No Laughing Matter

Chapter Thirty-Five

"So when are you going to ask them?" Ginny asked Fred and George, who were sitting on the edge of her bed as she packed her things for the trip back to school.

They still had a few hours until it was time to leave, but she wanted a chance to take another look around the Burrow before then. Ron and Harry were busy packing their things, as well.

"When it's time," Fred shrugged. "I suppose that I'll wait for the right moment."

George nodded and added, "I'll just know."

"I suppose that's true," Ginny sighed. "I was just hoping that I would be here for the celebration when Mum finds out! I'll probably be able to hear her shouting for joy all the way at Hogwarts, anyway."

She finished her packing, and they met Ron and Harry in the entryway. Charlie came as well, and glared at the twins, though he didn't say anything about the fur incident, as he had no proof yet. He might be the easiest going of the Weasley children, but he was no less devious when he put his mind to it; the twins knew that they had better watch out when the truth came out. He produced the portkey and sent the youngest three on their way, and then he, Fred and George Apparated.

Where they had left a large pile of salvaged items, there was now a large shed, similar to the one that had been burned down with all of Mr. Weasley's Muggle 'toys'. Charlie had been hard at work here today, building a shelter for their belongings, and moving them all in.

"Wow, Charlie," Ron said, impressed. "You really got a lot done here by yourself."

"Well, a couple of members of the Order showed up for an hour or so and lent a hand," he admitted. "I also went into the village with Tonks, and she showed me how to use a telephone, and I phoned a lumberyard. I had to give him directions from the village, but he'll deliver a load here tomorrow. Kingsley Shacklebolt said he'd come by and help to modify the delivery driver's memory and change the delivery order to look like he'd delivered to a residential address in town. They're nice people."

"That's right," George said. "You wouldn't have met them yet; at least not face-to face. What did you think of Tonks?"

"We should be able to start the rebuilding process pretty soon," Charlie told them, ignoring the last question, and pulling a large roll of parchment from his pocket and unrolling it on a nearby crate. "Mundungus 'found' some plans for a nice house that I think would be better suited to Mum and Dad now that most of us are out on our own. It's got five bedrooms, so that there'll be room enough for when everyone visits. Barely. There will be a nice big kitchen like before, an office for Dad, and sewing room for Mum. It measurements, it's about he same size as the old house, just laid out differently."

"Sounds good." Fred said. "A bit more conventional than what we had, but that's not necessarily a bad thing."

"I think that it's probably the type of house they would've liked to have had, if they'd been able to afford it." Ginny said fairly. "I think that they'll love it."

"Dad's already seen the plans, and he approves. I think Mum will too."

He took them on a tour of where everything would be laid out, and showed them where cement would have to be poured to accommodate the new layout. "It will be three stories tall, plus have an attic for Bump."

"He survived?" Fred asked with surprise. That ghoul had lived in their attic for as long as any of them could remember.

"Yep," Charlie smiled. "He must have been sleeping in one of the old trunks that Ron dug out the other day when the house collapsed, and was too frightened to come out after that. Scared the living daylights out of me when I opened the trunk to check it's contents and found him in there. He's happy enough in the shed for now, until the new place is built."

"So how long do you think it will take to get it done?" Ron asked.

"My guess would be, weather permitting, we should be able to have them back home by Christmas." Charlie said. "That is, if we can get the help we need."

"Fred and I will do as much as we can to help," George said, "And so will Bill."

Fred and George went back to look at the plans again, and Ron and Ginny went to look inside the shed. Harry waited until he was alone with Charlie and pulled a large bag from his pocket. "I want you to take this," he said to Charlie quietly. "I know your parents would never accept it from me, but I want to do this. Use it to hire workers or whatever else you need to get things done by Christmas."

Charlie took the bag out of instinct, and his eyes widened at the weight of it. "Harry, this is a lot of money," he said, keeping his voice low.

"I know," Harry said. "I also know that you and Bill and the twins are putting in a lot of money too. This is the first place that ever felt like home to me. I want the chance to make it that way again. I can afford it."

Charlie nodded, but promised himself that he would see that some of it made it's way back into Harry's vault. From the feel of the bag, there had to be somewhere in the neighborhood of two thousand Galleons inside. He knew from conversations with others in the family that Harry was more than adequately provided for as far as finances went, but this was really...

"I can almost read your mind," Harry smiled crookedly, his eyes serious. "Don't worry about how much it is. Just use it."

He walked away to join the others, leaving Charlie looking after him with an expression of wonder on his face. He had been worried about how they would furnish the house once it was built, but it seemed that he needn't have been. With a little help from everyone, the Burrow would be a home again sooner than he could have hoped, for his parent's sake.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

Dinner that night was crowded. Bill and Fleur came, and so there were fourteen of them around a table that had been built to comfortable seat a dozen. Toolah had grudgingly allowed Molly to help with the dinner, and now they were all happily consuming the feast and talking about their day. It was a jovial event, and everyone was finishing their dessert when Arthur finally said, "It's almost time for Ron, Ginny and Harry to take the portkey back."

They all went into the entryway where the cases that they had packed were waiting. Ron, Harry and Ginny all thanked Nigel and Suzette for their hospitality, and said good-bye to everyone with lots of kisses, hugs, and handshakes.

"One minute," Arthur said, handing the book they had used when they had arrived to Harry. "This will take you right back to Dumbledore's office."

Ron and Ginny reached out and took hold.

"Hey!" Fred called out when there was only a few seconds left. "Stay downwind from Malfoy - I'd be surprised if his Housemates don't make him sleep outside in a tent after the letter he got today."

Ron grinned, Harry winked at them and Ginny laughed outright. A moment later they were gone. Molly's eyes were bright as they turned to leave the entryway, and Suzette had just put a friendly arm around her shoulders when the doorbell rang. Within seconds, everyone in the room had a wand in their hand, and Nigel approached the door cautiously. He bent at the waist to look out the window beside the door, and then let out a whoop and swung the door open wide.

There were two young men in traveling cloaks on the doorstep, carrying a large trunk between them. As they stepped into the entryway, the light glinted off of red hair, and Rowan and Carly let out a squeal and launched themselves forward.

"Kyle! Patrick!"

The two newcomers hugged the girls with enthusiasm, and would have earned a scowl from Fred, had he not recognized the names from Carly's reminiscing about her family. Her two older brothers had arrived.

Suzette hugged her nephews tightly, and Nigel clapped them on the back as he turned to his guests. "These two fine boys are my brother's other children, Kyle and Patrick. They've come to the aid of the Ministry to bolster the Auror and MLE divisions. As you all know, the new Minister has asked for Wizarding Communities from around the world to send any reinforcements that they have available for the next year."

Arthur stepped forward to shake their hands, and Nigel introduced them. "This is Arthur Weasley. He's just been appointed Head of Magical Law Enforcement, and you'll probably be reporting to him when you start."

"His lovely wife, Molly," he continued, as Molly stepped forward to shake their hands as well. "Bill, their oldest, Charlie, of course you know George, and Fred."

"Great to see you again," George said. He had met them during his trip to the States, and had enjoyed their company.

"We're glad we could come," Patrick said. He was the younger of the two, but still older than Rowan and Carly by two years.

Kyle turned to Molly and Arthur and said sincerely, "We were very sorry to hear about your loss. If there's anything we can to do to help, please just say the word,"

"Thank you," Molly said warmly. "We're so happy to meet more of Carly and Rowan's family."

As they turned to go into the living room, George turned to Kyle and asked, "So... how are you at carpentry?"

Once again, it was late by the time everyone got to bed.