Waiting

"Back again, the blood traitor brats, is it true their father's dying . . . ?" said a voice as soon as Chris and the others hit the floor of Grimmauld Place.

"Not now, Kreacher," said another female voice strictly.

Chris looked around; they had arrived in the gloomy basement kitchen of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. The only sources of light were the fire and one guttering candle, which illuminated the remains of a solitary supper.

Aurelia hurried towards them and helped Ginny and Chris to get up. Kreacher looked around nastily then his big tennis ball sized eyes met Chris' dark blue eyes and he got the message. He walked out of the kitchen slowly.

"What's going on?" Aurelia said, her face as usual neutral. "Phineas Nigellus said Arthur's been badly injured —"

"Ask Harry," said Fred.

"Yeah, I want to hear this for myself," said George.

"Yes, what happened, Harry?" Chris looked at Harry like others.

"It was —" Harry began. "I had a — a kind of — vision . . ."

"Vision?"

"Yeah, I was asleep . . . But it wasn't an ordinary dream . . . it was real. . . . I saw it happen . . ." Harry explained. "Your Dad was sleeping. . . in front of a door at the end of a dark corridor. . . a giant snake was in front of him. . . And then he woke up, pulled his wand out but the snake attacked him. . ."

Chris, Aurelia, Ginny, Fred and George stared at him but Ron wasn't looking at him at all.

"Is Mum here?" said Fred after a moment.

"She probably doesn't even know what's happened yet," said Aurelia. "The important thing was to get you away before Umbridge could interfere. I have already informed Sirius and Moody, Molly will know in a bit. Thank Heavens I decided to stay here tonight."

"We've got to go to St. Mungo's," said Ginny urgently. She looked around at her brothers; they were of course still in their pajamas. "Aurelia, can you lend us cloaks or anything —?"

"Hang on, you can't go tearing off to St. Mungo's!" said Aurelia looking alarmed.

"' Course we can go to St. Mungo's if we want," said Fred, with a mulish expression, "he's our dad!"

"I know, but. . . Listen here you will go there and then what? You can't explain how you knew Arthur was attacked before the hospital even let his wife know."

"What does that matter?" said George hotly.

"It matters George," Chris said finally. She wasn't trying to get into their family business but this was getting serious. "Because Dumbledore said Mr Weasley was in his Order business when he was attacked. It's already going to be a huge thing to explain to the Ministry, then if we go to St. Mungo's now, it will create another problem. If the Ministry knows Harry saw it and all. . . We will put your parents in more danger."

Fred and George looked as though they could not care less what the Ministry thinks. Ron was still white-faced and silent. Ginny said, "I think Chris is right. The Minister already suspects Dad to be working for Dumbledore, if anyone does something stupid, they will fire him and what if they put him in Azkaban —"

Ginny choked, her hands trembling, tears threatening to come out from her eyes. Chris wrapped her arms around her. "Oh Gin!"

Fred opened his mouth clearly to argue but George nudged him and pointed at Ginny. 

"I understand it's hard," Aurelia said calmly steering Ginny towards the table. "And I won't lie, I also would have acted like this if it was my father in danger."

Chris and Ginny sat down, Chris was still patting Ginny's back.

"But we should focus on not giving them any more trouble, we have to stay put until anyone sends any message," Aurelia sighed.

Chris just noticed how old and tired Aurelia was looking. Her perfect gold hair was tied in a tight but dishevelled bun, her beautiful eyes had dark circles underneath and she had few bruises here and there.

"Do all of you need something to drink?" She said after a moment later clearing her throat. When no one replied she continued, "Alright, Accio Butterbeer!"

She raised her wand as she spoke and seven bottles came flying toward them out of the pantry, skidded along the table, and stopped neatly in front of the seven of them. Chris encouraged Ginny to drink, who took the butterbeer with a trembling hand. Chris didn't drink, she just held the bottle and looked around at everyone, for a while the only sounds were those of the crackling of the kitchen fire and the soft thud of their bottles on the table. Chris was sitting between Ginny and Aurelia, Fred and George were sitting beside Ginny, Harry and Ron were sitting across the table. Suddenly, Harry slammed his bottle down on the table a little harder, and it slopped over onto the table. Chris saw his hands were shaking badly. She looked up at his face but Harry was stubbornly staring down at his bottle. 

Then a burst of fire in midair illuminated the dirty plates in front of them and as they gave cries of shock, a scroll of parchment fell with a thud onto the table, accompanied by a single golden phoenix tail feather.

"Fawkes!" Aurelia looked relieved as she snatched up the parchment. "That's not Dumbledore's writing — it must be a message from your mother — here —"

She gave it Ginny, who ripped it open and read aloud, "Dad is still alive. I am setting out for St. Mungo's now. Stay where you are. I will send news as soon as I can. Mum."

Ginny looked around the table.

"Still alive . . ." George said slowly. "But that makes it sound . . ."

Chris's stomach lurched in a horrible way. Mr Weasley's condition was reminding her about her father repeated times. What will happen if something happens to him? What will happen to Mr Weasley?

Fred took the letter from Ginny, read it for himself, then looked up at Harry, who hurriedly looked away. Still exceptionally pale, Ron stared at the back of his mother's letter as though it might speak words of comfort to him.

They sat in complete silence, nobody spoke for a long time. It was almost fifteen past three when the kitchen door swung open and Sirius and Tonks entered. Almost everyone jumped up.

"Wotcher?" Tonks said with a small smile.

"Molly and Bill are in St. Mungo's," Sirius said looking at Aurelia. "Remus went straight and took the guard duty after Arthur — er —" he looked around at Ginny and Ron. "— sorry — you lot alright?"

"How is Dad?" Fred asked.

"I checked on them, I think your Dad is stable but they need few more hours of observation to confirm," Tonks said. "I tried to stay but Molly asked me to check on you kids."

There was a collective sigh of relief, no one completely relaxed but at least it was something. Aurelia got up and walked to Sirius.

"Sirius, can I have a quick word?" she said.

Sirius nodded and they walked out of the kitchen. Tonks sat down with them.

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To be continued. . .