Chapter 264 - Phlegm

A new book from Hermione.

A new pair of red shoes from Colin.

Two boxes full of different sweets from Ginny and Ron.

Some fruit cakes from Mrs Weasley.

A new jacket made of Dragonskin from Fred and George.

A beautiful stone bracelet from Harry, with red, blue, green, yellow stones and in the middle carved two gold letters CN.

Also, Aurelia baked a big chocolate cake the next day and Sirius and Tonks put up some decorations. Everybody set aside their arguments and celebrated Chris' birthday.

But nothing came from Jason. Chris convinced herself half-heartedly that Jason must have forgotten her birthday, that's all. No need to be upset or angry.

A few days later, on the next day of Harry's birthday, they all decided to leave for the Burrow.

"Dumbledore assigned all of us for — a job," Sirius said to Harry. "We have to leave tomorrow, that's why we have to leave you two at Burrow today."

"What job?" Harry asked.

Sirius opened his mouth but Aurelia cut in, "Something important. Anyway, have some Turkey, Harry."

Harry nodded reluctantly.

"How are we going to Burrow?" asked Chris piling her plate with delicious dinner, made for Harry's birthday.

"We thought about Side-Apparation —" began Sirius.

"Really? That will be cool," said Chris excited.

"Unfortunately," smiled Aurelia. "Harry can do Side-Apparation but you are too young for that —"

"Oh c'mon," Chris rolled her eyes.

"— so we will use Portkey," finished Aurelia.

"Fine," said Chris exhaling moodily.

Sirius, Aurelia and Harry laughed.

At five o'clock the next evening, Chris, Harry and Sirius grabbed a silver goblet, which was a Portkey, and Aurelia Apparated with Tonks.

After a few moments of a weird sensation, Chris felt she can breathe again and opened her eyes to find herself looking at the Burrow.

"We are going to tell them, right?" whispered Harry in Chris' ear, as they approached the back door of the Burrow, which was surrounded by the familiar litter of old Wellington boots and rusty cauldrons.

"Yes, we will," sighed Chris as Sirius knocked three times on the door and Aurelia and Tonks appeared after them.

"Who's there?" said a nervous voice Chris recognized as Mrs Weasley's from inside. "Declare yourself!"

"It's me, Sirius, Molly," said Sirius casually.

There was a shuffle inside the room. Aurelia gave Sirius a glare before speaking, "Sirius Black, Aurelia Cromwell, and Nymphadora Tonks bringing Harry Potter and Christina —"

The door opened before Aurelia could finish. There stood Mrs Weasley, short, plump, and beside her —

"Harry! Chris!"

Three people engulfed Chris and Harry in a group hug. After a moment they pulled back and dragged Chris and Harry inside. Finally, Chris' vision cleared from all the rushing and she saw Ginny, Hermione and Ron grinning at her and Harry.

"All right?" said Ron hitting Harry on the head. He looked taller than before.

"Ron, don't hit him!" said Hermione reproachfully. Then she looked at Chris. "How are you?"

"You could have come earlier," said Ginny before Chris or Harry could reply. "We missed both of your birthdays."

"Yeah but —" Hermione began but was cut off by a different throaty voice.

"'Arry, eet 'as been too long!"

A young woman was standing at the foot of the stairs, a woman of such breathtaking beauty that the room seemed to have become strangely airless. She was tall and willowy with long blonde hair and appeared to emanate a faint, silvery glow.

Fleur Delacour swept over the threshold toward Harry then kissed him on each cheek. Harry went red.

"I 'ave been longing to see you. You remember my seester, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about 'Arry Potter. She will be delighted to see you again."

"Oh — really?" That's all Harry managed to utter.

"Congratulations on your engagement, Fleur," said Chris smiling at her.

"Chrees!" smiled Fleur and kissed Chris on a cheek. "I 'ave 'eard a lot about you from Bill. 'Ee praises you a lot."

"Er — thanks," replied Chris.

"Yes, congratulations, Fleur," said Harry.

"T'ank you," Fleur swooped down upon Harry and kissed him again. 

"Come Chris, Harry," said Ginny suddenly. "I have something to show you."

"Alright," said Fleur as Ginny literally dragged Chris and Harry away.

"We will be back for dinner," called Ginny to Mrs Weasley.

They entered Fred and George's now empty bedroom. There was a lamp on the bedside table, bathing the room in a pleasant golden glow. Though a large vase of flowers had been placed on a desk in front of the small window, their perfume could not disguise the lingering smell of what Chris realized was gunpowder. A considerable amount of floor space was devoted to a vast number of unmarked, sealed cardboard boxes, amongst which stood Harry's school trunk. The room looked as though it was being used as a temporary warehouse.

"You will be staying here, Harry," said Ron. "Fred and George got a big flat over there joke shop, they are staying there. Honestly, they're raking in the Galleons! I can't wait to see the place, we haven't been to Diagon Alley yet, because Mum says Dad's got to be there for extra security and he's been really busy at work, but it sounds excellent."

"Really?" Chris said feeling excited as well. She wanted to visit the Twins' shop too. 

"Yeah, how did you know about Bill and Fleur's engagement?" Ron asked.

"Bill told me when he was Grimmauld Place for an Order meeting," replied Chris. "Anyway, Gin, what did you want to show us?"

"Nothing," snorted Ginny sitting down on a bed. "I just wanted to get away from Phlegm."

"Phlegm?" Chris repeated blankly.

"She is talking about Fleur," said Ron. "Can't you just leave her alone, Ginny?"

"Oh, that's right, defend her," snapped Ginny. "We all know you can't get enough of her. I'm telling you, she is worse than Umbridge."

"Yeah," said Hermione, dropping her voice. "She's so full of herself."

"You don't really want her around forever?" Ginny asked Ron incredulously. When he merely shrugged, she said, "Well, Mum's going to put a stop to it if she can, I bet you anything."

"How's she going to manage that?" asked Harry.

"She keeps trying to get Tonks round for dinner. I think she's hoping Bill will fall for Tonks instead. I hope he does, I'd much rather have her in the family."

Chris exchanged a startled look with Harry before speaking.

"Whoa, so that's why Mrs. Weasley was so eager to get Tonks for dinner? Well, that's impossible, Gin."

"Yeah, no bloke in his right mind's going to fancy Tonks when Fleur's around," said Ron. "I mean, Tonks is okay-looking when she isn't doing stupid things to her hair and her nose, but —"

"She's a damn sight nicer than Phlegm," said Ginny.

"And she's more intelligent, she's an Auror!" said Hermione from the corner.

"Fleur's not stupid, she was good enough to enter the Triwizard Tournament," said Harry.

"Not you as well!" said Hermione bitterly.

"That's not the point," said Chris, thinking how stupid their conversation was sounding. "Tonks can't be with Bill because she loves someone else and —" she looked at Ron. "That person loves her back."

"Oh!" Hermione looked surprised.

"Who?" asked Ginny.

"Remus," replied Harry. "They are having a fight but I don't think in any way Tonks will end up with Bill."

"Yeah, Bill loves Phlegm — I mean Fleur," said Chris. "I saw how happy he was when he told me about their engagement. It was at the beginning of our holiday, wasn't it?"

"But I don't like her," said Ginny. "She talks to me like I am about three! I hate —"

"You are not marrying her, Gin," Chris sighed with a small smile because of Ginny's silly behaviour. "Bill is going to marry her. Just because you don't like her, Bill can't sacrifice his love, can he?"

"What he sees in her?" snapped Ginny. "She is a bit good looking that's all."

"Maybe, she is more than that," said Chris. "Maybe you just need to see past your hate, to discover she is good at heart."

"Hard pass," said Ginny huffing.

"Hey, what's going on with Percy?" asked Harry, quickly changing the topic. The third-eldest Weasley brother had fallen out with the rest of the family. "Is he talking to your mum and dad again?"

"Nope," said Ron.

"But he knows your dad was right all along now about Voldemort being back —"

"Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right," said Hermione. "I heard him telling your mum, Ron."

"Sounds like the sort of mental thing Dumbledore would say," said Ron.

"Though he is right, isn't he?" said Chris quietly. At the mention of Dumbledore had reminded Chris of the thing she had to do. She and Harry have to tell their friends.

Should they say it together or separately? Should she wait for Colin and Luna and tell them together? Should she talk about her with Hermione and Ron?

Chris realized the room had gone silent and Ginny, Ron and Hermione were exchanging looks. Chris slightly looked at Harry and his face mirrored Chris' worries. Then Harry met her gaze and nodded.

"We have something to tell you," said Harry.

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To be continued. . .