Finding Acceptance | Fred Weasley

Chapter 9: Revelations & Realizations

~* Chapter 9 *~

~* Revelations & Realizations *~

Amos Diggory and Arthur Weasley were walking down Diagon Alley to have lunch at the Leaky Cauldron in early August. Neither man had been in Diagon Alley all summer and both were surprised by a new sight: Standing outside the pub was a thirteen year old girl who was playing a small instrument and singing. A guitar case was open on the sidewalk in front of her feet with a sign that said, "Tips Appreciated". People were standing around her, watching her perform "Over the Rainbow."

The two men gave each other a look, silently asking themselves why a Malfoy would be playing a Muggle instrument while singing a song for tips on the street of Diagon Alley.

"Cordelia, sweetie. What are you doing here?" Amos asked, his eyebrows creased with worry.

"I'm playing music before my shift at the pub," said Cordelia, casually and matter-of-factly. The song ended and Cordelia switched songs to an instrumental version of "Dancing in the Moonlight" so she could speak to the men and play at the same time.

"But why are you performing on the street and working at the Leaky Cauldron? The boys said you were staying here, but they didn't tell us you were working," explained Arthur, the gears turning in his head as things started to make sense to him. He knew the Malfoys would never stay at the Leaky Cauldron. They most certainly wouldn't let their daughter do anything like this, which meant she was there on her own.

"That's because the boys don't know... No one does except Tom and the other shopkeepers here... I ran away... I've been disowned and I'm never going back," she explained as she closed her eyes and smiled, taking in the music coming from the strings on her ukulele. Saying it out loud made her feel free.

The two men nodded silently as they walked inside the pub, leaving the girl to her performance. The men ate their food while watching the girl through the window while they whispered to themselves about the situation. Tom was watching the two men from the bar and was concerned about the men's interest in the girl that he had come to care for as his own. Tom needed to ease his worried mind.

"What is your interest in the girl? I can't help but notice you two have been watching her and whispering. It makes me feel uneasy, and I won't put up with men talking about her in my pub," He confronted the two when he walked to their table to refill their beverages.

"We don't mean to seem creepy or rude," Amos defended their actions. "She is friends with our sons, and we are only concerned for her."

"That's right. Our sons have mentioned that her father has been cruel in the past, and they informed us she was staying here," Arthur explained. "We didn't expect to see her performing and working. We're just surprised and worried is all."