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| Chapter Two:
Why Ron Should Never Drive A Car June 24th 2022 Number 3 Sutter Street 7:43 A.M. Why they had to get up so damn early was beyond Rose, as she brushed her long red hair down her back. She gathered all of her hair and drew it over her shoulder, plaiting it quickly and securing the plait. with an elastic band. She moved over to her window, throwing it open and sniffing up the sweet, summer air. It was foggy out, and rather muggy, and her back yard smelled of her mother's flower garden that was right below her window. "Rose!" Her mother's voice drifted down the hall from the kitchen. "Breakfast! Al has arrived!" Rose rolled her eyes at her mother's impatience. She moved to her bureau and contemplated her wardrobe choices. For some unknown reason, her mum had gone out the previous day and bought her a brand new dress for her party. It was flower print, but not those little flowers that make you feel like a little girl. No, these were big, dark blue and ruby red flowers on a white background with emerald green trim and a green sash around the waist that made a bow in the back. She was completely in love with the dress and briefly felt a bit of remorse for causing so much trouble about her party. Well, it wasn't a LOT of trouble, but it was more trouble than she was worth and she thanked the gods for her wonderful mother. She would be taking back that statement later, of that she was sure. Rose grabbed a pair of denims, the kind that were faded in the right places, and looked well worn, and incredibly fashionable. Ginny had bought those for her for Christmas. Seems Aunt Ginny didn't like spending tons of money on her own children, but that's where she drew the line. She pulled a thin strapped black camisole over her head and looked herself in the mirror. Black seemed to be the only colour that didn't clash with her hair. Well, and white. And sometimes yellow. But red was out of the question, green reminded her of Christmas (with her red hair), and don't even get her started on blues and purples. Lastly she clasped a necklace around her neck. It was her favourite necklace, given to her for Christmas by her best friend, Marinda, their first year at Hogwarts. It was half of a heart. It had once been a whole heart that read 'Best Friends,' but it had been broken in half. Rose had the half that read 'Best' and Marinda wore the half that read 'Friends.' It was the only piece of jewellery she ever wore besides a watch. "You're missing breakfast!" was called down the hall next and Rose, once again, rolled her eyes at her mum's sing-song voice. She slid her feet into black flip-flops and, tossing her plait over her shoulder, left her room, closing the door quietly behind her. 7:57 A.M. "Where's Huey?" She asked of her brother, plopping into the nearest chair in the kitchen, pouring herself a bowl of cereal from the box in front of her. She added a bit of milk and looked up. "Sleeping. He doesn't need to be up at this hour over summer break." Rose was reminded that it was only eight in the morning at the end of June. She grumbled into her cereal. Then, she grumbled some more, chewing the mush that tasted like cardboard. Only her mum would be the one to buy something that had absolutely no flavour. What were they called? They should be called Bland-o's. She marvelled at the little round pieces of cardboard before shoving another spoonful into her mouth. No wonder her mum was so thin� Rose looked over to Albus, who looked like he would fall asleep in his own bowl of Bland-o's. Quick! Get this boy some sugar! She giggled and pushed her empty bowl away before shoving at Albus' shoulder. "Whatsamatter?" He sat up straight, and then rested his head on his upturned palm. "You don't have to go, you know," she reminded him, but he vigorously shook his head. "She's my friend, too. And I probably won't get to see her again until school starts and that's all the way in September, so hey, what's waking up at the crack of seven once during this lovely holiday?" Albus kept himself awake by pinching his arm every so often as Rose and Hermione had yet another conversation about Rose's party. "Well, I got an owl from Lola and Lora last night and they vote for watching scary movies since their parents don't have electricity�purebloods, you know? And that they would bring over Butterbeer, but if we want anything else to drink we are on our own and they have lots of gossip material and they said they would bring their bathers but that Lora is sure it's going to rain. Her and that Divination, I swear!" Rose informed her mother in, what seemed to be, one breath. Hermione just stood there, trying to digest all of the information, but Rose continued. "And I had that floo call from Kendal yesterday and she doesn't know if she can even come because her dad is going out of town on business and she's supposed to go and stay with her aunt who is super strict, and she said she may be able to come if she doesn't misbehave, which shouldn't be a problem because you know Kendal, she's so calm, but her brat of a sister will probably try to screw things up for her so she's not stuck with her aunt all alone. Did you know her sister got sorted in to Slytherin?" Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment, Ron walked in, car keys in hand, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, let's get headed. A lot of driving and not a lot of time. Got patrols to do at two." Hermione kissed Ron's cheek and gave Rose a hug. "Don't speed. And stick to the directions Rose gives you. You know you're no good with directions." "Yes, love," Ron made a motion with his hands to hurry the two along, as if to get Hermione out of his hair before he bruised his ego any more. 8:19 A.M. The car was tiny. And old. A number of family members had tried to magic the car in to expanding, but nothing would work. In fact, it took Ron, Harry, and Hermione to get the ceiling height right so that Ron's tall frame could even fit behind the wheel. Riding with Ron was a trip in and of itself. He took corners way too fast, rarely used his mirrors, and was a speed demon. Rose had to grab the 'oh poo' handle more than once during the two hour trip to the Vandervent house. "Hey, dad," she started after Ron made a particularly sharp right turn, nearly throwing her onto his lap and causing Albus to fly halfway across the backseat even though he had his safety belt on. "Do you think I could drive on the way home?" "Yeah, right," Ron scoffed, laughing heartily at the idea. Rose cringed when he stopped at a traffic light, nearly skidding into the intersection. "Then can you please slow down?" she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Ron glared at her. 10:03 A.M. Five minutes later they sped down a familiar street, coming to a stop in front of a familiar house. It was a small, white, one-story house, and sitting out on the front steps was Rose's best friend in the world, Marinda Rosaline Vandervent. She had her long, curly brown hair clipped out of her face, but flowing down her back. As she stood, Rose noted her bright blue camisole showed off her upper assets without looking trashy, and her white ruffled-linen skirt was short enough to be stylish, but not too short that she looked like a tart. "Rosie!" She jumped off the steps as Rose threw open the car door and ran up to her, wrapping her in a large hug. "Indy!" She cried as they embraced. They pulled back slightly and said in unison, "It's so good to see you!" "Cor," Ron muttered. "It hasn't even been two weeks and they're bloody crying all over each other like it's been years." He and Albus had gotten out of the car by then, and were leaning against it, watching them. The girls heard his bitching and turned to him. "Hello Mr. Weasley," Marinda said, raising her hand above her eyes to shield the bright, mid-morning sun's glare. The fog had lifted just as they were getting on the motorway and it was shaping up to be a gloriously sunny day. "Marinda," Ron nodded to her. "Let me just get my stuff," she told Rose and headed back up the stairs. She threw open the door and yelled something inside, picking up a duffle bag the length of the trunk of the car. There was more yelling, and it was clear she was having an argument with someone in the house. It went on for a few moments, back and forth, and then Marinda yelled, "Whatever," and slammed the front door. It took the strength of both of her arms to lug the bag down the steps and to the car. Albus immediately took it and loaded it. "Your mum not wanting to say goodbye?" Ron asked while Albus was busy with the bag. "Eh," Marinda shrugged. "Apparently while we were at school, she got married again." She looked at Rose pointedly. "Husband number five. Muggle." She ended as if that explained it all. At the confused expression of Ron, she added a bit more of an explanation. "She doesn't want him to know about," she leaned in, "magic. So," she straightened back up, "she told him I went to boarding school in Scotland and that my father paid for it. He doesn't want kids, so they spent the last week and a half ignoring me completely. Talk about fend for yourself�" "That's horrible!" Rose commented, sliding in to the front seat. Marinda squeezed into the back next to Albus behind Ron and Rose smirked. Al must be in heaven. "Not as bad as daddy number two. He wanted to send me back to school for the summer, remember?" It had been after first year, her first summer back. She'd stayed with Rose for half of that summer until her mum contacted her and told her that she'd divorced him and wanted her "baby" back. "Wasn't number four okay?" Rose questioned as Ron started the car and headed towards the motorway. "Daddy number one, a.k.a. bio dad, was a bit of a jerk but all in all not too bad, aside from leaving my mum when they found out I was a witch. As if she could control it. Daddy number two was a rebound prick. Daddy number three actually lasted two years, probably because he was a wizard and they are the best. Daddy number four was my favourite because he was rich and nice and bought me clothes and shoes and all of my school things even though he didn't know that's what he was buying because he was a muggle. I'm not sure why they broke up. Christmas just wasn't the same. That brings us to Daddy number five, a.k.a. the present." Rose smiled. She and Marinda shared the ability to talk and drone on and on about things they were pretty sure no one else around cared about. They were so similar it was scary. "Do you enjoy speaking in run-on sentences?" Albus asked and Marinda turned to him. "Of course I do, Alby. Whatever I can do to annoy you, right? Hello by the way. Haven't seen you in forever. Have you grown?" She giggled, crinkling her nose. "Ha, ha," he muttered. It was a laughable fact that Albus had gotten the 'tall' Weasley gene from his mother and was now a few inches taller than his father. He didn't have anything on Ron, however. The talk soon turned to the party and Rose and Marinda giggled excitedly over the prospect of a slumber party. Neither of the girls had really had any girl friends growing up, and, while living in a dorm full of girls every night for nine and a half months out of the year was like one long slumber party, the pressures of school and homework and prefect duties put a damper on all of the fun festivities. Besides," said Marinda, "Lola is in Hufflepuff and I want to see if she really does snore as loud as Lora says." �I won't be enjoying that." Rose commented. "You do know the cardinal rule of sleepovers, right?" said Albus, looking between the girls. Ron, in the front seat, had a smirk on his face. "No, what?" said Marinda. "Er, well," he stuttered for a moment, catching her big blue eyes, before composing himself. "Don't fall asleep first," he stated matter-of-factly. "And why is that?" Rose giggled. "Because once the first person falls asleep, everyone else can play a prank on them." "Really?" Rose narrowed her eyes at him. "And how do you know this? Been to a lot of sleepovers Al?" "No. It's common dorm-room knowledge," at their curious faces he sighed. "Come on. You can't be that goody-goody that you haven't�you know, done something to someone while they were sleeping?" The girls shook their heads and he looked slightly put out. Then he glared teasingly at Rose. "And you call yourself a Weasley!" "Like what kind of stuff, Alby?" He grimaced at the nickname. Marinda was the only person allowed to call him that. In fact, the last person who had tried to call him that had received his mum's signature Bat Bogey hex right to the face. It had, unfortunately, been right in front of a teacher and he had served a weeks worth of detention with Professor Winifred, the potions teacher, scrubbing cauldrons and alphabetizing ingredients. "Like, writing on their forehead with Uncle's George's Permanent Ink Pen." "Or putting their hand in a bowl of warm water," Ron added from the front. The three teens looked at him. "What does that do?" Rose asked her dad. "It makes them wet themselves." "Or put whipped cream or strawberry sauce or something like that in the palm of their hand and then lightly rub a quill or feather on their face so they will cover themselves with the substance and then put glue powder on the floor so when they wake up and try to come after you they won't be able to move�" Albus stopped when he realized everyone was starting at him. Even Ron was looking at him in the rear-view mirror. "Now who is talking in run-on sentences?" Marinda smirked. 11:11 A.M. "Okay, Mr. Weasley. If you didn't want me to come you could have just said rather than try to kill me," Marinda groaned after she was tossed on to Albus's lap from a particularly sharp left turn. The safety belt on that side was broken, as the car was rather old, and she hit her head against the little window. Pain pulsed at the back of her skull immediately and her head lolled to the side, landing on Albus's shoulder. She closed her eyes and willed the pain to go away. She opened her eyes and found green ones staring back at her. Albus hastily pushed his glasses up his nose and looked concerned. "Are you okay?" he wondered. Marinda noted then that she was on his lap, her bum resting between his slightly spread thighs, her right hand on his chest and her left had somehow managed to get underneath her own leg and rested on said thigh. Her feet were still stuck under Ron's seat and her leg was twisting painfully. When did he get so muscular? She wondered, her left hand resting on thick, hardened thigh muscle. She bit her lip and splayed the fingers on her right hand on his chest, feeling the contours of his pectoral muscles beneath the thin cotton of his Chudley Cannons tee shirt, and noting his heart beat. It was racing. She lifted her head and looked up into his green eyes, and only then did she snap out of her Albus-got-hot revelation and realize she was sitting on her best friend's lap and it had nothing to do with g-force any more. "Sorry!" She cried, scooting herself off his lap and resting on the seat next to him. But she slid a bit closer than was actually needed, pressing her thigh against his jean-clad one. Marinda looked up in to his face to see if he noticed, but he was staring silently out of the window. She took that time to really look at her best male friend of nearly six years. His black hair was messy as always, and no matter how his mum cut it, it always seemed to be the same length: slightly covering his ears, curling at the nape of his neck, and falling in to his eyes. She loved his green eyes. They were the perfect shade of emerald. And his nose wasn't long like Rose's dad's, but the perfect proportion for his face. He was beginning to grow stubble on his upper lip, and the short, coarse hairs made him look older and rougher than he actually was. Her gaze dropped a little lower to his mouth. His bottom lip was fuller than the top, and they were a perfect shade of peachy pink. They really were the perfect lips. His "kiss-me" lips. Ron took another sharp turn and she caught herself thrust into Albus again, only this time her chest met with his side and the only thing that moved forward was her hand�which landed on a place on Albus she hadn't been thinking about. "Oh my gosh!" She yelled and pulled her hand back at the same time Albus groaned out, "Uncle Ron!" She turned her head to the side looking sheepish, a pink tinge flooding her cheeks. After a moment, she chanced a glance at Albus. He had a hint of a smile on his otherwise neutral face. She smiled to herself. 11:17 A.M. Albus smiled to himself. Marinda Rosaline Vandervent, his secret-to-everyone-besides-Rose crush, had just touched his jean clad crotch. Granted, it had been an accident and she did look rather embarrassed, but still� He remembered the day she had become his friend. Albus had been sorted in to Gryffindor the previous night at the Welcome Feast and had been shown Gryffindor tower with all of his fellow Gryffindor first years, which included Rose and Marinda. Their first class of their Hogwarts career had been Potions with Professor Marsha Winifred. He had sat with Rose because, up to that point, she was his only friend, and best friend at that. The grey haired witch was calling roll off a piece of parchment and he raised his hand when she read "Albus Severus Potter." He'd heard a fair amount of snickers at the sound of his names. Even though people made fun of him, and some even felt bad for him because of the two hideous names, he actually liked them. They were unique. And he was named after two people important to the second war. They made him special. Professor Winifred called out "Miranda Rosaline Vandervent" and a girl with curly brown hair who was sitting in the front of the room raised her hand. The professor had been poised to go on, when the girl spoke. "Actually, professor," she stood from her seat and spoke directly to the teacher, although every eye in the classroom was on her. "It's Marinda." "That's what I said," Professor Winifred said. "Miranda." "No, no," the little girl insisted. "Try it like this. Repeat after me. Mar as in March." "Mar," the professor clearly did not like being told what to do, but she did repeat it. "In as in, you are going in to the classroom." "In," she muttered darkly, through gritted teeth. "Da, as in, duh this name is pronounced exactly how it is spelled." "I think I will call you Miss Vandervent, how's that for you?" She smiled at the student, but anyone could tell that the smile was fake. The girl nodded and sat down, but whispered to the girl sitting next to her, loud enough for everyone to hear, "Gosh, she must have some talent to become a teacher without being able to read." Marinda had gotten detention that night and for the rest of the week and Albus had decided that she was worth befriending. Of course, Rose did and then, being Rose's best friend, eventually Albus did. 12:03 P.M. It was noon when Ron pulled the car in to the driveway at the Weasley house. Albus dutifully carried Marinda's duffel into the house and deposited it in Rose's room, before joining the two girls for lunch in the kitchen. They had their heads pressed together, but when he walked in, they leapt apart. He narrowed his eyes at them, but didn't question it as he took a sandwich off the platter left out for them by Hermione. After lunch the girls retired to Rose's room and Albus joined Hugo in the sitting room to watch television. "So, what did Scorpius say?" Marinda muttered, playing with the 'Friends' necklace around her neck. "He said he misses me and he is spending most of the summer with his dreadful grandfather while his dad and mum take a second honeymoon. And that hopefully we can meet up in Diagon Alley for lunch some time soon." "That would be nice," Marinda sighed. She moved back on Rose's bed until she was propped against the headboard and pillows, and she crossed her legs at the ankles. "Are you still upset about Drake?" Rose asked, referring to Marinda's boyfriend who she had broken up with before their OWLs. "No," Marinda shook her head and then looked down. "Well, what is it? You can tell me? I know you are the one we always go to�.the keeper of secrets if you will � " "I prefer confidant," Marinda cut in. "It is much more sophisticated." "Right. So�" "It's nothing! I'm just so excited about your party and kind of bummed that I didn't get to have one. And that it's not boy/girl," she added the last part in to get Rose's attention focused on something else. "So if you are the confidant," Rose said after a moments silence. She really didn't want to get riled up about the whole boy/girl party thing again. "Then Lola and Lora are�" "Egotistical? Crazy? Weird beyond belief? Social outcasts?" "In our little group�the clique if you will�" "The twin comic relief. And Kendal is the peacemaker." "That's right. Whenever we have fights, she's always the one to resolve them," Rose smiled, sitting next to Marinda on the bed and tucking her feet up under her. "Except when she's part of the problem," Marinda pointed out. "Then you are on your own. And I am � " "The brainiac. Without a doubt. Smartest witch in our year, you are." "And Albus is�" "In the doorway." The girls turned at the sound of his voice and he took that as an invitation into the room. He sprawled out across the foot of the bed, trying to ignore the fact that if he tilted his head just right he could see straight up Marinda's skirt. "I don't think I want to know the answer to that anyway." "Aw, we love you, Alby," said Marinda. "Oh, I forgot," Rose started, slapping Albus' leg absentmindedly. "Mum is taking off early to take us and Lily shopping for bathers." Then she turned to her cousin and waggled her eyebrows saying, "Want to come, Al?" "As much as I'd love to," Albus started sarcastically, "I think my masculinity may come in to question if I'm seen trying on bikinis." "You could help us pick them out! We could give you a fashion show!" Rose shot Marinda a look at her suggestion and thought she caught a glimmer of�hope on her face? "Ew!" Albus said automatically. "My sister and my cousin prancing around in barely any clothing and you want me to be the judge of what looks good on them?" Then added, "Plus my best friend," but had no glimpse of disgust in his voice, unlike his first statement. "Fair enough," Marinda shrugged. "I was thinking red with little white hearts. Or maybe, like, blue, green, and pink stripes. The kind that ties on the side, though, or maybe with the rings that hold the bottoms together." "And I'm gone!" Albus muttered, rolling off the bed and waving a hand over his shoulder as he left the room. "I didn't mean to scare him away!" She turned to her friend and bit her lip. "Oh please," Rose grinned. "He wasn't scared. Turned on, maybe. But not scared." "No! Albus doesn't like me like that?�Does he?" She crossed her legs in front of her and rested her hands in her lap, picking at a hangnail. "I'm not sure," Rose lied. "But he's a teenage boy and you were talking about wearing barely any clothing. It's not hard to put two and two together." "He certainly has gotten buff. When did our scrawny little bookworm develop�abs? And thighs? And perfect 'kiss-me' lips?" Marinda gave a shudder of delight at the memory. "I saw you feeling him up in the backseat!" Rose giggled behind her hand. "I was not! Your dad is such a crazy driver!" She blushed. "So, are you developing a crush on my cousin, Indy?" Marinda looked down at her hands for a moment before answering in what she hoped was a convincing voice, "I don't know." |
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