Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: the Combat

11. Unions And Upsetness

After eating an enormous brunch in the kitchen and being persuaded into telling his grandparents every intricate detail about his fourth year at Hogwarts - excluding the Delphini-bit -, Albus had finally been left on his own. He spent the time before everybody would come to dinner changing into some of Ron's old clothes, which were too long in the sleeves and legs to suit him properly, but it was still a relief to get out of his own dusty robe. He then sat down on the bed and simply studied the room for a while. It was very orange indeed, not much different in colour from the Weasley hair, and was decorated with the name Chudley Cannons far too many times for it to be acceptable. What was it about this game that so utterly enchanted everybody? A few broomsticks and some flying balls?
Albus leaned back at the bed in search of a spot of the room without any trace of Quidditch, though when he bent backwards, he felt like he would never stop falling...
He's coming.
He's coming.
He's coming.
Kill the spare, Haaarry Pottttter...
"Al, get down here! We've got your trunk!"
Albus sat up, his heart beating like a drum. The clothes were already soaking wet and his hair was glued to his forehead like a helmet. Pure panic had replaced the blood in his veins. The voice downstairs - James? - repeated its message, and Albus understood that it was either going down himself or being found here, shaking like a leaf in the wind. He tried to pull himself together, wrapped himself in an old, knitted blanket and went downstairs.
All of the kitchen was crowded of people - Ginny and Molly talking by the oven, Arthur and Teddy Lupin, whose hand seemed to be glued together with Victoire's, discussing something requiring grand hand gestures, and James and Lily by the table, which was crowded with trunks and boxes.
Lily stood up as soon as Albus entered the room. "Hi. What's wrong?"
How could she notice so soon? She was almost as observant as their mother nowadays.
"Nothing. I'm all fine and well."
"You, know, Al..." James said, his mouth stuffed with leftovers from Albus' brunch plate. "You've always been a bad liar."
"Well, thank you. Glad to hear." Somehow, the presence of his siblings made him more collected of mind. His glance fell at the orange and purple boxes at the table. "You've been to Diagon Alley?"
"To ask George if they will join us tonight", Ginny answered, as she approached with a sorrowful smile. "Unfortunately, I made the fatal mistake of bringing your brother."
James stopped eating for a moment and defensively looked at his mother. "It wasn't my fault that Uncle George felt like giving me all the newest stuff for free..."
"He does that every time you enter the shop, which you very well know, young man."
"But there are plenty of stuff for you too, Al", Lily assured him. "Your trunk to begin with."
Albus found his initials - ASP - at one of the bags and brought it down from the table. "Did Scorpius bring it?"
"From the dorms, yes. He seemed terribly upset at the train and told us all about how he wondered where you were at the Banquet and then breakfast..."
"Quite annoying, really", James said.
Albus stared at his siblings. "You mean that you sat together with Scorpius at the Hogwarts Express? Like, for real?"
Lily tipped her head and put her hands on her hips. "Why wouldn't we?"
"Because you hate the Malfoys."
"Oh, please, I think we're past all that after the whole Time-Turning-thing."
Albus was about to ask more about his friend, but was interrupted by their grandmother, who came rushing with a wooden spoon in their direction. "James Sirius Potter, you surely can eat for two, but there's a big dinner tonight and I want you all to be hungry and ready for it!"
"But Al got to eat", James complained.
Ginny, who had watched the scene, crossed her arms over her chest and muttered, to no one in particular: "So much like Ron."
Molly immediately started going on about Albus' lack of breakfast, which made Albus think that it might be time for him to leave. He turned to his mother. "I think I'm going to take the things upstairs."
"Good idea."
Quick as a Seeker, Albus picked up his trunk and some random boxes and dragged them to the stairs. He was glad that their weight gave his constantly shaking arms an explanation, but still wished that he had a wand when he saw the many stairs.
"Need some help?" Lily had arrived from the kitchen. Her eyes twinkled with contentment, and for a moment, Albus could imagine the feeling of having a whole summer without any worries ahead of oneself. It was a pleasant, yet remote thought.
"Yes, please."
With combined strength, they carried the things to one of the empty bedrooms on the second floor.
"Good", Lily said. "Granny wanted those out of the way before dinner anyway. And I..." She lowered her voice. "... would like my gold back, please."
Albus smiled at his little sister. "I knew that there would be a catch to you actually helping me with something."
Lily shrugged. "I'm a businesswoman. Sue me."

As forenoon became afternoon and afternoon became evening, the rest of the Weasleys dropped in one by one or in groups. First came Percy and Audrey with their daughters, Lucy and Molly, in toll. Then there was Bill, Fleur, Dominique and Louis, followed by Charlie. Soon after came George, his Angelina and their children, Fred and Roxanne.

At the very last minute, when the tables in the garden were made and ready and Molly and Fleur were about to lose their temper in multiple languages, Ron busted in with one child in either hand. "Are we late?"

"Yes, you are", Fleur growled.
"Dad, you can let go of us now", Rose said, ripping her hand out of Ron's.

"Oh." Ron let his children leave to find their cousins and then approached his sister-in-law with blushing cheeks. "Sorry that we're late, Mum, Fleur, but..."
"No excuses!" The older of the Mrs Weasleys said, as Fleur roughly pushed a plate of baked potatoes into his arms. "Just get going!"
Meanwhile, in the garden, Albus didn't really know where to sit. At one end of the table, there were James and Rose, who with a great deal of detail and bragging told the tale of the Quidditch finale to most of their uncles and cousins - at the other end, there was his grandfather, who seemed to be deeply involved in a new Muggle discussion of his.
Therefore he sat somewhere in the middle, simply waiting for the food to take his mind of the words that stills tortured his mind.
He's coming.
He's coming.
He's coming.
Haaarry Pottttter...
"Harry!"
Albus' father came out of the kitchen dressed in his Ministry robe, his smile wider than ever, and his frown seemingly directed solely towards his youngest son.

Thank you for reading!
I hope you like this story, and if you do, would you please let me know in the comments?
It would mean a lot.
Thanks in advance // Fish-out-of-Water-5