Chrysalis | A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Chapter 17

Somehow, Caelia was not surprised to be awoken by the sounds of hushed voices buzzing around her.

In her haze she realized that someone had put an incredibly soft quilt over her and Harry. Her dark-haired friend appeared to be drifting out of dream-land as well, so she decided to wait to get up to take in her surroundings for a moment.

The Weasleys had a very cozy living room, with two long squashy couches and a couple of claw-footed armchairs that rested over a colorful braided rug. Caelia could see around a corner into an alcove where their fireplace resided--close enough for heat but far enough that Floo Powder dust, cinders, and outside dirt wouldn't be tracked directly into the living room. Despite the outwardly haphazard appearance, this house was clearly very well thought out. Though, as there were nine people who called it home, she supposed it would have to be.

Her half-closed eyes were flitting over the photographs that littered the walls when two tall redheads bounded down the hall past them--a loud shushing sound came from another room--but one of them slowed and came towards them.

"No--look Perce, I think they're up now."

A third, shorter redhead came into the room. "Alright you two, wake them up gently, then. It is one pm."

Ron rubbed Harry's shoulder and he finally moved to get up, trying not to jostle Caelia.

"Morning, mate. When did you guys get here?" Ron asked.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Mum already told us Ronald, that's why we couldn't wake them up."

"Of course, Percy, give him a break. Ickle Ronnikins doesn't understand!" George exclaimed. "The tiny, delicate brains of a second-year need enough sleep to be able to form a single coherent thought!"

"Well that explains a lot," Percy grumbled, and Caelia smiled, trying not to laugh.

"Ah, there she is, Cee's awake as well," said Ron, ignoring his brothers. "How are you?"
Caelia sat up next to Harry. "I'm alright, thank you Ron. My dad had to go to work in the early morning, so we're staying with you guys until he's back from assignment. Or... until we go back to Hogwarts," she muttered the last part.

Percy cocked his head. "He's an auror, right? Not a bad profession."

Caelia chuckled dryly. "It is if you're my dad."

No one knew what to say to that, so they collectively decided it was time to get something to eat.

Molly Weasley, who Caelia had met for the first time at Platform 9 ¾, was bustling around the kitchen, but whipped around when she heard the five of them come in. "Boys! I told you to let me know when they were awake, good heavens. How are you, dears?"

She said this all very fast, not unlike their friend Hermione.

Caelia quickly thanked her for her hospitality, and Harry echoed her, but she waved them off. "Go on, sit, sit, I've just made lunch!"

The five of them sat to eat, Fred joining them a little later--he claimed to have been helping their little sister with chores, but the conspiratorial glance he shared with George made Caelia think otherwise.

And sure enough, Caelia had barely managed to tuck into her second serving of soup when said little sister burst into the room, fuming, with vibrant red hair sticking up from her skull straight into the air, creating something of a tangerine halo above her.

"FRED WEASLEY I WILL GET YOU FOR THIS!" screamed the abundantly freckled girl, only for her to open her eyes in the next moment and spot Harry sitting at her kitchen table. The poor girl clammed up instantly and dashed out of the room.

Fred saw the look on his mother's face and scrambled to follow his sister out of the room before Mrs. Weasley could say anything.

Ron was staring at the ceiling with a look of exasperation not unlike his mother's. He leaned over to Harry and Caelia.

"Ginny. My sister," he said in an undertone. "She's been talking about you all summer, Harry."

"I hope she's okay," said Caelia worriedly.

Ron snorted. "Trust me, she is. You heard her yelling at Fred, didn't you?"

The rest of them quickly finished up their breakfast, and Ron dragged Harry outside with him to show him some magical chores, but Caelia stayed behind. They didn't have gnomes in the suburbs, but she knew she'd have another chance for Ron to show her a de-gnoming. She wanted to make sure Ginny was okay (especially as they would be sharing a room).

Percy pointed Caelia to Ginny's room, and she wandered up the winding stairs quietly. Reaching the door, she saw a homemade sign with Ginny's name scrawled onto it. Caelia knocked on the door.

"Ginny?" she called tentatively.

The door cracked open and she saw two bright brown eyes peer at her.

"Hi!" The curly-haired girl smiled. "My name's Caelia, I'm Ron's friend."

Ginny opened the door wider and Caelia saw that her hair had been restored to its long, straight ginger locks that flowed down rather than up.

Ginny was looking at her shoes. "I'm sorry about earlier, it wasn't a very good first impression. Fred is a nuisance."

Caelia chuckled. "I hope he apologized. But don't worry, neither of us thought it was weird."

Ginny nodded silently, but then seemed to shake out of her embarrassment like she was shedding a snakeskin. "Would you like to come in? Dad said you'd be rooming with me."

Caelia nodded, and Ginny led her inside her room. There was a bookcase filled with storybooks and a beaten-up gobstones set, and an empty trunk up against another wall with the initials C.W.--it appeared that Ginny had messed with it to turn the C into a G. Her metal-framed bed clearly had had an extension charm placed on it, but it looked quite cozy. And then, all over the walls--

"Are those Holyhead Harpies posters?" Caelia gasped.

Ginny lit up. "Yeah! They're my Quidditch team! Do you follow them too?"

Caelia grinned."Do I! I've followed them forever!"

From there the girls engaged in excited conversation for hours, starting with their obsession with the Harpies but then segueing into anything and everything else. Caelia was only a year older than her, so it was easy to find a lot of stuff in common. She told Ginny all about her first year at Hogwarts, and what Hufflepuff was like, and who her favorite teachers were. Ginny told her about her family, and how she was training for Quidditch, and how weird it felt to be at home by herself after Ron left for Hogwarts.

"Wait, are you trying out for the Hufflepuff team this year?"

"Yeah, I am!" Caelia told her. "Our keeper and one of our chasers just graduated, and Harry's been training me so I'm going to try for chaser."

She had tried as much as possible to refrain from talking about Harry, as she wasn't sure how Ginny would react based on Ron's comment earlier. But it had slipped out, and Ginny latched on.

"Ron said he's the youngest Quidditch player in a century--he's a seeker, right? Is he really that good?"

"Yeah, he is! You're gonna love seeing him play, he's the fastest one out there!" Caelia gushed. She couldn't help bragging about her best friend.

Ginny paused. "Are... are you his girlfriend?"

The older girl shook her head amusedly. "Oh no, don't worry. I've known him since we were kids, he's always been a really good friend. Besides, I don't want to date until I've found my soulmate."

Ginny nodded. "I'm not sure what I'll do when I get my mark. But...oh, you won't tell him, will you? I've always wished it would match Harry's."

Caelia smiled. "Your secret's safe with me. But hey, don't worry about being around him, alright? He's a total sweetheart, you'll see."

Just then they heard a door slam downstairs. Ginny lit up. "Dad's home!"

Caelia felt a pang in her chest, but she followed Ginny back downstairs to greet Mr. Weasley and thank him for letting her stay.