Life is Like T-Rex
By: Sam Lincoln
Disclaimer: The characters from Harry Potter belong to JK Rowling and are used here without permission. The story image is property of Jenny Owen Youngs and is also reproduced without permission.
"Not trying to make you think this is some kind of great big deal I just know exactly how you feel I could be the thing you reach for in the middle of the night.
Let me be the one to treat you right."
-Last Person, Jenny Owen Youngs
Chapter 9: On the Edge of a Cliff
For a long moment they just stood in stunned silence, until Uncle Ron finally cleared his throat. "So, er, what's this about then?"
Ginny and I leapt away from each other, our faces heating rapidly. "Er, that was just celebratory, congratulations mate, we won the league!"
Ron stared at the two of us and gradually realised what we were wearing. "Oh don't tell me," he groaned.
"Harry asked me to step in because apparently there are things more important to you than Quidditch!" Your mum snapped. "Er, sorry Hermione."
"But wait, who played Keeper, and why on Earth did Pembledon agree to it?"
"Oh yes," Hermione barked out. "Because that's what is important here."
"Of course it is," Ron insisted. "This is the league championship we're talking about. Besides, it's a well-known fact that Quidditch gets these two, er, worked up."
"You'll be able to read all about it in the Prophet tomorrow," Ginny said to her brother. And you could, I was by turns congratulated for my exemplary flying and pilloried for abusing my influence as the "Chosen One" in getting a professional player like your mum to take part in a silly amateur game. "Harry today was a lot of fun, but I really must be getting home now."
"Wait!" Hermione said. "Ron and I have an announcement of our own to make." She paused to take a deep breath.
"My prat of a brother here didn't get you knocked up did he?"
"What? No, of course not. But we do owe Harry, er, both of your I suppose, an apology. You see we weren't off doing wedding errands. We were looking at a house, and we bought it. Well agreed to buy it, we still need to work out the mortgage, but for all intents and purposes we bought a house!"
"You bought a house?" I asked in disbelief.
"In Havering-atte-Bower, you should see it Harry, it's brilliant!" Ron enthused.
"That's terrific news!" Ginny said before giving Hermione a hug.
"It's far too big, and we'll be in debt for years paying off the mortgage. Stop thinking that this instance Harry Potter; we will pay our own way. You've done enough for us these past few years. This is what adults do."
I held up my hands in surrender. "Alright, but if you ever need help just ask."
"We know Harry, and thank-you."
"So when are you moving out, er, in?" I asked as neutrally as I could.
"We, er, don't really know," Ron admitted. "It all happened so quickly that we haven't had a chance to think about what happens next. Plus there are mountains of papers to sign."
"Don't worry Harry, we'll only be a Floo away. Plus I'm sure Ron and I will be over here lots."
"You sound like you're trying to get my permission," I said to Hermione. "This is great news, don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Like you said, it's not like you're abandoning me." I reached out and pulled your aunt into a hug.
"If that's true then why do you look like you stuck your finger in a light socket?" She asked reproachfully.
"I won't lie; I am a little cross that the two of you lied to me about what you were up to. Okay, maybe more than a little cross. But I am happy for you, honestly." I looked around the room and saw the disbelieving stares that greeted me. "Merlin, what are you lot expecting, that I'm about to run off and sulk, or worse?" Then before they could reply I did exactly that.
I returned to Grimmauld Place a few days later and found your aunt and uncle waiting for me in the sitting room. Hermione was reading the Prophet and Ron was leafing through Quidditch Weekly. Neither of them looked up when I entered the room and I cleared my throat to get their attention.
Hermione glanced up from her paper, folded it, and placed it on her lap. "Oh look Ron, Harry's back," she stated in a diffident tone. Of all the reactions to my return this was the one I least expected. I saw Ron swish his wand and a silver form shot out of the room. Moments later the fireplace flared to life and Ginny came tumbling out. Which in a way I was glad because it gave me a better idea what to expect.
I didn't even flinch when a trio of spells blasted me into an easy chair, bound me to it, and gagged me. I also felt an Anti-Apparation ward fall into place over the room. As always, your aunt's spell work was impeccable.
"What the bloody hell were you thinking?" Hermione demanded. "Do you have any idea how worried we were?" She dismissed the gag with a wave of her wand.
"Firstly, thank-you for your concern Hermione. Secondly, did you do this body-bind Ginny? It's really well done. Thirdly, did you ask Robards where I was Ron?"
"When you didn't show yesterday I didn't want to do anything that might get you in hot water with him," Ron said.
"Well if you'd bothered to ask Robards you git you'd know I've spent the past two days going over the security for the Express. Including examining the entire route."
"In that case why didn't you tell us?" Hermione asked, the anger fading from her voice.
"Because I was still feeling cross about being lied to," I admitted. "It wasn't exactly mature of me, I know."
"That's putting it mildly," Your mum noted.
"But then I had Kreacher bring me a change of clothes and I got some work done."
"Wait, but then?"
"Can you ever stop being you Hermione?" I said with a sigh. "Alright, if you all must know, yes, at first I did run off to sulk." I took a deep breath. "Actually, it probably was for the best, I had a lot I needed to think through."
"Like our moving out?" Hermione asked gently.
"That was part of it, but it was more than that. I know it's silly, but I can't help but think everything is moving past me."
"No we're…" Hermione started to protest.
"Yes, you are Hermione, engaged, moving out of this dusty old house. That's growth, and I'm still stuck here."
"Harry," Your mum said, her voice strained.
"Let me finish Ginny please. I realised something, after I destroyed a few boulders; all my problems are mine and having nothing to do with Hermione and Ron. I'm going to say this one more time and hopefully this time you'll believe me. I am over the moon for the two of you Ron. I think it's brilliant what you're doing."
"Thanks mate."
"So if I do feel stuck, or trapped, or left behind, it's my own fault because I'm not ready yet." I did my level best not to look at your mum. "Because it's not the right time. Now can I please get up?"
"Hermione, before you do that, could you and Ron give me a moment alone with Harry?" Your mum asked in her quiet voice, you know the one. The collective shudder from the audience said yes, they did.
"I'll put silencing charms on the room," Hermione said as she caught Ron by the arm and dragged him out of the room.
"Good luck mate."
"I should Hex you into tiny pieces!" Ginny yelled as soon as the door shut. "Don't for a second think I didn't know what you were talking about just now, who you were talking about, and I don't appreciate being used as an excuse."
"I'm not using you as an excuse for anything Ginny."
"Then what was all that rot you just said?"
"I know what it sounded like, but it's not about you Ginny, not entirely. I really, really like what we have right now, and I think you do too."
"I do, but I don't want what you do, not right now at least."
I shrugged, or at least tried to. "I'm having fun and enjoying myself, why worry about the other stuff?"
Your mum frowned. "Why are you being so reasonable?"
"I spent a lot of time thinking the past few days, it gives a bloke clarity. I'm also very sorry about what I said earlier. I never meant for you to think you were the reason I feel stuck." I allowed myself a quick smile. "A reason maybe, but not the reason." Ginny pressed her wand into the tip of my nose. "Kidding, kidding."
"I'm serious Harry, don't let my baggage get in your way," Ginny said.
"Your baggage? Look, could you let me out of this? There's something I want to show you."
Your mum nodded and released the binding hex. I stood up and stretched my arms to restore the circulation to them. "So what did you want to show me?"
I reached down and picked up a pair of blankets from the couch that I Transfigured into warm jackets. I handed one to Ginny. "Here, you'll need this." She took the jacket and before she could ask why I pulled her close and Apparated us out of Grimmauld Place.
A sudden blast of winter air caused Ginny to hastily pull the jacket on. "Merlin Harry, where the bloody hell are we? And how did you do that? Hermione had the room warded!"
"Hermione's brilliant, but I am the top Auror in the department, and we're in Scotland."
"This is where you took me before, on our first date. You came here to think when you ran off."
"I did, but that's not why I brought you here, not entirely at least. I spent that whole night just thinking. About what I want to do, where I want to go, who I want to be, all the stuff I never had the chance to when I was younger."
"And what conclusions did you come to?"
I shrugged, "I'm going to stay with the Aurors, I'm good at it, and I believe in what we're doing."
"Forever the hero," Your mum said with an almost wistful tone to her voice.
"The other thing I realised came to me when I was watching the sun come up over the water."
"And what was that?"
"I want to see that sunrise every day." I spun your mum around and pointed at a set of tracks tramped into the thin dusting of snow on the ground. "I figured it all out, the breakfast nook is going to face this direction with a big bay window, so I can eat my breakfast and watch the sun come up. And it will be two stories, with at least four bedrooms. Stone walls I think"
"Harry, what are you talking about?"
"Don't you see Ginny, I want this place to be home!" I said excitedly as I threw my arms out wide.
"But, there's no house here."
"Exactly, that means I can get one built to my specifications."
"It's in the arse-end of Scotland, is there any place even remotely close to here?"
"There's a village a few kilometres down the road. Besides, I like the isolation, and between Apparation, Floos and Portkeys, it's not like location really matters all that much."
"I hate to keep being so negative, but do you even know who owns this land, and if it's even for sale?"
"No, but I do have money, which is a good substitute for both. I've retained a solicitor to sort it out for me."
"It all sounds very lovely, but why are you showing me this?"
"Because," Now what I wanted to say was, "This is my future and I want you to be a part of it," but I wisely resisted that impulse. "This is what I'm waiting for."
"Come again?"
"I'm not a fool Ginny. It's going to take time to make this house, my home, happen. But I'm willing to wait until it does, because I think it's worth it."
"Well I hope you find someone to share you dream house with, only…" her voice trailed off.
"What?"
"Only you'd better show me these plans of yours. Merlin knows what a git like you thinks makes for a good dream house, and I'd hate to saddle some poor, unsuspecting woman with that."
I smiled and held out my hand. "Ginny, I'd be delighted to."
I Apparated us back to the sitting room and Grimmauld Place after spending an hour or so going over my plans for the house. I noticed your mum was being very slow to let go of my hand.
"You know Harry; we never did talk about the other thing that happened Saturday night."
"Did you wind up getting in trouble with Gladish for that little stunt?"
Ginny grimaced. "She isn't happy, but the marketers loved it, and that wasn't what I was talking about, and you know it."
I scrubbed a hand through my hair. "I know, but what do you want me to say? We kissed, we both enjoyed it, and I wouldn't mind doing it again."
"Someone is awfully full of himself."
"I don't recall any complaints the first time around."
"That's because I was young and didn't know any better," Ginny said as she closed the narrow distance between us.
"And now you do know better?"
"Well you're still a brilliant kisser, but yes, now I know better than to get involved with the likes of you Harry Potter."
"The likes of me?"
"You're dangerous, a heartbreaker," she said flatly, and I wasn't sure if she was being serious or not.
"And what does that mean?" I asked, taking a step back.
"You did break my heart," she pointed out before reaching up and brushing back my fringe. "But that isn't why you're dangerous Harry. I'm pretty sure I."
Whatever your mum was going to say was cut off by the door banging open and your aunt storming into the room, Ron close on her heels. "How did you do it Harry?" She demanded. "How did you get past my ward?"
"Auror trade secret," I replied. "One that Ron doesn't know," I added. In actual fact as Master of Grimmauld Place it's impossible to keep me from Apparating into or out of the house, but your aunt didn't know that.
"Forget how you got out, where did the two of you go?" Ron asked.
"I wanted to show Ginny something," I replied. "It's between me and her."
"Oh lay off Ron," Ginny snapped. "Harry just wanted to show me why we don't have to worry about him."
"He's got a funny way of doing that," Ron grumbled. "Running off with you, not telling us where you're going."
"What did you show her Harry?" Your aunt asked me.
"He showed me the future," your mum replied before I had a chance to speak. She turned to face me, fixing me with that determined glare I've always loved. "And I think it looks wonderful, so lay off him." Your mum has always enjoyed withholding information from your aunt and uncle. I think it's revenge for how much the three of us kept from her when we were at school. "Hermione, we'll talk tomorrow. Harry, thank-you for the illuminating trip. Ron," Your mum flashed Ron a gesture that if I catch any of you doing I will be very cross. She then walked over to the fireplace. "And Harry?"
A smile played across my face. "Still no, right?"
Your mum nodded. "Still no." She tumbled into the fire and vanished.
"Still no what?" Ron asked.
I shrugged off the Transfigured blanket I'd been wearing and returned it to its normal state. "Still won't marry me." I tossed the blanket onto the back of the sofa.
Before I could leave the room Hermione blocked my path. "Harry…"
"I'm fine Hermione, honest."
"Where did you two go tonight?"
"And what's with your relationship?" Ron added.
"That's between Ginny and me Hermione, and honestly Ron, I have no idea, but I'm fine with that. Whatever is going to happen between us will happen at its own time, and it's not going to be rushed. Now if you'll excuse me, I've had a long couple of days and really need to get some sleep. Ron I'll talk to you about what I found on my reconnaissance trip tomorrow."
"Sure thing Harry."
"And Harry?" Hermione said.
"Yeah?"
"We do still trust you, you know that right?"
"That's why you're giving me a hard time, I know Hermione, and I do appreciate it, sort of." I reached out and gave your aunt a hug.
"We won't stop being worried about you, you know," she murmured into my shoulder.
"I know, and I wouldn't want it any other way."
"Now go to bed, you look dead on your feet."
"Yes mum," I said to your aunt and went up to bed.
"So wait dad," Al said. "That house you mentioned building, that's this house isn't it?"
"That's right Al, it took a long time, but this is the house I described to your mum that night. We had to jump through all sorts of hoops to get it built, but like all good things it was worth the wait. And every morning when I look out the window as I eat my breakfast I see the same thing I did the morning I decided to build this house."
"What dad?"
"The future, I see the future."
"So does that mean you can tell us who's going to win the Quidditch championship?" James asked.
"Don't be such an arse James," Lily scolded. "That was a beautiful metaphor, and you had to go and muck it up."
"Language Lily," I warned my daughter.
"Sorry dad."
"And James is right, that was a bit much, the truth, but a bit much."
"So was that how you convinced mum?" James asked.
I laughed. "Oh no, it took a lot more than that, but just like this house, good things are worth the wait."
Author's Notes: First off, yes, this is greatly inspired by the HIMYM episode Homewreckers, but also in equal measure by a story my grandfather used to tell. The chapter's title comes from The Streets' song of the same name, for no particular reason other than The Streets is one of the bands in my "Think British" playlist. Thanks again to everyone who's read, reviewed, etc.
-sam, 2013-04-08
