Potter's Girl / Butterfly Effect.

47. Regretful Ministry Involvement

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN;

REGRETFUL MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Lots and lots of shaking took place in her dream. Maybe she wasn't dreaming, actually – that would explain why Hermione's voice had been blaring into her ears for the past two minutes.

"Come on, Cassie!" she shouted, shaking the girl's shoulder. "Mrs. Weasley's gone ballistic, we're so behind schedule!"

Cassie scrambled out of her bed to a chorus of feminine shouting from downstairs; from what she could hear, Fred and George had bewitched their trunks to fly down the stairs at top speed and it had accidentally hit Ginny, much to the displeasure of Molly, who then awoke Walpurga Black's portrait.

"–COULD HAVE DONE HER SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS–"

"–FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS–"

After another minute in which Cassie pulled on her jeans, sweater, and shoes, Mrs. Weasley's voice rang out through the house again.

"WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW, PLEASE?"

As the plan was, Harry was to leave for King's Cross with Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, and apparently Sirius had tagged along with his godson in his Animagus form.

Adelaide gave Cassie a kiss on the head and hugged her before sending her daughter off – Cass and the rest of the teenagers were to leave with Mr. Weasley.

On their way, Cassie pulled back with Mr. Weasley awkwardly. She cleared her throat.

"Um, Mr. Weasley?" she said, and he paused for a moment to give her his full attention. "I just wanted to... apologize for the comment about Percy," she said, fidgeting with her fingers. "It was really rude. I'm sorry."

"Don't sweat it, Cass, you've had a stressful summer, yeah?" said Mr. Weasley politely, clapping her gently on the shoulder. "Now c'mon, your cousin's somewhere up here..."

"...We'll see you soon, I expect," finished Tonks as Cassie and Mr. Weasley approached. The elder witch turned and hugged Cassie, before Mrs. Weasley was pulling her off and prodding Cassie toward the train.

"Be good, kids!" the mother called, waving to her children, Hermione, Harry, and Cassie as the train took off with a large lurch.

   "Well," said Fred brightly, clapping his hands together. "Can't stand around all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee. See you later," and he and George disappeared down the corridor to the right.

   "Shall we go find a compartment, then?" Harry asked his three friends. Hermione and Ron exchanged an obvious look.

   "Er.." said Ron awkwardly.

   "Well.. Ron and I are supposed to go into the prefect carriage," Hermione said, scratching the back of her neck.

   "Oh," said Harry. "Right. Fine."

   "I don't think we'll be staying all journey," said Hermione quickly. "Our letters said we just get instructions from Head Boy and Head Girl and then patrol the corridors from time to time."

   "Fine," Harry repeated. "Well, we'll see you later then."

   "Come on," said Cassie, "if we get a move on we'll be able to save them places."

   Harry nodded and picked up Hedwig's cage in one hand and the handle of his trunk in the other – Cassie, the same, but with Cupid's cage. They struggled off down the corridor, peering into the glass doors of compartments they passed, all of which were already full.