No Means to Use the Stove

Invisibilities and Possibilities

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"Will you marry me, my little stinking Muggle?" he murmured softly.

She tensed in his arms and pulled away from his embrace. Her eyes wide and startled, she exclaimed: "But...no! No, Charlie, I can't."

Before his brain could even properly register her words, two loud "pops" echoed in the room. "The Ministry!" a male voice yelled harshly.

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"They are coming!" Ron panted. "They bought it at first, but now they are coming!"

"We tampered with the files," Harry continued, equally out of breath, "and now it looks like we had come here to Ob her on Thursday, but then not Obbed her after all, and we told them you are still together and it was only a silly row-"

"-but then they were monitoring this place, and it was unclear how many Muggles were there and you and Hermione were using magic-"

"-and so they are coming to make a routine inspection."

"Are there other Muggles here?"

It was like watching a tennis match. They were both gasping for air, having apparently run before Apparating, and in their hurry, they were trying to out speak each other. Anna was bewildered and only half of what they said registered at all. Two men suddenly appearing out of nowhere in the middle of her living room had been enough to slow down her normally-quick comprehension. Charlie, on the other hand, exploded into action. He leaped for his wand, pointed it at the kitchen door and shouted. "Finite Incantatum! Hermione! Come out! Ministry is coming!"

The door slammed open and Hermione rushed through, wand in her hand. Anna stood, frozen in her place and could only stare at the equally-rooted Sheila who could be seen behind Hermione, gazing at the wizards, her eyes wide and her mouth open.

"They know about Anna, and that's okay," Ron was hurriedly filling Hermione in, "but we have to hide the other."

"None of us can Apparate away with her, 'cause they already know we are here." Harry was speaking fast and his eyes were shining with excitement and nervousness.

"Harry!" Charlie exclaimed suddenly, "D'you have your cloak with you?"

"Yes, but-"

"Of course!" Hermione cried. "Give it here! Sheila!" She rushed to Sheila, dragged her into the living room, grasped the invisibility cloak Harry was offering, and threw it on Sheila. Anna gasped as her sister suddenly disappeared from sight.

"What did you do to her!?" she yelled and Sheila squeaked something incomprehensible from under the cloak.

"Nothing," Charlie assured them, "she just can't be seen this way."

"She shouldn't be heard, either," Ron said and pointed his wand at the place the squeak had come from. "Si-," he started, but Charlie interrupted him.

"No! No magic on them!" He went to the invisible Sheila and pleaded: "Sheila, please, if you don't want your memory modified and us sacked, stay still and shut it. Please?"

"A-Anna?" Sheila's voice trembled.

"Please, Sheila, do as he says." Somehow, Anna found time to think how weird it was to talk to the air in the middle of the room.

"Enough!" Hermione snapped. "Sheila, come here!" she commanded and Sheila obviously complied, as there was some rustle of clothes and Hermione then grasped something beside her. "Stay here, behind me," she instructed and led the invisible Sheila to the corner of the room. "If I do this with my hand," she waved her fingers sharply, "you follow me when I move. Is it clear?"

Sheila didn't have time to answer, as two more "pops" were heard. Two wizards with equally sour expressions appeared. The burlier one nodded shortly towards Ron and Harry.

"Potter. Weasley. I wonder why you saw it necessary to rush here in person. Have something to hide, do you?"

"Of course not, Mr. Peasgood," Harry answered pleasantly. "But you see, they are family, so naturally we are concerned for them."

"No need to be concerned, if everything has been done like it should have been," the old wizard muttered grumpily. Then he addressed Anna: "So, you are the Muggle fiancée, what?"

"Y-yes. Pleased to meet you."

"Have been causing us quite a trouble, you have. In the future, please handle your domestic indifferences privately."

She would have liked to snap that she certainly wasn't the one who had wanted to make her relationship a public matter, but Mr. Peasgood had already focused his interest elsewhere.

"Ah. Mr. Weasley," he barked at Charlie. "And Mrs.Weasley as well." Hermione nodded slightly. "I guess Arthur and Molly are in the kitchen, then?"

"No, sir. Nobody is in the kitchen," Ron assured as if not understanding the sarcasm, but the balding wizard didn't let him interfere.

"Hopkirk!" he addressed the younger wizard who had Apparated with him. "Search the apartment. Nobody has left the place after we begin the monitoring, but the number of Muggles here was unclear."

"Yes, sir."

"I can assure you, Mr. Peasgood, there are no other Muggles here." Harry was talking calmly and convincingly. "Do you really think that we would endanger the security? We certainly understand its importance."

"Well, yes...Mr. Potter. I guess you do." The older wizard was apparently calming down. "But you know the regulations. This is just a routine inspection."

"Certainly, Mr. Peasgood," Ron offered, smiling.

Hopkirk was rummaging the apartment, walking from room to room and opening doors where he went. Anna felt herself tensing when he returned to the living room and neared Hermione and the invisible Sheila. She deliberately kept her eyes on Mr. Peasgood and noticed that the others avoided looking at Sheila's probable whereabouts, too.

"No one else here, sir," Hopkirk finally announced.

"Well, then." Mr. Peasgood took a piece of parchment from his pocket. "According to our records, several spells were performed in this place during the last hour or so. In the living room, there was a silencing spell and then a Finite Incantatum casted."

"That would have been me," Charlie said. "I wanted to discuss things privately with my fiancée and Hermione - my sister-in-law - was in the kitchen."

"Yes. In the kitchen." Mr. Peasgood studied his parchment. "You were in the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley?" he asked Hermione and she nodded. "Alone?"

"Yes."

He took a few steps nearer to Hermione and Anna found herself holding her breath. If Sheila only would keep quiet! "You performed an Orchideous charm, two levitation charms, three Accios and a Relashio?" Mr. Peasgood inquired.

"Yes. I was making tea."

"And why, may I ask, did you need flowers and jets of fire to make tea, Mrs. Weasley?"

"I was bored." Hermione was totally calm and Anna really had to make an effort to keep her expression sober.

"Bored?"

"I had nothing to do in the kitchen, while Charlie and Anna were making up. And, well..." she managed to look a little bashful--on purpose, Anna was sure. "I did have some wine."

"You were drunk?!" Mr. Peasgood looked almost as surprised as Charlie. He obviously knew Hermione from before and even Anna could say getting drunk on a whim wasn't her style. Ron seemed to have difficulties with keeping from laughing aloud.

"No, of course not," Hermione said indignantly. "I know that drunk-wanding is highly dangerous and illegal. I was only bored...and a little bit tipsy."

"Well...you don't seem intoxicated now. And there are no Muggles of Class B here." Mr. Peasgood was obviously shaken, but made an effort to cover it up. He even tried to initiate some small talk. "Yes, hrm...and...have you two decided the day yet?"

"No." Anna saw Charlie's shoulders tensing and his voice was strained. "We are going to have a long engagement. It was quite a shock for Anna, finding out about magic."

"Well, yes...I guess it must have been. Congratulations, anyhow, you two."

"Thank you," Anna replied as Charlie didn't say anything.

"Well," Mr. Peasgood coughed, "we'll be going then. Potter, Weasley, are you coming?"

"We'll follow you in a minute, Mr. Peasgood," Harry answered.

"Well...all right then. My apologies for the interference. Goodbye, all of you." He nodded to Hopkirk and together they raised their wands and Disapparated. Nobody said anything for a while. They just waited, not daring to relax yet. Finally, Harry broke the silence.

"I must say that brought back some memories."

Ron couldn't help himself but broke out laughing. "Just like the old days, eh? Except that you know how to lie now, you sly dog!" Harry just grinned at him and he pulled Hermione into a hug and whirled her around. "And you! Drunk-wanding is highly dangerous, Mr. Peasgood!" he imitated Hermione, still laughing. "I always spell up some orchids while making tea! That was bloody brilliant!"

"Stop it, Ron!" Hermione didn't even try to sound disapproving, but she freed herself from Ron's hold and went to the corner where Sheila still stood, invisible. She groped the air until her hands met the cloak and pulled it off Sheila. She stood, rooted on her place and stared at the people in her sister's living room. Three men, two with their wizarding robes on, her sister, and the woman that just a few moments earlier had shown her some amazing magic tricks. Expect that they weren't tricks. Just magic. Slowly, a grin broke on her face.

"Hello there!" she said perkily. "I'm Sheila, Anna's sister. And you are wizards then, too?"

"Yes." Harry was grinning as well, but making sure his wedding ring was plainly at sight, as Sheila seemed very keen on wizards after her initial shock. "I'm Harry Potter and this is Ron Weasley, Charlie's brother."

"That's one hell of a cloak you have. I wouldn't mind one myself."

Ron chuckled. "Who would? But as you are going to be a part of the family, you might be able to loan it sometime."

"Yikes! That's a deal!" She turned to Anna. "You made up then? When's the wedding?"

"Yeah, Charlie," Ron echoed, "I'll be damned if you don't choose me as your best man after this!"

They were all feeling so elated after fooling the Obliviators, that they hadn't noticed Charlie's grim expression. Anna had, though, and she feared his answer.

"There won't be any wedding. We made up all right, but she doesn't want to marry me." They all turned to stare at Anna. Even Sheila, who only an hour ago had been totally supportive of castrating Charlie, now had the nerve to look at her disapprovingly. She opened her mouth as if to say something, when Hermione stepped forward.

"I...I'm sorry to hear that." She swallowed and glared at her husband, warning him not to say anything. "I'm sure we'll find a way to let you keep your memories even if you won't marry Charlie. The long engagement is a good enough excuse for at least a year."

Then nobody said anything for a while. The elated atmosphere had vanished and people were wary, avoiding direct eye-contact with either Anna or Charlie. Finally, Charlie stirred. He took something out of his pocket and placed it on the living room table.

"Well...I guess we'll be leaving then," he said, not looking at Anna. "We'll have to meet a few times, for the Ministry's sake, but you can bring Sheila with you. Take care." He raised his wand, ready to Apparate, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione nodded bashfully at the two women, preparing to follow his lead.

"Charles Weasley!" Anna heard her own voice shouting and Charlie's wand froze mid-air. "You stupid prat!"

"W-what?" he stuttered.

"You really don't want to see me anymore if I don't agree to marry you immediately?" Her voice was firm, but inside she feared for his answer.

"What?! What? You mean...I thought..." the expression on his face was so bewildered Anna almost laughed out of relief.

"You stupid dragon-tamer! Of course I want to be with you, I want to meet that expert of yours, I want to try! I wouldn't have kissed you, otherwise! But one kiss and making up doesn't mean I'd be ready to marry you right away. Especially when I now know what a wizarding marriage means." She went to pick up the small leather bound book he had thrown to the floor. "It says here the bonding is a powerful, magical ceremony and hardly any wizarding couples ever divorce."

"I hate that book," Charlie grumbled.

"Hate it or not, that doesn't change a thing." She went to him and raised her hands on his shoulders. "Charlie," she said softly, "I don't deny I'm scared. I am. But you made me see it's stupid to be too scared to even try. I'm willing to try, to really try, and I don't want to lose you. Still, I'm not ready to burn all the bridges yet. I maybe dated Charlie Weasley for eight months, but I only dated Charlie Weasley, the wizard, for three weeks. Could we just try first? We could move in together and see if it works out. Before we make the final, magical commitment."

"You mean like a trial run?" Charlie's voice was full of contempt.

"I mean like a start."

"Mum sure won't like it," Ron muttered and earned an elbow in the ribs from his wife.

Charlie looked at Anna, then at his brother. "Mum must learn there are other ways to do things than her way," he then stated firmly. Anna stared at him in surprise and he grinned. "I guess it's a deal, my little stinking Muggle. But you must promise to really try."

"If you do, too." She gazed into his warm, brown eyes and felt the happiness building up inside of her. He leaned to kiss her, but she remembered their audience and withdrew herself from his half-embrace. She went to the table and picked up the small object he had placed there.

"What's this?" she asked looking at the little wooden figurine.

"Eh...it's a romantic gesture, I guess." His large hand had once again crept to his neck. "The Muggle bloke I talked to, he recommended I should learn to do something with my hands, in order to understand the Muggle life better."

"And you did this?"

"Well, yeah." He was looking uncomfortable now, especially as the others came closer to take a look at the small figurine.

"He even spilled his own blood while carving it," Hermione stated in an overly dramatic voice and Ron sniggered.

"It's not very good," Anna observed studying the little feline on her palm. "It has three ears and its legs are all of different length."

"I know!" Charlie exclaimed, irritated. "I guess romantic gestures are overrated," he then grumbled bitterly, "like serving breakfast in bed when the woman probably just wants to brush her teeth and pee before eating anything."

Anna couldn't help giggling. "You got the breakfast-in-bed-part right, at least when it comes to me. But," she added softly, "I think this is quite sweet. Thank you." She closed her fist around the little wooden feline and brushed her lips against Charlie's cheek. Then she stayed still in her place, studying him.

"What?"

"It's just...the Charlie I remember isn't so much different from you, but it isn't like you had just changed some of your own features to make that memory. It's like he was a real person, you know, not only a disguise for my memories of you."

"Well, it's almost impossible to create a totally fictional character when casting the Obliviate," Hermione stated. "Supposedly, the caster draws the necessary additional images from his or her subconscious mind."

"How does he look like, the Charlie you remember?" Ron asked, while Harry busied himself explaining Sheila what they were discussing.

"He is taller than Charlie and has green eyes instead of brown." She hesitated, reminiscing. "His fingers are longer and he carries himself straight. He has the same hair, though, only longer. You could be brothers, I guess."

Charlie, Ron, Harry, and Hermione had fallen quiet. She shifted nervously. What had she said? Then Ron reached for his pocket and pulled out a small locket. He opened the locket and showed it to Anna.

"He doesn't happen to look anything like this?"

She looked at the tiny wizarding photograph in the locket. The familiar face stared at her, smiling. She raised her gaze and nodded timidly.

"Talk about sick!" Ron exclaimed. "You made her remember loving Bill!"

"I didn't know!" Charlie shouted back, equally shaked. "She said subconscious mind!"

Bill? His brother that had died in the war? She remembered Bill's smile, Bill's eyes.... Anna shivered. Talk about omens; she was a dead man's fiancée.

Ron was yelling again. "Why?! Why did your subconscious mind choose Bill?"

Charlie stood silent. Then he said, softly. "I guess...because I loved him...and I lost him. And I love Anna and I was losing her. So, maybe...the two losses got blended together in my mind. I'm sorry. I'm sorry Anna."

Ron had fallen silent and instead of fury, there was sadness in his eyes. Charlie didn't look at anybody. Anna felt herself aching for him. So what if she had remembered Bill's face? Charlie had loved Bill. He loved her. She moved to Charlie and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"Charles Weasley, I'm honoured you let me love your brother," she said firmly, but gently. Charlie looked at her, surprised, and then wrapped his own arms around her and pressed her securely into his hug.

"Thank you," he whispered, tears in his voice, and she kissed him soundly on the lips, not minding who was watching.

"Anyhow," Sheila's voice broke the somber air around them, "it would probably have been much more awkward had she remembered some other brother instead. Like Ron here, I mean."

"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed enthusiastically. "That sure would have been awkward!" Then she laughed and Ron joined her. Harry couldn't help chuckling, Anna grinned, and Charlie managed a feeble smile. Sheila was grinning so widely it was a wonder her cheeks didn't rip open. She was obviously pleased with her success at lightening the air.

"I think we are to get out of here, now!" she commanded joyfully. "It's time to leave these love-birds alone! You, folks, can buy me a beer and tell me more about magic!"

"Let's have some butterbeer, instead. I'm sure you'll love it," Hermione proposed, smiling.

"Or Firewhiskey!" Ron offered.

"Do you wizards have any Firevodka?" Sheila asked mischievously and they were all out of the door before Anna could warn her about drinking any more. Then they were alone.

"Well," she said, fingering the little wooden figurine in her hand.

"It certainly seems they are happy for us," he stated. "Or at least they love to fool the Ministry and plan all kinds of mischief. It's nice to see Harry enjoying pranks, again. He had gotten too serious lately."

"Pranks? Fooling the Ministry? I thought we were committing a crime and partaking in illegal activity."

"Well, yeah, that too." He grinned coaxingly. "But wasn't it fun?"

"Yes," she giggled. Then they sobered and looked at each other.

"So," he said slowly, "we are going to try?"

"Yes."

"I really want to make it work, you know."

"So do I. But there's nothing else we can do but try."

"So we'll do our best..."

"...because we can't do any better."

"Thankfully, our best is pretty good. And we'll have help." He grinned and took her into his embrace. She let him hold her, inhaling his familiar scent and enjoying his strong body against her own. She thought about everything that could go wrong: his mother, her father, the children, her adjusting herself into the magical world, him into the Muggle one... Then she deliberately stopped herself.

Enough problems were to come on their own. They were going to try.

THE END