The Silverwing Affair

Authoress´s Note & Disclaimer: The plot, Diana and Serenity are mine, as well as Ravenhawk Inc. The rest belong to J.K. Rowling. WARNING! Ron and Fred may appear wildly OOC, overly jealous, and too suspicious... THIS IS A LOVE INTRIGUE!!! What would you expect???!!! Roses and Chocolate? Not with Ron running amok and Serenity´s vengeful streak. Anyways... Read and review!

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Serenity sits at an outdoor table at her favorite café in Diagon Alley, a slender package leaning against the table. She looks around expectantly, before waving broadly to a tall red-haired man.

"CHARLIE!" she calls, still waving. The man smiles and hastens his step.

"Hello Serenity," Charlie says, taking a seat across from Serenity. "So, what´s so important?"

"Well... I wanted you to test out this new broom I´m designing. It´s... well... I´m making it for Fred and, since you´re about the same in build, height, and weight..." She lets the sentence peter out.

"You want me to help you test it out," he finishes her sentence. Serenity smiles.

"Would you?" she asks, seeming slightly relieved.

"Of course! You´re as good as a member of the Weasley family. I would sooner say no to Ginny," Charlie agrees with a grin.

"Now, now, Charlie. I´m not a Weasley yet." She holds up her left hand in explanation and waves the fingers back and forth. The sun flashes off of the only adornment, her late mother´s ring, on her middle digit.

"I didn´t say you were, darling, only that you were as good as one," he returns, smiling broadly.

"I have a half hour before I´m due back at work. Want to try it out?" Serenity asks, gesturing to the slim package beside her.

"I´d love to," Charlie says and stands. "Where shall we do this proposed test flight, if I may inquire?"

"Well... Last I heard, Diana has substitute duty for a few days while Trelawney recovers from a nasty bout of flu, Jason is staying with Rosalyn, and Harry got himself into tying loose ends around selling their flat..." Serenity had a mischievous glimmer in her blue eyes.

"I see... So the Potter residence it is, my fine lady," Charlie says and offers Serenity his arm.

"Absolutely, my good sir." Serenity laughs, taking his arm and grabbing the packaged broom before walking a short distance and Apparating with Charlie.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"What d´you think that was?" Fred asks, peering out his shop (Weasley Wizard Wheezes) window.

"I don´t know exactly but a blind man could have seen that flirting," Ron answers, peering though another gap in the window display.

"Ron, do you enjoy believing the worst in my girlfriend?" Fred asks, looking like he wanted to roll his eyes.

"I´ll stop when she stops giving me reasons to," Ron responds with a shrug.

"Give me one good reason that you must constantly pick at everything she does," Fred says, thoroughly exasperated with his brother´s attitude.

"Did you see that little bit of glimmer on her left hand?" Ron asks. Fred looks thoughtful for a moment then nods.

"Do you know of any ring she´d wear on her left ring finger?" Ron continues skeptically.

"No."

"Think, man! I know you´ve seen Diana at least six times since she got married. What finger does she wear her wedding band and engagement ring on?"

"Ron! You´re imagining things. You couldn´t have been able to tell what finger that glimmer was on, not from this distance."

"Then what ring would she wear on that hand, hm?"

"Her mum´s ring. It´s the only ring she wears other than a claddaugh ring I gave her for her birthday last year."

"Yeah and doesn´t she usually wear her mum´s ring on her thumb?"

"Not recently."

"I´d say check it out."

"Ron, you´re being paranoid. Besides, that was Charlie! Couldn´t you tell? He wouldn´t even if Seraye were thinking about it."

"Who´ve you been listening to? He´s made no secret that he wishes he could find someone like her to the rest of us."

"Someone like her. Not her, Ronald. Now... Let´s get back to work."

"Just be on your guard, okay Fred? I´ll go no further."

"Good. I wouldn´t hear it anyway."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Over the next few weeks, Serenity wouldn´t be seen after running her company until nearly seven thirty. She´d come home windblown and ready for supper with a new spell to speed the process.

Fred, in spite of himself, started to become suspicious of the time his girlfriend was spending, supposedly, at Ravenhawk Inc. She also seemed to get one call a night from Charlie, which was up from almost non-communicate. She´d move into another room and come back virtually bouncing. When he´d ask her what the call was for, she´d smile and say, "All about you, mon cher."

This put Fred at a suspicious loss. Serenity was working more than usual and talking with Charlie, which was rather unusual, and the sheer amount of time she spent talking with him would make even the most loyal of partners become wary.

To Be Continued...