by Meg Boyd » Thursday 31 July 2003 2:10:39pm
ahh, well, these are really minor spoilers in this one, and so far the only people that i know read this have also read book 5...
There was a loud “umph” and sound of shuffling feet and then the door swung open to reveal the round glowing face framed by brunette wisps belonging to the brown plait twisted upon the young woman’s head.
“Oh good morning Mrs. Williams! How good it is to see you! I hope you are feeling well.” The young woman said as she moved one of her hands to her back to brace her self of the weight of her large, swelling belly.
“I am just fine dear, and I hope you are well also, and I must say you are as radiant as ever. You know a woman only gets prettier as her condition grows.” Mrs. Williams said
“Well at this rate I ought to be the prettiest girl in all of Britain, the way I keep growing and growing. I’ll be the size of a house by the time I come to full term.” The young woman said giggling, placing her free hand over her mouth.
“The child will come soon enough, dear. Children are a blessing, but enjoy these last moments with your husband alone…it just might be the last time you see him properly until the babe goes to school.” Mrs. Williams said, trying to peer past the woman’s shoulder into the house, “Oh, my I’ve forgotten promptly haven’t I? Here I baked you this cake made with fresh blueberries!”
Mrs. Williams held the cake out, and realized that the woman was in no condition to carry the heavy cake.
“Here, let me carry this to your kitchen.” She said, her voice brightening with her growing excitement. This was a perfect chance to peer into the lives of these odd balls!, “I’ll even cut it up for you and the mister.”
“Thank you ever so much, Mrs. Williams.” The young woman said, waddling through the hall towards the kitchen.
Mrs. Williams’s eyes had never such a feast before. In all corners were knick-nacks that clicked and clacked in odd ways, a large broom by the hearth she could have sworn had the inscription of Cleansweep Eleven, photographs of people (presumably friends and family) that seemed to move when her back was turned, and large clock with no numbers, only destinations and the hands had faces on it instead of arrows. She peered closer at the clock and saw that some of the faces pointed to home, some to travel, and even some to a place called The Burrow.
"What is this, my dear? I have never seen such a thing? What ever does it do?" Mrs. Williams, pried, her free hand slowing reaching for the hand that bore the face of a dark haired man with shocking green eyes that pointed towards "Work". Something about that face seemed vaguely familar, as if she had dreamed about it was, when she was a small child, but all that remained of the dream was a foggy mess.
‘Oh I see you’ve found my husbands clock.” The young woman said, glancing back nervously, “Its a rather of a joke; it is supposed to show where all his friends and family are at a given moment, but we all know that clocks can’t do that. It was a gag gift from his brothers. They own a joke shop in London, did you know? I’d be careful getting too close to it; it sprays the offender with water if one strays too near. I’ve always wanted to get rid of that clock, but my husband insists that we keep it”
Mrs. Williams jolted back to reality.
The young woman placed her hands on the old woman’s shoulders as if to lead her away from the clock was very, very urgent indeed.
They had reached the kitchen where Mrs. Williams set the cake down. As usual the kitchen was as clean as ever, and the owl was long gone from the window. Instead a newspaper and a letter lay on the window sill. Mrs. Williams then directed her attention to scanning the kitchen for more oddities. Her eyes stopped at the ice box...
“Well, Mrs. Williams I think I can handle it from here. Thank you very much for the blueberry buckle; I am sure my husband will find it very tasty.”
Mrs. Williams jerked out of her concentration of looking at the oddly titled cook books on the top of the ice box, such as Fantastic Feasts in Five Minutes and Helpful Cooking Hints from House Elves.
“Oh yes, ah, anytime dear, anytime…well…uh…have a good day…”Mrs. Williams said, obviously nervous to be in the home of anyone who had a book that mentioned elves.
She quickly trotted back through the parlor and the hall back to the door, down the steps and across to her own home, closing the door with a sigh of relief.
"House elves???? Never, in all my days as President of the Ladies..." trailed off Mrs. Williams. She was in such a shocked state, she didn't even bother sniffing at number 11 Grenwild Drive (as she usually did every morning) because of the loud strains of New Found Glory music that boomed across the way.
In the cozy, clean kitchen of number 8 Grenwild Drive, the young woman also breathed a large sigh of relief.
“I thought she’d never leave. I told him we oughtn’t to have that clock in plain view.” The woman said aloud, crossing back towards the clock to the stairs.
In the upper level, the young woman opened a bedroom door that creaked as it swung wide; leaving a chink of soft yellow light that pored across the floor and upon the bed revealing a great lump covered in a green and blue patchwork quilt...
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