2.| ✮𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮, 𝓑𝓲𝓵𝓵. ✮ {𝓑. 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂}

\𝒻𝒾𝓋ℯ\

~

When Cillian apparated Eleanora to the front walkway of the Burrow, she felt tired and spaced-out. She was still considering the information she'd learned from her father, and was starting to think that maybe Mrs. Weasley was right about overexertion.

"Well then," she said to Cillian, not meeting his eyes. "I told Daisy I wouldn't be able to visit for the rest of the summer-" she broke off.

Cillian nodded his head, watching his daughter carefully. "I'll see you later then," he said slowly.

"Right."

Eleanora started to walk towards the gate that led into the garden, where she could hear a great commotion.

"Bye, then," Cillian said, and she turned to give him a small wave. He turned on the spot and disapperated.

Eleanora let out a sigh and turned back to the garden gate, reaching over it to let herself in. When she rounded the corner of the house, she saw the cause of the commotion. Bill and Charlie both had their wands out, and were making two tables fly high above the lawn, smashing into each other, each attempting to knock the other's out of the air.

Eleanora laughed, forgetting her fatigue for a moment, and joined the twins in cheering on the battle. When Fred noticed her beside him, he put an arm around her shoulders and continued to shout for Charlie to knock Bill's table out of the air.

"Get him, Bill!" she called as Bill's table caught Charlie's with a huge band and knocked one of its legs off. Eleanora and Ginny cheered and there was a clatter from overhead. They all looked up to see Percy's head poking out of a window on the second floor.

"Will you keep it down?!" he bellowed, and Eleanora and the twins stifled laughs.

"Sorry, Perce," said Bill, grinning. "How're the cauldron bottoms coming on?"

"Very badly," said Percy peevishly, and he slammed the window shut. Chuckling, Bill and Charlie directed the tables safely onto the grass, end to end, and then, with a flick of his wand, Bill reattached the table leg and conjured tablecloths from nowhere.

"How's it feel to almost be able to do magic out of school?" Charlie said, sidling over to Eleanora and the twins.

She grinned and pulled out her wand. "Bet I could get away with it now."

"Expelliarmus," Bill called lazily from the other side of the yard, and her wand was plucked neatly from her hand.

"Oi!" she said defensively.

"Not yet, Marks," he laughed, picking up her wand and tossing it back to her. "Oh, and we haven't forgotten your birthday present. Charlie and I are getting you something at the game."

"You don't have to get me anything," Eleanora murmured, tucking her wand back into her pocket. She had entirely forgotten her own birthday until now. "Really, it's good enough that I get to go to the game at all."

Bill chuckled and shook his head. "How was your dad's?" he asked, pulling his hair out of the hair-tie she'd given him that morning and shaking his head so it fell around his shoulders.

"Not bad," said Eleanora, eyes trained on him. "I got to see my sister, which was nice." Bill could tell there was something she was leaving out, but her didn't bother her about it.

By seven o'clock, the two tables were groaning under dishes and dishes of Mrs. Weasley's excellent cooking, and the nine Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, and Eleanora were settling themselves down to eat beneath a clear, deep blue sky. Eleanora sat between Bill and Charlie and heaped her plate with food. She laughed with Ginny as Mrs. Weasley argued with Bill over his appearance, especially the earring he'd recently acquired.

"...with a horrible great fang on it. Really, Bill, what do they say at the bank?"

"Mum, no one at the bank gives a damn how I dress as long as I bring home plenty of treasure," Bill said patiently.

"And your hair's getting silly, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, fingering her wand lovingly. "I wish you'd let me give it a trim..."

"I like it," said Ginny from the other side of Bill. "You're so old-fashioned, Mum. Anyway, it's nowhere near as long as Professor Dumbledore's..."

"Yeah, Mrs. Weasley, I think it looks nice," Eleanora chimed in. Bill turned to give her a grateful smile, but she had already moved on to join Charlie and the twins in talking about the Cup.

"It's got to be Ireland," said Charlie thickly, through a mouthful of potato. "They flattened Peru in the semifinals."

"Bulgaria has got Krum, though," said Fred.

"Krum's one decent plater, Ireland has got seven," said Charlie shortly.

"Krum's good enough to give all seven of Ireland's players a run," Eleanora said pointedly.

"I wish England had got through," said Charlie. "That was embarrassing, that was."

"What happened?" said Harry eagerly. Eleanora sometimes forgot that he had no contact with the wizarding world over the summers. She felt bad for him, and helped Charlie explain the match England had lost in the playoffs.

Mr. Weasley conjured up candles to light the darkening garden before they had their homemade strawberry ice cream, and by the time they had finished, moths were fluttering low over the table, and the warm air was perfumed with the smells of grass and honeysuckle.

Eleanora was feeling well-fed and sleepy, and leaned her head on her hand as she was talking to Bill. "What's the event Percy keeps talking about?" she said, her voice slow and lethargic. Bill leaned his head down to level his eyes with hers. She smiled at him. "What is it?" she asked again.

"You know I can't tell you," said Bill with a tired grin.

She squinted her eyes at him in suspicion. "Why not?" she asked.

He laughed and laid his head down on his arms. "It's a surprise." She shook her head and ruffled his hair the way he did to everyone else.

"Look at the time," Mrs. Weasley said suddenly, checking her wristwatch. "You really should be in bed, the whole lot of you- you'll be up at the crack of dawn to get to the Cup. Harry, if you leave your school list out, I'll get your things for you tomorrow in Diagon Alley. I'm getting everyone else's. There might not be time after the World Cup, the match went on for five days last time."

"Wow- hope it does this time!" said Harry enthusiastically.

"Well, I certainly don't," said Percy sanctimoniously. "I shudder to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days."

"Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?" said Fred, eyes twinkling. He looked over to Eleanora and winked.

"That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway!" said Percy, going very red in the face. "It was nothing personal!"

"It was," Eleanora heard Fred whisper to Harry on their way past. "We sent it."

Eleanora walked upstairs with Bill and Charlie, still trying to get the answer out of them. "Come on, I won't tell anyone if you tell me." She looked at Charlie hopefully. He shook his head, laughing.

"We both know you better than that, Marks. You'd absolutely tell the twins."

"I would not!" she said defensively. They had reached her bedroom door. Bill reached around her and opened it.

"Goodnight, Eleanora." She let out a dramatic sigh and stepped into her room, hanging her head out the doorway. "I'll get it out of you at the match," she called after them.

"Goodnight," Charlie called back.