Sunshine

Chapter II-Egypt Curses

Dawn was excited as she packed her small suitcase for the vacation. Mr. Weasley had won the Daily Prophet's Draw and they were all going to Egypt to visit Bill as he works as a curse breaker there. They'll spend a month there before they return a week before school is to start. Ginny hurried back and forth as she packed her own small suitcase. Both girls giggled as they tried to stuff as much as possible into their suitcases, taking turns sitting on one another's to close them.
"Girls, are you ready?" Mr. Weasley called from downstairs. Giddy, the girls dragged their heavy suitcases down the stairs. "We're only going to be gone a month, why are you both bringing so much?" He asked eyeing their heavy suitcases as the clunked down the rickety stairs.
"Because I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it!" Dawn panted as she got her suitcase down the last stair with Ginny not far behind. The proceeded to the lawn where there was a portkey waiting for them. They grabbed the old umbrella and the world spun before they were all thrown into hot, sandy dunes.
Over the month the Weasley's and Dawn toured Egypt and all it had to offer them. The hotel was nice and comfy and Ginny and Dawn got their own room as all of the boys had to share one. They went to the pools and Dawn burned like a tomato on the first day which caused Mrs. Weasley to follower her around like a mother hen with sunscreen. The twins played pranks on the other boys and even Bill joined in. Their picture was even in the Daily Prophet though Dawn chose not to be included because she didn't want her face on the paper for everybody to see. It wasn't that she was ashamed of the Weasleys, she just didn't feel like she belonged to their family fully. She knew they loved her but she couldn't help but to feel like an outsider to them. She hadn't seen them for years before she was dropped off on their doorstep and even though she spent every day of most of the summer with them she still didn't feel like she fully fit into their family. She did miss Charley desperately though. She wished he was here to tell her about the dragons he helped to protect.
    They sat eating at a pub as Percy showed of his Prefect's Head Boy badge to the family. Dawn wouldn't admit it out loud but she'd love to be Head Girl of her house one day. She was daydreaming as she played with her soup. Ginny was sitting next to her chattering away unaware Dawn wasn't even paying attention. She was just happy to have another girl to talk to.
    After dinner and showers the girls retreated back to their hotel room to pack up. They once again sat on one another's suitcases to close them whist excitedly talking about the start of term. It was only a week away and both Ginny and Dawn almost couldn't wait. Dawn was nearly begging to go school shopping once they got back and her parents had left to her the rest of their money which would get her through school and then some.
   

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The next morning Mr. And Mrs. Weasley were acting suspicious. They whispered and eyed the children all through breakfast and as soon as they arrived home they made all of the children pack their trunks for the term. They were going to the Leaky Cauldron for the rest of the break and would do their shopping while there.
    "What do you think is going on?" Dawn asked Ginny.
    "I dunno, Mum and Dad have been acting weird since breakfast this morning." Ginny shrugged as she packed the last of her things in her trunk and closed it. Dawn sat, trunk already packed, and Juliet purring in her lap. "I don't think dogs are allowed at Hogwarts..."Ginny said looking at Ophillia chewing on a toy as her tail happily thumped on the ground.
    Dawn had gotten Ophillia as a young puppy. Her deep blue eyes, fluffy black and brown coat, and burst of energy gave Dawn a sense of security. She'd trained Ophillia since day one and she knew pretty much any command Dawn could think of and even learned how to give hugs and comfort her when she's sad. "I'm not leaving my dog or my cat behind so they'll just have to deal." Dawn said.
    She'd had Juliet only a few weeks before her parents passed away. The Ragdoll was the last gift she'd ever received from them so she kept her close at all times. She'd even learned a few basic commands such as sit, lay down, high five, etc that Dawn was slowly teaching her. Her big turquoise eyes and fluffy white and grey coat made her look almost angelic. No matter what Dawn was going to have her best friends with her through her new school.
Beforehand she'd been home schooled by her mother while her father worked for the ministry with Mr. Weasley. She was technically in the sixth year's curriculum but because she was thirteen she'd be in the same Year as Ron. She was expecting to be at the top of the class considering she'd already mastered the third year lessons long ago. Unfortunately Ginny informed her that one of Ron's best friends was at the top of their class so far. She was a muggle born who'd tried to absorb was much knowledge about the wizarding world as she could.
Dawn was daydreaming about an amazing studying partner when Mrs. Weasley popped her head in the door and told the girls it was time to go. They gathered their trunks and trudged down the stairs. Ministry cars sat outside the Burrow waiting to take them to the Leaky Cauldron.
"I wonder why the sudden urge to stay at an inn instead of at home?" Dawn wandered aloud as Ron looked down. She figured he had an idea as to what was going on. After all, he knew his parents better than Dawn.
A short time later the Weasley family arrive at the Inn. The minister briefly speaks with Mr. Weasley in hushed tones before he leaves. The whole red headed clan and Dawn enter the pup. "Dawn, this is Harry and Hermione!" Ron exclaims excitedly.
Harry was a lanky boy with knobby knees, messy black hair, and piercing green eyes. Hermione was a little shorter with bushy curls of warm brown hair and brown doe eyes. "Hello, I'm Ron's sister Dawn Aurora." She says sticking a hand out to shake.
"Ronald! You didn't tell me you had another sister!" Hermione gasped.
"I'm adopted as of a few months ago..." Dawn trailed off. She hated that she still felt like an outsider with her long, curly white blonde hair, icy blue eyes, and pale skin compared to the Weasley's red hair, deep blue eyes, and freckles.
"What house are you in? I don't recognize you?" Harry asked trying to change the subject.
"I was home schooled so I haven't been sorted yet. I'm hoping I get Gryffindor though!" Dawn answered hastily. Soon they were all walking down Diagon Ally and looking in shops. Harry and Hermione went to a pet shop while Harry went to the Quidditch supply store.
Dawn wondered into a book shop and found the potion section. She began to browse the several books and pulled a few out and put some back whilst trying to decide which books she'd like to take to Hogwarts.
As she stood on her tip toes to grab a book a hand suddenly reached over hers and pulled the book from the shelf. "Oh, thank you..." Dawn sputtered out before trailing off.
There stood a boy a little taller than herself with sharp pale features, pale blonde hair like herself, and ominous silver eyes. "I wasn't helping you. I wanted the book for myself." The boy rolled his silver eyes, catching the shop's light and making them twinkle in a deadly way.
"Of course you're a prick." Dawn muttered as she rolled her eyes, making them resemble snowflakes in the winter.
"Do you know who I am? Who my Father is?" The boys face scrunched into a smear that only irritated Dawn more.
"Can't stand your own ground? Gotta call Daddy to keep you from getting your feelings hurt?" Dawn sneered in return. The boy looked taken aback momentarily before sneering again.
"Watch your back." He hissed, silver eyes growing dark and murky like the thick air between the two before he turned around and was gone.