Seven Devils ★ T.M.R ★

Chapter Thirty-Seven

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AN UNDERSTANDABLE MISCONCEPTION
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THE RAIN STARTED not an hour after Tom disappeared, and did not let up for the whole afternoon. It pelted against the house and streamed down the windows as a howling wind stirred thick grey clouds in the sky outside, rather unluckily trapping everyone inside the chaos that was reigning over the Burrow.

Fred and George had made it their personal mission to cheer up Ginny, and Mrs Weasley's voice shook the house as she furiously berated them for releasing a large collection of thunderous firecrackers in the stairway, only to immediately throw one of their 'Weather in a Bottle' snow storms into Ginny's room when she had opened the door to investigate the commotion. In their defence, it did seem to have cheered Ginny up, and she actually came down to join them for lunch – though this may have been because her room was covered in six inches of snow and she was no longer able to hide there. Nevertheless, Ginny perked up considerably when Fred transfigured his peas into a small army of marching crabs that scuttled across the table and made Fleur shriek loudly.

Marina just tried to stay out of Mrs Weasley's way as she tore through the house on a veritable warpath preparing the Burrow for even more guests, supervising Fred and George's progress melting out Ginny's room, and assigning chores to anyone caught in her line of sights. She'd delegated Marina the task of setting up Percy's room, handing her the linen with tight lips and a tension to her eyes. The considerable layer of dust across the room made Marina think that no one had gone in there for some time.

Her relief when Tom reappeared in the lounge that afternoon was insurmountable.

"Oh thank fuck," Marina said heavily, immediately shoving the basket of laundry she was holding into his arms and seizing the second from the ground beside her. "Quick, do something with this before Mrs Weasley sees you and makes you help Charlie clean the scullery – I've never seen him so miserable in my life –"

She sat heavily on the couch with the laundry next to her and started folding it with absolute precision. A loud argument could be heard from the kitchen around the corner as Mrs Weasley's tyranny exploded onto George, who had apparently committed the cardinal sin of setting down his cup and leaving a water ring on the kitchen table that she'd just scrubbed down.

"What is going on?" Tom asked slowly, raising an eyebrow at Marina.

Fred ducked his head down the stairs to check on the fate of his brother with a comically grim expression on his face.

"There's officially nine people in this house again" Fred said blithely, "mum's going to murder someone by Christmas, you can count on that."

"You reckon it'll take that long?" Ginny snorted, appearing behind him. "An hour ago she yelled at Charlie for five minutes straight because he breathed on the china cabinet and it fogged up the glass."

Tom placed the laundry that Marina had forced into his arms down on the coffee table, and Ginny seemed to suddenly notice him. Her expression became rather affronted and she stood straight up.

"Oh," she said blandly, "hi, Tom. I didn't know you were already here."

"I just arrived," Tom said smoothly, deftly stowing away his wand.

"Right," Ginny said, before looking away, "well, tread carefully why don't you." She waved an arm towards the kitchen and Mrs Weasley's wrath, and then turned on her heel and disappearing past Fred who was now sporting an extremely broad smirk as he followed her upstairs.

"Does she know you've been at the Manor?" Marina muttered to Tom quietly.

"No," he said, frowning. "No, most people think that I have been in hiding with my uncle since the wedding –"