Chapter 8
Ginny jumped up and ran for the other room, calling for her mother. Harry and Ron picked Mari up off of the floor and carried her into where the rest of the family was. Arthur jumped up off of the sofa, allowing the two boys to lay her down. Charlie dropped down on the floor next to her and took her hand. "What happened?" he asked.
While the four teens explained, Molly cast a quick enervate on Mari. "What am I doing in here?" she asked. "I was sitting in the kitchen, looking at the beautiful halo that forms around Ron and Hermione, and Harry and Ginny." She looked around the room at each of the faces. "It's like the one that forms around Arthur and Molly when they get close to each other." She looked at Molly and Arthur, "Yours is a dark blue," she told them, and then looked over at Ron and Hermione. "Yours is dark red." She then looked at Harry and Ginny, "Yours is the most unusual that I've ever seen, its gold. But not the gaudy color they use for cheap jewelry. It's almost the color of those old goblets that were used long ago."
Charlie laughed, "Mari, in the Wizarding World, we use goblets all of the time."
Molly slapped him in the back of the head. "Have you always been able to see the halos?" she asked.
Mari smiled, "Ever since I was about seven or eight. My aunt thought that it was something wrong with my eyesight."
"You're just seeing auras," Molly told her. "A lot of witches and wizards can see them."
Mari sat up, "That doesn't explain me fainting." Molly patted her on the head.
"I'm sure that it's nothing dear," Molly said. "We'll have Madam Pomfrey check you out tomorrow."
The next morning, Charlie took Mari to Hogwarts. Madam Pomfrey checked her out and found nothing wrong. "You seem to be in perfect health," the medi-witch told her.
"It was probably just delayed shock," she said.
Madam Pomfrey nodded her head. "It could very well have been. I heard that you were trying to protect Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione."
Charlie ran his hand through Mari's hair. "They tell me that she destroyed a killing curse that was sent at them."
Madam Pomfrey patted her arm. "I'm sure that you will be just fine. I'll floo Albus, the two of you can head up to his office," she said as she walked into her office.
Charlie led her through the castle, stopping when they arrived at the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to the Headmaster's office. "Hermione said that she will have a schedule worked out for your lessons when we get back," he told her.
"If I believe Harry and Ron, she's only going to leave me about an hour to eat all three of my meals and to spend with you," she laughed.
Charlie put his arm around her. "I've heard stories like that from them. I'm sure that they were just exaggerating."
Hermione was waiting for them when they walked in the door. "I have your schedule all worked out," she told Mari. "There's not much time left over, but I'm sure that you want to learn everything as quickly as possible."
Mari and Charlie sat down at the table and looked over the schedule. "Hermione, I'm afraid that she is going to need a bit more time for household spells, and healing and a lot less in transfiguration, defense and history of magic," Charlie said as he handed the schedule back to Hermione.
"I'm trying to give her enough education that she can take her N.E.W.T.s," Hermione said.
Mari looked at the schedule again, "Hermione, I already have my career chosen. I have a Muggle degree in Veterinary Medicine, healing is the most important thing that I can learn."
Hermione looked crestfallen, "But don't you want to learn everything?"
"Hermione," Mari said, taking the girl's hand. "I'm a vet, I love working with animals. I'm sure that even if there isn't a job in the Wizarding World for me, there will be in the Muggle world. I can live in both, if Charlie can."
Hermione picked up the schedule and stood up, "I guess that I have to change this around."
Charlie smiled at her, "Make sure that you leave plenty of time for Mari and I to spend together. That's the only way that she'll know if she wants to marry me."
When Hermione left the room, Mari turned to him. "Honestly Charlie, I can tell you right now that I'm going to marry you. There is nowhere in the Wizarding World or the Muggle World that I could find someone as wonderful as you." She leaned forward and kissed him. "I just have one question," she said.
Charlie cleared his throat, "And what would that be?"
"Are we going to move to Romania?" she asked.
Molly stood outside the kitchen door with tears in her eyes, waiting for her sons answer. She would be planning a wedding for Charlie soon.