Blessed With Iridescent Wings

Bill Weasley was a very handsome man. He had a rugged look to him, a devil man care appearance with long, fiery red hair held in a low horsetail and an outfit Lianna had only seen at a rock concert. The Walden’s had been introduced to him at breakfast that morning. Cheri seemed taken by the dashing Weasley just as Bill seemed enthralled by the peculiar and rare Walden family. Apparently Bill had been a Curse Breaker, according to Ron, but had left Egypt to work a boring desk job at Gringotts. Ginny explained that her older brother missed the adventure, a lot, and seemed to be getting his fix from James and Cheri’s tales.

Cheri had been delighted to tell the young boy the splendour of her life. Everything seemed glamorous when her mother spoke, Lianna thought, and it was quite clear by the enthralled faces, the rest of the table did too.

“Oh it was ‘orrible!” Cheri cried, “I ‘ad broken my wand and all I ‘ad was poor Corgot who was so very tired from ze last fight!”

Corgot, the grumbling ball of green light, floated above his mistress’ shoulder. Just like Lianna’s mother, he too adored recognition.

“ZanZarah is such a dangerous place! I ‘ad no choice but to run.”

“How’d you get away?” Ginny called. She had long forgotten about the meal in front of her. Cheri was far more entertaining.

“Ah!” Lianna’s mother’s dark eyes lit up, “Zhat is for my wonderful ‘usband to tell.”

“So there I was -” James jumped in, head first. His hands flew out in front of him for affect and that silent grey glow above his head floated towards the table, settling carefully beside his Master’s plate.

Unlike the rest of the wide eyes and gasping voices, Lianna was sitting silently, glaring at the eggs upon her plate. The fork in her hand picked at the meal, stabbing at it while Molly released an ‘Oh my!’ and Sirius released a joyous ‘Woot!’

“Cheri was so beautiful!” sighed James, “I have never seen anyone take care of a group of sods like that and with just a single Faerie, no doubt!”

“Ah, James, you flatter me,” laughed his wife, “If it ‘adn’t been for your arrival I would’ve been killed!”

Lianna’s father beamed, “Well I did do a number to that bloody Horace. He had it coming though, talking about my wife like that.”

Lianna released a scoff.

“Oh you should ‘ave seen my ‘usband, Molly! Such a brave man,” Cheri’s brown eyes sparkled. She wrapped her thin arm around James’, “I wouldn’t be ‘ere today!”

Wait for it, Lianna thought, just wait for it.

Sure enough, Ginny turned to Lianna with a bright grin, “What about you Lianna? Did you ever have adventures like your parents?”

Lianna didn’t even bother opening her mouth. There wouldn’t be enough time anyway.

“Oh, no, no, no,” Cheri quickly cut in and that fork in Lianna’s hand stabbed into the piece of toast upon her plate, “Ginny, dear, we do not speak of Lianna’s time in ZanZarah.”

“Oh, I’m sorry -”

“You did not know,” said Mrs. Walden, brushing it off, “You see, Lianna is our little black sheep!”

She was pretty sure all eyes hand fallen on her.

“My daughter is not like ‘er father or I. She ‘as never been capable enough to properly tame a Faerie. We do not like to speak of it.”

Really, Lianna snarled to herself, because she’s pretty sure they were talking about it right now. She couldn’t look up, couldn’t seem to face the curious gazes. She was the oddity. She had always been the oddity in the family. The ability to be a Faerie Master wasn’t a gene, it wasn’t specifically passed down through generations except for the peculiarity of the Walden family. Nearly every member had been chosen early in their life with the exception of Lianna’s young cousin, Ethan. He happened to be a Squib.

“You see, Lianna ‘as such good sight! She can see any Faerie before many of us but she is not strong. She does not have ze strength to actually command -”

Like the rest of the Weasley kids, Fred’s eyes were locked on the tall girl beside him. She was stabbing at her meal, glaring at it like it had once insulted her with those pale green eyes of hers. Her shoulders were stiff but her arms were quivering, shaking and soon those plump lips began to tremble and specks of water pooled at the corner of her eyes.

“Alright Mom,” Lianna hissed, “I think they get it.”

“Oh mon petit lapin, it is nothing to be ashamed of!” Cheri cried, her arm still tight around her husband’s, “You tried your best and you -”

Cheri’s daughter scoffed, “Thanks Mom.”

“Lianna!” Cheri snarled, “It is rude to -”

James quickly stepped in, “Cheri, love, why don’t you tell them all about the time in New York? And I’m sure Molly and Arthur would love to hear about the wonderful Muggle stores you went to.”

Molly quickly nodded, “I’d love to hear all about it, Cheri.”

“Ah, yes, James took me to these wonderful boutiques -”

Cheri didn’t notice the boredom Molly tried so desperately to hide, the wondrously large New York City was much more important.

Lianna felt a bony leg hit her knee. She looked up in surprise to see Fred still peering down at her with dark eyes. They looked concerned

“Hey,” he breathed, “You okay?”

“Yeah...” Lianna whispered, “I’m great.”

Fred frowned. She had dropped the fork, leaving it embedded in the remaining chunks of toast and slipped her hands to her thighs. There they clenched and unclenched into tight fists that turned her knuckles white. The corner of her eyes still watered but she tried desperately to blink the tears away.

“Hey Mum!” George called, “Fred and I thought we’d get a head start on the room upstairs. Time is money after all!”

Even Hermione couldn’t hide a small snicker at the appearance of Molly’s face. Her eyes had widened to a near animated form while her mouth seemed to drop as she sputtered. Than in an instant it reverted to a suspicion that Fred pushed away with a quick motion to the girl beside him.

“Ah r-right,” said their mother. Cheri was still talking away, her attention turned to Arthur, “Good idea George. Go on then.”

“After you,” Fred said, smiling brightly as the girl quickly pushed her seat out. She followed George up the stairs, eyes locked to the floor, fists at her side. Fred followed behind.

James Walden watched his daughter out of his peripheral. His wife was still talking about the splendours of the Muggle world, her proud Faerie nodding and agreeing at every word. Lianna looked frustrated, frustrated with her mother but mostly frustrated with herself. No Faerie bobbed beside her, no Faerie followed her and it weren’t for the occasional sighting of her companions anyone would assume she was just as her cousin, Ethan.

With his shoulder, George shoved open one of the many stuck doors on the third floor, “Your mother sure is delightful.”

“Isn’t she though?” Lianna hissed, following him inside, “Dad says she means well but it doesn’t really come off that way, does it?”

The room was a spare bedroom with a grand four poster bed lying in the centre. Old red blankets covered the mattress and moulding wallpaper covered the walls. The carpet lay covered in filth with missing tassels around the edge. Like most of 12 Grimmauld Place, the area was damp and musty.

Lianna released a huff of air, wrinkling her nose at the thick smell.

“She always like that?” Fred asked. He shut the door behind him.

“Not always,” replied Lianna. She slipped towards the bed, dropping herself upon it. A large puff of dust rose from the sheets, blinding the girl for a moment. A loud cough retched from her mouth while the twins’ snickered to themselves. “She only gets like that when she thinks she’s protecting me.”

“Doesn’t do a very good job,” both boys said.

“Never really has,” Lianna laughed. Her eyes had stopped watering and a smile had flitted over her lips, “Thanks, both of you.”

“Not a problem, my fair lady,” Fred teased, “We’re always here to save a damsel in distress!”

His tall build fell beside her on the dusty bed and another large cloud of dirt filled the air around them. Lianna released a brilliant laugh, a soft one that brought a smile to both boys’ faces.

“Besides,” said George, a mischievous grin hanging off his lips, “Now we have plenty of time to escape!”

Fred, who seemed to disregard the dust hanging around his build, held the same look as he peered up at the dark ceiling. Lianna, on the other hand, seemed concerned.

“Shouldn’t we clean just a little,” muttered the girl. Her hands were swatting at the air blindly as if it would helped push the dust down, “I mean so your Mom isn’t completely rattled when she finds out we’re gone?”

Fred slowly sat up, his eyes locking with his brother’s. Both boys seemed to share the same thought and soon Lianna felt four eyes peering over at her. It was like she had said something stupid, something completely ridiculous.

“Or not...”

“You’re thinking,” Fred said with a laugh, “We like that but we already have it all mapped out so neither of us will have to lift a finger today! Don’t you worry, Miss. Walden, we’ll take care of everything.”

“Will you now?” She looked sceptical.

“Don’t trust us?” teased George.

She laughed, “No, no, I put my fully trusting self in both your hands!”

“Excellent,” They shared another glance, bright smirks shining across their face. Lianna laughed to herself. Watching them both was strange. She had never once met identical twins before, well, not ones with such a close connection. They were so in tune with each other, so in sync.

Fred had leapt up from the bed, the old jeans he wore covered in dust. The pale grey t-shirt upon his torso was to light to notice any marks. Cheri, if she could see her daughter, would be appalled by the mess Lianna was sure covered her jean shorts. She, too, stood up, patting down her bottom and motioned for Fred to follow suit.

Once both seemed grime free, Fred offered his large hand to the tall girl, “If you would be so kind.”

Lianna peered at it for a moment until she slipped her long fingers into his. Quickly, his fingers entwined with her own and a large crack sounded out. Lianna felt like her body was being squeezed and twisted. Her stomach shifted and jumped to her throat and then, just before she was sure she was going to heave, her feet stumbled forward, her hand slipping out of Fred’s.

“Oh shit,” She breathed, leaning forward, her hands on her knees. Her head was spinning and her stomach was clenching.

“Okay over there?” She heard George called.

“She looks kind of green but I think she’ll make it,” laughed Fred. He walked up beside her, placing a hand upon her back and rubbing into in slow circles as she tried to catch her breath, “A little warning next time, perhaps?”

“Maybe just a little,” Lianna muttered, lifting her head up, “Where are we anyway?”

“Small park Fred and I found a few days ago,” answered George. “A lot of Muggles run their dogs through here.”

They were hidden by brush and various trees that had seemed to have grown together quite tightly. A morning wind blew through the area and Lianna could hear the distant sound of rusted swings singing into the air. Just a few feet away laid a paved pathway that had been bordered with a multitude of tiny white flowers. The twins began to walk towards it, twigs crunching under their feet. Lianna followed closely behind, her eyes gazing around curiously.

“First time apparating?” Fred teased from up ahead. He was peering over his shoulder at her with a twinkle in his eyes.

Despite the red forming in her cheeks, Lianna let out a playful huff, “No but it’s never been my favourite method of travel as you can tell. I thought I was going to fail getting my license. It’s a miracle I passed!”

The twins snorted.

“So where exactly are we going?”

“Aren’t you a nosy one,” laughed George.

“Nosy?” smiled the girl, “I’m walking down some lone pathway with two boys I only met last night. I think I’m allowed to know where we’re headed.”

“Well,” drawled Fred. He swung an arm over her shoulder the moment she stepped up between them. Lianna released a loud giggle, falling into his side as he pulled her along, “If you must know we thought we’d show you the city a little.”

“You two are going to show me around London?” Another loud laugh fell from her mouth, “It’s quite a big place, you know?”

George scoffed, “You underestimate us, Lianna! But before we take you on a grand tour, we have some things to pick up.”

“Some things, eh?” She grinned, peering up at the twin keeping her against his side, “These for your Skeeving Snackboxes?”

“Skiving, Lianna, but yes,” said Fred, gazing down at her rather joyful look. It suited her much better than that angry, sorrow he had seen at breakfast.

“Are you two going to show me what these Snackboxes do?”

A grin flitted over both boys’ lips, “Of course. You can help us if you want.”

“Help you?”

“Test products,” Fred explained, “They’re all basically safe. Just a few more hitches to work out.”

Lianna released another laugh, “Basically safe, eh?”

“Eh?” the twin’s mocked, both snickering to themselves. Lianna grinned, brightly laughing along.

Fred and George had told Lianna they had some form of ‘business’ to attend to. The two had scurried across the street to a cute little grocery store sitting at the corner. Various Muggles walked in an out and Lianna was quite impressed to see how well the twins blended in. Even her father, who had lived in a Muggle village for years, had issues with keeping his mouth shut around them. The Muggle money they held had been apparently exchanged just before they had been forced to Grimmauld Place.

Patiently, Lianna waited at the edge of the park. She wandered back and forth along the pathway but never past the point where she would be unable to see the tiny grocery store. Muggles with their dogs ran by not one caring to notice the quite girl strolling with herself. The morning was warm already and she was thankful for being smart enough to put on a pair of shorts. The tight trees’ leaves sang in the wind as the small breeze rustled its way through.

Down the paved pathway came a deep ‘woof!’ The sound grew louder and louder until Lianna caught the glimpse of a rather furry figure running toward her.

“Rem!” The tall boy in chase yelled, “Rem, get back here you stupid dog!”

The closer it got the more Lianna could tell it was a rather goofy looking Saint Bernard. It was quite clear the dog was having a glorious time as its long tongue hung out its panting mouth. Giant brown eyes seemed dead set on Lianna and didn’t stop until it tumbled over its rather large paws, crashing into her long legs. The young dog looked up with joyful eyes, panting from its leisurely stroll. Around its neck was a pink collar, clearly determining that Rem was a girl.

“Oh god,” The boy cried as he tried desperately to catch up, “I’m sorry. She won’t bite.”

Lianna giggled down at Rem, bending to gather her large head in her hands, “Oh it’s alright. I love dogs.”

He caught up, panting as he bent over to lean on his knees. In his hands was a pink leash, “Blimey, she just got away from me. Sorry again.”

Lianna peered up at the male before her. He was certainly around her age, maybe a year or two older. His dark hair was cut short and matted with sweat from his rather panicked run. Tanned and tall, the Muggle boy was brilliantly built with ripping muscles and a shirt that left nothing to the imagination. His muscles were attractive but what caught Lianna’s attention were his piercing blue eyes.

“Very, very cute,” Lianna said, her eyes locked to the boy before her. He was fiddling with Rem’s collar, trying to find the loop to attach the lease in his hand.

“She is pretty cute, isn’t she?”

Lianna stood up, “I wasn’t talking about your dog.”

He looked up, alarm written across his face. That alarm rapidly vanished and a rather charming look overtook. His smile turned into a cocky smirk and as his body straightened as he subconsciously tried flexing his biceps. Lianna grinned.

“Oh really?” His brilliant eyes twinkled, “You’re pretty cute yourself. What is an American doing in this little neighbourhood?”

“Canadian, actually” She corrected, “and my family just moved here.”

He seemed pleased, his cocky smirk growing “My apologises, beautiful. So tell me, where are you living?”

“We’re actually staying with some family friends before Dad picks a place to live. Just down the road,” Lianna ruffled Rem’s hair, scratching behind her ears as the dog panted happily. That heavy fur coat was probably getting to her, “We got here yesterday.”

“Just yesterday? Then you haven’t been shown the town yet!”

“No, got as far as that curb,” She pointed behind her, laughing to herself.

The boy smiled, “Well we can’t have that now, can we? How about you come out with some friends of mine on Saturday? We’re going to McKellen’s pub. It’s about a 10 minute walk past that grocery store.”

“McKellen’s Pub?”

Lianna knew she had to say no. She couldn’t actually say yes, she wasn’t even of age to drink yet! A little laugh fell from her mouth. It wasn’t like that stopped her back home but that wasn’t the point. She was a witch and she was technically in hiding. Her mother would be furious if she knew she left...

“Hmm, well I’m sure I’ll be able to make it.”

“Brilliant! Oh, how stupid of me,” He lightly hit his forehead, “I’m Trevor Davies.”

“Lianna Walden,” she said, bending down to peer at the big eyed dog. The panting creature quickly licked her across the cheek, “And this is Rem, right?”

“Remington actually but I just call her Rem,” smiled Trevor, “You have a number yet or - ?”

“Nah,” Lianna shook her head, “Got to get a new phone sometime this week; I should have it by Saturday unless Dad doesn’t get his rear in gear.”

Trevor laughed. It was a pretty laugh but felt contained like he was trying to hold back.

“Well we should be there by 10 at the latest,” explained the boy, “Its Karaoke night. The girls’ love it.”

“I’m not much of a singer,” lied Lianna, “But I don’t mind watching.”

“Even with a few in you?”

She released a loud laugh, “With a few shots down you may be able to get me up there, but I’m not promising anything glorious.”

Trevor grinned, “We’ll have to see, won’t we? But I should probably get going. Mum needs me home for lunch. C’mon Rem.”

“See you Saturday,” Lianna breathed.

Trevor gathered Remington’s leash and with a charming wink, rushed off at a quick jog. She waved lazily, the boy returning it as he rounded the bend in the path. Just as he disappeared, a pair of fiery red headed twins walked up beside the tall brunette, both curiously watching her.

“Looks like someone’s made a new friend,” Fred spoke, shifting the large paper bag in his hands.

“Wouldn’t say friend,” Lianna couldn’t shake her grin, “But he did invite me to McKellen’s Pub on Saturday.”

“A Muggle pub?” They said together. She knew they were staring at each other.

“Yup and you know, I thought, if you two wanted, you could come with me. I don’t really want to go alone so I figured -”

There was no hesitation, “We’re in!”