Blessed With Iridescent Wings

It was half past six when Lianna awoke. A pale morning light was breaking through the curtains and the gentle sounds of Hermione softly snoring muffled in her ears. Above her fluttered a blue light which casted an eerie glow upon her face.

“Mrs. Weasley is starting breakfast,” said Oceana, “Your mother requested I come see if you were awake. She thought you could help out.”

“Huh?” Lianna pushed herself up, the covers pooling around her waist. The air was cool against her skin and all she wanted to do was curl back up and fall asleep.

Oceana smiled, “I know that is it early, Lianna, but it was your mother’s request. She suspects this will help turn your sleep schedule around.”

Rubbing her eyes slowly, Lianna slipped from the sunken twin bed Molly had fetched for her. Oceana fluttered just above her shoulder, the soft patter of her wings blocking the peaceful snores a few feet away.

“Can’t she just help Molly cook?”

“Your mother is busy,” explained the Faerie, “It would be best to simply obey her just this once. I’m sure you do not want her coming to wake you.”

No, no she did not. Her mother always seemed to use the more creative options in waking her daughter. Simple tapping or calling her name wasn’t fun enough for Cheri Walden. Her techniques usually involved a pail of water or her screech owl that spent more time in the forest than in the comfort of the family home.

Lianna hurried from the room, quietly shutting the door as to not awake Ginny or Hermione and rushed towards the kitchen before her mother could prepare the bucket.

-----

The large fireplace at the end of the cavernous kitchen was crackling with a warm red glow. Molly Weasley was at the sink, rinsing out a grouping of mugs by hand.

“Morning,” Lianna yawned.

Molly peered over her shoulder, “Oh Lianna, good morning, dear!”

“Do you need any help?”

“Help?” By the tired look on the poor girl’s face it was clear Lianna wanted nothing more than to turn back around and curl up under her blankets but by Cheri Walden’s comments earlier this morning, Mrs. Weasley knew the young woman was unable to do so.

“I like cooking,” muttered Lianna. That wasn’t a lie. She did like cooking but not typically around six in the morning. “I used to bake cakes with my mom every two weeks. It was our mother – daughter time.”

Mrs. Weasley smiled, “I would love the help, dear. Why don’t you start on the eggs? Just scramble them; there are far too many people here this morning to take requests.”

“Alright,” said the girl, wandering towards the small basket of eggs Molly had placed upon the counter moments ago, “The pan?”

“Already sitting on the stove, dear.”

“Perfect!” and a loud yawn followed.

“It must be hard travelling so far,” Molly said, watching as the pyjama clad girl rubbed her eyes, “I can only imagine how tired you must be.”

“It’s not so bad,” Lianna lied, “It’s just odd knowing I won’t be going home for awhile.”

Molly paused, her hands sinking into the warm dish water. Lianna shuffled about the stove quietly, the gas causing a tiny flame to flicker to life.

“You’ll be home before you know it,” said Mrs. Weasley, “You have just a year left and then you are free to do what you wish too.”

Lianna only nodded. The issue wasn’t so much school as it was what would happen after. Sure she adored the summer, adored being free from homework and nagging professors but once her seventh year was completed she’d be expected to do something with her life. Unfortunately for Lianna, she didn’t know what that was going to be.

She wasn’t exactly the best student or the best Faerie Master. Her mother was the queen there. The only reason she had as many Faeries as she did was because she was lucky, stupid but very, very lucky.

A sigh fell from her lips, “Are my parents in a meeting?”

“A quick one,” Molly mumbled, “They’ll be out soon.”

Lianna knew by the comments Ginny and the twins had made at dinner the other night that Mrs. Weasley had as much want as Cheri Walden to tell her children the dark on goings of the Order. The two worked in a straggled silence until Lianna offered to set the table. Molly happily laded down her arms with a tall stack of plates and utensils.

“Arthur was telling me last night that your family lives in a Muggle community,” Mrs. Weasley spoke as Lianna carefully placed plate after plate around the long wooden table.

Lianna nodded, “My grandmother is a Muggle. She demanded her daughter grow up in a Muggle community. Mom thought it was a benefit so she made the same demand when my parents moved to Canada. Dad loves it!”

Warm laughter came from the Weasley Mother’s mouth, “Yes, Arthur and your father bonded over their love of Muggles in their 4th year. It’s how they met.”

“I have a lot of friends who are Muggles. Dad absolutely adores it!” Lianna giggled, “He loved having dinner parties with their parents. Of course, the Ministry wasn’t too pleased but he’s gotten pretty good at pretending he understands what they’re talking about so they kind of let up on him. They were apparently pretty sad to see him transfer.”

“Your father is a very talented wizard, Lianna. We are quite pleased that he accepted Dumbledore’s invitation.”

“Dumbledore?”

Molly carried the heavy plate of finished eggs to the table, “Your father never told you about him?”

Lianna shrugged sheepishly, “He’s mentioned so many things to me since he got my mother to agree that I can’t really remember who’s who.”

The older woman smiled, “I’m sure you will meet him at some point. He’s Hogwarts’ Headmaster and such a brilliant man!”

“I hope so,” but in reality, Lianna wasn’t really sure she cared. School was never her thing and probably never would be. The want to go back had never struck her once and she was certain never would. Even a Headmaster with a silly name couldn’t get her interested.

“Well I think we’re just about done,” said Mrs. Weasley, “Thank you for helping me, dear. It was nice to have someone to talk to.”

“Oh no problem!” replied Lianna, “Do you need anything else or -”

“How about you just go get changed and send everyone down to the kitchen? Hermione and Ginny should be up by now but I’m sure Ron is still fast asleep. You wouldn’t mind going and waking him, would you? We have a busy day ahead of us and the earlier the start the better!”

“Course -”

“His room is on the second floor, just on the right. You can just waltz on in if he doesn’t answer,” Molly smiled, “And if it’s not too much trouble go see if those twins are up? I wouldn’t walk in though; it’s probably safer just to knock.”

“Safer?”

The twin’s mother sighed, “They are always causing some form of havoc. It’s just easier to knock, dear. I don’t want anything going off in your face.”

Confused, Lianna promised she would just pound until they answered and once Molly explained where their room was situated, she wandered off to get changed. Like Molly had suspected Hermione was already dressed and ready for the day. Her bed and Lianna’s had been made and Lianna hurriedly thanked her. Ginny, on the other hand, was just opening her eyes when Hermione declared they were to go down for breakfast. The Weasley girl seemed defiant and said she was going to sleep some more. The longer she could avoid her mother, the less she’d have to clean those nasty, creature infested rooms.

Lianna shrugged and said she had to go see if the boys were up. Ron had been amusing to awake. She pounded on the door for quite awhile and all she had been given was a muffled reply. With a quick ‘Alohamora’ the door slid open and Lianna waltzed in. Ron’s face was plastered to the pillow and his long limbs were hanging off both sides of the bed. Lianna couldn’t help but giggle.

“Ron,” she spoke, “Ron, your Mom says breakfast is ready.”

“Mmm, I’ll be down later,” He muttered.

“No, you should probably come now,” laughed the girl. She tapped his shoulder, pushed it until his eyes opened and he released a loud yelp. The sheets that had covered his build tangled about his body as he tried to pull them up to his chin.

“What are you doing in here?” He cried.

“Breakfast is ready. Your mom wants you downstairs.”

“R-Right,” His ears had turned a tomato red, “I’ll – I’ll just get changed.”

“Good idea,” smiled Lianna.

-----

On the third floor, Lianna found the twins’ room on the right but unlike Ron was greeted nearly the moment she knocked. There was some shuffling, some rushed whispers until one of their charming voices answered with a drawled out ‘yes’.

“Your mom says breakfast is ready,” Lianna spoke, “She wants -”

The door was retched open.

“Look who it is Georgie! It’s Miss. Lianna Walden!” Clearly this was Fred.

George released a laugh, “Ah, you scared us Lianna, we thought you might’ve been Mum.”

“No, she’s down in the – What is that?”

Lying upon the floor was a tiny humanoid creature covered in thick black fur. Its body fell limp as George picked it up by its wings and tossed it into the cardboard box at his feet.

“Dead Doxy,” Fred replied, “Found it in one of the spare rooms.”

“Doxy?” Lianna had learned about them a while ago but never had really seen one before, not in real life anyway.

“Never seen one?” George enquired, “Their nasty little blokes, got a real bite on ‘em.”

“Wanna see?” asked Fred. Lianna couldn’t say no, curiosity was one of her downfalls. She stepped into the room nervously, Fred closing the door behind them, and peered over the box George pulled into his lap. It sort of looked like a Faerie with wings like a beetle and double the arms and legs.

“It’s quite the looker, isn’t it?” She muttered, sticking her finger in to poke at the wings, “Why exactly do you have it, anyway?”

Both twins spoke in sync, “We’ve been using its venom.”

An almost horrified look crossed Lianna’s face, “But isn’t that poisonous?”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head,” Fred teased, “We’ve got a whole bottle of antidote.”

“Haven’t needed it yet though,” came George, “Think we’ve perfected the recipe.”

“Recipe?”

“For our Skiving Snackboxes,” They both said. Fred had taken a seat upon his bed, a messy twin with the blankets on the floor, purposely hiding the view anyone had of underneath the frame. Lianna figured they had stashed more boxes below.

George grabbed the flimsy lid to the dead Doxy’s grave, placing it back over the box. His wand was taken from his pocket and the small container floated to the other side of his brother’s bed.

“We’ll show you later,” smiled George, pushing himself to his feet, “So what did our dear mother send you up here for?”

“Oh right! Breakfast is ready and she wants us all downstairs. We apparently have a very busy day ahead of us.”

Both boys groaned.

“What?”

“Mum’s been on a cleaning frenzy since we got here a week ago. Hasn’t stopped for anything,” said Fred. He had flopped back upon his bed, “Guess we’ll have to sneak off again, eh George?”

“No other choice, Fred, just gotta get Mum out of the room.”

“Shouldn’t be too hard,” Fred sat up, pushing on the creaking mattress with his hands, “What about you, Walden?”

Lianna seemed confused, “What about me?”

“Want us to show you the town?” grinned George.

“Oh, I don’t know... I mean I just got here I don’t want to piss your Mom off -”

“Ah well take the blame for you,” laughed Fred, “She’s gonna yell regardless. We’re used to it by now.”

“Well I suppose that would be a lot better than cleaning all day -”

“Brilliant!” Fred leapt off the bed and an amused giggle fell from the girl’s lips.

“Best be getting downstairs than. Mum will have a fit if she comes in here,” said George, retching the bedroom door open.

“And we don’t want to set her off already. It’ll make things difficult later,” winked Fred. His large hand had found its way to the small of Lianna’s back as he began to steer the girl from their room. Warmth spread through her thin tank top and she found herself nervously gazing around as the boy shut the door behind them.