Chapter 21 - The Winds of War
Rose Weasley sat in the Gryffindor common room studying for her mid-term exams. She was in the middle of memorizing the ingredients of Polyjuice for Potions, when she heard a female voice call her name. She looked up and saw Samantha Porter, a bright brunette fourth year whom she knew was a good friend of her cousin James.
"Rose, may I sit down?"
Rose nodded. She noticed that Samantha looked a little anxious as she sat down in the armchair next to her. She was carrying a copy of The Daily Prophet in her hands.
"What is it, Samantha?" Rose asked, fearing it was not good news.
"Please call me Sam." She bit her lip. "Have you seen yesterday's paper?"
Rose shook her head. "No, I've been ignoring all outside distractions because I have exams this week, why?"
"Well, I wasn't sure if I should show this to you but it looks like James' mum gave an interview to the Prophet and it makes his dad and your mum look bad."
Rose grabbed the newspaper out of the older girl's hand and read the headline.
"Oh, no! I can't believe Aunt Ginny would do this!"
Her studying forgotten, Rose read the entire article as Sam watched her. Rose sighed, rolled her eyes and when she was done, handed the paper back to Sam in disgust.
"I am really worried about James." Sam said. "I haven't heard from him since I sent him an owl over the weekend and I have no idea when he's coming back to school. I just hope he hasn't seen this."
Rose nodded. "I am, too. I'm also worried more for my cousins Al and Lily because they are so young and won't really understand this. Hugo, too."
She exhaled. "My aunt is a real piece of work! I can't believe that she thinks that people will buy this rubbish. I know for a fact that my mum and Uncle Harry did not have an affair because I asked her myself!"
Rose continued. "And this part about the locket, Aunt Ginny conveniently leaves out that it wasn't a romantic gift. My mum told me that Uncle Harry got that for her when she was pregnant with me. Mum keeps pictures of Hugo and me in there. It was an innocent gift."
"Well, it's obvious that she's twisting their close friendship into something else." Samantha said. "I also have a feeling that she's the one behind me not hearing from James. He wouldn't not respond to me, not now."
"What do you mean by not now?" Rose asked.
Samantha blushed in the firelight. "Well, James and I are together now. We started dating a couple of weeks ago."
Rose nodded as she was not too surprised to hear this. "I always thought there was something between you two."
"Really? Was it that obvious?" Sam asked.
"Yes, I noticed it this past summer during Uncle Harry's birthday party. You and James kept stealing looks at each other when you thought the other wasn't looking."
Sam blushed and smiled. "Yeah, I suppose we were doing that." Her smile faded.
"Anyway, I'm just worried about him because I know he would've owled me by now. I think his mother is keeping him from writing to me. I know she never really liked me but I don't know what I ever did to upset her."
"Well, I have a feeling that Aunt Ginny doesn't like you because she senses how close you two are. She thinks that you're stealing her firstborn away from her now that you are his girlfriend."
Samantha nodded, amazed how observant Rose was. "You may be right."
"But I just can't sit here, Rose. I feel like I have to do something to help James. It's obvious that his mother is trying to ruin his dad's name and take the kids away from him. I know how much James loves his dad - they are very close. It would break his heart if he couldn't see his father."
Rose had an idea. "Well, why don't you write a letter to the paper? They print letters to the editor, don't they?"
"But I'm only fourteen!" Samantha exclaimed. "Do you really think they'd really print a letter from a girl my age?"
"Sam, I know you're one of the brightest in your year and I'm sure you could write a letter that would rival any adult witch or wizard."
"And I know that you are the brightest witch in your year, Rose." Sam replied. "You could do the same."
"Me?" Rose said, blushing. "But I'm only twelve!"
"Twelve going on twenty." Sam smirked. "Don't you see? If you wrote a letter defending your mum and your uncle, it would speak volumes. It would also make your Aunt Ginny look really bad for exposing this kind of rubbish to children."
"You just want to get back at her for keeping you and James apart." Rose said, raising her eyebrows.
Sam looked down. "Okay, so I have selfish reasons. But I just don't want James to lose his dad."
Rose smiled conspiratorially. "It's okay to have selfish reasons. I love my Aunt, I really do, but I think she did a terrible thing here and she needs to learn a lesson that she can't print rubbish about people I love and get away with it!"
Sam smiled in relief. "Great, I'm going up to my room to write a letter. Do you want to join me or do you want to finish your studying?"
Rose looked at her schoolbooks guiltily, she did have a few more hours of studying to complete.
"Um, I think I'll stay here and finish my work."
Sam looked a little disappointed. "Okay, I'll see you later, Rose."
As Sam headed up the stairs to the girls' dorms, she heard Rose's voice.
"Sam? I've changed my mind. Some things are more important than studying."
She smiled as the younger girl gathered up her books and followed her up the stairs.
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James Sirius Potter was restless and bored out of his mind. It was a rainy late October afternoon and he was stuck in his Uncle Ron's childhood bedroom. Al and Lily were in their adopted rooms taking a nap.
He wanted to go back to Hogwarts so badly and see his girlfriend, Sam. He missed her so much. He thought about her smile and her bright hazel eyes, her voice saying his name and her kiss….
Just then a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"James, honey, why don't you come downstairs and help me with dinner?"
He rolled his eyes at his mother's voice but got off the bed and opened it.
"I'll help with dinner, Mum." He agreed mostly out of boredom and that he actually liked preparing the food, it was something that he inherited from his dad.
He entered the kitchen, which smelled like herbs and spices. "What are we having for dinner?"
"Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and a side of vegetables. I'd like you to help slice the carrots."
Ginny said, handing him a knife and a bunch of carrots. She in turn, started to slice the zucchini.
James began to cut the vegetables in silence. Ginny noticed that her eldest son had been unusually quiet lately and only responded to her when necessary.
"So, James, what is new?" She asked, trying to start a conversation.
"Nothing." James replied.
"Well I suppose this rain has prevented you from practicing Quidditch. I've heard on the wireless that tomorrow it should improve, so you should be able to get in some time on your Firebolt."
"Whatever." James said, rolling his eyes.
Ginny put down her knife and bewitched it to continue the slicing and dicing.
"James, what is it? You barely say two words to me anymore."
Her son put his knife down and glared at his mother. "What is it, Mum? Are you really that clueless?"
Ginny stared at him, speechless.
"First of all, you pull me and Al out of school, telling us that you and Dad are splitting up and that we're not allowed to see Dad, with barely an explanation. Then you won't let me send an owl back to my girlfriend just to tell her how I am doing. And you won't even let us know when we're allowed to go back to Hogwarts! And don't get me started on the rubbish you've been selling in the papers."
Ginny was shocked. "How did you know about the papers?"
"When I took out the trash yesterday, I saw the recycling pile and I saw that interview you gave to the Prophet. If you hadn't intended me to see that, you should've done a better job of hiding it!"
She held out a placating hand to her son. "James, I had no intention of letting you see that. I wanted to protect you."
"Protect me?" James snorted. "By locking me up in Uncle Ron's old room while you talk about your private life all over the papers? What kind of mother are you?"
"James, you are still a child!" Ginny said calmly. "I am your mother, and you have no right to speak to me like that!"
"I'm not a child!" James roared. "I'm fourteen, and I think I am old enough to decide who I want to live with. And right now, that parent is not you!"
Ginny watched in horror as her eldest son stormed up the stairs, she followed him but he had locked his door.
"Alohomora!" Ginny pointed her wand, the door flew open and she found James packing his rucksack.
"Where do you think you're going, young man?" She asked, her hands on hips and her face as red as her hair.
"To Dad's, and you can't stop me."
"Oh yes I can." Ginny threatened. "I don't use a lot of dark magic around the house, but I can dig up some of my old hexes when I need to."
"Oh, like that bat bogey hex of yours? Mum, that is so 1995!" James sneered.
His bag packed, he picked up his Firebolt and walked past his shocked mother. When she realized he was actually leaving she panicked.
"James, please don't go, you can't leave me!" Ginny pleaded. "I love you, James, don't go! You would leave your only mother?"
James looked at her in disgust. "A good mother wouldn't pull the crap that you have."
He put his rucksack on his back, opened the back door and kicked off on his Firebolt, leaving Ginny standing there in shock. What was she going to tell Al and Lily?
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Harry was in the kitchen cooking dinner when he heard a knock on the door. He opened the door and saw a flushed James standing there holding his broom in one hand and his rucksack in the other.
"Hey Dad, got room for one more for dinner tonight?"
Harry let his son in and hugged him.
"James, you look upset. What happened?"
"I'm moving in with you. I can't stand it at the Burrow anymore."
He sat down at the kitchen table and proceeded to tell his father about his row with his mother, including the mess about the Daily Prophet.
Harry prepared some additional food for his son as he listened. "I'm so sorry you had to read that interview. You know that it was rubbish, don't you?"
"Of course I do." James said. "I know you and Aunt Hermione have feelings for each other, but I know you wouldn't cheat on Mum. How could she have thought that she could do that interview but not expect me to find out?"
"I don't know, son. I really have no idea what was going though her head."
Meanwhile Harry caught James up about his dinner with Hermione and his visit with Ron.
As they sat down to eat James said. "Mum is going to blow a gasket when she finds out that Uncle Ron is writing a letter for you." He paused. "I almost feel sorry for her."
"Don't you mean sorry for Uncle Ron?" Harry asked. "Your mum might unleash her bat bogey hex on him."
James rolled his eyes at the mention of that hex.
"No, what I meant was all of this stuff that Mum has been doing to keep Lily, Al and me is going to blow up in her face. If her own brother isn't supporting her in this, she's in real trouble. But she brought this all on herself."
Harry had to agree. But he did feel a little sorry for Ginny because as she continued to wage her war with him, she was losing sympathizers one by one. He hoped she would eventually realize that she was fighting a losing battle.
TBC
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