use his name," Lucius says smoothly, "you must be very brave... Or very foolish."
"Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing it self," Hermione says coolly. Lucius turns his icy gaze upon her.
"And you must be Miss Granger. Draco's told me all about you," he sneers, then looks around at the Weasleys, "of course, I know who you all are. Red hair, vacant expressions, scruffy robes. You must be the Weasleys."
"It's mad in here," Mr Weasley says, "let's wait outside."
"Weasley Senior," Lucius smirks. Mr Weasley straightens his back and looks Lucius straight in the eye.
"Lucius," he greets him.
"Busy time at the Ministry," Lucius says, "I do hope they're paying you over time, but," he picks up a book from Ginny's cauldron," by the state of this, I'd say not."
I see Mr Weasley's ears start turning red.
"Let's go," I say hurriedly, pushing the boys and Ginny and Hermione towards the door.
"Maddison," Lucius calls softly. I turn around slowly to face him.
"If you ever get tired of this riff-raff and would like a more respectable home-"
He never finished his sentence. Mr Weasley launches himself past us and onto Lucius.
"GO DAD!" Fred and George cheer.
"Gentlemen! Please! The books!" the assistant cries.
"Arthur! NO!" Mrs Weasley shrieks.
"Come on now," Hagrid says gruffly, pulling the two men apart. Lucius straightens his robes, trying to look dignified, despite his black eye and the cut on his cheek.
"Draco," he says, sweeping out.
"Cousin," Draco sneers, walking past me.
"That is your cousin?" Fred growls, walking out into the alley.
"Sort of," I sigh, "my father's cousinis his mother."
"You poor thing," Hermione says, "imagine, being a part of that family."
"Noting that I'm a part of "that family"!" I snap. Hermione looks shocked.
"Well, that Draco, he's vile," Ron says. I turn and face him.
"You don't know him," I say quietly.
"I know him enough to know he's an evil git!" Ron says. I shake my head and pick up my stuff.
"I'll see you at Hogwarts," I tell Fred and George. I turn and walk hurriedly away. I know, I know. The Malfoys don't exactly deserve me standing up for them, but sadly, I do have a streak of pride in me from that side of my family.
I take the underground to the edge of the city. After that I wait for the bus which will take me home.
"Hello," the old woman I sit next to says, "been to Diagon Alley?"
"How did you know?" I ask, shocked. She chuckles.
"You're not the only one in this area, dear," she tells me, "I suppose you're Remus' ward, are you?"
"Yes," I reply, "do you know him?"
"Oh, yes," the woman replies, "I taught him, all those years ago."
"What was he like?" I ask.
"Oh, he was wonderful," she tells me, "intelligent, well behaved... Got caught up with a few trouble-makers, but still, a very sweet boy. Well, this is my stop. Give Remus my best."
I watch the old lady get off the bus and sit back in my seat.
"Odie, what's your family like?" I whisper. Odie coos softly.
"Yeah," I laugh softly then sigh, "mine too."