Cast Aside

Interrupted Play and New Dreams

Chapter 42

The sun was high in the sky and hot on Bill's bare arms. Beside him, Charlie was sprawled out similarly, bare arms and legs akimbo as they enjoyed the warm sun after a long morning of play. Much like at home, at the Burrow, the oldest Weasley boys spent almost all of their time outside. And, as at the Burrow, they had plenty of space to roam and explore. The garden here was different—there was no orchard and the pond was a different shape and surrounded by shade trees rather than tall grasses—but it had only made their summer explorations all the more exciting.

"When do you think we'll get to go home, Bill?"

Bill scratched his shoulder and blew out a strong gust of air, disrupting a slowly flying insect overhead. "No idea. Why? Don't you like it here?"

His younger brother huffed in response. "Sure. I just miss Uncle Gideon and Uncle Fabian... and fish and chips."

Laughing at his brother, Bill rolled to his side. "Fish and chips? You want to go home for fish and chips?"

"Well, not just that." Charlie glared halfheartedly at him. "Aren't you worried about them? Uncle Gideon and Uncle Fabian, not the chippies."

Bill lay back down, lacing his fingers across his chest. "Well, ya I guess. I'm sure they're fine though. I'm more worried about Helen." He sighed dreamily. "George is so lucky. Do you think she'd ever leave him and go out with me? When I'm older?"

"What?" Charlie burst into fits of giggles. "Are you mad? You're eight, you wanker. Besides, I heard mum say George and Helen are married. Like mum and dad. Why would she leave her grown up man for a scrawny little kid?"

"Oi, don't say wanker! Mum says it's naughty!" More upset by his younger brother's point than his choice of words, Bill sat up and punched him in the arm.

Charlie immediately sat up and launched himself at Bill. "Don't hit me, wanker!"

"Don't call me a wanker, you twat!"

And so they went, back and forth in the dirt and grass until they heard someone calling their names.

"Bill, Charlie!"

They hardly looked up from their scuffle.

"Bill! Charlie! Honestly, boys."

Suddenly they were being pulled apart and levitated in the air. They shrieked and squirmed until they were turned around to face their attacker.

"Helen!"

Bill felt himself blushing furiously but didn't care. "Hey, Helen!"

Still close enough to reach him, Charlie elbowed him once and smirked. "We were just talking about you."

Helen smiled at them then, but Bill thought it looked sad. "Really? And why did a conversation about me result in a fistfight?"

Charlie snorted. "Oh that's just boy stuff, Helen. But uh, why are you here? Is the war over? Can we go home? Are our uncles here too?"

Blinking rapidly, Helen glanced back over her shoulder at the house before trying to smile at them again. "No. No it's just George and I today. But we are taking you home."

Something was definitely wrong. She ended the spell holding them in the air after getting them to promise not to start fighting again and ushered them inside. Just before they reached the door, Helen put a hand on each of their shoulders.

"What's wrong, Helen?"

She pursed her lips and looked through the window as if waiting for something before shaking her head. "Go on inside, boys."