My new hair-cut had endorsed a domino effect. Practically, everybody in the Weasley family had gotten a hair-cut. Like normal, George and Fred got the same haircut; wanting to be identical. George looked more mature, and although I didn't have as much length to pull on, it didn't bother me. He looked... good.
I was in the middle of washing the dishes with my hands, not bothering to use a spell. I was kind of bored, and I had run out of things to do. After all, I've been stuck in this joint for most of the Summer.
Molly sidled up next to me, grabbing a drying-cloth. We were silent for a while; her drying, whilst I washed. We both went to speak, and then we stopped. She nodded softly for me to start.
"I'm sorry about the other day. I wasn't in the right frame of mind with... everything. And, it caused me to overreact."
"It's alright hon. To be honest, I was just surprised. Teenagers ba- I mean kiss. Ginny's choice of words..." Molly laughed lightly.
"We didn't bang. We've only kissed... multiple times," I blushed. I removed my hand from the soapy water, and scratched my nose.
"Well, I'm not completely oblivious to the looks you give each-other," Molly started. "Just make sure to give it time until you do... the do." She patted my shoulder and I coughed on a laugh.
"Oh, Molly," I mumbled, shaking my head. "You're hilarious."
"I can be pretty hip," she said. She placed her hands up in the air, moving her hip to the side simultaneously in a joke. Merlin... I had to stop myself from whacking myself on the forehead.
"What're you doin'?" Ron questioned with a grimace, sporting a shorter hair-cut. He was giving his mother a weirded-out expression, and I couldn't help but giggle.
"She's being hip, Ron. Take notes," I teased with a grin.
He grabbed an apple from the middle of the dining table, taking a bite. He munched on his fruit before walking backwards. "Bangin' notes they are," he stifled.
I groaned, grabbing a spare drying-cloth and launching it with my hand. My magic was behind it, as I pushed my hand forwards. He ducked as it came at him. He narrowly missed it as it whacked into the side of the door-way. I grabbed my wand from the side of the sink, casting a little charm for the wash-cloth to wash dishes. I turned my attention back onto Ron.
"You wanna go, Weasley?" I asked him in a 'try me' tone.
"I'd rather you not bang me with your magic," he laughed.
That's it.
He saw my annoyed expression and his cocky grin fell. He high-tailed out of the dining room, closing the door behind him quickly; an effort to slow me down as he ran away. I chased after him hastily. I threw the door open wide with my magic. "Get here Ronald Weasley!"
●
I was in an unfamiliar house, and I opened up the door along the corridor that was closest to me. It was a light-green room, a bed pushed into the right-hand corner. A wooden bedside table was to the side, and Gryffindor flags and little items were on the wall. I took a step in, closing the door behind me confusedly.
"Woah!" I exclaimed. My voice didn't sound like mine... the tone was deeper.
I shook my head, focussing on the house-elf in rags. His light blue eyes took me in, before he ran to the bed. He jumped up and down, his frail form flying very high. I didn't even bother asking why he was in here, after all it wasn't my house.
"W-who are you?"
"I am Dobby the House Elf. I is him, sir."
'Him,' I thought. My eyes widened, "So what're you doing?"
"Bouncing. I was here for something... I forgot. Along the lines of my masters being idiots. Whatever... it won't affect you."
His left eye started to twitch. "Is something in your eye?"
"I'm WINKING," he told me. He started winking even more furiously.
"Why are you winking?" I questioned.
"A tic? Maybe." He continued to wink furiously, but then his other eye joined.
I took a step back from him.
"Bye, Harry!" He screamed at me, winking as he threw himself sideways. He went through the window, his body turning a rainbow colour, leaving glitter everywhere.
"What? Harry?" I yelled back.
Dobby combusted. He combusted into freaking glitter.
"What in Merlin!?"
The only trace of him left was the glitter forming in the sky. It was an outline of his face; one eye open and one eye closed. I heard a clatter from the door, and turned around. Instead of the door, it was a mirror. And, it wasn't me.
I was Harry Potter.
"Ohmefreakingmerlin!"
I shot up from my bed, eyes open and heart racing. I felt a hand on my waist remove itself, and I altered my body.
"Are you alright?" George asked me.
His hair was a mess, sticking in opposite directions. We had been talking on my bed after lunch, then we were cuddling and then... we both fell asleep? Molly had enlisted a rule to always have the door wide open whenever we were alone. It didn't really bother me that much, although it made me embarrassed when somebody stuck their head into just stare. I had caught Molly many times walk by a door four times in a span of five minutes. Nonetheless, it was amusing.
"Rory?"
"Oh," I mumbled. "I'm alright. I just had a very weird dream..." I ran a hand through my dark hair, before side-eyeing George. "What's the time?"
He looked down at his enchanted watch, "Around seven."
"Dinner should be soon," I told him.
I threw my head back into my pillow, sprawling my hands wide. My right arm was on top of George's chest as I did so.
"Wanna know the bad thing?"
"What?" I hummed, arching my brow.
"It's the sixth of August. So, they're having a meeting. We're going to have to wait longer for dinner," he told me.
I fell silent, glumly looking at the ceiling. George moved beside me, laying my hand back onto me. He laid sideways, his right hand resting on my stomach.
"We could always apparate stealthily," he suggested.
As much as I'd love a snack, I doubt we'd be able to pull it off. I was about to let George take on the suicide mission but, Fred and Julian waltzed into the room.
"You know, you two were called for afternoon snacks," Julian stated.
"I was going to bounce on both of you to wake you up," Fred said.
"Molly stopped him though," Julian cackled.
"She threatened to take away my potato chips," Fred whined.
"Did you two listen in on us?" I accused.
I sat up and George's hand slipped to my thigh.
"Of course not," they both chorused.
This is bad. Julian and Fred... in sync.
Voices filtered from the hallway and I frowned. I got out of bed, walking past Fred and Julian. I stuck my head out.
"After all, I'm the one who saw Voldemort return. I'm the one who fought him. I'm the one who saw Cedric-"
Is that Harry's voice?
"I think Harry's in-"
A popping sound reverberated around the bedroom I was in. I turned my head to find George and Fred nowhere to be seen. I sent a curious glance towards Julian.
"What have you been doing all afternoon?"
"Checking out the Weasley's wares," he shrugged.
"That sounds co-"
George and Fred had apparated between Julian and I. My hand went to my chest, and I closed my eyes to slow my beating heart.
"Wanna hear something interesting?" The twins chorused.
We were crowded around the railing; the twins extendable ear being lowered steadily. We were hoping to listen in on the Orders meeting. Ginny joined in around our small group, Harry Potter acknowledging her. I had been right before, it was Harry's voice.
His presence had something to do with a Dementor attack, but that was the most information I had gotten before I was dragged to the ornate railings.
"You stay out of this Snivellus," Sirius's voice echoed from the walkie talkie.
I snickered.
Murmurs circulated around our little group, and I looked down to find Hermione's cat playing with the twin's invention. Oh no...
"Crookshanks! Stop it," Hermione harshly whispered. "Leave it alone."
The cat didn't listen, meowing before ripping the ear off.
"Mione, I hate your cat," Ron frowned.
"Ugh... bad Crookshanks," Hermione sighed.
"Well, that didn't go to plan," I said, taking my crossed arms off the railing.
●
I sent Harry a worried glance, playing with my fingers as we descended the stairs to Molly.
"Do you reckon... if I wasn't here. I could've been attacked by one of those things?" I asked Harry.
"I couldn't say," he replied with a shrug.
I nodded, before absentmindedly wondering where the Twins ran off to.
"Well, we'll be eating down in the kitchen. Oh!" Molly was surprised as her two boys apparated beside her, scaring her.
She threw her hands up into the air, "Just because you're allowed to use magic now does not mean you have to WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERYTHING!"
Arthur came up behind his wife, seeming to find her shouting normal. He lovingly wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulder, welcoming Harry with a grin. I made my way around the couple; gecko-like. I'm starving.
The dinner table was crowded. Moody, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt and many others sat. I was situated next to George like normal, Hermione on my right.
I sipped on my orange juice that George had poured, snickering from time to time at Tonks. She turned her features from time to time into an animal, which was entertaining. Her hair was a mix of purple and pink, but it changed from time to time depending on her emotions.
Harry was talking to the members of the order... concerning Cornelius Fudge shrugging off the threat of Voldemort.
"The Boy Who Lies, has a certain ring to it, doesn't it?" I mumbled into my juice.
Harry eyed the newspaper in his hands, frowning at it.
"Turn the page and you might see the attacks on my well-being. I'm unfit mentally... apparently," I scowled.
George grabbed my free hand, holding onto it. He sent me a small smile, "You're crazy. But, not that crazy. You're my type of crazy."
I let out a small laugh, tightening my grasp momentarily around his.
"Fudge is using all his power, including his influence on the Daily Prophet to smear anyone who claims the Dark Lord has returned," Sirius solemnly said.
"Yet, I've only corroborated my views once. And, they dragged me down to the pits of Azkaban." I sent a look to Sirius apologetically. I shouldn't have brought up Azkaban. "Sorry."
"It's fine," he lightly forgave.
"Why?" Harry questioned, confused as to why Fudge was denying the return of Voldemort.
"The minister... thinks Dumbledore is after his job," Remus told him, using his hands as he spoke.
"But, that's insane! Nobody in their right mind could bel-"
Harry was interrupted by Remus, "-Exactly the point! Fudge isn't in his right mind. It's been twisted and warped by fear."
"The pussy," I called out. Fudge didn't even face him, gnaw his accomplice, Peter Pettigrew.
"Rory!" Molly reprimanded me.
Everybody was now looking at me, small smiles or frowns covering their faces.
"Sorry," I cleared my throat, sinking down slightly in my seat. "Continue."
I gave them the wave of my right hand, gesturing for them to continue on. Remus divulged what had happened fourteen years ago, and I slightly squirmed.
Who would've thought I'd end up in the middle of the Wizarding War? I for one, did not.
"...He's been recruiting heavily, and we've been attempting to do the same. But, gathering followers isn't the only thing he's interested in," Sirius explained warningly.
My stomach flipped uncomfortably.
"He's interested in-"
Moody cleared his throat from behind Sirius, trying to halt the information spurting from Sirius's mouth.
"We believe that Voldemort may be after something-"
"-Sirius," Moody grumbled.
Sirius ignored him, "...something which he didn't have last time."
"You mean, like a weapon?" Harry asked interestedly.
"No! That's enough," Molly interjected. "He's just a boy. You say much more..." Molly made her way from the chopping board to Harry; taking the newspaper away from him and folding it up. "... and you might as well induct him into the Order straight away."
"Good! I want to join," Harry exclaimed naively. "If Voldemort is raising an army, then I want to fight."
I shook my head at Harry, he had no idea what was about to come.
Death, Death and more death. Maybe even a house elf combusting into glitter? Sounds about right.
"How about we stop being so serious, Sirius?"
I tried to stop the heated glare belonging to Molly Weasley from burning Sirius Black, and it seemed to work... kind of.