Daddy's Little Girl [FW - Book Two]

Headquarters

My trunk seems ten times heavier than it did yesterday as I pull it down the many levels of stairs in the burrow, and then through the living area, then the kitchen, and finally, outside.

"Was that hard, Nessa?" George asks, snickering as he leans against the side of the house, near his twin.

"Yes, actually it was. Thanks for the help." I say, breathing heavily.

"Anytime." Both Fred and George answer this time. I'm about to respond, with more sarcasm, but Mr. Weasley steps up and starts speaking in that same moment.

"Alright everyone, I think we're ready to go. Now, as we don't have a car, we're going to be apparating to the Leaky Cauldron in pairs." He announces. "Fred and George, you go first, then Molly and Ginny, Vanessa and Sylvia, and finally, Ron and myself. Make sure you hold on to your trunks, pets, etc... And when you arrive, wait for everyone else before you go out into the alley. Once we're all there, we'll go over the plan for getting everyone the supplies they need."

There is a wave of nods, and then he adds "Go ahead, boys."

Fred and George straighten up, take a few steps forwards, then there's a loud POP, and they're gone.

"Molly, Ginny."

A loud CRACK fills the air, and they've gone as well. Mr. Weasley nods at me and I grasp Sylvia's hand, and hold on to my luggage with the other hand, Athena's cage wedged under my arm. I wave my wand that's squished between mine and Sylvia's hands, and then I feel the usual stretching and pulling that comes with apparition, and just as fast as the feeling came, it leaves as we land on the sidewalk outside the Leaky Cauldron.

Ron and Mr. Weasley appear behind us seconds later, and together we go inside, where the others are waiting.

"Who's going where?" I ask once we all meet up after dropping our trunks and owls with Tom, the innkeeper.

"We're splitting up. Molly will take Ginny to the Apothecary, and I'll be taking Ron and the twins to Flourish and Blott's. Vanessa, you can take Sylvia wherever you two need to go, you can manage that can't you?" Arthur Weasley says, turning to me at the end of his sentence.

"Of course." I smile.

"Oi! Why can't we go out on our own? We're of age." Fred and George say together.

"Because, even if you are of age, I don't trust you to buy what you need and not spend all your school money on rubbish." Mr. Weasley says, an accusing tone in his voice. The twins just shrug, it is a fair point. "Anyway, we'll all meet back here in an hour, alright?"

Another wave of nods, and... "Go ahead."

Sylvia and I set out into the alley after Mr. Weasley presses the three bricks that open the hidden entryway in the back lot of the Leaky Cauldron.

After a quick stop at Gringott's for some gold out of my vault, I lead Sylvia into Madame Malkin's Robe Shop and buy her four sets of grey and black robes fitted to her, and a couple new robes for myself as well, as my old ones are a bit small on me now.

"I think we'll go to... Flourish and Blott's next, to get your books." I say, thinking out loud.

"Sounds good to me." Sylvia says cheerfully. "I don't really care where we go, everything here is amazing. It's... Magical."

"That's the point, Silv." I chuckle as we walk through the shop door.

"Hogwarts?" The shopkeeper asks as we enter. I nod.

"Do you know what you need?"

"Yes, erm, we need the Standard Book of Spells, grades one and seven, Beginning and Advanced Transfiguration, An Advanced Guide to Predicting the Unpredictable, A History of Magic grades one and seven, Advanced and Beginners Potions, and, you know it's quite a long list, why dont you just take it?" I say, giving up when I realize how many books we need between the two of us.