Chapter 3: Scares and Discoveries
After Abigail had left, Ron and Hermione put away the rest of the food and then started the dished.
"So how has everyone been?" Hermione asked, putting another dish in the drainer. "It seems like forever since I've seen them all."
"Well," Ron started putting another dish in the cabinets. "Mum and dad are fine, although dad has been fairly busy this past week with work and such. Charlie is on vacation in Scotland at the moment, and Bill is off on business for Gringotts. Fred and George have been really busy lately since they started their new shop in Hogsmead, and Percy, well he's still trying to be forgiven from the rest of the family. I suppose he thought we'd all be happy that he finally admitted he was wrong and wanted to come back home, but only mum was really happy about it…"
"And what about Ginny? Is she still staying out of trouble after the last howler your mum sent her?"
"Well, she was for a while, but then Fred and George sent her some more jokes to test out, and I think she's still in detention for her last prank," Ron told her smiling.
"I doubt I want to know," Hermione said, emptying the sink and helping Ron put the last of the dishes away.
"You know, this would've been faster had we used magic…"
"It wasn't going to kill you to do a few dishes, Ron," teased Hermione as they walked towards the living room.
"So, how's Harry been? Last time we talked, you said he still wanted to be with Abby," Hermione asked casually as they sat down on the couch.
"Well, I think he might be over Ab," Ron started carefully. He continued after Hermione gave him a confused look. "Well, he has a date tonight, and they've been going out for a month now."
"I see. Who is he with?" Hermione said dejectedly.
"I think he said her name was Amanda Daniels. She's thin, blond, and taller then Abby."
"Oh…well I don't think we should tell Abby, just yet anyways," Hermione sighed.
Ron agreed steadily, before looking at Hermione with big eyes. "Want to play chess?"
"Sure," said Hermione as she laughed as she went to the shelf and pulled down the chess board her and Abby shared.
Half way through their second game Abigail came storming through the door. "Something wrong?" asked Hermione.
"Oh nothing, I just got to see Harry on a date with this blond bimbo, who is such a bitch! First she cut in line in front of me, and then she was--erg! I'm going to my room!" and with that she stormed down the hall to her room. They heard her slam the door, scream in frustration and then throw something against the wall.
"I guess she knows…" started Ron carefully.
"Yes, I guess she does."
"Shouldn't we go and console her or something?" asked Ron
"No, I think we should just let her cool off-"
"Hermione!! Help…" they heard Abby yell, before hearing a small scream. They ran down the hall, opened her door and found her sitting on the floor clutching her stomach.
"Hermione, it's- ow!!" she stopped and gritted her teeth.
"Ok Abby, just breathe like the healer told you too…" She soothed, before quickly whispering to Ron that they needed to get her to St. Mungos. Ron nodded and ran to find the Floo Powder. Just as they disappeared through the grate to St. Mungos, there was a knock at the door and a familiar young man with emerald eyes and jet black hair yelling, "Abby?"
At the coffee shop
Harry was on a date with one Amanda Daniels. 'She's blond, blue eyed, thin, perfect…why am I so bored?' Harry thought as he listened to his date go on about some gossip she heard, fully conscious that his eyes were glazing over. Finally he excused himself to go to the bathroom. Once there, he splashed himself with cold water to try to get out of the daze he was in. Truth be told, he had heard that Abigail worked here, that was the only reason he brought his date here, in hope of seeing her. He had never really gotten over her, and he knew he never would. He just wished she didn't take up all of his thoughts. He still worried about her, since she looked so sick when he last saw her. Ron had told him that Hermione said she was great, but he didn't know if that was true or not.
Harry heard something going on outside, which his date was a part of. It was hard not to recognize her voice. He splashed his face just one last time, dried it off and told himself to get his thoughts back on the present, not the past as he headed back to his seat. When he got there he saw his date sitting in her seat glaring at the corner before turning to him and telling him what happened.
"Oh Harry, it was horrible!" she whined.
"What was?" he asked, although not really caring.
Harry was startled as the waitress came over and put their orders down on the table. He noticed she was almost glaring daggers at his date, but he didn't really care. As soon as she left again, Amanda told him what happened.
"Well, as soon as you left for the bathroom, I went and stood in line to give our orders when this blimp of a girl came in. Honest to god, the girl was huge, Harry! Anyways, there I was minding my own business when the woman cut in front of me! So I tapped her on the shoulder and asked her to move, but she wouldn't! So, when she bent down to pick up a glove she dropped, I just took my spot back quietly. And then she wouldn't stop pestering me! And to top it off she still got her order taken before me! And she didn't even have to pay! Honestly Harry, I don't much like the service here." And with that she took a sip of her drink, and continued to glare at the corner.
"Well, usually they're very nice here, as long as you're nice to them."
"I was nice!" she hissed at him. He didn't believe her at all, but decided to let it go. They both just continued to drink their drinks in peace. Harry was trying to keep his thoughts away from Abby, so he cleared his throat before asking his date why she was glaring at the corner.
"That woman," she said in a scandalized voice, "is sitting there! Drinking a hot chocolate, really, she doesn't need the calories." He couldn't believe what his date was saying! Well he could, after all she did check the calories of everything and anything before she ate it, she was obsessed with her weight.
He turned to look at the girl who was so rude to his date. He spotted her immediately. She had familiar long brown hair that fell past her shoulders, and he had to admit she wasn't the skinniest person he'd ever seen. She was just staring out the window, as if lost in thought. Then, as if she felt someone looking at her, she turned and caught his eyes. He stared into her blue eyes for a minute, they seemed so familiar to him but he couldn't place her. He continued to look into her eyes, until he saw her pale and quickly got her coat, hat, scarf and mittens on. He watched her slowly get up and quickly rush past them. He wanted to get up to stop her, but knew his date wouldn't exactly like that, so he stayed in his seat. He watched as she headed for the door, and just as she was leaving he heard their waitress call out to her. "Seeya Abby, and come see me after the twins are born!" He paled, and he looked at the door. That was Abby? As in his Abby? He couldn't believe he hadn't recognized her! And now she was pregnant? And with twins…he was shocked! From the look of it, she had been really far along too, but who was the father? Had she already replaced him? Moved on with her life when he still thought of her every day? He couldn't handle this! He had to find out the answers to his questions…Just then he was brought back to reality by his date.
"What's wrong, Harry?" She asked, wondering why her date was being so weird. Thinking fast, Harry told her the first thing that came to his mind.
"I'm sorry Amanda, I'm not feeling that well. But we should do this again soon." With that, he rushed up to the counter. Obviously the waitress knew her and could probably tell him where to find her.
"Excuse me, miss," he said.
"Hmm?" she said as she looked up.
"That girl that just left, Was that Abigail Porter?" He asked breathless and feeling like he had already ran a mile, although he had only walked a couple feet.
Suspiciously, she said, "Yes, it was…"
"I know this might be odd, but I've known Abby for a few years and I was wondering if you would tell me where to find her?"
"I'm sorry sir; I can't just give out her house address. Now, if you tell me who you are and how you know her then I might tell you."
"I went to school with Abby. My name is Harry Potter and I really need to talk to her," Harry told her quickly, really wishing that this woman would just tell her where to find his Abby. He watched as recognition flashed in her eyes.
"Well, I've heard stories about you from her, so I guess I can tell you. But if she's really mad to see you, don't tell her I sent you," the waitress, 'Kelly', joked with him. "She lives a few blocks away on Maple Street. Go to the third floor and its apartment 290. Whether she's there or not, I don't know."
Harry thanked her a few times before rushing out the door and towards the place Kelly had told him, his date far from his mind. Right now all he could think about was Abby.
After a few minutes he found that he was in front of the door to her apartment. He knocked a few times and called "Abby", but there was no answer. He knocked again, and called out louder for her, but still nobody came to the door. He continued to knock loudly until a neighbour came out into the hall.
"Hey buddy, give it a rest! I don't think anybody is even home."
"How do you know?" Harry asked, looking at the man standing across from him. He had spiked green hair and was fairly built.
"Because I heard a bunch of yelling and crashing. Then someone started to scream, so I'm guessing she went into labour. It shouldn't be that big of a worry though. She's only a week or two away from her due date." The guy told him, now leaning against his doorframe.
Harry couldn't believe it!Labour!He had just found out she was pregnant!
"Listen, if you want to wait out here for her roommate to come home then do it, just be quiet. Some of us need to work in the morning." With that the guy went back to his apartment.
I'm going to stay here all night if I have to, Harry thought. I'm going to get some answers.