Summer Time
Waiting
Hermione's POV
It was August 1, Hermione along with the Weasleys and others sat in the living room of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, awaiting the arrival of Harry Potter. Dumbledore had told them that Harry had changed much over the summer. He had kept them updated on anything having to do with Harry, and the search for Harry. He just would not tell them exactly how much Harry had changed, probably because he did not know himself.
Everyone was eager to see Harry. Hermione and Ginny had redecorated Sirius' old room, though anxious as to how Harry would react to the dark memories of the room. Ron and Mr. Weasley helped add a "man's" touch to it. They said something about boys not liking pink. Mrs. Weasley went completely out of her way to cook all of Harry's favorite foods. She even stayed up through the night to cook some of his favorite meals and no one was allowed to touch them. Ron found this out the hard way. She said she had a feeling that Harry was not eating well. But out of all them, Hermione had to be the most anxious to see Harry.
Harry had been writing to them every three days up until this day, just like he had promised. But his letters did nothing but fuel their anticipations. Harry had been writing one, sometimes two, sentenced responses to them. And the oddest thing was, no one ever saw the owl that delivered the letter, if it was an owl. Somehow the letter always ended upon the kitchen table, or in Dumbledore's case, desk.
And if the letters and their odd delivery were not making her anxious enough, Hermione had overheard Professor Dumbledore telling Mr. and Mrs. Weasley a few weeks ago of a peculiar discussion he had with Harry. He told them that he had asked Harry if Harry wanted training, but Harry told him "no" and walked away. He said Harry did not give an explanation or an enlightenment, just "no." Dumbledore preceded to talk about the visiting the Dursleys in an attempt to uncover anything about Harry's recent attitude. Their responses to his questions of Harry were answered swiftly with their statements of "the freak left" and by them slamming the door in his face.
Dumbledore told the Weasleys that he had questioned them further, though without their conscious consent. He found that they were telling the truth and that Harry had indeed disappeared, the moment he was out of the train station he had told them to go home and he was not going to return to them. Hermione could remember the thoughts that ran through her mind. She wanted to rush into the kitchen and demand Dumbledore go look for Harry, but logic took over. She would have to explain how she had come across such information.
She had left her position on the floor by the door and stationed herself in the living room. A good move on her part, for Dumbledore had called for an Order meeting immediately after the conversation and wanted her and Ron to join them. Though most of the Order members, Mrs. Weasley being the most opposing, immediately argued against this. Dumbledore had, however, dismissed their arguments with a well-placed: "they are almost adults and have faced things that most adults faced," he quickly added, "they are also our experts on Mr. Potter."
Having dispelled the agitation of his members, even if in the slightest, Dumbledore continued on with the emergency meeting. The members who were to watch Harry on arrival said that the Dursleys had not come home as soon as they had expected and they had gone to the train station to check it out. When they arrived back at the house, the car was there, lights were on, so they assumed Harry had arrived.
During this account Tonks arrived with Mad-eye Moody and someone Hermione believed to be an auror. They told of searching the train station. There had been no recent use of Dark Magic, magical transportation, or even a magical struggle. They had, however, found and traced Harry's magical signature but they ran into a wall, literally. At the base of a nearby building, his trace disappeared.
The rest of the night went by in a flash for Hermione. She remembered major occurrences such as Dumbledore sending his pet phoenix, Fawkes, to find Harry and the immediate return of Fawkes that sent a shiver down her spine. When Dumbledore questioned Fawkes on Harry's whereabouts, the phoenix stuck out his wing and out fell a letter. Hermione never found out what was in the letter, Dumbledore skimmed through it rather quickly and turned to her and Ron, asking them for any additional information. They had been completely kept in the dark by Harry, from what she and Ron put together. They could offer nothing sufficient. Dumbledore dismissed them afterwards. Hermione had not slept at all that night.
She had spent the next few days worrying about Harry. She was not the only one of course. Ron had been pumping all of his siblings for facts, excluding Ginny (who oddly enough seemed pleased). Ron had been met with the same answer from all whom he asked, that the investigation was in an early stage and they will inform him when they found more. And of course there was Lupin . . .
Hermione shuddered slightly at the memory. A lupin had gone on a rampage after Harry's disappearance. No, one, not even Dumbledore, dared to talk or even approach him. Hermione could somewhat understand what Remus was going through. First he had lost Harry's parents, then Sirius, then he got Sirius back but not before losing him again, permanently. Now, Harry was gone. He locked himself in his room, and Mrs. Weasley had the hardest time trying just to get him to eat on a regular basis.
Hermione did the only thing she could do at the time, in a desperate move, she wrote to Harry. Through it she vented all of her rage and frustration. The letter, however, was written only for that purpose only, for Hermione to vent her rage. She addressed the letter to Harry, put it on her night stand and went to bed, contented. She awoke in the morning of the next day to find the letter gone. She figured she had misplaced it until she noticed the beautiful white feather that was lying in the spot previously held by the letter.
She had rushed to the makeshift owlery, which was Sirius' parents' old room. She saw the owl of her interest. Hedwig was still there, she looked restless and she looked to Hermione eagerly as if wanting Hermione to give her a mission. Hermione knew then that Hedwig was not the one who took her letter. Days later, a letter addressed to Remus was on the table at breakfast. He opened at the table and read it with a hollowed and pallid face and reddened eyes. He ignored all of their questions of what Harry had written. Hermione could practically see the weight being drawn off his shoulders as he read it. Some color arose in his cheeks and a brief smile was tugging at his face.
Hermione had gone to her night stand that night and contemplated on what to write to Harry this time. After minutes of contemplating, she finally subjected to write what she felt the most above everything else into the letter. She did not ask him where he was, if he was all right, or even what had happened. She wrote a simple 'thank you' on the letter and addressed it to him. She knew that he was safe now, somehow, and that she did not have to ask him of such. She went to bed that night, even more contented than the night before. And when she woke up the next morning and saw another feather, she felt a little better.
A chiming noise from the mantlepiece brought Hermione out of her thoughts. The clock had struck five. Dumbledore said Harry would be arriving at five.
For a split second, time seemed to stop. Suddenly a bright light blossomed into view in front of the mantle. A beautiful song like that of Fawkes' started to fill the room, but this song was different somehow. It had the euphonic charm and tone that Fawkes' carried, but something was definitely different. After a few seconds she realized what the difference was. She had read that all phoenixes had different songs. All it took was a patient and lucky listener to decipher the differences.
There was a great flash of white light. The light dimmed quickly and the effects disappeared. Hermione focused on the mantle once more. There was a still figure there along with a trunk. Immediately Hermione made some quick observations.
It was definitely Harry, and the hair and eyes spoke for themselves. But there were subtle differences that caught her eye. His hair seemed a bit more tamed than usual, and it also had a new length. His scar was showing proudly, something that she was sure Harry would never let that happen. He was not wearing his glasses and his eyes sparkled with a new light, Hermione was intrigued and had always been intrigued by his eyes.
Her eyes went lower. His face seemed to have lost its' old, youthful look. There were scars, small ones though, on his face. The scars showed that he had been through a lot. At least he was still her height, Hermione joked to herself. He had grown into his body. It seemed that he had grown into his height. He filled out his T-shirt and pants perfectly. And his clothes seemed to fit him for once.
Harry inspected the room for a moment or two. Was it just her or did his eyes just linger on her face, Hermione dismissed it though as Harry reached down and patted a beautiful bird that was sitting on his trunk. It was a different phoenix, she thought triumphantly. It was a beautiful white phoenix.
A glimmer of light at his ear grabbed her attention. He had an earring. She could not get a good glance at it being that Harry was constantly moving his head.
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out. He noticed her problem and smiled somewhat. The old, youthful look was back.
"I. . ." His voice sent a tingle through her. It was deeper and more mature than it had been when they had departed at the train station. "I'm sorry if we've startled you, but it was the quickest way here. Didn't Dumbledore tell you I was coming?" Was it just her or did he have a small accent? "You can put your wands down. Better yet, keep 'em out. If there was one thing I've learned is always having a defensive measure on hand."
Hermione noticed for the first time that she along with everyone else in the room was standing with their wands out, positioned on Harry.
Hermione was the first to get control of her voice. "Carry." She as if his name did not quite fit him anymore. "Harry-."
"Hermione Granger, tongue twisted, I don't see that much."
Hermione blushed much to her own displeasure. She immediately rushed forward, scolding him along the way. "Where have you been? Do you know how worried we were? How are you? Did something happen?" She threw her arms around the now stunned Harry. He stiffened to the touch. "Something did happen, didn't it? Were you hurt? Are you all right?" And she unknowingly went about babbling out incessant questions and then answering them herself, when he was too slow to react.
A very abashed Harry looked to the others in the room appealingly. "Can someone help me?" Hermione buried her face in the crook of his face and continued babble. The others in the room relaxed and sent him looks, clearly saying 'that's what you get.'
Hermione felt a lump move on the side of Harry's body and jumped back with a gasp as a hiss emitted from the lump. Harry reached under his shirt, exposing a lot of his fit stomach to Hermione, and pulled out a very disgruntled snake. Hermione backed away slightly as the snake bared his fangs at her. Harry said something to it in a sharp tone and it retracted.
"Don't be alarmed. Selian just doesn't like to be squeezed. I found that out the hard way." Harry pointed to a set of snake bites on his neck. Hermione gasped and paled. Mrs. Weasley could be heard in the background murmuring chastising comments under her breath. "At least I'm immune to most snake bites now."
Hermione shook herself out of the stupor that had taken over her. Everyone was staring at Harry in a disbelieving manner. "What!"
"Harry, mate, wha-." Ron started to say but was cut off by the abrupt departure of the beautiful white phoenix. There was no sound in this departure, just a small flash of light. It left a feather or two on the trunk.
"So that's how you've been sending post." Hermione said suddenly. Everyone's eyes were on her, she explained. "When I was sending him letters, there was always a feather on my night stand."
"She's been shedding. Mast- Star's owner told me that she sheds the feathers she deems unworthy. She is a very ostentatious bird. But you should see her on her lighting day-."
"Lighting day?" Remus said. "Don't phoenixes have burning days?"
"She's a special kind of phoenix, a Light phoenix. Her owner told me that seeing different kinds of phoenixes in one's lifetime is an incredible feat."
"It is! I've never thought I'd see two in one lifetime." Remus said.
"I've never heard of a Light phoenix. I've read about there being different types of phoenixes but never any that did not have fire traits."
"Oh there aren't. Light fire is a special type of fire. I'll tell you about it at dinner." At the term 'dinner' Mrs. Weasley interest in the conversation seemed to rise. "I hope you have something prepared, if not I can whip up something. I'm starving." Mrs. Weasley was at his side in an instant, carefully avoiding the snake though.
"Come dear, let's get you settled in first. Fred and George can take your trunk to your room." The twins bounced their way over to Harry.
"We are at your service." They said in unison. They might be adults, age wise, but that did not keep them from keeping with their old tricks.
Harry tapped his trunk with one finger and it levitated off the ground. He shook himself and put his left hand in his pocket. Harry gave it a small push. "It's okay. I'm sure it will find Sirius' room on its own." The trunk slowly glided to the hallway.
Sirius' room!
Hermione was flabbergasted. She looked over to Ginny, who was mirroring, her expression. How did Harry know that Sirius' old room was being turned into his room? She was sure that no one knew it but she, Ron, Mr. Weasley and Ginny. And out of them all, Hermione was probably the only one who had been in contact with Harry. And he was even implying that he would be staying there, willingly! Hermione's hand touched the pocket of her jeans that held the practiced argument she and Ginny were planning to act out in case Harry put up a fight against the bedding arrangements.
Harry stuffed his hands in his pocket shyly and took a moment to examine the room rather than the inhabitants who were looking at him in awe. "Wow Mrs. Weasley. You've outdone yourself with the remodeling." Mrs. Weasley blushed somewhat at the comment.
"Oh, it was all Hermione and Ginny. They have been working hard on the house and-."
"You guys can clean?" Harry said with false astonishment. Ginny threw him a glare. Hermione hit him in the arm playfully. Harry laughed.
He turned serious suddenly. "Remus you-."
"Yes, I moved all of Sirius' family things to the attic. No one touched them. I don't why you are so interested in the items."
"They may be dark, but they were created for a reason. I reckon that might be useful to use, futuristically. It could really help us."
"Or kill us." Remus murmured under his breath.
"SO." Harry said sending a very odd look to Remus. "About dinner." To emphasize this point his stomach growled.
"To the kitchen dear." She said pulling and half-dragging Harry to the kitchen.
Hermione looked at Remus as he slowly followed the two. Something was up, and she could feel it.
Dinner was a semi-awkward. Though they had a small discussion on the phoenixes, they really weren't into the conversation. There was definitely something happening between Harry and Remus. The tension was seriously palpable. Harry's eating habits were extremely peculiar to her. True, Hermione Granger was a friend of, and she knew him better than anyone else. She had studied him, sort of like a class - Potter 101, she liked to call it - and she knew when something was wrong with him just by watching him do normal, everyday activities.
Her mind, as soon as he began to eat, wrapped itself around the fact that he was hesitant to let anyone touch his food or drink. But he managed to do it in a peaceful, polite way. No one else seemed to notice it. His hesitance showed open vigilance to his surroundings, to Hermione this meant he was either suspicious of someone in the house or that he was just trying to be polite. Most likely the fore than latter.
He ate mechanically, and he seemed to be far away in thought. Something was deeply troubling him, she thought. She saw him glance at Remus quite a few times. Hermione pondered about that for a moment, but when nothing striking came to mind, she moved on.
He was not at all affable but managed to insert a comment or two every now and then into one of the conversations that were going on around him. There were other things too, but none were too evident or frequent to study.
The twins asked for a plate of chicken that was to Harry's left in the middle of dinner. Hermione did not think much of it until she saw Harry's reaction. He politely smiled and pulled his left hand from under the table to get the plate. There was a small clink when Harry's hand touched the plate. Hermione heard a small gasp and saw Remus looking at Harry in an aghast manner. She, as well as everyone else, turned to Harry and saw his hand dart quickly under the table. He glared deeply at Remus before passing the plate to the twins with his right hand.
After that dinner went by as it had before, though this time, it seemed, that everyone else was beginning to notice things about Harry too. Every now and then someone would throw a glance at Harry. When dessert arrived, Hermione heard a slight chuckle from Harry's direction. She looked at him, however and did not see a change in him at all. She turned away. She heard the chuckle once more, and once more she turned. She saw nothing out of place. She noticed that Remus was watching him as well.
She heard the chuckle again. It was louder this time. She saw Harry squirming in his seat. A lump was visible in his shirt and his snake's head was bobbing around his ear. Harry murmured something in a foreign tongue. Hermione felt another chill go through her as she heard Harry conversing with the snake in Parseltongue. All conversation seemed to cease, Harry did not seem to notice.
He nodded his head in an affirming manner to something the snake had said and the snake slithered around his neck in a very threatening way. The snake seemed to grow in size as it slithered around Harry's neck. Hermione felt a sense of dread at the site. But the snake slithered down Harry's chair and out of the room. Harry's attention fell back on those in the room.
"Oh, sorry about that, Selian was bugging me nonstop. He smelled mice upstairs and didn't want to sit here starving while we humans fattened ourselves." Harry gave another laugh.
Ginny spoke suddenly. "I hope you warned it about Hedwig."
Harry smiled at her, Hermione was suddenly getting irritated by the conversation. "They were introduced before I sent Hedwig to Hermione. It makes me wonder though."
"About what?" Ginny asked quickly, taking the question right out of Hermione' mouth.
"It makes me wonder who would be the victor in a clash between a magical bird and a magical snake. The Food Chain theory doesn't exactly work for magical creatures."
"True." Hermione said.
"Sellian's magical?" Ginny said.
Harry beamed slightly at the mispronunciation of his snake's name. "It's Selian. It takes a lot of hissing to be able to pronounce it right." Ginny blushed. Hermione was enraged. Ginny was experienced with the Parseltongue language, and she could pronounce it right. Probably did it to get Harry's attention, Hermione raged mentally. "And yes his is magical, he did just increase his length." Ginny blushed deeper in the most innocent of ways. If she had not been extremely enraged, Hermione would have admitted to it.
"Can he do anything else?" Ron asked. Everyone turned to look at him. "I don't like spiders. I don't have anything against snakes, instead of the Slytherins." Remus and Harry laughed.
"Ron." His mother warned. She turned to Harry. "He isn't poisonous?"
"Oh definitely. One bite can kill you." Remus choked on his drink and everyone turned to Harry in shock.
"What are you doing with a poisonous snake!" Remus yelled surprising everyone at the table except, seemingly, Harry.
"He's cute." Harry said simply. Remus opened his mouth to say something. "And his bite is what make him a magical creature. He can choose what his venom will do to you. I've seen it stun, paralyze, maim, cripple, and kill people." That did not help much. "Besides, there are ongoing studies about the venom helping cure lycanthropy." Remus was silent after that being said.
"What did it so to you, since you were bitten?"
"I frightened him. He stunned me and tried to figure out what to do with me. When I heard him say 'share', I talked him out of it. His venom circulated turnout my body. Mast-someone told me that having the venom inside of me seemed to have formed a protective barrier around - anyway it didn't hurt me."
"What about Hermione?" Ron asked angrily.
Harry glanced at Hermione. "What about her?" Hermione could see the anger flash in Ron's eyes.
"Your snake almost bit her!" Harry smiled calmly.
"A snake that almost bites you, is a snake that rears up, comes at you and misses, or some variation of that. A snake that erects its body," Harry ignored the snickers from the twins, "that is a snake that is giving you a warning. In Hermione's case he was telling her not to repeat what she had done to aggravate him." Ron went red from the lecture. "Besides, he and I have already had a discussion about that. I told him that if he feels threatened, to stun." The looks that appeared on the faces of those at the table were stricken with horror. "I told him to then come to me and I'll straighten it out. I'm not going to let him be taking advantage of but I told him that if he abuses this right he would find himself in Hedwig's food bowl."
"Harry!" Hermione said. She did not like the sound of that. Harry looked at her sternly.
"Snakes, generally like to be left alone, so I advise you to keep your distance. If he is doing something that you do not like, just tell him in a calm and sturdy voice 'Don't' and he will stop want he is doing."
"I think you forgot the fact that we don't speak Parseltongue, oh smart one. That leaves us defenseless to him." Ron sneered. Hermione was not sure which side to take in the matter. Both held good arguments.
Harry leveled Ron with a steady glare. "I've taught him simple English phrases such as 'don't', 'wait', 'slow down', and 'calm down'. He understands directions and generally answers back with a nod or 'human'." Ron went red but there was disbelief apparent at the table. "He also answers to his name," He gaze went to Ginny and his voice softened, "if it is pronounced correctly." Ginny blushed and a smile appeared on Harry's face. It stayed for the rest of the meal and Hermione did not like it at all.
Hermione liked Harry, and she was open with herself about it. She just never knew how to get his attention. None of her Potter 101classes clued her into Harry's mind about girls. But from what she understood, he was completely clueless about girls. She remembered her rendezvous with Victor Krum. She wanted both Ron and Harry to see her in a new light. Ron was the closest but the test did not work out to plan being that Harry fell for Cho Chang.
However, it did brighten her spirits the way in which the two broke up. She knew it was a horrible thing to say, but Harry had to see Cho for the pretty face she was. Cho did not deserve Harry. She was only interested in Harry because Harry was the last to see her Cedric. It had pained Hermione to see Harry being used, but he had to see Cho for what she was on his own.
"Hermione is everything all right?" She sat with Harry in the living room. Harry had looked up from the book he was engrossed in. The light from the fireplace acting as a soothing and luminous lamp. His snake was peering down at the book from over his shoulder.
If it was not strange enough that he was reading a book altogether, he and his snake seemed to be reading out of a book that only the two of them could understand.
"Oh, no, I was just thinking. . ." She said uncomfortably. Ever since the argument at dinner, Hermione had the feeling Harry was watching her more closely than usual.
"About what?" He said shutting his book. He placed his right hand over his left hand immediately.
"You-." She revised her statement quickly after he raised his eyebrows. "Your behavior I mean." Good save Hermione, she thought to herself. Was it just her or did it get hot in here extremely quickly. Hermione continued calmly. "You disappear into thin air and then come back all. . . different." Harry tilted his head a little. The fire in the fireplace cast unusual shadows on his features. The scars on his face were illuminated.
"Yeah, Master K believed that I was always running into things before thinking, one thing being the Ministry of Magic fiasco. He said I could have handled it better even if I was being deceived. So we worked on that; patience, staying calm, and keeping control of my emotions and the situation." Harry said with a bored tone.
"That's not what I mea-. What do you mean by Master?" She asked. She was beginning to get worried. Harry stuffed his left hand into his pocket, Hermione was sure she had seen something glitter on it, he gathered his things, his snake and book. Hermione thought he was going to leave without answering her question.
"I'm sorry Hermione, but I was sworn to secrecy. But do not worry about it." He gave her a quick peek on the cheek before heading out of the room and she heard him heading up the stairs.
Hermione later wished he hadn't departed with a kiss, she did not have time to enjoy it being that she spent her time trying to decipher what he could have possibly meant by "Master."
At breakfast the next morning, Hermione was sure that everyone had picked up on Harry's odd eating habits. He fixed his own plate and ate large helpings of everything, though the latter of the two were not quite normal; he ate slowly and only with his right hand.
Ron seemed to have forgotten his little spat with Harry last night, he broke the uneasy silence that surrounded them with a question to Harry. "So, Harry, are you going to tell us where you've been all that time?" He said with his mouth full.
Harry did not seem to notice him at first. Then he spoke, it was a tone that Hermione had never heard from him, it was so dead and unemotional. "Never asked questions that have answers you can't accept."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Ron asked, his anger flaring.
Harry, who had kept his eyes downward looked up suddenly. His eyes were dull and empty. He looked like he had not received any sleep. He spoke once more. "Sometimes it is best if we do not know some things." Ron seemed shocked by Harry demeanor. "That's just like asking me if I have ever killed a man." The table went quiet. "You wouldn't want to know the answer to that question."
"I already know the answer." Ron said. For some reason Hermione did not like the direction of the conversation.
"Really!" Harry said with fake surprise.
"You couldn't kill someone. You just. . . couldn't." Ron said with conviction.
"Our initial perspective of a person can often lead to false hopes and beliefs." He turned to Mrs. Weasley and spoke with the same dead tone. "Excuse me." He left the room at an abrupt pace.
Hermione resisted the urge to run after him. Ron was extremely angry afterwards. He attacked his food fiercely. Harry stayed in his room all day, or at least that was what they supposed. Harry had locked his door and no one could get in and there were no sounds coming from the room.
That night there was a scheduled Order of the Phoenix meeting. Dumbledore invited her and Ron on the same conditions that he had the first time.
He examined his fingers as he talked to them. "As we all know, Harry Potter has kept his promise and returned. But according to those who have been watching him, he has been acting. . . odd." He said to start the meeting.
Mrs. Weasley spoke up first. "He was so cold today. He was just fine yesterday."
"He has a poisonous snake." Ron said angrily. There was general gasping.
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed.
"It tried to bite you!" There was another gasp.
"Ms. Granger?" Dumbledore asked pointedly.
"I agree with Harry. The snake was warning me not to squeeze him again."
Snape snorted from his seat. "Trust a Gryffindor to tempt a snake and blame the repercussions on the snake." Several others in the room laughed.
"With all respect Professor, Ron is the one blaming Harry, not me."
Ron went red in his seat. "All the same. . ." Snape said.
"He has these scars all over his body." Tonks said from her seat. Heads craned to look at her.
"And how would you know that?" Mrs. Weasley asked stiffly.
"You sent me up there to get him for breakfast, I just happen to catch him coming out of the shower." She turned to Dumbledore. "You have to see him." There were several snorts from those at the table. "For his scars, get your minds out of the gutter."
"What's a gutter?" Tonks gave a groan. The person next to her gave the obvious pureblooded member a small muggle lesson and Tonks continued with her report.
". . .one that ran up his stomach to his chest and another that looks deep."
"What is the condition of the scars?" Dumbledore asked quickly.
"They seemed to be old, like I said before. They seemed to be professionally healed and treated-."
"I doubt that they were 'professionally healed and treated' if you can see it." Ron said just loud enough so Tonks could hear it.
Dumbledore spoke in defense of Tonks. "Not all scars can be completely healed. I have a rather nasty one on my-."
"Albus!" Professor McGonagall said in outrage.
"Yes, well, it is quite nasty." She glared at him and he moved off the subject of his scars. "I find the supposed age of these scars very confusing."
"Why is that?" Moody asked.
"It is not possible for him to have received these scars during his vacation. Otherwise, they would have seemed new to Ms. Tonks."
"It's possible that someone mis-observed." Snape said.
"I-." Tonks began.
"I fully trust Ms. Tonks' ability to process information. Her agility is another thing." Tonks hair went pink.
"Is it possible that he was injured at Hogwarts under the Dolores' term as headmistress?" Professor McGonagall said.
"She only had that Blood Quill." Ron said. The room went quiet once more. His eyes seemed to light up. "She was about to Crucii-."
Hermione slapped Ron's mouth and kept her hand there. Dumbledore looked at her with a very compressed way. She could see the anger boiling in his eyes even though it was not directed at her. "You will stay and give me a full account of what took place Ms. Granger."
Hermione nodded and removed her hand from Ron mouth, he pushed it away angrily. Hermione stared at the table.
Dumbledore turned to Mrs. Weasley. "It there anything else that we should know?" Dumbledore asked sharply.
"His eating habits." Hermione said. She could feel eyes boring into her downward cast head.
"What she's trying to say is that his eating habits are peculiar. He is much more subdued at the table than I have ever seen him before. He doesn't eat what anyone fixes for him. He has to fix his own food and drink, and he won't let another person touch it."
"I don't what's wrong with that." Moody growled.
"It's like he doesn't trust anyone, any more." Mrs. Weasley said.
"Smart kid." Moody added.
"And," She continued as though Moody had never spoken, "Other than some physical changes, I overheard him talk to Hermione after dinner yesterday. He said something about a 'Master'." Hermione stiffened in her seat angrily. She had been spying on them.
Soon there was the feeling of someone staring at her intensely. With a sigh, but without moving her head, she spoke. "He spoke of a 'Master K', but when I asked he said 'I've been sworn to secrecy'." Hermione said in a small voice. She felt as though she were betraying Harry. It could be for the best.
"And his familiars."
"Those I was told about."
"Even about the snake being poisonous." Ron said.
"That was told to me after I was bitten." Dumbledore said. There were gasps. Hermione looked up as Dumbledore displayed a rather grotesque and vicious snake bite on his hand. "There are snakes that do not prefer to be squeezed." He said with a sad smile.
"And you let him keep it!" Ron said. "What if-."
"It is his familiar, I was the one who touched and thereby invoked the snake, I take responsibility for my actions." Dumbledore said. "Luckily, Mr. Potter had several friends with phoenixes and enlisted their help. I've never seen, in all my days, a case with more than four vials of tears from different phoenixes, let alone twelve different vials and pictures to go with." There was disbelief in every person at the table, even Hermione. It was just impossible, and yet. . .
"Hem, hem," Hermione said clearing her throat, "where is Remus? I thought he would be here." Hermione said trying to change the subject.
"Remus is on a very special mission right now. One that involves Mr. Potter-."
"Harry's on a mission, so unfair." Ron moaned. (1)
"No, you imbecile." Snape sneered. Dumbledore gave Snape a look and he rolled his eyes at the ceiling.
"He should have been back by no- oh, Remus we were just talking about you two."
Harry's eyes did a quick scan of the room and his hands flew behind his back. Why was he always hiding his hands? (2)
"Harry, I. . . " Dumbledore started but was cut off by Harry.
"Professor, stick to the point. I have lost a little patience with you after last year." Harry said the shock of the Order. Some like Hermione, gasped. Dumbledore nodded sharply. What is wrong with him? Hermione saw Snape out of the corner of her eye. He looked as though he had been forced to eat lemons all of his life.
"Show some respect Potter, for once in your life." Harry leveled him with a slight smile. Others voiced their opinions right behind Snape. Dumbledore raised a hand and silence rang out immediately. Ron was in awe at the command Dumbledore had. Hermione was as well.
"Yes. I wanted to ask you if you would accept my invitation into the Order." Another hand silenced the further outbursts that threatened to barricade him. There was a brief pause before Harry spoke, looking Dumbledore directly in the eye.
"I do not accept your invitation, Professor. The Order of the Phoenix works to keep the Death Eaters in line by gathering information from exposed sources, which will lead you down a horrid path. I don't work with those of that nature. Besides, being a member of this Order means abiding by rules, and if you have a record of spells I used in the Ministry of Magic, you would know I don't abide by the rules." Harry spoke in a voice that Hermione remembered from breakfast. He swiftly left his chair and made his way towards the door. Harry and Dumbledore's eyes meet and a look passed between them. But it was over too quickly.
He turned and hissed something. His snake, that must have wrapped itself around the back of Harry's chair slithered from the room. Hermione looked around her at the others. Snape was pale and still looked like a 'lemon sucker'. Dumbledore's expression matched Snape's. Ron was surprised along with many others in the room. Hermione was too, she had always thought Harry looked up to Dumbledore. Suddenly, his words made sense to her.
"What does he mean by 'spells I used'? You don't think he used the Dark Arts?" Mrs. Weasley said in a sort of frantic voice. Hermione growled mentally, Mrs. Weasley had gotten the question out before her. If seemed as though Harry speaking to the snake had chilled everyone.
Remus gave a sigh. "Yes he did. He used the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix Lestrage." Remus said in a sad tone. Dumbledore gave him a very piercing look, and he continued. "I saw it in his pensieve, which by the way, I didn't know he had. I asked to see what he did this summer but he turned me down and nearly threw me out."
"I don't and won't believe that Potter used a Cruciatus Curse." Snape snarled. Some others nodded in agreement.
"I'm not asking you to believe me." Remus said indifferently. "Harry said as he showed it to me that he wanted to cause her as much pain as he possibly could for what she had done to Sirius." His voice broke a little but he was back in seconds. "He laughed and said the curse hadn't gone as well as he had planned, but he said at least he stopped her from talking in her 'disgusting baby voice'." Remus said sadly but with a small smile tugging at his lips. Hermione assumed that it was from the thought of Harry getting retribution, in some respect, and retaliating on Sirius' death.
There came a disbelieving snort from Snape's direction.
"I must go speak with him." Dumbledore said with urgency. He rose from his chair and Hermione saw his eyes link with those of Remus. A small tidbit of something flashed in their eye contact. Hermione wondered what it was about, all the while feeling that something was not right between the two. It, in a way, reminded Hermione of the looks that passed between Remus and Harry. And between Harry and Dumbledore, a voice in the back of her mind reminded her. (3)
Dumbledore left the room with a fast step. As soon as the door closed, discussions started up. Everyone was discussing whether or not Harry had gone dark. Hermione for the most part, and like some other rather tacit members, did not participate. Hermione, though, found it terribly hard not to respond to most of the comments being made. It got even harder when Ron joined the discussion.
"I say he is going dark." He said leaning back in his chair with a serious look on his face.
Instead of everyone babbling at the same time, one person spoke for them all. "On what evidence?" Ron smirked.
"Just look at what he has done in the past. . ." And he went on to describe some of the things Harry had done in the past, things that the media had been pressing the year before. Hermione found herself pondering on whether or not Harry was going dark. Suddenly, she gave herself a small shake and dismissed any thoughts that showed any betrayal to Harry. He was not going dark, she thought with conviction.
She tuned back into the conversation at hand when a fist hit the table. She turned and looked to find Tonks eyeing Ron with extreme dislike and anger. Her hair had turned a furious red.
"Harry may have done all of those things, but just like some of the things Dumbledore does to protect others, there are ignorant people like you who are ungrateful and find the simplest of fissures to point out after your arse has been saved."
"Tonks!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed.
"It is a fact, Mrs. Weasley that Harry has saved Ron's butt many times, and how does he repay Harry, he slanders his name when he is supposed to be Harry's best-friend, besides Hermione."
Hermione was intrigued by this sudden protectiveness Tonks had over Harry. To a bystander it would that Tonks had known Harry before Hermione, Harry, and Ron had become friends. Hermione was intrigued with it as well as intimidated by it. How did it make her look if Tonks, someone who was not even that close to Harry, was sticking for him while she, Hermione, his best friend, was sitting by and watching. She opened her mouth to take the defense of Harry when a sudden boom followed by thumping and a crash interrupted her.
Half of the people in the room were up, armed, and out of the room before she had even registered the sounds. Hermione followed the example of the others and took out her wand before exiting the room. A cloud of dust hovered inside of the hallway. It was crowded and there was a brief moment of confusion before she began an Air Purifying charm. Others followed her example. The dust cloud was quickly receding and Hermione squinted through the stinging remnants for the cause of the ruckus. What she saw knocked the breath out of her lungs and froze her.
Harry stood on the stairs. His wand was aimed at Dumbledore, who was a few steps below him but almost matched his height, and sent spell after spell at the man. Others noticed it too, but Hermione was too focused on the scene before her to see their reactions. Dumbledore seemed to stick mainly to defensive spells, he rarely struck out at Harry with a spell but seemed to only shield and reflect the spells Harry sent.
Hermione felt a slight bustling occur behind her and turned to find several of the Order members with their wands pointed at Harry. A chill went through her. She heard the Stunning Spell being cast and yelled out a warning to Harry. A hand was roughly placed over her mouth but Harry had noticed already. Hermione pushed the hand, and its' owner away just in time to see Harry raise his wand and send some black, flame-like things at Dumbledore and point his wand at the incoming spells.
Hermione was momentarily blinded by a flash of red light and dropped to the ground as she saw the Stunners rebounding toward them. Several of the members fell victim to their own spells. Hermione turned back to the scene on the stairs, keeping to the floor, she didn't want to be caught unprepared by a spell.
Dumbledore conjured up desks out of thin air, which, once hit by the black, flame-like curse, deteriorated and left several piles of ash on the floor.
"Harry this will not solve anything." Dumbledore said. Harry sent more spells at him, some of which were visibly disturbing the others behind Hermione.
Hermione watched the display of magic with awe. She wondered where Harry had learned these new spells. It was obvious that he and Dumbledore were using very advance magic. She could not even recognize the effects of the spells. She might have been able to recognize a few if it weren't for the fact that they did not speak the incantations to the spells. But whilst being in awe at the spells Harry was using, she couldn't help but think of this scene as an act of stupidity. Harry was going up against the most powerful wizard of the century; he, a sixteen-year-old, taking on a man who has reached worldwide reverence.
She had a feeling that had Dumbledore intended to harm Harry, the scene would be taking a whole different light. Just as the thought entered her mind, Dumbledore flicked his wand at Harry and a purple spell flew toward Harry. Harry did not make an attempt to move or block the spell, he simply raised his hand and a shield, like the ones carried by the suits of armor at Hogwarts, appeared. Dumbledore stepped down a stair in surprise.
Harry swung the shield like a club at the spell. It ricocheted back toward Dumbledore in a blur. The professor barely had time to put up a shield. After he did so he shot a spell toward the second floor landing. Hermione noticed for the first time the bystanders watching from it. The twins and Ginny ducked as a glimmery shield shimmered into view in front of them.
Hermione shifted her attention to Harry. He was concentrating deeply, the veins in his forehead popping out slightly. Dumbledore turned to him in time to see the tip of Harry's wand glow a fiery-red. There was a moment when nothing happened. But Harry's eyes popped open, scaring Hermione. They were, in no other words, glowing. A spiked ball of black power flew at Dumbledore, and it had people behind her screaming. Dumbledore flicked his wand and the spell veered off course hitting the wall beside Harry and causing a miniature explosion. A shimmery shield, like the one Dumbledore had conjured earlier, appeared around him.
Dumbledore wasted no time and began chanting under his breath. Hermione felt a breeze waft through the hall. Then the breeze grew increasingly stronger and was whipping at her face and body from all directions. She was suddenly propelled forward by a gust of said wind. She wound up hitting some sort of barrier and the winds continued whipping pass not giving her the chance to protect herself.
Just as quickly as they had come, they were gone. Hermione peeled herself off the unknown barrier. She immediately looked for Harry. She saw, if there was a way to describe this, wind enclosing the fighting figure of her best friend. There was silence for a moment.
"This is going nowhere." Dumbledore said to himself, slightly out of breath but Hermione heard it anyway. He leaned wearily against the wall behind him.
"Headmaster!" Hermione heard someone behind her say worriedly.
"I'm taking a breather. It will not be long before he figures a way out." He turned sadly to the one who had inquired. "Remus, I think we might have lost Harry." No surprise there, Hermione thought. Dumbledore's eyes snapped to her and she looked away abashed.
"No, nothing's wrong with him." Remus said shakily, as if he were trying to convince himself as he set about trying to convince Dumbledore. Dumbledore's left eye twitched.
"Albus, take down his ward." Professor McGonagall said as she tried to get to the other side of the barrier.
"Not until I'm sure that no one will get hurt." He turned to Remus. "Ever spell that Harry just used. is considered the Dark Arts. Not one, except the shielding spells, were light in anyw-."
"It is not possible." Remus said quickly. "You and I know of Harry's importance in this war. He just can't be dark! If he is on Voldemort's side. . ." Remus shuddered.
"I hope it will not come to th-." His wand was suddenly pointed at the wind-chain that was surrounding Harry.
Hermione watched as a spot of fire appeared. The twirling winds carried the fire all around Harry's unseen body. Hermione screamed.
"He'll burn to death. Stop it!" She yelled at Dumbledore. The whole 'chain', as Hermione called it, was engulfed with flames.
"I'm not the one who is doing this, Ms. Granger." Dumbledore said softly, surprised by the scene.
The fiery winds began to veer off the course slightly. They stayed tightly around Harry. A hand poked through the fire. The winds, still in their circling cycle, shot out at Dumbledore suddenly. A gargantuan block of ice appeared in from of him. The winds circled around Harry like a chain. The 'links' hit the ice with a loud hiss. Moments later there was nothing left of the odd battle but ash piles, gaping holes in the walls, a large puddle of water, and a scorched staircase.
Harry waved his wand like a whip and an invisible force threw Dumbledore a few feet in the air landing in an undignified manner against his barrier. His wand now in Harry's hands. Harry approached him with a cold look on his face. He raised his wand at the Headmaster and swished it suddenly. Nothing happened. Harry put his wand away and looked around himself. He snapped his fingers and the wall repaired itself, the scorch marks, the puddle, and piles of ashes disappeared. The hall look as good as new.
Harry snapped his fingers again and the barriers the kept the bystanders from both floor safe, disappeared. Dumbledore lost his footing and fell against Moody. Harry tossed Dumbledore his wand, which slid across the floor and landed at the man's feet.
Harry walked toward the crowd which parted and let him through. He opened up the door and walked out. Hermione blinked and he was gone.
The rest of the night went by in a blur for Hermione. Dumbledore had forgotten his initial idea of questioning her and Ron on how Umbridge had treated Harry after the meeting. There was another meeting that night, it was one that Hermione and Ron were not invited to. She was made to sit for two whole hours while Ron raged on and on about Harry. She, of course, did not respond to his comments and that made him madder.
"I don't know why I even bother talking to you-."
"I don't know why you bother either." Hermione said getting up.
"What is your problem?" Ron asked angrily. He grabbed her shoulder.
"You're my problem. Ron where did this anger for Harry come from?" She asked, ending her sentence softly. He was unable to answer her question, she left the room.
She went to breakfast the next morning and Harry was not there. She saw Mrs. Weasley eye his empty seat his sadness. The rest of the Weasley, namely Ginny, Ron, and the twins, along with Moody and Tonks were there. She waited a few minutes and before eating her food, Harry still didn't come down.
"Tonks, why don't you-." Mrs. Weasley said, Tonks cut her off.
"He won't be there." Everyone looked at him. "I let him in this morning and he left a few minutes later." Harry took that moment to come into the room. "Dumbledore wanted-." Tonks said to him.
"I spoke with him this morning." Harry said loosening up the stings that held his sweat pants tight. There were sweat stains on his T-shirt and he waved his wand at them and they disappeared.
"Harry dear, would you like some breakfast?" Mrs. Weasley asked, trying to get Harry to involve himself with the others at the table. Ron kept his head down and only looked up once in a while. Harry flashed her a smile devoid of happiness.
"Thank you for the offer, Mrs. Weasley, but I ate before I went out for my morning run. I fixed me and Tonks a small breakfast." Hermione's eyebrows rose at this.
"You can cook." She asked.
"I love to cook." Harry said with no emotion showing. He began to exit the room until Mr. Weasley, after receiving a look from Mrs. Weasley, spoke.
" 'Morning run'?" He repeated. "You exercise Harry?" He asked off the top of his head. Harry's fake smile faltered a bit but stayed in effect.
"There is no need to embellish me. I already know that Dumbledore told you to get as much information out of me as possible." The adults in the room were stunned. "AS for your first question; it is obvious but yes, I do run. Master Kauwn believed that I should keep up with my daily exercise. Even though I'm not under his hawk-like eye I still do it. It helps clear my mind and helps me think." He swept from the kitchen before any other questions or comments could be made.
Mrs. Weasley told Dumbledore of the conversation with Harry. He promised to look into the 'Master Kauwn' thing.
To Hermione the house almost returned to normal. There was still the problem of Harry but some tried to overlook it. Hermione had cornered Harry many times and tried to get him to talk to her but nothing worked, he always found some way to dodge her questions and sometimes, her.
A few days after the conversation, Hermione came down the stairs on the way to the kitchen only to find everyone, with the noticeable exception of Harry and Mrs. Weasley, standing outside of the closed door. Ginny who was wearing a slightly transparent shirt, exposing most of her bra, beckoned Hermione over to her.
She and Ginny were the closest of friends now. They told each other everything. Ginny knew of her attraction to Harry and Hermione knew of Ginny's attraction to guys in Quidditch uniform. They had redecorated and refurbished the house, under the surveillance of Mrs. Weasley and with the approval of Remus of course. Remus liked it and thanked them many times for making the house feel like a home, he only wished Kreacher would leave. With all of the unneeded work Remus put him through because of his association in Sirius' death.
"What's going on?" She asked as she approached Ginny. Everyone else seemed to be disturbed. Ginny was leaning against the doorframe, acting as though she had just seen a ghost.
"He- Harry's in there." Ginny replied breathlessly. "And he-." Hermione cut her off.
"It that why everyone's out here!" She turned, approached the door preparing to throw it open and Ginny gave a soft but pointed "don't." Hermione was not listening, she threw open the door.
She immediately wished that she hadn't. Mrs. Weasley and Tonks were cooking in the background, but that wasn't what had caught her attention the most. Harry was inside with another person, a slightly younger person - no - version of Harry. The kid was only lacking the infamous scar, the emerald eyes, and the black hair.
Hermione noticed the stances both were in. They were fighting! She was going to stop them when she heard Harry giving the boy advice while he was blocking the hits.
"Crouch lower so you can balance you legs, keep control of your knees."
"I am!" The boy said frustrated.
"Bend your knees then! Don't strain you elbow. You're pulling back too far. Faster." The boy followed his directions. "Left punch. Right punch. Left again. Knee kick, don't retract. Kick out. Left kick. Right punch. . ." It went on faster and faster.
Hermione watched stunned, Harry was teaching the boy - guy, more likely fourteen or fifteen years old - to fight. They both weren't wearing shirts! Hermione took a moment or two to gaze at Harry's abs and she noticed that the other guy had some incoming abs as well. Absentmindedly, she took a sharp intake of breath and it alerted the others of their audience.
"Let's go Matt, we can finish in the backyard." Harry said reaching around Tonks for two apples and threw one to the blonde guy. Tonks turned and a look passed between them.
"All right but please, please, let Seli do the judging of how well my hits range. You always rate too low." The guy, who as Hermione got a better look could not be younger than fifteen, said.
"What! Well, I've never been more insulted in my life. Between me and Master K, I score very high." Both boys flinched on their way to the door.
"I had one lesson with than man and I wanted to go into a Never-Ending sleep. I don't know how you spent a whole two years with him. I..." And their voices grew lower as they made their way into the backyard.
"Who was that?" Remus asked. He turned to the blushing Ginny. "You still have a crush on Harry! Is that why you kept us outside, because Harry was shirtless?" Ginny growled at him, but avoiding Hermione's eyes.
She took a seat a few places away from Hermione as Mrs. Weasley served the food she and Tonks had been cooking. "I don't have a crush on Harry!" She rolled her eyes and glared at her plate.
"Sure you don't dear." Mrs. Weasley said with an obvious wink to everyone else at the table.
Remus laughed slightly, alarming everyone. "I wonder who the kid is. He couldn't be more than a year younger than Harry! Have you seen him at school?" Hermione, Ginny and Ron shook their heads.
"Let's not try to find out, I've finally got Harry to open up to me. I don't want to screw that up." Tonks said sitting down. She shared a glance with Remus and Mrs. Weasley. Why was everyone doing that lately? For some reason Hermione got a bad feeling from that thought.
"What did he say?" Hermione asked suddenly. She blushed when three of them turned to look at her.
Tonks looked nervous all of the sudden. She started making odd motions with her mouth. At last she stopped but began stuffing her face with food in a very non-ladylike manner. Mrs. Weasley turned her nose up at Tonks bad mannerisms.
Taking her time chewing, she bought herself time. Finally she spoke, He said a lot and then some." She poured herself some juice. Her words made Hermione even more curious but smartly she held her tongue. "He said some things. . . Hermione do you remember the phrase about a man's foot size compared to his. . ."
Tonks left the sentence opened. There was an eerie lull at the table of which everyone's attention shifted to Hermione who was too stunned for words. Her mind had frozen completely. She barely noticed the inquisitive and frightened looks the Weasleys and Lupin were giving her. Suddenly, she was snapped out of her perplexed stated by a sharp intake of breath from Lupin. Realization had dawned upon him and he looked to Tonks, appalled.
"Please tell me you did not do what I think you did." He said pleadingly. Tonks nodded her head. "How could you, he's only a child. . ." He stopped himself and took a completely different tone with her. "What did he say?"
"Will one of you tell us what's going on?" Mrs. Weasley asked fearfully.
Lupin scooted over to her and whispered in her ear. Mrs. Weasley went red with anger, she turned to Tonks, looking as if she could just jump over the table and throttle Tonks. Tonks did the only thing one could do in her situation other than run; she cowered and covered her ears. But for some reason she kept looking at Hermione. Hermione knew that whatever Mrs. Weasley would say to Tonks, would not even compare to what Hermione wanted to do to her. What Tonks had done was unspeakable! She had slept with Harry. Hermione's Harry.
"YOU DID WHAT! HOW COULD YOU, YOU - Y- YOU HARLOT!" Other than the gasps, the table went quiet as Tonks slowly brought her hand down from her ears. She was literally shaking, and looked beyond angry.
Hermione knew then and there that this was going to be an all out war, Lupin who probably figured the same, held the image of a kid in a candy shop.
"EXCUSE ME FOR GETTING SOME MAJOR INFORMATION OUT OF HIM MOLLY!" Her features darkened. The Weasleys gasped at the use of their matron's name. By now everyone either knew what had happened or at least had the general picture. Before Mrs. Weasley could respond, Harry and the nameless young guy came back in.
Hermione inferred immediately that they had been working out hard. They had on T-shirts that were literally drenched in sweat and clung to them like an extra set of skin. Harry carried his pet snake in his hand, and the blond was tugging at his shirt.
"It's too hot to be out outside, I t-." The blond who was in the middle of a sentence, stopped speaking abruptly.
Harry looked quickly around the table. He made eye contact with Mrs. Weasley and Remus before he spoke. "What's wrong Tonks?" Harry asked quickly. Hermione could tell that his immediate defense of Tonks was taken in an offensive manner to Mrs. Weasley. Hermione didn't like it either. If it were she and Tonks going at it, whose side would Harry take? Before she ponder on the question, Tonks spoke.
"I was telling Hermione what happened last night and what you told me when she butts in and calls me a harlot." Tonks said like a child pleading innocence. Harry's snake hissed something and Harry responded back nonchalantly. It erected itself and strung from Harry's hands to the blond's shoulder. Surprising to Hermione, the blond hissed something to the snake and took off through the door to the hallway.
Harry turned to Mrs. Weasley. They made eye contact for a moment before Harry spoke. " Mrs. Weasley, name calling is something that I know a lot about as well as many others. And, along with these many others, I know it causes long-lasting effects. I know sometimes that it might seem right to let out your emotions and watch how it hurts the other person. You may feel fulfilled but in retrospect, your comment may scar the person mentally and emotionally, sometimes as far as them seeking to harm you in other ways. So, please, think twice before you call someone a name that might impel them into thinking and or causing you harm." Harry said in a parenting voice that Hermione did not know he had. Mrs. Weasley was speechless.
Hermione noticed that the whole kitchen was quiet once again. Mrs. Weasley, who had never seemingly been chastised for doing something wrong, was shocked and abashed but for once, at herself. The Weasleys were far from shocked to the brink of being scared. Rarely, very rarely, had anyone seen or heard the Matron Molly Weasley being chided. Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to speak but Harry cut her off.
"Yes, I know that what Tonks and I did was wrong, but that's a problem between the two of us. You're still like a second mother to us," Tonks was going to speak but a look from Harry stopped her, "though Tonks might have to get over the name-calling bit first." His voice softened. "All good mothers have to exhale sometime and give their children the space the grow. Besides, what we did was only a one night thing, it is not going to evolve into anything. She was looking for information, even though she had interesting ways of getting them." Harry said raising his eyebrows and looking at the blushing Tonks.
There was thumping in the room above the kitchen. Harry looked up and shook his head in disbelief. "I better go and stop those two from arguing; snakes don't give up that easily, and neither does Matt." He left the kitchen in a running sort of stride. Tonks broke the silence; she let out a thankful sigh.
"I just love the way he puts words together, don't you, Molly?" Wisely, Mrs. Weasley ignored her. "Well, anyway, I'm just happy he isn't looking for one of those. . . those. . ."
"Relationships." Mr. Weasley offered, laughing at Tonks' hesitation at saying the word. He stopped when Mrs. Weasley glared at him.
"Yeah those, I hate it when guys want those and I don't." She gave Remus a piercing look.
The rest of the conversation was lost on Hermione. Harry did not want what she'd dreamed of him wanting. Her world seemed to be breaking apart right from underneath her. Now, to her, nothing seemed worth waiting for, worth living for, and she drifted away from the world. But she mainly drifted away from her old self.
Unknown POV
Harry noticed the change and began plans for improvement.
Author's Notes:
(1)Ron is not going to have a huge role in this fic, he will be playing small parts though.
(2)If you can figure this out than, I think I might cry. (Which is not a pretty sight)
(3)You have to figure this out.
On with the notes. I have been away from for a while. I have the finished project of this story and chapters to other stories on a laptop that won't allow me to remove the data. So I'm retyping it onto a new computer I've received for Christmas. This turned out to be a blessing, in a way. I've begun to engross myself further into the works and found horrible mistakes. I have to delete a story I place on a while ago because I was, simply, unreadable. I couldn't make heads or tails of it.
As for this fic, if you find anything wrong with it, constructive criticism please, please don't hesitate to say it. Feel. . . encouraged to do so.
G of the K,W,G,T,B