Are You Coming?

Chapter 8

At the end of school, Harry and Ron agreed to meet at the edge of James' estate to practice 'being brave'. James sent Eve to pick him up that afternoon and Harry sighed loudly when he realised James wasn't standing near the gates like he should have been. Eve took him to an empty side road and there was that strange squeezing sensation and he was back at the mansion.

Harry bounded loudly up the stairs when he realised James' office door was open. He lingered at the doorframe and smiled widely when James lifted his head from the parchment on his desk.

"Hello," he said, excitement colouring his tone.

"Hello," James said, raising an eyebrow.

"What're we doing this afternoon?" Harry asked, his grin not failing and his eyes sparkling.

"You are going to stay inside and stay out of trouble," James said.

"But… I… Ron and I…-" Harry started.

"Off you go and play," James said, moving his eyes back to his report. "But behave!"

Harry nodded mutely and left the office, closing the door with a slight click. He started to make his way towards his room as he had been told but then realised that he couldn't just leave Ron to play on his own. Besides he needed to learn about being brave so his dad would like him.

"HARRY!" Ron shouted and waved to him as he neared the edge of James' home.

Harry waved back and went to sit next to Ron on the soft grass.

"It's certainly a big house," Ron commented, staring at it in awe. Ron's family weren't particularly rich, especially since they had seven children.

"It's too big, it's so easy to get lost inside," Harry told him.

Ron nodded and focused Harry his mind on a more important matter. "So, being brave," Harry began.

"Being brave is simple," Ron smirked, "all you have to do is be scarier than whatever's scaring you!"

"Umm…" Harry said slowly, obviously not understanding what Ron was talking about.

"Grrr!!!" Ron growled, his small boy's face, covered in many childish freckles, wrinkled due to the 'scary' face he was pulling.

"Oh… Rawr!" Harry said, trying to pull his own version of a scary face.

Ron, much to Harry's annoyance, started laughing. "You look like a sheep!" he commented, laughing and clutching his stomach.

"Oh!" Harry said.

"Okay now, stand very straight, sick out your chest, take the deepest breath you ever took in your whole life-" Ron watched to check that Harry was doing as he had instructed, "now let it out with a big GRRR!!!"

"RAWR!" Harry said, his attempt at being scary just as unconvincing as the previous.

Ron stood there and blinked slowly. He watched Harry's face carefully. "You're gonna need a lot of practice," he said apologetically. "Do what I do!" Ron coached, crouching down. "I'm a dragon, GRRRR, ROAR!!!"

"Alright," Harry joined in his game, "I'm a griffin, RAWR!"

Ron set off at a run with Harry following. "Come on, Harry, you can do it!" he encouraged, "Grrr!"

"Rawr!"

"Watch me," Ron said, excitement colouring his voice. "Grr!"

Ron ran as fast as he could with Harry trying to catch him. "Come on, try again," he said, indicating to a butterfly, challenging him to scare it.

"Rawr!" Harry tried, watching the butterfly flutter away.

"Yeah, that was a good one!" Ron said, trying to sound convincing.

"GRR!" Ron spotted a bee sitting on a nearby tree truck and snarled at it.

"RAWR!"

Harry and Ron gave unison scream as the bee flew after them for disturbing it. The bee lazily got back to work on the tree's blossoms once the boys had run away.

"GR!"

"RA-OW!" Harry caught his foot on a rock and tripped to the floor. He put out his hands to break his fall.

"Harry! Are you okay?" Ron asked, helping his friend up.

"I'm fine, just a little trip," Harry insisted.

"I thought I recognised your scream," another voice came from behind a set of bushes that the boys were walking past.

Harry pulled himself up and wiped dry mud off his trousers. "I-"

"What are you two losers doing anyway?" the blonde boy asked. "I thought you'd be at home trying to make your father like you, Potter. It might take a while. You'd best start now."

"Shut it, Malfoy," Ron recommended quietly.

"What?" Malfoy asked, narrowing his eyes.

"He said 'shut up'!" Harry growled, still in his 'brave' mood.

"What did you say, princess?!" Malfoy snarled, his eyes focusing on the smaller, dark-haired boy.

"Nothing…"

"Come on, Harry," Ron whispered.

"I said 'shut up'!" Harry said fiercely.

"GR!" Malfoy snapped and rushed towards the other two boys.

Both Ron and Harry turned quickly and ran back towards James' house, fleeing the furious Draco.

"Where do we go?!" Ron asked, breathlessly.

"Back to the house," Harry called after him. "We'll be okay there."

As they reached the safety of the mansion's gardens, Harry tripped and Malfoy caught up with him.

"Harry!" Ron called.

Harry gulped in fear, wondering what Malfoy would do now that he had caught up with him. Malfoy angled for what Harry was sure would be a heavy punch but something in the air seemed to be stopping him. Harry watched as Malfoy punched the air above him a few times before giving up and running off as they all noticed James standing by the gate and watching them.

"Uh oh!" Ron breathed as Harry stood up and made his way over to his father.

Harry remembered his father's previous words.

"You are going to stay inside and stay out of trouble."

"I…" Harry began.

"Did you just shield against him?" James asked.

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"You stopped him from attacking you with magic," James explained, traces of astonishment in his voice.

"I guess so, Sir," Harry said fearfully.

"I didn't do any magic that strong until I was in Hogwarts," James said, smiling softly at the memory.

Harry looked at him, eyes wide open and he smiled brightly, for the first time feeling approval from his father. He stared up into hazel eyes. James hid his smile by pursing his lips together. He raised an eyebrow at his son.

"Well we better be going… uh… inside, yes, inside," James told him. "Say goodbye to your friend."

James walked off towards the house. "Wow, he's never said anything nice like that before," Harry commented.

"I guess he saw how brave you were," Ron commented.

"I better go," Harry grinned, "bye, Ron!"

"Bye, Harry." Ron watched as Harry followed his father inside, smiling because he was sure things were going to get better now.


Yay, I had hoped to get a chapter out by now! What did you think of it?

With love JLF xoxo