Harry Potter and The Gilded Portrait
Standard disclaimers apply
Chapter Six - Celebrations
As Ron stood talking quietly to the two women at the end of the alley that passed in front of Purge and Dowse Megan produced a wand and held it out.
The next moment they were bathed in the wash of headlights from a large vehicle as it materialized out of nowhere. It was headed straight for them.
Ron reflexively grabbed Cassandra by the arm and pulled her out of the way as the Knight Bus sounded its strange horn and lurched to a stop right next to them in the middle of the intersection.
As Ron watched the door of the bus fold open a young blond haired bloke with a terrible overbite and a serious acne problem peered at them from the bottom step of the doorway.
They could hear the shriveled old driver Ernie cackling in the background.
The pimply-faced young man stepped off the bus, pulled a well worn laminated note card from his pocket and cleared his throat. The young lad's voice was comically stuck in between adolescence and adulthood. His pitch changed constantly as if he were trying to yodel. The effect was quite amusing.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transportation for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is…your name here," he muttered squinting at the card. He paused, shook his head with a frown, rolled his eyes then continued, "Sorry, still new at this. My name is Hubert Higbey and I'll be your conductor for this…"
Megan stopped his speech with an irritated wave of a hand as she stepped toward the door of the bus.
"Yes, yes Hubert," Megan sighed impatiently as she pushed the young conductor aside, "we know all about the Knight Bus love."
Before Ron knew it he was being swept up into the bus by a very excited and overly enthusiastic Cassandra.
Megan paused to tell Hubert their destination and dropped some galleons into his fingerless gloved hand. In return he produced three tickets.
Cassie towed a bewildered looking Ron toward the back but before they could get settled the old faded purple double-decker bus lurched forward instantly with a loud bang.
Cassie landed on top of Ron on one of the many beds positioned on either side of the isle. Cassie smiled down at him with a mischievous little grin and started snogging him senseless.
Megan, on the other hand, was thrown right on top of the young conductor. She landed on the startled lad with a shriek knocking them both to the floor.
They heard Ernie cackling again as they sped their way at break-neck speed through the dark and mostly deserted London streets.
Megan was struggling to get off the boy when she heard the muffled voice of Hubert below her.
"Beg pardon miss!"
Cassandra and Ron rushed to help Megan to her feet when they realized Hubert's head was tightly wedged between Megan's ample breasts. Cassandra exploded into a fit of squealing laughter as they finally got Megan upright.
The young conductor only laid there, a dazed and bewildered look on his crimson face.
Megan adjusted herself with a scowl at her best friend.
"Enjoyed that, did you?"
Cassandra could only nod as she tried to stifle her gleeful laughter.
Ron reached down and pulled the conductor stiffly to his feet. Hubert held out their tickets in a shaking hand. Megan snatched them with a glower as the young lad turned and fled to the front of the bus.
"I'll get that old tosspot if it's the last thing I do," Megan growled staring icy daggers at the back of Ernie's head.
"Oh stop Megan," Cassie chuckled, "I'm sure it wasn't intentional."
Megan's perfectly plucked and shaped eyebrows seemed to disappear into her hairline.
"Not intentional! That bloody old gas bag does that sort of thing every time we get on this stupid bus and you know it."
Cassie looked at Ron and shrugged. Ron worked hard to keep his face as neutral as possible. It was difficult with the picture of the young conductor's head wedged between Megan's big boobs. He tried to change the subject.
"So where's this, what's his name live?" his eyes shifting between Cassie and the older woman.
"You mean Darby?" Megan said, "He lives over in east London. It's not far."
He was beginning to wonder what he was getting himself into.
Cassie seemed to sense Ron's concern and patted his arm gently.
"Don't worry love. He's a really nice bloke. Loves a good party, he does and he's loads of fun to hang out with. You'll see."
She playfully towed Ron toward one of the beds once again as Megan followed close behind.
When the bus took another sharp turn Megan lurched to grab one of the many shiny silver metal poles put there for hand holds for standing passengers. She turned to glare at Ernie again. She could see his toothless grin in the rear view mirror.
Cassie had fallen on top of Ron again as they were tossed about and began snogging him even more intently.
Suddenly Ron found himself lost in this sexy and very pretty girl. He knew Cassandra must be a bit older than he was but she seemed to really like him. It was quite shocking since they had not known one-another for more than an hour. He was still quite dazed from the events earlier that evening at St. Mungo's but he couldn't seem to concentrate on anything other than her soft, warm lips and her slender, curvaceous body pressing him into the mattress of the bed they had fallen on.
He let himself become lost in the flowery scent of her perfume as his hands roamed over her body. Cassie writhed gently at Ron's touch. He could feel her intense need for…something as they lay there locked in a heated exchange of intense kisses.
He felt like a randy little bastard for letting himself enjoy the attention of this strange, affectionate girl.
His mind was suddenly filled with the memory of his snogging sessions with Lavender Brown. He recalled what it had been like to kiss his fellow Gryffindor classmate but as he lay there yielding to this strange girl's attention he realized it had been completely different. Kissing Lavender had been fun and thrilling and new…but that was all it was…just kissing. There was never a promise, unspoken or otherwise, of the possibility of something more.
Now, there with Cassandra, he was hit with the sudden notion her kissing seemed to hint that something more was not only possible, it was almost a certainty!
At that moment he realized he was with two real life scarlet women! It wasn't just a description of their behavior…it was what they really were!
Before he could stop it his mind's eye was next filled with the seemingly innocent face of Hermione Granger. The memory of how she had flung herself into his arms and kissed him that night in the room of requirement flooded his consciousness.
A sudden stab of guilt flashed across his mind but as he felt Cassandra's tongue swirl over his it evaporated just as quickly. It was replaced by the realization she had decided to go with Harry. Hermione had made a conscious choice to abandon him and his family in one of their darkest hours to be with The Bloody Savior of the Wizard World!
It frustrated him to know that. He tried to be angry with Harry as well but he knew he couldn't. Harry didn't cause Hermione to change her mind. In fact Harry had told her to go with him. It just made it seem that much worse. It made it seem like a conscious betrayal.
He decided then he would give himself over to this strange girl with no guilt or remorse.
If they can do as they please…so can I!
He heard Megan clear her throat from the bed next to them.
"Would you two please control your hormones for Merlin's sake? I'm getting queasy," she muttered.
She glanced toward the front of the bus where the young conductor was starring at Ron and Cassie with unveiled, slack-jawed fascination.
"I think our young Hubert there is about to swallow his bloody tongue." She chuckled.
Cassie reluctantly untangled herself from Ron and sat on the edge of the bad facing her friend. It took Ron a moment to get his wits about him then he sat up next to Cassie.
They spent the rest of the ride talking quietly among themselves as the Knight Bus hurled them through the London darkness.
Ron learned Cassie and Megan worked together at a place called The Dancing Leprechaun. It was a newer wizard pub just over the border in Scotland. He discovered they also worked in London at night sometimes to make extra money but they seemed reluctant to discuss exactly what that entailed.
Ron decided not to push for more information and pushed the thought from his mind as the Knight Bus came to a lurching halt. Peering out the windows he noticed they had stopped in a rather decrepit and run-down section of London.
As they disembarked the conductor bid them a hasty farewell as the bus sped off, disappearing into the night.
Ron found himself standing at the entrance to what looked like another alley. There were overflowing and overturned trash bins everywhere. The pungent smell of rotting refuse and what he thought might be urine permeated the air. He was about to ask the girls where they were taking him when Megan moved off into the alley at a brisk pace completely unconcerned about their surroundings.
Cassandra tugged on Ron's sleeve and began pulling him after Megan.
As they made their way down the dark alley Ron could see figures here and there moving in the shadows of the buildings on both sides. He tried to keep his fear from showing as they moved deeper down into the narrow lane.
Cassie held Ron's arm. She looked up at him with a smile.
"You'll like Darby. He's a lot of fun. He can tend to get a bit tipsy sometimes but he's pleasant enough." She paused as Ron looked down at her smiling face. He tried to smile back but it looked more like a grimace.
"Don't worry love!" Cassie laughed, "I promise you'll have a great time. You'll see!"
"Believe her Ron," Megan said, walking slightly ahead of them, "These folks know how to celebrate!"
A moment later, Megan guided them to a battered heavy metal door partially covered in peeling blue paint. The rest of the door was covered in rust. There was a small square portal about eye level.
Megan winked at Ron as she pounded hard on the door. When no one answered she pounded again.
It seemed like they waited for a long time as Ron peered nervously about. When he heard the awful screeching and grinding of metal on metal his attention was snapped back to the door. He watched as a panel slid back in the portal to reveal two dark eyes overshadowed by bushy pale blond eyebrows pinched closely together. The eyes looked angry.
"Who goesh there?" The eyes blinked and asked in a voice slurred by inebriation, "What do you want?"
"For Merlin's sake Darby," Megan's lips pursed as she put her hands on hips, "Are you so toasted that you don't recognize me?"
It took the eyes a moment to focus on Megan's face then they widened in surprise.
"Megan Youngblood! Ish that choo?"
"No, you barmy sot," she quipped, "I'm Voldemort come to curse your socks off! Now let us in!"
The eyes laughed raucously but then paused mid-chortle as they spied the other two.
"Who you got with ya?" The voice demanded.
"You know Cassandra," Megan said with a bit of irritation. She was about to introduce Ron when the eyes in the portal almost popped completely out of the opening when they focused on Ron's face.
"Great galloping ghosts!" The voice shouted, "I know that bloke. He'sh one o' them what off'ed the Dark Lord ishn't he?"
Ron could see the eyes roll up in thought and a long thin finger press against a blond go-tee below.
"Why, you're that Ronald Welby or Wiggly fellow or something like tha'. Am I right? Saw your picture in the Prophet I think? "
Before Ron's ire could spike and any of them could respond they heard a rusty bolt being thrown on the other side of the door.
"Come in…come in!" The voice said as he threw the door wide open.
When Ron's eyes finally adjusted to the light flooding the alley from the doorway he could finally make out the figure standing there.
Darby Danforth was a tall, rail thin bloke dressed in bright lemon-yellow robes and sporting a tall, pointy wizard hat.
"Greetings one and all," Darby shouted as he flung his arms wide, staggering a bit. The drink he was holding sloshed all over the place.
Megan stepped through the door and immediately danced to the right out of the way of the flying liquid. Cassandra towed Ron into the room as Darby staggered backward a bit. He seemed quite unsteady on his feet but he was smiling broadly at Ron with a fascinated gaze.
Another shorter man dressed in royal blue stepped forward and pulled the heavy steel door closed and slid the bolt home. He then turned to Ron and the others with a pleasant smile.
"Hello and welcome," he said, "I'm Leonardo Talbot, pleasure to meet you. You're a real hero!"
Ron only smiled and nodded at the man. He looked around and could see the place was packed with people. Everyone seemed to be dressed in brightly colored robes.
The floor of the room they were in was wide open to the ceiling above. The ceiling was exposed metal latticework with skylights set into the roof panels here and there. The second level seemed to consist of a wide balcony that ran all the way around the main floor. He saw slender white columns that held up the second floor balconies spaced evenly around the room.
Directly across from them was what looked like another entrance and two sets of wrought-iron and wood steps that went up to the balconies above on either side of the far entrance. Several other witches and wizards were entering at the other end.
Everyone seemed to be watching Ron and the girls as they made their way into the main room.
Ron noticed a small crowd under the balcony to the left then realized it was a bar that ran from one end of the far left wall to the other.
Bright lights, music and lively conversation filled the place. The pleasant positive energy all around them seemed to be infectious. Ron could feel the corner of his mouth twitching into a grin as he took it all in.
As the man named Leonard hugged both Megan and Cassandra Ron realized he seemed to know them quite well.
Cassie beamed up at Ron.
"What say we go have some fun?"
He watched as Megan slid her arm around a teetering Darby and wandered off into the crowded room. Ron smiled down at Cassandra widely and draped an arm over her shoulder nodding.
"Lead the way!" He grinned.
Before they could take more than a few steps Ron found himself being mobbed by a rush of genuinely fond greetings, well-wishing faces and quick introductions to almost everyone in the room. What shocked him more than anything was that they all seemed to know his name...his real name. Thankfully not everyone was a drunk as Darby.
Cassandra held on to Ron's arm tightly as people swarmed around them trying to get close enough to Ron to shake his hand or simply to pat him on the back, thanking him for what he had done to rid the world of the Dark Lord.
It was all a bit overwhelming but he was really enjoying the attention. Cassandra seemed to be enjoying it as well.
A few moments later a staggering Darby Danforth supported by Megan elbowed his way through the crush of well wishers and pressed a drink into Ron's hand. Megan handed one to Cassandra as well.
With that Darby raised a hand and shouted loudly above the throng.
"Here…Here," he hollered, "Attention everyone, SEE HERE…"
Everyone seemed to fall silent at Darby Danforth's request. He offered the room a crooked smile.
"That's lovely," he chuckled, "I would like to offer a toast!" He looked all around as most everyone hoisted their drinks into the air. He looked pointedly at Ron.
Ron wasn't exactly sure what he was supposed to do at that point so he hoisted his glass over his head.
"To Ron Wallaby," Darby shouted. Megan quickly put a hand to his ear and whispered something, "Wha…Oh, So Sorry." Darby said unabashed, "To Ron Weasley…The young man who aided in sending old Voldemort to the great beyond and make our world safe once again! We salute you!"
The rest of the crowd exploded shouting "SALUTE!" Then they all broke into a deafening cheer, "HIP HIP…HORAY…HIP HIP…HORAY!"
Ron couldn't believe what was happening. He simply couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that all those people were cheering for him.
He lowered his drink and drained the glass into his mouth. He had no idea what he had just drunk but at the moment he didn't care. Whatever it was burned his throat all the way to his gullet but he hardly noticed as most everyone around him drained their own glasses.
Before he knew it someone had pressed another full glass into his hand and without another thought he drained that one as well.
Cassandra sidled in front of him and capturing him with her arms around his neck kissed him hard and open-mouthed. When she pulled back from her heart-stopping kiss she smiled up at him.
"I told you, you're a hero."
The rest of the evening was spent mingling with anyone and everyone. Ron regaled them with descriptions of events over the past several months. Everyone listened with rapt attention and seemed to hang on his every word.
Ron told them of the time they were captured and taken to the Malfoy mansion where they managed to escape before Voldemort arrived. They were quite surprised to hear they had been sprung by a house elf.
He also told them of how they broke into Gringot's, how they had taken the battle to Hogwarts where they fought and eventually defeated the Dark Lord and his minions.
Everyone was enthralled and amazed at the details and Ron had no problem telling the tales over and over.
Before he realized how much time had past since they had arrived he found himself getting very tipsy. It seemed as soon as he would finish his drink another would be shoved into his hand.
What struck him as quite surprising is that Cassandra never left his side. She seemed to hang on his every word and marveled at his tales along with everyone else.
When they found themselves alone for a moment she pulled him into yet another heart-stopping snog then chuckled at the befuddled look on his face.
"You know Ron," she said, "You should write a book about all those things that happened to you and your friends. They're so exciting! I'll bet just about everyone in London would buy it. It would make a bloody fortune."
Ron considered her words for a moment. Even in his slightly pickled state the idea struck a cord inside him. He had never considered himself much of a story teller but he recalled how they all seemed mesmerized by his tales. He smiled down at his lovely companion.
"You know Cassie…that's a smashing idea. The wizard world needs to know what happened. They need to know the truth…(hic)…but how does one go about writing a book like that? Don't know if I'm much of a writer…"
Cassandra was about to respond when a short plump witch seemed to appear out of nowhere next to Cassie. She was wearing a shimmering silver dress and black glasses that were studded around the lenses with glittering rhinestones. She smiled widely at them.
"Forgive me" the woman said in a silky voice, "but I couldn't help overhear you say something about writing a book?"
Ron squinted at the woman then his eyes flew wide with recognition. Cassandra scowled at her.
"I know you! You're Rita Skeeter!"
"That I am, my dear and you're Ronald Weasley. One of the Golden Trio if I'm not mistaken," she beamed and held her hand out to Ron lavishly, "I don't recall having ever been formally introduced?"
Ron absently reached out to take her hand but Cassandra swatted it glaring at the older woman.
"Buzz off you old tart. Ron's with me!" She growled.
Rita was unaffected by Cassandra's display of territorial jealousy.
"How lovely dear," Rita gushed in her most silky manner, "but I'm afraid you misunderstand my intentions. I merely wish to inform Mr. Weasley that I am a published author specializing in the exact sort of book he wishes to write." Rita turned her attention back to Ron.
"Perhaps you've read some of my work? Armando Dippet; Master or Moron, or perhaps, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore? That was an international best-seller with global sales of over fifteen million copies to date. Those have sold out and the book is now in its third re-print."
Cassandra's surprised gaze snapped back to Rita's smiling face, "Fifteen million copies?"
"Indeed young lady," Rita smirked as she inspected her fingernails, "At twelve Galleons each…well, I'm sure you can do the required calculation darling."
"My next endeavor promises to be just as successful. It's going to be called Cornelius Fudge; The Unraveling of a Dictatorship. It's going to shed much needed light on the former Minister's attempts to use his influence and the power of his office to manipulate and suppress the truth while costing the Wizard world countless lives.
Ron looked at the woman with wide unfocused eyes.
"Yah, I remember The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore!" He snorted, "Hermione Granger wanted to curse you into oblivion over that one."
At the mention of Hermione's name Rita physically winced, blinking her eyes rapidly.
"Really?" Rita asked a bit nervously offering them a shaky smile, "Is the…erm…lovely Ms. Granger in attendance tonight?"
"What?" Ron asked a bit confused, "No…no. Have no idea where she is. Last I knew she was still at Hogwarts with Harry."
"You don't say!" Rita's eyes narrowed.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ron asked angrily.
"Beg pardon?" Rita looked pointedly at Ron, "Oh nothing. Nothing at all," she said waving a hand, "Now, Mr. Weasley…about that book…"
Before Rita left she had a firm commitment from Ron for a formal interview to discuss the possibility of telling what Rita had cleverly described as his side of the story.
The whole time the older woman was there Cassandra regarded her with barely veiled contempt. When Rita walked off Cassandra continued to glare at the woman's back.
"I don't know that I care for that smarmy little witch," she said, "but I must admit…fifteen million copies is nothing to sneeze at Ron."
"That's a bloody trunk load of galleons isn't it?" Ron remarked grinning.
"It certainly is love!" Cassandra beamed up at him.
It was not long after Megan found them and suggested they go to The Dancing Leprechaun before the placed closed for the night. Ron was a bit apprehensive at first because he had no money. The girls assured him there would be no need for money. With his new-found fame and the fact the girls knew everyone in the place they assured him he would be well taken care of.
This time however they decided to apparate instead of taking the Knight Bus. Megan was still a bit miffed at Ernie and with them being a bit tipsy there was no telling how they would end up tossed around inside the thing.
Much to Ron's surprise The Dancing Leprechaun was a real authentic Muggle Scottish pub. Again the place was packed with all manner of witches and wizards celebrating the death of the Dark Lord.
Once again Ron was the toast of the night. Just as the girls had said all three of them were treated to all the food, drink and attention they wished. The celebration went on into the wee hours of the morning until Megan decided they had all had quite enough.
Ron was positively obliterated when Cassandra, not quite as pissed, side-along apparated Ron to their flat just outside of a town called West Tallyvale.
The last thing Ron remembered before blissful unconsciousness swept over him was Cassandra's sweet warm lips nibbling at his ear.
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