Muggle | 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑊𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

Chapter 28

I kept staring at the Knight Bus before me, expecting it to vanish out of my sight any moment. But it didn't.

"Y-you sure you can see it, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked nervously.

"Yes." I muttered.

"But you're a—"

"–I know."

"And your kind aren't supposed to be able to see–"

"–I know."

There was long moments of silence while Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny were getting on the bus and a young boy – who I suspected was Stan Shunpike – was helping them with their trunks.

"Can you – can you describe it for me, please, Lexi?" said Mrs. Weasley, as if she still couldn't believe that I was able to see it.

"Well," I started, swallowing, "it's purple and it's huge; a triple-decker. I can even see a chandelier inside it through its windows."

"But – but that's impossible." Mrs. Weasley muttered, mostly to herself. She then walked towards Stan who was putting the last trunk inside. "Excuse me!" She called him.

"Yes, ma'am?" Stan answered, looking down at her.

"Can – can Muggles see the bus?" Mrs. Weasley asked in a nervous voice.

"Muggles?" Stan repeated and scoffed. "Muggles don' see nothin', do they, Ernie?" He called out to the bus driver.

      "I mean... hasn't the rules of it changed, perhaps? Maybe there isn't any magic protecting it anymore?"

"Nah, it works pretty much the same as always," Stan shrugged. "Why you ask, eh?"

Mrs. Weasley shook her head and turned to me and said in a hushed voice, "Perhaps Dumbledore has an explanation for this. We'll ask him later. Nothing to worry about."

But she didn't look like she meant it as she walked me inside the bus. We were both confused, but so were the other Weasley kids who had watched that scene.

"Ottery St Catchpole in Devon, please." said Mrs. Weasley to Stan, paying him before joining us.

"What did you ask that for, Mum?" Ron raised a brow at his mother as we walked upstairs. "You know Muggles can't see it!"

As if he had just realized what was going on, Fred gave me a questioning glance, as though he too was wondering how on earth I had been able to get on the bus. But I just shrugged and sat down, giving an end to the weird moment.

We had to grab on tight to anything on our way that could prevent us from falling as the bus got going with an unbelievable speed.

It didn't take long for us to finally arrive at our destination. The purple knight Bus stopped by a road which was the nearest to the Burrow.

And so getting a hold of our trunks, we walked our way towards their house, seeing a green field as far as eyes could work.

And finally, from afar, I spotted the Weasleys' house. A smile was formed on lips as I looked upon it. It was exactly as it was said in the books;

It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it were held up by magic.

"I love this place," I muttered to myself as we reached their garden, filled with gnomes and fat chickens, pecking their way around the yard.

"Welcome to our humble home!" said George dramatically as we walked inside what looked like the coziest house to ever exist.

"Now, don't leave your trunk here, Ron. Take it to your room. Hurry up!" Mrs. Weasley scolded at Ron, who was helping himself with some cake which was on the kitchen table. "And put that thing down! We'll have dinner soon."

I looked around awkwardly, waiting for Mrs. Weasley to tell me where I could be staying the night. But seeing as she didn't say anything and had gone to skinning a few potatoes magically, I cleared my throat to get her attention.

"Err – excuse me," I started, pointing at my small bag, "where can I put this?"

"In our room, of course," said Fred with a grin.

"Nice try, Fred," said Mrs. Weasley, placing her hands on her hips and giving him a knowing look, "but Lexi will be spending the night with Ginny."

The twins' smiles disappeared but Ginny chuckled. "C'mon, Lexi," she said, taking my hand. "I'll show you to my room."

"Oh, thanks, Ginny." I smiled, following her upstairs.

The number of stairs seemed to be infinite as I tried to carry my bag there, even though it wasn't heavy at all.

"How do you – manage – to get up – to your room – every time?" I asked, panting as we finally reached her room.

"Well, if you'd spent fourteen years being chased up and down these stairs by Fred's and George's pranks, you would have gotten used to it as well." She shrugged wittily.

As soon as she opened the door to her room, the smell of flowers filled my nostrils. I giggled to myself, remembering that this was probably the scent that Harry could smell in a Love Potion.

"Nice place you've got here," I said, looking around the small room and putting down my bag in a corner.

"Thanks, Lexi." She smiled, dropping herself down on her bed.

I went by her window, glancing out of it. But when I spotted Fred and George in the yard, throwing the gnomes away with their wands, I lingered there to look at the sight a little longer.

But when I turned around, I saw that Ginny was sitting at the edge of her bed, staring at me with a grin playing on her lips.

"What?" I asked, stepping away from the window.

"So, you and Fred, huh?"

I nearly slipped at that, looking at her in horror as she laughed at me.

"W-what do you mean?" I said, looking away as if I was observing the posters she had stuck on the wall.

"Oh, c'mon Lexi," she scoffed. "It's obvious."

I gulped. "What's obvious?"

"I swear, you're both idiots!" Ginny rolled her eyes with a grin. "Even trolls would've gotten there quicker than you two."