Changing Directions Chapter 2 – Old Memories

Let's get the nasty bits out of the way first – it's slash, so don't read if you have a weak stomach when it comes to such things, and I don't own any of this, Ms Rowling does. Its PG-13 rating remains for language on the most part, and will do so for a while. You'll be warned in advance when it's about to go up so you can go around little bits if you want! So yeah in this chapter we see a very small bit from Neville, before heading off to Grimmauld Place. Enjoy!

Neville woke up at 8:30am, as he always does, and made his way downstairs for breakfast. It was always the same: bacon and egg. Not that it wasn't tasty, but sometimes he missed the options that Hogwarts gave you. At 9 he went outside and worked on the garden, which he actually enjoyed. He earned himself an O for his Herbology OWL and his Gran was so pleased that she made him bacon and egg with tomato for breakfast on results morning.

At 10 he went back inside and made sure his room was spotless and that the dishes from breakfast were done. He made coffee for his Gran's local Silver Witches group and went upstairs to do his homework. The afternoon he had free, and he usually spent it in the garden, or walking down to the nearest Honeydukes and buying himself a little treat with what spare money he had. In the evening, 6pm sharp, he went down for his evening meal, which was either omelette or pasta, whichever his Gran fancied at the time. Then he went back upstairs to his room to continue his homework, and then went to bed after an hour or two listening to WWN.

This rarely changed from one day to the next. Neville's Gran was very much into the routine of work and play that he never saw much excitement over the holidays. Once a month he would go and visit his parents in St. Mungo's but that was the only real variation, unless one of the Silver Witches didn't make it so he made less coffee one morning. So when Neville received an actual letter from an actual owl, he had to make sure several times he hadn't fallen asleep over his remaining breakfast egg.

Looking first to his Gran, who simply beamed at him and offered no clues about its contents, Neville opened up the letter and began reading.

"Dear Neville,

I hope you remember me; I was your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for your third year, Remus Lupin.

I am writing to extend an invitation to you to spend the summer with us in London, as a break of sorts from every day life, and a chance for you to keep up your defence practice. I have heard that you made exceptional progress with the DA and we feel that you would benefit from working with us here. Harry, Ron and Hermione will also be here.

If you wish to come along, please send a return owl back as soon as you can. I will meet you outside Ollivander's on Diagon Alley at noon Friday (which should be tomorrow by the time you get this letter). I assume that you will be purchasing a new wand for your sixth year anyway.

Regards,

Remus Lupin"

Neville dropped the letter into his breakfast and ran up the stairs to grab some parchment and quill; the sooner he was out of here the better.
Harry woke up at about 10:30am to the glow of his new PortaPlace. Having been activated, it was giving off a glowing hue around it, giving it a rather eerie look. Harry quickly pulled on some clothes, grabbed his wand and ran downstairs.
"Uncle Vernon," he started, "I'm not going to be here today."
"You know that you have chores to do boy, and you will do them today! You understand?"
"Yes uncle, I will do them today"
"See that you do," Vernon obviously didn't want to engage Harry too much since he could see the top end of his wand poking out from his trouser pocket. Harry leaped back up the stairs and grabbed his floo powder. Pointing his wand at the PortaPlace and muttering "Incendio", he threw the floo powder in to the grate, grabbed his trunk and stepped inside and shouted quite clearly "Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place!" and at this, he was whisked away.
Floo travel never was Harry's favourite method of travelling; he had a strange habit of falling over rather unceremoniously as soon as he left his destination, usually knocking several things over at the same time. What made matters worse was that as he fell out of the fireplace, the first sight he saw was Severus Snape, potions master and bane of Harry's life at Hogwarts.
"Mr Potter, always one for, dramatic entrances aren't we." Harry couldn't help but notice the slight malicious smirk dancing across Snape's face. He was completely speechless, only managing to grumble out a pathetic "Sir" before walking away, head down, towards the kitchen.

There, he encountered a blurry streak of red racing towards him, which grabbed him in a large hug from below. It was Molly Weasley.
"Oh Harry it's wonderful to see you again dear! Have they been feeding you? We have to get something into your system you're looking thinner than usual! Oh dear me, well come along dear we'll fix you something now. Ron and Hermione are upstairs in case you were wondering feeding Buckbeak -" Harry had in fact been wondering about Ron and Hermione, but was a bit occupied with being ushered around the place while Mrs Weasley fussed over him. It was as though they thought Muggles never ate the way she went on about it every time she saw him.
"If it's alright Mrs Weasley I'd like to go and see Ron and Hermione for a bit, but I'll have some food later if you don't mind!"
"Of course dear, and Molly! I think you're old enough now."
"Right, er, thanks then." Harry sprinted up to the room he had stayed in previously, with the empty portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black on the wall, and dropped his trunk on the bed. Even though he knew that he couldn't stay, it felt good just stopping somewhere where he didn't have to clean up after everyone in the house. Looking around, all the memories of Sirius started to come rushing back, which Harry had been afraid of. But he wasn't grieving so much now; coming to terms with his death was the only way Sirius could really be remembered for the man he was. Shaking his head, he walked out of the room and proceeded down the hall to where Hermione was. He opened the door, and promptly closed it again and walked back to his room.

A few seconds later Ron and Hermione burst in, rather flustered and dishevelled with rather guilty expressions on their faces.
"Harry, oh goodness that wasn't how you were meant to find out, we were going to talk to you over dinner and see if you were OK with it all and... oh Harry please say something!"
"Well, I ..." Harry spluttered, clearly trying to fight the urge to laugh incredulously at the pair. "You two, you know... you just looked so.... Sweet!" Harry couldn't fight it any more and was rolling around his bed in a fit of laughter, going quite red. All of the colour from Ron's face had drained, leaving his ears an almost luminescent pink as both of their looks of guilt and shock turned into worry, and some slight annoyance as well.
After about five minutes, Harry stopped laughing when he saw the pair staring at him pointedly. He got up and hugged Hermione so fiercely she thought she might suffocate. When Harry caught Ron's jealous look (his ears were glowing now) he ran over and hugged him too. Ron was obviously uncomfortable but didn't say anything "Hey mate, that's OK, I'm glad you're OK with this then, so yeah." Ron was by now looking at Hermione, silently asking for some form of escape.
"Come on Harry, put him down now. We need to talk anyway."
"We do?" Harry asked, genuinely confused.
"We do. And you know what about." Ron quickly got the message and stalked out of the room, not looking happy but realising that he wasn't meant to be in this part of the conversation. Hoping that they were going to talk about him, he went downstairs and went to grab some food.

Hermione pulled Harry over to the bed and, sitting down right next to him, just looked at him.
"What? Have I done something?" Harry knew exactly what this about now, but didn't want to get into the conversation. Hermione just continued looking. "I think conversations only work when two people are talking 'Mione," he said. "Oh OK. But I won't tell him"
"Yes you will Harry Potter. Life's too short for you not to be honest, and think about all you're missing out on by hiding yourself away in a cocoon. What with V-Voldemort out there, you'd think that you'd be trying to live for yourself rather than him."
"But you know what he'll say 'Mione, it'll be Charlie all over again."
Hermione sighed, and fidgeted for a minute with her hands, before looking into her lap and saying quietly "You don't know that for sure Harry..." Now it was Harry's turn to stare silently. Hermione wondered where this cynical side came from; it was becoming even more pronounced than it was last year. "Well OK I get that he won't really like it that much, but he's still your best friend. That has to count for something doesn't it?"
"In theory, but I don't think it will make much of a difference. You should see the way he talks to Charlie now. And what about Justin Finch- Fletchley? He looks at him with pretty obvious disgust."
"Harry, you know you have to do it."
"Yes I know," Harry sighed dramatically, "but I don't have to want to. And do I have to do it now, before the holidays?"
Hermione studied him for a minute before answering. "I think that would be a good idea. Before Neville gets here at any rate."
"What's Neville being here got to do with anything?" Trying to look innocent and confused, Harry avoided Hermione's eyes and fixed his gaze on a point just above a portrait of Ignelis Whytecoat.
"Harry, the rest of Gryffindor tower might be dense enough to not notice, but I've seen you looking at him several times. You follow his backside every time he exits a room, you jump in a little too quickly to defend him; you have it bad. Which is alright!," Hermione hastened to add, "Neville's a nice guy, and I have to say quite attractive..."
"Hermione!"
"Well I am a woman you know. I do notice these things. I also notice that I think he has a thing for you."
"Really? No... can't be"
"Well you believe what you want. Just when I'm proved right I reserve all 'I told you so' privileges for a month."
Harry mulled this over for a minute, before grasping her had and shaking it. "Deal," he said, "now we had best go and find your boyfriend before he gets too suspicious."
Hermione blushed profusely and left the room. Harry was about to follow when he heard her call out "Oh and Neville's arriving tomorrow!" Cursing, Harry ran after her before she got him into more trouble.
"Ron," Hermione called as she entered the living room of the house, "we need to talk to you, in private, about something. And when we're done you had better behave yourself!"
"When don't I behave myself?" Looking extremely offended, or at least pretending to, he followed Hermione back out of the room. As soon as Harry walked in, Hermione grabbed him by the arm and whisked him out into the library. He didn't have much choice but to follow, all the while mumbling something about wanting food, and not wanting to keep Mrs Weasley waiting.

"Right Ron, you listen and remember who you're talking to. This is Harry, your best friend. Remember? Your – best – friend"
"Alright alright 'Mione, what could be so bad that you have to keep reminding me of that? He knows I'm there for him whatever, right Harry? Harry?"
"What? Oh, yeah, right Ron." Harry paused; the pair were both looking at him expectantly, Ron with a curious look, Hermione with a kind of if-you- don't-get-on-with-it-I'll-beat-you-with-A-History-of-Hogwarts look. "Well, the thing is, I'm well, I'm like your brother. Charlie, that is."
"Don't tell me you want to go chasing dragons as well, because that's pretty dangerous, plus you'd make a wicked Auror or professional Quidditch player even –"
"Ron, that's not it!" Harry paused again, clearly not wanting to say it, but a prod from Hermione made him find his voice again. "Ouch! Ok, ok fine. Ron, just so you know that I don't fancy you or anything because you're my best friend and we're like brothers, so that would be pretty yucky and I just couldn't see you like that and I just want you to be able to accept me for being the way I am and Ouch! Stop that 'Mione... Ron, I'm gay."
Silence. Then Ron started laughing quietly in a slightly maniacal fashion. "This is a joke right? This has to be some sort of wind up."
"No, there is no wind up. This is hard enough for me as it is –"
"Hard enough? HARD ENOUGH?! I can't believe this! Why, why you? You know everyone's going to think I am now."
"You can't get it by association Ron, it isn't a bug. You would have had it by now if it was from your brother."
"Oh next you're going to tell me you want in with him? No chance mate!"
"That's just ridiculous Ron. I thought you were going to be there for me whatever, isn't that what you just said?"
"Well you know that, but it's just, it's so, wrong!"
Harry just glared in disgust. "Well thanks for the support mate. I knew this would happen Hermione." With that, he power walked out of the room. Charlie, who had been watching from the side, went after him.
Hermione turned back to Ron, "He's your best friend Ron, remember? All the things you've gone through and you can't even accept this?"
"Well maybe, it's just not right. Harry was meant to get it together with Cho remember? What will he do now?"
"He will find a nice man, marry and settle down. Nothing has changed apart from the person involved. Now if you need it I have some books you can read on the subject –"
"Hermione," Ron sighed, exacerbated, "please, enough with the books."
Harry sat on his bed, head in his hands. He really wanted Ron to be OK with himself, his life and what it would be. But at this point, he didn't know what to think.
"I hope you know the rest of the wizarding world isn't like Ron." Charlie was leaning against the doorway.
"What are you doing here Charlie?"
"I heard the entire thing, thought you might want to talk about it with someone who's been on the end of his temper."
Harry wanted to talk to him, he really did, but right now he wanted to be left alone. "Please Charlie, maybe later. Right now I just need to think."
Charlie looked slightly disappointed for a second, but quickly recovered. "That's OK. I'll give you a call when lunch is ready." With that, he walked away.

Every time Harry came to this place it seemed that there would be many sad memories – realising how much he had been kept out of the loop, Kreacher boasting about Sirius's demise, Sirius himself, and now this. All the old memories Harry had kept at bay came rushing back, and attacked him at his worst point. And now, with Ron, the bad memories just built up. Harry hoped that Ron would at least be decent when Neville got here, he didn't want even more bad memories building up. So for a while, he just sat, in the silence of his room, remembering. Perhaps Grimmauld Place wasn't the best place for him after all?

So that's it! I hope that was OK, I'm hoping the dialogue reads through OK, that's the part I'm finding the worst of the writing.

To the reviewers (all 2 of them so far, which is pretty good for having it up one day)

Nifflers - Goodness, it really sounds like you didn't even bother to read the story. Well thank you for your input but I think I will take it under advisement.
Feerique-Freak - Thank you! I will do exactly that and ignore him. And about the OWLs, I wasn't really counting a D as a really decent pass grade. In the UK for GCSE level (the version of OWLs), you need to get C or above to get into A-level courses (the NEWTs), which is about an A in the HP world. So Harry got 1 D whereas Ron got 2. And of course Hermione got 0 :P But thank you and I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

Well that's it for now folks. I hope you enjoyed and I will be back. Next time: Neville arrives at Grimmauld place, Hogwarts NEWT discussions, and a slightly humbled Ron.