Banter in the Bedrooms

Chapter 6

Number twelve, Grimmauld Place came awake in stages. Minerva was up first, although no one was ever sure if she actually slept. As the various rooms became home to conscious individuals again, the witch took a moment to rest her head in her hands and curse Albus for leaving her in charge of the Order, the school, and the lives of the soldiers in this bloody war.

She had a feeling today was going to be explosive.

Ginny rolled over, stretching, before curling up again on her side. A soft sigh of contentment slipped out her perfect pout of a mouth.

Draco squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the girl in the bed next to him, mentally listing the curses and hexes he would throw at Severus when he escaped this hellhole. Really, it was unreasonable to expect a teenage boy to sleep this close to any reasonably attractive teenage girl. Really.

Remus woke slowly and tightened his grip on the young woman in his arms. Her hair had faded to a soft lavender, and now only fell to her shoulders.

"Tonks, you awake?"

"Mornin', Remus," she answered, shifting her body closer and intertwining her fingers in his.

"We need to get up; Minerva will require us."

"Can I have 10 minutes?"

"You want to shower first?"

She turned her head to look at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Showering? That might take us 20 minutes," she pushed the covers off her, and led the blushing werewolf into the bathroom.

Severus had slept only a few hours, waking as Hermione shifted in her sleep. He was laying on his back, left arm under his head, and his right arm holding his betrothed close to him. She was on her side, her leg haphazardly thrown across his own, her arm and hand possessively laying on his torso. Her brown curls tickled his nose, especially when she started burrowing her head into his side. He carefully lifted his head and brought his hand down to brush her hair back to the nape of her neck.

"Agapi?"

"Good morning, Hermione."

"I, I tho-," her voice caught, but he waited patiently for her to finish, "I thought you were a dream."

"Nightmare more than likely, at least according to the diaries and journals of Hogwarts students."

"My most perfect dream."

He squeezed her and tilted his head to kiss her forehead.

"Hermione, will you answer a question?"

"Of course, anything."

"What did we lose and how?"

She responded by clenching her hand on his side, and he could feel a cool trail of a tear drop from her face to his chest.

"Come on, Taioyu, when we open that door, I'm as good as dead. Let me have a few moments of happiness knowing what I should have gotten, my little swot."

"Bastard."

"But I'm your bastard," he waited uncomplainingly for her to speak. She sighed resignedly and began telling what she could of her gifted memories.

"We set the date for our wedding two months after my graduation. We had to postpone the ceremony, because my matron of honor's body was delivered at my doorstep the morning we were set to wed, as a warning against being friendly with blood traitors and standing against Voldemort. Her husband killed her."

"But that would have been before the bir–"

"Right in one," she cut him off, not wanting to think to hard on the implications. "We married two weeks later than originally scheduled. You and Remus eventually came to a truce with Sirius and James, Dumbledore took a more active role in forcing everyone to work together for the good of the Order. Lily and I got pregnant around the same time."

"Bloody hell, I wanted to be a father?"

"You? I had to put my transfiguration apprenticeship on hold because of all the horrid morning sickness!"

"You took a break from something? How ever did you cope?"

"It was painful," she continued, lifting her head to glare at him before laying it back down, "but essential. And you didn't hear the prophecy, so Voldemort never heard the prophecy – "

"I've paid my penance for that," he said, bitterly.

"I'm not blaming you," she countered, "it was necessary, and if it makes you feel any better, nothing really changed. Harry's parents died anyway. Only about a year later…"

"Tell me," he encouraged, not even quite sure why he wanted to hear the details of his other life. Dumbledore had sworn to him that this was for the best for everyone, but Severus would be the first to admit that Dumbledore could rarely see the trees for the forest, and many times those trees would suffer quite a bit for the good of the world.

"We had three wonderful, perfect years together. Then you, Moony, and James were sent on a mission. You all were killed. Deatheaters somehow captured you, tortured you, then he delivered your body to my front steps, just like on our wedding day. I lost it…Lily and I had the children that day at our house. They were almost two, and loved playing together. Agapi, I watched the pensive…I died holding our daughter – standing in the front doorway, staring at your body, screaming. I couldn't stop screaming, even to save our child's life."

"Voldemort and Lucius were there," she continued without pausing, as if by stopping she would somehow lose her nerve to recount the story. "I don't know who actually killed us, Satan himself, or his Twisted Angel. They just swept past me, our bodies lying on the threshold where we had dropped to the ground. The damn pensive let me see her die…Lily gave her life for Harry, and Voldemort disappeared."

"Harry even got that stupid lightening bolt scar. Lucius ran in fear, before gathering the stray Deatheaters up, and leading them himself. He killed Harry when Harry turned 12. Lily's death gave him an additional decade." She finished, chuckling harshly at the memories.

"It's not your fault."

"Not my fault? I loved our child as much as Lily loved Harry, and I couldn't stop screaming to save her," Hermione's voice remained strong, but Severus could feel the tears coursing down her cheeks and onto his torso.

"You haven't lost me, and you haven't lost our daughter," he ran his calloused thumb over her closed eyelid, brushing the stray teardrop off her face.

"We haven't opened the door yet."

"So true, my Taioyu, so true."

"Move over prat," came a scratchy voice from one of the small beds.

"Next time, Fred, you sleep on the floor," came a matching voice from the same bed.

"Wake up, the lot of ya," muttered Harry, fumbling for his glasses and kicking Ron in the process.

"Oof! Bloody fucking hell, Harry, no need to step on me," came the youngest Weasley boy's complaint from his bedroll on the ground.

"Come on, we have to get up and get my wand back. Move," Harry commanded, prodding Ron with his foot, and bouncing the twin bed full of twins with his arms.

"Just a couple more hours, 'Arry, then we'll be up to help get your wand," said Fred, or George, Harry couldn't tell which was which at the moment.

"Hermione is currently bewitched into thinking Snape is her fiancé and has my wand and Moody's! We have to go save her."

"Mione's the last girl in the world that needs our saving," grumbled Ron, pulling his Cannons blanket over his head, mumbling the rest from under the covers. "She'd hex our arses to Hogsmeade and back if we tried to save her."

Now Harry needed these three brothers to wake up and align themselves firmly on his side. And if playing the "poor Hermione" card wasn't going to work, he would just have to strike below-the-Weasley-belt.

"Fine, just remember that right now your baby sister is locked in a room with the evil Ferret who tried to kill Dumbledore."

Yes, that did the trick, he thought smugly.

Molly had sent the four boys upstairs to bed only four hours before. Minerva knew she and Arthur had settled in the sitting room for the night, after running Moody and Shacklebot off.

Convincing Moody to leave without his wand had been a moment of brilliance on Molly's part. But the Order needed to get in touch with their last remaining spy, and only Kingsley and Mad-Eye knew the contact procedure.

Molly was showing her motherly instincts again, taking that moment to appear in the foyer with two cups of strong tea. She handed one to Minerva, and waited patiently as second chair was transfigured next to the first.

"Now what, Minerva?" she said, breaking the silence.

"Now we wait. Care to tell me where Arthur is?"

"He's following a lead. Seems convinced he can help Severus."

"Ah, back to first names again?"

"Minerva, while I don't approve of Hermione's methods, I can also admit that if I am going to lose her as my future-daughter-in-law, Severus is her match in so many ways. Ronald seemed almost accepting of her revelation last night. It was Harry that took six cups of tea and a plateful of biscuits to calm down."

"Ah, chocolate biscuits, the eternal comfort food."

"Arthur adores her, he's always loved her like a daughter. Told me last night, after the boys left, that Dumbledore had used his ministry research to form many of Hermione's memories. He said he feels responsible for her in a way."

"Can you blame him?"

"No, I can't. He's taken the role of father to another level," she turned to look at the older witch. "Most men get a woman pregnant, then don't reappear until it's time to teach the boys Quidditch, or scare off a potential suitor. Arthur's the most hands on father I've ever known, I know I'm lucky, Minerva, he's taught my boys to love and respect me. Even Percy, deep down, feels guilty for hurting the family."

"Your sons are becoming amazing men," Minerva said, before lapsing into another silence.

They sat for a moment drinking their tea, listening for a sound from any room.

"I'm worried about Bill."

"He'll pull through, and he's in love with Fleur. Sending them to France for the next month or so, until the wedding, was a wise choice."

"He doesn't need me anymore."

"Molly, dear, boys always need their mother, even if it's just to teach them how to keep out of trouble with their wives."

"I'm going to go fix breakfast trays to send to each room," said Molly, as she stood to exit to the kitchen, chuckling at Minerva's astute statement.

"Remus! Molly sent us jam and tea and muffins!"

The older man stuck his head out of the bathroom, running a hand through his still damp hair.

"Ya want strawberry or boysenberry?" Tonks asked, zipping up her black Weird Sister hoodie and tucking her legs underneath her on the bed. She began messily spreading the goop on the muffins.

"Nymphadora," Remus began, his tone low as he looked at the entirely too young witch sitting on his bed. "Perhaps we should talk about this again."

"Shut yer trap, ya bloody git." She stuck her hand in the air and began to count off on her jam covered fingers, "You're a werewolf, check. You're older, check. I'm a clumsy, young, and a shape-shifter, check, check check. We're perfect for each other…no one else would have us." The smile on her face as she spoke was betrayed by the uncertainty in her eyes.

"You're my first choice, Tonks," he said sincerely.

"Right then, now, strawberry or boysenberry?"

Grasping her left wrist, he ran his tongue over her jam covered index finger, and smirked.

"Strawberry tastes perfect."

"SEVERUS! Don't move your feet!"

"I was just going to turn over," he said, frustrated at his position.

"Molly sent us breakfast. It's sitting on the end of your side of the bed."

"Can I have my wand to check it for poison?"

"She wouldn't…."

"Do you remember the Tri-Wizard Tournament and Skeeter?"

"Good point, I'll find my wand."

"I can't believe Mum locked us in! I'm starving!"

"Oh, poor ickle – "

" – Ron-Ron is hungry."

"Leave him alone, guys, I'm ready to get out of here, too," came Harry's response.

A small pop and a soft tinkle of dish on dish turned the twins attention to the desk where a large tray appeared.

"Oh!"

"Tea!"

"And toast with – "

" – fried tomatoes!"

"Mum – "

" – loves – "

" – us. – "

"Can you three not think of anything besides food?" Harry asked, as Ron pushed past his brothers to pour a cup of tea and grab a dish off the tray.

"Weasley trait, dear Harry. Here, have a slice," Fred shoved in his direction a piece of bread, covered with a delicious battered and cooked tomato resting atop.

Giving in to his stomach's protests, Harry took the breakfast offering and ate it, refusing to watch the three redheads gorge on the food.

"Weasellette. Weasellette. WEASELLETTE!"

"What!" Ginny sat upright with a start, waving her wand that she had stuck under her pillow around the room.

"When are they going to let us out?" Draco asked, not even bothering to look over at her.

Ginny turned to stare at the boy lying on the bed next to her, eyes trained on the ceiling, no emotion in his voice, other than when he briefly raised it to waken her.

"After breakfast, I'm sure," she answered. "No need to yell, prat."

"What are we suppose to have to eat?"

"Fruit, pumpkin juice, and cereal, apparently," Ginny replied, pointing towards a tray that had appeared on the low coffee table.

"I only eat wheat cereal," Draco said haughtily, ignoring the rustling coming from the other bed.

"Yes, with sliced strawberries atop. Stuff it, Ferret, and come partake, it's all correct."

"You know what I eat? I never took you for a stalker," he retorted, rolling over to stare at his unlikely breakfast companion. She was sitting on the floor, kneeling in front of the table, carefully slicing juicy red strawberries and dropping them on a bowl of cereal.

"Hard to miss your complaining when the kitchens were out of stock," she answered, not even looking up from her task, as she popped a slice in her mouth.

"Fixing me breakfast; how quaint."

"Fix your own," Ginny said, darting her tongue out to catch a tiny sliver of strawberry that had escaped.

Ignore the mouth, the lips, and the tongue. Especially the pink, wet tongue.

"You're quite rude. Didn't your parents teach you it was bad form to eat before your guests?"

"Didn't your parents teach you it was bad form to commit murder?"

"Shut up, bitch," came the dark answer.

Suddenly the familiar banter and insults had crossed into the uncharted. Draco remained on his bed, sitting on the edge, defeated with his head resting on one hand.

Ginny looked up and caught his eye. He looked almost human…it was as if for the first time ever, she was actually looking at a fellow teen, with a family torn apart by this war.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "That was uncalled for this early in the morning."

He held her gaze. "Try again after lunch."

"Eat your breakfast, you snake."

Draco wasn't sure that even qualified as an insult.

A/N: Happy Mothers Day to all the other mums out there. My two boys and I are going to have a delish lunch (of course, when they are 6 and 4, I still get to pay….but whatever!). As I mentioned before, Agapi will be taking a 2-3 week break. Both my beta and I are graduating this week (WOOT!), then she leaves for Italy for 2 weeks.

I was hoping to have the next chapter written, but Arthur Weasley is giving me a few problems. I HAVE finished 3 chapters of Agapi, just not the next one! I promise he'll be written and ready to go when my beta gets back from the vineyards of Europe… All will be good by June!

As a meager appeasement, she's betaing a one-shot called Ginny Potter's Unconventional Family (don't worry, Hermione and Snape show up) for me to post. I'll also try and get up a few Slices of Life while she is gone. THANKS for the reviews, I'm eager to hear how you enjoyed this chapter!