The competing champions

Chapter 4.1 (The four together again)

Aurora had been at the Burrow before. She had even lived there for an entire summer. She remembered how it had immediately felt like home. Molly Weasley had taken her and her siblings in as if they were her own and helped - especially Selena - through a hard time.

Aurora took a deep breath and smelled the fresh-baked goods in the kitchen but also something else...something burning.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by a loud squeal in her right-ear and bushy brown hair fanning her face. "MINNIE!"

"ARA!" They hugged each other tightly.

"We have so much to catch up on, Hermione..."

"Did someone say 'Ara'?" Ginny came running in. She looked around until her warm brown eyes found Aurora and she hugged her too. "I missed you here. Living with only boys isn't half as fun."

"Good evening, Artemis...or should I say Aurora now?"

"Whatever you want, Charlie." Aurora grinned at him as he scooped her up in a hug. Charles was as redhaired as the rest of his family. He had calluses and blisters on his hands and arms because he worked with dragons in Romania. Charlie was built like the twins, shorter and stockier than Percy and Ron, who were both long and lanky. He had a broad, good natured face, which was weather-beaten and so freckly that he looked almost tanned. His arms were muscular, and one of them had a large, shiny burn on it.

"I'm honoured." Charlie teased. Aurora had met Charlie when she had spent the summer with the Weasleys in 1992. He often took it upon himself to save the girls from Fred, George and Jace's 'experiments'.

Another man came into the room. He looked...cool. He was tall, with long, ginger-red hair, that he had tied back in a ponytail. He was wearing an earring with what looked like a fang dangling from it. His clothes would not have looked out of place at a Muggle rock concert, except his boots were not made of leather but dragon hide.

"William." Aurora nodded.

"Miss Black." He said in the same distant tone. They stared at each other before bursting out laughing. "Jeez, Ara, you've grown at least a head taller. A real lady now."

Aurora snorted. "Oh, please, I'm just as much of a lady as you are a gentleman, William."

"Can you not call me that, Ara. You know how much I hate it." He cringed.

"Mr. William Arthur Weasley, that's your name, isn't it? What else did you want me to call you?" Bill rolled his eyes. "What about Willy or Liam or Arty or-" Aurora couldn't finish her sentence. Bill had lifted her from the ground and was now swinging her through the air. "Put me down!"

"Say my name."

"William. So there...I said it."

"Don't think so." He sang.

"You're so annoying." Aurora whined as she hit her balled fists against his shoulder. "Now, put me down!"

"Nope."

"Hermione, Ginny, Charlie...do something. Gather your forces to defeat this beast."

"Hey, excuse you. I'm still the best-looking brother." Bill said.

"Don't agree with you there, brother." Aurora could almost see the smirk in Charlie's voice. Someone placed their hands on Aurora's sides and the next thing she knew she was freed from Bill and instead in Charlie's strong arms.

"Thank you very much." She jumped out of them, grabbed Hermione and Ginny and dashed for the stairs. "Oh, Billie." She called over her shoulder. "Would you be so kind as to grab my suitcase? I knew you would. Thank you!"