Finding Heather

Year 7 Chapter 3

Author's Notes: This was one of my favorite chapters of this entire story to write, I hope you enjoy as much as I have.

Harry Potter doesn't belong to me, I'm just borrowing his world.

Chapter Three

The morning of the wedding, Heather snuck out of Ron's bedroom and down the stairs to the first-floor landing. Both Ginny and Hermione were already up and waiting for her in the room they shared. It had been decided that Heather would creep out of the house before anyone could wake up, after Hermione had transformed her into her disguise, and then "arrive" as Heather Weasley, a very distant cousin who had been abroad for the last few years. Hermione sat her down on Ginny's bed and began to modify her features, muttering under breath while waving her wand across Heather's face. The girls had blocked the mirror, so Heather had no idea what she looked like under Hermione was done. When she stood up, she had to touch her face to for brain to register that the girl staring back out of the mirror was actually her. Her hair, which now came down to her shoulder blades, had the same shade of fiery red as the rest of the Weasley's. In fact Heather thought she could pass quite easily as Ginny's older sister. Looking at herself, Heather was reminded strongly of the photo album she had stashed in her rucksack that Hagrid had given her after her first year, full of pictures of her parents.

"I...I look like my mum" she whispered; her voice full of emotion.

"You're beautiful." Said Ginny, resting a hand on her shoulder.

 Tearing her eyes away from her reflection, Heather began to change into the clothes that had been set out for her, repeatedly turning to look back into the mirror as though this were a dream that would suddenly fade. It wasn't an entirely new experience to change clothes in the same room as her friends, there was just usually a wooden stall hiding her from view. Treating her as they would any other girl, Hermione and Ginny got dressed without embarrassment, though they did giggle good naturedly at Heather's embarrassed shyness.

 As this was her first day getting to completely be a girl, Heather had decided to enjoy it despite her nerves. On top of her bra and knickers, she had selected a teal t-shirt with a V-neck that showed just a hint of her breasts, and a pair of jeans that gripped her legs and bum just right. With Hermione's help, they charmed a pair of earrings to clip to her lobes and she chose one of the many necklaces that Hermione had given her years before.

 Once dressed, Heather pulled on her invisibility cloak and crept down the stairs quietly to the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was waiting for her and silently opened the front door, letting her out into the yard. Heather waited invisibly for half an hour, reveling in the feeling of her body. Her hands kept shaking with pent up nerves. This would be the first time that she would truly be a girl around people other than her friends, even though most of them wouldn't know who she was. When her watch chimed eight o'clock, she ducked behind Hagrid's tent, after checking to make sure she could hear his snoring, shouldered the bag that Hermione had given her filled with her own clothes, and pulled off the cloak. Walking nervously yet purposefully up to the door, she knocked.

 It was a very strange sensation to be introduced to people she had known for years, including her three best friends. Enough of her mannerisms were the same that those who knew her well picked up on what was going on quickly while those who didn't were completely in the dark, but no one treated her strangely for it. Heather spent most of the morning with Ginny and Hermione, who had taken it on themselves to "make sure this distant cousin felt welcome." Fred and George, who had picked up on it instantly, seemed to find it extremely entertaining that 'Harry' was a girl, and often bowed to her when they met her around the house, calling her "Milady" as they tried to kiss her hand. By noon, the only people inside the Burrow who were still unaware of her identity were the Delacours, Gabrielle, and Charlie, mostly due to the fact that he was still sulking about the painfully short haircut that Mrs. Weasley had given him the night before, and wasn't seen before the wedding. After a small lunch, Heather disappeared upstairs with the other girls to get ready. When she came back down in her new dress, the twins wolf-whistled loudly, which Mrs. Weasley was quick to admonish them for while beaming at Heather.