An Interference of Portraits

Unexpected Guests

I was grateful to not have any commitments with the Ministry or Press over the next few days as I became distracted by doing Teddy's bedroom after talking to Draco about it.

Then I returned to the Dining Room and I was able to clear it quickly because I ruthlessly got rid of nearly everything that had been dumped in there, including the horrible glass display cabinet that I'd first seen the locket in. I supposed it was easier that way because nothing held any sentimental value for me. I knew Sirius hated it all and I was inclined to feel the same. I just asked Mellie and Nettie to help me transport everything down to Dusty so he could burn it on his bonfire. It was surprisingly satisfying.

I didn't keep back anything, apart from two old blue and white Temple Jars I'd found and decided would go with a large blue and green painting of a Water Dragon brought in Singapore. I decided to base my colour scheme around them. And I kept the old table and chairs because I thought they might be quite beautiful beneath the grim and dust. I was grateful that the house had beautiful wooden floors throughout because it saved on the cost of new carpets and I loved the traditional features, even if the concept of having a dining room confused me because I couldn't imagine ever using it beyond Christmas Day. Once I got onto repairing the broken ceiling, I was, once more, truly grateful for magic because fixing the house would have been far more overwhelming, if not near impossible, without it and I would never have accomplished what I'd done so far so easily. I supposed I would have got in professionals at vast expense.

It was the very early hours of Saturday morning when I finally finished the room, the final touch was placing the two temple jars on the dining room table and hanging the picture as the centres of my colour scheme. Mellie had polished the old table so it shone and I wondered if Kreacher had found them the old silverware yet. The white and blue light-weight curtains billowed softly in the breeze when I opened the windows and I was pleased, despite the two days of hard graft that it had taken.

I wasn't so pleased when I was woken far too early the same morning by a heavy thumping on my front door. I scrambled out of bed and threw on some joggers and a t-shirt and rushed downstairs. I reached the front door just as Kreacher opened it. Neville was stood with Hannah, Luna and Draco, Hermione and Ron. They each held a fruit box filled with plants.

'Sorry for the wake-up call,' Neville said, 'but we went to Borough Market very early this morning. Draco and Hermione have helped put together a team to tackle the garden. The rest are Flooing in shortly.'

'The rest who?' I grumbled.

'You'll see. A whole host of people are coming,' said Hermione cheerfully.

'My house is meant to be a secret location,' I muttered, in serious need of a coffee and about four hours more sleep.

'You don't need to worry, Hermione's worked her magic and sworn everyone in,' said Draco, who was looking at my hair with horror.

I stood back, pressed against the wall, as Neville led everyone straight through the house and down into the kitchen.

As Draco passed he leant close and said haughtily, 'I've brought a barbeque for you, I believe it's the right size. The aim is to get the entire garden done and get the barbeque lit this evening to fed everyone. I want that barbeque and what Draco wants, Draco gets.'

He carried on walking and as I watched his retreating back, I decided that I liked Draco in black jeans and his long-sleeved black t-shirt. I just wanted to see him drop his shoulders and smile like he had the other day.

I also decided I wanted to go and climb into a hole and hide.

'Perhaps Master Harry would like a coffee?' said Mr Kreacher.