In the Garden
Harry sat on the back stoop of the Burrow. Harry knew better than to think that being at the Burrow would somehow solve his problems after the war, but he couldn't help feel slightly disappointed anyways. He gazed out across the garden, trying to keep his thoughts from spiraling…more so.
The Weasleys were broken, he was broken, the whole of the wizarding world was broken, Harry reflected. War was bad but its aftereffects were just beginning.
Harry's eyes caught a sudden movement to his right, effectively cutting off whatever he may have been thinking. Before Harry was fully standing, his wand was pointed and at the ready. His eyes narrowed and his breathing evened out as adrenaline pumped through him. The rustling shrubbery not fifteen feet away from him suddenly quieted. For a moment the whole world stilled when out of the shrubs slithered a garden snake.
Harry puffed, slightly annoyed at getting worked up and finding only a snake. Harry pocketed his wand and plopped back down on the stair he had been occupying all day.
"Well, you're not a Death Eater are you." He said aloud.
"Quite obssservant, aren't you?" The little brown snake whispered as it moved fully out of Mrs. Weasley's hostas. Harry decided he wasn't even surprised at this point. Why wouldn't he have a conversation with a garden snake. He knew he hadn't spoken much recently; in the last few weeks he'd hardly uttered a full sentence to the Weasley's and Hermione.
"If you think I'm observant, you should meet some of my friends. They give me the run around." Harry retorted effortlessly.
"They're not quite like you, are they?" Harry's stomach squirmed uncomfortably at the thought.
"I'm not-"
The garden snake seamlessly interrupted him. "They do not have the gift of snake tongue."
"Oh right, no. They don't…Umm, do you have a name?" Harry asked, trying to keep the conversation up. The snake sat fully in front of Harry now, constantly writhing in a soothing continuous motion.
"We do not put tttime into ssuch things. You would do well to remember such thingss young one."
Harry heard a slight clattering from inside the Burrow, remembering his friends were right inside. Harry turned back to talk with the snake he mentally dubbed 'Stewart'. Once he faced forward again, however, Stewart was turning away.
"Harry?" Ron's voice called, getting louder as he got closer.
"Wait, don't go." Harry found himself saying to the snake. Stewart stilled and gazed back with him, with an assessing look in his eyes. Harry stood up as Ron and Hermione opened the Burrow door.
"Harry, what are you up to out here?" Hermione gave him a familiar look of mingled curiosity and concern.
"Is that a snake?" Ron asked, looking behind Harry.
"Umm yes." Harry scratched his neck, standing so he could see both friends new and old. "Stewart, this is Ron and Herm..erm my friends." He realized he simultaneously gave the snake a name and introduced his friends by name. Harry could have sworn he saw Stewart roll his narrowed eyes.
Ron and Hermione's eyebrows raised as Harry switched over from Parseltongue. "Guys, this is uh Stewart, but names aren't all that important."
"Harry, mate.." Ron started. Hermione tactfully slapped Ron's arm warningly.
Hermione stepped forward and crouched down slightly. "Hello Stewart. Nice to meet you." Ron and Hermione watched on as Harry translated for her. They both took notice of how the pinched eyebrow and tensed shoulders Harry had been sporting for weeks were now not present.
Ron had always been a bit unnerved with the Parseltongue bit of business but had to admit it had come in handy in the past. And if his best friend was finally talking, even if to a snake, then he'd find a way to be just fine with it.
"Thank you, friend." Harry finished saying. The indecipherable hissing came to a comfortable end. Stewart turned and glided across the garden patch to find himself some dinner mice. Harry turned back to them, meeting their eyes and seeing no judgement. Ron rolled his eyes at harry's hesitant look.
"Honestly, mate, after all this time you think being caught chatting up a snake is the weirdest thing we've seen?"
Harry let out a relieved chuchkle. "Right, right sorry. Old habits." Ron and Hermione took a seat on either side of Harry, each now admiring the simple view from the Burrow stoop. After a few moment of silence, Hermione spoke up.
"So what did Stewart have to say?" She ignored Ron's chuckle at the mention of the snake's name
"Er well, not too much. He didn't have much of an opinion on many things human." Harry mumbled. He didn't want to keep feeling so separate from his friends. Since the war ended he had felt like being alone was essential, to think, to keep breathing but maybe now he could really start again. He took a moment to think back on his conversation with Stewart.
"He talked a bit about just doing what you need to do. He said, snakes survive by taking things one moment to the next; like finding mice when you're hungry. They, I guess they don't worry about tomorrow's lunch until they have tonight's dinner." He tapered off shyly, looking away at how much he had just rambled on. That was probably the most he'd spoken in weeks, and from the looks on his friends' faces they were thinking along the same lines.
"Smart snake that Stewart." Ron joked, bumping against Harry's shoulder.
"He did say Hermione was a quick wit, adapting to the situation of a talking snake rather well." Harry caught Hermione's smile, deciding it had been too long since he'd last seen it.
"Yeah, and what'd he have to say about me?"
"He said your expression looked like that of his dinner." Hermione and Harry both laughed at the indignant squawk Ron made. Once he got over his hurt pride, Ron joined in, laughing along with the others.
From inside the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley looked up, unsure if she was hearing correctly. George and Ginny wandered in from the lounge, following the same sound. They found Molly sitting at the kitchen table, fondly looking out the back door. Ginny saw unshed tears in her mum's eyes.
"Mum, whats-"
"What are you lot on about back here?" George interrupted as he opened the door to find the trio still laughing, perhaps even harder now. Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes as she helped the other two up.
"Oh nothing much," Ron started as they all made their way back into the Burrow, "just meeting Harry's new best mate- I mean snake."
"Mrs. Wealsey just shook her head, enjoying the sight of smiles on their faces. Ginny eyeballed Harry, a soft smile gracing her face as well.
"I made friends with a garden snake." Harry mumbled loud enough for Ginny to hear. Her mouth made a silent 'o' shape before she started laughing outrightly.
"You're mad, the lot of you, I swear it." And for the first time in too long, the Burrow felt alive again.