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All Was Well | 24

The wind howled and the rain tapped on the wooden seats of the quidditch pitch rhythmically. Seven brooms were zooming in the sky and two figures stood tall between the seats. Harry held a big, black umbrella over his and Athena's head. The weather had changed dramatically within half an hour. Earlier that day when they had departed from the Burrow to attend the Harpies' training session it had been chilly but sunny nonetheless. Harry doubted training would last very long, if Gwenog Jones didn't share the same mindset as Oliver Wood. That was a part of quidditch training he definitely didn't miss.

Indeed, a little while later came a whistle and the brooms landed on the ground. Harry barely managed to see through the mist seven figures disappeared inside the changing rooms. That was their cue to leave as well. They walked around the seats carefully not to slip and climbed down some stairs that led to the lower layer of the stadium.

"What awful weather," Athena commented as she walked closely next to Harry to keep herself dry under the umbrella.

"Be thankful it's not snowing," said Harry.

"Honestly, I would prefer snow any day than this," she argued.

They waited patiently for Ginny to change so they could return home. It had been a few days after Ron had dropped the news that one of their colleagues had gone missing. It had come as a shock that was quickly replaced by dread. Harry didn't even want to think about what Dark Owl could be doing to poor Shamus and he couldn't even help him. He only wished that Ron and his team would find him alive soon.

Ginny emerged from the changing room with her hair all wet. She didn't look very happy about that fact. She blew a strand of hair away from her face and pulled her bag over her shoulder. "Let's go," she growled.

As soon as they exited the stadium, Harry opened up the umbrella and motioned at the two women to get under. It was hard having three people walking under one singular umbrella, but it was better than nothing. Harry desperately tried to keep his cool and not accidentally brush his hand against Ginny's, a difficult task considering how close she was walking next to him; he could even smell her shampoo. He mentally slapped himself.

A few minutes later, they were rushing through the Burrow's yard, their shoes splashing on the mud. They all left their shoes outside in order not to bring the dirt over Molly's clean floor. The warmth that emerged through the front door was welcoming. Harry sniffed something very delicious being baked in the kitchen and he probably wasn't the one that had noticed.

"What are you cooking, mum? It smells amazing," Ginny called, walking into the kitchen.

"Oh, I'm just baking some cake," Molly responded. "Oh, dear. Training must have been hard."

Ginny sighed in frustration. "You tell me. The weather hasn't been helpful at all."

"Well, I sure do hope that it's not going to be this bad on Sunday," Molly commented.

"Why? What is it on Sunday?" Harry asked when he walked in with Athena at his side.

Molly paused whatever she was doing to face the three of them. "Oh, right. I forgot to mention it. It's our monthly family gathering. I hope that's alright with you."

Harry eyed Ginny. At first she looked as surprised as he was, but she was quick to recover. "Oh, yeah. That's alright, mum," she said with a neutral expression, but Harry was able to see through her act. This would be the first time that she would have to confront her brothers after a long time. She probably wasn't prepared for something like that, although it would happen sooner or later.

"I invited Andromeda and Teddy too," Molly added after Ginny had excused herself to have a shower. "I hope that's alright, Harry."

"More than alright, Mrs Weasley," Harry replied, nudging Athena slightly. She took the hint, but the way her eyebrows twitched made Harry worry. He decided not to press on the matter in front of Mrs Weasley.