Hey everybody! So I'm writing my very first fic. There are some things I think I need to point out though: 1) Pretend Tonks is about 3 years younger than the Marauders. I know that's not right, so don't send me angry letters complaining. There aren't any single/alive women around that age, and Tonks is the only single woman above the age of 18. Own characters are annoying and personally, I'm not a fan of relationships where someone is old enough to be the other's parent. 2) Some people (mostly Harry, maybe a little Ron) may be a tiny bit OOC. I just want to make Harry a little happier, because you can't have a depressed person matchmaking.
So...
Summary: While cleaning the house, Ron and Harry come across a shocking picture of an old love. Now, they're playing matchmaker! Can they fix an almost nonexistent friendship into true love? LupinTonks! (Just pretend she's older)
Title: Lighting the Flame (I know it's corny, just go with it, I'll change it if I get a better one)
Rating: PG-13, just to be safe
Disclaimer: Guess what? I don't own anything that may seem familiar to you. So...
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"Harry!" Hermione screamed, engulfing her best friend in a bear hug. "How are you? I do hope your okay; I've read such awful things about what happens when someone close to a teenager...well...you know, and I was so worried Harry, honestly. I wanted to have you stay here the whole time, but Dumbledore had his reasons. I definitely don't want to defy, Dumbledore, but he must not know how awful you feel. Oh, Harry!" she ranted.
"Her...mione...I can't breathe...Harry choked out, grinning.
"How ya doin mate?" asked Ron, grinning and giving his friend a manly hug.
"Well..." Harry began. Where should he start? He was angry, upset, and confused. He couldn't help kicking Dudley's Xbox while playing a vigorous game of Halo 2. He couldn't help it; his parents and the closest thing he had to a parent were dead, and he thought he was going to spend the summer with muggles who don't give a shit about him. Although later, Harry regretted it because Halo 2 was fun.
"Actually...I found something fun to do," Harry said honestly. He looked at the eager look on his two best friends' faces. "Singing. I'm horrible, and it drives Dudley mad. Like, on a rainy day, I'll start singing that stupid Brady Bunch song. You know, Oh I think I'll go for a walk outside now, the summer sun's calling my name!"
"I hear you now I just can't stay inside all day! I gotta get out; get me some of those ra-a-ays!" Hermione finished. Ron just looked confused.
"Yeah. That one. I was actually distracted for a minute from...well, you know." Harry said, feeling the grin slide of his face. He instantly regretted mentioning Sirius. It had been hard for him to move on...part of him still felt like Sirius was still there with him. He dared not to mention that aloud, because Hermione would have a fit, and soon rumors would be spreading that Harry was an attention-seeking prat, due to being rather neglected in his earlier years. He had a feeling Mrs. Weasley would go crazy, and maybe even make him see a shrink.
"Oh," Hermione said softly. She was saved from further response though, because Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Percy, and Lupin came running down the stairs of Number 12, Grimmauld Place like a bunch of 10-year olds on Christmas.
Once again, he was hugged, greeted, and ranted about. Though everyone was worried about him, and he was still very upset, angry, and confused, he couldn't help standing there, just grinning madly.
Harry didn't notice, but Ron and Hermione had crept out form he crowd. They were in the kitchen, hiding secretly.
"Ready?" Hermione whispered.
"Ready," he replied whispering.
The two came out, staggering under the weight of the heavy object they were carrying. As soon as Harry saw what they were up to, his face lit up like the little sticks on the object.
"Cake!" he screamed, sounding like a two year old who knew few words.
"Yes Harry, cake. Good boy, sound it out," Ron teased.
"For me?" Harry asked feebly. Before he knew it, everyone burst into song.
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Harry
Happy Birthday to you!
"Well Harry dear, it is your birthday. Not to mention, you're Sweet Sixteen! With all you've been through, you deserve your own holiday, let alone a party! But we thought a good old fashioned birthday party would be best considering...well, that" Mrs. Weasley explained.
Harry was in shock. He couldn't do anything, except stand there and grin.
There was only one time in his life he had a cake, and that was his very first birthday. Harry was very young and remembered little. All he remembered were 2 voices singing, and a large chocolate-y thing. Baby Harry just wanted the cake, and just began digging in with his hands. The last thing he could remember were the two people laughing before his memory went blank.
----The Next Day----
Ron was sprawled on the dirty floor reading Which Broomstick. Harry laid all over the dusty chair flipping through Quidditch Weekly. Suddenly, Hermione came running in.
"Do you do anything that doesn't involve Quidditch or food?!" she asked angrily. Harry and Ron shrugged nonchalantly, and went back to reading. "We're supposed to cleaning!"
Harry got a good look at the place. "Didn't make much progress, did we? It looks the same as when we left for 5th year!"
"Well of course it does; we've been at school and the Order's been very busy! Get off your butts and help clean!" Hermione scolded, growing impatient.
"Could one of you do me a favor?" asked Lupin, poking his head through the doorway.
"Of course, Professor!" Hermione said, slightly blushing.
"Hermione, I'm not your teacher anymore. Call me Remus or Lupin, either is fine." He said smiling.
"Oh...of course, Pro...Remus," she said, now blushing completely.
As soon as she was out of earshot, the two boys burst into laughter. "Someone's got a cru-u-u-sh!" Ron sang in a singsong voice.
"Ewww...," Harry said, wrinkling his nose. "He's old enough to be her dad!" The two were now laughing uncontrollably.
"That's crazy!" Ron spat out, a slight tone of jealousy in his voice.
"You know what'd be crazy...Hermione and Draco!" giggled Harry.
"Hermione and Crabbe!" Ron managed to say, laughing harder.
"But...Goyle is secretly in love with her, Crabbe is secretly in love with him! So they get into a fight over Hermione's love!" Harry continued.
"Hermione and Dumbledore!"
"Dumbledore and Hagrid!"
"Hagrid and Ginny!"
"McGonagall and Lockhart!"
"Neville and Cho!"
"Luna and Percy!"
The two boys were rolling on the ground now, practically sobbing from laughing so hard, when Hermione came in. All she saw was two teenagers, sprawled on the floor laughing so hard they were crying.
"Boys..." Hermione said, rolling her eyes.
"Well...I guess we'd better start cleaning now, "Ron said wiping stray tears from eyes 10 minutes later.
They went upstairs, fully unprepared for a single photo that would change lives.
----
Well, how was it? It may not seem like it's going anywhere, but trust me it is. Were they too OOC? If so, I can change it and make other chapters different. And by the way, I actually have been rolling on the floor laughing hysterically for 10 minutes, crying with tears of laughter. Just so you know :-)
And now...a song!!!
Yes, a lovely song advising you all to review.
To the tune of Sunshine Day, by the Brady Bunch:
Oh, I think I'll go a leave a nice review now
The button is calling my name!
I hear ya know I just have to press that blue button
I gotta click it, give her a nice review-ew-ew
Everybody's reviwing!
Review day!
Everybody's clicking!
Review day!
Everybody leaves, a review today...
It's a review day!
Aww, wasn't that lovely? Yes it was! Well what are you doing? Review already!