| Firecrab
Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: melbourne
Posts: 887
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Chapter Fifty Eight
‘Collin said he’d love to’
She beamed ‘Yay!’
‘As long as you give him complete control over the photographs’
‘He’s working Christmas day for us; he can do whatever he likes’ she hugged Harry but let go to look at him ‘within reason of course’
‘You’ve seen mine and Gin’s photos the kids a professional, has been since he got hold of a camera’
‘I know, so what’s left… oh yeah’ she giggled ‘Cake and food and stuff…’
‘Erm hold on where are you actually getting married?’
‘Oh Charlie’s said he’s found somewhere perfect only he won’t tell me’ she frowned ‘He said I just need to get a cake and he’d sort out the rest so I’m guessing the reception is in the same place’
‘Ok’
‘I trust he’ll know exactly what I’ll like – he also knows the colour scheme and he knows what the flowers look like’
‘Hmm’
‘You know it’s going to be awesome’ she said smiling ‘You look more nervous and it’s going to be my wedding day’
‘It would be nice to know where I’m walking you down and for that whether your mum said it’s ok’
‘I haven’t told her and she hasn’t asked’
‘You need to sort it out because if she gets there expecting to give you away…’
‘Come with me?’
‘Really’ he sighed ‘Ok’
‘Thank you’ she groaned ‘Urgh I don’t know if I could if you had said no’
‘You would have had to or I would have changed my mind about the whole thing’
‘Hmm’
‘Come on, let’s get it over with’ he grabbed a cloak calling up, ‘Gin, going to see Sophia’s mum won’t be long’
‘Love you’ was shouted back down the stairs and he grinned back shouting up the same to her.
They took the knight bus to her front step and knocked on the door, Michael answered,
‘Sophia, Harry, good to see you’
He attempted to hug Soph and she frowned at him and didn’t reciprocate the movement, he stepped back and sighed
‘You haven’t forgiven me’
‘Pig’
‘Little mistake, I’d had a few drinks, I was confused about your mother’
‘Don’t care ok, where is she?’
‘Work’
‘Fine, we’ll go there’
‘Come in’ He stepped out of the way ‘she’ll be back shortly, her shift ends in ten minutes’
‘It will take ages for her to get home’
‘She’s been using – that stuff again – she’ll be here soon’
‘She’s using magic again…’
‘Harry told her she shouldn’t deny herself’ he shrugged ‘Apparently his advice is something to be followed’
‘It is, Harry’s a hero in our world’
‘Don’t please Soph’
‘Hmm’ he led them into the sitting room ‘so the wedding, assume that’s what this is about’
‘Yes’
‘Why’s he not with you?’
‘Charlie is at a job interview’
He crossed his arms ‘For?’
‘Assistant coach to the Holyhead Harpies’ she grinned ‘They used to watch him play for the interdepartmental ministry games and offered him the job instead of the boring office one he was going to take – it’s quidditch by the way, our replacement for football’
‘Shouldn’t he be thinking about a reliable desk job at his age?’
‘He’s not old’
He frowned ‘How old?’
‘Twenty seven’
‘Oh… Wendy always made it sound like he was – well my age’
‘Yeah well he’s got twenty more years until then’
‘Hmm’
‘With the magic, when did she start using again and why?’
‘When you left, she asked me if I could get used to it, I told her yes and she started practicing’
‘Right’
‘Look she said she’d take his advice because it sounded familiar’
‘Huh’ Harry said with a grin ‘Bet it was dad’
‘You mean yours or mine?’
‘Both, Sirius and James were best buddies, sounds like something they would say’
She apparated the front door and walked in,
‘Oh, hello’
‘Mother’
‘It’s so nice to see you; I thought I wouldn’t until Christmas’
‘Just wanted to ask you something’
‘Ok’
‘Do you – are you ok with Harry giving me away?’
‘I – I erm – but – whatever you want I’m happy with’
‘I would have said something sooner, but I mean, when Charlie asked me – even from when I brought his ring I wanted Harry to give me away’
She gulped and sat down ‘But what about Michael?’
‘I’m fine with it’ he said looking Soph in the eye, ‘It’s her day’ she glared at him and turned back to her mother,
‘So it was just in case you though you would – I would really like it to be Harry’
‘Why?’
‘Cause he’s the closest to dad I’ve got, he’s my brother’
‘Ok’
‘Are you alright with it though Gwen?’ Harry asked ‘I mean with it being me?’
‘Yes’ she sighed ‘Sirius would like that’ she smiled ‘He’d like Charlie too’
‘He did like Charlie, they were friends’ Harry said ‘They fought in the order for nearly a year and a half together’
‘Oh’
‘He didn’t think you’d want to talk about it mum’ Soph said ‘He didn’t think you’d want to know about him now, about how he was before he died’
‘Has he told you?’
‘Yes, I asked’
‘Ok’
‘We’re going to go’ she stood up ‘See you in like a day and a half ok?’
‘Ok – but we still don’t know where it is’
‘Erm – neither do I but Charlie’s sending port key’s to everyone that morning’
‘When is the wedding?’
‘Late afternoon, give people sometime with there families first’
‘Will you be going to the Burrow?’
‘I erm…’
‘If you would like to come here, I could give you your presents, this years and last’s; I mean you’re not supposed to see the groom before the service, its bad luck’
‘Ok’ she hugged her ‘See you then’
She led Harry out and sighed,
‘Don’t be such a worry wart Sister’
‘Urgh, how can I not with a family like mine?’
‘I take it you still haven’t gotten over him trying to kiss you?’
‘Would you if Molly had?’
‘Merlin don’t that’s going to give me nightmares’
She giggled ‘Well then’
‘I see your point’
‘Hmm’ she held out her wand for the bus and waited for it to appear ‘Ok what’s next?’
‘Erm… how about we try Molly’
‘No’
‘Soph’
‘No’
‘You said you wanted to go alone, I won’t allow that neither will Gin or Charlie, so why don’t I come, she likes me again’
‘But – but’
He helped her onboard the bus ‘The Burrow please Stan’
‘Alright Mr Potter’
‘Harry!’
‘This is me fighting for my family ok Soph’
‘Ok’ she sighed and slumped into an armchair ‘but I’m not saying I will be able to hold off from hitting her’
‘That’s fine’
‘What?’
‘I think although she’s my mother in law and I love her dearly, she hasn’t treated you right and that quite possibly a good slap might knock her brain into gear’
‘Right…’
‘Soph, she put me and Gin through a lot, she’s doing the same to you and Charlie, you make it through this she’ll trust you, she needs to be able to respect you, you stand up to her and she will’
‘Gin said as soon as she holds this one she’d be happy, can’t I wait till then?’
‘No, although grandchildren are what she craves just as much as seeing her own children happy’
‘Charlie is happy’
‘You have to turn to her for help, make her feel needed’
‘But – help with what?’
‘I don’t know – is there anything you need?’
‘Erm… well Charlie said I had to do the cake but I couldn’t find anywhere that could make us a one on time’
‘Perfect – ask her’
‘What?’
‘Ask her to make your wedding cake, tell her that you need her’
‘Really…’
‘It will be brilliant I promise, she made mine and Gins’
‘If you’re wrong I’m going to kill you’
‘Fine’ he grinned ‘If I’m right though – you have to – to tell me what Gin’s hiding from me’
‘Huh – nope can’t do that’
‘Aww please’
‘Nope’
‘Fine, you have to babysit the twins with Charlie so I can take Gin out at some point’
‘Deal’
They got off the bus and stood on the front step,
‘Harry’
‘Trust me’
‘Why didn’t you say anything sooner?’
‘It took me going through it to figure it out, she’s needy and it’s your love she wants’
‘I could love her if she wasn’t so horrible’
‘I could say the same for you young lady’
She popped up out of the grass, Gnome in hand,
‘Hmm… hello Mrs Weasley’
She ignored her ‘Harry, so nice to see you’
‘Molly’ he hugged her and the gnome squirmed in her grip, ‘May I?’ he gestured to the creature,
‘Here you go’
He grinned and grabbed firmly by the feet, dropping it on the ground to kick it over the fence and into the fields,
‘Fair shot’ Molly smiled ‘Not as good as Ginny’s record, no one seems to be able to beat it’
‘She was very angry at me though Molly, I doubt she could do it again’
‘Come in for some tea, I’d just put a treacle tart in the oven before I came out, it should be done by now’
‘Brilliant, my favourite’ he followed her in, Soph behind him with a sigh, they sat at the table,
‘Here you go’ she placed a large slice in front of him and a slither in front of Soph,
‘Molly’ he took a spoon cutting his slice and evening out both his and Soph’s share ‘Sophia has something she’d like to ask you’ he munched watching with a smile,
‘And what might that be?’
‘Charlie and I were wondering, that since we don’t have a wedding cake yet, if you would make it for us’
‘You were?’
‘We were’
She beamed instantly ‘Of course! How wonderful, now we’ll need the colour scheme and the flowers and of course I’ll have to see the dress for an idea for the table cloth and the figurines on top – is three tiers enough or would you like it bigger?’
‘I err… I think three’s enough, is that what we’d usually have?’
‘Oh no, this will not do, Harry pass me that book on the shelf just behind your head and be a dear and get Ginny, we’re going to need her help’
‘Sure’ he grinned passing the book, finishing the slice, taking a sip of the tea and going to apparate as they looked over the pages.
***
‘You’re a miracle worker you know’ she grinned pulling on a cloak and going to kiss him, ‘They’ve had lunch, they’re down for a nap, you’ll have to give them dinner – it’s in the fridge just warm it up, they’ll need a change and mum will want me to stay forever so you’ll probably have to put them to bed – you are good at that though so they should be ok’
‘Gin, I know what I’m doing, you say the same every time you go out’
‘I just worry’
‘We’ll be fine, go and make a cake’
She grinned, kissed him and went outside to call the knight bus.
He sighed flopped on the couch and looked through the reports that had been waiting for him. Having Christmas week off was brilliant but he was thinking about all the work waiting for him when he got back. He wanted to be able to go to the interview ready, he wanted the job because he could do it not because they knew he was hero, or because of his name. He wanted to prove he could be department head at nearly twenty and he wanted to surprise Gin when he told her he had even applied.
He read over the files made the appropriate notes and stacked them up on the table just as they woke. He went up to them with a smile,
‘Hello girls’
‘Daddy’ they grinned back,
‘Come on then, time for a change and a play before dinner’
He’d just sat them down with there little knife and forks to eat at the high chairs when the doorbell rang. He checked they wouldn’t try to get themselves out – they were busy eating – and went to answer it.
He stared, she smiled and then they both jumped in for a hug at the same time,
‘Where the hell have you been Hermione?’
‘Just away’ she laughed ‘It’s good to be back though’
‘Come in and tell me everything’ he sighed and let go before looking at her, shaking his head and hugging her again, ‘I missed you Hermione, you didn’t even write, I lost my sister for a year and a half and she didn’t let me know she was ok, or still alive even’
‘I’m sorry, I just thought – well it would annoy Gin’
‘She would have understood’ he squeezed her ‘Don’t you ever leave and not tell me again ok’
‘Ok’ she nodded crying on his shoulder ‘I promise’
‘Come on and see the girls’ he held her hand firmly and led her in to them at the table,
‘They got so big’ she stood hesitantly as he let go,
‘Faith, Patience, this is Aunt Hermione’
‘Aunty Mione’ Patience grinned scooping up the mashed potato,
‘That’s right’
She laughed happily and he gestured for her to sit down,
‘Where’s Ginny?’
‘The Burrow – helping Molly make the wedding cake’
‘Ah’ she smiled ‘They getting on now then?’
‘From today hopefully, she was against them getting married from when they asked each other to this morning so I don’t think she got over it completely but she feels needed now so it should be ok unless they disagree on icing or something’
‘She’s so like Sirius, I didn’t think it would be possible for them ever to get along’
‘They both love Charlie; they might get never get there if that’s all they can agree on though’
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RIP JD Salinger |