Written For:

- Chocolate Frog Cards: Audrey Weasley (Bronze) Challenge: Write a story developing the unknown character of Audrey Weasley

- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Charmed: (Dialogue) "Oh, that's just [Insert Name]. She's got to be everyone's mom. Think of her as your mom, I know I do."

- Gringotts Prompt Bank/The Inbetweeners: (Action/Scenario) Meeting new friends

Word Count: 1,452

"Everyone," Hermione said, as she entered the living room of the Burrow, with a friend tow. "This is Audrey."

The Weasleys and Harry all looked up, smiling at Audrey. She was a petite strawberry blonde, with heavyset dimples and pretty chestnut eyes, and she was smiling back at everyone, though her hands were folded in front of her, as though she was slightly nervous. "Hello," she greeted timidly, glancing between each of the Weasleys.

"Audrey is a Muggle," Hermione started, and everyone suddenly lapsed into panic. Molly was supervising a pair of knitting needles, which were hurriedly spinning up a chunky, multi-coloured scarf. At the word 'Muggle', the needles fell to the chair they were hovering above, and Molly sat down on the scarf quickly. "But," Hermione went on, shooting a glare around the room. "She's not an ordinary Muggle. Do you think I'd be as daft as to bring a Muggle into the most magical house in Britain?" Hermione laughed. "Tell them, Audrey."

Audrey cleared her throat a little. "Erm, well - I live next door to Hermione's parents - well, where they used to live, before they moved to Australia. I've been friends with Hermione since I was a little girl, but I only just found out that she was a witch last year - with all of the stuff about You-Know-Who," her voice dropped as she mentioned the Voldemort, and a series of shocked glances flurried around the living room. "My mother is a Muggleborn witch, you see," Audrey went on. "But my father is a Muggle. I guess the gene just skipped me." She smiled as she finished her spiel, and Molly sighed in relief, allowing her knitting to jump back into the air and continue working.

Hermione sat down on an empty couch, and Audrey quickly scooted next to her. The conversation didn't start back up, and Audrey soon began to regret accepting Hermione's offer of joining her for dinner with friends. She felt like she was under observation.

"So, why did you come for dinner today, Audrey?" the only girl amongst the red-headed brothers spoke up. "I'm Ginny, by the way." Ginny had a bright smile and a fiery look in her brown eyes, and Audrey felt automatically warmed towards her.

"I'm sorry...I didn't realise Hermione hadn't already asked if I could come along," Audrey replied, feeling her cheeks growing hot. She shot a friendly glare at her old neighbour, and Hermione just chuckled. "Well, I was telling Hermione that I've always wanted to know more about the Wizarding World. My mother has always kept my father and I a little in the dark, you see. Hermione was really cool about it—she told me all about your school and stuff, and told me all about you guys. I was really interested, so she invited me along to meet her friends."

"Well, of course we're glad to meet you, dear," the older woman in the room said. She walked across the room and wrapped Audrey in a warm hug, and Audrey blinked over her shoulder at Hermione. When she pulled away, the woman grinned around the room. "Now, everyone's going to stop acting so awkward and make Audrey feel at home, aren't they?" She narrowed her eyes, and everyone in the room quickly dissolved into conversation between themselves.

The older woman nodded and left the living room, heading into the kitchen. Audrey sighed in relief, and leaned back on the sofa. "Is she always so full on?" she asked in a low voice, so that only Hermione could hear.

Hermione chuckled again, and nodded. "Oh, that's just Molly," she said. "She's got to be everyone's mum. Just think of her as your mum, I know I do."

Audrey nodded slowly, and looked around the room, observing everyone else now that she wasn't under scrutiny. She recognised Harry Potter straight away from Hermione's description—he was the only one in the room besides Hermione that didn't have bright red hair, and he was sitting closely with Ginny. He had scruffy black hair and deep green eyes behind his round spectacles.

Ron must have been the one who was sitting in the seat closest to Hermione. He was lanky, wearing a knitted sweater that was much too small for him, and a slightly gormless expression on his face.

The oldest man in the room was seemingly the father of the Weasley's and Molly's husband. Audrey took in the way he kept shooting interested glances in her direction, and remembered Hermione mentioning how much Arthur Weasley was fascinated by Muggles. She made a mental note to expect a series of questions fired her way, once they became acquainted.

Hermione had told Audrey how the Weasley's had lost one of their sons; a twin. She figured that George, the remaining twin, was the brother sitting by the window. He was the only one who hadn't really paid any attention to Audrey's entrance. His unkempt hair was hanging in his face, and there was a shade of stubble around his chin and neck. He was resting his chin on the flat part of his palm and staring out into the garden, deep in thought. Audrey's heart wrenched at the sight of him—she hadn't been unlucky enough to lose a loved one, and couldn't imagine how he was feeling.

That left the remaining brother, Percy. Of course, there were two more, but Hermione had told Audrey that the oldest, Bill, lived by the sea, and Charlie was away in Romania, studying dragons. Percy, however, was watching her with interest behind his horn-rimmed spectacles, and sitting up straight in his seat. His red hair was slightly curly, and he was wearing a brown pinstripe suit instead of robes, like the rest of his family.

As Percy noticed Audrey looking his way, a pink tinge spread across his nose and cheeks, and he looked down at his fingernails quickly. Audrey felt a nudge in her side, and looked at Hermione, who was grinning. "I think you have an admirer," she whispered, and Audrey rolled her eyes.

oOo

Audrey was placed next to Percy at dinner, and she figured that he may have had something to do with it. His previous embarrassment had quickly subsided, and he was making a deliberate effort to talk to Audrey.

"I don't usually communicate with Muggles," Percy was saying through a sip from his goblet. "But I do find you quite interesting, Audrey."

Audrey raised an eyebrow. "Communicate?" she repeated, feigning offence. "You make it sound like you don't often talk to dogs, Percy."

The familiar pink flush spread across Percy's face once again. "No, I didn't mean it like that—oh, Merlin, you must think I'm so rude..."

Audrey laughed. "I'm joking. I know what you meant."

"I work at the Ministry of Magic, you see," Percy continued, puffing out his chest slightly. "I'm the personal assistant to the Minister of Magic, and the jobs I usually partake in don't often involve Muggles."

"What's that, Percy?" George spoke up from besides Percy. He seemed to have perked up a little since earlier on—there was more colour in his cheeks and a friendly sparkle in his eye. "You're the personal assistant to the Minister of Magic? How come you never told us?"

"George, you haven't heard?" replied Ron. "Percy's now officially told everyone...in the world." George and Ron started to laugh, and a few titters echoed around the table. Percy pressed his lips together and took another sip from his goblet, staring into the bottom of the cup.

Audrey felt defensiveness flooding through her chest, and she forced a smile. "Well, I happen to think that personal assistant to the Minister of Magic is a remarkable job, actually," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "What is it that you do again, Ronald?"

Ron's smile was wiped from his face instantly. "I...erm...I'm..." he mumbled something incoherent.

"What's that?" Audrey called, cupping her hand to her ear.

"I'm unemployed at the moment," he said, his ears turning pink. Audrey nodded, as if to say 'I told you so.' She turned to George. "And you?"

He shrugged, and batted a hand at Audrey. "I own a joke shop. No biggie." He smiled at Audrey, however, as she placed a hand on Percy's arm. "Little defensive of old Perce, are you, Audrey?" he winked, and Audrey blushed. "Looks like you've got a new friend, brother."

Audrey rolled her eyes good-humouredly, and turned to Percy, who was still staring into the bottom of his cup. As the conversation began to rise again around the table, he looked up at her. "Thanks for that," he said quietly.

Audrey smiled and squeezed his arm gently. "No problem."