Prosapia Aenigmatis - The Family Riddle

Chapter 7

At dinner, Quinn sat between Ginny and Bill. Fred was directly across from her and Quinn tried not to watch him. She was so accustomed to watching him that it was second nature and therefore difficult to avoid. This was quite different from the dinner's Quinn had with her parents. Those usually involved her father reading the business section of the Daily Prophet and her mother talking endlessly about new scarves at Gladrags. This dinner was chaos. Fred and George ate more than Quinn could imagine possible. Everyone chatted happily and Quinn sat back in silence for quite a while, observing the friendly banter.

"So what do you think Quinn?" Bill said, leaning closer to her. Quinn tried not to blush and adopted a quizzical look. "We aren't your typical family. I brought home a Ravenclaw girl once," Bill smiled at the memory, "she didn't last long. Ravenclaws are usually very ordered and our house has always been chaotic." Quinn laughed. True she had never been in a house like this but she found it charming.

"Well I'm sure it keeps life interesting. I get bored easily. I must admit though," Quinn smiled as she watched Fred and George fight over the last sausage, "it's nothing like my house."

"You know," Bill leaned closer to talk quietly to her and Quinn waited for him to continue. When he didn't Quinn looked over at him. Glaring back at her was the face of Professor Snape, mere inches away from her face, hooked nose, greasy hair and cold black eyes. Quinn jumped out of her chair with a yelp and toppled backwards onto the ground. Everyone at the table looked at Snape with shock for a minute before Fred and George burst into laughter. Quinn stared at them for a moment before she remembered: the cookie!

Still laughing, Fred came over and helped Quinn up again. She still stared at Snape with a nervous smile. She knew it wasn't really Snape but the fact that he had been mere inches away from her was revolting.

"Great timing Bill," Fred said, patting his brother on the back. Bill was looking down at his pale skin and lanky hair with disgust.

"How long is it going to last?" he asked Fred in a panic. "My date definitely doesn't want to go out with Snape." Fred and George howled with laughter at the idea of this and Mr. Weasley was trying to hide his giggle behind a roll. Mrs. Weasley looked livid.

"Fred and George what are you thinking?" she screeched. Quinn watched with wide eyes as her manner changed from friendly to outright dangerous. "I can't believe you would do this in front of a guest!" Quinn felt herself go red as Mrs. Weasley apologized to her. She tried to tell Mrs. Weasley that she wasn't offended but the tirade continued before Quinn could get a word in. "Where do you two keep coming up with these stupid candies? You're wasting your lives." Quinn turned even brighter as Fred moved behind her, perhaps in an attempt to hide from Mrs. Weasley, who seemed ready to explode. "George you get out from behind her NOW! You're both going up without dessert," Mrs. Weasley shrieked, pointing up the stairs.

Fred and George immediately ran for the stairs and up to their rooms. Quinn wished she could do the same. An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Mrs. Weasley looked like a bomb ready to go off. Quinn eyed Bill and forced herself to sit next to him. He still looked like Snape but without the usual sneer. Quinn sat in silence for the rest of the meal. She realized halfway through the desserts that Mrs. Weasley couldn't tell the twins apart. This amazed Quinn because, after four years of concentrated study, the two seemed very different to her. Quinn wondered if any of the Weasleys could tell the twins apart, but was too shy to ask. Finally the dinner was over. Quinn wanted to help Mrs. Weasley with the dishes but Bill advised against it.

"When she's in a mood like this she's best left alone," he told her as they headed up the stairs. Ginny nodded in agreement. "Come with me girls, we need to find out how to get me looking back like my charming self. I need all the help I can get," Bill said with a smile, turning to what must have been Fred and George's room. It was strange to see Snape smile, almost painful to the eyes. Quinn followed tentatively. As Bill knocked on the door, there was a loud blast from behind it followed by a few colorful words Quinn hoped wouldn't carry down the stairs.

Bill opened the door and the girls followed him in. The room was layered with thick clouds of smoke that Fred was trying to wave out of the open window. There was a large worktable in the middle of the room with books, cauldrons, and vials piled atop it. A large vial on the floor was the source of the smoke. George was trying to stop the brownish liquid inside from bubbling over. Quinn tried desperately not to laugh at the scene, but her tension from dinner required release and she succumbed to the giggles. Ginny joined in and George shot them a nasty look as he cleaned bubbling liquid off the wooden floor. The two girls couldn't stop giggling now and Quinn had to hold on to the door for support.

"Problems boys?" Ginny asked between gasps for air.

"We're working on something for Percy," Fred explained. "We want to get him tomorrow night before he can bore us with the details of that stupid party."

"That's great guys," Bill said with a snarl; Quinn looked up to see that he very much resembled Snape at this moment, his face curled in disgust. "But I have a date in twenty minutes so I hope you know how to change me back." He glared at them. Quinn giggled still harder as Fred and George tried to play dumb.

"What was that cookie anyway?" Quinn asked, controlling her laughter.

"We invented it last week. It's a time release Polyjuice potion inside the chocolate chips. It took some work to get one of Snape's hairs, too," George said, clearly excited about the product. Quinn was floored. It must have taken some advanced planning and lots of work to invent the cookies. She had no idea that Fred and George did things like that in their spare time. Before she could ask more questions, Bill became quite irate and very Snape like.

"So it will last an hour then? My date will be here any minute!" he growled menacingly and Quinn backed away a bit at the sight. She wondered how Aislinn could like someone so...Quinn forced herself to stop that thought before she began to feel ill. She reminded herself that this was Bill and not Snape, but as Bill grew angrier it was harder to see a distinction. Bill continued to berate the twins until George finally cracked.

"Take a shower and it'll come off. We added a special ingredient to the Polyjuice potion." Fred swatted George for ending the fun as Bill stalked out of the room for the shower. Quinn tried to control her giggles and followed Ginny out of the room. She smiled shyly at Fred as she shut the door. Ginny was giggling all the way to her room and the two of them collapsed on their respective beds to relax.

Once she had stopped giggling, Quinn looked over at Ginny in amazement. She had never seen Ginny so relaxed and happy. Quinn wondered if Ginny just felt uncomfortable at school and this might have been the reason for her odd behavior.

The two girls chatted happily for the rest of the evening, mostly about classes and school. Quinn realized later that Ginny hadn't mentioned Harry Potter once.

* * *

Aislinn moved so that she was now standing next to Draco. They began walking down the hall toward the guest wing and after going up two flights of stairs and rounding several corners, they arrived at her room. She sincerely hoped she wouldn't be asked to find her way anywhere in the Manor alone. The place seemed to be built like an enormous fortress, full of twists and turns to confuse anyone who didn't know the layout well. Draco stood silently staring at the door. After a moment he shifted his gaze and looked at her. Aislinn felt herself blush. 'Stop It!' She shouted inside her head. She could not spend the entire break going to pieces at every glance he threw her way. Aislinn steadied herself and spoke.

"Is there something wrong?" She tried to steer her gaze anywhere other than to his eyes. Oddly enough, that seemed to be the only place it wanted to go. She felt her breathe catch in her lungs. His eyes were the color of pure moonlight.

She began to picture the two of the walking on the beach under a full moon when a pretentious laugh brought her out of her fantasy world. Apparently he had been talking to her as she stared dreamily into his eyes. Aislinn turned away from him horrified. She didn't even try to fight the crimson flush that quickly took over her face. She could feel Draco looking at her and when she faced him, she saw the most arrogant smirk she had ever seen in her life. If Aislinn ever wondered if Draco knew how she felt about him, she didn't have to anymore. The look on his face said it all. Draco quickly assumed an air almost exactly like his father and began to speak.

"Your things have been unpacked. Father told me that I am to escort you to the Drawing Room at 8 o'clock precisely. Therefore, I will be here at five minutes til." He watched her for a moment, and she saw a cruel look pass over his face. He then lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it lightly, keeping his eyes on hers the whole time. She felt herself sway slightly and Draco released her hand. The look on his face told her he had obtained the information he was after. He pivoted quickly and headed down the hall. Aislinn opened the door to her room, entered and closed it quickly.

She gasped loudly when she took her first good look at the chamber that was to be hers for the next two weeks. A girl could get used to this, she thought as she made her way around the room, examining everything. The furniture was magnificent. The bed, dresser, wardrobe and vanity were all made from intricately carved, high-polished cherry. There was a sumptuous hunter green velvet comforter and matching bed curtains on the ornate four-poster. She pulled the bedclothes back and revealed the black silk sheets. Aislinn would have given anything she owned to be able to climb into that bed and read for the rest of the evening. She banished that thought from her mind with a sigh and walked to the wardrobe.

She opened the door and found all her clothes neatly hung and folded. She knew exactly what she would wear. When her mother had gone to Paris the previous summer, she had bought Aislinn a dress from a Muggle boutique. The first time she had put it on, she had hoped someday Draco would see her in it. Now was her chance to command a little power over him she thought.

She pulled the long black dress out of the wardrobe and slipped it on. It was form fitting in the body and slightly fish tailed around the mid-calf area. The fabric was light and felt nice against her skin. Since the dress was strapless, she decided that a little fairy dust was in order. She went to the vanity and opened the drawers. All her things were there too, right down to the small pink jar of lip gloss Quinn had made for her. She pulled out her jar of fairy dust and sprinkled a little on her shoulders and across her collarbone. Aislinn studied her reflection and decided to go all out and add the lip gloss. There was a small jewelry box on the side of the vanity and she opened it. Her mother had obviously told Betsey to pack her emerald necklace. It was a silver chain with an emerald pendant in the shape of a serpent. The necklace had belonged to her father's mother and he had given it to Aislinn her first year at Hogwarts, when she was sorted into Slytherin. Aislinn pulled out the necklace and put it around her neck. She then brought her wand up to her head.

"Ornatricis." When she had finished taming her long wavy black hair, she pulled her deep green robes over her dress. She hoped the Malfoys didn't mind loosening up a bit. Aislinn fully intended on shedding the robes sometime before the night was over.

Aislinn looked at the grandfather clock in her room. 7:54. Just in time she thought. As soon as she started to sit down on the bed, she heard a knock. She stood quickly and took a few deep breaths. She gathered all her resolve and opened the door. What she saw made her feel as if she were about to collapse.

Draco stood in the doorway with his head cocked back and an eyebrow raised. He exuded poise and confidence. He was dressed in a monochromatic black suit under elegant black robes. The suit was perfect and hung on his form as if it had been designed for him alone, which she thought, it probably had been. It looked very expensive, and he wore it beautifully. His platinum hair was perfect. There wasn't a strand out of place. His strong hands were gloved in black leather. She was melting; she loved a man in black. She made herself focus and she squared her shoulders and smiled at him. Draco looked at her with a smug expression. He seemed to know what she was thinking because he appeared to be thinking it himself. If Draco took any notice of Aislinn's appearance however, he didn't show it in his expression. She felt a little disappointed. In one graceful motion, Draco held his arm out to her and she took it tentatively.

Draco led her silently down the stairs and around numerous corners. Being so close to him made Aislinn dizzy, and somewhat weak. Curse these heels Aislinn told herself. It felt like they had been walking for ages. They finally came to a large wooden door and Aislinn could hear a multitude of voices coming from inside. Draco opened the door and she looked in nervously.

They stepped into the Drawing Room and Aislinn glanced around the room. She saw the Malfoys and, of course, her own parents. She continued to look around and saw Crabbe and Goyle talking to people who she assumed to be their parents. She also saw Theresa Nott and Pansy Parkinson talking heatedly about something she cared little to know about. Pansy immediately perked up at the sight of Draco, but he didn't seem to notice her at all. Draco led Aislinn over to where their parents where seated.

As they neared their parents, Aislinn noticed that her mother and Mrs. Malfoy were deep in discussion. No doubt they were reliving their school days. Aislinn's father was talking to someone who looked strangely familiar. The man moved a little and revealed a terrified looking Percy Weasley standing next to him. Percy seemed to be trying to hide his fear, but he was failing miserably. Aislinn and Draco walked over to Mr. Malfoy. He was dressed in traditional, but resplendent looking black robes. He was holding his snake-headed cane in a gloved hand. She wondered if he had some secret fetish with that cane. He never seemed to be without it. His long blonde hair was pulled back. He looked like an old, aristocratic French wizard. Aislinn realized that is exactly what he was. She sighed inwardly at how handsome he was. It was no wonder Draco was so remarkably exquisite.

"I am glad to see you did as I told you and escorted Miss Macnair to the Drawing Room, Draco. Perhaps you are not as thickheaded as I thought." He looked at his son coldly and Draco looked down at the floor. Aislinn decided she didn't want to hear any more of this conversation.

"Draco darling, come here for a moment," Narcissa crooned to her son. Draco looked at his father. Lucius nodded curtly and watched Draco go to his mother.

Lucius turned to her and smiled. He looked at her pendant and an odd look of recognition came over his face. His eyes then moved down and looked at her dress. She saw something that could only be identified as desire flash across his eyes. She looked at him again to make sure, but it was gone. Get real Aislinn, she told herself. As much as she would like to believe she had seen that in his eyes, she knew she was probably imagining things. He was an extremely handsome man. But that was just it. He was a man--a full grown, mature man. He would never look at her that way. She expelled the thought from her mind and smiled back at him.

"You certainly look lovely this evening, Miss Macnair." He spoke in a voice that made Aislinn feel as if she would melt to the ground. He held out his arm for her and she took it. Aislinn didn't get the same feeling as she did with Draco; this feeling seemed a bit stronger. Her body seemed to move instinctively close to him and her stomach felt like it was twisting with nerves.

"Thank you, sir." She was amazed that she managed to speak without becoming ill. He led her over to her father. As they approached, her father interrupted his conversation with the familiar man and bowed slightly to her and Mr. Malfoy. A broad smile lit up her father's face.

"Aislinn, darling, you look wonderful." He looked to Percy and the man he had been talking to, "This is my daughter, Aislinn Macnair. Aislinn, this is Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, and Percy Winslow, his assistant." Aislinn bowed to Fudge and nodded to Percy. Winslow?

"Er, sir. It is Weasley actually," Percy said looking slightly embarrassed.

Mr. Macnair squinted his eyes and sneered at Percy. "You would be Arthur's son then?" he asked Percy and muttered something that sounded like Muggle-loving fool. Aislinn knew what her father thought of the Weasleys, but she was surprised to hear him say that right in front of his boss. Fudge however showed no sign of acknowledgment to this statement. He was busy looking around the room and smiling like an idiot. She thought that Fudge must have just noticed that Mr. Malfoy was standing next to him. His eyes lit up and he grinned broadly.

"Ahh, the man of the hour." Fudge stepped forward and grabbed Lucius' free arm. She saw Mr. Malfoy wince slightly and then he smiled at Fudge. She heard Fudge mumble something about donations as he led Mr. Malfoy away from them. Percy then seemed to realize that he was alone with two Slytherins. He looked down into his glass.

"Seems I am out of Gillywater," he said and quickly fled. Aislinn looked at her father who appeared to be trying not to laugh. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

"Go on and have fun, Sweetheart." He motioned for her to join Pansy and Theresa. She would have rather let that Mudblood Hermione Granger slap her right in the face than willingly strike up a conversation with Pansy. She was thankfully saved as the door opened and someone stepped in the room. Her father's eyes narrowed and his lip curled into a dangerous sneer. Aislinn followed his gaze to the person who had just walked in.

* * *

The next morning at the Burrow dawned early when another loud bang came from Fred and George's room. When Quinn went down to breakfast, she nearly fell over at the sight of Fred in his pajamas. His hair was deliciously mussed and he kept yawning in an adorable fashion.

Bill was looking normal again and Quinn was glad for that. She felt horrible for her behavior the night before but she doubted the sight of You-Know-Who himself could have frightened her more than Snape at that moment. Bill apparently had a wonderful date; he couldn't stop grinning. Mrs. Weasley didn't seem happy about this at all. Percy came downstairs in his robes and ready for work. He pursed his lips at the sight of Fred and George in their pajamas and sat down at the end of the table next to his father.

"How was your party dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she served the sausages.

"Well," Percy said with a long tedious inward breath, "at first I was a little alarmed when Minister Fudge took me to Malfoy Manor." Quinn's head popped up from her scrambled eggs.

"Did you see Aislinn Macnair there?" she asked. Percy raised his eyebrows at the interruption and gave her a condescending look. He sighed and seemed to think very hard.

"I think I remember someone of that name, but of course I was very busy with Minister Fudge. I can't keep track of everyone I meet at these occasions when Minister Fudge depends on me so much." Quinn snorted.

"Yes if it weren't for you he might run out of Redcurrant rum," Quinn said under her breath. Only Percy, Ginny, Bill and Fred were within earshot and Quinn was grateful that Mrs. Weasley had not heard her comment. Percy looked extremely constipated as he huffed and returned to his breakfast. Bill and Ginny stifled their giggles and Fred smirked up at Quinn from his butter and crumpets. She blushed and turned back toward her plate.

"Fred and George you have some de-Gnoming to do after breakfast," Mrs. Weasley said in a stern voice. "Be thankful I'm not giving you even more work after that stunt yesterday." Quinn once again felt responsible for getting the twins into trouble even though it hadn't been her fault. Quinn had the feeling Mrs. Weasley was punishing the twins more than usual because of her own presence.

"Do you two need help?" Quinn asked as the twins stood up to leave the table. George smiled and was in mid-nod when Mrs. Weasley spoke.

"Oh no dear, you can stay inside and help us decorate the tree!" Mrs. Weasley sighed happily and Ginny smiled. Quinn pretended to be very excited.

Quinn spent the morning with Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. They both seemed happy to have another female in the house. Mrs. Weasley asked Quinn lots of questions about being in Ravenclaw. She began to tell stories about dating a Ravenclaw before she had met Mr. Weasley.

"What about you Quinn, do you have your eye on anyone?" Mrs. Weasley asked as the girls helped her make lunch. Quinn turned red, sure that the whole family had discovered her feelings for Fred. She looked up at Mrs. Weasley's smiling face however and knew that it was merely an innocent question. Quinn stuttered a no and Mrs. Weasley chuckled.

"Well we all know who is first on Ginny's list," Mrs. Weasley said with a knowing smile.

"Mu-um!" Ginny cried. "Stop saying that." Quinn laughed.

"It's so easy to tell Ginny. Besides I'm sure you have told Quinn all about it," Mrs. Weasley argued as she washed fruit. Quinn wondered exactly what Ginny had told her mother. Perhaps they sat for hours discussing Harry together. Quinn tried to think of excuses that she might need to avoid these conversations.

"Quinn are you related to that Finnigan boy in Gryffindor?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she began slicing tomatoes. Quinn bit her lip. She might have to tiptoe around this issue as the Weasleys were so fond of Muggles.

"He's my cousin. Our families aren't very close though." Quinn tried to shrug this off but Mrs. Weasley looked sympathetic.

"Oh dear that is too bad. Ron says he's a nice boy." Mrs. Weasley sighed. "You know we have a second cousin who is a Muggle that we never see. It's a difficult situation. Of course I keep Arthur away from him because, well, if they met, Arthur would probably never leave the poor man alone." Quinn must have adopted a confused look because Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "He goes on and on about ekeltrcity and bus stops. You'd never know we were purebloods would you?" Quinn laughed nervously, thinking of the many times her father had said the same thing. "But I would much prefer that to someone like..." Mrs. Weasley paused, surveying Quinn a bit, "well that Lucius Malfoy just seems such a hateful man. From what I've heard his son is just as bad."

"He is. He's a horrible little..." Quinn caught herself before she said anything embarrassing. Mrs. Weasley chuckled but Quinn couldn't stop thinking about the Malfoys now. She wondered how Aislinn was doing and hoped by the end of the holidays that her friend's fixation with Draco would be finished.

The rest of that week passed quickly. Quinn stole glances at Fred each day and the two sometimes exchanged smiles. Quinn was deeply paranoid that the rest of the Weasleys would guess her feelings. She was however happy that with each passing day she was less prone to blushing and giggling around him.

The Weasleys spent a lot of time cleaning their home. Charlie was arriving on Friday but the Weasleys were also throwing a large party that same evening. Quinn wasn't sure who exactly would be attending but it seemed to be a hodgepodge of friends, Ministry members, and students. According to Mr. Weasley, it would be a very casual party.

Friday morning dawned early and Quinn pulled her blankets over her head, blocking out the light. She had been having a wonderful dream involving a young Sirius Black and a towel. Quinn never wanted to wake up. She stirred only when she felt her bed bounce. Quinn blinked and emerged from the covers, squinting down at the end of the bed. Fred sat there looking slyly at her.

Quinn panicked, several hundred thoughts zooming through her mind at once. The only one she remembered later was 'Oh no my breath must be horrible.' Fred merely grinned at her, waiting for Quinn to fully awaken.

"I need to talk to you Quinn," he leaned forward and whispered to her. Quinn used all her restraint to not reach out and run her hands through his fabulously messy bed hair. "Come on," Fred stood and left the room. Quinn fought to free herself from a tangle of sheets. She pulled a jumper over her thin T-shirt and followed Fred into the hall. He led her into his own room where George and Bill were sitting and talking quietly.

Quinn sat down on the other bed and turned slightly pink when Fred sat down next to her. Bill turned to her and gave Quinn a solemn look.

"Quinn we need your help." Quinn's eyes widened. She would, of course, do anything for the Weasleys after they had taken her in for the holidays.

"You see, if you haven't noticed, Percy can be an insufferable git." Quinn held back a laugh. All week, at every available opportunity, Percy had entered into long descriptive tangents about his daily activities at the ministry. Quinn had heard about how Minister Fudge liked his tea, what he ate for lunch, and of course where he buys his fabulous bowler hats. Now Quinn knew where Ginny picked up her hero-worshipping habits. During these long tangents Quinn had sent goofy faces to Ginny and Bill from across the table. Percy hadn't appreciated this.

"Tonight at the party we have a plan to, um, distract him," Bill continued. "But he doesn't trust us. We need you to help us with the final step of the plan." Quinn bit her lip. She didn't want to hear any more from Percy, ever. Still, Quinn felt guilty about possibly embarrassing him at a party. She knew Mrs. Weasley wouldn't appreciate it either.

"I don't think I should. Your parents wouldn't like it and I am a guest," Quinn said, forcing herself not to look at Fred.

"Quinn," George said, "she won't find out it was you. She will automatically punish us." Quinn chewed on her lip some more. Mrs. Weasley called everyone to breakfast and the three boys stood in a rush for the door. Apparently food was a higher priority than her answer.

After breakfast Quinn and Ginny were finishing some homework when Fred came bursting into Ginny's room. He sat down next to Quinn and looked expectantly at her.

"What do I have to do exactly?" Quinn asked. Fred broke out into his signature evil grin.

"We'll set everything up. You just have to give him his pumpkin juice." Quinn sighed and new she had no chance refusing Fred. She looked up at him and caught his apparent enthusiasm. She smiled.

"Okay Fred, I'll do it." Quinn couldn't stop smiling now as Fred adopted a maniacal look and bounded out of the room to finish preparations for that evening. Quinn watched him go and, still smiling, turned to Ginny. She wore a skeptical face and Quinn immediately stopped grinning.

"How do you keep doing that?" she asked. Quinn tried to play innocent.

"Doing what?" Her voice came out high-pitched.

"You can tell them apart!" Ginny was shrewdly studying her now and Quinn forced a confused look onto her face.

"The twins? That's impossible. No one can tell them apart." Quinn quickly grabbed her robe and headed for the door. "I'm going to hurry up and shower." Quinn tore from the room, hoping Ginny wouldn't question her explanation, or lack thereof.

* * *

Professor Snape stood in the doorway, looking around the room. Aislinn sighed to herself. Snape looked wonderful, too, but why did her father seem to hate him so much? She knew that they had been in school together; perhaps they hadn't been friends then. As much as she liked Snape, she trusted her father's judgment more. If Snape had been in Slytherin with her father and they weren't friends, Snape must have done something terrible.

Aislinn saw Mr. Malfoy look away from Fudge as the new guest walked in. "Severus, how kind of you to join us." Several of the men looked up at Mr. Malfoy's exclamation and gave Snape the same sneer her father had moments ago. Aislinn saw a look of relief flash across Percy Weasley's face as he saw Professor Snape. Mr. Malfoy and several of the other men moved toward Snape, but Percy had stepped in front of the men.

"Severus Snape, it is wonderful to see you after all these years," Percy exclaimed as if the two had been great friends. He grabbed the Professor's hand in both of his own and began shaking it vigorously. Snape looked at him, obviously confused and seemingly too shocked to adopt his usual scowl. "So, how has the working life been treating you. It is hard, I know. There is so much going on at the Ministry these days." The red-haired young man grabbed Snape's arm and led him across the room engaging Snape in what seemed to be a vivid conversation on Percy's part. Snape however continued looking at the other men, her father included, as if they were bombs about to detonate.

"Excuse me, darling." Her father kissed her on the cheek again and he walked swiftly to Mr. Malfoy's side. The two men were then joined by Crabbe and Goyle Sr.; Mr. Nott went over shortly after. The group of men talked briefly and Mr. Malfoy went over to where Snape and Percy were standing. Snape's eyes widened slightly as he watched Mr. Malfoy approach him. Percy was still talking heatedly about something, apparently to himself. The Weasleys must have a knack for self-conversation. Aislinn thought back to several instances, where she had seen Ginny do the exact same thing.

"Excuse me, Mr. Weasley," Lucius sneered, "I would like to borrow Severus for a moment. His old friends and I would like to speak to him about- a pressing matter." Percy looked as if he wanted to object but was clearly terrified of Mr. Malfoy. Professor Snape nodded to Percy and followed Lucius to the group of men who were standing near Aislinn.

They began speaking to Snape all at once rather quietly. Aislinn couldn't make out much of the jumbled conversation, but the few words she did discern confused her greatly. Loyalty, Master, and Dumbledore. Aislinn tried to make sense of this but after seeing that Professor Snape seemed as confused as she did, Aislinn decided to give up on the idea.

After the incident with his "old friends" Professor Snape didn't stay long. Thankfully, neither did Fudge and Weasley. Aislinn was frankly getting sick of watching Percy hang on Fudge's every word. The Weasleys must all have a case of hero worship, Aislinn decided. It was nauseating the way Percy looked at Fudge as if he were Percy's first love. She began trying to think of who the twins would look up to, when a hand touched her shoulder and sent a tingle through her entire body. She turned around looked right into Draco's grey eyes. Aislinn felt her body wanting to give way at the sight of him but she forced herself still.

"My father wishes to speak to you," Draco narrowed his eyes and continued, "he told me that I am to bring you to his study and that you are to wait for him to arrive." He smirked at her coldly. Aislinn nodded and took Draco's arm. What could Mr. Malfoy want to see her for? She shrugged off the thought and walked with Draco out of the room. The two walked silently up to Mr. Malfoy's study and Aislinn had come to the conclusion that Draco wasn't a person who cared for idle chatter since they always walked in silence. Either that or he had nothing to say to her. She hoped for the former of the two options. When they reached the study, Draco opened the door and paused.

"Good Luck," he mumbled so quietly that Aislinn barely heard him. He gave her a fleeting look of pity and turned to leave as she entered the dimly lit room. Aislinn sat down in a chair by the fire. What is going on in this house, Aislinn wondered. And what is going on with Draco? He acted as if he felt sorry for me. Draco never feels sorry for anyone. Aislinn was confused as to why she was even in Mr. Malfoy's study to begin with. She looked around the room at the extensive collection of books and decided to get up and explore them. She had found a book that promised to be extremely interesting on the wizards from the Isle of Skye, which was where her father's family lived. She opened the book and began to read as she heard the door open and then close quickly. She looked up from the book and Lucius Malfoy was standing in front of her with a callous smile on his face.

* * *

When Quinn returned from her shower, she found that all of the Weasleys were downstairs. Quinn proceeded slowly down the steps, following the commotion and noise. She entered the lounge to find all of the Weasleys greeting someone who Quinn couldn't see. As they parted she saw an extra redhead and knew it must be Charlie.

Quinn felt her breath catch in her throat as she saw him for the first time. Charlie was not as tall as Bill; he had a more muscular frame. He had short auburn hair and was much tanner than most of the family. Charlie had a broad genuine smile, which was suddenly directed right at her. Quinn smiled back but blushed as she glanced at his clothes. Leather pants! Quinn saw that they were worn and relaxed in spots but still looked very soft. She forced her gaze back to his face and tried to walk toward him. Quinn wondered if Fred would look like that in a few years and almost fell down the last two steps at the very thought.

She exchanged perfunctory greetings with Charlie and tried not to giggle. Mrs. Weasley hugged her son one last time and turned to her family.

"All right we've got six hours, everyone get to work. Fred and George, I need you two outside and I mean working..." Mrs. Weasley assigned duties and the family dispensed to prepare for the party.

Quinn worked in the kitchen all day with Ginny. Mrs. Weasley seemed to prefer to keep the girls in there. Quinn would much rather have been outside. Bill was using some rather advanced charms to warm the garden surrounding the house and the twins were setting up tables. Quinn was stuck making hors d'ourves.

Mrs. Weasley spent the entire day bustling around doing ten different jobs at once. Quinn was dodging brooms and mops in the morning and pots, pans, and utensils by the afternoon. She had never seen anyone move that fast.

By 3 PM Quinn was in the middle of making biscuits. She was covered in flour and sugar up to her elbows and over most of the flowered apron Mrs. Weasley had lent her. Quinn had never made biscuits in her life. Her parents rarely cooked; their House-elf took care of the meals. If Quinn's mother ever did want to make something, she used spells. Mrs. Weasley had explained that she did most of her baking by hand; she insisted the biscuits would taste better that way. Quinn couldn't do spells away from Hogwarts as it was so Mrs. Weasley had elected her to this task.

Quinn was stirring a fresh batch of batter when Fred came in. Quinn watched him out of the corner of her eye. He crossed the room to get himself a glass of water and drank it in a few gulps. Quinn bit her lip as she saw that he was a little sweaty and his damp hair had started to curl a bit at the ends. As Quinn looked up at him, a long strand of hair fell into her eyes. Distracted, Quinn swatted it away with her hand before returning to the dough.

Fred started walking back toward Quinn, who forced herself to concentrate on her stirring. Fred laughed and Quinn looked up at him in surprise. The strand of hair fell back into her eyes but before Quinn could move Fred reached out his hand. He pulled the hair behind her ear, leaning toward her as he did. Quinn held her breath and felt paralyzed as she looked into his big eyes.

"You have flour on your nose," Fred said slyly before turning to leave. Quinn stood, horrified, for a second until she came to her senses. She grabbed a clean rag and wiped the powder from her face, which was now bright red.

Quinn took her embarrassment and pounded the dough viciously. Ginny came in a moment later to continue making hors d'ourves. Quinn ceased punching the dough after Ginny gave her a strange look.

Half an hour later, the girls were rushed upstairs to get ready for the party. Quinn cheated a bit and used her Animagus training to de-frizz her hair. Several guests had already arrived when Quinn and Ginny walked back downstairs, fresh and clean.

"Who is coming from Hogwarts?" she asked.

"Oh, only a few people. The Quidditch girls and Colin Creevey will be here. A few of dad's friends might bring their kids but I'm not sure." Quinn sighed. More quality time with Colin Creevey was just what she needed.

Quinn saw that Percy was enthusiastically greeting people and shaking hands all around. She suddenly remembered her 'assignment' for the evening. Quinn didn't see Bill or the twins anywhere so she stayed and talked to Ginny for a bit.

Quinn saw that Charlie was no longer wearing his leather pants and felt a surge of disappointment. She watched him greet guests and talk amicably. Quinn was so caught up in watching him that she didn't notice George approaching until he was a mere two feet away. Quinn followed him to the kitchen where Fred and Bill were waiting. They held a goblet of pumpkin juice between them. Quinn eyed it nervously.

"What are you going to do to him?" she asked. Fred's mouth was quivering but he tried to look serious.

"Nothing bad. Just give it to him." Fred shoved the drink into Quinn's hand. He put one warm hand on each shoulder and turned her to face the door. Quinn walked slowly to where Percy was sitting and put on a nonchalant smile.

"Percy here you go, ice cold pumpkin juice," Quinn gave him her most innocent look. "I figured you could use a break from being such a good host." Percy puffed out his chest and fought to hold back a smile.

"Well I have been trying to be a good host. I suppose I could use a break." Percy took the goblet and drank it slowly. Quinn bit her lip as she watched him swallow the contents.

Seconds later Quinn felt an arm on her shoulders and saw Bill next to her, grinning profusely. Fred and George appeared next with identical grins. Bill pulled the bemused Quinn away to the corner of the room. Quinn was about to ask what the potion was when Bill hugged her fiercely. Quinn was lifted off her feet momentarily and when Bill set her down and broke away she was giggling with adrenaline.

"Now is when the fun begins. Quinn, thank you so much," he said, still with his arm around her.