Ari's POV
The icy wind whistles past my ears. If I close my eyes, I can almost imagine I'm at the quidditch field we're leaving behind, swinging with my bat. Except I don't want to let go of Ron for fear of falling off of his broom, losing the hold on my own broom stretched across my lap as well. Also, as I aforementioned, it's pretty cold up here at this altitude, made even chillier by the increasing chance of snow to be added onto the already soft layer, and Ron is pretty warm. I would have chosen to soar with him even if my broom wasn't having difficulties. And he smells like Ron... Oh gosh I could fall asleep. But every time I come close to that thought, I remember we're on the way to the Burrow, with Lily and Harry for a Christmas that won't be spent in the empty, hollow silence of Hogwarts! I won't be brewing potions, I'll be watching my... my... true family (?) open Christmas presents, surrounded by loving people.
I sigh against his back and almost fall off to the left when we drop suddenly, beginning to go lower and lower, starting off fast and going slower and slower.
My already caught breath catches tighter when the twinkling lights of the burrow's many windows comes closer and closer into view, occasionally getting broken up by the racing figures of Lily and Harry, both striving to be the first one to arrive at the burrow, one on a Firebolt, another on a Nimbus 5000. My smile turns into an even wider grin when I observe Harry ever so nonchalantly slow down to let Lily zoom past him to land gracefully on the crunchy lawn. I know that's the first thing everyone who sees her will hear about.
I tuck my feet up higher as we too touch down in front of the place where Ron became Ron.
As I slip off, I straighten his maroon sweater. I still think it's incredibly sweet that he put on the sweater his mum made him last year for Christmas, even if he hates it. He looks cute anyway, though I've called him handsome to his face instead because I know he wouldn't want to hear the alternative.
"C'mon, let's go meet my family. But just to warn you, they're kinda crazy, which is an understatement." Ron cradles my small frame around the waist while trudging up to the door, his broom gripped in his free hand.
"Don't worry. It'll be a nice pace of change for me." I squeeze his hand reassuringly as we come up beside the panting , proud figures of Harry and Lily, who were waiting for us so we could enter together.
"Alright," Ron says, taking a deep breath and shaking his shoulders to let 'em loose.
But just as he's about to signal his arrival, the door swooshes open and his mother ushers us inside, sweeping us up like a broom and dust pan.
"Everyone is here," she shouts, even further overjoyed. "Harry, it's so lovely to see you! Lily, as beautiful as always! Ron, oh my baby! And you! Another one! I'm Molly Weasley! It's so nice to see all of you," she exclaims, allowing time for each person to acknowledge her comments. But when it comes to me, I work my 'magic' in order to make a special moment completely lack and then flop on my part. I can't believe myself...
"Hi, uh, Mrs. Weasley, I'm, uh, Ari. Yeah, Ari Snape. If you're concerned about the Snape part, that's fine, I get that a lot, though I can assure you I'm different. But if you want me to leave, that's fine. In fact, I'll just go now, so you don't have to fake it for me." I glumly trudge towards the door. But I'm used to it, so it's fine. Fine enough, anyways. But as Ron told me and I assured him, this place is different.
"Oh, sweetheart, no, please don't leave. You seem like a wonderful, polite young witch. Names don't matter here. You're always welcome. In fact, you can call me mum. It's so nice everyone's here between everything that's happening." An awkward moment of silence happens as everyone takes a moment to relive the events that have been going on throughout the year so far. Ones I've tried to stay away from, by 'sheltering myself in Hogwarts'.
From a student Katie Bell getting cursed by an opal necklace while under the Imperius curse to Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore on magic to the muggles becoming aware of the wizarding war due to freak accidents and more, the world is dangerous. Form the way things are going, though, it'll only get worse it seems.
I guess I can't hide anymore.
Breaking the unnerving silence, I whip around from the door that I was inches away from and race into Mrs. Weasley's arms.
"Thank you, mum. You have no idea how nicely foreign that sounds." A tear escapes my squeezed eyes, pedaling down my cheeks still rosy from the cold.
"I would like to know though, how do you fit in with them, dear?" Looking over at Ron, I smile mischievously and waggle my eyebrows, causing his face to turn the third level of 'Ron Red'.
"I hope you'll be delighted to know that your son finally has a girlfriend." Her face lights up the second the words slip out.
"You must be the one he writes to us about! But I didn't think you were together, I thought he almost sort of stalked you," she laughs, making him speechless at his mum's bluntness. I take his hand and squeeze it to let him know it's alright.
"Let's go into the dining room so you can see Arthur before you head up to your rooms for dinner and bed." She herds into an adjoining room to reveal a man with hair almost like one of the muggle clowns I'd seen on one of the many trips I used to have to go on with my dad to the muggle world, staring off into space.
"Arthur," she exclaims exasperated and gestures towards us.
"Oh!" He bumps his chair back from the table and rushes over to us, including a not so usual greeting of, "Do you know anything more of muggles that would help me?"
They all shake their heads no in answer, apparently expecting it.
"I've had to go on a few trips with my dad to the muggle word on business," I tell him, hoping to please.
"Wonderful, tell me it all!" He begins to drag me over to a chair by where he was sitting earlier when Molly puts a hand on his arm.
"Dear, their all tired and need some rest. I'm sure she can tell you all about it in the morning."
"Oh, yes, of course." And just like that, he goes right back to staring into space.
"Back to your rooms," Molly tells us, roping us to a staircase.
Then another staircase. Then another staircase after that, until it feels like we've climbed all the stairs in the world.
"Alright here you are. Boys on the right, girls on the left. I'll be up soon enough with dinner." She bustles back down as I give Lily a look of go ahead and choose one.
She ends up leading me to the door two down, pulling me in after her and closing the door.
"Can't you just tell it's going to be wonderful," she gushes, propping herself up on the door.
I'm just about to reply when I hear a scream and we rush out into the hallway, watching as Harry vaults out of his room too.
"What's going on," he shouts.
"I don't know," we reply in unison, frightened.
Suddenly, the door across from us bursts open, and Ron sprints out, panting.
"The twins! It was the twins! They apparated into the closet and sprang out!" Ron stares at us with wild eyes.
"It was just a bit of fun." Lily hears a new voice speak and turns around to find Fred causally leaning against the wall behind her.
She smacks him and yells, "You scared me, why'd you do that!"
"What he said." Yet another voice talks, this one behind me.
When I turn around, I find someone who looks exactly like the person behind Lily.
"What are you!" I stare at them, unsure of my particular emotion.
"Not really more of a what."
"More of a who per se."
"Fred."
"George."
As they continue to stun me, footsteps on the stairs travel to our ears.
"Gotta go."
"Goodbye!"
As Molly rounds the corner, laden down with trays of food, oblivious they evaporate from sight.
What other surprises lurk around every corner?