Chapter Two: Choose Your Player
Lady Love grinned as she fiddled with the small statue that represented her character, wondering if her choice would be able to create the changes her dark mistress hoped for. If he could achieve her goals, than the lusty lady had plans to reward him generously…he, like many men, had always dreamed of a large family.
Fate, the Night Master, frowned as he wondered if he too should have selected a different character to manipulate his plans into reality. Looking around the table he noticed that all but the Dark Mistress were keeping their representatives secret and he couldn't help but wonder how many changes this last round would see. Either way, the old man had nothing to lose and had proven to be true to the cause in earlier rounds. Besides it was a little late to start doubting himself now.
Lesser Chaos frowned at the glowing red number in front of him. He had little doubt that his player could cause a great deal of damage if given the opportunity, but low roles like the one that he was now showing would do little to give the boy the power boost he needed.
Destiny, the unwanted sister and current lover of Fate, kept her face passive as she graced the small girlish statute in her hand with a brush of her lips. She knew that the Night Master had seen her make the change, and could but hope that he didn't realize that she was no longer willing to be his bitch. There was more pleasure to be found in the hands of the Mistresses of Light and Dark, and she was tired of watching her children cry.
Luck, like the twins Gemini, was never meant to be divided. Light and Dark, they are the two that make one, and as the fair twin stared across the table at her dark skinned sister she could only hope that the character she selected would be enough to make a difference, to keep her and her sister apart, to keep her from losing her freedom. Especially since Destiny, the jealous lover, had taken her normal piece. Until then all she could do was watch as her dark skinned sister grinned mischievously at her from where she stood snuggled into the side of the Dark Lady.
Luck grinned and let her fair twin know with a wink that there was a plan in motion. As she took a quick glance at the joined pieces she cradled in her hands. Even the smallest people had their parts to play, and with her help, this couple could help change the course of the magical world.
Harry leaned against the side of the compartment, the side of his face pressed against the window shade, as he forced himself to breathe evenly in-out through his mouth, feigning sleep as long as Hermione would let him get away with it. His friends were talking softly to each other, and Harry knew from the bits of the conversation he was able to catch that Hermione was pushing Ron to get as much as his homework done now as possible. The rustle of paper told him that Ron was settling into the seat across from him, and if Harry had opened his eyes he would have seen his red headed friend shooting daggers at the blonde headed firstie that had for some unknown reason decided to join the trio for the ride home. The whole ride home, as she had joined them in the carriage after stating her name, Luna Lovegood (which for some reason had made Harry want to crack a joke about her being a good lover, not that he did mind you), and that she had been told by a dark witch that she would be good friends with them some day.
It had made no more sense to Harry then the dreams he had been having nightly for the past several days, and the past several hours hadn't really helped all that much, at least not in the department of understanding. He could now make out that his dreams were of him dying, over and over again, although what that did to make the whole Luna thing fit was still lost. With a soft release of breath, Harry decided to leave it until he returned to number 4, after all he didn't do much during his time there besides work and think.
Harry blinked slowly as he stood and making a show of stretching and waking up. IN his pockets, a handful of coins rattled providing him with the diversion he needed. "Hey has the trolley been by yet?" He asked his two friends, knowing that it had stopped by the compartment what seemed to be a few minutes ago.
"No, mate, you just missed it." Ron said looking up from where he was working on homework under Hermione's dictating eyes. "Why, did you want something? I could go get it for you?" Ron said a little too quickly, causing Harry to smile as he watched her eyes narrow at their red headed friend.
'She really is evil scary sometimes,' Harry thought fondly, before reaching into his pockets and pulling the handful of sickles and knuts he had left over from the previous year out and offering them up to Ron. "Yeah, sure mate, why don't you pick something up for you and Hermione as well?"
Ron slammed his book closed and grabbed the money before running out of the compartment and down the hall.
Harry winced as the bushy haired girl turned on him with fury in her chocolate brown eyes. "Hermione, please, calm down. He'll be back, but he looked like he could use a break. Look, Luna can go with him. You'll bring him back in a timely manner, won't you Luna?" Harry asked the blonde, who nodded vaguely and marked her spot in the magazine she was reading before heading out of the compartment and going in search of Ron.
"Harry, I wanted to talk to you about the Dursleys." Hermione said as soon as the compartment door was closed. "I am not a genius, but well, my parents made sure I knew what to look for, they have to go to training and all so they know, and Harry, I know there is something going on there. Do you want to tell me about it? Do you need help?" Hermione asked, sitting down beside him and resting one hand gently on his shoulder. Harry stared at his friend, eyes wide and face pale. 'Surely she isn't talking about what I think she is talking about. Who the hell would teach their kid about that sort of thing?' Harry though as he mutely shook his head. There was no way he was bringing his best friend into this; it was bad enough that she had suspensions.
"Hermione, there is nothing to talk about. Please, just let it go." Harry pleaded.
"Well, did you at least try talking to McGongall?" Hermione pressured with a huff. "Surely she will come up with a way to help you if things are bad. I can't see her as being willing to let a student remain in a place where they are getting hurt." Harry nodded his head, hoping that the thought that he had went to an authority figure would be enough to get her to let the matter drop; sadly, it wasn't. "Well, what did she say?"
"She told me to go talk to the headmaster." He muttered into his hands. 'Please, if there is a God up there, please let her stop.' Harry prayed, blinking back the tears of humiliation.
"What was that Harry?" Hermione asked, pulling backwards on his shoulder slightly. "I couldn't understand you."
'I was begging the gods to put me out of my misery, but apparently they enjoy watching me suffer.' Harry thought bitterly, even as he answered Hermione. "She told me to go talk with the Headmaster, and he said I had to go back." Harry said looking up. New found memories told him that not only was the headmaster aware of what truly happened behind the walls of number 4, but he actually encouraged it. At the time, Harry thought that it would feel good to tell, that maybe as the Headmaster, Dumbledore would somehow be able to help him, but instead he ended up feeling like the attention seeking prick Snape was always accusing him of being. "Look, it really doesn't matter Hermione. I'll be fine. Please don't worry, and don't mention anything to anyone, yeah. It is bad enough having to talk to you." Harry shrugged and looked uncomfortable, running one hand through his hair.
"Well…" Hermione started, looking like she was going to try to get more out of him than she already had only to pause as Ron returned to the compartment with Luna following after. "I guess I can forgive him this once, after all, it is not like the work is due tomorrow, but if he doesn't have his work done by the first I am not letting him copy mine." She finished, squeezing Harry's hand, letting him know that the conversation wasn't over by a long shot. Ron beamed at Harry in relief, oblivious to the moment he had just saved his best mate from, as he plopped down beside Harry and started passing out the meager goodies he was able to buy with what little money Harry had given him, and dividing the goods evenly between the four of them. Although, he might have shorted Lovegood a few…'Stupid firstie shouldn't be here getting in on our goods anyway.'
"So, how about some Poker?" Hermione asked a wicked grin on her face as she shuffled the cards. She had taken up teaching the two boys to play in order to get them to stop badgering her about not having any fun. "We can play with chocolate." The two boys shuddered in unison. If anything they had learned not to get in between Hermione and two things, homework and chocolate.
Dan and Emma Granger wore matching expressions of disgust as they ended up following a rather obese man and his family through King's Crossing Station. The whole while being forced to listen to the man's not so discreetly muttering about freak nephews and boarding schools for criminal boys. "Pet love, are you sure that we cannot afford to pay for them to keep the boy all year long?" The man paused his muttering's to ask the horse faced woman walking beside him. "No love, I am sorry, but my sister simply didn't leave us enough to pay for it, and I am not paying any extra for that child." The woman responded, an undefinable emotion playing across her face. Dan and Emma shared a look of pity for the poor boy, yet said nothing as it was bad manners to eves drop, and they really wanted to pick up their daughter without causing a scene. Needless the say, they were rather surprised when they recognized their faces as they passed the family of three to stand near by the crossing to Platform 9 ¾ where they were due to pick their own daughter up from Hogwarts.
"Mum! Dad!" The two elder Grangers were stopped from greeting the small family as they were tackled by a bushy haired missile better known as their daughter. "Come on, I want you to meet my friends! Hold my hands; I'll take you through the barrier." Hermione said grabbing hold of her parents' hands and tugging them towards were other muggle-borns were leaving the platform, not paying any attention to the couple waiting nearby, although the sneer they were wearing at Hermione's excitement did not go unmissed by her parents.
"Mum, before I introduce you to my friends, I was wondering if you would let Harry come and spend a few days with us. I really, really like him and I want you and dad to get to know him. Please, say he can stay, just a couple of nights. Please." Hermione whispered as she pulled her parents towards where Harry lingered at the back of the Weasley pack. "That's him, right there mum, see with the dark hair. That's my Harry."
Emma raised one eyebrow at Hermione's last sentence, and though she was already in the process of shaking her head no to her daughter's request, the admiration that Hermione clearly showed for the young man, who was now fidgeting awkwardly in the grasp of an overweight red headed matron, made her stop and consider it. "You go on and say goodbye to your friends, love, and I will talk this over with your father." Emma answered before Dan could open his mouth to respond with a no. Emma watched as Hermione ran over to join two boys among, what was obviously a rather large family if the children of various ages with matching red hair was any indication, with a fond smile before turning to her husband. "I think we should talk about this Dan. I know you don't like it, I don't care much for letting an unknown boy into our house myself, but did you hear what our daughter was saying. She cares for this boy. I daresay she at least has a crush on him if nothing else, and the fact that she wants us to get to know him says a lot about her feelings toward him. They are away at school for nine months out of the year. This may be the only chance we get to know him outside of letters." Emma argued as her husband frowned down. "Look, let's give him two days. Watch and see how he treats Hermione, if anything it will lets us know if this is something we need to discourage before she gets serious."
With a sigh and a withering look, Dan Granger conceded to his wife's reasoning, and turned and headed toward where Hermione was just finishing hugging the lone red headed girl in the pack. "Keep your head up, and I will see you next year." They heard Hermione say as the two girls parted. "So, honey, why don't you introduce us to your friends?" Dan said, getting Hermione's attention.
"Daddy!" Hermione said, with a slight jump, having forgotten that her parents were waiting nearby. With a large grin, Hermione grabbed Harry's hand, before looping her arm through Ron's and dragged the two boys towards her parents.
Dan watched as the two boys shared amused glances over his daughter's head, before they turned their attention to the two adults before them. "Mum, dad this is Ron," Hermione said presenting the red head to them as if he were a prized pet, before turning to the dark haired boy she had pointed out to her mom earlier with a look of adoration, that thankfully was missed by Ron, "and this is Harry." Hermione's tone of voice clearly told all that were paying attention that she already saw the slender boy as hers.
"Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger, it is a pleasure to meet you." The boy that had been introduced as Harry said, holding his hand out to shake hands with Hermione's parents.
"Wow, so your muggles? You look totally normal." Ron stammered, gaping like a rather confused fish. Harry and Hermione exchanged an amused glance before they reacted with timing that spoke of lots of practice, with Harry reaching behind Hermione to slap Ron in the back of the head as Hermione punched the red head in the arm. "What was that for?"
"Manners, Ron," Hermione answered with an amused smile before hugging Ron one last time. "So I will see you on the train. Have fun in Egypt and all."
"Bye Ron, I'll be seeing you." Harry said, giving Ron a one armed hug, he had noticed other guys sharing with each other.
"Yeah, I'll be seeing you both next year, bye guys," Ron replied to Both Harry and Hermione, before turning and heading back to his family. His two friends watched him leave before turning back to face the divider between Platform 9 ¾ and the muggle world, Harry's shoulder's slumping ever so slightly.
Harry lingered back as he silently followed the Grangers towards the barrier, pausing just on the magical side and grabbing hold of Hermione's arm moments before she could follow her parents through the barrier, pulling her into a hug. "Take care you, and have a good summer." He whispered before releasing her. "I am going to wait a bit before following you through. The Dursley's are going to be put out at having to wait so long for me to show up, and I don't want you are your parents to get caught in the backlash."
"Okay," Hermione said with a small frown, giving Harry a tight hug. "Try to be safe and I'll see you on the train." She said before turning and stepping through the platform.
So, I wanted to touch on the abuse aspect of the situation, and I started to make it the focus of this chapter, and then I realized that I even though I now have no problem mentioning the fact that I was in a bad place, I still dislike talking, in detail, about the abuse and neglect that I suffered though as a child and it has been just over ten years since it has ended for me. There is no way that Harry will willing talk about his home life, even to his best friend. At least now we know that Hermione knows something isn't right.
Although a lot was touched on this chapter, not a lot was covered in depth, and for that I am sorry. We will start covering things a bit more fully in the next chapter, at least that is the current plan.
One last thing before I end this horribly long author's note, I pose a challenge to you my readers. All but one of the immortals already has a character set to play for them in the game that is the life of Harry Potter. I will allow the first reader to correctly guess all of the known players and which immortal they belong to the right to assign a player to the immortal whose player I have already not decided. I hope that makes sense…At any rate, I have given hints, and will allow the guessing to go on until I get my next chapter up, and I will announce the winner in the author's note. Please one guess per, and you must login for it to count.
I would also like to give a shout out and thanks to Draco lover 91, Silently Watches, Primus2021 (I am waiting on an explanation as to why you think I should choose those girls in particular, especially Greengrass), and Man of Constant Sorrow (Thank you for laying out your picks the way you did, and you are completely forgiven. I tend to do the same thing.). Thanks to all of you who have favorite my story and are following it that have chosen not to review. Keep reading and I look forward to hearing from all of you.