star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER TWO

All that was left to do now was wait.

Being downstairs with all of the anxious adults was making Arabella more anxious than she felt she needed to be, so she got up to leave to go upstairs to her bedroom and from there, climb up onto the roof to relax. She had planned on doing this alone, however, Ginny, Evelyn, Fraser, and Duncan all got up and followed her and would not leave her alone, so she was forced to help them all onto the roof with her. To pass the time, Fraser and Duncan played Exploding Snap, while the girls mostly just sat and stared up at the sky.

"Can you two please be more careful over there?" Arabella pleaded with the boys.

"There's no time to be careful," Fraser said, concentrating on the game.

"Well, if you happen to fall from here and die, it would be my fault, and I really don't want something like that on my record, so if you could just keep that in mind..."

"Yeah, whatever. We're not going to fall and die, we're not losers."

Everyone went silent, remembering how Dumbledore had died just barely a month before.

"Wrong choice of words, brother," Duncan said.

"Yes, I see that now, Dunc, thank you."

Not long later, they heard footsteps in the bedroom below, and Ginny looked over the edge and through the window, just to straighten herself again a second later. "Mum," was all she said.

"Ginny?" came Molly's voice from below. She stuck her head through the open window and looked up, not able to see any of the teenagers, who were sitting just out of her view, but knowing that they were there. "Come on, now, I just saw you."

Ginny leaned over the edge, looking down at her mother. "Hey, Mum. Come to join the party?"

Molly sighed and ignored the question. "Your sister is up there with you, isn't she?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Molly gave Ginny a look before calling out, "Arabella Weasley, show yourself right now."

Arabella leaned over the edge as well and gave her mother a tentative smile.

"I thought I told you years ago you weren't allowed to come up here anymore," Molly reminded her.

"Is that what you said?" Arabella questioned, playing dumb.

"It's dangerous, Bella. You could fall! In fact, you already have!"

"Mum, that was forever ago. I'm not a little child anymore, I'm 17. I've perfected my technique."

"Perfected your technique," Molly repeated in an exasperated voice. "And has everyone else you have up there with you perfected the art of climbing our house too?"

"Well, it's not exactly Ginny's first time-"

"Oh, that makes me feel so much better. Who all is up there with you two?"

Evelyn, Fraser, and Duncan all leaned over the edge.

"Hi, Mrs. Weasley!" Fraser said, waving down at her.