After The Second Rise
Book Two
The Broken Soul
By: Redfeathersky
Disclaimer: I do not own rights to the story or characters of Harry Potter.
Summer Days
The days began long and tedious, with a great deal of moping around the house, crying in the dark and memory of a plume of raging fire that tore at the earth and flesh but as the days continued the urgency that was felt to get on with the challenge of healing slowed and eventually stilled. Summer sapped the inspiration to do great things out of warm flesh as it moved slowly onward. The summer heat coupled with the cool sea kissed breeze and no responsibilities did its job perfectly. The bodies healed, but more than that occurred, the minds ravaged by trauma, separation, heartbreak, and re-birth slowly began to calm. England was miles away; and thus so too were all the fears and reasons for giving up.
Hermione slept on a swinging hammock tied up between two ancient olive trees a sun-burned and tanned foot hanging with a small swing over the edge. She wore a white dress with lace trim and strings for straps, the ultimate gown of laziness and the newest addition to her wardrobe. Birds sang around her as though they existed to be her own personal lullaby and an open book laid its pages facing downward on her stomach. Long curly hair dangled through the woven hammock to caress the tips of coarse wild grass her lips and cheeks rosy from long exposure to sunlight. Her sandals lay forgotten beneath the tree above her head a testament to the hours she'd spent just lying there on a frequent basis.
She swung slowly her breathing even with the creaking sound of moving rope her mind as far away as the characters portrayed in her book. Her thoughts glued to a month prior in a familiar field at the bottom of a crater…
She heard a yell, though she couldn't tell if it came from the dream or from reality. She sighed and her eye-lids fluttered open then closed again as her sleeping body ignored the mind that wanted to wake. Warmth, fire, the feelings led her to the face of a grinning boy with the most unusual scar splitting the right side of a boyish face. Dual colored eyes smiled at her, then turned to a haunting fear and pain as the face became contorted warped. The smooth pink skin turned jagged and rough. He threw his head back screaming as he tried to save her by killing himself. She reached out a hand screaming his name then gasped and coughed dirt as the wind was knocked out of her soft flesh meeting hard dirt.
"Oh Merlin!" A voice and weight held her to the dirt and the boy on top of her untagged himself from her quickly while yelling at his brother who watched and laughed hysterically, "Ron! Damn it! You didn't have to throw me so bloody hard!"
Warm hands that felt soft as though new yet were developing the rough texture of use gently pulled her shoulders up as she gasped and coughed yelling obscenities as she tried to re-invent air after being forcefully removed from her hammock.
"You bloody piece of dragon dung!" She snapped, "Why do you boys have to duel wherever I find a peaceful place to read?" She asked exasperatedly.
"Hermione I'm sorry," Harry pleaded gently whipping dirt off her back his eyes carefully looking her over for any injury, "We got carried away. We didn't notice you were sleeping there…"
"How could we not?" Ron asked scratching his head as he walked over untangling the hammock, "She snores loud enough, should have been a clue."
A solid piece of limestone smacked into the side of his forehead.
"Ow!" He yelped, "It was a joke! You don't snore, you sleep in a very quiet sleeping-beauty-esque-way…" The redhead ducked dodging the second stone thrown from the girl on the ground.
"And who shakes the whole bloody island when he sleeps huh?" She snapped angrily picking up a third piece of ammo, "I only take naps because I can't sleep above the trumpet you call your nose!"
"Oi," Ron grinned as he dodged the third projectile from his best friend, "That was uncalled for!"
Harry laughed the sound tumbling out of his throat almost musically a side effect of something the three of them referred to as the phoenix fire that had both killed and brought Harry back to life at the end of their last school term. There were times, particularly when he was happy that his voice, while unchanged seemed to have a strange melodic edge to it. Ron teased Harry mercilessly for it but Hermione suspected it was something he simply couldn't help. Hermione had tried to get him to sing a couple of times for the sake of research but he'd outright refused her request claiming he'd never in his life been able to carry a tune and that he doubted very much that he could now.
Hermione scrutinized Harry now. Once his body had been a mass of broken bone, over-grown scar tissue and ravaged by long striations of missing skin. There had been a time he hadn't looked human, a time after that were one only had to look at him and imagine the hell and torture he'd been through. He should have died over and over again with the injuries that months of treatment from both muggle and magical care could never heal completely but he'd survived on sheer force of will, luck, adrenaline, and accidental magic.
Last semester he almost succeeded in death only to be saved by a small potion that had been made by Hermione and Ron in hopes it would heal him. He'd kept it in his pocket all semester for sentimental reasons and thus had had it in his pocket when he'd tried burning Voldemort out of his body when the dark wizard had possessed him by preying on his fear and hate. The result was that his fire, given to him by the phoenix feather core of his old wand, had met the Maiden's Tears potion and melded with its healing magic mimicking the phoenix's ability to be reborn after dying in its own flames. Harry had been re-born. His body new, the bones restored and his skin soft like a baby's. All last semester he hadn't been able to walk without a cane, now they could barely get him to sit still in one place.
As for his other deformities, all that remained were the impressions of the most stubborn of his once angry and brutal looking scars. They cut across his skin in fewer numbers looking like tattoos that were a few shades darker then his skin. It made him look exotic, different, and as Molly Weasley pointed out, mischievous. The older people they met took one look at him and labeled him a troubled teen. It didn't help that even though his skin was new the ever present smirk that had been created by the cut across his face seemed all the more natural now that there wasn't a 'cause' for it.
"Like what you see?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
With shock Hermione's eyes shot up to his when she realized she'd been staring. With a blush she looked away quickly.
"I was thinking," She said.
"By leering Hermione?" Ron smirked at Harry leaning on the hammock, "I would love to know what thoughts inspired that."
Hermione stuck her tongue out at Ron childishly, "I wasn't leering Ronald," Hermione rolled her eyes, "I was thinking how only a month ago Harry was still a gimp."
"Uh-huh," Ron winked, "Sure…ack!" he ducked having to once again dodge a pebble thrown at his head.
Harry placed a hand on Hermione's knee unconsciously trying to calm her down. Hermione stiffened and looked down realizing that the fall had bunched up her knee length dress around her upper thighs. She blushed crimson as she realized she'd been sitting in a most unladylike manner and grabbed the hem of her skirts throwing them over her highly exposed legs. Harry's too warm hand jumped off of her leg his face worried eyes unsure. Hermione winced.
Ever since she'd watched him go crazy on Bellatrix Lestrange he'd been jumping whenever she reacted to anything he did around her. It was almost as if he was scared to upset her in any way. Ron had noticed and asked about it. Hermione had explained that Harry feared Hermione ever being afraid of him or disappointed in him. Ron had laughed thinking he was acting like a child, but Hermione knew that Harry was genuinely afraid to let her down again.
She sighed, "Stop that," She said, "I didn't mind that your hand was on my leg, I just felt embarrassed that I didn't notice my underwear might have been showing."
"Your underwear was showing?" Ron asked with piqued interest his eyes wide and innocent.
"And I missed it?" Harry moaned as though on queue with Ron his earlier worry gone to be re-placed with theatrical disappointment.
Hermione just gave a long suffering sigh and stood up choosing to ignore her boys as she dusted off the dirt from her white dress.
"If you want to eat you lot better come inside!"
Hermione, Ron, and Harry winced as Mrs. Weasley's cross voice carried over the olive grove louder than it should have. She must have amplified her voice with her wand after too many failed attempts at getting their attention.
"Harry," Ron sighed, "you'd better let her know we're coming. She'll be cross with us if you don't."
Harry nodded with a small chuckle and threw his hand up into the air casually. A small spark of blue flame leaped from his fingers to fly into the air glowing brightly for a moment before fizzing out high above the trees. The trio waited for a reply but assumed Mrs. Weasley had gotten the message when they only heard the silent chatter of bird-call as opposed to an angry amplified voice of Ron's mother.
"Well," Ron grinned, "I don't know about you two but I could eat a hippogriff." He rubbed his stomach with an exaggerated satisfied grin.
"Good luck convincing it to let you kill it," Harry smirked.
"If you are polite enough and give it enough compliments I bet you could get a hippogriff to do just about anything," Ron said, "All I have to do is be suave and I'll have warm Hippogriff soup."
Hermione snorted, "Until it realized you were trying to kill it. Then you would be in the soup instead." She shook her head, "Poor unsuspecting beast. Its stomach won't know what hit it."
"You're in a right nasty mood today," Ron smiled jovially as he walked.
"You would be too if you're nice peaceful nap were ruined by your best friend bowling into you via your other best friend's poorly aimed throw," Hermione grumbled, "What did you throw anyway?" She asked.
"Me," Harry winced, "It was supposed to be a magic-less match. Ron's just wand happy."
"You always tell me to be unpredictable oh wise sensei," Ron shrugged, "I only followed you're advice."
Harry nodded conceding Ron's point, "I'm sure Madam Sinistra would be very proud of you." He said.
"Then she'd be furious with you for not paying attention to your surroundings," Hermione growled, "Meaning me."
Ron held up his hands in defeat, "Ok, ok. I see you're point. I'm sorry for throwing Harry at you with my wand."
"If you were really sorry you'd buy me some gelato," Hermione said.
"Fine. I'll buy you some gelato. Happy now?" He asked with a sigh.
Hermione grinned and nodded.
Ron leaned over to Harry with a scowl, "She's been hanging around Ginny too much this summer."
Harry chuckled, "Maybe," He said, "It was a good 'Mobli Corpus' by the way. Just a little too strong."
"Thanks," Ron grinned, "Maybe by the end of the summer you'll be able to get close enough to actually hit me."
Harry snorted, "Now you're just being delusional. I always get close enough."
"Not me though!" Hermione interrupted smirking, "You've yet to get through my spell work."
Harry shrugged, "It's only a matter of time."
"Believe what you want," Hermione said with a playful 'nose in the air' snub.
Harry smirked at Ron and snuck forward grabbing Hermione from behind and wrapping his arms beneath her chest. She yelped as he lifted her off of the ground and spun.
"Harry!" She laughed, "Put me down!"
Harry laughed as he set her down poking her sides playfully and laughing when she jumped and squeaked.
She turned and slapped his shoulder with a mock-glare, "I liked you better as a gimp."
"Hermione," Ron smirked as he walked by them up the stone steps toward the house, "I think he won." He jumped forward dodging a swipe from Hermione's fist and took the steps two at a time.
Hermione turned to glare at Harry but couldn't for the life of her stay irritated with him for long, "Oh all right," She said, "But that doesn't really count. We weren't dueling."
"Oh it's a win," Harry grinned, "Not all dueling occurs on the battlefield Hermione."
Hermione was about to argue when she noticed the hidden meaning in his words. Her smile faltered a little and his happy demeanor immediately fell as she sobered. She quickly re-gained her happy posture and hopped down next to him grabbing his arm in hers.
"So what do you want to bet Ron's reached the house and is all ready stuffing his face?" She asked trying to pretend nothing had happened.
"He hasn't," Harry said, "He's standing at the top of the hill waiting for us."
Hermione pouted, "It's no fun when you know everything."
Harry snorted, "Says you."
Hermione stuck her nose into the air pretending she hadn't heard him. Harry grinned and shook his head.
"I really didn't mind you know," She said suddenly slowing down and tugging on his arm, "I wish you'd stop jumping whenever I react to something you do. I'm not afraid of you Harry."
Harry raised an eyebrow and stepped close to her leaning forward his eyes playful, "If you're not careful I might think you wanted me to touch you on the leg." He said quietly with a small smirk.
Hermione scowled and pushed his chest, "Keep those hormones in check buddy, I wouldn't want to have to hurt you."
Harry laughed and continued their walk up the steps.
"And don't think teasing me is going to distract me Harry," Hermione said as she marched after him her bare feet slapping against the limestone steps, "I mean it I'm not afraid of-!" She stopped quickly as he stopped suddenly her nose inches from his back.
"Sometimes that's a lie," He said quietly, sadly.
Hermione scowled at his back, "Oh for-!" She marched around him and up a step so she could glare at him in the eye, "I was nervous because my legs were really exposed ok?" She said looking away from him with a blush, "I forget sometimes I'm with a couple of teenage boys all right? I was embarrassed."
Harry's eyes widened and his mouth opened in a small 'O' then he threw his head back and laughed.
"That's what that was?" he asked incredulously, "Hermione, it's just me and Ron, why would it matter?"
"Why would it-?" Hermione asked with her mouth dropped open in shock, "Are you trying to say something Harry?"
"What?" Harry asked in sudden panic as her aura changed from embarrassment to indignation, "No! I'm not-, what do you think I'm saying?" He suddenly asked morbidly curious.
"Well obviously my legs aren't attractive enough to mean anything to you and Ron," Hermione huffed, "Good!" She snapped angrily, "I wouldn't want them to anyway!"
"Hermione!" Harry said shocked and amused, "That's not what I—look, you have beautiful legs…really beautiful legs actually…but that's not the point, the point is we wouldn't ever do anything that would make you feel uncomfortable all right? We aren't, Merlin, we're not animals driven by hormones all right? We respect you too much to do anything-, you're our best friend! We would never think of doing anything…with…you...?" He trailed off noticing her expression.
Hermione was watching him with her arms crossed and a single raised eyebrow, "Go on," She waved a hand lazily at him her voice perfectly even, "Keep digging."
Harry sighed, "No," He said, "I think I'll just shut up."
"Wise decision," She said sagely though her temper was gone, "I think Ron gave up waiting," She said, "Let's go before he eats all the food that's left."
Harry smiled gratefully and followed her up the last of the steps to the large Grecian white-washed adobe house that they were staying at for the summer. A middle-aged woman stood grinning at the two of them while she hung up laundry her wildly curly hair held in place by a wrapped scarf around her head.
"If you don't hurry there won't be any left," The woman said with a wink.
"Thanks Aunt May," Hermione smiled and nodded at her Aunt.
Harry smiled nervously back. Ron had had a crush on the woman ever since they got off the boat to meet her greeting them into village. She was voluptuous for all that she was a little on the short and plump side. Her face always seemed red with amusement though that could be due to all of the time she spent outside. She was Hermione's mother's eldest sister which meant she'd been married, divorced, had two children that are all ready grown and out of the house and very little in common with her youngest sister…until now.
It turned out that her ex-husband had been not only Greek but also a wizard. When Jane had said the man was odd and that she didn't trust him it was because he hadn't known how to socialize with muggles and it had also been because May hadn't been able to talk about anything that they did. Now that Jane had a witch in the family the secret had been let out and May and Jane had spent several days barely leaving each others company while they caught up.
But that wasn't why Harry was nervous around her. The woman seemed to just know things. She wasn't a witch, but sometimes when she looked at him Harry just knew she saw something Harry didn't want her to see.
"You three aren't burning down my olive trees are you?" She asked Harry as he walked passed with too knowing eyes.
"No madam," Harry said nervously, "just some physical exercise."
"With my niece?" She asked raising an eyebrow.
The look she gave him resembled Hermione so well that Harry froze guilty on instinct and then he blushed as he understood fully her implication, "No! No, nothing like that!" He defended quickly, "Ron and I were dueling, Hermione was reading. We weren't doing anything untoward I swear!"
May threw back her head and gave a heartfelt laugh that was loud and filled with energy, "I was teasing kid," She grinned, "Go get some food."
Harry nodded respectfully his cheeks aflame with embarrassment as he dashed inside.
Jane took one look at him and grinned shaking her head, "Was May teasing you again?" She asked, "She really likes to pick on you for some reason."
"Yeah," Harry said, "for some reason…" He glanced at Hermione and sat down next to Ron.
Hermione and Ginny were chatting the twins having finished were cleaning up their plates. Molly must have finished because she was sitting in the front room reading while a sweater was knitting itself beside her. Arthur was still in the United Kingdom working, so was Mr. Granger. They would arrive later in the summer when they could get off. Jane was lucky to have gotten off the time she did and was taking full advantage of it.
"Mum," Hermione asked as she put her plate away, "Ginny, Ron, Harry and I were going to take the ferry to town. Can I have some fare for the four of us?"
Jane looked at the four children in question with a raised eyebrow, "When were you planning on telling me about this trip?" She asked.
"Just now," Hermione said innocently.
"Hmm," Jane regarded her only daughter and glanced at Harry who was wearing a very similarly innocent look, "What will you four be doing in town?"
"Getting ice cream," Hermione said.
Behind her Ron choked. He hadn't expected Hermione to hold him to his apology so soon. He jumped up from the table and dashed off to find the twins and hopefully weasel some money out of them. Harry watched Mrs. Granger's eyes follow Ron with amusement.
"Well I suppose you can go," She said slowly, "But no magic off the island understand? The Greeks have laws of secrecy too you know."
Hermione nodded, "I know," She smiled and kissed her mother's cheeks, "Thanks Mum."
"Mmhmm," Jane Granger nodded and counted out the correct currency for the ferry, "This should be enough I think. Do you kids need money for the ice-cream?"
"Nope," Hermione grinned winking at Ginny, "We got it covered."
Jane looked at Harry. The young man smirked back. She shook her head wondering how her daughter had gotten so manipulative and felt sorry for Ron. Ron skid into the room looking panicked and urged the other three to leave with him. Hermione kissed her mother once more on the cheek and the four children left almost running down the steps to sprint across the estate. When they reached the ferry Ron was roaring with laughter but wouldn't explain why as Hermione paid for their fare and they entered the boat. As they tugged away from shore they saw a pair of red heads skid to a halt at the end of the dock throwing their fists into the air and waving wands uselessly as they knew they couldn't perform magic in public.
Ron ignored the unintelligible screams of his older brothers and simply folded his arms behind his head and leaned back with a satisfied sigh.
"They'll get you back for that when we get back," Ginny warned.
"That just means I have to spend the rest of the day unworried until we get home," Ron said, "In the mean time I'll enjoy myself and bask in the splendor of having tricked the tricksters."
Harry grinned and Ginny shook her head, "You've been a bad influence on him," she accused.
"Naw," He said with amusement, "I think he figured that out in my absence."
"It's true," Hermione sighed, "He wasn't nearly this devious fourth year."
"He is right here you know," Ron grumbled, "Seriously guys, let's just enjoy the Grecian coast line and eat some gelato."
"You know gelato's Italian right?" Ginny asked.
"There's a gelato shop in town," Harry informed her, "Hermione found it the last time we were there. You don't always have to be in Italy to eat gelato. People do travel."
Ginny shrugged, "Whatever," She said, "As long as we hit some of those clothes shops before going back. There was a dress I saw last time I wanted to buy."
"Where are you getting all this money from anyway?" Ron asked, "I've been wondering."
"Just because you have the financial talent of a monkey doesn't mean I can't have savings." Ginny retorted.
"Oi," Ron pouted, "I can to save it's just opportunities come my way I can't pass up."
"Or pretty girls swindle you out of your cash," Ginny grinned.
Hermione laughed and Harry grinned watching Ron bicker with his sister. A splash of bright color and dark skin caught his eye and he turned his eyes meeting dark smoldering green ovals set into a warm tanned face with full painted lips. The woman smiled at him with large hoop earrings in her ears and a scarf wrapped around her head beneath a bowler hat with deep brown hair tumbling out its back. She lifted a finger that held more than one sparkling ring and beckoned him to her the gold bangles on her wrist jingling as she did so.
Curious, Harry had seen groups of people looking as she did traveling together in markets. Gypsies they were called. He had always been curious about them and the wild magic that circled each of their members in swirling storms. Their magic felt as unkempt as they appeared like the wind and it seemed whenever it blew they followed like extensions of the air itself.
He looked back at his friends, all of whom were now bickering amongst themselves and shrugged approaching the gypsy woman with a polite smile.
"May I help you madam?" He asked.
She chuckled and patted the seat next to her, "There's no need to be polite to the likes of me," She said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "I know a lofty Wizard when I see one."
Harry grinned somehow unsurprised, "Lofty, not likely," He said, "I'm just a student."
"Oh?" She asked caulking her head, "Give me your hand," She said her voice like deep husky music that Harry was sure she used often to get her way.
He gave her his hand unafraid of her intentions. She was hard to read, the wild nature of her magic made it difficult for him to figure out her feelings but something told him to trust her for now, perhaps not later, but now she felt no ill will for him or his friends. She grabbed his hand and turned the palm upwards tracing the lines on his skin with her fingers.
"My, my," She said quietly with awe, "Your brand new, not a month old, yet sixteen. Your palms are warm, warmer than I've ever felt and you have an affinity with my people. A wanderer without a home to call on."
"True," Harry nodded, "But also wrong. I have a home," He looked at his friends and smiled fondly, "It's adopted but it's a home."
"You've passed through death and back," She said quietly her eyes looking into him in a way that should have made him uncomfortable, "And seen true evil." Tears welled up in her eyes and she dropped his hand gently clapping her rough palms to either side of his face, "For one so young to bear such a burden," She said quietly, "Broken and made whole you have faced demons and made terrible choices. The fates are truly cruel to have done these things to you."
Harry gently touched one of her hands, "Thank you," he said, "But you don't need to cry for me."
"But I do," she said, "Someone like you comes along every few hundred years or so. I am truly lucky to have crossed paths with you though that luck will end once I leave this ferry."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"You are a catalyst," She said, "Everything you touch will change from the course it was meant to take. I will either find great fortune or great misfortune in my coming days after meeting you. I would receive unknowing amounts of misfortune if I simply pass this opportunity by and pretend I never met you. I must do something for you. Give me something of yours and I will give it back to you with more fortune then it had had before."
Harry looked at her confused, "I don't have anything to give-!"
Her eyes glanced down to his waist or more specifically his pocket, "What's in there?" She asked suddenly.
Harry raised his eyebrows surprised and he reached into his pocket pulling out a small plastic case that he used to keep three small shards of glass in. He handed her the case and she opened it carefully.
"Three small shards broken and burned to become whole the essence of re-birth and love," She said quietly.
She snapped the case shut and looked at him with a sharp gaze, "Meet me on the deck before you board." She said, "I will give these back to you before you leave."
Harry frowned feeling nervous about parting with the shards that were so precious to him, "How do I know you aren't trying to steal those?" He asked reaching out for his shards.
She leaned forward and grabbed him around the neck pressing her warm voluptuous lips against his. Harry froze his eyes wide as she deepened the kiss her magic swirling around his own. He felt his eyes close and his arms wrap around the woman he'd never met before that moment feeling her in her magic and a piece of her magic tying onto his.
She pulled away and chuckled when his arms refused to move from around her, "I take it that was your first?" She grinned her earlier mischief back.
"Uh-," Was all Harry was able to manage dazed as he was by the suddenness of the pleasant action.
She smiled and patted his cheek as an older sister might a very younger brother, "I am doubly fortunate to have met you and to have stolen your first kiss. You know now That I give you my word. You will have these shards back later this evening. If you don't I have tied some of my magic to you until the bargain is fulfilled. You will be able to find me."
"Tied your magic?" Harry asked dazed, "That's what that was?"
She giggled, "It was a bargain ceremony. The deal was sealed with my kiss. When the deal is finished I will be free but until then you'll always know how to find me." She kissed him again farewell as the boat slowed, "That was just for the fun of it," she grinned, "I'll see you later." She stood and winked at him pocketing the shards and walked off the ferry with a wave of her hips.
Harry couldn't tear his gaze from her until she disappeared from his sight. When he did he noticed a fair amount of irritation mixed with amusement from behind him.
"What is it with you and older women?" Ginny asked shaking her head as she walked passed.
"Yeah Mate," Ron grinned and elbowed him as he walked by, "Share your secret."
Hermione glared at him the source of irritation her arms crossed, "We can't take you anywhere can we?" She asked.
Harry scratched his head and grinned sheepishly, "It's not like I go looking for trouble…"
"Trouble?" Hermione asked icily, "Is that what you call it?" She raised a skeptical eyebrow as she walked passed and Harry stood feeling as though he'd done something terribly wrong.
"Hey Hermione wait!" He called.
She ignored him making him jog to catch up to her as she disembarked from the boat. When he did catch up to her Harry grabbed Hermione's shoulder, his touch too gentle his face worried and pale. Hermione jumped startled then sighed.
She grabbed his hand off of her shoulder and brought it down to her side, "Come on you," She said tugging his fingers with her as she walked trying to catch up to Ginny and Ron, "Ron promised us Ice Cream and I intend to take advantage."
Harry followed her, his grip tight as his face regained its color and his shoulders began to relax. He watched her aura for any signs or fluctuations of emotions but it was a steady, strong, golden color like always. It was only as he realized this that his grip on her fingers began to relax. He looked away and began to enjoy the scenery his stride flowing from stiff and anxious to confident and lazy. He matched her pace and hesitantly smiled at her which she returned much more easily.
"Merlin will you two hurry it up?" Ron asked impatiently.
Ginny grinned beside him, "Come on Hermione," She winked, "We need to hurry up and exploit him before he gets the courage to back down!"
Hermione grinned, "As if he would be brave enough," She said loftily her hand slipping easily out of Harry's fingers, "He wouldn't dare break a promise to me," She continued, "I know too many spells." To which Ron groaned loudly and agreed heartily.
Harry only slowed for a couple steps his fingers slowly folding inward to brush his palm lightly before he continued his lazy stride jogging a bit to catch up with his friends. The air that day was warm and still which was a blessing so close to the ocean. People milled about some bustling form one place to the next in everyday activities while others lazed in doorsteps arguing or laughing with neighbors or customers.
Harry could feel their conversations better than he could hear them through the ranging heat and coolness of their auras. The swirling attack of the massive array of emotions was dizzying to some degree but Harry had learned while in Hogwarts last year how to channel through the mess and focus on only those that counted. Besides that most of the auras in these streets were small and repressed, the result of Muggles having never gained the ability to tap into the dormant magic that lay within all living creatures. So compared to Hogwarts these emotions were a quiet buzz that itched in the background and caused quite a bit less discomfort. In fact as Harry listened with one ear to his friends he found he enjoyed being around these people and the peaceful buzz of everyday life. It was refreshing.
"Hello? Harry?" Ginny tapped him on the shoulder and he honed in on her aura before his eyes met hers, "I said, 'what flavor are you going to get?'"
"Oi," Ron interjected, "I'm not paying for him. The deal was only Hermione but I had to pay for you because you're my sister. Harry's got loads of money. He can pay for himself."
Harry took his cue and turned his too innocent eyes on Ron shrugging, "Oh," He said as though surprised and disappointed, "I hadn't realized, Hermione had said 'we' and all so I assumed…"
Ron was glowering at Harry darkly seeing strait through his innocent act, "Of course," He said, "Whatever."
Hermione and Ginny grinned broadly at Harry as Ron turned form the three of them stomping down the street mumbling to himself. Harry shrugged at the girls as if he hadn't a clue why they were grinning so brightly and strolled after Ron whistling. He patted Ron on the shoulder with a broad smile and Hermione and Ginny giggled and linked arms following. None of them noticed Harry slip Ron some extra cash without the red headed boy noticing.
The four children who were hardly that anymore reached the gelato shop and bought their cold treats eating outside leaning against the building laughing as they chatted like normal teenagers. Ron had noticed the addition to his wallet as he paid for the gelato and had chastised Harry for it but the dark haired boy only shrugged and pretended innocence even as he knew perfectly well Ron could see through the act. Still, because Harry was technically paying him Ron didn't really seem to care that much.
"So what do you want to do next?" Ron asked the group at large, "I'm done with my bit," He stretched careful not to drop his gelato, "The rest is up to you lot."
"Shopping," Ginny said immediately, "I really want that dress I saw the other day."
"What about sightseeing?" Hermione asked, "I was reading the Wizard tourist book at the house yesterday. There's supposed to be a magical menagerie that dates back to the height of the Grecian Empire…" She trailed off at the obvious dislike on her three friends' faces and 'humphed' turning her head from them, "Well fine if shopping is all you all really want to do…"
Ron snorted, "I could seriously care less about shopping."
"Seeing some ruins might be cool," Harry said.
"After shopping," Ginny said, "Seriously, that's why I came." She finished her gelato and walked inside to throw away her cup and plastic spoon, "Come on," She said as she came out, "Let's go before they close."
The trio looked at each other bemused and shrugged. One after the other they threw their cups and spoons away and followed the short red head. There were moments it really was just better to follow Ginny then argue with her. It turned out as they did so that just because Ginny wanted one specific dress didn't mean they were spared going into every shop in the street. In one shop Hermione found floating balls of colorful hand blown glass she could hang in a window. In another Ron found a ridiculous hat that would help protect his sensitive skin from the ever present Grecian sun. Harry even found a cane he jokingly loved and bought after the cajoling of his friends forced him to do it.
When they finally reached the dress shops Hermione and Ginny detached themselves from the boys who finding a bench near some dressing rooms sat with large sighs. They watched the girls in their element chatting about each dress on the racks they came to before grabbing a few and entering the dressing rooms to try them on. Harry uncomfortably noticed that the rooms weren't tall enough to cover the girls heads and tried not to watch as Ginny poked her head over her wall to point at something in Hermione's dressing room or how he could see an article of clothing go over her head as she put one on or took one off. Ron didn't help matters as he grinned and elbowed Harry noticing the same thing raising his eyebrows and miming the movement of Hermione's arms going over her head.
Harry scowled at Ron and really elbowed him causing both girls to look over confused as Ron groaned clutching his stomach. Harry just smiled at them and waved.
Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes and decided they'd both found dresses they liked and got re-dressed. Purchasing the dresses the girls and the two boys left the store to hunt for the store Ginny Wanted to go to in the first place which meant endless more times the boys were sitting on the sidelines as the girls tried on dresses. At last around mid afternoon when shops all around Greece were closing Ginny found and purchased her dress and the trio walked around the slowly quieting town meandering their way back to the ferry.
At the docks a group of gypsies waited ignoring the disapproving stares of pedestrians boarding the boat. One of the gypsies stepped forward her dark eyes looking at Harry appreciatively her voluptuous hips swaying with her movements. She smiled at Harry in a manner that was both friendly and suggestive and beckoned him forward with her finger.
"I told you didn't I?" She asked gesturing to her two companions an old woman and a young boy, "Come, I intend to keep our pact and be on my way."
Harry and his friends approached the gypsies and the old woman and boy each held out a small box.
"These are for the two who helped create these shards and this," She pulled out a leather bracelet from her pocket and took Harry's right wrist her finger gliding over the angry red that was once the scar that marked Voldemorts re-birth, "This one is for you." She wrapped the leather bracelet around Harry's wrist and Harry was startled to see it flickering with bright fiery magic.
When he turned it around to look at the top of the bracelet he found one of the shards he'd given the gypsy earlier nestled in intricate embroidery work. The knots in the multi-colored threads held magic that formed the rune of protection. Harry looked up awed by the intricacy of the layers that went into the embroidery that formed the magic spell.
"Thank you," He said sincerely.
The gypsy smiled mischievously and shook her head, "Thank me in your thoughts so that good fortune will be sent my way instead of tragedy."
Harry nodded, "I will."
The old woman stepped forward with the little boy shoving her box into Ron's hands while the boy gave Hermione his box. Both of them opened the boxes and Harry blinked as the spelled objects shined brightly at him as they slipped them on. Ron's was like Harry's only his was a braided leather bracelet on his left wrist instead of his right and Hermione's was a necklace on a silver chain that appeared as though the silver links had been loosely woven together in the same pattern of protection. Her shard was nestled in silver wire. The three of them looked at each other and Harry noticed a small string of light almost too thin to notice reached from the each of the shards to each other as though connected in some way.
"Now," The old woman nodded, "We must leave-." She paused, her eyes narrowing as they landed on Ginny.
Ginny rose an eyebrow and the trio looked at her then the old woman. The gypsy boy stepped away from their group and hid behind the young woman gypsy who put her hand on her elder's shoulder her dark eyes worried.
"You," The old woman beckoned to Ginny impatiently the bangles on her wrist jingling, "Come here."
Ginny shrugged and moved through Harry and Ron to stand before the old woman.
The woman grasped Ginny's shoulders looking into her eyes the same scrutinizing way Harry had had his palm read. She touched Ginny's face and head as though searching for something. Ginny looked at her friends clearly uncomfortable by the old Gypsy's closeness. The old woman dropped her hands and stepped away from Ginny with a sigh as though relieved.
"You will be fine," She said at last her gaze never leaving Ginny's.
"Huh-?" Ginny was about to ask when Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her behind him unexpectedly.
She opened her mouth to protest his rude treatment of her when she noticed his face had gone pale his jaw tense and his golden eye glowing intensely at the old woman. No one moved. They all stared at Harry who looked as though he had seen a ghost. Ron and Hermione reacted together Ron gently pulling his sister away from Harry next to him and Hermione stepping up beside Harry to tug on his arm.
"Thank you for the gifts," She said quietly, "But if we don't hurry our boat will leave without us."
"I'm sorry," The gypsy they'd met earlier said quietly, "If we upset you."
"No," Harry said his voice strained glancing at the exotic woman who'd kissed him, "I thank you," and he looked back at the old woman and spoke with weights on his words, "I thank you, truly."
The old woman bowed her head in acceptance or apology no one could tell but she turned soon after taking the hand of the small boy and quietly walked away. The gypsy from earlier looked at her elder then at Harry.
"I mean it," He said his voice softening when he spoke to the distraught gypsy, "Thank you."
She hesitantly smiled at him and turned following her companions. Harry watched them go until he couldn't see them as though he expected them to turn around and attack. Then he steered his own companions onto the dock the ease of the day gone from him as though it had never existed in the first place.
When they got on the ferry the three of them pressed Harry for answers but he refused to answer and refused to relax. He stood next to them almost in front of them in a protective manner watching the other patrons of the boat as a predator watches his prey. Hermione watched his dual colored eyes sharpen on other passengers, then focus on his group, then back. Ron stood beside her his increasing frown turning irritated while Ginny sat in between them all her features contemplative.
Only when they reached the island did Harry seem to relent to his friends and relax some but the whole rest of the day he was tense, almost restless. Hermione and Ron sparred while Harry left to run a few laps around the estate. Ginny went to her rooms thinking heavily about what the old woman had said and wondering if maybe had been a bit prophetic.
She snorted, "Well if that were the case then why is Harry freaking out?" She sat on her bed methodically taking out her purchases and laying them out on her mattress, "The old woman said I'd be fine after all." She looked out her window at the darkening sky watching her brother and Hermione duel.
A cry of outrage made her grin as she heard her other two older brothers' ambush Hermione and Ron. She got up and stretched grabbing her wand deciding to go join the fun and put any worry of the late afternoon out of her mind.
To answer all your questions yes, this story is being re-written. The cause for my two years writers block was simply that I hated this story, hated where it was going and hated how the characters were developing. So I am sorry to all of you who were following this story and loving it but in order for me to continue this writing it had to be scrapped and re-written. Updates will be posted on my page as they come from now on. Thank you for your devoted patience and please continue the much appreciated constructive criticism.
Sincerely,
Redfeathersky