Chapter 735 - 287: She Really Loves You
Chapter 735: Chapter 287: She Really Loves You
But Bill didn’t have any particular reaction; he just shrugged and said carelessly, "Maybe. Or maybe she just thinks I’m only really suitable as a friend, who knows."
The two of them joked as they walked into the Great Hall, and just at that moment, Mrs. Weasley came in with Ginny as well.
"I could tell," Mrs. Weasley said with a beaming smile. "You two were having a good chat? Ginny and I just saw you."
"Not bad," Bill said, hands in his pockets, smiling with easy charm. "Let’s get lunch, Mum, I’m a bit hungry."
Hearing Bill say that made Mrs. Weasley even happier.
"I must say, coming to see Harry’s match is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. At least I don’t have to worry about what to make for lunch today, don’t you think, Bill?"
"Yeah, absolutely." Bill nodded, and even fished a very Egyptian little trinket out of his pocket and handed it to Ginny.
It was a scarab, not a real one, but lifelike enough.
When Ginny took the scarab, it was still using its six legs to scuttle up and down nonstop, but once it was in her hand and she pressed it lightly, the scarab turned into a hair clip.
"Mum? Bill?"
Ron, sitting at the Gryffindor table, jumped in shock; his body gave an involuntary shudder. "What are you doing here? Don’t tell me Professor Snape, he..."
"We’re here to see Harry’s final," Mrs. Weasley said cheerfully, then her face hardened. "And I’ve already heard about what you did! Ronald! You actually dared to openly attack a professor in the Great Hall—Merlin’s sewing needle, I always thought only those two troublemakers would do something like that. I never expected it to be you, you little brat..."
"Mum! That really hurts our feelings!"
Fred and George suddenly popped up behind them, one on each side of Mrs. Weasley.
"Shut it, Fred," Mrs. Weasley snapped at the child on her left.
That child pulled a face at her. "Oh, Mum, you’ve got it wrong—I’m George! Honestly, you’ve hurt us again. Even our own mother can’t tell which one of us is which!"
"All right, I’m sorry, George," Mrs. Weasley sighed.
"Oh, actually I’m Fred. Fooled you, Mum."
Fred pulled another face at Mrs. Weasley, and the students in the Hall, watching the Weasley family’s antics, all wore envious smiles.
Mrs. Weasley swatted Fred and yanked him down. "Sit down and eat, quickly. Look at the time, it’s already mealtime. Don’t tell me you’re not hungry?"
As she spoke, she sat down and looked at Ron. "By the way, you just had your History of Magic exam, didn’t you? How did it go?"
Ron was delighted that his mother had finally stopped harping on about him charging at Snape.
"Er... it was okay. I couldn’t remember all the names of those Rebel Fairies, so I made up a few. It’s fine."
Ron said this around a mouthful of steak-and-kidney pie.
Mrs. Weasley put on a stern face and scolded Ron. "They’re all called things like Long-Beard Longlong and Scruffy Lala; it’s not hard to make them up."
Sitting there on their chairs, it almost felt like they were back at the Humble Abode again.
Halfway through the meal, Hermione walked over.
Seeing Mrs. Weasley and Bill, she greeted them, then sat down beside Ron.
Mrs. Weasley glanced at Hermione, then at Ron, but in the end didn’t say anything.
"Eat a bit more, Harry," Ron said to Harry. "You’ll be competing soon; you can’t go into a match on an empty stomach, can you?"
"If I remember right, Harry’s supposed to compete after dinner," Fred said from the side. "Even if he doesn’t eat now, there’s still another meal this evening, my dear Little Ronnie..."
"Yeah, you’re in such a hurry to find something to talk about—what are you trying to hide?" George chimed in right after Fred. "Trying to stop Mum bringing up what you did in the Great Hall this morning? If you ask me, there’s nothing shameful about it. I think you could even have it carved on your tombstone, say that you fought to the bitter end with the worst... er, person in the world."
"Ronald Weasley!" Mrs. Weasley said fiercely. "You don’t honestly think that’s something to be proud of, do you!"
"No, Mum," Ron said meekly. "I’ve never thought it was anything to be proud of. Please don’t say any more."
"It’s good you understand!" Mrs. Weasley said heavily. "I don’t want to hear about anything like that happening again, is that clear?"
Ron agreed with his head down, looking utterly aggrieved.
After they’d eaten, Ron went off to the Magic Potion Class office to take his punishment, while Harry strolled around the castle with the Weasley family.
As they walked, Mrs. Weasley grew sentimental about the glorious days of the past, pointing out various places in the castle and telling her children about their parents’ love story.
Bill, on the other hand, developed a keen interest in the Sphinx, and even stayed in the Gryffindor common room chatting with the Sphinx for quite a long while, only rejoining the main group after three in the afternoon.
At dinnertime, they all returned together to the Hogwarts Great Hall.
This time everyone was there: Ludo Bagman and Cornelius Fudge were seated at the staff table. Bagman looked radiant, and Cornelius Fudge, who was sitting next to Mrs. Maxim, looked the same—quite cheerful as well.