Here Comes Ginny/Literally Bumping Into One Another
"...*I hate this*. For the record, I *REALLY hate* this."
As if on cue, all of the Bucket-Wonka family rolled their eyes at Will Stacks' back- even little 'Noodle', who was only five-going-on-six.
"Let's just *check the record*, shall we- hmm??" Willy muttered under his breath while making believe he was flipping through a file. "...Ah! Oh, yes! Here we are- and here's the lovely Miss Grace last year telling you, 'You shouldn't do this. You will *HATE* this. You will *REALLY hate* this.' Scratch or strike that and reverse it NOTHING!"
Ginny sighed almost explosively and mumbled back as she pretended to strike a classic 'Stacks pose' and mimic his voice, "'It'll all be WORTH IT when I win!'"
Charlie tisked and shook his head of dark blond hair. "He's a good man- *he IS*, we all know this. And he does need something more in his life ...but I don't quite think it's THIS. Running for mayor, I mean."
"Candy doesn't *HAVE TO have a point*. That's why it's CANDY," said Noodle quietly.
Her Auntie Ginny added with a small soft smile, "It's not *the CHOCOLATE* that matters most. It's the people you share it with..."
"That's right, Gingerbread Girl and our little Apple Streudel," Willy said just as softly with a loving smile and gently-twinkling eyes. "You, your Gramma, and your papa are so very right."
Noodle made a face and gave her beloved daddy a Look. "If Mr. Will *DOESN'T want to* do this, then why is he doing what we do WILLINGLY sometimes anyway??" she queried. She was a smart little girl, almost on par with young Matilda ...but still an innocent child.
But it was neither one of her fathers who answered her. It was her auntie, because she UNDERSTOOD just as much as Will Stacks, Willy Wonka, and Charlie Bucket- and past!Noodle. "Because if he wants *ANY chance* of winning this thing, he has to remember *where he came from*."
"Oh..." mumbled Noodle. "Yeah- okay, that makes sense."
Which was why twenty minutes later, Will Stacks of Stacks Mobile stood along with the Bucket-Wonka family at the buffet line of a local soup kitchen serving out bowls of soup and plates of food to Brooklyn's less fortunate. He smiled and laughed with the other volunteers and made small talk with each person he served, but there was something about him that seemed- *awkward*. Stiff. Not naturally warm, as with Willy, Charlie, Ginny, Noodle, and sometimes Mrs. Lisa Wonka and Miss Lavender Brown.
*To THEM*, it was more-or-less natural and easy as breathing ...because at some point or other, they'd been in the thin worn shoes of the poor. Will had, too- it just didn't seem like it to the many reporters snapping pictures and taking notes.
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Ginny had, in fact, NOT gone to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and been sorted into Gryffindor, let alone had a huge crush/fallen in love with, dated, and eventually married Harry James Potter-Evans. Because after hearing of certain *PLANS* to do with especially her where poor Harry was concerned in order to become rich again rather than practically dirt-poor 'thanks' to a feud with the Malfoy family, she'd packed up everything she owned and ran away from the Burrow on the outskirts of Ottery St. Catchpole in Devon, England. Run away from England altogether. She had been seven years old at the time- and *BEYOND disgusted and heartbroken* with every single one of her now-former family save for Fred, who was actually *her COUSIN* but had been taken from his own family so as to give the Weasleys seven children. A lucky number in magic...
How had she run away, exactly??? She'd snuck down in the dead of night to the living-room, taken a handful of Floo Powder out of the small bowl on the mantelpiece, resolutely stepped into the fireplace with tears staining her freckled cheeks and lips white and set, and thrown the Floo Powder down while choking out, "*Anywhere that's NOT HERE and doesn't like Albus Dumbledore, much less revere him*!"
Then in a WHOOSH of magical bright green flames, she'd been shot up the chimney ...and eventually landed tumbling head-over-heels into the kitchen of the Wonka family, startling the life out of Mrs. Lisa Wonka, her son Willy, and more than a few Oompa-Loompas, all having a nice midnight cup of homemade hot chocolate or tea. Luckily, she had not been much hurt as there was a soft fluffy rug on the floor in front of the hearth. A few bruises, at most.
After sobbing and sniffling out her whole sad awful story (adding amidst it almost shyly that she was rather interested in cooking, baking, ...and making candy), Ginny had not become just a foster-child ...but *one of the family*. Mrs. Lisa was now her 'mum', and Willy was her brother. Charlie, when he had eventually come along, was her brother-in-law- and dear sweet little 'Noodle' was her beloved niece.
Instead of a famous Quidditch star and wife of the Boy-Who-Lived/Chosen One, Ginerva 'Ginny' *Fiona Wonka* happily spent her days whipping up, molding, 'baking', decorating, wrapping, and selling all kinds of wonderful delicious chocolates and other kinds of candy. These days, *THIS century*, she and her family were even adding BAKED GOODS to their line-up, which was also a big hit! After all, sweets were sweets were sweets at the end of the day...
And sometimes on their off-days, the Bucket-Wonka family would volunteer and/or entertain at homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and hospitals; especially during the holidays.
No spouse(s) or kids yet- just a beloved girlfriend whom she'd been 'going steady' with for quite some time. She wanted to take her time, now that she and 'just Harry' wouldn't be pushed and forced into a love-potion-induced relationship and marriage. Thankfully, her new mum and her brothers quite understood ...though that didn't stop the other Bucket-Wonkas from wondering and dreaming about what their Ginny's eventual wedding with Miss Lavender would be like. *Beautiful and heartfelt*, certainly; and of course with CHOCOLATE on the menu and (semi) for the wedding cake...!
-As of late, however, for all of her good fortune, Ginny Wonka's heart had felt, well... *EMPTY*. She was yearning and longing for SOMETHING- *someone*. *But WHO*???
Deep DEEP down, she had the answer ...but it strangely eluded her as much as that of Will Stacks, one of hers' and Willy's former classmates who was now rich and famous himself.
-Will Stacks who had just *spat out a mouthful of mashed potatoes all over the people waiting in line*. Not ON PURPOSE, mind you- but it was by no means going to look good to the papers and public. Photographers were already snapping picture after picture.
Even young Noodle groaned and slapped her forehead.
"It is a sign: just because Sahib CAN run for Mayor doesn't mean that *he SHOULD*," was the quiet input of one of Will Stacks' bodyguards Punjab (who was also a distant relation of dotty Indian Prince Prince Pondicherry of the palace made *ENTIRELY out of chocolate* from the bricks and cement to the furniture, intending to only LIVE IN it and not eat it).
"Try convincing HIM of that," grumbled Ginny, already starting to feel a stress headache come on. She grimaced and rubbed at her temples, then painted a smile back on her pretty freckled face that just managed to reach her caramel-brown eyes and make them faintly sparkle as she went back to serving and making small talk along with her family. She just KNEW that a video of this would not only go viral, but be *PARODIED* the same way as the Disney song 'Let It Go' when 'Frozen' had been released in 2013. *GREAT*- *just great*...
Videos complete with sound effects of him spitting on *kittens, puppies, bunny rabbits, pandas, Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, and even the president of the United States*. LOVELY. *Bloody brilliant*. -*NOT*.
*Just HOW* would he live THIS down???!!! And *make up for it*???! It was Justin Bieber all over again...
After they were finished, Ginny was going to take a nice long walk. *Alone*- no offense to her family.
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*SHOCKER*: Will Stacks, who to most people's knowledge had always preferred a private car, was 'taking the air' himself.
"Okay- what happened??" Ginny wanted to know with a delicate raise of one fiery auburn brow.
Will made a face. "Car broke down," he muttered back.
"Hope that Grace texted you directions," said Ginny semi-sarcastically.
"Hey! I DO know how to walk down a street, y' know!" Will protested. "Same as you, Candy-Man, male!Cinderella, and their kid who's weirdly nicknamed after PASTA rather than chocolate."
"-Alright. Take it easy, Batman."
Not a moment later, Ginny instantly regretted her decision as much as Will. Why??? Because the both of them were INSTANTLY recognized. Ginny cursed herself for not sipping a Polyjuice-esque potion or Glamouring herself beforehand. Too late now, unfortunately...
"Your phone bill's *KILLING me*, bro!!"
"I'm taking a picture of Stacks on my Stacks!"
"Oh. My. God!!! Is that *Ginny Weasley*??!!"
"Hey, where's your husband Harry?! And the kids??"
"It's *Ginny WONKA* now, remember?? And she's not part of 'Hinny' anymore than Harry! No kids named 'James Sirius', 'Albus Severus', or 'Lily Luna' either!"
"When are YOU gonna send out Golden Tickets in search of an heir??!"
"I *LOVE* yours' and your family's sweets!! And adding *cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pastries, and pies* as well??? GENUIS!!"
She was *SO ready* for her walk to be O-V-E-R...
Just then, two things happened suddenly. One: a cute little curly-headed 'colored' girl with big grey eyes and wearing a jeans-jacket about eight to ten years old ran smack-dab into Will, fell *into the street*, and landed flat on her back while a van was barreling towards her. The driver slammed on his brakes, but *he wasn't going to be able to stop in time*...!
Ginny watched in horror with her heart in her throat and her hands clamped over her mouth, white as the Hogwarts ghosts under her freckles. She wasn't that religious, but right now she prayed with all of her might for that sweet little lass to be saved and not hit-!!!
Two: at the very same time, there was a bright silvery-blue flash of light, a sharp high-pitched fearful horrified cry of "*ANNIE*!!!"- and the sudden sensation of being bumped into. HARD, but not enough to send each other toppling over.
%"*Oof!! Ouch*!"%
Ginny flinched at the sudden collision- almost opened her mouth to *SCREAM* when she heard a loud HONK and rushing 'whoosh' of a van ...and then instead breathed a sigh of relief the moment she heard a quiet awed "*Whoa*..." rather than a pained shriek and awful bump. *Thank you God, thank you angels, thank you Holy Family*- someone had *SAVED that young girl*!!!
"*Annie*!! ANNIE! Oh 'Dio'- *oh 'CRISTO'*... Is- I-Is she alright?!"
Ginny's bright brown eyes the color of caramel or honey snapped down towards a pair of frightened worried preparing-to-be-heartbroken ones the color of the daytime sky's reflection on an ocean- large, fringed with long soot-black tassels of lashes and matching thin brows, and set into a *rather familiar* face of a rounded-heart-shape with a sweet-lipped expressive mouth and a odd yet cute charming nose a shape between elongated and button. It was framed by a flop of bangs and curtained by near-matching locks that tumbled over small thin shoulders or down to the middle of a slender back- both neither stick-straight like Ginny's fiery-red hair, fully-wavy like Charlie's honey-colored locks, or a riotous mop of curls akin to Willy, Wendy, or Noodle, but a blend between straight and wavy, and as black and shining as a raven's wings. *HIS skin* was smooth as porcelain, rosy-white like some of the Oompa-Loomas' own complexions if not cocoa-brown, caramel-tan, or orange, and just as freckled all over as Ginny herself was.
He was wearing a gray T-shirt under a slightly over-sized checkered blue-and-black button-up shirt, beige jeans, and white sneakers, and his hair was pulled half-back (the ponytail part being braided)- a little worn and faded, but clean ...but Ginny only vaguely saw that last part. She was more focused on the fear and worry in those big blue eyes ...and the not-so-slight redness of them plus clear *tear-stains* on his cheeks, which told her that earlier he'd been crying something dreadful. Plus, to a point, that this young boy -young TEENAGER- had performed *MAGIC* just now! This was no No-Maj/Muggle- though whether he was *Muggle-BORN*, a half-blood, a pure-blood, or some kind of magical creature categorized as a 'beast' or no, she had no idea.
She smiled down warmly and kindly at the dark-haired blue-eyed teen, hoping that it came across as sincere and not fake or simply mollifying. "She's just fine, darling," she said quietly in her still-British-accented voice. "I don't know who, but somebody saved her just in time. Not even a scratch or a bump!"
Ginny gently patted his shoulder in further assurance- and had to fight from knitting her brow when he didn't flinch despite almost HUNGRILY leaning into her touch. Small- thin. Skinny and slender at the same time- but not *bony*, as though he were malnourished. He was what one could call 'petite'; however, 'twas NATURAL rather than worrisome. He appeared clean, fairly well-fed, and cared for-
But he was clearly *STARVED* for love and affection. *FAMILIAL love and affection*, she could somehow tell.
The boy drew in a great shuddering breath and then let it out in practically a sob as he murmured "*Oh, THANK GOODNESS*!! *Praise the Lord*!!!" in Italian, briefly covering his face with his fingerlessly-gloved hands. After a heartbeat or two, he raised it and looked right at the lovely redhead dressed in a violet-purple and sapphire-blue businesswoman outfit trimmed with gold as well as sensible but pretty black pumps, white stockings, and an oval-shaped gold locket, asking her hurriedly, "P-Pl-Please- 'per favore, signora'! Wh-Which way did she go?! B-Back home, I mean?"
"Nowhere yet, love. She's thanking her res- *Merlin's pants, beard, and wand*!! It was WILL who saved her! Bloody hell, but that's *GOT TO* make up for his earlier disaster, if anyone saw it!"
"'Disaster'??"
*Oops*! She'd forgotten- *AUDIENCE*. She wasn't alone. Ginny felt her face go as red as her hair. "*Long story*," she mumbled, NOT wanting to go into and remember the Mashed Potatoes Incident again.
Thankfully, he let it go with a small "O-Oh." Then he added apologetically with a slightly red face of his own, "I- I'm- 'M awful sorry I bumped into you, s-signora! Are- Are *YOU okay*??"
SUCH a sweet and polite lad! 'As kind as (he) was beautiful', indeed... Very much like Willy and/or Charlie, Fred, his boyfriend-turned-husband Tadashi- or 'just Harry'. Ginny could FEEL that he was very honest, caring, loving, and thoughtful- as well as quite theatrical and creative. A *very narrow* squeak concerning Gryffindor or Slytherin, but most definitely best-suited for either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, had he tried on the Sorting Hat his first year at Hogwarts...
"Just fine and dandy, lad- rest assured. Yourself?"
"F-Fine, m-'mille grazie'," he mumbled shyly, not only tucking a stray lock of long black hair behind his ear but fiddling with it while rubbing his lower lip between his teeth.
Not just 'fidgeting'. *Stimming*. He was on the Spectrum same as Willy, Luna Lovegood, Tadashi's younger brother Hiro, Neville Longbottom, ...and Harry. Poor lad- she knew how difficult it could be for one to deal with in everyday life. Especially one who seemed rather shy already plus affection-starved (to a point)... She fervently hoped that no one had been cruel to this sweet boy about his being different where his brain-wiring was concerned-!
"That's good. -Ah, your young friend or little sister or cousin is apparently heading on home now, just so you know," Ginny let him know.
"She is? I- I n-need t' go too, then," the freckled blue-eyed lad gulped. "I'm- 'M prob'ly gonna be in an awful lot 'f trouble for- for sk-skivin' off as it is if- if our guardian finds out. Not- N-Not BEATEN! Just- Just grounded. St-Still, I'd r-rather avoid that, y' know? Um- g-goodbye, signora!"
And with another flash of light like shimmering starbeams, he was gone- most likely to wherever young 'Annie' lived.
"-Goodbye, sweet boy," Ginny whispered, strangely feeling bereft and empty as before. She hadn't wanted him to leave just yet, blast it...! She'd wanted to be able to actually TALK TO him- get to know him a little. Maybe make him laugh with a funny joke or story, after he'd been crying so hard earlier for whatever reason...
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She only snapped out of her sudden melancholy when Will Stacks waved a hand in front of her face.
"*Hey- YO*! Earth to Ginger Wonka! What's eating YOU, girl?? You're actin' and lookin' like Haru from 'The Cat Returns' after she saved Prince Lune of the Cat Kingdom from gettin' run over and her friend Hirmoni found her."
Ohhhh, *the IRONY* of that statement right now-!! Ginny snickered a bit wetly.
"Funny you should *say THAT*, considering what you just did five minutes ago. Me? I just- happened to literally bump into a very sweet polite lad who seemed pretty close to and very fearful for that same little grey-eyed girl you rescued, is all. She *IS alright*, isn't she? I told him she was, but..."
"Crazy little kid who was runnin', bumped into ME, fell into the street, and that I had to save lest she get run over by that van?" said Will, slightly rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "She's fine. Would you believe when I asked her why she was running, she had the nerve to just say with a big bright grin 'Gets me places quicker' before joggin' off?? *Little kids*..."
Ginny laughed again. "Sounds like something Willy would say, if not Luna Lovegood or Pippi Longstocking!" Then she said more softly, "Oh, *thank goodness* for that! The poor boy- he was *TERRIFIED* for her! Probably would have rushed out into the street himself if you weren't there, never mind how hurt he would have gotten in the process..." 'Or used MAGIC, somehow...' she added silently.
"Moral fiber, huh? Kid sounds like a Hufflepuff to me- or a friendly neighborhood Slytherin a la Rebecca Felgate of MostAmazingTop10 if not a non-bullying Gryffindor or Ravenclaw."
All true- all true. She STILL stood that he was at most a *Huffleclaw/Ravenpuff*, though. "-That reminds me, speaking of 'moral fiber'. Are YOU alright, Will??" she queried anxiously.
"Fine, fine- I'm good," he replied, waving her away. "Just *germy* because, you know- LITTLE KIDS."
Ginny rolled her eyes at that and the face he made. Really- he used that hand sanitizer *too much*...
Neither 'richling' saw the man who had just recorded the whole two incidents and sudden semi-meetings on his Stacks cellphone ...which instantly *went VIRAL* same as the Mashed Potatoes video from earlier. But this time, *NO PARODIES*- tasteful or otherwise! (Not yet, anyway.)