Common Ground ⌁ Draco Malfoy [2/4] ✔

19

Emma had an enjoyable Christmas lunch, which started with Fred and Ginny fighting over who got to sit in the free seat by Emma (Ginny won) and ended with Percy Weasley arriving with the Minister for Magic. Everyone had looked up out the window to see if it was true; and, sure enough, another Weasley whom Emma had not yet met was walking along the snowy pathway with the Minister.

Then there was an awful silence after the back door was wrenched open and there stood Percy Weasley.

"Merry Christmas, Mother," Percy said in a rather stiff voice, not bothering to look around at who was watching the scene unfold.

"Oh, Percy!" said Mrs Weasley, launching herself into his arms. And then the Minister turned up in the doorway, smiling, and leaned into his walking stick.

"You must forgive this intrusion," he said. "Percy and I were in the vicinity - working, you know - and he couldn't resist dropping in and seeing you all."

Emma looked round; Fred and George looked bored and bothered, Ginny's eyes were bulging, Fleur was craning her neck, Ron looked similar to Ginny, and Harry looked confused.

"...we've only looked in for five minutes, so I'll have a stroll around the yard while you catch up with Percy. No, no, I assure you I don't want to butt in! Well, if anybody cared to show me your charming garden...ah, that young man's finished, why doesn't he take a stroll with me?"

Everybody looked from Scrimgeour to Harry. Emma thought it was rather obvious that the Minister didn't think that Harry Potter was just some 'young man,' but was rather curious as to why he wanted to walk around with Harry, and just what they would talk about.

"Yeah, all right," Harry finally said, and Emma had a feeling that he, too, had known that Percy and the Minister didn't just show up for Percy's sake.

"Wonderful!" Scrimgeour said, and he stood back to allow Harry to pass him out the door. "We'll just take a turn around the garden and then Percy and I will be off. Carry on, everyone!"

"Goodbye, you two!" said Emma, hugging Fred and George and kissing them both on the cheek, as they were leaving for work and would not be there to bid the Hogwarts students goodbye when they returned.

George belched jokingly while Fred turned to a light pink, his hand shaking slightly as though it wanted to reach up and touch his cheek. Ron and Ginny both refused to hug Fred and George goodbye, and then the twins waved as they stepped into the fireplace and were gone in a second.

"All right, your turn, Harry, dear," said Mrs Weasley, pulling Harry into her arms. "Promise me you'll look after yourself...stay out of trouble..."

"I always do, Mrs Weasley," Harry said. "I like a quiet life, you know me."

Mrs Weasley hugged Ginny before she stepped into the fireplace, and then she was gone. Ron was next, and he gave his mother a quick hug.

"Don't worry about us, or about Percy. He's such a prat, it's not really a loss, is it?"

If this was Ron's attempt at comforting his mother, it ended with Mrs Weasley bursting into another round of fresh tears.

"Ron!" Emma whispered, but Ron gave one regretful smile and was gone in a second.

Mrs Weasley pulled Emma into her arms.

"Take care of yourself, Mrs Weasley," Emma said, patting her on the back. She stepped into the fire and said, "Thanks for having me, again."

"Anytime, dear," she forced a very watery smile and waved as Emma shouted 'Hogwarts' and she felt herself spinning, spinning, spinning.

Emma slowed down from whizzing past other wizarding rooms quite quickly, and was soon stepping out of Professor McGonagall's fireplace in her office.