Disclaimer: God these are so stupid!! I don't own Harry Potter or any
part of his world; J.K. Rowling does; Warner Bros. think they do. I do,
however, own this storyline.plot.thing.
A/N: Hey it's me again!!! This is my third story so far (oh yeah, I'm on a roll!). Don't worry, more chapters will follow. This will be centered around Harry and Ron. I love those two; their friendship simply fascinates me. As for this story, I really don't know if it's slash or not (Harry and Ron slash are soooo cute!). It all depends on how you interpret it. When I thought it up, it seemed a little slashy to me; however, you may see it as just a really close bond between two friends. But if you don't go for slash and are a homophobe then, to be on the safe side, don't read this. I don't want your reviews telling me what a sick scum I am for writing slash. Just leave. This really wasn't meant to be a sequel to my last story, "Helpless," it just follows in that sort of time sequence.if you get my meaning. The title comes from Jimmy Eat World's "Sweetness." However this IS NOT a song fic. I personally don't really care for those. The closest I'll get to a song fic is that I'll include the lyrics at the *end* of the story/chapter. No there won't be any lyrics in this. That song didn't inspire this story, but I just think the song sort of fits it. I really like reviews, so please do the right thing and review. I accept helpful criticism just as long as you don't nit-pick. Flames will be used to warm my hands.
**Before I begin, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed "Helpless." I would also like to give a personal 'thank you' to Ronweasley1029, who is the author of "So, Is Everybody This Lonely When They're In Love?". I consider him to be an amazing author and am flattered at the wonderful compliments he gave my story and my writing. He really boosted my confidence and got me off my lazy ass to post this new story. I am truly honored and grateful. So I am dedicating this story to him. Thank you and enjoy!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Sweetness" ch. 1: Escape or Arrival by: Kate
Harry checked the digital clock on his bedside table: 12:45 a.m. His aunt, uncle, and cousin were probably in a deep slumber by now. The 15 yr. old climbed out, fully dressed in a T-shirt ("Quidditch: Just Catch It!") and jeans, from under the covers and walked over to his large trunk. He flicked on the nearby desk lamp, and kneeled in front of the trunk. Raising the lid, he peered inside, checking the contents to see that he had everything. He stood and wandered over to his wardrobe and opened it; rummaging through the drawers, he grabbed a few extra pairs of socks and boxers. He also pulled out a couple of warm turtleneck sweaters that Sirius had sent him. Harry wasn't planning on coming back to the Dursleys' this year, so he wanted to make sure he had everything. He caught his reflection in the mirror on the wardrobe door, and turned to study himself.
Harry had never been one to be concerned with his appearance, but he was pleased with what he saw now. Long hours of Quidditch training had given him some muscle tone and, although he was still pretty lean, he was no longer scrawny with nobly knees. He had even grown a couple inches, though he was still below normal height and Ron, who was several months older, still towered over him. His hair, still unruly and black as night, was a bit longer now. There were even pieces he could now tuck behind his ears. The 5th year's hair had a constant "wind-swept" look about it from him running his fingers through it, a habit he had picked up on. His emerald eyes no longer held a look of childish innocence, but one of maturity and of a boy who has seen too much for his age. His voice had even deepened.a little. Harry smirked and returned to his clothes hunting.
He pulled out his favorite pair of pants; soft cotton patterned with little Golden Snitches and broomsticks, that Mrs. Weasley had made for him. Harry had gotten them for his birthday this year and had been using them, along with a random T-shirt, as pajamas. The raven-haired boy ran his hand over the fabric, thinking fondly of the Weasleys.and Ron. *I'm glad I decided to do this. There's just no way I can stay in this Hell all summer. Dumbledore will understand. I just can't stand their silences and scornful looks anymore.* He sighed. His stay with the Dursleys had been very trying so far. His aunt, uncle, and cousin were now ignoring him. Completely. The only time Harry's presence was acknowledged was when Aunt Petunia placed a small plate of food in front of him. They didn't even mind leaving him home alone anymore. This silent world caused Harry to keep remembering the night of the Third Task. The images would play over and over, like a broken record.
He needed distraction and he needed his friends. He would have Ron send a letter to Hermione, inviting her to stay over. *That is, if she isn't in Bulgaria with Krum,* Harry thought. He packed the rest of his clothes and, after checking his nightstand for any forgotten quills or pictures as well as the loose floorboards, and shut and locked his trunk. He turned off the lamp and picked up one end of his trunk. Inch by painfully slow inch, Harry dragged the heavy trunk out of his room and down the stairs, minding the squeaky step. He had no problems getting his trunk to the front door, next to which, on a table, he had left Hedwig earlier so that he wouldn't be hindered by her cage when going downstairs. However, just as Harry began to ease the door open, he heard a bed creaking and a soft thudding of bare feet on hardwood flooring. He immediately froze and, not even shutting the door, listened hard. The footsteps were light, so it had to be his aunt who was awake. He waited as the footsteps moved down the hall and into the bathroom. Harry heard the bathroom door shut with a soft click.
He decided that now was the time to get out. Aunt Petunia was less likely to hear him with the bathroom door shut. The bright-eyed teen opened the front door the rest of the way. He heaved his trunk outside, making more noise than he would have liked in his haste. He hurried back inside, roughly grabbed Hedwig's cage, and ran back outside. Having set down the cage, Harry shut the door and leaned against it, breathing like he had just ran a race. While waiting for his heartbeat to slow, Harry surveyed the block. The streetlamps shone brightly in the moonless night.
*Phase 1:done. I'm out. That was pretty close though,* Harry thought. *Hope I got everything. I don't really fancy playing 'Mission Impossible' again.* Emerald eyes locked with amber as he gazed down at the snowy owl in front of him, who stared back.
"What do ya say, Hedwig? Ready to go see the Weasleys'? I know how much you miss Pigwidgeon," Harry said, a ghost of a smile playing at his lips. Hedwig ruffled her feathers and hooted importantly, making Harry grin for the first time in several days.
He picked up an end of his trunk and Hedwig's cage and walked to the curb, away from the light of the street lamps. Harry made sure he was a safe distance away from the street, though, remembering his experience with the Night Bus. *Now how do you hail a Night Bus? Stick out your wand hand?* Harry, feeling extremely stupid, stuck out his right arm and waited. After about a minute of waiting and hoping that no one was looking out their window at that moment, a loud bang sounded and a large double-decker bus rumbled to a stop in front of Harry with its headlights blazing. The door opened revealing, to no surprise of Harry's, Stan Shunpike in his usual purple uniform and zits.
" 'Ey, it's you again!" the older boy said in mild surprise. "Now, is it Neville or 'Arry?"
"It's Harry. D'you think you could give me a hand with this?" Harry was tired and feeling a little cranky. He wanted to get to the Weasleys' within this week and was in no mood for idle chitchat.
"Oh sure. So you're 'Arry Potter then, huh?" said Stan, as he picked up an end of Harry's trunk. When Harry replied with a curt "yes," Stan's eyes did the usual scar scan of Harry's forehead. Ernie, the driver gave him a small nod as Harry passed.
Like before, the bus was practically empty. Harry's trunk was placed at the foot of a bed, the same bed he had occupied on his last trip, with the snowy owl's cage on top of it. He gave the Weasleys' address to Ernie and settled onto the bed. Fortunately Stan wasn't in the talking mood either, because he picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet as soon as he sat down in his chair next to Ernie's. Harry settled back into the pillow and closed his eyes. He had a small headache and wanted to get some rest. His thoughts turned to Ron and Hermione and their importance in his life. Sometimes Harry felt as though he was in a storm-tossed sea, lost and frightened. But then Ron and Hermione would come along, like his life raft. He didn't know what he would do if he ever lost them, especially Ron. Last year showed him just how much he needed the tall, lanky boy who's temper was as fiery as his hair. Oh sure, Hermione was special to him too, but Harry and Ron shared something that just wasn't there with Hermione.
Harry was very relieved when Stan came over to inform him that they would be arriving at the Weasleys' residence in about 2 minutes. He was still very tired, not being able to get any sleep with the bus's constant jerking motion of stopping and starting and swerving. The bus came to a sharp halt in front of a large house that looked like it was ready to fall over. Harry looked out the window and smiled to himself. *Home,* he thought.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* I'm sorry the first chapter is kinda boring. Trust me it will get better!! Please review, c'mon you know you wanna! You'd want me to if I were reading your story. Next chapter will be up soon.I hope. Oh and can you do me a favor? Read my story "A Winter's Tale" and give me some ideas for a concluding chapter! I'm stuck!! Thanks!
*** This is a little response to those of you who were correcting Ron's age in my previous fic, "Helpless." I put Ron down as 15. Just b/c he is in 4th year doesn't mean he is 14. We don't know Ron's birthday, yet (which is pretty odd b/c we have Hermione's, Harry's, and even the Twins'). He could have one of those early/late b-days.I don't know how that works, but I think he can be 15 depending on when his birthday is. Besides, I like to think of his as older than Harry by a few months. So stop pointing that out! B/c you don't know, anymore than I do, how old Ron really is.
A/N: Hey it's me again!!! This is my third story so far (oh yeah, I'm on a roll!). Don't worry, more chapters will follow. This will be centered around Harry and Ron. I love those two; their friendship simply fascinates me. As for this story, I really don't know if it's slash or not (Harry and Ron slash are soooo cute!). It all depends on how you interpret it. When I thought it up, it seemed a little slashy to me; however, you may see it as just a really close bond between two friends. But if you don't go for slash and are a homophobe then, to be on the safe side, don't read this. I don't want your reviews telling me what a sick scum I am for writing slash. Just leave. This really wasn't meant to be a sequel to my last story, "Helpless," it just follows in that sort of time sequence.if you get my meaning. The title comes from Jimmy Eat World's "Sweetness." However this IS NOT a song fic. I personally don't really care for those. The closest I'll get to a song fic is that I'll include the lyrics at the *end* of the story/chapter. No there won't be any lyrics in this. That song didn't inspire this story, but I just think the song sort of fits it. I really like reviews, so please do the right thing and review. I accept helpful criticism just as long as you don't nit-pick. Flames will be used to warm my hands.
**Before I begin, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed "Helpless." I would also like to give a personal 'thank you' to Ronweasley1029, who is the author of "So, Is Everybody This Lonely When They're In Love?". I consider him to be an amazing author and am flattered at the wonderful compliments he gave my story and my writing. He really boosted my confidence and got me off my lazy ass to post this new story. I am truly honored and grateful. So I am dedicating this story to him. Thank you and enjoy!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Sweetness" ch. 1: Escape or Arrival by: Kate
Harry checked the digital clock on his bedside table: 12:45 a.m. His aunt, uncle, and cousin were probably in a deep slumber by now. The 15 yr. old climbed out, fully dressed in a T-shirt ("Quidditch: Just Catch It!") and jeans, from under the covers and walked over to his large trunk. He flicked on the nearby desk lamp, and kneeled in front of the trunk. Raising the lid, he peered inside, checking the contents to see that he had everything. He stood and wandered over to his wardrobe and opened it; rummaging through the drawers, he grabbed a few extra pairs of socks and boxers. He also pulled out a couple of warm turtleneck sweaters that Sirius had sent him. Harry wasn't planning on coming back to the Dursleys' this year, so he wanted to make sure he had everything. He caught his reflection in the mirror on the wardrobe door, and turned to study himself.
Harry had never been one to be concerned with his appearance, but he was pleased with what he saw now. Long hours of Quidditch training had given him some muscle tone and, although he was still pretty lean, he was no longer scrawny with nobly knees. He had even grown a couple inches, though he was still below normal height and Ron, who was several months older, still towered over him. His hair, still unruly and black as night, was a bit longer now. There were even pieces he could now tuck behind his ears. The 5th year's hair had a constant "wind-swept" look about it from him running his fingers through it, a habit he had picked up on. His emerald eyes no longer held a look of childish innocence, but one of maturity and of a boy who has seen too much for his age. His voice had even deepened.a little. Harry smirked and returned to his clothes hunting.
He pulled out his favorite pair of pants; soft cotton patterned with little Golden Snitches and broomsticks, that Mrs. Weasley had made for him. Harry had gotten them for his birthday this year and had been using them, along with a random T-shirt, as pajamas. The raven-haired boy ran his hand over the fabric, thinking fondly of the Weasleys.and Ron. *I'm glad I decided to do this. There's just no way I can stay in this Hell all summer. Dumbledore will understand. I just can't stand their silences and scornful looks anymore.* He sighed. His stay with the Dursleys had been very trying so far. His aunt, uncle, and cousin were now ignoring him. Completely. The only time Harry's presence was acknowledged was when Aunt Petunia placed a small plate of food in front of him. They didn't even mind leaving him home alone anymore. This silent world caused Harry to keep remembering the night of the Third Task. The images would play over and over, like a broken record.
He needed distraction and he needed his friends. He would have Ron send a letter to Hermione, inviting her to stay over. *That is, if she isn't in Bulgaria with Krum,* Harry thought. He packed the rest of his clothes and, after checking his nightstand for any forgotten quills or pictures as well as the loose floorboards, and shut and locked his trunk. He turned off the lamp and picked up one end of his trunk. Inch by painfully slow inch, Harry dragged the heavy trunk out of his room and down the stairs, minding the squeaky step. He had no problems getting his trunk to the front door, next to which, on a table, he had left Hedwig earlier so that he wouldn't be hindered by her cage when going downstairs. However, just as Harry began to ease the door open, he heard a bed creaking and a soft thudding of bare feet on hardwood flooring. He immediately froze and, not even shutting the door, listened hard. The footsteps were light, so it had to be his aunt who was awake. He waited as the footsteps moved down the hall and into the bathroom. Harry heard the bathroom door shut with a soft click.
He decided that now was the time to get out. Aunt Petunia was less likely to hear him with the bathroom door shut. The bright-eyed teen opened the front door the rest of the way. He heaved his trunk outside, making more noise than he would have liked in his haste. He hurried back inside, roughly grabbed Hedwig's cage, and ran back outside. Having set down the cage, Harry shut the door and leaned against it, breathing like he had just ran a race. While waiting for his heartbeat to slow, Harry surveyed the block. The streetlamps shone brightly in the moonless night.
*Phase 1:done. I'm out. That was pretty close though,* Harry thought. *Hope I got everything. I don't really fancy playing 'Mission Impossible' again.* Emerald eyes locked with amber as he gazed down at the snowy owl in front of him, who stared back.
"What do ya say, Hedwig? Ready to go see the Weasleys'? I know how much you miss Pigwidgeon," Harry said, a ghost of a smile playing at his lips. Hedwig ruffled her feathers and hooted importantly, making Harry grin for the first time in several days.
He picked up an end of his trunk and Hedwig's cage and walked to the curb, away from the light of the street lamps. Harry made sure he was a safe distance away from the street, though, remembering his experience with the Night Bus. *Now how do you hail a Night Bus? Stick out your wand hand?* Harry, feeling extremely stupid, stuck out his right arm and waited. After about a minute of waiting and hoping that no one was looking out their window at that moment, a loud bang sounded and a large double-decker bus rumbled to a stop in front of Harry with its headlights blazing. The door opened revealing, to no surprise of Harry's, Stan Shunpike in his usual purple uniform and zits.
" 'Ey, it's you again!" the older boy said in mild surprise. "Now, is it Neville or 'Arry?"
"It's Harry. D'you think you could give me a hand with this?" Harry was tired and feeling a little cranky. He wanted to get to the Weasleys' within this week and was in no mood for idle chitchat.
"Oh sure. So you're 'Arry Potter then, huh?" said Stan, as he picked up an end of Harry's trunk. When Harry replied with a curt "yes," Stan's eyes did the usual scar scan of Harry's forehead. Ernie, the driver gave him a small nod as Harry passed.
Like before, the bus was practically empty. Harry's trunk was placed at the foot of a bed, the same bed he had occupied on his last trip, with the snowy owl's cage on top of it. He gave the Weasleys' address to Ernie and settled onto the bed. Fortunately Stan wasn't in the talking mood either, because he picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet as soon as he sat down in his chair next to Ernie's. Harry settled back into the pillow and closed his eyes. He had a small headache and wanted to get some rest. His thoughts turned to Ron and Hermione and their importance in his life. Sometimes Harry felt as though he was in a storm-tossed sea, lost and frightened. But then Ron and Hermione would come along, like his life raft. He didn't know what he would do if he ever lost them, especially Ron. Last year showed him just how much he needed the tall, lanky boy who's temper was as fiery as his hair. Oh sure, Hermione was special to him too, but Harry and Ron shared something that just wasn't there with Hermione.
Harry was very relieved when Stan came over to inform him that they would be arriving at the Weasleys' residence in about 2 minutes. He was still very tired, not being able to get any sleep with the bus's constant jerking motion of stopping and starting and swerving. The bus came to a sharp halt in front of a large house that looked like it was ready to fall over. Harry looked out the window and smiled to himself. *Home,* he thought.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* I'm sorry the first chapter is kinda boring. Trust me it will get better!! Please review, c'mon you know you wanna! You'd want me to if I were reading your story. Next chapter will be up soon.I hope. Oh and can you do me a favor? Read my story "A Winter's Tale" and give me some ideas for a concluding chapter! I'm stuck!! Thanks!
*** This is a little response to those of you who were correcting Ron's age in my previous fic, "Helpless." I put Ron down as 15. Just b/c he is in 4th year doesn't mean he is 14. We don't know Ron's birthday, yet (which is pretty odd b/c we have Hermione's, Harry's, and even the Twins'). He could have one of those early/late b-days.I don't know how that works, but I think he can be 15 depending on when his birthday is. Besides, I like to think of his as older than Harry by a few months. So stop pointing that out! B/c you don't know, anymore than I do, how old Ron really is.