CHAPTER TWELVE
ICY CHRISTMAS
§ § §
"Ron's going out with who?" Fred asked, his eyebrows raised as I sat with him and George in their room, filling them in on everything that happened at Hogwarts.
"Lavender Brown. Real ditzy girl? Always hanging around with the Patil girl?" I said, as the twins tried to think of her.
"Weirdo who loved Divination and Trelawney?" George asked, and I nodded. "Well, Freddie, what d'you say we go have a talk with Ickle Ronniekins?"
"I'd say that's a fantastic idea, Georgie. Come along, Giovanna," Fred smirked, and I followed the two boys as we descended the stairs and walked to the kitchen, where Harry and Ron were cutting sprouts.
"Oh, Ickle Ronniekins!" George called. "What we heard from Giovanna and Ginny is something about you and a young lady called Lavender Brown."
Ron blushed and shot them a glare, saying, "Mind your own business."
"What a snappy retort," Fred shook his head. "I really don't know how you think of them. No, what we wanted to know was... how did it happen?"
"What d'you mean?"
"Did she have an accident or something?"
"What?"
"Well, how did she sustain such extensive brain damage? Careful, now!" Fred called.
Mrs. Weasley entered the room just in time to see me laughing at Ron, who had chucked his knife at Fred. Fred lazily waved his wand and the knife turned into a paper airplane.
"Ron! Don't you ever let me see you throwing knives again!" Mrs. Weasley yelled at him.
"I won't," he said, "let you see," he added quietly, and I smirked.
"Remus is arriving tonight, so I'm sorry, Fred, George, but Bill will have to share your room." Mrs. Weasley told the twins and they nodded. "Seeing as Charlie isn't coming home, that leaves Harry and Ron in the attic, and then there's Fleur-"
"Fleur?" I asked, wheeling around. "Fleur Delacour?"
"Haven't you heard?" Ron asked, his new knife pointed at me. I pushed the blade aside, moving his hand away. "Bill and Fleur are getting married."
"What?" I asked, thoroughly surprised.
"Honestly, do you live under a rock, woman?" George mocked.
"And, Mrs. Weasley, did you say Lupin was coming?" I asked, and she nodded. I smiled a little, excited to see him again.
"Yes, yes. But I'm sure Fleur could stay in Ginny's room and Ginny could stay with you in your room, Giovanna," Mrs. Weasley continued, and I nodded.
Fred and George stood from their seats at the kitchen table. "Well, we're off to the village. There's a very pretty girl there who thinks my card tricks are something marvelous... almost like real magic..." He said, fake sighing.
Myself and Fred laughed before the latter turned to me. "Want to tag along? I'm sure we could find you a much better suitor than Malfoy." He smirked.
"As fun as it sounds, Harry and I promised Dumbledore we wouldn't wander while we're here," I shrugged.
And so, as Mrs. Weasley hurried off to the living room, and Fred and George disapparated, I turned back to my brother and Ron at the counter.
"Speaking of Dumbledore- are you two going to tell him what you heard Snape and Malfoy saying to each other?" Ron asked us.
I stayed quiet, but Harry nodded instantly. "Yep. I'm going to tell anyone that can stop it, Dumbledore included. Might have another word with your dad, too. Wish we could've heard what Malfoy's actually doing."
Harry and Ron's heads slowly turned to me, and I rolled my eyes. "Better luck next time. He won't tell Snape, he won't tell me. And, frankly, I don't want to push the subject. Our relationship is on thin ice anyways." I glared at them.
We all fell into silence, each thinking of our own things. I wished Hermione was here to talk to, but seeing as her and Ron still scowl at each other in the halls, she had gone to her own home for the holidays.
Talking to Mr. Weasley and other members of the Order was a fine and all idea in itself, but they'd just say the same thing they've said since day one. Snape's a part of the Order, Snape's just pretending, Snape's on our side. As if Snape is that good of an actor.
Either way, as much as I'd like to ignore it, Draco was definitely up to something. Maybe it involves being a Death Eater, maybe not. But I refuse to believe he's a Death Eater and has the Dark Mark until I have concrete evidence, and until I am forced to believe it.
He's only sixteen. He's a boy, still. He's a boy that's under a lot of pressure. A boy with a girl who cares too much about him. So much, even, that she'd ignore the signs pointing to him being Death Eater if it means she gets to keep the innocent boy she once knew.
When Christmas eve finally came around, Harry and I sat in the living room with Mr. Weasley, Lupin, and Tonks.
"Voldemort has chosen Draco Malfoy for a mission," Lupin said, repeating the sentence Harry had just said to the group.
"I know it sounds mad," Harry said quickly.
"Has it occurred to you, Harry, that Snape was simply pretending to offer Draco help so he could find out what he was up to?" Lupin said, and I turned to Harry, giving him an I told you so look.
"That's not what it sounded like," Harry said, ignoring me.
"Perhaps Harry's right, Remus," Tonks spoke up. "I mean to make an Unbreakable Vow-"
"It comes down to whether or not you trust Dumbledore's judgement," Lupin cut in. "Dumbledore trusts Snape, therefore, I do."
"Dumbledore can make mistakes, he said so himse-" Harry tried.
"You're blinded by hatred!" Lupin told Harry.
"I'm not-"
"Yes, you are!" He took a deep breath. "People are disappearing, Harry, daily. We can only place our trust in a handful of people. If we start fighting amongst ourselves, we're doomed."
"Trust doesn't last all the time," I said quietly, my first time speaking since Harry told the others what we heard. All eyes looked at me. "Well, I'm just saying, Draco and I have trusted each other since day one."
"So what do you think he's doing, then, Giovanna?" Lupin asked lightly.
"I think we'd be a bit daft if we ignored the fact that he's up to something. Something that doesn't benefit our side of the war." I looked to Harry. "And I don't really trust Snape either, but I trust Dumbledore."
The only sound left as everyone mulled over their own thoughts was the fire crackling in the fireplace.
Christmas day came as a shock when we saw Percy Weasley walking up to the house, alongside the Minister of Magic. The new one- Rufus Scrimgeour. Fudge had been sacked, much to Harry and I's delight.
To no surprise, the Minister clearly wished to have a few words with Harry and I. We followed him outside cautiously, assuring Mr. Weasley and Lupin we were find, who'd both stood to walk with us.
The Minister was quiet for a moment as Harry and I walked with him through the Burrow's backyard. "I've been wanting to meet you two for a very long time. Did you know that?"
"No," Harry and I answered truthfully.
"Oh, yes, for quite some time now. But Dumbledore has been very protective of the both of you. Natural, of course, after what you've both been through... especially with the events at the Ministry..."
"Yeah, well, someone had to take some action," I said bitterly. "Merlin know you lot at the Ministry weren't doing a thing."
The Minister frowned, but continued on. "The rumors that have flown around, though, eh? We all know how these stories get distorted; whispers of a prophecy... of you two being the 'Chosen Ones'. I assume Dumbledore has discussed these matters with you two?"
I kept my mouth shut, refusing to tell the Ministry anything after the way they acted last year. Harry was silent too, before saying, "Yeah, we've discussed it."
"And what has Dumbledore told you, Potters?"
"Sorry, but that's between us," I snapped.
"Of course, of course," The Minister said, eyeing me. "In any case, does it really matter whether you're the 'Chosen Ones' or not?"
"We don't really know what you mean, Minister," Harry answered for the both of us. I shared a look with him.
"To the Wizarding community at large, it's all perception, isn't it? It's what people believe that's important. People believe you two are the 'Chosen Ones', you see. The think you both to be quite the heroes. Which, of course, you are, chosen or not! To keep everyone hopeful, you two might consider it, well, almost a duty, to stand alongside the Ministry, and give everyone a boost."
"I consider it no duty of mine to ever stand alongside the Ministry," I scowled.
"Dolores Umbridge has told me that you two cherish the ambition to become Aurors. Well, that could be arranged very easily.."
"I have no desire to be an Auror. I'll be continuing on as a Quidditch player. Far from the Ministry I daresay," I felt anger growing inside me. "Dolores Umbridge, did you say?" I looked down and saw the words I must not tell lies still scarred white on my hand.
"So basically, you'd like to give the impression that Giovanna and I are working for the Ministry?" Harry asked, and I could tell he was angry as well.
"It would give everyone a lift to think you two were more involved, Harry," Scrimgeour said, hoping to break through to at least him.
"But if we keep running in and out of the Ministry," Harry said, the shadow of a smirk on his face, "won't that seem as though we approve of what the Ministry's up to?"
Letting a full smirk cover my face, I fist-bumped Harry behind our backs as the Minister frowned.
"Well, yes, that's partly why we'd like-"
"No, I don't think that'll work," Harry said pleasantly.
"You see, we don't really like some of the things the Ministry's doing," I shrugged.
"I see," The Minister looked down at us. "You both prefer- like your hero, Dumbledore- to disassociate yourself from the Ministry?"
"We don't want to be used," Harry said simply.
"Some would say it's your duty to be used by the Ministry!"
"Some would say it isn't," I smiled innocently.
"You don't care whether Giovanna and I live or die, but you do care that we help you convince everyone you're winning the war against Voldemort. We haven't forgotten, Minister.." Harry said, and we both raised our hands, showing our scars from Umbridge.
"I can't recall the Ministry rushing to our defense when we were trying to tell everyone Voldemort's back. Do you, Harry?" I asked my brother, glaring at the Minister.
"No, I can't say I do, Giovanna," Harry also glared. "The Ministry wasn't so keen on being pals last year."
We all stood in silence, Harry and I watching Scrimgeour, waiting for his next move.
"What is Dumbledore up to?" He asked. "Where does he go when his is absent from Hogwarts?"
"No idea," Harry answered truthfully.
"And you wouldn't tell me if you knew, would you?"
"No, we wouldn't," I answered.
"Well, then, I shall have to see whether I can't find out by other means."
"You can try," I laughed lowly. "But, Minister, I thought you seemed cleverer than old Fudge." I shook my head.
"You see, he too tried interfering at Hogwarts. You might have noticed he's not Minister anymore, but Dumbledore's still headmaster. I'd leave Dumbledore alone, if I were you," Harry told him.
"He's not a force to be messed with," I concluded.
The Minister paused before, "Well, it is clear to me that he has done a very good job on the both of you. Dumbledore's man and woman through and through, aren't you, Potters?"
"Yeah, we are," Harry and I said together.
And turning our backs on the Minister of Magic, we strode back toward the house.
§ § §
hello, everyone :) i decided to do this scene from the book instead of the scene from the movie where the burrow burns, since that doesn't happen in the book. i just feel like this is more informative and helps emphasize the relationship the twins have with dumbledore.