Never Is Our Always

Ministry Hearing 5

(Minnie pov)

I yawned as I helped Mrs Weasley cook this morning, Tonks, Lupin, Sirius and Mr Weasley were sitting around talking to each other while we got things ready.

"He'll be fine," I wave it off, "Harry will be all right as usual."

"Right you are," Sirius replies, "that shirts a bit big on you isn't it?"

"It's not mine," I reply airily, "it's Fred's."

"Ah, stealing clothes?" Sirius jokes.

"Have been for almost a year of dating him," I turn my head and smirk at Sirius.

"That long?" Mr. Weasley gasps, "merlins beard, I remember the first time he told us about you."

"This should be fun to hear," Tonks laughs.

"Did he say how quiet I was and how he thought I was deaf or that I was ignoring him?" I ask Mr Weasley.

"Yep," he chuckles.

"Because I was," I muttered, "they pranked me and in my mind I was so determined not to yell at them that I stayed away from them."

"How did they prank you?" Sirius asks, grinning.

"With a transfiguration charm," I scowled, "I'm still terrified of that book..."

"What did they turn it into?" Tonks asks eagerly.

"I'm afraid of spiders..." I say slowly and she started laughing. "So a big spider."

-

I heard the door being pushed open, I look over my shoulder and smile as Mrs Weasley leapt to her feet the moment Harry entered.

"Breakfast," she said as she pulled out her wand and hurried over to the fire.

"M-m-morning, Harry," Tonks yawned. Her hair was blonde and curly this morning. "Sleep all right?"

"Yeah," Harry said.

"I've b-b-been up all night," she said, with another shuddering yawn. "Come and sit down..." She drew out a chair, knocking over the one beside it in the process.

I walked over and pick it back up before going back to where I was.

"What do you want, Harry?" Mrs. Weasley called. "Porridge? Muffins? Kippers? Bacon and eggs? Toast?"

"A minute to think?" I add on and she smacked me with her spatula, "ow!"

"Just-just toast, thanks," Harry said, amusingly smiling at me as I rubbed my arm and giggled at Mrs Weasley.

Lupin glanced at Harry, then said to Tonks, "What were you saying about Scrimgeour?"

"Oh ... yeah... well, we need to be a bit more careful, he's been asking Kingsley and me funny questions..."

Mrs. Weasley placed a couple of pieces of toast and marmalade in front of him; Mrs Weasley sat down on his other side and started fussing with his T-shirt, tucking in the label and smoothing out the creases across his shoulders.

"...and I'll have to tell Dumbledore I can't do night duty tomorrow, I'm just t-t-too tired," Tonks finished, yawning hugely again.

"I'll cover for you," Mr. Weasley said. "I'm OK, I've got a report to finish anyway..."

Mr. Weasley was not wearing wizards' robes but a pair of pinstriped trousers and an old bomber jacket. He turned from Tonks to Harry.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. Harry shrugged. "It'll all be over soon," Mr. Weasley said bracingly. "In a few hours' time you'll be cleared."