star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER FIVE

Slowly, the others began to trickle into the kitchen to have breakfast as well. Olivia came in with Ginny, Hermione, and Evelyn and sat next to George. The two of them had a quiet conversation until Oliver, Ben, and another Wood boy that was going into his third year at Hogwarts, Fraser, came in. Oliver and Ben looked very grumpy indeed, but Fraser appeared just the opposite.

"What happened?" Duncan, second-year Hufflepuff and younger brother of Ben and Fraser, asked.

"Ol' Benji here hexed me," Fraser said as if it happened all the time. "It's all right, though. Ollie put me right."

"How many times do I have to tell you people not to call me that?" Oliver asked, seeming very annoyed and short-tempered.

"As many times as you want," Olivia said. "You'll be wasting your breath, though. You'll always be little Ollie to us."

"I'm beginning to understand why she and George like each other," Arabella whispered to Ginny. Olivia was normally very serious at school which was the only time Arabella saw her before now, so when she found out she and George were dating, she was rather surprised. However, after seeing how the older girl acted outside of Hogwarts and with her family, it made complete sense.

The door opened again, and Sirius walked in along with Faustus Black, who was apparently his nephew. Being greeted with silence and multiple stern expressions, they both stopped in their tracks, their faces falling.

"I sense tension. Is this a bad time?" Sirius said. "I can come back later."

"Oh, just sit down," Molly said, motioning for the two to take a seat at the table.

"Where's Dad?" Ron asked her. Arabella shifted her attention to her twin and mother, wondering herself where her father was and why he wasn't eating with them.

"He left early this morning on Order business."

"What Order business?"

"You're not to know that."

Ron and Arabella exchanged a frustrated look and resumed eating.

A while later, the door opened a third time and Arthur entered with Bill, Oliver and Olivia's mother Catrina, Sarah Wood (Ben, Fraser, and Duncan's older sister), and her parents Henry and Amelia.

"Hey, Bill. Hey, Dad," Arabella and her siblings said. Normally, they were more excited to see their eldest brother, but since he had been back home for a while now, it was becoming normal for him to be around again.

"Hello," Arthur and Bill responded, sitting down at the table.

For the next few moments, the Woods sitting at the table bickered, Fred and Sirius joining at one point.

"I think I need a new family. This one's faulty," Olivia said, eyeing her family members.

"You and me both," Arabella agreed. Her siblings and parents glared at her.

After breakfast, Molly instructed the children to meet her at the entrance of the house so she could inform them of their jobs for the day. They grudgingly did so, except for Evelyn and Olivia, who were excused to do something else really quickly before joining the others. When they were all gathered, Molly addressed them all.

"All right," she said, "We're going to start off by clearing the grime off of these bannisters and walls and such. Because of the number of you, it shouldn't take long as long as you stay focused. Although, I'm going to have to split you off into groups. Can't have you all crowding around the same place, no one will be able to go up the stairs."

After much deliberation, the thirteen of them were split off into groups of three or four to clean the corridors. Hermione, Ron, and Arabella were together, assigned to the staircase leading up to the first floor.

"So, not only were we forced to move from our perfectly safe home to this random house where we all have to share rooms, but we have to clean the whole place too. I officially hate this summer," Arabella complained.

"It's not that bad," Hermione said. "We have to share rooms back at your house, too. The only difference is we don't clean as much."

"As much? I don't clean at all."

"You're just mad because you can't write to your stupid boyfriend," Ron said.

"He is not stupid! And keep your voice down. For all we know, Mum has her ear against the door."

"Good. Maybe she'd be able to talk some sense into you."

"What is your problem?"

"My problem is, you're annoying."

Arabella had had enough. She used the rag she had in her hand to smack him as hard as she could. He retaliated by doing the same, and although this started in anger, it quickly became a game as they smiled, trying to see who could hit the other the hardest.

"Guys-" Hermione groaned, wanting the two to stop and continue helping her clean, but her words were cut off by a sudden screaming. She and the twins both clapped their hands to their ears as the screaming was very loud and shrill, coming from somewhere very close to them.

"Not again!" Molly exclaimed, rushing out of the kitchen towards the screaming painting. She attempted to shut the curtains around the portrait of the distraught woman, but seemed to be struggling.

Sirius appeared just then. "Oh, shut up!" he yelled at the woman, successfully closing the curtains and drowning out the screaming.

Tentatively, the twins and Hermione let their hands fall to their sides, their ears greeted by quiet as everyone in the house had shut up due to the sudden disturbance. The only sound was fast footsteps coming down the stairs. Faustus stopped on the landing, looking very concerned.

"What was that?" he asked, his eyes flitting between the five of them standing on the steps.

"Your lovely grandmother," Sirius told him with a sarcastic tone and a false smile.

"My grandmother? I thought she was dead."

"She is. Her portrait is still here, though. We were unable to get rid of it. Obviously, because if it was possible, it would have been removed immediately, for reasons you have just witnessed. She's set off by loud noises and being bumped into." Both he and Molly shifted their gaze to Ron and Arabella.

The twins took on an apologetic expression. "Sorry," they said.

"I should have known better," Molly said, disappointed but not surprised.

Ron and Arabella exchanged a look.

[word count: 1078]
[written: 6/14/20]
[published: 6/29/20]